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Entries in Educational toy (5)

Thu, March 11
2:00PM

Animated DVDs from Tinkle Junior to answer all the WHYs!


Why? oh Why? Oh Why? 

Why is the Elephant so big? Why does the Tiger have stripes? Why this, and why that….My son has entered into the “WHY” phase in a big way! I am, of course, answering his questions to the best of my ability while trying to be as educational as possible, but there are times when I just want to scream “Why me?”

Kids have so many questions and you realize that sometimes you’re not sure of the answers yourself as we tend to take so many things for granted. The crucial thing is to encourage questions and independent thinking, and in the same breath provide the right answers. Can you see the “Help Wanted” sign flashing furiously on my forehead?

Lets face it, we could all use some help in the answers department. Luckily for me, with the questions on animals, I found some fun help! ‘Tinkle Junior Animated Series’ a series of DVD’s which ASK and ANSWER questions like  “Why does the Lion have a Mane?” “Why does the Polar Bear live on Ice?” or “Why does a Hyena Laugh?”. Each question is followed by a couple of funny guesses for example…Why does a dolphin jump?

Is it..

..because he wants to show some gymnastics?

..because he wants to fly in the sky?  

which also gives the kids time to think of their own answers and then the correct answer is explained.

The animation is simple but lovely and there are 13 questions or episodes in each DVD. The series includes Forest Animals, Birds and Aquatic Animals, Exotic Animals and Neighbourhood Animals.

My son (4 and a half) and his friend (5yrs) enjoyed it and understood it (I quizzed them after). Simple, lovely and will teach even you, a thing or two; definitely a good buy and good to gift too.

 

Priced at Rs.145 and available at most bookstores and toy stores.

Available online -http://shopping.indiatimes.com and  http://shopping.sify.com; http://www.amarchitrakatha.com

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AuthorSwati | CommentPost a Comment | | |
Mon, October 12
4:21PM

Mera Bharat Mahaan

National integration is all very well, but the way our kids are taught about the country and her diversity leaves pretty much everything to the imagination. So imagine how refreshing it was to pick up a copy of Amazing India, a sort of funky ready-reckoner about all the Indian states from Kashmir to Kerala and everything in-between.

Sprinkled with innovative and fun hand-drawn illustrations, the book delves into cultural, political, geographical and mythical details about different states. Besides the usual information (itself presented in an easy-to-read and well written way that every kid will lap up) there’s interesting little bits of trivia encompassing topics from The Jungle Book to the Chipko movement, to Kathakali and Olive Ridley turtles. I’m so often asked questions by my nephews and nieces about India and now I know what to hand them whenever I’m at a loss for an answer (and guess who’ll be reading over their shoulders).

One of the nicest bits about this vibrant book is the scrapbook making ideas at the end, an activity that is sure to inspire a child to many journeys of the mind. And of course, instill a certain pride in, and provoke preservation of the treasures of this amazing country we inhabit.

What a perfect gift! 

Amazing India- A State by State Guide, By Anita Vachharajani and Amit Vachharajani, published by Scholastic. Available from most large bookstores like Crossword, Landmark, Odyssey etc. Scholastic school exhibitions will have it on sale. 

 Rs 250/- for the paperback edition and 350/- for the hardback edition

4 lucky winners can win a free copy of this book. Check out the Contests and Give aways section and enter now! Contest open until midnight, Tuesday, Oct 27.

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AuthorRuchika | Comment3 Comments | | |
Sat, June 13
12:00PM

Jiggety-Jig-Jig-Jigsaw

I’ll let me boys do anything to keep busy. Well, almost anything, because I do draw the line at insect-munching and WWF training. But, right now, I’m talking toys.

Yes, given the demand-and-supply relationship that our kids try to maintain with us when it comes to toys and video games (separate post on that soon!), most of our households are full to bursting with toys of every conceivable desire there is. My boys’ room resembles Santa’s closet of World-Weary and Thoroughly Trashed Playthings. While the flavour of the month is treated with reverence, older objects lie dejected, neglected and sadly unplayed in various corners of the room. (Or are they secretly happy that they don’t have to be rough-handled anymore?)

Well, the truth is that my boys extract maximum pleasure out of their toys. And, I say this happily, especially out of their educational toys as well. Top on our list is jigsaw puzzles.

The offerings from FRANK, which come under their ‘Play and Learn’ series, are great to start with. The pictures are gorgeous and colourful and the starter sets, for age three and up come in a cute small box, with a set of three puzzles; one 4-piece, a 5-piece and a 6-piece.

I got my elder son addicted to puzzles at the tender age of two-and-a-half. Now it’s the younger one’s turn.

And you know what I love best about them, apart from the fact that they’re educational? That they can buy me some peace and quiet as they sit down in silence and try to figure them out!

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AuthorBaisali | CommentPost a Comment | | |
Wed, June 3
10:45PM

Let's do a 'Jig'saw

Frank Puzzles

With the current trend of trying to make every toy that passes under your child’s nose ‘educational’; nothing beats a good old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle. I looked this up and according to experts, doing jigsaw puzzles develops several functions of the brain. Your child is basically enhancing his or her ability to reason, deduce, analyze, sequence, and develop logical thought and problem solving skills. Physically too, the  eye-hand coordination and spatial awareness are also used and developed in doing a jigsaw. Whew!

So with that established, let me come to the ones my son loves, Frank Jigsaw Puzzles. They are durable (very important, I am even passing them down to my niece), well made and available in a variety at your local toy store. Their ‘First Puzzles’ range have 4-6 jigsaw pieces and are aimed for 3 years and above, though I got it for my son when he was 2, so don’t go strictly by what they recommend. There are naughty monkeys, chubby elephants and cute lions. The number of pieces and the subjects increase with the age bracket. You’ve got lots to choose from; ‘Opposites’, ‘What Animals Eat’, ‘Jungle Book’ and my son’s current favorite ‘Dinosaurs’.

I know that all kids will love them cause I’ve seen them fighting over which one they are going to do! Once done, you can see the sense of accomplishment evident in their proud and beaming faces. I buy myself a lot of time with each puzzle.

Do a jig, try them out.

They are available everywhere. Really!

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AuthorSwathi | Comment1 Comment | | |
10:03PM

Leaping Frogs!

The Leap Pad from Leap Frog

The summer heat is simmering down to make way for the beautiful rainy days that I love, but that also means an end to those fun-filled outdoorsy days. The monsoon is a challenging time for the mom in me, as it means conjuring up fun indoor activities to keep my four-year-old active and not begging me to turn on the telly. 
I have an incredible ally for these times in the Leap Pad from Leap Frog. It is captivating, fun, and (sshhhh…) educational. It is a very portable 10”x11” laptop with an inbuilt speaker and a “magic pen”.  Sets of cartridges along with corresponding books are then available as sets, which cover different subjects and have different popular children’s characters in the lead roles. Thomas the Tank Engine, Nemo and Winnie the Pooh are all your co-conspirators in enabling your child to learn while having fun. 
The “magic pen”, attached to the Pad by a wire, is the key to unlocking stories, activities and games that surreptitiously infuse math, phonics and facts into your pre-schooler’s world. The colorfully illustrated pictures all have sound bites that are engaging and very real. 
The pen can be used to read the stories as a narrative or word by word. I love this feature, as this is what makes the Leap Pad a very usable toy for the years in which your child transitions from learning his alphabet to reading on his own.
You’ll be amazed how the hours roll by with a couple of books!
Leap Frog toys are available at : apple of my i, 2985, 12th Main Indira Nagar, HAL II Stage, Bangalore-560038.

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AuthorSwathi | CommentPost a Comment | | |