Stuffed Toy Animals are part of our “Well-Being”.

Stuffed toy animals, like the teddy bear or any other stuffed animal have brought happiness and the feeling of well being over the centuries into children and adults life alike.  When a person receives a present of a stuffed toy animal observe their reaction and face expressions, one will see an instant smile and the appearance of happiness.

Feeling happy creates well being and these feelings are very important in the life of everybody.  Feeling good creates a positive reaction in our body, suddenly everything functions better, looks brighter and the outlook toward life in general becomes immediately more optimistic.  If this feeling of well being is maintained good things are going to come into your life.  It is well known that positive thinking does wonders, but it is much more important to feel well.  The continuous feeling of well being, created mostly by appreciation of all one sees, hears and does, seeing in everything something good this provides a joyous feeling and in turn a state of an exhilarated existence.  It is therefore imperative to maintain thoughts of well being continuously.

When feeling not on top of the world, which comes and goes in all our life, it is best to divert ones thoughts by creating deliberately thoughts of well being.  In this state of mind one can find help by listening to music, a trip to the park seeing beautiful flowers, enjoying nature in its bounty or maybe that very treasured item we may posses, which could very well be an endearing stuffed toy animal, like the teddy bear, which very often do create the wonder of feeling well again.

Stuffed toy animals have been part through out the centuries to bring delight, joy and happiness to people of all ages.

With constructive play children learn to acquire skills.

Play is the child’s profession; it is the same way as an adult learns and prepares his skills for life.  A child plays to develop, to enhance his knowledge and learns to acquaint himself with the environment that surrounds him.  It is therefore very important that a child be given a great deal of variety in play and parental attention during play time to further the progress to the next level of development.  This is an ongoing process and often parents look for tools to accomplish their task.

The market offers an enormous variety of children educational toys, educational baby toys and ways to enhance their child’s development.  Not all the toys offered are of equal quality, research into what suits your child’s best has to be established and mostly the parent knows their child best of what is suitable.  That does not say that some experimenting should not be taken into consideration. Children often surprise their parent of how adaptable they can be.  The child will show very soon if their interest is kindled.  Some research is maybe required to find the children educational toys or kids arts and crafts to which your child feels drawn to.  A parent knows the most about their child and at what developmental level they are.

One good advice, never under estimate your child, children can be very clever and mostly know exactly what they want.  Listening to our children is most important.  Children look upon toys as fun and entertainment, but a parent looks at a toy as something that is assisting them in grooming their child into eventual responsible adults

What is it all about? It is for children to grow into adults through gaining the experience required to fulfill their life into a happy adult existence.

Children are born painters.

Arts and crafts for kids and the painting fascination of children are long known to parents.   Arts and crafts for kids are the source for them to pursue an activity, which captivates their imagination and gives them the freedom for self-expression.

Kids love to paint at any time, may it be with watercolors or any other paint specially made for children. We always have to assure that the paint is non toxic. Kids may paint on pre-printed figures, just plain paper, or glossy paper used for finger painting, or on cardboard stock, on wood figures or even on fabrics.

Now take face painting, which is real fun for children! The greatest fun is had when the kids paint each others faces or their own face, using their sense of creativity. This is a time when imagination is at its best and children dwell in happiness.

Then we have the arts and crafts for kids of finger and sponge painting. Kids enjoy this art of painting, there is no pressure, and creativity has its flow. Kids may not think of a finished product they may wander of from the place where the painting started and they may suddenly paint themselves or on the floor, or on walls, one never knows where their imagination will take them; due to the bliss they are experiencing and their unspoiled freedom of expression.  Take the case of four year old Marla Olmstead, she became genius in finger painting. You never know where your child will take you.

Keep your kids busy painting, let them discover themselves and allow them to express their own creativity and uniqueness.

The Rocking Horse fathered a Baby!

The rocking horse received an offspring and congratulations are in order.

 

The child’s name is “Baby Rocker” and is he ever cute, appealing and adorable.  All the family members are very enchanted at his arrival, but in particular how intelligent he is and what good looks he has.  Boy, oh boy what a baby! 

