Webkinz: A New & Exciting Way For Kids To Play With Stuffed Animals

Josiah, my five year old, is very curious about the world around him and absorbs everything he sees and hears. His cousin, Michael, enjoys playing computer games and the older Josiah gets, the more he likes them, too. Being a mom who grew up in the 80s, they are so many new and awesome toys on the market these days, unlike anything we could ever even imagine back then. For example, have your children every played with Webkinz?

Michael has several Webkinz, but I never knew exactly what they were until recently, when we received two of the cutest little stuffed animals! We received the Rooster Webkinz and the Rockin' Bunny Webkinz. Not only are the Webkinz stuffed animals, but each of them contain a special code just for you to use via Webkinz World! Enter the code and interact with not only your animal, but others.

I made an account for the boys then we began the adoption process for their rabbit. I love how easy this was for the kids to understand and Josiah could do most of it by himself as the Goose told him what to do. If he could read, he could do it completely by himself, but I enjoyed being able to participate, too, and was curious. The boys were both huddled around the computer watching every second of it and Liam was especially excited about the Goose talking to him through each step. It was so cute!

 Liam decided on the name of our "Rocker Rabbit" and, so his name is now officially Petit (prounounced Pet-It) since he thought it was soft and like to pet it. Such a silly boy! After we named the bunny, we could read his biography.

Then came the final step! We officially adopted Petit! Liam and Josiah both love stuffed animals, so this is such a great way for them to interact with them via the computer.

Once these steps were finished, we could login to Webkinz World for the fun to really begin! This is when you can interact with your own pet, decorate, dress it up and much more. You can also meet other kids playing the game (or you can turn this feature off if you prefer).

Liam loves the rooster, which he named Doodle!

Josiah got to work on his own page first, which can be designed just the way he wants. The more you play on the Webkinz World website, the more you can learn about the games and things you can do. You can earn badges, too. I'm sure there is much more that we will find over the next few months because Josiah did not want to get off of the computer each time we played on the website! I can't blame him. It is really a fun way to play with stuffed animals and something I can do with the kids, too.

Josiah's page so far!

Not only can you play with Webkinz on the Webkinz World website, but you can also play via Facebook and now there is also an awesome new Webkinz Friends iPad App, so you can play on the go, too!

We've had a great time playing with our Webkinz so far and I know there is more fun to come... probably tomorrow morning since Josiah has asked every single day for play time with his Webkinz. He's never played with a toy like this before, so this is very new to him and he's very curious to learn more. Webkinz would make an awesome holiday gift for children 5+ and a great way to introduce them to the world of computer games and the fun they can have!

Have your children adopted a Webkinz yet? If so, tell me what they think! If not, this is definitely an item to consider this holiday season!

Be sure to check out these other great Webkinz links:

• Webkinz Twitter: https://twitter.com/webkinz
• Store Locator link:  http://bit.ly/WebkinzLocator
• Holiday Gift Guide Link:  http://bit.ly/HolidayWebkinz 

 
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Webkinz. I received a product sample and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Melissa & Doug 2012 Terrific Twenty Holiday Gifts

The holidays are nearing and we are so excited. We are huge fans of Melissa & Doug toys and products, so we had to share this with you! They have a fantastic list of twenty holiday gifts that are sure to please kids for the holidays.

We have several Melissa & Doug toys in our home, including the Trunki and their art easel. Both of these are used very often and the kids love them. The great thing is that you also have a chance to WIN Melissa & Doug toys. They are also celebrating a "20 Days of Terrific Twenty" Giveaways on their Facebook page. Beginning on November 6th, they will give away one toy from the Terrific Twenty list to at least one of their lucky Facebook fans! So, go to Facebook now and "Like" Melissa & Doug! You may just be a lucky winner of a great toy for your kids. Let me know if you win!



Plus to celebrate the Terrific Twenty list Melissa & Doug is having a “20 Days of Terrific Twenty” Giveaways on their Facebook page! Every day (starting November 6) they’ll be giving away one item from the Terrific Twenty list to at least one of their lucky Facebook fans!  So be sure to like Melissa & Dough on Facebook so you don’t miss out.

