Smart-playing at home: cubes and shapes with magnetic fun

                              

                                Smart-playing at home: cubes and shapes with magnetic fun

 Geomag launches a new range of Magicube toys with stimulating shapes and colours to unleash hidden talent through magnetic fun at home!

During last 12 months for most of adults ‘smart-working’ has become a new way of life.     Smart-playing has always been at the heart of the Geomag toy brand and it’s now time to introduce this concept to kids!  It's common sense that learning by playing is necessary for our children but making it fun can be challenging! Currently unable to play with friends and with screen time most likely to be dominating their daily lives, a variety of developmental skills and their ability to partake in exciting experiments is limited. But with parents spending more time at home too, the new Magicube Shapes magnetic construction toys are a powerful tool to develop those skills together.

From magnetic cubes to magnetic shapes

Magicube is a revolutionary building block system made up of magnetic cubes that attach to each other on all six sides, made entirely from 100% recycled plastics. What started out as the Original Magicube System has now become a whole new world of magnetic building blocks with the new Magicube Shapes line.  This ingenious range features not only the traditional cube building block but three additional shapes; the quarter circle, half sphere, and half cube.

A playing system that grows with your children

 

By incorporating new shapes, your child's imagination and thinking skills will flourish as this range enables them to invent animals, characters, structures and even vehicles. 

By playing with the individual cubes, even the youngest of children begin to develop their first manual skills and as they grow older, they can build bigger and more complex structures using the pictures on the animal cubes and furthermore as they approach the early years at school they can improve their math & reading skills with the Magicube education sets.  

 

4 sets in 100% recycled plastic

As always made from 100% recycled plastic, these Magicubes Shapes are available as a 6-piece starter set, a 9-piece animal themed set, a 13-piece set which also includes wheels and magnetic wheelbases so junior builders can now go as far as building vehicles with real moving wheels. Finally, the bumper world of Magicube Shapes 32-piece shapes set completes the collection.

 

 

My Thoughts

These blocks are super cute. We received the Animal set. It has 9 pieces and comes with a pamphlet with different animal shapes and how to build them in the book. The blocks are magnetic on all six sides, so you can use them anyway you want. The trying-to-be-a-responsible-earth-citizen-mom in me likes that they are made of 100% recycled plastic. Apparently the original Magicube sets where only block shape, which is still a lot of fun when they are magnetic, but these new sets include "three additional shapes; the quarter circle, half sphere, and half cube." This makes the possibilities only limited to your imagination. 

My husband and my son decided to play a game. Daddy would build an animal, and then Declan would try and guess which animal it was. Then Declan (with Mommy's help) would build one and Daddy would guess. Declan was belly laughing by the end of the game when Daddy "couldn't" guess that it was a whale. Declan then made his little brother giggle by hovering the blocks over each other until the clicked together with the magnets. From what I can see so far, they are pretty durable as well.

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10 Easy Meals to Feed Your Toddler

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Don’t know what to feed your toddler at the next meal? This is understandable. A child’s preferences can be tricky at this stage. 

If you are looking for something quick, easy and delicious, there are a lot of options. You just need to try a few things to find the simple meals that will be a hit with your kids. To make things even easier, you could also try something like Yumble kids meals delivered straight to your door. 

For parents looking for something to make today, the following list offers a range of easy meals that are popular with kids. Even if your kids don’t like one of the options, you should be able to find something that will make a satisfying meal.

Tuna Sandwiches

It is as simple as stirring some mayonnaise in with a can of tuna. Tuna is a healthy meal and there are a lot of options for how it can be prepared. You can add different spices and vegetables like onions or celery. You can also use different types of bread or spread the tuna on crackers. 

Vegetable Soup

This is very easy if you are just heating it up from a can. With that said, you could try any number of vegetable soup recipes if you want to make your own. Homemade soup usually tastes better and you can always store the leftovers to reheat later in the week.

Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Pasta with tomato sauce can even satisfy most picky eaters. Top it with a little grated cheese and you should have a filling meal that will make the whole family happy.

