Up On Blocks: Top Construction Materials for Young Builders

We love blocks. From Jim to the baby, we can lose ourselves in long cycles of construction and destruction.

These simple toys can motivate the baby to army crawl at top speed to topple and me to linger a little longer at the kids' bedtime while we make the ramp just a little bit longer or the tower a little taller. Six-year-old Ranger builds huge marble runs in his bedroom, and three-year-old Scout sneaks into rearrange them while he's at school.

When Uncle Punk is around, we build using all the blocks we can muster. Then we bombard the structures with ping pong balls, bean bags, and old Crossbows and Catapults flying disks.

For the youngest (1 year and under), we prefer cardboard blocks (as she loves knocking towers down on her own head). Our homemade milk/juice carton blocks are a bit too big for her to handle, so she usually plays with Melissa & Doug Alphabet nesting blocks. She isn't much of a stacker yet, but she does like to nest the blocks.

The next step in our ziggurat of block building are old Fisher Price Stack & Build Blocks. These rounded blocks hold together without actually locking. They require less accuracy and motor control to stack and restack independently. Sadly, they're discontinued, so look at resale stores, yard sales, and (in our case) an awesome friend's living room (I promise she gave them to me).

Fisher-Price Stack & Build blocks

 Next in the lineup are MEGA Bloks. When kids' fine motor control and hand strength start improving, big locking blocks exercise their hands and their spatial reasoning. Not that the kids care about that. They're great fun. I chose MEGA over other favorite block brands because I can always find used ones cheap and MEGA seems to have been making exactly the same block for a long time (so there aren't near-fit problems when combining sets). Plus, Ranger's grandma gave him a MEGA Bloks set that he adored.

Melissa & Doug Unit Blocks

Around the same time, we get out the Melissa & Doug Unit blocks. These old school stackers are big and dense hunks of wood that are the mainstay of Jones' building. They are bigger than most home block sets. These are 6-year-old Ranger's most played with toy. Scout got a 2 small sets (2- 30 pc sets) for her 3rd birthday (so she would stop sneaking into Ranger's room during the school day to play with his).

Growing up, Uncle Punk and I shared a similar block set (though ours were covered in suspiciously bright, probably toxic, paint). I can remember sitting down on college breaks with my older brother and building elaborate structures (that we later knocked down with balls). If our geek genes prevail, the kids may get decades of play out of these.

Keva planks

A new block type we like are Keva planks. These unassuming identical planks require more planning than the unit blocks, but they introduce more strategy to block construction. Instead of simply grabbing the double long block to span a threshold, now we have plan ahead. There are often many solutions to each challenge, and it's easy to learn that some solutions are much more stable than others. As the kids get bigger, I think these (and their photo book of suggested structures) will become a centerpiece in our living room.

Research reveals that kids are more likely to read in homes where parents read. It is probably some combination of parental modeling and opportunity (more books around and natural pauses in the schedule to read). With blocks as a regular activity, we're seeing some of the same results. Scout, who has grown up watching us build with Ranger, uses blocks in ways that are surprising for her age (like improvising recognizable structures).

Even if blocks don't develop spatial thinking, they're still lots of fun to stack (and knock down).

***Baby Toolkit is the unbridled geekery of Jim & Adrienne Jones- Midwestern parents of three. We have no affiliation with any of the block makers listed above. We are Amazon affiliates, so we get a small percentage of purchases made through our Amazon links.

Quick Change Artists: DIY Playdough Playmats

My artists: chaos & control

My kids love Play-doh, but I dislike the million multi-color crumb clean-up.

I cut some lengths of freezer paper (size corresponding with age and messiness) to use as perpetual playmats.  Waxed paper or parchment would serve equally well.

When playdough interest wanes and the dough is tucked back into cans, I shake the papers over the trash can and many of the wee nuggets are vanquished.

It is not a perfect system.  Some days the bottoms of my socks still look like they have a Seussical pox, but the slick paper playmats cut clean-up time substantially.


***Baby Toolkit is a collection of hacks, coughs, and observations from a couple geeky Midwestern parents.  We're Amazon affiliates, so a portion of purchases made through our links goes toward our dreams of a giant Batsignal spotlight.

House of Shade and Water: Screen House as a Pool Shelter

Summer is here, and it is a scorcher.  Ranger and Scout (the toddler formerly known as the Raptor) want to be romping outside, while I am driven to stay in the shade.

Our backyard gets full sun most of the afternoon, so I've been reluctant to put out the wading pool and endure the relentless sunshine while the kids slowly boil in the pool.

