It’s a snow day here in Ottawa today. The buses have been cancelled and while the schools are still open, we’ve decided to let the boys stay home. I usually ship ‘em off as even in the most treacherous conditions I think they’re better off for a few hours at school than at home, but by a fluke of scheduling both Beloved and I were home anyway, so we let them stay home for a treat.
Now that the kids are older, they’re better at entertaining themselves even on a long day at home. They like to play board games, and we’ve always got a craft of some sort on the go. And of course, there are the ubiquitous video games.
Snow days are such a break from routine that it’s fun to find something unique to do. Just a few days ago, I blogged a few more of my favourite indoor activities, including bead crafts and scavenger hunts. If you’re feeling like comfort food, how about baking up some rainbow cupcakes? Or maybe just whipping up a batch of home-made playdoh?
It’s pretty easy to pass the day with older kids, but sometimes not so much with babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Conveniently, my friends at Fisher-Price just shared this awesome new tool for inspiring playtime with your kids. I remember how hard it was coming up with ideas on how to play with a baby, especially when Tristan was a newborn, but there are dozens – maybe even hundreds – of great suggestions here on games to play with kids from newborn to school age.
From the simple idea of tummy talking for babies under 3 mos to the classic “red light, green light” for toddlers to storybook theatre for older kids, there are tonnes of great ideas. I like how each game also has information about which learning skill you’re stimulating and even some basic safety cautions. Wouldn’t this be a great tool for a young babysitter looking for ways to interact with kids as well? I really wish I’d had access to this when I was a new mom!
As I’m writing this post, I’m remembering how long those early days could seem, home with a baby who couldn’t entertain himself with Super Mario Bros or endless episodes of Max and Ruby. Isn’t it funny how while you’re in them, it seems like those days will never end and suddenly you realize that they’re long behind you?
If you could make one suggestion to help another parent pass a long winter day at home with the kids, what would it be?
(Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Play Panel and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.)
A while back, I posted my thoughts on some great gift ideas for the six-years-and-older demographic based on my experiences this year with Fisher-Price Canada. I’m a little later than I wanted to be with this follow-up, but I hope it’s helpful for your holiday buying!
If I were to choose any one demographic that was perfect for some Fisher-Price love this Christmas, it would be the two-to-five year old category. I mean, who doesn’t think of chubby little hands clutching Little People figures when you say “Fisher-Price”? There are so many great choices for this age group that this post practically wrote itself!
I started writing out a long-winded description of each toy, but the post got longer and longer and I kept thinking of things I wanted to add, so I’ve cut out the fat and am giving you a quick list of my top ten favourites. I mean, that’s the beauty of Fisher-Price toys – we know most of the best ones already because we’ve been playing with them since we were kids!!
So here’s ten terrific toys for two-to-five year olds from Fisher-Price:
- Any and all Little People sets
- Viewmaster (every kid needs one of these!)
- Fisher-Price Corn Popper (I have never met a kid who didn’t love these things, from my own childhood forward!)
- Any of the Trio building sets
- Chatter Telephone
- Laugh and Learn Learning Kitchen
- Thomas and Friends (or Barbie) Tough Trike
- Wheelies Stand and Play Rampway
- Anything from the Brilliant Basics product line
- Anything from the Imaginext line – dinosaurs and superheros in particular!!
You know why these toys make my top ten list? Because my kids actually play with them. I hate to admit, when we moved last year we found toys that had been played with once or twice and abandoned, and even if we put them out, they don’t get used. The toys in this list are favourites around our house with the kids and grownups alike because the kids play with them over and over again, and they’ve been handed down up to three times and still have lots of play left in them.
Speaking of smart phones (*wink*) Fisher-Price has just launched a free new app for Blackberry, Android, and iSO devices. Here are a few things that the Mom’s Helper app can do to make your life easier:
- Find the perfect toy based on your child’s specific needs
- Keep track of your child’s age, height and weight
- Receive recommendations for the best toys and gear based on your child’s developmental stage
- Build a toy wish list to share with friends and family
Clever, eh? And have you seen those new Fisher-Price ads that are running on TV? I absolutely love them, and that sweet song lyric, “you are exactly one of a kind” gets stuck in my head in the most endearing way. Those are real families, not actors. Fisher-Price treated us to a sneak peek of the new campaign just as it was launching at Blissdom Canada this year. I think they’re terrific.
