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If you don't already have one, invest in a sandbox for your kids this year. It's a great way to get them out of the house and away from the television plus a sandbox will open up their imaginations in ways that video games, computers and television just can't.

When choosing a sandbox, be sure and get one that can be covered as even a backyard with a tall fence will pose no obstacle to a cat that is looking for a nice new place to call their own litter box and along with the potential for diseases and parasites, your kids will not enjoy what the cat will leave behind to be dug up! Opt for the cover and your sand in the sandbox will stay both clean and dry.

Toys for the sandbox don't have to be much. A bucket and a shovel will keep most kids busy making sand castles and mounds to climb. Burying each other's feet in the sand and making their own desert oasis. Toss in a few tough toys such as bulldozers, dump trucks and other staples of excavation and construction and you'll take the fun in the sandbox to a whole new level. Guidecraft has a whole line of trucks and cranes that are made out of natural wood and will be great additions to your kids' playtime.

If you want to get your kids outside a little more, make it fun and enjoyable - go for the sandbox!

Labels: boys, girls, outdoor-toys

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Some of the best toys for kids are some of the toys you probably remember from your own childhood.

A toy train set can offer up hours and hours of pretend play for one child or a group of children creating different destinations, travels or even acting out scenes from a favorite movies such as "The Polar Express" which created a renewed interest in trains for many younger children.

Talk to your child about trains, explain how they were once the hub of transportation and it wasn't so easy to just hop on an airplane or jump in a car and get across country and a train was pretty much the only way to accomplish getting from point A to point B.

This train set is fully kid-powered and the train pieces lock together via magnets on the ends of the cars. You can talk about colors, going fast or going slow and also talk about going right and left and make playtime a learning time. If your child notices that if he holds the train cars one way, the magnets repel each other and when he turns one car they click together - you can talk about the north and south of magnets and let him learn a cool fact.

Anything can be turned into a learning time for your kids but that doesn't mean it can't be a ton of fun too!

Labels: boys, girls, learning-toys, pretend-play, trains

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 Time
There'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

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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

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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

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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

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The wonderful thing about pretend play is that it has uses far beyond just having fun. Pretend play is valuable because it stimulates and exercises children's minds to come up with creative scenarios for the toys at hand and also if there is a group of children, learning to participate in group activities and group play are all skill building activities that your children will use all the way into adulthood.

Even the most basic of life skills - cooking- can become a fun playtime activity for your kids. Talk to your kids about basic safety. Hot things burn, don't leave food out, wash hands before cooking so you don't spread germs and let them test out their cooking techniques in their very own kitchen.

The KidKraft Kitchen has left no detail out. There is an oven, a stove top, a sink a microwave and a fridge with a freezer. Additionally there is a cupboard for bowls and glasses and a cupboard below for cooking utensils.

Your kids can have a blast playing out every scenario from playing "house" to being Rachel Ray and creating a 30-minute meal on her own cooking show - this set will stretch as far as your child's imagination!

Labels: boys, educational toys, girls, learning-toys, pretend-play, toy kitchens

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Is one of your children "the shy one"? It's not uncommon for have three children and have each of them have personalities that are night and day. It's also not uncommon to have one child that is an extreme extrovert and another that is much more introspective.

Your shy child may not actually be too shy at all, it may rather be a case that he or she lacks the confidence to call a lot of attention to themselves that way your other kids do. The secret is find their special ability that lets that child shine as brightly on their own - you'll watch your "shy one" blossom into a confident youngster that doesn't mind being the center of attention, even if they don't get there as loudly as their other siblings.

Explore Art
Within many a shy child is a very brilliant young mind. Explore art together, remind your child whatever they create doesn't need to look like a photograph but rather it's a view of the world through the artist's eye. Show them different artists such as Monet that looks like a mess up close with all those little dots of paint however from a distance, the dots form detailed imagery. Create a special place to do art together - having a regular place to create will also relax your child so he or she can do their best and enjoy exploring art with you.

Try Out Sports
It doesn't mean running off and joining the T-ball team. Instead try some one on one sports so you can work on catching, throwing, kicking and other physical activities. Praise your child mightily when he really tries his best even if 9 out of 10 of the kicks he made went elsewhere, the idea is to help him learn to do it well and find confidence within himself.

