Archive for April, 2010

Ever since, well, the beginning, humans have looked at the world around them and contemplated how it could be innovated. Better yet, people have always looked for new ways to have fun! One the great educational toys we carry, the Ball of Whacks, is a product of just that kind of forward thinking.

The Ball of Whacks was invented and created by Dr. Roger van Oech. I think the specifics of this unique toy are best described by van Oech himself:

Each individual piece of the Ball of Whacks is a “golden ratio” rhombic pyramid. Held in place by 180 rare earth magnets, these design blocks fit together to form a perfect 30-sided rhombic triacontahedron – geometry’s most beautiful shape.

Very funny picture from van Oech's website!

The result? A colorful, rather magnetic building toy that’s a lot more than your standard brain teaser! Speaking of colors, it comes in solid red, solid blue and multi-colored, as well as the rarer all black one I am reviewing. The contrast of colors is quite neat, but no matter what you have you can build (and destroy!) your creations just the same.

The perfectly giftable Ball of Whacks also comes with a 96-page book not only full of shapes to put together, but also general inspiration for creative, open-ended thinking.

I cannot speak for kids on this one, but as a 27-year old sitting in front of a computer more often than not, I can say that lounging on the couch with the Ball of Whacks in hand is one great way to relax. It’s easy to lose track of time as you “click, click, click” all the magnetic pyramids together! In their product description it is referred to as a “mental freshener” and there’s no better way to put it.

Many toys then take on alternative uses as well! We recently found out about the Slinky’s use around the home and the Ball of Whacks is also more than “just a toy.” A great example comes straight from van Oech’s blog. A school social worker noted how the Ball of Whacks is a great tool for helping students with ADHD, partly as an outlet for stress and anxiousness. All kids (and really all of us) can find quite the satisfaction of taking something apart as well as putting it together. And as noted in the letter, the Ball of Whacks is a “great visual of how we can fix things with a little support.”

A post about a toy with strong magnets like this cannot go without a quick disclaimer. It says all over the packaging to keep the Ball of Whacks away from pacemakers, and that’s a given. On top of that, though, I’d recommend keeping it away from your computer, cell phone and electronics, as well as your wallet, just to be safe you do not lose any data on your devices or cards. As in my home, I’d say a nice place to keep it is right on your coffee table or bookshelf; it’s quite the conversation piece!

For an equally unique and also magnetic creation by Dr. van Oech, check out the X-Ball! See more perspective on the fun toys we work with every day – check out our staff toy reviews!

A low-key neighborhood field day is a great way to recreate, exercise and have fun! Spending time outdoors with your kids will set a healthy example and organizing an epic field day for the families in your neighborhood can be as easy as planning a few activities and grabbing some burgers.

Here are 10 ideas to get you started…

1. Ask between 4 and 5 other families to meet you at the park some spring weekend for fun, food and prizes.

2. Make it into an “events potluck.” An events potluck works just like a potluck meal, except that each family brings supplies to create a play station. For diverse activities, ask someone to think of a team sports activity. Ask someone else to think of a craft, a race or a game. You’ll be surprised how creative your friends are!

3. Have different stations and rotate so that kids get to do all of the games and activities. For some activity inspiration check out our funny Egg and Spoon Race Game, Alex Mini Golf or Alex Jungle Croquet Set!

4. Hold competitions like who can yodel the longest, who can make the craziest face or who got the most grass stains on their shorts by the end of the day!

5. Bring weird and silly prizes for the winners of the events. You could fill jars with dirt and then hide small toys inside so the winners get to be “archeologists” and unearth surprises. Rubber chickens, paper crowns, and costume jewelry are other good options.

6. Start the Field Day with a tongue-in-cheek welcome speech about the incredibly valuable prizes that are awaiting the champions. The speech should quickly introduce the activity stations. Wave your arms around a lot and wear a top hat or Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band jacket for this part! If acting ridiculous would make you feel uncomfortable, ask your most gregarious neighbor conduct the opening ceremony.

