Silly Bandz (Animal Rubber Bands) Zoo Pack of 24

Silly Bandz are awesome! They come in a variety of colors and styles and kids of all ages, 3 to 103, absolutely love them. Each pack of Zoo Animal Silly Bandz include 24 pieces - 4 each of the Hippo, Giraffe, Ostrich, Kangaroo, Rhino & Elephant. Silly Bandz are die-molded with non-toxic silicone and you will absolutely love how these silly bands return to their original shape after being worn as a bracelet, necklace or maybe even a pony-tail holder. That's right Silly Bandz can even be worn as a fashion accessory. These are just a few of the ways people are using Silly Bandz.Silly Bandz (Animal Rubber Bands) Zoo Pack of 24

Silly Bandz 24Pack Rock Bandz

Silly Bandz are awesome! They come in a variety of colors and styles and kids of all ages, 3 to 103, absolutely love them. Each pack of RockBandz Silly Bandz include 24 pieces - 4 each of the Mic Stand, Rocker, Rock Handz, Guitar, Drums, and ROCK! Silly Bandz are die-molded with non-toxic silicone and you will absolutely love how these silly bands return to their original shape after being worn as a bracelet, necklace or maybe even a pony-tail holder. That's right Silly Bandz can even be worn as a fashion accessory. These are just a few of the ways people are using Silly Bandz.
Silly Bandz 24Pack Rock Bandz

Silly Bandz Fun Shapes - 24 Pack

Silly Bandz are awesome! They come in a variety of colors and styles and kids of all ages, 3 to 103, absolutely love them. Each pack of Dinosaur Silly Bandz include 24 pieces - 4 each of the Velociraptor, Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Titanosaurus and Brachiosaurus. Silly Bandz are die-molded with non-toxic silicone and you will absolutely love how these silly bands return to their original shape after being worn as a bracelet, necklace or maybe even a pony-tail holder. That's right Silly Bandz can even be worn as a fashion accessory. These are just a few of the ways people are using Silly Bandz.

Hasbro Playskool Busy Ball Popper

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
Get silly with poppin', droppin' colored balls! Pump the plunger and drop the balls onto the spiral track. When they reach the bottom, look out - the balls pop out the top! Giggles are guaranteed with wacky sound effects and 8 lively songs to help keep the fun rolling along. The Playskool Busy Ball Popper has won numerous toy awards, including American Baby's Best Toy, Child Magazine's Best Toy, and the NAPPA Gold Award. Requires 4 "D" Batteries (not included).

Product Description
Get ready for some poppin', droppin', air-powered fun. Drop the five colorful balls onto the track. Watch them pop out of the top, roll down, then pop out all over again. Sometimes the balls spill over for even more interactive, put-and-take play. Silly sound effects and eight upbeat tunes accompany the animated action. This toy provides one "air-mazing" experience for your little one. Measures 18" x 7" x 13". Requires 4 "D" batteries (not included).

By frisky2000 "frisky2000"
Our 20 month old played with this at a friend's house and didn't want to put it away, which is not like her since she bores easily with most toys. We purchased one for her and the moment she sets it down to play, her face lights up, she squeals with delight when she presses the big red ball to start the action, and then once the balls start popping in the air, she is overjoyed.

The colorful balls are placed in the chute on top of the unit, then as they slide down the ramp, the air popper forces them up through the top hole and they pop around like popcorn! We watch our daughter laugh and have a blast with this toy all the time, but she is learning so much from it as well. First she learned cause and effect when pushing the red lever to start the machine. She learned that the music will not start until the balls begin moving. Next she learned where to place the balls, and how to catch them if they scooted away, and finally she learned words like BALL, STOP, OUT, PLAY, DANCE just from the repetition of the activities. The fun music reminds me of a circus parade and several songs randomly play while the popper is activated.

Storage is a snap since it's heavy enough to stay upright while playing, and light enough to grab and go when it's time to clean up. There are three main pieces that an adult has to screw together, and though a child might be able to pry off the top piece, it easily snaps back into place. Just don't lift it from the top piece and you shouldn't have a problem.

Blokus Strategy Board Game

Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
Fun for both kids and adults, Blokus is a strategy board game that challenges spatial thinking. Bright colors and simple rules make it ideal for ages five and up, but adults will certainly be engrossed by this unique and challenging game.

Not Your Average Board Game
Blokus encourages creative thinking and has received a Mensa award for promoting healthy brain activity. The goal of this game is for players to fit all of their pieces onto the board. When placing a piece it may not lie adjacent to the player's other pieces, but must be placed touching at least one corner of their pieces already on the board. The player who gets rid of all of their tiles first is the winner and strategic thinking helps as you block moves from your opponent. Blokus sometimes comes to an end because there are no more possible moves.

