Teach with Toys!

Top 10 Discovery Toys Baby Gifts

2005-11-06T19:30:00.000-05:00

About.com has a great list of the "Top 10 Discovery Toys Baby Gifts." Here they are.

Discovery Toys Hammer Away
Discovery Toys BusyTime Playbox
Discovery Toys Castle Marbleworks Play Tower
Discovery Toys Mesaure Up Cups
Discovery Toys Safari Land Sensory Playmat
Discovery Toys Tangiball
Discovery Toys Hide Inside Surprise
Discovery Toys Tot Rock Music Set
Discovery Toys Animal Sounds Book
Discovery Toys Super Yummy Teether

This a perfect list, as these are not only top sellers, but some of my kids' personal favorites. The Super Yummy Teether is great for the very little ones, it's got great texture and is really easy to grasp. The Tangiball and Hammer Away are perfect when they begin to toddle and get some gross motor skills.

And the Measure Up Cups are one of my all time favorite products, with tons of extra little features that you would never know were there at first glance.

Play is the Language of Children

2005-11-05T21:15:00.000-05:00

From the Discovery Toys home page comes a great summary of what the company is about.

Good toys, books, games and software, carefully selected, can enhance and direct a child's physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth. Our product team custom designs many of our products to enhance and reinforce specific areas of a child's development.

Our child development specialists also select the best products available internationally with vendors around the world to assure that we always offer you a wide variety of toys that are appropriate and fun for children at each stage of their lives.

If you would like to learn more or purchase Discovery Toys, you can do so via my website here.

UPDATE: The Literacy Trust website has a great article on the importance of play in children's development.

Playing is the most natural thing in the world, but there's much more to it than just having fun. Jeanie Hurley investigates the role of play in development from newborn baby to boisterous pre-schooler to see why playing is never a waste of time.

...

Traditional building blocks and Play-Doh are far better for children's learning than high-tech educational toys and videos, experts have revealed. Psychologists are warning that many expensive games might actually restrict children's progress by stifling their creativity and hindering their social skills. American child development expert Professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek believes youngsters spend too long in front of television and computer screens when they could be playing with basic toys. In a new book titled Einstein Never Used Flash Cards, she claims that so-called 'smart' toys fail to teach children to play imaginatively. In contrast, wooden blocks, crayons, costumes, paints and balls help them develop crucial lifelong skills such as problem-solving and perseverance. They also make it easier for parents to join in, which is vital for boosting children's learning.

Professor Hirsh-Pasek, of Temple University, Philadelphia, said: "Nowadays, toys we select for children have the hidden agenda of making them learn, but those toys do the opposite. They usually look for a single, correct answer to a problem because they are busy teaching skills. Today's kids don't need to be fed information through toys. They need to combine facts in innovative ways to become creative problem solvers. Well-meaning parents are simply being caught in an expensive trap. If parents really want to prepare their children for life in the next generation, they would be better looking in the least-travelled aisles in toy shops." Professor Hirsh-Pasek warned that parents are increasingly substituting activities such as reading, playing and singing rhymes for the easier option of placing them in front of computers or videos.

She added: "We learn best by having another person play with us. When parents have opportunities to play with children, they get more out of it. Children gain better reading, maths and social skills when adults play with them."

Her views are backed up by another expert, Matthew Melmed, who agreed that high-achieving parents who attempt to 'hothouse' their toddlers with educational software and toys could be doing more harm than good. Mr Melmed, executive director of the Zero to Three centre in Washington, which collates parenting research from across the U.S, said the trend was leaving children as young as three frustrated and prone to tantrums.

HHCS Read-a-Thon!

2005-11-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

Heritage Hall Christian School is currently having a Discovery Toys 2-4-6 Read-a-thon to raise money for quality, lifetime guaranteed toys in their classrooms. If you would like to donate additional money in support of this effort, please feel free to contact the school at 765-213-2242 and they can give you more information.

Pledge money is being collected this week, and the orders will be compiled and placed at the end of the week. The top student will recieve a prize - the Super Marbleworks Starter Set, or equivalent product of their choosing!

Discovery Toys Product Award Summary

2005-10-17T07:42:00.000-05:00

Discovery Toys products over the years have won quite a few awards. Below is a list that I came across on their website. The links on each one go to my website (http://shop.teachwithtoys.com) where you can purchase these award winning products if you are interested in doing so.

