realmccoytoys.com

05/28/2012

Pretend Play is such a huge part of our children’s lives. Our young children learn by imagining and doing. Have you ever watched your child pick up a twig and run around with saying watch out here comes a fast air plane? Then next thing you know that same twig is what your daughter is using to stir the mud and she says she is making a yummy pie. Your child is using an object to represent something else while giving it action and motion. But this pretend play is not as simple as it may seem. The process of pretending builds skills in many essential developmental areas. To use it seems so silly sometime but as you read this article I hope you will understand the importance of pretend play.
Helping Social and Emotional Skills
When your child engages in pretend play, he or she is actively experimenting with the social and emotional roles of life. Through pretend play with others, he or she learns how to take turns, share responsibility, interact with other children, and communications skills.. When your child pretends to be different characters, he or she has the experience of "walking in someone else's shoes," which helps teach the important moral development skill of empathy. It is normal for young children to see the world from their own cute point of view, but through maturation and pretend play with others, your child will begin to understand the feelings of others. Your child also builds self-esteem when he or she discovers they can be anything just by pretending! I wish sometimes we all thought as little children and understood what they do just pretend and we will be what we put our minds to.
Language Skills
Have you ever listened in as your child engages in imaginary play with his or her toys or friends? You will probably hear some words and phrases you never thought they knew! My daughter will have a whole conversation with herself while we drive down the road. The things she comes up with to say is beyond me. In fact, we often hear our own words reflected in the play of children. (Sometimes scary). Kids can do a perfect imitation of mom, dad, friends and the teacher! Pretend play helps your child understand the power of language. In addition, by pretend playing with others, he learns that words give him the means to reenact a story. This process helps your child to make the connection between spoken and written language a skill that will later help him learn to read.
Thinking Skills
While our children engage in pretend play it provides your child with a variety of problems to solve. Whether it's two children wanting to play the same role or searching for the just right material to make a house, or just the right rock for the door house k**b. Your child calls upon important thinking skills that he will use in every aspect of his life, now and forever. The more our children pretend play I believe the more they use thinking skills. Thinking skill are very important in everyday life.
There are so many ways to pretend play so take this time to go to www.realmmcoytoys.com and see many ways to help out your kids with pretend play. We have many different items to encourage your children with pretend play such as Melissa and Doug kitchens that will encourage you child to cook and play the roll of mom, workbenches that your sons will love to pretend to be dad building a wonderful work of art. Real McCoy Toys will have everything you want.

05/25/2012

Melissa & Doug food / birthday party cakes are a great birthday gift idea for any small child’s birthday. For my daughters second birthday her grandpa and grandma got her a wooden birthday party cake set. My first impression was "Oh! How adorable!" It looked like a real wooden cake with lots of fun pieces to decorate the top. Until my daughter opened up her birthday cake set did I realize how big the set actually was. Melissa & Doug birthday party cake sets come fully outfitted with birthday candles, a wooden cake cutting knife, a birthday cake, wooden decorations and wooden plates to serve the birthday cake on

05/09/2012

There is something very special about wooden toys. The quality of wooden toys really sets them apart and creates something very unique. Wooden toys and wooden train are not going to break the pain is not gong to chip as easy. There is just something so special when you give the gift of a wooden train or wooden toy.

Children’s wooden toys and wooden train come in a wide choice of styles these days. This includes traditional and modern toys designed to offer educational and play benefits. Wooden toys have been around for centuries and have never really gone out of fashion.

In recent times children’s wooden toys and wooden trains have become more popular for a very modern reason. Wooden toys and wooden train that are made from sustainably sourced wood are one of the most eco-friendly choices when it comes to children’s play toys. Any modern toys are made from plastic and other unsustainable materials. These can be harmful to the environment and can contribute to landfill. Also your kids can choke on the plastic that breaks off of the toys. Plastic toys are also difficult to repair if they have been damaged. This means that many toys are simply thrown away once they have been used.

Children’s wooden toys and wooden train are long lasting and can be repaired in many cases. Lots of toys are handed down through families and this makes them much less wasteful. I have toys that I grew up playing with and I have now given them to my teo children to play with.

Not only are wooden toys and wooden trains fun to play with and last forever. There are many educational wooden toys available for children as well. These can range from jigsaws and puzzles, wooden play kitchens, wooden trains, to wooden play food .This can bring a new level to children’s play and can make learning fun. Wooden toys can offer education benefits including: Encourage creative and imaginative play, Develop problem solving and team working skills, Develop spatial awareness skills, Enhance shape and color recognition for babies and very young children, Develop motor skills and hand-to-eye coordination.

