Imaginative fun can come in all shapes and sizes, in small packages, in large packages….sometimes even without any packages at all. Toys can definitely bring on the fun, including new toys straight from Playskool.

Have you seen the ALPHIE DATABOTS, including MAESTRO-BOT? MAESTO-BOT is pretty cool; he actually plays music at the touch of a button. He has a keyboard on his belly, and this keyboard has different colored keys. There are all sorts of activities that can be done with this ALPHIE. Here are a couple of the activities preschoolers can enjoy:

• Kids can play the pattern that ALPHIE shows on his head (you twist his ears for different activities or songs). The pattern is different colored bars, and they just follow the sequence, which plays part of a song; then ALPHIE finishes the song while they listen.
• Kids can explore the keys and different instruments; by pressing the different shape buttons, they get different instruments and can then play the keyboard in that instrument.

Not only can kids listen to music, but MAESTRO-BOT really gives them a chance to practice color recognition, pattern sequence, shape recognition, finger dexterity (fine motor skills), etc.

Jaden hasn’t played with ALPHIE as much as I’d originally thought he would. ALPHIE only really plays a few songs, though kids can make up their own or pick out different tunes, as well. I think this’ll be a great tool for our preschool studies this fall, though. It’ll give us something fun to practice with and play with when we need a fun break. Of course, there are other ALPHIE BOTS available, as well, one even for number recognition. You can purchase MAESTRO-BOT for approximately $15.99 in retail stores. ALPHIE does require 3 ‘AAA’ batteries, which are included. MAESTRO-BOT is geared for ages 3 and up.

One toy that has gotten a LOT of use, and one I’m thinking might be fun to take on our roadtrip for hotel fun, is the TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS TUMBLE TOWER Set. If your kids like the cute, chunky type of TONKA vehicles, then this set is for them. It’s a portable, fold-up set that kids can take with them wherever they go. It is quite compact, so it’ll be easy to throw in our car when we leave. Jaden has really played with this set; he actually sets it up with all of his cars, even though it works the best with Chuck. He can take Chuck up the little “dirt” path and onto the elevator, which then takes Chuck up to the top, where he makes his way back down the maze of track to the bottom. It’s just fun to watch. Not only that, but with 2 ‘AA’ batteries, kids can also hear the sounds of Chuck, as well, which makes it even more fun.

I like this playset because even though it’s made of plastic, it’s very sturdy. Chuck doesn’t always stay on track, but that’s probably to be expected. I love that it’s so compact that we can take it with us this summer. It’ll provide some fun times when we’re stuck in a hotel at night, helping to stave off boredom for Jaden and bring on the imaginative play with Chuck. You can purchase the TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS TUMBLE TOWER Set for approximately $19.99. It’s geared for ages 18 months and up.

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(Disclosure: I received the MAESTRO-BOT and the TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS TUMBLE TOWER Set, free of charge, from Playskool and Litzky PR, for the purposes of this review. All views/opinions remain solely my own.)