Create a Toy-tastic Easter Basket with VTech Games and Toys {Prize Pack Giveaway!}

Although it seemed to take Mother Nature a little while to catch up, signs of spring have been in the stores for quite a while now. Whereas retailers used to have stock in snow shovels and triple-warm gloves, shelves are now filled with flower and vegetable seeds and pastel plastic eggs by the dozen.

But while selecting which kind of tomato to grow in our yard is a task that fills me with hope, looking at aisle after aisle of Easter candy does not. Do my kids need yet another basket of candy and chocolate that is just going to get tucked away in a cupboard and, most likely, slowly eaten by me?

Not this year, they don't. Because there's no better way to fill an Easter basket with creative, fun, entertainment-providing products than by turning to the always-unique and innovative items from VTech.

Since 1980, VTech has been developing high-quality, educational products that enrich children's development, from birth to preteen, through fun and smart play. Their award-winning items have long displayed why VTech is a world leader of age-appropriate learning products and this spring is no exception!

So, when it comes to finding the perfect candy-alternatives for Easter baskets, I wasn't surprised when VTech came through with exactly that.

Having adored their InnoTab Learning App Tablets since their arrival, Big Sister E and Little Sister B were extremely thrilled to add the InnoTab Doc McStuffins and Sofia the First software cartridges (MSRP $24.99 each) to their collection. These are two characters that they both adore!

I love the way that VTech makes their cartridges compatible with any version of the InnoTab, so no matter if your child has the original InnoTab or the newest InnoTab 3S, they are able to partake in all of the games and activities.

Simply pop in the Doc McStuffins software (ages 4-7) and your child is ready to learn reading, vocabulary, observation, logic, memory, math, visual skills, creativity, healthy living and more! From giving toys a check-up, reading an e-book about Lambie and Doc, coloring in Doc's Big Book of Boo-Boos, taking pictures with different beloved characters, remembering dance moves, and much more, there's no doubt that the Doc is in!

My girls can't get enough of being a part of the Doc McStuffins gang and have been returning to fix the ouchies time and time again!

When they aren't mending boo-boos with Doc, Big Sister E and Little Sister B have also been excited about diving into the world of Enchancia with the InnoTab Sofia the First software cartridge (ages 3-6).

Containing seven different learning games and two creative activities, this software manages to teach counting, colors, shapes, patterns, problem solving and more, all while keeping kids entertained as they help Sofia get to class on Jumble Day at Royal Prep.

As with all of VTech's great InnoTab cartridges, this one includes a wide variety of options for children to choose from each and every time they turn it on. Take Flying Horse Riding Class with Sofia and Minimus, create magic paintings with Sofia in Art Class (and tap the magic wand to watch them come to life), learn how Sofia becomes a princess in Story Mode with the interactive e-book, take pictures with favorite characters and scenes, and more.

What better way to spend some time learning and laughing than by marveling at all that is topsy-turvy with Princess Sofia and her mixed up classrooms?

Both of these cartridges have been entertaining Big Sister E and Little Sister B since their arrival (which was just in time for our recent vacation to Disneyland) and they were perfect for quiet play on the planes and during downtime!

As well as innovative new InnoTab software cartridges, VTech has plenty of other creative and fun Easter baskets ideas for kids of all ages.

While we weren't familiar with their adorable Go! Go! Smart Wheels Vehicles (MSRP $7.99), we were immediately impressed with the way that these electronic play vehicles are perfectly sized for little hands (they are designed for ages 1-5).

Available in 12 different vehicle options — car, van, truck, ambulance, fire truck, police car, tow truck, helicopter, cement mixer, tractor and two race cars — each Go! Go! Smart Wheels easily combines entertainment with education in each bright, colorful piece.

Little ones are able to learn about different letters and vehicle names through pretend play, while having fun with the light-up button that activates music and sounds. The fun never ends!

This adorable Go! Go! Smart Wheels Tractor plays melodies, sounds, teaches the letter T and would even say over forty unique educational phrases if interacted with the SmartPoint locations on the many Go! Go! Smart Wheels playsets (each sold separately). It all adds up to playtime with miles of learning!

When it comes to interactive fun for slightly older kids, however, my girls have both loved playing with Zipp the T-Rex from the Switch & Go Dinos Turbo Assortment (MSRP $9.99).

Designed for ages 3-8 years, these transforming dinos switch from being a ferocious beast to a rugged vehicle and back again in seconds! On top of that, kids can rev up the action with the flywheels that let the dinos race and roar across the floor while listening to the realistic vehicle and dinosaur sounds and phrases!

I can't stop laughing at how much fun Big Sister E and Little Sister B have had transforming Zipp back and forth between being a super-sleek race car to a scary dinosaur with razor-sharp teeth... as well as pressing the talk button to learn interesting dinosaur facts and the sound button for great effects!

The range of Switch & Go Dinos now features six new characters, including Dart the Triceratops, Zipp the T-Rex, Spur the Stegosaurus, Fray the Ankylosaurus, Cruz the Spinosaurus and Spinner the Stygimoloch, and really do combine the best of both worlds in terms of cars and dinosaurs.

My kids haven't stopped transforming Zipp back and forth and marveling at the way that he can be an electronic, fierce dinosaur or a race 'n ride car so quickly and easily!

This year, instead of loading up on chocolate and candy, head over to the VTech website to see how you can create a toy-tastic basket that will help extend your little one's learning and fun with so many of their best-sellers that your kids will surely love!

VTech consults with a panel of experts on the development of its learning products and supports you as your child continues to grow and reach new developmental milestones by offering a variety of age-appropriate toys. What better gift could they (and you) ask for in their basket?

Be sure to stay connected with VTech on Facebook and Twitter and, thanks to their generosity, one person will soon see the joy and learning that comes with these great products as well, because...

One lucky person will win a VTech Prize Pack* (ARV $68)!

*Prize Pack includes (1) InnoTab Doc McStuffins software cartridge, (1) InnoTab Sofia the First software cartridge, (1) Switch & Go Dinos Turbo and (1) Go! Go! Smart Wheels Vehicle.

Entry-Form

The VTech product, gift card, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by VTech.