Tag: outdoors

Gardening Goodies for Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Spring is finally in full bloom, and I couldn’t be more excited to see the trees, plants and flowers come back to life.  And hello, meet my new garden that the kid helped me grow, of course!
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Along with the changes in scenery, I love that Spring also brings lots of new and interesting toys.  Last week, we were treated with a glimpse of some of the season’s latest and greatest at Time To Play’s Spring and Summer Showcase, and I love that good ol’ fashion outdoor play remains a trend.

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A few companies are honing in on kids’ ongoing affection for gardening and getting their hands dirty. Afterall, gardening with kids isn’t just a great lesson in a plant’s lifecycle and nourishment, but it’s also a rewarding and engaging experience for parents and kids.  Gardening is a great way to get kids and parents to disconnect, and in the end, it gives them a sense of achievement.

In general, you don’t need much to garden, other than some seeds, dirt and gardening tools, but check out these great goodies geared to make gardening even more fun for kids.

Miracle-Gro Kids

Miracle-Gro Kits from Peachtree Toys is a new line of gardening kits for kids.  With starter kits like the 3-n-1 Gardening Set, Terrarium and the Mini Greenhouse, among others, where kids can grow their own flowers or veggies with the Miracle-Gro Gro Mix.  We’re typically organic and old school when it comes to gardening, so I’m a bit apprehensive about the fertilizers involved in Miracle-Gro.  Nevertheless, I do appreciate the nifty kits in this line of gardening sets from Miracle-Gro Kids.

Growums


Growums are one of my favorite gardening kits for kids, yet.  This new line of gardening kits includes six different sets: an Herb Garden, Pizza Garden, Salad Garden, Stir Fry Garden, Taco Garden and Ratatouille Garden that include coco or peat pellets that make these sets a bit more kid-friendly.  Kids add water to the pellets and put them in a shallow dish.  Once the peats are expanded, they add seeds and put the dish in the sun and wait for the seedlings to grow.  And from there, the kids can plant their herbs and veggies in their garden.  But what makes Growums so unique is the online element that engages kids by giving them tips and info from quirky characters like Elvis Parsley. (haha!) I love these sets, and can’t wait to see more from the Growums.

Buddy B Children’s Gardening Tools


Kid’s gardening tools are all over the home improvement stores, but if your kids are going to be doing some serious digging, much like mine does, I can’t speak highly enough about Buddy B Children’s Gardening Tools.  These tools are scaled down replicas of the “real thing,” and they work so much better than the plastic kiddie versions you see everywhere.  We have the hand trowel and kid’s shovel and I have to say, I probably use both of these tools as often as the kid himself.  These tools come in handy and they’re great quality.

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Burpee gardening products are staples for many beginning and/or experienced gardener.  The biodegradable seedling cups are great for kids, but I’m also a fan of their great selection of organic seeds and other gardening supplies.  It’s my first season gardening on my own, and I’ve had great luck with the flowers so far and we’re crossing fingers on the the vegetables!

The Ultimate Block Party Set for Oct. 3 in NYC

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

“How you play is who you become,” is the convincing tagline for this weekend’s Ultimate Block Party in NYC.  With playful learning in mind, Play for Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to shedding light on the crucial role of play in children’s development and education, is hosting the Ultimate Block Party in Central Park this Sunday, October 3.

Described to be the first “play date” in a national education movement, the Ultimate Block Party is poised to transform the Bandshell area of Central Park on Sunday, October 3, into the world’s most innovative playground by demonstrating the power of fun and games for learning and helping to reinforce that how we play as children helps form who we become as adults.

As a champion of playtime and getting outdoors here at NKT, I was so thrilled to learn about this fun event from some of my colleagues. In fact, if our schedule permits, I’m hoping to bring our family out to the Ultimate Block Party on Sunday to take in some playtime of our own.

Play for Tomorrow, together with their partners, are inviting families with kids 12 and under to head to Central Park on Sunday to join in the fun.  The rain or shine event, which goes from 11am to 5 pm by the Naumburg Bandshell (Enter at 72nd Street and Fifth Ave), will have a myriad of playful activities and mini-master classes with leading architects, scientists, engineers, musicians, artists, inventors and business leaders from around the City.  Best of all, it’s free.

Free fun for the kids in NYC: it doesn’t get any better than that!

The sponsors and activities* that will be at this fantastic event include many NKT faves such as KaBoom!, Crayola, CMOM, Imagination Playground, Chicago Children’s Museum, Legos, Electric and many, many more.  If you’re in NYC, come join us!  If you’re not in the area, don’t worry, word is, there are already plans to launch the Ultimate Block Party in other U.S. cities and internationally.

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One of the sponsors of the event and NKT fave, Lego, will have a LEGO imagination construction zone at the Ultimate Block Party.  And for those of you not in the area, LEGO isn’t forgetting you.  To encourage personal LEGO imagination construction zones at home, they are kindly offering one NKT reader a LEGO DUPLO Play with Numbers set.

Want to win the Duplo set? Just tell me what sort of things do you and your kids like to build with Legos.  Please comment below.

*Want to see small a sampling of the activities planned for The Ultimate Block Party?  Click after the jump.  I’m getting even more excited just reading about all the fun!  If you’re planning on going, let me know!

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Enjoying the Great Outdoors with Coghlan Binoculars

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Since moving to the suburbs, our outdoor play has changed significantly.  Not only has the scenery drastically changed, but the kid’s curiosity level has amped up to a brand new level.  Funny enough, he even has a “jungle hat” to wear for all of these brand new adventures.

