Kids' Toys Think Before You Buy

Kids' Toys Think Before You Buy
By Sherry Frewerd

There is a chore in my home that brings out the procrastinator in me. This particular chore is so big and so difficult, that I create new tasks just to avoid starting the dreaded job. What could be so bad: My toddler’s bedroom – a.k.a. fighting the battle of ‘too many toys!’

The problem doesn’t arrive from a lack of organization or space to put things, but from just too many toys in the first place. His room, when tidy, looks like a little toy store gone mad. My husband built custom shelving just for the toys and books, with varying shelf sizes to accommodate different types of toys and sizes of books. However, when I take a close look at the contents, it’s obvious that there’s lots of ‘stuff’, but little thought went into most of it.

How should you select and organize your child’s toys? Choosing quality kids’ toys, selected by their developmental stage and abilities, is the first step. Most toys have a recommended age on the package to let you know the appropriate age group. Take cues from you own child to guide you in whether he is ready for a certain toy.

Make sure that the toys you’re buying actually "do" what they are supposed to. If puzzle pieces aren’t cut correctly, your child will get angry and frustrated when they play with it. I’ve recently made the mistake of buying a puzzle that was supposed to be appropriate for ages 18 months to 3 years, only to find that the pieces were very difficult to place, and my son became upset every time he played with the puzzle.

Some suggestions for Toddler and Preschool Toys

• Puppets

• Activity tables/centers

• Sorting boxes

• Snap together Blocks – Leggos

• Puzzles – up to 5 wooden pieces

• Figures for dollhouse, farm, etc.

• Dress up clothes

• Trucks and wagons to haul things

• Housekeeping and shopping toys

• Sewing cards

• Buttoning, zipping, snapping dolls or boards

• Preschool age games like Memory and Candy land etc.

Most importantly, choose toys that stimulate your child’s mind and that create learning experiences. Provide an adequate amount of toys for your child. Don’t do as I have and overwhelm your child with too much ‘stuff’ causing both of you to become frustrated. As we all know, most little kids have a more fun playing with the box the toy came in while the new toy sits idly on the floor. Now it’s time for me to stop procrastinating and fight the battle of ‘too many toys.’

About the author: Sherry Frewerd is a WAHM to three and is a licensed child care provider. Visit her website, ‘Family Play and Learn’ for fun and creative activities and resources for your Toddler and Preschool age child. http://familyplayandlearn.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Frewerd

Paper Christmas Tree

I'll have to post pictures of this when I get a bit more time. We took three triangle shapes cut out of green paper and glued them onto another piece of paper. We overlapped them slightly with the bigger part of the triangle facing down so that they looked like a Christmas tree. The kids decorated them with whatever supplies they wanted and glued buttons on to look like ornaments. This is very simple and quit to do and doesn't require too much clean up.

Christmas Vacation

Every year I take the week after Christmas off from daycare. It's kind of like my Christmas present to myself. I get some time to just enjoy my kids, get things back to normal after the holidays, and recover from all the stress. Ryan hates it. He would much rather have his friends over to play. After I get a bit of rest I am much more excited to start daycare again in the new year and that benefits everyone. So I'm off to finish some last minute Christmas preparations and then ready to relax and enjoy my children.

The Secret of Daycare

There is something daycare providers have not told you. My own kids are far more challenging than all of my daycare kids put together. My daycare kids put their best show on for me. They are excited to come and when they get tired they go home with their mommies. I don't have to wrestle with them to go to bed at night. They don't argue with me about every little thing just to make me angry. They don't know what buttons to push to really make me want to hide in the closet and cry. You are more emotionally invested in your own children. That is not a bad thing to say. They are yours. You made them. Your heart and soul is in them and when they hurt, you hurt. But that also makes them draining. It can make you want to trade kids for the night, as much as you love them, just to get a few minutes to go to the bathroom by yourself. When Richard was born I figured the transition to two kids would be easy, and for the most part it was. It was much easier than going to one child at least. I thought I could just cut back on one daycare kid and it would be the same old routine. I didn't count on a child who is every bit as stubborn and oppinionated as I am. He isn't even one and we are already having power struggles. This child has opinions on everything from what he has for breakfast to what he wears for the day. What one year old has shirts that he simply refused to wear? I'm scared for him to get older.

