Lipstick to Crayons » Educational Toys

St. Louis Moms — You Gotta Sign Up for This!

lipsticktocrayons — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:05:25 +0000

If you’re a Mom (or a Dad) living in the St. Louis area, you absolutely must sign up for STL Kids Club Deals. These deals are launching this month, and will work similar to Groupon. STL Kids Club deals will offer special discounts of up to 75% off at the retailers, restaurants and service providers that parents and families in St. Louis use most. In other words, they will cater to the needs and busy lifestyles of families and they will arrive in your email Inbox if you’ve signed up for the deals.

It’s free to join, and you won’t be bombarded with all kinds of spam — just one or two emailed deals a week that you won’t be able to pass up! I have it on good authority that the first deal is amazing! (I won’t tell you what it is, and I’m not sure what day it will be distributed, but it will be this month. You’ll want to be signed up so that you don’t miss out, because I know it will go fast.)

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Why Do Kids Stick Their Tongues Out?

lipsticktocrayons — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:13:43 +0000

Ever wonder why kids stick their tongues out when they play? Or why your toddler wants you to read the same story over and over and over and over? (I can recite “Where the Wild Things Are” verbatim!) There are actual scientific answers to these questions.

Playskool “More Than Play” campaign answers these questions, and more, via these fun videos.

Additionally, the Playskool Play Panel answered a series of questions from Audrey McClelland of Mom Generations, several of which I thought some of you might find interesting, such as:

Q. If the brain can have only one thought at a time then how does a child do more than one thing at a time?

Whether adult or child, no one can do more than one thinking task at once. When we first learn to do something new, we concentrate on that task and shut out everything else that is going on around us. We have to focus. Then, as we do the task over and over, refining the skill, we can eventually do it without thinking about it. We call this automaticity. That’s one reason why kids say “again” and “more”. They love the experience, but they are also practicing the skill to the point where it becomes automatic and they no longer have to think about it! So…when something becomes automatic, your child can do more than one thing at a time!

Q. How do I encourage my child to problem solve through repetition rather than getting frustrated and giving up?

Everybody needs to feel the joy of success. Sometimes, the tasks we set for our children are too difficult, and involve doing more than one thinking task at once and can make children feel like the challenge is too frustrating. So, doing it over and over, when there is no “payback” doesn’t seem like a great outcome. Breaking each part of the problem down into achievable parts and doing each part over and over can encourage your child to feel a sense of accomplishment. Often this feeling leads to naturally wanting to try challenging herself to do more once she has mastered part of the problem.

Q. What is my baby learning when playing the baby drops it and mommy picks it up game?

Baby is learning so many different things. She is learning her hands can be used as a manipulative tool helping her get what she wants. She is developing strength in her finger muscles that will help her push, pull, grasp and hold, release and eventually control a writing tool. She is developing important foundational movements that help with all the movements our fingers do for us! She is also developing a tripod (three finger grip) and pincer grip (thumb and first finger). Both important grips that later allow us to hold and use writing and other creative tools as well as manipulate fasteners and tie shoes. She is learning how to pick up, hold and let go at the appropriate time and if mommy is happy to pick it up each time, well she is learning a new game too!!! As well, she is learning about cause and effect, experiencing and observing gravity and how it works! While interacting and playing with her parent, she is bonding and learning her mommy and daddy are there to help her as she plays. It’s all part of how families cement and work together!

Q. Are the left and right sides of the brain different?

Yes. The left hemisphere is responsible for organization. It is the details side of your brain and talks to you on a constant basis…”remember to pick up the cleaning on the way home”; “if I do the ironing before the meeting I may be late”. It categorizes detail and associates information with prior knowledge. It’s also the side of your brain that helps you understand what symbolic representation is (i.e., that the symbol “5” represents five fingers, etc). The right side is more concerned with creativity, emotion, and learning through doing (play and experience) rather than symbols. It thinks in the present moment and helps us feel the environment we are in through processing sensory information. Information travels between the two hemispheres via the corpus callosum and when this happens and we are using both sides (as we need to) we call this whole brain thinking.

Q. Does messy play develop fine motor skills?

It is one of the developmental foundational activities that help prepare the fingers for manipulative skill development. When kids engage in messy play it helps develop touch discrimination and an awareness of the joints and muscles in our hands and fingers, which assists with fine motor manipulation. Sensory experiences are necessary for the brain to learn and can help grow strong muscles in the fingers. It is also a trigger that can ignite creativity, is foundational for sophisticated problem solving later on, and helps develop skills that later will be used in the beginnings of learning how to write, and above all is lots of fun. Kids need messy play every day.

