Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Magically Magnetic Gift!

Kids between the ages of 7-12 can be a tough age to buy for. They are too old for "little kids" toys and they aren't ready for the complex toys of teens. A great solutions is found in the Magneatos Intermediate Building Set. There are 4 sets that you can choose from and one is certain to be the right size for the kiddo on your gift list. Best of all, Magneatos will grow with your child. As their hand/eye coordination and manual dexterity increases, the sets become smaller in piece size and also more intricate to allow for more elaborate building projects.

There are four sizes for the intermediate set, it starts at Set I with a 32 piece kit. Set II has 66 pieces. Set III is 114 pieces and Set IV has a whopping 240 pieces. If you have a younger child on your gift list to buy for, there is a 72-piece Magneato set that is made on a larger scale so you don't have to worry about younger children that might experiment and put one of the pieces on their mouths.

There is no sticking or interlocking of the pieces, all of the Magneato sets held together via the polarity of magnets. You can also explain to your kids how magnets can both attach and repel depending on the ends that are placed closely together.

If you want to get your kids a great toy that will get them off the video games and let them enjoy using their imaginations and creative skills, a Magneatos Set will keep them busy for hour upon hour of building fun.

posted by SensoryEdge    0 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button





Monday, November 27, 2006

Good Night's Sleep

In order for children to pay optimum attention and be at their best, they need to be able to get a good night's sleep. Many behavior problems that don't stem from a chemical imbalance can be treated effectively through diet changes and adequate sleep.

Many parents let their children stay up late then let them eat sugary coated cereals for breakfast and by noon their kids are distracted and crashing from the sugar high they had at breakfast. This creates a vicious cycle for your child.

First of all, make their bedroom a pleasant and relaxing place to sleep. Get rid of the clutter. Teach your kids the old adage,"A place for everything and everything in its place". You'll be amazed at how much more centered your kids can be by just knowing where everything in their room is. Add shelves and storage bin racks if you need to.

Next, make sure that your child's mattress is comfortable. Their bed should be a place they look forward to laying their head every night, not a place where they wake up sore and uncomfortable from an over-used mattress or too soft mattress.

If it's time to update your child's bed, let them in on the decision making. If you're upgrading from a crib to a "big boy bed" for your son, consider a fun bed shaped like a fire truck. For your little princess, a pink bed shaped like it came straight from Lady Guenivere's boudoir. There are also traditional toddler beds and even bunk beds. If your child frequently has friends over for sleepovers, a bunk bed may be a great option.

Much of your child's attitude during the day will stem from the type of rest he is getting at night, make sure your child is sleeping well every night so he can be at his very best!

posted by SensoryEdge    0 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button





Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Keeping a Group of Children Entertained

The holidays may present you with a unique problem is your house is going to be the central gathering point for your family and friends this year. How will you keep a large group of children entertained?

The novelty of visiting with their cousins and other relatives they haven't seen since last year is going to wear off quickly and then the kids will want something to do. There are a few things you can have on hand to make their time in your home fun.

A few board games will enable them to play together and have some fun. Classic board games such as Trouble, Chutes and Ladders or Candyland for the younger crowd will keep everyone entertained. Building toys such as log building sets or Legos are great for older kids. If there are young children that may put small pieces into their mouths attending the holiday celebrations; they should be supervised at all times around older children to ensure there are no mishaps.

If you want something fun and definitely not messy for the younger set, add a sand table. It's for children ages 2 and up and it a sandbox that is sealed under durable plexiglass and mounted on a sturdy table. The sand is enclosed and the kids can make trails through the sand by pushing magnetized creatures and vehicles using 4 magnetic hand pieces attached to the underside of the table.

Add some games and fun items to your home for the younger visitors over the holiday season and they'll be begging to come back to celebrate the holidays at your house next year too!

posted by SensoryEdge    0 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button





Monday, November 20, 2006

Encourage Artistic Expression

The colder days of winter are approaching and it won't be ideal weather for your children to go outside and play every single day. They will need some indoor activities as well.

