toys for a 3 1/2 year old?

kirstin

My son loves to build things - do you know of any wonderful "toys" that let a child build and use their imagination? I have the usual - Legos, wooden blocks, big carboard blocks . . . I'm just looking for a new activity for him. Thank you!

Answer
Kid knex is the best construction toy my kids have ever had I bought one cheap set and my kids played with it constantly for a week I then added to it, they have played with that more than anything else since they were around three, they are six and seven now and they are still going strong. I have since introduced the version knex which is for older kids and is just as popular but the kid knex is not on it's way out yet. It is also one of the most popular thing that their friends play with they also have lego, playmobil, mechano, bricks and a room full of stuff.

kid friendly party games/ activities. (parent approved please)?

Dont just

ok, im hosting a christmas party in december (im planning ahead because i wont have time when school starts and i want this to be a HUGE success)

anyway i need games for 3-5 year olds, i will make them christmas themed, so any game works

sites/ideas/activities anything is helpful!

p.s.- what have you seen or done that worked and was a success with the kids?
also, food ideas, tips, i plan on having 20 kids, but if the game is for 2 kids, post it too, i can work with that if parents are late

any ideas for prizes or places to buy them.

most ideas gets the best answer, idk another way that is fair
thanx, but if uve sat for little kids, especially a lot of them, u know that doesnt work at all, and if the kids have fun, i may babysit for them later, or do it again next year, besides i like doin this kind of stuff
im not putting this on a time schedule, like we have to start this game at 2:35 and end by 3:00, i just want a lot of games where they can win prizes, musical chairs, wreath toss, relays, hide and seek ornaments, ect....

Answer
WHAT'S IN SANTA'S BAG?
Get a red pillow case and in it put things that kids would know what they are- a ball, a candy cane, a shoe or slipper, a hat, a stuffed toy, etc.. Pass the bag around and have the kids reach in and see how many they think they can name without looking, only by feeling. Most right answers wins.

FIND THE STAR
Cut from yellow paper stars and put them around the room the party area will be. Hide them on your tree, a mantle, etc.. so they are visible but not necessarily too obvious. Have the kids look for them and see how many stars they can count/find.

ON SANTA'S SLEIGH HE HAS A(n) ....
start with that phrase and go through the alphabet naming a new thing each time while repeating the previous things. (On Santas sleigh he has an apple. Next person: On Santa's sleigh he has an apple and a bear. Each person adds 1 thing).

COOKIE TIME
Make and bake a batch of simple sugar cookie cut out cookies and then supply vanilla icing, sprinkles, etc.. and let the kids decorate cookies.

NAME THAT CAROL
Like "name that song" play on a recording (or piano if you can) the first few bars of familiar christmas songs and see who can guess the most.

MAKE WRAPPING PAPER
Get different things to stamp with and some shipping paper in the rolls and let the kids stamp and make their own wrapping paper.

MAKE REINDEER FOOD
Get some cute holiday themed cello bags and mix reindeer food. Put 1/2 cup in each bag and use the twist ties that come with the bags to seal it. The kids can use it on Christmas Eve on their lawn or driveway for Santa's reindeer to find them. (It's easy to make: 1 large container of oatmeal, not instant! 1 container of glitter, any color you want). Put in a large bag or bowl with lid and shake to mix and then divy up into bags.

WATCH A MOVIE
Watch a kid friendly DVD for the holiday. The animated Grinch, Frosty, Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming To Town, etc..

MAKE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS out of old lightbulbs. Turn them upside down and make them into snowmen with paints and strips of cloth to make the scarves.

CHRISTMAS CHARADES
Have the kids act out different Christmas things from song titles to different holiday things (decorate a tree, make a snow man, etc)

SNOW ANGELS
If you live where there will be snow and it's daytime, bundle them up and make snow angels in the yard.

SNOW PAINTING
In spray bottles mix water with paint or food coloring and spray the snow. If you don't live where there is snow, freeze blocks of ice in metal 9x13 pans and spray those.

MAKE A SANTA
Using paper plates and construction paper trace hands on white paper, cut out and attach for the beard along the bottom of the plate. Make the red hat and use cotton for the brim and end. Do a face and make Santas.

