©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.

©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.

©HIT Entertainment

I have a 2-year-old-son who has a crush on Angelina Ballerina. I’m not kidding. He loves this show and actually prefers to watch these DVD’s more than Thomas the Train or Barney. It honestly doesn’t make me sad, because it’s the only opportunity to watch something a little more girly that isn’t focused on trucks and trains, so I’m not worried or upset in the least. Aside from appealing to young girls who love to dance,  Angelina Ballerina and the rest of the characters in this show have very cute English accents and the music and dancing incorporated into each show is very sweet and catchy.

The new DVD, Angelina Ballerina: Ballerina Princess will be available March 6, 2012 with a MSRP of $14.98. It will also be available on Digital Download and On Demand. The DVD is 61 minutes in length and is in English, Spanish and French languages.

Here is a synopsis of the DVD: Join Angelina Balleria and her friends for enchanting adventures filled with princesses, princes, kings and queens. Dancing their way through Chipping Cheddar, Angelina encounters a bad fairy, uncovers a Cinderella-like mystery, treats the king and queen to a regal performance and brings an epic tale to life on stage. 

The DVD has 5 short episodes. It  also includes a bonus feature, Agelina’s Stupendous Dress Up Game.

Aside from reviewing other Angelina Ballerina DVD’s, I also had the opportunity to review Angelina Ballerina Dance With Me Game, which young girls can practice isolated ballet moves and put a show on with their friends.

HIT Entertainment provided this DVD free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

Angelina Ballerina Dance With Me Game

Some of you may recognize the familiar mouse from television, Angelina Ballerina.  Aside from the Angelina Ballerina television show, there is an adorable Angelina Ballerina game for preschool aged girls, entitled Dance with Me by Wonder Forge.

This board game, recommended for kids, namely girls, ages 3 and up, not only teaches children all about taking turns, but it also includes learning over 20 different ballet moves in the process. There is only 1 moving token, so everyone takes a turn being Angelina Ballerina. I love the idea of only one moving token. Many times when playing games with multiple children, especially in this age group, since kids this age are just learning to count, it can be a full-time job making sure every advances correctly!

The game board itself looks like a stage and stands upright. When a player lands on a “New Move” space, they pick a dance move card and place it on the stage. For attempting the move, the player can earn a star. Kids can collect stars (1-2) along the gameboard for attempting new moves, practicing the moves in order, or landing on a space that offers stars for various reasons.

At the end of the game, the first person to advance Angelina Ballerina to the “It’s Showtime” space is the first to perform all of the dance moves from the game in order, from memory!  For each move completed, the child earns a star. The remaining players then take a turn to see how many stars they earn.  The winner of the game is determined by whoever has the most amount of same colored stars. I think this concept is fantastic, because this allows anyone to win, as long as they put forth effort for trying, in some cases irregardless of athletic or physical ability. It’s a great way for young kids to unite on a common interest, even if it’s just that they enjoy the Angelina Ballerina character.  If you have a CD player nearby, there is also a musical cd included in the game for use when playing and definitely when, “It’s Showtime!”

If you enjoy Angelina Ballerina DVD’s, these are some of the DVD’s we’ve been lucky to preview over the last 6 months.

- Angelina Ballerina The Nutcracker Sweet DVD

- Angelina Ballerina Shining Star Trophy DVD

- Angelina Ballerina Love to Dance DVD

- Angelina Ballerina Ballet Dreams DVD

The Angelina Ballerina Dance With Me Game, as well as the above mentioned DVD’s were provided free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

Fun on the Farm 2, which is 33 minutes in length, is the newest release from TM Books & Video. This DVD has expanded on some of the great concepts from the original Fun on the Farm DVD. Again, geared for preschool aged children, this DVD includes some new songs by James Coffey, that encourage children to learn about farming and farm animals. This video also uses fast paced videos of live animals and tractors, and like my son, I have no doubt your kids will continue to be amazed by the footage of some really cool John Deere tractors. Scroll down below for a video highlighting some of the great features of this new DVD.