Many parents are now limiting the amount of time that their kids can spend playing video games, watching television or online. If you want to keep your kids both occupied and doing something that will help them use their imaginations and offer limitless hours of fun - let your kids explore art.

All it takes is an Art Table & Chair Set and your kids will have the perfect place to explore putting their ideas into full color on paper. The top of the table should be made durable and be easy to clean as little artists can be a messy. Many art tables come with paper rolls that can be replenished and it lets the young artist do and re-do as many artworks as they like with a simple tug on the paper roll.

A great option for young artists that won't be a mess at all is the crayola watercolors that only appear on the special paper. The child dips the brush into the special colors and then onto the paper - if there is a drip or the child decides to "test" their brush elsewhere - like on your newly painted walls - the paint won't adhere.

Clay is also fun for kids. If you want to keep the clay your kids play with free of industrial chemicals, you can make your own out of flour and salt and they'll have a blast sculpting all types of things for hours.

Encourage your children to express themselves through art, they'll grow their imaginations by leaps and bounds!

posted by SensoryEdge    0 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button





Thursday, November 16, 2006

A Bedroom for a Princess

Your little girl was proud as punch when she graduated from her crib to a toddler bed and now you may see that the time has come to update her bedroom to a girl's room and get rid of the toddler bed and upgrade to a bed that will let your princess have sweet dreams.

The Kathryn Bed in White Finish is a beautiful addiction to a little girl's room. The bed is white with a pretty butterfly and floral design on the headboard and footboard that add a little extra style any princess will love. The inserts are finished in the same semi-gloss as the bed so they match perfectly. This bed includes a 10-year manufacturer's warranty and a premium engineered frame to enhance the durability of this design.

There is a matching nightstand and toy box that is sold separately but will make for a complete bedroom set if you purchase all three together. She can put her favorite toys on the night stand and keeping her room nice and neat won't be a problem with her very own toy box.

This bed comes in both twin and full sizes depending on the size child and room you're buying it for. You can have fun letting her pick out the bedding to have with this bed. When you think she might choose soft pastels or a Dora the Explorer sheets and comforter set; she might surprise you and go for bright and bold colors to really show off her new bed.

The white finish on this bed will meld beautifully with almost any color scheme you have in the room and it won't clash with pastels or bright colors but rather white will brighten any color it is placed with. If your little princess is in the market for a new place to put her pretty head, surprise her with a new bed all her own - a bed that is truly fit for a princess!

posted by SensoryEdge    1 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button





Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Learning Through Pretend Play

A common complaint that many parents have for finding toys for their children is so many toys do not encourage pretend play. Many toys manufactured today run so efficiently the child winds up sitting back and watching the toy play.

Pretend play is a marvelous way for children to learn on their own or with groups of other children. This encourages not only learning skills through play but also cooperation and being respectful of what other people think. Taking turns and valuable social skills are developed through pretend play.

Playing with things that children see adults do frequently, like shopping for groceries is a fun way to learn about food, shopping and other daily activities that people do. Children can pretend play that they are workers and customers in a grocery store and have a million different creative scenarios that they play out. Young budding actors can pretend they are on a game show where they have to shop 'til they drop or they can be purchasing things for their own cooking show.

For the young restaurant owner on your midst, Doug and Melissa have designed a very fun sushi set. This sushi set is made from wood with no sharp edges and even comes in its own wooden box with a realistic sushi menu on the back for an authentic touch. As the rolls are cut they make chopping noises and kids can have hours of fun creating their own imaginative sushi dishes. They can also learn lessons about why hands are washed before food is prepared and the importance of being clean when cooking and cleaning up.

Pretend play is a marvelous way for children to work together or just have fun on their own. Either way, the only limit is the imagination of the child.

posted by SensoryEdge    0 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button





Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Pyramid of Play - Never Boring!

If you need an activity toy that your kids can enjoy all through the year and will also keep visiting young relatives entertained over the holiday season; consider adding the Pyramid of Play to your children's playtime toy box.

