Sunday, August 21, 2011

Back to School - Melissa & Doug See and Spell Puzzle

Paramount Pick:
Top Toy 5 star review   Melissa and Doug See and Spell Puzzle
Can you spell great deal!
Sale Offer Expires September 9, 2011!
Learn to Read Toys by Melissa and Doug 
Our Strange Lingo
When the English tongue we speak.
Why is break not rhymed with freak?
Will you tell me why it's true
We say sew but likewise few?
And the maker of the verse,
Cannot rhyme his horse with worse?
Beard is not the same as heard
Cord is different from word.
Cow is cow but low is low
Shoe is never rhymed with foe.
Think of hose, dose, and lose
And think of goose and yet with choose
Think of comb, tomb and bomb,
Doll and roll or home and some.
Since pay is rhymed with say
Why not paid with said I pray?
Think of blood, food and good.
Mould is not pronounced like could.
Wherefore done, but gone and lone -
Is there any reason known?
To sum up all, it seems to me
Sound and letters don't agree.

~ Lord Cromer
 
As Lord Cromer’s poem so accurately describes, spelling and the English language in general can be tricky, illogical things, even for perfectionist porcupines with a penchant for vocabulary with pizzazz.

Is it any wonder then, that learning to read and to spell accurately can be challenge for children? There are all sorts of great resources that teach phonics and phonograms, but there seems to be some words that simply defy every rule. I prefer a multi-pronged approach when helping kids to learn these important skills. Phonics and phonograms provide a basic framework from which to begin decoding written words, reading aloud helps them to associate the printed word with its spoken sound, engaging with words and letters through various games and activities keep learning fun, and different sensory experiences with words and letters reinforce learning, and account for differences in learning styles.

That is why I am so excited to present to you this week’s paramount pick, the Melissa and Doug See and Spell. It parcels puzzles, pictures, and pleasantly painted letters together into one package that is perfect for play, practice, and just plain fun!

The Melissa and Doug See and Spell comes in a large, open topped wooden box measuring approximately 36 cms long, 23 cms wide, and 4 cms high. The box itself is divided into two compartments. The small compartment houses over 60 lowercase, lightweight wooden letters that are painted red, orange, green, yellow, blue and purple. The large compartment contains eight double-sided rectangular wooden plates. Each plate features a brightly painted picture of an object on the left, with the word cut into the wood on the right. Kids match the letters to the letters in the cut out word, in puzzle fashion, to spell words. All words are either three or four letters, and range in complexity from the simple (e.g. cow) to more difficult words like “fish” and “bear”, that include consonant blends and double vowels. The puzzle aspect is perfect for preschoolers. Not only does it make using the “See and Spell” a fun activity akin to doing a traditional puzzle, but it also “self-corrects”. See and Spell by Melissa and Doug Since only the correct letters fit into the spaces on the plate, kids can learn to recognize, read, and spell words without having to ask a parent or sibling whether their work is accurate. Feeling the letters and the grooves in the plates can also help tactile learners with alphabet recognition.

As you know though, one of the things I always consider in selecting my paramount picks is whether the toy can be used in different ways, and whether it encourages free play and creativity. The Melissa and Doug See and Spell certainly does both. There are so many different things that you can do with the set, beyond the basic puzzle and spelling activities. At the earliest stages, the letters can be used to sort into colour groups, or to identify letter sounds. Next, as children begin to recognize letters, you can ask them to find an “f”, or find a letter that makes the sound at the beginning of “frog”. You can also set out a mix of a few different letters (for example, “b’s” and “g’s”), and ask your child to sort them. Preschoolers will also enjoy laying out the letters in alphabetical order. As children begin to gain a better grasp on letters, the See and Spell can be used for more difficult sorting activities, like dividing “b’s” and “d’s”, and separating consonants from vowels. We have also used the letters to match them with a mat of upper case letters (if you don’t have a mat of upper case letters, you can make one easily by writing out the upper case alphabet on a sheet of construction paper).

