Buzz Buzz: Plan Toys Bee Hive

This is very exciting. We love Plan Toys. They make reasonably priced, natural baby toys and preschool toys out of old rubber wood trees. Eco-friendly and fun! So when Plan Toys contacted us about reviewing one of the new wooden toys that will be in stores this spring, we practically shouted "Yes, please!".

We reviewed the Plan Toys Bee Hive. This developmental toy consists of a set of six bees with matching bee hive cups and a pair of big wooden tweezers. This simple combination makes a great educational toy (and imaginative toy) for toddlers to kindergartners.


First of all, the bees can be used to learn about colors, sorting, matching and for developing hand-eye coordination. My lovely assistant Arielle will demonstrate:

Pick a bee up with the tweezers...



and drop it in the appropriately colored hive.


You can change the arrangement to make the game a little more complicated.



Can Arielle sort the bees without moving the cups? Yes, she can.


It was more of a challenge for Linnea. She's three, so she's still working out the tweezers. It's nice to see her challenged.


Despite the tweezer challenge, she had a lot of fun lining the bees up and making them "talk" to their friends.


When they were done, they flew off to their hives, and she tucked each in the appropriately colored bed.


Then Arielle has an idea!


She drew flowers. Now Linnea had to make each bee fly out of the hive and to the correct flower.


She did it! Yay!


The toy is absolutely cute, but what I love that this is a learning toy that inspired creativity. The girls looked at it, figured out what it is for, and went beyond that. That is what you expect from an open-ended learning toy.

Next they took out blocks to build their own beehives..... the bees were so happy, but my camera battery died. Maybe next time.

The Plan Toys Bee Hive will be available at Plan toy retailers later this month and on the Plan Toys website.

Thank you, Plan Toys!!!

Beautiful gifts from Rosie Hippo

Rosie Hippo specializes in beautiful designed toys that inspire creativity and spark imagination! Just the type of toys that we like best.

Many of these are toys that I haven't seen anywhere else.

There is a nice section of toys made in the USA like this classic heavy-duty wagon.

Rosie Red Wagon ($145)



There are also sections for special interests like fairies, castles or pirates, and for gifts under $15, under $25 and under $50 - just what you need when you're staying on a budget.

Gifts under $15.

Lavender Girl ($15.00), she's lavender and full of lavender for a soothing,calming scent. Made in Brazil.



Gifts under $25

Squiggles ($20)



I am going to recommend this for anyone between five and 105! I love my Squiggles book and I use it for stress relief. I get pretty silly with the pictures, and the kids love to peek and see what I've drawn.

You start with an outline and simple directions like "what kind of store?" and you go from there. No talent required.

Last year I gave one to all our big kids, including my step-son who is a wonderful artist.

Here are a few pages from my book.






Gifts under $50

I chose to review the scale.

Scale ($39)



When my mother was a child, she played with a little scale a lot. So, that is what I thought about when I saw this little wooden scale. It's made in Romania by Estia, and it comes with five weights of different sizes. It's a great learning toy as kids figure out the mathematical concepts of weight and balance, but it is also fun.

Linnea said "It's a wee-saw!" and she put two stuffed animals on it. I wish I had pictures.

Arielle took one look at it and said "that's not a toy, it's homework."

I said, "OK. Then don't play with it."

Just minutes later....






She has been really enjoying the scale. She likes to take different objects and see which is heavier. It is great for weighing little wooden animals; is the rabbit heavier than the sheep?

Linnea finally figured out what a scale really is for, and it's been a nice addition to their store play. "Would you like two pounds of chocolate?"

I considered a few scales, but I really like that this one is all wood and, at $35, it had the best price.

Rosie Hippo has wonderful toys and it's definitely worth a look. Thank you, Rosie Hippo!

Fairy Puzzles at Palumba

So pretty!

Fairy Puzzles ($9.99 or 3 for $24.99)

These puzzles are perfect for fairy-loving little girls. The illustrations are from the work of watercolor artist Betty Sturley. She's a gardener as well an artist, and you can tell that because of the loving attention to detail that is in her paintings.

Linnea was so jealous, but these puzzles are not for beginners. So, Arielle got to try "Ofrey and Archie". The fairies are helping the little hummingbird.






Arielle really enjoyed the challenge and the beautiful artwork. And, puzzles are great for learning perseverance, hand-eye coordination, problem solving, geometric relationships and logical thinking.

These would make a nice take-to-school gift.

The puzzle is printed in the USA on recycled chipboard using soy ink. The completed puzzle is 8"x10".

Curious about Curiosity Quest

Curiosity Quest is an award winning television series that airs on PBS in some parts of the country. In each episode, host Joel Greene goes on a quest to answer viewers questions. Those of us who don't get Curiosity Quest on TV, can watch it on DVD.

The DVD's are available at the Curiosity Quest Store for $19.95 each + $2.00 shipping. Consider these as a gift for the child who asks a lot of questions or for home schooling.

Our friend Duncan was a guest reviewer, and Mollie, Duncan's mom, wrote the review. Duncan reviewed two videos.

