The Next Kid Thing – Page 18 – The latest and greatest in gadgets, gear and goodies

Stokke Strolls with Style into Spring

March 20, 2015March 27, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As the monochromatic shades of winter are starting to transition to a more vibrant color palette, baby and kid gear on the shelves and showroom floors are looking brighter and bolder. One of my all-time favorite baby brands, Stokke, per usual, is a leader when it comes to baby gear fashion and design.

The other week, Momtrends and Stokke hosted a blogger and editor event in NYC to showcase strollers that have a bit of Spring in their stroll. Nicole, the preeminent trend-spotter for all things fashionable for mom and kids, underscored the importance of researching and reviewing baby gear responsibly. As bloggers and editors, we get to see, and sometimes, experience the latest and greatest in gear.

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At this Spring event, we had the chance to check out fabulous new fashions for the Xplory, Stokke’s signature stroller.

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From softer pastels, polka dots to modern prints, Stokke’s fabrics for Spring and Summer are fresh and fashion-forward. I especially love the cool colors in the summer kit. My favorite Stokke Stroller, the Crusi, was out on display at the event as well. As a fan of this stroller’s open basket and ability to add a second seat, Crusi looked beautiful all decked out in the lighter palette.

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The Scoot, known for its smaller stature and ability to collapse easily, looked chic in the pink and complementary polka dots.

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As a parent and consumer, well-designed and durable products have the most value in my home, especially when it comes to big ticket items such as furniture and strollers. Before my oldest was born, we invested in a Stokke Sleepi and have been super fans of the brand ever since. For more information about Stokke strollers and their latest fabrics, check them out online.

All photos are courtesy of Momtrends. A big thank you to Stokke, Nicole and the Momtrends team for having me at yet another beautiful event.

Full disclosure: I received a generous gift bag for attending this event. However, all opinions on NKT are my own.

Baby Gear, Goodies and Gadgets We’re Excited About this Spring

March 18, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I’m choosing to ignore what the forecasts are saying for Friday. No more snow, thank you very much—especially on the first day of Spring.

Instead, I thought I’d share some baby gear, gadgets and goodies that are perfect for those of you whom, like me, have Spring on the brain.

Cetaphil Baby

Cetaphil, known for its powerful yet gentle products that are recommended by dermatologists, recently introduced their new baby line, which touts natural ingredients and formulations perfect for gentle skin.

Cetaphil Baby Product Line Lockup copy

The line debuted at Buy Buy Baby in January and consists of diaper cream, Wash and Shampoo ($9.99), Ultra Moisturizing Wash ($5.99,) Daily Lotion ($9.99) and Moisturizing Oil ($6.99.) All Cetaphil Baby products are paraben free, mineral oil free, hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested. What I love most about Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion is the fresh calendula scent. In the past only prescription creams have been able to heal my tot’s very sensitive and dry skin, but Cetaphil Baby Daily Lotion and Moisturizing Oil have been able to soothe his problem areas. In addition to Buy Buy Baby, be on the look out for Cetaphil Baby at Babies ‘R Us shelves this month.

Evenflo Platinum and Symphony DLX All-In-One Car Seat

PTRU1 17431814enh z6 This cozy and sleek carseat has been turning heads since its reveal last year. It features Outlast Performance fabric that can absorb hot and cold temperature, which is ideal for kids who spend a lot of time in their seats, whether its in the school car line or long road trips. Boasting a 60 second installation time, the SureLatch Technology is another feature that’s helpful for quick and secure installation. The key feature for me on the Symphony DLX All-in-One Car Seat is the e3 Side Impact Protection which is designed and tested to reduce side impact forces up to 50%. The Symphony DLX All-in-One Car Seat ($230) with fabric as shown above is exclusive to Babies ‘R Us.

Love to Dream

Love to Dream has been on my mind lately because I’ve had so many friends who have been having babies. Love to Dream has several products in their line but their SwaddleUp comes to mind first.