See and Spell by Melissa and Doug The letters that are included in the set are also an excellent way to practice spelling words with five to seven year olds. Spelling the words with the letters introduces some novelty into spelling practice, and also eases the frustration some kids feel when being asked to combine the task of spelling with the physical task of writing the letters. It’s also fun to use the letters to spell out children’s names at the table, or to place other words around the house. Wouldn’t you like to wake up to the word “love” spelled out on the bathroom counter?

If that is not enough, the letters are great for art and craft activities too! We’ve enjoyed putting them under paper and doing crayon rubbings with them, as well as placing them on top of paper, and tracing them.

As you can see, the Melissa and Doug See and Spell is spectacular. It is a playful way for practically every child to practice early literacy skills such as letter recognition , word recognition, to spelling, and it is packed with all sorts of other potential uses too. With so much to offer, it’s plain to see why it is being presented to you as one of my paramount picks!

Top Toy 5 star review The Melissa & Doug See and Spell is regularly priced at $26.99, but until September 9, 2011, you can purchase it for the pleasing price of $22.95.
Can you spell “great deal?”!


Precociously Yours
Darla Porcupine

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Easter's on it's Way, and So are Darla's Top Picks!

 
Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin' down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Easter's on its way.

Bringin' ev'ry girl and boy
A basketful of Easter joy
Things to make your Easter
Bright...LET’S PLAY!


(modified from “Here Comes Peter Cottontail”, lyrics by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins, copyright 1950)


As the classic song goes, Easter is on its way, and before you know it will be time for the Easter Bunny to hop into your house with baskets full of treats. We know the Easter Bunny is busy, so we’ve made it a bit easier with these great Easter selections. Sure he could bring the traditional chocolates and candy, but these fun ideas will last the whole year through, and you won’t have to worry about tummy aches and sticky, chocolate covered faces either.

Sweet Treats that Will Stick Around, Not Stick to Your Teeth


Haba Wooden Lollipops ($3.99):



Available in green, blue, yellow and red (sold separately), these 8.5 cm solid wood lollipops look good enough to eat, but won’t give you cavities or a tummy ache.

Haba Petite Rose Ice-Cream Cones (19.95):



This set consists of two soft fabric ice cream cones, and two reversible soft fabric scoops of ice cream. Serve up vanilla swirl and creamy chocolate ice cream one day, and fruit sorbet and strawberry fudge ice cream the next. We’re sure your customers will be pleased!

Haba Gummi Bears ($9.99):



Open up this tin measuring approximately 6.5 cms in diameter, and your child will find a variety of darling, colourful 2.5 cm long wooden gummy bears. Sized not too much larger than the real thing, they are a delightful, healthy, and long lasting alternative to the real thing, and can be used for sorting, counting and pretend play.(Note the size though, these gummi bears are definitely not for children under three).

Haba Petite Rose Petits Fours, set of 9 ($22.95):



What would Easter be without chocolate? This set of soft, fabric petit fours are technically tea cakes, but we think they’d be perfect truffles too. Each exquisitely detailed cake measures approximately 4.4 cms by 3.8 cms by 3.2 cms, and sits in its own paper wrapper.


Celebrate Spring with Fresh Produce from the Garden


Haba Baby Vegetables Set ($19.99):



Set your little one up for a lifetime of healthy eating by packing his Easter Basket with this soft fabric vegetable set consisting of a carrot and a tomato that rattle, and a head of lettuce that crunches. Suitable for children six months of age and older, these veggies can easily transform from baby toys to items in your preschooler’s play kitchen, providing for years of use and fun.

Haba Carrot ($3.99):



Measuring approximately 8.5 cms long, these wooden carrots (sold separately), will allow your child to practice leaving carrots out for the Easter Buddy and Rudolph all year long. We’ve also heard rumours that they are great when you simmer them in a pot to make carrot soup, and can also be used to make a tasty carrot cake.

Plan Toys Wooden Fruit and Vegetables Food Kitchen Play Set ($20.95):



Another great alternative to Easter sweets, this set includes a carrot, a pear, a tomato, a lemon, a mushroom, and a blunt wooden knife. Each fruit or veggie consists of two pieces held together by strips of velco. Young chefs will love “slicing” the produce with the knife, and then re attaching the pieces. Creative kids can even combine the fruits and veggies, serving up delicacies like tomato-lemons and carrot-pears.