Bright StartsTM Having a BallTM Bop & Chomp GatorTM Review

Before Josiah was born, I remember registering for a variety of items for the baby shower. Of course, we registered for bottles, diapers and all of the essentials, but I also wanted some great toys for the kids. Many of the toys we chose ended up being Bright Starts because they were fun, stimulating with bright colors and sounds, as well as affordable. Since the kids have grown up with Bright Starts toys I was so excited when contacted to review the Bright Starts^TM Having a Ball^TM Bop & Chomp Gator^TM .

About the Toy

Have a boppin' good time with the Bright Starts^TM Having a Ball^TM Bop & Chomp Gator^TM !  Use the soft plastic mallet to pound balls through the openings, learn colors and be rewarded with flashing lights, music, and silly sounds!  

Features:

• Use soft plastic mallet to pound balls through holes, activating lights, silly sounds, and melodies
• Teaches colors, opposites, and cause & effect
• Open gator's mouth to release balls
• Can be used with or without the mallet

My Thoughts
I originally thought this toy would be perfect for my little nephew who is a little over a year old, but Josiah and Liam had a fit over it. Before I knew it, they had the box opened were trying to get the toy out, so how could I resist letting them play. The toy is recommended for children 6-36 months, so the great thing is that my nephew could enjoy playing with the Bright Starts^TM Having a Ball^TM Bop & Chomp Gator^TM and so can older children. Obviously this is the case since my 2 year old has to play with this toy every single day.

This is such a fun toy that provides delightful sounds and colorful lights for children. It's no wonder the toy is such a hit with the boys, even my 5 year old who enjoys showing his little brother what to do. They also love that the balls come through the gator's mouth!

As you can tell, we absolutely love this toy and it has become a quick favorite in our home, so we definitely recommend it for children 6-36 months! It would make a perfect gift for a little one.

Educational Insights GeoSafari Plankton Net #Giveaway

With summer here, we spend a great deal of time outdoors. We live up in the mountains and have a creek right in the backyard, so when we aren't vacationing at the beach, we can usually be found at the creek! This is why we were so excited to try out the new Plankton Net from Educational Insights. We love all the great educational products from Educational Insights and the GeoSafari Plankton Net is no exception!

About the Educational Insights Plankton Net

Millions of plankton live in ponds, lakes, and oceans. Take a closer look with the GeoSafari® Plankton Net! Toss the net into any natural body of water and sweep back and forth to collect plankton. Lift the net to examine them in the transparent bottle underneath or remove the bottle and attach the lid to share your finds with friends! Ages 8+

• Includes mesh plankton net with removable, transparent, magnified bottle with attached cap and laminated (waterproof) guide with plankton-identification chart
• Can be used in ANY natural body of water—fresh or salt
• Interactive activity encourages exploration and discovery
• Can be held with hands or used with rope for docks and boats

My Thoughts
This is the perfect item for kids who love exploring the outdoors! My kids love being in the water and they also love seeing what they can dig up from the sand and in their nets. The Plankton Net is so much better than the cheap nets we bought for them at the beach and they absolutely love it. The handle is just the right size for kids, so they can hold it and sweep back and forth through the water. You can easily attach the bottle to the net, catch some water and other items, remove it and explore your finds.

The boys and Ry were so excited to give the net a try in our river. Josiah actually found a tadpole that we kept for a day as a pet. Since they love digging in the sand, catching minnows and finding other little sea creatures at the beach, this is right up their alley! I can't imagine anything better for a day on the beach, at the lake or river. It's fun and helps kids easily explore the environment around them!

You can purchase the GeoSafari Plankton Net on the Educational Insights website for only $24.95! Their are also many other GeoSafari products that are amazing. We will be reviewing the GeoSafari Ant Factory!

Would you like a chance to win? 

K'NEX Silly Monsters Building Set Review

When Josiah was less than two years old, he received his first set of blocks. Immediately he learned how to snap them together. Since then, his love of blocks, snaps and puzzles has grown greatly. He can spend hours playing with these types of toys and enjoys a good challenge. We received K'NEX Silly Monsters Building Set to review and this was definitely right up his alley.