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The SwaddleUp is designed to swaddle babies who prefer to have their arms up, rather than tucked away. The Love to SwaddleUP is step 1 in the Love to Dream sleep system. It’s designed for 0-4 months and allows baby to sleep with arms up, allowing baby to self-soothe. The Step 2 in the Love to Dream Sleep System is the 50/50 , which helps baby transition from a swaddle towards the arms-free independence of a sleep bag.

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Geared to babies 4-8 months, the 50/50 is particularly helpful for this transition stage when baby starts to become more mobile. Step 3 are the Inventa and Nuzzlin Sleep Bags. The Inventa features the Genius Cooling system which helps regulate your child’s temperature without disrupting sleep, which is great in spring with cooler and warmer temperatures.

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The Nuzzlin is a light and breathable sleep bag that can keep a tot cool on warm nights and warm on cool nights.

Britax B-Agile 3

Britax’s light weight and quick-fold stroller, B-Agile 3, is now available in bright and bold colors this Spring. The B-Agile 3 new shower collection includes hues reminiscent of jewel-toned Easter goodies that are synonomous with the spring season.

Britax Agile-3 Shower

The B-Agile 3’s new colors include Limeade, a citrus yellow; Concord, a vibrant grape purple; and Aqua, a light turquoise. Meadow, a lush green, and Sapphire, a royal blue, are nods to the tones of the classic Britax ruby red fabric. These five colors of the shower collection round out the Britax fashion spectrum by joining the original Black, Red and Sandstone options.

Power Rangers Dino Charge airs on Nickelodeon + Deluxe Dino Charge Morpher unboxing

March 11, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We’re excited to partner up again with Saban to share the latest and greatest. This time, we’ll be focusing on the beloved Power Rangers franchise. Marking the 22nd year, this season is dino-mite. No, really…Power Rangers Dino Charge, which debuted in February, on Nickelodeon is fully charged with wild adventures.

This season in Power Rangers Dino Charge, an alien entrust powerful Energems to 10 dinosaurs, but when the dinosaurs went ext inct, the Energems were lost. Now, an intergalactic bounty hunter is determined to reclaim the Energems and rule the universe, destroying our planet in the process. A new team of Power Rangers must find the lost Energems and use their Dino Chargers to power up an arsenal of din-fueled weapons, zords and Megazords to save the world.

We had the chance to get a look at the new Deluxe Dino Charge Morpher ourselves. They’re pretty amazing and we can’t get enough of it!

Check out our video for our Power Rangers Dino Charge unboxing:

New episodes of Power Rangers Dino Charge will continue to air every Saturday at 12 p.m. on Nickelodeon, with encore episodes airing Sundays at 8 a.m. on Nickelodeon and Saturdays at 7 p.m. on Nicktoons.

New episodes of Power Rangers Dino Charge will continue to air every Saturday at 12 p.m. on Nickelodeon in the U.S., with encore episodes airing Sundays at 8 a.m. on Nickelodeon and Saturdays at 7 p.m. on Nicktoons.

NKT Faves: Friday Fab 5

February 27, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Influenced by hip hop legend Fab 5 Freddy, I thought I’d jumpstart a weekly feature list: Friday Fab 5. As a product blogger, I often acquire really great samples and don’t get to post about them until way later.

With Friday Fab 5, I thought I could photograph a group of finds that we’re using and currently enjoying, whether we bought them or were provided as a sample. I plan to include kid and family-centric products, and maybe a few products that I enjoy for myself. As always, I will include the info about the find and whether we bought or received as a sample.