#1127 ABC BOX
National Parenting Publications Honors Award 2004

#2028 A B SEAS®
Great American Toy Test Top 15 Toys of 2004

#2374 BEARS, BOATS & BUTTERFLIES
Parent's Guide to Children's Media Awards
Parents' Choice Approved Award 2003
iParenting Media Award 2003
Great American Toy Test Award 2003

#1100 BOOMERINGS®
Links Baby Magazine Award
Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys Award 2002

#2290 BRIGHT BUILDERS Starter Set
Dr. Toy's Best Classic Products Award 2003

#1680 BUSY BATH Activity Center
National Parenting Center Seal of Approval (1997)
National Parenting Center Seal of Approval (1998)
Ser Padres Festival De Juguetes (1997)

#1617 BUSY TIME Playbox
Parent's Guide to Children's Media Award 2001
National Parenting Publications Honors Award (2001)

#1756 CASTLE MARBLEWORKS® Play Tower
2000 National Parenting Publications Awards, Honors Award
CFCN Toy Test 2000 Winner (Calgary Toy Review)
Featured on the NBC's Today Show Toy Test 2000
National Parenting Publications Honors Award (2001)
Great American Toy Test Award 2003

#1218 CURLY & PALS
iParenting Media Award 2004

#2104 DISCOVERY SUB Water Resistant Flashlight
Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Children's Products for 2001
Parent's Guide to Children's Media
Award 2001
National Parenting Publications Honors Award (2001)

#2268 DRESS-A-PILLAR
CFCN Toy Test 2000 Runner Up (Calgary Toy Review)
National Parenting Publications Honors Award (2001)

#1217 FARMYARD FUN Puzzle in Puzzle
Great American Toy Test Award 2003

#2933 FIRE HOSE HERO Water Toy
National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval 2000
iParenting Media Award 2004

#2234 FLIP FLOP FACES Beanbag Toss Game
Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Children's Products for 2001

#1562 GIANT PEGBOARD™ Toy
Dr. Toy's 100 Best Toys (1997)
Dr. Toy's Best Classic Products (1999)
National Parenting Center Seal of Approval 1997

#1433 HAMMER AWAY! National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval 1998
Dr. Toys 100 Best Products (1997)
Parenting Magazine toy of the Year (1994)

#1195 HIDE INSIDE SURPRISE
Toy Tips Trusted Award from Toy Research Institute 2000
National Parenting Publications Gold Award 1993
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 1993
Parenting Magazine Toys of the Year 1993
Parent's Choice Award 1993
Parent's Magazine The Best Toys of 1993

#2031 I CAN WRITE
iParenting Media Award November 2004

#2888 IT'S A RINGER®
Parent's Choice Award 2004

#2328 KOOKY CATCHERS
National Parenting Publications Honors Award 2004

#2338 MAIN STREET PLAYHOUSE
Parent's Guide to Children's Media Awards

#1640 MEASURE UP!® Cups
Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys (1998)
Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products (1998)

#3989 MICRO-LAB Microscope
CFCN's Toy Test Winner 2003

#3791 NET CATCH
Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Children's Products 2002
Parenting Toy of the Year 2002
iParenting Media Award 2004

#3169 NUMBER RINGS
Parents' Choice Recommended Award 2002

#1759 PLACE & TRACE®
Dr. Toy's Best Classic Products Award 2003
National Parenting Publications Honors Award 2003

#2930 PLAYFUL PATTERNS® Design Activity
Scholastic Parent & Child magazine’s Teacher’s Picks Award for 2000-2001
Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys Award 2002

#1530 PROGRESSIVE PUZZLES
Parent's Guide to Children's Media, Inc. 2000

#3206 PUZZLED? Aha! Brainteasers
Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys Award 2004

#1038 ROLL and PLAY Activity Game
Dr. Toy's 10 Best Educational Products 2004

#2834 ROYAL TREATMENT King/Queen Ensemble
Great American Toy Test Award 2003
CFCN's Toy Test Winner 2003

#2833 ROYAL TREATMENT Princess Hat & Cape
Great American Toy Test Award 2003
CFCN's Toy Test Winner 2003

#1470 SNUGGLE TIME Activity Book
Parenting Magazine Toy of the Year (1994)
Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products (1997)
National Parenting Publications Award (1995)
Child Magazine's Best Toys (1994)

#1355 STACTIVITIES Activity Center
2000 National Parenting Publications Awards, Honors Award

#2871 STUCK-ON MARBLEWORKS®
Parents' Choice Approved Award 2003
Great American Toy Test Award 2003

#3871 SUPER™ MARBLEWORKS® Raceway Construction Set
Dr. Toy's 100 Best Toys (1997)
Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys (1998)
Scholastic Parent & Child Teacher's Picks Award (2002)
Great American Toy Test Award 2003

#1035 TOT ROCK
iParenting Media Award November 2004

#4550 THE RIGHT MOVES Self-Teaching Chess
Set Dr. Toy's Best Classics (1997)

#2375 TUG-A-BUG Pull Rattle
Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products 2003
iParenting Media Award 2003

#2282 WACKY WILDERNESS Animal Construction Set
iParenting Media Award 2003
Great American Toy Test Award 2003
Family Fun 2004 Toy of the Year winner
#4246 WIZ KIDZ National Parenting Center Seal of Approval (1999)
Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products (1999)

