Tomorrow on NBC CT, I am featuring some of the PAL Award’s Spring winners that spark great fun and can keep language skills sharp over the summer–encouraging exploration and open-ended play. Here are the new products I am going to share:
All about flexible, open-ended, play using great toys and games that can teach too!
Princess Palace by Janod (4 years and up, $50)
- Open up your suitcase, reveal a palace complete with kitchen,bedroom, dressing room and garden room surrounding great hall.
- 28 accessories: set your banquet table for 10 people, host a birthday party with cake, give your princess a ride on the horse drawn carriage
- 16 pieces of interlocking path
- Portable story telling
- Available here
Worry Eaters by Haywire Group (3 years and up, $16-$23)
- These friends can spark a conversation about worries and fears,
- Kids write down their worries or draw them, put them in the mouth and zip shut
- Worry Eater hangs on to the worries for them
- Terrific language learning tool to start a conversation about what is concerning your child
- using, learning, building emotional vocabulary
- Available here
Jungle Fun ABC Playmat by Alex Toys (1 year and up, $50)
- Kids loved popping out the letters as they named them
- Even used the plastic zippered case to put them in as named them
- Corresponding animals Z is for zebra, B is for butterfly
- Pictures to describe to build language: the duck is on the crocodile’s back
- Available here
The Bakery Shoppe Set by The Queen’s Treasures (8 years and up, $130)
- Who doesn’t like a trip to the bakery with your favorite 18” doll?
- Girls got right into role-play as one took over the cash register with money
- treats are sold separately, but even come with a bakery box
- great for role play, dialogue and story telling
- Available here
Maker Studio Construction Set by ThinkFun (7 years and up, $20)
- very innovative company, great price point for all the learning included in this set
- Box full of parts and gadgets, instruction booklet using elementary science and engineering concepts
- create your own toys
- made a well with a winch out of oatmeal container
- learn problem solving, vocabulary of engineering–spool, connector, gear, rod and purpose
- challenges-rescue a toy out of the well
- Available here
Hucklebee by MindWare (18 months and up, $20)
- Parents ask me most frequently for toy suggestions for toddlers
- Hucklebee is great because it comes with 50 suggested activities for interaction with this cute bee,
- following directions to shake Hucklebee and then shake yourself all over.
- colors, shapes, counting, body parts, action words and pretend play
- Available here
The Painting Teepee by Pacific Play Tents (3 years and up, $170)
- kids saw the teepee and couldn’t wait to personalize it with the paint tubes
- moon and stars to warrior on a horse
- really sturdy for pretend play, can handle several children
- discussed designs and started up their story
- Available here