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1. Melissa and Doug Water Wow

My husband often brings home random samples from his office. One morning this week, he left this activity book on the couch. Littles found the book and begged for me to open it. Upon first investigation, admittedly, I was annoyed that this used water, because toddlers + water typically equals wet mess. Melissa and Doug proved me wrong this time around. The Water Wow uses a chubby water filled paintbrush to “color” thick cardboard pages. After filling the refillable paintbrush, the child can easily swipe the brush on the dry white pages to reveal a pre-determined colorful picture. After coloring all four pages of animal-themed images, my guy was excited that he could do it all by himself. Unfortunately, he was quickly frustrated that he’d have to wait for the pages to dry to color the in the book all over again. I love the size of the Water Wow book because it’s perfect for small hands and easy to throw in a bag for travel. However, I’d love to see a few more pages, or perhaps, even a bigger book to engage kids even longer. The water color concept isn’t anything new, but I have to say, this mess-less water color play pattern is ingenious!

Melissa and Doug Water Wow can be found at Michael’s and Amazon.

2. Wet ’n Wild Fantasy Makers

I honestly haven’t used (or seen) Wet ’n Wild since my jr. high days. And clearly, I’m not your most knowledgeable beauty source; however, I love this fun polish. I believe I received this Wet ’n Wild Fantasy Makers in a Halloween sample pack from an event. I was in need of a quick polish change and remembered I had this. The polish was light and easy, and quick to dry. Surpringly, it stayed on for almost a week! Loved this black color with fun sparkles.

3. Disney Creative Studio Deluxe Stylus

As major Disney fans, we’re always onboard for reviewing Disney-themed gadgets. I’ll do a thorough review soon, but the boys are both loving the capabilities of this the Disney Creative Studio Deluxe Stylus. They’re able to draw and color via the Disney Creative Studio platform. And truly, I can always get behind a product that entertains both kids and promotes imagination.

4. SoapSox

SoapSox is another product that I received to review. It’s been sitting on my desk for months, and I just haven’t had the chance to unpack it to share with the kids…until last night. I gave each kid one SoapSox to play with and it was an absolute hit during bath time. The shark was a true hit with my Sharknado-obsessed kids. You can load the soap through the designated soap pocket and then play with the bath-friendly stuffed animal. I love how functional and fun SoapSox is during bathtime. Best part of this bath toy, after using it, you can pop it in the washing machine!

5. Thames & Kosmos Mini Volcano

Science projects are always a big hit in my house of geeky boys, but projects that blow up and make messes are always favorites. I received this small kit in a Toy Fair gift bag from a visit to the Southard showroom, and let me tell you, it kept my guys entertained for hours. Baking soda and vinegar volcanoes are a staple for creating erupting volcanoes, but this project took it up a notch with a little plastic volcano and some red dye. Let’s just say I was not a fan of the red dye, but we will be using this mini volcano and goggles over and over again. The goggles might be my favorite part!

Ruby Rocket’s Shares Healthy Snacking Options with Philip’s Academy in Newark, NJ

February 25, 2015February 25, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It may be frigid and gray outside, but things at Philip’s Academy are quite vibrant and full of energy. Last week, I had the unique opportunity to visit Philip’s Academy, a charter school in Newark, to cover an assembly on nutrition and healthy snacking presented by Ruby Rockets.

Ruby Rockets, a frozen snack brand known for its naturally sweet, non-GMO veggie and fruit pops, presented an informational presentation to eager students. The brand, who aligns with making nutritional choices, suggested to the grade schoolers that making healthier snack options has many benefits. The brand, which boasts snacks that don’t contain any extras such as added sweeteners, artificial coloring or chemicals, presented a slideshow with healthy snacking guidelines.

For healthier options, Ruby Rockets suggests that snacks should:

be low in sugar, contain sugar from fruit and veggies only
have a 2:1 ratio between carbs and protein
high in dietary fiber
have around 200 calories

After the informational presentation, the children at Philip’s Academy were treated to Ruby Rockets as a dessert following their lunch. Many of the children were excited about tasting Ruby Rockets for the first time. Representatives from Ruby Rockets presented the kids with the naturally colorful frozen treats and were greeted with elation from all corners of the cafeteria.

