Children's Toys

Chilren's toys, silly toys, unusual toys, unique toys and toys you won't find at wal-mart or toys-r-us.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Toy Storage Ideas for All Kinds of Toys

With the advent of today’s unique toys in all of their various shapes and sizes comes the need for creative methods for storage of these joy-bringing items. There is no longer any need for constant clean up of toys, because with just a little creativity and for a small cost you can provide the articles for your little one to store his or her toys easily and safely. One can now find an assortment of book, craft, and toy storage bins that prove invaluable in keeping your child’s room looking neat, yet fun. From the classic wooden toy box to the latest Disney toy boxes, there is a wide variety on the market today. You may find that your needs are a bit unique given your spatial constraints but even so, there is probably an excellent solution just for you. Consider the following creative methods for storing children’s toys.

Hoist a Bag of Toys You may not have realized it, but a laundry or hamper bag can be an excellent method for storing your child’s toys at home or an effective childcare toy storage article. By choosing one that has a snap or Velcro fastener rather than a cord, you can keep your child safe while you keep his toys organized and off the floor. Make sure and attach hooks or pegs to a wall and hang your toy storage bag. You will probably want to make sure that your toddler can reach the bag so hang it well within her reach. A laundry bag is also a viable option for animal toy storage and dog toy storage.

A Storage Solution You May Not Have Considered – Under The Bed! Remember to make use of the space underneath your child’s bed. Make sure your under-the-bed storage container has wheels so that your child can withdraw it easily and roll it back underneath the bed just as soon as she is finished. Typically, two baskets will fit underneath a twin bed or standard crib. Another advantage to using rolling baskets is that when they are rolled out from beneath the bed, your child’s toys can be easily seen. In other words, your son or daughter does not have to hunt through a toy chest to find the right toy. That makes for easy and neat toy storage.

Storing Toys for the Tub It is important that you find appropriate storage for bath toys. Bath toys can easily become laden with bacteria because of their frequent exposure to water. Storage bins, made specifically for bathtub toys, usually offer an effective way for your bath toys to dry out between washings.

A Good, Solid Child’s Toy Box The classic toy chest or toy box has been a highly effective method for storing everything from stuffed animals to figurines and games for many years. It provides a one-stop storage solution so that you and your child can locate any toy within a matter of seconds. Modern toy boxes come with fun designs and are now more interesting to look at than ever before. From sports themes to animal themes to Disney themes, your child’s toy box can add a very creative design element to her room while making locating a toy as straightforward as possible.

Article by: Adam O’Connor, Educational Toys

5 Ways To Make Teaching Your Child Math Easier

Article sponsored by Sillyasstoys.com, provider of unique toys for children.

Parental involvement in mathematics may be more critical than you think. Nowadays, parents should be proactive for many reasons. New trends in mathematics education frequently reduce concentration on rigorous achievement. They may emphasize calculators and downplay manual computation, or be so strongly inclined toward discovery learning that they are devoid of clear explanations and worked-out examples. Early learning toys can help, but there is more you can do than rely only on toys for education. Here are some steps you can take to get involved in your child’s math education:

  1. Set the following expectation for your child: Do only what makes sense to you. Too often, children see math as a collection of steps and tricks they must learn. Help them understand that they must always try to make sense of what they do in math. Always encourage them to explain the purpose of what they’re doing, the logic of their procedures, and the reasonableness of their solutions.
  1. Identify what your child should know and be able to do. Children who are ready for algebra by eighth grade are much more likely to succeed later on than those who are not, and these children are doing about as well as students in the most successful countries. The clearest and most explicit mathematics standards were recently adopted in California.
  1. Your home is full of opportunities to explore math with your child and, at the same time, build his or her self-confidence and understanding of mathematical ideas. You can use the measuring cups in your kitchen to teach fractions, or you can cut out grocery store coupons and have your child figure out how much money you’re saving.
  1. Teaching your child to do math the way you learnt it as a kid could confuse her, but don’t back off completely. To help without teaching, show sympathy. Say things like “that looks tough,” and “I know it’s hard,” when your child is frustrated. Ask questions such as “what is the problem asking you to do?” If they hit a roadblock, offer an alternative activity for awhile, like an educational science toy, then get back to it.
  1. Studies have shown a positive effect between early musical training and brain development. It has been suggested that musical training can have a positive effect on a child’s academic achievement, especially in the area of mathematics.

Article by: Adam O’Connor, Unique Educational Toy