Fantasy Building

One of the best toys you can give a child is a set of blocks. Blocks are great at promoting the development of fine motor skills, imaginative play and creativity. They can also be used as educational tools for counting, sorting, pattern making, and learning shapes and colours.

The Haba building blocks certainly achieve all of the above and are sure to capture your child's imagination with their attention to detail and the unique and whimsical designs.

From the Cordoba Building Blocks with its 'Arabian Nights' inspired designs, containing 16 pieces total, in bright saturated colours, some with swirls, squares, arches, domes, dots--even one block with pearl beads rattling around inside.

To the Fantasy Land Jigsaw Blocks with its dazzling design and shapes, contains one piece with a mirror, one with a cat, and more with stars, swirls, and polka dots.

Designed and made in Germany from beech wood and painted with acrylic non-toxic paints. The Haba Block sets are a great addition to your child's toy box, whether on their own, together or incorporated with their existing block collection.

Play Essentials

With all the choices parents face as they stroll down the toy aisle, choosing a toy that will not only entertain your child but also stimulate them, and encourage them to explore and learn can be challenging.

This is why I have put together a list of types of toys that will not only be fun to play with, but will also give them the opportunity to develop important life skills. These play essentials include puzzles, stackers, sorters and pretend play toys.

To help start or add to your toy collection, we are having a SALE* on many of our essential toys.

SAVE UP TO 25% OFF ON SELECTED TOYS!

Puzzles

When it comes to toys, puzzles are certainly one of the best for children of all ages. For babies and toddles, puzzles aid in the development of hand-eye coordination and problem solving skills. As a child grows and puzzles become more complex, they help children recognize patterns which are very important for critical thinking. When played with others they are great at teaching all about teamwork, cooperation and communication. No matter the size and difficulty of a puzzle, once completed it will give a child confidence and encourage them to investigate and participate in trial and error activities.

Stackers & Sorters

Stackers and Sorters are great toys to teach children about size, shape and colour. They will also help with their fine motor and cognitive development. You can introduce both sorters and stackers as soon as a child is able to sit by themselves, at this time it is best to introduce them to the different pieces and showing them how it works, and as they get older you can start encouraging them to stack the rings in the right order or to fit the shapes in the right slot. You can also create different games that will teach them about pattern recognition, counting, and promote logical thinking.

Pretend Play

Kitchen play, dolls, doll houses, trains and cars are all great toys for role playing and make believe. Pretend play encourages children to inquire and discover about the world they live in. It supports the development of social & language skills, creativity, and imagination. It is a wonderful way for them to develop emotional skills and learn how to react to a variety of situations that they may encounter in their early childhood years. When played in a group, pretend play will encourage teamwork and communication.


* Sale ends March 1, 2009, while quantities last.

Arts & Crafts for Little Hands

My daughter's favourite time at her day care is sensory time, she absolutely loves getting her hands full of paint, glitter, goop, and playdough. In fact she likes everything about arts and crafts. We went through a period when every time I would pick her up she would be wearing her change of clothes and still be full of paint. Her teacher told me that she liked to become one with the paint and they just could not stop her. Now she has to be changed into her arts and craft 'outfit' so that she does not dirty all her clothes.

Arts and craft is very important for young children, it is such a great way for them to learn, to explore, to imagine, to be creative and even more importantly it gives them a sense of accomplishment and confidence. I personally like to draw with my daughter and teach her about animals, shapes, colours, and all the things around her. I draw pictures for her and then I tell her the names in Spanish, this is just another tool, along with the signing and reading that I use to reinforce the language.

Here are a few arts and craft ideas:

- You can never go wrong with a box of crayons and a big pad of paper. You can draw along with your child and print the words of the object that you draw.

- You can get some construction paper of different colours and make masks. The eyes, nose, mouth, and ears can be made out of different shapes, for instance, the eyes are circles, the nose a triangle, the mouth a semi-circle and so on. This will help children learn their shapes.

- You can make just about anything you can think off out of corrugated boxes. You can make a sail boat, a car, a stove, a robot, or anything your imagination or their imagination can think off.

- Using paint is the most fun of all. You can collect leaves, twigs, use cookie cutters, rubber stamps and dip them in paint and make great works of art.

- You also can't go wrong with playing with playdough. Having different colours and letting the kids mold it, roll it out, pat it and use their imaginations to create all kinds of things is so much fun and a great learning experience.

For more great ideas take a look at an article written by Ann Douglas, she has some other suggestions that will certainly keep everyone entertained.

Allowing children to be creative is very important for their development, it will help with both their cognitive and social-emotional development. It is a fun way for them to learn valuable skills that they will use throughout their academic career.