The students at Philip’s Academy are no stranger to making healthy choices. The school has a curriculum-based initiative that follows many environmental and sustainable concepts with its innovative EcoSpaces program. As part of EcoSpaces, the school has its own rooftop garden and maintains an AeroFarm, which is a hydroponic garden that doesn’t require sun or soil.

As part of the program, the students’ lessons about sustainability, urban farming and their healthy lunch program is reinforced with hands-on exposure in their teaching kitchen. The students’ salad bar is a unique feature of the cafeteria. It was quite inspiring to see so many children enjoy a spectrum of vegetables and fruits.

Ruby Rockets wanted to partner with Philip’s Academy because they felt that they were a good fit since their EcoSpaces program reinforced what they were doing.

When Frank Mentesana, EcoSpaces Director at Philip’s Academy, saw Ruby Rockets’ ingredients and understood their mission, he agreed that they were in line with what they were trying to do. In fact, “we make smoothies all the time—almost all the time. I looked at their ingredients and they sound like our ingredients,” Mentesana said. “I saw they had beets in one of their pops. We do a beet and berry smoothie. We do a spinach and kale smoothie. This was a great opportunity for the kids to see snacks alternatively. We also do tastings and those ingredients are on our menu and appear in different forms. For example, they’ll try beets six different ways. So, they may not like beets one way, but they may like it another way.”

And because the dining room is also used as a classroom for the students at Phillip’s Academy, the conversation that started at the assembly with Ruby Rockets was a topic of discussion during and after lunch.

As an outsider looking in, I admired the way things were run at the school. Not only was the EcoSpaces program mind-blowing, but I thought the interaction between students and educators was inspiring. Overall, the school exuded such positivity and seemed like a model for a cohesive learning and teaching environment. I think I came away learning more about urban farming and the EcoSpaces curriculum, considering how the students were so well-versed with healthy eating.

When asked what their favorite part about Ruby Rocket’s frozen snacks one intuitive student told me: “I love that these pops have natural colors and sugars from the fruits and vegetables.”

What grade schooler says that? Super smart ones who are a reflection of their learning environment.

Well, there you have it: this, my friends, was a prime example of students schooling adults. After spending a day with these students, I feel the need to boost my beet intake!

A big thank you to Philip’s Academy for welcoming me to cover this assembly and event, and to Ruby Rockets for letting me be a part of this conversation on healthy snacking.

Ruby Rockets come in Rock-it Red, Orbit Orange and Galaxy Green. The frozen snacks can be found at retailers such as Wegmans and Stop and Shop.

Full disclosure: This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my time and efforts. Opinions on NKT are my own, just as healthy snacking is always encouraged.

YouTube Launches YouTube Kids App

February 24, 2015February 24, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

YouTube has launched YouTube Kids, a new free app that’s tailored to deliver carefully-curated content geared to kids and families. This huge move for Google and YouTube was met with excitement and could be regarded as a game-changer.

YouTube Kids Logo

YouTube is the second largest search engine, the fastest growing video sharing website and has become a staple in our children’s media landscape, so the development for YouTube Kids was an expected and heavily anticipated move from parents and tech enthusiasts alike.

YouTube Kids App Icon

The new YouTube Kids app will allow kids to explore family-friendly content within safer parameters. With larger images and bold icons, the app features a fun design and easy-to-navigate interface for smaller hands.The search has a voice option, which is perfect for kids who can’t spell or type yet.

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Parents will appreciate the parental controls that will help to safeguard their kids’ usage and content they watch. The timer allows the app to shut down when their window of time is up. If headphones aren’t within reach, the sound settings can be adjusted to turn off background noise or sound effects. If you only want your kids to watch certain videos, you can shut down the search option to limit their ability to search for other videos. And, as with any new version, YouTube has allowed for an option to submit feedback.

As for content, YouTube has partnered with many of the most popular content creators that already provide kid-friendly videos. YouTube has aligned with Sesame Street, Thomas the Tank Engine, National Geographic, KidzBop, Play-Doh, among other kid favorites. A few months ago, we got a sneak peek of Furchester Hotel, the new YouTube series from Sesame Street. It’s safe to say, Littles is quite smitten with this cool new series.

