Handcrafted Wooden Marble Run – Double

Unique old-fashioned wooden marble run imported from Europe. Two wooden balls race down the wooden track and the first one will ring the bell.

This marble run is great gift for every child. The marble run is great decoration also.

More details at Petra Toys online shop.

Traditional Children’s Toys

Have you ever seen a child in a room full of the latest toys and found the child to be playing with old fashioned children’s wooden toys that were a big hit when you were young? What is it about this sight that is so comforting? Is it because the child’s wooden toy makes us feel nostalgic or is there something else at play here? In our world of plastic throw-away goods it is comforting to see lasting goods lasting. It is especially comforting to see goods which are felt to be worthy enough to be passed on from generation to generation. The latest gadget on the latest toy has not made traditional children’s wooden toys any less desirable to children, or even to adults for that matter.

Children’s wooden toys are toys which are made using a natural product as opposed to a product like plastic which is a product that we are trying to recycle but nevertheless remains a product which costs less to produce new than to recycle. If a child’s wooden toy is made from a sustainable forest that’s even better as it is actually helping out our troubled environment. This is only one of the reasons we feel better towards wood than towards plastic. There are also many emotional reasons why wooden toys feel better.

Children’s wooden toys are one of the products which have lasted centuries. The latest plastic toy has not made wooden toys become obsolete. In fact, in our world of fast technological change it is the simple design of children’s wooden toys which continues to capture the interest of children from infants and toddlers all the way to the early teen years.

Children’s wooden toys have always been popular. The first children’s toys were probably made of wood. Old fashioned children’s wooden toys are being played with today as much as the latest toy trends. Children’s wooden toys will always be popular. Children’s wooden toys are creative, pleasant to the touch, long lasting and can be painted in wonderful colors.

Petra Toys online shop is your source of traditional toys imported from Europe.

How Much Activity Is Too Much?

Should your child go for the football practice 5 days a week? Are 3 days enough? It is common for parents to be a little confused when it comes to deciding how much is too much with reference to after school activities. They argue that since most of the activities are fun (as different from studies), children will simply lap up these classes. But, too much of fun can also make a child sick. Here is a simple guide that will help you decide how much is too much for your child.

Kindergarten:
Your child is just beginning to learn to interact and get used to discipline. His or her after-school life should be simple and carefree. One or two classes per week are enough at the beginning. Once the child settles down, look for more challenging activities like a music program.

Grade 1:
One or two activities per week, play dates and playground visits are recommended. Avoid competitive sports activities. The child is still too young to have to worry about winning and losing. After the rigors of a full day at school, he or she needs a healthy outlet for pent up energy. Physical activities and noncompetitive sports are best for this age.

Grade 2:
Your child is old enough to voice opinions on what activities he or she wants. Sports, skating, swimming or computers – steer him towards things he likes. Many children begin lessons on a musical instrument around this age. But, allow your child some ‘alone time’ during which he can unwind and just do whatever he wishes.

Grade 3:
Socialization begins to take center stage. Team sports are a good choice. Developing motor skills, painting, drawing etc are good too. Let the child explore areas of interests. But leave aside enough time for the family and for fun activities.

Grade 4:
At this age, the child will tell you what he likes. He needs to get involved in activities that will boost his confidence. This will also help him manage stress as this is the time when social pressure is beginning to build. But, beware of the homework demon. Your child needs more time with his studies. Balancing his schoolwork with other activities is very important.

Grade 5:
The fifth grader is bubbling with energy and will want to do just about everything. But she or he may conveniently push studies to the background. So, close supervision is needed. Keep one or two days free for family time and other activities. Now is a great time to get your child interested in community service.

Middle school:
Steer him away from TV. Get him engaged in activities that reinforce learning. Academic performance can be improved by encouraging your preteen to join clubs like the Girl/Boy Scouts program, language clubs, chess clubs etc. As a thumb rule, 16-20 hours a week of extra activity should be more than enough. But look out for signs of burnout.

What you select for your child and how long he should work at it is basically decided by the child’s temperament. As a parent, you should closely observe your child and base your decisions on feedback from the child himself.

By: Thomas Jackson

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Thomas Jackson is a proud contributing author and writes articles on several after school subjects. You can read more of Thomas’s articles at After School Activity located at www.afterschoolactivity.info

What You Should Know About Preschool Daycare

Preschool daycare is normally where little tots between the ages of 3 & 6 are enrolled to learn how to act together with other kids there own age while their parents are at work. Nevertheless, preschool daycare can also be carried out in one’s home by a qualified child minder of the parent’s choosing.