I’m hoping to cram in one more post with some recommendations for great Fisher-Price gifts and gear for babies, but Christmas is coming up rather quickly! Yikes!!
Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Play Panel and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. However, I wrote this post on my own initiative and the opinions on this blog are my own.
It was a dark and stormy night in Ottawa, but it was dry and bright with brilliant colours inside the new Ikea during the special media sneak peek last night! ZOMG, what an awesome, enormous store!!
It’s laid out on two levels – if you walk the maze through both levels, you’ve traversed an impressive 1.3 km! At the entrance, there’s a giant sort of foyer area with a huge kiddie play area along one wall and an escalator up to the showrooms. There are 55 inspirational room settings, and three full living areas (ie complete condo/apartment layouts with bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom), and 29 (!!) kitchens set up. Here’s @MrsLouLou and @missfish standing in my dream kitchen. *covet*
(I figure it’s a year, maybe two, before we find ourselves sitting at one of the dozen or so lovely little consultation areas near the kitchen inspiration section. One of our cupboard doors fell off last week, and other is wobbly. And really? The faux painted brick backsplash from the 70s has got to go! Once the furnace replacement is paid off, the kitchen reno project is next on the list, and I am giddy to get started. I can’t imagine starting a kitchen reno anywhere BUT Ikea!)
Everything about this new Ikea is bigger, better and brighter than the old store. There are more parking spaces (1200, half of them covered), more shopping carts (600), more seats in the restaurant (640), more space (from 113K to 427K sq ft), and more stuff: from 4500 products to 9500 products. There were 12 beds laid out in the old Ikea; there are 31 in the new one! As the manager of the bedroom furniture area said, “That’s a lot of beds to make each morning!”
The new store has a lot of stuff that the old store simply couldn’t make room for. They have a fabric section, for example. (The carpet section in the new store is the size of the entire textiles section in the old store.) The fabrics are laid out on the back wall here:
The whole store is epic, rather jaw-dropping in its proportions. Store manager Isabelle Auclair explained that the new Ottawa Ikea is now more in line with some of the other stores, with the inspiration rooms laid out across the upper floor and the “Marketplace” with the smaller, non-flat-packed items spread out through the lower floor. I could have spend days (and dollars!) just wandering about the kitchen and bath sections. Oooo, pretty colours!!
I think if you went through my house and rounded up all the empty picture frames, you’d find more than a dozen. Maybe even two dozen. I have this weird compulsion to buy them, and then I get all non-committal and have difficulty deciding what to put in them or where to hang them. Still, this frame section made me positively drool with covetousness.
Did you hear they are expecting 13,500 visitors the first day? Not in the first week, or month. The first DAY alone. Yikes! So I’m guessing you’ll wont see the checkouts looking quite so empty for some months to come!
But, there’s an impressive 36 cash lanes, and they’ve hired an extra 100 or so “co-workers”, adding about 50 per cent to their staff for the new store. Here’s another neat fact from the press kit: more than 45 per cent of the co-workers at the Ottawa store have been there more than 10 years. And you could really see the pride of the managers showing off their setions last night — it was a really neat insight into a company I’ve always been curious about.
There are a few more pictures on Flickr, and more information about the grand opening festivities on the Ottawa Indoor Beautification Facebook page. 
I’m grateful to Ikea for the chance to have a sneak peek and Ikea is sponsoring the blog this month, but as always all opinions are entirely my own.
The night got a little hectic for me when I realized that my iPhone was not, in fact, in my coat pocket where I thought I left it. I had a few very unhappy minutes when we went out to the car and found it also not there, and I was sick with the idea that I’d lost it. We made one last quick stop at the Starbucks where Beloved and I had met before the preview — and someone had found it and turned it in to the baristas there.
So thank you, Ikea Ottawa, for the amazing preview to your new store. I will be spending many, many hours there in the months and years to come. And thank you, kind Starbucks patron, for finding and turning in my lost iPhone. Together, you made a dark and stormy night bright and warm.
It’s only in the last year of blogging with Fisher-Price that I realized how many of the toys and product lines we already love come from them. One of my concerns when I first started blogging with the PlayPanel was that the big boys might feel excluded, as in my mind Fisher-Price had the best baby gear, and great toys for babies and preschoolers — but I wasn’t sure what they’d have for school-age kids.
