Blocks And 3d Puzzles

By the time a child is two years of age they are capable of stacking toy building blocks and building towers.  When children have a set of giant cardboard building blocks in their playroom they enjoy carrying them around, putting them in wagons and creating structures out of their imaginations.

There are several advantages of having larger sized kids building blocks – one being they will develop coordination skills while stacking and secondly, they will increase their muscle strength when carrying the blocks around the house.

Thinking back to our childhood I think playing with construction toys and toy blocks were two of the toys that were the most fun.  Educational kids toys that are open-ended keep kids busy with fun play as well as enabling them to develop social skills.

Whether at home or in a day care center, having plenty of different sized blocks to play with will offer children opportunities to play either alone or with others.  Our 24 piece set of ImagiBRICKS (by Smart Monkey Toys), contain 4 large 12 x 6 x 3 red blocks, 6 medium size 6 x 6 x 3 blocks and 14 small 6 x 3 x 3 blue blocks.

This is a good starter set for younger children who may not be ready to pickup the larger blocks, yet the set has four large blocks waiting for them when they are ready to handle the larger ones.  Once you see they can pick up and carry the red blocks you will be ready for sets of all large blocks in either red or rainbow colors.

When children begin showing interest in the larger blocks they will want to begin building towers and you will want to be ready with a set of  larger block toys.  Did you know that ImagiBRICKS are crush-proof and strong enough for even an adult to stand on?  Visit our website and you can see me standing on one of the red blocks!

Widely regarded as an essential developmental toddler toy, giant cardboard building blocks are kid’s building blocks that give your children a head start on physical development and coordination.

Kids love to stack their toy blocks.  They also like to knock them down.  When you get them giant ImagiBRICKS™  to play with no one will get hurt when they knock down their towers and structures!

Manufactured by Smart Monkey Toys, these award-winning toys for toddlers are the block toys your grandparents played with when they were children.  The only difference is that now they come with a drool-proof coating so they can be easily wiped down to prevent the spread of germs.

Another way younger children play with these blocks is to carry them around.  This type of play will help your children develop stronger muscles and balance as the carry them around and set them down.  As they get a little older they will begin building towers and other structures from their imaginations.

Being one of the best open-ended toys you can give your children giant blocks are great for individual play as well as group play.  Group play will help develop your child’s social skills as they work together with others to create, build and knock down their structures.

Nicely packaged in a box with an image of the blocks these are great Christmas gifts; all you have to do is add some pretty wrapping paper or maybe just a large bow so you don’t cover up the pretty box! 

Giggles will abound as the children run around and in and out of the towers while they learn to coordinate their little bodies as to not bump into the blocks.  If you purchase the Rainbow blocks which include red, orange, green and purple blocks you can also teach your children four new colors as they play.

Starter sets include 16 red giant blocks.  If you have more children you will want the larger sets or maybe even a small bulk quantity of 50 red blocks.  See many selections on our website, All I Can Imagine.

Continuing from our previous article another good way to teach good manners is through playing with giant cardboard blocks.  This toddler toy is perfect for allowing young children to interact with one another and learn to share.

It’s probably no surprise to you, but many toddlers struggle with sharing.  However, children who have open ended toddler toys will give them the perfect opportunity to learn how to share. Again, it is important that you are consistent with your efforts and work on instilling manners at every possible moment of each day.

Your children observe manners all day long; whether you are conscience of it or not.  Everyone we adults interact with involves certain “standard politeness” and showing respect for others.  The tone of our voice, the words we speak, the expressions on our faces and all other body languages are observed by our children.

When I see a child out in public treat a younger brother or sister in a harsh manner I can only assume they have learned this manner by observation and experiences in their home and other environments they are involved in.

Because we all want polite, well behaved children remember they lean from what they see and experience.  They will not be kind and respectful if we are not showing them these manners in our own actions.

For homes and schools who want to order blocks, our toys for toddlers may be seen on our website, All I Can Imagine. 

In conclusion, there really is not an exact “guide” for you to follow when teaching a toddler good manners. You will learn what works and what doesn’t through trial and error, but the most important thing is that you are consistent with what works. Your toddler will learn and begin to demonstrate good manners when he is constantly exposed to them. Therefore, the key to teaching good manners is to always be consistent with your efforts!

For one reason or another many people don’t think that teaching toddlers manners is that important. However, if you want to raise a well-mannered child then you must start when they are little. This is because toddlers learn things so easily. In fact, many of the things toddlers learn will naturally become automatic as they get older, which is precisely what you want when teaching good manners!

Children who have open-ended toys to play with, such as toy blocks, will have many opportunities for creative play as well as building social skills and manners.  Giant cardboard building blocks are exceptional educational kids toys for preschool children.