In a recent bout of cleaning, I rediscovered a SwissGear Screen House we bought two years ago for $20 (as opposed to its MSRP of $130) and promptly gave a few cubic feet of our garage.

My clever friend mentioned putting a canopy tent over her kids' pool, so I decided our screen house might provide an oasis of shade.

The tent itself was a snap to set up with two adults (though it had been a laughable fail with our earlier toddler, preschooler, and one adult construction team).

The screen house not only offers shade and limits bug exposure, it also keeps the beach balls from getting away.

Though I think we may now need a bigger pool.

What summer solutions are lurking in your garage?

***Baby Toolkit is the unsolicited opinion of a couple pasty (rumored to be cave-dwelling) geek parents with boisterous, outdoorsy kids.  We have no fiscal relationship with SwissGear, but we are Amazon affiliates, so if you make purchases through our Amazon links a small portion of the proceeds power our family's secret Large Hadron Collider.  Okay, they just help pay our monthly Internet bill, but maybe someday...

Our Hobo Kitchen: Reusing Everyday Objects

Play kitchens can be loads of fun for toddlers, but new ones can cost a small fortune.

You can build a kitchen from cardboard or score one at a yard sale (like our $10 kitchen), for nominal costs. Really lucky folks may get hand-me-down kitchens from friends or family.

Our kitchen was bare bones when we bought it. It lacked any utensils or fake food. I was way too lazy to buy the food and utensil sets, so Ranger found it stocked with real kitchen items (duplicates, cast-offs, and rarely used items) and clean, empty food tins and boxes.

While Ranger isn't a dedicated junior chef (probably due to a lack of kitchen role models), all our young visitors gravitate to our pell-mell kitchenette. It actually gets so busy at times that I have to unearth a second phone handset so more of the junior chefs can make important calls.

Jim dubbed it the hobo kitchen because its cookware is primarily old food cans which had their lids removed with a smooth edge can opener.

The idea of a hobo kitchen charms me immensely, as my adoptive grandfather Lonz (Alonzo) used to tell me stories of riding the rails looking for work during the Depression so he could support his young family. I'm sure he cooked over his old tins in far less hospitable settings, but I like to think he'd be proud that those lessons he taught me about thrift and conservation are ones I value enough to share with the next generation.

Current contents of kitchen:

• plastic travel mugs that I do not like using in the dishwasher
• some polycarbonate food bowls with lids
• silicone ice cube trays
• empty tea and cookie tins
• clean, empty food cans
• empty salt shaker
• plastic drink mix container
• pot holders I made on a loom during childhood and a random promotional pot holder
  
• duplicate set of measuring cups
• canning funnel
• manual juicer
• potato masher
• baby food jar spatula

What kinds of things do you repurpose as toys?

Terrific Twos: Tandem Toddler Playtime

Last week we were thrilled to have a favorite young guest make a morning visit. Our sweet-tempered guest is about 6 months younger than Ranger, so they're both making the transition from parallel to interactive play.

Before our guest's arrival, some of Ranger's most beloved objects were placed in his room to prevent crises in sharing. We tend to play only in the public areas of the house to prevent triggering his sometimes territorial behavior.

He and our guest had a lovely time playing together with Colorforms on the fridge. The big blank space gave them lots of freedom and it was really sweet to hear them identifying shapes and colors to each other.

The big hit of the morning though had to be PAINTING (it even outranked Cheerios). A few months ago I lucked across an unopened Buddah Board at a local thrift shop (50 cents, normally ~$22). It's simple, reusable paint with water surface is great for two toddlers to share and it dries fast enough that there's always some white space available for painting.

They had a great time painting, and I loved watching them in this charming new age of (periodic) cooperation.

The Right Kind of Scrub: My First Scrubs

Ranger and I got up early this morning to visit my Dad in pre-op before orthopedic surgery.

Yellow medical case in hand, Ranger garnered a lot of attention from surgical staff in a lab green set of scrubs.

Dad couldn't help but laugh to see toddler Ranger all decked out for surgery.

Ranger's scrubs are My First Scrubs from Princess Linens ($28). We see them as having quite a bit of utility as dress clothes and a Halloween costume. The positive attention from medical staff seems perfect for keeping older siblings in focus when a new baby is born.

The scrub sizes seem to run a little smaller than average. Ranger is currently on the upper end of 2T in most clothing, so we ordered a 3T. The 3T turned out to be a close fit now. I think a 4T would have been the best choice to allow for growth and easy playtime use. Sizes range from infant to children's 8.

Princess Linens, who also makes the Doodlebugz Crayola holders, is currently offering a 15% discount if you use the coupon code babytoolkit.

