Toy Whimsy

Bella Sara Birthday Party Ideas - Guest Blogger Lisa Kothari

The world of Bella Sara, published by Hidden City Games, is an exciting, popular on-line game for girls everywhere caring for horses.  Back in the 70s, we had figurine horses with long hair that we could brush and style and play with.  Bella Sara is playing with horses new millennium style and it’s popular!  Starting with simple trading cards, girls outfit their cottage rooms with items that they purchase in the Bazaar, using horseshoes to make the purchases. Little girls love caring for their horses and outfitting them as well.  The creator of Bella Sara, Gitte Odder Brændgaard, is particularly interested in providing positive messages on each card as well.
With such a popular game, it would be a lot of fun to create a Bella Sara Birthday Party.  Using the game and its positive messages for inspiration, you can create a fun, creative party for your favorite birthday girl.

Check out these ideas:

For your party invitation, purchase a few packs of Bella Sara Cards, e.g. enough to provide one to each of your guests.  Take purple or pink heavy card stock, and cut it down to the size of your Bella Sara cards.  Write all of your party details on the card stock, and using glue, paste the Bella Sara card to the front of your invitation.  Request that your guests bring along their party invitation to the party so they can use their trading card at the party.  These invitations can either be hand-delivered or sent regular mail.
The decorations can be any color scheme that appeals to the birthday girl.  Pink and purple solid tableware, balloons, streamers, and confetti would make a good choice.  Choosing solid colored patterns will be budget friendly.  On the party table, make sure to scatter markers around and the guests can write positive messages on their cups and napkins and/or pictures of their horses.
Once at the party, as an opening activity, have the guests create their own Bella Sara names, and personalized trading cards.  Make sure to have art supplies readily available for these creations.  After everyone has finished, ask the guests to state the name they chose and why.  Award prizes for Most Creative Name, Longest Name, Shortest Name, etc.  Make sure everyone receives a prize.
Just like each Bella Sara card comes with a positive message, have the guests create their own positive messages and have them share them with each other.  Alternatively, or in addition, create different positive messages and place them into a hat.  Have the guests each pick one and describe what it means to them.
Horseshoes represent the capacity to purchase stuff to take care of the horses.  Have a Horseshoe Hunt where the guests must find as many horseshoes as they can around the party area and yard.  Real horseshoe credits would be an excellent prize and special prize for the winner.
Of course, the guests may want to get on-line and play with their horses.  Make sure to have capacity for this, e.g. if you have more than one computer available, make sure that you have them set to play.  A majority of the party will be taken with playing the game together.
As a party favor, send the guests home with new packs of Bella Sara trading cards and their own Bella Sara cards that they created.

--Lisa Kothari
Peppers and Pollywogs, Inc.
www.pepperspollywogs

Magnetic!

Sometimes the simplest toys are the most popular...and, sometimes, they aren't really "toys" at all.  Case in point: magnets.  Magnets have been always been fun to play with but, this year, magnets seem to be making a comeback.  For example,  Buckyballs are small magnetic spheres which can be used to build various 3D shapes.  Simple, yet highly addictive...and very popular.  (We saw a few knockoffs of it at Toy Fair in New York this year.)

Another popular magnetic toy is Magna-Tiles.  Magna-Tiles are multi-colored plastic tiles with magnetic edges that allow kids to build all kinds of structures.  (It also comes in a both solid and translucent versions.)  They can also be used to help kids understand shapes, basic geometry and basic physics as well.

There are lots of other magnetic toys out there (including puzzles, games, and more) at a variety of price points.  But, the end result is the same -- magnetic toys will be "sticking around" for many years to come. -- E. Christian Moore

Magic 8 Ball - Flash Back Friday

Invented in 1946, by the son of a "clairvoyant", today I found myself wondering how many bad decisions have been made on the recommendations of the Magic 8 Ball. Still made and sold by Mattel, the Magic 8 Ball is today's flash back Friday toy.

