Recently, I was randomly looking for something new for Grant to play with. Since nothing was sparking my interest through this method, I thought about all of our favorite toys. Then, I decided to search for other products made by the manufacturers of the toys we liked the best. This search method yielded one of Grant's absolute, all-time favorite things to do: Peel and Stick by Numbers from Lauri Toys (see my review of one of their other toys here: http://aweplay.blogspot.com/2010/11/model-airplanes-and-helicopter.html).
The Peel and Stick by Numbers kits come with four pictures, all related to the same theme (ie: trains, wild animals, pets, etc). It's the same concept as paint or color-by-number, except the child uses tiny stickers to "color" with. Each picture is made of tiny little squares with a number inside. There is a color code on the box, indicating which color foam sticker should be placed in each square, based on the number inside the square. The stickers measure about 1 cm square and can be tricky to get onto the picture. If your child is having trouble with fine motor skills, this is a great manipulative to use to gain finger strength!
Each picture takes a couple of hours to complete, and as I mentioned earlier, this is one of Grant's favorite things to do. We leave the picture he is currently playing with on the table, so when he wants to have some quiet time, he can sit and do stickers. He plays with this for at least an hour every day! I'm starting to get concerned about what we will do after he's completed all of the sets Lauri has for sale. Hopefully, they have new ones in development!
A child's world should be filled with awe and play. Learning should be fun. Here are some suggested toys/supplies/items for your child's learning adventure.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Stomp Rocket
Honestly, I had low expectations for this toy. The only reason I was even shopping for a rocket was because Grant's toy rocket broke in November and he wanted a new one for Christmas. I found the Stomp Rocket through an Amazon search and it met all the criteria I was looking for: it was a rocket, inexpensive, and flew without chemicals or matches being involved (ie: not dangerous). The mechanics of the toy are pretty simple: a child stomps on a plastic block, which pushes air pressure through a tube to the rocket launch pole, causing the rocket to fly. Even though the marketing material said it would fly up to 200 feet, I seriously doubted that was true. How well could a $12 toy actually perform?
Well, I was suprised. Grant and I took this to the park. I assembled it and we placed it on the sidewalk, well away from any trees or buildings. I put the first rocket on and Grant stomped on the plastic block. The rocket flew 10-15 feet in the air, much to our delight. We kept loading rockets on and stomping. Grant (a 50-pound child) was able to get the rocket to fly 50-60 feet in the air. I found that if I jumped on the block, I could get a rocket to go higher than the trees, probably 100 feet.
One of the best features of the Stomp Rocket is that it attracts other kids, because the flying rocket looks like fun and it has the novelty of being a toy that most people have never seen before. We spent an afternoon with a friendly little girl (and her mom) from Boston who just happened to be playing at the park that afternoon. She came over and asked if she could play too? Later in the week, it made for great playdate entertainment with the neighborhood kids. Everyone who sees it in action is instantly enamoured with it and wants to know where I got it? I keep ours in the car, for impromptu park fun and the opportunity to meet new friends.
Well, I was suprised. Grant and I took this to the park. I assembled it and we placed it on the sidewalk, well away from any trees or buildings. I put the first rocket on and Grant stomped on the plastic block. The rocket flew 10-15 feet in the air, much to our delight. We kept loading rockets on and stomping. Grant (a 50-pound child) was able to get the rocket to fly 50-60 feet in the air. I found that if I jumped on the block, I could get a rocket to go higher than the trees, probably 100 feet.
One of the best features of the Stomp Rocket is that it attracts other kids, because the flying rocket looks like fun and it has the novelty of being a toy that most people have never seen before. We spent an afternoon with a friendly little girl (and her mom) from Boston who just happened to be playing at the park that afternoon. She came over and asked if she could play too? Later in the week, it made for great playdate entertainment with the neighborhood kids. Everyone who sees it in action is instantly enamoured with it and wants to know where I got it? I keep ours in the car, for impromptu park fun and the opportunity to meet new friends.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Moon In My Room
My son has been fascinated with the moon, since he was a toddler. I think it started with the Scholastic video of the picture book, "Happy Birthday, Moon
" (on the Goodnight Moon DVD
). He loved the little bear, that talked to and shared a birthday with the moon. Another book we often read when he was little was, "Moon Plane", 
which combined his love for airplanes and the moon in one book!
Imagine how excited he was, when I brought home a moon
to hang on his bedroom wall? It came with a remote control and at bedtime, we would lay in the dark, watching the moon move through all of it's cycles. It's been a couple of years, but he still loves this toy, which makes me believe kids of all ages will love this toy. School-age children who are learning about the phases of the moon will find it especially interesting.
KaiLan helped reinforce my son's love of the moon, with the Moon Festival
episode. I'll never forget the day my 4-year-old told me he wanted to have a moon festival. He explained the entire itinerary that we needed to follow in order to have one: make lanterns, make moon cakes, take our laterns outside after dark and say hello to the moon, then celebrate by eating our moon cakes. He was so intent on having a moon festival, that I decided we should have one. We spent the afternoon shopping for supplies and decorating our laterns. Then, when my husband got home from work, we followed Grant's itinerary and we all had a great time celebrating our impromtu moon festival. Thank goodness it was a full moon on the day he decided to do this! How sad it would have been if there had not been a visible moon at the time?
