Up for Review: Castle Marbleworks

TOY REVIEW:

As a Childcare Provider (and mother), I play with my fair share of toys throughout my workday. I often find toys I like but rarely toys I LOVE - So I have started this “Toy Review” as part of my blog to bring some of the BEST toys to the attention of other moms and care providers….

Next up ---

Castle Marbleworks by Discovery Toys 

THE PRODUCT: 

Your child will have fun dropping the 3 weighted chime balls down the track of this marble run building system! As balls race, spin and zig-zag, your little one learns to predict the balls’ course. Includes 8 pieces. Parts are not compatible with Marbleworks®. 25" x 14 1/2" x 10" (63 cm x 37 cm x 25 cm). For ages from 2y - kindergarten

It comes with....

3 -- "Marbles" (these are not “marble sized” they are quite large and cannot be swallowed by a baby, they also “chime” like jingle bells.) 

4 -- Track pieces. (The balls jingle when moved around, making the toy much more exciting.) 

2 -- Towers for the top

1 -- Castle base (with “exit” and drawbridge) 

MY EXPERIENCE

This is a toy that demands attention - as cool as it looks in the pictures, it’s that much better live. When I first set it up I intended for it to entertain a young party guest (18 months old... yes I know it’s recommend for 24 months+ but as there are no swallowable parts I said what the heck). At that point the older kids (3-5 years old) where playing elsewhere. Unfortunately I underestimated the “pull” of this toys... and it soon attracted every kid in the house and became a immediate favorite! 

Setup 

All the pieces are very sturdy and fits together perfectly. (The ramps can’t be set up wrong - the piece are designed to be used by a child, therefor the ramps WILL NOT be connected in a fashion that doesn’t allow for play. If the ramps fit... the ball will go down them. Also, although the box shows the ramps in order Red, Blue, Yellow, Green,... you can configure them in any order you wish. This feature keeps older babies and toddlers entertained to see the balls go down different ways... and even older children will enjoy seeing how many different castles they can build themselves. (The Castle base and towers are always the top and bottom.)

HERE'S WHY IT IS AWESOME!

Infants: (***Toy is recommend for 24 months+)

I know, I Know... 2 years and up --- but have you ever seen Baby Einstein? Kids (especially infants) LOVE tracking things. And personally I’d rather have my baby track a toy I was holding or engaging them in myself... not on some T.V. screen. Of course you’ll be the one to drop the ball down the tower 4 million times... so possibly you’d like the movies better?!?!

Anyway... I think Babies of all ages will love watching as the “chiming” balls as they drop down the castle tower and slowly roll down the 4 tracks until they drop into the base and come out the front. (Each track is different so your baby will be entertained by how the ball moves around, and the different effects each level provides) The balls also go slow enough for a baby to follow easily. The bottom has a “drawbridge” that can flip up to trap the balls in the base, adding a little more fun to this simple toy.

Toddlers: 

Discovery Toys recommends a child be 2 years and above to use this toy... But my “above mention house guest” was only 18-month-old and he LOVED this toy! He was able to drop the balls on the tracks after only being shown twice. (and was VERY proud of himself I might add) He loved the sound effects of the balls and simply jingled one while dropping the others down the ramps repeatedly. 

Although I agree children 2+ would love this toy... Jessie (the 18-month-old also highly recommends it)

Pre-School: 

My 4-year-old daughter still likes to play with it too. She likes to race the balls down the tracks and constantly switches the tracks around to keep things interesting. She also like to grab the balls before the fall all the way down, which is great for her hand eye coordination, and I know she has to think about where the ball is going next - and when she’s “thinking critically” I’m happy!

School Aged: 

I’ve seen 13 year olds as well as moms and dad’s have fun with this set... so NO, I wouldn’t rule any age level out, but in order to have an enjoyable and extended length of play I’d recommend the Classic Marbleworks instead. 

MORE “PROS” for all ages!

