3 comments about Bendomino.

1. This game is just awesome. The curved domino pieces add a fun twist to the game, allowing to block your opponent from playing his piece if it does not go the right direction.
   We played the game non-stop with the family on July 4th, could not stop playing, it is addictive. Our five year old nephew was able to join the group and even win a few rounds! Great game for the entire family, highly recommended.
   
   Bob White, California



2. The instructions include several interesting variations of play. My family plays with alternative rules that require adding the ends and getting points for multiples of five. In standard dominoes we like trying to block others from playing. In Bendominoes blocking is more dynamic. You can start with four places to play, but since the dominoes are bent it is possible to block an entire end or just one direction of that end depending on where the other pieces are played. This may limit your opponents ability to play, but you have to be careful not to block yourself and make sure to count the "dead ends". Another of the standard rules is easier for children to play since the points are not added and the goal is to go out first. Overall this is a great game and in many ways better than classic dominoes and is a good value. The pieces are well crafted and very durable. After playing we decided to buy a set for my parents and are looking forward to playing a four player game over the holidays.



3. The young man I gave Bendominoes to for Christmas is an avid domino player and he was thrilled to receive this twist on the game. He is begging family and friends to play with him. It has proved to be a great gift.

2 comments about Home Depot Toy Leaf Blower (New Version).

1. Product was purchased for 3 year olds birthday. Was exactly what we thought we ordered.



2. We got this at ToysRus (highly recommended, only $15 there!). This toy will break as soon as a well meaning toddler drops it! This thing is so adorable and my son loved it for the few days it lasted. Same as with the weed trimmer...he loved it for the two weeks it stayed together. Toys made for preschoolers should definitely be made to withstand an accident or two, but these must be handled as gently as a porcelain doll. Do not buy this, even though its adorable and so lifelike...and especially do not buy this for the online prices!

No comments about Shake 'N Go Nascar Tony Stewart.

5 comments about Home Depot Toy Leaf Blower.

1. This leaf blower is just about as real as it gets!
   It doesn't produce any air, which may turn OUR toddlers off.
   
   In the house, it's defininely a hit. But as it is loud, it belongs OUTSIDE!
   
   But, as we haven't tried it outside yet, I'm afraid it might lose it's appeal. My boys really like to HELP daddy with the yard. They currently sweep leaves and grass clippings. When their blower doesn't "blow", I'm afraid of how they might react.
   
   Not sure if there are any other blowers that really blow air, though.
   If NONE produce any air, this one is great!



2. I purchased 2 of these - one for my 2 year old, and one
   as a gift for my 3 year old nephew.
   Both love going outside "to do yardwork" with dad.
   It's loud - so definately an outside toy!



3. We got this for my three year old for Christmas and he was thrilled. He loves doing "yardwork" with Dad. We were happy he was so excited about it. After playing with it for a few minutes, he dropped it onto the carpeted floor from about two feet high. The nozzle came right off spilling yellow foam beads all over our beige rug. (These are in the nozzle and blow around when its turned on.) My husband immediately began picking them up and noticed that his hands were yellow as was our rug. We have no idea why 1)They are dyed at all and 2)Why the dye was coming off so easy and quickly. After spraying Resolve on the carpet, we tried to put the nozzle back on to no avail. It was not supposed to come off in the first place and there was no way to make it stay on. My son was so upset. We brought it back the day after Christmas and did not try to get another. Maybe we just got a lemon, who knows? We hope we come across another brand that is just as realistic. So, based on our experience, not only is it not made well, (it fell on carpet, not concrete)the beads that may spill everywhere stain and can be a choking hazard to small children.



4. I purchased this toy for my son for Christmas, who loves to help daddy in the yard. He also loves things that make noise. This item worked fine in the store, but once I got it home, it didn't work anymore. I set it aside for a couple of months waiting to go to the store to exchange it, and the day I was going to take it back, it worked again. I had no idea what was going on, but I was happy because my son loved it. So I threw away the box, thinking it was fine. However, it only worked for a very short time. The next problem we had with it was that it would just be sitting there by itself, and would turn on, making the blowing noise, without triggering it to do so. When it was turned off it was okay. It did that for a few days and then it has never worked since then. I tried new batteries also and that didn't work. I can't exchange it because I threw away the box.



5. I have to agree with the other reviews I have read on this site. It is a cute toy, but not well made. It works sometimes and then not others. My son also dropped it and the nozzle part broke off and can not be fixed. I found the beads inside to be dangerous. I have it duct taped back on. It is also very loud. It would be a great toy if it were more durable.