Well, I needn’t have been concerned. With great product lines like Imaginext, Hot Wheels, and Rescue Heroes, there are great toys for every age and stage. Here’s my top five recommendations for toys for kids ages six and up from the Fisher-Price catalogue. (Note: Although I am compensated for my participation in the Fisher-Price playpanel group, this post is written purely on my own initiative, and all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.)
1. The Kid-Tough Digital Camera
All three of my boys love our Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera. I gave up putting it away, because it migrates out into our living spaces so often. Now it resides, just like Mom’s camera, casually on the nearest flat surface, so it’s always within arm’s reach. I wrote a tongue-in-cheek review of this camera here, but no joke – it really does make a fantastic gift. I think it’s my top toy recommendation this year! (Edited to add: I almost forgot to mention that the most fun part of the camera for an older child is the free downloadable digital studio software. Super-easy to use, and the kids have fun adding mustaches and frames to their pictures!)
2. The Imaginext DC Super Friends Batcave
We bought an earlier version of the Imaginext Batcave for Simon quite a few years ago, and we laughed the whole of Christmas Eve at how entranced then 18-month-old Lucas was by it. Even now, it’s a favourite toy for all of them. It’s got action heroes (kids love superheroes!) and moving parts and it also makes a great clubhouse for your Smurf collection. (Well, that one may be unique to us.) Regardless, I think this is a fun toy, and it’s HUGE, which may be either a pro or con in your books. This is one, though, that you won’t resent for the space it takes up, because the kids play with it so often. Three years later, and this one is still in heavy rotation!
3. The Big Action Construction Set with Remote Control
Remote control. Need I say more? The Big Action Construction Set is solidly-built, doesn’t get stuck where the hardwood meets the shag carpet, and happily bounces down the stairs and keeps on ticking. This is a fun set that’s easy for little fingers to manipulate but entertaining for bigger kids who love trucks and heavy machinery.
4. Hot Wheels Trio Super-Stunt Builder
I’ve yet to meet a boy who didn’t like building toys or race cars. This ingenious set combines the best of both worlds. The Hot Wheels Trio Super-Stunt Builder set is a great twist on the classic Hot Wheels set, because you can build and rebuild the set into any configuration that suits your fancy using Trio’s colourful and easy to snap-together and pull apart blocks. You’ll see based on all five of these recommendations that I’m a big fan of toys that allow room for imagination and creativity — this one combines that with a little boy’s need for speed. Another great gift suggestion!
5. Kid-Tough Walkie Talkies
Walkie-talkies are such a classic toy, aren’t they? Give two boys a set of walkie-talkies and they’re cops, then they’re truckers on the long haul, then they’re Mission Control and an astronaut in orbit. These are solidly built, easy for little fingers to use (these seems to be emerging as key criteria for success in this review – and Fisher-Price excels on both counts!) , have a decent broadcast reach, and are another toy that’s great for stimulating active, creative play.
Okay, so it occurs to me that there is a definite gender bias in my recommendations, and they’re clearly geared towards little boys — although most little girls I know would happily play with a lot of these toys! I’m at a disadvantage here, as I can only authentically recommend toys for boys with any sort of expertise. Care to add in your suggestions for girls? Bonus points if you found it in the Fisher-Price gift catalogue! (Or, you can always use the Fisher-Price toy finder tool.)
(Disclosure: I’m part of the Fisher-Price Play Panel and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. However, as always, the opinions on this blog are entirely my own.)
With the last of the leaves of the season finally (mostly) raked up and bagged, I could finally turn my attention to decorating the porch this weekend. I swear, I have as much fun (and take as much time!) decorating the porch as I do the inside of the house. It takes a long time to hang 25 feet of garland, lights and balls and affix them firmly enough that they don’t blow away before spring thaw!!
And with that, I officially give myself permission to start getting excited about the holidays! I feel like I’m a wee bit ahead of the curve this year, but I’m sure whatever lead on the season I have now will be lost by mid-December. I’ve got the fixin’s for my famous shortbread and peanut brittle in the cupboard, and I bought a new set of cookie cutters so we could try one of those stacked-stars-into-a-Christmas-tree thingees this year. I’ve got some wrapping paper and tags stashed away, and I’ve even started my Christmas shopping. Yay!
Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Are you an online shopper, or do you still prefer to head out to the shops? I was quite pleased with myself on the weekend when I knocked off a good chunk of my to-do list with two online stores and a visit to the Third World Bazaar sale here in Manotick. What a great selection they had this year!
