Constructive Playthings Clay Center with Play-Doh Giveaway!

My review this month for Constructive Playthings is the Clay Center with Play-Doh.  Since I am an occupational therapist, hand strengthening and fine motor coordination are my thing, so I couldn’t wait to review this as we gear up for “Back to School!”

The Clay Center with Play-Doh comes with LOTS of items that include: rolling pins, scissors, molds, stampers, extruders, body part pieces, sculpting tools and 4 cans of Play-Doh in its own tool kit.

So how does the Clay Center with Play-Doh help with Back to School? Easy, use it to help your child review their skills before they return in the Fall:

- Any smooshing, squeezing, pinching and pulling will help rev those hand muscles back into shape for better endurance during pencil/paper tasks

- For preschoolers, use the body part pieces to review body part awareness by making a person. Encourage them to draw a person after they have made their own Play-Doh person to reinforce the positioning of head, body, feet, arms, etc.

- Roll out the putty into long “snakes,” using the scissors with a “thumbs up” position, cut the snakes up into several pieces to get those hands ready for scissor cutting control!

- If you have older children who know their letters, encourage them to make different letters with the Play-Doh, have an alphabet strip nearby from them to look at to help their memory, or push the playdoh onto a letter tracing card.

- Use the purple sculpting tools and hold them in a tripod fashion (using thumb, index and middle finger) with a good grasp and draw letters or words into the Play-Doh.

I would also recommend adding some Ziploc bags to this kit to help keep some of the smaller pieces sorted. If this kit ever got dumped over, the pieces would be everywhere!

Make sure to check out the Constructive Playthings website for other back to school and learning toys.

The GIVEAWAY this month is a Clay Center with Play Doh for one lucky person!

Mandatory Entry-

1. For a mandatory entry go to www.toyqueen.com and click through the blue Constructive Mom button on the right hand side to enter the Constructive Playthings website.  Leave a comment under this post about another great back to school toy that you saw on the Constructive Playthings website. Remember, anytime you click through to the website using this button, you will get 15% off your entire purchase!

Extra Credit Entries- Make sure to leave a comment under this post if you complete any of the following.

1. Follow @ConstructiveMom and @Toyqueen on Twitter

2. Like Constructive Playthings on Facebook and ToyQueen on Facebook

This Giveaway will end on Wednesday August 18th at 11:59 p.m. EST

I received products from Constructive Playthings in return for review. All opinions are my own.

Posted in Elementary, Family Games, Fine Motor Skills, Preschool 3-5 yrs old, Toys | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

New LEGO Game: Ramses Pyramid

I recently had the opportunity to review Ramses Pyramid with a 7 year old friend of mine. Ramses Pyramid is one variation of 10 new LEGO GAMES.  In this game children construct a pyramid, complete with removable layers and hidden treasures. After they construct the pyramid, there is a dice that can be utilized which turns this pyramid into a board game.  To me, Ramses Pyramid and all the new LEGO games, are a fantastic way to bridge the gap between generations of Lego lovers by incorporating their timeless building with interactive strategy, memory and problem solving; truly making it a great cooperative game. It is recommended for children ages 8 and up.

My little “Lego Lover” friend was very eager to help construct the pyramid.  With only a bit of cueing for placement of the pieces, after 20 minutes, we had maybe put together 1/4th of the game, so thinking we’d have time to play the game faster, I began assembling the pyramid in super-speed, giving him a few suggestions of bricks to find along the way. It took us a solid 45 minutes to get the pyramid together, with me hustling for about half of it.  Due to time constraints we had to postpone playing the game, but my friend was happy to play with the pyramid.

A week later we got together to play the game. Read More »

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Constructive Playthings New Toy Catalog

When my Constructive Playthings free toy catalog arrived in the mail, I couldn’t wait for a free moment to sit down and take a good look at it. I have finally realized that for all the times I complain about getting way to much mail, there is something to be said for being able to flip through a catalog page by page, over and over. I think there are still many of us out there who vividly remember when the Wish Book arrived before Christmas, allowing us to make our own personalized list for Santa by circling our favorites. However, I was completely surprised to see that many of the toys highlighted in this catalog were not toys that I had noticed when researching the website.

As I flipped through, I personally liked the way this catalog was organized with Read More »

Posted in Fine Motor Skills, Infant 0-12 months, Toddler 1-2 yrs old, Toddler 2-3 yrs old, Toys | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tommee Tippee Feeding Products

For months I have been in and out of Babies R Us, perusing the feeding aisle, looking for items for my feeding therapy work as an occupational therapist, as well as searching for cool and innovative products to use with my now 9 month old, Gavin.

