Kidimoto Balance Bikes

We are really excited about these new balance bikes that we've got in from Kiddimoto.

We've got Cherry, Polka Dot and for all those budding Bradley Wiggins's out there, a mod-scooter version. There are also versions  including those featuring a Union Jack, Italian Flag and Stars and stripes (see images at the bottom of the page) available to order. You wont find a cooler bike!!

If you'd like to order one of these, give us a call or come in to the shop to see them and find out about availability. The bikes also come with matching helmets and gloves and we can order those for you if you'd like (again, see down the bottom for photos).

Knee Down Training on a Kiddimoto

What is a balance bike??

Balance bikes are a great way to teach your child balance and coordination from an early age.  They are basically normal bikes without peddles or brakes and provide a safe and effective method to provide freedom and develop your child’s motor skills from around 18 months- six years. I personally think that these Kiddimoto ones are perfect for children around 3-5.

No Brakes!!!

Dont worry, young children can't manipulate a brake anyway and the way that balance bikes are designed, your child’s feet should be in close contact with the ground

How do they work?

To function properly, a balance bicycle must be small enough that the rider can walk the bicycle while sitting comfortably in the saddle, putting both feet flat on the ground. The rider first walks the bicycle while standing over the saddle, then while sitting in the saddle. Eventually, the rider feels comfortable enough to run and "scoot" while riding the bicycle, then to lift both feet off the ground and cruise while balancing on the two wheels.

Why?

Manufacturers of balance bicycles say that children can learn to bicycle faster because they learn to balance and countersteer first and then to pedal later, and that stabilisers slow learning because kids become too dependent on them, acquiring bad habits.

Kiddimoto Balance Bikes

Kiddimoto bikes are a British design  with adjustable seats made from Birch Ply-wood, pneumatic tyres and beautifully decorated with non-toxic child-safe paint. Aimed at 3-5 year olds, they have been featured on BBC's 'Dragons Den' program and have won numerous awards including  a 'Hamleys' Toy Award, 'Toy Talk best ride-on', The Independent's 'Best Buy' and others.

Price
RRP for the 'Kurve' bikes is $110.
RRP for the Scooters is $199.
Free assembly for facebook fans/blog followers

Dragons Den

Top Ten Sellers September

It's been a while since we did a top 10 so I thought I'd let you know what's selling at the moment. As these are big sellers, the are all under $26.00. I'll try to put together a top 10 for toys/games over $26 at some point before Christmas.


 As is customary, I'll do this in reverse order:



 10 - Woodies Tony the T-Rex $24.95 (Ages 3+) The most popular of our Woodies collection, this posable dinosaur is made from sustainable Beech wood.

9- Owl Handbag $15.95 (Ages 6+) Very cute little owlet shoulder bag for girls, handy for carrying around note books, lip balm, hairclips and all those other girly things.

8 - Finger Printing Art Set (Fairy Tales) $19.95 (Ages 3+) This fun and unique art set helps you turn a simple fingerprint into so much more with face stamps, animal stamps and brightly coloured pencils. Each tin contains four coloured ink pads, 12 rubber stamps, and six coloured pencils so you can create anything from fun drawings to personalised greeting cards.

7 - Dress-up Puppies Kit $9.95 (ages 4+) This all-in-one craft kit includes for making your own sturdy paper-doll puppies by yourself or with friends! With three stand-up puppies, 3D dog houses, cosy dog beds and 69 glittery stickers, there's plenty of fun for everyone. Create these cute little puppies and then watch imaginations take flight!

6 - EverEarth Interchangeable Vehicle $25.95 (Ages 2+) The British company EverEarth has been a global leader in the design, supply and manufacture of inventive eco-friendly wooden toys and gifts for many years and this clever little interchangeable car is no exception.

5 - Voice Changer $15.95 (Ages 3+) The medium size sibling of the micro and large voice changers! The electronic Voice Changer is great for kids parties and playing tricks on friends! And kids will never grow tired of its FOUR different voice changing effects and 6 built in super-bright flashing LEDs that flash when you talk.

