©Patch Products

The traveling season is upon us and whether we are leaving for a weekend or a week, Gavin always has his bag of toys and games. It can sometimes be a challenge to pack a lot of fun into only 1 bag though, and in all honesty, I never bring many of his absolute favorite toys with us because I don’t want to worry about replacing them if pieces get lost along the way, so I look for some fun but inexpensive additions.

Patch Products is a family owned company headquartered in Wisconsin. One of my favorite Patch Products is the Lauri Pegboard. Recently they sent 2 of their new Big Little Games for review, Spurtle Turtle and Flingin’ Frogs. These are games recommended for kids ages 3-4 and up, but I’ve had fun using them with the kids at school up through first or even second grade if multiple kids, especially different ages, are playing together. The price points of these games are around $8.99, so they are also great birthday gifts for this age group.

Flingin’ Frogs includes 12 plastic frogs, that when you push down on the back with your index finger, they will fly towards the lily pad if you can figure out how to flick your finger just right. All of the pieces of the lily pad come apart and store with the frogs in the container. There are numbers on the lily pads to keep score. There’s a little bit of a learning curve on flicking the frogs, so some kids have been initially frustrated, but have welcomed the challenge to persist. I’ve found if you place this game in front of a wall for young kids who are struggling with landing them on the lily pads, the wall is a great rebound surface and many kids have had more success that way.

Spurtle Turtle is a token matching game with cute sea creatures. All the tokens are placed inside the turtle. By pushing the button 2 tokens will fly out. The child then has to turn them over and look for a match. If they don’t get a match, they put the tokens face down on the table and it includes a memory game as well. Spurtle Turtle’s button was a little sensitive and it if it’s not pushed with just one finger, fairly quickly, the pieces often jam in the bottom stalling the game play. The kids were so excited to bang the button, pieces were flying out everywhere and on flat floor surfaces, let’s just say the memory game became hide and seek! For younger kids who need less steps, place the tokens inside the turtle picture side up and they won’t have to worry about flipping them, they can just quickly look for matches.

What games will you bring on your family vacations this year?

Patch Products provided these toys free to facilitate this review, the opinions are my own.

4 years ago, I had the worst Mother’s Day ever. 1 day before my 30th birthday I found out I was pregnant. This isn’t the venue to share our story about the unfortunate circumstances we grieved, but several months later I was not. 3 months after that was Mother’s Day. We observed this day bringing Mother’s Day gifts of flowers, cards, balloons and muffins to some friends and family. I put on my happy face, and rolled through the events.  I think I said and did “all the right things.”  I was shocked at how the resentment just overtook and overwhelmed me to the point of sobbing uncontrollably for hours after. I didn’t plan to be cranky or to feel that way at all. It was the worst Mother’s Day Ever and I’ve clearly never forgotten it.

My first go around with motherhood didn’t go as I had ever planned, would I ever become a mother? A year later we conceived again and I’m so fortunate to have a smart, independent, and amazingly funny little boy. My life today would not have been what it is if I didn’t grieve the loss of our first pregnancy. I’m at peace with that now. I guess my hindsight is 20/20. Pregnancy and labor bought me a ticket to celebrate the Mother’s Day party, but I’ve not ever really cared about whether I’ve gotten a spa gift certificate or a special meal. I’m just happy to have had the opportunity at this point to be a mother one time to a healthy child. This day just brings up lots of other emotions related to motherhood that aren’t always so easy to happily celebrate.

I work with families who have children with disabilities.  I can’t imagine what it must be like raising a child with a disability. I’m pretty sure it’s not a process anyone could ever imagine for themselves when they learn they are going to be a mother. I have friends who can’t conceive. Though they may have not shared each and every personal detail with their extended family, it’s not that they haven’t tried heroically and valiantly to be mothers by taking years of hormone shots and attending dozens of doctor’s appointments at 6 a.m. before work.  I have many friends who have had miscarriages. I’ve also had friends who’ve lost their own mothers way to early, that start Mother’s day planting flowers at the grave site before spending the rest of their afternoon with their mother-in-law. Putting on happy faces, bringing flowers and desserts to the occasion, because it’s what is expected. I never understood any of this until I had my own worst Mother’s Day experience.

