Earlier this year when I attended Toy Fair 2013, classic toys garnered a lot of attention. Predictions were that traditional toys would be hot this holiday season. This seems to be holding true for Fundamentally Toys. Our focus is on specialty, educational toys offering interactive, hands-on fun that never grows old. Many classic toys are certainly growing older, but their appeal is enduring and timeless. Tinkertoys is turning 100 years old soon! Lincoln Logs is 98. LEGO was born in 1949 and is now officially a senior, along with Scrabble. Barbie is getting ready to go through menopause. There's Silly Putty, Slinky, Play-doh, Crayola Crayons, Spirograph, Etch-A-Sketch, Erector Sets and many more classic toys that are still going strong. They have passed through my hands as a child, through my daughter's hands, and will likely go on through many more generations. Unlike me, they will get facelifts along the way to maintain their youthful appeal.
As 2013 comes to a close, it brings us to the interesting phenomena of the first day of Hanukkah coinciding with Thanksgiving Day. I just want to stop for a minute, ponder within this convergence zone and appreciate this very rare event.
Thanksgiving Day can fall anywhere between November 22-28. About every seven years it falls on November 28 - the latest possible day it can be in November - which is the case this year. As most of us know, Hanukkah moves around from year to year on the Jewish calendar. It's a complicated calculation on a different calendar. As a result, Hanukkah has a wide latitude to fall anywhere from November 28 to December 27 in any given year.
To cut to the chase, the convergence of Thanksgiving Day with the first day of Hanukkah is, indeed, a very rare occurrence. I've read that this coincidence may never occur again or could possibly occur in 70,000 years. By then, I know for sure that I will be long retired from the toy business. Or I could keep returning as a toy store owner.
But until then, I continue to enjoy the ways we play for the holidays. I say "play", because the gift-giving emphasis of the month of December is most certainly focused on children. And children are most definitely focused on toys! But I say "we" because all ages enjoy toys in their many forms.
Whether you're giving Hanukkah or Christmas gifts, or just prefer to celebrate in a secular way, think about choosing toys for children (or even adults) that educate, develop skill or inspire creativity. Let Fundamentally Toys help you this holiday season! If you are giving Hanukkah gifts this year, the eight days of Hanukkah are celebrated from November 27 to December 6. Some parents give eight little gifts to their children; others give one big gift on the last day. Gelt (Yiddish for money) is traditionally given. A friend of mine gives chocolate gold coins to friends during Hanukkah as a fun and yummy way to celebrate this Jewish holiday.
St. Nicholas Day (December 6) is a fun little Catholic feast day that's a mini warm-up to Christmas for Christians. St. Nicholas was a fourth-century bishop who was particularly generous to children. My mom gave me and my sister St. Nicholas Day gifts when we were young. It was usually something small and useful, like a box of crayons or colored pencils, but I was always thrilled nonetheless. After St. Nicholas Day, I would spend the rest of the month either thinking about what I so badly wanted for
Christmas or trying to guess where my mom was hiding the presents. Ah! It was agony waiting for the ecstasy of Christmas morning - only to be mitigated by helping my mom make holiday cookies.
As you head into this late November/early December holiday time of celebration, I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with gratitude and that your Hanukkah feels golden!
See Jane go. Run,
Dick, run! Familiar words to any of you baby boomers? I clearly remember
sitting in groups on little reading chairs in the front of my classroom, each
student taking a turn to read from Dick and Jane primers.When my turn came, I aced the words and sped
through expertly, eager to show my teacher how well I could read. Some kids
stumbled haltingly as they read. I remember feeling impatient. Easy
stuff, I thought!
It's only in looking
back that I realize how lucky I was that I could read well at a young age. I
have empathy now for kids who struggled back then. I remember thinking at the
time that they should be able to do better. Slowness or learning disabilities back
in my primary years were not addressed, let alone even recognized. Kids who
read poorly would just get a low grade and probably felt bad about it. It took
a toll.