" (on the Goodnight Moon DVD). He loved the little bear, that talked to and shared a birthday with the moon. Another book we often read when he was little was, "Moon Plane", which combined his love for airplanes and the moon in one book!Imagine how excited he was, when I brought home a moon
to hang on his bedroom wall? It came with a remote control and at bedtime, we would lay in the dark, watching the moon move through all of it's cycles. It's been a couple of years, but he still loves this toy, which makes me believe kids of all ages will love this toy. School-age children who are learning about the phases of the moon will find it especially interesting.KaiLan helped reinforce my son's love of the moon, with the Moon Festival
episode. I'll never forget the day my 4-year-old told me he wanted to have a moon festival. He explained the entire itinerary that we needed to follow in order to have one: make lanterns, make moon cakes, take our laterns outside after dark and say hello to the moon, then celebrate by eating our moon cakes. He was so intent on having a moon festival, that I decided we should have one. We spent the afternoon shopping for supplies and decorating our laterns. Then, when my husband got home from work, we followed Grant's itinerary and we all had a great time celebrating our impromtu moon festival. Thank goodness it was a full moon on the day he decided to do this! How sad it would have been if there had not been a visible moon at the time?Thursday, November 25, 2010
Christmas Traditions
We have a few small traditions at Christmas that I like. Two involve storybooks about elves. The first is from a storybook called "The Puddinhead Story
". It is the story of a very busy elf, who runs ahead of Santa on Christmas Eve, delivering pajamas to all the boys and girls. He puts the box containing the pajamas on the porch, rings the doorbell, and runs on to the next house. He's so fast, that most children have never caught sight of him. However, the delivery of the pajamas marks the fact it is time for the child to put on their pajamas and go to sleep, so that Santa can come deliver presents. We started the Puddinghead tradition last year and the results were amazing. There was absolutely no arguing about going to bed. Delivery of the pajamas can be tricky. Some people have neighbors deliver the package, ring the doorbell and run. Instead, I bought a remote doorbell 
for about $10 on Amazon. When no one was looking, I put the package on the back porch and quietly shut the door. I moved away from the door and waited a few minutes, and then pushed the remote doorbell. My son went running for the door, but of course, no one was there!
The second elf tradition that we've started is one that most people have of heard of by now: Elf on the Shelf
. I know that most people use the Elf on the Shelf
, or Henry, as we call our elf, as a behavior modifier. Fortunately, we don't have to use ours in that manner very often. However, I do grow weary of hearing my son talk about what he wants for Christmas and asking if he can open presents yet. So, when he starts talking about presents, I have learned to point to Henry and say, "I'm not the one who needs to hear your list. Henry is". Grant will then walk over to Henry and have a very polite and lengthy, one-sided conversation with the elf about what he most desires for Christmas.
". It is the story of a very busy elf, who runs ahead of Santa on Christmas Eve, delivering pajamas to all the boys and girls. He puts the box containing the pajamas on the porch, rings the doorbell, and runs on to the next house. He's so fast, that most children have never caught sight of him. However, the delivery of the pajamas marks the fact it is time for the child to put on their pajamas and go to sleep, so that Santa can come deliver presents. We started the Puddinghead tradition last year and the results were amazing. There was absolutely no arguing about going to bed. Delivery of the pajamas can be tricky. Some people have neighbors deliver the package, ring the doorbell and run. Instead, I bought a remote doorbell for about $10 on Amazon. When no one was looking, I put the package on the back porch and quietly shut the door. I moved away from the door and waited a few minutes, and then pushed the remote doorbell. My son went running for the door, but of course, no one was there!The second elf tradition that we've started is one that most people have of heard of by now: Elf on the Shelf
. I know that most people use the Elf on the Shelf, or Henry, as we call our elf, as a behavior modifier. Fortunately, we don't have to use ours in that manner very often. However, I do grow weary of hearing my son talk about what he wants for Christmas and asking if he can open presents yet. So, when he starts talking about presents, I have learned to point to Henry and say, "I'm not the one who needs to hear your list. Henry is". Grant will then walk over to Henry and have a very polite and lengthy, one-sided conversation with the elf about what he most desires for Christmas.New Magformer Accessory Packs
I've already posted an article about Magformers and they still top my favorite toy list. However, in the last year, the company has added new shapes. Magformers are a relatively expensive toy, but I have found that QVC typically has the best prices and kits available. I'm not a QVC affiliate, so I don't make any money for pointing out these deals. I just love this toy and think every child should own a set.
If you prefer not to click on links, go to http://www.qvc.com/ and search for "Magformers" to find these kits, most of which sell for about $24 a piece.