***Extremely durable. The ramps haven’t shown wear and tear at all and still fit together perfectly. The balls are also in perfect working order - even after being treated to the “vigorous” loving of our daycare children (which generally involves throwing, banging and lots of drooling)

***Very easy to clean as there are very few crevices to accumulate dirt. (We are big on disinfecting around here... and any toy that can be wiped clean of germs with some bleach rags is a HUGE plus during cold and flu season!)

IS THERE A DOWNSIDE?

As far as I’m concerned there aren't any "negatives" related to this product. My daughter and my daycare kids LOVE Castle Marbleworks... they play with it constantly.

However, In the interest of writing a balanced review, I will point out a couple of things that could be perceived as negatives. 

• First and foremost is the price. I know the economy is bad and cash is hard to come by, so shelling out $40.00 for this toy might be too much for some families. (believe me, I get it!) But if that’s your only objection - I strongly recommend waiting for a holiday or birthday... when you can more easily justify spending some money on the kids. Or heck... ask grandma, that’s what she’s there for right :P

• If you are looking for a “Marblewroks” type toy with a lot of variation, this is not the set for you, as it only has 4 interchangeable ramps. (but remember Castle Marbleworks is designed for small children, so the parts are made to be simple and without swallowing hazards.)

• Finally, YES... It will tip over if your baby tries to use it to pull themselves up. Again this toy was designed for children (ages 24 months+) these children generally have no issues with standing by themselves and won’t use the castle for balance... so the “danger” of it falling on them is very unlikely. I did however mention in my review that younger children (infants and such) will enjoy WATCHING it and playing with the jingle balls... however they shouldn’t be left alone with it - as it’s “tower” design isn’t safe for climbing and could cause injury if they tried to climb it.

So…. To Recap - Why on Earth Would I Pay $40.00 for this ramp with musical balls??? 

Well I grew up with the Classic Marbleworks... and I just could not wait for my daughter to “join” the fun. This is the perfect solution... same great marbleworks toy BUT made for a baby or toddler! 

Your child will LOVE watching it, building it and putting the ball down the slides (again and again and again). They will also love the sound effects the balls make.

AND they will be learning while they PLAY!!! The following concepts are taught while the child merrily has fun. 

• Practicing construction possibilities
• Understanding concepts related to parts-to-whole
• Exploring positional concepts: in, out, on, under & through
• Observing gravity in motion
• Predicting path balls will take through the run
• Practicing fine motor dexterity
• Understanding cause & effect
• Experimenting with different construction possibilities and outcomes!

And if that doesn’t convince you.... well It’s also and award winner!

Awards 

National Parenting Publications Awards, Honors Award 

CFCN Toy Test Winner (Calgary Toy Review) 

Featured on the NBC's Today Show Toy Test  

National Parenting Publications Honors Award 

Great American Toy Test Award 

Want to buy these fantastic cups right now??? CLICK HERE!

Need even more proof they're awesome??? Read what other people think... HERE!

Autism Toy Guide for Discovery Toys!

     Discovery Toys has sensational products that encourage multiple levels of learning for individuals of ALL abilities. Individuals with Autism or Special Needs tend to experience six areas of significant difficulty. All Discovery Toys have been assigned one or more Autism Symbols relative to how they address the area of difficulty an individual might be experiencing. Use this Toy Guide to help choose the right combination of products to strengthen the skills and make learning fun!

Did you know ...

• Autism now affects 1 in 110 children and 1 in 70 boys
• Autism prevalence figures are growing
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.
• Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per year, a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade
• Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

Getting crafty with Caterpillars & Butterflies

We colored, Crafted, Ate and Played and so can you...

     It’s another rainy day - and in honor of being stuck inside we are CRAFTING! And just plain having fun... no hailing, pouring, crazy wet day is going to stop us from celebrating Spring. (which in my daughter’s opinion is the best season - since bugs are plentiful). 

So Whats on the “Butterfly” agenda for the day, you ask??? 