I saw as the years
progressed that poor reading skills for many of my classmates translated into
poor performance in other subjects as well. That's because reading is the
cornerstone of learning. If you can't read, you can't learn. Period. Everything
in life hinges on being able to read and comprehend.
Because I caught on
to reading at a very early age, I developed a love of going to the library and
bringing home stacks of books to read - especially during the summer months. My
lifelong love of books remains. Reading is still heaven to me.
With that childhood slice of heaven in mind, I opened Fundamentally Toys with a
strong commitment to stocking a great selection of children's books. It is one
of the store's biggest draws for customers. We even created a cozy section with a big
comfy chair and quiet space to browse.
During the week of
November 11 - 15, 2013, Fundamentally Toys will be celebrating National Young Readers Week. This annual eventwas
founded in 1989 by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of
Congress. Many schools and bookstores host events with local celebrities who
come and read favorite children's books. These events help kids realize it's
cool to read!
Fundamentally Toys
will be hosting daily story readings during National Young Readers Week, culminating on Friday,
November 15, with a special appearance by Houston Texan left guard Wade Smith.
The popular Pro-Bowler has a passion for instilling a love of reading and encouraging
youth to make the most of learning.
Smith will be on
hand for a reception, reading and fundraiser for The Wade Smith Foundation.
The foundation's mission is "to facilitate the growth of today’s youth by
providing them with the necessary tools to improve their overall development as
young adults."
In support of The
Wade Smith Foundation, Fundamentally Toys will donate 25 percent of all book
sales during the weekend of November 15 - 17. It's a perfect time to put books
on your holiday shopping list and it will be good to know that a portion of
your purchase is contributing to a very worthy nonprofit that serves Houston
children in an important way.
Since ancient times, puppets have been used for theater, storytelling, celebrations and entertainment around the world. Monarchies and churches of long ago often used puppets to communicate to illiterate villagers and teach morals or lessons. Puppetry is not only a long-surviving form of artistic expression and entertainment, but it also continues to thrive in the theater, on television and in everyday play. If you're an early baby boomer, you'll recall Howdy Doody, a marionette puppet that worked with Buffalo Bob on TV. Or you'll remember Sheri Lewis and Lambchops, a cute, cuddly hand puppet on The Ed Sullivan Show during the 1960s. Many people naturally think of Jim Henson and the Muppets who appeared in Sesame Street in 1969 with the comedic antics of Ernie, Bert, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. On a bigger scale, the hit musical The Lion King brought astonishingly giant puppets to the Broadway stage in a truly spectacular way. Watching a puppet show certainly is fun for children, but making a puppet from scratch or playing with a ready-made one offers more than just entertainment value. Working with puppets is an important form of pretend play that is imaginative and open-ended. Children are free to create, speak and learn many important skills. Playing with puppets and putting on puppet shows helps children:
Express themselves with character and personality
Create and tell stories or act out plays
Develop speaking skills and confidence
Improve vocabularies
Listen and respond logically
Collaborate and interact as a group
I vividly remember making a puppet from scratch in kindergarten. We crafted a plaster of paris head and set it aside for a day. I thought it would never dry! I painted a face on it and glued some material inside the head to cover my hand. It was a fun childhood memory I have always treasured. Today, there are many easier ways to make your own hand puppet and a larger variety of materials available. And there are plenty of great ideas to be found online. Look around the house for simple materials such as an old sock, fabric, paper bags and cardboard. Make a run to a fabric store or thrift shop for felt and decorations. Right before your eyes, you'll see a character take shape in your hand. Before long, the kids will be ready to hide behind the couch with some magic at hand and create a puppet show! Or stop by Fundamentally Toys during our Anniversary Celebration and purchase a ready-made puppet at 18% off. We have cute, cuddly creatures and characters - and fun finger puppets too! RSVP for our marionette puppet show on Friday, October 18, 2013, at 7:00 p.m.(CT). Houston master puppeteer Jean Kuecher presents Rumpelstiltskin with beautifully handcrafted marionettes, lights, scenery and music.
