Ruckus Media Group, a fabulous creator of great ipad apps for kids, has been producing a variety of children’s apps that are very interactive in nature, educational and many are based on some great traditional stories. You can read some past reviews on Tom Thumb, Pecos Bill, The Velveteen Rabbit and Chuck the Truck here.

A Present for Milo is an interactive storybook where children can follow Milo the cat on a chase after a mouse in his house. There are all sorts of interactive spaces where kids can touch different pictures in the book that come to life. Gavin’s favorite page is one of the first pages where it says, “Knock Knock Knock!” He will then start banging wildly on the iPad screen repeating it. With the flick of a finger kids figure out real early these days, they can easily turn the page. The only thing that’s hard with a toddler is that once they figure out the ability to activate different pictures their impulsive little selves rear their ugly heads and before you know it they are pushing the home button on the iPad and flipping back and forth between pages like crazy, at least driving me a little nuts. I did find this app to be a little sensitive on the page flip, but the interesting piece for me is how smart and resourceful even toddlers can be. Gavin has figured out that I can activate certain pictures on the page easier than he can and he’ll often take my index finger in his hand and guide it to a picture on the page that he wants me to help him with.

What I love about this book, which is why it’s great for toddlers and preschoolers, is that not only can it help them to learn some basic vocabulary, but it allows children to learn even more specifically about “cause and effect,” which gives them a sense of curiousity and control in their lives as they remember that by touching a certain place on the page, something happens, which causes them to do it again, again and again. There are great sound effects in this book with dozens of experiences on each page. This book is also great to teach kids about those hard to learn prepositions: in, under, across, through, and down. I won’t spoil the surprise of the story, but if you are looking for a real inexpensive birthday gift idea to share with your child on their birthday, this is a great book and app to help celebrate that special occasion. Apps are definitely way cheaper than actual cards these days, they don’t end up in the trash and can provide memorable and educational experiences for your whole family day after day.

Ruckus Media provided this app free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

@Mattel

At Toy Fair last year, one of the coolest toys I saw were the Hot Wheels Wall Tracks by Mattel. These plastic tracks adhere to any wall surface with Command 3M velcro tabs, allowing the brackets that hold the tracks to be removed with the pull of a tab. I really liked the concept of bringing the toys off the floor and up onto a totally different play surface, especially since I live in a smaller home where we are short on floor space.

Kids can place their Hot Wheels cars on the tracks and watch them complete stunts as they fly down the interconnecting ramps to the floor. There are also different buttons that can change the direction of the car route. My son is only 2 and much younger than the recommended age range which is 4 and up, but he was mesmerized by them, trying to bring every car he had to the tracks to see if it would fit. The ramps are fairly delicate in that they come apart pretty easily, so keep that in mind when using it with the younger age group.

We tried a non-conventional installation and my husband decided we’d hang it on a wall we have that is covered with IdeaPaint. IdeaPaint is whiteboard paint that is used to turn any ordinary wall into a whiteboard. After a search for the biggest whiteboard we could find, without any real luck, we found this alternative and it’s our lifeline for organization in the office. My husband Derek thought it would make a cool backdrop for the tracks and after he installed it he enjoyed drawing all sorts of trees, boats and mountains to turn our Wall Tracks really into a masterpiece of art. In the end, using the IdeaPaint surface was not the best idea, because one of the brackets got stuck because the 3M Command tab broke during removal.   About a two inch area of sheetrock came off with the bracket, leaving us with quite a repair job in ahead of us. However, in the suggested installation, I’m hopeful that this would not happen. You can view Derek’s video here of the Wall Tracks Installation on our wall. It took him about 10 minutes start to finish.

Mattel provided Wall Tracks free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

I am constantly on the look out for new and fun educational iPad Apps for kids. I recently tested out two of the Stella & Sam apps,by zinc Roe Productions. Stella and Sam, brother and sister, embark together on magical, imaginative adventures. Apparently these apps stem from a picture book and television series for preschoolers in Canada by Marie-Louise Gay. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be familiar with the books or show in order to fall in love with these adorable apps.

I tested out the “Go-There-Square” app, as well as “Backyard at Twilight.” In the “Go-There-Square” story, you can even see one of my favorite fingertip toys and games called the “Go There Square” (aka Cahootie)! The iPad app includes storybook video content that is embedded with different concepts, great for preschoolers that include counting sequences, number recognition and vocabulary. The apps themselves are mainly animated storybooks that play for a few minutes before stopping three different times within each app to allow kids to participate in different activities. The activities encourage hand-eye coordination and motor planning as kids use their index fingers to match dandelion puffs, pop bubbles, and build a path of flowers across the water to make a bridge.

