Childhood Memories

posted by Eva
January 8, 2010

I remember that it was my birthday and I had just received my birthday present from my grandparents. I was so excited that I had to open that one first. I opened the box as fast as I could and saw just flat red and white cardboard.

 I told my mom that I didn’t like my present. She got down on her knees and said to me that all it needed was to be put together. At my age, I wasn’t very happy if I couldn’t play with a toy right then. My mom and sister sat down and put all of the toy blocks together for me.

It took what seemed like forever, but when all the cardboard building blocks were put together, I ended up having a blast with them. I got to make my own chair out of them. The chair was more like a stool, but at that age I didn’t care. I could even sit in it with out breaking the blocks or even bending them.

 I thought that was so cool at the age of six. I could play with the blocks for hours. I think my grandparent got me the 36 piece set of these blocks, but you can also get them in a 16 piece or a 24 piece set.

Yes, parents and educators and preschool’s can still purchase these amazing kids learning toys.  Manufactured in Wisconsin by Smart Monkey Toys  there are sets of 16, 24 and 40 and bulk quantity cardboard blocks are also available. Also available are City Blocks sets and Castle Blocks sets, Timber Blocks as well as Construction Blocks.


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Look At This Christmas Tree Puzzle!

posted by gbowen
December 11, 2009

20703 Christmas Tree Natural Wood 3d PuzzleHand crafted, all natural wood 3d puzzles are great kids learning toys as well as a decoration for your Christmas fireplace or table.  Splinter-proof 3d wood puzzles by ImagiPLAY are also a unique gift to give a teacher, Sunday school teacher or your best friend.

Wooden puzzles have the look and feel of quality built toys we remember having as children.  Once you are exposed to wood puzzles and toys you want to own more.  This Christmas tree is the perfect addition to any puzzle collection.  There are many small pieces and you will want to closely monitor children under 3 if they get hold of the puzzle.

ImagiPLAY’s natural wood puzzles are 1/12” thick and stand up all by themselves.  They are geared for kids seven and up and may be painted with water colors.


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Darwin’s Theory Versus Creation

posted by gbowen
November 21, 2009

Days of Creation Cube PuzzlelThe British Humanist Association (BHA) had led a campaign to have Darwin’s theory of how life evolved through natural selection made a compulsory element of the new primary curriculum.

 It organized a public letter signed by more than 500 scientists and supporters.  Andrew Copson of the BHA said: “This is excellent news. Evolution is arguably the most important concept underlying the life sciences. “Providing children with an understanding of it an early age will help lay the foundations for a surer scientific understanding later on.”

 I read the above in an article morning and thought that teachers and parents may like to know about a cube puzzle you can use as one of your kids learning toys for teaching Creation in school and home.

 Your kids will “eat up” the Creation story when this wooden puzzle is brought out.  Many questions about Creation can be explained and a lively discussion will begin when playing with the brightly colored cube puzzle.

Do you know about the AiG Creation Education Center?  This center exists to equip and enable educators to restore the authority of God’s Word by reconnecting the Bible to the real world.  To do this, we need to teach more than just ‘Bible stories.’

Answers magazine is the Bible-affirming, creation-based magazine from Answers in Genesis.  In it you will find fascinating content and stunning photographs that present creation and worldview articles along with relevant cultural topics from different authors. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/am


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Teaching Math Using Building Blocks Toys

posted by gbowen
November 6, 2009

DevelopMathSkills_smParents and educators alike know that one of the best kids learning toys are blocks. Toy blocks are also excellent for introducing math to young children.

Children love to stack and knock down their blocks and while they are doing so you have a perfect opportunity to suggest they count how many blocks are in their tower. Eventually you can use the blocks to experiment with addition and subtraction by having a child add more blocks to their structure and then take some blocks away and put them in a wagon. 

If you have a set of cardboard blocks that have more than one color you could have one child move a certain amount of blue blocks to a new location and practice counting them as he does so.  Another child could get the number of yellow blocks you have suggested and place them in a circle. 

Math skills are developed through the process of grouping, adding, and subtracting. Make up more games as you go along and have fun interacting and playing with your kids.


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Christmas Gift Idea for Kids 3 and Up.

posted by gbowen
November 3, 2009

30316 Arctic Expedition Wood Indoor Play SetSurprise your child this Christmas with a new Arctic play set.  Wooden play sets are one of the best childrens learning toys on the market.

The internet is full of useful information for both parents and teachers and as you use kids learning toys as props your lessons will have more meaning and excitement for your children.

You can begin your lesson with such facts as: The North Pole and the South Pole are also referred to as the Polar Regions. The Arctic is the area around the North Pole.

Although you can walk to the North Pole, you are really just walking on ice. There is no land beneath you, which is unlike the South Pole that has a continent called Antarctica underneath all that ice and snow.

