It is amazing how amusing crawling through tunnels to a secret house/fort/spaceship/etc. can be.
This tunnel set is nice because it allows for tea parties and hanging out in the center section (plus Mom can check on what is going on through the upper viewing window). The whole set packs away flat in its carry bag for storage under a bed, or in a closet.
The minus is that it can be a bit of a pain folding and securing the three, extremely short ties on each tunnel in order to pack it away. Tying without making knots is a problem. I bought some double-sided velcro straps which I use instead and I can now quickly pack it all away without frustration.
Of course, a couple of cardboard boxes and a table covered with a blanket can be just as fun too, not to mention cheaper…but boxes don’t store as nicely!
My 7 year-old daughter won’t sleep without one of these under her pillow! I bought these as a stocking stuffer two Christmases ago for my daughter (then 5) and they have become part of her nightly ritual ever since.
After I tuck her in, she picks a card and looks at the picture while I read the back. Lately she has started reading the back herself. Some nights, my 5 year-old son even asks for one.
These cards have gorgeous Victorian illustrations on one side (with plenty of fairies and many images of children in fantastic, magical surroundings). The other side presents a soothing poem to put sweet thoughts into a child’s head before sleep.
These are not “children’s” poems but are works by such poets and authors as Rumi, Oscar Wilde, John Keats, Emily Dickinson, as well as many lesser known and anonymous writers (there is even one Navajo saying). The art work is dated and attributed to it’s illustrator, when known.
Some of the poems are quite sophisticated and at times it is difficult to find a quick and simple pre-bedtime answer to the question “what is that about.” The language of many poems can also be a bit archaic and complex, but my daughter does not seem to mind this.
Her favorite card is “Hope Is The Thing With Feathers” by Emily Dickinson and she likes to recite this one by heart. The cards are well-laminated and still look new after one year of loving use (except for the one that my son cut with scissors and we had to tape back together - oh well!).
When asked for a quote for this blog, my daughter says that I must tell people: “These cards make you have really good dreams!”
art, Book Recommendations, cards (literary), cards/card games, children's books, exceptional illustrations, fairies, older children, poems, Toy Recommendations, young children
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art, Book Recommendations, Cooper Edens, fairies, kids poetry, poetry, Sweet Dreams Cards, Toy Recommendations
Varialand is not really a puzzle, I would call it more of a collage. It consists of 80 wooden picture tiles that can be combined any way a child wants to make different scenes. Some tiles are parts of houses, some are clouds in the sky, many are animals or trees.
This is the ultimate in creativity for children. I guarantee that kids will never make the same scene twice!
Plus it is made out of very durable wood. The images are printed on the tiles, not glued on. All in all, this is a toy that should last for generations to come.
brands, puzzle, Selecta, Toy Recommendations, wood
| collage, European toys, German toys, puzzles, Selecta, Toy Recommendations, Toy Recommendations, Varialand, wooden toys
Maggy The Cow, by French toy manufacturer Djeco, wins my award for cutest shape-sorter!
Colorful, wooden cow is a nice baby size (about 4″ x 7″). Her head bobbles up and down on a spring and she sports a stylish red string tail. The six bright blocks fit in holes in the top and sides.
My 19 month-old loves it, but at this stage she just opens the top and drops in the blocks. Why mess with stuffing shapes into strangely-shaped holes when you can do it the easy way, right?
This toy makes me wish I were a baby again!
baby, brands, Djeco, Toy Recommendations, wood
| Djeco, European toys, Maggy The Cow, shape sorter, sorting toys, Toy Recommendations, Toy Recommendations, wooden toys
We just returned from vacation and a great unplugged travel game that I discovered for the trip home is a cute travel-sized version of the game “Connect Four.” The goal, or course, is to get four pieces in a row before your opponent does. This is such a simple concept, yet it encourages the development of strategic thinking skills and can lead to quite a complex game. Plus I can also highly recommend it since it kept my 5 and 6 year-old entertained for the better part of a 4 hour flight (although we might have lost a few pieces on the plane).
Another really nice one (but a bit harder to find) is Haba’s 4-In-A-Row game. We have this one and my husband and I play it more often than the kids! I should have thought to bring it on the trip because the small size (a 4″ X 5.5″ tin) is ideal for travel. Plus, it is wood so it feels like it will last forever. You can buy it here for $6.99.
brands, Everything Else!, family games, games, Haba, stocking stuffer, tin game (Haba), Toy Recommendations, travel activity, travelling with kids
| Connect Four, European toys, Four in a Row, games, German toys, Haba, tin game (Haba), Toy Recommendations, Toy Recommendations, travel games, travel toys, wooden toys
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