v 6 issue 8: The Great Toy Review

This issue is full of some of our favorite new toys on the market to keep your little ones entertained and build creativity.

Cover by Suymey Benson












1 Years ago, the owner of Tumbleberry Toys started a "quest" to create the perfect doll. By the looks of these absolutely adorable Waldorf dolls, she has succeeded. Yarn hair, wool stuffing, and life-like clothes make each handmade creation irresistible, but those sweet faces make us want every last one! Keep your eyes peeled, new dolls to be listed Tuesday, October 26. Beware, they sell out FAST!

2 Hiding inside a peek-a-boo box is an adorable little caterpillar named Bug. Bug, like many of us, is afraid of change. With some help from the included How to Feel Guide and 3 "feeling toys", children and grown-ups can work together to discuss change. In the end, Bug should feel like a beautiful butterfly and children hopefully will too. A great concept. Kimochis are stuffed toys which can be used as teaching tools to educate young children on the difficult, as well as appropriate, feelings of life. Enter code: TTWKim20 for 20% until 11/7/10

3 Sixty-two colorful tiles can be stacked in flat or upright positions for various effects. Children can use the rectangular and angled wooden blocks to make endless puzzles, pictures, & creative designs. The Arranging Game Corner to Corner is a product of HABA which can be found at Maukilo. Enter code: TotTrends1010-10 for 10% off thru 11/7/10

4 Brilliant colors and multiple patterns cover 14 pieces of the earth-friendly puzzle from green start™. Engage curious children who need a little more challenge - but are not ready to let go of a tray puzzle's guidelines - by presenting a beautiful puzzle with bright colors and a busy butterfly. All pieces are made of wood from sustainable forests and fit into a handy storage case, so you don't lose the pieces.

5 Olivia, the adventurous little pig we all seem to love, is in cahoots with Zoobies. She now has the ability to transform herself from a fun-loving plush piggie into a pillow & a coral print fleece blanket. Zoobies has done a terrific job bringing the storybook character to life, and we think you will love it.

6 At first glance, Tegu blocks look like eye pleasing upgrades of ordinary wooden building blocks. However, hidden inside each plank & cube is a little secret which allows children to "build beyond the traditional constraints of gravity". Magnets are secured inside a patent-pending hardwood construction for safe keeping and safe playing. The Original Set contains 52 pieces of four shapes. An investment which will entertain for years! For ages 3+.

7 Engineering, technology, and design join forces to upgrade the classic wooden car from Yugo to Cadillac...maybe even Ferrari. Automoblox has transformed chrome, wood, and tinted plastic parts into the future of toy cars & trucks. With parts being interchangeable, children can mix and match to design their own originals. A classic twist on a classic toy.

8 Rubbabu presents soft and squishy vehicles which bounce and bumble, but they don't bruise. 100% biodegradable, all-natural rubber is coated with a non-toxic flocking to create the fuzzy nature of this durable and safe toy. Simple and sweet, yet kids love them! nicoandzoe.com.


This weeks mom tips
Breaking Current Unhealthy Eating Habits

They say it takes up to 21 to successfully break any bad habit and start a new good habit in it's place

- step back and evaluate the kitchen, fridge, pantry, and cupboards

- what needs to stay and what needs to go

- make a shopping list of healthy selections and stick to it, the easy part is making the list - sticking to it might be a bit more difficult but you will benefit greatly if you do

- take it one step at a time and don't try to fix everything all at once, change and replace one habit at a time

- identify with the problem behaviors, is there a certain time of day overindulging seems to happen, stop and think about what's going on during that time

- try changing the environment, sit at the table instead of in the living room, make the table, change the lighting, etc... mood and the meal have a direct effect on each other

- don't make excuses for the behavior or habit, strive to change it and make a plan to do so

- reward good choices with stickers and praise, not with food

- set a goal and talk about what it will take to reach the goal, for example no junk food for a week, by the end of the week it will seem like such an easy thing to do for them that it won't be a habit anymore

- keep a daily food journal together with your child marking what they ate, when they ate it, did they like it, how did they feel before and after they ate it. Encourage them to participate in this activity with you.


10 Toys Great For Keeping Your Child's Attention
Does your child have a full toy box but only play with a select few? Toys that only do a small, limited number of things often get tossed aside. They are fun for awhile but pretty soon they become too predictable. That results in boredom and kids don't like to be bored. So they find something else to play with and the boring toys end up in the bottom of the toy box.

The best toys are those that require imagination and can be used in a variety of ways. Here are ten toys that are good for keeping your child's attention.

1. Blocks - Blocks are a staple for kids and they never seem to outgrow them. They are one of the simplest types of toys around, yet their possibilities are limited only by the child's imagination. Younger children can also use them for such learning activities as counting games and experimenting with basic addition and subtraction. Blocks provide numerous learning opportunities and keep kids busy. Cars are the perfect complement to blocks, so keep them stored near each other. Your child will enjoy using the blocks to construct buildings as well as roads and other structures to knock down by crashing her cars into them.

2. Dolls and Stuffed Animals - Children love to pretend that their dolls, action figures and stuffed animals are real people or animals. This can provide them with hours of entertainment. They may even play with two or more at a time, making different voices for each one. That's not only fun for them, it's fun for you to watch too.

3. Play-Doh - You probably played with Play-Doh when you were a kid. Chances are that if you did, you have fond memories of it. Similar to blocks, Play-Doh allows children to make anything they can imagine. The factories and tool sets you can buy to go with it are nice but they are not a necessity.

4. Wagons - A wagon can be used in numerous ways. Kids can use it to transport their toys from one place to another but that's only the beginning. It can serve as a vehicle for their stuffed animals or dolls, a pull-along "tray" when they're playing restaurant or even as transportation for the child himself with you pulling it.

5. Art Supplies - Budding Picassos can spend hours making new masterpieces. Art is a great way to keep kids occupied because it fosters creativity and self-esteem. And you get the added bonus of new refrigerator decorations.

6. Musical Instruments - Most children love music. The only thing better than listening to it is making it themselves. If real musical instruments are not an option, there are toy drum sets, xylophones, kazoos and more that kids can play with. They could even get other kids together and form a band.

7. Housekeeping or Gardening Tools - Kids love to imitate adults. A kitchen set, toy vacuum cleaner or a set of gardening tools can help them do so more accurately. You could enlist them to help you when you're doing housework or yard work. They will stay occupied and feel a sense of accomplishment.

8. Sandboxes - A sandbox full of toys provides a wealth of opportunities. Kids can learn a lot by playing in sand. They can use sticks to make designs, add water and make sandcastles, or make trails with their toy cars.

9. Dress-Up Clothes - Playing dress-up lets kids put together outfits and pretend to be anyone or anything. You don't have to buy a dress-up set. Just get out all of the old clothes you can find and let their imaginations run free!

10. Balls - Balls not only keep a child busy, they also encourage physical activity. There are numerous ways that children can play with them, so they never get boring.