Qualified preschool daycare centers now also offer first-class educational programs that help children build up academically and physically, as well as socially. Parents are advised to be very meticulous in the establishment they finally select for their child. The more suited a centre is to a child’s individual needs, the happier that child will be.

Licensing is very important, especially in preschool day care. This ensures that both the standards at the centre and the quality of instruction offered by its staff are of a good quality. This standard will meet the requirements demanded by recognized educational bodies in the country.

References from satisfied parents are also a must. Most establishments are able to furnish a dozen or more references at the drop of a hat. However, parents are recommended, often by the institution themselves, to speak with the referees and assure themselves that the services and facilities at the centre suits their child’s needs.

Cost does not always mean quality. Preschool daycare institutions are listed en masse in the yellow pages. Calling them, and their referees, often enables parents to make a rough estimate of the cost and also allows them to narrow down the number of preschool daycare choices in their area in a short space of time.

The main issue that arises when enrolling a child in preschool daycare is whether or not they are physically and mentally ready for the lessons offered by the preschool daycare centers.

Enrolling a child for any sort of instruction before he is able to understand and enjoy it, is not advisable. In the long run, it will prove counter productive to the parent’s intention to lay the groundwork for future education, as it will ultimately make the child dislike preschool daycare altogether.

The child should be happy and comfortable in their preschool daycare environment. It may take them a week or two or even three, to adjust to their new surroundings and minders but, once they settle down, they generally don’t want to leave it.

After school chats as well as the occasional open discussions with other parents are essential to keep in touch with what’s happening. These conversations help in drawing out issues and problems. This discussion will also help parent determine how happy the child is at the centre. This helps parents form a clearer picture of what a normal day at preschool daycare is like for their child.

By:

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For all kinds of great information about day cares and what to look for and when to look for help, please visit Scott”s website at: Free Day Care Info”

Have A Shy Child? Teach Him Or Her To Be More Upfront

There are children that are naturally more outgoing than others. As a parent, you should understand that shyness or inhibition is driven by both genetic and environmental factors.

However, this temperament isn’t necessarily permanent and does not always determine a child’s personality when he or she grows up. In fact, these traits can be influenced by time and life experiences — a timid person may overcome his shyness, while a confident person might become withdrawn.

There are many ways to help a child overcome shyness. But, first, you have to look into the reason why your child is too shy for his or her age. Go back to your earliest recollection of your childhood. Were you and your partner shy when you were at that age? Are either of you shy up to now? Remember that you are your child’s social model.

Your responses and interaction with other people are your child’s first social template. Model social phrases for common situations, like greeting a person “Good morning!” or “How are you today?”, asking permission (“May I help you with that?”), or introducing oneself (“Hello, I’m __. How do you do?”) are great starters.

Meaningful and fun interaction with siblings is also necessary. Observe the quality of interaction they have and make sure the older ones do not overshadow the younger kids. You can also arrange play dates or have a friend who has a child over to play with yours. Take time out to bring your child to a place where he or she can meet with kids of the same age.

Healthy social development is central in early childhood. If you feel you’ve exhausted all means to draw your child out and he or she still stays withdrawn, do not be afraid to seek professional help. Shyness can sometimes turn out to be a manifestation of behavioral difficulty.

Some kids are naturally shy and sensitive, and may need more time to adjust to their surroundings and with new faces. Give them that time. Don’t force them to interact if they’re not ready as it increases the risk of them being more scared of people in the long run. Introducing your child to the people around him or her is a good start, and will make him or her comfortable and safe. But let the first move truly come from him or her and let it happen naturally.

By: Matthew Roberts.

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Matthew Roberts (the author of this article) has set you up with a special gift on his website.

In an exclusive personal interview he uncovered the secret success strategies of multi-millionaire John Di Lemme. For your FREE 18 minute extract of this interview, head on over to Inspiration To Achieve Goal Setting Success

Thomas & Friends Train Cars Toys Recalled

If your kids are anything like my three boys, at some point in their life, they will undoubtedly fall under the spell of a small wooden tank engine by the name of Thomas. For those parents who are in the know, Thomas & Friends needs no introduction. Endless lengths of overpriced wooden train track and a painted wooden table designed to replicate the “countryside” is a staple in any respectable child-rearer’s home.

