meta-dad

George’s Secret Key to the Universe

Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking is about to release his first children’s book, George’s Secret Key to the Universe. The first book in a planned trilogy, explains the workings of the Solar System, asteroids, black holes “one of Hawking’s favorite topics“ and other celestial bodies with the help of a set of young heroes.

(Via Cosmos.Com)

Ola! Crib @ CASAKids

The convertible crib has a three height-adjustable mattress platform and fixed side rails. When the child outgrows the crib, the sides can be removed to convert the piece into a toddler bed, and then again, when the toddler bed is outgrown, the crib’s side panels can be converted into a twin bed that will take the child through their teenage years.

One kid, one bed - beautiful.

(Via CASAKids.Com)

True Natural Wood Toys

Move over Thomas the Train, here comes the real old school approach to toys. The Toy Makers of yester-year would appreciate these toys. The Chunky Train and Formula Race Car toys bear the Forest Stewardship Council seal of certification and are decorated by a unique wood-burning technique (read: no lead paint). Crafted from replenishable materials that are chemical-free (toxin fee)and eco-friendly our natural wood toys make for good, green fun and safe play. No batteries required.

Costing $10 bucks, you can consider this the best answer to the recent recalls of the Formula One Race Cars by OK Trading.as well as others in the recent past.

(True Natural Wood Toys Via Toys ‘R’ Us)

And Now For A Moment of Zen…

I have absolutely no idea how factual these numbers are but it still makes you think…

Millions of Cheap Toys Recently Recalled

News Flash - toys that are made cheaply may fall apart and pose choking hazard, or may contain lead (get this) because they are made - cheaply. That’s right folks. If you are buying toys at a discount store or dollar store (maybe a cute little impulse buy for the kid, niece, cousin, etc.) you may want to pause for a moment and think why the toy is so cheap.

Perhaps you should ask yourself, “how are they able to make a remote control formula one racing car and sell it for a dollar and still turn a profit?” And the answer is - because the manufacture it the cheapest way possible and perhaps by turning a blind eye to how much lead is in the paint and how well the small pieces are secured.

The four recent recalls listed below represent millions of units of these cheap $1 dollar toys. If I were to venture a guess about why products like this continue to show up on the shelves of stores around the country, it’s because people still buy them. So the lesson of the day for us, the Consumer is, don’t buy these cheap little toys for the young ones.

Follow the links below and check your kid’s toy bin for any questionable toys.

Related Links;
Toy Airplanes, Cars, and Motorcycles Recalled…
Toy Racing Cars Recalled by OKK Trading Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard
Plush Insect Toys Recalled by Dollar Tree Stores Due to Choking Hazard
Magnetic Dart Boards Recalled By Henry Gordy Int’l…

Blokus - An Abstract Strategy Game

Blokus is an excellent spatial game for the whole family that has won awards around the world for Best Mind Game. In an effort to pull the kids (and maybe some of the adults) away from the different screens in the house (i.e. computer screen, television screen, et al.), my wife and I are constantly in search of different types of board games to bring the family together. Blokus falls into a nebulous board game genre of “abstract strategy” games since there are no soldiers or missiles to stockpile and attack with but there are plenty of “offenses” taking place as each player tries to command the board.

Each player begins the game with an assortment of geometric shapes. One player has all the red shapes, one has all the green shapes, etc. Players take turns deploying pieces to a grid-board in such a way that the piece touches a same-colored piece at one or more corners, but not along any edge. Once the board is mostly filled and no one can make a legal play, the game ends and the person whose remaining pieces have the smallest total area wins. Pretty simple, premise. Reminds me of a couple different ways you can play dominoes - which is another favorite game at our house.

In short, if your child understands what it means for two shapes to touch at a corner, and to touch along an edge, then your child will be able to grasp this game. Sure as the board shrinks you may need to help guide them as to what their options are - but I think it’s fair to say that happens with most board games (yeah, and before you know it they’re beating the pants of you!).

Games last about ten to fifteen minutes so even if you have young ones with limited attention spans you maybe able to go two out of three if they start beating the pants off you. This game offers ample opportunity for kids to learn and exercise strategic and tactical thinking skills. The game’s biggest drawback is that it plays best with four players, but you can play with two players by doubling up colors, or with three players by using a neutral color.

(Blokus Via FunAgainGames.Com)