BrainGrowers
If your shy one isn't into sports and really doesn't take to art, let him wow you with his mind. Many shy ones have outstanding abilities for reading and seeing details in books that others miss. Make some time to sit down every day and read a book together and then talk about. Your shy one's insights will be intriguing.

Those are just a few ways to coax your shy one out of their shell and help them bloom!

Labels: boys, girls, pretend-play

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When you go to purchase toys for your kids or grandkids, did you notice how many of the toys now basically have so many lights, components and gadgets that the toys basically play for the kids? Many toys simply invite a child to sit back and watch a video display or lights as a form of play. These types of toys may be enjoyable - for a while but they don't fire up young imaginations or invite the child to think creatively. You can change that with a one simple addition to your child's toys.

A train set is a marvelous toy that has limitless possibilities for play. Your child may not have had the opportunity to ride a train beyond the little one at the park or zoo, but he or she will love playing with their own train set and making up imaginary destinations.

Melissa and Doug have put together a 130-piece train set that is nothing short of fabulous. The track can be assembled any way your child likes as each piece simple locks in with another. Make simple looping tracks or make something more elaborate - your only limitation is your imagination!

If you'd like to have a toy around that encourages group play - again this is a great choice. Each child can take a different role for running their own railroad and it's a wonderful way to get kids to jumpstart their creative juices and make up their own scenarios for where the train is going and where it has been.

Labels: boys, educational toys, girls, learning-toys, pretend-play, toddler, toddler toys, trains

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It will happen somewhere between being a baby and the earning the much coveted "Big Kid" title, your toddler will gain a lot of independence and want to do as much as possible on his own. And for a lot of those things, you should let him but he'll still need a little help.

Although he may not be potty trained yet and he may not be able to do a lot of things for himself, small children are very eager to help. If you're picking up toys, don't look at it as a chore you have to do by yourself. If your child is able to understand simple requests such as "Help Mommy pick up the toys and put them in the basket" then you will have a very happy helper for many things you do around the house. It is also good for little ones to learn early to put up toys before they get new ones out. Good habits for putting up items can be instilled early on in this fashion.

Another great way to let your toddler feel more independent is to let him do certain tasks on his own. When it comes time wash his hands before dinner. Get him a step stool and show him how to put water on his hands and then soap and wash his hands. Explain why we wash our hands before meals and show him how to rinse off all the soap. Stand by as he does it and expect a little mess at first but soon he'll have the hang of it. You can also let him use his step stool for learning to brush his teeth by himself too.

If you're in the kitchen, let him stand by as you rinse dishes and either put them in the dishwasher or even better wash and dry the dinner dishes and give him a plastic cup to dry. He will feel like a very big kid if you let your toddler help with things around the house.

Children also can use their step stools to sit on when reading and for a myriad of fun pretend play games. The only limit is their imaginations!

Labels: boys, furniture, girls, toddler

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It's never easy when your relationship breaks up and it's even more difficult when you have young children that really aren't quite old enough to understand that Mommy and Daddy don't live together anymore. However the basics for making the road to healing easier are to agree not to argue or "discuss" any personal issues in front of your kids and never use your kids against each other.

Then for your kids themselves, if there will be weekend visitations, use this time to make it fun for your kids to go to Daddy's house. Your little girl may be a little unsure about going away for a weekend but assure her that it will be fun to spend time her Dad and you're only a phone call away.

A special toy and a special duffel bag of her own to take with her on the weekend trips will make it enjoyable too. Children feel secure when they know what to expect and letting your child have the same bag and a favorite stuffed toy to take along and also something to do on her own such as a coloring book and crayons will go along way to making her feel okay about her first weekend away from home. Use the same bag and let her choose her clothes (you may have to help her go over some of her choices in clothes for the weekend as shorts probably won't do in December); but this will help her feel secure and also develop a sense of independence.

Labels: boys, girls, toddler

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As you know, study after study has been done that shows the earlier you begin reading to your child, the more of a love of words he or she will develop and retain throughout their lives. This is a marvelous foundation for all future learning and not only is a wonderful way to spend quality time with your child, it's also a great way to expand your child's mind. Many mommies-to-be read to their babies in utero and there's evidence that babies do listen as their mother reads.

