If you are heading out to a fair or amusement park this weekend, don't be surprised to find the YO-YO ride closed. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Chance Rides Manufacturing Inc. have closed down about 85 of the rides in order to inspect and repair them. This action was brought about by two incidents in which children and adults were injured when the sweep arms suspending the circular swinging chairs broke free from the ride's center rod. Yikes!

Chance Rides is offering ride owners and state safety officials inspection and repair kits and has also created new inspection and maintenance guidelines for the rides. CPSC has jurisdiction over amusement rides, but state and local officials are responsible for inspections and oversight.

For more information about which states have amusement ride inspection programs and which agencies carry out those responsibilities, CPSC has published a Directory of State Amusement Ride Safety Officials which can be downloaded in PDF format from the CPSC Website.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 330,000 Nerf N-Strike Recon Blasters due to faulty design. When firing the toy, the plunger on the blaster can pull the user's skin resulting in injury to the face, neck and/or chest. There have been 46 reports of children aged 4 to 12 who received bruises, abrasion, pinch marks, blood blisters and welts.

The recall involves the Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Blasters for kids aged 6 and over. The toy is yellow with a black handle and orange plunger, trigger and reload clip. The word "NERF" can be found on both sides of the blaster in black lettering and the word "ARMED" is indented on the orange plunger. RECON CS-6 can be found on the gray cocking mechanism. The toy comes with five interchangeable parts including a shoulder stock, flip-up sight, barrel extension, quick re-load clip and dual-mode light beam. Model number 63552 and UPC codes 653569272021 and 653569311218 can be found on the packaging. Only blasters with an exposed orange plunger are included in this recall.

These were made in China for Hasbro Inc. and sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Toys "R" Us, discount stores and toy stores nationwide from November 2007 through August 2008 for about $20 each.

If you have one of the recalled toys, you should immediately take it away from your child and contact Hasbro for a free cylindrical cover to prevent injuries. For more information, contact Hasbro by calling (800) 245-0910 anytime or by visiting their Web site.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 11,000 pairs of girls' sandals sold by Rack Room Shoes of Charlotte, North Carolina. The ornamental flowers on the sandals can detach and pose a choking hazard to young children.

The sandals are leather with attached leather flowers and were sold under the Kids Feet brand name. They are either all white or white with pink soles. They were sold in girls' sizes 5 through 12 at Rack Room Shoes stores nationwide from February 2008 through June 2008 for about $25 each.

If you have the recalled shoes, you are advised to immediately take them away from your child and return them to the store where purchased for a full refund or store credit. For more information, you can contact Rack Room Shoes by calling (866) 344-1213 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or by visiting their Web site.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 12,000 Children's Ball and Heart Necklaces and Portable CD and MP3 Players due to excessive levels of lead in the paint.

The recall involves three different items: a Ball and Heart necklace with pink beads of varying sizes and a pink heart in the center; a Portable CD Player with flowers and dots in blue and pink; and a pink MP3 player with purple, green, yellow and read hearts as well as a light blue one with a monkey's face on the front. Photos of all the recalled items can be found here.

These were made in China and imported by Tween Brands Inc., of New Albany, Ohio. They were sold exclusively at Limited Too and Justice retail stores nationwide, the Limited Too catazine (catalog), and on the Limited Too Website from May 2007 through August 2008. The Ball and Heart Necklace sold for about $8, the Portable CD Players sold for about $25, and the MP3 Players sold for about $55.

If you have one of the recalled items, you should immediately take it away from your child and return it to any Limited Too or Justice store for a full refund and a coupon for a 15% discount off a future purchase.

For more information, contact Tween Brands by calling (800) 934-4497 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or by visiting either the Limited Too or Shop Justice Website.

The other day, Bethany Sanders offered up some suggestions for inexpensive gifts for girls. Being a guy, I thought I'd chime in with some thoughts on some cool gifts for boys, just in case you're not quite sure what it is that little boys like these days. (Hint: Little boys are just like big boys, only with a smaller allowance.)

Mind you, I'm not really into the whole boy versus girl toys and, truth be told, I've confused my fair share of drive through clerks at McDonald's when they ask if I want toys for boys or girls in my happy meals. Still, some toys are more sensitive while others are more, well, active. Whether it's nurture, nature, some combination or none of the above, surely any of these toys, when given as a gift, will mark you as a cool parent and ensure your child's name is on every birthday party guest list.

Check these out, see what you think, and if you have any other suggestions, be sure to leave them in the comments.

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After a brief hiatus, ParentPicks is back! This is where we take full advantage of your wisdom and experience and ask you to share it with other parents. Whether you have one child or six, chances are you have come across a product, an idea, or a solution to a problem that is just what another parent is looking for. This month, let's see if we can dig out some great storage solutions for kids of all ages.

