Editorial Review

This award-winning globe could help children become A+ geographystudents. The Explorer Globe II is jam-packed with hundreds of facts, trivia,and useful scholastic information about every aspect of the geographical world.It electronically verbalizes everything from area population, capitolcity/country, state/province, large bodies of water, currencies, high points,distance, and more. Other remarkable features make the Explorer an even moreuseful reference tool. It has a world clock that, once set from your home area,will tell the time in every other part of the world. And any country can beselected to hear a sample its national music (yes, Tahiti does have a nationalanthem). The globe sits on a sturdy base, which features a dashboard full ofinteractive functions and an attached soft-tipped stylus. This stylus is the keyinstrument: use it to touch virtually any point on the surface of the globe toretrieve information. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Best present my kids ever got
I'm not one for electronic toys, normally. But this globe is terrific. The second day after she received it, my 6-year-old had learned all the continents and oceans, and could find each of them within two or three seconds after the globe called them out. She's working on countries now. Her first-grade class had to make a collection of 100 items of their choice. She chose to collect 100 country names, which she patiently copied from the globe while listening to music snippets and basic facts about each one. Last month, we read that geologists believe India was once a seperate island, which eventually crashed into mainland Asia. I asked her what mountain range was made during that crash, and she barely paused before answering the Himilayas. And what's the biggest mountain in the Himilayas? Mt. Everest.

But the best part is when the kids go to bed. Then I get to challenge my wife to Eureka, to see who can find the most countries, cities and continents as they are called out randomly by the globe. She always wins. But I'm improving, and one of these days....

My only complaint (like many of the other reviewers) is that the globe started malfunctioning after several months. In our case, the sensors must have shifted inside the globe so that instead of giving you information for the country you select, it tells you about it's neighbor 2 inches to the left. But the company will replace the globe for free...I just had to ship it back to them at my own cost (no big deal). Many people complain about the Stylus failing. But a replacement stylus is pretty cheap. And if you play with it as much as we do, you can't expect it to last forever, can you?

Pity!! Good toy that doesn't last
This interactive globe is really good at introducing geography to the kids. It's a real pity that the pointer's touch system becomes insensitive after regular use. Toy lasted less than 3 months.

Fun but broke after a few months
Defintely a great concept but the touch pen quit working after about half a year. Now its just a plain globe. Ratings are based on function level after it quit working, since I found many similar sotries on the web. Sad the quality is so LOW. It would be all 5s otherwise

Be Careful Before you Spend Your $100
It's frustrating really. We purchased an explorer globe for our son who loved to play the states game in the Lap Pad book. We used it a total of 4 times in 6 months because once we got it we realized it wasn't quite at his level, (he was just 5). We put it up and when a friend came over whom was interested in purchasing one for her son, I let her try it out. It turned on just fine, but the pen would not work. I changed the batteries but with no luck. It worked randomly for a few times after that but it no longer works at all. We have had it for only a year and it has been used no more then 10 times. Leap Frog only warrants their products for 3 months. Our 3 months were up and their was nothing we could do about. We spent $100 on what was supposed to be a great, long term educational product, unfortunately not even the company that makes it can back it up. Their goes another $100 wasted on this company. We're done spending money on their products. Note: Watch out for Leapster and Leap Pad products as well.

Very educational and fun
I have a son, and he loves it. He always points to different parts of the globe, and I create stories for him. Its a joy to watch him grow and learn, and this toy has helped him do that. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Toot-toot! All aboard for lunch with the very functional Thomas the Tanklunch box, which is made of durable plastic and comes in the traditional Thomasblue with a red handle. Inside the generous container are an 11.5-ounce canteenand a Pecoware double-deck sandwich container, which measures 5 by 5 by 3inches. Both are adorned with Thomas scenes. On the front of the lunch box is anifty front panel--decorated with another happy Thomas scene--that clips open.This compartment is big enough to accommodate another sandwich or is the perfecthiding place to tuck away a secret goodie for your child. Press a button on theside of the canteen, and the cover pops up, revealing a straw. No muss, no fuss.The lunch box measures 9 by 7 by 4.5 inches and can hold a lot of food--forchildren or adults! --Diane Tuman ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Most Adorable Lunchbox
This Thomas Train Lunchbox is GREAT! My three year old son was so excited when he saw it for the first time. It is spacious and well constructed. The compartments are large and there are multiple options for use with each piece. The kids (ages 3-5) in his preschool class went crazy when he brought it to school. It is a one of a kind.

