Chica Baby

Melissa & Doug food sets

December 4th, 2009

I had a friend tell me recently that I buy the best kids’ gifts. I was so giddy to hear that because I really do try. That’s why I keep this blog, to help other people find good gifts, especially if they don’t have kids and aren’t really sure what “kids these days” like. The gift that elicited this wonderful compliment was the Melissa & Doug Ice Cream set that I purchased for my friend’s daughter for her third birthday. The parts are magnetic, so kids can easily “scoop” the ice cream flavors onto the cones. Kids love role-play, and they will keep busy for quite a while serving all the grown-ups different combinations of ice cream cones.

Melissa & Doug Ice Cream Set, $19 on Amazon:

Another Melissa & Doug food set I like to give is this food cutting set, about $16 on Amazon:

For other great birthday gift ideas, search my blog!
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Posted in Great Gift | No Comments »

Backyardigans this and that

December 3rd, 2009

We recently discovered the Backyardigans. Well, truth be told, my son discovered it then asked us if we would record it for him. It’s so weird for me to think of him having conversations with his friends at three years old:

Son: I love Handy Manny!
Friend: Handy Manny is so 2008!
Son: Who are you into now?
Friend: Backyardigans dude, they are so awesome!
Son: What channel?
Friend: Just have your mom Tivo it.

Sigh. So anyway, we started recording Backyardigans, and I totally dig it. We keep TV watching to a minimum at our house. On weekdays, he can only watch one show, so that’s about 20-25 minutes. On weekends, we punch it up to two shows, so about 40 minutes. On a really dreary, rainy weekend, we may let him watch an extra show, but definitely not in one sitting. Maybe two in the morning and one later in the afternoon. I am rules oriented. So sue me.

Anyway, back to the Backyardigans. They are five little creatures who live on a cul-de-sac, and share a big backyard. They meet out there at play time and their imaginations take them on some crazy adventures — to the wild west, on submarine trips, to prehistoric times and dinosaurs, to the beach, etc. They sing and dance, and it’s not so gosh darned LOUD like Dora. We do not watch Dora. I can’t take it.

If you know a preschooler who likes music and dancing, and you want them to learn about inclusion, friendship, and using their imagination, I recommend the Backyardigans.

Backyardigans Beanie Babies, set of 5 for $40 on Amazon (you can also purchase them individually):

Jingle Bell Christmas, $7 on Amazon:

Surf’s Up! DVD, $14 on Amazon. Truly, they are all wonderful, so if Surf’s Up! isn’t available, purchase any Backyardigans DVD:

Posted in 3-4 Years, DVD | No Comments »

Hi Ho Cherry-O!

December 2nd, 2009

I am a board game fanatic. I am the kid that wanted to play Monopoly, knowing it would take hours and missed meals to complete the game. Parcheesi, Sorry, Clue… you name it, and I’m sure the dusty box is in my closet. (dusty because no one will play board games with me, so I have to play on the computer now, blah). So boy oh boy was I excited when my son was old enough to start enjoying board games. Finally, someone will play with me!

We started out with Hi-Ho Cherry-O by Milton Bradley. It is a very simple game, perfect for a preschooler. The basic skill reinforced by this game is counting, and of course that is coupled with the life skills learned by playing games in general — winning, losing, and just enjoying the game.

In Hi-Ho Cherry-O, you have four fruit trees (really three trees and a bush) — cherries (red), apples (green), blueberries (blue), and oranges (orange). Each player has a basket. The object of the game is to get all of the fruit off the trees and into your basket. With each spin, you either take fruit from the tree and put it in your basket, return fruit from your basket to the tree, or turn over a puzzle piece.

The game has two modes. The first mode is competition. The player with the most fruit in his or her basket at the end of the game wins. The second mode is collaborative — the players collaborate to beat the game. In this mode, each time your spin lands on the bird, you turn over a puzzle piece. The game ends when all of the fruit is in the baskets. If you get all the fruit into the baskets before all the puzzle pieces are over, the players collectively win the game.

With my son being 3, we have only played in the collaborative mode so far. He understands winning and losing, but he doesn’t have to play against us. Also, it is very hard to lose the game when playing collaboratively. I haven’t done the math, but the chances of landing on the bird enough times to lose are very, very slim.

