Archive for the "fun products" Category

Little People For Your Little Folks

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin Neat Shops and Items, Toddlers, babies, fun products, toys
18
Sep

Fisher Price has a whole new holiday line out for your little ones.  My granddaughter who isn’t quite a year old just loves to hold and taste her Little People Toys and since I have dubbed myself the “toy and book” granny, I was thrilled with the latest catalog showing the new cute, cute toys sets for toddlers. 

Each season has a couple playsets to pick from and if money were no object, I’d buy them all!  The Trick-or-Treat Surprise consists of a moving bat, trick or treaters, a cute pop up ghost and a fold up take along house.  ring the door bell, press the door mat for fun sounds and pop the top on a peek-a-boo pumpkin.  If you aren’t into Halloween-they also have a Harvest Hayride with a little girl farmer and a scarecrow riding a tractor and pulling a wagon. 

Thanksgiving consists of a traditional dinner celebration with playful Pilgrims and Indian friends gathered around the table to give thanks for a fantastic fall feast.  A turkey platter, horse and cart and pumpkins round out the scene.  Or you might want to look at the Mayflower Play Set with a rolling ship , Pilgrim passengers and all the fun of looking out of the crow’s nest and dropping anchor.

But the one that appealed to me the most was the Christmas Nativity Set which would still be cute under the tree when your little one goes off to college.  The Nativity set celebrates the special day with an angel, shepards, three sheep and a sheep dog, a stable and the holy family.  You can add to that set with two more sets of the Three Wise Men and the Inn at Bethlehem.  If you had all three, you could set up quite a Christmas with fences, palm trees and background scenes. 

Fisher Price didn’t leave out Santa Claus either.  A 16-page full color story book goes with Santa, his elf and reindeer or there is a Christmas Parade set with a pull along train or even a Tree Lighting scene with Little People skating and sledding. 

All these fun holiday toys are reasonably priced and it will be hard to chose your favorite.  They are for 1 year old and up but I’d predict that they will be played with for many years to come. Go to the website and/or request the holiday catalog because it’s loaded with lots of other things you might like for your child or grandchild.  Way to go toy granny!!

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Toys That Clip On? What A Genius Idea! Why You Should Invest In These Little Gems

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin Nursery, Toddlers, education, fun products, toys
4
Aug

Clip-on toys. What a novel idea!

They clip onto virtually anything, change out easily, are portable, movable, inexpensive and entertaining. When you are going to the park, take it on the stroller, strap it to your purse, snap it onto the car seat, your belt loop!

If you are a parent you probably know about the huge variety of these small wonders, but if you are new to the concept you can check out a number of quality products at www.infantino.com, www.fisherprice.com, www.brightstars.com, www.playskool.com, www.toysrus.com, and www.babiesrus.com.

My personal favorite is the jittery pal line from Infantino. This was my daughters’ first toy (the fox) and she is now five months old and we don’t leave the house without him or one of his friends, the moose, the zebra, or the elephant. They are bright and colorful, easy to grab and easy to take anywhere you and baby go.

These small toys encourage your baby to practice their motor skills and help them learn hand eye coordination as well as object recognition. They can also serve as a security buddy on the go or when visiting new places as they are familiar and non-threatening to the child. The best part about these clip on toys is that they can be used in multiple ways in multiple different play areas, cribs, bouncers, tummy time mats, dangle gyms and car seats to make sure that your child is constantly stimulated with a change rotation of toys and does not become bored and complacent with the same old song.

They are also relatively inexpensive, most of them ranging from 2.99-13.99 depending on size and complexity, so it is cost effective and fun to change the toys for you and the baby.

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Product Review: Bright Stars Bouncy Chair a Must For All New Parents!

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin New Moms, babies, fun products, toys
20
Jul

The Musical Melodies bouncer from Bright Starts is a must have for any new mom.