For the uninitiated, Thomas the Tank Engine is a blue smiling train engine who is endowed with a set of stunningly anthromorphic features, including rosy cheeks, a big smile, and (oddly enough) eyebrows. Thomas and his many friends, who include a litany of other tank engines, train cars, and a station master named Sir Topem Hat) spend their days engaging in a variety of adventures. Whether a child follows the video productions of Thomas & Friends, or just follows his/her own imagination, Thomas generally finds himself learning a good lesson or two by the end of the day.

Although the world of Thomas & Friends is generally an idyllic one, there has recently been a negative side effect of its immense popularity. The fact of the matter is that Thomas appeals mainly to very young children. Unfortunately, children of that age also tend to put small items in their mouth on a regular basis. It is for this reason that the recent recall of Thomas & Friends was necessary.

In June, 2007, Illinios based RC2 Corporation recalled 1.5 million units of the popular Thomas & Friends railway toys. These Thomas & Friends toys were allegedly covered with lead paint.

This month, July, 2007, RC2 Corporation was hit with a federal class-action lawsuit in Chicago on Tuesday that is seeking an injunction against the sale of its metal train toys.

The lawsuit is seeking a court order requiring RC2 to “cease production and distribution of all metal toys” reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission or reported in the media “to have possibly been contaminated with lead paint.”

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of consumers who have purchased the toys or received them as gifts, also is seeking a court order to notify all sellers and distributors of metal toys “to remove such toys from their shelves and to cease sale and distribution … until their safety can be established.”

A spokeswoman for RC2 issued a statement in response to the lawsuit saying, “The only items subject to our previously announced voluntary recall are the 26 wooden products listed and pictured on our Web site. They represent about four percent of total wooden railway units sold by the company domestically during recall period.”

“Though some products in our metal train toy line are similar in appearance to products in the wooden line, they are smaller in scale. None of the metal products is subject to recall. They were produced using different manufacturing and painting processes in different contract manufacturing facilities.”

The firm said in addition to replacing all recalled products returned by consumers and reimbursing them for return postage, “we are providing them with a bonus train car as a thank you for returning the recalled items.”

The lawsuit filed Tuesday is the seventh federal class-action case brought against RC2, according to a search of the federal electronic filing database. The suit also named as defendants HIT Entertainment, the London-based children’s entertainment company that licenses the Thomas & Friends railway toys; APAX Partners, the private-equity group that owns HIT; and Learning Curve Brands, Inc., the subsidiary of RC2 that markets the railway toys.

For more information about the recall, and for details of the specific products affected within Learning Curve’s Thomas & Friends™ Wooden Railway products range, and for instructions on how to return the products and obtain replacements, please go to the RC2 recall website http://recalls.rc2.com or call RC2’s Customer Service Line at 866.725.4407 between 8am-5pm CST Monday – Thursday or 8am-11am CST on Friday. For more information your rights as a consumer against a negligent manufacturer, designer, or distributor of a recalled product, contact Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer, Stephen D. Counts at (714) 851-2890 or (949) 851-0222. You may also visit Attorney Counts’ website at http://www.OrangeCountyInjury.com Stephen D. Counts is a Personal Injury Lawyer. Mr. Counts’ practice is limited to matters involving serious personal injury and wrongful death. Mr. Counts received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and received his law degree (Juris Doctor) from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he served on the editorial board of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Counts

How To Write Your Family History

“Once upon a time a headless horseman rode up and down the dark country road yelling, “Who’s got my head? Who’s got my head?” Only my Dad knew he was telling us kids a classic story. When we asked for a story he told us to get ready. We ran to the darkest bedroom sat down and got ready. We sat on the floor because at the story end he yelled BOO! We ALL jumped, every time! That’s part of my history. Another lady found out why her husband and daughter liked Oriental fashions, decor, and food. Turns out her husbands’ Grandmother forth removed was Chinese! See you can write your family history.

Make a list of the names of your oldest family member down to the youngest member who makes sense! You want the truth. It may be sad or shocking whatever you hear is as they remember and is the truth to them. You’ll need: 1. A large spiral notebook. 2. Five ballpoint pens, 3. Tape recorder and Kleenex.