Entertainment and Educational

I was initially under the impression that YouTube Kids would be more for the preschool set, where cartoons could live freely. After further exploring, I was quite excited to find Biggie’s favorite YT channel and personality, Mr. Stampycat. Oh, Mr. Stampycat…you’ve been so kind to keep my sporty kid with cabin fever entertained this winter! Before discovering Stampycat, Biggie has clicked on way too many inappropriate Minecraft tutorials where F bombs or other inappropriate words were dropped. Another excellent channel that I’m so glad is featured on YT Kids is the Khan Academy. The Khan Academy, themselves, are a game changer in the educational video realm. If your friends are like mine, it seems so many parents are lost by the new educational concepts being implemented, it’s great that kids will be able to get help with their common core math homework thanks to Khan. (Or will they?)

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A few things to note: I did not see an option to create and upload videos to YouTube Kids, which is good. It’s important for younger kids to enlist their parents’ help before uploading any content to YT. I would love to see YT partner with smart sites such as KidzVuz so kids can easily view authentic video reviews. Like bloggers are required, I think video content creators need to disclose products that were provided for review, as well as paid placement. And speaking of sponsored content, there are ads within videos. I noticed mostly family-friendly advertisements. I know ads make services such as this “free,” and considering the target audience, this is a slippery slope. So I think the ad presence might be my main qualm for an otherwise innovative media app for kids.

YouTube: the ultimate kid distraction

Having spent so much time in the hospital and doctor’s offices for my younger guy, YouTube has always been an invaluable resource. Whenever Littles would have to get the electrodes placed on his head for an EEG, a process that would sometimes take up to an hour because of his physical resistance, we always turn to YouTube. YouTube always has new or different videos that would distract my toddler from the medical procedure du jour.

After we’ve run out of things to play with in the hospital’s massive playroom, Mother Goose Club and Thomas videos were our only savior.

With the ability to search for unboxing videos before buying something or how to fix our washing machine, YouTube has already changed life or modern parenting as we know it. For families who have limited media access, free services such as YouTube may be a child’s only exposure to educational video content. The YouTube Kids app will streamline family-friendly content, a measure that any media enthusiast—young or grown up—can appreciate. A big kudos to Google and YouTube for creating something that will undoubtedly be a game changer, and for some, life-changing.

The free YouTube Kids app is available for download at Google Play and the App Store.

Toy Fair 2015 Faves: Knit’s Cool, Snap Pets, Lego Minecraft, Plan Toys

February 23, 2015February 24, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

There was so much to see and do at Toy Fair this year. Before I share about the trends I saw, I wanted to share a few of my favorites from this year’s show. Most of these toys won’t hit shelves until this summer or fall, so here’s your sneak peek at a few of my favorite next kid things:

Knit’s Cool

Spinmaster’s Sew Cool did so well last year that they’re riding the maker trend with a number of cool activity sets for Tweens. Knit Cool is an interesting set that allows kids to knit with ease, similar to that of finger/arm knitting. I can’t wait to see this generation of kids continue to make cool things with their own imagination and ingenuity.

Snap Pets

Selfies and tech toys were displayed loud and proud at Toy Fair. Snap Pets from Wowee is a fun selfie tool that can be used to take selfie images or as a remote. Tweens will love the small size of this cool selfie tool.

Lego Minecraft

Speaking of creations, Lego, as expected, has a slew of cool new sets. Because Lego Minecraft was one of hottest gifts last holiday season, I thought I’d share a few photos of the upcoming sets in this series.

I saw a lot of new and upcoming Lego sets that encourage kids to forego the instruction manual and enjoy open-ended play. The crafting box is just one of many sets that give suggestions on what to build, but just like the digital version of Minecraft, this set capitalizes on pure imagination.

