Like most of the Northeast, we are quite sick of winter. Enough with the endless snow, cold winds, slushy roads, school delays and shoveling! We don’t care if the groundhog was right or wrong; we’re ready for spring! As we watch the determined sun melt away all that snow –along with our winter blues–our thoughts turn to warmer weather, bringing flowers, green grass and the Easter Bunny. While you’re on the lookout for great basket stuffers this season, keep in mind a fresh idea for the baskets themselves. We recently stumbled upon Packable Pails, a line of colorful, collapsible buckets that do more than hold their fair share of jelly beans and chocolate eggs. If your house is anything like ours, the attic is packed [&hellip
outdoor toys Archive
Hard to believe that in another month, school will be out for summer. While I’m not about to start singing an Alice Cooper song anytime soon, I do want to be ready–ready, that is, for the kids being at home and having plenty of stuff to keep them entertained before camp begins. We’ve been blessed with a big backyard, so as long as there’s no rain in the forecast, I am usually ushering them out to play, much to their chagrin. Since we know how challenging it can be to keep kids busy without breaking the bank, we love products that multitask like us moms. ALEX’s Gigantic 3-in-1 Net Set maximizes its worth by offering plenty of play options in one toy. An adjustable net [&hellip
Still looking for last-minute Easter basket stuffers? We’ve got some great suggestions that work for girls and boys, from a name that’s synonymous with creativity. New this spring, Crayola has introduced Chalk Grab ‘N Go Games, a line of classic games based on its colorful sidewalk chalk. If you’ve got kids, chances are you have a bucket of sidewalk chalk hiding somewhere in your garage, like we do. With these fun games, chalk extends its usefulness beyond hopscotch and sidewalk sketches into more active play. Each packaged game–Chip Shot Golf, Foot Hockey, Bean Bag Toss and Obstacle Course–contains all the tools needed to play, including four sticks of chalk. Not only are these games ideal for backyard play, but they pack easily for trips to [&hellip
Get a grip already, Mother Nature! What’s with the one nice day that taunts us with sunny skies and mild temps….only to be faced with tomorrow’s promise of cold rain and highs in the low 40s? It’s making everyone a little bit stir crazy, and I’m not just talking about the kids! Well, if there’s anything this erratic season is teaching us, it’s to seize the day and take advantage of the outdoors whenever the weather permits. Today was one of those days meant to spent outside, so after homework time, we happily hit the backyard to try out a new toy. Nerf Sports Bash Ball is, hands down, the best excuse to play a game of catch, soccer, dodgeball…you name it. You may wonder, [&hellip
Can we fast-forward to spring already? These 20-degree mornings are getting boring already, and my kids REALLY need to get outside and be…well, kids. Remnants of dirty snow doesn’t lend itself well to sledding, and it’s still too cold for bikes and scooters. With the forecast calling for near 50-degree temperatures this Saturday, you can bet your bippy I’ll be shuffling those kids out the back door faster than you can say springtime. Because no parent is immune to the cries of “but there’s nothing to dooooo…,” may we offer a suggestion? Diggin Active’s Squap for ages 6 and up turns an ordinary game of catch into something extraordinary. Easy to play, this game doesn’t involve a steep learning curve and goes right out of [&hellip
Yesterday’s weather was perfect: sunny and in the 60s, with just a hint of fall in the air. After a rather buggy summer, my 5-year-old was happy to finally be back outside where she could play undisturbed by those pesky critters. So we took out her trike and she happily pedaled back and forth, and even giving her stuffed panda Bamboo a ride. As I watched her attempt to maneuver herself through various twists and turns on her path, I realized that the days of ride-ons were pretty much behind us now. Even though she is almost too big to fit inside her convertible coupe, she still likes to cruise around the backyard, her knees bumping against the dashboard much to her (odd) delight. Well, [&hellip
With temps steadily climbing into the 80s this week and school due to let out this Friday, our thoughts are turning to ice pops, the beach and all things summer. Because we know firsthand how much the kids need to get outside and play, we need the perfect excuse to keep them there. Enter the NERF Super Soaker Arctic Shock Water Blaster. This is so not your average water gun. Deep within its recesses of this mega-sized toy is a removable wide-mouth clip that can hold up to 25 ounces of H2O–along with plenty of ice cubes–for primo ammo. One blast from this super-cool soaker, and your most unsuspecting buddy will never know what hit him. Then again, if this summer winds up being another [&hellip
My kids have a serious case of cabin fever. After a lousy winter and a slow start to spring, they’ll take any partly sunny day above 40 degrees to play outside. Case in point: my 4-year-old blowing bubbles last week, while wearing her heavy coat, gloves and a hat. As I write this post, snow flurries are swirling around and there’s no foreseeable end to this extended winter. Well, even if the calendar and the weather can’t agree, we’re still thinking spring and keeping an eye out for outdoor toys sure to herald signs of warmer weather ahead. Our latest find is the coolest sidewalk chalk of the season: RoseArt’s Surprise Inside Sidewalk Chalk. Think of it as the chalk that keeps on giving, long [&hellip
Springtime is less than two weeks away, with the baseball season immediately on its heels. If your little slugger is chomping at the bit for Opening Day, there’s no time like the present to grab his glove and ball and head outside. Or better yet, give him a chance to perfect his catching skills with a cool new Japanese-inspired toy. Otherwise known as the traditional cup-and-ball game here in the States, Yomega’s Kendama helps kids fine-tune their hand/eye coordination as they expertly toss a tethered hard-plastic ball onto the cupped surfaces of a hammer-like handle. We got our hands on an early product sample of this product, and let’s just say that this game is not as easy as it looks. With just the right [&hellip
My kids are in love with Fun. That’s the cool indie pop band that just took home two Grammys, including one for song of the year. I can’t quite put my finger on their latest musical obsession. (I’m just thankful for the reprieve from Katy Perry.) Maybe it’s because my 4-year-old likes the rockin’ electric guitar; it may explain why I sometimes catch her playing air guitar in the privacy of her room–and how I am then ushered out (you know how temperamental those creative artists can be). Well, if she can’t master the fancy finger work of Jack Antonoff, she can certainly have “fun” (hah!) trying. Or, better yet, I can set her up with a bubble-blowing instrument of her. You read that right: [&hellip
- 1
- 2