Not So Tiny Bubbles: Cheap Wands and DIY Solution

If you're not reading Mom Advice, you're probably missing out on some great ideas. I don't know how Amy does it all, but her frugal living site has a great breadth of coverage. I particularly look forward to her Thursday Amy's Notebook posts that highlight lots of great ideas from around the web.

Her post on bubble wands from Target's Dollar Spot and link to a DIY bubble solution recipe inspired a lot of fun here.

After a trip to Target's Dollar Spot for some giant bubble wands and glycerin ($2.69 for 4 ounces; they hold it behind the pharmacy counter at our Target so you have to ask for it; CVS puts it with the scar treatment ointments), we mixed up a gallon of Sparkle Power's homemade bubbles in an empty milk jug (tip to avoid a frothy mess while filling: first fill the jug with warm water; then add the dish soap and glycerin; roll or shake sealed jug gently to mix. Label the jug lest your family mistake the substance for beverages).

For our playgroup at the local spray park, Ranger and I loaded the car with two Target bubble wands ($1/each), a gallon of bubble mix, and a third giant SuperBubble wand from Toys R Us ($3, and don't bother- it's awful). The bubble wands were so easy to use that the toddlers (2 & 3 year olds) spent as much time playing with the bubbles as running through the water sprayers.

The glycerin makes the bubbles rather easy to produce and resilient. The wands have many openings, so they produce many bubbles with one swipe of the arm. We found that the yellow flower wand tended to produce a single giant cluster bubble, while the orange wand with the hearts and star border made lots of small to mid-sized individual bubbles.

The bubble solution has easily won the admiration of playgroup families and Ranger's grandparents.

I can't wait to try it with our Klutz Giant Bubble Maker. It might inspire us to make Mentor Mom's DIY mega bubble wand.

Thanks, Amy, for the great recommendations!

Wii LOVE Fit

Our last home was less than a mile from a glorious greenway, so (weather permitting) Jim would bike the misty trail every morning before work.

My own exercise predilections tend to involve less interaction with pollen and sunshine. Indoor pools and instructor lead classes in yoga and other group exercise have been hallmarks of my own exercise since graduating college.

Sometimes Jim and I meet in the middle. With enough allergy medicine, I'll play outside if there is water and/or shade involved: kayaking and hiking through woods. Jim will join in indoor group fitness as long as it's interactive and mildly competitive (even if we're not good at it): years of social dance classes.

Even when hail and lightning straight out of King Lear pounded the greenway, he was never tempted to break out one of my yoga videos for some centered breathing. In retrospect, the only fitness video I can ever remember him doing was a fun baby and toddler yoga video hosted by a French anthropologist who is probably Ranger's first crush.

So when I saw the Wii Fit at Camp Baby's Nintendo Party in April, I thought how Ranger might enjoy its physical interactivity. It struck me as something in my exercise domain and most likely outside of Jim's interest.

Was I ever wrong. Last week Nintendo sent us a Wii Fit (around $89 including balance board) to try at home. Ranger and I played for a couple hours before Jim was home from work. After dinner Jim tried it for the first time and he's been pretty devoted to using it daily ever since.

Not only is he enjoying the fun, arcade-like balance games, he's really gotten into the yoga, aerobics, and strength training. So, I asked him why this engaged him in a way that exercise videos never have.

His first answer was that he loves the graphs of his daily progress (time spent exercising, BMI changes, etc.). When it comes to exercise, Jim loves to see charted progress. It turned out to be more than that though. He really liked being able to work for higher levels of achievement with each exercise (you're scored with a certain number of stars at the end of each activity to represent your skill level for that particular round). This transcends the one-way communication of exercise videos. Videos can't tell whether you're doing the sun salute or sitting on the couch eating ice cream much less whether you're actually burning calories.

Secretly, I believe that the answer to his affinity has been part of his cerebellum back in the days of Konami's Contra for NES or maybe as early as his first meeting with a Pong console or Space Invaders. Children of the 70s just cannot resist the siren's song of electronic interactivity.

Jim's Take on the Wii Fit:

You know something is up if I am breaking my regular silence to add more than the occasional editing to a post on Baby Toolkit.

Put simply I am a fan of the Fit.

I wasn't so sure that I would like it at first, but I heard nice reports from Adrienne after she set it up and she and Ranger explored its features before I got home.

That night I got my first opportunity to take the balance board out for a spin. The first steps include setting up a profile including your name, height, birthday and associating them with your Mii (the little Nintendo Wii avatar that ostensibly looks like you and is used in many Nintendo game titles).

