Archive for 2010

My Pillow Pets – Buy Up to 40 Different Pillow Pets Online

My Pillow Pets Make A Great Christmas Gift

My Pillow Pets are beautiful, cuddly, soft, animal shaped toys that seem to be the rage right now. In fact, children that own a My Pillow Pet toy seem to be completely in love with their snuggly, cuddly toys.

My Pillow Pets have been around since 2003 and have been bringing happiness to many kids and adults since then.

Originally, My Pillow Pets started off as being a more functional take on the usual stuffed toys, the brains behind the My Pillow Pets toys was a mother of two who was fed up of continually having to pick up her children’s plush toys which would be strewn all over the floor. She wanted to create something that would be more than just a cuddly pet toy for children. So she created My Pillow Pets which became a pillow for little children to use when sleeping.

My Pillow Pets quickly grew into a hugely popular cuddly toy for children and the range of My Pillow Pets quickly expanded from 6 toys to about 20 as the company stands today.

My Pillow Pets Cuddly Toys

Currently there are over 40 My Pillow Pets toys available from the My Pillow Pets Company with new ones being added all the time.

The GENUINE COLLECTION OF MY PILLOW PETS are:

Alli Alligator
Mr Bear
Icy Polar Bear
Buzzy Bumble Bee
Cuddly Bunny
Fluffy Bunny
Thumpy Bunny
MS. Sassy Cat
Cozy Cow
Fiery Dalmatian
Patriotic Pup
Snuggly Puppy
Squeaky Dolphin
Puffy Duck
Nutty Elephant
Friendly Frog
Jolly Giraffe
Hungry Hippo
Sir Horse
Krissy Koala
Ms Lady Bug
Lovable Lamb
Cowardly Lion
Silly Monkey
Chocolate Moose
Comfy Panda
Playful Penguin
Wiggly Pig
Pterodactyl
T-Rex
Triceratops
Mr Tiger
Tardy Turtle
Magical Unicorn
Splashy Whale
Zippity Zebra

BEWARE of fakes as there seem to be many copycat My Pillow Pet toys springing up everywhere, especially with Christmas approaching.

Why My Pillow Pets Make An Ideal Companion for Small Children

Cuddly stuffed animals provide a huge comfort element to little children. That warm and comfortable feeling of holding and huggy a warm, plus stuffed toy has been used many times by small children as a source of comfort.

Whether they are feeling tired, or wanting to go to sleep or perhaps they are under the weather and not feeling so good, most children have a comfort blanket or cuddly toy that they like to hold. With My Pillow Pets, they have a beautifully cuddly plush folding stuffefd animal to love and to hold. Since they are made from high quality, super soft chenille, hugging one of these cuddly toys is a joy and just feels so good to!

These adorable pets double as pillow and are an ideal naptime companion as well as being a great comfort to kids (and their parents) on long journeys and airplane rides.

My Pillow Pets come with a strap across their bellies. If you open this strap, then the My Pillow Pet becomes a soft pillow. Close the strap and it becomes a super comforting, friendly pet.

My Pillow Pets Backpacks

My Pillow Pets Backpacks were a quick addition to the My Pillow Pets range of cuddly toys and due to popular customer demand, the company expanded to other offerings such as backpacks, headrests and books.

These My Pillow Pets Backpacks mean that your kids can take their favorite pets with them wherever they go! They need never be without their companions. Ideal for holding clothes, books or favorite toys, these are the perfect daytime accessory for travelling or day to day use.

Currently, these are the My Pillow Pets Backpacks available:
Bumblebee
Dog
Dolphin
Frog
Hippo
Ladybug
Monkey
Moose
Panda
Penguin
Pig
Tiger
Turtle
Unicorn

My Pillow Pets Blankets

My Pillow Pets Blankets are made from the same super-soft chenille that the My Pillow Pets cuddly toys are made from. They are a nice size being 3 feet by 4 feet long and will cover your little ones properly and they will feel wonderful to your skin too!

The My Pillow Pets Blankets are:

Bumblee Bee
Cow
Dog
Dolphin
Frog
Hippo
Ladybug
Monkey
Moose
Panda
Penguin
Pig
Unicorn

My Pillow Pets Hats

These lovable, super-soft My Pillow Pets are now available as super snuggly and way too cute hats. Just the sort of things your kids will love and they will keep your little ones extra warm too.