ELVES TOY SHOP
On a tray put about 10-15 different things and let the kids look at them for a few minutes. Take the tray out of the room and remove a few and bring it back. Can they tell you what's missing?

TREASURE HUNT
Use small mini stockings to put the clues in. use pictures since you'll have non-readers. Have them follow the clues to the treasure at the end for everyone to share.

CHRISTMAS FREEZE DANCE
Use Christmas music and play it. Let the kids dance around and when the music stops they have to freeze in place. Anyone who moves is out. Winner is the last one standing.

THE GRINCH
One person is chosen to be the Grinch. Everyone starts walking around shaking hands with each other and the Grinch will tap the person on the back of their hand. When the Grinch gets you then you're out. Keep going and see if the Grinch can be found out by the others still in the game before everyone is eliminated. Choose a new Grinch and start over.

GIFT WRAP RACE
Wrap some empty boxes up like presents and give one to each child. Be sure they are equal as possible in size. When you say go see who can get theirs unwrapped first. It's messy but fun. Give a small treat to everyone for this one.

CHRISTMAS SCAVENGER HUNT
Make the list with pictures so non readers can play too. Put about 10 things on the lists and let them work in pairs. How many things can they find? Give them a stocking to collect their items in.


Other things you can do at these sites:

holidays.kaboose.com/games-xmas.html

www.dltk-holidays.com/Xmas/games.htm

childparenting.about.com/od/christmasparties/a/christmasgame.htm -

www.primarygames.com/holidays/christmas/games.htm

www.thekidzpage.com/christmas/games.htm

www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/christmas/games.htm

Looking for craft ideas, look at this listing: (there are like 20 different sites given)-
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SKPB_en___US315&q=Christmas+crafts+for+kids

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Why does Chinese government blame Mattel for its lead contaminated toys?

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Q. Mattel designs its toys, but Mattel does not tell Chinese manufacturers to use lead in the toys. Chinese government's argument that its toys contain lead because Mattel designs the toys is irrelevent. What do you think?

Answer
Foreign owned enterprises often make the investment to have the factories set up. The factories then buy and sell and work according to the directives of the foreign investors. It is a misconception to think that these manufacturers run an independent business and foreign investors are duped by their shady manufacturing procedures. The foreign companies count on these things to keep the prices low. Often the only things that are not directly controlled and approved are the scary things that the foreign operators don't want want to be responsible for knowing. They know, they just don't sign off on it. This way they can make China the bad guy in event the truth comes to light.

Mattel, to be fair, is MUCH better than most. It did keep a close eye on local manufacturing and ran one of the more respectable outsourcings. In fact, Mattel recently issued a public announcement and apology to the Chinese manufacturer and admitted that it issued a recall far more extensive than was necessary. It was a PR move that had the wonderful benefit of protecting children. But they knew it was more than necessary. It is hard to be called a bad guy for being over cautious when it comes to children but Mattel, shall we say, over did it.

Now if we can only get a moral recall of all of the products that built on the back of girls from the countryside who are lured away from their family and live in sweatshops that would make a US prison look like a summer camp. Their first checks are held so that they cannot afford to leave. They are penalized out of their checks for minor infractions, live in filthy dorm quarters, work 60 hour weeks and make about $20 a week . Not a joke. I am here and I see these kids. A 20 year old Chinese kid from the countryside has about the street smarts of a 13 year old American girl. Few consider the fact that for every mg of lead paint that reached the US, a 19-21 year old Chinese child was exposed to gallons of the paint on a daily basis with no hope of receiving health care.

Of course they are not all this way. Some offer the kids nice clean housing and the best hope of getting out of the countryside. Some owners treat the kids like family and in that way they are actually better than US factories. There are few black/whites in this world.

I am not an young American expat/ socialist or populist. I am not a Walmart basher and I am not here to "shed light" on the Chinese government or social injustice. I am just an attorney who came here to learn the language and work construction. I didn't really care or believe this stuff was true. I thought all this crap was propoganda until I met the kids and saw the factories behind brick walls with guards and bars. These little work prisons pepper the inland trucking routes in southern China. That way truckers can pick up the goods in between regulated factories and bring in the products where they are assembled under the guise of supervision and regulation. THIS is where places like Mattel get infiltrated with shoddy products. It is so transparent that is difficult to say that they are hiding it.