If you’re an online shopper, you might enjoy this. As you know, I’m blogging for Fisher-Price this year, and Mattel is pleased to offer this online gift-finder. Or, if you’re more of a hands-on shopper, the Mattel Holiday helpers will be at various stores this Christmas season providing useful advice on appropriate toys for kids of all ages. If you’re in the Ottawa area, you can visit them on the following dates and locations:
- November 24 – 25, Zellers at Place d’Orleans
- November 26 – 27, Zellers at Billings Bridge
- December 3 – 4, Sears at Rideau Centre
- December 10 – 11, Sears at St Laurent Shopping Centre
- December 15 – 16, Zellers at Bayshore Shopping Centre
- December 17 – 18, Zellers at Hazeldean Mall
Mattel has also partnered with Holiday Helper Tarra Stubbins, a professional organizer. Mattel’s partnership with Tarra gives consumers access to expert shopping and organizational advice this holiday season on a series of YTV vignettes and on Mattel’s Facebook page. Mattel’s Holiday Helper will give families everywhere tips for holiday travel with the kids, efficient shopping strategy and advice for gift-giving.
Between now and Christmas, I’ll write a couple of posts with my recommendations for some of the best toys and gear I’ve seen this year with Fisher-Price. I’ll start this week with my favourite ideas for older kids, and we’ll work our way down to the wee ones. Sound good?
In the meantime, tell me: are you feeling the holiday spirit yet? Are you like me, a bit of a kid who delights in the anticipation? Or are you dreading the extra work you’ll have between now and the end of the year? What do you do that makes you feel like Christmas is finally on the way?
Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Play Panel and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
We’re packing up the car again this weekend, heading down to visit family in southern Ontario. It’s been quite a while since our last road trip, and I cant’ wait to hit the road.
I don’t know whether car trips are getting easier now that the boys are getting older, or whether they’re just becoming better travellers, or whether I just stress less. Whatever it is, it’s working for me! I used to spend hours preparing for a car trip, gathering supplies like crayons, books, toys, and of course a good supply of DVDs. We’ll be hooking up the DVD player again, of course, and I’ll encourage the big boys to select a book or two, but I know most of the trip will be spent in electronically mediated bliss. The DS and the iTouch are charging as we speak!
Speaking of iTouch and iPhones, if you were at Blissdom Canada, you might have seen and even received one of these. Fisher-Price has just released a great new item, the Laugh and Learn Apptivity Case. If you’ve ever had drool-marks or goldfish smudges on your iPhone, you’ll love this one! From the Fisher-Price Canada site:
The Laugh & Learn™ Apptivity™ Case lets babies enjoy their very own apps while protecting mom or dad’s iPhone or iTouch! Simply place the Apple device into the case, twist the lock, and the electronic is protected from baby’s dribbles and drool. Download free Fisher-Price® Laugh & Learn™ apps from iTunes! Babies love to learn when their interactive touches control the action!
(Huh. I had no idea Fisher-Price had free downloadable apps.)
I love the idea of the Apptivity Case. It protects your iPhone/iTouch from sticky fingers, from being dropped, and from being lost. I have to tell you, even though Lucas is a little bit above the target age for this, I thought about keeping it just so I’d be able to find my phone more easily. I think I accidentally activated the invisibility shield app on mine, because I find myself calling the number every couple of days just so I can find the thing hiding out in the open or lost in the dark recesses of my purse.
But instead, I thought it would be fun to offer this up as a giveaway. Want it? You know you do! And wouldn’t it make a fun Christmas gift? Here’s how to enter:
- The prize a new Fisher-Price Apptivity Case.
- To enter, leave a comment on this post sharing an idea on how to keep kids entertained when you’re on the go — in the car, at a restaurant, waiting for an appointment.
- Contest opens today, November 10 and runs through Wednesday November 16, 2011 at noon EDT.
- One winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on this post by Thursday November 17, 2011.
- You must be willing to share your mailing address with me to receive the prize.
- Void where prohibited by law, including the province of Quebec.
Good luck!
(Disclosure: I am part of the Fisher-Price Play Panel and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. However, the opinions on this blog are entirely my own.)
Edited to add: Congratulations to Emily, lucky #1 and winner of the Apptivity Case. Thanks to everyone who played along!