Now that it’s officially fall, the leaves are starting to change, fallen acorns are dotting our decks and the crisp air greets us every time we go outside.  They’re all perfect reasons to get out even more and take in the new sights of our new neighborhood.  And luckily, to go along with the jungle hat, we’ve had a cool gadget to gain an even bigger perspective of what’s around us.
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Junk Ball Features MLB Players

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The Boys of Summer are in mid-season right now, gearing up for the All Star Game, which is just a few weeks away.  Just in time for the All Star Game, Little Kids sent us a sample of their Junk Ball Bat and Ball set.

This year, Junk Ball was granted the MLBPA license for their bat and ball sets which feature some of the hottest MLB players including, Tim Lincecum, Dustin Pedroia, Alex Rodriguez, C.C. Sabathia, Johan Santana and our family’s favorite player, David Wright.

The Junk Ball Bat and Ball set comes with a classic Junk Ball Baseball, Junk Ball Bat and a sheet of stickers that features 6 players, so that kids can customize their own bat. The Bat and Ball set retails for $9.99, (an MLB ball featuring one of the aforementioned players can be purchased separately) making it an extremely affordable outdoor toy that little ones, all the way up to big kids, can enjoy their very own game of ball.


“Junk Ball,” in baseball terminology often refers to a pitch that is difficult to hit due to movement rather than velocity or power, such as a breaking ball or a knuckleball.

And what makes this Junk Ball pretty cool is how it makes throwing “junk balls” so easy.  In addition to the diagrams on how to throw a few pitches, Junk Ball balls feature a “Dial a Pitch” that allows anyone to throw curves, sliders, even knuckleballs—-again suitable for the little guys and big guys, including daddies, too!

Junk Ball, David Wright

For our family, there’s nothing more synonymous with summer, outdoors and family time than baseball, whether it’s watching a game at Citi Field, catching a Sunday game on tv or playing our own game of Junk Ball.  The kid, dad and I had a great time fielding and hitting the ball around.  I personally love the sound of a bat “cracking” and the whizzing of a ball, even if it is a plastic set meant for kids.  It’s the love of the game!

If you’re on the market for an alternative to those other plastic baseball sets, be sure to check out Junk Ball’s bat and ball set and get your game on.

A product sample was provided to facilitate this review, but the opinions expressed herein are my own.

Skip Hop Debuts Central Park Outdoor Blanket + Cooler Bag

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just in time for prime picnicking weather, Skip Hop, a brand associated with smart, modern and fun designs, has introduced the Central Park Outdoor Blanket + Cooler Bag.  With their new blanket + cooler bag, the NYC-based company covered their bases by meeting parents’ need for portability, functionality and style.

As city dwellers, I find that we’re outside eating all the time, whether it’s for Movie Under the Stars, family concert night in the park or for a regular picnic while we play at the playground. Schlepping a big blanket stuffed in a big bag, in addition to a bag of food or toys can get cumbersome, so I appreciate that this blanket + cooler bag can be carried as a messenger bag or a backpack.

Unfolded, it’s 5×5, but folded up as a bag, it’s 11.5in x 11.5in x 3in, which is compact.  It’s big enough for a small family to sit together, or even just mom or dad and a babe.  It’s seems like it’s easy to wipe clean, but in case there are minor spills, it can be thrown into the washing machine.  The cooler part, isn’t huge.  It looks like it can hold several smaller containers, sandwiches and a few drinks, but not much else.  Less is always more.

The Central Park Outdoor Blanket + Cooler Bag retails for about $45 and is available in the chocolate/uptown stripe or the black/wave dot.  The kid and I plan on spending as much time as possible outdoors this spring and summer, so this would be a perfect addition to our picnicking aresenal.

Skip Hop products can be found at retailers such as BRU, Buy Buy Baby, giggle, Whole Foods and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kids Crooked House gets a little airtime

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

A few months ago, I began perusing the web for super cool finds to add to this site here, I came across these awesome playhouses. I thought Kids Crooked House playhouses were extremely unique, I knew they’d be a hit. I even Stumbled it, with every intention of doing a blog post, but of course, I got a little sidetracked.

But last night, the custom playhouses that look animated with their “crooked” appearance got a little bit of airtime on that little show, Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Heh. The Kids Crooked Houses piqued so much interest, Jon and Kate broke their website! (The Kids Crooked House site is now back up and running!)

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The Kids Crooked Houses come in a standard model or you can go the custom route. The standard models come in original, deluxe (pictured above) or super deluxe versions.  And be forewarned, the exclusivity and this sort of handcrafting comes at a price. But what I heard from an owner of a Kids Crooked House, it’s worth it.

The creators of Kids Crooked Houses build each house by hand, using traditional 2 x 4 construction, as if they were building for their own kids.  My brothers and I grew up with our own custom playhouse, so I love the concept behind the uniqueness of the Kids Crooked House and totally agree that every kid should have a “place” of their own.

And just like that, I’m dreaming of suburbia, but mainly for my our own Kids Crooked House!

Inflatable pool party!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, it’s no surprise that many families are going the Staycation route. Some families are forgoing expensive vacations, but instead are bolstering their litany of outdoor toys in preparation for summer fun, especially with big-ticket items like pools and playgrounds.

Boy, have inflatable pools come a long way! They’re more like theme parks—awesome ones at that!  The Rocky Mountain River Race by Little Tikes is one of many newer water slides that came out earlier this year.
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The slide features includes: a two-person rock climb, a surprise dump bucket, twin water slides that lead to the splash pool. It’s best suited for ages: 5-10 years; and retails for $499.99

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Go outdoors with Crayola

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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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