Simple Science: Dilatant Materials – Silly Putty and Melting Martians

The boys received Melting Martians for Christmas… It is a surprisingly simple idea but it has kept the boys entertained for a lot longer than I would have expected. It’s also neater and cleaner than Play Doh – I wonder if we can get more of this stuff from somewhere…? Here’s how it works: You build a Martian

Fun Activities: Hape – Quadrilla – Music Motion – Marble Railway

It was G2’s birthday recently and we got him this from Happikiddo: Hape Music Motion is a marble run with a difference – it combines music with motion with strategically-placed musical chimes among the wooden rails and blocks. Designed for children aged 4 and up, you can make one of the many configurations shown in the instruction booklet or

Learn about Electronics with little Bits

What are littleBits? littleBits is an open-source library of color-coded electronic modules — miniscule circuit boards with specific functions, such as light, sound, sensors, buttons, thresholds, motors and more — that snap together via tiny magnets in order to make larger circuits. There is no programming, wiring or soldering. These simple, intuitive blocks promote limitless experimentation,

Teach Your Kids Electronics: LittleBits Legos for the iPad Generation…

Imagine a set of electronics that is as easy to play with as Lego. Introducing littleBits… a set of simple, interchangeable blocks that make programming as simple and important a part of creativity as snapping blocks together. Welcome to the new Legos for the iPad generation… This is a toy that screams out to me not

Engineering for Girls: Goldie Blox and the Spinning Machine

If I had a daughter, I would make this a mandatory toy for her toy box… GoldieBlox and The Spinning Machine GoldieBlox is a toy designed for girls age 5-9 with the aim to nurture a generation of girls who are more confident, courageous and tech-savvy. It contains a series of interactive books and construction

Forge of Honor – Fighting Bedtime Monsters in the Name of Imaginative Play

When I was little, I would pretend I had an imaginary friend under my bed to keep me company at night because I was afraid of the dark. When I grew older, the fear of the dark became the fear of the boogie man who would come through the windows and kidnap little children from

Activities: Inspiring the Budding Scientist

The boys fancy themselves as little scientists… With a bit of food dye, some water, a couple of plastic beakers, an eye dropper and some test tubes and you can play “mad scientist” pretty easily and safely. If you want some all-in-one kits for some imaginative science play, these work pretty well: Learning Resources Primary Science Mix and Measure Set

Board Games: Rumis

Two whole days spent cooped up indoors had the boys tearing the walls down with restlessness. Thankfully, Aristotle found a myriad of ways to keep himself pleasantly occupied so all I had to deal with was the occasional bickering and Hercules’ usual mischief (like painting poop on my wall, drawing on my chair, and stuffing

Great Toys from Playhao

In this day and age, toys are a dime a dozen. Look anywhere and you will find them. The challenge is to find interesting, quality toys with broad applications that stimulate exploration, creativity, and problem solving. That’s why I wanted to introduce a shop called Playhao… Playhao has a carefully selected range of products that

Toys for Kids: It Pays to Keep it Simple…

I was watching the boys play some time back and I realised that we adults like to complicate things when they can be so simple. Example 1 We wanted to make Aristotle’s pretend play more enjoyable so we bought him toy food for his play cooking:   It turns out that all he really needed