The Mine is another cool set that I loved seeing coming to life. The skeleton, creeper and spider are my favorite part of this set!

The Ender Dragon is another cool set that is sure to be huge among Minecraft aficionados.

Plan Toys

Plan Toys remains one of my absolute favorite toy companies, not just because they produce aesthetically pleasing goodies, but also because they’re eco-friendly and socially conscious.
Here are just a few of my favorite finds from my Plan Toys booth visit.

This chalkboard table set would look super cool in a playroom or classroom!

This rocket nesting toy is so eye-catching. The toys nesting inside were never-ending!

I can’t resist boat toys. This sailboat was so classic and cute!

If only NYC taxis could be this innocent and cute. Nevertheless, I love this sweet wooden taxi.

You can’t go wrong with wooden pull toys. Plan Toys owns the cute card in this category.

More details and fun finds to come!

The Cookie Thief Debuts on PBS Kids on Monday February 16

February 16, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Cookie Monster is up to his regular shenanigans, except this time, he’s starring in The Cookie Thief on Monday, February 16 on PBS Kids. The all-new one-hour special follows Cookie’s adventure at a cookie art museum. When art goes missing, questions arise as to whether or not Cookie had something to do with it.

Cookie Monster tries to eat the Cookie Art in Sesame Street s The Cookie Thief Zach Hyman

And in Sesame Street fashion, this special focuses on important emotions and offers teaching moments. As Cookie Monster hopes to clear his name, kids learn about self-regulation concepts including impulse control, following directions and managing emotions.

The Cookie Thief with Rachel Dratch Zach Hyman

My preschooler, who is learning all about self-regulation concepts himself, absolutely loved The Cookie Thief. Not only did the 3 year old love it, but my 7 year old probably loved it even more. There was action, mystery and culture, what more could we want in a Sesame Street special? Cookie Monster’s starring role in the Cookie Thief is a fun and engaging movie for preschoolers, and one that is perfect to watch while the kids are home for school this president’s day!

Highlights from Day 1 of Toy Fair 2015

February 15, 2015February 16, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It feels like Arundel here in NYC, but I’m onsite at the Javits Center for Toy Fair 2015 covering the latest and greatest in toys and games. As in years past, I typically spend my days at Toy Fair meeting with companies, checking out their latest wares and getting the dish from their developers, marketing team and sometimes the creators themselves.

For the first day, I started my day by having breakfast with one of my favorites: Spinmaster. Spinmaster is responsible for many recent top toys, most notably one of the hottest sellers from last year: Kinetic Sand and Sew Cool. Who knew modernizing two classic activities and repackaging them to make them kid AND parent friendly would make these toys such a success in 2014? Spinmaster, that’s whom! Piggybacking on kids’ interest in sewing, knitting and crafting, Spinmaster has new activities that emphasize this trend. Text Cool was my absolute favorite, mainly because it reminds me of my parents’ 1970s clicker label maker. This updated activity allows kids to design text bracelets with letters, emoticons and other designs. It’s a simple craft, but one that I think will resonate with nostalgic parents like myself.

Another highlight with Spinmaster was checking out the cool Paw Patrol toys, including the Paw Patroler.

On the heels of Dino Zoomer being honored with a TOTY award, Spinmaster revealed the latest iterations of this line: Zoomer Kitty and Zoomer Chomplings.

One of the best aspects of Toy Fair is walking the first floor and meeting new companies who are exhibiting for the first time. This time around, I loved learning about Lace Locks, which is an innovative accessory for shoelaces. This company has well known partners and their expansive line has a lot of licenses and designs to choose from. Since we’re huge superhero fans at our house, I especially loved all the fun Marvel Lace Locks. I loved seeing the Lace Locks on branded Marvel shoes.

Another cool toy/app that I loved learning about on the first floor was Painting LuLu which is a traditional coloring book with a partnering app and crayon stylus. I loved the way the way the app and crayon stylus can bring a child’s real artwork to life.

