Blocks And 3d Puzzles

Apple Tree Wooden Bead Maze toy

You will be reading today about a favorite kid’s toy that has been a classic for over twenty years. Today’s Friday Feature products are the wire bead maze toys. They have been acclaimed to be one of the most fun educational toys in today’s market.

Also known as a rollercoaster toy, these wooden kid’s toys provide your young children a three-dimensional manipulative experience in the perceptual, motor, and language areas and is one of the most sought after toy for both kids and parents alike. Giving your young toddler a simple bead maze toy offers him or her more than just hours of delightful entertainment, it will help improve your children’s motor skills as well as cognition, detection and language.

From small wire toys to medium sized cubes (with a variety of other toys included) to large, complex bead maze toy tables, many types of bead mazes exist today. Engaging children of all ages maze toys have retained their popularity. With Christmas coming up these toddler learning toys are sure to be found on many parents and educators shopping lists.

And, as with any child’s toy parents will want to select a wire maze toy which is appropriate for the age of their children. One manufacturer of this popular wooden toy is ImagiPLAY. This company, located in Colorado, provides safe educational children’s toys painted with non-toxic paints.

If you are seeking your child’s first maze toy ImagiPLAY’s products are a good place to start as they carry a line of smaller sized bead mazes that are approximately 4 inches.  Their brightly colored selections include: green frog, brown bear, white kitty with black spots, a flower and an apple tree have been sized to fit in a stroller or your child’s car seat for great fun-as-you-go. This is a riveting toy and will keep children happy and occupied while you are busy driving.

Rollercoaster bead maze toys provide children the opportunity to slide colorful beads along wires that arch and loop interestingly around one another. Even older children and an adult can get interested in playing. This is a riveting toy that not only delights children but captivates their attention as soon as they are exposed to any sized maze toy that is age appropriate.

You will enjoy watching your child fall in love with his wire maze toy; watch him or her follow the colorful beads up and then down, and around the many gently and curves that spiral every which way. As your child moves the wood beads he can begin to count and spin each bead.  He can learn the difference between the colors and you could make a game of having him or her count the red beads, then the yellow beads and so on.

This is a great toddler toy for free play, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and more. This is why you will often find a maze toy of one size or another in waiting rooms such as your dentist’s office, pediatrician’s office, racquet club, spa, or your accountant’s office.

Parents and educators will feel a sense of security as they leave children alone with one of these delightful toddler toys because there are no loose parts to swallow. The smaller models can easily and safely travel with you when you go on both short or long trips and then they can be taken inside so your children may continue to be entertained throughout the day, afternoon and into the evening.

Children love figuring out the path of the beads from beginning to end.  This wire bead maze toy offers a level of early learning complexity to play. Another important benefit is the strengthening of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills obtained in the play process.

This concludes the first Friday Feature Article. Our series will continue through November with a new toy category each Friday.  Read our Press Release.

Brain Balance:  Free Workshop Series for Parents – The Dynamics of the Brain: How to Improve Poor Grades and Low-Self Esteem without Medication.

So many of us don’t even realize that the problems we are facing with our children are beyond their control. They literally can’t help some of the things they do, the way they act, the way they feel, etc.  They are not bad kids and we are not bad parents.

There is help. To those of you who are struggling with their children on any level, whether behaviorally, developmentally, academically, emotionally, physically, socially, etc.  (regardless if they have any type of label or not) there are assessments available at Brain Balance Center.

These centers will do a 1200 point assessment to make sure your child’s brain is functioning and developing properly.  If it is not,then Brain Balance can change that.  It is such a small price to pay to ensure that your child’s brain is developing properly and that your child will be able to reach their full potential.

Brain Balance Centers are helping children who suffer from the effects of ADD/ADHA, dyslexia, Tourette’s,  Asperger’s  or autism spectrum disorders.  Their programs help children overcome their academic and behavioral challenges.  No drugs are used. No cookie-cutter approaches implemented.