In the “Backyard at Twilight” app, Stella and Sam are camping out in the backyard, waiting for the Night Giant. The activities include using their finger to search the screen for hidden insects, while exhibiting hand-eye coordination to catch fireflies that form different shapes and connect stars to make constellations that transform into familiar animals. These activities are very interactive, and I found my toddler, though he is younger than the targeted age group for this app, so excited to shout out the animal transforming in the sky with his developing vocabulary.

The Stella and Sam apps are among the best ipad apps, because they are great to encourage kids to attend to pictures and begin to visually discriminate details with their eyes. These are all skills that are great for young preschool children to develop to advance their educational skills for reading and writing in later school years.  These Stella and Sam apps are very sweet and almost soothing, making them a great bedtime story experience for your children.

Zinc Roe Productions provided this app free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

©Morphology Games

My family and I attended an event about a month or so ago at the opening of Marbles: The Brain Store.  This store is new to Massachusetts but originated in Chicago, and lots of new stores are opening now in the North East.  It’s a great family store that includes many  different board games, party games and software, all aimed at challenging a person’s mind to enhance thinking skills, creativity and coordination.

At the event a few of us played a party game together, called Morphology. It’s geared for kids ages 13 and up and is an absolute blast.  It’s a fresh new take on the game of Pictionary, where instead of drawing, players use different materials such as beads, rings, blocks, string, a barrel, and sticks to build the word that is on their playing card while their team tries to guess. However, the game gets even sillier and more challenging when the dice is rolled and players that are building might have to build with their weak hand, their eyes closed, only with a piece of string, directly against the other team at the same time, or only 5 items. The cards also contain both easy and difficult words.

I first played this in a group with some people who were merely acquaintances and it was a blast. So if you are looking for an office ice breaker, don’t play those silly group games where people have to say something special about themselves for team building, purchase this game and get to know your friends, family and co-workers in a more fun and creative way.  Each person’s individual personality shined through and I think it’s a great way to learn about your teams strengths and weaknesses, that is so much more fun.

I even brought this to a friend’s house for a long weekend, where we had a great guys versus girls game, where of course, the ladies prevailed! Though the game is geared for teenagers and adults, I love the concept of also trying to pull out some of the easier cards from the deck and giving your kids the opportunity to create the item, without the pressure of the timer while you take turns guessing. It’s a great way for kids to work on their problem solving and creativity until they are ready to play the entire game with the family.

If you are starting your holiday gift giving lists and you are looking to find something unique and different, Morphology is definitely a game to give where you won’t have to worry about someone else giving the same gift. I’ve seen a lot of toys and games, but there is nothing else like it out there, you won’t be disappointed.

Visit the Morphology website to find out where you can purchase this game.

Morphology games provided this game for my review. The opinions are my own.

©Spinmaster

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am a huge lover of Aquadoodle, especially when working with toddlers, because I think it’s one of the safest ways to teach kids about coloring without the worries or fears of damaging any walls or furniture. Using the water filled pen, kids draw on the large white mat, and their lines magically appear. In older versions of this toy, the lines drawn were always blue. Now, with Aquadoodle Color, colors magically appear when the child uses the pen to draw on the mat! Then, once the water dries on the mat, the drawings disappear. This is a great toy that can be used repeatedly, involves no mess other than water, and it folds up easily, so it’s perfect to take on an outing to grandparents’ houses, to the park or to playdates.

The mat itself has a variety of drawings on the side paired with their corresponding letter of the alphabet. The drawings are comprised of simple curves and shapes, making them easy for older elementary school aged kids, as well as adults to recreate. My toddler loves watching us draw the pictures and likes to guess what the picture is, which is a way to also build his vocabulary. Thankfully, I can actually use the drawings to create something he can identify, because drawing is definitely not my strong suit! We also like to draw a big race track on the mat, he loves zooming his cars on the path.

If you are looking for an even smaller travel alternative, Aquadoodle Doodle Buddy comes as either a bear, bunny or penguin, which children can use the pen to draw accessories onto the face or tummy.  The toy’s hand includes an elastic attachment which stores the small pen.

