©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.

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

www.ToyQueen.com interviews Rory Story Cubes game inventor at Toy Fair 2011

Video Transcription:

Keri: Hi, this is Keri Wilmot from ToyQueen.com. We’re here at the
Gamewright booth for Toy Fair 2011, and last year we were here and we took
some video of Rory’s Story Cubes and its original debut. But now, this year
we’re bringing you something new because we have the inventor of Rory’s
Story Cubes with us. So, hi, Rory.

Rory: Hi.

Keri: Nice to meet you.

Rory: You too.

Keri: So, why don’t you tell us a little bit about your story behind your
story and about Rory’s Story Cubes.

Rory: Okay. Well, Rory’s Story Cubes is a very simple story telling game.
It’s got 9 cubes with 54 images. Every time you roll it, you get
one of over 10 million possible combinations, and the goal is as
simple and as hard as you have to tell a story that starts with
“Once upon a time,” and you somehow link together all nine face-
up images on the cubes. So there’s no wrong answer. It’s played
by children, grandparents. They spend quality time together.
They bring it when they’re traveling.

Keri: Right.

Rory: The reason why we created the game is that, for us, it’s very
important to promote creativity and creative thinking, and
that’s all about being able to make connections. So the story
cubes, the way it works is that we can’t help but, when we look
at one of these images, find some meaning in it. So when you
say, “There’s a story in there,” our brain wants to solve it and
figure out what that story is. So it’s a very simple game. It’s
nonthreatening, and again you can play it in 60 seconds on your
own, or we hear of families spending 2 hours together. They put
away their electronic devices, and they share stories together.
They learn about each other, because the story you tell will be
different from the story that I tell.

Keri: Absolutely

Rory: So the children will talk about what they’re interested in or what’s
going on in their life, and the grandparents will tell, you
know, they might reminisce or tell topics that are of interest
to them.

Keri: I’ve had a lot of great success using the game over the last year,
because I work with children on their handwriting. So I’ve been
able to use your concept, and we’ve been recording the stories.
It’s been so exciting for me to see the kids kind of create the
story, and they write it down, and then they actually have
something to keep with them to remember.

Rory: Yes.

Keri: And we’ve drawn pictures to go along with it. It’s really been a
wonderful tool for children’s development.

Rory: You might like to hear then how we got to that point, because
originally Rory’s Story Cubes was developed as a creative
thinking and a creative problem solving tool for the likes of
organizational trainers, coaches, and that’s our background is ,
in creative thinking and problem solving.

Keri: Yeah.

Rory: One day my colleague’s daughter came home and said, “I use these in
school. I have to practice my handwriting, but it’s so boring
having to write that out.” So she used the story cubes to come
up with a story. She brought it in and showed it to her teacher.
Her teacher said, “Oh my god, this is brilliant!” She came back
and told us, and we thought, “There’s something going on here
that we haven’t really been paying attention to.”

Keri: Right.

Rory: And the more we showed it to teachers and the more feedback we were
getting from them, we realized that this was a tool that they
were crying out for, because on one side it’s like a [inaudible
2:53] in a pocket. She can always create a lesson with it.
Others were saying it frees them up to use their creativity, as
well, in the classroom. And again, it helps the children,
because I don’t know if you’ve ever had a blank page syndrome.

Keri: Absolutely.

Rory: Yeah. So, with this, these act as like stepping stones to create
stones.

Keri: Exactly, and I think that’s what a lot of children need. You have
that moment of, “Oh my gosh, I don’t know what I’m going to
say.” But the pictures help them to kind of organize their
thoughts.

Rory: Yes. Our view and our experience is that we are inherently creative.
As human beings we solve problems all the time, and we need
creativity to do that. And sometimes we forget, or you might say
we get a bit flabby. We don’t practice it. And so, just like you
wouldn’t get up and run a race if you hadn’t been exercising,
it’s the same with this. We are creative, but we might have not
been exercising our mind in that area. So the way story cubes
work is that they allow you to exercise your mind, and, we say,
within two or three goes, that spark will have kicked in again
and you have that confidence. If you tell a story, so you roll
the cubes and you make up a story starting with, “Once upon a
time,” and that links them together, we do it with children and
adults where they tell one story, then roll them again and tell
another story. We’d say, “Do you reckon if I rolled it again,
you’d come up with a story?” And they say yes, and you go, “Oh,
that’s interesting, because there’s over 10 million combinations
in here. So does that mean you’ve got 10 million stories inside
you?” You just see this kind of penny drop. They go, “Oh, right,
yeah.” So for us it’s about realizing that it’s not about
getting the one thing right or perfect, but it’s about being
willing to take a risk, and try and experiment and pick out the
best bits. That’s what great writers do.

