Jenga
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we’ve been spending the past week at our beach house on Bainbridge Island. The house has no television, no internet, no fancy electronics — just good old-fashioned entertainment like cards and board games… and Jenga
Jenga is a simple game consisting of 54 wooden blocks. You start by building a tower using all the blocks, then each player takes a turn removing one block from the tower and sticking it back on top. Over time the tower gets taller and more wobbly until eventually it topples. Last one to remove a block without knocking over the tower wins. Simple as that!
You can purchase Jenga from Amazon (UK
-Courtney
16th century dress-up doll
I love this free down-loadable dress up doll from Ce Que Je Veux — do you remember their wonderful pyjamas?
xxx Esther
Think-ets
I love, love, love this! I keep berating myself for having not conjured it up in one of my brainstorming sessions (honestly I am still hopeful that one day I will invent the next ‘lego’). In the meantime, I just marvel at gems like these… it reminds me that the simplest of ideas are the best — a game powered by imagination rather than a USB cable! Think-ets is so simple in concept — a little pouch of random, very charming ‘trinkets’ from around the world. Along with the pouch comes rules for a few games, such as “I’ll take one away, and you tell me which one is missing”, or “Make a story about the item you’re holding” — educational in so many ways, inspiring story-telling, testing memory and just fun for kids to fiddle with. (more…)
Fimo Clay
I think Fimo Clay
You can buy Fimo clay from Amazon
-Courtney
Mucho Moustache Fun!
I can’t resist a bit of silly fun! When some family came to stay recently I decided we should make some silly pictures of the kids pretending to be Grandpas to send to their Oma and Opa in Berlin. I bought these ‘cheap as chips’ stick-on moustaches and away we went with our role-play. What was hilarious is they didn’t behave at all like their Opa (who actually doesn’t have a moustache) but they all pretended to be the stereotypical grumpy Grandpa that you see in films (like the ones who work at the bank in Mary Poppins). Good summer holiday fun!
-Mo
Art Jar from Land of Nod
We are currently in Seattle visiting my family… and having loads of summertime fun in the sun. I think my kids have spent the majority of the time running around naked outside… bliss!! However, thanks to the I’m Not Bored Anymore Art Jar from The Land of Nod, we’ve also been spending some ultra crafty time inside making all sorts of art projects. How cool is this concept? It’s a big jar filled to the brim with arts & craft supplies — things like construction paper, googly eyes, wooden buttons, scissors, glue, pipe cleaners, wooden beads, tissue paper, etc. etc. It’s like a craft store in a jar. And when you’re finished making projects, you just shove everything back into the jar, close the lid and store the jar in a cupboard. Easy peasy!
-Courtney
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Floating Ducks from Kid O
My sister-in law came to visit recently and brought the kids this Floating Ducks bath toy from Kid O. I’ve seen it before, and never thought anything of it… but I must say that my kids absolutely love it! It’s such a huge hit both in the bath and out. The little duckling stacks on top of its mama duck and they rock (or float) together as one. It is seriously the one thing they fight over every evening in the bath. Isn’t it funny, the things your kids are attracted to?
The ducks are available from our US Bookstore or directly from Kid O.
-Courtney
DIY Stick Horses
Before the birth of Ava I had already concluded that my soon to be 5-year-old daughter should have a proper birthday party — no excuses. For months and months she’d been talking about a ‘pony’ birthday (probably secretly hoping we would get her a real horse), which is not an easy theme for a party, especially if you don’t want to end up with loads of plastic trash!! So, 9 days after giving birth, my husband (still on paternity leave — this is Europe!) and my mother-in-law and I spent a whole evening making 7 stick horses for my daughter’s party. I got some rough instructions from This Vintage Chica, went to the market to get broomsticks, stuffing, and decoration, and to HEMA for some groovy socks, biggest size. We worked hard and stayed up late, but the result was a HUGE success! Part of the party was about personalising the horses with letters and glitters, and part was a horse racetrack, and of course all the girls got to take their own stick horse home. The kids absolutely loved their horses and are still playing with them today.