How does it work? For that we turn to Wikipedia:

It is a hollow, plastic sphere resembling an oversized, black and white 8-ball. Inside is a cylindrical reservoir containing a white, plastic, icosahedral die floating in alcohol with dissolved dark blue dye. The die is hollow, with openings in each face, allowing the die to fill with fluid, giving the plastic die minimal buoyancy. Each of the 20 faces of the die has an affirmative, negative, or non-committal statement printed on it in raised letters. There is a transparent window on the bottom of the 8-ball through which these messages can be read.

To use the ball, it must be held with the window initially facing down. After "asking the ball" a yes-or-no question, the user then turns the ball so that the window faces up, setting in motion the liquid and die inside. When the die floats to the top and one of its faces is pressed against the window, the raised letters displace the blue liquid to reveal the message as white letters on a blue background. Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary (or recommended) to shake or jostle the ball before turning it, as doing so can create air bubbles that may visually distort the answer.

What about a commercial?  I couldn't find a commercial, but I did find a video (NSFW- Language) of some guys microwaving a Magic 8 Ball. And I found a clip from Scrubs, "The Human Magic 8 Ball"

I do like that show.  I also found this commercial for All State Insurance with the President from 24.

I don't know what it is, but now I want to buy both a Magic 8 Ball, and some new car insurance.

Here is a list of the possible outcomes from asking the Magic 8 Ball a question:

● As I see it, yes

● It is certain

● It is decidedly so

● Most likely

● Outlook good

● Signs point to yes

● Without a doubt

● Yes

● Yes - definitely

● You may rely on it

● Reply hazy, try again

● Ask again later

● Better not tell you now

● Cannot predict now

● Concentrate and ask again

● Don't count on it

● My reply is no

● My sources say no

● Outlook not so good

● Very doubtful

So, 10 good replies, 5 either way, and 5 negatives.  Interesting.  Good to know if you are going to base some of your decision making on this tried and true method.

"Will my readers have a great weekend Magic 8 Ball?"

"Signs Point to Yes"

--Laura M.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Today is the day of Dr. Seuss

A wonderful man as ever let loose

He taught us to rhyme

and to always find fun

today is the time 

to say "We love you a ton!"

Seems everyone is celebrating Dr. Seuss' big day today.  Even the First Lady got in on the act by reading The Cat in the Hat to a group of school children.

So we will celebrate the way we know best, with a bunch of Suess toys, and just forget the rest!

Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Finger Puppets

Manhattan Toy Dr. Seuss Horton

The Wonder Forge Dr Seuss Classic Cards

Plush Sneetch

New Dr. Seuss Quote Vinyl wall Art Decal Decor "A Person's a"

Cat in the Hat I Can Do That! Game

Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Fish in a Teapot Action Plush Costume Hat

Manhattan Toy Dr. Seuss The Grinch - Medium

The Wonder Forge Green Eggs and Ham Speedy Diner Game

Dr Seuss Cat in the Hat Costume Boy - Child Medium 8-10

Horton Hears a Who! - You to the Rescue!

Trend Lab Dr Seuss Velour Cat In The Hat Chair and Ottoman, Olive

Are You My Mother? Hardcover Book with Plush Animal Character

Child Dr Seuss Horton Elephant Costume

Dr. Seuss Trivia Game

Manhattan Toy Company Dr. Seuss Fox in Socks

LeapFrog Tag Activity Storybook - Green Eggs and Ham

LeapFrog Tag Classic Storybook the Cat in the Hat

Dr. Seuss Fish Slide by Schylling

Manhattan Baby Dr. Seuss Plush Toy Sweet WHO Boy Snuggle Pod

I'll leave you with a quote from my favorite Dr. Seuss book, The Birthday Book,

"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive...

...who is you-er than you! Shout loud, “I am lucky  to be what I am! Thank goodness I’m not  just a clam or a ham Or a dusty old jar of  sour gooseberry jam! I am what I am! That’s a  great thing to be! If I say so myself,  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!”