Keri: Right. Well thank you so much for being with us here today, and it
was great to meet you. This is Keri Wilmot from ToyQueen.com
showing you practical ways to play every day.

Hasbro Scrabble Alphabet Scoop for ages 6 and up. 2-4 players.

Mint Floor Cleaner at CES Rocking to Boom Boom Pow By Black Eyed Peas.  What a fun way to promote a product.  The consumer version doesn’t have this feature.  Hopefully, soon.

Many children have a variety of learning disabilities that make it challenging for them to organize their thoughts and handwrite them effectively on paper with good legibility. Some children, after years of occupational therapy, due to a variety of disabilities and reasons, still have difficulty with the coordination of their fingers for typing. Typically at the middle school level, we make recommendations to teachers and parents for children to begin to access technology as an alternative form of written communication.

Dragon Dictate software is not only a great way for adults to improve their productivity, but a fabulous alternative for students with either learning or physical disabilities to be able to effectively communicate their thoughts in an organized way so that others can read their creative ideas. Not to mention that once the students get the idea of the software program, they may be able to complete their work assignments much faster than typical. Wouldn’t it be easier for you as a parent to find a faster alternative for your child who could more happily and independently complete their homework?  Many kids are more efficient at telling you their thoughts, but can get roadblocked by the motor skills of handwriting. As a result, they often choose to take short cuts in their work to accommodate for their disabilities and as educators we know they might not always be working to their fullest potential.

I did complete this review using the Dragon dictate software. So I will have to admit, it has been an adjustment to get used to speaking out loud without a template- when for many years I’ve been used to organizing my thoughts in a typed way. However, as long as you follow through with the calibration of the microphone, I have been very impressed with the accuracy of what has been typed, as well as the speed at which it is typed. After you download the software, to calibrate the microphone system you need to read lengthy passages, which could pose a challenge for those kids with a reading disability. However, this software is intuitive and over time we have been able to utilize this program successfully.

There are also two modes with the dictation software – dictation mode and command mode. Command mode will literally run your computer without the need to even touch the mouse. With a simple command you can open, close and access all sorts of programs. Though I wasn’t all that successful myself transitioning back and forth between each mode and there is definitely a learning curve to remembering and using the commands appropriately, I did see some nice video’s on the Nuance website demonstrating the capabilities of this awesome software.

Being that I am very busy with working full time, raising a family and creating this blog, I am hopeful that I can learn to dictate more effectively – so at the very least I can use it to quickly create my blogposts. I do wish I had used this when Gavin was an infant while I tried to learn to type fast while using the one free hand I had available! If you decide to purchase this product for our use, please be aware there is a Windows version and a MAC version.

Nuance provided this copy of Dragon Dictate free to facilitate a review. The opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

At Toy Fair 2010, we had the chance to preview the Firefly Soother from Infantino. It’s an adorable looking firefly jar that attaches to the crib slats. It plays music, has blinking lights and is a great toy for infants that will help them to fall asleep by themselves or calm themselves when they might be upset. If you are looking for a great baby registry gift or developmental toy for an infant, consider this toy. One issue we had with toys attaching to our crib was that due to the design of our convertible crib, we could not attach many other mobiles or aquarium toys. However, Infantino had this in mind with their design, which allows it to be more easily attached to convertible cribs.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Isis Parenting store at the Prudential Center in Boston, MA to film a video promoting some of the new educational toys Isis Parenting is selling in their stores. Cindy Meltzer, Community Manager at Isis Parenting and I discuss some of the educational benefits of these great toys. Toys featured in this video include: Green Toys Blocks which are great for stacking, taking to the beach and for use in sand, water and sensory tables; Educo Wonder Walker that is a sturdy wooden push-toy with fine motor activities on the side where kids can push around their favorite toys; Educo Switchback Racer a wooden racetrack that promotes cause and effect play for infants and toddlers; and the Mini kickboard Scooter, a stable scooter that helps young children gain the concept and balance of scooter riding!