 

Father Rocking Horse thought… ah..mh..ah if everybody is so happy about him maybe I better get a whole wide variety of them. And so he did and while at it he made them very clever too.

 

Baby Rockers sing original baby songs, recite the ABC, count from 1-10, identify colors and shapes.  Baby Rockers have four buttons located on the back of their heads, which activate these educational components and kids who ride them will have so much fun and not even realizing that they are improving their physical and cognitive development at the same time.  A great joy to parents and baby too.

 

Father Rocking Horse is very proud of all his off springs and ever so pleased that now small children also will have the opportunity to rock and ride away at a very early age.  Now – the children’s fun is complete; all the children can rock, just about at any age to their hearts delight.  Baby Rockers accommodates babies from nine months old and older up to a body weight of 80 pounds.

 

Father Rocking Horse boosts about his variety of Baby Rockers, how very adorable and extremely colorful they are.  They have the cutest faces and each has their own name.  There is Fergie the frog, Lulu the ladybug, Betty the butterfly, Olli the octopus, Elijah the elephant, Sandy the snail, Danny the dinosaur, Buttercup the cow, Lil Bo the sheep, Rory the lion, Raffi the Giraffe and Colt the horse.  Father Rocking Horse did not forget the sports enthusiasts and venerated our favorite sports with Spike the football and Homer a baseball. These are delightful Baby Rockers.

 

Now, that the family is complete and everybody is happy just let all the children rock away on the Baby Rocker or a lovely wooden rocking horse into their own world of imaginary adventure.

Arts and Crafts for Kids – the skill developer.

Babies very instinctively develop basic skills extremely early, for example grasping your finger or holding on to something quite tightly. Manipulating toys with hand or mouth contact is very usual at the baby stage.  Never the less these are the tools they have available to them at this early stage.

Toddlers can be quite ingenious when it comes to their mental dexterity and quick or nimble handling of objects or situations.  They very often surprise their parents. 

Playing is a child’s occupation – it is their profession.  Just as young adults study varying vocations to build a future professional career.  Children do the same thing from a very early age by developing their skills through play.  These little skills are very necessary and important in order for them to progress to the next stage in their life.  For every skill, however, tools are required for the craft to be fully developed, and that is where kids arts and crafts provide a valuable venue to further your child skills.  Arts and crafts for kids are very important vehicles for early childhood education and skill development.  Kids art and crafts products can be very helpful during these formative developmental years.

Small children are very creative and often express these abilities in artistic ways.  Drawings, for example, are usually representative of their perceptions, which is one medium that allows them to express how they see the world.  Self-expression is very important at this stage of life and it is vital to provide the right tools, which foster creativity.  There is a great variety of kids arts and crafts products on the market.  Convenient kits are also available, which are ready assembled in packages and sorted by projects.

While being creative, kids also love getting messy and three different kits cater to that – try an array of paints to do finger, face, silk or sponge painting.  Other kids arts and crafts kits include an introduction to the traditional skill of weaving, first sewing kit, a jewelry kit for glamorous necklace and bracelet ideas, and kits for funky character creations with colorful pompoms, feathers, and wiggly eyes.  These are just some of your options in these ready-to-use kits.  Educational kids toys, which exists in a wide selection is another venue to introduce your child to creativity.

Enhance your child’s imagination and creativity by providing them with kids educational games and kids arts and crafts products.

The birth of the Teddy Bear in Germany

A Teddy Bear is a treasure!

Since his existence, he has brought pleasure, serenity, and comfort to children and people of all ages worldwide. A Teddy Bear is very special, because he is more than a toy – he is a companion. He has wonderful qualities, he consoles when needed, he has compassion when required, and he knows everything about us including our deepest thoughts. He is our most intimate friend! Did you ever feel like that about your Teddy Bear? I am sure you did, we all did! How can a stuffed bear, although cute and cuddly bring so much pleasure and happiness to our lives? Let us look at Teddy’s origin. Please read my blog:” The birth of the Teddy Bear in the USA”. Here is his origination in Germany.

