• The Playful Walnut Archive

    The calendar may say summer, but last week, it was more like the start of the holiday season in NYC.  It was then that I had the opportunity to meet with both Disney and LeapFrog to see what’s on tap for this Christmas, and from the looks of things, there will be plenty of toys on the top of Santa’s list this year. For starters, we were excited to see our favorite movie franchises in full form. From Cars 2, boys will surely be all revved up for Bomb Blastin’ Mater, that talks and moves, and Lighting McQueen Alive! that zooms all over the room. Both are available in the fall. Our favorite was the Big Bentley Playset (pictured here), packed with over 700 (!) [&hellip

    Read More...

    It was a bear of a hot weekend in NYC this 4th of July, but luckily my family was able to hunker down in the cool A/C while enjoying a delightful performance of “The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters.” Now playing at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, this family-friendly musical is the perfect way to spend a sweltering summer afternoon with little ones needing a break from the pool/beach routine. If your kids are fans of the children’s book series, they are sure to enjoy this well-paced show that brings the fabled characters to life via vignettes highlighting important life lessons, including  not talking to strangers, eating healthy and doing your homework. A medley of toe-tapping musical numbers keeps the action moving right [&hellip

    Read More...

    Brace yourselves: Today, I took both of my girls to the beach and we managed to return home with everything we brought, along with some sand, of course.  Armed with lunch, towels and a ton of beach toys, we were ready for a day of sun and fun….and for me, rescuing the requisite pail or hovel that always manages to tumble into a nearby stream that the girls love to play in, and inevitably wind up in the saltwater. (Can’t you just hear the cries of “Get it! Get it!”? I know they will haunt me in my dreams tonight.) At a moment when my daughters were play contentedly, I happened to look up and see a blue shovel floating by–one that didn’t belong to [&hellip

    Read More...

    One thing my girls love about warm weather? Outdoor art! Because I’m a spoilsport about doing messy crafting inside during the rest of the year, summertime means free rein on paints, Play-Doh and more once we can spend the better part of the day in backyard. One cool crafting compound that we’ve been psyched to get our hands on–literally–is WABA Fun’s Bubber. As much fun to say as it is to play, this stuff looks and feels like a confectionery from our local soda shop. Light as air, yet infinitely more colorful, it’s a welcome relief from the sticky clay that always manages to find a new home under little fingernails. I like that it works just as well making little balls, as it does [&hellip

    Read More...

    I must confess: In my younger days, I was a closet geologist. One summer on break from middle school, I became infatuated–no, make that obsessed–with all kinds of rocks and minerals. After a stint as a nature camp counselor, I could proudly rattle off the difference between sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. I knew my quartz from my graphite, and eventually became a collector of many treasured finds. And no, it wasn’t because I was hoping to score a big, fat diamond someday. Now, I get to impart my learned wisdom (or whatever is left of it) to my daughters. Since studying rocks is hardly considered “sexy,” I love when I can stumble upon a educational product that can get my own juices flowing and, in [&hellip

    Read More...

    My youngest niece is about to celebrate her 13th birthday and, much to my sister’s delight (or is that a tear in her eye?), it marks the last big party for her baby who’s all grown up. While my niece and her pals never grow tired of a summertime sleepover, it always nice to jazz up the festivities a bit. Adding a modern twist to a classic kid favorite–and one that’s even sure to satisfy the attention of the tech-centered tween crowd–is Crayola’s Glow Chalk. This is not your mom’s sidewalk chalk, but rather a special kind that illuminates any driveway etching and street curb designs you can dream up. What I like about Glow Chalk is that it gets kids involved in the concoction, [&hellip

    Read More...

    My daughter is at the age where crafts rule. Each year for her birthday, we decide on an art activity that ties into her party’s theme. This year, we made ball and paddles with a carnival motif, and the year before that, it was sand art for a beach scavenger hunt. When she turned 5, we did an around the world party, and the kids made their own kaleidoscopes…but sadly, they (the kaleidoscopes, not the kids) fell apart before the party was even over. So much for investing in party store supplies; you get what you pay for, as the saying goes. One kaleidoscope kit that does not disappoint is the new one from Creativity for Kids. Whereas other models have flimsy materials at best, [&hellip

    Read More...

    Getting my daughter to write thank you notes isn’t an easy feat and from what I hear, it only gets more challenging with age. But short of bribing her–hey, I had to write my fair share of thank yous when I was a kid, and we just did what we were told–I wondered if there wasn’t a way to make this chore a little less arduous. Well, score one for Smens scented pens. These are the grown-up cousin of Smencils, an equally refreshing line of colored pencils that make practicing ABCs a treat for little noses. Each pack contains 10 uniquely named pens with cool monikers like Aloha  and Banana Fo Fana. We can’t decide what we like best about Smens: the fact that they [&hellip

    Read More...

    On a humid and sticky day, I know the last thing my bike-riding daughter wants is a “hot hat,” as she puts it, but we insist that she wear her helmet…or else. Donning a helmet while biking is no laughing matter, but as is true for many of those trying parenting moments, a little humor can make a big difference. Perhaps this was the thinking behind the creatively designed bike helmets from Raskullz (the name alone is worth a smile). Their 3-D helmets, sporting a motley crew of wacky characters, are probably the coolest thing in head gear we’ve seen in a long time. Be it the Go-Rilla, Shark Attax or Brainy Bunny (shown here), each helmet is made from a soft rubber material that’s [&hellip

    Read More...

    When it comes to playing board games, my 7-year-old can be a sore loser. Blame it on an ultra competitive spirit that’s been cultivated over the years, or maybe it’s just plain bad sportsmanship (I don’t like being last either). Nevertheless, I miss the days of playing games like CandyLand when my daughter was content to land on any edible treat, even if it set her back 10 paces. Instead, there should be more games like the new assortment from Peaceable Kingdom that focuses more on cooperative game playing than who gets to the finish line first. One of the games in the line, Stone Soup, is a great way to encourage team building at a young age. Players must work together to cook a [&hellip

    Read More...