Monday’s Memories

The Etch A Sketch made its debut as The Magic Screen at a European Toy Fair in 1959.

It all began in 1950. While tinkering in his garage, French electrician Andre Cassagnes dreamed up a drawing toy that kids could shake up and start over.  The new drawing toy was made up of a joystick, glass and aluminum powder.  Before taking it to market In 1960,  it was tweaked; a  joystick with two white knobs in the left and right corners of the screen. The idea was to make the toy look like the hot new adult toy of the time: a television.  Quickly it became the most popular selling toy during the Christmas season that year.  Since then, the Ohio Art Company has sold more than 150 million of them.

The Toy Industry Association named Etch A Sketch one of the 100 most memorable and most creative toys of the 20th century.

If you have ever wondered what’s inside an Etch A Sketch, How Stuff Works will enlighten you.

Lego Jello

Look what I am making for Master O and baby sister this weekend.

Lego Jello, fun colorful, tasty, jiggly, wiggly, yet best of all, an easy peasy treat.

Watching baby sister squish it through her little fingers should put smiles on all of our faces, right Betsy? (and a mess on the floor no doubt)

Since we have been playing matching games lately, the plan is to match the Jello boxes with his Duplos.

Instructions

Have the Lego/Duplo blocks washed and ready to go. Choose your favorite flavor Jellos, or in our case, favorite colors. Master O will be matching the colors of red, blue, green and yellow; aka: cherry, blueberry, lime and lemon in Jello speak.

Prepare the Jello as directed on the package. This time, before filling the Duplo molds I am going to first spray them with Pam cooking spray. Hopefully the un-molding will be a snap. Place the molds in a cake pan before filing and then place the pan in the refrigerator until set.

There’s always room for Lego Jello, this week’s Recipe For Fun..

Celebrate Earth Day 2013

This Earth Day 2013 teach your children about sharing and responsible recycling by donating new or gently used toys.

Come to Totally Kids fun furniture & toys now through April 22nd, Earth Day, and donate the toys your children don’t use or need anymore and receive 22% OFF any toy or game purchase plus a FREE toy prize.

WANTED: GENTLY USED TOY DONATIONS
Calling all parents in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area!
Totally Kids in Bloomington, is accepting new or gently
used toys for local families economically challenged by
the affects of Autism. Aside from helping our friends
and neighbors, this is an excellent opportunity to clear
out your closets as well as keeping those unused toys
from ending up in a landfill for the next 100 years.
Please stop by and visit us.
Bring whatever you can, as even the smallest toy
will brighten one child’s day.

Please help our environment and your community and come in to  Totally Kids!

First Walk in Space Day

Today we celebrate First Walk in Space Day.

Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov, of the former Soviet Union, was  born May 30, 1934 in Listvyanka, Kemerovo Oblast.  He is a retired Russian cosmonaut and Air Force General who, on  March 18, 1965, became the first human to step out of a spacecraft and walk in space.

While talking about space today, we thought what a perfect day to make and play with some moon sand.

Try this recipe  for moon sand, it is amazing moldable, holdable, squishable, squashable, sand that never dries out!

For anybody needing a Jr. Astronaut Helmet, you will find the latest and greatest ones right here.

Spring Ahead Build Your Own Clock

Remember to SPRING AHEAD!

Are you familiar with the expression “ask him what time it is and he’ll tell you how to build the clock?” We’ll mention no names here, Dave.

Tick tock you really can build your own clock. Here is an educational clock project for the entire family.

Tomorrow, Sunday, March 10th, we need to set our clocks ahead one hour marking the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST) at 2A.M.

You can also use this as an ideal opportunity for teaching time.

The ability to tell time is a significant milestone in a child’s educational development and does not have to be a difficult nor frustrating experience. Choosing the right educational time teaching tools can lessen the stress. Fun time teaching toys can also help motivate little ones learning how to tell time.

“Block around the clock! “Here is a nice clock for 3 year olds or older combining both shape sorting and time learning.

It really is a good time all around to learn something new.

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Tempus Fugit,  hurry up and make a clock  cupcake.

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An old favorite is making your own paper plate clock.

Puzzled? What to do on a Rainy or Snowbound Day

After eight inches of snow overnight, many of us can not even get out of our driveways and are stuck at home. The weatherman reports “it is  not over yet, another band of snow is heading our way.”

Jackie, from Happy Houligans,  has this DIY shapes puzzle idea that would be a perfect project for our snowbound day here in Minnesota. Everything that you need you can find right in your own home.

Let the kids go on a treasure hunt with you. Jackie suggests “small toys, office supplies, kitchen utensils and game pieces are all perfect, but anything goes, really, as long as it fits on your piece of paper, and lays flat enough to be traced.”

Unleash your inner artist and arrange the items so you can easily trace them on to the paper. Jackie puts the traced puzzle pieces in a basket and Bingo, you have a new puzzle for the kiddos.

This looks like it would a great idea for Master O’s birthday party number three. See what puzzle pieces his biking buds could find around the house if it is a too wet Seattle day.

More Potty Talk

Don’t let me down.

Charley Sheen? Doubt that he would ever need a reminder.

Mustache this soap for your man.

In case you need a little more persuasion….soap.

Super Valentine’s Party

Please join us

Saturday, February 9th

For fun games, prizes, treats

& face painting!

All kids wearing red will go home

with a FREE prize!

PLUS! Totally Kids loves Melissa & Doug!

Special Valentine’s Party BOGO sale:
Buy any one Melissa & Doug product, and get the

second of equal or lesser value

 FREE!*

*Restrictions apply.

*Offer not valid on prior purchases, with gift cards or other offers.

Ditch That Trike – Win a FREE Strider Bike

What would you do when your office mates Desirae and Michelle are off enjoying warm sunshine and sandy beaches? Pretend it’s summer! Annie, who  of course believes in safety first, dons her bike helmet before taking the cute little lime green Strider balance bike for a spin around the office.

The seat and handle bars are adjustable, but not high enough for you Annie. Did you know that you could win FREE tickets to the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Minneapolis this weekend? There will be many bikes there that would be a better fit Annie. If you are attending the show there will be a drawing for 5 FREE Strider balance bikes in the Strider Adventure Zone at the show.

Skip the trike and training wheels;  your little one will leave those other babies behind in the dust. Some moms and dads may train their kids to use training wheels, but Strider riders learn the thrill of the ride at a n early age. If your toddler can walk, your toddler can ride a Strider Balance Bike and never need  a tricycle. Plus, there are no training-wheel wobbles causing fear hesitancy, or dislike of bike riding. With a Strider, little riders learn balance and coordination. They can go as fast or slow as they like before learning the art of pedaling. This you’ll find helps them quickly develop confidence. Striders are ideal for children as young as 18 months and as old as 5 years with simple handlebar and saddle seat adjustments.

So…ditch that little trike and training wheels, and teach your child to ride a bike sooner and safer with a Strider.

Annie loves the lime green, but if you’re not digg’n the lime green, choose blue, hot pink, orange, red  or yellow.

Welcome Winter

Welcome winter and be prepared for the longest night of the year tonight.

The winter solstice brings the shortest day – and the longest night of the year.

The reason for the different seasons in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates around the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees. Because of this tilt, the Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight and the Southern Hemisphere receives more (and vice versa) depending on the season.

The Light Up Solar System shown above is a helpful aid in teaching about our solar system.

This long winter’s night could be a good night for family game night. What is your families’ favorite game?