Continue your lesson with this fact: Snow can be very difficult to walk on, because it crushes down when you step on it. Man invented snowshoes, which are very wide shoes that look like tennis rackets. This distributes the weight over a large area, and allows a person to walk easily on top of the snow. 

Go to http://www.americazoo.com/kids/arctic.htm and see  beautiful pictures of arctic animals and read other interesting facts to use with your Arctic wooden playset.


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Teaching Kindergartners 100 Basic Sight Words

posted by gbowen
October 28, 2009

3018 little reader blocks with kidsPhonemic awareness is important for both young children and English as a second language (ESL) lessons. When learning to read, students who understand the basic sounds of our language will have an easier time learning to read.

Making reading fun is important so that everyone can enjoy reading an exciting story and not get discouraged because it is too difficult.  Little Reader building blocks toys will be one of your children’s favorite kids learning toys and will help them to learn over 100 basic sight words as well as different colors.

Because kids love the bright colors and any toy they can stack you will be able to make up many games to teach new words as well as colors using these blocks toys.  Have your child stack all the blocks of one color – then let them knock them down. Roll the cubes like dice and have a child read the word that comes up on top.

It is essential for kindergarten children to begin writing and using the Little Reader blocks can help here also.  You could put several of the blocks with the words you are teaching, such as all the green cubes (nouns) in a larger container. Have each child reach in the container and select a block.  Then have them write each word on the block on his paper.  You can then discuss the type of word.


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What Does a Wood Toy Do?

posted by gbowen
October 28, 2009

20201 Elephant Family 3d Wood Puzzle NaturalLots of educational kids toys do nothing.  They all do not buzz, ring, clang or make any noise but children still love a wood toy just as we did as children. As popular as ever educational kids toys such as 3d wood puzzles, wooden spinning tops games, blocks and other open ended games are still providing exceptional learning experiences to young children.

The fact that many kids learning toys do not make noises or do anything is one reason they are becoming so popular nowadays.  Kids will always play longer with toys and puzzles that enable them to use their imaginations and play make-believe. Wooden toys let them do this to a degree that electronic games and interactive toys do not.

When you’re shopping for kids educational toys, let your own imagination go.  You can use children’s wooden toys not only as gifts, but as an opportunity to grow closer to the children in your life.


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Toys with Integrity by ImagiPLAY

posted by gbowen
September 7, 2009

toys_with_integrity1For 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.”

 ImagiPLAY works to benefit the earth we share and the people that inhabit it by producing quality kids learning toys that connect with nature, has eco-friendly sources, and hold educational value.

After studying languages and music in Japan and across the US, founder and President Barbera Aimes, a nurturing earth mother, explored ways in which she could communicate her desire to make the world a gentler, move loving place.  

Barbera hopes to inspire children across the globe to discover the world on their own terms and communicate with the environment. With her child safe and earth safe toys, wooden board 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.

Offering educational children’s toys that represent her true passion: our planet, these toys are available online and at a few specialty stores through the United States.


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Penguins Teach Preschoolers to Count to Ten

posted by gbowen
August 24, 2009

10023-counting-penguins-number-puzzleWhatever you are doing there is something to be counting.  Even when your child is a baby you can count fingers and toes while you are bathing them, changing them, or communicating with them. You can also start at this age by introducing fun little counting books.

With preschoolers, make every day activities and events a counting exercise, the best way to learn is when you don’t even realize you’re learning something at all. Whatever you are doing there is something to be counting, at dinner “how many people are eating; one, two, three, four, etc. So, how many cups do we need? Four. Then count the cups, plates, spoons or forks, etc. When you are driving, “How many signs on the side of the road are there from here to grandmas? Count the signs as you are traveling. In the doctor’s office, “how many people are waiting in front of us?

Even when you do not realize it your preschoolers are learning something. The possibilities are endless; you can incorporate a counting exercise with everything you do. And, as far as toys go, kids love brightly colored puzzles. 

3d wooden puzzles make perfect kids learning toys for boys and girls age 3 up. Their chunky size makes them easy to pick up and grasp and individual pieces are often a unique character its own entire toy.  Remember to buy from a manufacturer that paints their puzzles with non-toxic, lead free paint.


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Tips for Selecting Toddler Toys

posted by gbowen
January 4, 2009

10132 Cat Family Painted PuzzleWhen you are in the market for some new toys for your toddlers it is important to remember a couple of simple things.  You will want to select educational children’s toys that help your children develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

Toddlers need to master concepts and skills such as color, size, shape and basic counting. Educational childrens toys to help your toddlers learn matching and sequencing and problem solving also need to be added to their toys to help keep learning fun and entertaining.

There are plenty of toddler toys on the market that are manufactured with the bright, primary colors toddlers are attracted to such as 3d puzzles and cardboard building blocks.  Smart Monkey Toys and ImagiPLAY are two manufacturers who provide parents and educators safe kids learning toys such as 3d puzzles, cardboard building blocks and adventure playsets and are available online.


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