5 comments about PlayFoam.

1. My kids and I love Playfoam. I do a lot of travelling with my kids and we eat out a lot, Playfoam has been the best entertainment for my kids during both of these times. I have a 2 and 3 year old and both of them will squish and play with this for long periods of time. On our airplane trips, Playfoam is great entertainment for the kids especially when you're stuck on the tarmack for a while. We make shapes or they will even smash it all over their Little People figures, Barbies, etc. It never sticks. I recommend Playfoam to everyone as a great travelling toy. I am restocking our supply as we have given most of ours away to curious children.



2. I purchased this pack of Play Foam as the gift my children can open and play with on Christmas morning before I get up. At first they thought it was soap (lol) then they figured out what it was. They were both surprised that it didn't make a mess and stuck together so well. I even gave it a go. The play foam rolls out easily into snakelike shapes or molds easily into balls. Both of those shapes make for easy designs such as snowmen, smiley faces, candy canes, letters, etc. It can also be used to cover existing shapes such as firetrucks. My youngest turned her firetruck into an elephant with playfoam. This is a great toy for the imagination. It can be left out and unlike playdoh does not dry out or harden.
   
   It would be nice if the set came with some shapes like many playdoh sets come with. My biggest surprise of the morning was when my daughter made play foam shoes and was walking around in her room with them on. So funny!



3. What a wonderful alternative to messy paly doh!!! This doesn't stick to carpet and it doesn't dry out it is easy to use and a load of fun our 8 year old absolutely loves it and so do we recommend Highly!!



4. This is a great product. We just leave it out on the table, and my five year old walks up anytime and starts playing with it. I even play with it. It doesn't dry out, and there is absolutely no mess. Great purchase!



5. My 4 year old wanted Moon Sand after seeing it advertised on tv. I of course had to spend hours (practically) checking it and similar products out to get the very best cuz that's how I am. I decided on this stuff because it wasn't as messy. That's true, but it's boring! It's been almost 2 months since Christmas and we still haven't used all the pastel colors. I was enthralled with it at first, making a ball and squeezing squeezing SQUEEZING it. Didn't last long. I made some letters, my son's name. We mixed colors together. Haven't touched it since. I think I liked it more than my son did.
   
   We'll go back to Play-Doh!

1 comments about ELF ON THE SHELF GIFT SET.

1. After hearing from friends and reading reviews how great this was, we bit the bullet and got it. I cannot say enough about how cute this was for our two boys (age 6 and 3). They bolted downstairs every morning to find the elf, and the oldest cried when he touched it accidentally because he thought it would lose its magic. The story and elf was the sweetest thing. Note, however, that parents have to remember to move the elf around every night, or come up with creative excuses for why the elf decided to come back from the North Pole into the same spot! :-).

5 comments about Home Depot Weed Trimmer.

1. It makes fun out of a daily chore, and also teaches the child in the long run how important the upkeep of his or her surroundings is.



2. This toy is wonderful. My son broke the toy and we were able to some what fix it. He walks behind Daddy and weedeats every week.



3. My son got this and & the leaf blower for his birthday and less than 15 minutes after it was opened, it was broken at the extension point. I watched him & his friends the whole time and it was not abused. It was a gift from a local Toys R Us and they refused to even exchange the defective one without a receipt even though the sign didn't indicate this was the policy until 6-12-06. He has a blast with the leaf blower but I am not thrilled with Toys R Us and probably won't shop there anymore. Extremely poor customer service. Too bad Home Depot is letting their name get associated with such poor toys and bad service.



4. My sons love this toy. They follow Daddy around every Mowday (Saturday) and weedwack behind him. They love being able to immate their father and feel as if they are really taking care of the lawn. My 4yr old loves to tell me that the lawn is done and daddy doesn't need to weedwack.



5. My daughter has become enthralled with yard work lately so we decided to get her some tools of her own. We bought both the weedwacker and the chainsaw from the Home Depot collection and while the chainsaw is her favorite, the weedwacker gets a lot of use too. The toy is a little loud, so we've limited it strictly to outside use for everyone's sanity. Overall, my daughter is very happy with her new yard tools and they haven't been broken yet as some others have noted in their reviews.

No comments about Home Depot Toy Weed Trimmer.

5 comments about Snap Circuits RC Rover.