The Pyramid of Play is actually five toys in one. The Caterpillar Pathfinder has multiple slots to arrange various caterpillar parts. Marble Run is a fun section where children can race each other to see which marble makes the best time. Ladybug Counter is a wonderful way to sharpen math skills and counting basics. Gear Fun on yet another side of the pyramid teaches children to plan ahead arrange gears to make the entire side move with just the turn of one gear piece. Busy Rollercoaster will keep children occupied for hours of fun.

This toy encourages group play, cooperation and imaginative play. The size is just right for sitting children and measures 18 inches x 18 inches x 18 inches. Children can race trying to see who can finish lacing and tying, arranging the caterpillars through the mazes or make a gear design the fastest. These will all be activities to keep them busy for hours.

Having a toy around to keep the kiddos entertained when they get tired of playing cards and chase for the umpteenth time will go a long way into keeping them from getting bored and cranky. Have a fun multi-function toy that all the kids can play with at once waiting in your home this holiday season.

posted by SensoryEdge    0 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button





Monday, November 06, 2006

Gifts for the Young Scientist

Learning through play is one the most powerful ways for kids to gain and retain knowledge.

Science is a valuable subject for children to have a grasp on. It teaches logical thinking along with the valuable skill of understanding cause and effect. You can help your kids develop their linear thinking skills.

Kids can pretend play and learn at the same time. There are science sets geared towards girls. The Ultimate Spa And Perfume Kit is something that will wake up your girl's love of science in a way that will reach things she loves to do. This kit will teach the basics of science through creative play. This kit uses natural ingredients for girls to create useable items such as bath oils, soaps, foaming baths, bath balms, and more. Girls can learn about aromatherapy as they create five different kinds of perfume.

There are also science kits for both boys and girls that will foster a love of science. The Mind blowing Science Kit will delight children with its 13 interesting experiments. This kit will teach your kids how to make a color changing volcano. They will also get to make some magic ooze that moves on its own. The chemicals in the kit are safe for the use of children and will allow kids to make mixtures that change colors due to chemical reactions. The reasons for these reactions are also explored and when you ask your kids what causes the volcano to change colors as it erupts, they will be able to tell you and not realize they just gained valuable scientific knowledge through play.

posted by SensoryEdge    0 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button





Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Playtime for Everyone

With the holiday season fast approaching, you will find that your house will be ringing with laughter of children as friends and relatives come to visit and bring their little ones along. Whether your children are still at home or you have grandchildren of your own, you can make your house the one they love to come to with the addition of some fun games.

If you have pre-schoolers coming to visit have some games that they can enjoy such as Cherry Picker or Candy Land that require no reading but work by matching colors and pictures only. Older children may enjoy fun games such as Alphabet Bingo which is great for children ages four and up that know their alphabets. These types of games allow children to learn while they play and this is the optimum way for children to gain and retain knowledge.

Children that are in elementary school will enjoy strategy games such as chess or Risk as fun ways to pass the time. Other traditional standbys are Monopoly and good old checkers. Have a deck of cards handy so the kids can have a game of War too.

Games are excellent learning tools for children because playing games helps to create social interaction environments for kids that allow them to play together and engage in group play. Cooperation, sharing and following rules are all healthy lessons that get learned through playing games together.

posted by SensoryEdge    0 commentsAddThis Social Bookmark Button






Blog Article Archive
Have a question? Our phone number is 800 734 8019 Fax 818 716 5376
.

Get an Instant 5% off Coupon emailed to you by joining our Newsletter.
Your First Name:

Your E-Mail Address:

Previous Articles
Healthy Snacks

Burns From the Playground

An Interesting Study of Empathy

Push Creativity

Successfully Put to Bed

Alphabet Rug

The Messenger Bag

Teeter Totter Away

Individualized Education Plans

Keep Those Kids A Movin!

Syndication





Article Archives

Kids Furniture and Educational Toys Website