Buying Toys? Posted on Minggu, 18 Desember 2011 | 0 komentar

Looking for simple, inexpensive toys for your child that require no batteries, assembly, and keep his or her attention for hours? Here are some ideas for simple things around the house that will entertain your children while you accomplish all the things on your to-do list.

1) Play-doh. This is easy to make and lasts for a long time if you keep it in an airtight container. Kids love things that squish and squash, so put down some wax paper and let their imaginations take over! To make play-doh, take two cups of wheat flour, two cups of water, two tablespoons of oil, one-third cup salt, and one-fourth cup cream of tarter and mix them in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir until all excess moisture has evaporated and play-doh consistency has been reached. Let cool and store in plastic containers or bags. For a little extra fun, when you mix all the ingredients in the saucepan, add some food coloring for colored play-doh!

2) Boxes. A cardboard box can be colored on, painted, and cut, and can be easily moved or disposed. An empty box can turn into a ship sailing the high seas, a cabin in the woods, or a castle on a hill. Many grocery stores have large, empty boxes that they are willing to give to anyone asking.

3) Pots and pans. When I was little, my mom would pull out her pots, pans, and metal bowls, fill some of them with water, and let my brother and I play “cooking.” We’d take cups, spoons, measuring cups—anything that could hold water—and transfer water from one pot to the other. We spent hours concocting various brews and soups, and usually ended up soaking ourselves. Because it was just water though, there were no stains to worry about and the mess was relatively easy to mop up.

4) A cheap toy. Never underestimate the power of one small toy. Another story from my childhood: my brother and I had two small action figures that we’d gotten from a kids’ meal. Those two men went everywhere with us! Outside in the dirt, in our little pool, on car rides, and so many other places. They “helped” us wash dishes, do homework, play in the yard, and kept us entertained for many afternoons. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my brother and I playing with those action figures.

5) Old clothes. Children take great delight in playing “adults.” Oversized clothes become disguises for miniature CIA agents or fancy outfits for little starlets. Ties, ribbons, shoes, dresses, sunglasses, and dress shirts are especially fun for kids.

Simple things, when seen through the eyes of a child, can become the most fun toy in the world. All you need are a few of these easily-accessible items and a health dose of imagination, and your children will be playing happily for hours!

TeddyBears - Did you know? Posted on Sabtu, 19 Februari 2011 | 0 komentar

Teddy bears date back to the early twentieth century, but the origin of the name is uncertain. The most popular story is that then-US President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt refused to kill an injured bear on a bear-hunting trip, choosing to spare its life instead. This story was then picked up by the newspapers, especially cartoonists, leading one enterprising shop that sold toy bears to label them ‘Teddy’s Bears’ in the window.

The original teddy bears are generally considered to come from Germany, where they were made by the Steiff company and exported to the US. Unlike previous attempts at toy bears, they were not fierce looking, with the makers instead going for a more appealing, although unrealistic, cute look. The bears were an immediate huge seller, with a craze that you could easily compare to the ‘90s Beanie Baby fever, and teddies today are still the biggest-selling toy animal by far. As teddies were still being handmade rather than mass-produced, this led to a huge number of people becoming employed in bear-making almost overnight.

During the First World War, teddy bears from Germany were impossible to get, which led other countries to start producing them and building up their own unique teddy styles. The Second World War, however, led to a decline in teddy bear manufacture, as the resources simply couldn’t be spared, and it wasn’t until the ‘50s that they became popular again. When they came back, though, it was with a vengeance, just like bananas and other things that had been unavailable during the war. Today, we are still in this age of teddy mass production.

Teddy bears have since become an enduring children’s toy, as well as a popular theme of children’s stories, such as Paddington Bear, Winnie the Pooh and the Teddy Bears’ Picnic. Because of many adults’ nostalgia for the pre-war hand-crafted bears, a whole industry of ‘bear artists’ making expensive, individual bears has sprung up alongside the cheap toys, and teddy bears remain popular as gifts as well.