There is also more guilt associated with your own children. Ryan has days where he needs more attention than others. He is my sensitive one. He feels things deeply, and I love that about him, but he needs a lot of attention to be his happiest. He loves having his friends come to our house. He wouldn't give it up for the world. There are days, however, that he feels secondary and he really needs to be first. He gets jealous easily. It tears me in two because I have a responsibility to these children who come into my home to provide the best care that I can, and I really try to, but that takes some of the attention away from my own kids. That's where the guilt comes in. I give them my time by doing daycare instead of working outside of the home, but it also takes me time from them. Life is full of compromises.

Loosing a Daycare Child

Yesterday the parents of a little girl I have watched for three years gave notice. Her mom has the opportunity to work from home and I think that is wonderful but we will miss her. She came to my home when she was 5 months old and she is Ryan's best friend. I really hope that they can stay in touch. Ryan would be so sad if he doesn't see her anymore.

I'm kind of torn because I hate starting new kids but now I have an opening. I have a really nice schedule right now. I don't start too early. I don't end too late in the day and I have Fridays off. I can't imagine doing anything else every day but I'm a bit too exhausted right now to start the search for a new client and go through the training process with someone new. I guess we'll see what happens. We may put our house up for sale again in the spring so who knows where we will end up. I'm not big on change but I want some sort of an adventure.

Pine Cone Christmas Trees

There was something similar to this in an Oriental Trading Company catalogue. It seemed easy enough to do so we created our own version. I found scented pine cones at Bed Bath and Beyond. I probably could have just gone down the street and harvested some from the park but lets face it, it's really cold outside and I try to ignore winter weather as much as possible. I had some gingerbread play-dough left over from a few weeks ago so I took it and formed little balls to use as bases for the trees. We turned the pine cones upside down so that the flat side was on the bottom and squished them into the play-dough. By wiggling it gently back and forth everything stayed in one place but it went deep enough into the play-dough to stand on its own and be pretty stable. Once we did that the kids painted the whole things green. We let it dry for a few hours and then glued red sequins and buttons on the undersides of the pine cone that was now facing up. Ryan insisted that it just wasn't a Christmas tree without a star on top so we finished the whole thing off with a yellow foam star. The kids had so much fun with this and they had the freedom to decorate their "trees" however they wanted.

Insta-Snow

For years other daycare providers have been telling me how cool this stuff is but I had never tried it. I finally bought a set because they had it 50% off at a scholastic sale and it is awsome! I have been playing with this stuff just as much as the kids have. You can find it here. The kids have been playing with it for an hour already and are having a blast.

Preschool Toys that Encourage Learning

We know that “play is a child’s work” but it is up to us to make sure that our children’s play adds up to a college graduate rather than a high school drop out. Young children are forming the basis of their future in their early years. If most of their time is spent watching T.V. or playing with toys that do not enrich their lives then we are not investing all that we can in their future. We are bombarded by toys in the stores and in ads. How is a parent to know which toys to choose for their child? A simple rule is to ask yourself what the toy will do for your child. Does the toy encourage imagination or thought? Does the toy challenge the child but avoid frustration? Every child is different and has different skill levels but there are some basic toys that in general can encourage learning.