Your child’s achievement program will be carefully tailored to match each child’s individual and uniqueness and will connect them with success and increased self-esteem.

If you happen to live in Suwanee, Peachtree City, or Roswell, Georgia there are upcoming workshops you can attend:

September 13, 2011 at 6:30pm – Understanding the Brain of a Child with Autism and Utilizing this Information in the Home Environment.

October 11, 2011 at 6:30pm – The Dynamics of the Brain: How to Improve Poor Grades and Low Self-Esteem without Medication.

November 8, 2011 at 6:30pm – Unlocking Learning Disabilities: Understanding the Brain Related to Auditory and Visual Processing.

Call these numbers for more information:

Suwanee 770-614-4790

Peachtree City 770-610-3033

Rosewell 770-650-8010

Looking for a playset for children with special disorders?  You will be happy to know there are Quadro Playset Kits available at All I Can Imagine that are safe for all children. When you want play sets for children that are tough, come with a great warranty and have the ability to grow with your child you can’t beat a Quadro™ adventure playset.

Children of all ages and physical abilities can safely and confidently play with this brightly colored child’s toy which may be set up either outside or inside. Modular tubes and panels made in the bright colors that children love.

**Want to read a mothers story?  Read about her experience with Brain Balance.  Visit her blog at:  http://networkedblogs.com/mxMeP

Nowadays there are many products to help keep your home safer for your baby.  Shopping around on the Internet, baby magazines and browsing around in baby sections in your local department stores will give you plenty of ideas of new gadgets that are out on the market.

Here are some other simple ideas to help keep baby safe in the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom.

The Bathroom: keep medicines and vitamins in child resistant containers.  Keep them out of reach and locked up.  Store your cosmetics, colognes and mouth washes up out of the way of babies reach. Lower your homes water heater temperatures to 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent accidental scalding.  Also, keep your curling irons, hairdryers and all heated appliances and their cords out of reach of children and away from your sink or tub.

In the Kitchen: it is a good idea to cook on the back burners of your stove and keep the handles turned sideways.  Keep your food away from the edges of the counters and tables as well as your knives and other utensils.  Test micro waved food to make sure it is not too hot.  When the buzzer sounds, wait a minute or two before removing it from the microwave.

The Bedroom: make sure the crib mattress is flat and firm.  Remove comforters and toys and other soft products that may cause suffocation. Remove hood and neck strings from baby clothing. Do not dress your baby with scarfs or necklaces or anything else around their neck that they could remove and choke on or get strangled on.

Another way to protect your baby is by providing safe baby toys.  Make sure the wood toys you buy are painted with non-toxic paints and varnishes.  Visit All I Can Imagine to see our whimsical wooden baby rattles.  These wood baby rattles are finished with bees wax and are safe for your baby to teeth on. Your baby will also enjoy playing with one of our clutching worms.  A unique toy only available online.

For over a decade, ImagiPLAY has created high-quality educational toys that inspire children’s imaginations and the desire to explore. With the abundance of toys available for children today, ImagiPLAY sets itself apart from the rest through its motto: “Toys with Integrity.” By producing quality products that connect with nature, have eco-friendly sources, and hold educational value, ImagiPLAY works to benefit the earth we share and the people that inhabit it.

Founder and President Barbera Aimes offers children’s toys that represent her true passion: our planet. After studying languages and music in Japan and across the US, this nurturing earth mother explored ways in which she could communicate her desire to make the world a gentler, move loving place. In her mid thirties, she found that the natural beauty of Boulder, Colorado was the ideal place to call home, establish her business, and create a positive change amongst the people around her. “All my life I’ve wanted to leave this earth with some kind of beneficial legacy,” Barbera explains, “If there is one thing I can leave on this earth, it would be to help children appreciate our world.” Through the language of play, Barbera and ImagiPLAY have inspired children across the globe to discover the world on their own terms and communicate with the environment. With ImagiPLAY’s child safe and earth safe toys, games and collectibles, children enrich their ability to count, learn the alphabet, and identify different animals while gaining a true sense of the world’s beauty and diversity of species.

