A Thing for Robots

I have had a thing for robots lately! I also love Vilac! So what do you get when you put the two together? This Vilac Magnetic Robots game from Kangaroo Boo ($35.99).

from Scratch

There's a new line at Moolka called Scratch that makes this friendly Lion Ball Track. I loooove ball tracks for the 1-2 year olds. They love to watch the balls go down, down, down then they grab them and put them back at the top. They are truly fascinated by it!

I'm Leavin' on a Jet Plane

New from Vilac is this Vilac Air airplane available on Moolka ($54.99). SO much better than it's plastic/electronic counterparts! My son has the Vilac race track and loves it and this has a similar build. I love that it comes with removable passengers. So cute!

Kinda Creepy

This is about the most unusual toy I've ever seen. I really like the concept though and I know a couple of my readers will get a kick out of this doll ;) It's a cloth version of the "Anatomy Jane" doll they had on Grey's Antatomy the other night. Anyway, it's called Erwin the Little Patient from Sigikid and you can get it at Moolka for $45.99, if it doesn't creep you out.

DIY book for babies

Babies loooooove to look at other babies and kids. So, when my son was little I filled an 8x8 scrapbook album with pictures of babies. I took old parenting magazines and cut down the pictures to fit the album sleeves. He loved it! Here's a few suggestions when making this:

• Find babies showing different emotions or expressions (ie: crying, smiling, staring)
  
• Also include babies doing different activities (ie: sleeping, eating, playing, etc)
• Cut out extra pictures to rotate in the album so your baby doesn't tire of it
• Make an album of just family members and close friends
  
• Most important: talk about the babies in the pictures, about the feelings, or what they're doing in the picture.

I guarantee your baby will love it! And best of all, it's cheap!

Kitchens

There are so many new kitchens on the market right now. The new line from Nathan grabbed my attention with their bright colors and sleek design. I love the cabinet sorter. It has space for children to sort plates, cups, and flatware. They are available through Oompa and start at $214. Children love to imitate what they see adults do. Play kitchens are great for socio-dramatic play by encouraging cooperative play between children. This is one reason that nearly every preschool setting has a kitchen or house play area. In fact, Nathan's pieces are sold to preschools in Europe and are built to be used by preschoolers so you know they'll last for years and years.

Kitchen Accessories

There are also a lot of accessories for kitchens out there. I came across these tonight and fell in love with the colors. I love the Le Toy Van line and these are no exception. Below are the Baking Set and Breakfast Set sold on Landbridge Toys for $80 a set.

Building From the Ground Up

Bricadoo lets you build your own house using miniature bricks and real mortar. The best part? When you're done you can soak it in water and re-use the bricks to start all over on a different design. This comes from the Netherlands and is for ages 6 and up. I found it on Romp's website for $22. It would make the perfect gift for a kid who likes designing or playing with blocks but wants something more "real life."

The Winners Are...

Thank you to all who entered. Your comments and feedback were very insightful. I hope to start implementing them soon. Congratulations to...

Kirsten for the Cordoba blocks
and

Heidi for the Jack Jesters

I have emailed you both with directions on how to claim your wins. Thank you for participating and enjoy your new toys!

Giveaway from Bright October!!!

Bright October has graciously offered 2 of my readers a chance to win some new for 2008 Haba toys! They will be giving away one set of Cordoba Blocks (top) and one set of Jack Jesters (bottom). These brightly painted, whimsical sets would make great gifts this holiday season! Be sure to check out Bright October's website for more cool stuff from brands like Vilac, Blabla, Kathe Kruse, Selecta, Woody Click, Anamalz, and more. They are also offering 10-15% off all Haba purchases through the end of the month.



To enter the giveaway leave a comment with your name and an email address and one idea/tip/suggestion you have for my blog. Each person will have a chance of winning one of the Haba sets and will be contacted via email along with the winner being announced here on Wednesday, November 5th. The contest will end on Tuesday, November 4th at 11:59pm. Good luck!