If you don't have a Nintendo Wii or haven't taken the opportunity to create a Mii, the creation process basically encompasses choosing a basic body type and facial features and hairstyles to come up with some sort of approximation of your actual appearance (if you choose to go that route). Being a B-I-G guy, I choose the largest body type available in the Mii creation phase - yes, it was embarrassing, but I figured who was I kidding. Which leads me to my first slightly embarrassing moment with Wii Fit.

After putting in my basic profile information and associating it with the maximally sized Mii avatar that I had already created, the Mii had me step on the balance board and take some initial measurements (wieght and your Center of Balance (CoB). Then, using the weight measurement, it calculated my Body Mass Index (BMI) based on my height and weight. When Wii Fit displays your BMI score (with ranges from underweight to obese), it then sees fit to adapt your Mii's body shape to match its actual measurement.

So. Having already gone through the mild embarrassment of choosing the largest body type available when I created my original Mii, I was a little surprised that my Wii Fit (empowered?) Mii ballooned well past that image.

Talk about a motivator to lose weight. I am not fine with being overweight (I am a Systems Administrator who spends a LOT of time surfing a desk) and I haven't resigned myself to it, but I have come to have a healthy acceptance of who I am and what my weight means in that equation. But, to push the limits of a game's ability to display my virtual self...

That's kind of hard to take.

And there may be some controversy in that little wake up call given that the BMI measurement can't take into account muscle makeup or bone density when deciding where one lies in the fitness scale. A totally ripped 5'9" muscular 280 pound, athletic trainer might show up as obese on the Fit's BMI scale.

But I won't lie, my density isn't muscle based... even if my Mom always said that I was "big boned."

After the initial measurements and a few general balance tests, the Fit assigns each user a Wii Fit Age (kind of like the Nintendo DS' Brain Age game's Brain Age). My initial age was 48; over a decade past my actual age. Sometimes, especially after mowing our yards situated on a 45% slope, I feel like I am 90, so I was actually encouraged by the number. It could have been worse. As it stands, I believe the Fit Age is meant to be just another motivator; as if my husky avatar wasn't enough.

The Fit is all about motivation. It includes charts tracking how often you use the Fit, how much and what activities you have tried on (and off if you want to track extra-curricular activity as well) the Fit, and what resulting changes you have seen in your weight and BMI. In every fitness schedule that I have attempted in the past, the only ones that have been successful for me have been those where I have regular charted my weight, activity, and sometimes calorie intake in various spreadsheets I created for the task.

What I love about the Wii Fit is that it takes care of all (well, almost all... there is no calorie counting in this incarnation) of this charting for me. It makes it easy to watch your progress over time and see long term trends related to your activity levels and overall weight gains and losses. You can go back over chart history and see if any weight gain is a temporary blip in an overall downward trend or the start of a more permanent up tic and, most importantly, react accordingly.

The fitness activities available through the Wii Fit are parceled out over the long haul. You simply can't do everything at first. They start you out slow from a selection of Balance Games, Aerobics, Yoga, and Strength training. As you rack up minutes on the Fit, more activities, and more repetitions and durations of already unlocked activities will be unlocked.

I think the idea is to start the user out slow and and allow them to work up to harder routines. Its a noble idea, but falls a bit flat as the user isn't actually locked out of an activity after attempting it (which is a good thing). So while you might only be able to initially do three reps of the the arm twists (with the advanced six reps coming after an hour or so of total Wii Fit use), if you really want to do more than three reps, you just have to restart the activity over and over interspersed with slightly annoying delays as you navigate the beginning menus of each activity.

Also, since I have been the primary user of the Wii, I have unlocked way more activities and settings than the rest of the family. Unfortunately, unlocking activities is not Wii Fit wide. It appears to occur per profile, meaning that each family member has to log long hours on the Fit in order to unlock all the available activities. Again, I think I understand the thinking (making sure novice users don't overdo it and pacing their learning of the Fit's basic techniques as well as providing another motivational element), but it is still slightly annoying in execution.

As for the activities, they range in quality, but overall I have enjoyed all that I have unlocked and tried. The Balance Games seem dubious in fitness value at first, but after a single thirty minute session where I focused solely on balance games, I noticed a definite muscle burn in my core trunk muscles and in my calves and shins.

The Yoga exercises have become an instant favorite. I enjoy the relaxation and calmness that comes from the deep breathing focus of each pose. The balance board helps you keep the proper form by measuring your balance, measured by keeping a small red dot inside a larger yellow circle onscreen, during each activity. As you correct your form, as prompted by your virtual trainer, it becomes easier to keep the red dot steady in the yellow circle. Stretching more, tightening the muscles identified by your trainers soothing voice, and maintaining your breathing, your initial jittery red dot will calm down and stabilize and (eventually) show the effectiveness of your pose.