Start with questions such as: 1. What is your full name? 2. Where were you born? 3. Describe your wedding dress. 4. Did you work outside the home? 5. Where did you live as a child? 6. Did you have a craft? Ask questions then listen. Give them time to answer. Touch them lightly when their thoughts wonder away from the subject and ask another question. This keeps both of you focused. Be careful about talking or making noise when you are recording. Interview in a quiet place. Nod your head as they talk this will encourage them to keep talking. When you finish thank them go home and write up your story. Schedule the next relative and go on from there. You may choose to publish or not. Your goal is a record of your family’s history. Your are preserving memories.

Violet Camp lives with her husband Carl in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. She likes to read, write and have fun with her three married children and five grandchildren. She is the author of two published nonfiction book and two manuscripts with her agent. Please contact her at violetcamp2003@yahoo.com Violet Davis Camp is a writer/author/speaker. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Violet_Camp

Top 20 Baby Girl Names

It’s a lot more important to name a girl right than to name a boy right, in the eyes of many statisticians and child development specialists. A girl is a lot more sensitive than a boy and having the wrong name would affect her much more than it would affect a boy, hence the above-mentioned theory. Another factor would be her future relationship with men. Whereas a girl won’t really care if she’s dating or marrying a “Dave” or an awkward named boy, men are admittedly more shallow from this point of view, as they tend to give the name of their girlfriend or spouse more importance than they should. For men, these external and seemingly superficial details are important, whereas girls tend to look into much more important and deeper factors and traits of their boyfriend or future husband.

This said, there are a couple of ways you could get inspiration to name your daughter. You could try naming her after someone in the family, the girl’s grand parents or great grand parents being a popular choice. You could also name her after a historical figure or a popular star of our days: Joan or Jeanne (after Joan/Jeanne D’Arc, heroine of the Hundred Years War), Elizabeth (after Queen Elizabeth), Abigail (after Abigail Smith Adams, the wife of the 2nd President of the United States), Josephine (after Josephine Baker, civil rights activist and World War 2 heroine) to name just a few historic figures. Names that would point to popular figures and entertainment stars include Marilyn (Marilyn Monroe), Barbara (Barbara Streisand), Tina (Tina Turner), Shania (Shania Twain) and so forth.

But if you’re still unsure of what name to give to your daughter, or if you don’t want her name to point out at any particular figure in history or entertainment, we prepped up a list of today’s most popular 20 baby girl names. Although you might not want to choose a popular name per say, this list might help you as a starting point, so here’s the top 20 baby girl names we have for you:

1. Emily
2. Mary
3. Grace
4. Sarah
5. Olivia
6. Samantha
7. Anna
8. Julia
9. Claire
10. Katie
11. Rebecca
12. Alexandra
13. Jessica
14. Pam
15. Nicole
16. Janet
17. Angie
18. Jennifer
19. Britney
20. Martha

Naming your daughter with any of the above names from our top 20 baby girl names list should be considered a “safe bet” if you’re thinking about how your daughter’s name will affect her future development. These names are neither unique (or even too uncommon) nor common to the point they could stamp you, as her parent as uninspired. You might not even find something you like in the top 20 baby girl names list above, but it could prove to be a good way to start off your search. Just pick out the few names that you like from the list than go hunting for others. If you don’t find anything you like, you can come back to our suggestions and pick one from here.

Because Your Baby Deserves The Best Name Fraser Wheaton is the founder and publisher of The Baby Name Kit website. http://www.BabyNameKit.com We aim to be the worlds largest content provider for baby name information on the internet. If you have a baby naming question, chances are, we have the answer. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fraser_Wheaton

Top 20 Baby Boy Names

As a parent, one of your toughest jobs is naming your child and thinking on how his name will affect him later on. Oftentimes, parents will be undecided on the name and since they have equal rights on naming him, this could lead to a problem.

Sometimes both parents will choose to name their newly born after a celebrity, a historical figure, a famous character or a family member, although this practice is a bit old by now.

You can simply choose a common name that you hear a lot around you, go for the classics like John, Jim, Michael and so forth, or look for a good baby name for your son over the Internet. Although there are hundreds of sites, each having their own “Top Baby Boy Names” list, this is what we consider being the most accurate top 20 of our times:

Top 20 Baby Boy Names

1. Matthew
2. Jack
3. Andrew
4. Michael
5. Ryan
6. Jacob
7. Alexander
8. William
9. James
10. Daniel
11. Anthony
12. Gabriel
13. Lucas
14. Christian
15. John
16. Thomas
17. Sean
18. Robert
19. Jason
20. Adam

As you can see, some of the names are more modern (Ryan, Sean, Jack) while others are classic or have a historical resonance (Lucas, William, Alexander, Robert). Regardless, all of them are very popular baby boy names and they’re considered “safe bets” in how your boy’s name will affect the way he develops.

