toysandhobbies

[toysandhobbies]

These Bath Fizzers with a Surprise Inside are Da Bomb!

This entry was posted on March 28, 2017. Taking a bath has long been my favorite way to relax. Now that I’m a new mom, I appreciate it even more when I can snag 30 minutes in the tub. I try to make it count by lighting scented candles, putting on some good music, and turning out the lights. But now there’s a new way to really deck out a bath – Da Bomb bath fizzers! Da Bomb bath bombs turn your tub into a fizzy, scented, colorful oasis. When the fizzing’s over, the fun isn’t – there’s a surprise inside each bath bomb! I was lucky enough to test an Earth Bomb, which has a “sea breeze” scent. As I watched it fizz, it turned my bath (but not my skin or tub!) a beautiful shade of blue. The bath bomb bubbled away for about two minutes as I waited for my prize to emerge. Ta-da: A plastic shark was inside! The soothing oils in the bath fizzer made my skin feel great and the bath even more luxurious. I’ll definitely need more of these! As a bonus, part of the proceeds of the Earth Bomb go toward saving the world’s oceans – a cause near and dear to my heart as an aquarium lover. Da Bomb bath bombs were created by two sisters, Isabel and Caroline, at the ages of 10 and 11. They are hand-made in the USA with only a few simple ingredients: baking soda, citric acid, food grade PEG, fragrance and pigments. They may look tasty (especially the ones with sprinkles) but they are not edible! The prizes inside are small, so these bath bombs are not for young children. They range from sea creatures to pirate booty to famous quotes, depending on the style. Da Bomb bath bombs make perfect gifts for kids and adults, and they’re great in Easter baskets! They definitely are Da Bomb. (Do kids even say that anymore?) Relax and enjoy! --Becki This entry was posted in Toy Review, Top Toys and tagged tween, Science, gift ideas, easter, toy review, top toys, top toy, learningexpress.com, learning express toys on March 28, 2017. ← Previous Post Next Post →

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PopSockets: Your Phone Can Handle This!

This entry was posted on April 4, 2017. I use my phone a LOT. I’m a new mom, so you bet I’m browsing Facebook during all those feeding sessions—and, of course, taking pictures of the baby every hour. After the first few weeks of motherhood, my hand was cramping up bigtime. Then I got a PopSocket for my phone. I’ve had it for about four days, and I don’t know how I survived without one! PopSockets are clever stick-on devices that make using your smartphone much more comfortable and practical to use. They function as a grip, a stand, a cord wrap, and more! When closed, PopSockets personalize your phone. They look like a decorative, half-dollar-sized circle on the back of your smartphone. They come in trendy designs for every taste—from wood grain to the American flag to donuts. Mine has a beautiful mandala-style elephant. When you pop open the PopSocket by pulling it straight outward from your phone, you can prop up your phone to watch a video, hold the phone between two fingers comfortably for texting or selfies, or wrap your headphones around it. It’s also a great fidget item – the PopSocket makes a satisfying “pop” as you snap it closed! Don’t worry about overdoing it – PopSockets are designed to expand and collapse 12,000 times. PopSockets stick to your phone with a sticky gel. The PopSocket can be removed and repositioned many times. If the adhesive gets dirty, you can rinse it with water and let it dry to stick it again—just don’t expose the gel to the air for more than 15 minutes, or it will dry out. Unfortunately, they don’t stick well to silicone phone cases or waterproof coatings. However, mine stuck just fine to my hard plastic, textured case. PopSockets are also great for tablets, e-readers, the Nintendo 3DS, on your mirror to hang jewelry, and more. Paired with the optional PopClip mount, you can even attach your phone to your car's dashboard for music, speakerphone and GPS! Those Pringles commercials had it right: “Once you pop, you can’t stop!” --Becki This entry was posted in Toy Review, Top Toys and tagged tween, gift ideas, toy review, top toys, top toy, learningexpress.com, learning express toys on April 4, 2017. ← Previous Post Next Post →

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5 Reasons Toddlers Love the SpinAgain