#3782 WORD FLIP CFCN's
Toy Test Winner 2003

#2010 WORKING TRIO Dump Trucks
Parent's Choice Approved Award 2002

#2116 WRITE, MAIL & DELIVER!
Parent's Choice FunStuff Award 2003

#3026 ZIP TRACK Flexible Speedway
Featured on the NBC's Today Show Toy Test 2000

UPDATE: Thanks to Myopic Zeal for the link! You guys are the greatest. ;-)

Play Is Their Learning

2005-10-11T16:48:00.000-05:00

Amy, over at the Mudpies and Paint blog echoes my sentiments exactly. I couldn't agree more.

play right now is their learning. With the right toys at their disposal, anything they pick up is a learning experience. One of those things that makes me so happy during the school day is when MB and I are working on something and I look up to see K playing with a puzzle, or matching up cards or sewing with the sewing cards. To watch EM explore blocks or or her board books. Other times, MB or I may hop and pull out a toy that ends up making the perfect manipulative. Truly though this isn't the most common occurrence, but it happens enough to make me happy with the way homeschooling with two young ones is going for us.

New Super Marbleworks from Discovery Toys!

2005-08-13T21:08:00.000-05:00

The Discovery Toys fall catalog has been shipped to educational consultants, and the new toys are great! One of the coolest is that they have added some new accessories for the marbleworks set!

The traditional Super Marbleworks Raceway Construction set, and the accessory set of extra parts, have been discontinued and replaced with some exciting new sets!

Marbleworks Start Set (Item 3875 - $29.99) is similar to the original set with 46 pieces.

The two brand new accessory sets are the Marbleworks Crank-It Up Accessory (Item 3816 - $12.99) and the Marbleworks Wild Ride Accessory Set (Item 3815 - $14.99).

There is also the Marbleworks Deluxe Set, which is a combination of the other three, and sells for $49.99 (Use item 8221 for a savings of $7.98 versus buying the sets individually!)

Check them out at my website on August 27th: http://shop.teachwithtoys.com

(Watch this space for more previews of new fall products, which will be available August 27th online!)

Buy Discovery Toys Products Here

2005-07-23T19:31:00.000-05:00

If you are looking to purchase Discovery Toys products online, you can do so here!

Indiana Homeschool Blog

2005-07-23T19:28:00.000-05:00

For those of you homeschool moms in central Indiana, you may want to bookmark this new blog I found today.

Discovery Toys End of Season Sale!

2005-07-21T16:37:00.000-05:00

It's been a crazy few months, but I'm going to try adding some more content to this site occasionally.

Discovery Toys is currently running their end of season sale! Many items are on sale, some up to 60% off!

One of my kids' personal favorite items, Matville Puzzletown, is being discontinued. Get 'em while they last! It's marked down from $29.99 to $19.99.

Another favorite for you educationally-minded parents and grandparents out there is the Think it Through System Tiles! They're currently marked down from $16.99 to $9.99.

Also, check out the Discovery Toys Summer Sale that is currently happening, with lots of great kids' pictures books on sale, including Giggle Giggle Quack, Bear Snores On, and The Secret Shortcut.

What a Weekend!

2005-02-28T08:05:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend at the IAHE convention in Indianapolis this weekend. It was great to see so many familiar faces and meet new ones.

We ran a big special on the Zip Track Flexible Speedway and the Super Marbleworks Raceway Construction set and received HUGE response. We also sold a ton of Photo Plate / Make-a-Plates, which are one of my favorites. Hope you all enjoy them!!!

And rememember, if anything ever breaks or stops working, all of the Discovery Toys products are guaranteed for life, so just drop me a line at aprilwood-at-comcast.net and we'll get a replacement part sent out for free right away!!!

UPDATE: Oh, one other tip. If you bought the Zip Track speedway for your kids, do yourself a favor and buy some rechargeable batteries. :-D

Bill Gates: High Schools are Obsolete

2005-02-27T09:45:00.000-05:00

From the Associated Press:

"The most blunt assessment came from Microsoft chief Bill Gates, who has put more than $700 million into reducing the size of high school classes through the foundation formed by him and his wife, Melinda. He said high schools must be redesigned to prepare every student for college, with classes that are rigorous and relevant to kids and with supportive relationships for children.

'America's high schools are obsolete,' Gates said. 'By obsolete, I don't just mean that they're broken, flawed or underfunded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean our high schools _ even when they're working as designed _ cannot teach all our students what they need to know today.' "

Web Hosting Problems.

2005-02-27T08:01:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know I'm having trouble with my website, http://www.teachwithtoys.com. I'm working with the host company to determine what is up... hopefully back online shortly.

Mommy Madness

2005-02-24T07:54:00.000-05:00

Iowa Hawk has a response to this MSNBC article:

"Once my daughters began school, I was surrounded, it seemed, by women who had surrendered their better selves - and their sanity - to motherhood. Women who pulled all-nighters hand-painting paper plates for a class party. Who obsessed over the most minute details of playground politics. Who- like myself - appeared to be sleep-walking through life in a state of quiet panic."

