Today I have some fun toys to share with you. Kimochis are new toys with feelings inside. Kimochi (pronounced Key.Mo.Chee) means “feeling” in Japanese. The three Kimochi characters,  Cloud, Huggtopus, and Bug help kids communicate their feelings in a fun, playful way.

Each character comes with 3 small “Kimochis™” – or feelings inside a special pocket. The small Kimochis have  feeling (happy, sad, silly,brave…) printed on one side, and a corresponding facial expression on the other. Each one also comes with a How-To Use Kimochis™ Feel Guide with easy fun lessons developed by nationally renowned child communication expert Ellen Pritchard Dodge …read more

Teacher Appreciation week is May 4-10. 
This just in…..
I got an email from Lakeshore Learning today, which is a great company that offers a huge variety of educational toys, books and more for parents, teachers or schools.  Lakeshore Learning is offering free shipping on purchases of $99 or more (excluding gift cards) to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week between April 29th and May 11th.
This is a great time to stock up on some cool products!
When you place your order be sure to use coupon code APM638 at checkout to get the discount.

TheGrandParentZone.com announces its launch of a new website featuring American Made toys.
“This unique website was the brainchild of baby boomers Fred and Betsy Arnow, who wanted to create a website with the best children’s books, wood toys, and equipment they used most when their now grown-up kids were infants, toddlers, and children.”
Many of the items on their website are considered classic toys. They feature wood toys, games and puzzles that are similar to what the baby boomers had when they were children. Fred and Betsy Arnow said that much of what you will see on their website are toys that …read more

Tomorrow, Char at Weary Parent is going to be hosting an Education-themed carnival for b5media’s Family and Relationships Channel blogs. As usual, I’m trying to get my assignment in before the deadline has passed and I get points deducted for tardiness!
A lot of toys these days are marketed as “educational” and such, but I think some of the best toys for teaching and learning are the simple ones, many of which have been around longer than any of us have been alive. The following is my list of toys and such that have stood the test …read more

A few months back, Hsien wrote about the Superman laptop. Well, today we welcomed its Marvel sibling, Spiderman laptop, into our home.
My 3 year old received it from a friend for his birthday. We’re the fourth family in our circle of friends to acquire one. Mostly that’s because, when we all get together, all the kids fight over them. So, the rule is, everyone bring your laptop when you come over!
But, seriously, it’s a very generous gift (thank you!) that my son was so excited to receive. Here are the few things I’ve discovered that …read more

My daughter’s new friend introduced her to the V.Smile TV Learning System made by VTech. She loved it!
I think this was her first experience with a video game, or at least the type that requires a joystick. Up to this point, I think her only experience has been on-line games at PBS and CBeebies. Certainly, it was a much more high-tech experience than my Atari 2600 of the 80’s!
She loved the Dora and Scooby-Doo games. I’m thinking her brother would get a kick out of The Wiggles and Bob the Builder games. We may have …read more

I started homeschooling my daughter this week via an on-line academy. One of the great aspects of this school is that the curriculum and supplies are free. The downside is that all of the materials look like so much fun that my almost-3-year-old son is dying to get his hands on all her school stuff!
Enter Learning Resources. I decided the only way that I would be able to keep him out of her materials would be to get him a few supplies of his own. I found a Learning Resources Phonics set that allows him to …read more

Every moment can be an educational moment, especially mealtimes. My mom has purchased a number of placemats that keep my kids entertained and interested while I’m fixing dinner (I do actually do that fairly often!).
Their favorites are the animal placemats and the math placemats, and they love the write on/wipe off surfaces. I think they’re great tools to have when you need the kids to sit for a minute, but too distracting when I need them to focus on finishing their dinner! Ah well, nothing is perfect.
Visit educationalplacemats.com to see their vast selection of placemats that will …read more

This Busy Bugs learning set from Discovery Toys is my son’s current favorite toy. The little rubber bugs are fun for him to hold and try to scare me with, and the laminated activity cards are great for wiping up smudges from sticky hands and sneeze splatter. (Sorry, gross, I know. But reality, people. And I won’t wonder why if you don’t accept our next invite for a playdate. )
The bugs are very detailed, and there are six bugs of six different colors each. I love it when my son asks, “Mom, …read more