The current range of My Pillow Pets hats are:
Bunny
Dog
Frog
Panda
Penguin
Pig

The My Pillow Pets company is always looking to increase its line of products and you can see the new range of My Pillow Pets toys here.

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Pillow Pets Blankets

If you still haven’t seen the cute and adorable My Pillow Pets toys so loved by children, you’ve either been walking around with your eyes shut or are situated in a remote part of the world!

As well as having a plush toy that can be used as a pillow during naptire and bedtime, My Pillow Pets are plush companions by day. You can also buy blankets to match some of the Pillow Pets character.

Pillow Pets blankets are big, soft and adorable blankets that will keep your little ones snug and warm.
Made from the same super-soft chenille fabric that the My Pillow Pets toys are made from, these blankets are a lovely big size, 3 foot wide and 4 foot long. They will keep your kids nicely covered from head to toe.

The Pillow Pets are plush toys that are toys by day and can turn into soft, snuggly pillows by night and are ideal for children especially when travelling. Rest those tired little heads against a comfortable Pillow Pet when travelling by plane, car or train. Many parents find their once tiresome journeys with kids to be trouble free once they get their children a Pillow Pet toy!

Pillow Pets blankets are also available now but do not come in the same selection as the Pillow Pets toys, although the company is including more and more characters in its range of blankets. They also create new Pillow Pets toys on a regular basis, therefore increasing their product range.

The Pillow Pets toys are available in 7 different categories:

Farm

Ocean

Sports

Fantasy

Holiday

Unlike the large collection of My Pillow Pets toys, the Pillow Pets Blankets are only available for certain select Pillow Pets creatures. At present these are:

The following is a genuine and authentic range of Pillow Pets blankets as manufactured by the My Pillow Pets company.

Please note that due to the huge success of My Pillow Pets toys, blankets, hat and backpacks, counterfeits and fraudulent products are also for sale on the market.

Farm Pillow Pets Blankets:
Dog Blanket
Duck Blanket
Pig Blanket
Horse Blanket

Zoo Pillow Pets Blankets:
Monkey Blanket
Zebra Blanket
Giraffe Blanket
Panda Blanket
Reptile Blanket

Bug Pillow Pets Blankets
Lady Bug Blanket
Bumble Bee Blanket
Orange Butterfly Blanket

Fantasy Pillow Pets Blankets
Unicorn Blanket
Green Dinosaur Blanket
Blue Dinosaur Blanket
Dragon Blanket

The added beauty of these gorgeous chenille plush blankets is that they can be washed in the washing machine (on a gently cycle).

Take a look at one of the My Pillow Pets Blanket dinosaur blankets here.

You can also get My Pillow Pets Backpacks and My Pillow Pets Hats.

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Ms Sassy Cat Pillow Pet

The Ms Sassy Cat Pillow Pets are one of the cutest of the Pillow Pets plush toys – although they are all cute, but the sassy cat has a most contented and dreamy look on her face. In black and white chenille fabric, this Pillow Pets cat is a huggable bundle of joy for small kids everywhere.

Click Here to Buy My Pillow Pets Sassy Cat 18″ Large (Black)

Click Here to Buy My Pillow Pets Sassy Cat 11″ Small (Black)

Sassy Cat Pillow Pet is one of the original My Pillow Pets that was created in the beginning when there were only a handful of plush My Pillow Pets toys in the product range.

Made from plush, soft black fabric, Ms. Sassy Cat Pillow Pet comes in both large and small sizes, so you can buy your children a mini ms sassy cat pillow pet which is 11 inches in size or go for the large Sassy Cat which is 18 inches.

Sassy Cat is so comfortable to rest your head on, whist napping or camping or sleeping on an airplane, that most times it seems many people use these toys as pillows instead of as playtime companions!

Perfect Gifts To Give To Children

My Pillow Pets toys are made of such high quality soft fabric and are long lasting toys too (add to this the fact that they can be machine washed for convenience) and you have an ideal and functional plush toy and a pillow.

These toys are fast becoming a perfect “go-to” gift for aunts, uncles, grandparents and family friends to buy for children.

