Martial Arts Paper Toys | Hartia Toys

Moolka was kind enough to send our karate crazy boy this set of folding toys by Hartia Toys:



The set, Martial Arts, comes with a variety of cool fighty dudes. Our favorite was the sumo wrestler. He is super rad, reminds me of Japan and is the butt of many jokes now...literally! If you choose the set comes with materials to build your own mobile. Very cute!

However, we have not made it that far. Mr. Jack is just six, and had a bit of trouble with some of the folding/cuts. I do think that the toy is great for a careful, patient six-year-old or for anyone older. Also, we ended up using one of my knitting needles to make the creases as the included stick didn't quite hold up to Jack's serious kung fu grip. Like I said, a more careful child would have no issues I am sure.

We do love this set and look forward to completing the set after our big move.

Note: You will need scissors and glue to assemble the little dudes, they are not included.

Let the cutting begin! We used these very sharp scissors, which worked very well.



This series of cuts was accompanied by many giggles. Fun!




The instructions suggest using a ruler to guide the lines. This is a great idea that Jack decided to skip. Still, I do think a straight edge to guide you would help.



Carefully gluing on the nose. Tricky but satisfying! This really is a nice quiet toy and would help any child improve their hand eye coordination.



Full on sumo action complete with a "HYYYY-YYYAAAA!!!" and serious marital arts face.



Please visit Moolka here to check out their many paper toys. Perfect for the older kiddo in your life or for you (I really enjoyed them!).

What's a Bilibo?

Bilibo ($29.98)

What's a Bilibo? It is whatever a child wants it to be.



A doll bed.



A laundry basket.



An igloo, or a cave for penguins. Arielle claims that it also makes an excellent animal hotel.



A Bilibo is a scoop shaped piece of Made in China plastic. It's also an award-winning toy that challenges children to be active, use their imagination and come up with new ideas. And, that's why Sara's Toy Box is reviewing it :0)

When we unpacked them, the girls asked "What's that?"
"I don't know." I said, "What do you think?"
"Hmmm....."
"Is it a bird's nest?" and they climbed right in.

It was a beautiful day, so we took them outside. Imagine filling one with sand or water or snow.




Yes, they are also fun to rock around in. They also spin.



Lucky us, we tried one of every color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and pink. We played musical chairs - a little silly with just three of us, but still fun.



What is Arielle building?



It's a tightrope!



A little bit of a challenge for Arielle.



Too hard for Linnea, so she came up with a new game. Crawl over the bridge.


They've also been turtle shells and silly hats. Two put together make an egg that can hatch out a baby bird. Linnea can tote around a whole pile of stuffed animals by dragging one around. Turned upside down they make pretend rocks. It's all up to your child.

Bilibo is appropriate all year round, indoors and outdoors, and is fun for ages 2-7.

More than 50,000 visitors!!!!

Thank you!

Just a few updates...

My husband finally made it home a few weeks ago. He was injured at the end of his tour in Afghanistan, but now he is good as new - even better! It's been a busy few weeks while we've adjusted to having him back. Thank you to all of you who sent good wishes.

Meanwhile, my computer started freezing up making it impossible to finish a post. Yesterday the friendly people at Dell fixed it right up for me and I'm so happy to have it working again. I'll be catching up with long-overdue posts over the next few days.

And, Arielle (and Cockatooey) graduated from preschool. I can't believe she's so big. Next year, we'll be experimenting with home schooling.

The best sand toy ever!!!!

Even the college-aged big brothers loved it!

The Sand Play Castle ($22.98) from Magic Cabin Toys is comprised of twenty-two large pieces that stack and connect to form wonderful structures reminiscent of Rube Goldberg machines (you know, the mouse pedals a bicycle and makes the spaghetti boil which makes a bird jump which makes a whistle toot... and so on..) The sieves, funnels, wheels, strainers and levers move sand (or water) from top to bottom and actually fulfilled the promise of hours of outdoor entertainment. Not just for the two and four year old little girls, but also for their big brothers and dad. I played a bit as well.

The Sand Play Castle is made in the Czech Republic of high quality, pthallate-free plastic .

Here are the girls and big brother, Merlin, trying it out.



As you can see, the pieces stack together, but can also be used independently. There is plenty for everyone.



They had to try it out while they worked.


Linnea was really busy.


Almost done.


Will it work?


