Child Basics Blog Child Basics

Remember the days of cowboys and Indians? Running around the yard with sticks, pretending you were riding a horse, screaming and hollering with your buddies. Perhaps some of you at one point upgraded to the stick with the horse head at one end. You know the kind. You would hold on to it while you galloped your little heart out around the neighborhood. The horse head-stick wasn’t all that bad, but how great would it have been to have a rocking horse? How about the Palomino Rocking Horse?

This snazzy rocking horse is built for comfort and ease while the little ones rock away in their enticing adventures. Made of plush, this horsy will go all day long with the young rider so chooses. And for the girls, if this doesn’t tickle your fancy, try Pinkerbelle! This pink beauty has a luxurious mane and even comes with a saddle, stirrups, and bridle.

Send them galloping on a racetrack or running with team of horses. Let their imaginations run wild!

Labels: pretend-play, rocking-horses, toys

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You have a certain love for the theater and a huge appreciation for the characters and storyline. Ever since you were little, you loved pretending you were an actor on the stage, performing in front of thousands only to receive a standing-ovation at the end. Those hungry little minds would be equally fascinated with the Guidecraft Center Stage Floor Puppet Theater.

This tip-protected stand comes with curtains you can draw open or leave closed. The front is a chalkboard that can be drawn on using chalk. This cute little theater can easily fold up and be stored away when those little rascals are on to other things for the day.

Your little ones will love creating shows and then performing them for you. So sit back and watch the show unfold from your little darlings.

Labels: guidecraft, pretend-play, puppet-theatre

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While growing up it was always a blast playing make-believe; pretending you were an astronaut or a ballerina. We used to play Cops and Robbers or we ever played House. But whatever it was that our imagination let us be that day, it was always a fun experience. Creative thought should always be encouraged.

Whether is it Halloween or just a Tuesday, it would help make make-believe a better experience if your children had the costumes to dress up with. Can't you just see your kids playing outside dressed like they are about to take flight in an astronaut's costume or dressed like a cowboys trotting around like they’re riding horses.

Help stretch their imaginations. Give them reasons to "go play" versus sitting around in front of the TV. Dress up is perfect for the children who enjoy dramatic play. Whether it's in school or in their own backyard, every child loves to put on a costume and become someone else for just a little while.

Labels: halloween-costumes, kids-costumes, pretend-play

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For the ladies out there, remember when you were a little girl? Dolls were an important aspect for life. Some of us even had doll houses that we could sit and play for hours with. We had our pretend families cooking pretend meals and driving pretend cars.

Show the little girl in your life; whether it is your own daughter, niece, cousin, or family friend what it was like to let your imagination run wild. Guys, are you struggling to find a gift for your little darling? Lead her the way to her own little dream world and enlighten her mind to creative thought.

Be sure to remember that her beloved dollies need their own beds or their own strollers. I know I wasn’t the only one carting my favorite doll from place to place as if it were my very own baby. You will see little girls in the store cradling their precious doll, clutching it as if they were holding gold. Keep that in mind when it’s birthday time for your little sweetheart!

Labels: dollhouses, dramatic-play, pretend-play

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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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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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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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Want a toy that will keep your preschooler interested and also expand his mind with hours of fun pretend play?
Look no further than the magic Melissa and Doug have dreamed up.

Made especially for the 3-years old and up crowd, the fun toy cars included in this set are a police car, school bus, fire truck, ambulance, mail truck and of course, the all important ice cream truck.
Along with these vehicles are signs that your child will learn from. Handicapped parking sign, do not enter, no U-turns, railroad crossing, speed limit 55, one way sign, cross walk and yield. Talk to your child about what the signs mean and make up scenarios with him about how they work.

Let one of your vehicles, like the mail truck run through a stop sign, go up a "do not enter" street and may even make a U-turn in front of the sign that reads, "no U-turns". Then ask your child which vehicle would be the proper one to talk to the mail truck and let him know that he isn't driving safely by following the signs? Let your child guess until he chooses the police car and explain to him what the roll of each of the trucks are and then let his imagination run wild. He can set up his own roads complete with signs, save kittens from trees with the firetruck, deliver million dollar checks with his mail truck and take the school bus to the ice cream truck for a real treat for everyone.

Don't be surprised after playing with this set if your child starts telling you what the signs mean as you're driving along!

Labels: learning-toys, pretend-play, toddler toys, toy cars

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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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