30 Days of Toys: Wooden Modular Vehicle

by Kate on November 5th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  30 Days of Toys, Shopping

Toy: Manzanita Kids Modular Wooden Vehicle

Get It For: Crafty preschool aged kids who like to build things. Isn’t that all of them?

Why We Like It: Forget the kids, *I* want this toy. For me. I mean, what’s not to like about this modular vehicle set that comes with a base and pieces to build a submarine, airplane or truck? The pieces fit together in endless possibilities so your child’s play isn’t limited to pre-determined vehicles. The base comes with a pull-string so your tot can fill the vehicle with a load of toys and carry them around the house. In addition, the pieces fit together with other Manzanita Building Sets, which are totally gorgeous and worth a look.

Shop! The Wooden Vehicle set is $55 and available from Manzanita Kids on Etsy.

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To see the best toys for the holidays, check out our Toy Shopping Guide. You can also read about all our 30 Days of Toys picks.

Early Learning At Home with Teach My {Review}

by Kate on September 15th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews

While I have no desire or ability to homeschool my children, like every mom, I do work with my children at home to teach them the basic building blocks they need to know. But, I’ll be the first to admit my daughter has gotten the short end of the mom-education-stick. I’m busier now than I was when I was home with only my son, and I’ve worried that I haven’t given my daughter enough one-on-one time. The Teach My learning system is a great way to not only teach my daughter the basics but also to make sure we spend quality time alone together every day.

About Teach My

Teach My, award-winning all-in-one learning kits for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. No need to spend hundreds of dollars going to stores buying individual teaching tools, Teach My learning kits provide everything necessary to teach your baby, toddler and preschooler the basics, all in one kit! Looking for a unique baby shower gift or to teach the alphabet or teach preschoolers to read, Teach My, all-in-one kits- just 20 minutes a day, fun educational, one-on-one time!

Teach My Toddler Review

The Teach My system is available in three sets – Teach My Infant (6 – 18 months), Teach My Toddler (18 months and up) and Teach My Preschooler (3 – 5 years). The Teach My Toddler set includes four subjects: alphabet, colors, numbers and shapes. Each area includes a poster, puzzle (two for alphabet – capital and lower case), book and flash cards. The set is contained in an expandable file-like carrying case with labels so you can keep the pack organized. The system also includes a short but very useful teaching guide for parents with great tips on how to get the most out of the set.

My daughter does not have a very long attention span for anything other than High School Musical 2 (don’t ask), so I wasn’t sure how she would embrace sitting at the table every day to learn with me. But, she was immediately interested in, well, everything. I quickly learned that we should focus on one subject a day (for now), which means I should take out the corresponding poster, puzzle, book and flash cards and hide the rest of it. The variation in the tasks helps to keep her interest because we can switch from thing to thing all while reinforcing the lesson.

One thing I didn’t expect was that my son would be so interested in the set. He already knows the lessons in the Teach My Toddler set, and it has been adorable to watch him “help” his sister. He loves helping her with the puzzles and doing flash cards with her. It’s really the cutest thing ever.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… I definitely recommend Teach My Toddler.  I worried that my 2.5 year old might be bored with it, but turns out she still has plenty to learn (like letter recognition, letter sounds and more complex shapes). The set is very well organized and thorough. It feels really fool-proof for a non-educator mama like myself.

Or Not to Buy… The Teach My system recommends 20 minutes a day, which can feel like a big commitment to make before you start.

Shop! Each Teach My all-in-one learning system is $49.99.

We received a sample to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own.

Crocodile Hop Game {Learning Resources Review & Giveaway)

by Kate on August 2nd, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Toys

My kids are just loving the game we’re featuring today from Learning Resources. Indeed, as soon as they spotted the colorful photos on the box. Crocodile Hop is a fun and lively game that is ideal for preschool aged kids.

About Crocodile Hop

Cross the river by hopping from number to color to shape!

  • Engages even reluctant learners with colorful, versatile super-size floor mat design
  • Reinforces a range of early learning skills: color and shape recognition, numbers and counting (1-10), problem solving and gross motor
  • Helps children practice following simple directions
  • Offers opportunities for children to play alone, in small groups or with the whole class
  • Supports NCTM Standards
  • Includes 2 inflatable cubes (5″), 40 animal game markers, Activity Guide and vinyl floor mat measuring 100″L x 30″H
  • Grades PreK+

Crocodile Hop Game Review

The Crocodile Hop game is a large floor game on a crocodile’s colorful creek. One of the best thing about the game is that there are actually many games and activities in one box. You can play a number of different games, play with one child, play with a class of children. The game can work in just about any situation and for kids of different skill level.