Rice and Beans

Rice and beans is a simple meal eaten all over the world. You can try red beans or black beans and this simple meal offers a lot of opportunities for adding different ingredients and spices to make it a little more interesting.

Casseroles

Casseroles are great because the entire meal cooks in one pot. You also have a variety of casserole recipes you can try and you can always make extra to store and serve as leftovers.

Quesadillas 

Quesadillas offer a lot of flavor and they can be made quickly. You just need some tortillas, cooked beans, cheese and a dip. Just put your filling on the tortilla, fold it over and heat it up. You can then cut it into bite-size pieces and provide your child’s favorite dip.

Avocado Toast

Avocado toast can be a quick meal that can be good in the mornings or for lunch. You will need to make avocado spread beforehand, but it is easy to make and you can keep the extra in the refrigerator for meals later in the week.

Meatballs

Frozen meatballs can make this option very easy. You could also consider making your own and storing them in the freezer. Just pair the meatballs with a baked potato or some roasted vegetables and you have a good meal for your kids.

Frittatas

Frittatas can be made quickly on the stove and they pack a lot of flavor. With the primary ingredient being eggs, they can be a nice breakfast, but kids can enjoy frittatas at any time of day.

Roasted Chicken

Pre-cooked roasted chicken is another good option for toddlers. It tastes good and you can pair it with a variety of sides. 

You don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen to make a meal your toddler will enjoy. In many cases, it is the simplest meals that they enjoy the most. Try these quick and easy meals and you are sure to find a few options that will make your kids happy while also making your life easier.

Fun, Creative Game for Toddlers

GAMES FOR TODDLERS: Use with your child for sorting, color recognition, patterning, learning basic math skills such as counting, adding, subtraction and graphing. The best part about this Montessori set is that your little ones won't even notice that they are learning as they "play".

MOTOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT: The pegboard stacker set is great for building fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, develop and strengthen visual perception skills, visual motor coordination, making patterns and more.

EASY STORAGE & TRAVEL TOYS: It comes with the Skoolzy drawstring backpack to easily store all the pieces and for your child to carry their peg board set at home, in the car or airplane. Makes for quick and easy clean up.

INCLUDES:

• 1 Skoolzy peg board (8.5")
• 30 pegs (2") 6 colors
• 1 Skoolzy storage backpack (12" x 8")
• Downloadable parent activity guide for the toddler toys.

My Thoughts 

I am not going to lie at first I was very confused. I got the game and when I opened it there was a drawstring bag, a peg board, a bunch of pegs, a string, and a colored block. I looked for directions on how to play the game and could not find any. I assumed it had been a packaging mistake. So I went on the website and realized that it is not a structured game. I was so thrown. I looked at my father like, huh? Well he took over and then I realized the magic of this game. They were making up all sorts of games. There are also tons of different sets that you can choose from with different levels of add ons like blocks, and different colors. They have many versions to choose from.
The put the pegs on strings, pegs stacked on pegs, color coded pegs, rolled dice and then that was the only color peg that could move. There was so much freedom to make up their own games. By the end of a half an hour, my dad just looked at me and said, "I get it now. This is actually pretty ingenious." Declan, my three year old, was making up all sorts of games. He loves to go in and string the pegs on to the a long black string. He also likes the bag. It is such an easy thing to grab to bring places. The downloadable activity book. There are so many cognitive and creative skills that can be flourished from this game. It can teach colors, counting, coordination, patterns, etc. It is actually ingenious. I love the vibrancy of the colors as well. 

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New Thomas the Train Wooden Toy Sets - #Giveaway

The wooden track sets from everyone’s favorite blue engine, Thomas, have been redesigned to become even more sustainable, engaging, and easy to assemble.