To one lucky reader, we are giving away a free copy of Fun on the Farm 2. Please follow the instructions below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here’s a preview of the video:

TM Books and Video provided a media sample of the DVD to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

Pretend & Play Pro Chef Set by Learning Resources

Play kitchens are very popular to expand the social skills and pretend play skills of toddler and preschool aged children (ages 2-5). This age group is all about imitating what Mommy, Daddy, their siblings and friends do, which is why kitchen sets are a great toy for this age group. About a year ago, we received a play kitchen for Gavin which sent me on a mission to the nearest Target, searching for some pots and pans for his pretend cooking pleasure. I could not believe it, but all of the kids pots and pans available for purchase in the store were pink. You can read my rant about gender biases creating housekeeping toys to be only pink here.  When I was contacted about reviewing the Pretend & Play Pro Chef Set by Learning Resources, the moment I saw that the pans were blue I instantly fell in love. Thank God, a company that is marketing a pots and pan set for a kids kitchen set, that both boys and girls can play with!

The set includes a deluxe stock pot, saucepan, 2 lids, skillet, spatula, large spoon, oven mitt, play food (chicken leg, carrot, corn on the cob and fried egg) and a write & wipe Activity Guide.  The pots and pans are plastic and lightweight, easy for a toddler to lift up and down, as well as to place in and out of the oven and various cabinets. Many of the other sets I have viewed in the store, if they are not pink, are all sorts of bright and unrealistic colors. I like the color of these pots and pans, and feel they are more similar to what real pots and pans might look like.  The spatulas and spoons are gray and also lightweight.  The play food will give your child a few options to start, but I would still suggest purchasing some additional  play food. Amazingly, my toddler knows what the oven mitt is for and though he wears it on the opposite hand from the one that he holds the pots and pans with, it’s one of my favorite accessories. In all honesty, I haven’t seen any other sets that come with the oven mitt. We need to teach our kids about safety, especially when cooking, and this is a nice way to reinforce this concept. If you are looking for some pots and pans to purchase for your child’s kitchen set this holiday season, the Pretend & Play Pro Chef Set by Learning Resources is great for this age group and retails for about $24.99.

Other related articles you might find interesting:

Review of the Learning Resources Pretend & Play Ice Cream Shop

Video Review of the Small World Toys Fun With Fruit

Constructive Playthings Kitchen Set

Why are So Many Toy Plates, Vacuum Cleaners and Shopping Carts PINK?

Learning Resources provided this set free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

Branding is amazing, and your family, like mine, may recognize the familiar red Tonka truck, named Chuck, from the aisles of your local toy store. We have a Chuck the Truck toy at home and even though this app  is for preschool and early elementary aged children (kids ages 3-6), Gavin will insist on loading this app every time he see’s the icon on the page.

The Tonka Chuck & Friends: Friends for the Long Haul app , was brought to market by Ruckus Media Group, a company that has developed other educational iPad and iPhone apps which double as interactive, digital books. A child or a parent can read the book out loud the traditional way. The app will also read the book to the child, with the words highlighted along the way to help those early readers. A read and record feature is also available for parents or family members to record the sound of their own voice. This book is very long and with 75 different scenes in total, this is definitely more appropriate for preschoolers rather than toddlers. After about 13 pages, the first of 2 different types of games appeared.

In the first game experience, kids use their index finger, repeatedly swiping it across the screen to reveal a picture underneath. After a few seconds a letter will appear to spell out a specific character. The app will verbally say the letter out loud and the child must touch the letter with their finger before it will move to the bottom of the screen, which is great reinforcement for letter recognition. The word is then spelled, letter by letter, in a left-to-right fashion. The child keeps reading and then after a few pages, another interactive experience occurs in the form of a matching, memory game. Out of a small field of 8, the child has to match the differentbuilding materials to answer a question which will provide the next clue in the story. When they find a match, a letter appears. Once they touch the letter, it is said out loud again to the child which begins to spell out another word, again from left to right.