Go Mad With Science: Mix Up Some Kitchen Science Fun
When I was about eight years old, I found a science article in a newspaper describing how to grow coal crystals. The picture looked so fascinating to me. I remember becoming completely obsessed with growing my own crystals. I needed salt, ammonia, laundry bluing and a piece of coal. I knew my mom had salt and food coloring in the cupboard and ammonia under the kitchen sink. I had no idea what bluing was, but I pestered her relentlessly to buy some for me. It felt like an eternity before she was able to go to the store, but one day she finally got it. Once I had the bluing, I was set to go. I had already found a piece of "coal" in the street. It really was just a black rock, but at the time I was sure it was coal. I eagerly mixed up the magic crystal potion, poured the solution into one of my dad's ashtrays (sad, but true) and placed the piece of coal in the middle of it.Then I waited and waited rather impatiently. It took a couple of days, but I finally began to see amazing, icy white mountains forming on the rock.They grew bigger quickly and I topped them off with dots of food coloring. They looked magically beautiful. How did that happen? It seemed like a miracle to me at that tender young age. Growing coal crystals was one of the many kitchen science experiments I performed as a child. And as you can probably tell, it certainly was one of my most memorable ones. As my daughter grew up, I watched her face glow with the same fascination and wonder that I experienced as she did some of the same experiments at home with me and her dad. I believe these kinds of kitchen experiments with simple, safe ingredients from the cupboard (and adult supervision, of course) are essential to learning and development. While kids have fun watching concoctions grow, bubble or change shape, there are solid chemistry rules and scientific principles being taught and demonstrated at the same time. Hands-on science experiments at home with kids go beyond just presenting facts to them in a class. Kids can interactively witness outcomes firsthand. They come to understand how science is part of daily life. It's good, educational family fun, too. And these experiences may spark curiosity and interest in a science career. So throw open the kitchen cupboards. Get out the measuring cups, spoons and bowls. Choose your ingredients. Expect a mess at times. And watch with wonder every time. Want some cool recipes for home science fun with your kids? Check out Buzzfeed.com's "24 Kids' Science Experiments That Adults Can Enjoy, Too!" Their crystal geodes look pretty neat. I might have to try making them myself. And join us at Fundamentally Toys on Friday, September 20, 2013, 7:00 p.m (CT) for Mad Science with Magnificent Meg's fun and interactive show,"Fire & Ice." Watch Meg in this video on KUOW Houston.
Having fun is one of the smartest things we'll ever do in our lives. Play paves the way for kids to learn, build, create and imagine – skills we'll use throughout all of our adult years. As a parent, it's important to not only make time in our children's schedules for play, but to take time as well to share games and toys with them. Make it a family affair! Toys promote physical, emotional, social, creative and intellectual development. Playing with toys helps kids make sense of the world, understand how things work and communicate and interact with other people. From the first shake of a rattle to a complex chess move, toys and games are important at every age and stage of childhood development. Every toy is fun and holds the possibility of teaching something big or small. However, it is important to choose toys that maximize learning while having fun. Consider your child's interests and abilities and pick toys that will encourage and bring out different aspects of his or her development. Here are popular categories of games and toys and just some of their many benefits: Board and card games in a variety of levels teach cooperation, social interaction and logical thinking. They also develop memory, attention to detail, reasoning and problem-solving skills. Art materials offer open-ended, creative play with things such as paints, crayons, clay, paper, colored pencils, beads and many everyday household items. Construction and building toys contribute to understanding shapes, space, dimensions and cause and effect. And they aid with development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Puzzles and puzzle games stretch the mind with abstract thinking, color and shape matching, problem solving and sequencing. A finished or solved puzzle provides a sense of accomplishment. Physical play toys such as balls, scooters, bikes, balance boards and flying disks improve gross motor skills, balance, coordination and strength. Pretend play sparks the imagination and develops storytelling and acting skills with puppets, dolls, figures, vehicles, stuffed animals and dress-up clothes. Children's books foster a love of reading and shape language, vocabulary and comprehension skills. Reading with or to a child is a time for quiet and bonding with parents. I could go on and on, of course, about toys and their benefits. But see for yourself. Visit FUNdamentally Toys and peruse our large selection of specialty and educational toys. It's one of the smartest things you can do for yourself and your child!