U.S Postal Service
Curiosity Quest Goes Green: Sanitary Landfill



Duncan is five years old, and we already know he will be an engineer or a scientist someday. He needs to know how everything works, from the sink to the ski bindings, from the television to volcanoes. We figure it's only a matter of a year or two before he starts taking things apart to see what's inside. Which is why Sara thought of us when she got some Curiosity Quest DVDs to review. The series attempts to provide answers to real kids' questions, and I think Sara was hoping to help me stave off the time when I come back in the room to find the toaster disassembled.

Curiosity Quest is produced in Southern California for KCVR TV, and is also available on various PBS channels and as a DVD series. The format of the show is that children write to the host, asking questions about things that have sparked their curiosity, and the host, Joel Greene, goes out (with cameras) to find the answers.

Duncan enjoyed the DVDs, which were the "Post Office" and "Curiosity Quest Goes Green" episodes, and asked to watch them several times, so that he "could give the best answers about how good they are."

Duncan especially enjoyed the Post Office episode, because, as he said, he "always wanted to know what they did back there, behind the counter, where we can't see." This is a good episode for small boys who like machines, because we got to see letter sorters that "go really fast. Mommy, do you think they need to be careful of their hands so they don't get hurt and the letters don't get covered in blood?" Perfect fodder for a five year old boy, as was the segment when the host drove the forklift-like vehicle (electric mule) around the sorting facility.



The repetitive nature of the lessons is a bit much for grown-ups, but not for five year olds. By the end, Duncan was shouting, "you can't touch the mail" when the host tried to hold the letters. Duncan said, "even I know that only you get to touch the letters you mail, and the postman can, too. No one else. That's a very important thing about the mail. That's called the sanctity." Lesson learned, young man.

Duncan said, "There's nothing I don't like about this one, except when they ask questions [of people on the street]. Because it's more like news, with a microphone. It would be better, and wouldn't feel like news, if they only asked kids questions, instead of some grown-ups." While none of the interview subjects seemed terribly adult to me, I think he was referring to two young women in their late teens. They seemed much older than the audience of the show, and clearly he felt he couldn't relate to them as well as the younger children.

Duncan was a little less interested in the Recycling/Goes Green DVD, probably because we live in a place where recycling and sustainability are topics of constant conversation. He did like the machines at the dump, though, and was interested to see how many crazy things end up at the landfill. "They even put MATTRESSES there!"



He thought this one would be "good for kids who don't know as much as me about recycling, because then they wouldn't send so much to the landfill. . . they need to sort at home, like with our boxes in the garage. Because it's lots of work to find all those things and get them out before the landfill closes at night and they bury everything." As his mom, I concur that this one was a little less science-y and exciting, but it does teach some good lessons about the way we need to care for the earth, and teaching these things to children is a great way to start.

True to form, Duncan ended our DVD-watching session with a question. "Mommy, how does the DVD player read the disc when is only silver?" And he was intently eying that DVD player like he wanted to take it apart.

Hey Curiosity Quest, do you want to explain how a DVD player works?

More than just counting - with a Bajo abacus

An abacus is a strange toy. We see them and know they are educational, but then they rarely get played with or used for anything except basic counting... 1,2,3,4,5... Often an abacus is bought for a toddler who enjoy sliding the beads around for a while, but then it gets tossed in the toy box and forgotten. This is unfortunate, because an abacus is a great tool for early learning.

Bajo Wooden Bead Abacus ($43.99)

And here is Linnea sliding beads around :0)





Actually, Linnea first told me the colors of the beads. She's a little uncertain about some colors (and when she doesn't know, she says "purple", so we've been doing a lot of color identification to build up her confidence. And then we counted each color 1..2..3.....10! Pretty simple. When she gets older, we'll be able to count all the way to 100. She also got to work on her motor skills when she moved each bead, one at a time, by herself.

But, the abacus can do so much more for Arielle. I've been bringing it out when she does her math. Over the summer, Arielle mastered counting to 100 and learned counting by tens. The abacus is an easy way to illustrate how this works. We counted the individual beads and saw, yes, counting by tens really does work!

This week, Arielle learned about tens and ones. We used the colored beads to represent tens and when we needed to, the top row of plain beads to represent ones. A concept that was confusing on paper made a lot more sense when she could see it and touch it. Here we have two tens and four ones.



Linnea helps out and Arielle showed her how to add. An abacus is great for early adding. When seeing 3+2 on paper gets frustrating, I ask "If you have three blue beads and two green beads, how many beads do you have?" Although Linnea is far closer to "Here are three red beads, can you show me three orange beads?"

I'm thinking the abacus will be especially handy for subtraction and when we start adding numbers greater than ten.



A serious Arielle finishing up her homework.



This abacus is unusual in that it is comprised of two sets of beads. Fifty colored beads on one side and fifty natural wood beads on the other. This really allows the abacus to be used at different skill levels. The rows of red, orange, yellow, green and blue beads. are useful for early adding, keeping track of placement and introducing concepts. The natural beads are more challenging. The visual reinforcement really helps children understand and master new mathematical skills.