What Would Easter Be Without Eggs?


Tomy Hide ‘n Squeak Eggs ($14.99):



Not your standard carton of eggs, this little shape sorter will keep kids over one entertained (and learning) for hours. Each of the six eggs in the carton has a unique face, as well as a unique shape on the bottom that matches with one shape in the carton. Toddlers must match the correct egg to the space in the carton to make it close. Each egg can also be “cracked open”, and once the top of each shell is removed your little one will discover a chick inside. Press lightly on the chick’s head, and hear it squeak, or match the face on the egg shell to the corresponding face on the chick. Easter eggs have never been this fun!

Haba Half Dozen Eggs ($13.95):



Eggs are synonymous with Easter, but with this set of six white wooden eggs can be played with regardless of the month on the calendar. Nestled in green tissue paper inside a 16.5 cm long cardboard carton, each egg measures approximately 4.5 cms high by 3.5 cms in diameter. You just need to decide how you like your eggs served. Haba Half Dozen Eggs are recommended for children three and older. These eggs are a great way to have a mess free egg and spoon race after your Easter Egg hunt.

Haba Fried Egg Pretend Play Fabric Food ($10.50):



Your little trickster will get a kick out of “cracking” this metal egg to reveal the soft fabric fried egg inside, and young chefs will love to serve eggs sunny side up for breakfast. Opening and closing the egg is also a great way for little ones to work on their fine motor skills and pincer grip.



With The Kids off School, It’s Time to Try out New Toys and Games

Plan Toys Push Along Duck ($38.50):



Designed for toddlers 18 months and older, the Plan Toys Push Along Duck is sure to delight and encourage your little walker as she develops her coordination, agility, and balance. Measuring approximately 58 cms high, when pushed it emits a squeaking noise, and the duck’s feet flap and swivel. An adorable Easter gift for your adorable tot!

Haba Ducky Duck Pull Along Toy ($35.95):



Sized just right for little hands at approximately 15 cm long, Haba’s Ducky Duck Pull Along Toy is a whimsical and wonderful friend. Whether he’s pushed across the floor, or pulled along by his string, the soft clacking noise Ducky Duck’s feet make he moves is sure to get your tot moving too. Ducky Duck is recommended for children 12 months and older.

Melissa and Doug Farm 6 Cube Wooden Cube Puzzle ($10.99):



The 16 solid wooden blocks in this puzzle depict a different image on each side. By rotating the cubes, your little one can put together a cow, a horse, a duck, a chicken, a pig and a lamb. Of course, your little lamb can have fun just stacking and knocking over the blocks too. We think it would be fun to hide the puzzle cubes as part of your Easter Egg hunt!

Selecta Giant Farmyard Floor Puzzle ($25.50):



With 31 sturdy, wipe-clean cardboard pieces, this farmyard floor puzzle, which measures almost 2 feet by 2 feet is a wonderful next step for preschoolers who have mastered their two and four piece puzzles. The bright colours make the puzzle visually appealing, and the detailed illustration means that there is a lot for children to discover as they put the puzzle together. As an added bonus, each of the eight main characters shown in the puzzle is an individual puzzle piece, allowing them to also be used as stencils, or as characters for free play. With so much to offer, this is a puzzle that your preschools will want to play with over and over again.

Yellow Label Hand Crocheted Pink Teapot Set ($45.99):



Easter entertaining and warmer weather call for tea parties in the garden, and with this soft, hand crocheted set, the young hostess in your life will be prepared to greet any visitor. The set comes with a tea pot, two tea cups, and two saucers, so all your little one needs to host her party is imagination!

Plan Toys Barn ($99.00):



A perfect pick for a family Easter gift, this beautiful two-level Plan Toys Barn will provide hours of fun for children three and older. Complete with a removable wooden ladder, a grain sack, two hay bales, four adjustable fences, a tool set, and even a pail for feeding the horses. The Barn itself is filled with features too, including a pulley to lift your hay bales, and a peak through roof and sides.