Super Marbleworks Inventory Sale!

2005-02-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

I have too many Super Marbleworks in my inventory and I need to get rid of some of them.

While supplies last I will be running a "buy one, get one free" sale. Please email me at aprilwood-at-comcast.net and let me know how many you would like. Be sure to include your phone number and a good time to contact you. If you place the orders via my website, I am not able to give you this deal.

Normally the Discovery Toys Super Marbleworks Raceway Construction set sells for $36.99. I'll send you two for this price, plus tax and shipping, while my supplies last.

UPDATE: I've completely sold out of all these Marbleworks. They can be purchased online at http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/aprilwood. Thanks for stopping by!!

Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children

2005-02-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

I will be at the IEAYC conference March 18th - 19th. If you're planning to be there, I would love to hear from you. Drop me a line at aprilwood-at-comcast.net!

The Indiana Association of Home Educators

2005-01-31T17:17:00.000-05:00

I will be at the Annual Statewide Conference of IAHE at the end of February! If you are an Indiana home schooler, I would love to have you stop by and say "Hi!"

I'll be offering some inventory specials at the conference as well!

Do Smart Toys Really Make Kids Smarter?

2005-01-24T19:44:00.000-05:00

Some fascinating statistics.

It has become common knowledge among parents, educators and toy makers that the critical time for brain development is birth to age three. Experts believe that fostering a toddler’s intellect during these vital years lays the groundwork for increased learning as children grow. Not to mention the startling fact that by the time children reach three years old, their brains have already achieved 90 percent of their full potential.

And more...

The best toys offer children classic, open-ended play patterns, which spark creativity and rely more upon the child than the toy for learning.

And here are some interesting thoughts from Rieber, Smith & Noah.

We feel the time is ripe to seriously consider play given the current state of instructional technology. The field has struggled philosophically over the past two decades, first with the transition from a behavioral to a cognitive model of learning (Burton, Moore & Magliaro, 1996; Winn & Snyder, 1996), and more recently with reconciling the value and relevance of constructivist orientations to learning in a field dominated by instructional systems design (Duffy & Cunningham, 1996; Grabinger, 1996). At the same time, the field has witnessed remarkable advances in computer technology. The time has come to apply what we know about learning, motivation, and working cooperatively given the incredible processing power and social connectivity of computers. We feel that play is an ideal construct for linking human cognition and educational applications of technology given its rich interdisciplinary history in fields such as education, psychology, epistemology, sociology, and anthropology, and its obvious compatibility with interactive computer-based learning environments, such as microworlds, simulations, and games.

And here is how they define "play."

general consensus in the literature that play is a voluntary activity, involving active (often physical) engagement that is pleasurable for its own sake and includes a make-believe quality [Emphasis mine]

So... PLAY!!!

Predictive.

2005-01-24T10:34:00.000-05:00

From this article:

From Neurons to Neighborhoods
The Science of Early Childhood Development
Committee on Integrating the Science of Early Childhood Development

From birth to age 5, children rapidly develop foundational capa- bilities on which subsequent development builds. In addition to their remarkable linguistic and cognitive gains, they exhibit dramatic progress in their emotional, social, regulatory, and moral capacities. All of these critical dimensions of early development are intertwined, and each requires focused attention. · Striking disparities in what children know and can do are evident well before they enter kindergarten. These differences are strongly associ- ated with social and economic circumstances, and they are predictive of subsequent academic performance. [Emphasis mine]

Those first five years are so critical. Let them learn through their play!

Kick Him Out!

2005-01-23T19:49:00.000-05:00

If you came and you found a strange man... teaching your kids to punch each other, or trying to sell them all kinds of products, you'd kick him right out of the house, but here you are; you come in and the TV is on, and you don't think twice about it.

--Professor Jerome Singer, Yale University

Time Out from Tech.

2005-01-23T08:36:00.000-05:00

"Dozens of experts in child development, education, health, and technology will issue on Tuesday a statement calling for a reexamination of the assumption that computers help young children learn, and for a time-out from current policies emphasizing computers as an ideal educational tool for toddlers, preschoolers and elementary students. "

Bad Toys.

2005-01-23T03:40:00.000-05:00

Toys have limited play value when they . . .

Can only be used in one way.

Encourage everyone to play the same way as determined by the toy designer.

Appeal primarily to a single age or level of development.

Play with the Box it Came In.

2005-01-22T21:31:00.000-05:00

Great quote from the Alliance for Childhood

What's the smartest thing a young child can do with a computer or TV? Play with the box it came in! Computers tend to insist on being just computers, programmed by adults. But an empty box becomes a cave, a canoe, a cabin, a candy shop—whatever and
whenever the child's magic wand of imagination decrees.

Home Schoolers Defeat Oxford in Debate

2005-01-22T14:47:00.000-05:00

Pretty cool.

England’s Oxford University is widely known for producing some of the world’s best debaters, such as British Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

But last weekend, the school’s moot court team was defeated by two former home-schoolers from a small Virginia college named after American Revolution patriot and orator Patrick Henry.