If you feel like making your own stick horse — it’s pretty easy, you don’t need a sewing machine at all. An (old) broomstick and an (old) sock will do. Here’s the how-to:
Arbor Collective Skateboards
Like most little boys, my son wanted one of these four-wheelers for himself after he first laid eyes on some local skaters enjoying their rides. We went through several superhero-themed “kid” skateboards only to come to the conclusion that they were practically disposable due to poor quality and cheap materials, not to mention the absence of any decent performance. I realized that this was an activity not soon to be outgrown, (most of my friends’ husbands are still proud owners of at LEAST one) and decided it was time to step it up a few notches for something with staying power. I turned to Arbor Collective. I loved the sleek design and use of natural wood. I also happily discovered that on top of incredible aesthetics, performance and craftsmanship, Arbor is committed to creating products in the most environmentally responsible way possible and the owners fully stand behind every snowboard and skateboard they make. They use ecologically based alternatives to harmful chemicals, water-based finishes and recycled materials to produce impressive skateboards in a huge variety of shapes and sizes with designs by featured artists (this mini Pocket Rocket is the choice for my eldest). Arbor Collective has a sweet little showroom in Venice with friendly, helpful staff, and their website tells you about other places you can purchase their products. Have fun!
x Kaela
Parking Garage by Plan Toys
I actually bought this lovely little Parking Garage
-Dina
Cool Click-Clack Cars for Boys
Not only are these Australian-made little cars produced in the most environmentally friendly way, they also challenge our little children’s young minds a bit more than your conventional cars. They come in three different parts, which are easily clicked together to become a race car, or a police car, or a garbage truck. There’s also a click-clack police station, hospital and fire station, to let the kids build there own little town — the best ingredients for hours of fun.
Through Mudd Kids.
xxx Esther
Blabla — dolls for boys (and girls)
In the same line of thought of getting our daughter a train track for her second birthday, we recently got our 3-year-old boy his own doll. I mean, we don’t want to be forcing a love of trains or dolls on our children while they’re possibly equally inclined to play with the other, do we?
After some research I found him this adorable boy doll to play with. It came with a terrific set of cool looking clothes, so cute, and of great quality (I would dress my baby into them would they fit).
Both are from Blabla, a lovely company not yet very known in Europe, but hopefully not for long. Blabla has a wonderful selection of dolls in different shapes and sizes (all equally lovely), mobiles, clothes and blankets. All the products are hand knitted by Peruvian artisans and absolutely adorable in their design. Take for instance this guy Watson, how cool is he? Perfect for a little boy’s bedroom. Or these darling backpacks — my boy would LOVE that lion!!
xxx Esther
Goki Racing Cars
The more I have researched for our boys theme week, the more I realize that there are some great boy toys out there, most of which I had never noticed! And so I have discovered the Goki range of toy racing and pedal cars. I simply love everything about these cars — their look, their design and their playing potential.
I can completely imagine children spending hours zooming around on one of these, as they are super easy to steer and push. It must be impossible not to feel like Lewis Hamilton on one of these.
Goki also make some great pedal cars; my absolute favourite is the fire truck, which comes with a ladder, a hose and a bell! The Goki cars are available from Madame la Marchande, a brilliant online toy shop.
- Emilie
Win! Play-Doh Fun Factory
If my son likes a gift, he takes it to bed with him. No matter how big, small, soft or hard it is, it must spend the night on his pillow. When he recently received the Play-Doh Fun Factory Spin ‘n Store set, he took it to bed for three nights in a row. Meaning, this was a particularly good gift!
I’m pretty sure this toy will be a hit with most little boys (and girls), as it has been proving itself to be very popular for the last 50 (!!) years. And to make it even better; the Fun Factory has recently been completely re-designed, making the squeezing, moulding and extruding even more fun.
If you would like to try your luck AND the new and improved Play Doh Fun Factory Spin ‘n Store, then please leave one comment below by Wednesday, June 23rd, as we’re giving away 5 Fun Factories to 5 lucky Babyccino Kids readers. Winners will be picked at random. Good luck!
xxx Esther
This give-away is now closed…
A week devoted entirely to BOYS!
While it wasn’t intentional, we have noticed that the past few months on Babyccino have been heavily girl-oriented — girlie shoes, dresses, dolls, prints, etc. — and we’ve received quite a few emails lately asking for more emphasis on the male gender. So, we’ve decided to make up for it and devote an entire week to boys!!!