Based on research, it seems that Teddy was born 1901 by the housekeeping employees of the Colorado Hotel, but this was not just a US birth. Coincidentally, at the Steiff Company in Giengen an der Brenz, Baden Württemberg, Germany, the owner Margarete Steiff, produced stuffed animal toys since 1880. Her nephew Richard Steiff was an artist who drew animal pictures for the toy production of stuffed animal the company manufactured. One day in 1901, Richard visited the Stuttgart Zoo and made a sketch of a bear cub. As legends go Margaret Steiff seamed to like this particular sketch very much and started production of his design. Voila, as the French say, and the German (Teddy) bear was born. The company used to produce bears, but they were standing on all four legs. This new bear production was different, the bears were upright, and with moving limbs, which was a definite plus, as now the bear became an equal to a doll. As dolls are for girls, now the “Bear” suddenly was a unisex toy and what a success he became.

How wonderful sometimes coincidences work. The “Bear Toy” came into existence more or less at the same time on both sides of the ocean. Nobody knows actually, who was the first to invent the “Bear Toy”, as the timing year was so close for both nations. Was it the housekeepers of the Colorado Hotel, was it Morris Michton, or was it Margaret Steiff?

Who was the first is not important, what is important is that they all had a vision for a toy that would bring a new toy to life to be enjoyed by millions most likely forever. Teddy is now 106 years old or even 107 if he lasted that long he can maybe last forever.

Was it destiny to remember internationally a great President throughout the ages with this divine toy?

Facts are:

“The Bear” was named after President Theodor Roosevelt, nicknamed “Teddy” by the American people. In 1903, at the Leipzig Toy Fair, the Steiff Company sold 3000 bears to an American toy merchant and by 1907; the Steiff Company sold 974,000 bears. In 1906, the Steiff Company started calling their bears “Teddy”. Whatever the stories are, the fact remains that the Teddy Bear became a most famous and beloved toy ever since the time of President Theodore Roosevelt.

The bear market is still going strong until to day. The Teddy Bear is here to stay for generations to come. It is interesting to know that in some families the Teddy Bear has become heirloom pieces. Did you know that bear collectors are called arctophiles? The word derives from the Greek language “arcto” meaning bear and “philos” meaning lover. Bears are not just a toy for children, bears are also used as mascots by many organizations or as corporate gifts and uncountable other special uses. There are also Teddy Bear Clubs and some organizations even have annual conventions to celebrate the teddy bear, the lovable keepsakes.

Children Toys or Games and their Educational Values – continued

As promised this is the continuation of our investigation into the history of children toys.

As technology changed and civilization progressed, toys changed.  Whereas ancient toys were made from materials found in nature like stone, wood, and grass modern toys are often made from plastic, cloth and of many synthetic materials.  Ancient toys were often made by the parents and family of the children who used them, or by the children themselves.

Modern toys, in contrast, are often mass-produced and sold in stores.  This change in the nature of toys is exemplified by the changes that have taken place in one of the oldest and universal of human toys; dolls.  The earliest and most primitive dolls were simple wooden carvings and bundles of grass.  Egyptian dolls were sometimes jointed so that their limbs could move realistically.

By the early 1800s, there were dolls that could say “mama.”   Today there are dolls that can recognize and identify objects, the voice of their owner, and choose among hundreds of pre-programmed phrases with which to respond.   The materials that toys are made from have changed, what toys can do has changed, but the fact that children play with toys has  never and will never change.  In today’s society, the variety of educational kids toys which can further the education of your child is vast.

Let us investigate the enormous variety of educational toys available to parents.  Some of them are quite inexpensive, although still very valuable in the learning process and having fun while doing it.  There are toys for babies first year and virtual baby games such as stacking toys, soft books, mobiles, play nests, pop up toys are just a few.  Then one should look at arts and crafts for children such as pompom craft, sponge/ face/ finger painting kits, creative weaving, knitting and sewing kits, woodworking, silk painting, jewelry making and much more.  Kids jigsaw puzzles come in all sizes and some are even floor size. Puzzle selections are numerous.  There is something for every age and they consistently remain an all time favorite amongst children, even adults.  Then there are the toddler building blocks - what a treat for any child to maybe kindle the interest to become a builder.  Under no circumstances must we forget the ever so popular rocking horse or the adorable baby rockers and never forget the renowned teddy bear.

