Reviews for 3-5 years old
So many families with young children end up having to buy extra beach pails and shovels when they arrive at a vacation destination. In fact, I recall buying a brand new set, then immediately “donating” it to local children when our trip wrapped up, simply because we couldn’t fit our existing one in a suitcase or carry-on. Of course, they aren’t expensive, but just think about all of that plastic! Well, we were thrilled to learn about the new eco-friendly SandSac foldable travel beach pail, designed and sold by a mom and dad team who understand the challenges of traveling with young children, as well as the responsibility we all feel to help protect and conserve our environment. The SandSac comes in three sizes, is foldable, and includes a large spoon-like bamboo shovel. The SandSac itself is made of 100% cotton canvas and it actually holds water. My kids couldn’t believe it (and my husband and I couldn’t either!). One nice little bonus I found is that because the SandSac is canvas and soft, my kids didn’t get bumped or bruised like they sometimes do from carrying hard plastic pails full of water around. SandSacs also include 4 non-toxic fabric markers so your grandkids can decorate them and make them their own. If they wish, they can also use fabric paint, appliques, beads, and anything that holds up to sand, beach water, and wash cycles. It’s this decorative customization that makes the SandSac a perfect summer or vacation gift for young children. It’s a beach toy, craft project and keepsake all rolled up into one! And, when your grandkids and their parents are neatly packing their SandSacs and enjoying them at the beach, they can feel good about the fact that MESCO Associates (SandSac’s official entity) is planting a tree (via Mokugift) as a result of that purchase. And planting trees for each sale isn’t the only thing MESCO Associates is doing to help the environment. You can read more about that on their website. In the meantime, know that the SandSac is a unique new product from a small shop doing big things — fulfilling functional and environmental needs, while promoting fun and relaxation. Hooray!
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Create Your Own Fairy Garden/Butterfly Garden$8.50 at Garden Chick |
Gardening is such a perfect intergenerational activity. Planting seeds, nurturing seedlings, and watching them grow into mature plants, is so satisfying, whether you are a seasoned gardener or a child trying it out for the first time. Mackenzie’s Garden gift kits for kids, created and sold by Karen Creel (a.k.a. “Garden Chick”), can help you make this experience even more magical for you and your grandchild. Gardening with her own grandchild inspired Creel to start her line of enchanted kids gardening kits. You can choose from a Create Your Own Fairy Garden kit or Create Your Own Butterfly Garden kit. Each kit comes in an attractive purse-like gift package (no wrapping necessary!). The Fairy Garden kit includes a variety of seeds from sun-loving plants that attract “fairies” or fairy-like creatures, such as dragonflies, butterflies, etc. It also includes a card with instructions for planting your garden and some fun info. about fairies. As a bonus your grandchild will receive a little Garden Fairy paper doll sticker book. The Create Your Own Butterfly Garden kit is almost identical — seeds for growing colorful sun-loving plants that attract butterflies, growing instructions, and a booklet containing butterfly kids tattoos. In the Mackenzie’s Garden section of the Garden Chick website you can also purchase a Fairy Dust Cookies cookie-making kit (with fairy, dragonfly and flower-shaped cookie cutters, recipe, and “fairy dust” to sprinkle on top of the iced cookies), as well as a Flower Fairy Tea kit for tea parties (with tea bags of organic chamomile flowers, lemon balm, honeysuckle blossoms, hibiscus flowers, and spearmint). Each of the kits are under $10 yet they offer the prospect of a memorable and, quite possibly, enchanting experience with your grandchild.
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MunchMats Nutrition for the Brain$19.95 per set at MunchMats |
MunchMats educational and interactive learning placemats have my kids completely engaged in what I would call “school work that’s fun.” They are essentially a version of what restaurants sometimes provide — disposable paper activity sheets that double as placemats. But MunchMats are full-color and bursting with outstandingly-designed curriculum and learning objectives. MunchMats are sold in sets of 30 original sheets for 3 different age groups and 3 different themes: colors, shapes, letters and numbers for ages 3-6; the alphabet for ages 4-7; and U.S. geography for ages 8-12. As you can imagine, in the 3-6 year-old placemats, there is a lot of tracing of letters and numbers encouraged, along with coloring, counting and number sequencing activities, word searches, mazes and much more. In the alphabet-themed MunchMats for ages 4-7, there’s a great Pictionary Matching game, where a word definition can be read by your grandchildren (or you can read it to them). They then draw a line from the definition to the picture of the word, and then a line from the picture to the actual word. There are also fun fill-in-the-blanks activities, hidden picture puzzles, rhyming activities, and on and on. Regarding the geography-themed mats for ages 8-12, combing through each of the sheets is like taking a virtual cross-country trip (complete with great pictures) with a lot of extra information, such as facts about each region, famous landmarks, map-reading (including latitude and longitude), state abbreviations, common road signs, locations of famous people and events, etc. Each MunchMats 30-pack is printed using vegetable ink, and comes with a parent (or grandparent) lesson plan, a review page, and certificate of completion. It also comes with a large sturdy plastic zip-lock carrying case for storage in the car, at home, etc. I can think of so many uses for MunchMats. Aside from simply encouraging quiet learning time at home, they are invaluable for travel, in restaurants, etc. You can even tear off a sheet or two, fold it up and keep it in your purse for when the need arises. For an additional $12.95, you can purchase a MunchMats lap board that enables your grandchild to work on the activities in the car, on a plane, or anywhere where a table is not available. This is such a great opportunity for many hours of interactive learning time with your grandchild — and it’s fun!