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!

--Laura M.

Celebrate National Reading Month - Guest Blogger Dr. Carolyn Jaynes, PhD from LeapFrog

Getting Ready for School and Motivating Young Readers

Did you know that this is National March into Reading Month?  Every March, communities from coast to coast enjoy Read Across America events designed to promote children’s love of reading.  While many of these celebrations take part in school settings, the fact remains that children’s experiences from birth, before they enter Kindergarten, significantly impact their language and literacy development, as well as their attitudes toward reading.  Children preparing for school can benefit from experiences that support and reinforce skills and concepts they will encounter as they enter the classroom one morning this summer or fall. In short, what parents do to support their children’s language and literacy development makes a difference (See reading tips “Get Kids Ready to Read…Then Keep Them Reading”).  Children win when parents and teachers reinforce the same concepts and skills that will make them stronger readers and writers.  As your child prepares to transition to more formal school experiences, keep these three important points to keep in mind. 

 

Oral Language Development is Key

Oral language and literacy development go hand in hand.  That is, when children are talking and listening—whether they are retelling a funny story at the dinner table or singing rhyming songs as they pick up toys—they are learning that words and language are part of the fun.  At the same time, they are developing skills like sequencing events and recognizing rhymes that are linked to future success with reading and writing.  So talk and listen, explain things and ask questions, sing songs and make up simple chants.  Turn car trips and walks to the park into opportunities to predict the weather based on the clouds, plan a birthday party, or create your own silly limericks.  And as you help your child make predictions, outline plans, and recognize the sounds and rhythms of language, be assured that you are reinforcing skills that will help them comprehend what they read, organize their writing, and determine word spellings in the years to come. 

 

Variety is Essential

Providing children with a wide variety of experiences helps them build background knowledge and conceptual understanding that will support their future growth as readers and writers.  And broadening your child’s sphere of experiences does not require more money or time.  It can be as simple as taking a new route to the grocery store and talking about the different things you see along the way, or exploring new shelves in the library that contain nonfiction books about cheetahs or trains or some other passion topic that piques your child’s interest, or volunteering to walk a dog from the local animal shelter.  Each new experience and every new book introduces your child to vocabulary, ideas, and knowledge about the world that will help them comprehend what they read and express themselves with greater precision and sophistication as they move into the classroom and beyond.

 

Modeling is Powerful

The behaviors and attitudes you model for your children are powerful teachers.  We all know that young children learn from watching what we do, or don’t do.  The first lessons that children learn about the value and purposes for reading and writing take place in the home.  As children observe their parents reading, composing emails, making lists, or chatting on the phone, they are developing their first understandings of how literacy-related activities can provide entertainment and fun, help us communicate and connect, allow us to organize and plan, and help us learn something new.   As children prepare for school where they will learn a range of essential literacy skills through a carefully designed curriculum, they will continue to learn a lot, from you, about how people actually apply these skills and make use of literacy in the course of their everyday lives.  What you model at home is linked in significant ways to what your child will learn in the classroom.

 

With these three important points in mind, above all, strive to honor your child’s natural gift for play by keeping it fun, being open to a little spontaneity or goofiness, and remembering that helping your child recognize the fun and value of words and language invites them to follow a path filled with lifelong readers.

 

Carolyn Jaynes is a Learning Designer for LeapFrog Enterprises, specializing in language and literacy development.  Before coming to LeapFrog, Dr. Jaynes was an assistant professor of literacy in the teacher education department at Sacramento State University, a literacy curriculum developer for the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, and a classroom teacher in the San Francisco bay area.  She earned her doctorate in educational psychology at Michigan State University where she was a researcher and professional development consultant for the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA). 

 

References:

Darling, S. (2005).  Strategies for Engaging Parents in Home Support of Reading Acquisition. The Reading Teacher, 58(5): 476–479.