I was in bed for awhile contemplating the idea of this post. It isn’t meant for anyone to feel bad or to ruin your Mother’s day.  Maybe for me it’s easier said then done because I eventually got my happy ending, but it surely changed my expectations for this day of celebration. My first loss just shaped my perspective and allowed me to understand that this could be a day that isn’t fun for everyone and we should allow that to be okay without any personal attacks or judgments.

©Lifeproof

As a multi-tasking adult, my iPhone 4S is the biggest and most expensive toy that I have. Given that I have a 2-year-old and work with kids throughout the school day, often handing over my iPhone to access educational apps, many parents have cringed as I have freely passed over this expensive device without any worries.

Initially my iPhone was covered by the Apple warranty. Now my iPhone is protected by the Lifeproof iPhone case. Lifeproof states, “This is a waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and snowproof case. It gives individuals complete freedom to use their iPhone in any wet, dirty or rough situation.” It is designed for the iPhone 4/4S.

To me this means, when you have a toddler or young child it protects your most prized posession from being dropped in the toilet, thrown across the room, and protected from sticky, gooey boogers and fingers.

To others it could mean, exercising in extreme weather while listening to music, never worrying if someone throws you into a pool at a party when you weren’t expecting it, or freaking out when someone spills their drink all over your device at the dinner table. Because, yes, no matter how much skepticism there is in the world, we all seem to have our iPhones in position face up on the table, waiting for the important text or phone calls that will change our future.

©Lifeproof

So here’s my Lifeproof iPhone case review. Assembling the case is easy and it pretty much snaps together. There is a waterproof test that can be done to make sure the case protects the phone from water where the case is placed underwater for an hour without the phone in it. The case itself releases with a small coin inserted into the edges to begin to pop it open. There is a charge port drawer that snaps back on a hinge to reveal the charger opening. To use headphones, unscrew the small screw at the top of the phone. You can plug the standard apple headphones in once the screw is removed. Otherwise there is a headphone adapter that you can screw into this opening to accommodate other headphones. The case includes an anti-glare coating on the screen. It can be purchased in pink, purple, black or white.

The case is not designed to be able to put it on and take it off regularly. I often find that ridges on the case itself, give me more control when holding the phone, which I have not felt with previous cases. I personally don’t find it to be bulky or heavy. The case does impact the sound a little and I’ve found that using the speakerphone on my iPhone, I’m often putting the volume to its highest setting. Always carry the headphone adapters with you, somehow I have no idea where mine is, and since we can’t use the docking station at home, we have frequently hooked our phones up to the speakers of the television to stream Pandora, but that connector doesn’t fit in the opening of the phone. I lost the little screw from the top of the phone for a few weeks, finding it in the bottom of my purse eventually, and the headphone adapter also has a small place to screw this in so you won’t lose it. The only issue I have found using this case is that the car chargers and iPod docking stations we currently owned do not work with this case. So you may need to find additional ones to purchase that are compatible so you can leave the case on, or get accustomed to charging your phone at home overnight or during the day through the wall charger.

These cases retail for $79.99 and can be purchased online or at Best Buy. Which in iPhone case world is honestly not all that expensive if you ask me given the protective capabilities of this case. Though I don’t think I’ll be entering any triathlons soon or exercising in hurricane-like weather, I do feel more comfortable that with my toddler around or while on a family vacation to the beach, our investment and my lifeline is very well protected.