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WheeGo Home/Indoor Quest$9.99 at Wheego |
WheeGo Home/Indoor Quest is a new indoor treasure hunt activity created by a resourceful mom and dad team. Cold winter days and long stretches of spring and fall rain can mean antsy grandkids looking for action. Nothing a good old-fashioned indoor treasure hunt can’t cure! WheeGo is designed for kids ages 4-7. It’s small and portable, and is great for visits with grandparents. Each package comes with supplies for two hunts – ours came with Cody the Country Singer’s and Jilly the Jouster’s quests. Most often, you or another caregiver will be Captain WheeGo, following the instructions enclosed and setting up the hunt. Each hunt includes color-coded and well-labeled envelopes containing: a Captain WheeGo Card that tells you (Captain WheeGo) where in your home to place each of the clue cards (out of site from your grandkids); a Character Card that gets the quest started and tells players where to find Clue #1; 10 Clue Cards; a little Treasure that is placed in the Treasure Box; and a Character Trading Card. Each of the Clue Cards is written in poetic verse and the clues are fairly easy for 6 & 7 year-olds to figure out – less so for 4 and 5 year-olds. They are not intended to stump any player. I found that the game became more interesting when I made the Clue Cards a little harder to find. In other words, once your grandkids figure out the Clue Card and know, in general, where in the house to look for the next Clue Card (for instance, the pots and pans cabinet), you may want to make things a little more challenging (like placing the card in the pot they’d least expect, or not in a pot or pan at all!). Your grandkids will be up and moving and excited to find each clue, and eventually, the treasure. My kids were literally out of breath, dashing through the house to each Clue Card destination. I should note that some kids will need help reading the Clue Cards, and some, if not most, will need clues read to them completely. Either way, they will have loads of fun – you all will!
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We recently took our first long car ride with the Snack & Play Travel Tray by Star Kids. Our trip was more relaxed than usual because our 4 year-old daughter was able to entertain herself without as much reaching, dropping, and asking for help. The Snack & Play Travel Tray was created by a entrepreneurial mom who wanted to address a problem recognized by most parents — how to keep young children occupied, self-sufficient and happy, with toys, snacks, etc., during extended travel in the car, plane or stroller. What’s novel about this tray is that it is just firm enough to color or roll toys on, yet is still soft and comfortable on a child’s lap. It can be used with any car seat, booster or stroller, and has a mesh pocket hanging from each side so your grandchild can store toys, cups, snacks, etc. This, in conjunction with the fact that the tray itself has a border around it, means a lot less reaching back to hand-over or pick-up hard-to-reach toys. The Snack & Play is manufactured in accordance with European standards, the strictest regulations in the world, and has been crash tested by a federally recognized testing facility — the tray system’s softness makes it much safer than other trays in the case of an accident. The fabric wipes clean and is certified lead and phthalate-free.
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How'd They Build That - (Fire Truck)?$8.99 at Amazon.com |
We’ve been introduced to a new series of educational kids DVD’s called, “How’d They Build That?”. How’d They Build That – Fire Truck will appeal to aspiring young firefighters (and other children who are generally interested in how things are built) from ages 5 and up. With adult supervision, some even younger enthusiasts will certainly learn a thing or two as well. This particular DVD visits Seagrave Fire Apparatus, in Clintonville, Wisconsin — a company that’s been around since 1881 and makes many of today’s fire trucks. The simple narrated format tells how Seagrave started out as a ladder company, and then, with requests for custom-made ladders from fire departments, eventually began building the trucks to go along with the ladders! The DVD shows some of the components of the vehicles, including various types of ladders (which average 100 ft. long when fully extended!), hydraulic platforms, etc. Fun Facts are also dispersed throughout the 58 minute program. For example, one Fun Fact states that there are between 1,800 and 2,500 parts in an average fire truck. Another one explains that it takes between 1,500 and 3,500 hours to build a single truck. Also, did you know that some parts are held together by very strong tape? Or that fire trucks can actually be any color whatsoever, even though the standard is red? In addition to the Fire Truck DVD discussed here, the How’d They Build That series also includes: Big Truck, School Bus and Concrete Truck.