Yay! A moving, working sand tower machine. And next time, they can build something completely different.


What a great way to learn and play.


This is not a small toy, but add a few buckets and you have everything you need for the beach or sandbox.

Happy SquashToys

Sara's Toy Box loves to support Handmade Toys and I'm pleased to review another Etsy seller, Happy Squash Toys. Their brightly colored rolling toys caught my eye while browsing Etsy.

Flower Cars ($15.50 for set of three, or $5.50 each)



Both my little girls adored cars and trucks until they were about two. At two, they turned into princesses and everything was about pretty. Clothes had to be pink (and sparkly), tap shoes became everyday footwear, and crowns were necessary for trips to the grocery store. And they started eying the pink things at Walmart (Ack!)

So, a pretty car.... well, they love that. And, I love that because pretty and simple and powered only by imagination. What else could I want?



I'm pretty sure that while some little girls want to be full-time princesses, they still enjoy the same toys that they always did. Linnea certainly enjoyed the cars. The cars had some interesting conversations.

-Beep Beep. Where you going?
-Brmm.. Brmm... I going to play hopscotch.
-Brmm... Brmm... I going home to princesses.
-I'm going for Nayna (Linnea).




Happy Squash Toys hand makes original toys from poplar wood. The bright, happy colors come from non-toxic, lead-free paints and finishes. Painted toys all have two coats of water based paint with a light sanding between coats to provide a smooth and even finish. Natural toys finished only with beeswax are also available.



The cars are sturdy and smooth and just the right size for little hands,



Cute!

Happy Squash Toys also makes rolling farm animals, jungle animals, dinosaurs, board games and cars of all colors. All reasonably priced and handmade in the U.S.

Award-winning Rainbow Sound Blocks from Wonderworld

Wonderworld Toys are made in Thailand out of environmentally-friendly replantable wood from expired rubber plantation trees that no longer produce latex. Wonderworld works with farmers, the Rabbit in the Moon Foundation and the Thai government to plant two trees for each tree used. The colors come from non-toxic water-based paints and at least 70% of all packaging is recycled paper,

I first heard of Wonderworld Toys from some of you - our readers. I'm thankful to Toys and Games Online for allowing me to check out their extensive selection of Wonderworld Toys. The decision was tough, but I chose to review Rainbow Sound Blocks.

Rainbow Sound Blocks ($34.00)



The Rainbow Sound Blocks are part of the WonderEducation collection, a collection of learning toys for ages birth-5. The Rainbow sound Blocks are suggested for ages 2 and up. I chose them both for their learning value and for their creative play value.

You all know that I love blocks, and I love mixing in new shapes and textures. This is a cute little set of six blocks that can be used alone by young children and incorporated into larger sets by older children. Wonderworld makes an inexpensive 50 piece Basic Block Set ($25.00)

These blocks have been around for a while. They were the winner of the Silver Practical Pre-School Award in 2006, and National Parenting Publications Award in 2001, as well as numerous international awards.

The six wooden blocks come in a wooden storage case that is fun to pack and unpack. Each block is wooden with a translucent colored-plastic front and back. They are filled with different combinations and sizes of beads, so each has a unique sound when shaken.

The blocks can be used for stacking, matching, sorting and it's really fun to just look through them and see the world in a different color. I like purple :o)

Linnea liked packing and unpacking the blocks into their storage case - not an easy task as they don't fit if thrown in haphazardly. She also calls it a door. Maybe because of the shape of the storage case?

Here she is checking out the beads. She had fun shaking the blocks, but the enthusiasm was too much for the camera. I just got a pink blur.







Building a tower.


Wow! Everything looks "lellow".


That was my favorite part. I think Linnea knows her colors, but she loves to give the wrong answers on purpose. It's a two-year-old thing, just like the outfit. But, she was so distracted that she got them all right! Yay!

A Coupon from The Wooden Wagon

The Wooden Wagon sent us a new coupon to share. It is good for 15% any order during June. If the cute coupon isn't showing up for you, the code is "JUNE09".

Check out their New Arrivals for page for some beautiful new toys.

Sleepyhead Baby Doll ($29.95)

1001 Nights Building Set ($99.00)



Bird Tree Puzzle ($25.75)

Lots of excitement from A Toy Garden

Did you see we have a new coupon code from A Toy Garden? It's one of my very favorite 0n-line toy stores and I just love browsing through seeing what is new and looking for treasures. Here are some products that we enjoy.