Spinmaster provided Aquadoodle Color and an Aquadoodle Doodle Buddy free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

So what if you are a child at school, and life hasn’t yet taught you about all the “normal” and “acceptable” ways to fidget. So at school maybe  you chew on your collar or shirt sleeve, impulsively leave your seat, fall out of your chair, rock back in a chair, doodle, bite your finger nails, have a hard time sitting with your class during morning meeting on the floor. To some people these ways of trying to focus attention are perceived as annoying, and sometimes attention getting behaviors. So as more teachers and educators recognize that these are warning signs that a child is trying to pay attention, fidget toys have become a mainstay in many classrooms.  Many people have found that if kids are provided with a more appropriate way to fidget, with strict rules and regulations on what is an acceptable way to use these great toys in a classroom setting, kids can actually use these small toys to help them focus their attention on learning. Though the tricky part is, what sensory experiences I like, might be very different from what another person likes, so here are some great items that have a lot of different sensory attributes.

Aside from those hard to squeeze stress balls, here are some of my favorite fidget toys. These toys are not recommended for children under the age of 3.

The first 3 choices are from Tangle Creations. The original Tangle Jr. is a fidget with a series of interlocking pieces that can be pulled apart and put back together. It is also fun to twist and turn on it’s own, without pulling the pieces apart.

Tangle Jr. Hairy - 

The Tangle Jr. Hairy, places a soft, hair like covering over the Tangle Jr. for added sensory awareness, but still allowing smooth twisting and turning.

Tangle Jr. – Textured -

This Tangle Jr. has pieces that are grooved, bumpy and textured.

Tangle Jr. – Fuzzies -

Instead of having grooves and bumps, this fidget is covered in a soft, fuzzy texture.

Orbo by Popular Playthings/Plasmart -

Use your fingers to push the balls back inside the Orbo and mix them up. Then use your brain and finger strength to match the colors back up again! Though when the balls click into place, they are kind of loud, so best to not use this toy in real quiet situations.

Wikki Stix

These different colored, wax covered strings of yarn can be cut, squished, twisted, squeezed and molded. One Wikki Stix can be easily placed in your child’s pocket  or wrapped around the end of a pencil so they can fidget with it very indiscreetly. They are non-toxic and do not contain latex or other allergens. Pictured here are Super Wikki Stix, but these can be purchased in a variety of sizes.

Tangle Creations, PlaSmart and Wikki Stix provided free samples to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

The Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Giveaway includes:

Boon Frog Pod valued at $34.99

Learning Curve Captain Calamari’s Color Adventure valued at $17.99

Learning Curve Sir Prance-a-lot valued at $13.99

Learning Curve Tale of Sir Prance-a-lot soft book valued at $14.99

Sassy Wrist Rattles valued at $6.99

Sassy Crib & Floor Mirror valued at $19.99

Sassy Fascination Station valued at $5.99

ALEX Peek & Link valued at $10.95

ALEX Yum Yum Teether valued at $8.95

Jewel CD The Merry Goes ‘Round valued at $12.99

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Thanks to ALEX, Boon, Learning Curve, Sassy and Fisher-Price for helping me put together this amazing giveaway and providing these toys and baby items free to facilitate  reviews.

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Here are some great features of the new LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer which is available for pre-order, now!

- The device has different applications that will encourage children to read interactive books, play games and learn to write letters

- The device is geared for children ages 4 to 9, and it can be customized for up to three different children

- By the end of the year, there will be over 100 learning experiences available for use on the device through online downloads, or cartridges available for purchase at big box retail stores

- There is a magnetic stylus that nicely stores on the side of the device

- A microphone, camera and video camera will allow children the ability to take pictures and movies

- Similar to the Leapster Explorer, if using the stylus, kids can draw pictures and stamp directly onto photos that they take

- Kids can hold the Leap Pad and move it from side to side for motion based game play

- I got a sneak peek at an exciting new Disney illustration program where children can learn to draw different Disney characters step by step. It can be then be colored in using the stylus and when it’s all finished the drawing comes to life!

If you are wondering what other toys were highlighted, stay tuned, for an upcoming post!

I attended an event by LeapFrog and was provided with a demonstration of the device. Any opinions are my own

Recently we have been using some of the 3D sparkling paints from the Creativity for Kids 3D Paint Activity Kit, which is recommended for children ages 6 and up. There are so many different ideas included in this kit, we’ve had a great time at school redecorating the windows to our room!

