Magic Years Nursery

Archive for the ‘toddlers’ Category

I have likened the last days of the sixth grade to the twilight of a great age, the end of an age of heroes and monsters. It is the end of innocence and the emergence of a new maturity. And though we were collectively afraid of the rumors of bullies and lockers, what terrified us most was the rumor that there would be no more recess. How could this bel? Did seventh graders never get to see the sun? Those were dark days and no amount of talk about Transformers was going to make it any lighter.

How the rumor was disseminated no one knew. None of our teachers would confirm it. They would just clear their throats and change the subject. The only people we could get solid information from were our older siblings. And yes, it was true — there was no more recess after the end of sixth grade. But we had to keep a stiff upper lip; we had the fifth graders to think about.

What if everyone was lying to us? Who could be trust? Of course our older siblings had an axe to grind — they were older and loved to see us cry. Well, all our questions and doubts were addressed soon enough when a representative from the junior high came to visit us. We were gathered in the auditorium, practically whisked away in secrecy. There, under the fluorescent lights we were told about the new structure of our days to come.

To say that the notion of seventh grade was anti-climactic is an understatement. To have come so far only to end with a thud was more than we could bear. It seemed like yesterday I was in Kindergarten, discovering shapes and listening to story time. There was something magical about recess, something liberating. Sure, there would be gym in seventh grade, but that was nothing like the chaotic, unplanned freedom of the schoolyard.

The massive hallways and lockers and algebra of junior high were fast approaching. But, in those last days of sixth grade, all we had was each other and recess. They were heady days, gone too quick, but remembered for a lifetime. Even now, I can still feel the texture of the dodge balls, the sun beating on my face, and that sense that just over the fence, in a spirited moment of rebellion, you could jump the chain-link fence and run home, run anywhere.

Help enhance those days of discovering shapes for your kids or the kids in your extended family. Help them discover fun, freedom, and that magical feeling.

Small children usually love playing with things that are colorful and are of different shapes and sizes. Toddlers are usually attracted to things that are bright and creative, they love fun filled activities and adventure. So, next time you want to buy a toy for your little one, always keep their likes and dislikes in mind. The toys that you buy for them should be creative as well as educative.

In this article I would tell to tell you about some ideas which you can use to purchase good toys for your child.

1. Toys that would help to enjoy various activities
Toddlers love to jump, play, climb, run and dance, they are full of energy which can be utilized to do something productive. Try to choose toys that would help your toddler to enjoy all these activities, but always make sure that those toys are simple and safe for a small child.

2. Give them something creative
Growing children usually like doing all kinds of creative things and they love playing with crayons, colors, and chalks. Toddlers can not draw or paint specific objects, but they like scribbling and mixing paints and colors, allow them to do so as it would only increase their creative imagination.

3. Choose toys according to the gender
Sometimes it might happen that a baby boy may not like the toys that a girl likes, so before purchasing toys for them always keep this in mind, boys are more focused towards cars, bat, balls while girls prefer dolls, books and other such things.

4. Choose toys that would develop their imagination
Children are very different from adults, they love creative things and fun filled toys. Give them some toys that would help to develop their imagination. You can give them toys which have blocks, sandbox toys and interlocking pieces, this would keep them busy as well as it would also give them the space to think on their own accord.

5. Some toys for toddlers that you can consider
Although there are various toys available for the toddlers in the market, some of the most educative ones are water play toys, push-pull toys, climbing structures, books with simple stories, puzzles, creative materials like paint and crayons, pedal toys, swings, wagons, cars, boys, musical toy boxes, counting stand and bean bags.

I am very sure that this article would help you to purchase safe and creative toys for your children.

Throwing a sports themed baby shower is becoming more and more popular, especially among young parents in their twenties and thirties. Not only are sports fan baby showers a blast, but they are also very easy to decorate for. You can really do a lot with a sports theme baby shower; from the food you cater to the decorations you use, sports themes are pretty easy to plan.

Although sports themed baby showers are usually held for baby boys, there is no rule that says that one cant have one for a baby girl. This theme is usually reflective of the parents more than the expected baby. Some young couples are huge sports fans, and decide to focus their baby shower on their favorite sport or team.

College graduates often decide to theme their babys shower after their college sports teams, and invite many of their fellow colleagues and friends. In fact, a sports theme is great for a coed or a couples baby shower. Sports themed baby showers can be focused on a specific sport, a favorite college or professional league team, or can be a general sports party.

If you decide to have a general, broad sports theme, you will have an easy time decorating the shower. Balloons, streamers, and decorative posters come in a wide array of shapes and sizes that have to do with sports. There are many football, basketball, baseball, and soccer decorations out there that you can find in party decorating stores. Balloons often come in the shapes of sporting goods like basketballs, soccer balls, footballs, baseballs, and baseball bats. For a sports medley theme, combine several of these balloons and arrange and distribute them throughout your party space.

A really cool idea that will really set a basketball atmosphere is to use basketball hoops that you can stick on the walls to decorate the place. Use black tape to form a court design on the floor, and buy toy basketballs that your guests can play with. You can even use these items to set up a mini basketball game. Everyone will definitely enjoy playing real basketball as a baby shower game!

For a baseball theme, use green and orange rugs to create a floor setting that resemble a baseball court. Use real baseball bases and set them up in the room. Have baseball and baseball bat balloons all over the room, and buy toy baseballs and baseball bats for a mini game.

You can use similar ideas for football and soccer. For instance, for soccer, set up a goal net and give out toy soccer balls to your guests. For football and soccer, you can use green rugs or a green floor overlay and white tape to create the illusion of a court.

Remember to hang up banners and posters to add to the theme. It is also good to have some pompoms on hand to give out to the girls. A cute idea for centerpieces and prizes are trophies. These will look fabulous on your tables and your guests will love to take one home!