1. Playing with a Caterpillar 
2. Coloring a Caterpillar 
3. EATING a Caterpillar (Not really... it’s just an apple) 
4. Dressing like a butterfly 
5. Making a Butterfly 
6. And yes.... Eating a butterfly (again, not really) 

AND YOU CAN TOO! --- because we have included the info below :) 

1) Playing with a Caterpillar 

     Well my daughter would have loved this to be an actual caterpillar - but alas, it was not. Instead we used the two caterpillar toys we have the Go go caterpillar & the Caterpillar Shape sorter Puzzle. (pictured below) 

Go Go Caterpillar

Caterpillar Shape sorter Puzzle

     If you don’t own these Discovery Toys, you can simply place some blocks in a row, or make balls out of clay or dough --- If you have an empty egg carton you can cut it quickly and easily into a fantastic caterpillar (and decorate it - or not - as you wish). We’ve done that before, it’s always a fun craft! 

2) Coloring a Caterpillar 

     As I mentioned we recently made “egg carton caterpillars” so we decided to color caterpillars today instead. We used the two caterpillar pictures below..... I liked them both, but the second one (the hungry hungry caterpillar was more educational - and we talked a lot more during the “art” process). 

Daydreaming Caterpillar Page  

Hungry hungry caterpillar picture 

3) EATING a Caterpillar (Not really... it’s just an apple) 

     My daughter wanted a snack -- and I of course used todays theme (Caterpillars & Butterflies) to help my own agenda of getting her to eat something healthy! So... Apple slices, a bananas, some peanut butter and two raisins become an edible Caterpillar... 

4) Dressing like a butterfly 

     This was fun... of course if you don’t have wings (ours came from an old fairy costume - as seen below) --- I find that an old baby blanket works well in a pinch. My daughter simply holds the ends of the blanket in her hands while its wrapped behind her... a new take on the “super hero” cape. When she flaps her arms her wings flap too! But if you do have an old pair of wings laying around, it makes for an easier flight. 

5) Making a Butterfly 

     This project I just threw together - I was trying to make dinner and need Claire to keep busy at the table. It was pretty easy... 

     A) I folded a piece of cardstock in half (but any paper will do, computer, construction... whatever you’ve got. I just wanted it to be heavier).

     B) I cut out the wings. (we used two semi-heart shapes - with the bigger heart being on top.... but a “Capital B” shape would work just fine. 

     C) Then I cut some tissue paper up... we always save scraps of it after party’s ... but again any paper will work (as long as it’s colorful).

     D) Last you give you’ve kid a glue stick and let them have at it. 

     E) Enjoy your 15 minutes of freedom :) 

Finished Project

Having fun

6) And yes.... Eating a butterfly (again, not really) 

     For dinner my hubby and I had pasta and salad... and as usual my four year old needed her own variation of our dinner. (she doesn’t like pasta with sauce of any kind, and salad is a no go)... so I used BOWTIE pasta, minus the sauce, and called them butterflies --- a bit of a stretch but she totally bought it. And then I constructed a Butterfly out leftover salad pieces and a cheese stick. 

Bow-tie Butterflies

Veggie-Fly

That was our “Caterpillars & Butterflies” day... hope yours is just as fun! 

     Have a kid that likes BUGS but not butterflies ---- or simply wants to expand their “bug” craft collection... check out this site for some fun ideas. And happy crafting! 

ABOUT.COM Article

I saw a fun little article on ABOUT.com, I love when I find even more reasons to be proud of the company I work for... 

     Discovery Toys are sold through independent Educational Consultants, usually via parties in a host's home. Discovery Toys has a wide range of toys and gifts for kids of all ages, and the toys usually have educational components that help kids develop physical or mental skills. These ten baby toys from Discovery Toys are educational, sturdy, interesting to babies and best of all, they are lots of fun! Discovery Toys products make great baby gifts because they are classic, long-lasting toys.

1. Discovery Toys Hammer Away

     Hammer Away is a must-have playroom toy for babies. Compact and sturdy, this colorful boat allows baby to match colorful plastic balls to the openings in the boat's top and then hammer them through the boat until the balls wind their way out into the waves below. This toy gives active babies and toddlers a safe way to burn off some energy while learning cause and effect and building hand-eye coordination. My daughter began playing with this toy at about 12 months and still loves it at age four.

