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

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.

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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.

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.

As an occupational therapist, unfortunately we are often kept employed providing therapy to adults and children who have been involved in misfortunate traumatic events that have caused significant head injuries.

So there is nothing more important than encouraging your children to wear a helmet for their safety during bicycle riding, skateboarding, rollerblading, and skiing.