Plan Toys Wooden Farm Animals Imaginative Play Set ($30.95):



Whether paired with the Plan Toys Barn or given as a gift on its own, this set of six farmyard friends (a cow, a calf, two piglets, a sheepdog, and a sheep) are perfect playthings to put in an Easter basket. Crafted with fantastic details, including an udder on the cow, removable wool on the sheep, and poseable legs on the sheepdog, these animals are educational too.

Vilac Barapapa Wooden Yo-Yo ($12.95):



Available in black, pink, orange, and yellow (sold separately), the silly faces and bright colours on these yo-yos makes them a stylish and fun addition to the Easter basket of any child five and over.

4M Enviro Battery Green Science Kit ($15.95):



Easter and Earth Day are very close together this year, making this green science kit especially appropriate as an Easter gift for older children. Both kids and adults alike will be fascinated by how natural materials like mud, lemons and water can be used to power a light bulb, a watch, and activate a music chip. This environmentally friendly science kit will help you learn the science behind power, and include detailed instructions on how to create batteries with a variety of objects such as fruit juices, vegetables, coins, utensils. The kit contains enough supplies for at least four different experiments.


Bunnies to Cuddle All Year Long


Bullyland Bunny Natural Rabbit Soft Toy ($29.95):



Nature loving children will be sure to appreciate this soft, realistic looking 20 cm bunny with movable front paws. Parents will appreciate that it is made of natural rubber, so it’s safe and easy to clean, safe for the bathtub, and even safe for children with asthma and allergies to dust, since there is no fur to keep clean.

Kathe Kruse Musical Toys (Starting at $50.50):



Easter is exciting, but it can be overwhelming too. Pull the string on one of these sweet, 100% cotton musical toys, and the soothing sounds of a traditional German lullaby, will send your little one off to dreamland, even after the busiest day of Easter egg hunting.

Kathe Kruse Bunny Girl Soft Stuffed Animal Rabbit Toy ($65.50):



Surprise a special little girl in your life with this gorgeous, hand-made bunny. Stuffed with wool to make her soft, and pellets to give her weight, this bunny girl is sure to become a favourite friend of your little girl.


Happy Easter from all of us here at Ape 2 Zebra! We hope that this season of celebration, renewal and rebirth will be filled with joy for you and your families.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Grimm's Large Wooden Rainbow: A powerhouse plaything for pint-sized and parent-sized people

Sale Offer Expires Friday, April 15, 2011!
Grimm's Wooden Rainbow Toys 
A rainbow in nature’s a beautiful thing,
A symbol of good luck and fresh starts and spring.
A wonder of colour, the spectrum of light,
When spotted they fill us with hope and delight.

What kind of toy can reflect this creation?
One that is lovely and sparks imagination.
The Grimm’s Wooden Rainbow seems literal, true,
But you’ll be amazed at just what it can do.

A tunnel, a rocker, a bridge, a tower
There’s a new way to use it every hour.
What’s more, it’s gorgeous and sure to bring pleasure,
You’ll soon discover that it is a treasure.


With the arrival of spring and the recent celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, we have had rainbows and bright spring-like things on our minds recently at Ape 2 Zebra. Whether or not the weather outside is cooperating, we want to throw open the windows, clean up the toy shop, and bring in fresh, cheerful decor that reflects what is going on – or what we wish was going on - outside.

Thinking about rainbows and spring makes my mind spring immediately to one of my favourite things, the Grimm’s Large Wooden Rainbow.
This toy, which I also think of as a work of art, has been universally adored from the moment it arrived in our playroom. If I have delayed in sharing it with you, it is only because I worry that my words won’t do it justice. I want you to be able to come into the playroom with me, and to experience it for yourself!

Grimm's Wooden Rainbow Art If you’ve never had the opportunity to play with a Grimm’s toy, you might wonder whether playing with a toy can be an experience, but if you know Grimm’s, I know you will agree. They delight the senses on so many levels: the way they look, to the way that they feel, the way they smell, even the soft sounds they make as you stack and move them against each other. Grimm’s toys are created largely from alder, lime and maple wood sourced from sustainable forests in Europe.