Four players make this abstract game especially fast and exciting; however, it can be just as fun for two or three players. Blokus has come up with a number of different ways to play the game to make it more thrilling when playing with less than four players. Draft Blokus allows a player to use more than one color and Reverse Blokus reverses the entire game so that the person who places the least amount of tiles on the board is the winner. It can even be played in a solitaire version when one player attempts to place all of their pieces in a single sitting. A game of Blokus typically lasts a 30 minutes. As a practical feature, raised edges on the board help keep the tiles in place and allow convenient clean-up. This game includes 84 pieces in four vibrant colors, an instruction guide, and one gameboard with 400 squares.

Blokus is simple to understand, but the game's complexity is revealed shortly after everyone begins to play. It can be addictive, even for those not normally into abstract games. Blokus is a catalyst for spatial thinking, as players form images in their mind before placing the pieces on the board. Children and adults can play together for hours of competitive family fun. As Europe's 2003 Game of the Year, Blokus is adored by many and even played in professional tournaments.

What's in the Box
84 pieces in four colors, gameboard with 400 squares, and an instruction guide.

Once a piece has been placed on the board it can't be moved, so plan your moves carefully.

Adding to the game's challenges, each new piece must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners.

Product Description

Grades K and up. Europe's 2003 game of the year! Develops logic and spacial perception while kids learn to be tactical. Players take turns placing pieces on their board, each starting from their corner. Each new piece must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners! The goal is to get rid of all your pieces. The game ends when all players are blocked from laying down any more of their pieces. Includes one gameboard with 400 squares, 84 game pieces in four bright translucent colors, and an instruction guide.

product review by Dorothy L. Greynolds "game mom"
This is a GREAT game!! I enjoy finding visual based games because they are easier for our younger daughter to play and enjoy with us. We also don't have a lot of space for games so I only buy ones I think we will really enjoy and that aren't similar to other games or toys we already own. I also try to avoid ones that require batteries.

I bought this game a few days ago. My older daughter and I decided on the travel version because the two of us could play it. We brought it home and couldn't stop playing it. One of the things we love best is that we can play it in 10-15 minutes. We play it before she leaves for school and doesn't have time for a longer game. We also play it about any time we can! We have dozens of games at home but really love this one. She calls it the Addicted Game.

We have thought of optional ways to play it. One strategy is to place our pieces so they fit as tightly on the game board, leaving the fewest unoccupied squares possible. We still place them so the pieces of the same color don't touch, as in the instructions. We pick our pieces according to their shape and how well they work with the other pieces on the board, rather than blocking the other player. Another way we like to play is to divide the game board in half and place our own pieces as closely together as possible.

The only complaint I have about this game is that it could have been designed better for travel. A slide out tray to contain the pieces or a flip open type board like Travel Othello or Travel Scrabble would have been nice. Then it would be self contained and not require the box. As it is, you need to take it in the box, with the two compartments for storing the game pieces. I would take it a lot more places if I didn't need the box because it's not made for wear and tear of travel.

Live Butterfly Garden

Editorial Review
Did you know that painted ladies (the butterflies, that is) taste with their feet and have 10,000 eyes? You and your kids will be fascinated by all you learn about these beautiful creatures with the Butterfly Garden from Insect Lore. The kit comes with a relatively easy-to-assemble observation chamber; supplies for feeding the butterflies (you provide only sugar and water); an informative booklet of clear instructions and butterfly facts; and a certificate for three to five free painted lady caterpillars. The metamorphosis from larva to butterfly takes about three weeks from when you receive the caterpillar larvae (which arrive in a small container with all the nutrients they need). Your children can watch the larvae increase dramatically in size, form chrysalides, and finally emerge into full-fledged painted ladies (it's suggested that they release the butterflies after a few days of observation). This would make a wonderful activity for families with kids of any age, but younger children will need help assembling the observation chamber and reading the instruction booklet. (Note: The manufacturer recommends that butterflies should not be set free in temperatures lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.) --Rachel Radway

Product Description
Witness one of nature's most spectacular transformations up close with this reusable, collapsible habitat. Fine, transparent mesh lets you see butterfly metamorphosis up close. Product includes easy-to-use feeder and complete instructions for habitat. Butterfly larvae with food shipped directly to your home. The habitat collapses for storage when not in use. You can adopt and raise a handful of caterpillars, watch them transform into painted lady butterflies, then lift the garden cover to release your beautiful specimens into the wild. This exciting habitat makes a fabulous introduction to the miracles of nature. The larvae and food available round the year.