The only downside to the game is the very tiny fruit pieces are very easy to lose. All in all, I highly recommend Hi Ho Cherry-O as a preschooler’s first board game.

$10 on Amazon:

Posted in 3-4 Years, Board Game, Great Gift, Third Birthday, Toys 3-4 Years | No Comments »

Fire Trucks, Fire Trucks, Fire Trucks

November 29th, 2009

What little boy doesn’t love fire trucks? The blaring siren, the flashing lights, the brave men who rush out to help people on a moment’s notice… If you have a preschool boy who loves fire trucks and are looking for the perfect gift, here are some suggestions:

Tonka Fire Truck, $29 on Amazon:

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, $10 on Amazon:

Melissa and Doug Fire Truck Floor Puzzle, $12 on Amazon

Posted in 3-4 Years, Third Birthday, Toys 3-4 Years | No Comments »

Giant Floor Puzzles for Boys

November 4th, 2009

Preschoolers. Love. Puzzles. They can’t get enough of puzzles. And preschool boys can’t get enough of dinosaurs and tools. Here are two great floor puzzles that combine a preschool boy’s love of puzzles with his love of boyish things. Before you start calling me sexist, I am not saying that a girl wouldn’t love these puzzles, too. It’s not unusual on a play date to see a girl in a princess dress and a tool belt, pushing a firetruck along the ground. So when I say these are “boys” puzzles, I just mean they are sure to delight a boy. If you have a girl that loves dinosaurs and tools, dig in!

Melissa and Doug Dinosaur Puzzle, $10 on Amazon:

Bob the Builder Floor Puzzle, $13 on Amazon:

Posted in 3-4 Years, Puzzles, Third Birthday, Toys 3-4 Years | No Comments »

Hop up, jump in! It’s Handy Manny!

August 12th, 2009

One day we went over to my parents’ house for a visit, and my dad had bought this Handy Manny toolbox for my son. I didn’t have a clue who Handy Manny was, but the toolbox was adorable. Handy Manny is a Disney character, a handyman, who can fix just about anything with his anthropomorphic tools: Felipe (phillips head screwdriver), Turner (the flat head screwdriver), Stretch (the tape measure), Squeeze (pliers), Rusty (wrench), Pat (hammer), and Dusty (saw). My husband and I recorded a few episodes of Handy Manny to see if it was something that would be appropriate for our not-yet-three-year-old son. We could see immediately that this show was going to make it on our very restrictive playlist. So far, the only shows we let him watch are Little Bear and Thomas the Tank Engine. Both shows teach the values of friendship, loyalty, honesty, and humility. Handy Manny teaches those same values. Like Thomas the Tank Engine, it can get a little preachy at times, but I’m willing to deal with that.

Each episode of the TV show is pretty much the same. Manny gets a call that someone needs his help fixing something. He and the tools sing their little song and head out the door. They bump into Mr. Lopart who is doing something foolish and refuses their help. Manny and the tools continue on their way, at which point Mr. Lopart messes up whatever he is trying to do. Manny and the tools get to their destination and find out what sort of help is needed. Usually they have to think outside the box a bit to solve a complicated issue. They sing another little song while they work and voila! Everything is fixed.

Sound repetitive? It is. The show follows a formula, as the best children’s shows do. Children like predicability.

Handy Manny items make great gifts for 3-4 year olds:

The toolbox that started it all, $29 on Amazon:

Manny’s Green Team DVD, $17 on Amazon:

Tool Belt Play Set, $25 on Amazon:

Posted in 3-4 Years, Third Birthday, Toys 3-4 Years | No Comments »

Little Tikes T-Ball

June 4th, 2009

This is one of the few toys that I think is an absolute must for ANY kid. Your kid will play with it from about 18 months until they are 4 years old. Every kid likes to grab a bat and take a whack at the ball. Doesn’t matter if they are athletic or coordinated. At 18 months, your child will be thrilled to make contact with the ball and just knock it off the tee. By three years, they know how to use a baseball stance, swing the bat, and they will be trying to knock the ball into the neighbor’s yard. I’m at a loss to think of any other toy that my child has used every single time he goes outside, for well over a year. It’s a perfect gift for a two-year old.