Included in this kit are 10 different colors of 3D paint (including 1 silver and 1 black outlining paint), 30 or more patterns to trace, 2 plastic paint sleeves, gemstones, googly eyes, glue, ribbon, cord, a trinket box, craft sticks, green chenille stems, glitter gel and craft glue.  I know many people think arts and crafts kits are more for little girls, but to be honest with you I used this at school with mostly boys.  Granted I didn’t have them making flowers and decorating the trinket box with gemstones, but the tracing patterns were pretty universal, so they had a great time using the paint to make window art.

For the Window Art, place  a plastic sleeve over one of the pages of tracing patterns. Outline the pattern in either silver or black, then let it dry for at least 30 minutes.  Once dry, squeeze the paint into the outline to finish off the design. Let it dry, then remove it from the plastic and it will adhere to a window.

©Creativity for Kids

We worked in a small group of 2, and each child could have their own outlining paint and plastic sheet covering. Only issue was that they had to wait their turn if they wanted to use a pattern that was on the same template. However, if I had planned ahead, the kids could have drawn their own designs, or I could have made extra copies of the templates and this would have not been an issue!

Included in the box are directions to also use this paint to make jewelry, design a trinket box, make suncatchers and create 3D sculptured designs like a horse, ice cream cone, and flower.  The instructions included in these kits are pretty easy to read as an adult, but I would definitely use this kit initially with your child if they are insistent on doing some of the more challenging 3D designs. Initially it was hard for most of the children to coordinate squeezing the paint while tracing along the line at the same time using even pressure. When they are finished you might want to make sure their outlines are even so that after they fill in the colors and let it dry, it can easily be removed from the plastic.

©Creativity for Kids

Parents always ask me for suggestions of kids’ crafts they can complete over the summer so they won’t regress in the areas of hand strength and writing. Before you go into mommy mode, worrying about the mess that it might make, set up a plastic tablecloth outside on a picnic table in the shade, and rest assured knowing that your children will be using many of the skills they have learned in school that require following directions, step by step planning, creativity, and control to have a little fun along the way.

Check out my other Creativity for Kids posts:

Create Your Own Enchanted Storybook

Diva Puppies

2 Winners Will Receive Their Own Creativity for Kids 3D Paint Kits!

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Giveaway ends Tuesday June 28th at 11:59 p.m. EST

Creativity for Kids, a Fabell Castell company, provided this kit free to facilitate a review. The opinions are my own.

I love the versatility of this game, because even young two year olds who don’t know how to play the game will enjoy squishing the bag and labeling the pictures that become uncovered from the beads.

Here are some other ideas of games older children might enjoy:

- Call out a picture from the key on the back of the game and be the one to find it first

- Find a picture by color or category like animals or vehicles

- We all want to keep our kids writing over the summers without causing a battle. Have the children practice their writing and keep track of all the pictures they find in a 5 minute time frame. The first one to write down the most pictures in that time frame wins! (A little helpful hint: there is a key on the back of the bag that includes a picture, paired with the written word of all the contents in the bag– so this is great for children entering first grade who can copy simple words and they won’t have to ask you for the spelling!)

- Encourage the kids to use crayons, colored pencils or markers, to draw a picture that they find hiding inside the bag and use it to inspire a quick game of “Pictionary”

- For older children who can write sentences, let them write silly sentences with the pictures they have found, as a family vote on who wrote the craziest

International Playthings provided this game free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

Shrinky Dinks, geared for chlildren ages 7 and up, now come in a variety of new, 3D designs, with themes such as dinosaurs, space, sea life, fairy princess, military aircraft, zoo safari, pirates, and trains.

So at school this week we’ve been having fun creating sea animals. These are a lot of fun, but do require the use of a toaster oven or conventional oven for the shrinking powers, so parents and teachers, you will definitely need to supervise the kids on this one. Simply kids trace a creature from a template using colored pencils. Color in the shape, cut it out, place it on a foil lined cookie sheet in a preheated oven, within 1-3 minutes it will magically shrink before their eyes! After a few minutes to cool, they are ready for play.

Here were some of my helpful hints:

- We were able to modify the fun for kids of varying ability levels. For one child, I traced the outside with the colored pencil, and he colored the inside. For another child who was a bit impulsive and quick with the scissors, I cut it out to make sure his hard work wasn’t ruined and to minimize any frustration.
- I got to thinking, since I literally can not draw a straight line, I wish I had used Shrinky Dinks when I was younger for my school projects. For children who can’t draw, you can not imagine how real looking and perfect these animals look when they are shrunk to a portion of their original size!
- When using them with 2 kids together, we had one student write a few sentences about his shark, while the other traced, because there is only one template included in the package.
- After you cut them out, you will get some scraps, but keep them, you never know when you might need to just make a small detail.
- The paper could be hard to cut through for some kids, but on the flip side I actually like to work on developing kid’s hands strength, so it was perfect for my goals.
- The toaster oven was amazing if you are short on time. Using the toaster oven took literally 4 minutes from heat up to shrink down. However— the kids couldn’t see the process in action as easily as they could have in a conventional oven.