I’ve recently had the opportunity to review a few Tommee Tippee products.  Tommee Tippee was started in Great Britain and has within the past few months made a grand entrance to the U.S. market selling their feeding products at BabiesRUS.com, as well as all Babies R Us and Toys R Us stores nationwide.

I received 3 products from Tommee Tippee and the Mom Bloggers Club free for the courtesy of my review: the Non Slip Easy Mat, The Weaning Bowl with Spoon and the Spill Proof Water Bottle.

I have to say I was initially most excited about Read More »

Posted in Baby Registry, Feeding, Fine Motor Skills, Infant 0-12 months, Toddler 1-2 yrs old, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We love Wubbanub’s!

Keri talks with Carla, the designer of the Wubbanub. The Wubbanub was designed initially as a soft cuddly attachment for the Soothie pacifier. The Soothie pacifier is very commonly distributed to parents for their infants throughout well baby nurseries, special care nurseries and the NICU. Wubbanubs come in a variety of different animals including a duck, giraffe, lamb, red dog, cow, monkey, bear, frog, pony, and kittens. There are beans designed into the limbs of the animals to help provide a calming effect for deep pressure while it rests on the infants chest. The animals are soft and also allow for fine motor development and hand eye coordination. While the child is riding in their carseat, the limbs of the Wubbanub can also be placed underneath the straps to keep the pacifier in place. Go to www.wubbanub.com to find a list of local retailers.

Posted in Baby Registry, Feeding, Fine Motor Skills, Infant 0-12 months, Self-calming | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rory’s Story Cubes by Gamewright

Review of Rory Story Cubes by ToyQueen. Is a game that promotes several ways to inspire creative play. Ages 8 and up. Price $7.99 at www.gamewright.com

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Toy Story 3 Game Review

Review of Toy Story 3 game called Woody’s Run Around Round-up. For ages 3 and up. Price: $34.95 at www.wildplanet.com .

Posted in Family Games, Fine Motor Skills, Preschool 3-5 yrs old, Toys | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Constructive Playthings Hop and Learn Mat

Picking my first toy for review from Constructive Playthings was a challenge. As my experience is mainly with children with special needs, I also have an 8 month old.  Those of you who know me well enough know that I like to use toys many ways with different age groups and abilities, so I chose the Interactive Hop & Learn mat.

It unfolded very easily out of the box, after I installed the three AA batteries (batteries are not included), I let Gavin, my 8 month old loose. He has just started to crawl on hands and knees, so he was happily Read More »

Posted in Elementary, Family Games, Gross Motor Skills, Preschool 3-5 yrs old, Toddler 2-3 yrs old, Toys, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 139 Comments

Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest!

National Geographic Energizer Ultimate Photo ContestThe 3rd Annual Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest is happening now! Here is your chance to send in your best photos – in categories like Animals/Wildlife, Travel, and Weather-for a chance to win a National Geographic Expeditions trip for two to Greece and a feature in an upcoming issue of National Geographic magazine. My friends at Energizer® state their Energizer® Ultimate Lithium AA and AAA batteries are the world’s longest lasting batteries in high-tech devices. National Geographic Energizer Ultimate Photo ContestThey last up to eight times longer than Energizer® MAX® in digital cameras (results vary by camera)-which means you can take your mind off your batteries and focus on capturing that winning photo.

Send in your photo’s fast, this contest ends June 30th!!!!

Visit www.nationalgeographic.com/lithium to enter as soon as you can!

In conjunction with Energizer, since batteries are so crucial to a child’s play, comment under this post your child’s favorite toy that consumes batteries in your home and you could win Energizer® batteries!

I heard about this opportunity and decided to blog about it. Energizer has provided batteries free for the courtesy of this post.

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Boochie Boochie Boochie!

So if you are looking for family games to play with your kids over the summer during the nice outdoor weather (or even inside in the rain), than you’ll need to get Boochie from Gamewright! To me it’s a modern, kid approved spin on the traditional game of bocce ball. The orange Boochie ball is thrown somewhere in the playing field, hallway or living room. Kids and parents alike take turns throwing both a ring and a bean bag ball as close to the Boochie ball as they can. Score is maintained on a wrist tracker. However, the best part of it, the wrist tracker suggests wacky ways the child is supposed to Read More »

Posted in Elementary, Family Games, Gross Motor Skills, Toys, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Constructive Moms Ambassador Program

Some exciting news is happening at ToyQueen.com! I have recently been picked to be a member of a core group of 12 bloggers who are part of the Constructive Moms Ambassador Program for Constructive Playthings!