SALE!!!!

My favorite local toy store, The Red Balloon, is starting their Fall Sale tomorrow. It's 15% off your entire purchase! So head in and support this locally owned store!!!

More Dinosaurs

Since posting about the Cheekeyes Dinosaurs I've had a lot of people comment on how much they love the Holztiger dinosaurs as well. These sell for about $12.99 each and are available on several different websites including these from Petit Baby. The Holztiger Dinosaurs are slightly larger in size and have a totally different style to them than the Cheekeyes. The bright colors make this a fun set that is aesthetically pleasing as well.

Left:
Spinosaurus

Right: Pachycephalosaurus

New! Picture Cubes from Moolka

Look at this beautiful picture cube puzzle by Atelier Fischer. I found it while browsing Moolka's "what's new" section today. It's six scenes depict popular fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood. Great for critical thinking skills as children find the right side of each block for the scene. It's already out of stock but sells for $42.99 on Moolka.
And, because I can never choose just 1, this is the Transportation Picture Cube for $38.99. Don't you just love the artist's style?

Automoblox

I've had my eye on these for about a year now. I love them! Basically, they are blocks you build cars with, they disassemble and then kids can put them back together. The cars are sold individually (except some minis are available as a set) but are interchangeable, so kids can create their own unique models! Great for creative thinking, hand-eye coordination, and motor skills, these Automoblox are bound to be a hit! They would be perfect for the kid who likes to take things apart and put them back together again.

From the original line, the S9 Sedan and the T9 Pickup from Urban Kids Play, each $36














These 2 are Limited Editions, the X9-X Sport Utility and the S9-R Sport Sedan for $44, also at Urban Kids Play


Here is the Mini Automoblox Combo Pack 1 from Fat Brain Toys for $26.50

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

GREAT DEAL: If you order over $50 at Bright October, for a limited time, you can select one FREE Anamalz!!!

I'm in love with Anamalz by Hape toys! They are designed in Australia, made from all-natural materials, and are even poseable! Anamalz are sold individually (usually around $5.95) or in sets.




Lion, Tiger, and Bear at Bright October ($5.95-$6.95 each)

Two more I just love, the Gorilla and Panda.

These sweet Anamalz would be great as stand-alone play figures or with a setting like a barn or zoo scene. Give a few to your kids and watch their imaginations take flight as they create scenarios with these cute little creatures!

Halloween

I've been quite the slacker, I'm so sorry! These last weeks of pregnancy are draining and I'm in that nesting phase, trying to deep clean everything before the baby comes. Anyway, I thought I'd do a post about some fun Halloween stuff I've been seeing!

I also heard of a good idea if you don't want your kids eating all that Halloween candy. When they get home from trick-or-treating you have them leave their bag of candy outside their door for the "Halloween Fairy." She comes during the night, takes the candy, and leaves a present instead. Yes, it's one more "fairy" to concern yourself with but it's kind of a fun idea. Talk to your kids about it and see what they'd prefer doing. I just use it as an excuse to buy more toys!

On with the toys...

I love these cute Nyokki Plant Pets! They take about 2 weeks to grow the hair, so order in plenty of time. I found them at Hearthsong for $10.98 each.

Kids can decorate and re-decorate this fun felt Spooky House Decorating Kit all month long. Offered through Mahar Drygoods for $59.00

Who says babies can't join in on holiday fun? These adorable Pumpkin and Candy Corn Rattles are from Yellow Label Kids. Oompa carries them for $8.99 each.I used to love these types of puzzles as a child. This is the Chelona Witches and Vampires Pocket Puzzle from Maukilo for $8.99.

Check out Curious Toys for the Bonz Deluxe 43 piece set for $26.00. Your kids can make all sorts of skeletal combinations. They also have fun sets like BugBonz and SeaBonz.

