Gifting STEM Toys This Holiday Season (Copy)

This year I’m making a conscious effort to gift smart! You might be wondering what I’m talking about. I recently discovered the world of STEM toys and was a bit disappointed that I hadn’t learned about them before. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math but STEM toys focus on so much more. Although they look just as fun as regular toys, they’re actually tools that help kids develop their abilities while they have fun and learn. STEM toys generally consist of board games, building blocks and science kits and are available for children as young as toddlers all the way to teens!

We tried out and are sharing 3 STEM toys that can all be found in the GIFT WHIZ tool that was created by Learning Resources and we loved the toys so much that we’ll be using it to make informed and personalized choices for gifts for all the kids on my holiday shopping list this season!

Click here to check out the GIFT WHIZ.

Counting Surprise Party

This toy is the gift that keeps giving! Your little ones will be thrilled to discover presents that are filled with surprises! This gift will help them learn their colors, to count and to identify objects such as robots, cats, guitars and even a plane! It’s priced at under $20 so it’s the perfect gift for any 3 year old on your list!

Click here to check out the Counting Surprise Party

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl helps your kids strengthen hand-eye coordination as well as an introduction to colors, shapes and number recognition skills. Your children will drop the coins in a slot on the owl’s head and use scissor skills to flap the wings and the coins come tumbling out!

Click here to check out Hoot the Fine Motor Owl.

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1-2-3 Build It!™ Construction Crew

There are 3 different ways your little engineers can put this toy together! They can build a digger, a dump truck and a bulldozer with easy and big snap together pieces. This toy helps to develop and strengthen fine motor skills, hand strength, coordination and other skills that help prepare them for preschool! Your kids imaginations will run wild while they learn and have fun playing with the 1-2-3 Build It! Construction Crew.

Click here to check out the 1-2-3 Build It! Construction Crew.

The GIFT WHIZ will guide you and help you choose the best gift for the children in your life! It takes all the guesswork out of holiday shopping! Click here to check out the GIFT WHIZ by Learning Resources.

Gifting STEM Toys This Holiday Season

This year I’m making a conscious effort to gift smart! You might be wondering what I’m talking about. I recently discovered the world of STEM toys and was a bit disappointed that I hadn’t learned about them before. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math but STEM toys focus on so much more. Although they look just as fun as regular toys, they’re actually tools that help kids develop their abilities while they have fun and learn. STEM toys generally consist of board games, building blocks and science kits and are available for children as young as toddlers all the way to teens!

We tried out and are sharing 3 STEM toys that can all be found in the GIFT WHIZ tool that was created by Learning Resources and we loved the toys so much that we’ll be using it to make informed and personalized choices for gifts for all the kids on my holiday shopping list this season!

Click here to check out the GIFT WHIZ.

Counting Surprise Party

This toy is the gift that keeps giving! Your little ones will be thrilled to discover presents that are filled with surprises! This gift will help them learn their colors, to count and to identify objects such as robots, cats, guitars and even a plane! It’s priced at under $20 so it’s the perfect gift for any 3 year old on your list!

Click here to check out the Counting Surprise Party

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl

Hoot the Fine Motor Owl helps your kids strengthen hand-eye coordination as well as an introduction to colors, shapes and number recognition skills. Your children will drop the coins in a slot on the owl’s head and use scissor skills to flap the wings and the coins come tumbling out!

Click here to check out Hoot the Fine Motor Owl.

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1-2-3 Build It!™ Construction Crew

There are 3 different ways your little engineers can put this toy together! They can build a digger, a dump truck and a bulldozer with easy and big snap together pieces. This toy helps to develop and strengthen fine motor skills, hand strength, coordination and other skills that help prepare them for preschool! Your kids imaginations will run wild while they learn and have fun playing with the 1-2-3 Build It! Construction Crew.

Click here to check out the 1-2-3 Build It! Construction Crew.

The GIFT WHIZ will guide you and help you choose the best gift for the children in your life! It takes all the guesswork out of holiday shopping! Click here to check out the GIFT WHIZ by Learning Resources.

4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike by VTech

Looking to start some early holiday shopping? Well then listen up! We tested out the 4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike by VTech - the tricycle that can easily transition as your child grows! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I LOVE buying things for Zane that will last longer than a month... no parent likes to spend money on a toy and then be putting it into storage a short while later. This tricycle is for children from 9 months old - 6 years old and has 4 different stages to accommodate them :).

Stage 1 is the stroll stage - with a 3 point harness and a stroller type handle to push your little one along! It has a foot rest and a sun shade above their head too! Stage 2 is a training stage - the stroller handle is still attached along with the 3 point harness, but your little one can move the pedals and practice cycling! Stage 3 is for the more independent 2-4 year olds and allows them to be free of the harness and stroller handle! Stage 4 is a drifting stage that allows you you enable the wheels to spin freely and glide - this almost guarantees a good time!

Besides the 4 stages, the 4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike also has an interactive electronic panel that simulates a real motorcycle, and includes a horn, an ignition switch and even a gear shifter! It plays music as the pedals move and has direction sensors to help your little ones learn 'left' from 'right'. It even has unique content for each stage so your little one will never be bored! Zane loves it already and I'm so excited to watch him enjoy it for many years to come! My fave feature is the stroller-like handle... it means Zane can sit and have the time of his life pushing the buttons and feeling like he is free... but I don't have to chase him while he's doing it! #momwin

Click here to visit VTech's website to see the 4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike and learn more about its awesome features!

VTech's Pop-a-Balls™ Drop & Pop Ball Pit™ is a Total Hit!

With an active little boy, I'm always on the hunt for toys that will not only keep him interested, but help him learn and grow while being able to withstand the kicking and hitting and biting (the struggle is real for most of our toys!). VTech's Pop-a-Balls™ Drop & Pop Ball Pit™ is Zane's newest obsession... and I have a feeling it will remain his favourite toy for quite a while.

Pop-a-Balls™ Drop & Pop Ball Pit™ is literally everything my son loves, put into one toy with bright coloured balls that can be easily folded and stored! The ball pit comes equipped with 30 balls and a ball net that lights up, counts and is really interactive.  The net counts to 10 as the balls are dunked in, and it also makes animal noises and talks! Zane is having fun, learning to count, learning about animals AND developing his motor skills by trying to get the balls in the hoop and by pushing the levers! Every time the levers are pressed, the activity panel makes different sounds and the balls either go down the slide or into the reservoir at the bottom... and Zane's all time favourite feature? The orange lever in the middle that literally propels the lightweight balls in the air! This ball pit makes him scream, laugh and giggle all at the same time, while entertaining him longer than any other toy so far- can I really ask for more? 

The organized side of me also loves that it can fold up and easily be put away when he's not using it. Our home is already taken over by baby toys so I was so happy to see that Zane's newest obsession was so well thought out by VTech! The balls stay in the centre of the pit and the sides just fold over!

Pop-a-Balls™ Drop & Pop Ball Pit™ is so stimulating and really is exactly what I look for in toys - it's fun and entertaining, while also being super educational (and being able to fold it up and store it is a bonus!). It was like I had the ball pit from Zane's favourite park in my living room... I'm pretty sure this makes me the coolest mom in his little eyes! My dog Rambo was in heaven too :)

You can click here to visit VTech's website and to learn more about this great educational toy!