For 10%off Mothers Day promotion, until 5/14/2012 apply user code: FBMOM10

For free shipping in the US apply user code: TWMOM10

Lifeproof provided this case free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own

©AllerMates

Professionally I have seen a HUGE increase in children with life threatening allergies to foods and the environment. My son’s daycare is peanut free, as well as many of the schools that I work in. Signs in the buildings everywhere caution teachers, parents and visitors about peanut allergies, but not all people notice them or are sensitive to the severity of this issue. It is a serious source of stress for the parents of these children because some kids don’t just go into anaphylactic shock from eating this food, others can be so allergic they react from touching a table that has not been cleaned of the oils. I know many people think others overreact, but I have worked with children whose grandparents have sent them to the hospital because they ate peanuts then gave the child a kiss on the cheek.

AllerMates has a line of allergy bracelets for kids. These snap-on, adjustable wrist bands/bracelets caution others to a child’s allergies. There are 14 different characters that represent the most common allergies: peanut, nut, gluten/wheat, milk, egg, shellfish, penicillin, insect sting, latex, pollen, soy, fish, sesame and cats.  The bands themselves are hypo-allergenic, nickel and latex free. There are also multi-allergy wristbands, dog tags, lunchboxes and t-shirts also available.

This  a great item to send with a child who has a food allergy to birthday parties, family events, school, and summer camps so kids can help advocate for themselves.

AllerMates provided a sample free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own. These bracelets can be purchased at Amazon.com and independent retailers.

1. Follow the Numbers

Choose a Broad Spectrum sunscreen SPF 15 or higher whenever you’re outdoors

2. Select Water Resistant Sunscreens that Can Keep Up with the Kids

For the kids, use water resistant sunscreens with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 or higher – a continuous spray sunscreen is quick and easy for them, too.

3. Apply

Apply sunscreen 15 minutes before your are exposed to the sun.

4. Reapply, Reapply, Reapply

Be sure to reapply every 2 hours in the sun and after swimming, sweating and toweling off.

Though for those of you interested, there is currently a $1.00 off coupon on the Coppertone.com website!

©Kristins Gifts

Learning the letters of the alphabet can be difficult for some and easy for others. Some kids love letters, while others want nothing to do with them, leaving their parents angered and frustrated on how they are going to master this critical life skill for reading and writing. Many parents often tell me how their children don’t like to sit with them and work on pencil and paper tasks but they will with their teachers and other professionals. So my little nugget of information in this area is to find a tool that is not always pencil and paper and combine it with activities kids like to do.

These Alphabet Smart Blocks by Kristin’s Gifts have found a permanent home inside my OT bag. These small yellow interlocking blocks have various uppercase letters, numbers, punctuation marks and blank spaces. I’ve essentially got 1 bag of portable educational toys and games that I can modify for a variety of age groups as I travel from building to building throughout the week working with kids ages 4-14.

The blocks also come with a Writing Trainer which is a tracing template for both print and cursive where children can use a pen in the plastic template and trace the letters for kinesthetic multi-sensory learning (pictured in pink above but mine is yellow). I’m personally not a huge fan of tracing unless you immediately follow it up with the child trying to make the letter on their own right after. Tracing your letters and templates without reinforcing the actual skill for some kids becomes nothing more than a dot-to-dot activity where they live for the next clue. The cursive template looks to be crafted from a D’Nealian type handwriting program. Check with your child’s school to find out what their curriculum is so you are consistently teaching them using the same language and stroke formation of the instruction they are receiving from others . None-the-less, while I’m not the biggest fan of the Writing Trainer, the blocks in this pack have been an amazing tool for me and the kids fight over them.

These are some of the fun activities I’ve done with the Smart Blocks letters:

-For preschool aged kids and Kindergarten students learning letters, hide a select few around the room that make up their name and see if they can find them, then sequence them in order.

- You may need to write their name for them to match first before and eventually see if they can do it on their own. Mix in different letters over time and see if they can differentiate what’s in their name or not. Then work to adding their last name.