This entry was posted on April 14, 2017. For generations, stacking rings have been must-have toys for infants and toddlers. They’re tried and true for a reason – they teach fundamental skills and have universal appeal to children of this age. The SpinAgain is a colorful stacking toy with a new twist – the stacking discs corkscrew down the center pole. Toddlers (it’s recommended for 12 months and up) seem to never grow tired of placing the colorful discs at the top and watching them spiral down. It’s a Fall Top Toy! Here are five reasons we’ve found toddlers love the SpinAgain: 1. Toddlers love repetition . They’ll spin the discs again, and again, and again. Repetition helps toddlers learn about how the world works. As they place the discs on the pole and watch them spiral down over and over, they confirm their understanding of physics – gravity makes the discs go down, not up. As they play, they introduce subtle variations in the activity, such as dropping the discs a little harder or faster to see what happens. Every moment is a discovery! strong They can play independently strongIndependent play fosters creativity and critical-thinking skills. Once you’ve shown your child how the SpinAgain works, he can explore the toy on his own – whether that means rolling the discs along the floor, dumping them off the pole, or giving them a chew. 3. They can sort the discs by color or size . Sorting, arranging and grouping are critical cognitive skills for toddlers to learn. With the SpinAgain, kids can practice stacking the discs from largest to smallest, by color, or by shape. Determining which disc goes next helps children learn sequencing skills. 4. The pieces are suited for their little hands, and they learn fine motor skills . The SpinAgain’s smooth, chunky discs are just the right size for young children to grasp and manipulate. As they develop their fine motor skills, they’ll be able to grasp and lift the center pole more easily. The bottom base can be flipped to act as either a stable base or a wobbly base, so as children develop their visual-spatial perception skills, they can increase the challenge. 5. They love to dump things on the floor . A universal-but-sometimes-aggravating trait, toddlers love to explore their environment by dumping anything they can. The SpinAgain is extra fun to dump, as the discs go spinning off the pole the same way they spun on! Luckily, with the SpinAgain, stacking the discs back on is just as much fun as dumping them, so they’ll be content to repeat this activity over and over. Try one in-store today, and take the SpinAgain for a spin! Becki This entry was posted in Toy Review, Top Toys and tagged toddler, toy review, top toys, top toy, learningexpress.com, learning express toys, childhood development on April 14, 2017. ← Previous Post Next Post →

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5 Fidget Spinner Experiments You Won’t Believe Worked!

This entry was posted on April 25, 2017. Fidget spinners have instant appeal for kids and adults of all ages. Just pick one up, give it a spin, and you’re hooked! They’re so simple, yet so addicting. Fidgeters are quickly finding new ways to spin, stack, do tricks and collect these great new toys. You wouldn’t know by looking at them, but fidget spinners are also a STEM toy. People are using fidget spinners to tinker, invent and engineer new ways to play. Kids are learning physics concepts like friction, torque, and balance while using this battery- and screen-free toy! Check out these 5 awesome fidget spinner experiments: 1. Ice Fidget Spinner. Slater Brown disassembles a fidget spinner and, using the center bearings, makes his own ice spinner. It takes a few tries to make a mold, but he gets an ice spinner spinning! That’s one cool experiment! 2. Underwater Fidget Spinner. AlexGoPow puts his fidget spinner underwater for some interesting visual effects. Spinning it underwater doesn’t do much, but letting the moving spinner hit the water looks neat on camera. Hope it doesn’t rust! 3. Fidget Spinner On Fire. IncredibleScience puts hand sanitizer on his fidget spinner and lights it on fire for a spinning light show. This entire video is full of impressive tricks and experiments, but the fire is at 5:00. This experiment is hot! (Note: This is dangerous and should be done with adult supervision only.) 4. Chocolate Fidget Spinner. Skazzer melts up some chocolate Mini Eggs to make a delicious-looking fidget spinner that really works. Similar to the ice spinner, but this one’s edible. Sweet! 5. Popsicle Sticks Fidget Spinner. Brains techKnowlogy makes DIY fidget spinners using popsicle sticks, a skateboard bearing, glue and some excellent geometry! Impressive hands-on math application. We love that fidget spinners are inspiring creativity, problem-solving and scientific exploration. Have fun, be safe and keep spinning! --Becki This entry was posted in Top Toys and tagged fidget, fidget spinners, tween, STEAM, Science, top toys, top toy, learningexpress.com, learning express toys, educational toys on April 25, 2017. ← Previous Post Next Post →

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2 Fidget Puzzles to Twist Your Brain