When you don’t know quite what to buy a child – you can’t go wrong if you buy them a pillow pet toy. With so many different Pillow Pets toys to choose from, you will definitely find something for every child.

As always, make sure you buy the genuine Pillow Pets toys that are made by the manufacturers of My Pillow Pets and do not settle for inferior or cheaper alternatives. Often these are easy to spot; their fabric won’t be as soft as the real Pillow Pets and they probably won’t be as fully stuffed either.

Genuine Pillow Pets come in two sizes, 11″ and 18″. Not all of the animals will be available in both of the sizes. It is recommended to buy the larger sized Pillow Pets if your child is going to be using their My Pillow Pets toy as a Pillow. A larger pet will allow for a bigger sized and more comfortable pillow.

Also remember that if your child becomes particularly smitten with their new plush toy (and be warned, Pillow Pets have this effect on small kids!) it is highly likely that your kids will be dragging their Pillow Pet around with them wherever they go. This means their once clean Pillow Pet will have been put through its paces in the garden, the park, wherever there are puddles, be covered in food crumbs and a few scratches and scrapes here and there.

These plush toys have gained in popularity so much during the past few years that the demand for these toys has been almost insatiable, although the manufacturers have been busy and have created new Pillow Pets toys every year to add to their already growing product base. You can also buy My Pillow Pets blankets and My Pillow Pets hats too.

Pillow Pets Are Easy To Clean Too

Thank goodness that you can clean these toys very easily by putting them in the washing machine on a gentle wash but they should never be put into the drier! Better to put the newly washed toy out to dry and you will find that its soft and furry fabric will be as good as new.

In fact, many parents report that their Pillow Pets are quite durable and come out well after many washes.

In any case, whilst My Pillow Pets can be more pricier than other plush pets, their durability and softness and ease with which they can be cleaned, make them, in the long run, good value for money.

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Fabulous 15 Toys List from Toys “R” Us

Toys “R” US publishes a list of what it perceives to be its best toys to give to children during the coming holiday season (think Thanksgiving and Christmas).

To that end, Toys “R” US spends an entire year looking at new toy product lines, playing and testing out the newest toy creations so that it can select the “best” of the best for its yearly list. This list is intended to give parents, grandparents and anyone wanting to buy a gift for children, a sort of guideline to aid them when buying presents.

The Fabulous 15 Toys List

The Fabulous 15 Toys listing from Toys “R” Us lists the newest and best toys of the holiday season.

In alphabetical order these are:

* Calico Critters Luxury Townhouse from International Playthings
* Cuponk from Hasbro Games
* Disney Princess & Me dolls from JAKKS Pacific
* Disney-Pixar Toy Story 3 Imaginext Tri-County Landfill from Fisher-Price
* Fast Lane Wild Fire RC from Toys R Us
* Imaginext Bigfoot the Monster from Fisher-Price
* Leapster Explorer from LeapFrog
* Loopz from Mattel
* Minotaurus from LEGO Systems, Inc.
* Monster High Dolls Cleo DeNile and Deuce Gorgon doll set from Mattel
* NERF N-Strike Stampede ECS from Hasbro
* Pillow Pets from Ontel Products Corp.
* Sing-a-ma-jigs! from Mattel
* Squinkies Cupcake Surprise! Bake Shop from Blip toys
* Tomica Hypercity Mega Station Set from Tomy

Hot Toys for the Holiday Season

As well as publishing the “Fabulous 15″ toys list, Toys “R” Us also publishes a list of toys that represents the best new toys for each age group. This can further help family and friends when they are shopping this holiday season for presents to give to young ones.

For Babies:
Go Baby Go™ Stride-to-Ride™ Dino from Fisher-Price®
Ocean Wonders™ Deep Blue Sea™ Table from Fisher-Price®

1 to 2 year olds:
Disney Dance Star Mickey from Fisher-Price®
Lil’ Zoomers™Spinnin’ Sounds Speedway™ from Fisher-Price®
Ladybug Smart Trike from SmarTrike