Hat tip: Myopic Zeal.

Caitlin

2005-01-21T14:27:00.000-05:00

Speaking of popular names, check out this story from the Detroit News:

One name is all this coach needs

Caitlin is such a popular name among teenage girls that Reno Galena High, according to NevadaPrep.com, used a starting lineup of four Caitlins and one Kaitlin on Tuesday night in a 65-30 basketball victory over Reno Damonte Ranch.

Imagine the confusion whenever Galena Coach Karen Friel called a starter by her first name.

But all the Caitlins and one Kaitlin did well, apparently.

Welcome Barbara!

2005-01-17T06:53:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say 'Welcome!' to the newest member of my team, Barbara Martin!

Barbara is from Killeen, TX, so if you're from that area looking for a local consultant, give her a call!

Glad to have you aboard Barbara, you're off to a great start!!!!

2004 Top Baby Names

2005-01-13T07:35:00.000-05:00

From BabyCenter. Note that the 2003 names at the same rank are in parenthesis.

Top Girls' Names
Emma (Emily)
Madison (Emma)
Emily (Madison)
Kaitlyn (Hannah)
Hailey (Hailey)
Olivia (Sarah)
Isabella (Kaitlyn)
Hannah (Isabella)
Sarah (Olivia)
Abigail (Abigail)

Top Boys' Names
Jacob (Jacob)
Aidan (Aidan)
Ethan (Ethan)
Ryan (Matthew)
Matthew (Nicholas)
Michael (Joshua)
Tyler (Ryan)
Joshua (Michael)
Nicholas (Zachary)
Connor (Tyler)

UPDATE: The fine print on this says it's compiled from the BabyCenter users, so the sample is a bit skewed. The official list from 2003 from the Social Security database is here.

PSA: Kids and Cell Phones

2005-01-12T05:49:00.000-05:00

From Britain's Times Online:

"CHILDREN under the age of eight should not use mobile phones, parents were advised last night after an authoritative report linked heavy use to ear and brain tumours and concluded that the risks had been underestimated by most scientists. "

Real World Doesn't Use a Joystick

2005-01-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

This is a bit scary. From our friends at Wired, about the blurry lines between VR and RW.

"While motorists and pedestrians shouldn't worry too much about rogue Katamari Damacy players, Kozy Kitchens' experience with having a difficult time separating her real-life consciousness from that of her game playing is all too common among hard-core gamers. "

Basic Machines

2005-01-11T19:39:00.000-05:00

Link goes to Google search for "Basic Machines Science Experiment"

Yesterday, my four- and six-year old sons were building with blocks and putting a marble down their "marble mansion." They were trying to get it to as far as they could, without much luck. I suggested adding a triangle for it to bounce of off, and we got into a discussion of ramps. Which led to a discussion of levers, and on to simple machines.

We did several science experiments, including this one, which they really enjoyed, and learned the various components of a lever.

Teaching with Toys!!

The End of the Science Fair?

2005-01-11T19:21:00.000-05:00

Daryl Cobranchi, at this edu-blog, has some interesting thoughts about the trend of schools pulling out of the science fair org to focus on their standardized tests... unfortunately acronymed SOL.

Roll & Play

2005-01-11T19:11:00.000-05:00

I've been playing "Roll & Play" with my 20 month old and he absolutely loves it!!! He's learning his colors, and can do the simple activities (flap your arms, wave good-bye, etc). I've read all the reviews, and sold a bunch of these, but this is only the second or third time I've had a chance to really play with it, and it's a great product!

Stimulate Your Child’s Mind

2005-01-09T19:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I must admit to not being an avid reader of "Proud Parenting", but I came across this while surfing about educational play.

"While toys and games are fun for children, they also help kids develop valuable skills including imagination, creativity, problem solving and confidence. From a very early age, infants use play to develop motor skills, recognize shapes and colors, and improve hand-eye coordination. As children grow, they become more interested in formal games with rules, opponents and explicit instructions. "

This article has a great list of ideas of types of toys that encourage learning for different age levels.

Naughty or nice, educational toys are in

2005-01-09T19:41:00.000-05:00

While you won't find Discovery Toys products in Target, it is interesting to note that educational toys were top sellers this Holiday season. It seems there is an upswing forming as parents focus on educational play for their children, and everywhere we go people are buying toys that have the label "educational" on them.

Quote from the Casper, Wyoming paper:

Teaching toys, consumer electronics and fine clothing are among the hot sellers in Casper this Christmas season.

Tens of thousands still in the dark

2005-01-09T13:32:00.000-05:00

Wow. What an adventure the last few days have been. We lost power on Wednesday and it just came back on late last night. No power out where we live means no water. But the ice storm sure was pretty. Starting to recover now, refurnishing the fridge, etc. More posting to come next week.

