If you are a parent and have to leave your baby or young child in another persons care during the day you need to carefully choose a day care center. You want your child to be in a healthy and safe environment.
Plenty of stimulation and emotional support is important as your child will be in the facility you choose for several hours and you want him/her to feel safe and secure. Here are a few things to look for while you are touring a possible child care center.
Observe the other children, do they appear to be happy? Look around the facility; is it bright, clean and cheerful? Does it have well-maintained, safe equipment?
Are there adequate changing and hand washing areas and are they neat and clean? Decide if you would want to come here if you were a child.
Make sure there are a variety of open-ended toys and that they are all in good repair. Find out how often the kids building blocks and other toys are washed; I can’t emphasize this tip enough.
Ask the owner/manager to see the toys. You will want to ensure there are many jigsaw puzzles and/or 3d wooden puzzles for children of all ages. Another important toy that should be available is building block toys. Kids need building toys that are large enough to stack, make large towers and are safe to be knocked down.
Kids love to carry about or put in a wagon, large block toys and move them from one location to another and if the day care facility does not already have ImagiBRICKS in their facility it will be a good idea to introduce these blocks to them.
Let the owner of the day care center know that bulk quantities are available at discounted prices for our large toy blocks. These discounted prices are also offered to homes, libraries, play zones or any one needing larger quantity of blocks.
Before you leave the facility find out if there is sleeping space with individual beds, cots or mats and that they are clean. Maybe you could supply your own so you know it is freshly laundered.
If you believe your child/children will be comfortable and fit in with the other children you may have found a day care center where you can comfortably leave your child for a few hours.
Simple tips to ensure your baby is safe during the day will help avoid accidents. Here are a few tips from Healthcare of Atlanta that will help you baby-proof your home.
Your purse – be aware of where you keep this enticing object. Baby’s hands will find it and explore its contents when you are not looking. Cigarettes, cosmetics, matches, lip gloss can be fascinating dangers for your baby.
Plants – did you know some are poisonous? When you buy a plant you want to make sure it is safe for baby and pets. If you are not sure it is a good idea to keep it in a place they can’t get at it.
Cords – check your cords on your blinds and drapes and keep them out of reach.
Lead paint – if your home was built before 1978 high lead levels can cause brain damage.
Detection alarms – install fire and carbon monoxide detection alarms to alert you in a emergency.
Baby toys – make sure there are no sharp corners and that they are painted/finished with non-toxic finishes.
Take a minute and explore our wooden baby rattles. Our whimsical shaped rattles are one of the safest wooden baby toys on the market. Made from earth friendly materials our baby toys are naturally safe for your child as well as his planet.
Our baby rattles are made from all-natural Beechwood and sanded baby smooth. They are boiled in beeswax – a natural antiseptic. They are easy for little fingers to grasp and safe to be chewed.
Read more about our rattles and baby clutching toys on our website and see our fish and elephant rattle and a cute hedgehog.
Children can learn about energy, where it comes from the many ways to conserve energy in their everyday lives. Children will be inspired to become environmental stewards during Conservation Quest at Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta.
The Home station will allow your kids to explore energy uses and choices from electricity, heating, and lighting to transportation, waste and recycling. Computer interactive screens will help your children make green energy choices with electricity, appliances, heating and cooling, recycling, transportation and more.
Stacking blocks will be a fun activity your children can participate in to learn about the amount of electricity various appliances use and they will also learn how to reduce electricity use.
Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta is a smart place to play and is a non-profit organization that offers a family-friendly space filled with interactive, educational exhibits and programming for children ages eight and under.
Conservation Quest is a special display and will be open until September 12, 2010. Visit their website for more information: www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org.
We do not know what size toy blocks your children will be stacking at this display but it is a good idea to have a set of giant cardboard building blocks at home for your children to build, stack and carry around. Large block toys will help your children develop their muscles and help them to play creatively by themselves or with others. Your kids will love building tall towers and knocking them down, and because these toys are cardboard they will fall quietly.
What do Humpback Whales, Marine Turtles and Panda Bears Have In Common?
There are many animals on the endangered species list and humpback whales, marine turtles and panda bears are just three on this list. The Chinese word for Panda is “Xiongmao” or Giant Cat Bear.
There is much discussion as to whether panda bears are bears, raccoons or their very own species. Panda’s share some of the same features of bears and some of the raccoon.
Up until now, zoologists have been largely unsuccessful in breeding panda bears in captivity and there are very few of these cute, adorable bears left in the wild. The Chinese government has taken steps to protect these endangered animals.
The Panda Bears habitat, extremely limited diet and poor reproductive and infant survival combine to threaten their survival. This is why breeding in captivity is so important.