2 to 4 years olds:
BABY ALIVE Bouncin’ Babbles from Hasbro®
Calico Critters Luxury Townhouse from International Playthings
Disney•Pixar®“Toy Story 3” Imaginext™ Tri-County Landfill from Fisher-Price®
Geotrax™ Transportation System Christmas in Toy Town RC Set from Fisher-Price®
Imaginext™ Bigfoot the Monster from Fisher-Price®
Lalaloopsy™ from MGA Entertainment®
Large Zoo from Playmobil®
Pillow Pets™ from Ontel Products Corp
Small Schoolhouse from Playmobil®
Sing-a-ma-jigs!™from Mattel®
Squinkies™ Cupcake Surprise! Bake Shop from blip® toys
Thomas & Friends® Thomas’ Mountain Adventure by MEGA Bloks ®
Tomica Hypercity Mega Station Set from TOMY®

5 years to 7 year olds:
Disney•Pixar®“Toy Story 3” U-COMMAND Buzz Lightyear from Thinkway®
Disney® Princess & Me™ dolls from JAKKS Pacific®
Fan’s Choice City Public Transport from LEGO® Systems, Inc.
Fast Lane® Wild Fire RC from Toys“R”Us®
Leapster Explorer™ from LeapFrog®
Loopz™ from Mattel®
Monster High™ Cleo DeNile™ and Deuce Gorgon™ doll set from Mattel®
Magic Orbeez Maker from Maya Group
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back AT-AT™ in vintage packaging from Hasbro®

8 to 11 year olds:
Air Hogs® Pocket Copter™ from Spin Master™
CSI Junior Investigator Kit from Toys“R”Us®
Cuponk™ from Hasbro® Games
Ground Force®Drifter from Razor®
Minotaurus from LEGO® Systems, Inc.
NERF N-Strike™ Stampede ECS™from Hasbro®

Older kids (and parents!)
Kinect for Xbox 360 from Microsoft®
PlayStation® Move Bundle with Sports Champions™ from Sony PlayStation®
SCRABBLE FLASH from Hasbro® Games

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LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0

Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0

LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is the latest version of the Lego Mindstorms robot toy that is more than just a toy. It is an educational toy no doubt about that and takes LEGO to the next level.

What Is LEGO Mindstorms?
This is an educational toy/robot building kit that combines the construction and building capability of LEGO bricks with a microcomputer brick and highly intuitive programming software. It enables you to build different types of Lego Mindstorms robot that can:

See
Speak
Feel
Move

The principles of using this kit are to:
Use the LEGO bricks to construct your robot
Use your computer and the software that is provided to program the robot that you just built

The drag-and-drop software gives you 16 building and programming challenges ranging from beginner to expert levels.

Lego Mindstorms Robot

According to the manufacturers, it should take you about one hour to construct as well as program your first Mindstorms robot from scratch. Once you have created your first robot the possibilities for what you can do with this super creative robotic kit are endless. You can create whatever your imagination so desires.

Click here to find out more about the LEGO Mindstorms 2.0 Robot

What Age Ranges is Lego Mindstorms Most Suited For?

The LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is designed for children of ages 10 and above. If you have children that are curious about robots and like building and construction sets, and they are about 7 or 8 then you could work together and build a robot together with them.

How Difficult is it to Use LEGO Mindstorms?

Creating a LEGO Mindstorms robot is not impossible nor is it super simple – it is challenging but it can be done and you will be amazed at the robot that is created once the whole system has been put together.
When you purchase this robotic kit you are provided with everything that you will ever need. The illustrated step-by-step booklet and software is designed to show you way clearly and easily.
As an introduction to using Mindstorms to create a robot, the booklet shows how to build a basic “Quick Start” robot.

There is a BUILDING process and a PROGRAMMING process to putting a robot together.

Once you have created a robot the rest is easy – you just play with it and see what it is capable of doing.

Once the basics have been mastered and you have managed to create a basic robot then you will need to use the software that comes with the system so that you can create more advanced robots or you can find details about constructing other robots from the mindstorms website.

What is NXT Technology That Is Used In Lego Mindstorms?

NXT is the brain of your MINDSTORMS robot and is an intelligent, computer controlled LEGO brick that enables a MINDSTORMS robot to come to life and do different things.