Sturdy, flexible, and colorful, this bouncer helps improve motor skills in very small infants and has three adjustable seating variations to grow with your child as their skills and interests develop.

The chair has a great number of things you can use to change it so that the experience does not get boring for your infant, and offers a great deal of flexibility and re-use which any thrifty family will love. Built-in toy clips allow you to change out, add and re-arrange toys on the overhead hang bar to keep your baby’s attention and keep this great product fun.

The base of the chair also has a music function that plays a variety of different kids’ songs at a number of volumes, as well as a seperate vibrate function which is great for gassy or fussy newborns.

The Musical Melodies bouncer chair from Bright Stars is of the most affordable and practical bouncers out there averaging about twenty dollars in most of your neighborhood markets. You can get this great chair at Walmart, Target, Kmart, Babies R Us, and Toys R Us to name a few. Chair allows safety and security for babies 6lbs all the way up to 25 pounds and makes a great hang out spot for play, movie watching or general family time.

Help your infant develop their motor skills and have fun doing it! This chair is a must!

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New Old Games for Summer Fun

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin active kids, fun products, games, summer fun, toys
15
Jun

Every year during the last couple weeks of school, my students would finally tire of each other and become bored with the playground and probably me.  That’s when I’d drag out the oldies but goodies of MY childhood and teach them hopscotch, marbles, jacks and silly jump rope rhymes.  There was something for everybody to get us smoothly to the last day of school. 

If you school aged child is spending way too much time at the computer or in front of T.V. or becoming bored with you, drag out these fun “ancient” childhood games.

Hopscotch-this game REALLY is ancient!   It was played by ancient Romans.  All you need is a stick of chalk and a rock.  Simply draw a grid on the sidewalk, toss your rock and hop.  It’s easy to find the rules and even watch a video demonstration.

Jacks-little metal objects and a small rubber ball and you’ve got yourself a game of jacksthat takes a little skill and practice.  Kids can play alone or with friends.  Play onesies, twosies or eggs in a basket.  And practice makes perfect. 

Marbles-this game really appeals to boys for some reason but my best player was a girl!  Her dad had taught her and she was queen of the marble ring.  There are various games of marbles but they are all fun for everyone.

Jump Rope-good exercise and a couple fun new (old) silly rhymes maake this a great activity for the shake of a big tree.

Have your kids give these a try but don’t forget drinking lots of water, the sunscreen and a big dose of fun!

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What Does a Piece of Cheese and a Stick of Sugarless Gum Have in Common?

Posted by: ArtInShamrocksin Food and Nutrition, fun products, health
28
May

Helping your child learn to care for his teeth does a lot more than prevent cavities.  Maybe more importantly it helps guard against gum disease and the problems associated with that -such as heart disease and diabetes. 

 Here are a few habits geared toward a healthy mouth that you might not have heard of:
 
*When you can’t have your child brush or floss, my dentist recommends chewing a stick of sugarless gum.  It increases saliva and whisks away bacteria.  Gum varieties that contain xylitol make the mouth’s pH less hospitable to germs.
 
*Eat cheese.  Scientists think Cheddar, American and other popular varieties contain fatty acids that the bacteria in the mouth do not like.
 
*Bacteria feed on sugar; so brush before you eat sweets as well as after.  This means there will be fewer of them hanging around to do any damage. 
 
A fun  toothbrush will also entice kids to brush better and longer. I just walked through the dental care aisle of my grocery store and saw these.  Each of the four Crayola Games toothbrushes from GUM comes with kid-friendly games in the handles.  Some tooth brushes have timers to be sure kids brush long enough and the Hasbro Tooth Tunes brushes play songs that keep kids brushing for as long as the music plays.  The handle of the Dr. Fresh Firefly Toothbrush flickers on and off for 60 seconds to keep kids at the sink longer.
 
I think I’m going to try the cheddar cheese idea for better dental and gum health and maybe get a toothbrush that Hannah Montana sings on.  Why let the kids have all the fun??
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