When selecting brands to visit at Toy Fair my mission was two-fold:
1) Focus on brands with a green/educational (mostly Montessori) theme
2) Include a bit of nostalgia when possible!
Thankfully the Toy Fair website was great for helping me strategize which brands I wanted to meet with in advance - creating a shortlist was key to staying on task amongst the hundreds of vendors:
ALEX
I'm excited about these kits from the "Tots" line - we're big on crafting in our household!
I couldn't leave without giving the funny faces photo booth a try . . .
Curious Chef
We love including Nia when we cook and bake and Curious Chef's products are made for actual use - not just for play. I couldn't find the picture I took of the booth but they have a new product caddy coming out that's great for including your child's utensils on the countertop. Can't wait for it to hit the market!
 |
| {Image Credit} |
 |
| We had recently introduced Nia to sushi, and I couldn't get over how cute this was! |
 |
| Perfect size for the urban chef! |
Melissa & Doug
 |
| Melissa & Doug's "booth" was quite impressive - one of my faves! |
 |
| This loom was impressive - more intricate than the pot holder loom I grew up with! |
 |
| Nia's been into cleaning lately, inspired by her weekly preschool prep class activities and our at-home Montessori curriculum |
PlanToys
 |
| I was intrigued to learn about Plan Toys sustainability and eco-friendly practices including Plan Wood |
 |
| I especially appreciate the emotional tiles - a subject we're working on with Nia; the rep explained that special needs children find them helpful as well |
Pressman Toy Corporation
 |
| I loved playing this as a kid and am excited to see it updated! |
 |
| Yessssss please! |
Ride Along Dolly
 |
| Just in time for spring this new toy let's your child's doll literally "ride along" |
Tiny Love
 |
| We love our Tiny Love mobile and still use the music and light box connected to Nia's toddler bed, but I was excited to see this new model that grows even older with the child |
I also met these exciting brands impromptu . . .
Almar
Bob McGrath
 |
| I grew up on Sesame Street and love watching the Old School DVDs with Nia - Bob even signed his CD for her! |
They had a "resident artist" at their booth helping attendees pool their creativity into a mural:
Go! Go! Sports Girls
As someone who played sports growing up this was the type of doll I wish I had. The owner is also a mom and athlete - hooray for mompreneurs! After the Toy Fair, Nia was excited when I presented her with her very own Go! Go! Basketball Girl (a feature post to come . . .)
Green Toys
 |
| Best known for their tug boat, I love that Green Toys are dishwasher safe! Bathtub toys can get so gross sometimes. |
 |
| We're avid tea partiers and I'm glad I can rest assured that this is safe to drink out of |
Gund
 |
| The rep got a kick out of the fact that Nia renamed Boo, Toby on her own |
Little Partners
This Montessori based, mom-owned company was very inspirational! It was fun to see all the ways the Learning Tower could be used.
 |
| I was very excited to visit this booth especially as I had written a post about one to build a while back |
Win Green
 |
| These handmade playhouse from the UK were adorable - Win Green was a first-time exhibitor |
P.S. Thank you to Amy aka Teach Mama and fellow Blogalicious '12 attendee who encouraged me to apply for a Toy Fair 2013 press pass!