Strickland, D.S., Morrow, L.M. (2004). The Role of Literacy in Early Childhood Education. The Reading Teacher 58(1): 86-100.

Toy Fair 2010 (Part One): Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen

New York Toy Fair is the largest international toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere. Think of the congested street fair you’ve ever been to. Vendors are hawking products every 10 feet. Chocolate kisses, eco-friendly tote bags and Purell lure you into the booths. Costumed critters like a giant Elf on the Shelf roam the fringes. And the nicest mom-and-pop storeowners are vying for time against mass-merchant buyers, pushy press, and a smattering of celebs.  Now move that image indoors where there’s feverish pitch of sound and not enough bars on your iPhone. Welcome to Toy Fair.  I’ve just spent 5 days skating up and down the aisles of Javits Center looking at and playing with thousands of new toys. My next couple of blogs will break them down into specific categories, but I like to remember each Toy Fair by what I consider the standout products. I have a tried and true method of measurement: Each day I see an average of about 500 toys. I take copious notes in each showroom. If I like something, I put an asterisk (*) next to it in my notebook. Two asterisks means I really like it.  I probably have about 50 picks when I leave Javits each night. On my train ride home, I re-read my notes and highlight any asterisked toys that I still like at the end of the day. Now I’m down to 20. Then I have dinner with my family. Over takeout (no cooking during Toy Fair), I describe the toys I saw and loved.  If a toy still stands out in my mind after 10 hours on my feet, 9 hours of smiling, asking intelligent questions, making upbeat conversation, and 3 hours of commuting from one end of NYC to the outer suburbs, then that toy is probably going to be a winner.  Not only does it get two asterisks and a highlight, I now bold it and put it on my “test this” list. Best case scenario: 3 to 6 greats a day. Enough to dream about while I steel myself for the next day of hard play.
So here are my 12 best and brightest "**'s" from Toy Fair 2010. (Unfortunately, some of the products won’t be on shelves until the fall, but it’s always fun to know what’s coming.)

Perplexus by PlaSmart. A colorful, imaginatively engineered maze housed in a clear plastic ball. Think labyrinth 3.0. I couldn’t put it down.

Washable Dry-Erase Crayons by Crayola. Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? Bright colors, no odor, no caps to lose and they don’t dry out. Bring on the whiteboards!
 

Air Hogs Vectron Wave by Spinmaster. Keep this small but mighty UFO in the air by using your hands as the guide. A state-of-the-art level sensor senses objects beneath it and rises to the occasion. Seems like magic.

Spy Video Trackr by Wild Planet.  This app-enabled r/c vehicle taps into an inner Einstein. Program it to roam from room to room, record, take pictures, even detect motion. Are kids are getting smarter or are toys getting smarter?

Create a Marionette by ALEX. Just when I thought I’d seen every kind of craft kit imaginable, this small surprise jumped out of the box. Three sets let you create and color either a dino, a giraffe, or a princess. Great play…and then more play.

Scrabble Flash by Hasbro. How many words can you create in 60 seconds using just 5 letters? This fast-paced game uses high tech tiles to keep your time and score. A modern take on classic Scrabble.
 

iXL by Fisher Price. This is what the future looks like. The IPad/e-reader-look-alike has a tough, kid-sturdy cover and six functions that let kids read, play, draw, listen to music or stories, write and keep photos. PC and Mac compatible, too.
 
Rory’s Story Cubes by Gamewright. Take nine dice, each with pictures on every side, toss them, and then tell a story using the images. A win-win imagination builder.

 
Lights, Barbie®, Action!  by Mattel. See and shoot the world from Barbie’s point-of-view with a real video camera inside Barbie’s bod and a lens peeking out from her necklace. Edit with music and special effects using downloadable software.

Why Do I Need A Jacket? by Patch. Part of the Sid the Science Kid line, this simple kit makes science accessible with experiments about weather and temperature that answer questions kids really want to know.

