Category Archives: Toys

Toys

Educate and Entertain Toddlers With Fun Developmental Games and Educational Toys

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Educational toys and developmental games are excellent for strengthening the parent/child relationships. These games and toys are great source of fun and are wonderful way to enhance your toddler’s learning. In addition, manipulative games enhance dexterity and eye-hand coordination and provide numerous learning opportunities. In this brief article, we’ll discuss the benefits of toddler games, some popular developmental games, and how you can make the most of your toddler’s playing time.

First of all, you should keep in mind that education games and toys include board games, puzzles, dominoes and memory games. Here are some popular choices: Board Games: With board games, toddlers are able to learn their colors, shapes, and sounds, and move pieces which also enhance their dexterity skills. Puzzles: With puzzles, toddlers are able to solve problems. Some great examples are wooden and jigsaw puzzles. You can even purchase floor jigsaw puzzles and involve the entire family. Creative Mind Games: With creative mind games, toddlers are encouraged to learn shapes, colors, and sounds with the use of songs and other activities.

Second, when choosing developmental games for your toddler, use variety and choose age appropriate toys and games. For instance, a 6 month won’t like the same toy as a 12 and 24 month old. You see, 6 month old baby are just discovering the world and tend to put things in their mouths whereas 12-24 month-olds enjoy prodding and discovering. To choose the best age appropriate toy that suits child unique needs, try out various types and see which one interests the most. You’ll soon discover that your child is not only enjoying himself but learning and developing skills as well.

Third, take your time and don’t schedule too many activities at once. Toddlers are notorious for not being able to focus for long periods of time and tend to getting bored easily. Therefore, it is important that you keep playing sessions short and do not force toys upon him. Instead, use a variety of different developmental games and toddler educational toys, and switch gears, or move to something else, when he seems bored. This will encourage him to have fun, enjoy the moment and not get bored.

Fourth, have a wonderful time and enjoy the moment. Although it is tempting to do so, you don’t have to have structured play time all time and you don’t have to see the educational value in everything you do. After all, toddlers learn so much by just doing and being with you. So, have fun and don’t rush the educational process. It will happen!

In conclusion, playing developmental games with your toddler is a great way to relax and spend quality time with children as they improve their skills and improve their dexterity skills. So regardless of whether you play puzzle game, memory, dominoes, or snap cards games, you’ll have a fun and so will your toddler!

Ideas for Homemade Dog Toys

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Buying commercial dog toys can be very expensive at times. You are also not 100% sure if they are safe to your canine pet. Some dog toys contain deadly toxins and chemicals that may be detrimental to your dog’s health. Other pet chews and toys also have lead components that can cause vomiting, poor appetite and dog’s diarrhea.

Though dog toys are not a necessity, they can play an important role in sustaining your dog agility while training him to be independent and boosting his confidence. They can also provide entertainment and keep your dog preoccupied and physically active all day long.

To make sure that the toys you give to your k9 are safe and non-toxic, why not make simple homemade dog toys yourself? Here are a few ideas on how to make dog toys from recyclable materials that can be found in comfort of your home:

Rope Dog Toy

To make this simple homemade dog toy, an old towel or handkerchief and scissors will be needed. Cut about 4 inches of strips of towel along the end then bundle the strips together to create a knot. Afterwards, braid your strips together and until 3 inches from the end. Voila, as simple as that, you have a nice little rope dog toy!

Gutless Fleece Dog Toy

You will need 9 feet of rope and a can of 3 tennis balls. Begin by placing one tennis ball in a clamp. With the use of a drill, make a hole through the tennis ball. Next, thread the rope through the holes. Tie a simple knot near the ball. Knot the ends of the rope to avoid fraying. Finally, tie a second knot near the ends of the rope.

Water Bottle Dog Toy

Making this homemade dog toy is so easy. All you need are an empty water bottle and popcorn kernels. The bottle can either be small or large in size. Start by unscrewing the top off the bottle and place about a tablespoon of popcorn kernels inside.

Rope Dog Chews

If you have old ropes that are not being used, tie several knots at each end to make a homemade dog toy for fetching and chewing.

The abovementioned ideas for homemade dog toys can help you save a great deal of money. Bear in mind, however, that you need to supervise your dog whenever he plays with these homemade dog toys. Check them for any damage to avoid choking or the ingestion of parts.