Here is an example child learning how to construct simple shapes with wooden building blocks will develop balance, shape recognition and motor skills as they play. Combining this with a shopping cart in which they can push their building blocks around can also assist with learning to walk and improve spatial awareness.

There are many great children’s wooden toys and wooden train available for play. These can help entertain children and keep them interested and amused. There are so many great fun wooden toys available including wooden train sets, wooden dolls houses and more.

Wooden toys are lots of fun and can keep children happy for hours. Modern toys can often be noisy and over stimulating. This can encourage loud and overzealous play.
Wooden toys encourage meaningful play that will entertain children without disturbing other members of the household. The natural textures of wood toys stimulate the senses without over-exciting them. This helps to create a calm, quiet type of play in the home.

05/04/2012

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05/04/2012

His Toy, Her Toy

I remember when my daughter was born. Visions of her and I dressed in pinks and purples sitting in her lacy pink room playing dolls danced threw my head. A year later my son was born. My husbands vision of sports, race cars, motorcycles, and trucks went though his head like crazy not being able to wait to do these things with his little man.
Those dreams were simply that: dreams. Little did I know there are lessons for parents to learn about children's toys and who our children will be. We as parents have say but at times not as much as we may think. Let me tell you my husband and I sure learned.
My daughter plays with dolls. I believe s rather play with clay and gets her hands dirty. She plays in the dirt, climbs trees and races her trucks around. Don’t get me wrong she loves to play kitchen and stuff also but when it gets down to it she rather do boy things.
My son plays with trucks and builds with blocks, he colors and plays with choo choo trains. He also plays house with my girl's toys, rocking babies and feeding them. Its funny to watch.
There was a time my husband would bark to my son "Put down that doll!" until we came to the realization that play is really a child's preparation for real life. Our daughter was learning sportsmanship and how to be a team player from all the sports she played. My son was learning compassion and parenting skills from those dolls. It's amazing to me to watch my son with his baby cousin. I can see the compassion he has learned through us and his play, and I know some day he will be a good father. I see my daughter line up her friends and family for a game of kick ball. And I see how she has learned to take the lead and take charge. I know some day in whatever she puts her mind to see will be a success.
My message to parents is not to limit their child. Toys and sports are learning tools for life and they shouldn't carry a gender. Yes there are some girl toys and some boy toys but what’s wrong if they share the toys. I encourage you to not make boy play with blue and girls to play with pink your kids with there toys and let them play with what they like they are just learning.

05/02/2012

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05/02/2012

Ways to get kids outside during the summer
If you're at all like me, you remember childhood summers spent mostly outside. We played outside, ate lunch outside, swam outside and worked with our parents or grandparents outside. Summer was what I looked forward to with spending as much time as possible in the fresh air and sunlight.
Our children live very different lives in today’s society. To a lot of kids, summer now means the chance to catch up on TV programs, beat the latest video game, or sleep in as much as possible. I here of children sleeping into 11:00 or 12:00 it seem so wrong to me. If you'd rather your kids spend at least some of their summer outdoors, here are some suggestions for getting them out of their rooms. I have found them to be very helpful and hopefully by next summer they wont want to be in the house at all.
Go Outside as a Family
Instead of shooing your kids out the door, go outside with them. Take walks, kick a soccer ball, shoot some hoops, or just enjoy what the backyard has to offer. Some kids don't want to be outside alone or aren't sure what to do once they're there, but will have a blast if you take the lead and start an activity. And the bonus is, you get some outside time, too! My kids love quality time and outside in the summer they are sure to remember.
Sign Up for Sports
Find a summer league of your child's favorite sport and sign them up. If their favorite sport is indoors, challenge them to try something else, just for the out-of-school months. Most sports have "built-in" outdoors time, for practices and games. And you may find that your child wants to stay outside longer, playing with her new friends. I have played sports since I was 3 and loved every minute of it.
Find Something they Love
Different kids like different activities. If you have a swimmer, don't force him to play tennis. And if you have a reader, don't force her to play any sports at all (just let her take her book out with a blanket). Your kids will soak in some outdoor goodness whatever they're doing, so they might as well enjoy it. The more you force your kids to do things they don’t enjoy the less they will want to do what we are trying to get them to do.
Limit Screen Time
While your kids won't necessarily go outside when you set limits on their screen time, it will give them more opportunity to do so. When they can't access the things that distract them, most kids will eventually give the outdoors a shot. Imagine their surprise when they find out that they actually like it out there. Growing up I didn’t even have a TV it was great.
Walk Instead of Drive
Show your kids how to appreciate the outdoors by walking to do nearby errands instead of driving. While this won't always be practical, set up some times when it is. Even if a store is farther away than you would normally walk, take half a day and make it into a field trip. This gives you a chance to teach young children the rules of being a pedestrian, too.
Get Kids Together
While one kid may not want to play outside by herself and even two might entertain themselves indoors, getting several of them together means a good chance that they'll eventually end up outside. Even if they only venture out because you can't stand having them in your hair anymore, they're more likely to start a game when they're part of a larger group. Try to do this as offend as you can it really helps.
Have a Picnic
Most kids like to eat, and taking their food outside can be a great way to motivate them to follow. You can make this as complicated as you like, but it can also be as easy as setting down a blanket in your backyard and serving lunch outside. You can do this once or twice or make it a habit, and it might even motivate your kids to help you make lunch.However you get them out there, remember to help your kids enjoy their outdoors time. I truly hop this helps your children get outside and have a wonderful summer.

