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By Mom Unplugged, October 12, 2007 10:37 am

I have always thought that those little Magnetix were a fun toy, but unfortunately they can cause a fatal intestinal injury should the magnets be swallowed.

My friend Wishy (thanks again Wishy!) told me about these Guidecraft toys. They are giant magnetic rods and balls. Kids can make cool structures without danger of choking on or swallowing little rods and balls like those found in the sets for older kids.

This seems like a great construction toy for younger children, or for households with a baby who constantly seeks out tiny objects.

There sets with different numbers of pieces to fit different budgets. I have shown here the set for ages 3 and up. But there is also a toddler set, and a slightly smaller-sized set (but not choking-sized small) for older children, ages 4 and up.

For more variety, you can even get curvy Magneatos and glow-in-the-dark sets too!

A 2006 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner.

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By Mom Unplugged, October 3, 2007 7:16 pm

While searching for a new unplugged toy to feature this week, I stumbled upon the Filino Pull Toy by German toy manufacturer Selecta. I have already written about our much loved wooden stacking mouse pull toy by French manufacturer Boikido, but this one looks just as cute.

Selecta makes wonderful, high quality wooden toys that are very durable. We have a few of their toys and they have lasted through three children and are still going strong. Plus, all Selecta’s toys are actually made in Germany and conform to European toy safety standards, so no lead paint. I am so sorry that this has had to become a consideration for parents nowadays.

This toy is fun because it is really several toys in one. Not only can children pull the cute dog and mouse around, but they can disassemble and stack the pieces too. I found that my little one first enjoyed taking our mouse toy apart, but couldn’t stack or pull. Now, at twenty months she loves giving the mouse family a ride, but still can’t stack it well.

If you want a multipurpose baby toy that can accommodate your child as she grows and develops, then I recommend the durable, heirloom-quality Filino Pull Toy.

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By Mom Unplugged, September 26, 2007 8:42 pm

This is such a cool game! You can just feel your brain cells expanding as you play. Since no reading is required and play involves pattern recognition, even younger children (maybe age 6 and up) can learn to play and beat the grownups!

Check out the Set Game website for more info on how to play. The website also has a great online tutorial as well as a puzzle challenge which changes daily.

If you play the online daily game, you might get lucky and win one of the other “Set People’s” card games. They draw a winner randomly every week from amongst all the players. Let me know if you win, since I never have!

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By Mom Unplugged, September 21, 2007 10:54 am

NOTE: If you are looking for instructions for removing a potholder from the loom, see my post: How to Remove a Potholder From a Loom.
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(Sorry for the bad joke in the title, but I simply couldn’t resist.)

Crafts make a great alternative to TV. TV-free kids have time for lots and lots of arts and crafts!Yesterday was my sister’s birthday (Happy Birthday!!) and my oldest daughter worked very hard to make Auntie the gift of a potholder for her tea kettle.

Do you remember those potholder looms with the cotton loops? I do! I used to love making potholders. My poor mother was overrun with potholders. Well, apparently potholder-love does not skip a generation since my 7 year-old seems to be as fascinated with her loom as I was with mine.

Unfortunately for my mother, I didn’t realize as a child that there are other things that can be made with these little woven squares besides potholders! The instructions to our loom suggest sewing them together to make a placemat or doll rug, a treasure box or tissue holder, even a purse or a doll sleeping bag. The possibilities are endless.

You might be able to find these little kits at hobby stores, but since we have no hobby stores here, I found ours on Amazon. It is a good one since the frame is made of sturdy metal rather than plastic (ours is by Harrisville Designs). It came with a long metal hook, a crochet hook, enough colorful 100% cotton loops to make several potholders (you can buy wool loops too), and complete instructions. I’ll be sure to provide links to several different kits at the bottom of my post.

Those of you who are more ambitious and “crafty” than I, might be interested to learn that these little looms can apparently also be used with yarn. You can weave yarn squares for afghans, vests, or other projects. See this link for more information on how to do this.

Here are a few photos:

The completed potholder still on the loom.

Removal from the loom - a delicate process!

The finished potholder with loop for hanging!

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By Mom Unplugged, September 19, 2007 6:04 pm

This is a simple, classic wooden toy that teaches the concepts of size, shape, color, and sequence! I first saw one of these in my children’s Montessori classroom and was pleased to be able to find one to have at home too.

The idea is simple. There are four sets of five blocks. Each set is a different color and shape. The wooden board has a hole for each block. Children must arrange the blocks in the rows of holes sequence from shortest to tallest.

As with all good toys, children can actually play with this multiple ways. Sometimes they simply like to use the twenty colorful shapes as building blocks, other times they sequence them on the board as they are “supposed” to do.

Here’s another idea: Put the blocks in a bag and have your child (by touch alone) pull out all the triangular shaped ones for example. Or just put in one set and have your child try to pull them out from smallest to largest!

This block board is very durable since is ours is now on child number three without so much as a chip in the paint. At $8.99, I personally think the price is great for such a long lasting and educational wooden toy.