I am sure that is more than you wanted.

What was the best invention for kids that made one crazy inventor and investor a millionare?

Q. Remember those animal rubber bands? The guy probably is at home in retirement on his pool,exercising,young, and living the dream life selling those animal rubber bands. I'm doing a project for Economics about the best product made for children because kids are particulary suckers somewhere at age 3-5 years old.

That woman who made a book for kids who are in stress I know its kinda funny but she made millions of dollars probably at home same as that animal rubber band guy. LOL

Answer
It has to be LEGO. A small Danish toy company with only seven or eight employees bought a plastic injection moulding machine and invented a 'self binding brick'. In less than twenty years, by the 1960s, the company was worth millions. No other invention: doll, clay, game, construction set or gadget, comes close to it.

Kids love it: they buy a few bricks and play for weeks on end. They start at 4 or 5 years old, and are still playing and collecting at 12.

There are compatible bricks, (such as Canadian Mega Bloks) but parents prefer the original brand, so it still sells like hot cakes. LEGO fans always seem to need the latest set.

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What are some fun things for young kids to do?

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smiles

We are having a family reunion later this month and there will be lots of kids from 2 to at least 8. What are some fun ideas to keep them entertained?

Answer
1. Make mini cup cakes........put a plastic table cloth out on the patio.......along with cans of frosting and jars of sprinkles.....they can decorate their own then.

2. Buy some nerf balls of all sizes....and nerf bats. They will have their own baseball teams. Set up a small basketball hoop for others you want to do that.

3. Buy some beach balls and blow them up and some with the weights in them too.....they are wacky balls. Have them laying around they will do what ever with them.

4. Have some jars of bubbles sitting outside.

5. If you will be where you can let the kids run under a sprinkler head they will love it. You can buy a nice one like at Target that is raised up in the air..........

6. Have an area where all of their stuff is set up and CD's playing with interactive music........like the hokey pokey and stuff like that. If you don't have the cd's go to your library and see if they do.

7. Set up a canopy with a tv.........and some blankets on the ground..........they can go in and watch cartoons.......you know the old fashioned type......porky pig........bugs.....etc........get them from your library.

8. get some foam and make nerf horse shoes.......

9. Make up a clown head out of a super large box.......cut out a large opening for the mouth........the kids will soon try putting their nerf ball through it.

10.Get some construction paper and crayons at the dollar store.........they can draw if they want to.

11. If you will have tweens or teens.......let them get a good short story book......and they can read to the smaller kids....

12. Have some Large nerf blocks or plastic blocks in a tub and they will soon be creative.

14. Have their own snack table set up so they can serve themselves to apple wedges.....carob dipped bananas....peanut butter in celery with raisins....Mellon balls........mini muffins....mini healthy cookies....yogurt in the long plastic bags..mini boxed juices in a tub of ice....If they have never eaten it.....or said they disliked it......they won't want to be outdone and will gobble it down.

15. Have a watermelon eating contest with small slivers of watermellon.

16. Cloth boomerangs and cloth frisbees.

17. White kitchen size trash bags with a draw string.......the kids will love picking up trash.

18. Have some small puzzles set out on boxes.......you have covered with white plastic covers.......you can get ones where they are for 2 to 8 years old........don't go over 50 piece puzzles though........


Using nerf products and cloth products will avoid injuruies to the children and other people attending.

Go to a Dollar Tree or a 99 cent only store (if you live in CA, AZ, NV, or TX).........you can get tons of safe toys cheap.......

how do toys influence the outlook and behavior of boys and girls?

cel

how do toys influence the outlook and behavior of boys and girls?

Answer
This is actually a very interesting question. Being the father of a little girl going through the toy store can be very frustrating. Seems as though most toys geared towards girls involve either cleaning home, cooking, or something fairy/princess oriented. I even saw a "toy" that enables a girl to upload a picture of herself and she can then pick herself apart and perform "virtual" upgrades. I was horrified. There's even a board game which involves spending money at the mall! OMG111 Contrast this with boys toys which pretty much run the gamut. They have construction toys, action figures, balls, sports stuff, cars, etc. etc.