This entry was posted on May 2, 2017. Fidget toys are all the rage, and it’s not just spinners and cubes. Fidget puzzles, like the classic Rubik’s Cube and modern Fidgitz game, are brainteasers and fidget toys all in one! The beauty of both of these brainy toys is that you can use them two ways: To focus your brain, or distract it. Mindlessly twist and turn Rubik’s or Fidgitz to release nervous energy and focus on a project, or give your brain a break from work (and your eyes from the screen) by attempting to solve the puzzles. The 3x3-tile multicolored cube is the classic Rubik’s Cube. This puzzle toy, invented in 1974, has fascinated generations! Today’s version has fully-plastic tiles, so there are no more peeling and fading stickers (and no cheating)! Solving the Rubik’s Cube isn’t luck—there’s a science to it. The trick is learning the algorithms. By learning to recognize certain color patterns and memorizing the corresponding sequences of twists and turns, speed cubers can solve the Rubik’s Cube in mere minutes – or as quickly as 5 seconds! For a simpler puzzle with a more rounded feel in your hands, try Fidgitz. It’s similar to Rubik’s in that the goal is for each side to be all one color. With Fidgitz, there are only two colors—blue and white. The connected balls rotate and turn in a unique fluid motion. As you manipulate the puzzle, the sides of each ball twist, so some will be white and others will be blue. With a bit of luck, you’ll get them all the same color in a matter of minutes while giving your hands a nice fidgety workout! Whether you solve them or just enjoy rotating them in your hands, these two fidget puzzles are great for quick brain breaks from homework or between meetings. They’re both Summer Top Toys! Let’s do the twist!

[toysandhobbies]

New Fidget Spinner Varieties – Collect Them All!

This entry was posted on May 10, 2017. Any fidget fan will tell you—one spinner is not enough! Learning Express Toys carries spinners in a variety of patterns, shapes, weights and materials. New to our selection are LED spinners and glow-in-the-dark spinners, so you can spin day and night! Check out some of our latest fidget spinner and fidget cube styles to add to your collection. Glow-in-the-Dark Fidget Spinner This Spinner Squad glow-in-the-dark spinner by Top Trenz spins for 2+ minutes! It features a high-quality injection molded POM frame. This spinner comes in a variety of colors and is perfect for after-hours spinning. Stack them up for an awesome glowing spin tower. LED Light-Up Spinners LED spinners by Trend America will impress all your friends! Spin up a light show day or night. The light-up spinners come in yellow, green, white, black and red and feature colored LEDs in each of the outer bearings. Aluminum Metallic Tri-Spinner Aluminum spinners are lightweight, offer ninja-like speed, and they’re super quiet. These spinners come in metallic black, silver, gold, blue and pink. Camo Print Fidget Cube The camo print fidget cube comes in either a blue or green camo pattern. They’re perfect for fidgeting in the wild! We have many more styles to choose from in-store, from basketball pattern to princess print, heavier weighted spinners and more! Try before you buy and find the perfect spin. --Becki This entry was posted in Top Toys and tagged fidget, fidget spinners, gift ideas, top toys, top toy, learningexpress.com, learning express toys, autism on May 10, 2017. ← Previous Post Next Post →

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BulziBucket at Learning Express Toys

This entry was posted on June 15, 2017. My first encounter with BulziBucket was at my local Learning Express Toys store. Two sales associates were playing it in the middle of the store; my friend and I watched and then joined in the game. We started playing it like a game of cornhole, however, the sales associates taught us two variations on the game—and tipped us off that the dotted bean bag was worth double points. BulziBucket is a combination of cornhole and hacky sack. The game comes with two 3-tiered targets and 8 hacky sack bean bags, which all collapse into a convenient carrying case. BulziBucket is perfect for playing in the yard, the pool, tailgating, indoors or anywhere you see fit. I highly recommend BulziBucket if you are looking for an outdoor game for the entire family. It’s ideal for pool parties, cookouts or the beach! The BulziBucket targets float on water and fold up compactly, so you can play on land or at sea and bring it everywhere your summer travels take you. There are three ways to play BulziBucket: The traditional cornhole style, where partners line up on opposite ends and throw the bean bags directly into the buckets. Scoring is easy—the top tier is 3 points, the middle tier is 2 points and bottom tier is 1 point. However, the bean bag with the green dot is worth double points! The trademark style of playing BulziBucket is called Assist It. In this style, your partner can assist you by “hacking” (kicking hacky sack style) an overthrown bean bag into the bucket. No hands allowed! For the hacky sack aficionados, the Hack It style of play may be for you. In this game scenario, you must receive the bean bag from your partner and hack the bag twice before taking a scoring shot at the bucket. Again, no hands allowed! Happy playing! --Donna This entry was posted in Toy Review, Top Toys and tagged summer toys, toy review, top toys, top toy, learningexpress.com, learning express on June 15, 2017. ← Previous Post Next Post →

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Mad Mattr the Smartest Doh to Ever Flow!