Here is a great seasonal story from Chris Van Allsburg called "The Widow's Broom" on Amazon for $12.89. I love this book and Chris Van Allsburg is a classic children's author that every child should know. Check it out, your kids will love it and you will too. My children's literature professor introduced it to us and I've loved it ever since.

If you're a collector of Madame Alexander dolls you won't want to miss this limited edition Spooky Celebration Doll on the Madame Alexander website for $79.95.

There is so much more out there but I thought these were fun ones. Have a fun and safe holiday!

Sales

Oompa is offering $10 off orders of $100 or more this weekend only.

Gifted Imaginations is having a Fall sale at 25% off the entire store and free shipping over $65! I'm not sure how long this one lasts, so hurry over.

What am I getting, you ask? Well, my mom is getting my baby The Haba Springtime Play Gym. Gotta love Grammies!

Haba Springtime Play Gym

Help us all stay updated on sales! If you know of one, please email me at thetoysnob(at)gmail(dot)com and I will post it on here. Thanks for your help!

Wooden Dinosaurs - Just what I've been looking for!

I check to see what's new at Oompa just about every day and today I was pleasantly surprised to find a wooden dinosaur set! For about a year now I've been on the lookout for wooden dinosaurs. This is the Wooden Dinosaur Animal Set from Cheekeyes ($29.99). I am so excited about them, they're adorable! Check out all the accessories from Cheekeyes like their Prehistoric Tree Set or the Dino Volcano. They make a perfect setting for these wooden dinos!

To make this even better, Oompa is having Double Points Days until Sunday at midnight!!!

Poetry for Preschoolers

I'm in love with Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry, a collection of poetry from children's authors. Each poem is beautifully illustrated and as the title suggests, it truly is geared to the toddler-preschool age group.

In reading poetry to children, they hear words and syntax that differs from the way we talk every day. They develop an ear for it and this helps them become better listeners and readers. Poetry often has rhyming words. Rhymes are especially important to young listeners and rhyming is critical in early childhood to help build later reading and spelling skills. Listening for rhymes and "matching" up rhyming words is a great skill for pre-readers.

The poems in this book are perfect for younger readers, my 3 year old son often chooses this book as his night time story and we read about a dozen or so poems in one sitting. The book is organized into different sections like 'my family' and 'all about me', themes familiar to this age group.

As children get older you can introduce them to Shel Silverstein, a classic children's poet. His poems are wonderful but sometimes above little one's understanding or breadth of knowledge. I love his poems because you often have to guess from the context clues what the subject of the poem is. This is another great skill poetry teaches, metaphors in reading and comprehension. I also love Jack Prelutsky's poetry collections so be sure to check them out as well. His poems deal with childhood themes and subjects with a great touch of humor.

To end, I'd like to share my favorite poem as of late:

There Was a Child Went Forth
by Walt Whitman

There was a child went forth every day;
And the first object he look'd upon, that object he became;
And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of
the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years.

The early lilacs became part of this child,
And grass, and white and red morning-glories, and white and red clover, and the song of the phoebe-bird,
And the Third-month lambs, and the sow's pink-faint litter, and the mare's foal, and the cow's calf,
And the noisy brood of the barn-yard, or by the mire of the pond-side,
And the fish suspending themselves so curiously below there--and the beautiful curious liquid,
And the water-plants with their graceful flat heads--all became part of him.

The field-sprouts of Fourth-month and Fifth-month became part of him;
Winter-grain sprouts, and those of the light-yellow corn, and the esculent roots of the garden,
And the apple-trees cover'd with blossoms, and the fruit afterward,
and wood-berries, and the commonest weeds by the road;
And the old drunkard staggering home from the out-house of the tavern, whence he had lately risen,
And the school-mistress that pass'd on her way to the school,
And the friendly boys that pass'd--and the quarrelsome boys,
And the tidy and fresh-cheek'd girls--and the barefoot negro boy and girl,
And all the changes of city and country, wherever he went.