Unit blocks are some of my favorites. They can be used in so many different ways and grow with the child as they learn new skills. Traditional wooden unit blocks are wonderful for teaching math skills. They show a child proportion through play. If you buy properly cut unit blocks each block makes up a percentage of the next one. One block equals half of another and that block equals half of the next. It may seem like a simple concept but it is an essential first math skill. They are also so versatile that they can be used to build a castle or a road, a tower or a wall. Children of all ages love these and their creations simply grow bigger as they do. I have seen children use these in a toy workshop as building materials and as cars when they want to use a little imagination. Because unit blocks have so many varied uses they are my top pick for educational preschool toys. They can be a bit expensive but they will never break or wear down. If you have woodworking skills these can be made. You want to be sure you have or make an accurate pattern so that your child will get all of the math benefits from this wonderful toy. Discount school supply (discountschoolsupply.com) has these blocks at a reasonable price.

Legos, while not as versatile as unit blocks, can be played with in many of the same ways and teach many of the same mathematical skills as the unit blocks. For older children, you can find patterns to make different structures and practice direction following skills. The pieces that you can buy for lego sets are more varied than they are for unit blocks and the bright colors appeal to children. Sorting skills can be practiced as children divide the blocks into separate colors. They instinctively do this, unaware that they are learning in the process. These toys are very durable. I have some that my children play with that are 20 years old and you can’t tell them apart from the new ones (with the exception that some of the accessories are a bit dated now). These toys are quite expensive as well but well worth the price. They can sometimes be found second hand at garage sales or online.

Pretend play comes naturally to a child and teaches so many valuable life lessons. Through pretend play they learn how to treat one another and how to show empathy and nurture others. Dolls, just plain old battery free dolls, have always been a favorite of boys and girls alike. Many parents are reluctant to allow boys to play with dolls but in a society with so many dead beat dads and rampant abuse, empathy is just as important of a skill for boys to learn at an early age. A boy that plays with dolls will not be scarred for life and will still enjoy traditional boy activities but if your child shows interest in playing with dolls it is important to follow their lead and allow them an outlet for nurturing play if they desire it.

Toy Kitchens have always been a favorite with children and allow them to mimic the things that they see adults do every day. Playing house prepares a child for the things they will do in the future and teaches them valuable social skills. You can see a child’s home life by watching them play house. It is important to purchase a sturdy toy kitchen. These have the potential to take a lot of wear and tear. I try and stick with Little Tykes brand. They have a history of building strong quality toys that can hold up to children’s play. I have personally enjoyed the Little Tikes Cook N Clean Kitchen Center. It not only has everything you would need to use in a kitchen but also includes a laundry center to help kid’s role play housekeeping skills. This design allows the kitchen to be folded so that, when needed, it can take up a smaller space. I tend to stay away from toys that talk to kids simply because they grow tired of them and they don’t require as much imagination. This kitchen does have some sound features but they are not over powering. I have also been pleased with the Inside/Outside Cook’n Grill Kitchen, also by Little Tikes. This kitchen includes an outside grill play area. Because it is back to back it cannot be placed against a wall but if you have the space this looks like a great toy.

There is a huge variety of pretend play toys available. Fisher Price Little People have always been a hit. They are durable and can be played with in many different ways. A lot of them are beginning to come with sound features that require batteries which will require changing. Most of the time I end up leaving these out unless they really need the sound. Animal toys by Schleich are fantastic toys. These are also on the more expensive side but they hold up phenomenally well. I have some of these that are over 10 years old and look brand new. Most kids love animals and these can be incorporated into block play and many other activities.

A well rounded preschooler’s toy collection will promote learning and expand their skills in an enjoyable way. These toys are only a small sample of the many wonderful toys out there. They can be rounded out by a good supply of art materials and adults who are willing to share their love of learning. Above all, the best way to encourage learning in young children is to create an environment that is comfortable and conducive to learning. A child will only truly learn when they feel loved and cared for and are provided with a kaleidoscope of experiences.

Potty Training Aids

In most homes with young children the very thought of potty training can bring on a cold sweat. It brings up images of poop smeared bathrooms and pee soaked couches, but like it or not it has to be done and everyone will be happier when it has been completed successfully. There are many products on the market to help children as they go through the potty training process but which ones really make the job easier? Potty training is a learning experience and if it is made too easy for the child to fail then the process will be drawn out for longer than it needs to be. A helpful potty training aid will encourage the child to use the potty and develop the skills they need to be successful on their own.