Q. Are there certain textures I should be exposing my child to at an early age?

As many different sensory experiences your child can have in the preschool years will help the development of fine motor skills. Some children prefer some textures and not others, however, different consistencies provide different learning experiences, so vary it all if you can. Feeling the fall leaves crumble in your hands, baking at home (with hands and fingers immersed), drawing with fingers and not the paint brush, playing in water, rubbing ice blocks on feet and hands, pulling wool or string between your little ones toes, making mud pies…anything you can think of that is gentle and enjoyable is great. And…its best to do it every day!!! As well as feeling all these wonderful sensory happenings remember to talk about them as well.(e.g., ” Wow those cookies smell great”; “How do they taste to you?”; “What sound do they make when you crumble them?” New language can be discovered at the same time!

Playskool’s More than Play campaign site offers information on what skills different Playskool toys can help your child learn. And if you want to learn more about how to facilitate your child’s learning, and how to be your child’s “First, best teacher,” then check out Parents as Teachers.

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Last-minute Shopping Deals

lipsticktocrayons — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:25:02 +0000

If you’re a last-minute Lou or Louise, several merchants say you can still shop online and get delivery by Christmas, and there are some great deals to be had.

Walmart says if you order online by Sunday, Dec. 20, you can do “site to store” shipping and get it at the store by Dec. 24, or standard shipping gets the package to your home by Dec. 24. Ordering on Dec. 21 means you need to do 2-3 day shipping, which gets it to you by Dec. 24. And you can even wait until Dec. 22 and do 1-day shipping to get it by Dec. 24.

Check out these deals:

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S930 Silver 10 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom, Bonus Case Included, 2.4″ LCD, Image Stabilization, Face Detection for $89 and just 97-cent shipping to your home!

Apple iPod nano 8GB, Blue, 5th Gen (Newest model) for $133.99.

Step2 Deluxe Canyon Road Train and Track Table for $83.

High School Musical CD Board Game
from Cookies Kids for $12.99.

Monopoly-Simpson’s Electronic Version Board Game
from Cookie’s Kids for $23.99.

Amazing Allysen Interactive Doll
from Cookie’s Kids for $39.99.

Happy Shopping!

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BEST, BEST Toddler Toy This Year

lipsticktocrayons — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:38:08 +0000

If I were “king of the world” and got to give an away for top toy for toddlers this year, it would be the Tag Junior from LeapFrog, hands down.

Leapfrog has long been a leader in creating educational but FUN toys, and now they’ve gone and created one that even a two-year-old can enjoy. The Tag system makes it fun for toddlers to connect words with pictures and other thoughts. By pressing the Tag Junior Book Pal onto the pages of specially designed books, the words and pictures come to life.

The Tag Jr. is easy for a toddler to use because all she has to do is touch the book pal (which fits perfectly in a toddlers chubby little hand) anywhere on the page and she will be rewarded with a response. Each Tag Jr. book has a theme and focuses on a skill.

The Tag Jr. system is geared toward young preschoolers ages 2-4. Leapfrog
also lets you create an account at LeapFrog’s Learning Path site where you can track your child’s learning progress online and download and print free activities to compliment your child’s Tag Jr. books.

LeapFrog toys are always fun-forward and engaging with educational benefits and skill-building fundamentals that last well beyond the holiday season. In other words, they’re invaluable.

Upsides:

Easy for a toddler to use
Great learning tool
Encourages reading
Portable – great toy for road trips and hotel stays
Reasonably priced

Downside:

The process of downloading the audio from the Leapfrog site to your Tag Jr. Book Pal was a little tricky for me, but there is lots of online support on the site.

You can buy the Tag Junior here for $24.99 and it comes with a book. You can buy extra books here and here.

Also from Leapfrog is the Text & Learn. Tech-savvy preschoolers on your shopping list can imitate Mom and Dad (Big Sister in our house) with this durable, just-for-kids learning PDA. Games focus on letter recognition, shape matching, and QWERTY keyboard skills, allowing preschoolers to exchange text messages with Scout, check Scout’s planner, and explore in a pretend browser mode. You can buy it here for $21.99.

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Playskool Helmet Heroes Toy Giveaway

lipsticktocrayons — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:31:34 +0000

By the time your child is five, 90 percent of his brain patterns are already formed. So learning while young is very important.

Playskool recently launched a “More Than Play” campaign, which is an educational initiative to share how play lays down important foundational skills needed for advanced learning like reading, writing, mathematics, critical problem solving, and conceptual thinking, to name just a handful.