The game is recommended for kids 3 to 6 years old, so my 4.5 year old is right in the target range. And it shows. He loves the game and understands the directions quite easily. (We all know it’s horribly frustrating when your child isn’t ready / can’t follow a game’s directions – most frustrating for the kid, no doubt.) The way he likes playing best is to “Cross the Creek” from Start to Finish using one of the large inflatable “dice”. For example, if you roll a dice and get the color blue, you can move ahead to the next blue shape. It’s quite simple, but the complete rules reinforces colors, shapes and numbers.

My daughter isn’t really the rule-following type (and she’s not quite old enough for the actual game), but she loves playing on the creek. Just goofing around and kind-of playing with her brother is definitely helping her learn numbers. And, she’s having fun so I’m not complaining!

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Crocodile Hop is a great game for preschoolers to reinforce knowledge of colors, shapes and numbers. There are many ways to play so your child won’t quickly get bored and you can change it up as they get more confident.

Or Not to Buy… The game is a little on the pricey side for a game.

Shop! Crocodile Hop is available at Learning Resources for $34.99.

Win! Crocodile Hop from Learning Resources!

How to Enter: Visit Learning Resources and leave a comment with another game or activity that looks like fun.

Earn Extra Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends August 12. Open to US residents only.

Thanks to Learning Resources for providing a sample and the giveaway prize.

anamalz: Enviro-Friendly Toys for Your Little Animal

by Kate on August 1st, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews, Toys

There are some toys that my kids think they want and I roll my eyes, thinking “UGH. Really?” There are other toys I try to push on my kids because I like the message or the design. And I’m sure my kids roll their eyes thinking, “Really, mom?” But, the magic happens when we immediately see eye to eye on a toy and they love it as much as I do. That is just what happened when we discovered anamalz toy animal figures

Meet anamalz

Designed in Australia and made from sustainable maple wood, anamalz is the name of the wonderfully designed, award winning range of toy animals that can be bent into dozens of funny poses. The green business proudly uses fabric that is azo dyed and their waste wood is used on a farm to grow mushrooms. Each toy is assembled in factories that are of the highest standards and meet international regulations.

According to Josh Tyler, anamalz North America’s Chief Zookeeper, “Each anamalz figure is hand-painted with child-friendly water-based paint and recycled packaging is used whenever possible. Our company is proud of our green credentials – and we have established a trust fund that contributes to various wildlife and children’s organization around the globe.”

anamalz Review

As soon as I saw the new expanded collection of anamalz includes a Prehistoric Collection of dinosaurs, I knew my son would be hooked. His dinosaur obsession knows no bounds. Luckily, the Triceratops lived up to our expectations. The horned dino figure, like all anamalz, is made of a combination of soft poseable material and sustainable wood. The handpainted details on the phase make this little guy too cute to be fierce.

Triceratops immediately found himself in a make believe game with my son and some other animals.

anamalz is an Australian-based toy company and they have a great Australian Animals collection. My daughter became rather fond of the Kangaroo. She spent lots of time hopping (while chanting “Hop! Hop! Hop!) around the house with Kanga.

anamalz Accessories

If your kids love anamalz as much as mine do, a perfect addition to your collection is the Playmat. The mat is made from high quality materials and creates a lovely backdrop for your tot’s imaginary world. And, the best part? The playmat can be turned inside out to be a storage bag when not in use.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… I like anamalz because they’re simple, require my kids to use their imagination and are made of sustainable materials. My kids love anamalz because they’re cute, perfectly sized and perfect for child’s play.

Or Not to Buy… Once you get your hands on one, you’ll likely want more and the price, while totally reasonable given the quality, will add up quickly as you build your collection.

Shop! Check out all the anamalz and playful accessories online at anamalz.com. The Prehistoric creatures are $12.95 each and the Australian, Wild and Farm anamalz are $8.95 each. The Playmat is $39.95 and are available at Barnes & Noble and specialty shops coast to coast plus internationally in over 20 countries.

Thanks to anamalz for providing samples.

Bug Science In Your Backyard {Learning Resouces Review + Giveaway}

by Kate on July 6th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Toys

Learning Resources wants to help kids fight the summer slump. While my children are not yet “school age”, they do both attend preschool so the summer is a change for all of us. I think it’s hard, in particular on my 4 and a half year old son who loves school – and loves learning and asking a million questions. I love giving him the tools like the to continue to explore – and ask me a million questions that I cannot answer. He’s been examining and inspecting our backyard with the Learning Resources Big View Bug Jars and Early Science Explorer’s Set.