04/29/2012

Melissa And Doug Educational Toys
The Melissa and Doug Company is a Westport, Connecticut based company formed by husband and wife team Douglas and Melissa Bernstein. The business was started in 1988, and now has over 20 years behind it of providing sought after, quality children's products that have helped form lasting memories. Many of the products in their line of toys provide a valuable educational experience for young minds just learning about the world and their place in it.
There are several collections of learning mats. These are laminated maps that children can draw on which show images of common educational themes that children learn. There's an Alphabet and Numbers set of learning mats, which support their reading and numerical literacy. There's also a Basic Skills set of learning mats, which help children learn and reinforce such important skills as telling time, phonics, and handwriting. There's also a Math Skills set of learning mats, which help children to learn addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Many other mats are also available, including mats to teach about geography, the solar system, past US presidents, dinosaurs, and more.
Also available to stimulate young minds is a large selection of puzzles and other toys such as alphabet blocks and numbers blocks, as well as interactive toys like the alphabet puzzle book or the magnetic number maze. Chalkboards and Dry-Erase Boards are available to help children practice their writing, and there are a lot of wild animal shaped toys that allow children to learn about the animals in the world from far off places.
Also available from Melissa and Doug are classic games that encourage thinking and strategy like Chess and Checkers. Arts and Craft supplies are also available to help excite budding young minds. They also carry accessories to help young minds discover nature, such as binoculars, magnifying glasses, bug nets and bug houses, and little plastic snakes, bugs, and lizards. The Melissa and Doug Company are committed to helping young minds learn and grow in a variety of ways, and this is seen very clearly by the types of toys that they offer.
The Melissa And Doug company also carries several other lines of toys that are very popular, including Trunki, the adorably painted trunk on wheels that can be used as a storage bin, or as a piece of luggage that children can ride on so that they can have more fun in airports. Also available are stuffed animals, puppets, pretend kitchen utensils and tools, dolls, doll houses, memory frames, door plaques, castle sets, farm sets, rattles, sand box toys, picnic and camping accessories, and more.
All these wonderful lines of children's toys that support growing young minds make the Melissa and Doug Company a great source for any parents looking to provide their children with the best start possible. Laughter, learning, and fun are never in short supply when you've got toys made by the Melissa and Doug Company, helping families grow together for over 20 years with no end in sight.

04/24/2012

Quality toys for the thoughtful parent
Before my daughter, son and I had never heard of Melissa and Doug. Little-tykes? Sure. Playskool? Of course. Fisher-Price? Regularly. But I was a new comer when it came to Melissa and Doug. I thought to myself are they any good? Are they well made? Are they going to last? Well here is my story of our first Melissa and Doug toy.
For my daughters second birthday her grandpa and grandma got her a wooden birthday party cake set. My first impression was "Oh! How adorable!" It looked like real wooden cake with lot of fun pieces to decorate the top. That all attached with Velcro. It had bright colors and playful drawings. I had no idea that the brand was as large as it was. I soon stumbled upon Melissa and Doug at a used baby store that was local. There were shape stacking toys, blocks, wooden kitchen sets, wooden train and pull toys. All were of the same high quality materials and design. There are, of course, a whole lot more items. I wouldn't have the time to go into the whole list here. I was, and am still, though, impressed with the product. My kids love to play with them and 9 out of 10 times when they go to the playroom they come back with a Melissa and Doug toy.
My son is really rough on toys my daughter also is but not as much. Some other brands have given in to the torture, but all the Melissa and Doug toys have held strong. No paint chipping and no broken pieces. They've now been around for 20 years and you can find their toys all over the place. It's a great investment for the little person in your life. If you try there toys I truly believe you wont be disappointed.
www.realmccoytoys.com