Similarly, this simple feedback mechanism, in a number of clever variations, is used to great effect to improve your speed, accuracy, and general form in all the Wii Fit's activity modes. You end up getting a good workout.

Which brings me to another point. Wear something you'd wear to the gym while using the Wii Fit. Especially if you are out of shape. Because. You. Are. Going. To. Sweat.

A lot!

I have been using the Wii Fit for two and a half weeks for at least thirty minutes a day on an almost daily basis. In that time, I have seen a loss of roughly five pounds, a reduction in my perceived stress, and a bit of a boost in my overall energy levels; all the benefits that one is to expect from a regular exercise program. The fact the Wii offers plenty of motivational aids ranging from its charting capabilities to classic video game motivational aids like leaderboards and rankings has really helped me stay with the Fit as an exercise program and staying with any exercise program is key to long term well being. That alone makes the Wii Fit a success in my book.

So, while there are little annoyances here and there, I think the fact that the motivators within the Wii Fit have been effective in helping me keep with a regular routine is endorsement enough.

Traveling Companions: Crayons and Coloring Books, Never Leave Home Without 'Em

What have we been doing the past few weeks? Well, we weren't trying the newest extreme sport.We were rambling around on a multi-state trip (though traveling with anyone under 10 should count as some sort of extreme experience).

Last summer, a friend gave us a coloring book she'd picked up on seasonal clearance for less than a dollar.

It's since resided in my bag with some crayons (a party favor from our friends' second birthday party [mellow out grammar freaks, they're twins]). The smart hostess had picked up 24 count Crayola crayons at 19 cents each during Back-To-School sales and packaged them in drawstring bags. I still carry the crayons in the drawstring bag because it's easy to find in the dark abyss and it guards against crayon escape.

I love these items when traveling long distances or around town. It's easy toddler entertainment at restaurants and appointments. The scalability is hard to beat; you can entertain 1 to 24 kids.

We tend to use our crayons at restaurants now rather than the small packages or loaners. It made me crazy to use three new crayons for 30 minutes and then either leave them to be thrown out or lose them in my bag, car, or coat pocket.

Some Parent Hackers suggest plastic travel soap containers for crayon storage, but I didn't like the load rattling when I walked or shifted my bag. I may have bought the wrong kind of soap holder.

What kid entertainment do you keep in your bag of tricks?

Related:

• Pipe cleaners: Portable Fun for Kids
  

Toy Rotation & Rainy Days

Amy's awesome and cost-effective rainy day kit on Mom Advice reminded me that not only tires need rotation. Toys should be rotated too.

Before Ranger's birth, a friend advised me to rotate toys in and out of storage. She would put away toys when her kids' interests waned and pull them out a few weeks later to renewed interest. We adopted this habit with some of Ranger's larger playsets (a Little People castle which he peoples with pudgy plastic farm animals and a Weeble Three Bears set).

I really need to start thinking about toy rotation more now that our house's shared spaces teem with toys that only receive minimal play time. It's also a good way to filter out toys that are no longer age appropriate.

I'm drawn to Hedra's toy library concept at Parent Hacks although it requires organizing one of our house's black hole storage spaces.

What are your solutions?

Simple Ideas for Toddler Fun From Megret

Between finishing our taxes and catching up from last week's travels, boredom hasn't been a problem for me lately. Ranger, on the other hand, is pretty ready for some changes in routine.

Megret has posted some great, simple ideas for toddler and kid entertainment that shouldn't be missed. I'll be digging out the pipe cleaners later today.

***This is the independent opinion of the geek parents at Baby Toolkit, (c) 2006-2008.

Backyard Reconstruction: Go Outside

Yesterday, Uncle Punk helped Jim reinstall the slide on our remaining playset turret. About half of our magnificent swingset (including the part with the swings) was destroyed by falling trees in a 2005 tornado long before Ranger was big enough to play on it. The well-built remainder is a single tower, stairs, and a sandbox which we're hoping to convert to a platform because neighborhood cats and snakes.

Ranger already loved sitting in the tower, but him playing there alone left me with a lonely feeling. After the slide was installed he got to play on it last night in the limited glow of our small worklight, but today was the true inaugural run. And it was lovely. He took Cheerios and water up in the tower and laid down on the platform when he was too tired to play any more.

I got to lay in the greening grass and enjoy Ranger's play and the Spring sunlight. It was a revelation to savor the yard when before it triggered memories of loss and anguish. Toddler enthusiasm and Springtime both offer renewal and hope.