Pandas are only found in a relatively small area in Asia. They date back two to three million years ago. Ancient Chinese history and writings abound with mention of the Panda. They were kept by emperors and their hides were highly valued. They carried a mystique and were believed to be able to ward off evil spirits and natural disasters.
There are many interesting websites available that contain information and facts to help teach your children about Panda Bears and other endangered species. Also, having a panda bear toy will help make your lessons more memorable.
On our website you can see four different 3d wooden puzzles of animals that are on the endangered species list. Our natural wood puzzles are animal-inspired and are 1-1/2” thick. They are puzzles to paint and include a water color paint kit.
These fun toys are for ages three up and include a water color paint kit and paint brush. You may order polar bears, marine turtles, humpback whales and, of course, panda bears.
Recognizing letters of the alphabet is the beginning of reading. Many children’s TV shows have fun ways to introduce young children to their ABC’s and their sounds.
Phonics skills are one valuable asset of learning to read and are fun for young children. Learning the letter sounds with fun pictures also helps children learn the names of animals and other objects.
Little Reader Blocks by Smart Monkey Toys are important preschool learning toys for children and belong in all homes and schools. These blocks are especially useful for English as a second language or a school that has non-English speaking children enrolled.
Because all children love playing with blocks, having blocks with the 100 basic sight words on colored blocks will make learning simple words and forming short sentences easy and will prepare them for reading books. They can also learn that some words are verbs, nouns and so forth.
When you want to teach nouns you can have the children pull out all the green blocks or blue for the verbs. The white blocks are prepositions and the yellow blocks are your adjectives and red blocks provide you with 30 pronouns. As your children learn the different words they can help point them out in the books you read to them.
It is a good idea for your school and the preschool you have your children enrolled in to have many large print books that can be read to them. Stories that have a lot of rhymes and repetition will help children learn and remember their letters, words and sounds.
After the books are read to your children leave them out where they can pick them up and look at them during fee play time. Children learning the phonics method of reading will get the idea that reading involves thinking, looking, sounding out and saying their words.
Babies are fun. They are warm and cuddly and you just can’t get enough time with them.
You miss your baby whenever you have to be away from him and love playing with him and giving him all your attention. But, are you playing with your baby too much? Is there such a thing as too much attention?
Your baby is fed and dressed and laying on his back on a soft blanket. Your husband is home and both of you are giving him attention and providing a rattle or clutching toy for him to play with. But, are you over stimulating your baby?
Although over stimulation probably won’t lead to the same problems as lack of stimulation, it may be unpleasant for your baby and can lead to emotional difficulties if it becomes a regular routine.
If your baby is being over stimulated he will “tell” you it’s time to stop by looking the other way. He may also begin to cry or simply frown.
Provide your child a safe, handcrafted clutching toy and sit by and watch him play. You can still enjoy his company without being involved in his play time. A wood baby toy will have a good feel for your baby and is safe for him to put in his mouth.
A unique line of natural wooden baby rattles and clutching toys are manufactured by ImagiPLAY. Their rattles are made from all-natural Beechwood. These baby rattles are sanded baby smooth, boiled in beeswax (a natural antiseptic). Their whimsical shapes are easy for little fingers to grasp and have a nice soft sound when rattled.
ImagiPLAY’s clutching toys are made from plantation grown Rubberwood (an earth friendly hardwood). They are splinter-proof and will provide your baby a toy you can confidently let him play with from 6 months and up.
Get ready for school with new wooden toddler toys. Now is the time to save yourself some money!
If you are a preschool teacher, Sunday School teacher, owner of a preschool or even a home schooler parent you can receive a ten percent discount coupon by sending us an e-mail with your school’s name and address.
Wooden kids toys are a great investment! When you purchase childrens wooden toys for your school you will be receiving safe children’s learning toys manufactured by ImagiPLAY.
Browse through our unique wood blocks sets such as Safari Stacking Blocks and our new Circle Blocks sets. See our Spinning Tops Game – a global game that promotes eco sensibilities and social awareness.
And, for the ultimate in developmental toys you will want at least one Toy Store in a Box for your school.
For added fun see our Zoo Playset that includes eleven hand-painted wood figures or our Zoom to the Moon Play Set that includes a space ship and velcro-closure blue and green spaceship.
Your kids will love our 3d wooden puzzles to paint! These natural wood puzzles are two sided and are hand-crafted. 1-1/2″ thick puzzles include a Kitty Alphabet puzzle, marine turtle, panda bears and more.
Years ago ADHD was mysterious. It was not openly spoken about and there was less information available as compared to nowadays.
