Great Gizmos - Sensory Toys

Play and Learn with PlanToys 

Just in time for starting the Christmas lists, the eco-friendly wooden toy range PlanToys is pushing the boundaries with educational toys to make them more interactive and fun as well as flexible and responsive to children’s needs and circumstances.

The Adaptive Toys series from Plan is the latest wave of toys that is entirely dedicated to children with special needs. This highly original collection of learning toys caters for three groups of children with special needs which are cerebral palsy, autism and the visually impaired. There are lots on offer but here is just a snapshot of this great developmental toy range;

The Build-A-Robot is a complete learning experience for kids! The wooden robot includes four interchangeable heads that feature an array of emotions including happy, sad, cross and surprised for children to learn. He can also sit and stand as his chunky legs and arms are moveable to imitate a human being.

For problem solving there is the Vehicle Puzzle that encourages children to match the correct driver to their vehicle, whilst also learning how to shape sort. Each puzzle tile features a colourful background to help solve the game and all tiles interlink together to form a large floor piece. The puzzle includes a helicopter, space rocket, car and submarine for added play value.

To help develop fine motor skills, the Beehives game allows children to match the correct bee to its corresponding colour hive using the wooden pincers included. There are six brightly coloured hives that each have their own miniature bee, complete with stripes and wings. This game also helps reinforce colour recognition and counting.

 For children who are visually impaired, there is a Braille Duo that helps children learn the alphabet and number sequences. The Braille Numbers set enables kids to count to 10 with the wooden tile set that is beautifully engraved with large numbers and the corresponding Braille cells. The reverse side also contains leaf illustrations with the correct number of leaves on to help children count. The 26-piece Braille Alphabet features both the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet and matching Braille symbol, to help each child learn their letters.

These really do look like great toys, whether your child has special needs or not, sadly my children are now above the target age range however I have a younger niece and another one (niece/nephew!) on the way, so I'm sure they will creep onto the Christmas list somewhere!

Organix Mighty Meals & Snacks Review

We were sent a bumper box of Organix goodies - my children were excited to see what they had been sent to review and felt very important to be part of the process!

We passed the Tasty Beef Stew and Dumplings to a "toddler-neighbour" who I'm sure will update us in the next couple of days... but my children were thrilled to share and try the other goodies!

Jack's favourite was the Raisins & Chopped Apricots fruit bag - he loves anything fruity and these are ideal for packed lunches or the morning fruit snack at school.  The addition of apricots rather than just raisins and/or sultanas makes a nice change and adds different flavours to our children's diets.

Charlotte was torn betweeen 2 as her favourite... the Mini Cheese Crackers and the Mini Gingerbread Men.  Again, both great for packed lunches and picnics on days out (eaten in the car with the weather we're having at the moment!).

They also liked the Cheese & Herb Puffs but weren't so keen on the Veg & Oat Bar nor the Raspberry & Apple Fruit Bar.  They both said they didn't like the "feel of it" - for younger children, I think the texture would be just right but my youngest is 5 and has a wide ranging diet of basically everything and he just wasn't keen!

Organix products are all organically produced and come with the Organix No Junk Promise... their products contain no hidden nasties; just simple ingredients full of goodness.  More and more so recently, there is increasing hype about organic foods... is it better for you, your children, the planet, the future???  Deep down, we all want to do what's best for our children and their future so with great tasting snacks like these, you can be rest assured that you are doing your best and your children can still enjoy snacks they love to share!

Have a look at the Organix website here - you can also visit their Facebook page here.

These are all readily available in supermarkets - look out for them on the shelves.  With wishful thinking, I'm stocking up for those summer day trips we have planned... Plan B is to have lots of Living Room picnics!!!

Pre-School Toys Bundle Giveaway!

Following the Christmas In July event that I attended last week, I have a bundle of pre-school toys for one of you lucky guys to win!

Courtesey of vTech Baby, Tolo Toys, Halilit and Play To Z I have a selection of toys great for keeping your little one occupied whilst the weather is less than great!

We have up for grabs a fantastic vTech Toot-Toot Drivers cement mixer truck, with sounds and lights, a cute little squeaky penguin from Tolo Toys, a Handy Bells percussion instrument from Halilit and a Treasure Trove Stone Hoop from Play To Z. 

The vTech Toot-Toot Drivers range is a great range of toys for both boys and girls - it is suitable for ages 12+ months.  The developmental benefits include motor skills development, sensory development and creates imaginative play.  Even though my youngest is now 5 years old, he would still love playing with this!

The lovely little penguin from Tolo Toys is a cute character which again promotes imaginative play and is designed with safety and durability in mind.  There are no painted surfaces on the penguin, so the quality standard will remain high thoughout it's play time life!  Tolo Toys also help to promote the idea of cause and effect with sounds (squeak-squeak, click-click!) being produced as a result of the actions and movements the child makes.  It is suitable for ages 1-5 years old.

The Handy Bells are a child-friendly percussion instrument which will introduce your child to the joy of music making.  It will foster creativity, is a means for self-expression and develop imagination.  The Handy Bells are suitable for age 24+ months.

Last but by no means least, the Treasure Trove Stone Hoop from Play To Z is a simple but fantastic additional to your toy box.  It can be used alone or part of your Treasure Basket playtimes, encouraging creativity and supports children's play in a multitude of ways.

These all make great stocking fillers for your little ones - thinking ahead to Christmas 2012 now!


Watch out for more Christmas toy's reviews over the next few weeks as I compile my Christmas 2012 wish list.

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