Thanks Uncle Punk and Jim for fixing the slide- and thanks to all our family, friends, and neighbors who helped us clear that nightmare tangle of smashed trees.

To quote my mother (circa 1980) "Go outside and play."

A Bigger Canvas For Colorforms- and It Cools Milk

A few weeks ago we mentioned buying some great Colorforms sets through Amazon. These are the iconic Colorforms shapes (circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles) that had been totally usurped by Snoopy and the Muppets by my '70s childhood.

Jeremiah at Zrecs was kind enough to call manufacturer University Games and ask about phthalates (modern Colorforms are phthalate-free!).

Ranger (at 2.5 years) loves playing with the Colorforms and talking about their shapes and colors. The set comes with loads of pieces and two boards (one white and one black), but Ranger didn't like overlapping the pieces and quickly ran out of room.

This weekend we leaned the Colorforms book against the fridge and gave Ranger free reign. In a few minutes we were all sitting by the fridge having a great time.







***Baby Toolkit is the independent opinion of the geek parents at Baby Toolkit, (c) 2006-2008. We have no financial relationship with University Games, Colorforms, or fridge manufacturers.

Come on in My Kitchen: Win a Copy of Annabel Karmel's delicious Toddler Cookbook

It is easier for me to envision a cookbook for toddlers and maybe even one using toddlers as an ingredient than it is to imagine a guide to cooking with toddlers.

When DK offered to send me a review copy of Annabel Karmel's new Toddler Cookbook, I had a sneaking suspicion it was one of those "toddler" books truly geared for age 5 and up. I am rarely so pleased to be proven wrong.

Although not every step of every recipe is toddler-friendly, I readily found recipes that 2.5 year-old Ranger and I could work on together. Not only that, they were recipes we might actually enjoy eating.

While some recipes include meat (chicken satay skewers, lettuce boats with chicken, salmon fishcakes, and chicken dippers), vegetarians won't feel excluded (pita pizzas, corn quesadillas, cherry tomato sauce, and mini Caesar salad with homemade croutons). There are also 10 snack, drink, and dessert recipes.

The book is well-illustrated with great photographs showing kids enacting EACH STEP of the recipe. Clear bowls prevent obstructions and everyone's hand seems magically out of the way throughout. Ranger loved seeing kids cooking, and the photos helped him see himself in the unfamiliar role of cook.

The strong visuals gave me courage to tackle meringues for Valentine's Day (while Ranger was taking a nap). I was tempted to stop there and proclaim the recipes easy and delicious, but deep in my heart I knew only a toddler-tested recipe would do.

Tonight we made mini banana muffins. The author calls for whole wheat flour which is a pleasant departure from stereotypical kid fare. Ranger and Jim were the mixmasters. They mashed a banana (which Ranger seemed to feel kind of guilty about), mixed ingredients, and then (drumroll, please) sifted in the dry ingredients. It turns out that while Ranger likes mixing, he loves sifting with my old school rotary sifter (which I need to upgrade to one without a loose handle). If we get homebound by another ice storm, I am breaking out all the flour and sugar and setting up a toddler-powered home grist mill.

We all had a great time, and I'm starting to realize how toddler Ranger can participate in the kitchen activity without risk of injury or meltdown. And the muffins, well...

even extraordinarily picky Ranger couldn't keep his hands off them.

Which is how I feel about the Toddler Cookbook (list price $10.99, $8.79 at Amazon).

WIN A COPY!
Thanks to the kind folks at DK, five Baby Toolkit readers (with U.S. addresses only) will win copies of the delicious Toddler Cookbook. To enter this random drawing, email babytoolkitcontests(at)gmail.com with the subject: Toddler Cookbook. Entries will be accepted through 11:59 PM CDT, 3/9/2008.

General disclaimers regarding contests on Baby Toolkit: we'll do our best but we can't guarantee the same efforts from the postal system. If a prize item were to be lost in the lost in the mail, we would take it as a message from a higher power that the situation was simply not meant to be (no compensation or replacement will be issued). One entry per household. We will use a random integer generator at random.org to determine a winner. Jim, Adrienne, their parents, and Ranger are not eligible for this contest. We respect your privacy and will not use your personal information for any purpose beyond determining a winner and sending prizes.

Good luck, we really think you're going to love this great book!

***This is the independent opinion of the geek family at Baby Toolkit, (c) 2008. We accepted a free review copy of the book, but under no obligation. We wouldn't write about it if we didn't like; we regularly decline reviews. We receive no compensation from DK or its affiliates for this review (though they are supplying and shipping the contest prizes). We do like DK as their travel books (including Rough Guide) and Eyewitness books have been household favorites as long as we've been a household.