The NXT has the following:

32-bit microprocessor

Large matrix display

Interactive Servo Motors

Smart sensors

3 Output ports for motors

4 Input ports for sensors

Icon based drag and drop programming software

Wireless Bluetooth and USB connections

Loudspeaker

Click here to find out what customers thought of this latest Lego system

Interactive Servo Motors
Control your robot using the 3 interactive Servo motors

Robotic Sensors
Four robotic sensors that enable your robot to “see” and thus to avoid obstacles by:

Detect movement

Sense and measure distance

Detect touch

Touch Sensors
Your robot will have two Touch sensors which enable it to detect whether they are being pressed or released.

How to Use the Touch Sensors with your Robot
You can have hours of fun by incorporating the Touch sensor with your robot:
- use a touch sensor to make your robot act on a command for instance if you press the touch sensor, you can make your robot talk, walk or turn off a TV by you merely pressing a Touch sensor.

The NXT has a “Try Me” function which is used by connectinng a Touch Sensor to port 1 of the NXT and choosing the “Try Me” submenu on the NXT; this will enable you to test your Touch Sensor.

Color Sensors
The color sensor is one of the sensors that give your robot “sight” and therefore allow it to “see”. The Ultrasonic sensor is the other sensor that gives it vision.
The color sensor can distinguish between black and white as well as bright and light colors and can detect 6 different colors and measure the light intensity of colored surfaces.

How To Use the Color Sensors with Your Robot
The Color sensor is a sophisticated part of your robot and can be used a a variety of ways. For example, you could construct a robot that will follow a red line and start to talk when it detects a red spot.

Because the color sensor can also be used as a color lamp, you can use it to light up your robot thus making it a feature of your robot.

Ultrasonic Sensor
This sensor allows your robot to see and detect objects and to avoide obstacles, detect movement and sense and measure distance.

It measures distance by calculating the time taken for a sound wave to hit an object and return (pretty much how bats measure distance). You’ll get the best readings with hard and large objects.

Loudspeaker
The loudspeaker is to enable you to listen to real sounds when you run a program (if your program includes real sounds)

USB Port
You would use the USB port to download programs from your computer to the NXT or to upload data from your robot to the computer (you do this by simply connecting a USB cable to the USB port).
There is also a wireless Bluetooth connection that can be used for uploads and downloads as well.

What You Get If You Buy the LEGO Mindstorms System:
NXT programmable LEGO brick
Ultrasonic Sensor
Color Sensor
2 Touch Sensors
3 Interactive Servo Motors
USB Cable
7×6-wire cables
Building instructions for 4 robots
User guide
Software
Test Pad
619 Lego pieces
Clearly, you have a lot of stuff to look at and go through and with the step-by-step illustrated booklet, and the software, you should be able to get up and going with your first robot in approximately 1 hour.

Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is available from Amazon.com

There is a much earlier version of this product called Lego Mindstorms and it is still available on Amazon but it seems that the newest version, the one we are reviewing here, Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is much more powerful and intelligent than its predecessor.

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Strider PREbike For Toddlers

Strider PREbike Balance Running Bike is ideal for toddlers. If they can already walk, you can get them started riding on this pre-bike early. You will have no difficulty assembling this bike, and your toddler will have no trouble maneuvering it because it only weighs 6.9 pounds! Any child can easily maneuver this around the house and in the front yard.

If you want your child to learn the basic coordination, balance, and movements needed to ride a real bike in future, then you should start him out on this PREbike as soon as possible.

Click here to read Amazon’s customer reviews for this toddler bike

The remarkable thing about this item is that is has no pedals. And unlike other pre-bikes for toddlers, the Strider is not a tricycle. Instead, it only has two wheels so that your toddler can get used to the feel of a real bike. Your kid can then use his or her feet to walk on the ground (this serves as the pedal) while controlling the bike. What this does is that it trains your toddler to balance himself and maneuver a bike with ease. There’s no need for clunky toys and pre-bikes with training wheels. The Strider is the ideal toy for your toddler to play with if he is to get started riding a real bike early.

Strider PREBike For Toddlers – An Easy Way to Learn

This bike is available in 6 colors:

Pink

Blue

Yellow

Green

Red

Orange

Click here to find out what satisfied parents thought of this bike

If you have a toddler then you will know how excited they are to get riding on bikes, especially if they have older siblings. You will also know how gut-wrenching it is to see your little one sobbing their heart out when they just can’t get to grips with the balance or control the traditional clunky and heavy bikes.

