Boy Toys

I noticed a lot of my readers have boys between the ages of 0 and 2. As I was reflecting on my son's favorite toys at that age, I was reminded of this Zoom Around Garage from I-Play. We gave him this when he was 18 months old, although the recommended age is 12 months and up. He loved it and still pulls it out of toy storage to play with it once in awhile and he's three now! It comes with three really chunky, easy to hold cars that connect magnetically. It does take batteries, but I suggest taking them out, they only make 2 sound effects and it won't affect the play if you remove them. This is also extremely sturdy and well made, he would stand and sit on the top and it held up well. I love I-Play, they make great toys. Shop around for a good deal, but trust me, it is worth the investment, your little boy will love it!

HOORAY! New Haba Toys Are Here!

Oompa and Maukilo have pieces from the New 2008 Haba line! These are a few of my favorites, but you have to check them out for yourself, so cute!

Alternative Thursdays

On Thursdays I will be featuring a plastic toy, and it's alternative, non-plastic options. Please email me (thetoysnob@gmail.com) or comment here about what plastic toys you would like to see alternatives for, it will be a fun challenge for me to see if I can find some!

Drums for Baby On Up

Plastic, electronic drum vs. Remo Kids Percussion Tom Drum

When my son was little I bought a used electronic drum, very similar to the one featured here. It played a song and sang the alphabet while the letters flashed on the "screen" on top. While he loved it, I was annoyed that it couldn't just be powered by him. About a year ago I stumbled across these Remo percussion drums at a local store. They are beautifully made and have a wonderful, natural drum sound to them. Babies and big kids alike will be rewarded with a resonating, acoustic sound by pounding the Fiberskyn 3 drumhead. It's a great way to teach rhythm, too. Here's a simple game you can play with toddlers on up: Start with a simple pattern and have your toddler repeat it. Gradually make it more complex each time he masters the pattern. This is a great way to teach your child how to fine tune his listening skills while teaching rhythm.

The Remo drum is a wonderful addition to our musical instruments. And learning letters, well, it can wait, six month olds (age recommendation for plastic drum) don't need to learn them anyway.

Green Pomegranate Vintage Dresses

So, I know this blog is supposed to be about toys, but I just have to show you this darling couture dress line called Green Pomegranate, designed by my very own Aunt Karen! Each dress is hand made and features a vintage hand towel, table runner, or handkerchief as the pinafore, creating a unique style on each dress, no two are exactly the same. Sizes range from infant to eight years. If you think this dress is cute in the picture, it's even more beautiful in person. I had the opportunity to help iron these dresses out before a show this summer and my cousins and I oohed and ahhed as we saw each unique design. My aunt is so talented, so check out her line at www.agreenpomegranate.com. I'll let you know when she'll be here again to do a show.

No Screen Required

Right now on the top of my wishlist of toys for my son is the GeoSafari Laptop by Educational Insights. For ages 3 to 7, it comes with 63 double-sided cards and an advanced pack of cards is available for 8 and older, so it's a system that can grow with your child. The basic concept is that you put one of the cards on the laptop, enter the code so it knows which card you are using, then "play" the game on the card. You can even set it to two-player mode. Your child will think it is so cool they have their own "computer." I had a GeoSafari similar to this one when I was younger and absolutely loved it compared to my brother's flashy, fast-paced computer games.

The laptop is a great alternative to CD and internet games your kids play on the computer. The reason? There are no moving images which doctors are worried mess up the synapses in young children's brains causing attention problems and behavioral difficulties. We've all been told to keep screen time to less than 2 hours a day for children over the age of 2. This learning device is a great way to cut down on that screen time, but allow your child the fun of an electronic game at the same time. You can feel good about letting them play this for as long as they want!

Love is in the Air!

Since everyone has their Valentine's stuff out, I thought I'd post a few gift ideas for the kids-the loves of your life!

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and that usually means hearts. Hearts usually mean pinks and reds, and those are associated with girl colors. Unfortunately the pickings are slim for boy valentine gifts and accessories, I did my best.

Okay for either gender:

Vilac Hearts Jump Rope
Yes, they are red and pink, but it is Valentine's Day

Haba Memo Hearts is a fun game to play the month of February

If you are still unconvinced that your boy will love hearts,
here is the alternative Haba Horse Memo game,
at least it comes in a heart-shaped box
And, if hearts just aren't your thing for boys, here is
a red Colorama Ball from Crocodile Creek

The Smart Snacks Sweet Heart Sayings and Hide 'N Peek Chocolates from Educational Resources are good ideas for either gender.


I love Pottery Barn Kid's plates and tumblers they design for each holiday.

Here are some very "girly" ideas:

The Sarah Necklace from Haba

Little Hearts Bag, also from Haba


Pink Heart Beauty Set from TatiriFlower Heart Pillow from Blabla

And for Baby:

Hearts Pacifier Chain from Haba

Lucy Clutching toy from Haba

Or, how about a cuddly Breton Bear from Jellycat,
a good idea for boys, too!

Wishing I had a girl...

This Castle Sheet Set and Duvet make me wish I had a girl to buy them for! Oompa now carries the bedding sets from Boodalee. The sets have really modern designs that come in Circus, City or Space, to name a few.