You can learn more about child development facts and the benefits surrounding the skills associated to different Playskool toys at the Playskool More Than Play Web site. And the More Than Play campaign has developed several videos demonstrating the toys and their play benefits. Here is one for Helmet Heroes, which is the toy I’m giving away below:

You can buy Playskool Helmet Heroes here. , but one lucky Lipstick to Crayons reader can win one for free by entering the contest below.

Giveaway Guidelines:

Tell me in the comment section below why you want to win Playskool Helmet Heroes and what you think your kids have learned from their toys.

Receive additional entries by doing any/all of the following, but be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

Blog about this contest
Subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed
Tweet this giveaway on Twitter (you can tweet daily if you want, but make sure you leave a comment each time you do).
Favorite Lipstick to Crayons on Technorati
Stumble this post
Add Lipstick to Crayons to your blogroll or my button to your sidebar
Become a fan of Lipstick to Crayons on Facebook

This giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. Central time Dec. 16. Be sure to include a valid email address with each of your entries. Contest open to United States residents only. Winner will be randomly chosen via random.org and will be notified via email and announced on this post.

If winner does not claim prize by Dec. 18, 2009, he/she will forfeit the prize to an alternate winner.

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Why Do Kids Stick Their Tongues Out?

We’re Pleasantly Puzzled

lipsticktocrayons — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:00:54 +0000

Have I mentioned that my toddler is really bright? (Hey — it’s my blog and I get to brag!) She turned 2 in October and one of her favorite activities is doing puzzles. I saved the wooden puzzles that I had from my older children, and those hand-me-down items include a puzzle of my oldest daughter’s name.

Because of the hundreds of times we’ve “played puzzles,” my toddler can recognize EVERY letter in my 14-year-old’s name. I’m afraid she’s going to have a serious “hand-me-down” complex. Can’t you just hear her whining to her therapist someday, “I didn’t know how to spell my own name until I was 10 because the letters in MY name weren’t in the hand-me-down puzzle I had to use.”

So, I decided it was time for her to have her own name puzzle, and I also wanted to have a full alphabet puzzle because she’s starting to show some real interest in letters (Did I mention that she’s very bright?)

Anyway, one of the problems with letter puzzles is that so many of them have funny-shaped or fancy letters. Those are pretty, but they’re not the best puzzles to use if you want your child to learn his or her letters. However, the educational puzzles from Puzzle Man ARE shaped properly. Plus, the puzzle pieces are thick and the puzzles are sturdy. In fact, they will probably last long enough for my toddler to hand them down to her children someday.

Ed (the puzzle man) and his wife, Suzanne, have been making wooden puzzles and selling them at craft fairs and through the mail for more than 20 years. All of their puzzles are individually hand-crafted with quality and education in mind. They use only the highest quality, furniture grade plywood that is domestically made from replenishable forests. Each puzzle is cut one at a time, then sanded and stained using a non-toxic, water-based stain. The puzzle is sealed with a clear, non-toxic finish so that it is BABY SAFE and may be cleaned using a damp cloth.

Now get this: they offer FREE REPLACEMENT PIECES for all of their puzzles. That’s amazing! All you have to do is send a tracing of the missing space, type of puzzle, color if known, and $1 for shipping.

Their puzzles are more substantial than most you’ll find on the market, and they are stained and not painted, so the color penetrates the wood and won’t chip.

They offer educational puzzles such alphabets, numbers and maps, personalized puzzles, plus a host of other adorable items. Prices start around $20 ($15 for a name puzzle, plus $1 per letter), to up to $65 for a map of France and Italy puzzle. You can order the puzzles here, and if you want to talk to Ed or Suzzanne, call the number on their site and they’ll answer the phone personally!

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Another Amazing Gift Guide & Easy Giveaway

lipsticktocrayons — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:03:39 +0000

Holiday shopping season is here again and the Global Influence network has some great gift ideas for you, tried and tested by real moms. Click on the links to check out what our team of reviewers had to say about each of these gift ideas, and then take a moment to enter our fun giveaway and take a chance at winning some of these fabulous products. Featured Reviews Pouchees –

Busy moms need all the help they can get to stay organized and keep life as simple as possible. The Pouchee is the perfect solution to keeping all those little things together, putting everything you need, right at your fingertips.

Duck Hunter -

Duck Hunter turns the excitement of the hunt into an activity the whole family can enjoy. Launch the duck in the air and try to hunt it down with the toy shooter as it flies freely in the air. A fun choice for those who love outdoor sporting.

CardStore cards

-Personalized holiday cards are an important item on everyone’s to-do list and often a hassle to create and print. Cardstore.com has everything from family photo cards to invitations for your big holiday party, simplifying your holiday season.