7. To give your field day some fanfare, get the kids to participate in some Play Chute Parachute activities!

8. Set up a face painting station!

9. Everyone will probably be having too much fun to go home at dusk. If so, you can set up a hunt for glow-in-the dark insects when the sun goes down. (These are easy to find at dollar stores). Or play some evening games with Glow Gertie Ball!

The final and most important field day advice I have is a major stress reliever.

10. DON’T ORGANIZE ALL OF THIS ON YOUR OWN! Get all of the adults involved, brainstorm together and divide jobs. Planning as a community will not only make the Field Day easier and less expensive for you—it will make it more fun for everyone as different ideas are born!

Friends, families, memories, and grass stains are some of the best things in life. I hope these ideas will get you thinking about great ways to get active as a family!

As noted earlier this week, baseball and Spring go hand in hand. But, football sure joins the party this weekend!

The annual college football scrimmage games seem to get more popular each and every year, and definitely here in Happy Valley! To mark the end of spring practice, Penn State takes on, well, Penn State in Saturday’s annual Blue-White game. It’s a neat opportunity though, primarily for families, to enjoy Nittany Lion football. Not only is the game free to attend, but family fun is abound with a two-day carnival, live music and an on-the-field autograph session!

Along with other college games, the yearly NFL Draft continues this weekend. The childhood dreams of hundreds of football players are achieved as they are selected to NFL teams. Could your kid be a top draft pick someday? Find out with our Football Goal Post Set! Ready for hours of fun in the backyard, it comes with the goalposts, field markers, football and tee.

(Perhaps subliminally, we managed to pick the Football Goal Post Set for our weekly Twitter giveaway as well. On Monday we’ll draw a winner – could it be you? You can enter as many times as you want!)

Indoor fun and outside play meet with the Design Your Own Real Football Kit! Going out for a game of catch will be that much more fun with a football that’s one-of-a-kind.

What role do sports play in your family’s life? Stop by our Facebook page and let us know.

Photo of Blue-White carnival fun outside Beaver Stadium is by Annemarie Mountz – thank you!

After a month of celebrating – it’s here! Happy Earth Day! Today we acknowledge 40 years of this occasion, while recognizing new and improved ways that we can help the planet. It’s inspiring to think of the role of today’s children and how they can be inspired to think “green” through play!

So, it’s the perfect day to announce our new Eco-Friendly Toys department! Here you can search for green toys along with our other helpful search options, like by other departments, age group and gender. From managing partner, Kim Emigh:

“Growing Tree Toys has long been a resource for unique, hand-picked educational toys, many of which already had eco-friendly qualities. We spent much time developing the different criteria for our Eco-Friendly Toys department with our eco consultant Jennifer Bean, evaluating our products on a number of levels. In the end, we wanted to make sure we had products that were truly ‘green,’ and developing our specific eco-friendly qualifications was the best way to ensure a meaningful and useful department of our customers.”

Our new categories and icons identify seven different and important “green” aspects – perhaps some you hadn’t thought about before! Learn more here or check out the following highlights:

Toys Made from Recycled Materials
Products made from recycled paper, plastic and more teach real applications of recycling!

Toys Made from Natural Resources
Along with the “natural resource” of kids’ imaginations, many toys are made from wood, organic cotton and other natural materials.

Toys Made From Renewable Resources
Neat toys like E-Racer Bamboo Cars prove what can be made from renewable resources – watch for this category to grow!

Toys that are Regionally Sourced
We appreciate the dedication of companies like Green Toys that thrive on local resources.

Toys made with Eco-Friendly Manufacturing or Design
From soy-based inks to special packaging, brands find many ways to reduce their “footprint.” Every little bit helps!

Toys from an Eco-Conscious Manufacturer
Of course, some of our toys do not fit into any of these categories, but many manufacturers still make “green” efforts – we acknowledge them here.

Eco-Learning Toys and Environmental Appreciation Toys
What better way for kids to learn about the “big picture” than with kits and toys that make going green fun!

We truly hope that our Eco-Friendly Department is helpful and allows you to make decisions that are best for your family as well as the planet. We’re so excited to watch this area grow! Do not hesitate to drop us a note or comment if you have any ideas or feedback.