-The empty spaces in these blocks are great to teach older students (Kindergarten and First Grade) about leaving spaces between their words and punctuation

-The numbers can also be used for recognition, just like when learning the letters for a child’s name, or then configured for some multiplication, division, addition and subtraction problems

-I use them a lot for kids who hate to write, they voice their answer to me, we craft the sentence using the blocks, then they copy it on to the paper from this as a model

Don’t go looking for these in stores, you can purchase these online direct from KristinsGifts.com, Overstock.com, flash sale sites and places like Zulily.com.

What ways have you creatively helped your children to learn about letters and numbers?

Kristins Gifts provided this item free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

©LEGO

Have you thought about buying LEGO’s for your child or as a gift? I can’t believe how many kids love to construct with LEGO’s. I said it before when I reviewed the LEGO Duplo Creative Sorter, my son sits with my LEGO media kit binder, flipping through it like it’s the Bible, consuming every picture, asking questions and commenting on the characters.

Today I brought the LEGO Duplo My First Build Kit into school. LEGO Duplo’s are larger blocks, geared for younger builders ages 1 1/2 to 5. I decided I’d give it a whirl and use it with a few kids, all boys, 2 seven-year-olds and a 6-year-old. I took a chance giving it to 3 kids out of the suggested age range, but they all really enjoyed their time with the kit. I was shocked in all honesty, that I didn’t hear anything about this being for little kids or “babies.” I was more concerned with some of the comments they made about their ability to build with LEGOS.

This particular set is neat because it includes 59 multi-colored pieces, but there are 4 double-sided cards. One side has a picture of something that can be built out of the included DUPLO’s. The other side includes a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a different item. Kids can either follow the directions, or similar to the Creative Sorter, they can place the pieces on the card like a template. I’m a concrete learner, step-by-step directions and pictures are my best friends, and for some kids, this is also true. Others are imaginative and have the ability to create from scratch and wow you with their final product. So this feature alone allows 2 different types of learners or children with different skill levels to customize their experience and build at their level.

While we were building I started asking the kids questions about LEGO’s. 1 child reported he had one of the LEGO video games and that he had a Star Wars kit at home that he plays with, but that his father built for him. Another child,  stated, “I don’t have any. I’m not a good builder.”  Now my opinion might be swayed in that I was using this kit with children who are having some visual spatial skills at school. However, this got me thinking, in general, as a parent even though your child may have a specific interest prompting you to head to the store looking for pirate ships, Avengers characters, Star Wars sets, you name it, something big with loads of pieces that all their friends are asking for. But what if they don’t have the skills to build it? Meaning, what if they can’t follow the instructions, or they don’t have enough hand strength to push the pieces together? Even the kids I worked with today had poor awareness of their force, they’d push to hard, part of it would fall, bumping into another structure they had already built with a piece that would then fall off like a domino effect. Then comes the frustration and anger, turning something fun into a disaster.

Here were some ideas I had on how you can gauge your child’s ability level with LEGO’s and help them be happy, successful constructors.

- For kids in that borderline age range like 5 or 6, they are bridging between a Duplo and the regular sized LEGO bricks. If you are purchasing the smaller LEGO’s, opt for a smaller set that has fewer pieces to save on cost and really get a sense of how much help they may or may not need with larger sets, that is unless you are a closet LEGO loving adult who is happy to build all of the structures yourself!

- A few years ago I attempted to put together LEGO Ramses’s Pyramid with another child and we way underestimated how much time it would take to build the structure nevermind learn how to play the game included, so set a reasonable time limit, and complete the project in stages

- Many would say, searching the  floor or pile for the correct brick is part of the fun of the process, but for some kids, this can be completely visually overwhelming. Pre-sort the pieces and give them only the pieces they will need to follow each instruction, guiding them with verbal clues along the way for placement

-Switch off, they place a piece, you place a piece to share in the process and build stamina, what ever the case, allow them to place the first pieces and the last pieces so they can have a sense of initiation while finishing a project to completion

Do you have any strategies that are helpful when building with LEGO’s in your family?

