Activities and Learning Reviews

Our son received this toy for his first birthday. We weren't exactly thrilled to have another block set... we already have two. Boy, were we wrong! Our son LOVES this set. There are a number of advantages to foam blocks in contrast to wooden. He doesn't damage anything by throwing them (himself included), he doesn't chew off any paint/varnish on the blocks and we even take them in the bathtub (they float and adhere to the sides of the tub). In addition, they come in a reusable storage bag. All the blocks easily repack in the bag, so we take them everywhere with us... to parks, vacations, visits to grandparents. This is his favorite toy. I know our son is supposedly a little young for this toy, but he loves stacking the blocks and placing them in and out of the bag. My only complaint is that we've toted the block bag around so often that the handle has broken. :)

I purchased this set of blocks after much deliberation. Did I want another toy around the house with so many parts? Was it better to go with wooden blocks? Would it be age appropriate for my 2 year old even though the bag said 3 years? I ended up purchasing them for my son's 2nd birthday & I have no regrets. He loves them & has had a great time sharing them with his 4 year old brother. They play with them at least once a day & thankfully clean up is easy since they fit back into the bag they came in. The colors are very appealing & since they are constructed of foam there's no chance of injury if someone decides to throw one. Downside might be if you have a biter they would be very enticing to sink their teeth into. I plan on buying them for a gift next time I have the chance.

I got it and i hade so much fun at first the tricks are hard to lurn but the tricks are great

I have being doing magic for a year. I'm quite proficient in sleight of hand, even though this is the case. I still regularly practice with cups and balls and get much enjoyment from them. I your interested in a well written magic course get Mark Wilsons complete course in magic. That book has a complete routine for sponge balls, cups and balls and biliard ball magic. I would reccomend cups and balls for youngsters. But I wouldn't reccomend to book to anyone below the age of nine.

The Electronic Playground reminds me very much of the type of electronics kit I had when I was young. I bought this for my son who is 6. While the instructions and details were a little above his head the kit was not. The projects are very straight forward and the the wiring guides are as easy as "connect the dots" (really!). My only minor complaint is that the frame is a bit flimsier (paper and plastic)then I would like.

My son and I did two projects in about 2 hours (two of the smaller ones) and I was able to use the kit to make some customizations (leverage the variable resistor add a light to the electronic buzzer etc.) and show him how circuits/components can be expanded and improved.

But beyond the ease of use the instruction booklet is really quite an excellent resource on basic electronics. For an older child the kit could/should provide a pretty good grounding (pardon the pun). The combination of straight forward instructions (so you get get things to work) and well written explanations (so you know why they work) is great.

I really can't wait to do more projects with my son or ....
maybe I'll just borrow it at night and do them myself.

This IS the best educational toy I have ever seen! With all the bells and whistles you could possibly want, it's the perfect way to start your kid learning electronics. I would suggest being at least 11 years old though because the going can get a little tough for younger kids after the 10th of 50 experiments! The only problem is you might not want to put it on something unstable because it is a little delicate. Otherwise enjoy a nice gift for someone just starting electronics!

I bought this product for my 6-year-old daughter. When I first opened the box, I was a little disappointed. I thought it was a little over priced for 2 small bags of powder and some instructions.

On top of that, the "mixture" didn't harden (even after 5 days it still wouldn't harden). So we threw it away and called the company's customer support number on the instructions. They were friendly and helpful. They shipped a new bag via 2 day air to Hawaii for free.

We tried it again, only this time used about 1/3rd the amount of water listed on the instructions and it worked perfectly. My daughter loved it. She created the mold and painted it.

Overall, it's a good product. It allows children to follow instructions and create something rather than simply "play."

Mold of hand turned out really well, could even see the fingerprints and fingernails.

Not only does this "toy" help you learn about hydroponics, it lets your grow your own plants indoors. I started lettuce and baby carrots and within 4 days they had germinated -- very quick! The greenhouse feeds itself; all you have to do is add more nutrient solution every so often and harvest your plants. This greenhouse isn't really a toy; it's too useful and interesting to be a toy. And while the box is slightly small and the "lid" part rather flexible, cheap plastic, it does hold up and certainly works. I'm very happy with the greenhouse!

ITS AMAZING HOW THIS WORKS!!! FIRST INSTEAD OF USING SOIL IT USES A GROWING MEDIUM WITH NO SOIL. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT 24 HOURS OR EVEN DAYS BEFORE YOU USE THIS YOU JUST POUR WATER ON TOP OF THE GROWING MEDIUM AND START PLANTING!!! YOU DONT HAVE TO WATER OR FERTILIZE IT BECAUSE YOU MIX THE NUTREINT MIX AND THE WATER TOUGHER AND IT WATERS AND FERTILIZES IT WHEN IT NEEDS IT. YOU CAN PLANT ALMOST ANYTHING FROM FRUITS TO VEGGIES OR HERBS TO FLOWERS!! THIS PROUDUCT IS GREAT AND I RECOMEND IT!!!!

We bought this bok for our daughter and it wonderful. She's in kindergarden now and this book has helped her to learn how to read and spell. Kids must learn their short vowels in kindergarden and this books helps them learn just that. She really loves the games in the book ! This is trully an excellant buy!

I bought the leappad for my 5year old in kindergarten. He was alittle confused about rhyming. After playing with this book, he is so excited that he now understands rhyming. This book also helped him sound out words and spell them. This is a great book.

I bought two of these for my 2- and 4-year-old boys. It's one of the few toys used daily. Saved me alot of wall scrubbing.

I cant believe how convenient this toy is - my son loves to draw pictures and play with magnets on both sides of this board. I told the pre-school teacher about it and she bought three for her classroom!

I bought this for my son's 4th birthday and he loved it! My husband and I spent several evenings doing the various experiments with him and we had a great time too. My son really enjoyed learning about mixing colors and the whole "experiment" aspect of it. The materials, such as the droppers and test tubes, are reusable so you can make up your own experiments too.

I did this kit with my 4-year-old daughter and she loved it! There are various activities within the kit -- she expecially liked making the rainbow of crystals. She also enjoyed mixing the colors and even wanted to write down the results. She's now 5 and still remembers the experiment and thinks science is fun. Well worth it!

And what fun bedtime is now! My guys (2 and 4 year olds) love acting out the activities. The Pilly Winks are delighful friends to spin, march, hop, quack and snuggle with. I sent the Pilly Winks pillows and book along with my kids to my sister's (their aunt) for a sleepover and it made bedtime easier for her, too. I especially liked that the whole activity doesn't take a long time...but is a special time. Very cute.

We love this product! Our 4 year old was; to say the least, a difficult child to get to bed. She knew all the excuses and every night turned into a hassle just to get her to sleep. Then we were given Pillywinks as a gift.
Bedtime now consists of reading one book (instead of 10) and fun activities that seem to use up that excess bedtime energy children seem to have. She sleeps with all the pillows and now the only problem we are having is getting her to let her little brother sleep with one. Maybe a Pillywink version regarding sharing would be good?

We had this book and it was destroyed by our cat. We love it so much we are purchasing it again! My 4 year old loved it for over a year and now my 15 month loves it. We have several Leap Pad books and this one is by far the favorite of my two boys. I like it because it does not just tell a story like many Leap Pad books do, it allows kids to count, find items, and listen to music.

Another must own of the leap pad series of books. This book encourages colors, shap recognition and counting while teaching kids about their seasons, musical instruments and more. On the seasons pages, they learn extra tunes including a little bit of "The Entertainer". They also learn their opposites and the importance of being polite. The best bonus is that your child's vocabulary and self-esteem get a boost.