For some parents with special needs children, finding appropriate toys can sometimes be discouraging. I hope this website is helpful for those who are feeling helpless when it comes to finding your special needs child activities that he can enjoy.
FlagHouse.com
Toy Chest
Organize the cluttered play room... and do it in style! Although my daughter already has a toy chest, I was compelled to look online for one to feature on this blog. Yep, found the jackpot site! SensoryEdge.com is chock full of toy boxes that fit any style and function. I couldn't decide on just one to feature, so I hope you browse around the site and find your favorite. Click here.
Back To School
...more appropriately, this post should be entitled, "Back to Blogging". Thanks for being patient.
I think the best part of the end of August for any kid is stepping through the double doors of the classroom where he will embark in a new school year. Why not keep him excited by pulling out helpful tools (disguised as interactive, interesting and fun aids,) to get him into the spirit of learning? After searching the web, I found my favorite learning agent:
Rand McNally Illustrated Map of the U.S.
I think the best part of the end of August for any kid is stepping through the double doors of the classroom where he will embark in a new school year. Why not keep him excited by pulling out helpful tools (disguised as interactive, interesting and fun aids,) to get him into the spirit of learning? After searching the web, I found my favorite learning agent:
Rand McNally Illustrated Map of the U.S.
and
Rand McNally Illustrated Map of the World
These even got me wishing I was back in class learning about geography. At 50"x30", the map provides the ease of finding locations without squinting through tiny type and crowded boundaries. The feature I enjoy the most is the colorful illustrations; The map is accompanied with a fact book referring to those pictures. If you are worried about durability, worry no more--the map is fully laminated to prevent damage from spillage.
These even got me wishing I was back in class learning about geography. At 50"x30", the map provides the ease of finding locations without squinting through tiny type and crowded boundaries. The feature I enjoy the most is the colorful illustrations; The map is accompanied with a fact book referring to those pictures. If you are worried about durability, worry no more--the map is fully laminated to prevent damage from spillage.
Next Update: Indefinite
We are in the process of moving right now, so I will be cutting back on blogging for a couple of weeks. Until then, feel free to surf the web for me for cute things for kiddos and, if you're feeling generous, share them with us via comments! Bon voyage!
Budding Artist
When I was a little girl, I always wanted an easel; there was some kind of magic in using something so artistic. Santa finally surprised us kids with one and believe me, he made a good "investment". It had a clip to hold big sheets of butcher paper on one side and a chalkboard on the other; so when I saw this easel, it brought a flood of good memories.
Manufactured by KidKraft, this easel was made for fun. I found it at SimplyKidsToys.com and was impressed with the shipping price: free!
Manufactured by KidKraft, this easel was made for fun. I found it at SimplyKidsToys.com and was impressed with the shipping price: free!KidKraft Deluxe Wooden Child Easel Features:
Sleeping Bag
You've heard of "Quillows", where the quilt folds up into a pillow, right? Well, the Little People's Cove company took it a step further and created custom-made sleeping bags, pillow included! Using 100% washable materials, they give you many fun fabric options, exterior and interior, for your child's sleeping bag. The coolest part: it has an attached pillow and folds up into a neat bundle with a carry strap. Besides slumber parties, it's perfect for camping, vacations, daycare nap times, stargazing, etc. It also comes with the option of monogramming.
Outdoor Swing
It's warming up, the trees have budded out and it's good weather again!!! That means playtime, all the time. If you have mature trees in your yard, there is no excuse not to hang a tree swing. It's practically an open invitation for your child to play outside and get fresh air into his lungs. This simple design is age-appropriate and not too gaudy, which I particularly look for in outside additions.
Favorite Books for Children
As I've tried to expand our own small library, I've made sure to keep it fully stocked of books for children. As I go store to store, yard sale to yard sale, I am constantly finding books that I loved as a child and can't pass up adding them to our little collection. In thinking of which books I would like to have and compiling the titles of books we already own, this website has been extremely helpful to me. There are many findings that prove that reading to your child has numerous benefits. The Child Development Institute on the web has helpful hints for reading to your little ones:
Learning To Read Should Be As Easy As Learning To Talk
Just watch how a preschooler will pretend to read a story you have just read for them. They are learning by imitation. Actually that is how children learn many things. Take speech for an example. Young children learn to talk by imitating the sounds made by their parents. They then learn how the sounds go together to make words.
When you helped your child learn to talk you both had fun. You probably made up games to stimulate them to talk. They interacted with you and that made the learning process enjoyable. You both smiled and laughed when they learned to say new words or phrases.
