Archive for the ‘Educational Toys’ Category

This workshop and tool set is a big deal for little workers. It includes plastic parts: nails, screws, washers, a place on the bench to hammer nails and screw in screws. Batteries can be inserted to activate a circular saw on one side, drill press and vice on the other, and a hand-held jigsaw. Hooks attach to the back to hold a saw, a hammer, and a screwdriver, and a slanted shelf has compartments for the faux wood pieces.

The set and all the parts are plastic, so while this makes for safer and lighter equipment, this work bench and its pieces are a little on the flimsy side. The bench is best used against a wall for support.

On the cool side, the bench and pieces look real to little kids. In no time at all, my three year old handyman was moving about - tools in hand - and “fixing” everything from the couch to the coffee table.

And the tool sounds for the saw, drill press, and jigsaw are impressive, though a bit loud (plan on wanting to remove the batteries from time to time). Included are pieces that look like wood that fit together with velcro and screws to make a bird house - a fun project for kids.

The neatest thing about this toy set is that the parts work together and really are quite similar to the way real tools work. The screws really fit in other pieces, and the screwdriver is really used to screw them tight. I think the materials could be sturdier on this set (especially for the price) but it is a great tool for learning and pretending.

Buy Black and Decker Junior Power Tool Workshop Online:

• at Amazon.com

The Doodle Pro Travel is a handy toy for toddlers and preschoolers and an even handier tool for parents with long waits in lines or waiting rooms.

The Doodle Pro has an attached “pen” that kids can use to write and draw on a screen. Whether your child is in the scribbling stage, or already showing signs of becoming the next Picasso, markings are but temporary and easily whisked away with the slide of the lever at the bottom, creating a clean slate for the child to begin again.

Kudos for the little carrying handle, and a string just long enough to allow ease of writing and drawing, along with an easy space to clip the pen back in place.

Nothing to lose, no batteries to replace, no noise to deal with, and plenty of practice for little hands.

There are different sizes of the Doodle Pro, but I like this smaller travel version. It is the perfect size for little ones to use in their lap, and the ideal size to toss in a large purse or diaper bag, and travel with in the car.

• Doodle Pro Travel at the Fisher Price Website

Buy Doodle Pro Travel Online:

• at Amazon.com

These word picture cards by DK Publishing get a big ‘thumbs up’ from this mom for the vivid colors and great pictures. The cards are big (great for little hands) and some even include textures for some of the objects.

Unlike some flash cards that have ridiculous animated images, these pictures are true-to-life, with many being photos of the actual object or animal. I say, if we’re going to teach kids what something is, let’s just use the real McCoy.

This packet included ideas for using the cards to work on a variety of skills. On the back of each card, there are questions an adult may ask of a child regarding the picture on the front. Also included is how to say each word in four languages.

You know, just in case you’ve got a prodigy in the household who will be able to pronounce the word “tomato” in German.

• DK Children’s Books Website

Buy My First Words Touch and Feel Picture Cards Online:

• at Amazon.com

Add this to your list of inexpensive, educational, entertaining products to get for your kids this holiday season. At only $9 on Amazon, this little gem of a video will not only entertain your kids, they might actually learn something from it as well.

We got this when Small Person #1 was learning letter sounds, about 2 years ago. At the time, we never thought Small Person #2 would have any interest in it, but he certainly did. In fact, he learned his alphabet and letter sounds at a younger age than his brother, due in no small part to this video. We even heard from other people we recommended it to that their older kids loved the video and made sudden progress in learning their alphabet, an area where they had trouble before.

The video is designed in such a way that you can separate it into sections for kids who have shorter attention spans, picking and choosing what you want your little one to watch. The total running time is only about 30 minutes, but in that time all of the letters and their sounds are covered.

Best of all, when your kids watch this, they won’t come away begging you for whatever insanely expensive newest fad toy is being advertised after all the kids’ shows on TV… though they might drive you crazy singing “The A says ah, the A says Ah, every letter makes a sound, the A says ah!”

• Leap Frog Website

Buy Leap Frog Letter Factory Online:

• at Amazon.com
• at WalMart

We all know that money is going to be tight this holiday season. So, to help you maximize what you have and get the kids some toys they’ll enjoy, I’ve put together a list of the Top 8 Cheap Toys That Don’t Suck.

1. Board Games

When I think of a classic board game, I immediately think of Monopoly. But, of course, it is far from the only one out there. From Life to Candy Land to Chutes and Ladders, there’s a game available for every age group. Even better, when it comes to prices, the classics we’ve loved for years tend to be quite reasonable. You can get the classic Monopoly pictured above for $10; the classic Candy Land is only $5. Stick with the classic versions rather than the updated ones to save money, and enjoy the time you get to spend playing with your little one!

Buy Board Games Online:

• at Amazon.com

---

Read the rest of this entry »

One of the best toys for older infants I’ve found is this wonderfully simple, yet thrillingly exciting (for 9 month olds - you’ll be ready to scratch your eyes out well before they tire of it) pop up toy. It consists of five different little animals that can pop up when their switch is activated. The different switches encourage fine-motor skills by encouraging baby to twist, push, slide and otherwise manipulate.