Here's an update from the local paper:

"The electric company on Saturday stood by its earlier statement that it expected to restore power to 90 percent of customers by Monday and to the remainder by Wednesday.

On Thursday, at the peak of the blackout, 114,700 customers in Muncie, Hartford City, Winchester, Portland, Marion and Elwood had no electricity.

The number of powerless customers on Saturday stood at 51,300 in Muncie and Hartford City, 10,000 in Winchester and Portland, and 5,700 in Marion and Elwood."

The Echo Boomers

2005-01-05T13:13:00.000-05:00

Ponder the impact of this on the next generation.

"Echo boomers are a reflection of the sweeping changes in American life over the past 20 years. They are the first to grow up with computers at home, in a 500-channel TV universe. They are multi-taskers with cell phones, music downloads, and Instant Messaging on the Internet. They are totally plugged- in citizens of a worldwide community. "

$1000 grants available for gardening projects

2005-01-04T21:28:00.000-05:00

This is pretty cool, if you live in the DC area, which I don't. Get your kids involved in helping the community, having some fun, and learning ... all at the same time!

Garden Resources of Washington is offering grants of up to $1,000 for community & youth gardening projects located in the District of Columbia.

New Dad's Boot Camp.

2005-01-03T15:29:00.000-05:00

Posted on Agape's website, boot campe for expectant Dad's. What a great idea!!!

Those enlisted will be expected to walk with up to 40 pounds on their back, listen intently to screaming voices with urgent commands, respond calmly in seconds, clean the mess hall, get up at 4 a.m. and walk, and sometimes crawl.
…
“I found out the cartoon characters are on the front of the diaper,” he said” basic and valuable information

Slow Posting.

2005-01-03T11:11:00.000-05:00

The last few weeks have been slow posting around the holidays. Too much going on. This study probably explains why. Will pick back up here in a week or two.

http://www.scrappleface.com/MT/archives/002005.html

Researchers say the new data show that Americans enjoy the internet less, and use it less frequently when burdened by "outdated relational protocols and so-called family responsibilities."

"We're really talking about a rip in the fabric of society," said one unnamed Stanford researcher. "Internet users who are saddled with too many face-to-face relationships report a decreased level of satisfaction with their virtual relationships."

Discovery Toys on Today Show!

2004-12-23T20:05:00.000-05:00

Discovery Toys donated $100,000 in quality educational toys to children in need, as featured on the Today Show!

"The total amount contributed was $2,023,662 in products and monetary donations. This amount includes donations from DSA member companies Discovery Toys and Tupperware who independently participated in the Toy Drive."

Selecting toys to encourage learning

2004-12-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

"By selecting toys that offer a combination of fun and learning, parents can do more than just stimulate a child's enjoyment - they can enhance his reading and math skills while nurturing problem solving and imagination"

This site has some great ideas for educational gifts...

Education Expert Offers Tips for Parents Buying Electronic Toys

2004-12-16T22:04:00.000-05:00

Good advice:

Parents considering purchase of 'must-have' electronic educational toys for their children this holiday season are reminded to include an extra component that's much more important than batteries: themselves.
...
Even the most successful educational toys work best when a parent or guardian is part of a child's interaction with the plaything

Not too late!

2004-12-14T11:03:00.000-05:00

It's not too late to order your Discovery Toys products in time for Christmas, it's just too late to do the standard shipping thing.

Better hurry! :-)

Wizbang: Educational Toys?

2004-12-10T18:16:00.000-05:00

PSA: These are not to be considered educational toys.

Just a Few Days Left

2004-12-09T05:52:00.000-05:00

Discovery Toys orders must be placed by December 13th to guarantee Christmas Eve delivery! One of the downsides of the online world... you procrastinators can't procrastinate quite as long any more. :-)

To place your order now, click here.

Tobin's Lab burns!

2004-12-06T17:48:00.000-05:00

For those of you who homeschool, you may be familiar with Tobin's family.

Homeschool World: News: Tobin's Lab burns! Duby family needs your help.

Donations to the Duby family (physical and monetary):
Mike & Tammy Duby
c/o Steve & Barby Mouring
5419 Savannah Branch Road
Bealeton, VA 22712

TeachWithToys.com is Now Online!

2004-12-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

My new website is posted! Check it out here:
Teach With Toys

Or jump directly to one of these topics:
Discovery Toys Fundraisers
Discovery Toys Read-a-thons
Discovery Toys Toyraisers
Information for Day Care Organizations
Hosting a Discovery Toys Party (online or catalog party)
Joining Discovery Toys

Or simply pop on over and sign my guestbook!!

Hope to see you there!

April

New Website Coming Soon!

2004-12-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

My New Website is coming online soon. TeachWithToys.com will point there within the next week or so and you'll be able to find a link to this blog from the new site.

Stop by and sign my guest book!!

"Play is the business of kids"

2004-12-03T06:58:00.000-05:00

I came across a great summary of the development of a child as it relates to play. It's a bit long, but I'm going to excerpt a bunch of it here. After the craziness of the holidays, I'll put up some specific ideas of games or toys that would fit with each one.

