Reviews for 3-5 years old
Our family loves tangram puzzles, so we were excited to find Tangoes Jr., which is a wonderful tangram puzzle “kit” for children as young as four. What I like most about Tangoes Jr. is its packaging. The sturdy cardboard puzzle cards are neatly tucked away in a flip-top briefcase about the same size as a small laptop computer. Then a drawer slides out from the right side holding each of the seven puzzle pieces in its own place. The cards, puzzles, and puzzle pieces are the perfect size for young hands, large enough to prevent fine-motor frustrations. The puzzle pieces are also lightly magnetized — again, helping to avoid frustrations from slippage. This feature, in addition to the packaging, makes the game a perfect car and travel activity. Tangoes Jr. comes with twelve 2-sided puzzle cards (the twelfth card is blank so your grandchild can create his/her own tangram puzzle). The other 11 cards (totaling 22 puzzles), have one version of a puzzle on one side (Level 1), and another version on the reverse side (Level 2). The Level 1 sides display the seven shapes, each shape clearly outlined, with all of the shapes combined to form the overall tangram puzzle shape (such as a sailboat, a house, a cat, etc.). In Level 1, matching shapes is the essential skill. The Level 2 sides do not show the dividing lines — only a silhouette of the shape. This level tests memory skills, spatial and visual discrimination, and important mathematical principles — the beauty of tangrams! Tangoes Jr. are a wonderful activity for you to do with your grandchildren, allowing you to guide them as they move on to some of the more challenging puzzles. Some of the Level 2 puzzles may even have you scratching your head. You can also purchase extra Tangoes Jr. Puzzle Packs when the original cards are mastered. For older grandchildren, be sure to check out Classic Tangoes, and the other Tangoes sets.
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We love trying out products invented by parents who were inspired by their kids. In this case, it’s Little Capers — spawned from a mom whose toddler boy went through a typical superhero phase, set on wearing dish towel capes clipped to his shirt… anywhere. She had to do something! Many of us moms can relate, often feeling compelled to placate our young heroes with very un-original, un-stylish, and un-comfortable polyester costumes of superheroes who shall remain un-named. Alas, there is hope for our little heroes! Little Capers are 100% cotton, stylish T-shirts (with velcro-attached matching shiny capes) adorned with original positive hero-like images, such as a star, the earth, a peace sign or a thunderbolt. The shirts come in both short and long sleeves, and girl and boy colors and styles. Better yet, they’re made in Los Angeles, U.S.A. in a “non-sweatshop” facility. Choose from infant sizes (without capes), on up to size 8. My daughter loves her black with pink and sparkly silver star shirt, and I love that it’s stylish and can be worn with our without the pink sparkly cape. I also love that the message it sends is nonviolent and noncommercial — almost impossible these days. With this gift, you and your grandchild will both be heroes!
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What if you could buy a great gift for your grandchild (something you’ve found on Grandkids Gift Guide, of course!) — make that gift even more special by personalizing it and wrapping it in adventure — and, better, yet — make that special experience last 1 to 2 weeks, and forever in their memories? A new service called Giftventure will make that happen for you! All you need to do is go to their website and order a giftventure by choosing an adventure and answering a few short questions about your grandchild to personalize it. Choose a treasure map adventure for kids 4-8, a maze adventure for kids 8-12, or choose from several seasonal/holiday adventures. Their characters include: Captain Percy the Pirate, Fay the Fairy Princess, Gunther the Dragon, and holiday favorites — Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and Cupid. A giftventure includes 3-4 mailers to your granchild sent every three days from the character you choose. The mailers include colorful letters and posters, as well as puzzles and clues leading them to the location of your gift. Simply provide Giftventure with your grandchild’s name and address, location where your gift will be hidden, as well as a favorite toy/game and landmark to be incorporated in their special story. Giftventure will do the rest! If you know you want to give your grandchild a giftventure but don’t know exactly when — or you’re waiting for a special occasion to occur (a birthday, the holidays — or a special visit at your house or theirs!), Giftventure provides two simple options. One option is to have the giftventure mailed to you or your grandchild’s parents as a package, where everything is included, and the letters, etc. can be distributed (by grown-ups) at the most appropriate times. Or you can purchase a Giftventure gift certificate, which can be redeemed by you or your grandchild’s parents at a later date. Once you decide to give a giftventure, all you need is the gift — and you’re only a few clicks away from that! So… let the adventure and the memory-making begin!