If there’s one thing I can’t stand these days, it’s the over-proliferation of loud, annoying electronic toys for kids and infants. The wonderful, beautiful thing about this toy is that it doesn’t scream music, make animal sounds, or light up. Baby isn’t being entertained, she’s entertaining herself. Note that there are different versions of this toy that do require batteries and do all of the previously mentioned annoying things - avoid them. Find this one (it also comes in white) and watch your baby learn to have fun without electricity.

Buy Busy Poppin Pals Online:

• at Amazon.com
• at Toys R Us

Now, normally I’m not a proponent of video games for kids. The jury is out on what their true benefits are, and there has been compelling data showing that video games can contribute to ADD and other problems. But, with supervision and concerned parenting, I do think there are programs out there that can be educational and fun for kids. With that in mind, I’m here to talk about JumpStart Advanced Preschool v2.0.

Earlier this week I pulled out Small Person #1’s old computer game that he never really loved. Small Person #2 (3.5 years old) was trapped in the house yet again due to his lingering cough, and I was about 3 miles past my wit’s end. I booted up the old computer and figured I’d get 5 minutes of peace while he fiddled around with it and got bored. Boy, was I mistaken. He took to this program like a fish to water. In fact, I ended up having to pull him off the computer quite a while later. Since then, he’s gone back to the game repeatedly, much to my surprise.

One thing it’s important to remember is that Small Person #2 is fairly intelligent. He comes up with stuff his brother - and us, for that matter - would never think of. In fact, he’s kind of scary-smart. Think Ted Kaczynski at 3. So it’s nice that he likes a cute, innocuous game like this. Remind me never to let him find my old Doom CDs….

Read the rest of this entry »

No, really, I’m not being weird here. A lot of kids love to play shop, including Small Person #2 (3.5 years). In fact, he sets up an entire store in the living room, including pretend money, products, and in the end he even delivers them. Heck, I get better service from him than most shops in the neighborhood. After our most recent session (which can last for an hour or more), I got to thinking what the best toys for pretend shopkeepers would be.

1. Play Money

You wouldn’t have much of a shop without play money to use. Admittedly, you could use real money, but, well… that’s just gross. And dumb. I mean, you don’t know who’s touched those bills, right? And really, with this economy can you afford for Junior to decide to stick a few under the fridge when you’re not looking?

Buy Play Money Online:

• at Amazon.com
• at Back to Basics

Read the rest of this entry »

What could be better for a 3 year old than being given permission, even encouraged to whack away at a toy while simultaneously competing on an equal footing with all-to-often smug older siblings? It turns out, very little.

Hungry Hungry Hippos is a classic children’s game that you may remember from your youth. In our day, the marbles were probably denser (now they’re very lightweight plastic) and the hippos were probably a little more substantial (of course, they probably also had lead in them in some way), but it’s still a good toy. Perfect for little ones who are old enough not to stick everything in their mouths, it’s a family game that doesn’t involve reading but which is great for teaching everyday mathematical concepts.

Basically, each player (up to 4) releases one marble from their chute (this may involve a little re-instruction once your little person figures out how to launch the marbles across the room) into the middle of the playing field. Then all players whack on their hippos’ tails, causing the heads to dart forward and compete for the marble. Whoever gets the most marbles in the end wins. Or, you can start out with all marbles on the board and see who gets the most from the entire group at once. Once you’re done whacking, it’s time to sneak in some mathematical lessons - who had the most? How many did you have? How many more would you need to have as many as your brother? Before you know it, they’ll be doing algebra!

The only issue we’ve had with the game so far has been finding a few of the marbles stuck on the undersides of the hippos. A small screwdriver and a little lever action rectified the situation pretty quickly, but it’s something to watch out for. Also, this is definitely one of those parental supervision games - if you’re not careful, you’ll be finding little white marbles all over your house, especially in the middle of the night when you’re walking down the hallway to go to the bathroom.

The recommended age is 4 and up, but as long as you feel confident your little person isn’t going to try and taste the marbles, it probably won’t be a problem if you start a little younger. Small Person #2 is only 3 and loves the game. Oh, and it comes in a nice, sturdy box you can store the game in… if you want to disassemble the whole thing every time. If you actually have a life and don’t feel like doing that, the box has absolutely no point. Get a Ziploc for the marbles and you’re good to go.

Buy Hungry Hungry Hippos Online:

• at Amazon.com
• at WalMart
• at eToys
• at KB Toys

Expecting your first baby? Or maybe you’re trying to think of an appropriate gift for a friend or family member who’s expecting. With all the toys out there marketed for infants, you might be overwhelmed; after all, you may wonder what exactly a small person who can barely do more than eat, sleep and poop could possibly find entertaining. Well, I’m here to help. After taking care of more infants than I can count, I’ve come up with a short list of the best must-have toys for ages newborn to 6 months.

1. Rattle Socks

An often overlooked but well-loved toy among infants, these slip onto their feet, providing them with limitless (well, until they manage to yank them off) entertainment as well as keeping their cold-prone feet warm. The perfect gift if you’re looking for something small with a high cute factor which will actually get some decent use by the baby.

Read the rest of this entry »