Pull Ups: I have mixed feelings on these. They do keep accidents contained which I will not ignore the fact that this can be a very positive thing, but there will be a lot more accidents. The problem with these depends on the child they are used on. It is very tempting for kids to view these as big boy/girl diapers. They want to grow up. They want to feel big and important. Switching to pull ups can make kids feel more grown up. Some children will be satisfied at this point and not progress much further in their quest to use the petrifying potty. When they know that any accidents will not be followed by wet pants they are not as motivated to use the potty. I find that these work best for children that are just learning to control their bodily functions and use the bathroom on command rather than children who are practicing staying dry for extended periods of time. I prefer to use padded training pants with a plastic cover so that children can feel the true consequences of their actions and be motivated to succeed. I do, however, like these for the first few trips away from home without a diaper. If these are called underwear and treated as though they were underwear then they can be used to make trips outside the home easier and to prevent accidents caused by distractions or fear of public restrooms.

Potty Chairs: These pint sized potties are great for kids who are physically and emotionally ready to toilet train but not quite tall enough to climb onto a full sized potty. I like the Potty N Step by Safety 1^st. It looks like a traditional potty seat but has the ability to change into a seat that fits over the toilet in order to make the adjustment easier. The base of the seat flips over to reveal a step that children can use to climb onto the full sized potty when they are ready. The downside to potty chairs is that you must clean them after every use and boys especially tend to “miss” and leak into the cracks of the potty chair if you buy one that is poorly designed.

Potty Seats: My favorite potty training tool is the padded seats that fit onto the full sized toilet seat. They allow kids to get used to the idea of being on the regular potty but confront the fear of falling in that many kids have. Cleanup is much easier on these. They can be wiped with disinfectant quickly and tend to avoid contact with most of the mess. I find that these can make the adjustment to using a full sized potty easier. They get kids used to the idea of going on the regular potty which can come in handy when you are in a public place with a newly potty trained child.

Sticker Charts: They sell these in stores but you can easily make your own and customize it for your needs. If your child is a very visual learner charts can be a wonderful thing. They allow the child to see the progress they are making in a straightforward way and let them show off their new found talent to everyone in the home if it is placed in a prominent place.

Treats/Rewards: Rewarding a child for using the potty can work in the beginning but it will not lead to successful potty training until the child wants to use the potty regardless of the reward they will receive. They can, however, serve as a reminder for the child and a motivation to take the time needed to use the potty while they are still establishing the habit of using the potty consistently. It can help to slowly phase out rewards. In the beginning some children are helped by receiving a reward each time they use the potty. This can be slowly extended to receiving a reward for using the potty all day and then all week.

Every child is different and what works for one child may or may not work for the next. It is important to follow the child’s cues. They know when they are ready to take the next step and they can show you by their behavior what techniques will work for them.

Teaching Kids to Make Healthy Food Choices

When it comes to nutrition, kids tend to have a completely different view on the subject than their parents. To a child, anything that looks, smells, or feels good must be good for you. They have yet to discover that just because something looks good does not necessarily mean that it is good for you. As parents, we become their primary examples and that is a scary role indeed. No matter how many times you tell a child to eat his fruits and vegetables, he will not actually do it if mom and dad are in the kitchen scarfing down forbidden treats. My 3 ½ year old tells me all the time, “Mommy, chocolate makes you happy” as a reason why he should have some, and while this is true, mommy probably eats more than her fair share of chocolate.

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Gingerbread Playdough

Gingerbread Playdough

You will need:
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/2 cup of salt
- 2 tsp. Cream of tartar
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, etc.

Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar together. Blend well. Mix the spices together until you get the scent and color you want. Add to dry ingredients. Mix water and oil together. Add water and oil mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix well. Cook the mixture in a pot for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. The playdough will start to pull away from the sides and form clumps. Remove the dough from the pot and knead until it becomes smooth. Cool.

Corn Painting

This is a fun one for Thanksgiving. Insert corn holders into both ends of an ear of corn. Have the kids roll the corn in paint and then roll on the paper any way they want. When they are done cut the corn in half and dip the ends in the paint. This makes cute flowers. These prints can be used to make cards for Thanksgiving or painted on a paper table cloth for Thanksgiving dinner.

Hmm. Bert? Really?

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you loveable - even if you don't love them! You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

The Joy of Naptime

Naptime is gold. It is mine. I will fight for it with everything I have. In the early days of daycare I would sit in the room with the kids and rub the foreheads of the ones who had trouble falling asleep. I discovered that if I rubbed downward towards their eyes they would have no choice but to close their eyes and go to sleep. I’m tricky like that. They didn’t even realize they were getting tired. Now that we have our routine down the kids finish eating lunch and just know what to do. We change diapers and then they all go and pull out their own nap mats and lay down. They know the routine. Everyone knows what is expected of them. Parents tell me all the time that their kids won’t take naps at home. It’s a talent I guess. I can get anyone to fall asleep. . . with the small exception of my own 3 ½ year old son apparently. He told me a few weeks ago “Mommy, I don’t take naps anymore.” He wasn’t kidding. I don’t think he’s taken a single nap since he told me that.

The only thing that didn’t change with his announcement was the fact that he still desperately needs a nap in the middle of the day or we are faced with a very opinionated grumpy little boy. Right now the daycare kids are sleeping and I can hear my son upstairs playing superman on his bed. I’m happy if he stays in his room for now. At first he decided that since he didn’t take naps anymore, neither did anyone else. That was not okay. We had several clashes over that one. I would get all of the kids happily down for a nap and settle down on the couch with my daily ration of chocolate and Ryan would run around waking everyone up and handing them a toy to assure that they would not willingly go back to sleep again anytime in the near future.

Today, as long as I get my moment of peace, I am okay with him playing in his room. At least he is doing his own thing right now. This is my version of a lunch break for the benefit of anyone out there that has a normal job and is allowed to go to the bathroom without anyone pounding on the door asking what you are doing and if they can watch. It’s my 15 minutes break on the busy days and my hour of “me-time” on the better days.

People tell me all the time that their own kids never took naps when they were 3 years olds so I should just let it go. Besides the fact, that I’m not ready to give up my nap break just yet, a 3 year old screaming and crying that he most definitely is not tired does nothing to convince me that my son does in fact still need his nap. So for today I’ll let it slide because I’m too tired to argue with him and he tends to wake all of the other kids up anyway with all the yelling that he isn’t tired if I try and force him to take a nap. I’ll wait until dinner time tonight when he is fast asleep in the couch and angry that we are not letting him sleep.

Ziplock Ice-Cream

Ziplock Ice-Cream

I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice-cream. Who doesn't love ice-cream? It is getting colder outside and everyone is pulling out their heavy coats but we eat ice-cream year round. This is a great activity to get kids cooking. They will have so much fun making their own ice-cream and learning what it is made of. Younger kids may need help if they get tired of shaking. Taking turns can help prevent tired arms. Turn on some music and dance around the kitchen while you are doing this.

Ziplock Ice-Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup half and half
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sandwich size Ziploc bags
1 one gallon size Ziploc bag
2 cups ice
1 tablespoon coarse salt

Put one small Ziploc bag inside the other and add the milk, half and half, sugar, and vanilla extract to the inside bag. Seal both bags securely, removing excess air. Add ice and salt to larger bag and place smaller bag inside. Seal firmly. Let the kids shake themselves silly -- shaking, tossing, and turning the bag. Ice cream will be soft and ready to eat in 5 to 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Puke and Poop and Snot, Oh My!

