We are vacationing in Florida this week and we always go to Park Avenue, a hip outdoor shopping area in Winter Park to browse the shops and play in the park. Today we went in a cute little shop on Park Avenue called Lighten Up! (here is their Facebook page) where Sebastian got a Hexbug Nano, a tiny robotic creature that looks and acts like a bug.. really. Sebastian has had a few regular size Hexbugs in the past and loved them so I figured spending $9.99 for a Hexbug Nano at Lighten Up! (can be found for the same price or less at Amazon.com here) would be a pretty good investment especially since I didn’t bring any toys for the kids on this trip. Oops!
Blue Hexbug Nano - picture from website
After the toy store we went to lunch where we had lots of fun watching Sebastian’s new Hexbug Nano try to find its way out of various paper napkin, silverware, and menu mazes. The Nano made music for us when it kept bumping into the silverware. It was really funny. I don’t think the other restaurant patrons found it as funny as we did though.
You can watch a video of Hexbug Nano’s in action on the Hexbug website here.
Here is a video of Sebastian playing with his Hexbug Nano. It moves so fast that I had a hard time getting a good video, but you’ll get the point.
Madelyn and Sebastian were so excited when they saw the Playmobil Wild Life Care Station(amazon.com link). Both of my kids, ages 10 and 4, love this Playmobil set and let me tell you.. I love it too.. not only because it’s super cool but because it actually occupies both of my kids for longer than 15 minutes at a time. It’s a rarity that we have a toy that both kids enjoy playing with.. and playing together.. that’s even more rare! Thanks Playmobil!
Playmobil Wild Life Care Station
Upon opening the box, I was a bit surprised to see so many pieces and that it required assembly and wished I had opened it when Madelyn wasn’t around butPlaymobil includes a tool that makes assembly a snap (literally) and Sebastian put the set together almost by himself and it didn’t take as long as I thought it would. The set wouldn’t be nearly as fun if it didn’t have so many pieces, so don’t let that hold you back from buying a super cool Playmobil set moms! Your kids will love it and so will you. This set or another Playmobil set really will occupy your kids for hours and during the summer months when the kids are out of school, anything that occupies the kids so we can get a few things done, is a mom’s best friend.
What I think makes Playmobil Wild Life Care Station(amazon.com link)so amazing is the detail. Not only the detail of the Wild Life Care Station building but in what’s included in the set. I can’t tell you how many times Sebastian and I looked at each other and said “this is so cool!” while we were putting it together.Teeny tiny milk bottles that the people can actually hold, bandages to put on the animals, scissors, and a hanging lantern are just a few of the detailed items that come with the Playmobil Wild Life Care Station. Speaking of teeny tiny.. keep in mind that this set is best suited for kids ages 4 and up. The giraffe, zebra, and rhinoceros’ head is movable/posable making for fun life-like poses and positions like what you’ll see in the photographs below.
Browse through the photo slideshow below to see the different components included in the Playmobil Wild Life Care Station.
Playmobil has lots of big play sets that your kids will love including a Horse Farm, a Ghost Pirate Ship, and a Hospital.
I am really enjoying the kids Playmobil set and what I am very excited about is that there are tons of ways to add onto any Playmobil set with accessories like people, cars, and animals. I know what I’ll be asking for for the kids birthdays now! 🙂
Do you spend money on toys and games only to find them in the garage a couple of weeks later?
For example, my 10 year old son really wanted Bakugan. He has several Bakugan and played with them quite a bit for about a week. Since then he doesn’t know where more than 2 of them are and when I ask him to get them out and play with them he says they are not fun to play with without a friend. My 3 year old plays with toys, games and arts & crafts a little more than my 10 year old but switches between them often. She’s 3 so I understand that’s normal. My thought is that my 10 year old has too many toys and can’t decide which toy or game to play with so he’d rather sit and stare and the ceiling, roll a ball, or torment his sister.
Oh, he did play with his slinky for a long period of time this morning. A grand total of about 40 minutes over the course of 4 hours. Ugh, it’s so frustrating having to constantly remind a 10 year old that he has toys to play with!
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that the kids love rolling a ball, coloring, and reading. The good thing is that when I pull the toy or game out a month later it’s like new and they play with it for a while again. When I think about it, the toys they really wanted are worth the money spent because they are like new over and over again. It’s just that I thought the kids would stick with a toy they begged for longer than a week. I think I was wrong!
So what do your kids play with regularly? Toys (what toys), games, blocks, food (ha!), other something else?
The Apple Grove Pals Farm Playset includes three farm animals, Pig, Cow and Zebra, each with fun interchangeable hats. Madelyn’s thinks it’s really funny when she puts Cow’s hat on Pig and Pig’s hat on Zebra, etc.. Hilarious.
The Apple Grove Pal characters are young, which allows children to more readily escape into the world of make-believe. The Farm Playset has some exciting features for young hands, including a fun elevator and slide in the grain silo, barn doors that swing open, buttons that make farm animal sounds and more! The Farm Playset (and every Apple Grove Pals item) comes with a storybook that teaches children an important moral and social lesson, which plays an important part in a young child’s development.
One problem that Madelyn has run into is that the elevator will come out of the track sometimes.
Where are the photographs of Madelyn playing with Little Tikes Apple Grove Pals Farm Playset? Well, I took the original photographs when my Dad was in town from Florida and they are on his camera! Oops. I am going to try to get some shots of her playing with the playset later today and will post them then.
Where can I buy it?Amazon.com How much is it? SRP: $34.99 What age is it for? Ages 18 months and up.
Walk along balance bikes seem to be popping up on playgrounds and parks across the country. I was first drawn to the Skuut bike because of its to the clean, modern design. My husband, an avid cyclist, has had his eye set on one of these for our daughter even before she could walk. The benefit of these bikes is that they help to boost a child’s self confidence as they learn to balance and ride a real bike on their own.
There are several models on the market and including the original design made in Germany, the “Like a Bike” (shown above, top) that has inspired similar wooden bikes. The Like a Bike features pneumatic wheels that are not supposed to scuff floors for indoor riding and are priced at around $300. It also features birch frame construction and a boatload of really cool accessories including saddlebags and a wooden wagon trailer.
The Wooden Balance Bike by Smart Gear (second from the top) priced at about $100 is the most eco-friendly of bunch. The company uses rubberwood harvested from a replenishible source, formaldehyde free glue, non-toxic paints and lacquer and the carton is made from recycled paper with water-based ink. The tires are inflatable and are PAC-free. This model also features a clean, modern design and sports a cut out handle for easy lifting.
The Skuut Wooden Balance Bike also features pneumatic tires and assembly is estimated at 10 minutes to simply attach the handlebars. Another beautifully designed bike this one comes in one style/color only. It is priced at approx $90.
I am leaning towards the Smart Gear model as it comes in a red model styled for girls and I try to buy eco-friendly toys made from renewable or recycled resources as a general rule. This one is also priced moderately. The holidays are coming up soon, so it’s best to stock up on your gifts now before they are sold out. Last year I was disappointed when the Green Toys recycled plastic tea set was sold out. This year, I vow to do my holiday toy shopping early.
. Both of my kids, ages 10 and 4, love this Playmobil set and let me tell you.. I love it too.. not only because it’s super cool but because it actually occupies 