The is where the revolutionary Strider Sports PREbikeTM comes in; it really makes it a lot more fun and easier for your child to learn those crucial skills of balance and coordination which are so necessary in order to ride a bike.

This bike is a natural progression from a ride-on toy to learning to ride a bike and has:

No pedals
No training wheels

The design of this bike makes it really easy to get your little one used to getting the correct balance that is needed before you can ride a 2 wheeled bike. These are some design features that actually help your toddler:

No more flat tires or punctures (this bike has puncture-proof all-terrain tires)
Clever frame design with integrated Launch pad FOOTRESTS that help your child to glide and acquire those advanced bike riding skills
Comes with an adjustable handlebar and seat height to fit riders from 30-Inch to 44-Inch tall

What a lot of users love about the Strider is that it can accommodate little kids very well. Some bikes out there in the market are difficult to mount, especially if your toddler is small. With the Strider, you can easily teach your child to seat comfortably on the bike seat. If your toddler is slightly taller, you can still use the Strider because it holds up pretty well while supporting your toddler’s weight.

The Strider PREbike has wheels made of foam. Various users take this both as a positive and negative feature. Some users are not too impressed with the idea of having wheels made of foam. After all, rubber wheels are better for outdoor use. However, the foam wheels can be really convenient for your child because it makes the bike even lighter in weight.

The best thing about the Strider is that it builds your toddler’s confidence. It removes any fear of riding bikes early on. Now you can watch your kid learn how to ride a bike without fear that he may crash and hurt himself. Plus, all this comes at an affordable price and good quality.

How Does My Child LEarn to Ride The Strider Pre-Bike:

Your child powers this bike by using their feet safely on the ground. It helps them to develope their motor skills so that they learn to balance a bike at theirr own pace and safely and without the fear of falling off and hurting themselves.

We all know that if your child is having fun whilst learning a new skill and is not going to fall off and hurt themselves, then their confidence will soar and they will learn to ride a bike sooner.
This is exactly what this prebike offers.

If you want to find out whether this will be a suitable bike for your little one, you will find more information at Amazon.com

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The Cool Ripstik Caster Board

The Ripstik Caster Board is an excellent choice for riding enthusiasts of all ages. Designed for users who are eight years old and above, this caster board can support a maximum of 220 pounds. What’s interesting about this item is that it’s not really a skateboard, but is a revolutionary hybrid. The Ripstik has only two wheels instead of the traditional four. This enables the user to balance and maneuver with more flexibility. Its pivoting deck and 360 degree caster trucks allow for capabilities similar to that of a snowboard.

Click here to get more information about the Ripstik Caster Board from Amazon.com

The main highlight of this item is that it combines the characteristics of a surfing board and snowboard, then puts them on wheels. The result is heightened fun and excitement for riders of various age groups. And because this can’t be categorized as a typical skateboard, the Ripstik Caster Board is in a category of its own. It looks like something that came out of the distant future and gives riders a new way to enjoy what they like to do best. This unbelievable caster board has the capability to make sudden sharp turns even though it has only two wheels. The best thing is, this item has strong traction plates that can be used to maneuver uphill.

Features of the Ripstik Caster Board

Looks cools, somewhere between a skateboard and a snowboard
Make smooth 360-degree turns on two wheels
Supports up to 220 pounds
Designed for 8 year olds and above

This product comes with a 90-day warranty and you is available from Amazon.com

The only significant downside of this caster board is that it has a learning curve. If you are used to traditional skateboarding, it may take you a while to master the maneuvering of the Ripstik. Similar to learning how to ride a bike, you need to practice how to ride the caster board. This, in fact, is a good thing because it is challenging and fun. It presents a challenge for people of all ages. At first, it might be a little scary to put your weight on only two wheels, but after you develop proper balance and you get used to the caster board, everything is just a piece of cake from that point on.

Click here to find out why this 44-year old loved the Ripstick Caster Board so much

The Ripstik Caster Board is a great toy to use outdoors. As a precaution, wear your helmet and protective gear at all times. This way, you can prevent any accidents to happen while you’re still getting used to riding the caster board. All in all, this product is very well worth its price because it can provide many hours of fun, excitement, and outdoor exercise. It is great for youngsters and adults. If you’re thinking of getting a Ripstik Caster Board, don’t hesitate any longer because this is an excellent item.