Toys still are designed to reinforce the same old gender roll stereotypes in our young ones. You really have to think outside the box when buying toys, especially for girls.

In terms of violent toys, it's been demonstrated by social psychologists (Albert Bandura) that playing with violent toys does lead to violent behaviour. Toys are not just passive devices designed to keep our kids attention ... they are learning devices. Careful what's being taught!

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What is the difference between old and new toys?

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supeerrsta

I need answers other than 'new toys are modern'. please be specific. it's for homework
Neo please,that is hardly an answer. like MATERIALS, technology. PLEASE be more specific

Answer
Depending on how far you go back and what kind of 'toys' you are talking about, there can be many different answers. Here are a couple of examples to explain what I mean...

In electronics, video games, radios and televisions for example, many old 'toys' consisted of wooden construction with little plastic and occasionally metal for design purposes. Old televisions used tubes and transistors, while new toys use LCD technology and HD properties. Old computers used tubes and transistors as well, were the size of a standard room, had the processing power of a modern wrist watch, and made calculations on a long sheet of paper. Today's computers have motherboards, graphics cards and accelerators and network cards that can transmit information through the air without wires, and many fit in your lap.

Older video game systems had wood paneling, and if you popped them open, would maybe see a heat sink and a small motherboard to read the media. Today's video game consoles have so many boards, wires and switches that if you tried to take it apart without proper training, it could look like a crash victim's intestines.

Another example is vehicles. Older toys had all metal bodies and no safety devices. As the technology and education grew, safety belts, airbags, shatterproof windshields, and crumple zones on the bumpers made for a more reliable and safer ride.

If you are referring to the actual term of the word 'toy', older toys had absolutely no computers in them, while just about every new toy has at least some sort of computer technology somewhere inside of it. A good example of this is Woody and Buzz from Toy Story. Woody is a pull-string doll with a mechanical voice box that, if you had one of these back in the day, would actually lower the pitch if you restrained the string from going back into the voice box at it's normal speed. Buzz on the other hand is the new toy, electronics in every inch of the toy, and everything is digital to the push of a button.

Toys from the old days were usually something like a stick with a Frisbee on top of it, or going even further back, nothing but a flat piece of plastic that you throw around. A hula-hoop is nothing more than a hollow plastic tube connected in a ring. The original Mr. potato head was pieces of plastic pertaining to eyes, mouths, arms and legs that you pressed into a real potato.

Put simply, old toys used a lot more imagination, and kid's had plenty of it back then. Today, new toys could pretty much play with themselves, and have so many chips and wires and stereo speakers that you could have built E.T's phone with about a quarter of the stuff you find in them.

So the short answer is; The difference between old toys and new toys is the evolution of technology. As higher quality materials became cheaper and more accessible, they became a bigger part of the new toy line. New strides in technology allowed more interactivity such as movement and sound. In the case of television, sharper picture and color. In the case of vehicles, safety and comfort. In the case of computers, smaller sizes and higher processing speeds. And in the the case of a child's toy, More interactivity and, sometimes, less imagination.

What toys are popular for 3 year old boys?

PBJT19

I have to buy a birthday present for my nephew who will be 3 and I have no idea what kids are into. They seem more advanced than what toys r u recommends for a 3 year old, so I was wondering if you could share your opinion if you have experience with kids this age. Serious answers please! Thank you.

Answer
My son's favorite toys for his 3rd birthday (at the end of February) were a toy garage and a big fire truck.

He is car mad and would be happy with any type of car you would buy him. His other favorite toys include a marble run. He has a marble construction run and you can use it to build different marble runs and run marbles down them. He needs a bit of help to put it together sometimes but would build one everyday if he could.

He's started to do big jigsaw floor puzzles (about 24 pieces) and he loves doing them with me. He also likes his Melissa Doug See and spell puzzles which are educational too.

Good outdoor toys include stomp rockets. We bought him a scooter for his birthday which he loves but hasn't quite mastered yet.

He likes his wooden train set too.

Check out the articles below for these and more ideas.

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