It’s hard to find toys for one to one and a half year-olds that keep their interest and teach them something too! Your chicks will find this hen and her babies a fascinating delight as they pull mama, “Henrietta,” along by the string and watch her lay her eggs along the way.
This first pull along toy makes realistic noises as she ventures out with her babies or you press the comb on the top of her head. Kids are surprised when Henrietta’s three chicks drop out the back, one by one, as she is pulled along. Little one year-old Celeste kept saying, “Oh no!” every time a chick came out. Then she stopped to examine the hen and tried to figure out where the chick came from. Toddlers pause to figure out the cause-effect of this toy, as they experiment by putting the chicks in the mom and watching them roll out.
Any toy that stops a toddler in her tracks must be special.
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Henrietta the Pull along Hen” was provided for review by International Playthings.
Grab on to this ball of fun and discover the animals nestled in their dens. Each of the six animals–crinkle pig, squeaky chick or smiling lion–can be pulled out of hiding on their stretchy strings, only to snap back inside for a rest. Kids love to use this toy as a ball or lesson in discovery. Toddlers enjoy the element of surprise as a new friend peeks out of his crevice to be touched, adored or tasted. With younger babies, not yet adept at manipulating the animals, parents can take the opportunity to show and describe the “spotted pink pig with the fuzzy nose,” “the squeaky, red chick with the blue beak,” or “nibble on the soft green leaf,” to fill their child with enriching language linked to their experience. Later, your child will be the operator of the animal den, when her little hand can grab the animals and play peek-a-boo.
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Animal Den” was provided for review by HABA toys.
Alex toys is pretty new at baby toddler toys, introducing Alex Jr. in 2008, but they have positioned themselves as a leader in launching innovative infant toys, in a market that seems flooded with just one more stacking toy.
“Hug-a-Puzzle” is just that–a soft puzzle in the form of a dog, kitty, bus or pig. The plush velour doggy is just firm and slim enough for a one-year-old’s hands to grab and give to someone or squeeze with a hug. Little ones were drawn to the simple face and pointed out the nose while younger kids enjoyed a munch on the ears and tail. Even I was amazed that a one-year-old could pull the pieces apart and then hand them back to me to start the game over again. “Hug-a-Puzzle” became a buddy and a game all in one.
Talk about body parts and point them out, describe the textures and colors, count the three puzzle pieces, as well as name opposites–off/on and in/out, as you use rich language to describe pulling, pushing and sliding. In talking about what your child is doing, you are teaching him language that prepares him to talk.
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Hug-a-Puzzle” was provided for review by Alex toys.
I never thought packing the car was particularly fun until I watched a one-year-old happily stuff the picnic basket, hat, ball, umbrella and suitcases into the trunk of this squishy, plump car. Eight soft, crinkly pictures to pack delighted toddlers as they smashed the items into the little hand-sized compartment in the back of the car, shut the door and secured the silver tab to keep their prized possessions safe. As only toddlers know, it is just as much fun to take everything out as it is to put it in. Take a peak at yourself in the back mirror, open the hatch and start all over. Easily grabbable, this cushy car feels like a pillow and gets grabbed as a rattle too.
Language building begins as you follow your child’s lead as they hand you the items or start to load them in the car. Name them, talk about their shapes, colors and what we do with them–”The goggles, we need them to see underwater.” “The picnic basket, that’s where we load our food for lunch.” Use rich vocabulary to build your child’s word base and strengthen language skills. During the first year and a half is when parents can build their child’s receptive language (understanding) in preparation for their saying words and little sentences at two years of age.
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Bon Voyage” was provided for review by Alex toys.
A perfect first friend, Dolly features wild, stringy, soft pigtails, long fuzzy legs with pink, shiny satin shoes, and a cheerful face for baby to explore. Her hair, hands and legs are easy to grasp for little ones looking to teethe on something or just hold and shake. Rattle her body or squeeze Dolly’s legs to get a squeak–giving multiple sensory experiences. Pop her heart out of the pocket or hide it for a peek-a-boo game. The little ring on her back insure an easy clip on ride in the stroller or car seat. Be sure to talk to Dolly or describe her features to build your baby’s language skills.
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Squeaky Legs Dolly” was provided for review by International Playthings.
Tummy time takes on new meaning with this ultra soft, fuzzy circle of friends. Even a fussy baby can be distracted with the pop-up ladybug mirror surrounded by baby’s beloved tags. Start in the middle with a sky filled with a smiley moon, cloud, star and sun whose rays are non other than taggies. Let your baby go head to head with the crinkly cow, squeaking pig, or musical lamb. Each animal has taggie limbs, sweet faces and multiple textures and sounds to engage your child. Describe what your baby is looking at to get the full impact of language building input. Two padded handles make this blanket easily portable for parents whose arms are already full.Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Taggies Activity Quilt” was provided for review by International Playthings.
Watch baby’s face light up when he sees the newest touchy-feely Gloworm. With added sensory activities, this playmate offers a perfect-sized teether snail, a crinkle flower to crunch, and bumpy, clacking rings to soothe your teething child. Gloworm’s lit face attracts babies as they babble up a conversation with its friendly face. One little guy sized up the face and tried to put the whole thing in his mouth! What a compliment to Gloworm. Enjoy the glow only mode or switch on the playful songs or calming lullabies for day or night accompaniment. To build your baby’s language, describe the opportunities for fun as your baby explores Gloworm–”munching on the smooth, yellow snail,” “”slipping the snail into the shiny, green pocket,” or “squeezing the soft, pedaled flower.” Don’t talk down to your baby using overly simple words, but feed him rich vocabulary that will strengthen language skills and eventually influence reading.
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Sensory Gloworm” was provided for review by Playskool.
Kids love to cuddle and check out faces so why not get snuggle and face time in one toy? With outstretched crinkle hands, this half ball of fun is asking for play. Strap the “Cuddly Kid Mirror” in the crib for baby entertainment, or prop him up for tummy time and crawl around exploration. Showing off his bright colors, fuzzy textures, knotted strings and bean bag legs, this buddy encourages visual, auditory and tactile investigation and is just plain fun to squeeze.
Alex Toys
Recommendated age: Newborn and above
Take your baby on a discovery trip “Round the Farm” with this cuddly, six-sided ball. Four bright contrasting faces await your little one as she rotates the ball to meet the frog, cat, pig and dog. Each face combines contrasting patterns, textures and colors to enterain baby and invite exploration. Fuzzy protrusions, for ears, tails, or feet, are easy to grab to rotate the ball to meet a new barnyard friend. A little squeeze on the ear brings on a ribbit, meow, oink or woof, corresponding to the animal’s face. Babies love a squishy ball that they can easily grab, roll or mainipulate to hear sounds, feel texutres, see faces, or strick their finger in a fuzzy hole. An inherent preference for faces drives baby’s curiosity to explore, and eventually “speak” to a face on this delightful ball of fun.
Cuddle up with this friendly-faced coupe, covered with soft plush and shiny geometric designed tags. A takeoff from the popular Taggies balls, this car packs more features for your baby to explore and parents to talk about, enhancing learning. Press the button on top to hear “beep, beep” and see his cheeks light up, grab the crinkly wheels, see your reflection in the mirrored bumper, play peek-a-boo with a puppy peering out the window or pull the string to start the motion. A combination of textures, vibrant colors, and sounds, this compact car is engineered to give kids plenty to investigate and parents many features to describe, feeding your child important language to encourage learning. His endearing face invites baby’s conversation, providing practice for future chats.
