|
Child Basics Archive Page
Saturday, April 26, 2008
 As parents and caregivers, we try to make a child's playtime also a time of learning, the trick is to sneak those new skills and lessons in as fun activities. What child doesn’t love music and dancing? A very fun activity nearly all kids will appreciate is hearing new sounds and moving to them. With the new Musical Hawaiian Hula Skirt and Lei by Acting Out, your child can create music just by moving. The Hawaiian skirt is designed out of a gorgeous shimmering salmon colored fabric and is made of faux grass for a realistic islander touch. The waistband design has multi-colored flowers and it comes with a matching floral lei necklace to really promote the spirit of the dance. The secret for the music is hidden in the inside pocket of the skirt and is activitated by movement. The more she dances, the more the custom composed Hawaiian-style music will play. All you have to do is let her put on the skirt, click the button to "on" and let her start doing her own dances! Show her videos on YouTube or use books to illustrate how the islanders in the Hawaiian islands have used the art of dancing to tell stories and pass down history of their tribes for hundreds of years. Let her see how the arm and hand movements mean things from flying birds to bad ocean waves and you will see how quickly she picks this up and creates stories of her own! Mahalo and enjoy! Labels: girls, pretend-play
by: Child Basics
Thursday, April 24, 2008
 Many grandparents have made the choice to downsize their homes they raised their families in for smaller condos and even apartments so there is a lot less upkeep and more freedom to do as they please. The trade for this freedom is there is a lot less space and the problem that many grandparents run into is that they want to keep their grandchildren over for a few days of fun but there's isn't a lot of room. A great solution is a the Casey Daybed. This smartly designed daybed will double as not one but two beds. There is a full-sized drawer underneath the comfy daybed and it pulls out to reveal another mattress or it can used for extra storage as your needs dictate. This is a very handy daybed to have around if you have a couple of grands you love to spend time with and need a place for them to sleep. Another plus is that this daybed won't take up much space and it will sit quietly in your spare room until you need it and when you need an extra bed (or two) it will be ready! Just because your living space is smaller doesn't mean you can't entertain your grands in style! Labels: boys, furniture, girls
by: Child Basics
Saturday, April 19, 2008
 Playing with dolls has never gone out of style with little girls and one thing every little girl would still love to have with her dolls is a baby carriage (also called a pram). You can make it even better by getting her a 3-in-1 toy that is not only a pram, but also a carrier and a stroller.
The doll stroller looks just like a miniature version of a child-sized stroller and will take her favorite dolls anywhere she wants to go in style. With a simple addition of the removable carrier onto the stroller, your little princess will have the perfect pram to push around and if she wants, she can take the carrier off the wheels and use it on its own. For more realistic pretend play, the pram rocks so she can rock her babies to sleep and also the pram can be faced either towards your little girl or away from her as she wishes. The entire toy is easy to fold up and transport and can be placed in the trunk of the car or carried along so she can take her dolls along for a day to the zoo or a simple walk in the park with you. If you're curious about keeping it clean, the wheels are plastic with plastic tread and can be rinsed clean with little effort, the metal is powder coated steel and very easy to clean and the fabric parts of the pram/stroller/carrier can be spot cleaned with ease. All the paints and finishes on this entire playset are completely safe and non-toxic. Get your little girl a toy that will actually be three toys in one and something she can use with her dolls for hours upon hours of fun pretend play. Labels: girls, pretend-play
by: Child Basics
Thursday, April 17, 2008
 Your child has probably seen you get up, get dressed and get ready for work at your office every day of his life. Did you ever ask him what he thinks you do? Dozens of children between the ages of 5 to 7 years of age with parents in office jobs were asked exactly what their parents did for a living and some of the following answers were given: "My dad is a lawyer - he argues with people at his office." "My mommy talks on the phone all day and says,"Hold on" to everyone." "My daddy plays with papers on his desk all day." "My dad has to babysit idiots all day long." "My mom has a frustration with her computer all day."Granted not every parent sounds like they love their office jobs from the descriptions given by their kids above, but you can show your child what an office job is like in a positive light through a pretend play set of his own. Show him how an office job is about getting along with people and working together and sometimes even learning something new - just like his days at school or preschool. He can make up his own jobs and situations and have hours of fun with his own set of office items.Your child can learn a lot about life skills through pretend play and you can further that by helping him learn valuable life skills through play such as respecting other's opinions and ideas and working in a group - both of which are very valuable traits to have in an office job! Labels: boys, educational toys, girls, pretend-play
by: Child Basics
Saturday, April 12, 2008
