PixOs! PixOs! PixOs!

PixOsOver the past few weeks, I’ve been reviewing PixOs, yet another fabulous arts and crafts type activity created by Spinmaster (designers of Aquadoodle, Moon Sand, Aquasand) where children create designs from a template using small colored beads that are brought to life with the spray of WATER! As an OT we have spent many a day using small beads and ironing them together, worried every time about someone being burned. PixOs, you have now gained a special place in my heart and a permanent place in my treatment bag!
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P: Pen! First we filled the small pen like dispenser with colored beads. I found it helpful to take a pair of tweezers from the medicine cabinet to help fill the dispenser, as the beads were very small, and sometimes challenging for the kids to pick up.

I: Index Finger! I encouraged the kids to hold the dispenser, as they should their pencil or marker, with three fingers in a tripod position. We used our index fingers to Read More »

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SVAN High Chair: ToyQueen’s Favorite High Chair

Keri Wilmot (ToyQueen) shows the benefits of using a Svan Chair for feeding

Keri Wilmot (ToyQueen) shows the benefits of using a Svan Chair for feeding

Being a full time working mom who happens to specialize in feeding therapy, I only have a few hours of the day to spend with Gavin, one of which is typically dinner. This post highlights one of my most treasured products for our mealtimes, the SVAN High Chair.

When considering purchasing a high chair or feeding seat for your child, thinking of their posture and positioning should be your first priority for safety when eating. Consult with your pediatrician regarding your child’s readiness if you have any questions, but typically when first foods are presented, the child should have begun to develop head, neck and core (tummy) strength to sit upright.

Remember back to your geometry days and abide by the 90-90-90 rule. When looking at a child’s posture, there should be a 90 degree angle at the child’s hips, knees and ankles. Features of the SVAN High Chair that make it an excellent choice for feeding and playtime include the footplate/footrest and the safety guard with tray attachment that provides good side support for the child’s belly and midsection.

Most traditional high chairs do not have a footrest in general, and without this we couldn’t abide by the 90-90-90 rule! So for optimal positioning this is such an important feature that is a main part of the SVAN High Chair. When a child’s feet are supported, they have more stability in their midsection making it easier to Read More »

Posted in Baby Registry, Elementary, Family Games, Feeding, 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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Buckley Boo

ToyQueen interviews Jane Ross from Buckley Boo at ToyFair 2010 in New York City.

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Isis Parenting, ToyQueen’s new home away from home!

isisparentingAs today is Mother’s Day, I thought I’d share one of my favorite places that all mothers, grandmothers and parents should be aware of! One week and a half ago, we were invited to several events at Isis Parenting (formerly Isis Maternity) a well known, and respected group of stores in the Boston area, to celebrate their name change and their commitment to support and enhance the parenting and caregiving experience from preconception through preschool. At Isis Parenting, there are classes at their 4 locations in the Greater Boston Area (Prudential Center, Arlington, Needham and Brookline) where parents can participate in prenatal yoga and learn about educational topics such as child birth, breastfeeding, sleep, parenting multiples, CPR and First Aid.  Expert speakers lecture on topics such as estate planning, finding a nanny, and photographing your children.  At each location, infant, toddler and parenting groups provide  fun learning experiences that enhance children’s sensory, motor, social, and language development during the week and on the weekends. Most excitingly, Isis Parenting offers a wide range of products for purchase in their stores and online that include toys, baby gear (cutting edge strollers, car seats, feeding chairs, infant carriers), and breastfeeding supplies.  Read More »

Posted in Baby Registry, Feeding, 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, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Inventor of Ant-O Sphere Peter Smith speaks with ToyQueen

Inventor of Ant-O Sphere speaks with ToyQueen at Toy Fair 2010 in New York City

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ToyQueen’s Celebrities of Toy Fair 2010

It’s been a few months since Toy Fair and for as quickly as it came and went, on this nice spring day I was thinking about the whirlwind that it was, as we searched for all sorts of new toys and gadgets that our children will love and learn from. While most people searched the streets and restaurants of New York for well known celebrities, I scoured the exhibit halls looking for my own kind of celebrities; the everyday people working as inventors and presidents of these companies who all share the unified goal of creating toys and experiences that enrich our childrens’ lives.

