Baby Toy Reviews

This kit contains 30 Maxi Mega Bloks in red, blue, purple, and yellow. The oversized blocks are easy for small hands to grasp. Blocks snap together in unlimited combinations for hours of colorful building fun. The set includes square and rectangular pieces of various sizes plus one 4-wheel vehicle and driver. Compatible with other Maxi Mega Bloks for larger building projects. Bloks come in a clear plastic carrying case with a zipper and a handle for off-site construction. --Alison Golder

"Find Buzzy's pillow. Now reach out your arm. Your conference call's early--reset your alarm." Oh, if only there was a set of Pilly Winks bedtime pillows for adults. Alas, this adorable quintet of colorful, stitched, cushy mini-pillows is designed to provide storybook bedtime guidance to little ones. As an adult reads the rhymes from the illustrated book, youngsters are encouraged to choose the appropriate animal-friend pillow and complete the get- ready-for-bed task, whether picking up their toys while quacking like Tip Top the Duck, or putting on their jammies while marching and smiling like PJ the Bear. Kudos to Aristoplay for the most delightful thing to happen to children's bedtime since the advent of the nightlight. --Tony Mason

This is a happy, noisy toy that should amuse most toddlers. Everything that can be touched reacts in some way, from a trombone-playing frog to a book that sings the alphabet. Our favorite is the colored keyboard that sings each color you press. The tabletop can be placed on the floor for those still in the crawling phase, or can sit on the included legs for a sturdy surface and leaning spot for little ones who are new to walking. If there is any fault with the Learning Table, it may be that it has too many features: each element of the table reacts in two different ways, depending on whether it's in Learn Mode or Music Mode. (Modes are switched by flipping the page of the book mounted in the center of the table.) Though this means more fun stuff for kids to hear, the mode concept is not one that they can be expected to understand, and the effect of the toy's inconsistent reactions is likely to be confusion.

Whether your child prefers the traditional version of the Three Little Pigs or something a bit more unconventional (such as The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs), he or she will enjoy reenacting the entire plot with this outstanding playset. Undo the Velcro seam on the roof of the third little pig's house to reveal a 16-by-23-inch play mat depicting colorfully printed and embroidered set pieces for staging the story. Three freestanding pigs and the big bad wolf are each recreated on weighted pillows and nicely enhanced by a touch of bright outline stitching. Houses of hay and sticks (cardboard-covered fabric) readily succumb to the wolf's huffing and puffing, and the much larger, quilted house of bricks sports a wolf-sized chimney. A traditional retelling of the classic story--made of printed fabric and easily stored inside the brick house with the mat, characters, and props--is included. --Liane Thomas

Just like the Care Bear of the same name, baby Friend Bear has a happy-go-lucky, fun-loving demeanor. This sweet little doll combines two popular cuddly toys--Waterbabies and Care Bears--into one. Like other Waterbaby dolls, this one can be filled with warm water so she feels cozy and heavy like a real baby. Her thick rubberized body securely holds the water and a tight rubber plug in Friend Bear’s back prevents leaking so kids can snuggle in close to her. For added coziness, this baby comes in a fleecy yellow bear suit with Friend Bear’s signature flower symbol emblazoned on the front. This Friend Bear Waterbaby comes with her own mini bear-shaped rattle and a plastic funnel for filling her with water. --Cristina Vaamonde