Sales going on! (Updated)

For those of you who shop throughout the year, there are some great sales going on right now that you won't want to miss! The stores include (if you know of any more, please leave a comment and I will be sure to include them):

Oompa
Maukilo
Moolka
Kidsurplus
Gifted Imaginations*


*Check out the new site I'm posting about: Gifted Imaginations. The owner contacted me via e-mail after stumbling across my sight. She seems very nice and carries a wide range of those European toys that I love so much! Right now everything in her store is 20% off!

Also, before Christmas one of my readers sent an e-mail asking if I knew when new Haba toys would be out. Maukilo has posted a Haba preview of their 2008 line on their website. Their first new shipment is scheduled for February. I can hardly wait to see the rest!


Updates:
euroToyShop
PetitBaby

These sights are also having great sales! Thank you to my readers who passed this along!

A Balancing Act

Balance and coordination are an important part of a child's development. Children who are more active and are better in these areas often participate in more physical activities like sports or dance. Excelling and participating in these activities leads to high self-esteem in children. When children have a healthy outlet for energy they are able to concentrate and do better in school. Spinning, hopping, and jumping are how children learn balance and coordination. Below I have listed equipment that helps children attain balance and coordination skills while promoting an active lifestyle.

This is the Bilibo from Growing Tree Toys. It is so open-ended, it can be used as just about anything a child can dream up. Perfectly sized for a child to sit in, he or she can spin and spin!

I remember when my uncle made my cousin a balance board for Christmas one year, I was so jealous! Here is the Alex Monkey Balance Board from My Story House Toys.

Remember your teeter-totter or see-saw? "Teeter-totter bread and water, wash your hands in dirty water..." you would chant as you see-sawed back and forth. My brother and I loved ours when we were young. Here is a great alternative to plastic ones. The Small Paul Log Rocker from Modern Seed.

If the see-saw above is too bulky or expensive, have no fear, IKEA is here! Their Vippig Seesaw is more affordable and has a super cool design!

Are your kids bouncing off the walls? Now they don't have to. This First Jumper from Back to Basics is what they need to get the wiggles out! The handle bar is a nice safety feature.

These Alex Monster Clompers will be a fun challenge as children learn to walk with help from their hands pulling the rope.

This is such a cool concept! This is the Skuut bike, engineered in Sweeden. It teaches children to ride a bike without training wheels by allowing them to learn balancing techniques later needed on a real bike.

Another innovative toy from IKEA, the Snurrig Spin Around. A child sits on it and spins them self around. This model is nice because it is easier to store without the bulky, odd-shaped handle.

This is the classic Spin Around, from Back to Basics. Kids will have lots of fun dizzying themselves up on this!

A Pogo Stick is a great way for kids to learn balance. Think of all the work it takes to just stay on it, yet alone bounce around on it. This is also a classic toy from Back to Basics.

Vehicle Building Sets

Motor Works from Discovery Toys has been my son's favorite Christmas present so far. My mom let him open this early and he has played with it for hours every day since he got it. At first I thought he would be frustrated and need a lot of help getting the pieces together, but he doesn't. He is able to do it all on his own, and rather quickly, too. What I like about this set is that it has it's own carrying case, making clean-up and transporting it easy. Also there are enough pieces that he can have all 3 vehicles constructed at the same time. Plus, this set has a drill that really works to take the screws in and out! He loves it!

Another similar set, this one is made by International Playthings in their TOMY devision. It is called Constructables and I found it on Amazon. The nice thing about this set is there are no screws, the pieces snap together. Another bonus with this set, it is more open-ended, meaning the child can create any vehicle using any of the pieces, there is no wrong or right way to put them together. It also comes with a motorized battery pack to make the vehicles go on their own. The downside to this set is that there are only enough pieces to have one vehicle built at a time. I love International Playthings, though, their toys are really durable!

Djeco, a French company, is the manufacturer of this Super Builder Set I found on Moolka's website. This set comes with instruction cards that look easy enough for a child to follow. I like this set because you get enough cars for a race! I love wooden toys and Djeco is a great brand.

Toy Kitchen Sets

In response to Stacie, who asked which kitchen I ended up getting from my post "When a Toy Does Less, a Child Does More."
I ended up getting this Sink/Stove combo made by Small World Toys. It's held up really well, my son and his cousins climb on it all the time and it shows no signs of wear & tear. I ended up with that one because my locally owned toy shop carried it, and I had a 15% coupon and I didn't have to pay for shipping. Also, I could add the matching refrigerator later. I had seen this set carried in a school supply catalog, so I knew if they were selling it to schools, it had to be durable and I wanted it to last. Also, it was simple in design and gender neutral, like all kitchens listed below.






I love the Plan Toys kitchen sets, they had not come out when I was looking, otherwise I probably would have gone with a couple of those. The refrigerator has an ice tray that actually works to dispense ice cubes!





That being said, I did almost buy the Vilac/WH Swiss Toys/Educo kitchen (I've seen it listed under all three names). The nice thing about this one, is it comes with some play food/accessories. On the left, Grand Cuisine Play Kitchen from Oliebollen and on the right, My European Counter Kitchen from Willow Tree Toys, a little smaller in size. But, if you're looking for play food, Oompa and Moolka have the best selection of Haba food items.

Good luck deciding, Stacie. I think any kitchen you go with, you'll be pleased. All three are great, well known brands. What it comes down to is preference in style, really. Let us know what you get and give us your review on it. I'll post it for everyone to see!