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Recently my kids and I have had the pleasure of playing with some of the wooden toys handcrafted by Tom Seal, of Bearded Seal Woodcrafts. We especially appreciate fine handcrafted wooden toys, and these are some of the finest we’ve seen. Tom custom-makes each product entirely by hand. He received his earliest inspiration as a child wandering the forests of his native Pacific Northwest. By high school he was crafting wood, and then honed his skills studying fine arts in college. He applies this appreciation of wood, as well as his knowledge of how to expertly craft it, into each of his products — from vintage wooden cars to classic wooden tangram puzzles. My kids have been vroom vroom’ing around non-stop with a gorgeous classic Ford mustang crafted from Makore & Bolivian Rosewood ($32). The tangrams set is crafted using American Black Walnut, and comes packaged in a decorative silk travel pouch, along with plenty of suggested tangram puzzles ($17 for domestic wood or $22 for exotic). We love tangrams, and what a treat it is to be able to play on such a beautiful set. If you and your grandchild enjoy logic puzzles (and also have some pretty good fine motor skills!), Tom also sells several other logic puzzles, such as a Sword puzzle and 2 Ring puzzle (both $7), as well as games, such as Marble Solitaire ($18). Tom’s signature pieces are his line of beautiful handcrafted wooden rocking horses. The Rocking Thoroughbred can be custom-ordered and made with any of the woods Tom uses (average price is $460). Or choose from various designs crafted from Pine and stained as light Golden Pecan to dark Walnut colors ($134). For a small fee, Tom can add a personalized inscription on many of his pieces. All of Tom’s wooden creations make fantastic kids gifts and, incidentally, are sure to delight all of us grownups, too!
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Personalized music CD’s are always a good gift idea for kids, especially for toddlers and preschoolers. Young kids love to hear their names mentioned in songs, and if the tunes are catchy and they can sing along with them, even better! My daughter is enjoying her “You are my Friend” CD, which includes 8 personalized songs, from “Let’s Spend the Day Together” and “Let’s Pretend,” to “I Spy” and “You’re Special.” This particular collection of songs emphasizes positive self-esteem and simply having fun. As an adult, you may find yourself humming or even singing along! This CD makes a nice birthday gift, and you can also order “Hip Hip Hooray It’s Your Birthday,” specifically intended for birthdays. Also choose from sports themes, holiday gift cd’s (for Christmas & Hanukkah), nursery rhymes, and more. You can have a personal message printed directly on the CD, which makes the gift more special for you and your grandkids. And, especially nice is the under $20 price. Here’s to finding a high impact, sure-to-please personalized kids gift that’s easy on the pocketbook!
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Idbids is a beautifully conceived and designed eco-friendly educational kit for kids 3 years and up. It makes learning about how to protect and preserve our environment fun for young children. The Idbids storybook included in the kit (Iddy Biddy Steps for a Greener World) is a sturdy small square book with vibrant photo-like illustrations showing each of the Idbids plush toy characters (Scout the Cloud, Waverly the Water Drop and Lola the Flower) engaging in a earth-friendly activity. It also explains in very simple kid-friendly terms why we should practice what the Idbids preach and the difference each of their recommendations will make to our environment. The storybook then refers kids to the kit’s Field Guide, that touches on more iddy biddy steps (10 total) they can take to make even more of a difference. The steps include: turning off the water while brushing teeth, turning off the lights when leaving a room, recycling, and using both sides of the paper when creating artwork. The guide then suggests that every time your grandchild takes one of these iddy biddy steps, they should color in one of the footprints that appear in the guide. Then, when all of the footprints are colored in, they can go to the Idbids website and print out a certificate of completion. The kit also includes an adorable Idbids character plush toy handcrafted from 100% organic Egyptian cotton and an organic fabric cinch sack that anyone (regardless of age) would enjoy. Of course, the Idbids kit’s packaging is made from 100% recycled paperboard. Idbids’ company motto is “Iddy Biddy Steps Make a Biggie Big Difference.” We predict that kids implementing the principles they learn from this gift (as well as what they learn from their parents, grandparents, teachers, etc.) will begin to understand what this motto means and will have some lots of iddy biddy fun in the process!
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Some preschool and elementary school kids are learning Spanish words and phrases as part of their curriculum. These Use Your Words™ Kids Shirts by Whimsical Walney are another tool to help teach kids Spanish one word at a time, while also being fun and fashionable. The shirts come in short-sleeve or long-sleeve, and are made of high quality extra soft interlock cotton. The collars on the girls’ shirts are narrow, and would be considered more of a dressy tee. Each shirt features a perfectly clear and pleasing to the eye illustration of the thing to be accompanied by its English or Spanish word. You can choose shirts from three categories, such as Fruits & Vegetables, Professions, and Whimsical. Our daughter loves her long-sleeve watermelon shirt, which is white, and features a big chunk of watermelon in the middle of it. Underneath the image, in a playful yet clear lower-case font, reads “la sandia” — or you can also have it say “watermelon.” Choose Firefighter, from the Professions category, and the shirt will feature a firefighter’s hat, with “soy bombero” beneath it. Or choose Bubbles, from the Whimsical category, and the shirt will feature a bubble wand with floating bubbles and “las burbujas” beneath it. We should note that some styles are also being offered in French as well. Choose from size 6 months to 4. Muy Bueno, Whimsical Walney!
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