Our Holiday Gift Guide Arrives with VTech Toddler Toys! + Giveaway

Disclosure: Thanks to VTech for sending items for review. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Welcome to Oh So Savvy Mom’s annual Holiday Gift Guide! I thought it would be fun to kick off our gift guide with VTech toddler toys–perfect gifts for the littlest gift recipients in our lives!

Vtech Kids is high on my list of great brands for kid and toddler toys. Educational, fun, interactive Vtech toddler toys not only engage a child and keep attention, but they also help that child build essential skills.

VTech Kids recently sent me some of their newest toddler toys for Little Z to try out. In order to not overwhelm him with lights and sounds, we introduced these toys one by one over the course of a few weeks.

Prior to reviewing these VTech toddler toys Little Z didn’t more than one or two interactive toys like these. I simply couldn’t get him to play with toys. I was hoping that he would like at least one of the VTech toddler toys enough to give me some respite from his almost constant mischievous antics.

VTech toddler toys Smart Shots Sports Center

I wanted to shout, “Hallelujah!!” when, upon putting the first toy together, he proceeded to play with it for two days straight! –Seriously, aside from sleeping and eating, all he did was play with his Smart Shots Sports Center.

Cheer on your little sports star with the Smart Shots Sports Center™ by VTech®. This electronic sports center features a soccer net and basketball hoop for a fun 2-in-1 play experience. Toss the basketball into the hoop and watch as the LED screen counts the number of baskets. Kick the soccer ball into the net, and the sports center will respond with encouraging sounds and phrases. In addition to counting baskets, the LED screen also encourages play with fun animations. Build fine motor skills with a variety of manipulative features.

The VTech Smart Shot Sports Center is his absolute favorite toy. I shouldn’t be surprised. This kid is absolutely obsessed with balls!

Take a look!

Finally a toy he will actually play with!!!! Vtech sent us some toys for Little Z to play with, and other than naps and meal times, he has not stopped playing with this since yesterday morning! He even takes the balls to bed with him. This is a kid that I cannot get to play with toys! I am beyond excited! #vtechkids #toddler #toys

A video posted by Amy (@amysavvymom) on Oct 10, 2014 at 10:12am PDT

VTech Kids Chomp & Count Dino

Feed the Chomp & Count Dino™ by VTech® a healthy treat! Put the eight brightly colored play pieces in the dino’s mouth, and watch as he eats and recognizes each piece. You can play in either meal mode or counting mode. The dino responds with rewarding sounds and phrases while introducing colors, numbers, shapes and food. Press the question button and answer the dino’s questions to show what you’ve learned. Learn shapes and numbers by pressing any of the dino’s five shape buttons. Pull the dino by the included pull string or push the dino along to strengthen motor skills and hear fun melodies. Spin the disc on the dino’s back to play sing-along songs.

Remember how I mentioned above that it is difficult to get Little Z to play with toys. I’ve discovered that there are toys he will play with, but those toys require a great deal of physical involvement, i.e. a lot of movement. If he can’t ride it or throw it, he doesn’t want to play with it. Suffice it to say, Little Z doesn’t have the patience or desire to sit and play with the Chomp & Count Dino. 🙁 (Boy, his mom sure wishes he’d sit and play with toys!) My 4 year old, on the other hand, thinks it is a blast! He is completely in awe that the dinosaur knows exactly what it is being fed. My son thinks he is sneaky and tries to hide the food piece as he puts it into the Dino’s mouth, but Chomp & Count Dino always seems to know. I really like that they’ve included a pull string and wheels on the bottom. When you have a toy that can serve more than one purpose it means more fun for kids and fewer toys around the house!

VTech Grow-Along Music Center

Sing and learn with the Grow-Along Music Center™ by VTech®. Pretend to be a musician and sing along with the music. Sing into the microphone and watch as the five colorful lights on the piano correspond to your child’s voice, or play with wacky voice-changing and amplifying effects. Rock out with three instrument buttons that play guitar, drum and saxophone sounds. Five animal piano keys introduce your child to instruments, colors and animals. Choose between Learn & Play mode and Sing-Along mode and become a learning super star!

It would seem that Little Z has inherited his mama’s vocal stage fright! Say it isn’t so! When I showed Little Z how he could sing into the microphone and make different voices, he smiled and then bashfully looked away. I couldn’t even get him to talk into the microphone. Once, when he thought I wasn’t looking, he quietly made a little peep into the microphone. He looked up, saw me looking at him, quickly and bashfully looked down, and walked away. I have hope that eventually Little Z will work up the courage to play with the Grow-Along Music Center and find that the sound of his own voice isn’t as scary as he once thought. In the meantime, my older boys love pretending they’re having a concert. The buttons and different vocal effects on the microphone are enough to keep them entertained for 15 minutes at a time.

VTech Sit-to-Stand Smart Cruiser

Hurray for another movement based toy! The VTech Sit-to-Stand Smart Cruiser was right up “Mr. Always-Has-to-be-Moving”‘s alley.

Cruise into the learning zone on the Sit-to-Stand Smart Cruiser™ by VTech®. This 2-in-1 toy has an interactive steering wheel that includes driving, learning and music modes. Attach the steering wheel activity panel to the cruiser, and it becomes an exciting ride-on toy. Turn on the engine, move the gear shifter or press the horn to hear realistic driving sound effects. Choose one of six places and your child can pretend to drive to fun locations. Press the six animal buttons to be introduced to animals and hear fun melodies. Then, learn the concept of direction and road safety with the arrow buttons. The Sit-to-Stand Cruiser also has a front activity panel with fun manipulative features and under seat storage your child can fill with small toys for more fun on the go!

Little Z loves being able to cruise around the house!

After battling his very first bout of the stomach flu yesterday, he is feeling very much better today! And He is enjoying playing with his new Vtech Sit-to-Stand Smart Cruiser! #Vtech #VtechKids #Toddler #toys #sponsored

A video posted by Amy (@amysavvymom) on Oct 10, 2014 at 10:31am PDT

At first he was frustrated that it’s not possible to steer the cruiser. The inability to turn the wheels is the only thing I don’t like about the Sit-to-Stand Smart Cruiser.

Every once in a while he’ll pause to play with the buttons on the steering wheel. I’m looking forward to Little Z getting lots of mileage out of his VTech Sit-to-Stand Smart Cruiser!

Both my husband and I are very happy and impressed with the quality and educational value of VTech learning toys for toddlers. Although there were a couple that we not a good fit for my particular child, I would nonetheless highly recommend them to parents of toddlers who enjoy interactive toys.

You can purchase VTech toddler toys at VTechKids.com and on Amazon.com.

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