By Ben and Nate Bradley and their mom (Kris)
My son (age 5) got this from his grandparents for Christmas and it has been terrific fun for all of us. The first set of ten caterpillars grew visibly day-by-day, then pupated and emerged as butterflies in a few weeks. There is a lot of great information about painted lady and other butterfly species online and having this project got my son very interested in how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly so soon I found myself showing him multi-colored pictures of imaginal discs (the larval structures that produce the butterfly wing, leg etc. during metamorphosis) online at websites I found--a great way to get him interested in developmental biology. The first time we talked about this he decided they were actually "magical discs", given what these groups of cells can do...the whole process has been very entertaining for the whole family.... It is also really fun to have butterflies flitting around and caterpillars growing in the pavilion in the kitchen when it is gray and wintery outside.

How to raise more than one generation of critters inside:
Since we sent our coupon for larvae out immediately after Christmas, we had butterflies dancing around the pavilion and mating in February when there were no plants outside to collect for the next generation of caterpillars to eat. Anticipating this, I ordered a mallow plant and some additional larval food from Carolina Biological Supply Company at about the time when our caterpillars turned into chrysalises: there is an online store and the stuff to get is the L918 culture medium (144040). This will feed about 80 larvae. (Unfortunately the Insect Lore company, which makes the Pavilion, only sells caterpillar food in small quantities along with additional larvae, which we certainly didn't need).

How to do it: We set the mallow plant in the pavilion and the butterflies laid their eggs on the leaves where we could watch them darken and emerge as very tiny 1mm long new caterpillars. After 4-5 days of watching the caterpillars eat the mallow plant (making little tracks on the leaves) we prepared them new homes in caterpillar media. To do this, you can use either the original plastic containers that the first generation larvae are shipped in (clean them out and dish wash them) or use another small clear-sided plastic or glass jar with a lid. Clean the containers well (I wiped the inside with a paper towel with isopropyl alcohol on it after dishwashing to kill bacteria, which will contaminate the food and make the larvae sick). The food will come in two plastic containers (nearly full). One of these can be frozen for subsequent generations. Transfer the contents of one container to a covered microwaveable container and heat on medium in the microwave (swirling every 10-30 seconds to mix and avoid overheating) until it is a solution. Pour media into the bottoms of the larvae containers to a depth of about a quarter inch (this will make 4-5 new containers). If there is a lot of condensation on the sides after the media has hardened, you can wipe this away with a paper towel--I did this, but then again alcohol-wiped the inside solid surfaces and lid above the media. Cover the containers loosely (leave the lid slightly ajar) and put them somewhere to dry. I laid a clean paper towel over the collection of covered jars to keep dust/dirt from drifting in given the activity level of the children here. After a couple days of drying, these were ready for larvae. If necessary (ie., if not using the previously shipped containers) make very, very small air holes in the lid. Then use a toothpick or matchstick to collect each 2-4 mm long larva off of the mallow plant leaves and tap to drop them into the new container. Put a clean paper towel over the top of the container (under the lid) and re-cap the jar--now the paper will serve as a scaffold for new chrysalises to hang from and will allow air in while preventing the tiny caterpillars from escaping. Try to be relatively aseptic about this.

It appears that we're going to get about 20-30 new caterpillars from the first generation, which I should be able to accommodate with the larvae cups made above...hopefully by the time we've run out of this food and been through a couple more generations it will be summer and warm enough to release all of the butterflies we have outside. The pavilion is well made and sturdy enough that it should accommodate many other projects involving insects. All in all, we've been entirely pleased with this--a great gift that's had my son on the phone describing his butterflies' recent development to grandma and grandpa several times!

One more tip: the adult butterflies seem to become upended on the floor of the pavillion at times while they are flapping around and have trouble gaining traction to right themselves on the slick nylon surface. This shortened the lives of several of ours until I saw it happening and put some packing material (like easter straw) in there for them to stand on.

Graco Vie4 Stroller in Betsey

From the Manufacturer
Graco Vie4 Stroller in Betsey is a one hand self-standing fold with no bending necessary. This stroller offers a height adjustable handle and full size canopy. With a multi positioning flat reclining seat,and a 3 or 5pt harness baby will always be comfortable and safe. The extra large storage basket and pivoting child's tray with cup and juice holder will offer convenience. Front swivel wheels with locks and suspension will give a great ride. Graco infant SnugRide or SafeSeats will attach for additional convenience.