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a Boston-based advocacy group, has lodged a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against the mobile-app industry. The group is challenging marketing claims from the mobile-app industry that babies can learn and develop by using apps on electronic devices. They believe parents are being duped into believing that apps are educational and make kids smart.
Susan Linn, the group's director, said "Everything we know about brain research and child development points away from using screens to educate babies." She went on to say that "What babies need for healthy brain development is active play, hands-on creative play and face-to-face" interaction. It isn't that the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood wants companies such as Fisher-Price, Open Solutions or Disney to stop selling their products. What they are pressing for is that companies making mobile apps and games stop marketing them as having an educational value or an ability to teach young children. They want these products labeled for entertainment, not educational purposes.
Being the owner of a toy store, I, of course, always encourage hands-on
active and creative play for young children with "real" toys. I do get concerned about kids spending too much time on screen and I especially don't advocate it for babies. Besides, it's a proven fact that kids develop, learn and grow by playing with toys, either by themselves or face-to-face with each other and with their families.
Occasionally I spot children in the store gazing at a smart phone instead of all the wonderful toys around them. Most of the time we just have lots of kids who get excited about toys they can touch, feel and interact with, such as LEGOS, dolls, puzzles, puppets, trains, card and board games, books and more. Play's the thing! Here's link to the AP article to read more: Electronics no way to teach babies, critics say
Finally, something
that makes me feel comparatively young : Crayola Crayons turning 110 years
old! This classic name in creativity goes waaaay back to my
childhood when crayons were just about all we had for fun. Sounds primitive,
but true. Call me simple, but there was nothing like a fresh box of crayons -
all perfectly pointed and pristinely presented. They even sort of smelled good,
in a weird way.
To celebrate the big
1-1-0 birthday, Crayola invited Facebook fans to come up with new nicknames for
eight of its classic colors. No plain
Jane names for these new hues.
Here are the new
nicknames with plain Jane names in parenthesis:
Sunny Side (yellow);Peace, Love &
Purple (purple);Freshly Squeezed
(orange);BeYOUtiful Blue(blue);Freckle (brown);Ladybug (red);Night Owl (black);Jalapeño (green)
Pretty cool,
creative names, huh? I think so. You can temporarily purchase these eight new
fancy colors in a specially designed limited-edition box only while supplies last through Crayola's Facebook page.
Don't think I didn't
have a colorful childhood. Life wasn't just all plain Jane crayon names. Some
of my friends were lucky enough to own (and share) deluxe crayon sets from
Crayola with 64 colors! I remember the
deluxe box having some cool color names back then, a couple of which have
always stuck in my mind such as Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber. It was heaven to be
able to use so many fantastic colors of crayons with exotic names.
And speaking of
things stuck in my head: crayons and plain Jane brings me to another memory. It
was one of my first days in Kindergarten. Our table of four was given a box of
fresh crayons - big, jumbo beauties. The rule was that you could only take out one crayon
at a time and use it. No sooner did I accidentally take two crayons out
when this girl named Jane (I am not kidding)
ratted me out to the teacher! I
remember being scared out of my mind at that moment. Luckily the teacher
ignored her. I was too quiet and shy to tell Jane to zip it. I just minded my
p's and q's after that and never trusted that little snitch again. Obviously,
I'm still not over it.
It is funny how
random memories and associations of things stick with us. I certainly have fond and warm
memories of Crayola crayons. And I hope kids still get as excited as I did when
they get new boxes of crayons. Unfortunately, I always associate Jane with crayons. But luckily, her squealing on me didn't hamper my artistic
abilities in the least. Maybe she even did my favor. I went on to be quite creative and often took all the
crayons out of the box at one time. The way I see it
now, that's what life should be about - boldly taking all the crayons out of
the box and creating something beautiful and colorful with them. As the owner of Fundamentally Toys, I get to encourage every kid who comes into the store to do just that.
