Whether or not I choose to admit it, summer is officially over. No matter what the calendar says, I refuse to put away my flip flops, suntan lotion and shorts in case Indian Summer decides to stick around for a while. While our kiddie pool may have been deflated, that doesn’t mean we still can’t savor those last warm weather days and still mild nights with some fun playthings, like FyrFlyz. This is not your average spinning toy, but one that’s cleverly disguised as a mini lights show. If you’re a wizard with a yo-yo, then you’ll want to get your hands on this very hands-on toy. Somewhat difficult to explain, but easy to play, FyrFlyz works by swinging two strings while pulling them tight [&hellip
The Playful Walnut Archive
My 7-year-old has just started getting the hang of Hangman. I knew that day would be coming once coloring books and makeshift games of Tic Tac Toe on restaurant playmats quickly lost their allure. Now that she’s become a solid reader, it’s a great way to build on her growing vocabulary and keep her motivated to read for pleasure. For kids who love a good game of words, but may not be ready for Scrabble, comes Flip to Win Hangman, a portable game that works just as well while waiting for dinner to arrive, as it does traveling to Grandma’s. I like that kids can turn over each letter possibility as they fill in the corresponding answer on the dry-erase board; having the alphabet front [&hellip
When I was about 7 or 8, Strawberry Shortcake was one of my best playmates. Yes, there was a time when Barbie was pushed aside in favor of this sweet-smelling lass. My younger cousin and I asked Santa for her one Christmas and oddly enough, she received 2 dolls and I none. Clearly, Santa was having a senior moment, so my cousin graciously passed one doll on to me. And what a good mommy I was to Miss Shortcake: I combed her hair, changed her clothes and took her on all sorts of adventures, from bike-riding to playing out in the backyard. (She could never truly be herself in that cramped-up strawberry, anyhow…) One of the things I never got around to doing with my [&hellip
At a time when SpongeBob is making waves for influencing poor attention spans in preschoolers, I feel the need to dust off some of my childhood classics, crawl back under the covers and remember a time when no one griped that Cookie Monster was responsible for making us eat too many chocolate chips. One of my favorite friends was Babar, the elegant elephant whose only flaw was making me want to learn French before I could master the English language. Nevertheless, the antics of papa elephant, Celeste and their adorable family was my first taste of sophistication and one that I can appreciate even more today as I read to my children. Picking up from where the story lines leave off are newly released twin [&hellip
I don’t think my family will be jetting overseas anytime soon, but giving my kids a taste of world cultures is something I’d love for them to experience. Because Japanese take-out doesn’t exactly do the trick on its own, my husband queues up the Internet radio to a lite-rock Tokyo station. Let’s just say eating sushi will never be ho-hum again. When mealtime is through, we love to crank up the CD player with other types of ethnic music meant for tender ears, like European Playground from Putumayo Kids. My 3-year-old loves to bang on her instruments in a rhythm that is clearly her own, and I can’t help but marvel at her ability to tune out the world–and tune into the beat. I love [&hellip
If Hurricane Irene was an unwelcome visitor in your household this past week, as it was in ours, you’ve probably played one board game too many. And if you are still experiencing the after effects of no electricity, you are more than ready to expand your horizons beyond the world of Scrabble and Go Fish. That’s why FURT couldn’t have arrived at a better time on our doorstep. This is one board game that you won’t mind playing over and over, and that will even enable some of the more…ahem, challenging people in your clan to take part in Family Game Night willingly. Got any of those teens who’d rather text than have you twist their arms to spend some time with you? Then FURT [&hellip
I don’t which subject my daughter loves more these days: reading or math. She devours books just as veraciously as she does numbers, so I’d have to say it’s a toss-up. (Wish I could credit my genes for the math, but I’ll have to settle for helping shape her into a wordsmith…). In the meantime, trying to keep up with her fascination with all things binary is not as easy as introducing her to a new author or making frequent jaunts to the library. What’s a a numbers-challenged mom to do? For kids who love a good math fix, especially during these last few weeks of summer vacation, Math Slam will motivate them to test their skill set. At first glance, it’s an electronic handheld [&hellip
My 3-year-old tries to be like her big sister in so many ways. She mimics what she says and how she says it, she sings the same songs (eat your heart out, Katy Perry) and she so desperately wants to join her in playing Wii. Sadly, yoga and go kart racing doesn’t exactly appeal to the average preschooler, so she has been forced to watch her sister and dad from the sidelines…until now, that is. We recently got our furry paws on a copy of Sesame Street: Ready, Set, Grover!, a video game for the Wii and Nintendo DS, and let’s just say she has found her idea of true blue heaven. Right off the bat, the ultra plush remove cover in the likeness of [&hellip
I have fond memories of playing Go Fish with my grandma when we visited her during the winter in Florida. As I grew older, the game playing graduated to Boggle and then, because she was a good listener, we would just chew the fat about life in general. Even though Gram’s ‘s been gone more than 20 years now, I still think of our good times together. My own father passed away last summer, and my 7-year-old still talks about how the two of them fashioned pizzas and houses from Play-Doh over and over…precious memories that will last her a lifetime. Because the grandparent/grandchild bond often centers upon play, especially when kids are young, it’s a true wonder when you stumble upon things that help [&hellip
We recently bought a new gas grill after our other one finally bit the dust and I must admit, the burgers taste better than ever. As the summer begins to wind down, there are precious few nights left for al fresco dining, so it’s time to live it up! If you’ve got a budding Bobby Flay in your home, let him hone his BBQ skills on the HABA Grill Set Sizzle Expert. Following the tradition of high-quality HABA toddler toys, this playset has all the makings of a year-round favorite in your little one’s play kitchen. We love that the food is soft to the touch, while the sturdy grill and tongs are durable for plenty of BBQing. Our favorite part? The realistic charcoal briquettes [&hellip