4 - Sound Machine $21.95 (Ages 6+) The Sound Machine is a hand held sound effects machine with 16 sounds! Sounds include: Applause, cheers, boo's, wrong answer, bomb dropping, gun shot, glass breaking, ka-ching, drum role, comedy punchline music, boing, idea ping, whistle, scream, fart and belch. Great for kids but also very popular in the office!!

 

3 - Sylvanian Families $8.95+ (Ages 3+) An all time favourite, these are just so cute.

2 - Ridley's 5 Magic tricks $24.95 (Ages 6+) Create a little magic with this ideal gift for budding magicians. The set includes 5 tricks; thumb tip trick, multiplying balls, magic rope, miracle dice and secret taper cards. Each trick come with it's own instructions on how to do the trick. This set is suitable for ages 8+.

1- Balloon Buddies $3.95


Textured balloon shaped animals where the bodies inflate to become an over weight version of the animal they represent. A lot stronger than a balloon: alligator,crocodile, frog, hippo, elephant and panda . What you blow into is actually either the snout of the animal.... or the other end .... which is faintly, er .... gross! These are great for party bags.

Feel free to leave a comment if you've got any of these and would like to recommend it.

Construction Toys - Part 2

Following on from Part 1, this blog shows some of the construction toys we currently have in the shop from simle stacking blocks for babies through to remote controlled wifi robots.


Lego The worlds most famous construction blocks; we have both boys and girls lego; from the big sets right down to the little sub $10 kits.

Andrea's Stage (Ages 5-12) $15.99

Heartlake Dog Show (Ages 5-12) $34.99

Creator Sports Car (Ages 6-12) $9.99

Check out the parents area of the Lego website for some really good articles on child development at various ages: http://parents.lego.com/en-us/ChildDevelopment/default.aspx




WEDGiTS (From $14.95) WEDGiTS are fun and challenging, multi-dimensional building sets. Early childhood age children are stimulated with the endless ways that soft, WEE WEDGiTS can stack and nest together. Pre-school children quickly learn the relationships between horizontal and vertical with Standard WEDGiTS. Elementary aged kids create everything from lifelike creatures to futuristic spacecraft with mini WEDGiTS.

Purple Set

WEDGiTS pieces can be nested, stacked, linked and wedged together to create hundreds of designs. Encouraging imagination, creativity and group participation, WEDGiTS offer endless hours of creative challenge and entertaining fun. WEDGiTS are so much fun, your child won’t realize you've selected the toy as a learning tool. Transluscent Deluxe Set

Translucent Deluxe Set

Recommended for children as young as one (refer to individual product descriptions), WEDGiTS have been earning awards for over a decade. Some of their most impressive honors include the 2002 Learning Magazine Teachers Choice Award; the 2001 Parents Choice Silver Honor Award and 1998 Parenting Magazine Toy of the Year Award.













Meccano Invented by Franck Hornby in 1898 in Liverpool for his children using screws and nuts, this is the original construction toy.

Spykee  ($59.95) is the first build-it-yourself robot controlled by computer via WIFI or from anywhere in the world via the Internet. SPYKEE has a webcam, a microphone, a speaker and two engines. It can move, see, hear, speak, take pictures, record videos, etc. It can detect intruders, and can play digital music. When its battery gets low, SPYKEE returns to its recharging base all by itself.

Sptkee Micro

Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG4nX5NlmcU










  Hama Princess and Heart Set $19.95 Encourage your daughter's artistic side with this Hama set includes approximately 1100 beads, 2 pegboards in a princess and heart shape, 2 bead supports, ironing paper, and instructions

Mobilo Solar (Ages 4+) $44.95 The Mobilo Solar Experience helps children play, build and learn with the sun. As soon as light falls on the solar panel of a helicopter, windmill or aeroplane it will start to rotate, even without batteries, wires and sockets. The perfect kit to start learning about alternative energy sources!

Automoblox One of my personal favourites, these are beautifully crafted cars that are a fantastic toy in their own right but are really fun to put together. The body comes in three parts that must be clicked together, then the wheels put on and finally the driver, passenger and windscreen. Challenging but not difficult, these will be cherished and handed down through the family. They are available in both the large and small formats.