Razor scooters are another cool and trendy way of getting around, for both adults and children.

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Best Pre-School Scooter: Mini Kick Scooter

Mini Kick Scooter

This toy is the Winner of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold and Platinum Award Seals

The Mini Kick Scooter is an ideal and high quality choice when it comes to scooters for children. Its highly acclaimed design makes it a popular item for parents who are looking for cool scooters for their kids (ages 3 to 5) to play with. What makes this model different is its lean-and-steer mechanism, which allows for greater flexibility and heightened entertainment for your kids. They will literally love using this scooter to play in the front yard of your house, or they can ride it during picnics and outdoor activities.

Click to find out why parents love this scooter to bits

A great feature of the Mini Kick Scooter Blue is the Italian-made wheels. Those wheels are especially designed to provide for a smooth and quiet ride. Now your children can play with a scooter without disturbing you or any person who might be needing peace and quiet. Both parents and children will surely benefit from the convenience of the Italian-made wheels.

The build and body of this scooter is very strong, durable and stable. This is a convenient and reliable feature because it ensures the safety of your child. You don’t have to worry about the scooter giving way to your child’s weight because the deck has enough space to accommodate both feet. In short, this scooter model is absolutely safe for your child to use, and it will give him many years of worthwhile childhood fun.

What users love about this item is the fact that it is made by Microstore, a Swiss company that is known for durability and using strong raw materials. Other parents also like the fact that the Mini Kick Scooter gives children better flexibility when it comes to making sharp turns and abrupt movements. One little disadvantage of this model, however, is that the brake tends to break if it is pushed upward instead of downward. You should instruct your kids to push the brakes down toward the tire to avoid irreparable damage.

It’s a great scooter because it’s easy for your child to learn and get used to. Despite the fact that this scooter only has three wheels, it is easier to maneuver and control than most standard four wheeled beginner scooters. The design itself looks great. Kids definitely love to have a toy that they can be proud of, and this scooter is ideal for any child who loves to ride. All in all, this item is absolutely a good buy and it is highly recommended to parents and kids.

The Mini Kick Scooter is available from Amazon.com

For other cool and trendy ways of getting about, older kids might want to check out the Ripstick Caster Board which is a cross between a surfboard and a skateboard. Very cool!

There is also a huge selection of Razor scooters for adults and children alike.

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How Play Gyms Can Stimulate Your Baby’s Brain

Play gyms, activity gyms, play nests – these words all relate to one item, that is a firm favourite with babies from newborn up to about 12 months.

These play gyms and activity nests mostly come in the form of comfortable, quilted or softly padded playmats, sometimes raised at the edges with a space in the middle for baby (like a ring doughnut).

And these play gyms can be either brightly coloured or in soft, pastel shades. But don’t be fooled by thinking they are just snug and comfy resting places for babies to fall asleep in!

These activity gyms provide a plethora of visual and audio, a well as tactile stimulation for helping to develop young inquisitive minds. You can read more about the stages of cognitive development here.

Often decorated with well known and lovable characters, Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Eyore, or farm and zoo animals as well, they can consist of detachable, hanging parts that small babies can try to grasp. They tend to have parts that are crinkly, soft, scrunchy textures for baby to touch, squeeze and stroke.

Some come with bright twinkling lights and bells and others make funny sounds, or musical sounds, and some even do both.

You will often find mirrors attached to these activity gyms, so that your baby gets to find and see its own reflection, often providing hours of fun for babies and carers alike. All of this is extremely important for developing young minds. Babies are like a sponge, they are ready to absorb whatever information they can and boy – they can’t grasp it fast enough!

A lot of new research points to the first three years of life as being critical to a baby’s developing brain. It is a known fact that during this period, not only does the brain triple in weight but it also establishes thousands of billions of nerve connections. Astonishingly, at the age of three, a young child has twice as many nerve connections as many adults.

Therefore, in your role as a parent, or primary care giver, it is of paramount importance that you recognize this and understand just how much development is taking place inside your young baby’s brain from birth until the age of three.

At birth, children have most of the neurons (brain cells) they need for a lifetime however, these brain cells are not yet linked (or “wired”) together to form the complex networks that are required for mature thought processes to take place. And what happens is that in the early years, young children’s brain cells form these connections, or synapses as they are commonly called, very very rapidly.