Retro cool
I gave this 5 stars for fun, because my son loved it from day one, and would not leave the store without it. He played with it for days while we waited for school to reopen after Christmas.

I rated it 5 stars for educational value, because it made him want to go to school, which is a significant educational achievement indeed.

Unfortunately, I had to mark it down, because the water bottle is already broken at the point where the button to press it open meets the cap. Also, the straw is hard to clean, especially after a young child eats a cheesy snack and nibbles on the straw.
Lastly, the front compartment is very difficult to open, especially for a young child, so you end up not using that section at all.

Other than these, it's tough, it's cute, and it's a retro look that parents remember all too well. Substitute another bottle, and enjoy.

now in its fifth year of use and still going strong!
This is THE lunchbox to get! My six year old son received this as a gift for his first birthday. I didn't think much of it at the time. HA! Little did I know how much we would use this durable and practical lunch box set! I can pack his lunch everyday without one piece of plastic wrap or one plastic baggie! A sandwich fits perfectly in the tray provided and stays fresh and soft until lunch time! Under the sandwich I pack fruit, pretzels or other snacks....again without any plastic wrap or baggy! I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!!

Cute item for your Thomas fan, but...
A friend of mine bought this lunchbox for my son and he loved it as soon as he got it. He's 4 and not in kindergarten yet, so this only gets used from time to time when we go out to lunch, etc. It can also be used to carry along small toys, trains, or whatever. Another reviewer has said hers cracked after it was dropped. I can't really comment too much on that since ours hasn't been dropped (yet). The lunchbox is pretty roomy on the inside and even has a side compartment too! There's a snack box inside with a little tray which basically divides it into two compartments. I usually put a sandwich on top and put other things underneath. The biggest problem with the whole set is the cup that comes with it. It is really cute, but leaks into the lunchbox frequently and is a MAJOR PAIN to clean. There's a little spring loaded straw that pops up when you open the top, and goes back down when you close it. You basically have to disassemble these parts each time you clean it and let them dry, then put the whole thing back together again. I think they could've included a simple thermos or something that would have been much easier to use and clean. My son loves the design of the box, so I would recommend this lunchbox. However, I would leave the cup at home and throw in a juice box or something instead!!

The Thomas Lunch Box
My 3 year old son has this lunchbox and he dropped it and it cracked. It's not very durable. Also, it has a compartment for an ice pack, but didn't come with one. It is very difficult to find an ice pack for the size of the compartment. On a good note, he loves the drinking cup and snack box. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

12" Raised Relief Explorer Globe
It's amazing how much a child learns by having access. We are an American family living in Germany and felt my 5 year old would have a greater understanding of where we live and where our extended family lives.

There should be one in every house!
What a great, inexpensive globe. It's fascinating to watch a child spin a globe - even if they don't seem like they are learning anything, at least they are getting a general idea of the immense size of our world! Since getting this globe, my 5 year old son has learned about the continents and the oceans, found Australia on his own and pointed out that Antarctica is bigger than the USA. It seems that the globe gets loose from it's stand somewhat easily, but it is easily tightened. All in all, a great buy with terrific educational value.

poorly designed stand
The globe itself is ok and has a lot of educational value for kids starting out in geography, but the stand is so poorly designed that when you rotate the globe on its axis, the stand easily detaches from the globe. The whole point is to be able to rotate it, so in effect it's not very usable if you have to keep fixing the stand again and again. A heavier stand that would not move when rotating the globe would probably work better. The attaching mechanism needs redesign too -- right now it's just a screw in the base. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

I Hate this toy!!!
This is the worst 23 dollars I've ever spent!! When I tried to set the date, it always said, May 33rd! I can't beleive they actually try to sell this. The company who made this thing probably will go out of business. Whatever you do, don't buy this toy. All you're going to do is return it. Just avoid it completely from the start!

worst toy ever
This toy is a waste of money. I bought it for my 7 year old. The voice is with an english accent and you can't understand half of what she says. When we finnally managed to get the password to accept, after closing the journal we couldn't get back in because it didn't recognize the password. We are from South Carolina so it couldn't understand what we were telling it to do. Very frustrating! Forget about setting the time and date. What a rip off!

Older brother can't open it
I bought the journal for my seven year old grand daughter. She loves it.She found that using her name as the password, saying it very firmly worked best, it only opens to her voice. My daughter will be buying this journal to give as gifts.How about a boy's version?