Appropriate Toys for Two Year Olds

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What are the best toys for your two year old? The first thing you need to think about, of course, is safety. You must be sure that all of the toys you buy for your child are safe and have no choking hazards or other safety concerns. It’s a good idea to avoid toys made in China as many toys made in China have been recalled due to safety concerns recently. Other than safety, another important concern should be “Which toys will stimulate my child’s imagination and creativity?” It is also important to keep your child away from the TV as much as possible. Make sure your child is using their brain and interacting with their toys rather than just being entertained by them. What follows are some ideas for toys you can get for your two year old. Dolls. Dolls are a good toy for a two year old as long as you don’t get dolls that have a lot of different clothes to put on and take off as most two years olds cannot dress a doll by themselves. Most parents will want to get dolls for their little girls but not their little boys but there’s nothing wrong with boys playing with dolls. Toy typewriters, cash registers, shopping carts, tool chests, laptops. Children love to mimic adults and toy versions of things that adults use can be a real joy for a child. Tape player. An easy to use “toddler tape player” can be a great toy for your two year old. This is something they can use to entertain themselves with. Get them some storybook tapes and/or some music tapes to put in their tape player. When your child gets older you may want to get them a recording tape player as a lot of children really enjoy recording themselves and playing it back. This is a great way to encourage your child to be creative. Hand & finger puppets. What a great way to entertain your child and for your child to entertain themselves! Puppets are another great way to encourage your child’s creativity. Simple wooden jigsaw puzzles. Puzzles are a great way to help your child’s thinking abilities but of course you do not want to get a puzzle that is too complex that will only frustrate or confuse your child. For a two year old you do not want to get a puzzle with more than 5 or 6 pieces. Building blocks. Both small building blocks and very large ones are great for a two year old. What a great way to let your child build something themselves at a young age! Toys that require interaction from your child are so much better than something that merely entertains them. Of course you must make sure that you do not get blocks that are so small that they are a choking hazard. Safety must come first. Arts & crafts materials. Encourage your child to paint and draw! It’s important of course to make sure that you do not buy any toxic materials that will be dangerous. I recommend not concentrating so much on coloring books where a child just colors in the lines. Let your child’s imagination run wild. There’s no “wrong” thing to paint. Do not discourage your child. Magnetic or wooden block alphabet letters. Let your child become acquainted with the alphabet in a simple fun way. You can buy all of these great toys online which is great because (as you know) it can sometimes be very difficult to go out shopping with your young one.

Why Do Dogs Like Stuffed Toys?

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Golden retrievers have a special knack for stuffing their face with stuffed toys. They seem to be born with a craving for stuffed toys. I know my golden, Nikki, already had a penchant for stuffed toys at the age of six to eight weeks old.

She is an amazing Certified Therapy Dog but, she will steal resident’s stuffed toys if I would allow her to. Now, for those of you who are handy with the needle, you could remove the stuffing, and fill the toy with tough fabric instead, that way, it will last forever!

I think that dogs feel closer to being a dog when they actually have a stuffed toy in their mouth. They feel that they have caught it. They can carry it around, they can claim it, they can retrieve it (especially retrievers), and it is theirs. And, it feels good to them. After a while, the smell of this stuffed toy becomes awful to us, but great to the dogs.

Depending on the breed you have, some dogs will kill the stuffed toys, some dogs will love it, sleep on it and snuggle with it. Retrievers will consistently have it in their mouth when you return home.

By far, the cheapest way to keep your dog in stuffed toys is buying cheap, right sized stuffed animals at garage/yard sales. I wash them in hot water, and a bit of Solumel (Melaleuca household cleaner that helps get rid of bacteria and it is animal and nature friendly), this is very important! Then, I remove all the detachable; lose things like eyes, whiskers, etc. These toys are a very cheap alternative to expensive pet store toys.

Be very careful though that you check and make sure that this toy is not stuffed with small, styrofoam beads. Avoid those. You can easily tell by squishing the toy in your hand. Dogs often rip open their stuffed toys, and the styrofoam beads could become a hazard to your dog.

I know of some big dogs that shake their stuffed toy to so much that they are actually killing it. If you have more than one dog watch that the other dog doesn’t get hurt by the toy that is being shaken. It is easy to have your other dogs eye get punctured or hurt.

So to repeat the question, why do dogs like stuffed toys? Well, it seems that we all love stuffed toys. Adults have them, kids love them, cats play with stuffed mice, and dogs claim them to kill it, to claim it, or just to love it.