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

Today we attended such a fun, family cooking event hosted by Chobani Champions where Gavin and I made 3 different recipes where the ingredients included various Chobani Champions greek yogurt for kids. Chef Dustin (aka “Uncle Justin” to Gavin) helped both kids and adults to cut, scoop, squish and mix together some delicious, healthy options. We made Orange Vanilla Cake for Champions, VerryBerry/ Very Healthy Chicken Dinner and Parfaits.

Gavin was excited all day to go to “cooking class.” We’ve never had an experience like this before and though by the end he was exhausted and cranky, during our time there he really enjoyed participating in the food prep, but more importantly he loved eating yogurt, cucumbers and orange vanilla cake all along the way. I think it’s so important to get kids involved in mealtime preparations, especially to help kids try and experiment with new foods and flavors.

Here are the ingredients included in the VerryBerry Very Healthy Chicken Dinner  Recipe

-  Raw Chicken breast- cut in small cubes

-  Raspberries – cut in fours

-  English cucumber – cut in small cubes

-  Avocado – halved and cubed

-  Basil – finely shredded

-  Chobani Champions Verry Berry Yogurt

-  Brown rice for serving

Place chicken cubes in plastic bag with yogurt to coat chicken. Saute chicken in frying pan on medium/high heat. When no chicken juices remain, add in the chopped veggies and herbs/spices. Reduce temperature to low and allow the yogurt to infuse the chicken. Season to taste. Add avocado last. Once chicken is cooked and cucumbers have softened, remove the chicken from heat. Serve over brown rice.

I attended an event sponsored by Chobani Champions and received complimentary items for participation. I was not compensated for my time or this post. The opinions expressed are my own.

©ChalkCity

Now that the weather is warmer, we’ve been spending a lot of time outside. Gavin is now 2 and not only does he enjoy riding his balance bike and pushing his cars around the yard, we’ve blown through all our bubbles and have now expanded into the world of sidewalk chalk. We’ve been testing out the Chalk City Activity Kit making roadways and obstacle courses!

This activity kit includes multiple templates or stencils that allows children and families the ability to easily and quickly design roads and cities on their driveway with sidewalk chalk. There is even an additional template set that encourages children to make obstacle courses on the pavement with stencils for jumping jacks, hopping left/right/both feet, and spinning left/right. Of the entire kit, my favorite accessory is the  Chalk City Road Maker. Using this unique unfolding tool which is very easy to put together, two pieces of sidewalk are placed in the bottom. Simply by walking and pushing or pulling the road maker, even lines are created for roadways literally within seconds. All of the templates fit inside their own brightly colored drawstring mesh bags, which we now keep in our car in case we feel like expanding our roadways at the playground. They are in 3 different bags though I think I’d prefer that they would all fit in 1 larger bag just to keep the set all together, they are easy enough to spot in the trunk of the car.

The templates included in these sets are very durable plastic.  They are easy to use and the chalk markings are sharp and clear once colored on the driveway surface. Within 30 seconds we had drawn a basic, circular roadway for my son to use his ride-on toys. Though he is too young to be able to follow more challenging obstacle course directions for actions like jumping jacks, spinning and hopping, he can jump on two feet forward. The templates are round and make an excellent circle spot even when traced on the outside and colored in.

I often professionally work with parents of children with sensory processing disorder or other regulation disorders like ADHD. These types of children often need large amounts of movement and exercise, and both the children and their parents tell me they get bored really fast aimlessly running around the yard or playground without any structure. As OT’s, one of the recommendations we make to parents to help build their child’s strength and improve their attention is to use structured, time limited physical activities. Our suggestions often involves a lot of obstacle course type activities, and the Chalk City Activity Kit will be a great addition to your sensory diet, especially if you live in an area like we do where we have more paved space than grass space available in our yard.