Arielle turned five last month, so she is just starting math. For now, I help her use the abacus to visualize problems when she gets frustrated. Soon, I'll say "Try it on the abacus." She will learn to do this herself, and she'll develop independence, problem-solving skills and self-confidence.

This abacus, like all Bajo are made in Poland of locally grown wood and are finished with child-safe, non-toxic lacquers. The abacus is large, the folded dimensions are 10.0 x 10.0 x 4.0 inches. And the 3/4 inch beads are also larger and easy to grasp. Oompa also offers an inexpensive twenty piece abacus ($13.99) perfect for younger children and a more traditional looking 100 piece abacus ($37.99).

Right now, they have a small wooden abacus with one row of five whole beads and one row of ten half beads on sale ($15.99). While not as versatile as the large abacus, I bought one because it is a nice size for teaching toddlers counting and colors, but can be used again later to explain halves and how to add them. And, sometimes, Linnea needs to feel included while Arielle works.



Check out Oompa for a full selection of early learning toys. Happy counting!

Baufix Super Barrel

If you have a child who wants to fix or build things, the Baufix Super Barrel ($59.95) is a great deal and would make an excellent Christmas gift. This large bucket is filled with 113 different screws, nuts, wheels and wooden pieces galore. They can be combined in endless ways that are as unique and interesting as your child's imagination. Or, there is a picture book of instructions for a variety of vehicles.

For ages 3-6 although I think older children would still enjoy the set. I know that big brothers do. Here's my 23 year old step-son Frank building a fire engine.



Baufix are made in Germany. Most of the pieces are made of hardwoods and painted with non-toxic paints, but a few pieces are safe plastic. Here's Arielle's creation, she followed the instructions with her big brother's help .



But, she usually builds bird houses (of course!).

Linnea likes to take things apart. The little purple washers also make nice princess rings.

The set is of very nice quality and is one of the nicer building sets that I've seen. Our only problem was that in the winter, the girls like to play near the heating vents. I had to put in metal screens to catch the small pieces. Check out Carl & Me; they have a nice selection of Baufix building sets in various sizes suitable for all ages, and other building sets. Everything is made in the USA or Europe. Shipping is only $5.95 and there is free shipping on purchases over $100.

Nature Bag

I am so excited to tell you about Nature Bag ($39.95 CAD/ ~$37.00 U.S.), an eco-friendly, treasure trove of outdoor activities designed to help children learn about nature.



Nature Bag is the creation of Silvie and Katharine, two Vancouver moms who between them have 4 children, 10 years of teaching experience, a Masters in Environmental Education and an International Business degree. They suggest you take Nature Bag whenever you venture outdoors. We keep it hanging on the front door knob.

The sturdy organic cotton, fair-trade bag contains a rubberwood magnifying glass (Linnea loved this!), soy-based crayons, a recycled pencil, a recycled notebook, an organic cotton blindfold, two leaf viewers, 8 color cards, hemp twine and a booklet containing activities appropriate for every season. All the paper products are made from 100% post-consumer waste, and the pencil used to be blue jeans!



Why am I so excited? As a scientist, I think that getting kids out in nature, observing and appreciating, is the best way to build an early interest in learning about the world we live in. That is what science is all about -- getting interested, making observations and trying to explain them. I think it is especially important now, because kids that care about nature will grow up to care about protecting it. The Nature Bag is awesome because everything is included - even the ideas. Parents who have no idea where to start can easily lead their kids on these early adventures.

With Nature Bag, kids can learn about nature without causing harm. The activities are appropriate for children between the ages of 3 and 12 and can be used in the city, or in the country, or anywhere in between. They can be used over and over and will change with the seasons and as the child gets older and can understand more.

We've had the summer of bad weather, so on one of our rare sunny days, we took the Nature Bag outside. Nature Bag can be used in many types of weather, but my camera doesn't do as well.

But first, Linnea checked out the magnifying glass.



When we got outside, we used the leaf viewer to look at maple leaves up close. Then we compared them with linden tree leaves and apple leaves. The shapes and sizes and even the greens are different, but so are the patterns of the veins.

Here's Arielle holding her leaf up to the light.



Linnea tries.



Then we blindfolded Arielle and took her to a tree. "Is it fat or thin? Rough or smooth? Are the leaves high or low? Can you find moss? How does it smell? Which tree do you think it is?"



"Hmmm.... maple tree?" Good guess, most of our trees are maple. "Which one?"



Then Linnea tried. We fooled her by visiting a tree that had fallen during a winter storm.





Arielle drew a maple leaf that she found on the ground.





The absolute favorite activity was the color cards. The girls gathered objects that remind them of summer and made a nature collage. This obviously will change with the seasons.



Our beautiful results!



And, there are so many more activities to try. Nature Bag is a nice addition to a family camping trip, a picnic, or to a home school curriculum. While it would also make a great gift for the kid that wants to be a scientist or explorer in the future, it might also be nice for the child that is a little reluctant about the outdoors.