Monopoly Revolution by Hasbro. This 75-year old, best-selling board game has gotten the ultimate makeover. Round is the new square; credit is the new cash. And $200 doesn’t go as far as it used to.


Rubik’s Slide by TechnoSource makes the challenge of Rubik’s Cube doable…sometimes. Working puzzles from easy to harder (10,000 in all!), it uses lights, a timer, and a slip-slide movement to change the game for the better.

Minotaurus and Ramses by LEGO.  These if-you-build-it-they-will-play games let kids use LEGO pieces to create a game board and dice. Both versions have great gaming concepts. The first games are due in stores March 1st and more in the series are coming!   -- Wendy Smolen

Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen is co-founder of Sandbox Summit®.  She has been professionally evaluating toys for over 15 years. Her three children have literally gone from crib to college proving ---or dis-proving--- her theories on play.

TOTY Awards - Get Your Kid a Winning Toy!

Announced last week at the New York Toy fair, here are the winners. There are some expected winners (Zhu Zhu Pets anyone?) and some trusted names (Tonka, Radio Flyer, Crayola) and some you might not have hear of, but really should take a look (University Games, Sprig Toys, Bakugan).  Without further ado, here are your winners...

• Activity Toy of the Year

Crayon Town by Wild Planet
 

• Boy Toy of the Year

Bakugan 7-in-one Dragonoid by Spin Master

• Educational Toy of the Year

Mindstorms NXT 2.0 by LEGO

• Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year

Rubik's TouchCube by Techno Source

• Game of the Year

Sort it Out! by University Games

• Girl Toy of the Year

Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia

• Infant Toy of the Year

Crayola Beginings Color Me a Song by Crayola

• Innovative Toy of the Year

Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia

• Outdoor Toy of the Year

My 1st Scooter by Radio Flyer

• Preschool Toy of the Year

Tonka Chuck My Talking Truck by Playskool

Bilibo by Active People

• Property of the Year

Bakugan by Cartoon Network

• Specialty Toy of the Year

Captian Owen's Dolphin Explorer Boat by Sprig Toys

--Laura M.

Knick Knack Paddywhack Party Ideas - Guest Blogger Lisa Kothari

The book Knick Knack Paddywhack by Paul O. Zelinsky is often a favorite among small children and so this is quite an innovative and inventive theme for a birthday party. If you are thinking about it, here are some ideas to get you moving toward creating your party plan.

Given that the tiny old men pop up from one to ten throughout the book, you can send an invitation that has a number “3″ on it if your child is turning 3. You could use the part of the song, “This old man he played three” and use that as the rhyme on the invitation. It will weave the theme of the party into the invitation. Inside the number 3, provide all of the party details.
This book uses beautiful primary colors; the reds, blues, yellows are wonderful.  Decorate with balloons, streamers, and tableware that mix and match these various colors.
When the guests arrive, have the rhyme continually playing in the background. Have the kids make a number badge based on their ages as well. If they are all three, then that will be easy, but given the book uses the numbers one to ten, numbers other than just three would be fine.

• Given the book has the child on a walk, if it is a nice day take an adventure walk with the kids around your yard, the park (if you are having it there) or around your neighborhood. Definitely have a list of things for them to find. If it is a rock, have the kids find one rock each, then two leaves each, then three, then four… If this is in your yard you can plant things for the kids to find and have enough items.
• Since the old men roll home, you could have a somersault contest and see how many the kids can do in a row. 

• The fact that the dogs chase bones, you can play “Dog, Dog, Bone” much like Duck, Duck Goose.
• Host a relay race with a bone at the end of the race that has to be picked up and taken back to the next kid in line until one team wins.
• Have the kids act out the rhyme themselves. They could put on a little play based on it and bring it to life. Since the paper pop-ups are magical in this book, you could also make some paper crafts. Have the kids make their own numbers, bones, or you could lead some paper origami tricks as well.