Chalk City is providing a free kit to 1 lucky reader of ToyQueen.com!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chalk City provided this item free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

When babies are born they do not have an arch in their feet.  Time spent bouncing up and down, pulling to stand, cruising furniture and walking is how these little muscles in the feet develop over time. When I worked in Early Intervention with young children though, there are just some kids who despite the fact they shouldn’t have an arch, have weakness in their ankles and lack stability which impacts their ability to achieve their gross motor milestones within a typical timeframe. At that point we often recommend to parents to visit an orthopedic doctor to discuss the possibility of orthotic inserts. My own son was very bowlegged as an infant and was diagnosed with tibial torsion, which is a curvature in his lower legs due to positioning in utero. Though it never impacted his developmental skills and he wasn’t recommended for orthotics, I had envisions of Forest Gump running through the fields with lots of hinged metal when thinking about the type of orthotics he could be prescribed. Many parents have told me over time they prolong making the orthotics appointment for fear that their child will look different, but in reality what I have seen is that sometimes most kids just need a little insert, like these Arch Angels comfort soles, that fit inside a sneaker or shoe that no-one ever sees. Though they aren’t considered an orthotic, they may be enough to keep a child’s foot and ankle in better alignment. As not all orthotics are covered by insurance, prompting parents large out of pocket fees, for under $20 available online or in certain stores, the Arch Angel comfort insoles may be something to consider for kids with flat feet.

Arch Angels a sent a sample for my consideration. The opinions in this post are my own.

©Neat-oh

When you have a toddler, somehow everyone needs to and seems to learn a variety of clean up songs. Now I’d love to give credit where credit is due, but I have no idea who came up with these songs, so I will not take any individual credit but my favorite clean up song for kids is “Clean up, Clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up everybody do your share.”  Though I’ve also been known to sing, “This is the way we clean up our toys, clean up our toys, clean up our toys, this is the way we clean up our toys, when we’re done with playing.” Here are some great toy storage solutions to help in your clean-up process.

First things first, before you start singing, buy some Neat-Oh zip bins. These toy storage containers, zip up to form a box, but unzip to form a playmat. There’s a top cover that velcro’s the lid on and two carrying straps. Aside from some general themes like dinosaurs, princesses, farms, wild animals, they can also be purchased in a variety of licenses that include Barbie, Hot Wheels, and LEGO. It’s a great way for kids to learn to categorize and sort their toys, giving their clean-up a focus, sense of order and purpose.

Then go ahead and order yourself a Toydozer. This bucket with curved scoop allows both parents and kids a fun, fast way to clean-up. The curved handle attaches to the bucket with velcro for storage. Simply use the handle to push the small toys like blocks, cars, and lego’s into the bucket, then return them to your bins. This simple tool can help you clean up your playroom, returning all the small pieces to their respective bins much faster.

©MarchFive

Since it’s springtime, who’s reorganizing their playrooms and cleaning up and cleaning out? What are your must-have toy storage solutions?

Neat-Oh and Toydozer provided samples for review. The opinions on these products are my own.

If you would like to order a Toydozer, use the code BLOGGER20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase. There is free shipping to the US.

©LEGO

After my most recent visit to Toy Fair previewing the latest and greatest toys, I came home with a large spiral bound book of all the new LEGO toys for the year.  I’d love it if LEGO would do a research study to find out of the love and enthusiasm with these iconic construction bricks is somehow just built into people’s DNA, because my 2-year-old sits with the  press guide and looks at the pictures like he’s studying for a test.

Just due to my experience as an OT, I’m always drawn towards toys that encourage fine motor control and coordination, so when I saw the new LEGO Duplo Set, which is also a shape sorter toy, I was thrilled. However, what’s really unique about this toy for kids ages 1 1/2 to 5, is that what are also the shape sorter plates, are removable templates that teach kids how to sort by color, sort by shape and begin to build simple animals from  a step-by-step picture. I’m certainly creative, but when it comes to LEGO’s, I live and die by the directions. I’ve never been a drawer by any means, and I just am not skilled at free drawing and free building. Neither are some children, and that’s okay, we certainly all have strengths and weaknesses that make us unique individuals.