All the words that are uncovered in the story get stored in a bank, and the very last activity is that kids can drag and drop the words, which are also paired with a picture icon, into their own story. When they are finished the story is read aloud.

I have worked with many little boys over the course of my work as an occupational therapist, and heard many a story from both parents and teachers that finding ways to motivate these active, busy little guys to learn about their letters can be a challenge. Chuck the Truck provides a familiar face, in a fun storybook, using concepts that many boys will find entertaining. There are some video pages mixed in, which is great for mixing up the content.

If you have a child who can’t yet sit for the entire 75 pages, pick a reasonable and attainable goal so neither you, nor your child get frustrated. In my opinion the games could serve as a great stopping point. I really like the last activity where kids can use their creativity to make up their own story. Kids love to be silly, so I can only imagine the giggles when they develop a story that makes absolutely no sense, but isn’t that half the fun?

Ruckus Media Group provided this full version app free to facilitate the review. The opinions are my own.

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And then there are those individuals who not only illustrate, but who also find the words to give great meaning to their stories. So everyone, meet Kevin Bloomfield. An illustrator AND author of children’s books, who recently released Mr. Biggs in the City, which I had the pleasure of reviewing.

The premise of the story includes one silly Sasquatch or Bigfoot, a.k.a. Mr. Biggs and his squirrel friend, who leave their cave in the forest to test out all the fun and excitement that big city life has to offer. Except Mr. Biggs’s physique lends himself to be a pretty big “bull in a china shop.” So, none of the activities he thinks would be fun like riding a roller coaster, skateboarding, and my personal favorite — ballet, just don’t appear to really be any fun for him, for reasons you will definitely see why in the illustrations! So what will make Mr. Biggs happy? You’ll have to check out the book for yourself to see.

Now for one of the coolest features I have seen in a children’s book. I was provided with a bilingual copy of the book,meaning the story is written in English on one side of the page and Spanish on the other. What a great way to help children learning either language to bridge the gap. On just a few of the pages, it could be a little distracting with so many words on the page, but I really think this is a great concept. (It was kind of fun as an adult who hadn’t practiced Spanish in 15 years to give myself the good old college try at pronunciation!)

The story is simple, and having a toddler at this point, I can really appreciate the use of simple language in books. We’ve all been there one time or another when we abandon the words on the page because some kids are just to young to understand every word. Mr. Biggs in the City is geared for children in preschool (about 3 years old) through 3rd grade. This book is amazing for its entertaining illustrations, that both children and adults will appreciate.

Apparently there are plans for Mr. Biggs to head to the circus in his next adventure, so follow all upcoming news at www.KevinBloomfield.com, on Facebook and on Twitter.

A copy of this book was provided free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

These 70 plastic blocks arrived in a nice, big, blue storage container. For all extents and purposes, these look like ordinary stacking blocks (similar to a Mega Blok), except that they have unique imprints on the top of each block.  When I say technology, there are booster block packs that you can purchase that will bring the blocks to life through sound. The are 6 different booster packs that can be purchased and each pack comes with three blocks. There are Nursery Rhyme Blocks, ABC Shape & Counting Blocks, Music & Dancing Light Blocks, Math Blocks, and two packs (Purple, Pink, Orange & Red, Yellow, Green)  that encourage color recognition and manners through the use of rhyming.

Some of these special blocks in the booster packs have LED lights and special chips that allow for numerous possibilities when stacking them. You have to see the SMARCKS website to really appreciate the amount of technology that has gone into creating these blocks, honestly I was completely amazed and I will admit, slightly overwhelmed at first!  For all you tech savvy people and engineers, a lot of love and dedication has gone into the process and development of this product, there is no doubt they will intrigue parents too.