How they fit together

Don't you want to drive this?

Hot Rod Set

Nanoblocks If your children are bored of Lego, try Nanoblocks. Because they are so small, you can get much more detail than you would with Lego. They come in 3 ranges - animals (koala, panda, elephant, rabbit and musical instruments (baby grand, synth, drums) (small packs at $14.95) and famous land marks and buildings (Eiffel Tower, Easter Island).

Bass Guitar

Clown Fish

Kennedy Space Centre

GeoMags Geomag is the brand name of a Swiss-made toy construction system created in 1998, consisting primarily of nickel-plated steel balls (spheres) and short connecting sticks with a magnet on each end (rods). With these two basic elements, a huge number of geometric shapes and structures can be built. Adding panels helps to form rigid structures. Models are constructed by magnetically connecting the rods and spheres together in a lattice formation. Homemade experiments show that each stick can produce up to roughly 4.116N of force when attracting iron. Builders report that construction of ceiling-high pendulums is possible. Structures can easily be built and taken apart making building complex structures relatively easy. Such exercises teach children important lessons about problem solving, creativity, and physics. Geomag was named the 2005 Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association. They are also a popular office executive toy and increasingly used in more serious mathematical and scientific presentations. Take a look on YouTube for lots of Geo Mag kits in action.

GeoMag Wheels $59.95

A new range of Gbaby shapes are soft-to-touch, washable and waterproof, making it the perfect toy at bath time or anywhere else around the home. Magnets are completely encased around tough plastic and all the pieces have rounded corners for extra safety.

Gbaby - $31.95

Sparkle T Space Time (new) 
At only $19.95, this very cute Australian designed space themed set includes rocket & rocket transporter, shuttle and launch pad, two satellites and satellite dish.










Zoob
TheZOOBMobile™ Racer ($37.95) features 37 ZOOB pieces in special colors designed for building vehicles, 4 wheels with rubber tires that work like gears, and 2 instruction guides, with creations such as a Mach 5 Racecar and a Lunar Explorer. Because ZOOB® pieces snap together so many different ways, kids can use their imaginations to create their own vehicles, and add on pieces from their ZOOB collections to make even more. The Racer is fully compatible with all other Infinitoy ZOOB pieces.

What makes ZOOB different from other building sets? The pieces move after kids put them together It's great for boys and girls Versatility—unlimited, open-ended building options Intuitive—fast to learn and easy to use Built-in educational value














EdToy Wooden Plane
The mission of EDTOY is not simply to make toys, but to develop innovative toys that can ignite dreams and bring a bright future for children. The EDTOY Magnetic Aeroplane (Ages 3-8) is a fun 8 piece wooden play set. This toy encourages creativity, development of spatial perception and problem solving in young children, by requiring them to build their own unique vehicle models. This set can be connected with other products in the series to create a wide variety of air, land and sea vehicles.

The best feature of this toy is it's "rotating magnetic technology", which allows you to build vehicle models like no other wooden toy. The pieces join together with unique rotating magnetic connectors that allow sections to rotate once connected. Comes presented in a environmentally friendly recycled cardboard box with peep through window. Great for gift giving. Made from solid Beech wood, sealed with non-toxic lacquer.  




Janod Stacking Pyramid From France's premier wooden toy creators, this is stacking tower from Janod is decorated with whimsical animal designs and comes with 10 different sized stacking pieces that store inside each other. Once the pieces are matched together an enchanting vertical play scene is created. The pieces can also be assembled like those of a pie. Made from heavy duty card, it is presented in a delightful gift box.

Wikki Stix Wikki Stix are made of hand-knitting yarn enhanced with a microcrystalline food-grade, non-toxic wax, the kind used in bubble gum and lipstick. They do not contain latex, gluten, nor peanut or other nut oils or byproducts which makes them an ideal creative activity toy for children with allergies.