Reading and writing are simply talking on paper. Why shouldn’t learning to read be just as much fun as learning to talk? Here are some tips for encouraging your child to enjoy reading:
- Read to your child. No matter what age your child happens to be, he will benefit from listening to you read aloud.
- Discuss the books you read to your child.
- Be a good reading "model" by letting your child see you read.
- Introduce your child to books that discuss his hobby, interests, or new experiences.
- Buy books as presents for your child and he’ll learn to value books.
- Make sure your child has a library card.
Bean Bag Toss
Animals. Colors. Bean Bags. It's a recipe for fun! Bean Bag sets are hard to find, but if you want one that's sure to please the kiddos, I recommend this one. The free-standing animal cut-outs are approximately 16" tall and are crafted out of wood. Colorfully painted, they resemble a lion, hippo, panda and monkey. The set includes four bean bags and the games you can play are limitless.
I also love the online shop where I found them, Little Wonderland. Specializing in wooden toys, they boast a wide array of diversions for kids young and old alike.
ABC/123 Blocks
As the newest addition to the toy box, these colorful blocks are seldom found in the toy box. For infants, they will simply be another thing to stick in their mouth; for toddlers, the colors, pictures, letters and numbers are teaching tools while also acting as entertainment. The box includes 50 wooden blocks and a muslin storage bag with a Velcro-closing strap. I found some for sale here.
Concert Piano
For musically-inclined children everywhere, the Schoenhut® Piano Company has created this classy, 37-key piano. Designed to coordinate snuggly with your home's interior, the piano comes in a variety of wood finishes (black, white, and mahogany.)
The top is easily opened so music can ring through the room; but not to worry, the hinge is designed to open and shut slowly so it can't slam down on little hands. The selling point to me is that it is entirely hand-crafted from maple and tuned to a finishing pitch.
For a head start into learning to play, the piano comes with a removable note guide and a free beginner's songbook. Click here to find out more.
Toy Table
Who doesn't like a puzzle table? Here, in its playtime glory is the Circle Fun Time Children's Game Table, available at Toy Shoppers Club. Connected to all of the colorful tables are fun games and puzzles for children to explore and learn. The puzzles include: Abacus, Pathfinder, Fun Fruits to Match, Magnetic Circle Express, Gear Panel, and two Sculpture Mazes. I would recommend it for homes or daycares with young children because it sits pretty low to the ground (only a 12 inch height.) If you buy it promptly, you can get free shipping and a 33% discount!
Spring Finger Puppets
My goodness, these are darling! My mother sent this set to us in the mail as an Easter gift, but we couldn't wait to open them. The super-soft finger puppets are the perfect playful size for miniature puppet shows behind a book. With a classic design and quality craftsmanship, they boast fun for now and the future (grandkids, maybe?) You can find them here.
Bored Kiddos?
I came across this and this full of fun St. Patrick's Day activities for kids of all ages.
I especially liked the recipes. Try this one:
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2 eggs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Mix eggs and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients. Add raisins and mix.
4. Pour dough onto lightly floured board and knead 10 times (fun for the kids!).
5. Shape into a round loaf, adding flour if necessary.
6. Place in a lightly greased pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when
tapped.
I especially liked the recipes. Try this one:
Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2 eggs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Mix eggs and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients. Add raisins and mix.
4. Pour dough onto lightly floured board and knead 10 times (fun for the kids!).
5. Shape into a round loaf, adding flour if necessary.
6. Place in a lightly greased pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when
tapped.
Be Right Back
Chickery Chick will be back up and running next Monday (St. Patty's Day,) so make sure you come back to visit in a week!
Baby Einstein
Although this set is already widely-known and praised, I personally have to give it a raving review. We got this set today for our baby who has not found the right first words to say yet (she's got plenty of time.) In hopes of improving her vocabulary, we plan to expose her to hours of stimulating television... yes, that's right, the good ol' tube. "You mean, you do not feel a smidgen of guilt for setting your child in front of DVDs," you ask? To that I give a proud "No" because after viewing the first disc and observing my child's reactions, I realize that this supplemental instrument is doing me and her a favor. Like myself, I know there are many other parents out there who worry if their baby is learning like a normal child should and who feel like they could always do better as teachers. With this set, caregivers alike have help! I love the ideas in the DVDs and am glad there is something basic and easy to pick up on for little learners. You can buy the set almost anywhere on the Internet (be sure to check Ebay) but I haven't found this particular set on Disney.com (the marketing base) for some reason. It is a $240+ value, but I have seen many sets under $75.