I am a huge fan of products that stand the test of time and I love that young children can initially use them as young as one like regular stacking blocks while their older siblings and parents will be baffled trying to figure out all the possible puzzles and combinations that will also make these blocks laugh, count, sing, rhyme, light up, add and subtract.

My son and some of the children that I work with, in true toddler fashion, have enjoyed the old classic songs included in the Nursery Rhyme Blocks like Pat-a-Cake, Itsy Bitsy Spider and Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Gavin can open the container himself and knows how to stack them on top of each other. When I give him the nursery rhyme block, he will even start to sing-a-long with some of the songs in his own way (usually Ya-Yo, Ya-Yo is his version of requesting EI-EI-O!). He loves it if I start singing along with the block, too! He does a few little sways and bounces to dance along with the songs! I would definitely suggest, choosing only a few of the special blocks to incorporate at a time with the younger kids. If you activate to many of them at the same time, you can’t differentiate the sounds and it doesn’t do the blocks justice, it just makes for a lot of noise.

If you have multiple children in your household these blocks have entertainment value for everyone. Definitely go online, download and print out the Puzzle Building Guides, older children can follow the step by step building instructions to unlock the secrets of these special blocks by placing the block in different locations in sequence to sing an entire song.

Ways to help your children use all the functions these blocks have to offer:

- If you are using the puzzle guide, depending on their age you may need to help them sort out only the blocks they will need for that specific puzzle and place the remaining blocks back in the storage container

- The puzzle building guides go in all sorts of paths like left to right, right to left and circular, which is great for attention, memory and the visual tracking skills that are helpful to develop when children learn to read

- After they have completed the puzzle  a few times using the guide, see if they can remember the sequence required to play the song themselves as this works on their visual memory

- These blocks are great for older children to work collaboratively together at home or at school to learn how to share, take turns and communicate with each other if you have more than one child following the puzzle guide together

Guess what! ToyQueen.com is giving away a set of the Learning Special Smarcks valued at $76.95! Here is what the giveaway includes: 

The original blue container, housing 70 Smarcks Smart Blocks, along with the talking blue block. Included in the Learning Special set are the Math and Counting Blocks which provide children a way to see, touch, and hear what they are counting and adding. The Learning Special also includes the Spelling, Shape, and all 7 Color Blocks.

Mandatory Entry:

Please visit the Smarcks Website to see what these amazing blocks can do firsthand. Comment under this post which booster set you think your child would like the best.

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Giveaway ends April 13th, 11:59 p.m. EST.

Smarcks Smart Blocks provided these blocks free to facilitate a review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

ALEX, was founded in 1986, and for several years has sold many unique arts and crafts products.  Today, they continue to sell a creative product line, but now their offerings have expanded into plush infant toys, outdoor play, pretend play, preschool maniuplatives and bathtub toys. They have always been a “go to” company in my line of work to help parents find exciting ways to help children expand on their fine motor skills, but also been a personal favorite of mine when looking for different, cost effective gifts. Once you see the ALEX product line, you will start to recognize their inviting, whimsical patterns everywhere.

So yesterday, ALEX launched a new FREE app for kids on both iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad formats called Moody Monster Manor. Here children ages 3-8 participate in 4 different games. There are four locked doors that I thought I would “unlock” after I obtained enough points. However, it states there will be more games coming soon, so I’m assuming this is a way for ALEX to expand the app at a later date. All of the games are short – 30 seconds long, and it’s clear and easy to navigate around the Manor.

- With Monster Maker, children personalize and save an individual monster. They can choose a name, body style, background pattern, eyes, nose and mouth.

- In Scared Sam, children simply tilt the device left or right to change the path of a moonbeam so they can “capture” the bad dreams.

- In Worried Wanda, children will use color recognition and matching skills, to help Wanda finish her homework. Children are given a choice of four answers and they are encouraged to tap the correct answer that either matches the color of a specific animal, or  they look at an icon to match the animal with the same facial expression including ecstatic, tired, and angry.

