Archive for the 'Creative Play' Category

December 31, 2008

FUN-A-SAURUS

Author: mpilon

Keep your child actively playing with this Fun-A-Saurus!

Fun-A-Saurus

This 5 piece puzzle-like play structure can be assembled and disassembled to allow your child to have hours of fun. 

They can assemble all 5 pieces together and create a dinosaur-like character (like Puff the Magic Dragon) and they could imagine riding it to mystical places. 

They can attach the head and tail pieces to one center piece to create a sitting rocker! 

The 3 middle pieces can be assembled to create a ring (measures 34″ outside diameter and 22″ inside diameter) that can be used for other creative play activities or for your child to sit in. 


 



December 31, 2008

Children Can Build It with Construction Grid Blocks

Author: mpilon

Construction Grid Blocks are heavy-duty low maintenance construction blocks that are perfect for young builders to use either indoors or outdoors.  These 12″ durable blocks are just right for your child’s hands and attach easily together allowing them to imagine and build their own castles and tunnels.

 Grid Blocks

After the construction is done, they can have hours of fun playing with their own creations.


In a world full of electronic gadgets like TV, electronic hand-held games, and computers, sometimes us adults forget how important it is to allow our children to play with other educational toys.  Maybe we don’t even imagine how an ordinary toy is more then just entertainment.  For example, what is your first thought of when you hear of a lacing activity?  Did you just yawn? 

LR-2117

Well, lacing activities are very educational to your child.  By providing your child with a lacing activity, your child will increase his/her development skills like: hand-eye coordination; fine motor skills; and problem solving.  

Not only that, allowing your child to play with lacing activities can also help your child to learn about geometric shapes, colors, animals, and even the alphabet.  Check them out for yourself!


November 3, 2008

Parachute Play

Author: mpilon

Parachute PlayParachute Play

As winter approaches, children need indoor play activities that are fun and educational.  We recommend parachute games.  Playing parachute games encourages cooperative play.  Children will learn how to share and take turns. 

While playing with a parachute, children can increase strength in their shoulders, arms, and hands.  It will help with their sense of rhythm and also improve their language skills, perceptual motor skills, and listening skills.

When children work together they can make playing with a parachute fun!  Incorporate songs, rhymes, and movement activities to energize them.

Activities to play:

1) Play see-saw/tug-of-war while sitting down

2) Make waves with the parachute

3) Ball Roll - make the ball roll into the hole in the center of the parachute

4) Parachute Tag - call out a child’s name and have him run under the parachute before it comes down

5) Chute Ball - Place the ball on the parachute and throw the ball as high in the air as you can


November 3, 2008

Rhythm and Good Music

Author: mpilon

After a child is born, they are introduced to many new noises.  Just imagine all the sounds around your house, from the rhythm of the washing maching or dryer as you are doing laundry to the voices and sounds of their parents or siblings.  Rhythm and Good Music

At a young age, your child will start learning about rhythm and developing musical skills from their first rattle or scrunch toy. 

We all appreciate a good rhythm and good music. 

Help your child develop their musical skills.  Encourage them to play with different musical instruments like a horn, piano, drum, xylophone, or tambourine.  Who knows, your child might become a famous classical artist like Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, or a popular artist like Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Bob Seger, or Celine Dion. 


November 2, 2008

Healthy Food for Your Children

Author: mpilon

Help your child choose a lifestyle of eating healthy and nutritious foods. 

Educational Fod Play

Food nutrition and food portion size will play a large role in your child’s healthy life.  When they play with pretend foods, they will learn about the food groups and about healthy and nutritious foods.  Let them be creative with life-like plastic meat, vegetables, dairy food, and fruit.  Encourage them to make you dinner with a salad and fruit for dessert.  Help them to plan a dinner party for several guests or pretend guests.  This dinner could include a salad, an appetizer, an entree with a vegetable, and a dessert.  Food can be a fun thing for your child to play with, they could pretend to eat what they want. 


October 25, 2008

What is an Educational Toy?

Author: mpilon

ei-4100_l.jpgBy definition: An educational toy is a toy designed to teach people, typically children, about a certain subject or help them learn a skill as they play.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational toy

Puzzles:

Puzzles can teach a child topics like ABC’s, colors, shapes, animals, and geography.  Puzzles can also help with hand-eye coordination, teach sizes & shapes, and problem solving. 

Board Games and Card Games:

Board games and card games can be used to teach things like counting, colors, and reading, to more complex things like communication skills,  logical thinking, and organizational skills.

Games & Toys:

Games and Toys can be very educational to children.  By playing with educational games and toys, children can learn physical skills, such ashand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and even texture.  They can also learn about things like animals, colors, and the human body.

Dramatic Play / Creative Play:

Let them dress-up or play puppet show theater with puppets and dolls.  This will stimulate them to role play and express themselves through character play.  They can learn about different foods and even money by playing with Pretend Playsets.

Wooden Play Structures:

Children love to play outdoors on wooden play structures.  Wooden play structures encourage children to be physically active and mentally active as they determine if and how they can perform specific skills.  Children are increasing their imagination as they soar through the sky on a swing and play around it.

It is important to keep our young children involved and playing - get them to play with educational toys.


October 20, 2008

Magnets increase creativity in young children

Author: mpilon

Over 4000 years ago, magnets were discovered in northern Greece.  One of the first uses of magnets was in mariner’s compasses. gd-8102_l.jpg

Today magnets come in many colors, shapes, and sizes.  Children find playing with magnets addictive as they build 3-D images with Award Winning -Magneatos construction sets, magnetic construction sets, and magnetic art sets. 

Magnets will provide for an endless amount of entertainment while increasing creative play and imaginative play.