While parents monitor their children’s play time you can observe how the children interact and react to one another’s suggestions of creating structures and playing games with the toy blocks.  When necessary you can gently guide them in their manners and ability and willingness to share and cooperate with one another.

Building block toys can easily be stored up against a wall in your child’s room or your playroom.  Remember to keep the out in sight because children will gravitate to these large building blocks whether they are playing by themselves or when company comes.

The more children you have the more blocks toys you will need.  ImagiBRICKS have a drool proof coating and it is important to often wipe them down to prevent cold germs from spreading. 

Available online at  All I Can Imagine in starter sets of 16 large red blocks, 24 pc sets, or 40 pc sets.  Your children will also love our Rainbow blocks which come in red, green, orange and purple. Bulk quantities are also available.

These toddler learning toys are an ideal Christmas gift or birthday present for parents and grandparents to provide their boys and girls.

 Whether or not the structure they build represents any specific thing children are proud of what they create with their toy blocks. Children value their own block structures and will be encouraged in creative play when you ask, “Tell me about what you made”.

Kids should be encouraged to use their block toys imaginatively.  Parents can encourage their toddlers with a dialog and offer their children new opportunities to explore other ways to use their blocks  – thereby helping them gain self-confidence in their skills. Verbal skills will be another benefit as your child tells you about what he made.

Kids building blocks, such as our Timber Blocks, are large enough to help your children learn to build and stack. Strong, yet lightweight our toys for toddlers have no sharp corners and are crush proof and drool proof.

Beginning at the age of two, children will be using a variety of blocks for pretend play.  With large building blocks toys children can become life-sized actors in large block structures or use them to create dramas in miniature landscapes.

Timber blocks shown here are available online at All I Can Imagine. Sixteen large timber blocks (12″ x 6″ x 3″). The cardboard blocks are printed with non-toxic inks and are also available in bulk quantities.

Unstructured play is the most beneficial type of play for toddlers and young children. Play rooms where there are a variety of  giant cardboard building blocks and other open-ended toys available allow children to choose their own toys and activities that they want to participate in.

Too much structured play may prevent your children from many self-created learning experiences and free expression.  Although children can always learn from playing real games with others, nothing beats the free time for creative play.

When children reach school age they have been known to show stress in their behavior when they have been involved in too many structured group activities.  While these activities, such as T-ball, beauty contests, dance lessons and the like are not “bad”, too much too soon may show up as physical symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches or even hair pulling in your children.

Self-initiated play either indoors or out of doors can be one of the best educational ways your children will develop social skills and muscle strength. Whether running, jumping, climbing, pulling a wagon or building a structure with toy blocks your children will develop self-esteem and his creative instincts will flourish.

Did you know that large toy blocks, such as ImagiBRICKS, help children learn social skills?  Blocks encourage children to make friends and cooperate with one another.  Large block play may very well be your child’s first experience in playing with a group.  

When a play room in your home or a preschool has enough large blocks available for multiple children to play together they will begin to interact with one another and plan activities all their own.  Block play has no rules and children are free to create activities, games and structures all their own.

Pictured above is our 24 pc set of ImagiBRICKS.  Also available in 40 piece sets and bulk quantities. See our 16 piece all large red blocks or our rainbow blocks.

Prewar parents were resigned to accepting the risks their children took in playing out of doors on their own. Nowadays, parents are being forced to accept this same risk.

Growing up I was told, “go outside and play”.  But in today’s society parents often feel it is not safe for their children to play outside without supervision.  Children who can’t play on their own will loose opportunities for innovation and invention.

When children can play on their own they learn to relate to one another.  They will also have opportunities to resolve their own conflicts (even if fights occur to accomplish this).

Nowadays, fears about children’s physical well-being are affecting their play opportunities.  Today’s children are not allowed to play on their own to the extent they once were. Much of today’s play is in an organized form run by adults.

These organized forms of play, while altogether not bad for children, tend to rob them of many opportunities to innovate and learn from their risk-taking behavior.

Because many children have to play inside for safety reasons it is more important than ever that they have non-structured playtime and open-ended educational kids toys to play with. One of the best learning toys are toy blocks.

When children have a set of ImagiBRICKS large cardboard blocks toys they can play either by themselves or with other children. They carry the blocks around or stack them thereby gaining muscle strength and coordination skills.

Older children will work together to create various structures and gain social skills. These are also good learning toys to teach basic math skills and are easy to stack up against a wall when play is finished. 

Sets come in 16, 24 and 40 pieces. Bulk quantities are also available.  Some families prefer the Rainbow colored blocks. Available online at All I Can Imagine.

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.

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.

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.