Little Tikes T-Ball, $15 on Amazon:

Posted in 12-24 Months, 2-3 Years, 3-4 Years, Second Birthday, Toddler Toys, Toys 2-3 Years, Toys 3-4 Years | No Comments »

Sesame Street Sing Along

October 24th, 2008

I don’t encourage my son to watch much TV, but a couple times a week I like to put a DVD on while I cook dinner, to help keep him occupied. So far we have two, and one of them is the Sesame Street Sing Along. I got this out of a bargain bin at my local baby/kid superstore, and it’s a big hit. My son is obsessed with the alphabet song, so when I put this DVD on, he always requests to see that scene first. He rarely makes it to the end of the disc, but it usually keeps his attention for a good fifteen minutes.

In this production, the Sesame Street gang drags a piano up to the roof to have a sing along. They sing some of the all-time favorites like “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt”, “Old MacDonald”, and “The Alphabet Song”. It’s a very simple and unassuming video… just a group of friends having a good time. No fancy animation, no crazy sound effects. People, puppets, and good music. I highly recommend it.

Posted in DVD | No Comments »

Wooden Puzzles

October 23rd, 2008

My son is 2 years and 2 months old, and very little keeps his attention these days as well as a wooden puzzle. These come in many varieties, from fancy puzzles that light up or make sound to plain puzzles with simple shapes. My son loves them equally, so we have been stocking up.

The first one we bought was this alphabet puzzle from Melissa & Doug. It’s great because there is a picture below each piece of something beginning with that letter, so it begins to teach the association of letters to words. Tonight, in the bathtub, my son was playing with his letters that stick to the wall. He picked up the “P” and said “Panda!” I couldn’t believe it. So, this puzzle is great.

Our next purchase was this Melissa & Doug traffic light puzzle. I picked it up at HomeGoods. If you have a HomeGoods near you, they always have great Melissa & Doug toys, especially puzzles. When you put the pieces in for the red, green, and yellow lights, the puzzle actually lights up for a few seconds. This absolutely thrills my son.

Today, we received two new puzzles that Gramma ordered from Fine Wooden Toys.

The first is a number puzzle by Melissa & Doug. For each number, there is a picture of that many somethings under the piece. So, for example, there are four mice underneath the four.

The second new puzzle is this “Fire Engine Mini Discovery Puzzle“. I was rather surprised that my son put it together in only a couple of minutes, as it’s the first puzzle he has had where the pieces have to fit together (as opposed to each piece having its own spot where it goes independently of other pieces). He seems to really like it though. Even though it’s called “mini”, I didn’t expect such a small puzzle — only 5.5 x 4.5 inches.

Posted in 2-3 Years, Toys 2-3 Years | No Comments »

Puzzle Mat Foam Floor Tiles

October 21st, 2008

I’ve been having such a good time putting together my son’s new playroom. I found some really good decorations at Home Goods, all in bold blue, red, green, and yellow colors. Got a cute little rug at Home Depot which I put underneath his table and chairs, which is a cheap way of protecting the hardwood floors from things like paint, Play Doh, and glitter. But I couldn’t figure out what to put on the rest of the floor. A rug didn’t seem like a great idea, because it would be hard to stack blocks on or roll trucks on. Also, I’d be worried about it getting stained — rugs are expensive! Finally, I discovered foam floor tiles, which you attach like puzzle pieces. I bought a set at Buy Buy Baby but ended up returning them because the colors were more pastel than the picture on the web. However, they were really cute if your room has a more muted color scheme. But for our room, I needed to find bright, bold tiles. I finally settled on puzzle mat foam floor tiles from www.softtiles.com.

I got these numbered tiles and these solid tiles.

I wanted to cover 36 square feet, so I got the numbered tiles which covers 10 square feet, then I ordered 26 of the 1×1 tiles in red, blue, yellow, and green. I love how it turned out, and so does my son. The numbered tiles are fun because the numbers come out, so it’s more of a puzzle, but they are kind of busy which is why I went with mostly solid tiles.

Here’s how it looks, during play time obviously