When I was a kid, I thought toy dinosaurs were the best. I was never interested in dinosaur toys until we went to the natural history Museum. We lived in a small town outside of Chicago, so going to the Chicago Museum of Natural History was a big excursion for us. We actually spent a weekend in town, going to several museums. I was young at the time, but I still remember the dinosaur exhibit vividly. It was one of the most impressive things I had ever seen. There is something about dinosaurs that really makes an impression on the kid. Seeing those giant skeletons towering above you is like nothing else in the world.

My parents let me get a couple dinosaur toys in the gift shop. They were nothing special – little plastic dinosaur figurines – but I loved them. I would play make-believe with them, pretending that these little, 2 inch tall dinosaur toys were big enough to eat my little sister. Of course, she would always fight back. She had a plush dinosaur toy – a stuffed animal that was a peculiar combination of a fearsome and adorable. She absolutely loved it, but then again she was at the age where kids absolutely love anything that is cute and fluffy.

Now that my own kid is getting to that dinosaur age, I have contemplated taking him to the natural history museum like my parents did for me. The other day, he asked for a t rex toy when we were in a learning toys store. I never really thought about how educational dinosaur toys were before, but now that I think about it, they really are.

Once I got interested as dinosaurs as a kid, I started studying everything I could find on them. Soon, I knew a fair amount about fossils and the different ages of geology. In some ways, it doesn't even matter what kids get interested in. As long as they are willing to study it and become excited about it, they can learn a lot. Not only did my dinosaur toys teach me about the dinosaurs, but they taught me about learning itself. For the first time in my whole life, I was doing research on my own. My parents were willing to get me all the dinosaur books I could ask for, and so I would always give them little lectures on them. I just hope that my kid gets as excited as I did!

[nms: dinosaur toy,5,0,15,dinosaur]

The American Girl Doll has been in circulation since 1986. Today, these dolls are created by a company called Pleasant Company. Pleasant Company was created in 1998 by an educator named Pleasant T. Rowland. Mattel acquired the company and now it is part of the Mattel Corporation. The American Girl Dolls continues to grow in popularity in the Twenty-First Century.

The very first American Girl Dolls were offered to the public in 1986. There was a choice of three dolls; Samantha, Kirsten and Molly. These dolls have quietly been adored by little girls and their parents for over a decade, but their popularity has increased since 1990.

The American Girl Dolls are made of vinyl and cloth. Their heads and limbs are vinyl and their bodies are made of soft cloth. They come in a variety of skin tones depending on their ethnic background. Their eyes are deep-set and realistic. They open and close and actually seem to follow you. The dolls’ hairstyles are also very realistic and the hair is soft to the touch. The dolls stand eighteen inches in height and are constructed with the finest detail and quality.

Each doll represents an era in American History. Every doll comes with an outfit that is appropriate for its era and each doll is accompanied by a book that tells her story. The appealing thing about the American Girl Doll is that it is educational. The books and costumes are historically correct so the child acquires an understanding about the doll’s place in history.

Many girls may want a modern-day American Doll. The Pleasant Company has created a line of American Girl Dolls that represent today’s American girl. These dolls come in a very large selection of varying skin tones, eye color and hair options. Many people choose to create a doll that resembles the little girl who will play with it. Others choose to buy a doll that represents today’s girl in general.

Some of the American Girl Dolls are no longer in circulation. Some can only be found on auction sites like E-Bay or through private owners who want to sell the collectable dolls. These retired dolls are in high demand and the supply is very low, so the retired dolls are quite pricy. An American Girl Doll is a great investment that will bring joy to a little girl while she plays with her and while she looks fondly back at her memorable collectable doll in years to come.

[nms: american girl doll,5,0,15,american girl]

I was a kid, train sets were something that I did not really understand. I appreciated them, but I didn't really get the thrill. My father was training to be an electrician, and when he was home, one of his favorite ways to relax was with his electrical trains. I like to watch them. His favorite was the gandy dancer. It was complete with a moving lever, driven by two miniature men. Nowadays, I know what he liked about his train sets. It was so simple. You could craft all the miniatures to look like an actual scene. There was a train station, cars waiting at a stoplight, little whistles that would blow when the train would go around the tracks, and all the other trappings of a small town slice of life in miniature.

I liked toy trains for a much different reason, one that would eventually cause me to use his train sets recklessly. For me, what was so neat about them was that they were electrically powered. I was amazed to see these little toys move around the train set track on their own power. All you would have to do was to pull the trigger, and they were gone. My favorite one was the smoking engine. You would put a drop of oil in the smokestack, and it would be off. My father forbid me to play with that one on my own, and I was supposed to always ask permission before I used the train set. One day, however, curiosity got the best of me.

