Go outdoors with Crayola

Crayola is challenging kids this summer with their nationwide campaign, The Outdoor Challenge. The challenge is quite easy and goes a little like this: after chores, homework and meals, step away from the computer and electronics and go outside to have fun! Easy enough, right?

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The Outdoor Challenge coincides with National Physical Fitness & Sports Month and encourages outdoor play for kids of all ages. Crayola even enlisted Olympic Gold Medalist Dan O’Brien to help kick off this campaign. O’Brien will attempt to break the current Guinness World Record for the fastest game of hopscotch, which is currently one minute and 23 seconds. The Decathlon champion and Hop Scotch champ hopeful was seen training yesterday at Chelsea Piers.  Stay tuned to find out if he accomplishes this latest endeavor!

Dan O'BrienCrayola is challenging families to achieve the national goal of one million hours of pledged outdoor play time through the end of the summer. Research by Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that kids ages 8-10 spend an average of six hours a day consumed with electronics and in front of computer and tv screens, increasingly overshadowing outdoor play.

From kickball to hopscotch, the options for colorful outdoor play are endless. But in case you need ideas, Crayola has added some new products to their lineup of creative tools for outdoor play.

Crayola takes sidewalk chalk to the next level with their new Sidewalk Crayons. With Sidewalk Crayons, kids can use the outdoors as their own personal coloring book. As opposed to the pastel palette of sidewalk chalk, the Sidewalk Crayons are bright and bold and have a smoother feel. After playtime, just like chalk, Sidewalk Crayons are easily washed off of driveways and sidewalks.

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Crayola has also introduced the Airbrush Painter, which pumps out washable sidewalk paint to create airbrushed designs. Designs can be created freehand or with the included stencils. As always Crayola thinks ahead: the airbrush only sprays when pointed downward, so young artists—or their siblings— won’t become their own canvas.

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We’re definitely taking this challenge. In fact, since the rain if finally letting up, we’re grabbing our bucket of chalk and heading to the park! Whatever your medium for colorful play might be, make sure you get outside as often as possible!

Step2 introduces new outdoor toys

Despite yet another gray day here, I’m loving all the exciting ideas and new toys for outdoor play. Step2, one of my favorite toy brands for durable outdoor gear, has rolled out some fun new outdoor toys including, the Sand & Water Transportation Station, the Nature Station Playhouse, Arctic Splash and Water Rush Quarry.

Arctic Splash

This is water table that features a mountain, complete with ice slide, tunnel and dumping bucket. It also includes some fun toys–a polar bear, walrus and penguin squirt toys.

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Sand & Water Transportation Station

This set combines toddlers’ favorites—the fun of a train table and water table. The table has two compartments for both sand and water and features funnels atop table legs that double as loading stations, and comes with a toy train and rake.

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Water Rush Quarry

This multi-level toy is an extreme sandbox that combines the fun of a construction site–it can even have water flow from top to bottom. It includes one crane, two bridges, a tunnel, a dam, a ramp, a bucket, a shovel and two construction vehicles.

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Nature Sation Playhouse

This nature-themed playhouse features a shelf for examining flowers, bugs or other outdoor treasures. Step2 helps kids become one with nature with the included shovel, bug collector, butterfly net, lantern, microscope with two slides, tweezers, bug trap shovel, binoculars and pivoting periscope.

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Hatley rain gear

They say April showers brings May flowers, but I think Mother Nature has a different agenda this year. We’ve seen a lot of rain in the past few weeks here in the Tri-State area, and I hear it’s pretty much the same in other parts of the East Coast.

Always on the prowl for practical, yet fun kid accessories, I came acrross Hatley’s great selection of rain gear.  I always complain that most retailers crowd the boys’ department racks with clothes splattered with choo-choo trains and puppy dogs. Well, not Hatley, they go beyond puppy dogs with cool designs on their rainboots like aliens, moose and camping gear!  I can take trains and puppies in moderation, so I appreciate Hatley’s adorable selection of rain gear.  The pirate rainboots are definitely my favorite.

Insert cutesey Arrrgh! or other pirate-y catchphrase here 😉

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The girls’ selection has accessories beyond pink for those in the pink rebellion!  Check out this adorable apple print umbrella–it’s so cute without being sticky sweet.

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Oscar the Pig app from iKids Play

387035_5Pigs have been getting a lot of bad publicity lately, but if the shows on cartoon networks are indicative of kids’ unflappable taste in characters, pigs have and will always be a favorite when it comes to books, shows and now, apps!
Oscar the Pig written by Megan Calhoun, the multi-faceted founder of Twittermoms, is a great book that talks about the transition of mom going back to work and the separation anxiety that often goes hand in hand with it.  This cute children’s book is now available as an educational app, thanks to iKids iPlay.

Oscar the Pig can be read with five interactive activities.  With the Oscar the Pig app, kids can rub the screen to reveal hidden pages; the book becomes a coloring book with the stroke of a little finger, which can later be sent to grandma via email; storytime can enjoyed with automatic page turns and beginning readers can read, record and replay as they grasp their new reading abilities.