I think what was even more amazing, was watching the teacher’s looks on their faces when we brought them back to class, EVERYONE, remembered making these as children and you could tell it brought back so many personal memories.

If you would like to win your own package of Shrinky Dinks, we are giving one away!

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Giveaway ends June 20, 2011, 11:59 p.m EST.

One of the most amazing things I find working with children is how much these little minds and hands take in during their first year and a half of life. At such a young age, they are able to match shapes and colors, as well as to learn to complete simple puzzles.

What makes the Ambi Lock A Block different than some traditional shape sorters, is that not only do children learn to match by shape and color, in order to get the pieces out of the box, a key needs to be inserted into the lock to open the door. Though this is hard for many toddlers, it’s a great feature that makes this toy great for a children at different developmental levels. I love how the key is attached to the box, no more missing keys in your playroom!

For young children under the age of one, who might be learning to put items into a container, but haven’t perfected the art of easily letting the pieces go, open the box with the key and use this wide open space for children to put the pieces inside.

The circle is the easiest shape to insert because it does not require any rotation of the pieces to fit. After children master this skill, next encourage them to match the square and triangle.

You might need to help your child by placing your hand over their hand to teach them how to rotate the piece into the proper position. The same is true for learning how to insert the key and turn it to open the door. Small and portable, this toy has found a permanent home in my home visit toy bag for children under the age of 3!

Schylling provided this toy free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

International Playthings provided this toy free for review. The opinions represented in this blog post are purely the bloggers own.

The 18 accessories included in this set are: 1 ice cream carton that houses 4 different flavors of ice cream, 1 sugar cone, 1 cake cone, 1 Banana that can be split apart into 2 pieces, whipped cream topping with a cherry on top, a banana split dish, a sundae dish, a banana split dish, a cloth apron, 2 spoons. My three favorite accessories include: a “squirting” chocolate syrup bottle, an ice cream scoop and a Write and Wipe Menu!

The ice cream scoop has a suction cup inside so the ice cream actually sticks to the scoop. I would suggest moistening the suction cup, so the ice cream attaches better. By pushing in the handle, you can actually release the ice cream directly into the dish or one of the cones! Even better, there is a menu that gives children pictures of what the ice cream cones and sundaes can look like, so no reading or writing is required to take an order! This menu also helps children learn the step-by-step sequence of how to make the cone or sundae.

We are giving away a Learning Resources Ice Cream Shop valued at $26.99 to a lucky winner!

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Giveaway ends May 31st at 11:59 p.m. EST!

Each playset comes with:

- 2 or 3 different containers with different color Play-Doh

- Unique Play-Doh molds that allow children to create accessories to their story. For example, Hansel and Gretel has a plastic candy house included that once opened has molds inside where extra candy pieces can be made.

- A laminated play mat, that opens like a book, with one side that has a picture of the fairy tale in action, the other side includes the actual written story of the fairy tale. Pictures of the play pieces are included in the written story as symbols, so young children learning to read can act out the story, using the characters and the accessories in the right order.

Here is my opinion:

- I think this is a fantastic concept for children learning to read. I love how a very simple version of the fairy tale is included in the package. I really like how digital images have been inserted as symbols into the fairy tale.

- However, I wish there was a key to what you would call specific items in the playset. For example, in Hansel and Gretel, I hadn’t read that fairy tale in probably 20 years, I couldn’t remember for the life of me who the scary lady was that lived in the candy house. Was she a wicked witch or crazy stepmother? Honestly, it got me so annoyed I had to google the fairy tale and read it for myself to get the sequence right! I know imagination is key, but I am kind of a rule follower.

- At a retail price of about $6.99, similar to the price of a book, it’s a very unique and different way to engage children in reading. Especially for those children who might not like to just read a story, this provides a totally different multi-sensory experience.

- I would suggest using this Play-Doh activity one-on-one with your child, they may need a little help to sound out the words and figure out the story sequence initially.

Hasbro provided these samples free to facilitate a review, the opinions are my own.