Producing toys using only materials and processes that show respect for the planet and all the people and creatures upon it has remained ImagiPLAY’s promise and challenge. All of ImagiPLAY’s toys are made from eco-friendly materials, with plantation-grown rubberwood being a favorite. Rubber trees produce a sap that is used to make latex products. At the end of their latex-producing years (generally 25-30 years) the trees are harvested and new ones planted. But these wonderful trees have one more gift to give us - their beautiful, splinter-free hardwood, from which ImagiPLAY makes many of its award winning, heirloom quality toys.

ImagiPLAY’s factories are placed close to the neighborhoods where its craftsmen live so that the majority of them can walk or ride their bikes to work each day, enabling its craftsmen to maintain quality relationships with their own children while they make toys for others.

ImagiPLAY products have been recognized by the media, children’s advocacy groups, and parents’ organizations for their outstanding quality, design and ability to inspire imagination. It has received awards from Parenting Magazine, Creative Child Magazine, Dr. Toy, Parents’ Choice Foundation and many other well-respected groups. But most importantly, ImagiPLAY’s products have helped thousands of children worldwide to discover themselves and their world as they navigate the waters of the human Age of Exploration.

Aimes’ lifelong commitment to her values finally allowed her to discover something she is proud to leave as her legacy to this earth and a worthwhile contribution to its people. And having a kid-focused business keeps her young, young-at-heart, and joyful.

ImagiPLAY’s children’s wooden toys, toddler learning toys (including wood blocks) may be viewed at All I Can Imagine.

This term, “Nature Deficit Disorder” may be a new disorder you have not heard of.  If your child does not get outside enough and is not exposed to nature preserves and forests or parks he may be at risk.

Electronic games, computer games and other toys children have nowadays (that were not even invented while I was a child) can easily take up too much of your children’s time.  When was the last time you and your family went out to a nature preserve and spent the day exploring different trees and critters?

Kids and nature just naturally go together but if your children play too many computer games they may never find the excitement of seeing a frog or a worm or a pretty red cardinal.  Studies suggest that interacting with nature can help children develop their five senses and diminish emotional problems as well as attention deficit disorders.

Getting out in nature is also a great way for family bonding. There will be less time spent saying “no” and you can just have fun together with no strict planned agenda.  This is better for everyone’s emotional being (even stressed out moms). 

You could also plan a day out that would be consistent with some school subject or lesson your child is involved in.  Or, your child may have shown some interest in something he saw in a book and you can find a museum or park where you can let him see something firsthand.

If you live in Atlanta:  Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and Heritage Center in Alpharetta has a 46 acre nature preserve and 2 miles of hiking trails.  In Palmetto, Cochran Mill Nature Center has a log cabin and 50 wooden acres.  Gainesville’s Elachee Nature Science Center is at the entrance to 1,400 acres of woods and is the first designated nature center in Georgia.

Dental care is not something to be afraid of; but do not expect your child to believe that when he is sitting in the dentist’s chair and hears a high pitched whine he won’t become frightened. It helps considerably to ease your child’s fear of dentists when you start early on in his life and he gets a chance to become friends with his dentist.

Did you know the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry says your child should see a pediatric dentist before age one?  Ask for recommendations on pediatric dentists from friends who have already begun taking the youngsters to a dentist or do your own research in your own neighborhood. It may sound old fashioned, but look in your local yellow pages phone book.  

 As soon as your child’s teeth start to come you will want to wipe down his gums and teeth after feeding him; use a soft, wet cloth.

When to start brushing.  Have a brush on hand for when your child’s top and bottom teeth begin to appear for this is when brushing should begin.  Clean his teeth while he is lying down.  And, if you are using toothpaste, make sure you keep it pea size.