A significant portion of the production is done by hand, which results in each toy being unique. The center piece of one of my large rainbows, for example, does not quite fit into the centre of a second large rainbow in the playroom. I love that when I get out a Grimm’s toy, I know that it is the only one just like it anywhere. Visually, they are beautiful, coloured with safe water-based dyes that give them a vibrant colour, but still allow the natural grain of the wood to be easily seen. They are sanded smoothly enough that there are no splinters or rough patches, but not so much that the “natural wood feeling” is lost. If you run your paw over one of the pieces, you can still feel the changes in the grain. You can even faintly smell the lovely scent of fresh wood when you are near the toy.

The Grimm’s Large Wooden Rainbow is particularly extraordinary. Consisting of 12 pieces that reflect the colour spectrum, and therefore the order that colours appear when you see a rainbow in nature, it is a beautiful, sculptural toy that will actually make you smile when you see it on the floor of your family room. The largest ring of the rainbow measures approximately 37cm long by 17.5cms high, and the smallest piece, the solid wooden centre, is approximately 8cm long by 5 cm high. It is packed with potential for play, and the possibilities to use it seem as limitless as a child’s imagination. I am perpetually amazed by the potential it has to be something each time a person plays with it.

Grimm's Stacking Rings At its most basic level, the Grimm’s Large Wooden Rainbow is a puzzle. Stacking the pieces together into the traditional rainbow formation is an exciting challenge for toddlers, who much first discriminate between the large and small pieces, and then determine how those pieces specifically fit together. This is no easy task, since in order for the pieces to fit perfectly, they must also all be facing in the same original direction the puzzle was cut in. Pieces facing in the opposite direction will still fit, but with visible gaps.

Grimm's Pretend Play Rings Perhaps the next most obvious use of the Rainbow is as a stacking toy. Kids can attempt to build towers by standing the arches on top of other (“n” shape upon “n” shape), thus creating a tall tower. A more challenging variation is to stack one arch upwards (in an “n” shape), the next downwards (in a “u” shape), the next upwards, and so forth. This requires careful balance, and can be a challenge even for adults. It is a great activity to do together as a family team, with some members holding pieces steady for balance while remaining players carefully arrange the next piece on top. It’s fun to stack the pieces ON people too. We have had great fun attempting to keep arches on our heads while we walk, using the arches for giant sized silly headbands, and arranging arches over people’s bodies while they lie down. Preschoolers in particular seem to love having rainbow tunnels built on them that stretch from their shoulders to their toes.

Grimm's Pretend Play Rainbow Rings Beyond its uses as a puzzle and a stacking toy, the pieces of the rainbow have been so many other things in our playroom. We have used them as hoops to knock balls through in an indoor game of croquet, and as tunnels to try and accurately roll balls through. We have arranged the arches standing up on the floor, a few centimetres apart, and been fascinated both by the wave-like, domino effect that occurs when the first arch is knocked over, as well as the neatly arranged rainbow that is produced once all of the pieces have fallen. Our rainbow arches have been rockers for baby dolls, ramps to race cars down, and tunnels to drive cars through. They have been the houses in an imaginary city, as well as the rooms in a house. They have formed pens for animals on the farmyard, and the larger arches have even been used as rocking-horses themselves. Placed on the floor half-pipe style, we have attempted to keep a ball rolling up and down the “half-pipe” walls while rocking the arch. If the Ape 2 Zebra kids were skateboarders or snowboarders, I have no doubt that the arches would be half-pipes for their pint-sized people and animals. Your kids will be delighted by all of the things the seemingly simple arches can be, and you will be amazed by the power and the possibilities of your child’s imagination. It is truly a toy that will make you both smile.

The Grimm’s Large Wooden Rainbow is a powerhouse plaything. It is perpetually picked off the shelf, a perennial favourite that pleases both pint-sized and parent-sized people (and porcupines). Providing an panoply of possibilities for imaginative play, while also fostering logical thinking and encouraging dexterity, the Grimm’s Large Wooden Rainbow is a positively perfect Pick of the Week!

Top Toy 5 star review Priced regularly at $94.95, Grimm's Large Rainbow Rings is a steal, at Ape 2 Zebra your everyday low price is only $85.99.
Until April 15 you can purchase the Grimm’s Wooden Rainbow for only $79.95 (only while stock last)!