About the K'NEX Silly Monsters Building Set
Encourage your child's creativity as he builds and plays with his funny silly monsters! With 23 pieces including rods, connectors, and personality parts including toes, curls, and eyes, your child can build his own monster creation! Building set comes in an easily portable box with handle so that you can take the fun with you! Encourage your child's imagination with five suggested alternate builds.


My Thoughts
I was honestly excited when I saw this set in our K'NEX review box. These little monsters looked so cute and with the 23 pieces, there are many different creations to make. There was a little instructional sheet with the set, which provided several outlines for monsters, but these are so simple to snap together, the boys were both able to figure out how to create their own monsters in no time.

We had a great time with these monster-building pieces that we played for over an hour and I'm sure they would have kept playing if it hadn't been nap time! Josiah has played with them several times since.

The box says 3+ and I think that's about right. Liam is 2.5years old and just a bit too young to snap them by himself. By the age of 3, he'll definitely have better hand-eye coordination to do it himself. As you can see, we all had a great time with the K'NEX Silly Monsters Building Set. It's quickly become one of our favorites.

You can purchase the K'NEX Silly Monsters Building Set on the K'NEX website for only $10.99! That's a great deal for hours of fun with the kids. This is definitely one to purchase!

Summer Block Party #14: Backyard Safari Outfitters Review & Ultimate Giveaway

Summ

Do your kids love being outdoors? I know mine could stay outside all day and night if I let them. Kids love to explore the world around them and Backyard Safari Outfitters helps them taps into that natural curiosity. With a variety of products aimed at educating and promoting outdoor fun, the possibilities are endless!

Backyard Safari Outfitters has everything you need to get you geared up for plenty of fun outdoor adventures!

Our gear is rugged, fully functional and made for use in the field year-round. Whether your safari takes place in the park, at the campground, on the beach or even your own backyard, you’ll be geared up and ready for action!

My Thoughts

I knew my son would love Backyard Safari Outfitters products because he'd seen several of them at Wal-Mart, Target & Kohl's. Everytime he sees something different, he adds it to his list of must-haves. We received a fun package full of Backyard Safari Outfitters items, including:

• Backyard Safari Binocs 
• Backyard Safari Cargo Vest 
• Backyard Safari Telescoping Pocket Spyglass
• Backyard Safari Adventurer Kit (includes a water-tight case, rugged mini-lantern, field guide & retractable carabiner)
• Backyard Safari Megaview Periscope

Megaview Periscope

You should have seen Josiah's eyes when this package arrived! He put on his vest, put the binocs around his neck and loaded himself down with everything he could before going outside that day. It was hilarious! I have been very surprised at the durability of these toys. They are seriously heavy-duty and can keep up with the wear and tear of a child. The lantern has been dropped down the stairs twice so far and it still works like new.

Josiah's two favorite Backyard Safari items are the lantern and the periscope. The lantern has to accompany him everywhere, indoors and outdoors. He uses it as a nightlight and for camping in his tent. The periscope is something he'd seen on submarines, so he finds this to be so cool. It's also taller than him when extended. We've used it to spy out the window and to see under the water in the pool. He's very excited to take it to the beach with us so we can spy on all the underwater creatures.

He really wants a bug vacuum and received a Critter Shack for his birthday! Pretty soon we'll have the entire line! After checking out the Backyard Safari website and all the gear, I'm pretty sure Josiah will want several other items, too, including the Camouflage Net and the Dino Caller.

Not only are these items great quality, but they provide hours of fun AND are affordable! Most items are $20.00 or less except the much bigger items. I'm really impressed with these products and hope they keep releasing fun and educational products for children. Believe me, these will be a hit in any household!

Win It

One Lucky Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Win A HUGE Package of Backyard Safari Goodies, including:

• Backyard Safari Binocs ($14.99 RV)
• Backyard Safari Cargo Vest ($19.99 RV)
• Backyard Safari Adventurer Kit (includes a water-tight case, rugged mini-lantern, field guide & retractable carabiner) ($14.99 RV)
• Backyard Safari Megaview Periscope ($24.99 RV)

Total Package Value: $75 Worth of Fun!

How To Enter

Take A Look At All the Fun Backyard Safari Outfitters Products & Leave A Comment Below Telling Me Which One You'd Love To Have!