A copy of the book is a great favor. Attach a little brown bag full of candy bones to the book as an additional treat as well.

--Lisa Kothari
Peppers and Pollywogs, Inc.
www.pepperspollywogs

Flexible Flyer - Flash Back Friday

The Olympics are a reason for celebration in my house.  Nine times out of ten in our household there is some kind of sports event on the TV , when the Olympics come around, we usually have them tuned in.  With all the sliding, skating, skiing, and racing this week, I thought that Flexible Flyer Sleds would be a great Flash Back Friday Toy.  Here's a little history from an article by D. B. Ryan.

"The Flexible Flyer Sled, the iconic toy of films such as "A Christmas Story," was the brainchild of a Pennsylvania Quaker farm implements manufacturer named Samuel Leeds Allen. Allen worked with his father, John C. Allen, from a crafts barn on "Ivystone," his working farm. The inspiration for the sled came from his love of sledding and his experiences at Westtown Boarding School and Friends' Select School in the late 1850s. Sledding, or "coasting," was a popular winter pastime during the 1800s. S.L. Allen's children served as testers for each new sled design.

S.L. Allen had a practical reason to design sleds, in that he wanted to provide work for his employees at the manufacturing facility. Farm equipment was a seasonal business: it sold well when farmers were not actively involved in working their farms, during the winter months. The summer and fall months left Allen workers waiting for new projects. He did not want his employees to leave for occupations with a full-year employment."

An original Flexible Flyer is even on display at the Smithsonian Institution of American History.

These sleds were made in Medina, OH from 1969 to 1973.

This is a 1969 photo from the Ohio Historical Society where workers pose with some of the sleds made at the plant. Here is a great article from The Gazette from Medina County, OH on the sledding plant's history

You can still get a Flexible Flyer sled today- wooden or a more modern plastic model.  You can check out the full selection here.

Have a great weekend- I am off to Vancouver to catch a little bit of the Olympic spirit!  I'll report back on Monday.

--Laura M.

Toy Fair 2010 Buzz and News

We've been watching the news coming out of Toy Fair this week and are really excited. We'll be bringing you some of the coverage later in the week and next week from Eddie Moore who was able to attend this week.  We are very excited for him to get back to Seattle and share with everyone- but here are some of the products that we have seen around the web this week.

I am very excited for Barbie's new career!  This time around she is going to be a computer engineer.  How awesome! Now my little girl's doll can write code along with me!  Her other new career- as voted on by her fans- is a News Anchor.  Both are very cute and just what I would expect form the Queen of Pink!

The folks over at Woot have been blogging about Toy Fair this week and the sweetest thing I have seen so far is the Emerson House.  It's an amazing looking doll house that has solar powered lights.  I want to live in that house!

Another new product that I have been hearing all about are the Vamplets.  I got the BEST press release right before the show on these little guys because they are sponsoring a blood drive at the show.  Very funny marketing technique- but also very helpful.  A win-win!

adorable aren't they?  I mean- for blood sucking un-dead at least.

and here's one thing many girls out there wish they would have been at Toy Fair to see:

Yes, that's everyone's favorite werewolf- Taylor Lautner.  Could that kid be more adorable?

Here's another shot of Nerf's new products (oh yeah, and Lautner again...)

Another toy that is getting some press around the toy blog are the Hexbug Nanos.  Apparently, they are "robotic creatures that behave just like a real bug!"

ok, that would freak me out if I just caught one out of the corner of my eye!

Another gadget at toy fair that has people all "a twitter" is the Puppy Tweets.  Miss your dog while you are at work?  Well, Mattel has found a way to make interacting while you are apart- easier.  This gadget will "tweet" when you dog moves, barks or naps.

One picture before we go...

I see the resemblance, don't you?  That's right, Hasbro got Robert Downey Jr. to unveil some of their new Iron Man 2 toys.  He looks pleased don't you think?

--Laura M.