With all the toys out there that require 14 batteries and do nothing short of drive mom and dad bonkers, it’s nice to find toys out there that require no on and off button, but rather, just pure imagination. And while you might have found some great toys that require no bells and whistles, it’s always great to hear personal recommendations about toys you may not otherwise ever learn about.

That’s what we found when our bloggers had the opportunity to check out Noah’s Pals, a collection of fantastic plastic animal toys that range from typical animals to ones that I needed a dictionary to pronounce. Both educational and fun, these toys were played with for the past few weeks by our bloggers and their kiddos (ages 5 and up) and here’s what they have to say.

The bloggers were quick to point out that while they thought the animals might be marketed towards a more Christian audience, that was clearly not the case. “Whether you believe the fantastical story of Noah’s ark or not, this collection of toys can provide parents the opportunity to educate their children about a legendary biblical story in a fun way.” ”Noah’s Pals are not meant to make any kind of religious statement, which is great for me since we are not a religious family. In fact, when I showed the toys to Nathan, he said, “who is Noah?” The Noah’s Pals FAQ page says it best, “Intended for all, Noah’s Pals™ is a collection that evokes the beauty in all animals”.”

Even I was impressed about the description of the animals’ beautiful detail work. “Now, we’re pretty much connoisseurs when it comes to the plastic animal market. We have entire herds of animals over here, allowing my kids to create reenactments of massive migrations from one end of the living room to the other. So all of us were taken with the beautiful and detailed work on these animals.” ”These are hand painted, and tell you what the scale is. They are amazingly accurate. ”

 The bloggers were completed satisfied with the quality of the toys — always a plus this disposable age. “I will say that Noah’s Pals seem a bit more fragile, because they are constructed in pieces instead a solid mold, but if my children haven’t managed to behead any of them, I think it is safe to say that they are perfectly durable.” “These are not your typical plastic animals. They are a heavy, durable plastic, hand-painted with beautifully realistic detail.” ”I’m impressed with the craftsmanship - the animals are all made out of durable plastic, and are carefully painted and molded. ”

Each animal set (two by two, of course) comes with an explanation card, which provides great opportunities for extended learning after the kids are done playing with them. “Each set of animals comes with a card telling what continent they live on, what type of habitat, whether or not they are endangered, and gives their family name and species. As if that isn’t cool enough, it gives an individual profile for each of the pair, showing the different height, length and weight for the male and the female.” 

Additionally, the bloggers noted that the toys kept even their older kids (ages 9 and 11, to name a couple) just as occupied, if not more, than the little ones!

A few bloggers commented that for the price and quality, these animals were the way to go as compared to other animal toys out there. “My kids think these are the coolest animals…we’ve been big fans of the Schleiss animals for years, but at a cost of $10 or more for their large animals, most of whom lack the detail and clever modeling of Noah’s Pals, these wonderful pairs are a great deal, especially for moms like me whose kids want to have “a family” of every variety.”

And one blogger commented on the idea of collecting the animals, a neat club feature offered by Noah’s Pals. “And what adds to the fun is that each card has an ID code that you can plug in online so you can keep track of what you have collected and what’s left to collect. That’s one more feature I really like about them. And that they are toys that I feel good about giving. Collecting things is cool. It gives the toys more perceived value somehow and I think helps kids take batter care of them.”

What a hit so far! Check out what our other bloggers have to say, and get the whole set on special at Amazon. Get the whole set for $269. That’s a $30 discount from the Amazon price (which is even lower than retail). Snatch it now for Christmas. (You can also just purchase individual animal pairs).

July 19 Mom to the Screaming Masses & Mama Maven Says

July 20 Kari’s Couch & Chaos Theory

July 23 Little Bird Reviews & Ebony Mommy

July 24 Builder Mama & The Fish Pond

July 25 Final Round Up