From birth to college, it seems that kid's lives are all about the stuff. And unless you live in a mansion with a children's wing, you know how all that stuff tends to take over the entire house. How do you keep it under control? Have you discovered the world's best toy box? A simple and stylish way to keep art supplies organized? What about all those stuffed animals that seem to multiply like rabbits?

Having just moved into a much smaller home, I am personally on the edge of my seat awaiting your great ideas for conquering the clutter and taming the toys. Send me your solutions and in two weeks, I will be back to share your picks with our readers.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 1,200 2008-2009 Can-Am® Youth ATVs. In the case of rider ejection when the cord strap is pulled, the shutoff switch can fail to disable the engine. The ATV can then operate uncontrolled until the engine returns to idle. This can cause all kinds of problems, including collisions with bystanders, vehicles or other objects.

The ATV's were made in Vietnam by Vietnam Precision Industrial for BRP U.S. Inc., of Sturtevant, Wisconsin. They were sold at authorized Can-Am® dealers nationwide from August 2007 through September 2008 for about $3,400 each.

The recall involves model year 2008-2009 Can-Am® DS 90 X ATVs that are black with yellow and orange trim. You can find the model name located on the side panels.

If you have one of the recalled ATV's, you should immediately stop your children from using it and contact any Can-Am® dealer to schedule a free repair. Consumers are also being sent a direct notice from BRP.

For more information, contact BRP by calling (888) 638-5397 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or by visiting their Web site.

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I remember being a kid and struggling with my mother every Sunday about what I was going to wear to church. Church was a reason to get dressed up, but all my nicer clothes were uncomfortable and I didn't like the thought of being trapped in them every week for even a few hours. While I liked the concept of the frilly dresses and whatnot, the shoes and tights were uncomfortable. I couldn't wait to get home to get all that off of me, to the point where I am not so sure I was paying much attention!

Holidays are one thing--kids get stuffed into nice dresses, tights and miniature suits for a few hours at a time, tops. Once they hit their own homes, half that stuff usually comes off and they are free to run around in more comfortable attire. Depending on where you live, the clothes can get more or less formal. IN New York City, for example, our kids are nothing if not fashion plates. No one seems to bat an eyelash at spending $100 on an outfit her kid is going to wear exactly one time for one special occasion. The good news is the mom usually knows at least one other family to pass the garments on to, so the item does get Miltie-wear.

In other parts of the country jeans are seen as acceptable. Throw a nice sweater on top of it and some decent shoes (which for a child can be unbelievably pricey) and the kids are good to go. They're probably more comfortable, too. Not sure if jeans are considered acceptable, at say, church, but they do fly at brunches and holiday gatherings in general.' Given the current economy, I wonder if kids' clothes will continue to become less formal as folks turn towards wardrobes they've already amassed.

What do your kids wear when the go out? My kid? Well, he wears whatever I mine from the gloriously wonderful clothes my friends lend me from when their sons were that age. We have a little network of lending going so the clothes we do buy get maximum wear.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 3,000 Toy Police Cars. The red paint on the cars contains excessive levels of lead, which is hazardous to the health of children and in violation of the federal lead paint standard.

The recall involves toy cars with a friction function (push the car forward and release and it continues to move forward). The cars were sold in red/white and purple/white color combinations. They measure 8 inches by 4 inches by 4½ inches and have item number TF820 printed on the packaging.

The cars were made in China and imported by TCB Imports of Vernon, California. They were sold at dollar and discount stores nationwide from May 2008 through August 2008 for about $1 each.

If you have one, you should immediately take it away from your child and return it to the store where purchased for a full refund. For more information, contact TCB Imports, Inc. by calling (888) 674-5497 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or by visiting their Web site.

A new resale shop opened just down the street from us, and I couldn't be happier. It's clean, well-decorated, has a beautiful play area, and only carries name brand clothing in good condition. Today, I spent a little over $35 and came home with two complete outfits for each child, two pairs of Carter's fleece pajamas, two new leotards (tags attached!), and a pair of shoes for each kid. Granted, not all the clothing is in new condition, but it all appears to have been worn a minimum number of times.

Resale shopping is one of the ways our family saves money. If I had to buy enough brand new outfits to clothe my kids each season, I'd quickly go broke. Usually, I buy one or two new, then depend on hand-me-downs, generous grandmothers, and resale items to fill in the gaps. But a friend of mine wrinkles up her nose every time she hears that I went to the resale shop. "Used clothes? No thank you."

My theory is that once you wash a new outfit, it doesn't look new anymore anyway, so what's the big deal? But she gets seriously turned off by the idea that her little one is wearing another child's cast-offs. What about you? Do you use resale shops when buying children's clothing, or are you as squeamish about this practice as my friend?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 36,000 Harry Potter Bookends. The paint on the bookends contains excessive levels of lead, which can be hazardous to the health of children.

The bookends were made in Hong Kong and imported by Giftco Inc., of Vernon Hills, Ill. They were sold through elementary school fundraising programs as well as discount and dollar stores nationwide from June 2004 through January 2006 for between $3 and $28.