New Thomas & Friends Wood toys are:

• Easy to build – Kid-friendly universal connectors fit every time, leading to a sense of accomplishment for the child. Plus it’s still compatible with the old with adaptors included in the toy
• Responsibly sourced with sustainable beech wood, modernizing a classic play pattern so it not only looks good but also makes parents feel good
• Even more imaginative with additional figures for storytelling, adding more play to playtime 

Also, inspired by the viral success of 5MadMovieMaker’s first mesmerizing stunt video using Thomas & Friends wooden track sets with 8.4MM views on YouTube, Thomas & Friends teamed up with the toy-movie content creators to produce another epic stunt video with the newly refreshed Thomas & Friends Wood line. The video features everyone’s favorite blue engine navigating obstacles, catching air off jumps, spinning in 360 degrees – even backflipping with an assist by Cranky the Crane. Check it out: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThomasandFriendsUS/videos/10156161094334556/  or YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wUhi84DC-Q. 

Thomas & Friends™ Wood Racing Figure-8 Set (FHM65)

SRP: $39.99 | Ages 3+ | Available Spring 2018

·         Redesigned with kid-friendly, easy-to-build track and made with sustainably sourced wood, this Figure-8 Set has a unique connector design so there's no wrong way to build!

·         Kids can race, help the Mayor ride along in Bertie, raise and lower the drawbridge, and move the crossing gates, just like a real railway. 

·         Includes Thomas, Bertie the bus, plastic poseable figure, 2 track adaptors, full figure-8 track layout with station, accessory piece, crossing gates and drawbridge

Thomas & Friends™ Wood Lift & Load Cargo Set (FHM66)

SRP: $69.99 | Ages 3Y+ | Available Spring 2018

·         Redesigned with kid-friendly, easy-to-build track and made with sustainably sourced wood, the Lift & Load Cargo Set encourages kids to build by themselves as they load and unload cargo

·         Poseable Charlie figure can sit in the sliding crane and lift and lower the cargo pieces 

·         Magnet connectors allow connection of trains to other trains and cargo cars

·         Includes Charlie, 2 Troublesome Trucks, 2 cargo pieces, 2 track adaptors, and track layout with transfer crane, cargo loading station, ramps, and 4-way crossing with knob to switch the train's direction

Thomas & Friends™ Wood Engines

SRP: $10.99 | Ages 2+ | Available now

·         Encourage imaginative play with the iconic, redesigned Thomas & Friends™ Wood toy engines, compatible with redesigned track and classic Thomas & Friends™ Wooden Railway track (sold separately and subject to availability)

·         Premium, high-quality construction, made with sustainably sourced wood

My Thoughts

The first thing I noticed when I opened these play sets was that they felt.... expensive. They were beautiful, made of soft pine wood and WELL made. I instantly liked them for my son. Every little boy sees Thomas & Friends at some point in their childhood. Even my husband, who is a 32 year old man, likes trains. Not to say this set isn't for girls as well. I would have loved this set when I was little. The racing set is a lot of fun. The set includes Thomas, Bertie the bus, other, 2 track adaptors, full figure-8 track layout with station, accessory piece, crossing gates and drawbridge. There has been a lot of social media coverage about the Thomas Wooden sets because of some You Tube stunt videos that were being posted. You can race Thomas and Bertie or you can use the adapters that the set comes with to connect other Thomas & Friends sets. You can make a whole Thomas town with all of the sets they have available. 

The Thomas & Friends Wood Lift & Load Cargo Set is amazing for the fascinated child. My son is a fascinated child. What I mean about this is that he is fascinated by how things work. When he was little he would pull things apart, look through boxes, play with my keys, fascinated by the phone. He wanted to know how everything worked. This set is amazing for this type of child. It includes Charlie, 2 Troublesome Trucks, 2 cargo pieces, 2 track adaptors, and track layout with transfer crane, cargo loading station, ramps, and 4-way crossing with knob to switch the train's direction. You use levers, and lift things. They move left and right, and up and down. This is a future child of engineering's dream set. These sets feel like they are expensive and durable. These toy are sure to be staples in my house for the next few years. My husband loves playing with him with this one. And as a mother I feel great about the sustainably sourced wood.

We went to Toys R Us and there is an entire aisle of Thomas the Train sets and toys. There are so many sets that can be added to this. You can build an entire town or table train play set. Each of the kits come with connecters so you can connect the sets to each other and continue to add on to it. We will definitely be continuing to build our collection.