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If you’re thinking about getting your young grandchild a tricycle or small bicycle with training wheels, you may want to consider this Balance Bike, or training bike, as an alternative. Balance bikes have been popular in Europe for many years and have recently become popular in the U.S. They’re a really smart and safe way for children to learn to ride bikes, balancing themselves as they would on real two-wheelers, scooting around without pedals and chains getting in their way, and using their feet as guides. You can find balance bikes in different styles and price-ranges. This one by Kettler is a nice quality bike, yet more moderately priced than other brands and models. It has some nice features, such as a lengthened, padded, adjustable seat, Euro-style wheel and spoke covers (so shoelaces don’t get snagged), front and rear mud guards, and a patented “limited turning radius,” to avoid tipping. Great for children ages 2-6.
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These live butterfly kits provide an awe-inspiring activity for children and grownups alike. My two children and I observed the butterfly metamorphosis process at their preschool last fall, and each of us had a chance to set a beautiful Monarch butterfly free. We found ourselves mesmerized throughout the entire process. This popular kit by Insect Lore comes with an observation chamber, feeding supplies for the butterflies, an instruction booklet that includes butterfly facts, and a certificate for 3-5 “painted lady” caterpillars. Once you choose the right time for the project (during warmer months), you simply send in your certificate and the caterpillar larvae arrive in a small container with all of the nutrients they need for their trip. The metamorphosis from larva to butterfly takes about 3 weeks from the time you receive the larvae. During this process, you and your grandchild will be able to watch the larvae grow, form chrysalides, and transform into beautiful butterflies that you can set free together. It’s a little bit like watching your grandchildren grow, only faster! Note: the butterflies shouldn’t be set free in temperatures lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an intergenerational activity that’s sure to engage children of all ages!
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Poppo is an excellent game for young children who are learning to read or learning their letters, as well as for older family members who simply enjoy fast-paced fun. Poppo is named after its “poppers” — colorful flower-shaped bases with clear bubble-like domes, each containing an eight-sided die with selected letters and a red star “wild” mark. When your grandchild presses on the dome, the die pops in the bubble and displays a letter. The game works this way: you pick a card that displays a simple word as well as a picture of it, then spell that word by pressing on the poppers and finding each of the letters as fast as you can. As you can imagine, kids love to pop the poppers, and before they know it, they’ve spelled a word! Poppo can be played solo or with multiple players split into teams, since the game comes with 2 sets of poppers. With multiple players, team members take turns spelling words as fast as they can and collect as many completed cards as they can. When playing solo or in teams, a timer is used, and if the word is not complete when the timer is up, the card goes back in the deck. What makes this game so accessible is that the 100 cards are 2-sided, with 1 side showing a nicely illustrated picture of the word, and the other side showing both the illustration and the word spelled out below it. So the game can be played by children who only know their letters and are still learning to recognize them — or it can be played by emerging or early readers, who can view the picture, spell the word themselves, and then use the poppers to find the letters for that word as fast as they can. We appreciate Poppo’s versatility, as well as the creative design of its components and quality of its materials — all three of these things can be hard to come by. My own little letter and word fans (ages 3 and 5) give it a big thumbs up, as do many school systems throughout the U.S. Poppo has won plenty of awards, and like many of our recommendations, it’s a great intergenerational activity, so enjoy some poppin’ good fun with your grandchild!
