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Blog Article Archive |
Monday, October 30, 2006
Looking For a Classic Toy?
Many toys today take the fun and imagination out of play for children. There are electronic coloring books that work by a child tapping a color and the tapping a part on a pre-drawn picture on an electronic screen. There are many games that basically play themselves and children watch. These types of games do not encourage group play, imagination expansion or creative thinking. If you want to get your little one a toy that will give him or her hour upon hour of playtime fun along with some exercise to boot, consider a classically designed riding toy. A Wooden Airplane riding toy is a brightly painted wooden airplane that has a propeller that spins and can be turned using the steering wheel. The wheels are rubber covered and there is a caster rear wheel that will give your little one a smooth flight whenever they go riding on this unique toy. This is a fantastic gift for the little one ages two and up. If your child can sit up well and use his legs to propel himself forward - he will thoroughly enjoy this riding toy. Best of all, in our fast paced world, children spend time in a car, at day care or preschool and then home with mom or dad after work and don't get a lot of time to indulge in active play. This riding toy is completely "kid powered" and will encourage a lot of physical activity during play. Give your child a gift that will allow him to pretend play and expand the horizons of his imagination in the form a fun riding toy!
posted by SensoryEdge
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Monday, October 23, 2006
Help Your Little Ones Learn Their Shapes!
There are many ways to help your children learn their basic shapes and you can start from the time they are very young. Even babies who can not even sit up on their own will usually squeal with delight at brightly colored flash cards and you can play with your baby showing them shapes and colors from their earliest moments. When your baby is older she will want to have more a hands on experience and touch and even taste her shapes and colors. Melissa and Doug have a fabulous puzzle that will allow your little one to make a picture with her very own First Shapes Jumbo Knob Educational Puzzle. This educational puzzle has large knobs on each piece that make it very easy for little hands to hold so there are no frustrations with trying to hold small pieces that can also be a choking hazard for small children. This brightly colored picture has the five basic shapes all children should know by the time they start kindergarten such as circles, ovals, rectangles, triangles and squares. The shapes are hidden in the brilliantly colored picture of a house and allows for opportunity to pretend play with your child. You can ask, "What is going on in the house?" or pretend what the day of someone that lives in the house might be like. Each of the puzzles is hand painted using non-toxic paints and each piece if made of solid wood with no sharp edges. This would also make an ideal gift for the little one on your gift giving list that will entertain while they learn!
posted by SensoryEdge
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Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Your Kid Can Be Top Chef!
All children love to help in the kitchen and while that's not always possible, they can pretend play making their own creations whether with their parents in the kitchen or at their own kitchen pretend play set. The Kids' Chef Hat and Apron Set by Alex Toys lets your kids combine the fun of wearing authentic wear that looks just like a real chef's outfit complete with a hat. This set includes a chef's hat, full size apron, baking mitt, pot holder, tea towel and a wooden spoon for stirring. You can teach your children good habits in the kitchen by letting them put on their chef's outfit and letting them help with the meals. Teach your children to always wash their hands before working with food and talk to them about how germs make people sick and when your tell your kids about why cleanliness is so important in the kitchen area, they will understand and remember. Obviously, never leave a child unattended in a kitchen when you are preparing a meal but you can let them stir a sauce with their wooden spoon, toss a salad, carry a warm (not hot!) plate of bread or rolls to the table using their baking mitt. It's been proven in study after study that children learn best by doing hands on activities and retain that knowledge of what they learn. If your child longs to help you in the kitchen, find safe activities for them to do and let them wear a chef's outfit to add to the fun of the experience.
posted by SensoryEdge
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Monday, October 16, 2006
Say 1-2-3-Cheese!
Even the youngest of children catch on very quickly to the process of getting their photograph taken and my the time a baby has turned into a toddler - they are putting on their best smiles and saying , "Cheese!" in anticipation of getting their picture taken. The next step your little one will be asking for is a camera of their own and while you're not going to be handing them your expensive ten megapixel digicam anytime in the foreseeable future, they can have a fun camera of their own that will so let them practice their counting skills and let their imaginations run wild. The Count and Click Camera is for children ages three and up and is a great pretend play camera that encourages imagination expansion and will entertain a child on their own or a group of children. This is a great toy that is "kid powered" and requires no batteries. The camera comes a carrying case, five write and wipe crayons, ten pre-loaded photos with images for counting objects and a blank reverse side and a handy neck strap with a safety clasp for ease of carrying. To use the camera, your child merely presses and releases the shutter button and a picture will pop out. They can use the images to practice counting skills and then when they want to move on to another activity, your kids can draw their own photos to pop out of the camera as well. Let you children photograph a fashion show or a wild safari with exotic animals - if they can draw it, they can "photograph" it. If you're looking for a toy that will expand your child's imagination as well as encourage group play - this camera is a great choice!