Magformers 20-Piece Magnetic Trapezoid and Rectangle Accessory Pack
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.T30253.desc.Magformers-20Piece-Magnetic-Trapezoid-and-Rectangle-Acces
Magformers 22-Piece Diamond and Isosceles Accessory Pack
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.T30250.desc.Magformers-22Piece-Diamond-and-Isosceles-Accessory-Pack
Magformers 20-Piece Magnetic Pentagon & HexagonAccessory Pack
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.T30252.desc.Magformers-20Piece-Magnetic-Pentagon-HexagonAccessory-Pack
Magformers 36pc Jumbo Magnetic Building Set w/ Instructions
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.T30245.desc.Magformers-36pc-Jumbo-Magnetic-Building-Set-w-Instructions
If you prefer not to click on links, go to http://www.qvc.com/ and search for "Magformers" to find these kits, most of which sell for about $24 a piece.
Magformers 20-Piece Magnetic Trapezoid and Rectangle Accessory Pack
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.T30253.desc.Magformers-20Piece-Magnetic-Trapezoid-and-Rectangle-Acces
Magformers 22-Piece Diamond and Isosceles Accessory Pack
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.T30250.desc.Magformers-22Piece-Diamond-and-Isosceles-Accessory-Pack
Magformers 20-Piece Magnetic Pentagon & HexagonAccessory Pack
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.T30252.desc.Magformers-20Piece-Magnetic-Pentagon-HexagonAccessory-Pack
Magformers 36pc Jumbo Magnetic Building Set w/ Instructions
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.T30245.desc.Magformers-36pc-Jumbo-Magnetic-Building-Set-w-Instructions
Bloco Wild Cats
After all of our enjoyment of the Lauri foam models, I looked to purchase others. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any other models made by Lauri. So, I expanded my search and came across the Wild Cats foam and plastic construction set by Bloco. The kit includes pieces to make six different cats, although not all at once. In our experience you can make 2 - 3 cats at once, depending on which ones you select.
After many months of owning this product, I am less enamoured with it than I once was. I still love the bright colors and details given to the construction of the cats. The foam is very thick and durable. However, in our experience, it is just a little too thick, or the connecting pieces are just a little too short. This product is manufacturer recommended for 5+. My four-year-old, who has excellent fine motor skills, is not able to put these models together by himself. Even I find some of the pieces aggravating to put togeter. Sometimes the pieces just don't stay together, because of the aforementioned problem of either the foam being too thick or the connecting pieces being too short. Also, because the animals are so cute and colorful, my son likes to play with them after they are constructed. This leads to the animals falling apart, even if they are not being treated roughly. When a toy takes an hour to build and then falls apart, a normal child response is to want it rebuilt, immediately. Consider the parental exasperation this could cause!
We've only tried the Wild Cat kit. There are many other really cute kits, but they all appear to be made of the same thick foam and plastic connector pieces, so I will probably skip purchasing any other kits. This is one of the few times I've reviewed a toy that I'm not very fond of. I've done so, because frankly it is an expensive toy and in my experience does not work well. I hope the manufacturer will fix the design flaw, but I also hope, in the meantime, I can help save someone the frustration and expense of buying this toy!
Model Airplanes and Helicopter
When Grant was three, I had this idea of finding an easy-to-construct model made out of foam, but had never actually seen such a thing. Then, I came across the Lauri Peg-a-Plane model set on clearance at a parent-teacher store. I was so excited. It was exactly what I had been hoping to find AND it was airplanes and a helicopter, which interested Grant.
The manufacturer recommended age is 4+. I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking that Grant was able to put these models together by himself at age 3. However, he was able to find all the appropriate pieces for each model and place them on top of instruction sheet pictures. His fingers and fine motor skills were not strong enough to push the pegs through the holes, especially when this toy was new and the holes in the foam had not yet loosened up from use. Although he could not put the models together by himself, this was a great project for us to do together. I taught him how to read the instructions, which are pictoral, not written. The pieces are clearly labeled A through Z and are meant to be put together in alphabetical order, which reinforces alphabet learning, as well. After each step was completed, I would ask him what was next, and he was able to tell me what to.
By age 4, Grant could put these models together by himself. Even though we have built them over and over again, he still enjoys building and playing with them. We have never lost or damaged any pieces. They are durable, even in little hands, and reasonable priced. If you're looking for something a little more difficult than building with blocks, but your child isn't quite ready for an erector set or regular legos, this toy is a great option!
The manufacturer recommended age is 4+. I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking that Grant was able to put these models together by himself at age 3. However, he was able to find all the appropriate pieces for each model and place them on top of instruction sheet pictures. His fingers and fine motor skills were not strong enough to push the pegs through the holes, especially when this toy was new and the holes in the foam had not yet loosened up from use. Although he could not put the models together by himself, this was a great project for us to do together. I taught him how to read the instructions, which are pictoral, not written. The pieces are clearly labeled A through Z and are meant to be put together in alphabetical order, which reinforces alphabet learning, as well. After each step was completed, I would ask him what was next, and he was able to tell me what to.
By age 4, Grant could put these models together by himself. Even though we have built them over and over again, he still enjoys building and playing with them. We have never lost or damaged any pieces. They are durable, even in little hands, and reasonable priced. If you're looking for something a little more difficult than building with blocks, but your child isn't quite ready for an erector set or regular legos, this toy is a great option!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)