Constructive Playthings/US Toy Company is a family owned and operated business for the last 57 years whose vision is to provide high quality, unique products designed to inspire learning, creativity and fun!

With my background as an occupational therapist working with children with disabilities, I hope to assist the vision of Constructive Playthings so together we can promote the key benefits of their products, so parents can continue to assist their children to grow, learn and develop new skills!

Follow the program on Twitter: @constructivemom and Facebook: www.facebook.com/contructive-playthings

Here is a comprehensive list of the 11 other outstanding moms that were chosen for this fabulous program!

Lee: http://www.mysentimentexactlee.com (Program Leader)
Allie: http://www.notimeforflashcards.com
Karen: http://3garnets2sapphires.com
Brittany: http://thegreerfive.com
Dwan: http://www.mommadjane.com
Tennille: http://www.feistyfrugalandfabulous.com/
Jody: http://www.mommymoment.ca/
Lisa: http://www.crazyadventuresinparenting.com
Gina: http://www.wrestlingaddictedmommy.com
Bridgette: http://www.thenotsoblog.com
Kimberly: http://www.raisingolives.com

In conjunction with writing posts on many of their products there will be giveaways and all sorts of great surprises in store! So make sure to follow me on twitter: @toyqueen and Facebook: www.facebook.com/toyqueen so you don’t miss any information!

Posted in Elementary, Family Games, Fine Motor Skills, Gross Motor Skills, Infant 0-12 months, Preschool 3-5 yrs old, Toddler 1-2 yrs old, Toddler 2-3 yrs old, Toys, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Aquafina FlavorSplash Boston Event

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a mom influencer event sponsored by Aquafina FlavorSplash that was hosted at the home of Stacy DeBroff with her Mom Central Consulting team!

Several mom influencers from the Boston area met to enjoy good food and conversation while sampling all 6 tastes of Aquafina FlavorSplash: Grape, Wild Berry, Lemon, Raspberry, Peach Mango, and Strawberry Kiwi.

So I’m pretty boring when it comes to flavors and usually gravitate to pretty straightforward tastes like Lemon, so what I was completely surprised by was that the Peach Mango was my favorite – hands down! Guaranteed if I had decided to purchase this in a store, being my predictable self I would have never tried the Peach Mango. It wasn’t as sweet tasting to me as the Wild Berry, Raspberry and Strawberry Kiwi, which was a pleasant surprise.

Having an infant, working full time and blogging, time out for myself is pretty much nonexistent these days. So a big shout out to Aquafina FlavorSplash and Mom Central for sponsoring such a welcoming event where I could relax with some fabulous, intelligent women who have created some unique blogs, all while we indulged in some fantastic treats centered around a refreshing product.

I wrote this post after attending an event sponsored by Aquafina FlavorSplash and Mom Central. I received FlavorSplash goodies and a gift card as a thank you for posting.

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BEABA Infant Spoons

For hours I stood in the aisle at Babies R Us it felt like looking for the perfect spoon. Much to my surprise, apparently I was standing in the wrong store! For Christmas this past year, my mother found these unbelievable BEABA spoons at Williams-Sonoma and purchased them for Gavin. I know this is strange but by far, these were my most favorite gift.

Last year I attended a feeding conference in Las Vegas, where one of the speakers, speech pathologist Erin Sundseth Ross, stressed the importance for young babies to use appropriate teether toys to improve their feeding skills. Unfortunately, though, most teethers these days are Read More »

Posted in Baby Registry, Feeding, Fine Motor Skills, Infant 0-12 months, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sassy Look Book!

For a great way to introduce your child of any age to pictures and books get the Sassy Look Book! It has bright primary colors with interesting shapes and patterns for infants, where real 4×6 pictures can be added into the pages as well, making a personalized photo album.  It’s soft Read More »

Posted in Baby Registry, Fine Motor Skills, Infant 0-12 months, Preschool 3-5 yrs old, Self-calming, Toddler 1-2 yrs old, Toddler 2-3 yrs old, Toys | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Safety First Needs You!

Safety 1st Invites You to Join their Research Events in Foxboro, MA! Are you pregnant for the first time? Do you have a child age 3 or younger? If so, they’d love to hear from you! Participants in the research events are rewarded for their time with a gift card! If interested in learning more about the research events, please contact Ashley Cohen at acohen@djgusa.com.

Derek, Gavin and I have participated in many of their shop-a-longs at Target, completed product review testing, and attended marketing research events giving feedback on the designs of many new products. We have had a lot of fun doing these, so contact Ashley and sign up if you can!

Posted in Baby Registry, Infant 0-12 months, Toddler 1-2 yrs old, Toddler 2-3 yrs old, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment
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