A couple of weeks
ago I was driving back from a weekend trip with three other friends. We were
just generally gabbing when Linda suggested we play the game 20 Questions.I halfheartedly agreed, but as we took turns,
I found myself really getting into it and laughing pretty hard, especially
when Janice claimed to be thinking of a four-legged insect. Hmm...I'm a bit of
a bug freak and I'm pretty sure that didn't sound right.She thought bees only had four legs!
In addition to
helping to pass the time more quickly on long car trips, verbal games are a
great way to take advantage of being "stuck" together with family or
friends. Instead of automatically turning to cell phones or other electronic
devices, take some time on a road trip to engage everyone in conversation and
fun with verbal games.Car games can
help kids think creatively, improve memory, and develop communication skills. And besides, I could use a little of that myself as an adult.
In addition to 20 Questions there are many popular car games. I Spy is always a favorite. The person spying says, "I spy with my
little eye, something that begins with the letter A."I Spy can be hard in a moving car unless you
focus on objects out on the horizon. One game I really like isGrocery Store or Picnic List which follows along
with the alphabet.The first person
begins by saying, "I went to the grocery store for apples. The second
person goes to the grocery store for something beginning with the letter B,
such as bananas, and then has to remember what item the letter A was.So the game builds with players having to
remember an increasingly long list of alphabetical items, up to the letter Z.
It's a great memory game.
Another interesting
one is for a player to think of a famous person or character. Other players
guess who it is by asking yes or no questions such as, "Is this person
living or dead, an actor, someone famous, etc.?" A story-go-round is always
fun too with each successive person adding a line to a tale that can get pretty
far fetched and funny.
If you're traveling
with older children, have them keep track of the trip with a detailed map.
Perhaps they could read interesting facts from guidebooks about the area.Or ask kids look up interesting things to
stop for along the way or discover what they might want to do once you get to
your destination.
For real boredom in
the car, nothing beats a pillow and blanket for a nap. I know car trips can
really lull me to sleep like a baby if I'm not driving. I always enjoy packing our favorite
snacks and beverages too. I'm not advocating junk food, but it's a great excuse for it.
I like to make everyone get out of the car at rest stops for a
Chinese Fire Drill, run around and touch their toes ten times. It gets the circulation going. And no matter how much your daughter claims she does not need to go to the bathroom, believe me, she needs to go. My motto is to never pass up a good bathroom.
Got plane, train or automobile vacation plans this summer? Fundamentally Toys
is happy to help you plan ahead and anticipate the age-old question of "Are we
there yet?" We have lots of great travel-sized toys and games you can take
along (and even a little free advice) to make your trips relaxing and fun!
Response to
Fundamentally Toys' First Annual LEGO Contest was fantastic.We had three age category entry levels: 3-6
years, 7-11 years, and 12+ years. Next year, it looks like we might need to add
a category for animals, or at least drill down to invertebrates.
Harry the Hermit
Crab was a late entry into our LEGO contest. He missed the cutoff of June 15, 2013,
as it may have taken a while for word to get to him about the contest. You see,
Harry lives at the Atlantis Discovery Center in LEGOland which is located in Windsor,
Berkshire, United Kingdom. But despite the lateness, and half a world away from
Fundamentally Toys in Houston, Texas, we were delighted to see his entry.
For those of you
unfamiliar with hermit crabs, here's the lowdown. I only know as much as I do
because my daughter brought her school's hermit crabs home one summer. She even
took them with heron the plane to visit Grandma. She got them through security and airborne both ways. No one was
the wiser.
Hermit crabs are
soft and have no protection from enemies, so they have to carry shells
around on their backs. They must be plenty strong to do that! I know firsthand
that they pack quite a strong pinch, especially if they're hungry. As the
hermits grow they need to find bigger shells. I discovered that they actually trade shells, stand
in line for size tryouts, fight over shells, and have been known to throw a dweller out. Go figure how they decide on new
digs or how they know they want some other crab's shell.
It seems that Harry
was having a hard time choosing a new shell. Hermit crabs are very picky about
their homes, and predictably, Harry didn't seem to be happy with his choices.