Tara Sadr's Review
Warnning: Do not buy this toy!
I was looking for a diary and I tought a password journal is a good one. But it's not.This is why:
1. It only has 30 small pages.
2. If someone knows the password and speaks into it, it atoumaticly opens
3. Setting the time and date was hard. If you are setting the date, it says: Febuary 58!
This is the lesson I learned:
Always check other peoples reviwes and see what they think before you get something.
Luckey I could return it or I would have spended $23.00 for nothing.(Plus batteries and tax).
p.s: I wish I could put none stars for this thing.

No Comprende
Im pretty convinced that this toy does not speak english.It was neary impossible to set the time and date - even to the point of frustration.I must have spoken the date into it 15 to 20 tines and it never got it 100% correct.And the process for date/time setting is pretty exhausting.However, my daughter thinks it is fun so what the heck. ... Read more

Teacher Review

Set up an art station just like those found in preschools andkindergartens with this set of high-quality painting supplies to encouragecreative expression in young artists. The set includes seven colors of washabletempera paint in 8-ounce bottles, in black, white, red, blue, yellow, purple,and green. No-spill paint pots with color-coordinated lids are also included,and the lids snap tightly shut so unused paint won't dry out. Six bristlebrushes are included, as well as three foam brushes and two foam rollers.Everything stores away in a sturdy storage crate (which itself folds flat forstorage). Early-childhood educators praise the creative value of painting foryoung children, and this set provides all the necessary materials except paper.--Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children's librarian ... Read more

Features

• 7 8-ounce containers of tempera paints
• 7 no-spill paint pots with snap lids
• 6 bristle brushes, 3 foam brushes, 2 foam rollers
• Sturdy, fold-up storage crate
• High-quality supplies for school or home

Reviews (3)

Good quality for price
Good quality supplies made for heavy duty use. Nice big "brushy" brushes - heavy duty nylon bristles resist "flopping" and are easy to clean. Sponge applicators are easy to use and fun shapes - they don't fall apart and they wash clean. Paint is in worthwhile size containers - just need an inch or so in the cup at a time, bottle will last a long time. Lidded cups keep paint from drying out and have large brush wells. Crayons and chalk are standard issue - would be better if they were thicker, "pre-school" size. All in all - a very good basic supply. My grandson wants to "do painting" every time he visits.

Great item...
The item is great -- all the washable paints you need -- great brushes and sponges etc...

Very Nice
My kids are having fun painting and Im enjoying the less mess part :) I also thought the brushes were 'Are" very high quality!!
I would buy this again! And will for a gift very soon!! The crate is very nice also!
Thanks!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Like miniature cans of spray paint, the pens in this 50-pieceBlopens activity kit can be used to make a wide variety of colorfulstencil and airbrush pictures. The kit contains 15 pens, including fivecolor-changing ones, and 23 precut stencils. Each pen is filled withnontoxic, washable ink. By blowing into one end of the pen young artistscan create a colorful airbrush effect on paper. A sturdy cardboardworkstation that holds all of the pens has been included, along witheight sheets of paper, a carry case for the whole set, and aninstruction and idea booklet. --Chris Burns ... Read more

Reviews (23)

blopens are creative and a great leaning experience
My daughter received a blopen kit over a year ago. She has used it for many school projects and also just for fun. She and her friends love it and the teachers have commented on how original her projects are. They want to know how she did it. She did one project which had to do with space and planets. She used the blopens to make the background(Blue black and purple). It looked realistic and then she mounted her planets on top. They were also made using the blopens and the whole effect was very artistic. The only negative comment I have is that I have not been able to find replacement pens anywhere including on the internet. It would be nice to be able to buy replacement pens without having to buy the whole kit again.

Boo this toy sucks
It was hard to make the ink come out plus they ran dry to soon Take my advice dont buy them

not a (real) kid!
i am an artist; i make a lot of greeting cards. i have found blo-pens to be a lot of fun and i have been very creative with them. i found that i do better when i use my own stencils, and i have experimented a lot with the pens. my frustration is not being able to find just the pens, except for the "bold" colors, which i do not need. and i don't like the color change pens (the colors are blah, as far as i'm concerned). would love to know how to find an assortment of pens.

BloPens Rock
I loved playing with BlowPens. I used to hate arts and crafts. But when I got BlowPens, I had the best time of my life! Now my sister's an artist!