Be sure to check out Ape 2 Zebra's selection of wooden toys and Waldorf toys by Grimm's for more spectacular finds!

Grimm’s Wooden Toys are manufactured with love in Europe, using wood sourced from sustainable European forests. Most Grimm’s Toys, including the Large Wooden Rainbow, are produced in Germany. All coloured dyes, oils and glues used in Grimm’s products fulfill the European Standards EN 71 for toy safety as well as the new CPSIA requirements concerning contents of lead and phthalates and are harmless to children’s health.

Precociously (and prosperously) yours
Darla Porcupine

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Craft a Collaged Earth for Earth Hour!

Craft a Collaged Earth for Earth Hour! - Friday, March 25, 2011 
 
Blue and Beautiful! 
Today at 8:30 it's Earth Hour, and on April 22 it will be Earth Day.  
 
We were feeling crafty this afternoon, and we wanted to do a craft that reflected the beauty of this blue ball we live on, and was befitting of the idea of Earth Hour and Earth Day: to promote the protection of our environment.  Our original concept was to create an "Earth Hour" clock.  We had planned to make a collage picture of the earth from pictures found in old magazines, and then to cut out clock hands and numbers from recycled paper.  Once we finished the collage though, we were concerned that adding the extra clock stuff would cover up the image of the Earth, and we were also kind of tired (and yes, I was hungry too) so we kept our collages plain.  We might try to make clocks again another day.  These Earth collages are easy, but they do take some time, and depending on the age of your small ones, you may need to help with some of the cutting and tracing.  You could also modify the craft (especially for tiny tots), by having your cubs paint one sheet of scrap paper blue, and one sheet green, and then cutting your earth out of that. Ready to make your own Earth?
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Here's What You Need:
2 pieces of cardstock or thick construction paper
1 sheet of black cardstock or construction paper
Old magazines
Glue
Scissors
Image of the Earth (optional)
Extra scrap paper to sketch out your continents

Here's What you Need to Do:
1. Go through your old magazines, and find pages with lots of blue and green.  Cut or tear them out, and then cut or tear those pages into smaller pieces. Separate the blue and green pieces (this is a great sorting activity!)
2. Trace a round "earth" shape onto your first piece of carstock.  We used a bowl as a template, and traced the circle on the front and the back of the paper so that we could collage over the circle lines on the front and then be able to turn the paper over and cut the earth out using the lines on the back.
3. Spread some glue inside your circle, and start sticking down your blue magazine pieces.  continue until your circle is covered with blue. Allow to dry, then turn your paper over and cut out your Earth, following the lines you drew on the back.
pic pic
4. Sketch the continents onto a piece of scrap paper using your image of the Earth as a guide, or trace an image that you find online. Cut the continents out.

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5. Spread glue onto your second sheet of cardstock, and cover with green magazine pieces.  Allow to dry.
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6. Turn your green paper over, and lay your continent pattern pieces down on the back of the green paper.  Trace them, then remove the templates and cut them out.
7. Glue your continents onto your Earth.  Glue your Earth onto black paper.
8. Display your lovely likeness of our excellent Earth!
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Don't forget to turn off the lights (Saturday, March 26th) at 8:30 for Earth Hour!

Check out our previous blog post for ideas on what to during Earth Hour too.

Beary Truly Yours,
Theodore Bear, and the Ape 2 Zebra Animal Associates

Dancing in the Dark: Ideas to Make Your Earth Hour Excellent!

Dancing in the Dark: Ideas to Make Your Earth Hour Excellent - Wednesday, March 23, 2011
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Blissful in Black! 
  