One of the crucial ingredients to aiding these connections to form, is experience, and repetition. In a word, the more times you repeat something new, like showing a baby how to scrunch up a ball, the quicker these connections are formed.

Therefore, it naturally follows that the more positive interaction you give an infant or toddler, the more you are helping to stimulate young brains. Baby mobiles are also great for keeping babies stimulated and interested since they emit noises and often have motion too.

This stimulation causes new connections to form neural pathways and strengthens existing ones.
Playing with activity gyms, with all the bells and whistles that they offer or reading to a child, anything which allows a child to have positive, interactive experience, will aid your child’s brain development.

Although activity gyms can be used from 0 to 12 months or more, it is usually at around the 4 month mark, that your baby will start to gain more than just a passive interest in it.

This is because, babies will now start to play with objects (as opposed to just staring at them or the environment around them). Your baby is starting to gain growing control of his body as well as beginning to gain hand to eye co-ordination and increasing perception of the environment around them. So you can watch as your baby begins to enjoy objects by means of rather unco-ordinated handling and mouthing of them.

Later, at about 5 to 6 months, your baby’s relatively well-controlled ability to reach and grasp objects increases her interest in them.

Although your baby may explore them by means of mouthing and handling them, you will find that she starts to shake and bang them as well. This is also the beginning of her understanding of cause and effect, that is, that banging or shaking an object will cause a noise.

By around the 6th or 7th month, your baby’s hands and eyes are working together quite well now so that looking now also becomes part of the exploration process, as well as mouthing and handling, and her interest in toys and other objects is intense. Your baby’s ability to grasp and manipulate objects is developing brilliantly. Her fingers close on an object with decision, and she can lift one hand towards a toy, and bang two objects together. Do not underestimate the importance of these achievements. Reaching to grasp an object involves three joints in the arm and fourteen in the hand.

Initiating a reaching movement involves more than thirteen muscles in the arm and adjusting the hand to grasp an object use more than twenty in the hand.

So, as you lovingly sit and watch your young baby laughing and gurgling on the play mat or under the activity gym – do not underestimate the power of the changes taking place in the brain, all enriching an inquisitive mind and arming it with a plethora of knowledge and understanding.

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A Basic Guide To Choosing Toys For Babies

A baby’s only activities until the age of two months are sleeping and eating. He is not interested in anything else.

After two months, the baby starts being more curious about the world around him. At first, he just watches the activity in the room.

At the age of 4-5 months, he is already moving his arms and legs with a lot of energy.

At this point, as a parent you should stimulate the baby to continue this rhythm. The best way to do this is through play. And since play is unconceivable without toys, you should consider getting some for your baby.
Research conduced in the last few years revealed that babies too can have an assortment of toys. Babies respond to sight, sound and touch. Toys that stimulate these senses can help your baby learn about the world around him, how things work and so on.

To help you find best toy for your baby, I’ve made here two age groups, birth to 6 months and 6 to 12 months. The difference between these age groups is huge because a baby grows very fast and so his needs differ from month to month.

Toys for babies of one to six months:
In this period, a baby isn’t very active. He is mostly sleeping. When the baby is awake, he does not seem to be interested in anything else but eating and crying.

At the age of two months, the baby starts following every activity in the room. He is able to focus his vision on an object for a few moments. This is when you must introduce the baby in the world of toys, if you haven’t already done so. Use black and white and high contrasting color toys. The baby can’t play at this age because he can’t make complex moves like grabbing, or turning around.

At the age of four months, the baby is already moving his arms and legs. He has more energy than ever, and he is eager to use it. He is able to grab things and crawl. In this situation, a new activity is making room in his life: play. Although it is very rudimentary, play is very important for the baby’s development.

Here are some ideal gifts for newborns:

Juggling toys

Animal shaped toys made of rubber

Little mirrors that can’t injure the baby

Toys made specially for chewing

Little colored circles bound together

Be a bit more careful with musical toys. Buy musical toys for your baby only after you have checked that the sounds they produce aren’t very powerful. Musical toys that produce sharp noises are dangerous because babies tend to get the sound source close to their ear, which, being fragile can be affected.
To read the whole article, visit http://www.child-toys-guide.com/baby-toys.shtml

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