About the Big View Bug Jars & Early Science Explorer’s Set

Big View Bug Jars: Adorable jars feature ladybug wings that open to invite little learners to investigate insects.

  • Supports scientific observations with a 3.5x magnifying lens, hidden under the bug’s wings
  • Engages even those children who shy away from bugs, thanks to cute (and secure) design
  • Features screw-on cap and air vents for live-critter observation
  • Durable plastic jars measure 4.5″H x 3.5″ in diameter

Explorer’s Set: Encourage young scientists to take their investigations further with these perfectly sized tools!

  • Includes durable magnifier with built-in stand for hands-free observation, 4.5x magnification, and 4 1/2″ diameter viewing area
  • Exercises fine motor skills as children use the easy-grip tweezers—depressions on the colorful 6″ tweezers guide small hands into the proper pincer position
  • Washable plastic; colors may vary

Backyard Bug Exploring

The combination of the Big Bug Jars and Science Explorer’s Kit are the perfect pair for exploring your backyard. The set of Bug Jars includes six colorful jars with bug tops and a clear container. The top of the bug splits in half to reveal a magnifying top so you can get a good look at your specimens. The containers also have air holes on the sides so (assuming the little bug survives your child’s use of the Explorer Set Tweezers), the bugs can live and run around in the Jar. The design is very appealing to kids – even my 2 year old my daughter insisted on using one to collect grass – but also clever enough to serve as an effective science learning tool.

Like many boys, my son’s fine motor skills haven’t quite caught up with his question-asking skills so I like that the Tweezers in the Explorer Kit give him a chance to focus and work on his pincer position – a good skill for letter writing. He thinks the Magnifying Glass is the coolest thing ever, even if he does spend an inordinate amount of time looking at his own toes. (Have I mentioned lately that kids are weird?)

The Bug Jars are a very good size and the set of 6 is really impressive. My son’s class was studying butterflies toward the end of the school year so we took a few of the Jars to his classroom. The class ended up getting a few chrysalis from a local Conservatory Butterfly exhibit and they used the Big View Bug Jars to watch them transform and mature into butterflies. The Bug Jars were perfect for it and my son’s teachers were very grateful for the donation to their science equipment.

To Buy or Not to Buy


To Buy… As usual, we have really enjoyed the educational toys from Learning Resources. The Big View Bug Jars and Early Science Explorer’s Kit are the perfect anecdote to the summer education slump for preschool aged kids. And, really, the Big View Bug Jars are easily appropriate for grade school kids, too. The Bug Jars are really clever in design but also easy for kids to use.

Or Not to Buy… I wish the Big View Bug Jars were sold in smaller sets. The set of six is a little pricey at $35.99 and our family really didn’t need all of them. Though I was really happy to give a few to a worthy school!

Shop! Learning Resources Big View Bug Jars are available for $35.99 (and $28.29 on Amazon) and the Early Science Explorer’s Set is only $6.99.

Win! Backyard Bug Science Set from Learning Resources – both Big View Bug Jars & Early Science Explorer’s Kit.

How to Enter: Visit Learning Resources and leave a comment here with another educational toy you think would help fight the summer learning slump.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends July 20. Open to US residents only.

Thanks to Learning Resources for providing a sample and the giveaway prize.

Learning Resources Pretend & Play Ice Cream Shop (Review + Giveaway)

by Kate on June 6th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Reviews, Toys

Throughout the summer we’ll be sharing some great toys from Learning Resources that are hands-on and educational. The best part is that the toys and games are so fun and engaging that your children won’t notice (or care) that they’re learning in the process. The selection and assortment of toys at Learning Resources is great with toys for kids as young as 2 and up through 8+.

Now, I don’t know about your family, but for mine ice cream is a summer staple. So my kids are putting their real world experience into imaginary play with the Pretend & Play Ice Cream Shop.

Pretend & Play Ice Cream Shop

Here’s a sweet way to get imaginations churning. Plenty of colorful pieces encourage creative thinking, sharing, teamwork, building connections and other important social skills. Includes four scoops of ice cream, two cones, two ice cream dishes, two spoons, a banana that “splits,” a scooper, apron, write & wipe menu card and chocolate syrup bottle that “squirts” mess-free pretend chocolate.