Earth Hour is on Saturday, March 26th at 8:30pm (local time). 
Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia.  That year,  over 2.2 million people and 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Since then, Earth Hour has grown into a huge international movement.  Last year over 128 countries and territories participated, and this year promises to be even bigger.  Participating in Earth Hour is a powerful way to show your support for the planet, and it is simple too - just turn off the lights (and ideally your other electronic devices too) for that hour.  If you live in an urban area, it is beary beautiful to see the effect that Earth Hour has, as lights in office towers and on other major structures are shut off.  It can also be beary dramatic in the countryside, where it is possible for everything around you to be dark.  The Earth Hour website has lots of useful information on the event, and on what you can do to help the planet.  Of course all of us here at Ape 2 Zebra will be observing Earth Hour- environmental issues are beary important to us - and we wanted to do something to help your family participate in Earth Hour too, so Darla and I put our snouts together and came up with this list of activities for you to do with your family during Earth Hour this year.
1. Storytime by Candlelight: Light candles (make sure you keep flames away from young children), and read stories outloud together.  Stories about protecting the Earth would be perfect, but any story would be great!
2. Sustainable Snacks: Prepare a snack together that requires minimal or no additional energy to cook.  You could stir up a batch of trail mix with dried fruits and nuts, slice up fresh fruits and vegetables, or try making muesli the traditional way, by simply pouring milk, juice, or yogurt over your grains and allowing them to soak.  If you are hungry, you could eat if after a short soaking time.  Alternately, you could follow the older practice of allowing it to sit overnight (we recommend you put it in the fridge if you do this), and enjoying it for breakfast the next day.  This would also be a great time to talk about processed vs. unprocessed foods, and the sources of food.  That banana you enjoy might be a good no-cook option, but what about the environmental impact of getting it here?
3. Stargaze!: Take a book out from the library on astronomy, or look up some information online.  Then, take advantage of the darkness to try and locate on the planets, stars, and constellations that you see in the sky. You could read or tell your children some of the myths about each constellation too (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are my favourites). 
4. Play a game of Hide and Seek in the Dark
5. Guess (or Match) the Object: Before Earth Hour, fill a bag with various household objects (a wooden spoon, different toys, a water bottle, socks, a watch etc.)  Once it is dark, have family members reach into the bag and try to identify the objects based on touch alone.  You could also add pairs of items, and have players use their sense of touch to feel out pairs, or add wooden shapes or letters, and have players guess them based on feel.
6. Shadow Puppets: Make shadow puppets on the wall.  If possible, use a hand powered flashlight or a candle to make your shadows.
7. Play Guess the Word (or Letter/Shape):  Have one player use his or her finger to "write" a word/shape/letter on another player's back or hand.  The second player then tries to guess the word.
8. Play Guess Who: If you live in a creaky house, have one player stay in the room while the remaining players go upstairs, or into a neighbouring room.  One of the remaining players then walks around, and the guessor tries to determine who it is based on the sound of the footsteps. If your house isn't creaky, have one of the remaining players speak instead (he can try to disguise his voice).  The guessor then attempts to figure out who has spoken.
9. Go on a Alphabet Treasure Hunt: Before Earth Hour, write the letters of the alphabet (you could also use words or a certain shape) onto post-it notes.  Once it is dark, "hide" them around the house and have players try to search and collect them.  A hand powered flashlight helps with this activity as well.
10. Play Four Corners: Choose names for the four corners of your room (A,B,C,D works well).  Alternately, pick four large objects that are in different areas of the room. Chose one player to be the guessor. The guessor closes his eyes (this may not be necessary if your room is already really dark), and the remaining players run to the corners of the room. The guessor then calls out a corner.  Any player in that corner is out.  Everyone else then runs to a new corner, and the game continues until all players are out.  The last player to be "out" becomes the next guessor.

Have a beary special Earth Hour with your cubs, porcuples, or people.

Beary Truly Yours,
Theodore Bear, Darla Porcupine, and everyone else at Ape 2 Zebra.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

totseat Portable high chair for babies available at Ape 2 Zebra!

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totseat - for babies who lunch!

The Totseat travel highchair is your perfect out-and-about companion. It converts dining chairs of all shapes and sizes into a highchair, squashes into its own tiny travel pouch, and is completely machine washable.


This easy to clean, perfect for travel, baby high chair is perfect for babies from around eight months to 30 months (2.5 Years).

The Totseat travel highchair is the most versatile on the market, converting high-backed, low-backed, knobbly, open-backed or rounded dining chairs into a safe haven for your little one.  It’s really easy to use, simply slip over the chair back, adjust the length, clip firmly, and sit back and enjoy.