- In Confused Carl, help Carl flick the name tags to the corresponding Monster. There is a word on the name tag such as Happy or Embarassed, with a small emoticon that gives children a clue on which monster will match the name tag. The child flicks the name tag to match up Worried Wanda, Hungry Hank and Sad Sal. Some of the emoticons like Bored were kind of difficult to differentiate, but if your child picks the wrong one it will let them know by returning it to the bottom so they can choose again.

- In Hungry Hank, help Hank make a silly snack. There are 3 ingredients to Hank’s snack. With your finger drag the correct food in or out of the bowl. Once you have placed all three, shake the device to see if you are right. If you are wrong they will return to the shelf and be sure to  try again.

Make sure you Meet the  Monsters! 20 different Monsters, with their rhyming names like Mischievous Max, Yucky Yogi, and Love Lulu.  Cute children’s voices introduce the Monsters, along with their names, giving kids clues as to what different types of emotions mean. For example, “Yawn! This is Tired Tilly. Tilly is so sleepy. Maybe she should follow the monster bedtime rules. Then she won’t fall asleep while playing with all the other monsters!” I can just see all of us now, renaming our kids with monster names on any given day based on their moods.
“C’mon Tired Tilly get yourself out of bed, it’s time for school!” Kids need to learn the names of these emotions and practice them in order to really understand what the mean in the first place, before they can personally identify the mood with themselves. This is a great way to expose kids to these kinds of feelings in a positive and fun way, so eventually they can learn to communicate better about their current feelings when “in the moment.”

I’ve reviewed several free apps of all sorts of varieties and they vary in their usability and design. Most free apps provide you with one or two teasers before prompting you to upgrade to the full version. Many companies are also creating free apps where you will see banner ads for their products in them, but not with this app. Moody Monster Manor by ALEX provides an unbelivable amount of play value, with an interesting educational perspective.  I felt like I should have been a paying customer for this type of experience. This company has done a fabulous job creating a quality app with no extra strings attached.

Moody Monster Manor is free, available for download in iTunes.

In conjunction with ALEX, to celebrate the launch of this free app, we are coordinating a giveaway of Monster Bingo, valued at $16.95!

To enter, comment under this post about an ALEX Toy you think your child would enjoy playing with, then sign up for the ToyQueen.com RSS Feed.

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Giveaway ends April 4th, 2011, 11:59 EST.

I downloaded this ALEX app for free. Then after reviewing the Moody Monster Manor app I provided this review for free.  The opinions in this post are my own. In conjunction with this post, ALEX has agreed to provide the giveaway of Monster Bingo for free.  I have not reviewed Monster Bingo and have no opinion on the use of this particular game.

So slowly over the last few months, he’s become well aware of the Sesame Street characters from his doctor’s kit, imitating Cookie monster’s laugh to point and call “Ha Ha” when ever he see’s him. He quickly realized, without me showing him, that the same blue creature makes occasional appearances on the front of his diapers, thanks to Pampers!

I was so psyched to receive the new Sesame Street Silly Storytime DVD for review — to see what his reaction would be to the furry monsters we all seem to have soft spot for in our nostalgic hearts! So the night it arrived we sat down together to watch it.

The Sesame Street Silly Storytime DVD is broken up into 4 chapters, The Tale of Rapunzoe, Sleeping Grouchy, Jack and the Green and Growing Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood. So though the entire program is 50 minutes you can watch each chapter individually. I like this idea, I do try to limit Gavin’s television, and I think this provides a great option. There are bonus features included with an animated storybook, “A Wish for Grover” and the ability to also use Spanish or English subtitles.