Hanging with the Lost Boys: A Teepee of One's Own

For my handsome godson's fifth birthday, I made him a play teepee. The teepee was intended for his fourth birthday, but I dramatically overestimated my sewing speed: it wasn't completed until 6 months too late.

I was a little unnerved that a teepee might not be the right gift for a young swashbuckler-in-training (our godson has a penchant for playing pirates). Jim however explained that it's a perfect Lost Boys compliment to any good Peter Pan pirate play... and not that betighted Disney Peter Pan but the unkempt archetype of the awesome (and quite funny) J. M. Barrie story. (Download the free book or audiobook from Project Gutenberg or enjoy a great (true to the book) film adaptation.)

As we walked into our friends' empty house to set up the teepee as a surprise, we stumbled upon the best Tick Tock (crocodile) puppet ever. (Its maker, Wild Republic also makes a fabulous 20" plush giant squid which makes me wonder what would comprise a 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea playset). This household (replete with imaginative older sister) is primed for Peter Pan.

When we set up the big teepee in the privateer's bedroom, it pretty much blocked all closet access (sorry, PirateMom). The teepee is big enough hold a couple sitting adults. The good news is it can fold up into a corner when not in use.

For the sewing geeks, I used Butterick pattern #4251 and decorator weight fabric. For the engineers, it's supported by six sturdy 84" tall 1" diameter PVC pipes. The fabric portion is about 6 feet in height.

It's the easily most rewarding thing I've ever sewn because I know the recipient loves it.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Zrecs mom Jenni for her great teepee which inspired me to return to this mostly abandoned project last summer. Their fort week has other great recommendations for the less crafty. You can also check out our easy pro-naptime crib fort.

Don't forget to enter our HABA discontinued dice dome giveaway before it ends on Friday.

***This is the independent opinion of the geek parents at Baby Toolkit, (c) 2008. We have no undisclosed relationship with J. M. Barrie, Jules Verne, or their estates, Project Gutenberg, Wild Republic, Butterick, or PVC makers.

A Few Grains of Sanity: Rice as Kitchen Distractor

Ranger, my chief assistant, shows endless enthusiasm as kitchen help.

The problem is that, at two, he's more of a kitchen danger than a helper. I dread seeing him dragging a chair toward the sink when I'm up to the elbows in very hot water.

So, I gave him an important job at the kitchen table. He's to rearrange about 2 cups of long grain rice in a variety of containers.

He was a bit distressed when some of the rice fell on the floor, so I stopped washing dishes and got out the broom to reassure him. Once he saw the broom- it kept him entertained until all the dishes were done.

I shook the rice on the towel back into a container and labeled it "Play Rice." It's sitting on top of fridge waiting for Ranger's next burst of kitchen apprenticeship.


***This is the unsolicited, independent opinion of the geek parents at Baby Toolkit. We're definitely not experts at this so take it all with a grain of rice, er.... salt. Baby Toolkit, (c) 2008 (photos and text).

Move Along, Little Chubbies! Viking Toys' Ingeniusly Simple Line

We love Chubbies! And that's no reference to pot, dating, anatomy, music, hamburgers, body type, or fat babies...


Viking Toys (Sweden) make the very best in toddler rollers. When I was pregnant with Ranger, we bought a fleet of these great cars to entertain our visiting toddler niece. We kept them in a basket on the coffee table long after her visit. On more than a few evenings, Jim and I would find ourselves on opposite ends of the living room floor rolling these cars back and forth or absentmindedly trucking them around the coffee table.

With super soft, non-marring rubbery wheels and flexible rubber bodies, these cars take on a luxurious feel. We thought the strange little guys wouldn't roll well on carpet, but it turns out they travel farthest and fastest of our mini-fleet. They flip less than most of our rolling toys thanks to a low center of gravity.

One strange benefit of the soft materials is that cars make less noise (almost none) when dropped in, say, a large solemn, formal service in a grand, stone-floored cathedral. Not that we would know about that firsthand...

Ranger loves that the individual cars can hook together. It's easiest for him to link the 4" ones, so we're getting him some more for Christmas (right now, they're on sale for a great price here). There's a train set (3 4" pieces) for the happy linker.

The 3", 4", and 5" versions get the most play time in our house. While the 10" ambulance (with rolling gurney) gets some play, I think many toddlers prefer toys that fit well in a toddler hand. I like the 3" ones because they fit in my coat pockets and bag pretty easily.

I just found that Viking even makes a disposable playscape placemat (like our beloved Table-Topper) to keep kids tidier and entertained while eating out.