His own parents,
He that had father'd him, and she that had conceiv'd him in her womb, and birth'd him,
They gave this child more of themselves than that;
They gave him afterward every day--they became part of him.

The mother at home, quietly placing the dishes on the supper-table;
The mother with mild words--clean her cap and gown, a wholesome odor
falling off her person and clothes as she walks by;
The father, strong, self-sufficient, manly, mean, anger'd, unjust;
The blow, the quick loud word, the tight bargain, the crafty lure,
The family usages, the language, the company, the furniture--the yearning and swelling heart,
Affection that will not be gainsay'd--the sense of what is real--the thought if, after all, it should prove unreal,
The doubts of day-time and the doubts of night-time--the curious whether and how,
Whether that which appears so is so, or is it all flashes and specks?
Men and women crowding fast in the streets--if they are not flashes and specks, what are they?
The streets themselves, and the façades of houses, and goods in the windows,
Vehicles, teams, the heavy-plank'd wharves--the huge crossing at the ferries,
The village on the highland, seen from afar at sunset--the river between,
Shadows, aureola and mist, the light falling on roofs and gables of white or brown, three miles off,
The schooner near by, sleepily dropping down the tide--the little boat slack-tow'd astern,
The hurrying tumbling waves, quick-broken crests, slapping,
The strata of color'd clouds, the long bar of maroon-tint, away
solitary by itself--the spread of purity it lies motionless in,
The horizon's edge, the flying sea-crow, the fragrance of salt marsh and shore mud;
These became part of that child who went forth every day, and who now goes, and will always go forth every day.

Back(pack) to School Time

Can you believe summer is almost over and our kids will be starting school soon, if not already? Where did the time go? Hopefully you had as great a summer as I did, lounging by the pool, playing with friends, and having fun with family! I get so excited around this time. I loved buying new school supplies each year in August. I read once that children who get new school supplies each year actually do better in school. It gets them excited to learn and be back in class. Who doesn't love opening a new pack of crayons with sharp tips? Or labeling and organizing all the supplies? So, this post is in celebration for back-to-school! Who needs a new backpack?!

Each backpack is a different size! Make sure to check the site's dimensions on it to ensure a good fit for your kid. Some are better suited to preschoolers while others are for younger or older elementary. For example, the preschool backpacks may not be able to accomodate a standard 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper or folder. Happy shopping!

Fleurville Kid's Pack Lunch Bag
Silver/Pink and Silver Navy from Oompa ($31.99)

Gap Rocket Backpack ($29.50)

Fleurville Green with Pink Ogo from Oompa ($65.99)
several styles available

Room It Up Circle Dot Craze Mini backpack from Oompa ($19.99)

Dante Beatrix Little Dino Backpack at Neiman Marcus ($36.00)

Dante Beatrix Little Monkey Backpack at Neiman Marcus ($36)
several styles available, see Oompa too
We got ours today and I couldn't be more happy with it!!!

Sigikid Norby Norway Lunch Bag from Moolka ($45.99)

Sigikid Sammy Samoa Backpack from Moolka ($36.99)

Sigikid Little Princess Kindergarten Bag at Moolka ($36.99)


Crocodile Creek Dinosaur Backpack from Oompa ($25.99)
several styles available

GlyphGuy Blue Backpack at Oompa ($29.99)
other colors available, this is also a great boy bag

Cath Kidston ABC Kids Rucksack
made from easily cleaned oilcloth
more styles on website

Pottery Barn Kids Peyton Tonal Backpacks ($39-45)

Several colors available, a good boy backpack
also in girly polka dots

PBK Peyton Retro Lunch Bags ($22.00)

Gap Printed Junior Backpack ($16.50)
different sizes and styles are available

Gap Sporty Backpack ($19.50)
different sizes and styles are available

Gap also has matching lunch sacks

Hanna Andersson Be Right Backpack ($29.50)
Several styles available, in boys too

Garnet Hill Backpack, Purple Zinnias ($32.00)
Several prints available, make sure to check out the Blue Rockets