Extra-Large Rainbow Arches ($79.95)

I've been admiring these forever, but then we saw these very artsy and fun pictures of our friend Tess, and I finally decided to make good use of our discount code. Tess is 2 1/2 - just like Linnea.





The arches are made in Germany. The bright colors are plant dyed and are absolutely safe for children who still mouth their toys.

What an incredibly open ended toy. They can be played with as a stacker or as blocks or in combination with other toys. There is a lot of play value in this.

There are 12 arches and the largest is 14 1/2 inches wide. We already had the smaller medium stacker ($34.95). It was one of my first reviews and still a very popular toy in our household. The extra-large stacker is more than just the smaller one super-sized; there is something super fun about playing with the large pieces. Big is good?

Ari decided that she was going to build a playground for Kangaroo and Penguin. Here they are on the see-saw.



Check out this masterpiece!



Arches also make good cages for very wild dinosaurs.




Wax-O-Glass Window Crayons ($10.95)



"Wax-O-Glass" window crayons are soft crayons made in Germany by Lyra. They do require a little supervision when used by younger children. Linnea always manages to get them all over herself. But, they are very safe and they clean right up with a damp cloth.

I use them to decorate the living room window with birthday messages or with pictures on special days. They also are a great distraction when I'm doing something and I don't want "help". Yesterday, I used them to distract the girls while I hooked up the wires after moving the TV.

Older children could use these to draw on car windows during long trips. Any residue easily cleans up with a rag and vinegar or natural window cleaner.

Make Your Own Family ($9.95)

Make Your Own Family is a collection of 20 peg people that can be decorated to represent a child's own family and friends. There are 8 large people, 2 3/8" tall by 7/8" at the base; 6 medium people, 2" tall by 7/8" at the base; and 6 small people, 1 5/8" tall by 5/8" at the base. A Toy Garden will also be introducing very large peg people that are 3 1/2 inches tall and 1" at the base.

Sonya suggests dying them in coffee or tea for skin tone variation. We used colored pencils, markers, bits of ribbon, felt and wool roving, and sticky jewels.

The colored pencils didn't work so well.





When the girls were finished, they were quite proud of the results.



And, they had a great time playing with their creations.



Linnea's "family". They are all named "Daddy".



Arielle's princesses.



The plain, unfinished wood figures can also be used as is. We saved the rest for block play and to use with the...


Foldable Gnome House ($19.95)





The Foldable Gnome House is made of three inter-locking pieces of wood and can be used as a tree-trunk, house, barn, super secret hideout, coral reef or whatever background is required for gnome or small doll play. It's size suits a diversity of dolls and creatures that are smaller than the typical dollhouse size. And, you can add a playsilk for even more versatility.

Its free form shape adapts to become pretty much anything. It folds into a Z shape or lays flat but does not fold all the way together. It is 19 inches by 8 1/2 inches and can easily fit into a suitcase or carry-on bag for travel - just add a few dolls or gnomes.

The Foldable Gnome House is constructed of unfinished, solid wood. It is made in the USA exclusively for A Toy Garden.

Fairy Mugs ($9.95)

One thing that surprises other parents, is that my children use real dishes. Even as a baby, Linnea used real china and real glasses (although smaller). I believe that eating from the same dishes as the rest of the family sets an expectation for appropriate table behavior. Linnea, of course, is still working on this.

These sweet mugs are made in Germany of white porcelain and are decorated with one of six flower fairy images (your choice). Each mug is 2 3/4" tall and holds about 6 ounces.





Linnea has the Chickory Flower Fairy and Arielle chose the Canterbury Bell Flower Fairy. They use their mugs to drink their morning orange juice.

Mini Clothes Pins ($1.95)

Finally, I usually add a set of 24 mini wood clothes pins to my order. These are made in China, but I use the red, blue, green and yellow clothes pins to hang up artwork and decorations rather than for play. I just hang up embroidery floss to match my wall color, and then it is easy to display the latest, greatest of the mountain of artwork my girls produce.

When a new masterpiece is created, I take down the old one and put it in a large laundry basket reserved just for art. When the basket is full, I go through it. A little bit of time makes it so much easier to decide what gets saved, reused as gift wrap or recycled.





While they could be used by an older child to do a doll's laundry, the clothespins are tiny (about an inch and require better fine motor skills than standard size clothes pins. Sonya tells me that the clothespins have been tested by her supplier and are safe.