 Maybe it's the speed of the world in the present day or maybe it's because our time is stretched more thinly than ever as parents between working, errands, meals and child rearing. Whatever the cause, more and more kids can feel overwhelmed and without the valuable input from mom and/or dad, their self esteem can suffer. Here are a few tips for self esteem boosters for your kids: Make Family TimeThere's a difference between spending time with your kids and spending time with your kids. Sitting side by side on the couch watching television isn't spending quality time with your kids. Sitting together at dinner talking about their school day, homework assignments or concerns they are having is spending good quality time with your kids. Get Outside in Nice Weather!Get your kids out from in front of the television, video games and/or computers when the weather is nice. Go out for a walk and talk about what you see. Studies have should repeatedly that parents who take an active interest in their children's daily lives will have children nearly double the self esteem of other kids in the same age/social groups. Play games that encourage outdoor play, simply toss a ball or play an old fashioned game of tag. Let your kids enjoy riding toys. Have Fun Together Indoors There are board games, cards games, floor puzzles and you can start your kids on a hobby of their own when the weather is too icky to play outside. Teach them to have an indoor garden. They will enjoy learning about the planting process and if you let your kids grow their own tomatoes,they may just learn to love them in their foods (besides ketchup!). Use these simple tips to bring your family closer and keep your child's self esteem up. When you spend quality time with your kids, you have the chance to teach them valuable life skills and let their inner selves shine! Labels: boys, educational toys, girls
by: Child Basics
Thursday, April 10, 2008
 Remember when you were a kid, were you allowed to have a room that was a complete disaster area? Probably not. If you find that your child's room turns into one huge mess, you need to teach to your child to put his or her things up. Not just so they will have a clean room, but also because you're laying the foundation for their organizational skills as adults. Give your child the items he needs to be organized. Shelves in his room will be used for books, games and toys. A toy box will come in very handy. A multitude of toys can be stored in a toy box and when you get a solidly built wooden one, it will last for years to come. Many parents instigate a simple rule, "Don't get out a new toy until you pick up the toy you have out now". Once your child gets in the habit of putting whatever toy of the moment he is playing with to get out a new one - you'll see the mess factor go way down. Also, teach your child to put his dirty clothes in a hamper in his own room or wherever you have your laundry hamper. This will serve two purposes, he can be a little more independent as well as keep his room free of dirty clothes on the floor. These are just a few ways to help your child learn to pick up for himself and also you're teaching some clean and simple life skills your child will take all through his adult years and pass on to his own children. Labels: boys, furniture, girls
by: Child Basics
Saturday, April 5, 2008
 Babies are amazing to watch, especially once they reach the age where they begin to get curious and begin to explore the world that all around them. Once you have a little one that is on the move it is important that you give her a place to roll and crawl where it's safe. It's also a big plus if that place can be visually and mentally stimulating to boot. The ABC Foam Mat is a great way to do that. The mat measures a full 5-feet by 5-feet and is emblazoned with brilliant colors to keep your baby's attention. Your little one can roll and crawl on the soft foam without fear of the hard floor hurting soft knees. The pieces assemble like a large puzzle, including the letters that are laser cut and pop out which your baby will enjoy as she grows into a curious toddler that enjoys taking simple things apart to see how they work and putting them back together. As well as the learning potential of this simple alphamat. When your baby is very young she'll be mesmerized by the bright colors and as she grows you can sing the alphabet song and talk about the colors. Play simple games such as ,"Show me red!" and clap and praise your little one when she points to the color red on her mat. As your baby grows, challenge her more and start pointing out the letters. She'll soon learn her colors as well as her alphabet. If you're concerned about care for this mat at babies still spit up now and then when they are mobile, this mat cleans up with a simple wiping down and will stay looking new for years of learning fun to come.
Labels: boys, educational toys, girls, learning-toys, toddler, toddler toys
by: Child Basics
Thursday, April 3, 2008
 One of the best things about letting your child work along side of you is that it's a prime time to teach basic skills and safety rules for doing various activities. Children love to help and through helping they can learn valuable life skills that they will carry with themselves all their lives. If you have a child that loves to help you do the dishes. Whether you're washing them by hand and letting your child help dry them or you're rinsing off an putting in your dishwasher. Explain why we wash our dishes. It may seem a complete no-brainer to you but your youngster is still learning when you teach your child about germs that can make us sick if we don't keep our dishes and living space clean. Your child may even tell you they "see" a germ you missed on that dish! Another fun way to learn about safety with tools is to let your child have a set of his own. When Mom or Dad is working on a project - bring out your child's tool set and let them work along with you. You can get a pair of safety goggles from the local hardware store for a couple of bucks and explain why Mommy wears them when she's sanding or working on a table or when Daddy uses a wrench and why it's a good idea to keep your fingers clear so they don't get pinched. The Child's Wooden Workbench comes with a wrench, screwdriver, hammer (with a claw that works), c-clamp, t-square and a vise grip for holding items tight. It's easy and fun to teach your child about safety and how everyday thing work around the house - just let them help! Labels: boys, educational toys, girls, learning-toys, pretend-play
by: Child Basics
| 
