I received an item from Museum Tour in order to facilitate my review. No additional compensation was received; all thoughts and words are my own.

I’ve always loved getting catalogs in the mail, especially toy ones. Christmas was an especially good time of year for it, as there was always the Wish Book and other thick catalogs that would arrive. But no matter what time of year it was, I was always on the lookout when my Mom would bring the mail home.

One catalog that I wasn’t familiar with – but that you very well may be – is the one sent out by Museum Tour. Their fall catalog reached 2 million homes. It’s packed full of toys and fun learning activities for children to participate in beyond museum or science center walls.

Belly Bump Jr. from Museum Tour

Bubbles has been a big fan of, well, bubbles, for quite some time now. Nearly every day she asks if we can go outside and blow bubbles. Doesn’t matter if it’s raining, windy, 100 degrees, or snowing – she wants to be outside playing with bubbles.

We were recently given the opportunity to review a scientific experiments kit from The Young Scientists Club. After taking a few minutes to visit their site, my choice for a kit was a no-brainer. They have a line of Clifford the Big Red Dog Science Kits, and we love Clifford. But more exciting was the fact that one of the kits was a Bubble Science kit!

Clifford the Big Red Dog Bubble Science Kit from The Young Scientists Club

Toddler Games and Toys from Melissa & Doug

It’s hard (for me) to believe, but Bubbles turned 2 this past week. It’s cliché to say but time really does seem to fly by with kids this age. I can remember when she would fit in the nook of my arm while I was feeding her. Today when I pick her up to give her a kiss, her feet dangle against my knees. And that’s when she stops moving long enough for me to pick up!

As Christmas was just a few weeks ago (and because this mama has a hard time not buying things at the store as I see them) we didn’t really want to go overboard for her with gifts. We did, however, want to get her some things and I wanted to make sure they were toys that would keep her entertained and engaged for a few months (when your birthday and Christmas are so close together, there’s a reaaallly long dry spell for gift-giving occasions in between). She has a few key interests right now that we’d like to nurture: puzzles, dolls, coloring, her kitchen, blocks, anything Disney, and toys like trucks and trains (the last one much to my husband’s delight).

Views From the Ville

Museum Tour’s Top 10 Toys & Gifts for 2013

Bubble Science Fun with The Young Scientists Club Clifford the Big Red Dog Kits

Entertain and Educate Your Toddler with Toys from Melissa & Doug

Toddler Games and Toys from Melissa & Doug