This set is great to grow with children as they develop in their thinking and problem solving skills. Small children can have the experience of stacking the blocks on top of one another, while toddlers and preschoolers who are ready for more of a challenge, but are looking for a recognizable end product or the structure of an activity that has a beginning, middle and an end, this is a great toy for that.

In terms of storage, all of the 23 pieces are stored inside the green bucket and all 3 templates stack on top of themselves and fit on the top of the box.  If you are using the templates, they are definitely best used on a hard, flat surface like a floor or a tabletop. Different than a traditional puzzle, the pieces will fit into the template on their sides which took my son a little getting used to. With a SRP of $19.99, it’s a great price point for birthday party and holiday gifts.

Do any of you have budding LEGO lovers at a young age at home to? For those of you with older children, when did their love for LEGO’s begin?

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

@TribePlay

These days it never ceases to amaze me how quickly my 2-year-old navigates our iPad 2. We’ve created a folder for him with all of the apps appropriate for his age, and he can already flip through multiple pages to locate it. I also can’t believe how “in-tune” he is to the icons on the screen, despite not being able to read, the “kid-friendy” apps seem to jump off the screen at him and his memory for them is incredible.

The Dr. Panda, Teach Me! app, developed by TribePlay, is an educational app for preschoolers (kids ages 2-5), that is compatible with the iPad and iPhone.  It is available in the iTunes store as both a full version ($1.99), and a free lite version.  After entering the app, the child is able to either chose a learning game or they can explore the different animal habitats (meadow, jungle, farm or arctic) by touching different animals or items in the environment, then wait for their unique animated response. Dr. Panda is a spunky and cute panda bear wearing a graduation hat who narrates the directions and provides positive reinforcement to kids by clapping repeatedly when they choose correct answers, while also letting them know they chose the incorrect response. Aside from English, the language of this app can be changed exposing children to other languages such as German, Dutch, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. The educational activities encourage children to learn about various concepts such as same, different, colors, 1:1 correspondence when counting, memory, matching and spatial skills with puzzles.

The few times that I tried to encourage my 2 1/2 year old to play with the app, he touched a few of the animals watched their responses, then promptly told me that he was finished, returning back to his folder in search of his favorite car and truck related books and apps. When I tried to encourage him to participate in some of the educational games, the concepts got challenging quickly and I think this was why, in part, he chose to move onto another app. Which is also expected for his age, he was randomly picking answers with trial and error, not always understanding the directions. One of my favorite features of this app though for young children, is that there are dozens of simple cause and effect responses children can see by just tapping the various animals and elements in each habitat. Though he is on the early end of the age range for this app, I think it is something that with time he will enjoy more as he is ready for more challenging academic concepts.

During the day I also work in a school system with children who are developmentally delayed and have various learning disabilities. Often times as rewards or when I need a minute to prep our next activity, it’s not uncommon for me to hand over my iPhone for children to access an educational app for just a few minutes. Two children at school played with this app and though they were older than the target age group, because of their learning challenges, the activities were very appropriate for their academic abilities. Both children were able to navigate the app and quickly identify where the game activities were positioned. One of the children loved the clapping and positive response that Dr. Panda provides after choosing the correct answer. When he returned the following week he asked for my phone to see the panda and began clapping in imitation, just like Dr. Panda.

What I like about this app in general is that the content is basic yet educational. Once you load the app within seconds the child can activate the content and the games are relatively short so it could be a great app to encourage kids to play to pass the time in waiting areas, car pool lines, etc.

I participated in this sponsored post campaign through Boston Parent Bloggers and was provided with the Dr. Panda, Teach Me! app for free as part of this opportunity. Though I have received compensation for my time, all opinions represented are my own.

©Hasbro

I wasn’t sure what the kids at school would think of the new BOP IT! XT game from Hasbro. If you aren’t familiar with the BOP IT line of games, it is essentially a handheld gaming device that shouts out directions pretty much at rapid fire. As the player you are responsible to follow all of the directions by manipulating various buttons on the game, at lightning speed, or you will lose.