Children learn very fast, may it be through role-ply, interactive, independent or intrapersonal play.

Always try to engage your children in a fun associated learning-play process.  Children are born very clever and it’s is the parent duty to guide this natural precious intelligence to blossom.

The birth of the “Teddy Bear” in the United States

It is well known that the name “Teddy” originates from Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States 1901-1909, who was referred to as “Teddy” by the public. Many stories exist of how the Teddy Bear and the President’s are linked. One story refers to a Mississippi bear-hunting trip where villagers wishing to please the President captured a bear for him to shoot, however, the President flatly refused to shoot a defenseless bear.He drew a line, as this was not fair hunting sportsmanship. This encounter became a famous cartoon story by Clifford Berryman under the title of “Drawing the Line in Mississippi. This is referring to the occasion for the President to settle a dispute of borders between Mississippi and Louisiana in November of 1902. ” The cartoon caught very wide attention, which inspired a Brooklyn  novelty shopkeeper named Morris Michton, a Russian immigrant to produce a bear with his wife Rose.  Morris apparently received permission from the President to call his bear “Teddy”s Bear”, which eventually led to the invention and name of the “Teddy Bear”, how fortunately or children young and old to receive this treasure to cherish for ever.  Do you realize that this “Treasure” is now 107 years old.  A very impressive age for a brand marked toy.

As said before, there are many stories around the teddy bear and according to another legend, the world’s most irresistible toy, received its birth in January 1901 at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, where President Roosevelt stayed for a three week holiday and a bear hunting expedition.  To cheer up their beloved President after an unsuccessful day of hunting, Hotel Colorado housekeeping employees presented him with a handmade stuffed bear pieced together with scraps of fine material. Later after his return home, he gave the bear to his daughter Alyse, who loved and admired the bear and was apparently saying “I will call it the Teddy Bear”

The fact remains the Teddy Bear is definitely named after our beloved President Theodor Roosevelt.  He was famous for many things in his life, but the most everlasting fame is for the Teddy Bear, which enchanted young and not so young in the past and will enchant them way into the future for ever.

Children Toys Or Games and Their Educational Values

Children toys have been around for eons – one could say from the beginning of our existence.  Toys have been excavated from sites dating back to 3000 BC and most likely, toys are even older.  This means parents or caregivers have always been concerned and enthusiastic to entertain and educate their children while having fun at the same time.  It is wonderful to be educated while having fun!  You must agree that it is beneficial to engage your children in a fun learning process.  Learning and having fun simultaneously produces a positive attention span while attaining retention of the learned subject.

Research provides the following information:

The earliest toys were made of materials found in nature, such as rocks, sticks, grass, and clay. the purpose to introduce them to the then existing environment.  Thousands of years ago, Egyptian children played with dolls that had wigs and movable limbs made from stone, pottery, and wood. In Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, children played with toys made of wax or terracotta, sticks, bows and arrows, and even yoyos.

In our next blog we will give you further information on our research, educational toys are a vital component for young children.   Educate early, children are at their brightest when very young, do noy miss this valuable time.   Think of babies first year, they are just waiting and eager to learn.  Keep tuning in to our blogs!

Educating Children with Educational Toys and Games.

Children’s play has many purposes, may they play with games or toys the most primary purpose is to have fun while being educated at the same time. Toys have a special magic they entertain, they are communication, they are stimulating, they are developing, they are a learning process, they develop creativity and inspire mental skills. Toys are a valuable and most of all an educational component in a child’s life to learn about their surroundings and the world they live in. Educational kids toys and games have been around for eons, which mean all inhabitants in our world most likely valued them.

Andrew Witkin, director of marketing for Mega Brands, says:

one of the simplest toys is a set of simple wooden blocks is also one of the best toys for developing minds. They help develop hand-eye coordination, math, and science skills and let kids be creative. Other toys like marbles, jackstones, and balls serve similar functions in child development, allowing children to use their minds and bodies to learn about spatial relationships, cause and effect, and a wide range of other skills. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy, retrieved: Sept. 18. 2008)

More information to come in my next blog about the value of educational kids games and toys.