Here is an excerpt from the 0 - 18 month age range.

PERCEPTION: mobiles - hung over the
crib about a foot from the baby's eye level, small fish tank placed near the
crib, posters - pasted on the ceiling or walls, music boxes, wind chimes, toy
mirrors
MANIPULATION OF OBJECTS (mouth play and hand play): rattles, pounding and stacking toys, squeeze toys, teething toys, spoon in cup, floating tub toys, picture blocks, string of BIG beads, stuffed animals, balls
EXPLORATION (pushing buttons and pulling levers): crib-gym exercises, push-pull toys, small take-apart toys, pots and pans
SPACIAL RELATIONSHIPS, SHAPES AND SIZES: nested boxes or cups, blocks, large puzzles, plastic containers of different sizes
COGNITION: books with rhymes, pictures, jingles, records, musical and chime toys
LOCOMOTION: set of building blocks, large dolls, toys to crawl after, pounding toys

WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO
Be available to play.
Respond to baby's sounds.
Smile at the baby. Let baby play with your fingers.
Talk with baby.
Play "pat-a-cake" and catch games.
Play "peek-a-boo," "bye-bye," and hiding games.
Make faces in a mirror.
Sing to baby.
Play at "losing" and finding things.
Name objects as you give them to the baby.

And an excerpt from the 18 month to 3 years age range.

GROSS MOTOR: first tricycle, wagon to get into, rocking horse, large balls, outdoor play equipment, push-pull toys
FINE MOTOR: weaving sets, art materials, peg boards, clothes pins for tossing into an open pan, large balls, wheel barrows, sandbox toys, blocks of different shapes and sizes
EXPLORATION: sandbox, child-size play furniture, play appliances and utensils, handmade materials, doll furniture, large packing boxes for climbing in and out
SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION: simple dress-up clothes, stuffed animals dolls, tea sets
PROBLEM SOLVING: various size boxes, simple puzzles, games, stringing large beads, take-apart toys with parts that snap together, construction toys that snap together
CREATIVITY: clay and modeling dough, blocks, large crayons, non-electric trains, blackboard and chalk, simple musical instruments, finger paints, safety scissors, paper and pencils
LANGUAGE: picture books, children's magazines, tapes of stories

WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO
Pretend-play (create a traffic jam with a toy car).
Play tag, bounce, catch, and empty-fill games.
Hide things; "lose" things, and let children hide things from you.
Build something with blocks.
Play "guess what it is."
Tell stories and let children supply missing words.
Reverse roles (you be the child; child be the caregiver).
Play follow-the-leader.
Play guessing games.
Act out stories.
Let children imitate your activities (such as washing dishes and cleaning house).
Notice the child's play and praise efforts.
Help children to classify objects.
Sing to children.
Go on field trips in the backyard.
Take children to library.

And 6 to 9 year olds

SOCIAL: board games, tabletop sport games, organized sports, hobby kits, kites, balls, skates, bikes
INTELLECTUAL: dolls, toy typewriter, printing set, racing car, construction sets, science and craft kits, handicrafts, sports and hobbies, books, tapes, puzzles
SPACIAL RELATIONSHIPS (moving confidently through space): large bicycles, ice and roller skates, pogo stick, scooter
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING: costumes, doll houses, play villages, miniature people and vehicles, magic sets, art materials

WHAT CAREGIVERS CAN DO
Be observant of children's play.
Ask "What did it look like?" and "What did it feel like?"
Play make-believe games.
Build things.
Play competitively at games and play situations.
Improvise imaginary characters and play situations.
Play theater and puppet dramas.
Encourage creative writing and poetry.
Play work games.
Attach names to objects.
Play sandlot sports.
Tell jokes and riddles.
Read to the children.
Let the children read to you.
Help children to organize and clarify things.
Take children to the library.

There's more in the article... if you're still reading and want more!

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. (1994). Play is the business of kids. In *Better Kid Care: A video learn-at-home unit* (pp. 3-18). University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension.

Attention: Apple Tree Parents

2004-12-02T13:09:00.000-05:00

Welcome, parents of children from the Apple Tree Child Development Center in Muncie, IN.

If you want to check out the products available to you for the Benefit, visit my shopping page here. Then bring your list of items to Appletree by Friday's afternoon pick up so that the order can be placed through the Day Care and benefit that organization! (If you place the order directly online, it will still come to you, however Appletree will not benefit from your order).

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at aprilwood@discoverytoyslink.com.

I'll be on site for today and tomorrow! Hope to see you there.

April

59% of People Don't know who Rehnquist is.

2004-11-29T08:28:00.000-05:00

What does this say about our educational system?

"In the survey, people were asked if they could identify what job Rehnquist held, and 59 percent did not know."

// I really diverged from "teach with toys" with this one, but when I see things like this it underscores for me the need to teach our children not only the three R's, but to be aware of things that are important in their world as they grow and develop.