Names constantly vary in popularity and what might be a cool name today, may be “obsolete” tomorrow so you should consider this factor as well. One thing that statisticians have discovered is that names have a tendency to cycle, every 20-30 years or so, so what is popular now was probably extremely popular in the 80s (just look at all the Mathews, Jacks, Andrews, Johns and Jasons around you). The answer behind this cyclic nature is that parents tend to name their children after themselves or after close relatives and with the average parent having children at 25, the cycle’s interval is explainable.

Because Your Baby Deserves The Best Name Fraser Wheaton is the founder and publisher of The Baby Name Kit website. http://www.BabyNameKit.com We aim to be the worlds largest content provider for baby name information on the internet. If you have a baby naming question, chances are, we have the answer. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fraser_Wheaton

Play Word Games to Increase Vocabulary

Most of us recognize that play is an important way to learn all types of skills and knowledge. Play works as a way to learn for a couple of reasons. First, we are more motivated to do an activity if we are having fun doing it. Second, pleasurable activities get repeated and, therefore, give us more chances to practice the skill or recall a piece of knowledge. And as the cliché says – practice makes perfect.

Word games are a great way to pick up new vocabulary and play with vocabulary that is already familiar. Each game focuses on a different set of skills related to learning words, so if enthusiasm wanes for one game, switching to another game can re-energize the learning process. All of the paperless games below can be played anywhere. They require no equipment whatsoever other than your “thinking cap”.

1. The Alphabet Game: (Ages 5 and up) This game can be played while in a house or riding in a car. Start with the first player. The player must find an object he can see that begins with the letter A. He names the object and now the play moves to player number two. This player must name an object she can see that begins with the letter B. Play continues through the alphabet and group of players. To vary the game, work backwards through the alphabet.

2. The Word Guessing Game: (Ages 6 and up) In this game the first player thinks of a word. We suggest starting with a four-lettered word (i.e. hope). She announces to the group of players how many letters the word has (in this example – “I’m thinking of a four letter word.”). Then the next player suggests a four-lettered word (i.e. made). The first player compares the suggested word to her word. She is looking for letters in her word that are exactly matched in position to her word (i.e. “hope” compared to “made” has the letter “e” in the exact position in both words). She announces “One Letter”. Now all players know that the word “made” shared one letter with the guess word. The next player will try to think of a word which will test which letter is an exact match. For example, this player may want to test if the letter “m” in the first position is the matching letter and so she might suggest the word “mint”. The first player will respond “No Letters”. Play continues until the players identify the guess word. The player to correctly identify the guess word thinks of the next guess word. It is important to state how many letters are in the guess word. Games using four- and five-lettered words work best.

3. Find the Letter: (Ages 4 and up) This game can help very young readers learn their alphabet. This is a good game for players riding in a car. Have the players look for the letters in alphabetical order. The letters might be on road signs, license plates, billboards, or shop windows. You may need to prompt them with “Can you find the letter A?” Repetition will build up their command of the alphabet and help them identify each letter. You can also use the alphabet song to jog their memories of the next letter.

4. A is for…: (Ages 6 and up) To begin, name a category for the words that will be used in the game (for example: animals, transportation, general, etc). Now the first player must name an object within the category that begins with the letter A (such as anaconda for the animal category, auto for the transportation category, or apple for the general category). The next player names an object beginning with the letter B and the players proceed in order through the alphabet. For the next game try a new category and allow a different person to start the game.

Playing with words can be a fun and rewarding way for your children to learn new words while reinforcing ones they already know. These games will help cement the alphabet in their minds. They will identify letters, learn the order of the alphabet, and practice spelling – all critical skills for reading. Let the games begin!!

Celia Webb President, Pilinut Press, Inc. http://www.pilinutpress.com/ Publishers of advanced readers for children and ESL students ©Celia Webb, 2007 Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all links active, give the author credit, do not edit the article, and follow all of the EzineArticles terms of service for Publishers. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Celia_Webb