Crayola Touts Creative Outdoor Play with New Sets

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Crayola, always a favorite here on NKT, was one of the many fabulous exhibitors at the recent Time to Play Spring and Summer Showcase.

Crafts and the outdoors should go hand in hand, what with the fairly easy clean up and the expansive canvas.  And as always, Crayola is at the forefront of the outdoor artistry when it comes to kids.

 

CrayolaCrayola Chalk MakerCrayola Spira-BlasterCrayolaCrayola

At the showcase, Crayola’s table had a variety of colorful goodies, including the latest additions to their product line: the Sidewalk Chalk Maker, Spira-Chalk Blaster and the 3D Disney Fairies and 3D Disney Toy Story Activity Sets.

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Shake, Rattle and Roll with Hohner Kids Instruments

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

After a fabulous weekend, is there a better way to start a new week than with a bang?  In this case, I’m talking about the musical kind of bang.

Hohner Kids manufactures a wide range of musical instruments with the budding rockstars in mind.  The company’s range of musical products, which are specifically tailored to kids, include recorders, harmonicas and a variety of rhythm instruments, among others.  Aside from the cool looking Claves and hand Tom Toms, Hohner Kids also offers a few sets worth checking out.

The Samba Music Party Set includes a cd and traditional Latin percussion instruments, which gives kids a chance to explore musical culture and expression. The set includes a tambourine, castanet, samba whistle, maraca and guiro.  Hohner plastic instruments are all phthalate free and are safe for ages 3 years and up.


 

 

And because my kid has been singing Laurie Berkner’s “Shaky Egg” song nonstop for the past few weeks, check out one of Hohner’s newest instruments—the Wooden Animal Shakers.  The Wooden Animal Shakers, which come in cat, horse, fish and elephant designs, are a cute and colorful alternative to shaky eggs, the toddler favorites from music class.

Hohner Kids Musical Instruments can be found at select toy stores, music stores, online at their site or retailers like Amazon.

Kid Kanteens Come in Fun New Colors

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Looks like Spring made its return today.  Like many of you, we are big on the outdoors and taking adventures.  As we spend more time outside in the warm weather we often find ourselves drinking so much water.  And because of that, I love having so many reusable water bottles onhand.

Kleen Kanteen, a brand that I know many of you already know and love, offers a great line of Kid Kanteens.  What sets Kleen Kanteen apart from the usual water bottles is that they have special adapter that works with Avent’s sippy cup spout. It’s BPA-free polypropylene and works with the 12oz Klean Kanteen Classic bottle.  Kleen Kanteen recently added new colors to their Kid Kanteen lineup, including Prevention Purple, Solar Yellow and Reef Blue.

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WEDGiTS: Multi-Dimensional Building Blocks

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Our family is in the midst of moving out of our city apartment and heading to the suburbs, all while trying to orchestrate a cast of contractors as we get ready to do some renovations.  All of this has me thinking of not just moving and the whole transition, but also about construction.  So, why not talk cool construction toys?

Besides the obvious favorites, I’ve come across some equally awesome building sets.  One that comes to mind is Wedgits.  I’m not talking the blog kind of widgits, but instead, the building toy variety.

Wedgits are colorful multi-dimensional building sets that can be nested, stacked, linked and wedged.  They come in various sizes and sets, including Wee Wedgits for 1-3 years; Wedgits for 2-10 years and mini-Wedgits for 5 and up.

What’s unique about Wedgits is that they’re squishy but still firm, sort of in a stress ball sort of way.  Building toys are such a great toy for both boys and girls, and keep cater to all age ranges.  They’d be perfect for daycare, schools and of course, the playroom.  Wedgits, which have won a long list of awards, are non-toxic, phthalate free poly-vinyl material.

Wedgits have been around for several years now, but at Toy Fair, I was able to get a glimpse of a few new additions to their great product line, including the Mini FunHundred.  This set, which comes in its own handy carry case, is comprised of 100 different mini Wedgit blocks and can be used with other mini Wedgit products.

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Children’s Choice Book Awards Winners Announced

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

This week is Children’s Book Week (May 10-16) and the web has been abuzz about Children’s Books.  I’ve enjoyed reading posts on everyone’s favorites children’s books and will be sure to share some of ours too.  In the meantime, I thought I’d share about some notable children’s books that were honored here in New York last night.


The Children’s Book Council (CBC) in association with Every Child a Reader, Inc. (the CBC Foundation), announced the winners of the third annual Children’s Choice Book Awards last night. Children across the country voted for their favorite books, author, and illustrator at bookstores, school libraries, and at www.BookWeekOnline.com, casting over 115,000 votes.