As your children grow you'll begin to hear, "let's read a story" and "how about a bedtime story?" on a very frequent basis. Your children will have favorite books that you will wind up reading over and over and they will never see to tire of hearing about "4 Pups and a Worm" or "Go Dog Go". Many children start to memorize the stories and soon they are "reading" right along with you. Some parents read part of a sentence and let their child finish - it's a fun way to practice memory skills while you're spending time together. Although memorization isn't reading, your little one will think he's being slick by reciting what he remembers and actually it's a great way for your child to remember word patterns which is the first step to reading.

Make books easy to get to for your child. A bookshelf that is your child's height is a marvelous way to keep the books within easy reach as well as easy to put up and teach organization skills. A circus themed bookcase to a fun doll house that will hold books will make reading and putting up the books fun to do.

Labels: boys, furniture, girls

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Keeping one child stimulated and learning can be a real challenge, if you have decided to begin keeping children in your home or it's simply your turn to host the play date, it can be intimidating at the thought of keeping an entire group of kids entertained.

Actually, it's not that hard. Actually the majority of children play very well in group play situations and that in and of itself is a wonderful learning experience as it teaches kids to get along, respect the opinions of others and taking turns. All of these things are necessary to get along in life.

If you'd prefer that the kids didn't spend the entire time watching DVD's and/or playing video games; you'll find that pretend play is still pretty high on the list of fun activities for most kids and why not make it something the kids can collaborate on? A pretend play kitchen can have them playing "Iron Chef" in your living room. Another fun pastime that you'll remember from your own childhood is the fun of a simple puppet show. Invest in your own puppet theater you'll find that you have opened up an entirely new world to this group of kids. They will be inspired to act out stories they've heard and stories yet to be told. If you have a digicam that hooks up to the television, let the kids "broadcast" their puppet show, sing songs and you'll see levels of creativity happening that will be impressive.

So don't feel overwhelmed, instead look at all the fun and mind expansion you can give the kids and you'll look forward to those days when it's your turn to host the play date!

Labels: boys, girls, pretend-play, toddler

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It really does not matter if you have a little boy or a little girl, when it comes to the wonders that only a train can provide, the possibilities for fun and play are endless. You may actually remember back to the days when you were a child and you either had the chance to ride on an old fashioned train or eyou even got a quick glimpse of one as it was passing through town. Because there is something so whimsical and nostalgic about it, there is nothing like bringing the beauty and fun of a train set to your child!

The KidKraft Train Table is a marvelous way to let your child do all sorts of exploring with absolutely everything that has to do with the world of transportation through trains. A beautiful table in honey, you will be able to help your child set up their very own Thomas or Brio wooden train set with ease. After the set up is finished, you are bound to enjoy hours and hours of fun and exploration with trains and all of the accessories that you have.

If you would like, there are also two storage drawers that come optional with this train table. This way, if you happen to have some extra pieces that could use some storage when not in use, you can simply slip them into the drawers for easy clean up. With this kind of a train table, you and your child will be able to live out your very own train dreams.

Labels: boys, girls, KidKraft, pretend-play, trains

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Do your kids love to help in the kitchen? Helping is a great way to learn basic kitchen safety and most kids love mixing the cake or brownie batter (especially if they get to lick the bowl!); but there are also dangers in your kitchen. Knives, appliances with sharp blades like the blender or food processor, the stove may have a hot pan boiling spaghetti and there may be a loaf of garlic bread in the oven and the door is too hot to touch. This obviously is a not too safe place for your child.

From the budding young chef to a child that just adores pretend play, you will have the ideal play place in the KidKraft Kitchen.

So much attention to detail - and safety- has gone into this pretend play kitchen your kids will play for hours making up dishes, pretending they have their own cooking shows or having an "Iron Chef" contest. They can pretend to be making a big dinner (ask what they are cooking, you'll hear some great dishes being prepared that can only come out of a child's imagination).

The kitchen is of wooden construction and has been featured in "Parents" magazine. This fun kitchen has all the bells and whistles! There is an oven, a stove, a freezer atop a refrigerator. There is also a microwave, sink and shelves to hold all their necessary kitchen items. The knobs move on the oven and the sink and the faucet can be moved from side to side. This is an ideal toy for both singular pretend play as well as group play.

Give your kids someplace fun to play where there are no batteries to run down, no lights to burn out, no computers to reboot and your kids can play as long as their imaginations do!

Labels: boys, girls, KidKraft, pretend-play, toy kitchens

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