I just returned from a short visit to Toy Fair in NYC. This was my first actual visit to that show. While we have a few toy items in our collection, the Svan Scooter and the Cariboo Activity Gym, we do not currently have enough toys to justify a full booth at Toy Fair. However, many of our friends and business associates were there, so it was a useful and fun trip. Not to mention, I had the added incentive of a 36-hour getaway with my husband, who was exhibiting Vincent Shoes, at a children's shoe show in New Jersey, while my in-laws were in town to spend time with the kids.

What can I say about Toy Fair? If you spend any time watching TV, you probably see the Toy Fair sneak peeks on most morning shows. Yes, the show is pretty amazing - floor upon floor at the Javitz Center covered in impressive booths of products from Ty stuffed animals to video games I have never heard of. Based on the sheer size of this show, you would never guess that the Toy Industry has been in decline over the past few years. It was amazing.

The one media review that made me laugh and scratch my head at the same time was on Saturday Night Live's weekend update when they announced a fancy robo-video-toy that is yet another strike against wooden blocks. Hmmm ... shouldn't be so, should it? (BTW, does SNL count as the media? Talk amongst yourselves.)

I am a huge fan of blocks, Legos, toy train sets, kitchen sets - anything that let's my children use their imaginations. And as much as Amazing Allison, the interactive doll that has super-cool voice recognition, fascinates me (and irritates the heck out of my daughter), nothing can replace those toys that make my children think, move, and use their imagination. My current favorites have to be Brio Toys and Blocks or anything from Melissa and Doug.

That said, one new product peaked my interest. As you will learn, I am a fan of the products and people behind Cloud B toys. Their focus is on Sleep Sheep and Friends, plush characters who each have a special emphasis on the senses. My son loves the Twilight Turtle and my daughter was hushed to sleep in her crib by the soothing sounds of her Sleep Sheep. This Toy Fair, they launched a nice new addition to their Sleep Sheep and Friends collection with a Sea Turtle that has images of endangered animals on its shell. It comes with a booklet of valuable information about each animal. What a nice lesson for older children!

Quick Safety Tip: If you are like me and still have some of your childhood toys, you might want to give them a second look before passing them on to your teething children. There is a chance that the finishes back then were not as regulated as they are now. There also could be items that are now considered choking hazards. This is where you have to be your own safety enforcer. Standards change, so if you are going to re-use products, please do everything you can to make sure that they are assembled and used properly. Hand-me-downs are a frequent cause of child injury, so pay careful attention. When in doubt, don't use it!

That's it from Toy Fair. Unfortunately, I didn't have a lot of time to go much further than stopping in to see friends. I will dig deeper for you next time.