2. Discovery Toys BusyTime Playbox

     The Busy Time Playbox is a baby shape sorter and so much more. Designed for babies 18 months and up, the Busy Time Playbox has spinning cog wheels, bright colors, interesting patterns, and a cool side entry that allows baby to retrieve the shape sorter blocks easily to start again. The blocks are not only sorted by shape, but by color as well. A sturdy handle lets baby carry this favorite toy anywhere.

3. Discovery Toys Castle Marbleworks Play Tower

     Castle Marbleworks may be a child's toy, but the whole family will enjoy creating paths for the oversized marbles to tumble down. For babies 24 months and up, Castle Marbleworks has several ramp pieces that can be arranged in many different ways to make new paths. When baby has built a marble tower, the weighted marbles are dropped into the turret cup at the top to clatter and jingle all the way down. Babies and toddlers are fascinated by this great cause-and-effect teaching toy.

4. Discovery Toys Measure Up Cups

     These simple stacking cups will become a favorite for babies and parents. Brightly colored and made of sturdy plastic, Measure Up Cups have scalloped top edges for easier scooping, animal prints on the bottom for stamping in molding clay, and numbers to help baby boost math skills. If baby fills cup 1 and cup 4 with water, the water can be dumped out to fill cup 5, giving baby a lesson in volume and addition.

5. Discovery Toys Safari Land Sensory Playmat

     The Safari Land Sensory Playmat can be used as soon as baby is born, giving your baby something interesting to gaze at while laying on the floor. As baby grows, this activity gym has teething toys, musical components, lots of animal friends, and enough activity to keep toddlers busy for hours. The Safari Land Sensory Playmat is a great baby gift that will continue to be used through the toddler years.

6. Discovery Toys Tangiball

     Packed with sensory experiences, the Tangiball is fun and interesting for babies of all ages. The nubby texture and vanilla scent make this ball hard to put down, and babies will love to hear the ball squeak when they squeeze it. Best of all, Tangiball is very durable. I received a Tangiball as a baby gift when my daughter was born, and four years later it still has the nice vanilla scent and looks great despite spending many nights in the sandbox or out in the rain.

7. Discovery Toys Hide Inside Surprise

     For younger babies, this plush treasure box allows independent play as well as fun story activities with a parent. Six soft animals hide inside the box, and each animal has its own texture and sound. Parents can hide the animals in several pockets and spaces around the box to help baby discover them. A parent guide is included to help new parents find ways to play along with baby.

8. Discovery Toys Tot Rock Music Set

     Babies love music, and love it even more when they can make the music themselves! Tot Rock is a baby music set that includes a drum, trumpet, tambourine and cymbals, each with brightly colored and patterned accents for visual stimulation. The soft drum stick makes plenty of baby-pleasing noise on the drum, but isn't hard enough to hurt much if baby turns it on a playmate. Velcro loops let parents store the music set together when not in use.

9. Discovery Toys Animal Sounds Book

     It's never to early to read to baby and learn to interact with one another. Animal Sounds is an oversized, sturdy board book with a dial in the middle that is spun on each page to determine which animal sound you should make. Baby can have lots of silly fun making classic animal sounds like moos and barks, or learn some new sounds. Do you know what a kookaburra says? This unique book makes a great baby gift that will be enjoyed for years.

10. Discovery Toys Super Yummy Teether

     If you're searching for a gift for a young baby, this odd-looking teething toy is a sure-fire hit. Big enough for baby's hand to grasp easily, the Super Yummy Teether has five different teething surfaces so baby can bite and bite some more to keep pressure on aching gums. A vanilla scent is pleasant for parents and soothing for baby.