Don't forget to use our coupon code. Our readers receive 10% off orders over $30, with the code "stbsummer09", expires 6/15/2009.

Green Trucks

Green Toys Recycled Plastic Recycling Truck ($24.99)



Green Toys Recycled Plastic Dump Truck ($24.99)



We love our Green Toys Tea Set, but this year Green Toys really outdid themselves with their brand new Green Recycling Truck and Dump Truck. The trucks are made fom 100% recycled plastic milk jugs, are phthalate- and BPA-free, and are made in the USA. A recycled recycling truck? Can you get greener?

The girls were quite excited when the recycling truck arrived from Green Toys. It was just after Arielle had spent a week doing "Love the Earth" activities at preschool, and she was very happy to tell us about the importance of recycling, but I don't think she quite understood how old things could be made into new until she saw a truck made of old milk bottles. I think she was pretty impressed with seeing a real (and playable) product of recycling.

The trucks are solid plastic with backs that tip up to dump. Arielle discovered that a little Juicy Bug was just the right size to work as a driver. Everything in the cab is nicely sealed, so the Juicy Bug didn't fall in. And, the recycling truck opens in back, so all the recycling can be retrieved.

In Linnea's world, trucks kiss hello.


Dumping all the garbage out.


And, coming back for more.


Having a dump truck is very useful. A friend can take a ride.


Or, it can be used to haul important things -- like a load of dandelions. The great thing about Green Toys is that they go inside and outside and are so easy to clean.



These trucks are awesome. Each of my children has loved having a big truck to push around. And, it is nice to have a lightweight, eco-friendly and affordable option. It is tough enough to deal with everything a truck-loving toddler sends its way. I hope Green Toys introduces a few more next year.

Get 5% off Green Toys and other purchases at KangarooBoo with our coupon code "STB509" valid until June 30, 2009.

Thank you Green Toys!

Tick Tock, a learning clock

Arielle is going to be home-schooled next year. After visiting the local school and hearing from friends who are teachers, I decided that I'd prefer that she spend her early years learning to love learning.

My husband has a degree in elementary education, so I went through my checklist of the things we plan to learn with him. He said that learning to tell time was a big challenge for many of the children he's taught. Many have never seen a clock that is not digital. I thought about it, and almost all the clocks in our home are digital as well.

So, we are very happy to review the Activity Clock from Plan Toys ($32.99)


This rubber wood toy clock comes with a set of nine activity cards (going to school, sleeping, playing, reading, etc.) that fit on top of the clock so children can match the time with their activities.

Arielle was very curious about the clock, and she was eager to learn to tell time. It took a few days, but she soon understood that the long hand at the twelve means o'clock. She's been having a great time setting the clock to 9:00 at bedtime and to 8:00 when she wakes up. After a few days of getting the idea that our activities correspond to the time of day, we were ready to move on.

We matched the clock up with a workbook My Book of Easy Telling Time: Learning about Hours and Half-Hours ($6.95) and will follow that up with My Book of Telling Time: Learning About Minutes ($6.95).

This is a fairly simple workbook that easily guides children into telling time. As Arielle fills out the information in the workbook, she also has the hands-on-experience of setting the play clock to the appropriate time. As she moves the hands clockwise, she gets the idea of how time passes (the hour hand does not move independently, so minutes must pass to make hours). We also talk about the kinds of activities we do at that particular time. Ten o'clock is usually snack time and that is when Sesame Street is on. Four o'clock is when Daddy comes home from work.





Arielle quickly mastered hours and is moving on to half hours. Telling-time works nicely with introducing fractions as well. Talking about half-past lead to a discussion about "what is half?" and a fun afternoon of chopping up snacks and learning about half-way there.

Summer is a great time to review old skills and pick up new ones in preparation for next year. And the Activity Clock is a fun way to introduce an important concept. It is safe, simple and perfect for a four-year-old. Oompa also carries slightly more complex learning clocks from the Polish company, Bajo. They carry both a manual learning clock ($59.99) and a battery-powered option ($69.99) for telling the actual time. These clocks have rotating number balls that can be used for standard time telling, 24 hours (military-style) time telling, learning Roman numerals and for learning fractions. These are nice for children who already understand the basics of telling time, and the battery-powered option could be used as learning-decor for a play room or class room.



Thank you, Oompa.