I think it was just as nostalgic for me to watch this video with the classic Kermit the Frog “Muppet Newsflash” segments! Educationally, I think this DVD is great for vocabulary development, literacy and developing rhyming. Plus I thought there was a fair amount of adult humor included that made watching this DVD with Gavin a lot more enjoyable for me, for sure! I’m not sure what it is about that amazingly cute little red monster, but “MO!!!”  has become a new favorite at our house!

As I have said in prior posts, I know many people are concerned about the amount of “screen time” our little ones get throughout the day. We try to use DVD’s and shows as special time in our home and on occasion when I need to have 10-15 minutes to start dinner or get something important accomplished. Though whenever possible, I like to sit and watch with him, pointing, labeling, engaging him in the activity (we pretended to sleep like sleeping grouchy!) and modifying it to his level.  The Sesame Street Silly Storytime DVD was a lot of fun for our entire family.

ToyQueen.com is giving a Sesame Street Silly Storytime DVD away to a lucky reader!

Mandatory entry: Please comment under this post your favorite Sesame Street character!
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Giveaway ends Sunday February 20th at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Sesame Workshop and Warner Brothers Home Video provided this DVD to facilitate a review. The opinions are my own.

One thing I love about MegaBlok’s toddler and preschool toys is their ability to integrate fine motor skill building with imaginative play at even the youngest of ages. Due to this particular toys ability to span the ages of toddlers from  1 to 3, the play options available, in my opinion,  make this a very cost effective toy.

This pirate ship has a string to be pulled behind a walking toddler. The blocks are easily put together to create the mast and cabin. The cabin can also be utilized separately for multiple creative play options, because it can be removed from the ship, revealing a trap door! Then as children get older, they can use their skills to recreate their own designs and expand their imagination using more MegaBloks.  So please realize there are multiple building opportunities with this ship. Extra features include storage for more blocks in the bottom, a trap door, a ball launcher, an adorable shark, a treasure chest and a monkey that plays a few different tunes when he’s simply pushed.

At just one, Gavin first removed every single block from the ship (dump play) and for about 20 minutes tried to push it around the living room like a truck. Nonetheless, over the past few weeks he has figured out how to pull it behind him when walking and has added a few new dancing grooves to his repertoire because he knows the monkey sings a few tunes. If I sit and play with him, he can stack several of the block on top of each other. I am completely looking forward to watching his creativity grow with this toy over the next few years.

MegaBloks provided this item free for the purpose of a review. The opinions expressed in this entry are purely the bloggers own.

I think many of us can remember sitting with the old Wish Book catalog that would arrive before the holidays. Pre-internet era, it was pretty much the way in my family we picked out what we wanted for the holidays.

Here are some easy ways to help your child create their own wish list for the holidays based on age:

Recently in the past few weeks I’ve received flyers in the mail at home from both Walmart and Toys R Us. The Sunday flyers in the newspaper may also serve to be great ways for your kids to have visuals of what they would like. So why not pick one up and incorporate a bit of arts and crafts when helping them create their wish list letters?

Remember parents you are the one in CONTROL. So if a few pages in the flyer were missing ahead of time and you were pretty careful about it – some kids may never notice! For those kid’s who get overwhelmed, pulling out any irrelevant pages is a great idea anyways, why show them the infant toys if they are too big for them anyway?

Preschool Age Ideas:
Preschoolers (3 and up) are able to make a circle with a marker around an item. The difficulty is that they don’t always understand the concept of numbers. I would sit with them looking through each page and let them circle 2 items on each page. What’s the harm in letting them circle a few items, they aren’t in control of the purchase and honestly have no concept of money at that age, so don’t worry if it’s out of your price range. Choices also let them feel as if they are in control and the more things they find, you’ll have a better chance of them fitting into your budget.