04/21/2012

Of course stay-at-home moms deserve praise. Most mothers and fathers too, for that matter. We all deserve praise.
Unfortunately, at least since ever since I can remember, mothers who stay home have been demeaned and devalued.
They are considered to be either ill-informed at best, and incapable of even being informed (at worst), uneducated, incompetent, foolish and at the very least, the spoiled rich. Otherwise why would anyone make such a choice? When women leave their jobs to stay home with their children, it becomes a major life changing decision.
We need to praise stay-at-home moms because it's not an easy choice; it's a choice that society in general looks down on. A women without a least one graduate degree and an upwardly mobile career path just isn't worth talking to. At least that’s what our society today believes.
We need to praise stay-at-home moms because no one else does
We need to praise stay-at-home moms because no one else does. Their kids certainly don't. And sometimes their husbands are also unsure, negatively influenced by the noise of the world around them.
We need to praise stay-at-home moms because it's a lonely job. The kids are cute but the need for adult company is strong and frequently unsatisfied. To accept the loneliness in order to give your children stability and security is a hard decision. For me by the end of the week I was in desperate need of the conversation and companionship of adults!
We need to praise stay-at-home moms because it's not an easy job. It's physically draining -- you need to operate at high energy with little sleep. You get dirty, your kids get dirty, your house gets dirty...and your children don't stop moving. I mean never stop moving and never stop wanting.
We need to praise stay-at-home moms because they are constantly working on their character. The opportunities for lack of patience, frustration and losing your temper are frequent, perhaps every few minutes. We need to encourage one another being a stay at home more sometimes just drives you crazy….
We need to praise stay-at-home moms because they are creating the future. They are aware of what's at stake and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices. In fact the only thing that detracts from the praise of stay-at-home moms is the fact that we are the odd ones out in today’s society. If you tell someone you are a stay at home mom they look at you with the look so what do you do all day? Sometimes I would like to tell them trade me jobs and you will see. Even thought its hard and frustrating at times we all enjoy a lot as well.
Through the pains of mess and exhaustion, there is the joy of watching your children explore the world. Your daughter smelling a flower, pointing out the birdie, or meeting a new friend. There is the thrill of their first step and their further adventures of discovery. There is the excitement of their first word and the thoughts and sentences that follow. There is the gratification in watching their character develop -- in seeing them share with others, play with others, and even comfort others. If you pay attention, those pleasures never cease.
Everyone needs praise. But perhaps stay-at-home moms just need to change their focus. We need to focus on the benefits and not the challenges and frustrations. We get to watch our children's eyes light up when they see us, we get to hold their little hands as we play at the park with them, pushing them on the swings and catching them at the end of the slide. And we get those hugs and kisses and "I love you mama" at the end of the day. What can end our days better than that? Love you mama.

04/20/2012

Educational Toys

How do you know a good educational toy when you see one? Phonics toys, flash cards, math games, educational videos and software. . . so many toys are packaged as educational, but what should you know to help you choose what’s most appropriate for your child? One way experts teach us to think about educational toys is: do they promote convergent and/or divergent thinking?
Convergent Thinking
This is the ability to learn facts, follow instructions, and come to a correct answer. This type of thinking is fundamental to a child’s education, especially because these days so many educational opportunities are tied to performing well on standardized and multiple-choice tests. Educational toys that promote convergent thinking lead children to deduce a single correct solution. A jigsaw puzzle only goes together one way; each math flash card has a single correct answer; the right color for a pink pig will always be pink in a preschooler’s educational video.
Divergent Thinking
This is the thought process that explores many possible solutions, creates new ideas, and solves conceptual problems. Divergent thinkers are often designers, engineers, managers and leaders of all types, and generally are good at thinking outside of the box. Many educators argue that all children need a strong foundation in divergent thinking as well as convergent thinking. Educational toys that promote this kind of learning are craft and arts kits, educational toys that teach scientific and music concepts, and even role playing and costumes that encourage children to imagine and socialize in creative ways.
Construction Toys Are Among The Best Educational Toys Because They Promote Convergent And Divergent Thinking
Good educational construction toys promote convergent thinking while simultaneously setting the stage for creative, divergent play. Children follow instructions to build the building or model on the box. While they are following the instructions, they are gaining skill with the construction pieces. Completing the instructions (convergent thinking) gives them a sense of achievement and reinforces confidence. Often, this experience leads them to want to build their own ideas (divergent thinking) with the same building pieces they just finished using!

You’ve probably experienced that sense of pride and joy children feel when accomplishing a challenging convergent task, like completing a puzzle or finishing a LEGO model. Good educational construction toys harness that emotional energy and move kids right into divergent play. Of course, you have to be careful how you choose a ‘building toy’. So much of what’s available today are just ordinary educational toys masquerading as a construction toy. If the product you are looking at can not be easily reconfigured by a child to build their own ideas, it may help them with their convergent thinking, but it’s probably not a very good construction toy for teaching divergent skills.
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04/20/2012

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