So for the heck of it, I guess, his caretakers at Atlantis Discovery Center made
a shell out of blue, yellow, and red LEGOS. They presented it to Harry, along
with other more natural and traditional bungalow choices.
It's reported that
Harry took to the LEGO shell immediately. He's probably not stupid and figured
it was so much lighter feeling. Or maybe he was attracted to its modern
structure and bright colors. Who knows? So now, he's happily carting his LEGO
shell around LEGOland UK as shown in this Harry the Hermit Crab video.
I know Harry didn't
mean to steal the thunder from the winners of our LEGO contest.We were so delighted with all the entries we
received! I've got to tell you that all our contestants were incredibly imaginative. Not
only did they make cool creations, but they invented stories to go with them
too. It was really difficult to pick winners.
Every contestant
received a LEGO minifigure and a $5 gift card to Fundamentally Toys. Since
there were so many great entries, we also chose six honorable mentions in
addition to our winners. Here they are:
Three winners of
Fundamentally Toys First Annual LEGO Contest each received a $50 gift card to
the store.
Ages 3-6: Henry for
"Shakespeare presents Hamlet"
Ages 7-11: Aidan for
"LEGO Lightsaber"
Ages 12+: Will for
"Apocalypse"
Six Honorable
Mentions each received a $10 Fundamentally Toys gift card.
First Honorable
Mentions:
Ages 3-6: Grayden
for "Grayden's Masterpiece"
Ages 7-11: Gabriel
for "Prison Escape"
Ages 12+: Rylie for
"Modern Cabenin"
Second Honorable
Mentions :
Ages 3-6: Genevieve
for "Animal Rescue"
Ages 7-11: Iain for
"Stormy Sea"
Ages 12+: Ben for
"Outpost"
And as for
Harry...well, we didn't award him a prize, but he's already a winner in his own
category and unique way.And we
discovered what we knew all along: EVERYBODY LOVES LEGOS! Even invertebrates.
We're hosting a
Creativity Day! Kids and adults can work on tables full of colorful, creative
materials to create something uniquely imaginative. It could be a crazy
character or object -- anything's possible!
I believe that
creative arts are an essential springboard for young children.We tend to associate creativity with being
artistic, but creativity goes well beyond artistic expression. Creativity in thinking
involves innovation, problem solving, and risk taking that moves the human race
along in technology, science, mechanics, health, and many more fronts.Without creativity, our world would stagnate.
There is strong
evidence that children are experiencing a creativity crisis, as measured by the
Torrance® Tests of Creative Thinking. Since 1990, test scores have been
declining. The most recent results indicate that children are responding less
creatively, showing less humor and imagination, and having fewer ideas. That's
kind of scary to me!
There are no
specific reasons cited along with the declining scores.Could be a sign of the digital age.With so much information and entertainment
constantly streaming, there are fewer reasons for children to seek out simple,
creative things to do. Another reason could be that creative arts have become
less important in schools.As a child, I
always looked forward to art class. Heck, I still remember many art projects from my childhood.I clearly recall the fun I had
and distinctly remember what I learned -- not just from my own work, but from
seeing other kids' creations. Made me a little competitive too!
I have continued to
express creativity through my adult years with all kinds of crafts, art and
writing classes, and even in decorating my home. I know those early creative seeds were
important.I also see how much my
daughter benefited from doing creative activities when she was young, and how she is carrying
creative thinking skills into her college years.
So what can we do
about this crisis? We can simply bring it back to basics for starters.
Fundamentally Toys is partnering with toy manufacturer Creativity for Kidsfor a Creativity Day on Saturday, June 22,
2013. Kids and adults can come in, sit a spell, and create something cool from
an array of fun materials.They can also
print out this coupon, bring it to Fundamentally Toys,and pick up a FREE Creativity Can from
Creativity for Kids.
The Creativity Can™
is a small cardboard can filled with simple, traditional materials such as pom
poms, wood sticks, googly eyes, yarn, feathers, and other colorful things. The
idea is for kids to take the can home, lay out the contents, and be imaginative
by creating something cool out of what's simply before them.After they have made their creation, if they
share it on Creativity Can website, Creativity for Kids will make a donation to
the Lily Sarah Grace Fund, a charity that supports underfunded schools with
creative materials.So it's a chance to
have fun and do good at the same time!