This entry was posted on November 10, 2017. As the universe evolves and scientists explore the vastness of space, they have made numerous discoveries. One such discovery is Dark Matter: an unseen, unidentified type of matter. Then you have Ordinary Matter: everything you can see and touch. But a new type of Mattr has been discovered in Sweden: Mad Mattr! I imagine the scientists that created Mad Mattr accidentally combined two different compounds, and in a puff of smoke, created this incredibly fluffy and soft material that stimulates your sense of touch. I can only suggest you dig your fingers into this luscious material. It’s very difficult to describe how this “Doh that Flows” feels. You can feel the minute grains that are sand like, but it’s more of a dough than sand. However, it doesn’t have the stickiness or the residue of a traditional dough. It’s super soft and very smooth when compacted and fluffy when separated. Mad Mattr is great for shaping, molding and building. When the Mattr is compacted, it maintains its shape like clay - it can be cut and molded - but stretch this compound, and it looks like the molecular structure of the dough is disintegrating! In this stretched state, the dough is super soft and fluffy and will flow through your fingers like sand on the beach. It will even float! If you are looking for a sensory toy for your child, Mad Mattr will deliver. This toy will allow your child to knead the dough to improve finger strength and manipulation and strengthen his or her fine motor skills. This dough is a great fidget tool that will enhance focus and help develop sensory processing skills. Mad Mattr is wheat, gluten and casein free. It’s easy to clean up. When small pieces of dough become separated from a larger piece, just dot them up with the larger piece of dough. If the Mattr gets on the floor or carpet, a quick vacuuming will make the Mattr disappear. The best part of Mad Mattr is that it never dries out! This compound comes in six amazingly bright colors; Red, Pink, Green, Blue, Teal and Purple. Sorry, this product is not for children under 3 years old. Mad Mattr is an addicting and unique modeling compound that you and your child need to experience. It will open up a universe of molding possibilities. You will not want to put the Mattr down! Enjoy the madness! This entry was posted in Toy Review, Top Toys and tagged Mad Mattr, sensory play, sensory toys, toy review, top toys, top toy, learningexpress.com, learning express toys, learning express on November 10, 2017. ← Previous Post Next Post →

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Why Kids Need to #PlayUnplugged (A Teacher's Perspective)

This entry was posted on April 20, 2018. It’s a free art day. Kids can make anything they want. This used to be a golden day for my students. But now, I’m bombarded with questions and concerns: What should I make? Give me an idea. I don’t know what to do. Why is using their imagination so difficult? Kids love working with devices. It’s hard to get them to put their devices down, even in school. Whether they are playing games or learning programs on the computer, there is usually a well-defined goal to accomplish. This is like taking a test. They know that with repetition and problem solving, they can come up with the “right” answer. How do I get through this maze? How do I win this battle? But with imagination, there may not be a right answer. And sometimes, kids get confused when they don’t know exactly what the final goal should be. So how do we encourage imagination and innovation? Stretching the imagination begins with thinking outside the box, participating in open-ended activities that don’t have a “right” answer for solving them. This can be as simple as doing something that you do every day, in a different way. For example: What if they had breakfast for supper? What if they had a picnic breakfast on the living room floor? By trying different ways of doing a traditional activity, kids begin to imagine other ways of changing them. What if we only ate yellow foods for lunch or foods that started with the letter L? What if we #PlayUnplugged and act out the video game instead? Thinking of alternatives opens their imagination to a multitude of answers. Summer is a great time for open-ended activities. Stretch kids’ imagination by doing activities that don’t follow traditional rules. Could they invent a way to play Quidditch from the Harry Potter books, even though in the books it requires flying? If they were to make up an entirely new type of game, what would it be? Try activities that require kids to experiment to find the answer. My kids spent an entire summer finding acids and bases from things around the house, by dropping them into red cabbage juice and watching it change color. Is there a better way to design a paper airplane? Could you build a catapult that would knock down a wall of milk cartons? Use art to expand their ideas by filling every square in the sidewalk with a different chalk drawing. Make your own playdough or slime and the tools to work with it. You don’t have to think up all these activities yourself. Books such as “100 Screen Free Ways to Beat Boredom” can help. It is filled with ideas that can be expressed in many different ways. For example: Put on a fashion show, make string art outside in the yard, start an herb garden, or make alien hats out of tin foil. These open-ended activities allow for surprises and unexpected results, delighting kids with what they can accomplish. To help push the imagination a little further, ask questions such as: What else can you add to this? Are you missing anything? Does this work or look the way you imagined it would? Unplugged and open-ended. Now when kids ask me what to make, I steer them away from the iPads, and challenge them with open-ended questions. It doesn’t take long for their imaginations to kick into gear with all kinds of possibilities. And before you know it, comments like "I don’t know what to do," disappear altogether. Diane Davis has been an art teacher for over 30 years. She has two grown children, and a new granddaughter who she can’t wait to start creating with. This entry was posted in Initiatives and tagged screen free, playunplugged, summer, art on April 20, 2018. ← Previous Post Next Post →