BG_CD_BabysFavoriteIn terms of passion, Larry Balaban, the creator behind Baby Genius® is the first person to come to mind. At Baby Genius®, Larry has developed a line of musical DVDs, CDs and toys that use music to encourage “children to communicate, connect, discover, and express themselves.” While speaking with Larry, he was happy to crank the music to personally sing us the tune he wrote for an upcoming product! Aside from the Baby Genius® product line, Larry is working on an initiative with San Diego State University called the Circle of Education, creating songs to support the preschool and Kindergarten curriculum to teach children the routines in the classroom such as raising their hand, pinching their pencil and washing their hands. The Baby Genius® Baby’s Favorite Songs CD (2 CD’s are included: Nursery Rhymes and Lullabies) has become a daily favorite in my car on the way to bring Gavin to daycare. It is a beautifully composed music only CD that starts our day off so calmly that I will admit I frequently play it when I’m alone in the car and need a stress relief! Read More »

Posted in Baby Registry, Elementary, Family Games, 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, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Baby Goes Pro speaks w/ ToyQueen in NY at ToyFair

Baby Goes Pro speaks w/ ToyQueen in NY at ToyFair

Gigi Fernandez and Valerie Stern developed Baby Goes Pro. Gigi is a two time olympic gold medalist in tennis. She has two year old twins and wanted a creative way to introduce her children to sports. Baby Goes Pro introduces young children to sports like tennis, golf, baseball, basketball and soccer. Read More »

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Guidecraft designer speaks with ToyQueen at ToyFair in New York city

Guidecraft designer speaks with ToyQueen at ToyFair in New York city

Gary from Guidecraft previews some of their toys. Guidecraft is a creator of wooden toys and furniture for kids. They take pride in products that are more about dramatic and role play than they are about technology. There have a wooden cell phone without lights and sounds to role play being mom, dad, texting and a work environment. The laptop has moveable keys, a mirror and a magnetic background. Instead of typing, children can recreate the experience of being in an office to feel like they are involved in technology. It’s durable and a solid wood product that kids love. Read More »

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Sassy Stim Gym Infant Play Mat Review

Sassy Stim Gym Play MatIf you are looking for an activity gym for your infant that doesn’t take up your whole living room and promotes baby’s developmental skills without breaking the bank ($35.00), the Sassy Stim Gym is fabulous! This gym is easy to put together in seconds, comes with three adorable detachable bugs, a tummy time bolster and foldable mirror.  What I love about this gym is that it comes with all the necessary items to help a baby develop their visual skills for focusing and tracking, hand eye coordination for reach and grasp, as well as strength through encouraging tummy time play and independent sitting. It can be used from birth through at least 6 months depending on your child’s developmental skill, because once your child is able to roll, it turns into a great mat that also promotes independent sitting. Read More »

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Easter Basket Toy Ideas!

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Being that it’s Gavin’s first Easter, for the first time in forever I was up and down the Easter  aisle at Target, searching for his very own basket. What I was so excited to see where many toys that would be awesome additions to your child’s Easter basket for children of all ages for only $5!

Leap Frog Tag Jr. Spring Time Surprise Easter Book – $4.99

At my Target this came with a coupon for $5 off a Tag Jr, so essentially free if you purchase a Tag Jr. This was a cheaper book than most of the Easter books available at the store, so even though Gavin’s too young to operate his Tag Jr. I bought it anyway to read in the meantime! Great for infants and toddlers!

Fisher-Price Doodle Pro Easter Egg – $4.99

Perfect for travel to the relatives or the restaurant for Easter entertainment! Great for any child ages 18 months and up!

Moon Sand by Spinmaster- $4.99

Cool sand that can be placed inside a chick mold! Great for ages 3 and up!

Pixos by Spinmaster – $4.99

Make Bunny and Chick creations using the Pixos pen and a spray of water! Great for ages 4 and up!

Play-Doh Bunny & Chick – $5.99

LK_101509-097967Great for ages 2 and up!

Little Kids No Spill Bubble Tumblers – $1.99 and up depending on size

What child doesn’t like bubbles? Great low cost idea for children of any age!

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

Leap Frog Zippity Review!