When your child is old enough to stand by himself you will need to do the brushing yourself for two minutes.  As your child develops his motor skills, usually around age 6, he will be able to take over his own brushing, but make sure he brushes for two minutes.  Nowadays you can find kid’s toothbrushes that have lights that glow or music that plays for the proper brushing time.  Or you could put on a CD that plays for two minutes.

What about flossing? You will have to do this at first, but your child can learn over time; just make sure it is being done.  This is a very important of his routine that needs to be established for good dental care and healthy gums.

To begin your child’s life cavity-free you will learn that many dentists are recommending sealants on your children’s first teeth and on his permanent teeth when they start to come in.  It is said that sealants can prevent 90 percent of all cavities.

Keeping your children’s teeth and gums healthy from an early age on is a good idea and will most likely save you extra expense and trips to the dentist later on.  Watch what you give your child to eat, too much candy and sugar filled juices throughout the day may help cause cavities because you won’t be brushing his teeth until later that day.

You may have been reading the articles we are posting about homeschooling and we have several more to post. However, we’d now like to talk about another choice you may not have thought about – Boarding Schools.

Boarding schools are a small part of America’s educational system and are not just for the elite or troubled students.  There are a wide range of philosophies, lifestyles and teaching modes to choose from if you would like to consider a boarding school as an alternate to public, private, and homeschooling.

Nowadays, there are schools for every need – no matter what your child’s interest or your families religious affiliation.  If you are interested in having your child in a very strict environment such as found in the military there are military schools. Is your child interested in the arts and likely to pursue a career in professional dance or music; there are art schools. Schools are available in elementary and middle school grade levels.  There are also schools for both special needs and behavioral and emotional needs.

As you can see, public schools are not our only option nowadays.  Boarding schools also offer much smaller class sizes with a ratio of 8.6 to 1 and often as low as 3 to 1 in schools specializing in children’s academic problems.

An intense academic curriculum is available in boarding schools and the majority of the educators have advanced degrees.  Evening study is also a part of the regular every day schedule.

Faculty in boarding schools lives on the campus in many cases and they are available to your children not only in class but throughout the rest of the day and each school has extracurricular programs to fit its particular culture.

Another advantage of a boarding school education is that it will give your children their first taste of independence ( in a controlled atmosphere),  getting them ready for living away from home when they go on to college.

If you are interested in finding a boarding school or learning about further options you could visit this website:  http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/researchschools.php.  It will provide you with many links to help you in your search and decision making.

Got another minute?  Browse through our website, All I Can Imagine for quality built toddler toy; a great idea for an anytime gift are ImagiBRICKS.  We sell the award-winning giant cardboard building blocks. These are kids toy blocks that are crush proof and have a drool-proof coating.

Strong ImagiBRICKS toy blocks

ImagiBRICKS giant cardboard building blocks are one of best toddler toys on the market for your children. And, here is why we can make this statement.

Creative play is of utmost importance in your babies and toddlers early lives and you want to provide them quality kids building blocks. ImagiBRICKS are the award-winning block toys your grandparents enjoyed playing with and so will your children.

These kids toy blocks are easy to assemble by simple folding and have secured fitting, smooth seams.  They are also crush proof and have a drool-proof coating.  This coating makes it easy for you to keep the blocks sanitary and clean.  You will be delighted to learn that this coating is not slippery and the blocks will stack as high as your toddlers can reach.

ImagiBRICKS giant cardboard building blocks are not only strong, they are lightweight. Young children and toddlers enjoy carrying these blocks around and as they get older will begin to build simple structures.  As they get a little older they will have fun (and build even more muscle strength) when they begin to build their mighty towers. Knocking down their towers will be a quiet activity (cardboard blocks do not make noise) except for the squeals of delight by your children.

Spatial awareness, beginning math, recognizing different sizes and colors, and opened ended play with no rules (except for the ones they, themselves make up) make building block toys one of the most desired educational toy parents, daycare centers, play zones, museums, and homes will provide their children.

When shopping for these kids building blocks you will find a variety of sets available online. When you find some that sell for half the price they will not be the toy blocks we are describing here, in this article. ImagiBRICKS cardboard building blocks are stronger and crush proof while the less expensive blocks are not.