Be careful - the ink stains!
This ink runs through paper, so be sure and cover the surface your child is working on and make sure they wear old clothes. This ink stains, and some colors come out but others don't. Our kids enjoyed Blopens so much we couldn't keep them away from it, to our home's detriment. You'll be in for an unfortunate surprise if your child decides to sit on the floor over carpet or at a table with a tablecloth while using these pens. We were surprised that a company would make a child's toy like this with ink that won't easily wash out. Just something to consider before buying. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Combination of Supplies for Creating Art for Kids
This is an excellent collection of easy-to-use art supplies for children. It includes the drawing "tools" my daughters like to use most. This collection empowers children to be creative.

I suggest you buy this Crayola set, a case of cheap paper, a couple rolls of invisible tape, a pencil sharpener, a bottle of Elmer's school glue, and a stapler (for sure). Then give your child frequent access to the supplies to draw pictures and design things. Your child's creativity will emerge on its own.

Highly recommended! ... Read more

Features

• Wide selection of art supplies
• Open-ended set promotes creativity
• Sturdy, waterproof portfolio with carrying handle
• Includes materials for drawing, painting, and collage

Reviews (1)

Just wonderful!
This has to be one of the best possible art case available for the budding artist. The supplies and the case are of extremely high quality (no cheap vinyl here -- but that's why the price is, unfortunately, nearly forty dollars). The case is also very roomy and versatile. There's enough space to slip an additional book or two (or other small toys) inside at the last minute, so the contents always seem "fresh". We take this case with us everywhere (without the paints, of course), and it keeps our four-year-old daughter very contented while waiting in restaurants, airports, etc.

One problem, however, is the lack of a pencil sharpener to accompany the colored pencils. Granted, this is a minor fault, but, since Alex Toys has a reputation for creating excellent products, this omission seems somewhat inexplicable. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Dora the Explorer would never think of setting out on an expedition without her trusty backpack, and chances are that any kid who gets hold of this hard-plastic backpack will feel the same. It features the same cheerful expression and, at the press of a button, it says one of four different upbeat lines or sings the "Backpack Song," which chances are your child already knows by heart. The sound is awfully loud, so parents may wish to have an artfully arranged piece of tape ready for muting purposes. Rounding out the ensemble are Dora-themed bracelet, camera, magnifying glass, and binoculars. While none of these accessories actually work, like the backpack in which they all fit, they're quite charming. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Items are difficult to get out of backpack
I'm finding that the opening to the backpack is small in relation to the camera and the binoculars, and the kids are having a hard time getting their hand inside the backpack and pulling out what they want. They can reach in and grab the item; but, when they go to withdraw their hand with the item in it, their hand hits the narrow opening and this knocks the item out of their hand. So, they tend to tip the backpack upside down and shake it to get the items out. Since you really don't want to make the items smaller, I think the opening needs to be bigger.

Lots of fun!
We bought this for our daughter, a huge Dora fan and she LOVES it! In fact, we carted it all the way to Kauai and back. It has been dropped, pounded on, slammed and still looks brand new. I would recommend this toy for anyone who is a Dora fan.

Love Dora
My 3 year old received this as a gift and plays with it every day. My 22 month old also loves playing with it. They fight over it but always seem to split up the pieces so they both can play with it!!! Only complait was that the bracelt is too big for my daughters arm. But other then that it is a great toy!!! I remond it!!!

The Dora Back Pack
I was a little unsatisfied with this toy. It is very durable but the toys are very hard to fit inside the plastic back pack. It is also hard to get them in and out of it. My daughter is four and LOVES Dora but she plays more with her fabric Dora back pack more then she plays with the plastic one. It is musical but not very entertaining to her.

Fun toy for all ages
My mom bought this for my 3 year old, but she and her little sister are constantly fighting over it! They both love it, even though none of the accessories actually "work". My 18mo old loves to hear the song. Cute toy! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Password Journal 3 combines technology and secret-keeping, making it of interest to girls who like neat gadgets ... and privacy (and what girl doesn’t?). In addition to functions for setting important dates, times, and other data, the journal has a secret compartment inside for treasured belongings: promise rings, phone numbers, photos, etc. A night-light allows for transactions that can be made only under the cover of darkness. Unlike past versions of the Password Journal, this one lets you custom decorate the cover by placing photos under the removable vinyl cover. The coolest feature, though, is undoubtedly the voice-coded access--once the password is entered via the built-in microphone, the machine opens only at the voice of its owner. We found it a bit tricky to get this to work the first time, and had better luck whispering our code word than speaking it. Low batteries (three AAs) may cause the security functions to behave erratically. --Amazon.com Toy Reviewers ... Read more