Fundamentally Toys
is proud to be in partnership with Creativity for Kids®. For over 40 years, the
Cleveland, Ohio-based company has been a leader in developing toys that
encourage creative activity.While
having fun with painting, coloring, crafting, and assembling, kids learn
to think creatively, solve problems, develop dexterity, and feel a
sense of satisfaction at having created with their own hands.
It might be good
idea for kids to put their digital devices aside and use their hands to develop
creative skills that will last a lifetime. Get started with Fundamentally Toys
for Creativity Day!
100 Days of
Summer: From Memorial Day through Labor
Day, Fundamentally Toys brings kids and parents tons of creative and
imaginative ideas for fun all summer long.
By the time summer
rolled around when I was a kid, the last thing I ever wanted to say to my
mother was "I'm bored."Her
quick reply was always "Bored? I'll can find plenty for you to do!"
Following that threatening statement was a long list of distasteful solutions
to my boredom, such as cleaning my closet, bedroom, or worse yet, the garage.
Believe me, I learned to not bring up the subject and appear to be busy, or
take off for the neighbor's house.
Summer in the
Midwest evokes sweet childhood memories for me: feeling the heat and humidity on my skin;
seeing a flash of lightning in distant black clouds; or listening to an endless
orchestra of cicadas in the trees. My family never planned a big summer trip. I
didn't go to camp. Cousins from out of town never came to visit. My memories
center purely on the fun we made for ourselves in the backyard, woods, streets,
library, or community pool with friends and families in our small town in Ohio.
When my daughter was
growing up, I made sure she spent a long portion of her summer vacation with my
mom in Ohio. I did not want her to miss the uniqueness of a Midwestern,
small-town summer. Boredom was nothing this kid ever experienced at her grandma's
house. There were ponds to play in, fireflies to catch, gardens to plant,
swimming lessons to take, and many trips to Dairy Queen for frozen custard. It
was fun for me to re-experience my childhood summers through her.
As I was planning
Fundamentally Toys' 100 Days of Summer events, I wondered to myself if the
summer fun I had as a kid was really so very different from the fun that kids have
today. Of course, much has changed -- particularly in the digital age. But I
really think there's still lots of fun that simply never goes out of style in
the summer months.It's a great time for kids
and families to not only relax, but to continue to learn, explore, and create
together. And we'll be showing you how to do just that with events, ideas,
giveaways, promotions, rewards, and more as the summer unfolds.
So we "cleaned our
closet" over the Memorial Day weekend and held a sidewalk sale. Now that
the hard, boring work is done, we can concentrate on fun from now through
Labor Day. And as my mother said, "I'll find plenty for you to do!" But I mean that in a fun way.
A great children’s book entertains, teaches reading skills, or calms a
child before bedtime. But the benefits of reading go far beyond these obvious
facts. Reading at a young age:
Strengthens
bonds with parents
Primes children for academic success
Increases vocabulary and language skills
Establishes logical thinking patterns
Helps with concentrate and focus
Teaches new things and concepts
Develops communication skills
We offer a carefully selected assortment of children’s books at Fundamentally
Toys in Houston, Texas. Pigs, cats,
ducklings, pandas, gorillas, zebras, and bunnies are just a few of the
delightful characters that fill the pages of some of our favorite and popular
children’s book picks:
Chu's
Day
by Neil Gaiman
Don't
Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
The
Duckling Gets a Cookieby Mo Willems
Emeraldaliciousby Victoria Kann
Goodnight,
Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom
Lichtenheld
Good
Night, Gorillaby
Peggy Rathmann
Goodnight
Moon
by Margaret Wise Brown
Knuffle
Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems
Olivia
and the Fairy Princessesby Ian Falconer
Pat
the Bunny
by Dorothy Kunhardt
Pete
the Cate and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin; Illus. by James Dean