The Zippity by Leap Frog is a plug and play, video game style learning system for children ages 3-5. Children learn to follow directions while they simultaneously develop coordination and strength by jumping and dancing with their favorite characters including Mickey Mouse, Pooh Bear, Handy Manny and the Little Einsteins.

zippity_images.Par.99736.Image.directWhen a game begins, the child uses the Zippity bopper and play mat to interact with the characters as they learn how to match colors, recognize letters and identify the concept of left and right. It’s also great for motor planning, which is a fancy way to describe a child’s ability to follow unfamiliar, multi-step directions.

When reviewing the product, I used the Zippity with two children, ages three and six, who both enjoyed the experience in different ways. There are 8 games provided in the original console, each game has two levels of play. There is also an ability to purchase different game cartridges with other Disney favorites such as Cars and Princesses.

The Level 1 games were perfect for the three year old. Whether she chose to play with Handy Manny or the Little Einsteins, because the directions to both games were similar, she could generalize a skill she had learned from one game to the next with almost immediate success.

As an adult, don’t get frustrated with the speed of the directions being slow, this is a great feature that makes it easier for children to understand the directions! For younger children I would encourage an adult to play along so that you can repeat the directions again if they have a hard time remembering them. Level 1 did include some directions such as using left and right, which can be difficult for children this age to understand, so you may want repeat the direction and encourage them to step on red for left or green for right instead.

The Level 2 games were easy for the six year old, but remember all children learn at different paces. He was able to feel successful immediately by quickly following the directions and operating the console completely by himself. We worked on the concept of turn taking, which worked out well and can be a good skill to promote amongst siblings and friends during playdates.

As is typical of many Leap Frog toys, you can use the Learning Path to experience in more detail other developmental skills your child is learning.

What I really like about the Zippity is that it provides dynamic learning in both the physical and mental sense. I personally love games that incorporate whole body movement and the Zippity is perfect for providing stimulation on a rainy day when children aren’t able to play outside. It’s a great game to buy for families with multiple siblings or children of different developmental levels.

The Zippity retails for $79.99, for more information visit www.leapfrog.com

Leap Frog provided the Zippity free for this review, but the opinions expressed in this review are purely the bloggers own.

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Disney Toy Story 3 Preview event in New York City for Toy Fair 2010

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story toy soliders decsend from the ceiling at the Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story toy soliders decsend from the ceiling at the Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010 John Lasseter holds a lego replica of himself

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010 John Lasseter holds a lego replica of himself

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010 John Lasseter poses next to lego replica of himself

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010 John Lasseter poses next to lego replica of himself

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - John Ratzenberger poses with Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - John Ratzenberger poses with Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - John Lasseter poses with Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - John Lasseter poses with Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City gets shown some of the new toys for 2010 by one of the Disney executives

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City gets shown some of the new toys for 2010 by one of the Disney executives

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Ecotronics speaks with ToyQueen – Toy Fair 2010 NY

Tisha from International Playthings demonstrates toys from the Ecotronic Brand. Kids love toys with electronic features, but batteries contribute a ton of toxic waste into the environment so Ecotronic brand includes the lights and sounds without batteries! It uses the power of kids play to power the toys. The monkey flashlight is activated by squeezing the handle and this powers the rechargeable battery inside. The monkey’s nose will then light up and it’s an LED flashlight. Perfect to put in a handbag, works on Read More »

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Hasbro ToyFair Event New York City

Hasbro ToyFair 2010 Event

Hasbro ToyFair 2010 Event

Today we had the pleasure of being invited to the Times Center in New York City to preview Hasbro’s newest products for 2010. Though I always knew that Hasbro represented a multitude of brands, seeing them all under one roof and in one room was exciting to think about all the fun to be had in the upcoming year.  I never expected to feel so nostalgic since many of the toys I grew up enjoying are still on the market for our children to play with, in a new and improved, up-to-date version for today’s market.

The day began by presentations from Brian Goldner, Hasbro CEO; Jane Pitson Parsons, Hasbro’s Global Consumer Wilmot_toyfair_100213_9087_2Insights Leader; and Jerry Perez; Hasbro Senior Vice President Global Brand Leader Preschool Marketing. They all spoke about Hasbro’s plan to Reinvent, Reimagine and Reignite the brand. Not to mention their commitment to the social media space and to parents and caregivers worldwide, to maintain an open dialog, so that Hasbro can be the best they can be to provide an immersive play experience, as well as to foster innovation, ideation and creativity. Read More »

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

SpinMaster’s Glodoodle Review by Toy Queen


SpinMaster’s Glodoodle Review by Toy Queen

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