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2019 Holiday Top Toy List

This entry was posted on October 18, 2019. Learning Express Toys & Gifts Announces 2019 Holiday Top Toy List Devens, Mass., October 21, 2019 – Learning Express announces its list of Top Toys for the 2019 holiday season. All age groups and many toy categories are represented including Infant/Toddler, Preschool & Tween, Games & Brain teasers, Art & Creativity, Action, Skill & Sports, STEM toys and more! "In order to be represented on this list, these toys need to be in demand by our end user –kids!" says Sharon DiMinico Founder and CEO of Learning Express Toys. "Many of these top toys are available to demo at our various locations so that you can see for yourself the play value that they provide." When a customer wants to venture outside of the Top Toy list, each store is staffed with Toy Experts that can help the customer select the perfect gift by age. In addition to Toy Experts, Learning Express offers free gift wrapping and personalization. Many stores even offer assembly and local delivery of larger items to ensure that your holiday shopping is as easy and seamless as possible. Head to your local Learning Express Toys to learn more about the following 2019 Top Toys: • Shashibo from Fun in Motion Toys • Instant Play Fort from AirFort • Squishmallows from KellyToy • Fresh Mart Grocery Store from Melissa and Doug • Beauty Salon Play Set from Melissa and Doug • Rock ‘N Roll it Piano from Mukikim • Baby Shark Sound Book & Melody Pad from California Creations; Baby Shark Swim Bath Toy from Zoofy International • Speks Duo Tones from Retrospective Goods • Play Zoom Kids Smartwatch from iTouch Wearables • Door Pong from Fat Brain Toys • MOVE Kids Activity Watch from Watchitude • Clack! and Clack! Categories Games from Amigo Games • Tumbling Hedgehog from Thames and Kosmos • Air-Walker from Thames and Kosmos • Magic Tracks Mega Set from Ontel Products Corporation • Tell Your Story Alphabet Bead Kit from Fashion Angels • SpinAgain from Fat Brain Toys • Funtime Tractor from Kidoozie • Hover Squad from Mindscope • Genius Square Game from Mukikim About Learning Express Toys & Gifts Learning Express Toys is the nation's leading franchisor of specialty toy stores with more than 100 locations across the country - each one locally owned and operated. Providing an extraordinary shopping experience, Learning Express Toys & Gifts is best known for its knowledgeable and playful sales staff and its unique product mix (birth – age 14). Believing that everyone who walks through the doors should be WOWED, Learning Express focuses on toys, gifts & experiences that celebrate life’s best moments. A birthday gift registry, free gift wrapping, free personalization, civic fundraising and regularly scheduled children’s events contribute to the energetic atmosphere and exceptional customer service. To learn more about Learning Express Toys & Gifts franchise opportunities, or a store near you, visit learningexpress.com. ### For more information, interview requests, and media inquiries, please contact Meghan Thompson at Meghan@learningexpress.com or 978.889.1083. This entry was posted in Top Toys on October 18, 2019. ← Previous Post