Viking Toys are manufactured in Thailand and haven't been subject to any lead recalls. They are purportedly dishwasher safe, but I don't like the idea of chlorine dish detergent on the axles, so I hand wash them in dish soap or wipe them down as needed.

The smaller versions are a great late infancy/early toddler toy (though they have appeal for a wide range of ages). The 5" versions can have more detail than their smaller counterparts- and they're sometimes sold in themed sets. Slightly older kids get a lot of use out of the 10" Super Chubbies which are more specialized vehicles (tractor, sedan, dump truck, ambulance, a fire engine, and a Woody-esque roofless SUV).

If you get some Viking Chubbies for your household, make sure to share them with your kids.

*This review is the independent, uncompensated, and unsolicited opinion of Baby Toolkit. (c) 2007, all rights reserved.

Musical Interlude: Some great baby/kid cds

This week we got some exciting new kids' cds from www.cdbaby.com (a great site where artists receive a much larger piece of the purchase than through other online retailers- support your favorite artists better without paying more).

We love music. Baby geek is already an adept little beebopper who dances or bounces his head along to the music we play. He loves the blues, bluegrass, folk, classical, oldies, and even accordion music. We soon hope to teach him the phrase "More cowbell!" but alas, these things take time.

So here are some great new purchases. We'll try and catalog some family favorites as time goes on, but it would be a huge endeavor to catalog them all tonight. I'll just summarize by saying you can never go wrong with Dan Zanes, Keb Mo', Lyle Lovett, Cheryl Wheeler, or Trout Fishing in America.

Newborn Sara Hickman

I found this cd at the library while looking for farm songs for a friend's party. The artist's name didn't spur any recognition, though it should have as Sara Hickman's beautiful vocals and lyrics shaped one of my favorite albums Three Women (Domestic Science Club). Jim immediately recognized her voice and it was like uunexpectedly finding a long-lost friend.
The cd is musically cohesive while showcasing a wide range of musical styles and songs (a capella, retro, contemporary, jazz, folk...). The music, the musicianship, and the production are superlative. This cd is great for music snobs but presents no barriers for the hoi polloi (us).
"This Heart" is one of the sweetest love songs ever written, and it just melts my heart every time I hear it. "Slice of Heaven" is a great brainworm of a song that makes you smile and sing it for hours after listening. The songs rang from upbeat to serene and exude a deep joy for life and music that is contagious. This cd is great for waking up, going to sleep, doing the dishes, long car rides, and dancing in your pajamas. Newborn at Amazon

Toddler Sara Hickman
"More is always better," this is my dear friend Kathryn's ("Queen of the Gilded Lily") motto. I don't always agree with her on this, but in the case of Sara Hickman it appears to be quite accurate.

Toddler is a faster album than Newborn, but equally joyful. It shows the same diversity of songs aand styles and adds new elements of spoken word stories. We started singing "Weenie Man" to calm a minor meltdown in a restaurant and ended up making up a special geek family version of the song. In the liner notes for this series, Sara Hickman writes that she would like families to have the confidence to improvise fun songs with their kids, and I think her music inspires us.

Classics like "Hole at the Bottom of the Sea," "Bill Groggin's Goat," and "Frere Jacques" are complimented by Ike Jones' "Bunnies" and "I Got You Babe." Fun all around and NOT just for toddlers. Toddler at Amazon

Meltdown! Justin Roberts
I actively resisted this cd when my husband handed it to me at bookstore listening station. Like many other geeks, Jim has an undeniably crow-like tendency towards bright and shiny objects.

I was going to put this back on the shelf because the first song "I Chalk" threatens to be one (especially if you're not paying attention) one of those peppy bits of ear-treacle about shoe tying and the wonders of being a kid. The whole thing seemed like it might be too Raffi, too "How Much is that Doggy in the Window" optimistically simplistic for a cynic like myself, but when I hit the title-track "Meltdown" I found an album with sounds reminiscent of R.E.M., early They Might Be Giants, and other contemporary & indy greats with an unexpected sense of humor to keep adults surprised and entertained.

In "I Chalk" the narrating child says his Dad is going to draw a dolly on the porch, but it looks more like a clock (Dali!)- anyway, when we quit laughing, we made it to the register and took this cd home- singing all the way. Meltdown! at Amazon

Listen to, and buy these cds at www.cdbaby.com where musicians get a better cut of the purchase price, independent artistry is encouraged, and they let you listen to more of the tracks in their sample clips.

I had planned to list more cds tonight, but I have miles to go before I sleep, so you'll just have to wait with baited breath.