Educational Toys and Games

Are you a helicopter parent? Hovering over your child to make every moment of the day “THE MOST ENTERTAINING POSSIBLE?” As a parent of three in the year 2009 - I am exhausted! When I was a kid we were sent out to play in the morning and had to be back by dark. We played with the neighborhood kids and we had the time of our lives! We were not obese because we would ride bikes and pedal cars.  Did you know retailers do not even stock pedal cars in stores?  They do not sell!  Small businesses can’t afford to line them up in the stores.  We didn’t have a computer and the internet.  We had a brain (and hopefully still do!). We were forced to use it for imagination!  Little boys wanted to be astronauts and play in a rocket ship.  Little girls wanted to play house with their Calico Critters in an imaginary world. We don’t live in a society where we can just HAVE FUN with friends and families.  I miss it.  The reality is - we are compelled to schedule our children for activities to cover the entire day - EVERYDAY! Sports are very important, they promote exercise and teamwork. Monday soccer, Tuesday swimming, Wednesday is a playdate, Thursday soccer, Friday swimming, Saturday games – STOP THE MADNESS! Yes, we can have family game night and create long term relationships with our family, that’s entertaining. Can we just enjoy ourselves and play? Please………..
Gotta go – Jimmy’s late for Karate and we promised we’d meet friends for dinner!!

 Kids love animals because to me, such as cats and dogs, are very interesting and fun to play with. I would also guess that another reason they like animals are because they are so loveable. Some animals like fish or turtles or even lizards and snakes, these animals aren’t very appealing although some parents allow their kids to have fish. Personally I don’t know why…. But best guess is because fish are the least messy pets you could have. Lizards and snakes to me are cool in a way but look very scary and by watching their scaly, dry, shedding skin well, that’s just disgusting. It really gives me the chills, so take my advice and DON’T get a reptile as a pet. Although if you are interested get a stuffed alligator….. he will not bite!

The love a child has for an animal is also very good. On the safe side of course. If you notice dogs once they have been with someone for a while, they tend to be very protective around them which is a very good thing. Children and adults get attacked; the dog comes and saves the day. Terrific! Super dog!  They can start off simple - a plush dog! Any kind, Yellow Lab, Chihuahua, Golden Retriver - whatever they want! And DON’T forget if you buy them a Plush Dog, no midnught walks :)! I forgot to mention, kids want to be loved, cared for, and love playing and goofing around. If you are a parent who works seven days a week and is really busy on weekends and you usually drop your kid to a babysitter, then having a pet is good. Someone to play with and they are protected, also keeps them company. Absolutely no loneliness there. They don’t have to love animals for the company or the fun; they can be kids who just find them appealing to be around and enjoy their colors and ways they move. Slither, swim, waddle, walk, slip, slide, crawl and so many others. Pets are fun……I should know. 

Check out an entire collection of stuffed animals big and small.

Fish and turtles aren’t the only options when it comes to water-dwelling pets.  Sea monkeys are definitely a cooler and more exciting alternative.  Kids will be enchanted with these creatures which are really a type of brine shrimp but were dubbed “sea monkeys” because of their animated moves.
 
Educational Insights offers fantastic sea monkey kits for novice pet owners and for those who already own these swimming beings.  The Sea Monkeys Night Life Gems, for instance, which is ideal for kids 6 years and older, provides amazing illumination that would enable youngsters to view their frolicsome pets for hours.  Each set comes with a water purifier, growth food, an aquarium, instant live eggs, five close-up view ports, a submarine searchlight, an air pump, an aero-vent aquarium cover with magnifier, a calibrated feeding spoon, and three gorgeous, sealed-in-glass gem stones with phosphorescent pigments.  
 
If you wish to know what your frisky pets are up to in the wee hours, you’ll like Educational Insights’ Sea Monkeys Super Sleuth Set.  This fascinating find has several awesome features, such as the Super Sleuth Searchlight, the 50mm 3x magnifier, and the big, glow-in-the-dark monkey statue attached to the bottom of the tank that boosts algae growth and oxygenation, and attracts the creatures to its light.

If your very young child is showing a marked interest in food and in preparing and creating delectable dishes, don’t just give her pots and pans, or the typical tea set.  Instead, get her a kids play kitchen!  A perfect gift would be Kidcraft’s Kitchen Wood Pretend Play.  This enormous pink, yellow and blue toy that promotes imaginative kitchen sessions and channels your youngster’s inner chef has an oven, a stove, a microwave, a freezer, a refrigerator, a sink, shelves, a clock, and other interesting thingamajigs.  Preschoolers will get a kick out of operating the sink and oven knobs, and the life-like doors of the microwave, oven, freezer and ref.
 
The Kitchen Wood Pretend Play by Kidcraft is ideal for children 3 to 8 years old.  It’s a marvelous addition to any play, school, or child’s room.  Parents and educators alike will be delighted with its high-quality and durable wood construction, as well as the lead-free and non-toxic paint used, which promises safer, happier, and more productive playtimes.    

Children, especially toddlers, are still developing their gross motor skills as well as fine motor skills. Gross motor skills involve bigger movements like jumping, running, or going up and down the stairs. Fine motor skills, on the other hand, make use of finer movements particularly of the hands. These include writing, tying the shoelaces, or stringing beads together.

