Grandkids Gift Guide – Find the perfect kids gifts for any occasion and all price ranges, including birthday presents or birthday gifts, holiday gifts, including christmas gifts and Hanukkah gifts, new baby gifts or baby shower gifts, graduation presents, reasonably priced kids gifts or kids gifts on a budget. » Imaginative Play

Cahootie Puts New Spin on Paper Fortune Teller Game

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:46:21 +0000

I remember making paper fortune tellers when I was young. For a couple of years it seemed to be the preferred activity among my friends. Many spare moments were spent paired up with someone happy to share their latest pyramid-shaped origami creation, and spread their words of wisdom. Now there’s a new spin on this old favorite and it’s called Cahootie. Cahootie enhances this experience by assigning a theme to each fortune teller, and by encouraging positive open-ended conversation with friends and family to naturally occur with each activity. Each Cahootie is pre-made — nicely designed using sturdy coated cardboard and adorned with vibrant illustrations and strategically placed words related to the assigned theme. My Cahootie is appropriately called “My Fab Family,” and encourages discussion among peers and family members about family activities and relationships. Each Cahootie comes with reusable stickers containing questions, such as, “what is your favorite family activity,” that kids can stick on to their fortune teller. There are also a few assignments, such as, “call your favorite uncle, and tell him why he’s so special to you.” The intended goals are to form positive connections, promote self-esteem and self-discovery — extremely important during the “tween” years. Cahootie’s physical design and the way one plays the game (spelling out the words your partner chooses by moving the Cahootie this way and that, opening the secret flaps, etc.), certainly resemble the game we all played. But the meaningful conversation-starter component is all new. Instead of discovering playful fortunes, your grandchild has the potential to discover so much more.

Toys-of-the-Month and Mysterious Elves: The Ultimate Gift of Imaginary Play

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Whimsmoore, a start-up company that sends toys-of-the-month and sells “pretend play” products and related children’s books, evolved from a family wanting to share their cherished tradition with new generations of young children and their grandparents, aunts & uncles, etc. It all started as a relationship between an aunt and her young niece a thousand miles away. When Rachel would visit Aunt Linda, she would rush to the secret magical play house under Aunt Linda’s stairs, deemed the “Elfery,” to see if there were any signs of the “Elves of Glimmer Glen.” When not visiting, Aunt Linda would send monthly gifts to Rachel on behalf of the Elves. A special bond developed between Rachel and her little imaginary friends, and more importantly, between Rachel and Aunt Linda. Many years later, with the bond still strong between them, Rachel and Aunt Linda decided to start a business together, reviving the Elves and sharing them with other families. Should you purchase the gift-of-the-month, Whimsmoore will send enchanting little gifts to your grandchild each month for up to 12 months (monthly gifts can also be purchased separately). Elfish gifts include a Lavender Eggling Plant (just crack the top of the “egg,” water, and watch it grow!), Mini Valentine’s Mailbox, Mini Bake Set, to name a few. Each monthly gift comes with an original Elfery Storybook written by Aunt Linda. Whimsmoore features a nice selection of related imaginary play products, which can be purchased from their website. The toy-of-the-month gift is suggested for children age 5-7, and the “Elves” are a unique and playful way for distant relatives to connect with the young children in their lives.

New Personalized Books by MJM – Four Unique Titles to Customize for your Grandchild

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:34:58 +0000

Our daughter loves her new personalized book, If I Were Big. Of course, young kids always love being the star of a book — seeing their name in print and hearing it read to them out loud. And, if the story and illustrations are engaging, even better! If I Were Big is one of four titles currently offered by MJM Books. Their other customizable books include: Ruler of Space, What Animal are You, and A Day at the Park. If I Were Big seems to tap into the inherent desire young children have to be older and bigger than they are, walking your grandchild through an adventure in which s/he continues to grow bigger and bigger, larger than everyone and everything else around, and eventually using “a house as a chair, a tree for a toothbrush, buildings for stairs,” etc. The story concludes by admitting that your grandchild (the star of the book), is not big at all, and, in fact, is small enough to fit in Mommy & Daddy’s arms — the best size of all. The illustrations that accompany the exaggerated examples of “big-ness” are really quite adorable, and have a simple yet sophisticated (almost retro) look. Each book has its own style and theme and you should be able to find a title that fits you grandchild’s interests and personality. You get to choose the appropriate skin, hair and eye color, and you can have a special message printed in the first page of the book. The order is easily placed online from the publisher’s website, where you can page through a sample of each book virtually.

