Cole (5) took one look at the Alphabet Pop Top and proclaimed that baby toys were much better today than they were when he was a baby.  (All those maaaaaaaaaaany years ago!)  But I have to admit, this little toy is definitely compelling.  Even Cole sat by the box to play with it for a bit.  It plays fun music that you can turn on or off (Moms everywhere thank you for the “off” option, Bright Starts) and baby/toddler can press on the various colorful buttons to hear different songs and do different things.

As you guys can see in the picture, the animals on the bottom “pop” off at random which I am sure would delight any baby.

We didn’t play with the Chase Bumblebee but I would imagine this would also make any crawling or newly walking toddler very happy.  Press the buttons to get the toy to roll around, encouraging baby to move/crawl/walk after the Bumblebee.  Adorable, right?

When it comes to toys I am always looking to find ones that are both fun and educational. And even more so with the holidays quickly approaching. With my son being almost a year old every day is an adventure, and everything that crosses his path is in some way a learning experience. That is why I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the toys from Melissa and Doug. And this holiday season they have put together their top 20 items designed to inspire and educate young minds.

Melissa and Doug have over 1000 unique and exciting toys, and that means that there is something for everyone. The same holds true with their holiday collection.

Company co-creator Melissa Bernstein says:

“Our strong holiday collection is in keeping with our signature approach: staying in touch with the way children naturally play, listening to their parents’ concerns and advice, and designing every toy we make to inspire a world of imagination. Our goal is always to spur the creativity of children, and this year’s lineup of holiday toys includes plenty of inspiration!”

Melissa & Doug have released their list of must have products for the 2011 holiday season.

18 MONTHS+

Snowman Stacker ($12.99)

Caterpillar Gear Toy ($9.99)

AGES 2+

Stack and Sort Butterfly ($14.99)

Happy Giddy Bowling Set ($19.99)

AGES 3+

Sort & Snap Color Match ($19.99)

Low Loader ($19.99)

Wooden Farm Train ($19.99)

Town Blocks Wooden Play Set ($29.99)

Doorbell House ($29.99)

Bake & Decorate Cupcake Set ($19.99)

Felt Food Sandwich Set ($19.99)

Scoop & Stack Ice Cream Cone Play set ($29.99)

Grocery Cart ($69.99)

Deluxe Floor-Standing Wooden Easel ($79.99)

Giraffe Giant Stuffed Animal ($99.99)

AGES 3–6

Trunki ($39.99)

AGES 4+

Make-a-Face Sticker Pad ($4.99)

AGES 6+

Flip-to-Win Hangman ($12.99)

Butterfly Treasure Box Peel & Press Sticker by Numbers ($14.99)

AGES 8+

U.S.A. License Plate Game ($19.99)

See? Something for everyone! Right now Melissa & Doug is offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $60. Just use FREESHIP60 at check out. Happy Shopping!

I was provided with a Melissa & Dough Snowman stacker for the purposes of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

We’ve been a fan of Wall Candy Arts for years now.  We have several of their chalkboards from them in our basement that the kids love to draw on.  Here’s what neat about Wall Candy Arts – these are stickers.  They peel right off of paper and onto your walls.

Even better, there’s no damage or pulling to your paint or wallpaper when you want to remove these.  We’ve tested it out several times!  (Chalk also wipes right off the walls with a damp paper towel!)

A couple of months ago, Wall Candy Arts send us this Baby Elephant and we finally put it up in Cole’s room – he loves it.  Both kids have been spending a good hour decorating the elephant every night before bed.  They peel the chicks on and off the walls and it’s a nice non-electronic toy that I love having in the house.

You can get the Baby Elephant set for $39.20 at WallCandyArts.com.  Check out the array of other products available at WallCandyArts.com – they offer murals and other stickers you can use for decorating the walls.

Gone Fishin’ Bath Toy – it comes with a fishing pole to cast and “fish” for the three aquatic toys (a crab, fish and star). The animals can be filled with water to squirt for endless fun (or in our case, a brother on brother water fight).

Wet Wheels – floats right on the water or rolls on lands with wheels, buy the turtle or dolphin for your little one.

Muddy Pigs – kids will love these messy pigs.  Put them in the water with a washcloth and the mud “rubs” off with scrubbing.  When they’re done and the pigs dry, the mud “reappears” for some fun cleaning for the next time.

I know in our house, we’ll have frequent toy purging sessions. I’ll put together a pile of old toys for Goodwill or Purple Heart and no sooner will I have the pile of “baby toys” ready to go when someone pulls something out.  And we’re talking some toy I thought they would have completely overgrown. (Weebles for my 5 year old.  Or a rattle for my 2 year old.)  It just never ceases to amaze me.

Other times, we’ll be at someone’s house and they’ll pull out some toy I would have never imagined them to play with.

So let me tell you guys, the Fisher Price Little People Ride-On School Bus is an example of a toy my kids just love, despite the appropriate age range for this toy, and despite my predictions on what the kids would think of it.

Because not only does my 2 1/2 year old love it, but my 5 1/2 year old son does too.  This little ride-on gets pushed around and played with on a daily basis in our house.

Maybe it’s the under the seat storage compartment (they regularly store Matchbox cards and other tiny toys in there).

Or maybe it’s the Little People in front (a bus driver and kids) or the music.  Whatever it is, my kids love to take turns pushing each other around in this toy.

The age range for this toy is 12 months-3 years, but take my advice – sometimes these toys can go a long way.

Find it in-store at Target, online at Amazon for $34.99 or in other various local retailers.