Today, parents, as well as doctors and educators are faced with a growing number of children who have been labeled as having ADHD. This is frightening and you as a parent may easily become overwhelmed as what to do or how to make sure your child may have ADHA.
Autism is a word that covers delays. You may also notice unusual developmental patterns in your child’s development. The delay could be in communication/language, social interaction and/or behavior. The delays could very well be across many areas in your child’s development.
You will begin to notice these delays by the age of three but can be detected as early as 18 months. One simple thing you can do is to watch your child as he plays with toys that are meant to increase his motor skills and see how, and if you believe his skills are actually improving.
Beware; also of how well your child can put together small objects, complete puzzles, do craft work and use a scissors (just to name a few activities). Normal development in children is essential and children must learn to accurately and effectively use their smaller muscles in their hands. These intrinsic muscles will be used to complete many essential functions for the rest of their lives.
See our “three chicks” 3d wooden puzzle. This is an easy wood puzzle for young children and also makes a great educational wooden toy.
All three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Jim Irwin agreed they could not see the Great Wall in China from the moon. But, over 41.8 million foreign visitors to China saw this great structure in 2004.
Tourism to the Great Wall increased because of President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 and with this increase in tourism sections of the Wall were restored. The Chinese government recognized the Wall as a unifying symbol of their nation after the death of Mao Zedong.
The men who designed this wall once were kids themselves and I wonder if they had building block toys to play with. You may have a future engineer in your family right now. Someday he/she may design and build a new wonder of the world. Help his/her creativity bloom with cardboard building blocks. The set pictured has both construction cinder blocks and timber blocks. Schools can order bulk quantity building block toys.
Promoting open-ended play time for your children with building block toys will be one of the best ways to enhance their learning and increase their fine motor skills.
There is a legend, that a helpful dragon traced out the course of the Great Wall for the workforce and the builders subsequently followed the tracks of the dragon ( Jan, Michael. 2001. The Great Wall of China. New York, NY: Abberville Publishing Group) but more likely is the fact that it was probably men who were once children playing with blocks.
The Great Wall has often been compared to a dragon. In China, the dragon is a protective divinity and is synonymous with springtime and vital energy. The Chinese believed the earth was filled with dragons which gave shape to the mountains and formed the sinew of the land.
During the Ming dynasty, nearly one million soldiers were said to defend the Great Wall from “barbarians” and non-Chinese.
The manpower to build the Great Wall came from frontier guards, peasants, unemployed intellectuals, disgraced noblemen, and convicts. In fact, there existed a special penalty during the Qin and Han dynasties under which convicted criminals were made to work on the Wall.
Before the Ming dynasty, the wall was built with rammed earth, adobe, and stone. About 70% is made from rammed earth and adobe. Bricks were used after the Ming dynasty.
The Chinese invented the wheelbarrow and used it extensively in building the Great Wall.
A section of the Great Wall in the Gansu province may disappear in the next 20 years due to erosion.
The information for this article came from: http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/04/18_great-wall.html. See this website for more information and read their Reference section for the books where these facts came from.
Kids in all countries love toys and our troops are being equipped with wooden toys to take to Iraq and Afghanistan. According to an article I read online from the gazette.com (Colorado Springs), a group of senior’s have a woodworking club and have crafted several hundred small wooden cars and animals for Fort Carson bound for Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Springs Scrollers got most of their materials, according to the article, from friends in the Pikes Peak Whittlers, which supplied 12,000 wooden wheels and hundreds of quarter-inch dowels that allow the wheels to spin.
I further read that “Master Sgt. Andrew Clark, who coordinates donations at Fort Carson, said the post sent its first shipment of toys with the 43rd Sustainment Brigade, which deployed this month (March 2010) to Afghanistan, and will send others with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team to Iraq.”
Read more: http://www.gazette.com/articles/toys-95642-diplomacy-wooden.html#ixzz0t0PDctC8
Children have always loved the touch, smell and feel of a hand-crafted wooden toy. Toys made of wood last longer, are safer children’s toys and can be passed down from child to child and perhaps even from one generation to another.
When you are selecting painted wooden toys you will want to make sure they are painted with non-toxic paints and varnishes. ImagiPLAY is a toy manufacturer we strongly suggest – their non toxic toys are all natural, earth friendly and child safe. View their wooden kids toys online at All I Can Imagine.
If you are making your own wood toys, purchasing the correct type of paints and varnishes will benefit everyone especially those with allergies and chemical sensitivities. You will also be helping our environment by reducing ozone depleting contaminants.
Pictured above is our Apple Tree Bead Maze Toy.