The giant cardboard blocks in this article are made in the USA and manufactured from 50% recycled materials and this will conclude giving you all the information you will need to know about ImagiBRICKS and did not know who to ask.

As a parent do you feel computer games are a mixed blessing?  Growing up in the 1950’s we had no electronic games; we were told: “go outside and play”.  We had no trouble playing for hours at a time without any “props”.

But in today’s world there are more options, including computer games for babies and toddlers. I believe cribs are no place for a computer game, but a stuffed animal or a safe baby rattle is.

When a child is preschool age, a computer (used sensibly) will serve as both an educational tool and entertainment function. Before parents decide to provide a computer to their preschool age children they will have a job to do.  They will need to do research and find programs which are both age appropriate and which are consistent with their religious beliefs and family values.

Setting time limits for time on the computer is also important and these rules will need to be set in place from the get go.  “Real play” is, as always, paramount to raising healthy mentally, physically and socially emotional growth and development in all children and there must be a healthy balance between active and inactive play time. The challenge is, of course, to find the right balance for each individual toddler.

One of your children may be inheritably active.  Other children may become active while others have to have some activities thrust upon them. You will notice that one of your children is always exploring, running, playing actively, while another is content to sit and read or play quietly with his 3d wooden puzzles or playsets.

Getting your child to participate in an appropriate amount of quiet play, or on a computer, and “real play” – active, creative play, is important for an all-around balanced development. Some children have an over whelming need to be active all the time and may not be easily seduced into sedentary quiet play or watching TV or computer game play. But, they can be taught.

Giving your children and grandchildren intellectual stimulation as well as well-rounded extracurricular activities will result in a socially, well rounded individual.  Do not let yourself get “roped” into activities you do not believe are best for your children just because others around you may be providing a baby in a crib a computer, making the TV their babysitter, or not encouraging a quiet child to “go outside and play”.

You may enjoy exploring our line of safe wood puzzles

Painted with non-toxic paints.

 and other children’s toys for both individual and group play at our online toy store, All I Can Imagine.  

It is 90 plus degrees and too hot to go outside; but, still I began thinking about Christmas shopping as I picked up a few items yesterday afternoon while I was at my favorite dollar store.

Christmas shopping can be fun, profitable, and best of all, stress-free. Stay with me here; picture this. You have just discovered you have some “unscheduled time”, time to yourself and no one needs anything and you do not have to go anywhere – it can happen!

Because there is no rush and no time constraints, boot up your computer and have some fun shopping for some new children’s wooden toys either for your kids, grandkids, or extended family and friends kids.

Parents who shop early as in July, August or September have more time to explore toddler learning toys on various websites and locate wood blocks, indoor playsets and other wooden kid’s toys which you will most likely not find in retail stores.

Take your time; it is fun to meander around different online toy stores and your feet won’t begin to hurt! Think about the excitement on Christmas morning when your toddlers open up that special gift, that unique toddler toy no one else on your block has yet to provide their kids.

Maybe you will select an African Safari indoor playset, or a dinosaur puzzle playset

Each dinosaur is an individual toy.

 found at All I Can Imagine. Or you might begin getting your child (or add to a previous) set of ImagiBRICKS, giant cardboard building blocks.

Because you have chosen to shop early you will not have to worry about delivery issues that often occur in December when you wait to shop. Shopping will also be fun because you will enjoy browsing around different stores and not have to think: “I’ve got to find a nice toy today, I waited until the last minute, again, with no idea of what I want to get.

Take your time shopping for your toddler’s toys; it is only July and it is too hot to go outside. If you find a toy that is on sale so much the better.  Shopping on line is profitable even if you do not find a toy that is on sale because you saved on gas, buying a drink when driving from store to store and you were able to eat from you own refrigerator.

Yes, Christmas shopping can be fun, profitable, and best of all, stress-free and you will feel proud of yourself for being so smart to shop early!