Reviews (65)

boys
I think there should be a boys verson of it.

this secret journal roxx!
i think that this secret journal rocks, i cant stand how good it is, it keeps your secrets safe and no one else can read it except you
you gotta get it
it is the best

frustrated
my daughter wanted this toy so bad. her best friend bought it for her birthday and from the time she programmed it she couldnt open. we are taking it back it was a big dissappointment.

A disappointment. . .
I'll give the thing 5 stars for educational value because journal writing is a great exercise. . . However, aside from joining the many others who have complained about the voice recognition (HA!) software (we had more success with a single letter - like "p" - than a word or phrase), I have to say that it's not much of a journal. The "journal" is a tablet of paper that is glued down to the machine itself. What are you supposed to do when it's used? You can't easily attach another. And the "secret compartment" isn't even accessible because the tablet of paper is glued over the top of it! My daughter had to have this for her birthday, and she's hardly been able to use it between us resetting the password and feeding it batteries.

My daughter cannot make the journal open!
She spent her (...) birthday money on this frustrating toy. We have to take the batteries out and reset the password every time she wants to use it. It is a great idea, but the password use is pitiful. Who wants to enter a password 18-20 times each time you want to open it? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A little small for the money...
We just got this a few days ago. I had a globe as a kid, so perhaps my criticism is based on my comparisson to it. Note: the globe itself is not 12 inches. It's 12 inches from its base to the very top. I just think it could've been bigger. Had the globe itself been 12", I'd probably be more happy with it. I'd still recommend it, however, as I assume it's not posssible to get anything bgetter in this price range whitch is plenty for a globe. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Needs better design
I bought this because my daughter is a Dora Fanatic, and lunchboxes are to the preschool set what purses are to their Moms. Coach does not impress the 3-year-old... but Dora does. But like you've read in a previous review, this is poorly designed. The zipper only goes 1/2 way around the star and it makes putting food in difficult and it is not really convenient for taking food out either. The preschool teacher has told me sometimes the food is crushed, which is no surprise because you do have to shove it in there. Also, the star design makes for much less space than the traditional rectangular shape. I wish they'd come out with a better Dora design, until then, the Princess will just have to settle for her Princess lunchbox! :)

Nice concept, a little small
I bought this lunch bag to replace the other Dora lunch box that got ruined after a spill. I thought the star shape was really cute and that my daughter would really enjoy it. Well, my daughter does like the bag, but I'm a little disappointed in the size. I send her to pre-school with a sippy cup, and 3-4 other items in bowls or plastic bags. I feel like I'm really squeezing things together to fit a sippy cup and a yogurt in to the bag. Since the flap does not open all the way (it zips around the top three points of the star) I also worry about putting crushable items towards the bottom. Overall, it suits its purpose and my daughter enjoys it, but I would make a few tweaks to the design to optimize its usefulness. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Cute Backpack, needs more storage
My 3 year old son loves his LeapPad backpack! He carries it every where we go. I liked the thought of having a place to store all of his books and cartridges. However there is only room for 3 extra books and cartridges. I would give this backpack an A+ if there was just more room to store books and cartridges.

Great for Organizing...
I love having a place to organize my daughter's stuff; I was worried about losing cartridges.
I also wish there was room for more books and cartridges.

More fun than the LeapPad itself for my three-year-old
My 3-year-old son just got the whole First LeapPad treatment for his birthday, and so far he's had more fun with the backpack than with the LeapPad itself. It was fun to watch his excitement as he filled up his backpack with all of the books and cartridges he had gotten. Then he put it on and ran around the house at full speed, giggling. I don't know which he liked better--the "organization" of his stuff or the feel of that extra weight on his back, which made him run really fast! If you're buying the LeadPad for a special kid and want to make a big hit, you'll definitely want to include this accessory.

Good to Have
If you have a child who loves to use the leappad and collects the books, then this is for you. It's a great way to stay organized with all the books and cartridges. My only complaint is that it only holds 3 books. It would be great if it held more. But all in all it's nice to be organized and now we don't have to go looking for the cartridges. ... Read more