I tried to warn them. Ryan threw up all over the floor in the middle of my daycare day last week. The night before he had a bad run in with my air conditioning vent (never take a diarrhea filled diaper off near a floor air conditioning vent). I had assumed it was just something he ate but when he threw up the next day I knew we were in for a lovely little flu vacation. I gave the parents the choice about whether or not to pick up their kids and only one took me up on it. The rest swore up and down that they wouldn't catch it and they were sure it was just something that was going around. Now it is Saturday a week later and I am getting phone calls from shocked parents who don't understand why their kids are sick.

Don't get me wrong. I have a wonderful set of parents right now. They are very considerate of my family's needs and respect anything I need them to do. It was probably my mistake for not just telling everyone that I was closing but even after 3 years of this I still hate closing in the middle of the day. I think people just don't realize that there are some things I can't control.

Today I am enjoying my first entirely vomit-free diarrhea-free day in over a week. I took Richard in to the doctors yesterday because even though he never really came down with this virus that badly he was still throwing up all his formula over a week later. So it turns out that he had rota virus and in young babies too much diarrhea apparently empties the stomach of the enzymes needed to digest lactose. I put him on a soy formula starting yesterday and picked up some infant probiotics that are supposed to replace the good bacteria that his stomach is missing right now. Hopefully after two weeks of this I can wean him back over to the regular formula. I'm really crossing my fingers that it isn't permanent. The kid can't go through life without ice-cream. He hated his first taste of soy formula but he seems to be tolerating it okay now and he is finally keeping his formula down. He has lost a pound since his appointment two weeks ago so he is now happily back to putting on weight.

Starting a home daycare center

Opening your own home daycare center can be a wonderful way to spend more time with your family and enjoy a career working with children. Before setting off on this adventure, however, you need to determine what your motives are. If you are looking for a way to get rich it isn't going to happen. If you are looking for an easy job and a day lounging around the house you are in for a shocking surprise. Running a daycare is not an easy job and there is no place in this field for those who do not love children and have the patience and endurance that is needed to work with them on a daily basis.

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Bean Table

Buy an under the bed storage container and fill it with uncooked beans. I buy a big 10 pound bag from costco and replace it every 6 months or so. Kids love to run their fingers through the beans, dump them from cup to cup, or find small toys in the bean table. If the kids can't keep the beans in the plastic container it helps to lay a sheet out beneath it and then simply dump any spilled beans back into the container when they are finished.

Some things that can be put in the bean table:

empty film containers
plastic animals
small cups
paper towel tubes

EWWW! What is that? - Corn Starch and Water

I think I have more fun with this one than the kids do. You mix cornstarch with water until it has just barely dissolved. When it is the right consistency the "goop" should feel dry when squeezed but wet when released. This is great to just sit and feel the texture and the cleanup is fast and easy. The kids play with this for hours.

The Daycare Jungle

It has been 3 years since I quit my job teaching and opened my own daycare. Even though I spent time in high school working in a home daycare, it was nothing like I expected. But I survived. I had good days and bad days and went through a huge learning curve but I'm still doing it everything and don't have any plans to stop. My now 3 1/2 year old hates the thought of me ever stopping. He loves the fact that his friends come to his house every day. I often wonder who is in charge of the daycare, me or him. He is so used to things being a certain way that he makes sure everyone else in the house knows it too.

People think I'm crazy. They always say they don't know how I do it. The truth is it's kind of fun. You adapt. It becomes normal. Right now I only have 6 kids. They are all 3 and under. I love it. They are mostly preschool age except my own baby and they all get along so well. It's refreshing to see what imagination really is.

We do a quasi-preschool program. Sometimes we're organized. Sometimes we're not. We generally have fun with it though and it keeps us all busy during the day. This is my attempt to share what I have learned, both on the business side of running a daycare and on the parenting side of enjoying the time I have with my children.

In the beginning . . .

I hate first entries. Too much pressure. Lets just get this over with and cut to the chase. . .