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Isis Parenting store at the Prudential Center in Boston, MA to film a video promoting some of the new educational toys Isis Parenting is selling in their stores. Cindy Meltzer, Community Manager at Isis Parenting and I discuss some of the educational benefits of these great toys. Toys featured in this post include Skip Hop Stroller Toys, the Sassy Wonder Wheel, Alex Jr. Stack a Cake. All of these multi sensory toys are great for infants and young children to encourage the development of a child’s vision, sense of touch and auditory discrimination.

The Fisher-Price iXL Learning System is a portable, hand held learning tool for children ages 3 – 7. This is a combination device! It will play downloaded music, store individual photos, read digital story books and allows children to practice writing letters, words and numbers on the notepad. The drawing stylus allows children to draw and stamp on their own download pictures. There are learning games that promote academic skills of reading comprehension, counting, creativity, phonics, math, vocabulary and spelling. Even better, there is a headphone jack (though headphones are not included), so this is a great portable device for travel. An internet connection and computer operating system (Windows or MAC) is required to download the pictures, music and additional software. Other educational software programs with character licenses such as Dora, Sponge Bob, Disney Princess, Handy Manny, and Toy Story 3 can be downloaded on to the device. The basic device is rather simplistic and I would recommend purchasing some additional titles for your children to learn and explore from to keep their interest. You will need to install computer software to download additional titles and also access printable learning activities.

Fisher-Price provided the iXL free to facilitate this review. The opinions in this blog post are purely the bloggers own.

Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand and Play Rampway.

Fisher-Price, BigFoot the Monster will be a sought after remote controlled dinosaur toy for preschoolers this holiday season. He has multiple emotions that include sad and angry. He exercises, flips, and walks forward. Recommended for kids 3-10.

TANGLED opens in theatres everywhere in Disney Digital 3D on Wednesday, November 24th.

Become a fan on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyAnimation
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/disneyanimation

When the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) is taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a feisty teen with 70 feet of golden hair who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, the unlikely duo sets off on a hilarious, hair-raising escapade filled with adventure, heart, humor and hair—lots of hair.

Keriann Wilmot from ToyQueen.com, pediatric occupational therapist, shares photos and videos of some of her favorite products showcased at Time to Play Magazine’s Holiday Showcase in NYC on Tuesday Septemer 28th, 2010. Products included from companies such as Leap Frog, Mega Brands, Lego, Disney Consumer Products, Blip Toys, Mattel, Hasbro, Jazwares, Jakks Pacific, Spinmaster, PlaSmart, VTech, Pinkalicious, Learning Curve.

Video Transcription:

Hi this is Keri Wilmot from www.ToyQueen.com. Last week, my husband Derek, from www.DadsLanding.com, and I were invited to the Time to Play Holiday Showcase in New York City, where we were able to preview a lot of the hottest holiday toys of the season.

So, hopefully, over the next couple of weeks, we’ll do some more in-depth reviews of some of these great products so that you can be well-informed before the holiday season.

How can you not love it? All of the pieces store inside the table and it completely folds flat for travel. It takes up very limited space in the car, is very lightweight but sturdy and has a handle for easy carrying. We have used it both outdoors and indoors, and it cleans up very easily with disinfectant wipes. It is true to MegaBloks creative fashion, allowing children to build up with multiple platforms and any other MegaBloks pieces we have at home are compatible with the table.                                          

I love multi-use toys that are cost effective. It’s a great toy for children that are learning to pull up to a standing position, as long as you are nearby to supervise and keep it steady. It grows with your child through their age span where first they can work on basic dump/fill play, then simple stacking for more precise grasping and letting go, and eventually creating their own intricate pretend play scenes. I also think this is a great travel sensory table, add water or sand to the inside for something a little different when you are at the park or the beach!

MegaBloks provided this table free for product review. The opinions expressed in this post are purely the bloggers own.