The bookends are made from poly-stone in the shape of characters from the Harry Potter book series. The characters include Harry Potter, Hedwig and Hermione, and Crookshank.

If you have one of the recalled bookends, you should immediately take them away from your children and return them to Giftco for a refund. You can reach Giftco by calling (888) 448-6728 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visit their Web site.

The U. S.Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 6,000 Wood Abacus. The wooden rods on the abacus can detach and pose a choking hazard to young children.

Made in China and distributed by LTD Commodities and ABC Distributing, of Bannockburn, Ill., the abacus were sold through catalogs and online nationwide from December 2006 through February 2008 for about $12 each.

The abacus is made of wood and has a multi-sided activity center. The activity center features a chalkboard, movable block letters with pictures, sliding shapes, a maze with gears and a blue and yellow clock with pink moving hands on the side. You can find the product code E7A printed on the packaging near the UPC bar code.

If you have one of these, you should immediately take it away from your child and contact LTD Commodities for instructions on receiving a product credit. You can reach them by calling (866) 736-3654 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or by visiting either the LTD Website or the ABC Distributing Web site.

If you can't get political enough this season, then perhaps you can share even more of your opinions via your baby's tummy. That's right, world, just when we thought we'd said "ENOUGH!" to all the witty slogan T-shirts out there (no longer midriff-bearing, thank goodness, I am SO over that), the onesie-with-commentary takes center stage.

Check out these witty onesies (and a few bibs) courtesy of website urlesque, which provides interesting tidbits and goings on about the wonderful machine that is the world wide web. Whether you're a democrat or republican, you'll be sure to find something to sport your baby in with political style. Or, perhaps you have no real affiliation, but you are committed to causes like stopping global warming--there's a cute onesie for that one too.

Several of the onesies featured center around our current lame duck president, but most center on Obama and McCain. Of all the 28 pictures, the only onesie I've actually seen is "My mama's for Obama." Several naturally also poke fun at Hillary Clinton. None, of course, center on Sarah Palin, although I'm sure we'll see those soon enough. Just give the witty minds enough time! The one I found most clever made good use of Obama's slogan, "Time for a change." It features a baby who needs his diaper changed (it's promo Obama but the republicans could get a good laugh out of it too!). Very funny!

Funny onesies aside, regardless of what you clothe your kid in this season, PLEASE VOTE IN NOVEMBER!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 190,000 MacGregor Folding Soccer Goals and Mitre Folding Soccer Goals. The knotted flexible openings in the nets can pose a head and neck entrapment hazard or even a strangulation hazard to young children. Sadly, the CPSC has received two reports of head entanglement, including one that resulted in the death of a 20-month-old child.

Both soccer goals have a foldable white frame and net that is attached with Velcro strips. The MacGregor goal measures 6 feet wide by 3 feet high and the Mitre net measures 8 feet wide by 6 feet high. Each of these nets has squares measuring 5 inches on each side. The MacGregor soccer goal has model number 97236 printed on the assembly instructions and UPC code number 029807972365 printed on the net's packaging. The Mitre soccer goal has model number 89186 printed on the assembly instructions and UPC code number 029807891864 printed on the net's packaging. Nets manufactured after April 2007 with 4 inch by 4 inch square openings are not included in the recall.

The nets were made in China, distributed by Regent Sports Corporation, of Hauppauge, N.Y., and sold at Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware and sports and toy stores nationwide from May 2002 through May 2008 for $26 each.

If you have one of the recalled nets, you are advised to immediately return it to Regent Sports to receive a free replacement net. You can reach them by calling (877) 516-9707 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

OK, this is AWESOME. Well, at the very least it's humorous. I don't know if you played with Legos as a kid, or if your children enjoy them (and if they do, presumably you do not, as they are always found under your bare feet or in your dog's mouth), but Legos have withstood the test of time, if anything. And, they've done so by continually modernizing and playing into pop culture wherever possible.

Some old Lego figures, for example, sported mustaches, when those were popular. There are plenty of female Lego people and those of color as well. Then, of course, there were the Star Wars Lego's. Nothing in the universe is cooler. Now, Legos are taking on Hollywood. They proudly offer likenesses of Madonna, complete with some sort of bullet-bra inspired corset-wear and a gap-toothed grin, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, with a mini-Lego baby attached to the front of each character. You can tell which on is Ange based on the ridiculous size of her lips.

Other celebs given the go are Amy Winehouse and the Beckhams. if you don't laugh at the Lego Posh, who is of course wearing something fashionably fabulous, then I don't know what. Seriously, I can't stop laughing when I look at these. I don't know if they're intended to be collectors items or worth the money one would pay for them just to have them underfoot and in the dog's mouth, but they are pretty hilarious on a very basic level. The lips on Ange alone are hysterical. Previously, the likes of Indiana Jones, among others, have enjoyed being made into Legos. Enjoy!

And, here's a parting question: Who would YOU like to see as a Lego?