1. Snap Circuits RC Rover We bought this for our 6 year old grandson. He has another smaller set and absolutely loves it. By following picture instruction he can quickly assemble electronic circuitry that actually performs a task. It encourages him to experiment and gives him a sense of accomplishiment. It's like an electronic erector set that was so popular when I was a kid. Very good desigh and sturdily built, even the case is compartmentalized for neat storeage.



2. This product is excellent...
   far more than a toy, it's a learning experience that challenges a child, yet does not frustrate. Many levels of activity are possible with snap circuits, and the 8 year old for whom it was purchased loved it, along with his parents and brother and sisters! Superior in every way..



3. The only thing that I didn't like about the Snap Rover is that the antenna for the remote is a little flimsy. My son has already broken it but it still operates the car. My 6-year-old is REALLY into all Snap Circuits - it is practically his life! He has learned a lot about how all of the electronic components work together to make a project run. I would recommend any Snap Circuit product to anyone!



4. My six year old son loves it. He was able to assemble it although he is a beginner reader. The quality is good also except the light bulb blew, thank goodness it is replaceable. It makes them think and figure how the parts work.It is a good toy for a mechanical kid.



5. We love this toy. My daughter has spent many hours assembling the various rover variations covered in the accompanying manual. I highly recommend it for the educational component alone; it is also fun. But the real reason I am writing this review is because one of our components just stopped working. I called the company. "Jerry" took my information and said he'd send it right out. When I pointed out that I hadn't paid for the replacement part yet, he responded, "We support our products." This despite the fact that we've had this rover for many months! I mean, a free replacement part... Actually supporting the product... I about fell over...

5 comments about Cloud b Sleep Sheep - Four Soothing Sounds From Nature.

1. I bought this for my 7 Month old Son. We had a bassinet that played similar sounds which helped him fall asleep. He loves the Sheep its portable for when we travel. It seems to be well made.



2. I wasn't sure if the sheep would do what it advertised it'd do, but boy oh boy if my infant 1 month old daughter isn't falling asleep while listening to her Sleep Sheep! The ones she seems to love the most are the whales and ocean. I am so happy with this product that I will definately be purchasing it in the future for baby showers!



3. Both of my kids have these and listen to the whale noises as they fall asleep. It calms them to have something familiar everynight and is a great "white noise" that helps drown out some of the other noises in the house.



4. This item is a WONDERFUL idea, but it has two key flaws:
   
   1) there isn't a continuous play mode!! There are only two timed options (23 and 45 min), then the sound turns off. My newborn needed the sound maintained continuously to STAY asleep, not just to FALL asleep. Thus, we would have to keep pressing the button over and over, waking up ourselves when the sound would turn off to keep her from waking up - beyond annoying.
   
   2) the full-size model is enormous - you do not need anything larger than the "on-the-go" or travel model, so why make this so big? To charge more, that's why.
   
   I gave it two stars because it has so much potential to be a fabulous product:
   
   --the sheep is adorable, soft, and it is great to be able to hang it from ANYWHERE with the velcro loop. Plus, it is battery operated, which is a huge blessing (batteries are pre-installed, and are very long lasting - we did not replace ours over three+ months of use).
   
   --the way the sound "machine" is removable from the body of the sheep is ingenious. This way, you can wash the sheep and reinsert the machine when dry.
   
   --LOVE the volume control: it's a dial, so you have complete control (not just low and high like so many children's products today).
   
   --The rain sound is the closest to generic "white noise."
   
   --This model (the original, or larger model) has the heartbeat sound, crucial for newborns.
   
   This product would be perfect with a 1) continuous play mode and 2) a smaller size (e.g., the travel "on-the-go" size). The latter, of course, would bring the price down equal to the travel size, which is what this product is worth, imo.
   
   Due to these factors, you are better off with Brookstone's sound machine, which has not only timed settings, but also continuous play, AND all the sounds you really need: heartbeat, in-utero (weird sloshing sound with "glub-glubs"), white noise, automobile and more. It's not cute and plush (and you have to plug it in w/ battery backup), but is WORKS.



5. I was hopeful that this would help lul my infant to sleep to help train her to fall asleep in her crib. She did seem to calm to the "rain" sound, but it took her about 20 minutes to drift off, so just as she actually fell asleep, it abruptly turned off, waking her up immediately. So we purchased an actual white noise machine (which is also an alarm clock/radio), which we love. I also like that I also have options of playing the radio with it and have many sounds to choose from rather than being limited to only 4 with the sleep sheep. Though this is cute, I recommend spending money one something more practical.