New Season, New Opportunities, New Toy State Toys

These new toys from Toy State is in time for a new season to provide children with new opportunities to explore, imagine and play. This cute, green Volkswagen Hatchback is a freewheeling licensed VW vehicle. When we pop the hatch it reveals a light-up rotating speaker bed with 3 unique designs and a different song for each. This Road Rippers toy is wonderful for children over 3.

Action! with Toy State

It is all about action this month with Toy State as they celebrate their 30th anniversary. The new spring line toys encourage active play with exciting features of light, sound, and motion that children and parents who enjoy playing with cars are sure to enjoy :) These good quality toys will not only keep our children entertained, but also physically and cognitively active.

Test Driving The Feel of Real Toy State Vehicles

We are happy to announce our new role to be Toy State Ambassadors and will be sharing details about the new “real” like vehicles. We are very excited about this as both my son and daughter love playing with cars, so does my husband and I. Toy State founded in 1984 is an innovator and industry leader in the manufacture of licensed and highly stylized lights and sound vehicles that provide hours of enjoyment for kids of all ages.

Learning Through Play with LEGO DUPLO

Large Brick Box

My children enjoy learning and playing with LEGO.  I think the best and easiest way to learn is through play.  My son is a big fan of LEGO DUPLO and spends lots of his time building, creating and discovering many ways he can use the LEGO pieces to make things.

I like having toys like LEGO DUPLO because these learning toys are valuable as children think and manipulate objects to build things.  I think this type of unstructured learning is beneficial to parents and children.  We can spend quality time teaching, building and learning about what children are thinking.  When children get positive feedback and encouragement from us they feel excited, and we too feel really happy about the creative things they build.

Children tend to relate things they see in daily life when they play, I like that LEGO DUPLO keeps their products colourful, detailed and make the characters, animals, train, farms in the sets something that children can relate to.

I like the size of the LEGO DUPLO bricks.  The products are aimed for children over the age of 1 1/2 years.  We don't have to worry about children accidentally putting the pieces in their mouth because the pieces are big and easy for children to hold on to; however, as with anything use with care and watch as the little ones play :)  LEGO helps children develop their fine motor skills and become creative. 

Bricks and Books

I like the idea of having a book to go with the LEGO pieces.  I was able to teach my son to follow each page of the book as we read the story.  I also got his help in building and finding the correct piece that were shown in the book to match the LEGO.  I like how we get to read and play at the same time, so reading becomes a natural part of play.  Children learn to match 2D shapes on the book with the 3D LEGO pieces at a young age with toys like this.  It is easy to follow the illustrations and become engaged in the story of this book about a caterpillar and his friends.  

Play with letters

My son is learning his alphabets and it fun to learn with these colourful bricks with letters and matching pictures.  My daughter and son try to find the letters in the alphabet and have found so many ways to play with these useful LEGO DUPLO pieces.

Large Brick Box

Children will enjoy getting creative with this fun collection of bricks that come in a sturdy, reusable storage container with a transparent lid that makes clean up time easy.  The set includes a book of building instructions and inspirations.  The box has special elements to create rolling cars, planes, houses that allow children to become creative.

I enjoyed capturing these memories with the Samsung Wi-Fi Digital Camera.

Learn through play Contest

Support learning and literacy in your own community and home by nominating your favourite local library and win.  Starting October 3rd, Canadian Library Association and LEGO DUPLO will have a contest, where 13 libraries in Canada can win $500 worth of LEGO DUPLO products and the 13 people who nominate the library will win $350 of LEGO DUPLO products.

Giveaway

With LEGO DUPLO products you will see your children learning as they play.  As the holiday season is approaching I would like to share some coupons with the readers of Createwithmom.

5 Canadian readers of Createwithmom can win (5) $5 off coupons to buy LEGO DUPLO products by leaving a comment on this post and entering through the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I am a LEGO DUPLO play ambassador and receive special perks for being part of this.  All rights reserved on opinion, written content and photographs Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Painting eggs and Joy to share Kinder Canada

We painted eggs using two different techniques. If the egg has been out for more than 2 hours don't consume.

To paint the eggs you will need...

eggs

food colouring

rubber band

kitchen paper towel

water

vinegar

The tie dye method

Damp a paper towel with water and put about a 1 tbsp of vinegar all over the paper towel. Spread different colour food colouring in a pattern. Place the egg and fold the paper towel to wrap the egg. Pour or sprinkle some water over it. Place a rubber band around it and leave it until the paper towel is dry. Remove the paper towel and see the colourful egg.

Rubber band method

Place a few rubber bands around the egg. Place the egg in 1 tbsp vinegar mixed with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 tsp food colouring for a few hours until it becomes the colour that is preferred.

Kinder values the time we spend with our children throughout the year. Kinder Canada has partnered with Children's Miracle Network to bring joy to families in need. It is important to remember, reflect and be thankful for our blessings and help others in need.

Many families have benefited from Children's Miracle Network, check the Kinder Facebook page to read their stories. It is important for all of us to help our communities in some way i.e. donating or volunteering our time and to remind ourselves and teach our children to be thankful, this will make us humble.

Follow Kinder on twitter @KinderCanada or @KinderCanadaFR, they are giving away 100 Kinder eggs a day for 10 days from March 19th to 30th.

Disclosure: I am part of the Kinder mom program and receive special perks for being part. All opinion and rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Stained vase craft and Kinder® contest to win $500

The Family day long weekend and the March break is just around the corner. I am planning on spending some quality time during the day with the children making crafts and food. I am also looking forward to relax, stay close to home and visit local attractions like the Ontario Science Centre :)