Some kids develop these skills faster than other kids. The use of different educational toys, such as children’s building blocks, can improve a child’s small motor skills. Wooden blocks are particularly encouraged especially by educators. There are so many things children can create with blocks. Playing with these wooden toys also help children develop their imaginations.

Children are constantly full of energy and never run out of things to do. They are exploring the world around them and every scene or situation can be a learning experience for them. As parents, we need to guide our kids by engaging them in various activities that are both fun and educational.

Parents can organize play dates with kids of the same age bracket. This way they can make new friends and learn how to deal with their peers. A play date can be held indoors at one parent’s home or outdoors in the garden, or in a nearby park. If the play date is to be held outdoors, then make sure there are children’s outdoor toys to keep the youngsters active and busy.

In the United States we are dealing with a horrifying epidemic—obese children. Due to poor diets and sedentary lifestyles many kids these days are overweight and many more or obese. Many elementary schools have opted to cut out physical education classes in favor of academics. In many cases parents are responsible for making sure their child gets enough exercise.

Parents can make exercise fun for kids. They can start getting their kids interested in exercise by providing them with some fun toys. Kids’ pedal cars are a great way to ensure your child gets needed activity and has fun. Try organizing some kids’ pedal car races in your neighborhood.

If you can’t decide what to get your niece for her birthday it might be helpful to learn more about your interests. Many little girls love animals, doll houses and tea parties. Buying a gift related to one of her favorite hobbies is always a safe bet.

If she collects doll houses for example, you may get her a few pieces of doll house furniture. Try to pick items she won’t have. Also make sure you pick out furniture that will fit into her doll house; regular-sized furniture is not doll house-sized furniture.

The season of giving with the struggling economy can be a very stressful. We are all well aware of the impact teachers have in our children’s lives.  Teachers play a key role in every individual’s development. Teachers are the people in our Childs lives for 6 hours a day five days a week. Showing appreciation to them is therefore a fair reward and an act of gratitude that will also make you feel better. Don’t forget your teachers this holiday season.

It can be difficult this year to reward them with a gift that can show your appreciation.  PTA’s are always on the forefront to provide them with all the necessities to provide teachers with the tools to achieve goals in the classroom and have a successful year. This holiday season work with other parents and be a team.  Talk to your class mom and work with the PTA.  There could be an item the teacher has wanted but cannot afford - it will make the perfect gift.  Your teacher’s gift could also be a gift from the entire class.  Collecting from other parents can make any item affordable and will save everyone money.  Teachers have alot of out of the pocket expenses - he/she will be grateful.

Here are some Teacher Gift Ideas to make your child’s teacher feel special:

1. Personalized Teachers Gifts - Little items in an engraved tote bag.  Fill it with reward stickers, and an electronic grading pen.

2. Carpets for classroom- Classroom Carpets make the classroom more inviting. All the students can sign their names. Classroom carpet and rugs always brighten the room. There are many to choose from: learn the alphabet, Learn to tell time. or a neighborhood to play with cars. Whatever you choose- a school carpet is an excellent addition to the environment.

3. Unique Teacher Gift - Create a massive scrap book with pictures from field trips and class project. Have the students sign the pages and make comments on why their teacher is special.

4. Teacher Gift Baskets - This could be a huge basket filled with homemade cookies, gift certificates for a nice restaurant, decadent chocolates, and/or books of creative ideas for science projects or classroom activities.

5. Classroom Test Prep Solutions make excellent gifts.  Innovative ideas to assist teachers in energizing their students for exams. These systems can be costly for teachers.

A beautiful teacher’s gift that has thought is needed for the end result. It will make your teacher feel appreciated and give everyone those little warm fuzzies.
  

People who train are always seeking out products that would enable them to do their job better. Trainers and educators need a system to grab people’s attention and boost participation. Creative individuals are always developing exclusive new products and they assist in searching for the best tools to help trainers achieve their goals. Popular products that improve retention and make training more engaging include game show templates and buzzers, icebreaker and team-building games,”fiddles,” presentation software, debriefing tools, tactile memory joggers, and achievement rewards.

We are a society who enjoys watching games shows. In 2004 Ken Jennings boosted the ratings for the game show “Jeopardy!” when he won 74 games consecutively. He holds the record for the longest winning streak on any game show and totaling over $3 million dollars. How’s that for inspiration to students?

Educational Insights has created a system presenting quizzes in the form of the popular game show Classroom Jeopardy! Classroom Jeopardy! is an Award Winning game that gives trainers and educators an opportunity to grab people’s attention and boost participation by presenting quizzes in the form of a TV-style game show. All multimedia is built-in (music, sound effects, and automatic scoring for up to 30 players or teams), so all you do is type your quizzes in the included software and insert the cartridge into the base unit. Use this system for lively review sessions and nonthreatening assessment tests or drills, or to wake up an audience that needs a break from lectures or Powerpoint. It is suitable for use with projection systems.

The Classroom Jeopardy! system is not only for the classroom. It is a wonderful ice breaker for any gathering for people to get to know one another. It has been a big hit for bridal showers, graduation parties, corporate events, and even police academies. If you have something to teach or need a great system where everyone will have fun - the answer is: What is Classroom Jeopardy!?