Dog Toys – Innovative Ideas

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Every individual who loves their pet wants to give the best care for him. This can be with regard to dressing up, medical help, and cute dog toys. There are lots of innovative toys for your pet dog to play with. A range of collection of toys is introduced year after year, to suit the needs of your pets. These toys are a product of new innovative concepts and ideas. They come in attractive colours and shapes. The sizes are also small and cute so that they can be well played by your pet dog. These toys are replicated from the original pieces in colour as well as designs. This makes dog toys all the more interesting and cool as well as fun to play with.

All of the toys are made up of good material and cosy texture so that your pets can feel comfortable to its touch. Plush dog toys are stylish pieces of toys and are shaped as a cream filled pastry, a dummy credit card, a glass of juice, a bone piece, etc. All these are made up of soft cloth and filled up with cotton to give the shape of a soft toy. These are liked very much by all pets but it goes without saying that it is always the bone shaped toys that are the most sellable ones. Plush toys can be easily washed as pets often use their mouth to pick up the toys. Dog toys surely will get dirty, so a regular washing is necessary to have them always neat and tidy. There are several other types of toys like a set of glass and a jug or a pot, a pair of high heeled shoes, a Christmas house set, etc. These toys are available in fun theme toy sets so that your pet can learn to play in an organised form. This also brings awareness to your pet that shoes are worn or kept in pairs and a jug is used to pour water in the glass, etc. In this way you can take the help of dog toys to teach them healthy lessons and you can train your pet to use them appropriately.

There are other toys which are meant for chewing purposes. The chewable dog toys are for pets that have an itching tooth and love to tear off things. These toys when chewed squeeze in the mouth and spread out a wild squeak when released or left by the pet. Pet dogs find these chewable toys very interesting and they love to play with it. These dog chew toys are manufactured, with great emphasis upon the quality and hygiene hence they are absolutely fine for your pets. They can also be used by small pups as the toys are very colourful. Also the attractive sizes of the toys, which match the size of the pets make it dearer to them. Dog toys do get worn and torn out; throw them out and its time to buy new ones.

Dog Toys – Stimulating a Restless Companion

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Dogs can get bored and restless easily. This is usually when they cause problems. They need to be stimulated through play. Your dog needs plenty of playtimes with you, but you can’t always play with your dog and this is when toys are important. Toys can satisfy a number of a dogs needs. There are some basic toys available for dogs today and hundreds of different selections. When choosing toys for your dog, consider its size and what it enjoys doing.

First off, toys must be appropriately sized for dogs. Logically, small toys are better for small dogs and large toys are better for larger dogs. You can see how a small toy would probably be destroyed or swallowed by a large dog and a large toy would be too big for a small dog’s mouth. Along this same line of thinking, you should match the toy to your dog’s chew strength. Heavier chewers would need stronger, more durable toys and softer chewers would need lighter, easier to gnaw on toys. Puppies would need softer toys that should be replaced as the dog grows.

You may walk in a dog store and pick out toys that are colorful. Unfortunately, a dog has a difficult time distinguishing color and it would be wiser to pick out toys of different shapes, sizes, flavors and smells. Remember, a dog’s strongest sense is smell, so choose toys with aromas. A selection of five or six toys, that are rotated frequently, should be enough to keep your pet actively engaged.

There are different toy categories to choose from and the deciding factor will be what your dog likes to do. There are chewing toys, fetching toys, playing toys and puzzle and treat toys. If your dog just loves to chew, then supplying him with some chew toys will keep your favorite slippers safe. An aggressive chewer should be suited with a hard rubber and nylon toy that won’t be easily broken down. Chew toys are also ideal for dental health, so they will be a good option for almost any dog. Balls and Frisbees are always fun when playing fetch. The rope toy is great for a game of tug of war, but be cautious of playing this with an overly aggressive dog. Squeaker toys and glow or light up toys will keep your dog’s interest, while the soft and plush toys are cute and fun. Treat toys will help with training and also ease a dog’s separation anxiety. For the high energy and intelligent dogs, puzzle and treat teaser toys will test their minds. They teach the dog through play with them by hiding a treat inside. Just be careful to check all toys for possible pieces that may come loose and be swallowed.

As you can see, there are many types and selections of toys available to entertain and stimulate your pet. Taking into account their size, likes, chewing strength and intelligence, you can find the most suitable toys to keep their playtime interesting and fun.