Great Holiday Gift Ideas Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry Just Elfin’ Around Card Cubby Harumika By Bandai Harumika Runway Showstopper Harumika Style Starter Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo Strawberry Shortcake Playset Kota Monty Rex Wall to Wall Basketball Nerf Pocket Vortex Busy Ball Popper Talking Chuck Truck Leapfrog My Pal Scout Leapfrog Tag Jr Leapfrog Scribble and Write Animal Planet Polar Land Playset Animal Planet Dinosaur Playmat Onionhead Adult/Teen Feelings Pack OnionHead Children’s Feelings Pack Onionhead A-Z Feelings Magnet Set FotoboxPlus MeTime Tees

Fun Holiday Giveaway!
For this holiday guide, we want to share the love with the blogosphere! Some of our generous sponsors have donated prizes to be given away to lucky readers! To enter to win one of the following fabulous prizes, simply fill out the form here: http://tinyurl.com/y8t92rw

Prizes include: Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry Pouchee Elfing Around Harumika Onionhead Feelings Pack Nerf Wall to Wall Basketball Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo MeTime T-shirt

Entries will close on December 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be contacted by email after the close of the contest.

Global Influence Member Guides Need more ideas for this holiday season? Check out the guides that some of our Global Influence members have put together on their own sites! Thrifty Jinxy, Happy Healthy Hip , And Twins Make Five , Because Two People Fell In Love, Mommy Musings , Lipstick to Crayons , Bargain Briana , Mommy PR , Shop With Me Mama, Santa Picks, Rave and Review, Connected 2 Christ , 3 Boys and a Dog, The Classy Closet , Contest Corner, Lisa Reviews , A Giveaway Every Day, HulaHoopinMom, Spalibrations, High Impact Mom, From Cribs to Car Keys

All reviews listed in the Global Influence gift guide were product provided. Featured positions were purchased by sponsors. Member gift guides are not affiliated with Global Influence.

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LeapFrog Holiday Online Specials

lipsticktocrayons — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:27:01 +0000

LeapFrog has some of the hottest toys for the holiday season and LeapFrog.com is offering you great specials for online shopping, starting now!

Until Nov. 25, LeapFrog is offering 20% off all products using this code: HOLIDAY20 (and there is free shipping on orders over $50).

From Nov. 25 to Nov. 30, LeapFrog.com will host a sitewide sale, offering 25% off this season’s hottest gifts.

For Cyber Monday (but beginning on Nov. 25) LeapFrog.com will offer extra deals on holiday favorites and bundle packages including select Leapster Games as low as $5, select Tag Books as low as $5.49, FLY Fusion Pen for $14.99 and up 75% off total savings on gift packs, such as the ultra-popular Tag, Tag Junior and Leapster.

Speaking of the Tag Junior, I will be posting my review of this very popular toy for toddlers in the coming week.

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Family Fun Announces Toy of the Year Awards

lipsticktocrayons — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:06:30 +0000

Disney FamilyFun magazine announced today the winners of the 18th annual Toy of the Year (T.O.Y.) Awards, including those toys that earned a spot on the Top 10 list. This year’s No. 1toy is Invasion of the Bristlebots from Klutz: an activity kit featuring tiny, careening robots kids assemble from toothbrush heads, then use to race, make art projects with, and more.

Also among the top winners are Lego’s Feeding Zoo, a 53-piece Lego set that allows young zookeepers to tame their boredom by creating animal exhibits, the kid-invented RipRider 360? from Razor, a steel-frame trike that lets kids “drift” and perform full 360?degree spins as they cruise around, and Green Toys’ Recycling Truck, a 12-inch-long truck made entirely from recycled plastic milk containers.

The 30 kid-and-parent-approved winners appear in the November 2009 issue of Disney FamilyFun magazine, which hit newsstands October 13, and are available on FamilyFun’s Web site where you can watch a video of the Top 10 toys in action.

Hundreds of toys were distributed to families across the country for evaluation by children and their parents. Over the course of several weeks, the tester families spent hours assembling, playing with, and rating this year’s hopefuls on quality, value, and fun factor. More than 375 toys were assessed to create the list of the 30 best toys of 2009.