Goosie Cards — Personalized Custom Flash Cards that Teach and Bring Family Closer Together

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:09:34 +0000

Goosie Cards are a great product for several reasons. First, they’re extremely high quality. Large, durable, glossy lamination enables them to withstand a fair amount of bending and biting (it happens occasionally). Next, they’re educational. Using a combination of visual images and printed words, they help babies and toddlers with speech development, preschoolers with pre-reading skills, and young school-aged children with early reading. But what makes Goosie Cards most interesting is that you can personalize each card with your own family photos, thus creating your own custom set of memorable photo flash cards to present to your grandchild. Since they are high quality, in addition to providing a fun learning experience, a set of personalized Goosie Cards have the potential to become a keepsake of sorts, that grandchildren can use to remind themselves of you and other family members, friends, pets, vacation memories, etc. Of course, we love the simple yet effective way Goosie Cards help to strengthen intergenerational family connections. It’s easy to upload photos to their website, and Goosie Cards are produced and delivered quickly. And, if you don’t want to personalize your set, Goosie Cards has a fantastic library of stock photography to choose from to design what they call “Chic” flash cards. Or, you can even purchase a gift certificate so parents can make their own set for your grandchild. You may also appreciate the fact that Goosie Cards were invented by a new mom who saw a unique opportunity to enhance early learning — as well as the fact that they’re made in the USA. Another classic product with a new twist, and executed perfectly!

FeltTales Felt Story Boards: A Simple Classic Toy that Encourages Imaginative Play & Story Telling

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:14:11 +0000

We always appreciate manufacturers who take a beloved, tried-and-true product, and revitalize it, introducing it to a new generation of children who will appreciate it just as much as their parents and grandparents did. FeltTales felt story boards are just this type of simple, classic toy, yet they have a modern look and feel with themes that should appeal to both boys and girls ages 3 and up. In addition to the “Pups in the Park” theme, shown here, you can choose boards ranging from “Pretty Princess,” and “Let’s Go to the Ballet,” for your granddaughters, to “Dinasaur Days,” and “Pirates at Shipwreck Cove,” for your grandsons. On the back of each story board is a “story starter,” in the form of a few rhyming verses regarding characters and theme, to get creative juices flowing if necessary. Each FeltTales story board comes with at least 19 moveable felt pieces that feel great to the touch as only felt can. A bonus is the portability of FeltTales, each having its own travel handle and an attached plastic zip-lock pouch to carry the pieces — a perfect activity to bring to grandparents’ homes (or to a restaurant), and to play with together!

New Personalized Kids Plate and Placemat Set by Olive Kids: Great Colorful Nostalgic Themes!

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:00:54 +0000

Personalized gifts are fun to give — and kids love seeing their names on anything. These personalized melamine kids plate and placemat sets make great gifts and are super functional! The plates and placemats (also sold separately) are a newer product line offered by Olive Kids, a New Hampshire-based mom and dad company that, in addition to designing kids tableware, offers kids bedding, clocks, floor pillows, and other kids room decor items. Olive Kids’ design themes are simple and nostalgic, from “Flowerland,” “Mermaids,” and “Tea Party,” for girls, to “Under Construction,” “Ride ‘Em Cowboy,” “Dinosaurland,” and “Out of this World,” for boys. As you may know, all kids tableware sets are not created equal. These sets are of exceptional quality — the plates are solid and the mats are well-laminated to withstand washing. And, because the many themes Olive Kids offers are carried throughout the product lines, you can continue to purchase gifts from the same theme — for instance, sheets, comforter, clock and tableware — all with the “Out of this World” space theme. Or have fun and mix up the themes. There are plenty to choose from!

New Twig Wooden Building Blocks Use Renewable Materials for Open Ended Creative Play

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:56:22 +0000

Twig wooden building blocks, new from Fat Brain Toys, demonstrate why a product doesn’t need to use the latest technology in order to be the latest sensation. Sometimes a new twist on an old favorite — in this case, wooden blocks — does the trick! The set comes with 72 pieces of all shapes and dimensions that can be mixed and mingled to fit together in countless ways — each way different from the other. My son, who is no stranger to building and construction toys, exclaims, “I can make something different each time and I never know what it will be!” There are so many developmental skills being used and refined with use of this toy — logic and problem solving, artistic expression, visual/spatial ability, sensory awareness, and more. Twig would even appeal to some adults as well, as the pieces are constructed much like the way a brain teaser wooden puzzle is, except there is no wrong answer — only open-ended creativity! They are precision cut and constructed from high quality, highly renewable materials, and painted tastefully in muted primary colors. Twig makes a wonderful gift, and can be passed on and on. Ages 3 and up.

