Tag: preschoolers

Pushalong Duck by ImagiPlay

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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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Global Green Pals

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

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.

Global Green Pals
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!

Lego my…MP3 player

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The world of Legos is getting all techy! Digital Blue and Lego are teaming up to launch a Lego-inspired line of electronic gear. This Lego branded line channels the classic toy’s bold colored building block in the form of fully functional digital cameras, MP3 players, walkie talkies and USB drives.
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The line is scheduled for release this summer at price points ranging from $19.99 to $59.99. The Lego MP3 Player mirrors the look of an actual Lego brick, and you can even mount the MP3 Player on other Legos on the top/bottom.  The camera, set for release this fall, will have kid-friendly functions, including an LCD Display, 3MP and 128MB internal memory.

I am so adding these to my wishlist!

Retro Tees from Sandbox Threads

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With temps hoovering in the high 80s today, I can’t help but look around for some summer duds for the boy.  We’re your typical t-shirt, shorts and flip flops kind of family in terms of summer attire.  We have several t-shirts with catchy sayings and ones with our favorite surf shops logos, but I always love a few retro tees thrown in the mix.  So, when I came across this expansive collection of cool logos, I was immediately drawn to Sandbox Thread’s Joystick design.  How appropriate!
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Sandbox Threads specializes in original toddler t-shirts and baby onesies, and also offers organic options, as well as a variety of big kid and adult sizes, too.  Sinceimg_9812 Sandbox Threads is literally a pop operation, each shirt is unique and handmade.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  Whether you’re on the market for a funky shirt or retro cool onesie for your babe or as a gift, be sure to check out Sandbox Threads’ spectrum of cool designs.

If you’re not into geeky retro like me, how about some Lloyd Dobler or Molly love?

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s no big secret that we’re big robot fans.  So, I was pretty smitten when I came across House of Mongrel’s Robot Hoodie, just one of the many cool sweatshirts from the company’s line of organic kid’s clothes. The line, which launched August 2008, features 100% organic cotton t-shirts, bodysuits, hooded sweatshirts, caps, and more.
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The colors and vintage-inspired designs stood out when I approached their booth at the Go Green Expo.  And, it was no surprise that the products were super soft and well made.  Not only are their products stylish and unique, but they’re also green.  The products are rendered in water-based screen-printing inks, on vividly colorful, low-impact dyed fabrics.   House of Mongrel products, including the Robot Hoodie, can be found at various retailers, as well as online at stores like Kitsel.

Landmarks to Power Down for Earth Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

empireNew York City’s Empire State Building, Chicago’s Sears Tower and Seattle’s Space Needle will show solidarity with kids across the country by “turning off their lights” tonight for Earth Day at 9 p.m. local time– as kids simultaneously do the same in their homes, as a symbol of environmental consciousness.

“Powering Down” the Empire State Building’s tower lights, the Sears Tower’s antenna and the Space Needle’s exterior lights is part of Nickelodeon’s ongoing The Big Green Help initiative, which is designed to empower kids to take action on the environment and connect them to energy saving and earth-friendly activities in their everyday lives.

Nickelodeon’s The Big Green Help is a multiplatform campaign that provides information and tools to help explain climate change to kids through on-air messaging, grassroots activity, and online gaming. To-date, more than 2 million kids have pledged to participate in The Big Green Help.

There’s no place like home

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As Dorothy infamously chanted, There’s no place like home…there’s no place like home.  Earth Day is a perfect reminder of just that sentiment!  Little Chickie Wear’s earth-loving onesie features a life long message that even the littlest tree hugger should live by.

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Designed by Gwen of Gwen Designs, this fun line of eco-friendly onesies, t-shirts and hats are all printed on 100% organic cotton.  The cuteness is endless.

I’m a Rocket Man…

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Cardboard rocketshipAt any given time, whenever there’s a box within reach, the “real” toys lose all of its lustre.  The box always wins as the best toy ever.  It’s the same for all kids though, right?


When I first saw this super cool cardboard rocketship on the interwebs awhile back, I immediately became a fan.  And so, when we saw the_rocket at the Go Green Expo in person, I almost wanted to unstrap the kid from his stroller and see if we could both fit.  kids_rocket_3

The_rocket from Cardboard Design, can be customized by the littlest artists with their medium of choice!  Cardboard Designs has a cool selection of cardboard furniture among other products, but the kids products are quite imaginative.  What’s cool about the cardboard products is that after the rocketship has reached its destination, it can be packed away in its own flat box.

We have enough boxes to keep us entertained for the time being, but still, what a cool, sustainable concept and an excellent alternative to plastic.

PBS Kids Go! and PBS Kids Celebrate Earth Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Need extra help instilling the green for the kiddie’s routine for Earth Day?  Well, good news:  PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go! will celebrate Earth Day with the fourth installment of PBS Kids Share the Earth Day. A new Web-based Earth Day Channel is set to launch at pbskidsgo.org, too. New episodes of Curious George, Arthur and Cyberchase will be featured on PBS Kids in honor of the Earth Day celebration. george And that’s not all, favorites from shows like Super Why!, Sid the Science Kid and more will reflect Earth Day celebrations as well.

Online, there will be a plethora of eco-focused content on pbskidsgo.org, pbskids.org, PBS Parents and PBS Teachers.
The new PBS Kids Go! video player will host an Earth Day channel with themed content from Arthur, Design Green, The Greens and Maya & Miguel, which is geared to teach kids how to share the Earth. In addition to Web content from PBS Kids Go! TV series, Web-exclusive sites such as Eekoworld— an environment where kids create their own creatures and monitor them in the wild — and The Greens — a pbskidsgo.org series about the Green family and their exploration of sustainability, ecology and environmental care — will further explore what it means to be green.

Oh, and as if we didn’t already know, PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go! programming are among the most education-rich offerings on television, according to a report released by independent research and advocacy organization Children Now.  How’s that for green and educational influence?