I’m pretty sure if I ever worked at an ice cream store I’d gain about a million pounds. Lucky for my kids and me, we can play ice cream shop at home and not gain a pound or rot our teeth. The Ice Cream Shop is a VERY thorough set with 15 (yes, 15!) pieces. It’s really an elaborate set with everything you can possibly imagine. Because there are so many pieces it’s very easy to play with multiple kids. The set is recommended for kids ages 3 to 5, but my 2.5 year old daughter loves getting in on the action. She is at a great age for pretend play like this and says, “What you like today?” and then clumsily prepares the ice cream sundae or cone I order.

One of my kids’ favorites is the chocolate syrup, which is actually a brown string coming from the bottle. It really pretty cute.

In addition to learning the ins and outs of the ice cream business, The Pretend & Play Ice Cream helps develop hand-eye coordination and cooperation. My kids can always pick up a thing or two about cooperation!

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… My kids and I both really enjoy the Pretend & Play Ice Cream Shop set. They like playing ice cream store and, truthfully, I love playing with them. The set is so thoughtful and complete that kids have everything they need to make ice cream sundaes, cones and fun.

Or Not to Buy… The Shop set comes with a container for the ice cream scoops, but I’d also love a larger container to hold all of the pieces.

Shop! The Pretend & Play Ice Cream Shop by Learning Resources is available directly from the online shop, Amazon and specialty stores nationwide.

Win! Learning Resources Pretend & Play Ice Cream Shop!

How to Enter: Visit Learning Resources and comment with another toy you’d like to play and learn with this summer.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends June 17. Open to US residents only.

Thanks to Learning Resources for providing a sample and the giveaway prize.

Get Ready for Baby with VTech Toys {Party & Giveaway}

by Kate on May 30th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Life

Last weekend we partnered with VTech Toys to host a local “Get Ready for Baby” party. The idea was to learn a bit about the importance of baby’s development, get to know some VTech toys and, of course, socialize with other moms and moms-t0-be. I admit that the timing ended up being less than ideal, but the party and good conversation with friends was a wonderful distraction at a difficult time.

Get Ready for Baby: Infant Development & Learning Tips

Lise Eliot, a professor of Neuroscience and member of the VTech Advisory Council), teaches, writes and lectures on children’s brain and mental development. She provided some important things to keep in mind before and after baby comes home.

  • Parents Play a Key Role: For babies, parental interaction is their whole world, so moms and dads play a pivotal role in influencing a child’s cognitive, language, motor and social-emotional development.
  • Nuture Language and Sound: Language development opportunities are critical, especially in the first few years. Engage your baby in face-to-face interaction so he can hear: hear language being spoken, listen to the written word read aloud, and practice associating objects with words.
  • Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: Don’t forget about your child’s physical development, which is crucial to her ability to learn. From the third month of life onward, a baby’s limb movement increases significantly as she begins to crawl, stand and walk, so make sure she has a safe place to move and age-appropriate toys to grasp, push and pull.
  • Eyes on the Prize: Babies are very visual, especially beginning around four months of age. As your child grows and discovers the world around him, he’ll start to recognize different colors, textures, designs and shapes. Help him along by surrounding him with bold, vivid examples that engage these new optical abilities.
  • Repetition Drives it All Home: None of these tips are one-off solutions; rather, they are part of a routine you can easily incorporate into your baby’s day. The mind develops through repeated experiences, and the earlier you begin, the better. Find ways to make these tips fun for you AND your baby, because learning is always better with a happy, motivated child.

While I don’t have a baby to put this tips into practice, I did get a great baby fix at the party. I enjoyed some sweet face-to-face cooing and interaction with baby S. His mom and all the other party guests went home with these developmental tips and more from VTech.

VTech Baby Toys

Lucky (little) party guests went home happy with some of the great VTech Toys developmental toys.

  • Baby’s Learning Laptop (6 – 36 Months, $15.99): Your child will be ‘wired for learning’ with Baby’s Learning Laptop! The colorful keyboard interacts with a bright light-up screen to teach shapes, common objects and feelings. Entertaining sound effects, melodies and a movable mouse round out the fun of this electronic learning toy!
  • Peek At Me Bunny (6 – 36 Months, $14.99): The VTech plush Peek at Me Bunny has two playful sensors for an interactive play experience. The sound sensor activates peaceful sounds, endearing phrases, and short tunes in the “night” mode. The light sensor engages infants in a game of peek-a-boo in the “playtime” mode.
  • Submarine Learning Boat (9 Months +, $17.99): The VTech Submarine Learning Boat’s dolphin captain teaches children about colors, numbers, animals, animal sounds and animal characteristics.
  • 3-in-1 Learning Zebra Scooter (18-36 Months, $44.99): The VTech 3-in-1 Learning Zebra Scooter converts easily from push walker to ride-on scooter. Kids can discover their wild side as they move with the zebra and explore new territory with the scooter’s walkie-talkie, compass and flashlight. The zebra’s mane features five light-up buttons that teach colors, animals and destinations.