A bit of divergence.

2004-11-17T10:49:00.000-05:00

I seem to be diverging a bit from the "creative ways to teach with toys" basis for this blog. Stick with me, this time of year is pretty nutso on the business side, so I will get to posting some of the creative ideas after the rush, maybe into early next year.

In the mean time, if I see interesting educational play articles or plugs for Discovery Toys products, I'll keep posting 'em. :-)

Tot Rock Does it Again!

2004-11-17T10:46:00.000-05:00

WTVW here in Indianapolis sponsored a "Toy Test" (3 years and under) this year and published the results today. Coming in first place was Discovery Toys Tot Rock (mentioned in my earlier blog entry), and coming in third was the Discovery Toys Roll & Play ($16.99).

Must be the time of year for toy tests... they seem to be popping up all over the place.

Just Announced: Full Results of the Great American Toy Test

2004-11-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

And it looks like Discovery Toys has some other items coming in with top rankings. This pdf file has the full results.

Here are the other Discovery Toys products that ranked....

Category: Let's Pretend
- My Pretty Playhouse - $26

Category: Games & Puzles
- Tot Rock - $30
- Tick Tac Toe Touchdown - $15
- Roll & Play Activity Game - $17

Category: Educational Toys
- It's A Match! - $23

Shop for these and others here.

Couldn't resist putting a picture of Tot Rock up here, it's one of my favorites for the really little ones.

Great American Toy Test

2004-11-16T18:20:00.000-05:00

The results are in from the Great American Toy Test...

Here are some of this year’s top educational toys as decided by the thousands of kids who test them.
...
Next winner: Discovery Toys’ A-B-Seas Alphabet Learning System for slightly older kids 4 to 6. With this game, up to four players can use their fishing poles to hook teacher creatures. You put the fishing rod in and it magnets the fish as they have fun matching their lettered catches to the same letters on the game board. They develop early letter and word recognition skills without ever knowing it. The A-B-Seas Alphabet Learning System is just $19.

The "A B Seas Alphabet Fishing Game" came in as one of the "Fabulous 15" top toys!!

Super Marbleworks Raceway

2004-11-15T20:03:00.000-05:00

The Super Marbleworks Raceway Construction Set is probably the most popular product from Discovery Toys. It's a classic that's been around "since I was a kid." But it's more than just good fun...

This toy is a great developer of critical thinking skills, with a little innovation on the part of the caregiver. Try these out on your child (depending on their age...)

- Given these pieces, and a certain amount of time, how long can you make it take the marble to go, unaided, from start to finish? (The most circuituous route possible).
- Given these pieces, and a certain amount of time, how high can you make the marble start and still end up consistently in the final track?
- Using two or more splitters, determine the mathematical probability that a marble will end up taking a given path. Then do trials to see how much real life bears out your statistical model. (Remember, the larger the sample the more it will converge with the mathematical model).
- For the really little ones, you can even use the Super Marbleworks pieces for developing pattern recognition (red, blue, red, blue, etc) or simply learning colors.

This is truly a toy for all ages (my husband likes it as much as the kids I think!), and can be a great learning tool.

(And for an added "twist," check out the accessories set)

UPDATE: While posting about the current Great American Toy Test, I came across this page which shows that the Super Marbleworks was a winner last year.

Money! Money!

2004-11-15T19:56:00.000-05:00

I'll pick an easy one to start. This game is great fun, but before they even know it, the kids are learning the value of each coin as well as one dollar.

And yet, in addition to the obvious benefit of learning the coins, there is an incredible amount of problem solving and math involved in this game. The game has a spinner that points to a nickel, dime or quarter, and you must make the amount for that turn without using the specified coin. So the child must make, for example, $.31 with no nickels.

It is incredible how quickly they pick it up when it's a game. My six year old son can easily and accurately count money by adding up his various coins! He will sort them into groups of dollars and give you his totals proudly.

Learning is fun with Discovery Toys products, and learning about money is a snap with the Money Money board game!

Open Forum

2004-11-15T15:53:00.000-05:00

Since I don't have a corner on the market for great ways to use Discovery Toys products educationally, I'm opening up a thread for your ideas!

How have you used these products in your own home or elsewhere to teach kids? Sometimes the best learning happens when they don't even know they are learning!!

Up and Running!

2004-11-15T10:36:00.000-05:00

Grabbed a headshot from the files - my then-5-year-old son took the picture of me on Easter Sunday, 2004! Tried out the image hosting with Hello! and it seems to work as expected. Soon I'll be a pro at this blogging thing...

Educational, but ....

2004-11-14T16:47:00.000-05:00

Slight diversion from Discovery Toys comments...

Michelle and others have commented on this. This girl certainly was being taught using a toy (pinata), but the question is, what was she learning....?

That freedom is worth any price?
Or something else involving dishonesty and not respecting authority?
Or an interesting combination...

Comments welcome.