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The Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive a few Thomas toys of their own. To enter, simply fill out the giveaway form below. This giveaway will end on 6/4/18. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to Fisher Price for offering this fantastic prize.

Entry-Form

Perfect Toy to Foster a Love of Elephants

There are few animals more majestic, more adored, and sadly, more poached than the elephant. That’s why wildlife organizations across the globe team up for World Elephant Day on August 12. What better way to raise awareness of the importance of protecting these endangers animals, than by introducing kids to the animal through play. We’ve recommend this playful elephant shape sorting toy from Playgro sure to spark a lifelong love of elephants in your little one!

Playgro’s Elephant Shape Sorter is designed to teach shapes, colors and logic, not to mention introduce toddlers to one of the most interesting animals on the planet. The shape sorter is perfect for toddlers, while the brightly colored and numbered shapes are a great counting toy for pre-schoolers. For 12 months+ MSRP: $14.99 Available online at BuyBuyBaby.com.

• Develop cognitive skills through colors, shapes & numbers

• Vibrant colors and patterns encourage visual perception

• Crinkle sound ears offer auditory stimulation

My Thoughts

My son was fascinated by the bright colors and the crinkley ears when he played with them.My girlfriend brought her one year old over and the two of them played together so sweetly with it. My girlfriend actually told me she was going to go out and get one as well. For my son he was trying to put everything in his mouth, but Kenzie was making elephant noises as soon as she saw it, and it was named "Rosie" by the time the playdate was over. Unfortunately my phone was dead so I could not get any photos of them playing with it. We are in the process of moving from North Carolina to New Jersey and we left the toy with my mother. As soon as we get back with the toy, I am sure it will be right back in my son's mouth, and I will get a picture then, and add it to this post. 

Elephants have been a staple in his toys since he was born, and I am looking forward to helping him learn his shapes and colors like Kenzie was. I love that there is also the added benefit of helping promote keeping elephants safe. It really is a beautiful and vibrant toy that I know my son will get a lot of play time out of. The different blocks and the fun elephant shaped head is a lot of fun. This is a great gift idea for someone as well, and it is so reasonably priced.

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No More Messy Meals Thanks to Hugabugg

 Babies and toddlers throw things. Anyone who has ever had a child knows this. When its time to feed them, things can get messy. Whole bowls of food can hit the floor in seconds. This not only makes a mess, its also a waste of food. Luckily,  Hugabugg has come up with a solution to this problem so you won't have to worry about messy meals anymore.

The Hugabugg Feeding System is a simple device that uses the power of suction.  Just place the bowl onto the suction cup and pump a few times. This will hold your dish in place. The baby can't lift the dish to throw it, and your messy problem is solved. It even makes it easier for moms to scoop out food when they are feeding infants because it frees up one of their hands.  Check out the video below to see how it works.




Each feeding system comes with three different bowls in various sizes, and each has it's own snap tight lids that makes saving leftovers a breeze. The different sizes give you the diversity you need for kids of all ages. You'll be able to use these bowls from the first jar of solid food all the way through to preschool without ever having to worry about mopping up the floor afterwards. 

The Hugabugg Feeding system is currently available for only $24.99, which is an amazing price for this must-have product.  Of course, this is only on of the products that Hugabugg offers to make meals easier. Here are a few more items I love.

The toddler forks and spoons from Hugabugg are just the right size for little hands. The non-slip handles make them easy to grip, and they are BPA free. They are the perfect way to transition your toddler to adult silverware.

These disposable adhesive placements are perfect for home or when you're on the go. The adhesive allows them to stick to any surface, holding them in place. Any spills go on the mats, and then you can just toss them in the trash. It makes clean up a breeze. I also like using them at restaurants or on public picnic tables since little ones have a tendency to put their food down on tables and you never know what germs might be lingering.

These are just a few examples of the products you can find at Hugabugg.  They even offer frees shipping on orders of $25 or more. To see all they have to offer, be sure to visit their website or follow them on social media.

