Play & Development on NPR

My father-in-law sent me an interesting link to an interview he heard on NPR. I just read it and thought it would be appropriate for my readers. I found it very interesting. It discusses how play has changed throughout recent history and how that has effected children's cognitive and emotional development and how that affects our self-regulation as adults. When you have a few minutes, take the time to read it or listen to the link, it's really worth it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19212514

Baby Shower Gift Idea

When I was expecting with my first someone told me to read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp, M.D. I was really afraid of having a colicky baby who cried all the time and I swear on this book for all first-time parents. He dispels the myth of colic and tells how to reduce fussiness by using his "5 S's" which are:

• Swaddle
• Sucking
• Side/Stomach
• Swinging
  
• Shhhing

Done together these five things can become a lifesaver for any parent, even if your baby isn't fussy or colicky. So, I think this book, a swaddling blanket, and a binky would be a great shower gift. My favorite swaddling blanket is The Ultimate Swaddling Blanket by Swaddle Designs. I like these because they are generously big and square (42x42), which makes swaddling a lot easier and they have the swaddling directions right on the blanket tag. So many receiving blankets are so small that they're too hard to use for swaddling after only a couple months. These will last well into toddlerhood and beyond! I also highly recommend a Homedics sound machine like this one that produces white noise or calming ocean waves. This was really good at drowning out noises during nap time and creating a peaceful nursery environment.

Alternative Thursday (or, um Friday)

I let you down again dear readers (all five of you). I do have a good excuse, my little sister spent the night and all of yesterday with us and we spent the evening at my dad's house for dinner where we announced our pregnancy! It was a very busy day. So, as I look forward to buying baby stuff, that is the topic of my plastic alternative idea.



It's not so much about "being green" for me as it is finding aesthetically pleasing toys that aren't too noisy. While the plastic one looks like it would be loads of fun (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with it), I just prefer the look of the wooden one better. It's called Play Park for Baby, I'm not sure who makes it, but it's available at The Wooden Wagon. WARNING: Be prepared for "sticker shock!"

I Waaaanted a Toooooy!!!

This morning my husband took my son out and upon their arrival home my son started crying, "But, Daddy, I waaaanted a new toooooy!" I guess some how their communication signals had been messed up and Marshall thought he was getting a new toy. For a while now he's been wanting a Lightening McQueen and Mack toy he saw a little boy playing with at a store, and I thought we would step foot in that awful corporate toy store. I was already imaging my next post, "Forgive me readers for I have sinned..." But when we got in the car and started driving my wonderful husband surprised me and said "I thought we were going to 'Red Balloon,' our locally owned toyshop. I was amazed, impressed, and excited as we made the turn to go to my favorite brick & mortar toy store! Marshall picked up and debated several things ranging from $5 to $35 and when we asked him if that's what he wanted to spend his money on, he surprised us each time by saying no.

Until he found what he really wanted! Wandering around the last isle, Marshall spotted a construction site toy called Big Loader by Tomy. His friend got it from his grandma for Christmas and Marshall had seen it at his house. We love our Tomy toys and I had seen this in action, so hubby and I okayed it for our son. For little boys (3 and up) who like construction vehicles this is a great purchase! It has a battery operated engine that goes along a track converting into three different vehicles, each with a job of it's own. It transports tiny "rocks" around the construction site. The kids can change the direction by pushing one of several buttons along the way. It's very entertaining! And come to find out, my husband thinks he had the same one as a kid. I saw a copyright for 1977, so it has been around for awhile! I recommend it if your kid is into construction, he'll love it!

Tomy also makes a Thomas Big Loader that is very similar.

Alternative Thursday

So, I've been a slacker the last two weeks on the Alternative Thursday posts and I apologize. Looking at my son's easel the other day gave me the idea for this post. While I had toyed with the idea for a couple years of going with a typical Little Tikes or Step 2 easel, I came to the conclusion that most of his other toys weren't typical, why should his easel be? So, in my search for a mostly wooden easel, I found this Deluxe Standing Easel (left) made by Melissa & Doug. It has a white board on one side and a chalk board on the other along with art clips to secure your paper to the easel. My son got it for his birthday in December and has loved it ever since! A couple downsides: it doesn't come with any accessories, and the colorful screw covers just scream to be played with and consequently taken off and lost, but other than that we LOVE it! Ikea also has a nice wooden easel frame that has been really popular. Melissa & Doug makes a nice Deluxe Easel Accessory Kit:
Or, if you want to give your kid more color choices than red, yellow, green, and blue, I suggest heading over to Discount School Supply where they have No-Spill Paint Cups, 16 oz. Paint Refill Bottles individually or in a set of 11 colors, and several different styles and sizes of Paint Brushes. Don't forget the paper roll, which you can buy at your local specialty toy store along with the easel, and you're set! You can always get the chalk and dry-erase markers at an office supply store, no need to buy the more expensive "kid" kind.

Have Kids, Will Travel

If you are planning a family vacation this spring check this out! This is the hippest looking luggage around! The Trunki is perfectly kid-sized, plus they can ride on top of it while you pull it! It is meant to be a carry-on bag and is not supposed to be checked in. It comes in the blue color above as well as a pink or green. So fun!

Another of my favorite kid luggage lines is from Sigikid, available through Oompa. These are your more traditional suitcases with kid themes like the Viking and Princess bags featured above. These would be great for check-in baggage, while the Trunki is more for carry-on. Plus, now you'll have more room in your luggage for fun souvenirs!

Girl Toys

Penelope Peapod baskets go from this:

to this:

Penelope Peapod baby dolls come in an outfit that matches the basket bedding. There are a variety of prints to choose from as well as clothes and furniture. The baskets are small enough for little girls to carry around like a purse, just the right size for little hands and perfect for on-the-go play. This is such a sweet collection that girls of any age will enjoy!

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.