Meanings in Motion Life Skills Card Deck Brings Families Closer Together

admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:15:06 +0000

We all lead busy lives, and today’s kids are no exception — often running from school and work to sports and other activities, then rushing home to do homework, have dinner, and hopefully get enough sleep… only to do it all again the next day. Weekends and school vacations are sometimes the only time family members really have to relax, play, spend time together, and… talk. Talks don’t always have to be serious, and sometimes just plain silliness is the best way to connect. Other times (and I suspect we don’t use these moments nearly enough) are great for discussion, and getting to know each other — even if you think you already know all there is to know. Meanings in Motion life skills card deck is a new activity developed by a social worker who counsels children of all ages. It’s basically a tool to help us all — regardless of age — to do some self-reflecting. The card deck is actually a fun way to remind us of some important qualities and life skills we should use and exhibit throughout life. Each card prompts us to ask ourselves, and each other, questions relating to these practices (and how they make us feel), and we respond to these questions as honestly and accurately as possible. Of course, the depth of responses can vary radically depending on the age of the family member, but what’s so unique and refreshing is that grandparents, parents, children, and other family members or friends, are all on the same playing level — and there are no wrong answers! One great place to start with a younger child is the “feelings” card, the illustrated side featuring simple smiley faces, silly faces, sad faces, confused faces… you get the picture. The questions on the back include: “why do we have feelings,” “what purpose do they serve,” “what is one feeling you struggle with the most,” and “can you have more than one feeling at a time.” Some of the other life skills highlighted in the cards are: integrity, gratitude, honesty, compassion, self-esteem, positive thinking, forgiveness, building boundaries, balance, empathy, creativity, and peace (a state of calm). Now you see why this is a great activity for all family members of any age. We can all use these reminders, and talking to each other about how these qualities come into our lives can only bring us closer together. In addition to carefully crafted questions, each card also includes suggested activities. For instance, the “positive thinking” card suggests limiting exposure to negativity, choosing to be around positive people, and avoiding negative gossip and bad news. It also suggests reading inspirational books and poems, and re-telling stories that you’ve found to be uplifting. Another thing that makes Meanings in Motion successful is that each card is so beautifully designed. The sturdy, laminated, oversized cards feature colorful, whimsical, and often comical photographs and illustrations to represent the idea each card is meant to convey. For instance, the card dealing with “diversity” features a full tray of donuts, all decorated in their own unique way, yet all looking equally delicious. Meanings in Motion is a different kind of gift, for sure. But it has the potential to help family members of all ages with their own individual self-development, while at the same time bringing everyone closer together.

Squiggle On-The-Go Travel Doodle Pad: Creative Activity Wherever You Are!

admin — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:53:33 +0000

Squiggle On-The-Go doodle pads are a super creative travel activity. We surprised our kids (4 and 7) with them last week as we began a fairly long drive towards our vacation destination. They immediately began creating, and the more they doodled, the bigger their smiles and sillier their giggles became! Squiggle pads are a cleverly simple concept. Each sheet contains a “squiggle,” or randomly drawn line that your grandchild can use as the basis for their own creative doodle, or full-blown picture. Most of the sets also include a spinning wheel for added game-like dimension. For instance, the original Squiggle On-The-Go (shown here, 5 and up), has you spin and land on any of the letters A through D, each letter corresponding with a different side of the doodle pad. Your grandchild then rotates the pad so that the letter spun is at the top of the pad. However the squiggle line appears in that position is the starting point for their picture. How my son immediately envisioned (and then skillfully drew) a scarecrow in front of a farm — all from just a slightly curved line — is beyond me. It’s all in the way each child sees things — everyone potentially seeing something different — sort of like looking at clouds, or a Rorschach picture. Kids 4 and up will enjoy the themed Sguiggles, such as: Shapes and Colors, which has them draw pictures from shapes; Alphabet, where they spin and land on a letter, then draw a picture from the letter; and Barnyard, where they spin and land on an animal, and then draw that animal from the squiggle line provided on each sheet. Each pad comes with a small travel pencil (Shapes and Colors comes with four colored pencils for coloring/filling in), and the sheets easily tear off the pad. You can either leave the sheets on the pad, or carry a little ziplock bag to easily store all of the completed sheets. Squiggle On-The-Go is a simple yet clever and creative concept — a welcomed alternative to today’s typically electronic road-trip activities. Available through the link below or at all Barnes & Noble locations.

Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field and Others Now Available! Ballpark Classics Hardwood Tabletop Game

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:59:28 +0000

Whether you and your grandchildren are in the heat of the baseball season and loving every moment of it, or muddling through the off-season, Ballpark Classics is a wonderful way to celebrate the game together indoors. Ballpark Classics is a finely crafted 3-dimensional hardwood game resembling a ballpark and equipped to simulate just about any scenario possible between pitcher and batter. Fastballs, sliders, walks, strikeouts, home runs — anything’s possible! The “pitching pipe” allows you to adjust your thumb and fingers to throw different types of pitches — and as with any game, practice makes perfect. When hitting, there is a mechanism that actually lets you feel the ball hitting your bat, so whether you hit a single (through a gate in the fence), or a home run (over the fence or back up the pitching pipe), you can actually experience the satisfaction of it as you might experience it playing the actual game in an actual park. The game is fast-paced and realistic, which makes it appealing to the younger generations (great for kids 8 and up). And older generations love the heart and soul that was clearly put into the design of Ballpark Classics — it takes just one look to realize that a long-time baseball fan conceived it. In fact, Doug Strohm developed the first version of the game as a teenager in 1976. Thousands of hours of product development time have passed and what you have is a beautifully nostalgic game with a design inspired by some of our country’s beloved ballparks. It even includes some vintage advertisement decals so you can personalize your park. There are no batteries or electricity needed, and it’s made in USA! So connect with your family members face-to-face, and enjoy America’s great pastime year-round. And as of Spring 2009, you can now special order some of your favorite ballparks! Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium and Busch Stadium. Surprise the baseball fans in your life — not just for grandkids!