Written by: Heather Corley, contributing writer for ABOUT.com Learn more about Heather at http://babyproducts.about.com/bio/Heather-Corley-14113.htm

Up for Review: Measure Up! Cups

TOY REVIEW:

As a Childcare Provider (and mother), I play with my fair share of toys throughout my workday. I often find toys I like but rarely toys I love - I have started this blog to bring some of the BEST toys to the attention of other moms and care providers….

First up ---

Measure Up! Cups by Discovery Toys 

THE PRODUCT: 

Discovery Toys’ Measure Up! Cups consists of 12 durable, colorful, plastic cups. The cups come in four colors: yellow, green, red, and blue (three of each shade). They are $13.50. 

Watch learning in action as your toddler uses this set of cups to scoop, dump, fill, nest, stack and stamp. These volumetrically correct, sequentially numbered cups introduce important preschool concepts related to volume, size, time, color and measurement

Discovery Toys Claims 

- Fine motor, thinking, & problem solving, 

- Introduces important preschool concepts, 

- Molding, stamping, and sorting concepts, 

- Volumetrically correct – (Cups 1+2=3, 2+2=4 etc)

- Ideal for sandbox, bathtub play, floor play or with playdough.

- Appropriate for 12+ months. 

MY EXPERIENCE

Discovery Toys Measure Up! Cups are durable, versatile, and fun for kids. And as far as I'm concerned, they are beyond Awesome (which is an odd thing to say about a set of stacking cups I know… but hear me out)! 

The set that we have is as follows (Cup # on the side --- Cup color --- Picture on bottom of cup --- ounce measurements 1-12, also printed on side): 

Cup 1 – Green, Butterfly (1 Ounce)

Cup 2 – Red, Mouse (2 Ounces)

Cup 3 – Blue, Rabbit (3 Ounces)

Cup 4 – Yellow, Duck (4 Ounces)

Cup 5 – Green, Cat (5 Ounces)

Cup 6 – Red, Dog (6 Ounces)

Cup 7 – Blue, Seal (7 Ounces)

Cup 8 – Yellow, Lion (8 Ounces)

Cup 9 – Green, Walrus (9 Ounces)

Cup 10 – Red, Hippo (10 Ounces)

Cup 11 – Blue, Elephant (11 Ounces)

Cup 12 – Yellow, Whale (12 Ounces)

HERE'S WHY THEY ARE AWESOME!

Infants:(Infants - 9+ months… They recommend 12months+, but there aren't any small parts so I let the babies join the fun)  My younger kids all enjoy playing with the Measure Up! Cups. At this age the "Biggest Pros" were banging the cups together, which is a great bimanual task or knocking them down after someone else has stacked them - a nice cause and effect reaction. The cups hold up very well during the repeated banging and falling process and I have yet to see any cracks in the cups. 

Toddlers: My slightly older kids (12-24months) love to flip these cups over and stack them up themselves - making towers out of the 12 cups before knocking them down and starting again. They also start figuring out how to "nest" the cups by this age, which is almost as fulfilling as stacking and just as educational - when it comes to learning about size and volume. 

Pre-School: The Measure Up! Cups are not just for tiny tots, as many parents might believe, but also an amazing learning tool for pre-school aged children (2-4 years) because (wait for it…) they are the ONLY.. (did I say only?) yes - ONLY… Stacking/Nesting cups on the market that are actually "volumetrically correct." In other words, if you fill cup number 1 and cup number 2 with water, they will fill cup number 3 exactly. This feature allows for some early excursions into the world of math that are both fun and hands-on. (we have used water, sand, dry rice and dry beans - to fill the cups and learn about basic adding and subtracting, its been FUN and EDUCATION… and isn't that the point???) They are also excellent, for sorting - by size or color, they make a rainbow of patterns AND you can hide objects in or under them creating countless hours of fun. 

School Aged: Take your cups pasted "pre-math" skills to full on (hands on) Addition (Cups 1+2=3, 2+2=4 etc), Subtraction (5-4=1, 8-5=2), Multiplication (2+2+2=6) and Division (12-4-4=4). Children always learn better when they have a visual to go along with the lesson plan, and since Math is one of the most difficult subjects for children to grasp (and parents to teach) I find it incredibly helpful to have such a superb teaching device. 

