Hape - Pound & Tap Bench with Slide out Xylophone

First off I am going to start off by saying that we love wooden toys so this toy was a must have in our home. It is made of solid wood and durable child safe paint and meets or exceeds all applicable safety standards. The child can pound on the 3 balls from the "Pound and Tap Bench" with the included mallet sending the balls tinkling over the xylophone. The xylophone can also be pulled out and played solo, which is great for on the go. This toy comes in beautiful colors and is one of Victory's favorites. I can easily see this lasting for years and will most likely end up making another child happy once Victory outgrows it. If you're on the market for a xylophone; this is the one for you!

Great for developing fine motor skills in little ones!

Curious George Everyday Shapes Puzzle Play Board Book

I want my little one to grow up with a love for reading so am always on the look out for a good book. The things that attract me most in a book are mostly the colors and story line so when I found this one on sale I couldn't resist. It's a good size at about 8 x 8 and is very sturdy. It has removable puzzles shapes on most pages; a diamond, flower, oval, star and heart. There are also multiple shapes on the back of each puzzle piece ranging from a pentagon to a circle. The book is mostly in neutral and pastel colors and the story line is almost poetic. Victory really loves her new book with the exception of the puzzle pieces being hard to take out even for myself. However, I think that with time the puzzle pieces will loosen up a bit and become easier for her to manage. I would recommend this book for little ones ranging from ages 1-6. 

Peek-a-boo open and close sensory board

I was so inspired by the Clothes Fastenings Board from Craftulate that I decided to make one for Victory. Determined, I set off on a quest to retrieve some materials. 2 hours later, mission Complete! Here's my version, I call it the Peek-a-boo open and close sensory board.

Here's what I did: 

I covered the front and back of the wooden board with felt, screwed on the hinges and lock for the door using very small screws and added a picture of my 7 year old. The window was made with felt and a pop top from a travel pack of disposable wipes, a picture of our kitten was added to that. I used buttons and felt to make the flowerpot, a snap fastener and peek-a-boo caterpillar were added to the sun. The dog with the pop open collar was one of my favorites, Victory loved it! The zip up flower and butterfly don't really do anything and are more for visual effects. Next time I will add something behind the zipper because Victory keeps trying to look inside, lol. For decoration and character I added sequins and large googly eyes, don't you just love those? I mostly used a glue gun with the exception of the few screws for the door and lock. This is a great sensory toy but parental supervision is always recommended when tots are involved. 

Check out Craftulates board here:

http://craftulate.com/2013/12/fine-motor-clothes-fastenings-fine-motor-fridays.html

B. Zany Zoo Wooden Activity Cube

The B. Zany Zoo Wooden Activity Cube is an educational toy for toddlers with many different activities to help develop fine motor skills. These include: hidden animals behind functional doors, a colorful illustrated alphabet from A-Z, 3 zig zag race paths, animal spin and match, counting beads and fun loopty-loo routes on top. I also use it to teach Victory about colors and shapes. It keeps Victory entertained for no more than 5 minutes at a time but is more effective when I am using it with her. I would definitely purchase this again if I had to because the educational benefits are well worth it. This toy is made of a solid wooden construction with no sharp or pointy edges. It's a good size and can be used when seated or standing. The dimensions are as follows: 18.0 " H x 13.98 " W x 13.98 " L. The manufacture recommends this toy for ages 1-3 and I would have to agree. 

 

Easy 2 Ingredient Cloud Dough

Thanks to Happy Hooligans I was able to make this quick and easy cloud dough with 2 simple ingredient's; flour and baby oil. It literally took me no more than 5 minutes to make. I mixed 8 cups of flour with a cup of baby oil using a whisk, grabbed some fun toys and voila! It's play time. Check out a cute video and pictures of Victory and her big Sis having a blast with the cloud dough. Check out the link to the original recipe: http://happyhooligans.ca/cloud-dough/

                                 

Big Hugs Elmo

Big Hugs Elmo is a very interesting toy, it gives hugs. moves it's arms back and forth, sings a lullaby when laid in a flat position and even makes sleeping sounds.  It also teaches children their ABCs, numbers, shapes, colors and much more. There is a button on it's left foot that when pressed has 4 different imaginative scenarios. It is over 22 inches long and almost looks as big as Victory. To me it really looks cheap and not worth the price but to Victory it is like part of the family, she really loves her Elmo! It received the 2014 toddler/infant toy of the year award and is recommended for ages 18 months and up. I say buy it, your little one will love it!

Imaginarium Stacking Rings

The Imaginarium Stacking rings is a 7 piece sturdy wooden toy for children 12 months and up. It can be used to teach colors, size, sequence, promote fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. There are 5 rings to stack in the following colors: yellow, green, blue, purple and red. After stacking  the rings the children can top it off with an orange ball which seems to constantly go missing. This stacker is a great toy for you to play with your child, repetition and patience will help them learn how to do it on their own. Victory loves her toy and always feels a sense of accomplishment when she is done putting it together. I would buy this toy again however I think this one will last a very long time.