How do they work? Simply stated…they stick! No glue, no paste, no mess. Just press them down with light fingertip pressure and they will adhere to almost any smooth surface. They are also easy to peel up and reposition so “mistakes” virtually disappear, which helps build self-confidence. There is no preparation, no clean-up, no mess. Press ‘em down, peel ‘em off… it’s that simple! Wikki Stix do not break or tear apart, but cut easily with scissors. Wikki Stix conform to all U.S. Consumer Safety Standards including ASTM D-4236 and F-963, as well as the European Standard BS5665/EN71. A few more details Wikki Stix appeal equally to boys and girls, and span a wide range of ages, from 3 to 103! They are perfect for quiet, independent play, or interaction with others. They help enhance learning through hands-on kinesthetic involvement. They stimulate the imagination and creativity in everyone! And.. there is no right or wrong way to play!





Quack Daisy Wheel Construction An easy way to create models, check out our Quack Construction range

Update:

We've now got in Plus Plus and Metal Earth constructions toys too. See our 'New Arrivals' blog from September 2013 for details.

Construction Toys - Part 1

Construction toys are any toys that allow the child to build using pieces that either connect together or stack on top of each other easily and are great for enhancing children's motor skills, handling capabilities, planning skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills and of course their imaginations. Many studies have shown the importance of this type of dynamic play the skills that are developed with this type of play. In Part 1 of this blog, we'll look at the developmental benefits of these sorts of toys. In Part 2, I'll list some of the construction toys and kits we have in the shop.

Construction toys and maths:

Block play is linked with better maths skills, too. A longitudinal study tracked kids from preschool to high school (Wolfgang et al 2001). Researchers found that 4-years who played with blocks in more complex ways were more likely to achieve high math scores in high school.
We might reasonably assume that the link is caused by higher IQs—-i.e., that smarter preschoolers are both more likely to engage in complex block play and more likely to achieve in high school math classes. But researchers found that the association remained significant even after they controlled for a child’s IQ.


Construction toys and problem solving

Psychologists recognize two major types of problem. Convergent problems have only one correct solution. Divergent problems can be solved in multiple ways.
Because kids can put together blocks in a variety of ways, block play is divergent play. And divergent play with blocks may prepare kids to think creatively and better solve divergent problems.

In one experiment, researchers presented preschoolers with two types of play materials (Pepler and Ross 1981).

• Some kids got materials for convergent play (puzzle pieces).

• Other kids were given materials for divergent play (chunky, block-like foam shapes).

• Kids were given time to play and then were tested on their ability to solve problems.

The results? The kids who played with blocks performed better on divergent problems. They also showed more creativity in their attempts to solve the problems (Pepler and Ross 1981).


Construction toys and socialisation

Research suggests that kids become friendlier and more socially-savvy when they work on cooperative construction projects. For example, autistic kids who attended play group sessions with toy blocks made greater social improvements than did kids who were coached in the social use of language(Owens et al 2008;Legoff and Sherman 2006). Other research on normally-developing kids suggests that kids who work on cooperative projects form higher-quality friendships (Roseth et al 2009).


Construction Toys and Language Development

In a study sponsored by Mega Bloks, researchers gave blocks to middle- and low-income toddlers (Christakis et al 2007). The kids ranged in age from 1.5 to 2.5 years, and were randomly assigned to receive one of two treatments.

• Kids in the treatment group got two sets of toy Mega Bloks—-80 plastic interlocking blocks and a set of specialty blocks, including cars and people--at the beginning of the study. The parents of these toddlers were given instructions for encouraging block play.

• Kids in control group did not get blocks until the end of the study. The parents of these kids received no instructions about block play.

• Parents in both groups were asked to keep time diaries of their children’s activities. Parents weren’t told the real purpose of the study--only that their kids were part of a study of child time use.

After six months, each parent completed a follow-up interview that included an assessment of the child's verbal ability (the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories).

The results?

Kids in the block group

• scored higher on parent-reported tests of vocabulary, grammar, and verbal comprehension, and

• showed a non-significant trend towards watching less TV

It’s not clear why block play had this effect. It could be that kids who spent more time playing with blocks also had more opportunities to talk with their parents. Possibly, the parents in the treatment group felt more motivated to report language improvements.