This week we’ll be digging up some cool new boy products, our favourite books for boys, and other fun ideas. But before we launch into the new tips, we thought it was worth re-mentioning some of our favourite boy products already reviewed here on Babyccino Kids.
1.) The Bonz Construction Kits from Curious Toys (still one of my boys’ favourite toys).
2.) The cool gingham shirts from Bobinette (so Dutch, so cool).
3.) The robot dish set from La Chaise Longue.
4.) Cool shirts designed especially for boys from Two Blue Cars.
5.) The Rubbabu toy car — squishy and bouncy and perfect for littler boys.
6.) The TomTect construction set for little future architects.
7.) Babysusu — a darling clothing brand devoted entirely to boys.
8.) The PlanToys Wooden drum — for pleasant-sounding banging.
9.) The super cool Automoblox cars (collect all of them!).
10.) The entire Plan City set-up from PlanToys.
11.) The beautiful, wooden streamliner cars from Playsam.
12.) The wooden toys from top German toymaker Fagus.
Cute vintage magnet set
I just recently bought this vintage wooden magnet set from Present&Correct. It was made in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s and comes in the cutest little box with a magnetic tray. I think I’ll probably just put the magnets on my fridge and let my kids play with them — how cute are those little faces?
Present&Correct is a great site for unique, often vintage pieces you can’t find anywhere else, and they are constantly getting new things in so it’s always fun to check their new page. It’s also a great place to buy cards, books, and cute craft supplies. I buy their colourful masking tapes for gift-wrapping, and it’s also fun to browse their book section.
-Courtney
P.S. If they’ve sold out of something you like, click to request a re-stock notice — they’ll send you an email as soon as it’s back in stock!
Lark in Dayelsford
One place I always recommend (sometimes even insist!) our visitors to Melbourne see is the picturesque town of Dayelsford. Dayelsford is a village in rural Victoria in the heart of the Wombat Forest; so pretty, so quaint, peaceful & dignified, just as a spar town should be, but with the hippest cafes, shops and restaurants you can imagine! There are several things you must do when visiting this adorable town — have your tarot read, take in the local markets, stroll through the forest, visit the mineral spas (the Shire boasts the highest concentration of mineral springs in the country together with an equally large array of therapists) AND stop by Lark to indulge in some retail therapy! (more…)
Handmade Dolls from Warm Sugar
I recently discovered the Warm Sugar Etsy shop, and fell in love with these handmade custom dolls — the mix of beautiful fabrics, the tiny details (like shoes that actually tie-up), the sweet designs… so darling! I ordered one for my daughter and it arrived this week, and I must say it’s even better in person — it is so beautiful. My daughter loves it too, but I just can’t bear the thought of it being drooled on, dragged and dropped — so I’m sticking it on a shelf until she’s able to appreciate it. The custom dolls would make a really lovely gift — you can choose skin tone, eye colour, hair colour and outfit preference to create a look-alike doll — just have a look at all the choices.
Warm Sugar is kindly offering Babyccino Kids readers a 20% discount for the next two weeks. Just use promo code Babyccino at check-out and wait for an adjusted invoice before making payment.
-Courtney
Mosaic Memory Box — Travel with kids part II
We are a few days away from another trip across the pond to London and I am in the process of getting my in-flight arsenal ready. Between the headphones and DVDs, the sticker books and the doodle pads, we should be okay for at least ½ the flight if all goes well. I am most excited however about my master plan to make a “memory box” on route. In it we will put our photos, ticket stubs, trinkets and the like. Orb Factory has a whole line of fun sticky things that are great for travel and I especially love their Mosaic Jewelry Box. The box is color coded so your little one can match the numbers to the colored stickers and apply them one-by-one to create a little masterpiece. I have to say, having made one myself — it is quite relaxing and a great way to kill time. The end-product looks incredible and there is no mess to clean up!
-Dina
Ships Ahoy! See-Saw Swing from Haba
We got this fantastic Ships See-Saw Swing
There are several places to purchase it online, or if you’re in Los Angeles, check it out at The Acorn Store in Santa Monica. This is my go-to spot for creative and wooden toys – great for gifts!
xKaela