From Award-Winning BAJO Designers To You
Of German and Polish decent, this collection is not only fun to play with and pretty to look at, but it has a flair of international design that makes it an especially unique toy. The BAJO City Hall Block Set is made of pure Polish wood with a finely-sanded finish to make it splinter-free. The 106-piece set can be purchased at the upscale children's e-store, MyKidzGotStyle.com, where you receive a free gift with every order.
A Special Etsy Treat
Etsy Treat #15- Bug Soap
In honor of the sickness bug that came by our home last week (therefore putting this blog on hold,) I dedicate this post to those who have received the flu this year.
It's Etsy Time!
I want to showcase some Etsy steals throughout the month of February that you may not know about.... Stay tuned for Monday's "Etsy Treat" debute.
Eco-Friendly Fun
I found a really fun source for helping children learn the value of recycling. At Paper-Go-Round, the fun is in the making... the making of paper that is. There, they not only sell paper-making kits, but they also sell seeded paper, which is a fun idea if you want to teach your child how plants grow on a unique medium. As the site says, "read it... plant it... watch it grow."
"Tea Anyone?"
Charming little princesses need something special to serve their tea. One look at this collection, and I was goo goo over Mud Pie's Princess Toile mini tea set. The miniature size is perfect for little hands and since it's made of thick ceramic, no one has to worry about anything breaking easily. The two tea cups have "Princess" painted on the sides, and come packaged alongside two small saucers, a serving platter and teapot in a decorative hat box. I found this at MyFancyPrincess.com for $30.00, but the set is widely available elsewhere.
Pixie Toes- A Sensible Maryjane for Babies
It's hard to find practical shoes for babies; those little ones just grow too darn fast. When I saw these little booties, it all became so easy. What I had wanted for my newborn a few months ago was right in front of my eyes: ultra-warm (and stretchy) socks with an ultra-cute look. They are easy to find online (Trumpette.com, Bebechouchou.com, Forgetmenotkids.com to name a few,) and are usually side-by-side to other cute socks by Trumpette. Instead of buying one pair of shoes that your baby will outgrow in a month, you can get three pairs of these socks for the same price. Don't worry if you get too attached, there are similar Maryjane styles for toddlers.
Wrangle Up Them Tears
Keep your little cowboy's tears from flowing with these clever bandages. The large strips will cover almost any roughin'-around wound (3"x 1".) They come in a classic tin that also includes a free toy... now what kid wouldn't want that? There are two different styles for your buckaroo to choose from and each tin comes with 15 bandages. For $3.99, you get a happy child every time she has a boo boo... now what mom wouldn't want that? There are also many other different styles to choose from at PerpetualKid.com including lips, pirates, bacon strips, and lucky monkies.
Rock the Suburbs
Who doesn't love a classic toy? I was looking at quincyshop.com and I found this lovable rocking horse. Although I have seen cuter styles, I haven't seen any rocking horses with footrests. The site claims that this rocking horse helps improve balance and upper arm strength; I'm not quite sure if I would go that far, but it does look like a fun toy. It is made of organic materials and natural dyes and is made in Thailand.
Little Box for Little Things
I love this box. It's the perfect size for keeping special things (on the smaller scale) in a safe place. Baby bracelets and bows are what first came to mind when I saw it. The dragonfly is burned in and hand-painted. The box itself is crafted of aged pine, so everything inside will carry the aroma; if you're like me, that puts it on the top of my list.
Riding in Style
Our 2 year-old neighbor has this set of "haut"wheels and I have to share with you how much I love this Little Red Roadster. Radio Flyer is one of those tried and tested brands that has little negative feedback, so this pick is a surefire winner. This model won the Parents Magazine Toy of the Year Award, if that gives you an idea of the quality. I particularly like that the wheels are not made of thin plastic, but steel and rubber (durability is key!) The look is also quite versatile; instead of locking up this style-mobile in their daughter's bedroom, it fulfills the role of "bright accent object" in their living room. This model is easy to find in most stores that carry other Radio Flyer products and generally costs about $50.
Indoor Play
This teepee is fabulous! You and your child can choose from many fabrics and customize your indoor playlodge. It has four sturdy poles and transparent plastic windows (to let the light in, of course.) The best thing about it is that it's a cinch to clean up after playtime. Another plus is that it doesn't seem to have small parts that can be hazardous to younger children. You can see more here.
The Beginning
I'm starting this blog for anyone who likes little toys, trinkets and lovelies for children. Enjoy!
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