My first meeting of the day was with one of my all-time favorites: Crayola. Crayola always has innovations that are forward-thinking and fun for both kids and parents. I’ll have to share more in-depth details about Crayola, but some of my new favorite products include the Thread Wrapper, Color Wonder Stamper, Color Me a Song and the Cling Creator.

Tomy has all kinds of cool stuff coming up this year. As the master licenser for the new Disney Jr. Show, Miles from Tomorrowland, I got to see all the fun toys for this hit new show. The Stellosphere and this cool board that reminded me a of a hooverboard.

One of the highlights of my day was checking out Cloud B’s lovely night lights and plush toys. One particular new toy that I fell in love with Super Max the Turtle, which is a special turtle nightlight that was inspired by a young cancer patient who spent a lot of time in the hospital. The special protective casing on this light can be used in hospitals or settings where shared items can be sanitized. The story about this beautiful toy was amazing.

My absolute favorite toy of toy fair so fair has to be VTech Toys’ Kidizoom. This small action camera packs a punch and fills a void for our social sharing youth. I watched a little demo video created by the Kidizoom and the quality is pretty impressive for an action cam of this size and stature.

As always, I’ll have much much more to share, but for now, check out more of my favorites on Instagram and Twitter!

Preschool Non-Candy Valentines: Twistable Crayons + Free Printable

February 12, 2015February 12, 2015 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

At my house, we have approximately 17 tons of candy leftover from all of the various holidays. With Valentine’s Day class parties looming, I knew I wanted to do a non-candy treat for the preschooler’s class party. But other than candy, the only other options seem to be plastic tchotchkes, and who needs any more tiny plastic toys?

I opted to do a more practical Valentine’s treat: twistable crayons.

NKTTwistablecrayonValentine

When checking out the discount store for something else a few weeks ago, I spotted these packs of twistable crayons on the clearance rack for less than $1. For my older guy, these crayons were like currency in Kindergarten. Biggie was also known to trade crayons with his best buddies. They did so much coloring, these Twistables were a fun change. For preschoolers, many of whom can barely hold regular crayons without breaking or dropping them, these packs of twistable crayons seem like such a fun alternative to candy and toys.

Since the personalized candy bag tag is so hot on the DIY circuit, I knew I wanted to do something along that vein. But, again, these packs of crayons were such a find because creating the Valentine card/tag would be so easy.

First, I measured the inner label in the crayon pack. I considered making a label that would cover both sides, but knew that would be redundant. I opted to create a tag just for the front. The front label measured about 2.5 x 4, which is just about the same size as a classic valentine’s day card.

JoshValentinerainbowblank

Next, I headed to Picmonkey to create a “pun”ny card to slide over the front label. Since the crayons are all about color, I went with “You brighten my day, Valentine!” And as a play on the twistable crayon, I created a tag that says: “You’re a twist above the rest, Valentine!”

Since Littles doesn’t write anything other than circles yet, I had big brother help me personalize the crayon packs with some name tags. We punched out red card stock and wrote the kids’ names in silver Sharpie and slipped it into the back. We closed the pack and sealed it with a decorative V-day-themed washi tape. Names are blurred out to protect the innocent <3

Since my guy’s preschool class is rather small, as in less than 10 kids, buying one of those Valentines class packs with 25 cards would be a waste. So, I’m very happy with the way these crayon packs turned out. Instead of candy or tiny toys, we have crayons that my preschooler’s classmates will (hopefully) use again and again!

Hurray for practical goodies!

And since Valentine’s Day is all about sharing the love, I thought I’d share the tags with you. I grouped the 12 tags together for you to download and print for your personal use. The tags are about 2.5 x 4 in. and would be perfect for a pack of crayons, markers or anything colorful! p.s. I eyeballed measurements, so the layouts and sizes are wonky. Of course it is…

Enjoy this freebie! If you use this, I’d love to see how your projects turned out. Make sure to Pin or share on IG and tag me! I’m jenrab on all social media outlets.