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My Heritage Book is a wonderful companion piece that helps you share your family’s heritage with your grandchild. Much research, work and heart have gone into these beautifully illustrated and descriptive pages, which can be personalized throughout with your grandchild’s name. Each book has an introduction about Americans originating from different places, and space to fill in a family tree and special family traditions. Also included is a letter from you, the person giving the book as a gift and keepsake to your grandchild. Over 50 countries have been researched (a list is included on their website), with more being added constantly. You can choose up to four countries to be discussed in each book, with each country being given an equal number of pages. There’s a sample book on the website that includes pages and illustrations on Italy and Columbia, to give you an idea of the writing and illustrative style, as well as the reading level. There’s even a glossary included at the end of each book! Of course, nothing beats time together with your grandchild, discussing your family’s heritage in person — why not use this as a discussion piece during those special visits. And if you can’t be with your grandchild as much as you’d like, My Heritage Book is a creative way to help strengthen connections whether you’re in the next town or another time zone.
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Children love rocks — collecting beautiful ones, plopping them in water, and making glorious piles of them. But building structures with them? It’s not often that you find a collection of small, naturally-shaped rocks and stones that can truly build things. Stonees are a new product made from real rocks crushed with natural pigments, that are subtly shaped so children (and adults), with practice, can build creative things with them. They are all individually shaped to enable them to build upon each other in some way, but they are still rocks, so tumble they will, especially if they aren’t balanced properly. Building with Stonees takes a certain level of motor skill development — and they’re also smallish and hard (they’re rocks!) — so they’re not recommended for children under 3, and probably best for kids 5 and over. They also require patience and discipline, as it takes a while to figure out how Stonees best fit together, and a fair amount of practice balancing them. Once your grandchild has that down, the creative options are endless. I found that sitting down and working with my son (age 5), introducing him to the concept and testing various configurations together, helped avoid any possible frustration and gave him a great basis to work from. After that, he was off and running, creating walls to complement his action figure set-ups, towers, etc. We recommend you doing the same with your grandchild. Stonees are naturally fun and challenging, and can be used inside or out.
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Project Table Two Stool Set$375 at Ecotots |
We’re always looking for children’s products that are made here in the U.S. using eco-friendly materials and practices. Ecotots furniture, including this table and stool set, are all that and more! First, every one of this company’s pieces are beautifully designed for aesthetics, function, and ease of assembly. The parts are made from 100% formaldehyde-free renewable birch Smartwood, and fit together in minutes without any hardware, tools or glue. Ecotots’ patented Lip & Groove and Slide Lock assembly system also makes disassembly, storage and transport easy. We love the clean, modern look of the furniture, as well as the colors to choose from (fire, leaf, cocoa and clear) — each derived from non-toxic water-based stains with U.V. cured finishes to minimize greenhouse gases. Ecotots takes their environmental practices seriously, and are Forest Stewardship Council accredited, Rainforest Alliance certified, and a member of the Sustainable Furniture Council. The pieces also come with a lifetime construction guarantee. Ecotots produces upscale and stylish children’s furniture that is also practical and environmentally responsible — this is a gift you can feel great about giving!
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Friendly Animals Matching Game by Eeboo$13.30 at Amazon.com |
We’ve been searching for a matching memory game that we can embrace and we’ve found it! One of the reasons we love this Friendly Animals Matching Game by Eeboo is that the illustrations are precious — each tile adorned with a “memorable” (thank goodness — that’s the point!) animal you may recognize from beloved children’s books. Although a form of cardboard, the tiles themselves are extremely sturdy — not like other games with cards that are easily bent. Matching memory games can be challenging for young children, depending on the number of tiles you use (this version has 48). So although your grandchild can begin playing in preschool, he or she will need your help for a while (it’s intended age-group is 5 year-olds and up) — or you can split the tiles/pairs up and use a smaller number, gradually increasing them as your grandchild’s skills improve. This game is just one of several matching memory games, and many other products by Eeboo, that we love. Eeboo’s products are simple and traditional in concept (lacing cards, paper dolls, dominoes, travel diaries and birthday books, to name just a few), while expertly designed, using eternally stylish and adorable children’s book illustrations, as well as quality materials and construction. For instance, you can tell the animals in the matching game were painted or drawn by a real artist, rather than spawned by a computer program. Furthermore, the box/packaging is strong and compact, eliminating typical frustrations found with other flimsily-packaged games, and making it possible to travel with. Stay tuned, because we intend to introduce you to more of Eeboo’s products soon!
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