posted by SensoryEdge
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Fun and Games
Have you ever noticed that some of the games out there today have begun to lack that good, old fashioned fun feeling? Often times, when you are looking to play with your children, the simplest games are the best! Certainly, there are great games that you might already have at home, but the chances are that you have played them over and over again. When you are on the lookout for one of those simple and fun games, your search just might end up being quite a bit easier than you would think. Every child usually loves to get involved in a matching game. If you think that yours will too, then you might want to look into the Mix & Match Doughnut Game. No, these are not the real tasty treats that your kids can eat! This is a fun and seemingly sweet way to get your child's brain working. All they have to do is start looking at all of the doughnuts that are placed with the frosting side down and they can begin to match them all up. You will be amazed at just how much fun kids will have when they are trying to quickly find matching pairs. If you thought that this game was sweet enough, it gets even sweeter! All of the frosting toppings are removable so that you can mix and match the doughnuts every time to keep the game exciting and new. The set also comes with easy instructions and a cute doughnut box to keep everything in.
posted by SensoryEdge
1 comments
Monday, October 09, 2006
Let's Get Cooking!
There will come a time when you begin to notice that your child is taking quite an interest in all that you do in the kitchen. Most kids will even become so interested that they will want to begin to help you with the preparation of meals as well as doing other kitchen chores such as cleaning the counter area or even doing a few dishes. While taking certain safety measures into consideration, such kitchen time with your child can be a great deal of fun, as well as a rewarding experience for the both of you. You can always begin by letting your child create simple meal items such as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or even cheese and crackers with fruit. There are even a good deal of simple recipes that are geared toward certain age groups that you may enjoy working on with your kids. Such time in the kitchen can be a great way to give them good skills that they can use and work on for the rest of their lives. Perhaps you even have a great cookie recipe that you will enjoy sharing. Besides, you get the sweet reward of sampling the food after it is done as well! If your child is still too young to begin any real work in the kitchen, you can always give them the amazing opportunity to enjoy a play area such as the Pastel Kitchen Island by KidKraft. This cool set comes with a refrigerator, sink, stove and even plenty of storage space for all kinds of pretend food items. You could even set this play area up in a corner of your kitchen so your children can "cook" along with you!
posted by SensoryEdge
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Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Planning a Sleep Over for Children
If your child has been begging to have their first sleep over, with a little planning it can go off without a hitch. First of all, if you have a younger child, keep the group small. Children tend to get crabby when they get tired and you can wind up with several crying unhappy children if you have a larger group. For your child's first sleep over, keep it small and simple. Figure out a friend or two that your child would like to invite and call their parents to make sure they are on board with the idea. If everyone is in agreement, you're halfway there! Next plan some snacks for the kids to have. Steer clear from extremely sugary filled sweets as they will only rev up the kids and cause them to crash and excessive sugar has shown to cause behavior problems in some children. Stick to healthier snacks such as veggies and dip, baked cheesy sticks or sugar-free Jell-O cut outs are usually a wiggly jiggly hit too. Let them stay up a little later than their usual bed times and when it is time to hit the sack, let them sleep in their sleeping bags in a den or the bedroom floor. Children usually love this aspect of a sleep over - not because it is a particularly comfortable sleep but because it is so different from the norm. The next day, make happy face pancakes and get everyone's day off to a great start!
posted by SensoryEdge
0 comments
Monday, October 02, 2006
Encourage Group Play
It's been proven time after time that children learn the fastest through play and retain that knowledge easier. Social skills can be difficult lessons for some kids and not so easy to learn. One way to promote good social skills is with toys that encourage every child to participate and use their imaginations. There are a huge number of items that can do this and among them is a train table. Both boys and girls seem fascinated by the action of trains and this train table is on a 32 inches by 48 inches play board that will allow four sides of play. The train set itself has 120 pieces and there are three bins on the train table that keep everything neat and organized when not in use. The train set has a mountain to take the train around. Bridges and even roads with cars on them so your kids can play many different roles as they play with this fun set. Children can learn to create their own landscapes and enjoy making up their own stories about where the people on the train are going to or coming from. This toy will also encourage sharing and patience to listen to the ideas of others. The play board is silk screened and has two sides that can be flipped to offer variety to the kids. If you're looking for a toy that will open up imaginations and encourage group play and cooperation among children, a train table is a great addition to your playroom.
posted by SensoryEdge
0 comments
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