I have been sent some great kid items to review lately. Below are three of my favorites:
Kid’s Busy Box
This company, which was started by five moms in the DC area, is so smart! I’ve repeatedly said that I’m not a “crafty mama”, but I can follow directions. That’s whey the Busy Box is perfect for moms like me. It contains all of the materials and simple specific instructions for a variety of crafts.
Since Michael brings so many craft items home from preschool, we have only been doing one craft item a week. It really is easy because everything needed is right there and you can pack everything back in the box when you’re finished with the chosen craft of the day. The only thing that I would add to the set is pictures with the instructions. (The instructions are clear. It’s just that I’m very visual and I like to see that I’m on the right track.) In any event, summer is right around the corner and it’s good to know that I have a series of crafts lined up to keep my little ones occupied. (Sean is a little too young to do the crafts, but he is our “assistant”). Speaking of summer, Kid’s Busy Box has a summer themed box with 20 seasonal crafts. I just might need to buy that one!
NAME YOUR TUNE PERSONALIZED CDs
“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” -Dale Carnegie, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”
Dale Carnegie was so right! Recently, while reading one of Michael’s personalized books, my husband mentioned that we needed to get one for Sean. I put that in the back of my mind for Christmas. Meanwhile, I received an email asking if I’d like a personalized children’s music compilation CD. In it, the child hears their name more than 80 times throughout 14 popular kid songs (i.e. Wheels on the Bus and If You’re Happy and You Know It). So, Sean gets something with his name in it (before Christmas) after all.
When the CD came, Sean and I had a blast listening to it. (When Michael realized that it was all about Sean, he left the room. Oh, well.) We sang along and danced. It was so cute the first time around, because every time that the CD mentioned his name, Sean would say, “That’s me!”. Sean’s favorite kiddie song of the moment is Old MacDonald Had A Farm. On the CD it becomes Little Sean Had A Farm. Below is a clip of Sean listening to it. (He’s a little more subdued than normal, because he was distracted by me taping him.)
I highly recommend this product. I’m sure that your kids will love it. (At $20 for one or $18 each when you purchase 2 or more at once, this is an affordable gift option that will last for a while.)
WEDGITS
I’m always looking for educational toys to try out/feature on the site. The WEDGITS construction toys definitely fit the bill. Long used by teachers/in the education market, this line is now available in Target Stores and on the WEDGITS website for the rest of us.
I like that the colorful pieces can be used to make so many different designs and formations. They really make kids think. When I initially gave the set to Michael (without the instructions to see what he would do), he made a pyramid and then pronounced that he was “done”. Once we started using the Activity cards (that give you directions regarding how to make various formations), they sparked his creativity. Over time, he began making his own formations. The blocks make me think too. There are still some cards that I can’t figure out how they made the patterns! (“You can do that one with Daddy” is my default answer when I can’t do one. He’s the math/geometry one – principles that are taught with this toy.) I can’t think of anything that I don’t like about the WEDGITS. (I recommend that you get one in the “tote” format though, so that the pieces won’t be all over the place.)