On the new BOP IT! XT, the directions include not only “bop it, pull it and twist it, ” they have added “spin it,  flick it, and shake it.”  There are various modes for game play that include Solo Mode, Party Mode, Pass It Game and One on One.   Solo mode you follow the directions and it will tell you what the high score to beat is, or how many directions the best player has been able to follow before being disqualified. Party Mode has you activating the buttons with various body parts. Pass it Game has you complete a few commands before passing it to the player on your left.  The One on One game is new, and allows 2 players to play against each other by dividing the device essentially in half, as each player is responsible for completing 2 of the commands. For those who are really coordinated and fast, there are Novice, Expert, Master and Pro levels that can be unlocked that incorporate colors and sounds into the game play.

Considering it took me about an hour to master getting 15 commands correct in succession, I don’t think I’ll be advancing to the Expert, Master or Pro levels anytime soon. The kids at school all recognized the game from television and couldn’t wait to play. Just like me, as excited as they were to play, they got frustrated really quickly when they were disqualified the first few times almost immediately. What was really fun to see was the learning curve though. With persistence the kids were able to improve their scores fairly quickly and it brought out a healthy sense of competition. This game not only requires quick reflexes and coordination of both hands, but some serious focus and memory. It’s been a great way to incorporate some breaks for kids that not only exercises their body, but exercises their mind and their memory in the process. BOP IT is recommended as a family game for kids ages 8 and up.

Would you like a BOP IT! XT? At ToyQueen.com we are giving away 1 game to 1 lucky winner. Make sure you follow all of the directions, there are 2 mandatory entries. Prize fulfillment is being provided by Hasbro games.

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Hasbro provided a free BOP IT! XT to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

So my husband just showed me the link to the video of Alicia Silverstone feeding her son by chewing up the food in her mouth first, then feeding it to him, mouth-to-mouth style like a bird. He knew it would send me to the moon. Though I can’t fault her if she feels some connection bonding with him in this, I’ll say, unique way, watching it honestly made me want to vomit. It was scarier to me than a horror movie.

I started my own son on pureed foods from a spoon at 4 months against many negative opinions who felt that it was way to early, because most of the books and the American Academy of Pediatrics state that 6 months is ideal.  By 10 months he was eating all sorts of softer table foods from the store, that included fruits, meats and vegetables.  All purees and jarred baby food were off my grocery list. I’m lucky, today as a 2 year old, he’s got preferences but I wouldn’t call him picky. Yes, I may have placed a piece of food in my mouth to chew it and gum it and see how it broke down, in order to see what might happen if he ate it, but pre-chewing it for  a child’s enjoyment or for bonding purposes seems completely counterproductive to me.

I spend my professional career as an occupational therapist teaching kids at an early age how to feed themselves either with their fingers or utensils. I guess I’m simply not programmed to think that feeding a child “baby bird style” is helpful to their independence long term. I honestly believe there is a window of opportunity when feeding children and if you miss it, they develop habits and preferences that many people and insurance companies spend months and years paying lots of good money to break. What will this little boy be doing at older ages if he decides to exert his toddler will and demands he be fed like that everywhere and all the time? What if he does what many toddlers do and places something in his mouth, but he hasn’t safely learned to chew it because he hasn’t had the practice? For his sake and her sanity later on, I hope she is making sure to offer him food with a utensil or on his tray other meals of the day so he can practice the art and skill of learning to feed himself and safely chew food.

©Derek Wilmot Photography

As a parent I can understand wanting to bond with your child. Though there could be worse things out there, and maybe I’m overreacting, I know we all try to make the best decisions possible with the information we have.  Well Alicia, if you happen to read this and ever need some strategies on how to transition your son to a more independent way of feeding, I’m here to help if you need it.

If you’d like to see the video here it is. Mangia.