The Children’s Choice Book Award winners are as follows:

Author of the Year

James Patterson for Max (A Maximum Ride Novel) (Little, Brown)

 

Illustrator of the Year

Peter Brown for The Curious Garden (Little, Brown)

 

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year

Lulu the Big Little Chick written and illustrated by Paulette Bogan (Bloomsbury USA)

 

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf/Random House)

 

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-so-fabulous Life written and illustrated by Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster)

 

Teen Choice Book of the Year

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)

 

Have you read any of these?  What are some of your favorites?

 

 

Kindie Rocker Justin Roberts: Relatable and Revered

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

 

 

Photo credit: Justinroberts.org

Justin Roberts had us at Zydeco.

I’m of course referring to the bayou-inspired song the indie musician did on one of our favorite kid shows of all time, Jack’s Big Music Show.

Memorable appearances on kids’ shows aside, Roberts has quite the following, and rightly so.

Roberts, a speaker and performer at Kindiefest, is described as one of the trailblazers for indie rock music geared to kids and family.  Based on his profile in the NY Times and the Time Magazine video, Roberts is the next big thing in kids music and is ready for the mainstream…but from what I’ve read on some of the most insightful kids music blogs, the rest of the world is just now catching up.

As evidenced by the recent press coverage, Roberts has a knack for writing songs with real topics that are relatable for kids and parents.  The Mama is Sad song and anecdote, as described in the NYTimes, struck a chord with me.  Life isn’t all rainbows (which I tweeted about yesterday, in fact) so why not pen a song about the reality and offset it with a little bit of shared Legos?

But its Roberts’ catchy and smart songs with memorable lyrics, complemented with a tour schedule dotted with his signature interactive performances from coast to coast that make him a relevant and well-respected musician, even for those who aren’t familiar with the kindie genre.

Want to see and hear for Justin Roberts for yourself?  Check him out on YouTube.

In addition to his Kindiefest presence around the web and aforementioned articles, Roberts is set to launch another album on June 8. According to his site,  Jungle Gym pays homage to collective memories of childhood.  Via Roberts’ Facebook page, you can download one of the songs for free.

Though I couldn’t attend Kindiefest due to scheduling conflicts, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading  the articles and blogposts following the conference.  While waiting for Roberts’ next album to drop, be sure to head to great sites such as Nugget Island, Zooglobble and OWTK to read great insight on kids music, including fantastic coverage of Kindiefest and the plethora of artists and industry influencers onhand. And don’t forget to check out these great reads and views; I highly suggest watching the Time video.

Time video

Time Magazine

NY Times

Mishi Design Offers Transformable Wooden Toys

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The kid and I were recently at a friend’s house for a playdate, and because it’s been so warm, all the kids hopped on various ride-on toys and were even pushing around their wagons and play shopping carts. And that’s when I was reminded of a really cool line of wooden ride-on/push toys that I saw at Toy Fair.

 

With their wooden construction and unique design, the toys by Mishi Design are both head-turning and intriguing. Mishi Design Toys are transformable ride on and push toys, meaning they’re multi-faceted and are multiple toys in one. Think of them as wooden transformers, with a bit of European edge and many sustainable qualities.

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Parenting: Suggestions on Behavior Turnarounds

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I’ve had a few parenting qualms over the past few weeks, including a  confrontation with a crazy “Park Parent,” whom I wanted to pluck in the forehead.  So, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to turn to the experts.

Parenting expert Dr. Michele Borba gives advice on enjoying messy activities with your kids. Photo credit: All Laundry

I’m obviously no expert, but as a writer who covers topics related to parenting and as a mom who is genuinely interested on how to get a better grasp on my parenting decisions, I’m quite excited to be interviewing one of my favorite child experts tomorrow.

After learning about Dr. Michele Borba on Twitter and a talk show, I had the chance to meet and mingle with the Today Show contributor, author and speaker, at the All detergent event last week—and she’s just as inspiring in person.

After meeting the kid for just a few minutes, Dr. Borba sweetly observed that my two-year old, who was chasing a balloon for most of the day, (like most children) has a fascination with balls and will more than likely have a penchant for sports as he grows older.  I told her that my baseball-loving husband would be excited to hear about her prediction.

No matter how awesome your kid’s gear might be, parenting transcends all of our material possessions.  We all might have different views on how to parent, but sometimes it’s helpful to hear some practical wisdom from the experts.

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May the Fourth Be With You!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy Star Wars day, everyone!  May the 4th be with you!

As a nudge to the iconic phrase from Star Wars, “May the force be with you,” May 4th is dubbed Star Wars Day.  While many hardcore fans are celebrating with Princess Leia cupcakes and Hot Dog Lightsabers, I thought I’d share just a few of the latest Star Wars goodies, starting with some of Hasbro’s upcoming toy launches.

Star Wars

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