MORE FUN for all ages!

1) The animal pictures on each cup decrease (or increase) by size with the cup numbers. (Butterfly is #1 - and Whale is #12) - the size of the cup correlates to the size of the animal.

2) The cups are also great for making imprints. We often roll out some Play-Doh and then take the bottom of each cup and make an imprint - we do this at the beach and in the sand box too! My daughter likes to use them to make real and pretend cookies best of all.

3) Extremely durable. They haven’t shown cracks yet after hundreds of throws and slams onto the floor. They also hold their shape after loads of use, the cups still fit in one another easily. 

4) Very easy to clean as there are very few crevices to accumulate dirt. (Sometimes it takes a little extra effort to get out all the Play-Doh from the shapes after imprinting - but sand come off in a breeze)

5) They grow with the child… from Infancy until kindergarden. With just a little creativity these cups can and will be enjoyable for your child for years to come. 

6) They come with 12 CUPS!!! Others set of staking cups only include eight or so, while the Discovery Toys Measure Up! Cups come in a a set of twelve. This results in taller towers, and a bigger "reaction" when they fall down.

7) The 12 cups come in four colors - which may not sound like a "PLUS", but it is!!! Because of the fact that the cups come in four sets of three cups, you can form patterns, Like Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Red, Blue, Yellow and so on. Children can also figure out which cup is missing by looking at the pattern and finding the missing color. They can also form 4 small tows out of just one color, or nest 4 sets of all one color. Creating learning through sorting, matching and pattern building. 

8) COUNTING! Because the numbers are printed on the side children become familiar with seeing them as well as counting them while stacking and nesting too. 

IS THERE A DOWNSIDE?

There aren't really many "negatives" related to this product. My daughter and daycare kids loves the Measure Up! Cups, and I am 100% happy with them as a customer. However, In the interest of writing a balanced review, I will point out a couple of things that could be perceived as negatives. 

1) First and foremost is the price. These are plastic cups after all, and Discovery Toys charges $13.50 for them. (If you haven't seen them in action, or been to a Discovery Toys party and watched your own child OOOoooo and AAAAHhhhh over them - they may seem a bit high priced.)

2) If you are looking for a lot of color variation in a toy, this is not the set for you. Though the colors are bold and attractive, they consist of only four: blue, green, red, and yellow. If you are looking for a toy that will teach colors ONLY this is not that toy.

3) Finally, the numbers are written on the side of each cup, as well as printed on the inside bottom of the cup --- Next to the number on the bottom (inside the cup) is also one raised bump for each number. (for example on the 3 ounce cup - there is a number 3 and three little bumps.) It's a great idea… and I would have added it to the above list of "PROS", unfortunately it's not very easy to see and almost impossible to feel… I REALLY wish they'd added that extra sensory of bumps to the outside… opposite the printed ounce measurements. But alas...

So…. To Recap - Why on Earth Would I Pay $13.50 For These play cups??? 

GREAT question. These cups do seem pricy when compared to other sets of cups, but ask your self how long those "other cups" will last? 4 months? 6 months? 8 months? (I think thats pushing it) But lets just say they last a year….. 12 full months. (From 12 months to 24 months).

After your child turns two --- "stacking" will become… been there, done that. But not with Measure Up! Cups by Discovery Toys, the LEARNING and PLAYING are almost endless, and so are the numbers of months you'll use them! If you bought them when you child was 12 months as suggested, and used them until they were no longer educational... you'd still get more than 7 years of educational play! Maybe longer!!! Plus even after my long list of "Pros" I didn't even list the dozen or so games that they suggest to you inside your uses guide, that comes with you Measure Up! Cups purchase. (Games like… Where is it?, Bobbing Boats, Copy me & Make a Zoo.)

Want to buy these fantastic cups right now??? 

Click HERE

Need even more proof they're awesome??? Read what other people thing of these amazing cups and how they "Measure Up!"....  Click HERE