Alternatively, block-play itself might help kids develop skills important for language development--like the ability to plan and recognize cause-and-effect sequences.


In part 2 of this Blog, I'll show you some of the construction toys that we currently have in stock

Our Favourite Websites for kids

I've been meaning to post up some of our favourite websites for a while. So here they are. We'd love you to add some of your own favourites in the 'comments' section if you have any you'd like to share.

http://www.poptropica.com/

An inventive megasite for kids with a wholesome and slightly educational bent, it features quests, games and puzzles set on 20 themed islands, including Shrink Ray Island, Wild West Island and ones based on the Wimpy Kid and Peanuts franchises. As many as 10 million kids explore Poptropica each month.








http://chrisnanoblock.tumblr.com/

Get reviews and instructions on how to build nanoblocks and take a look at the amazing models that Chris Tan has created. Yoda, Elmo, Jack Skellington, Bananman, Pac Man, Snoopy...










http://wonderopolis.org/

The daily articles at the National Center for Family Literacy's Wonderopolis are allegedly educational and supposedly aimed at kids. Don't let that fool you. They're just plain interesting, and make for addictive reading even for those of us who are, in theory, all grown up. For example, "How Does an Eraser Work?" doesn't just explain how erasers work — did you know they usually contain vegetable oil? — but also reveals how people removed pencil marks before Englishman Edward Naime invented the eraser in 1770. (They used rolled-up pieces of bread.)


http://freerice.com/

Answer a question and for every correct answer, free rice donate 10 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program. WARNING: As well as feeding people, this game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades and job performance







http://horrible-histories.co.uk/
Nasty nuggets and foul fact aplenty!

http://www.eduweb.com/pintura/

Become an art detective and learn about the great masters of the past.















http://www.khanacademy.org/

In 2004, Salman Khan started tutoring his cousin over the Internet. In 2006, he began uploading educational videos to YouTube. And in 2009, he quit his day job as a hedge-fund manager to concentrate on Khan Academy, a sort of one-man university. Today the site offers his free lessons in thousands of highly visual 10-minute chunks. Math and science dominate, and students are the primary audience, but Khan is adding additional topics and welcomes adult learners. It's a remarkable undertaking — and with funding from Google and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it has a bright future.






http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

Yes, there are the requisite games to keep kids interested, but the People and Places section, Animals, Activities, Stories, and other educational links are where the good stuff is. This is a learning site up there with the best of them, and you’re kids won’t even know they’re boosting their IQ while browsing it.







http://funology.com/

Jokes (“Why did the cow cross the road? To get to the udder side.”); boredom busters like arts and crafts projects; games; magic tricks; wacky facts; and more make up this universe of pure childish fun. While the site is largely entertainment-based, it does have some interesting educational stuff thrown in for good measure. Check out the Weird Science section to find fun experiments to do with your kids that teach them about physics, chemistry, biology, weather, and more. There are also several kid-friendly recipes to get them involved in the kitchen. You can even search Funology’s content by age and type of activity to find content tailored to your child’s interests.







http://brainden.com

If you love puzzles, optical illusions and riddles, this is a good site. You'll find the answer to the classic lateral thinking puzzle below:
A man who lives on the tenth floor takes the elevator down to the first floor every morning and goes to work. In the evening, when he comes back; on a rainy day, or if there are other people in the elevator, he goes to his floor directly. Otherwise, he goes to the seventh floor and walks up three flights of stairs to his apartment.
Can you explain why?




http://www.britannia.com/history/h6f.html

Find out about all the Kings and Queens of England.










http://www.haringkids.com/

Wonderful interactive site by Keith Haring - activities, stories, animations and an addictive online colouring book.








http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/
Games, stories and updates on cbeebies TV shows for pre-schoolers.



http://www.kids.net.au/

A search engine for kid-friendly sites.




http://ALLdownunder.com/

A website full of fun facts and jokes about Australia.



http://www.topmarks.co.uk/
A useful reference site for all those homework queries