Back when my 8-year-old was in preschool, she came home from school one day and asked me where our beach house was. Bewildered by her out-of-the-blue question, I probed a bit to find out what prompted her inquiry. (It turned out that a few of classmates were going away from the upcoming spring break, and one girl announced that she’d be heading to her family’s waterfront compound–I kid you not.) “Right here” was the answer I finally supplied, gesturing to indicate our own humble abode. Did I mention we live just down the road from the Long Island Sound? No need to feel like that such close proximity to the water didn’t qualify as a seaside getaway…But I couldn’t blame my then-preschooler for her inquisitiveness; [&hellip
developmental toys Archive
My 3-year-old is a little drill sergeant. She never lets her menagerie of stuffed animals get out of step. If they are not properly arranged on her bookshelf, she stops whatever she’s doing to straighten them out. A mother’s dream–or worst nightmare? Of course, it wasn’t always like this. Ordered chaos was fine by her when she was younger and just learning to play with her toys. When she stacked up her blocks in her earlier days, she’d quickly knock them down again and again, her chubby little hands toppling them over and clapping in sheer delight at her mastery of cause and effect. Fast forward to the present and this preschooler is all about order. People near and dear to me say her obsession [&hellip
It amazes me that my 3-year-old still loves a good game of peek-a-boo. On a crisp fall afternoon earlier this week, we played outside where she hid her face within the trees. It was only a matter of minutes before a fierce wind blew back their branches to reveal her little face, and she was suddenly in stitches. If your baby hasn’t yet graduated from this simple game, but you’d welcome a diversion in the same old, same old routine, check out Skip+Hop’s new line of Hug & Hide Activity and Stroller Toys. Each plush animal friend (choose from an owl, lamb, dog or monkey) is outfitted in a multi-textured design and features a matching baby animal hidden underneath their arms. It’s a wonderful way [&hellip
You don’t have to be a mathematician to know that babies need their tummy time. With so much of their day spent on the backs–sleeping, batting at toys under a play gym, etc.–during the early months, infants don’t have as much opportunity to develop upper body strength as they should. Hearing the call of eager-to-explore babies everywhere comes the Right Angle Tummy Triangle from Infantino. Designed by pediatric occupational therapists, this play gym is specially angled to promote muscle development in necks and legs, giving little ones a chance to flex their growing limbs. Ever try to get a baby to stay on her belly? It’s not as simple as it sounds. We like that the Tummy Triangle encourages this type of play with music, [&hellip
A lucky mom indeed, I was able to spend a day at Toy Fair in NYC and boy, did I get the scoop on all things fun for 2011. All week long, we’ll be talking about what’s hot for playtime as we look at some of the more entertaining playthings that caught our eye. First off, we’re especially excited that PBS Kids is launching its first-ever line of toys for toddlers and preschoolers. Don’t expect to see The Cat in the Hat or Curious George-themed items, though. Instead, the signature Dot and Dash characters that make up the PBS Kids logo are the main characters appearing among the more than 20 wooden toys. They include the Sounds of World Rhythm Set of musical instruments, Exploration [&hellip