Afterwards, give them a pair of scissors and encourage them to cut out what they would like and paste it onto another page for their Wish List. If you draw straight lines with a bold marker, a preschooler should be able to cut on a bold straight line for a square. On the Wish List I would then decide on a predetermined number of gifts and place squares on the holiday list to help them begin to fill in the blanks with what they have cut out, this will help them concretely narrow their choices. (See the picture up top for reference, first one on left)

Elementary Age:
Children within the elementary school age should be able to recognize numbers. The Toys R Us flyer has little boxes for check marks. For an older child they can cut out the items that they like and you can also help them sort them by numbers, looking at the item and for example picking a predetermined number of items that are over $25.00 but under $50.00, to help keep them within your budget for the season. Then have them paste them onto another paper for reference. (See middle picture above for reference)

If you go online, you can print customized writing paper, relevant for their grade. (aka big dotted lined paper for Kindergarten/first grade, smaller dotted lined paper for second grade and wide ruled notebook paper for children third grade and up)

If you write it out the wish list first with single words in a list format, your child can neatly copy it on the special holiday paper to minimize frustration, help with spelling and to make it neater. (see picture above on far right for reference)

Second grade and up, encourage your child to write it and spell the words and sentences themselves.

The opinions in this blog post are purely the bloggers own.

First and foremost, Isis Parenting is a local organization, with four other stores in the Boston area (Needham, Arlington, Boston, Brookline). Isis Parenting provides parent training, education and support from preconception through the preschool years. Though even if you are reading this post from somewhere other than Boston, please check out the Isis Parenting community online, because they have so much to offer any parent from near or far!

I have had the pleasure of working on an unbelievable project with an outstanding group of women from Isis Parenting and needless to say, I was so upset that I could not make it to the event. So, I sent my husband and ToyQueen co-founder Derek to attend on my behalf. Being a feeding therapist who has worked with children and their parents for the last 10 years, helping children to expand their food repertoires, I have definitely felt more comfortable taking an active role in feeding our son and couldn’t wait for the day to come to feed him pureed foods. I was so excited for Derek (www.dadslanding.com)  to attend the event, in hopes that he could learn a few tricks of his own to feel more confident in helping us to both make good choices for our family’s nutrition.

Derek reported that “I found it very interesting as a Dad to learn more about the nutrition side of things, such as learning the benefits of something as simple as changing from white rice to brown rice can make a significant difference in your child’s nutrition.” He remembered from Dr. Greene’s presentation, “The importance of eating ‘green,’ not only when your child is born, but the time prior to conception is just as important.” Derek believes that, “Having been a road warrior with on the road jobs for a number of years, this opened my eyes to the efforts and the changes that one must make, because it’s easy to eat unhealthy. Once you get into the rhythm of the routine it should become second nature to make better choices.”

So for the past two days, I can not get my nose out of Dr. Greene’s book. Dr. Greene has written such a helpful resource for all parents with practical advice that is substantiated by cited research. It has been so validating to hear many of the suggestions we often make to parents who present with such a significant amount of frustration and anxiety over their child’s eating habits, that there are so many fun, practical solutions available to incorporate into the family routine. Dr. Greene helps guide parents through the challenging maze of feeding their children throughout their early life stages and reiterates the importance of establishing good mealtime routines with nutritious foods that will help our children thrive.

A lucky reader will win a copy of Feeding Baby Green: The Earth Friendly Program for Healthy, Safe Nutrition During Pregnancy, Childhood, and Beyond
by Dr. Alan Greene, M.D.

Mandatory Entry: Please comment under this post on a food or strategy that you use to encourage your children to eat healthier.

Extra Credit Entries

1. Follow @ToyQueen on Twitter, Like ToyQueen on Facebook      

2. Follow @Isis_Parenting on Twitter, Like Isis Parenting on Facebook

Please make sure to come back to the post and identify what extra credit opportunities you participated in.

As part of attendance at this event, Isis Parenting provided a free giveaway copy of Feeding Baby Green: The Earth Friendly Program for Healthy, Safe Nutrition During Pregnancy, Childhood, and Beyond

Giveaway ends 11/21/10 11:59 p.m. EST