My dad had really been working a lot on the train sets that weekend, and I had been and help him. He had built a whole additional loop of track, and it was looking pretty good. He was gone, and I wanted to show off his model trains my friend. Although it would not have been against the rules just to go down and look at them, one thing led to another and soon we were playing. Somehow, we decided that it would be neat to add more train tracks. Unfortunately, we were clumsy little kids. We broke some of his miniatures. I was worried that my dad would kill me! When he got home, I told him the truth. Although he was angry at me and sent me to my room for a while, later he came up. He told me that he was proud of me for being so honest, even though I had disobeyed him.

[nms: train set,5,0,15,train set]

It's often said that the potato is the most versatile of foods. Thanks to an invention in the late 1940s, it's also possible to play with a potato! Mr Potato Head has delighted children since it first came on the market in 1952. Hasbro manufactures it and they saw the commercial potential of the unusual toy straight away. It was the first toy to be advertised on national television.

Children love to add the attachable mustache, hat, nose and other accessories to the potato body, bringing him to life. These parts were increased in size in 1973 due to concerns over safety for young children. Mr Potato Head is not alone; he has a family consisting of Mrs Potato Head, Brother Spud and Sister Yam.

The lovable toy has appeared in comic strips and in movies and TV. This has certainly helped to sustain the toy's popularity over the years, especially in today's age of electronic gadgetry. He was first seen on a television show in 1985 when he appeared in Potato Head Kids. A brief show in the 1990s was shown on the Fox network, called The Mr Potato Head Show.

The toy's most famous incarnation is in the movie, Toy Story and its sequel. Don Rickles voiced the character, expertly bringing his personality to life. The story is a smart commentary on the real life situation of traditional toys having to compete with the new kid on the block, in this case, Buzz Lightyear. Our beloved potato more than holds his own in all the adventures.

Some witty tie ins with famous franchises have promoted the toy well. Products were sold aimed at Star Wars fans in the form of Darth Tater, Spud Trooper and Artoo-Potatoo. Spider-Man inspired Spider Spud and Transformers produced Optimash Prime.

Hasbro is always looking to new ideas and they brought in a new range of accessories in 2006, that can be sold separately to the Mr Potato Head body. Children can interchange the toy with different themes such as mermaid, pirate, construction worker and Santa Claus.

The manufacturers marked the 50th Anniversary of the toy in an unusual way. Hasbro, based in Rhode Island, issued vehicle license plates with the Potato Head logo for the Rhode Island area. A percentage of the proceeds went to a local food bank, the humble potato contributing to the battle against hunger. Who knows what the little guy will do next?

[nms: potato head,5,0,15,potato head]

Nothing goes with bath time better than a good selection of rubber duckies. There is just something about a cute little floating duck that makes most kids squeal with delight. My daughter has a wide selection of these, and also has some she keeps at her mum mum’s house for when she spends time there. If you ask her, a bath is just not a bath until there are a few rubber duckies floating around in the water. They aren’t just for children, though, many adults have a rubber duck in their bath, even if they won’t admit it. There is something cute and sweet about seeing the little duck floating around and keeping you company as you relax away your worries in the tub.

Rubber duckies used to be quite simple. They were always yellow, and most of them looked the same. That has changed in recent times, as rubber duckies now come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and themes. My daughter has a very large duck that came with many baby ducks, a pink one with blue flowers around its neck, and a few orange ones.  Each one is special to her for different reasons, and she is very choosy when it comes time to decide who will share her bath, and who is banned from the tub. Just remember to keep an eye on the ducks, because if water is left sitting inside for too long, mold may form.

You can find rubber duckies almost anywhere you look. This is a hugely popular item, and if you can’t find one, you aren’t looking very hard. You can find them anywhere you buy baby items, and in many places where there are no baby items to be found. You can even find them in home décor areas of department stores, and can even find entire bathroom sets in the theme of rubber duckies. This means you will find them on towels, shower curtains, window curtains, and even bathroom rugs.

You can also buy rubber duckies in bulk if you need them for a shower theme. These are great for baby showers, and you can use them for decorations as well as for shower favors. Order them in whatever color you want, and find a deal if you buy bulk. If you look in the right place, you may even be able to find rubber duckies that can be personalized. How much fun is that?

[nms: bath toys,5,0,15,rubber ducky]