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mifold Portable Booster Seats

Booster seats are an absolute safety must for children ages 4-8 years old who are under 4 feet 9 inches and 40 lbs. but they can also be a real pain for parents! Traditional booster seats take up a ton of backseat real estate, are cumbersome to switch in and out of cars and forget about lugging them on long trips! Because of these issues, 1 in 5 children do not use a booster seat in the car for carpools, with grandparents or other relatives, in taxis, on vacations, in rental cars, or in a backseat with three passengers in a row!    

Now there is a better, easier option to keep kids safe! Meet the mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat! 

The mifold Grab-and-Go booster seat is 10x smaller than a regular child’s car booster seat making it the most advanced, compact, and portable booster seat ever invented! Plus, it is just as safe- meeting or exceeding the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in crash tests!  

• mifold adjusts the adult-sized seatbelt to securely fit a child by bringing the seatbelt down to a correct position 
• Features 3 seatbelt clips, two on both sides of the hips, and one on the shoulder 
• Belt guides are adjustable to three sizes to ensure the belt is always held snugly in place 
• Compactly folds and fits into a child's backpack, a glove compartment or bag 
• Available in 6 colors 
• For use on children 4-12 years 
• Fits children 40-57" tall 
• MSRP: $49.99 
• Available online at www.mifold.com and www.Amazon.com 

With mifold, a child can always be safe no matter whose car they are in! Watch this VIDEO and visit www.milfold.com to learn more. 

My Thoughts

This thing is amazing. I am not going to lie when I first saw it, I thought to myself there is no way I am letting my kid sit in this, it is so tiny. There is no way it is possibly safe for her. My goddaughter is 5 years old, and I was nervous about it. After seeing it and setting her up in it, I have to say this thing is pretty amazing. It is so light and easily folded up. I cannot wait to be able to take this on a plane trip. 

That is definitely its biggest appeal for me. The idea that I can fold it up and put it in my backpack, not have to check a booster seat. It comes in cute colors. It would perfect for someone that lived in a city, having to jump in out of cabs. It easily folds up and fits in a purse, diaper bag, or backpack. For us the ease is going to come with traveling. My husband is in the military and we are constantly getting moved around. This will be perfect for when our son has to go to Grandma's house for the weekend or we have to jump on a plane for a military assignment. 

I also love how adjustable it is. It can adjust to fit children from ages 4-12. It has three sizes and three different seat belt clips to be able to adjust to the size of the child. This booster seat will get us a lot of use during that time period. I also love the it has a fantastic safety rating and meets all of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in crash tests. That is the most important part, the safety of my child. 

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Wildkin Sleeping Bag Review

Wildkin offers backpacks, lunchboxes, sleeping bags, bedding and more for all ages! They give children the wide array of fun designs that are useful, fun and safe. Their products are high quality and non-toxic, which is definitely something all parents can appreciate.

Kids like accessories and parents like to be able to afford accessories. Wildkin has great prices for their wide array of products. From toddlers to older kids there is something for everyone! Mix and match to get all your favorite products, make going back to school easier, naptime easier, decorating easier and more with Wildkin!

Mix and match or coordinate your child's room with Wildkin! Don't forget to accessorize the bedroom with the clocks, lamps and rugs offered too!

Pencil Case

 Wall Clock

Our Thoughts

This is so cute! I have a few toddler chairs and bed areas but my son has never really taken to them like I thought he would. He is obsessed, however, with trucks and construction. I knew if I got the right one he would love it. I was walking inside from the mail man, tearing open the box and I wasn’t even inside the front door before my son saw the trucks on this and pointed, saying, “Vroom vroom! Vroom vroom!”

It’s thick material and has a built in pillow with the blanket attached to the side. This makes nap time so much easier as I don’t have to drag out  a “favorite” pillow or “favorite” blanket anymore. The blanket portion covers his tiny body perfectly and he stays warm.

The coloring and stitching on this is good quality. The colors are vibrant and the stitching is holding up to the wear and tear my toddler puts this thing through!

The best part is that as soon as he’s done, it rolls right up and tucks into a corner or closet nicely! One less “baby” blanket that’s being dragged around the floor and left all over the place.

Buy yours here and don't forget to check them out on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

Reviewed by Jackie