The Totseat travel highchair is made of robust, comfortable fabric, which is Oeko-Tex approved (Oko-Tex certification means that the fabric is free of chemicals (like fire-retardants and pesticides)) and it comes in a range of funky designs, perfect for modern moms!


Totseat is the perfect gift or travel accessory for every generation! It’s compact, squashable and washable – keep one in your handbag, or around at Grandma’s. You can even take it to the summer festivals to secure your little one in a deck chair! Its wee zipper bag is great for wet bibs, too, or as your see-through bag at airport security!


Ape 2 Zebra is proud to offer our customers this convenient accessory at our toy store!

Plastic Wrap Painted Flowers - the perfect craft to celebrate Spring!

Plastic Wrap-Painted Paper Flowers 
 
Buds and Blossoms! 
 
Spring is officially here, but it still doesn't quite feel like it where we are situated.  Spring to me means buds, blossoms, and bright and beautiful things.  We've wanted to make the warehouse more springlike lately, and filling it with flowers seemed fitting.  Fresh flowers are fantastic, but they can cost a lot.  Fortunately, we found a fabulous frugal alternative that is also a fun way to fill a rainy (or snowy) spring afternoon. One Ape 2 Zebra Kid loves crafts, but hates to get messy, and a second loves to get messy, but does not always have the attention span to craft.  The painting with plastic wrap technique, which we used to produce our flowers, pleased them both!  Painting with plastic wrap can produce really interesting, relatively mess free results, and can be done by a variety of ages (Darla is not a kid, except at heart, and she loves it).  Squishing and smearing the paint around is a super sensory experience, and it can also be a great way to demonstrate, and start a discussion about colour mixing.  Because you can control the colour, and how it is applied, painting with plastic wrap can also be a great technique to try when your tot tends to just blend all the paint together until it turns brown.  You can drip just two colours onto the paper to begin with, and drip and mush in additional colours when the first layer of paint is dry.  You don't necessarily have to create flowers either.  You could just create your masterpiece right onto your paper or canvas. 
Plastic Wrap Painted Flowers
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Here's What You Need:
Cardstock, or other thick paper such as cardboard
Poster Paint
Plastic wrap (you can use leftover pieces, or even clear plastic bags as well, as long as they are clean)
Wax paper or newspaper (optional, but it helps keep your tabletop clean!)
Buttons
Pipe-cleaners
Scissors
Wooden skewer, a fat needle, or something else to poke a hole in the centre of each flower
Here's What You Need To Do:
1. Cover your work surface with wax paper or newspaper.
2. Trace a number of different flowers onto cardstock.  Cut out, and arrange over your prepared work surface.
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3. Drip some small blobs of paint onto a flower.  We recommend using two colours to start with, and working on one flower at a time, but feel free to experiment.  After all, that's an important part of the creative process too.
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4. Take a piece of plastic wrap that is large enough to cover your flower, and lay it over the flower you have dripped the paint on. Use your fingers to mush and spread the paint around through the plastic wrap.  Pressing on the paint through the wrap feels really neat, and keeps fingers clean. 
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5. Once you are satisfied with the appearance of your flower, remove plastic wrap and allow the flower to dry.
6. Repeat painting technique with remaining flower cut outs until you have painted them all. You might want to use a fresh piece of plastic wrap for each flower, or at least every time you work with different colours, to avoid the "all colours mixed together make brown" effect, but again, feel free to try out different things.
7. Once all your flowers are dry, you're ready to put your flowers together (tip - if your flowers are curled up a bit after they dry, try gently bending them back into shape, or pressing them underneath a heavy book for a few hours).
8. Use your skewer to pierce a hole into the centre of each flower. Thread a pipe cleaner up through the back of your flower (go ahead and layer a few together if you would like), and pull up a few centimeters of the pipe cleaner up. 
9. Thread a button onto the end of your pipe cleaner that is sticking up through your flower. Loop the end of the pipe cleaner through the button, and the hole into your flower. Twist the end of the pipe cleaner around the flower's stem to secure.
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10. Decorate your house, or surprise your neighbours, with a bouquet of fresh(ly made) flowers, and share your creations on our facebook page too.  We'd love to see them!
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Beary Truly Yours,
Theodore Bear and the Ape 2 Zebra Animal Associates