The Top 10 FamilyFun T.O.Y. Award winners of 2009 are:

Invasion of the Bristlebots (Klutz, $20)
Pyramid (4240) (Playmobil, $105)
Recycling Truck (Green Toys, $25)
RipRider 360? (Razor, $130)
Feeding Zoo (5634) (Lego, $50)
Hot Wheels Color Shifters (Mattel, $3 for 2 cars)
Build It Bigger! (International Playthings, $55)
BFC, Ink Large Dolls (MGA Entertainment, $40)
Sandwich Stacking Games (Melissa & Doug, $30)
Pool Sharks (Gamewright, $27)

Following is a list of the remaining 2009 winning toys. T.O.Y. Winners (in no particular order):

Aerial Defense Unit # 8971 (Lego, $80)
Bunny Treehouse # 4460 (Playmobil, $22)
Color Me a Song (Crayola, $30)
Connect 4×4 (Milton Bradley, $20)
Curious George Discovery Beach Game (I Can Do That!, $17)
Scribble & Write (Leapfrog, $22)
Dinosaurs 20+ Model Building Set (K’Nex, $21)
DodgeTag (Diggin, $20)
Easy Score Hockey, Soccer and Lacrosse Set (Little Tikes, $50)
EyeClops Mini Projector (Jakks Pacific, $100)
Fuzzimal Puppies (Klutz, $17)
Harumika Designer Dress Form Set (Bandai, $15)
Manny’s Repair Shop (Fisher-Price, $100)
MythBusters Weird World of Water (Elmer’s, $20)
Play-Doh Burger Builder (Hasbro, $15)
So Small Pets Theme Sets and Play Sets (Only Hearts Club, $15-$20 each)
Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Café (Hasbro ,$35)
TV Games Motion: Star Wars Flight Game (Jakks Pacific, $30)
Tyco R/C Stunt Psycho (Mattel, $50)
Winds of Fortune (SimplyFun, $34)

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Fun New Toys in the Toy Aisles This Fall

lipsticktocrayons — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:52:16 +0000

Fall means back to school and back to routines. But it also means that a lot of toys begin making their debut in the toy aisles of retailers nationwide in anticipation of the holiday season.

One of those items that is sure to please animal-loving kids is Dunkadoos by JAKKS Pacific, Inc.

Dunkadoos™ is a plush toy that grows when dunked in water to become a big, soft and adorable plush pal. And they’re miraculously dry in minutes. The Dunkadoos line includes a variety of favorite characters to collect, including a dog, cat, shark, penguin, frog and tiger. And the collectability will continue with additional lovable pets to include a dolphin, polar bear, lion, hamster, as well as special chasers, exclusive lines and limited edition runs. I think these make perfect bath toys, but they don’t have to left in the bath tub. Dunkadoos are suggested kids ages five and up and will sell for a suggested retail price of $7.99.

The Gem Decorator promises to delight all young fashionistas who have a thing for bling. This toy turns ordinary items into extraordinary masterpieces with colorful rhinestones, studs, ribbons and more. Girls can decorate t-shirts, jeans, sweaters, belts and virtually any piece of clothing or accessory with the Gem Decorator, which includes a gem decorating device, rhinestones, studs, ribbon loops and ribbons. The item is suggested for ages eight and up and retails for $19.99, but my neighbor’s 5-year-old daughter LOVED this gadget and had an easy time blinging out her scarf collection.

One of the hottest jewelry trend out there is personalizing your own unique style with charm jewelry accessories. Launching this fall is the new Lucky Bee Bee™ Charm Collection, also by JAKKS Pacific, Inc. This collection will include charms that have the fun play-like features of mini toys. From the Lucky Bee Bee signature style character charms to the deluxe charms with special surprises – girls can customize their own jewelry collection. Just like high-end jewelry, this collection includes bracelets, necklaces, and even clip-ons inspired by fashion boutiques around the world. These charms will give girls a fun way to express their personal style, while indulging in their love of collecting all things adorable! There will be more than 80 unique and delightfully themed charms in the first wave to collect, with a handful of super-special “chasers” throughout the line. JAKKS expects to launch multiple releases of charms throughout the season. The items are suggested for ages six and up with suggested retail prices beginning at $4.99.

The Discovery Kids Smart Animals™ line is an interactive way for kids to learn about their favorite animals. Each figure features a Discovery Kids logo that can be scanned by the Smart Animals Scanopedia™ electronic talking encyclopedia to unlock information and sound effects for that animal. The handheld Smart Animal Scanopedia scanner is a full animal encyclopedia that holds over 2500 sound effects, facts and quizzes for over 200 animals and includes a bonus poster full of scannable images, interactive maps and games. This is very fun and unique toy that I am certain would delight any youngster. It’s a whole new twist on the “What does a cow say” game I’m always playing with my toddler. It is for ages three and up and has a suggested retail price of $29.99 for the Scanopedia, and $4.99 to $12.99 for the Smart Animal Figure Packs, sold separately.