Blocks And 3d Puzzles

This past week I have been reading articles about how magazines and waiting room toys in other countries are being removed from waiting rooms, acute-care clinics and emergency rooms where children play.  Not yet, that I have read, an issue here in the USA it made me think about the cleanliness of the toys in our health care clinics, gyms, day care centers, Sunday school classrooms and so forth.

As you enter your doctor’s office, dentist, spa, racquet club, etc., it is realistic that your children will  run toward the toys before you can even sign in.  In general, I wonder how often our facilities in the USA wipe down and sanitize their toys, puzzles and books that they provide for our kids to play with while we are taking care of our own business.

Waterless hand cleaners and containers of sanitizing hand wipes are more readily available in all types of facilities including senior citizen centers and day care facilities but it is a good idea to carry our own products to make sure we are able to protect our children from flu and cold germs throughout the year.

This swine flu is not to be taken lightly and we would all be wise to keep up on how it is developing and what it being done to contain it and treat the many victims.

I took a walk down a woodland trail,
without really expecting anything new.
A rustling in the leaves made me pause,
and wonder what was hidden from view.
I kneeled down and spotted a tiny, white flower,
so perfectly formed to bloom for just an hour.
Thank you, Lord, for showing it to me alone,
such a secret I would never have known.

God sends jewels from heaven,
when I stop long enough to see.
Rare and precious treasures,
to show how much He loves me.

Once, I ran to the edge of some trees,
with a heavy burden in my heart.
The scent of a warm, summer rain,
wafted by on a gentle breeze.
A brilliant, red cardinal came to call,
and sang a cheerful song just for me;
and to think, I could have missed it all.

God send jewels from heaven,
when I stop long enough to see.
Rare and precious treasures,
to show how much He loves me.

I stepped outside late one night,
for just a moment of peace and quiet.
The wind softly whispered to me.
The black, velvet sky held a crescent moon,
and a million silver stars gave their light.
I threw up my hands and praised you, Lord,
for this glimpse of beauty I might have ignored.

God send jewels from heaven,
when I stop long enough to see.
Rare and precious treasures,
to show how much He loves me.

by Gina Hatchell
Used with Permission

Mark your Calendars for the next spectacular toy show at the York Fairgrounds in York, Pennsylvania On August 29th, 2009.

August 29th, 2009
York Fairgrounds, York PA
334 Carlisle Ave
York, PA 17404 

Saturday, August 29th, 2009 9AM to 3PM
General Admission $7.00 – Free Parking 

 For more information call (717) 335-3435

The firemen had come and gone by the time my brother and I arrived home from school.  At the family pow wow that happened shortly thereafter my brother was informed that he had built his last tree house.

My brother loved building playhouses in our back yard tree.  He and I spent many summer hours up in his newly created play structures as he built, tore down and redesigned all summer long  – until that summer day when his last tree house caught on fire.

Kids nowadays may not have tree houses to climb up into but they do have Quadro construction play sets.  These sets, made from modular tubes and connectors, will not catch on fire and can be broken down and re-designed over and over again.

Over the years many children have received their first Quadro playset when they were young and their parents have added on to their first set enabling them to build bigger and greater structures such as mazes, forts and even a desk.

The above image is from the Starter II Kit and is one of the structures that your child may build besides a theatre, a store, a ramp, goals and many others.

My brother, by the way, still saws wood.  Living in Washington State, he saws trees and lumber for a living and I have not heard that he has had to call the fire department for many years.

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes

him who sent me has eternal life and will not be

condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

This past Sunday we had a guest speaker at our church, Griffin First Assembly of God.  The pastor reminded us that God is still doing miracles today, just as He did when He walked the earth.

Whether we have need of a financial, physical, or emotional miracle, or even a salvation miracle for a loved one we can still pray to our saviour.  And, even though He may not answer our prayers just the way we want it answered, or in the time-frame we would like, He does hear and answer our prayers.

In the late 1940’s and early 50’s Chicago offered children many parks to play in. One I particularly remember had a fountain and surrounding it was an area of sand to build castles and other structures.

There were also the usual swings, merry-go-rounds, climbing gyms, teeter-totters and slides with wooden rollers (some of you are now smiling).  Nowadays, with most of these parks remodeled, kids play on large modular construction systems, adventure playsets designed to last a lifetime and unharmed by any type of harsh weather.

If your child’s day care center has one of these “large-scale” modular constructions systems to play on he will able to play safely as he develops gross and fine motor skills as well as social play interaction.  The play set may even have a nice smooth slide or a ball cage to jump in.

Even though these adventure playsets may be more educational than the merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters we played on as a child we can only hope their memories will be more pain free than we experienced from sliding down wooden roller slides.