S & C each took home a developmentally appropriate VTech toy.

Party Planning Details

Because the focus of the party was on “getting ready for baby” I planned the party the way I would a baby shower for a friend. I rented a cool local indoor play cafe that allowed plenty of room for the kids who attended to run around and play while the adults chatted. My sister helped me with the food – she is the best. I ordered invitations and custom party printables from Chickabug. Everything looked great!

There’s a reason people hire photographers. As soon as the party got in swing and we got to talking, I totally abandoned my camera. I wish I had more photos of the moms talking, the babies playing and the cool toys. #partyfail

Shop! VTech Toys are available online directly from VTechKids.com, stores nationwide and internet retailers.

Win! One of you will win the VTech 3-in-1 Zebra Scooter!

How to Enter: Leave a comment here with your top tip for new moms to “get ready for baby.”

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends June 10. Open to US residents only.

Winner will be selected at random. Thanks to VTech Toys for providing information, toys and a stipend to facilitate the party.

Keep Learning this Summer with Frecklebox Personalized Gifts (Review + Giveaway)

by Kate on May 23rd, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews, Toddler

I’ll admit it: the end of the school year frightens me. While I used to count down to summer break with excitement, I know count down with a bit of dread. My kids and I do much better in the routine and structure of the school year. While I am clearly no substitute for the education and stimulation he gets at school, I have been looking for ways to bring more structure and learning opportunities into our home throughout the summer. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Frecklebox has a lot of personalized gifts for kids that are perfect for bringing a little school to our house this summer.

About Frecklebox

In case you haven’t shopped Frecklebox yet (what are you waiting for?), here’s a little introduction to the company.

Frecklebox is on a mission to educate and entertain. So we conceived this here web-based business to offer truly unique, personalized gifts for children at affordable prices. The site makes it quick and easy to customize each item so it prominently features the name of the child who will receive the gift. Our entertaining selection of personalized books, posters, growth charts, journal books, coloring books, stickers, placemats, puzzles, and other personalized items, are designed to delight your children and friends.

Personalized Products for Summer Learning

The idea behind studying sight words is that your child will learn to recognize and read the words that are found most often in the English language. The Personalized Sight Words Set from Frecklebox ($24.95) focuses on 20 words and is available in three different levels. Each set includes 20 personalized activity pages and personalized flash cards. Each activity page includes your child’s name, dotted letters to trace and repeat and fun coloring projects.

My son loves this set. He obviously notices his name front and center on the top, but also loves checking out the different activities on each page. He doesn’t really like the tracing and practicing his letters, but I love that he does it as part of completing the page. Each sight word is worked into a sentence for context and that is repeated on the coordinating flash cards.

A couple months ago, my son and I started reading chapter books together. Well, I do the reading and he does the listening, but it’s something for just the two of us. We read while his sister is napping or stay up after she goes to sleep at night. He really thinks it’s a treat so I knew he’d love the Personalized Bookmarks. I chose Dinosaurs, of course, and they are bright and colorful and fun. Not to mention extremely affordable – five double sided personalized bookmarks for $5!

The Personalized Chore Chart ($19.95) is another great learning and teaching tool. My son doesn’t have strict “chores” so we use the Chore Chart as an incentive chart of sorts. He earns a smiley face every day for cleaning the play room, waking with a dry pull-up, dressing himself and other tasks like that. The Chore Chart is on the refrigerator and he loves watching the smiley faces pile up. I thought I’d have to offer a reward of sorts (10 smiley faces and he gets something), but it hasn’t been necessary. He just likes the process and positive reinforcement.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… As usual, Frecklebox exceeded my expectations. These products are not only perfect for summer learning, but plain cute. The Frecklebox designs are colorful, unique and super fun. There’s something for everyone – dino dudes, pretty princesses, etc.

Or Not to Buy… The only reason not to purchase these products is if you don’t think you’ll use them.

Shop! Frecklebox products can be personalized and ship quickly – in 2-3 days. Get Free Shipping on orders over $45.

Win! A $40 Frecklebox Gift Certificate!

How to Enter: Visit Frecklebox and leave a comment with something you’d love for your little one.

Bonus Entries – valid only after completing the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.

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Giveaway ends June 6.

Thanks to Frecklebox for providing samples and the giveaway prize.
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