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The Oscar the Pig app from iKids iPlay can be downloaded from iTunes for $2.99.  Be sure to check out the other cool children’s books they have available, too!  The book, Oscar the Pig, is available online.

Etsy Find: Full Moon Flower Prairie Dress

Despite those scorching days we had here on the east coast, summer isn’t exactly here yet.  But just because summer isn’t here yet, doesn’t mean we can’t bolster the kids’ closets with warm weather frocks.  Need some summer dresses?  How perfect is this adorable prairie dress from Earth Groovz?

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With its bold, contrasting patterns, this dress is light and versatile–perfect for spring and summer!  Not only is it cute, eco-friendly, too.  The prairie dress features organic adjustable knit straps that tie in the back, organic natural elastic and the sustainable cotton material, leaving no carbon footprint.  The dress is made to order and comes in sizes 6M, 12M, 2T, 3T, 4T.  Be sure to check out Earth Groovz’ shop on Etsy for even more cute, eco-friendly spring/summer dresses.

Pushalong Duck by ImagiPlay

Right now, wheels and animals are a big deal in our house.  So when we spotted this Pushalong Duck by ImagiPlay, you can only imagine how much excitement it brought the kid.  Made from Rubberwood, the Pushalong Duck is a classic and eco-friendly toy that encourages the development of motor skills and balance.  It’s amazing how something like a duck with wheels can be so entertaining!

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ImagiPlay is a green company that produces sustainable and safe toys.  The company employs fair trade craftspeople, and reinforces their social responsibility by planting more than 5,000 trees a year.  The Pushalong Duck retails for about $15 and can be found at toy shops and online.

PeeWee PC debuts tablet laptop for kids

PeeWee PC has launched a new spill and drop-resistant tablet laptop for kids. The small, but rugged 3-pound laptop features a swiveling screen and can alternate between keyboard mode and a tablet mode. The PeeWee PC features kid-friendly, touch-optimized software that’s said to be suitable for 3-10 year olds. Security options allow Parents to limit usage and control how kids use their laptop. The laptop features an Intel Atom Processor, a Disney Windows XP Theme, and a 1.3 megapixel and rings in at about $600. You can heck out the PeeWee PC specs here.

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I definitely appreciate PeeWee PC’s rugged, kid-friendly approach; however, the pricetag for a kid purchase—an electronic investment, no less—definitely makes me think twice.  PeeWee PC also offers the Power Laptop, another kid-friendly laptop, but $100 cheaper and with different specs.  Kid friendly laptops aren’t a new concept.  The OLPC XO, tasked to change the lives of children in developing countries, is a lowcost kid-friendly computer, but on a much different scale.
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Got Milk? Toys “R” Us Might

Toys “R” Us announced that they’re adding some new inventory. In addition to Barbies and Thomas the Train, the retailer will now sell snacks, beverages, paper goods, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. Just a few weeks after announcing their discount shop concept, Toys “R” Us will be adding the “R” Market to the front of 260 stores. While the new concept may not offer the same variety as a grocery store, the “R” Market aims to accommodate shoppers with the convenience of one-stop shopping.
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According to an article in Time, the prices at “R” market weren’t as competitive as other big box stores. Convenience is the keyword here, so expect to pay more for the accessibility to your Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies while shopping for Polly Pockets. Ok, so they won’t have a full blown dairy aisle, but it seems like they will have a lot of good stuff to offer.
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Cool baby gadget: Itzbeen

In the early days, I barely even knew my name, nevermind remember the next feeding and from which side.  I wish I’d known about the Itzbeen.  There truly is a a gadget for everything!

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Itzbeen is a device for new parents who need help staying on track with baby care.  The Itzbeen (pronounced: “it’s been”, as in it’s been forever since I’ve slept) has four timers to help you remember the basics, such as time intervals between diaper changes, feeding the baby, naptime or when to give meds.  Other cool features include: belt clip, nursing reminder switch, illuminated display, clock, and soft-glowflashlight that automatically goes off after 7 minutes, if left on.  It’s like a Swiss Army Utility Device but for baby care…all it needs now is the actual changing pad.  And perhaps an extra hand or two.

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Global Green Pals

Perhaps one of my favorite toy concepts I’ve seen in a long time is Global Green Pals.  I came across the Global Green Pals while at the Go Green Expo and was immediately intrigued.  What first caught my eye about these dolls was the fact that they’re multicultural and very unique.  Growing up with not many multicultural dolls, it’s nice to see that toy companies are mirroring the diversity of the kids that love their toys.

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What’s great about the Global Green Pals is that each one has a story.  All unique, their stories involve environmentalism and a fervor to save the Earth.  Though not available until this summer, check out the Global Green Pals’ site and get to know Offset Chet, Clean Air Kate, Pani Rani, Pink Coral Laurel and Recycle Kyle!  Just as the dolls are poised to Save the Earth, with every Pal purchased, a portion of the sales will go to 1% for the Planet.

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I love the concept behind these dolls and can see them becoming a huge hit!  It’s toys like Global Green Pals that epitomize The Next Kid Thing!

I’ll be sure to share more information about them once they’re available!