This past weekend we were lucky enough to host a Macaroni Kid Toy Testing Party. During this party, we all played, tested, created and had fun with many great toys, crafts and games! Below are the products and comments we gathered. There are some great new options if you are stumped for gift ideas, or have been wondering what something is like. 
Green Kid Crafts: We love this product which is a monthly gift subscription for craft kits, available in single month, 3, 6 and 12 month subscriptions. The discovery boxes (the craft box) are themed monthly and feature crafts that are from recycled materials geared towards toddlers and preschoolers (though some kindergartners might enjoy too). Our discovery box was ‘Dinosaurs’ and it came with all the supplies we needed to make a dinosaur fossil (clay and macaroni), a color-stamped wooden jigsaw dino and a felt dino tail, as well as a bonus craft of extra clay to make a dino. All the crafts were easy for most kids to do, and there was also a little flyer with more info on dinos. It included other ideas for making your own recycled dino crafts and suggested kids dino books for more reading on the theme. They also offer special single discovery boxes, like holiday ornaments or a super hero kit that you can order individually. All the kids enjoyed doing the crafts and the parents were impressed with the quality. We also all loved that it was not only green, but also a mom-owned company. Many are putting it on grandma’s list (for their kids) and/or getting for nieces and nephews. Find out more about Green Kid Crafts HERE. 
Barbeque Game: This is a cute game that uses hand-eye coordination and had the preschoolers at our party giggling. The game comes with a barbeque, cute-faced veggies, tongs and cards. The idea is to put the veggies on the grill, then take them off the grill without bumping the grill and being the first to fill three veggie cards (which you pick each turn). However, if you put the veggie down or pick it up, hitting or bumping the grill in the wrong way, *POP*, it pops off and veggies go flying (which brings about the giggles in abundance). I noticed that they really tried not to bump the grill, but at the same time smiled with anticipation - very cute. Moms and kids alike enjoyed this game. Find out more about the Barbeque Game from Asmodee HERE.
The Game of Life zAPPed: This old favorite game has a new spin, and a new way to spin – with an app on your iPad. Using a game board and your iPad, the game, as all the kids said, was more interactive, engaging and fun. The kids, young and old, gravitated towards and gathered around to watch the game – that’s how engaging it was. After setting up all the players in the app, you use your iPad as the wheel you spin to move forward, and as you move forward and “Life” happens, videos will play depicting those events. The kids LOVED this aspect. In fact, this game was played several times as everyone wanted a chance to play, and would have been continued far longer had the people not needed to leave eventually. Probably best for the 8 year old and up range, this game as I said attracted all ages of kids. If you are an iPad family who loves games, we think you’ll enjoy this zAPPed favorite. Find out more about it The Game of Life zAPPed from Hasbro HERE.
VTech Kidiminiz: These are cute, fun and interactive electronic pets, available as dogs, bunnies and cats – we received two dogs. This toy was a favorite among the 3 to 6-year-old crowd. These little pets tell jokes, sing songs and interact with you by asking for food, or to be cleaned or to have you clap (which makes them dance). They also interact with other Kidiminiz. You can change some of their facial features as well as set the face to clock mode – which is a cool feature (and also the only way to turn them off). They come with a bone that has a small paw print disc attached on a short string; when you drag the paw print disc in front of the Kidiminiz, it follows it. Though all the younger crowd at the party enjoyed these electronic pets, one of my five-year-olds was completely smitten with one of the two dogs, carrying it around, naming it, playing with it, and picking out friends he would like to have for it (other Kidiminiz – specifically he thinks the dog needs a cat and a bunny friend for Christmas). Suffice it to say he is hooked. You can find out more about VTech’s Kidiminiz HERE. Also, if you are interested in the Kidiminiz (which is available on their website only right now) or any other Vtech preschool toy, use coupon code "vtech_mackids" to save 15% off from their website HERE (expires 11/30/12).
.
Winx Club Believix Doll: We received the full-size (11.5”) fairy doll named Bloom. The girls at the party were drawn to her – they absolutely fell in love with her delicate sparkly wings. When I asked each of them what they loved about this doll, they each independently said “her wings”. They also loved that it came with a brush for her hair (what girl doesn’t love to brush a doll’s hair). There are accessory packs for Bloom and the other dolls in this line, which for the story line all attend school together. They also make mini-sized dolls and accessories and even kid-sized fairy wings. One of the girls at the party in particular was enamored with Bloom. She kept her close, playing with her, brushing her hair and enjoying her as any little girl might. I’ve been told that they are now on her Christmas list, so clearly they made a great impression. You can find out more about Winx Club Believix Dolls from Jakks HERE.
Sbyke: Though we didn't get a Sbyke to test, we did have a dvd to watch which made young and old at our party agree that this rear-steering scooter was super cool! Best for kids ages 8 through adults, this new-age engineering of a bike merged with a skateboard looks to bring you to an entirely new level of scooter riding... one in which you can take on any skateboard park! Quiet 'wows' and 'whoas' came from the boys watching the video of what it does. At the same time, any age can have fun with it, and it's so easy to use as you just lean to turn. You can find out more about Sbyke from the video below. If you are interested in buying one, use discount code Macaroni to get FREE shipping from www.skbyke.com/store.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhZceUCGnaY&feature=em-share_video_user
I was provided with the toys reviewed in this article from each manufacturer. All opinions stated are my own.