**Remember to include your email address if it is NOT visible in your profile so I will know how to contact you! The initial entry is mandatory! Be sure to answer that question before earning extra entries listed below! Each bullet is worth one extra entry unless specified. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry you earn and include your email address is at least one entry.

Additional Entries

• "Like" Backyard Safari Outfitters on Facebook!
• Follow Backyard Safari Outfitters on Twitter!
• Follow CTM via GFC (leave username in comment)
• "Like" Children Teaching Mama on Facebook
• Register for the CTM Newsletter On Left Sidebar
• Follow CTM on Twitter (leave twitter name in comment)
• Follow My New Blog "Deal"irious Diva via GFC for daily deals & freebies!
• Grab the newest CTM button and place on your blog/website (leave url in comment)
• Tweet (up to 2x daily) by clicking the Tweet button below: (leave url to tweet):

Tweet

Plenty of opportunities to increase your chance of winning! This Giveaway is open to US Residents and Ends Wednesday, June 27th at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be drawn by random.org. An announcement will be made on the blog and the winner will also be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen.

Summer Block Party %11: Magic Cabin Review & &50 Giveaway

I am a huge Magic Cabin fan, so I was so excited to finally write a review for them. Magic Cabin is a wonderful online store dedicated to providing toys and items that promote creativity and imagination. Their variety of items immediately sets them apart from other online shops that are simply "toy stores".

The Magic Cabin Story (from website)

Working Pulley Toy

From our humble beginnings in 1989, to our full-color, full-size catalog of today, Magic Cabin has been guided by the simple notion that children's lives are enriched by ample time for open-ended, creative, imaginative play. We believe in good-old-fashioned make believe and in children's innate need to interact with simple, natural toys and crafts.

While childhood becomes endangered we pioneer towards protecting this special time in life by conscientiously selecting products that are beautiful and enchanting, sturdy and safe, and best of all, FUN. 

My Thoughts

We received the Camping Tent for review and the boys were delighted. They received it for Easter and have not stopped playing with it since. As soon as I took it out of the box for the first time, I realized just how much I would love this tent, too. It has "one-touch technology", which means, the springs help the tent pop up and stay in place with a simple shake. It's easy to set up and ready for all-day play!

The Camping Tent is also very versatile, making it great for indoor and outdoor play. The netting at the top makes the tent well ventilated and the fabric is UV-treated and 30 SPF-coated! We've taken this tent indoors and outdoors. With its included tote, it's very easy to take with us anywhere. I can't wait to use this when we go to the beach! With all of the play, the tent still looks brand new, so it's very sturdy, too. Plus, it's very roomy considering both my husband and I have gotten inside to play with the kids.The little side-door is fun for them to crawl out of, too. Liam was so excited when he made that discovery. I also like that you can tie the flaps back in the front so you can see out of the tent. I really can't say enough about it!

Liam loves playing in his tent!

Buy It

Purchase the Camping Tent Today for Only $59.98!

Win It

One Lucky CTM Reader Will Win A $50 Gift Credit To Magic Cabin! Yay!

How To Enter

Take A Look At The Magic Cabin Website And Comment Below About What You'd Like To Purchase If You Win!

**Remember to include your email address if it is NOT visible in your profile so I will know how to contact you! The initial entry is mandatory! Be sure to answer that question before earning extra entries listed below! Each bullet is worth one extra entry unless specified. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry you earn and include your email address is at least one entry.

Additional Entries

• "Like" Magic Cabin on Facebook!
• Follow Magic Cabin on Twitter!
• Follow CTM via GFC (leave username in comment)
• "Like" Children Teaching Mama on Facebook
• Register for the CTM Newsletter On Left Sidebar
• Follow CTM on Twitter (leave twitter name in comment)
• Follow My New Blog "Deal"irious Diva via GFC for daily deals & freebies!
• Grab the newest CTM button and place on your blog/website (leave url in comment)
• Tweet (up to 2x daily) by clicking the Tweet button below: (leave url to tweet):

Tweet

 Plenty of opportunities to increase your chance of winning! This Giveaway is open to US Residents and Ends June 22nd at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be drawn by random.org. An announcement will be made on the blog and the winner will also be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to my email or another winner will be chosen.