Toy Expert Training / Let’s Play Games!
November 27, 2008
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The Learning Tree recently had a staff meeting in preparation for our busy holiday season that will go into full-swing tomorrow. The best part? We got to play games!
We make sure everyone on our staff is familiar with all of our products so they can retain their Learning Tree Toy Expert status and help our customers find the best kids toys and gifts for their children, families, friends, and themselves!
Our store has been a trusted resource for safe, quality, educational and fun childrens products for our KC metro and online customers for several years now. We work hard to make sure we are familiar with all the new games, books and toys that are on the market. (Although we have to admit that learning to play all the new games is hardly hard work.)
Players scatter clover pieces around the house, then go back to the board. If you land on a clover tile, (Lori!) you get to wear the Horton hat.
In Animal Soup, you grab a spoon and a flipbook and dig in. It’s silly and fun for kids 5 to 11.
We’ve got tons of great ideas for infant toys, toddler gifts, pre-school books and toys, science kits, art supplies and kits, even kid’s play furniture.
Flip ‘n’ Tip Fred Teaches Recycling
November 18, 2008
Even kids can go green! All it takes is some play time with Flip ‘n’ Tip Fred!
Flip ‘n’ Tip Fred! is one of the WOW Toys we carry - a unique line of toys that require no batteries yet still have delightful moving and animated parts. Flip ‘n’ Tip Fred! is friction-powered and is the perfect toy for all of those kiddos who run to the window each time they hear the trash truck rumble down the street!
Not only can they make the truck do a mini-version of rumbling down the street (aka your floor!), kids can use the bucket to tip trash into the truck or sort the bins and flip them into the rear. Other animation includes an automatic trash crusher that spins, as well as a sliding door that opens to empty the truck.
Flip ‘n’ Tip Fred comes complete with three different recycle bins, a boy and girl recycling team and a sturdy carrying handle - this is a great role-play toy that your child will want to play with over and over again. For ages 18+ months.
Qwirkle - Now 10% off!
November 16, 2008
Qwirkle requires no board, no dice, no timer and no pretend money - but what it does require makes it one of our favorite games (and, if truth be told, we were playing it at a Learning Tree staff meeting just the other night).
Qwirkle is deceptive - in its simplest form it’s about matching colors and shapes. But, the game is far more than a color-matching game - it requires strategic thinking and tactical maneuvers.
Earn points by building rows and columns of blocks that share a common shape or color. Look for opportunities to score big by placing a tile that touches multiple pieces with matching attributes. The player with the most points wins!
Qwirkle combines features from dominoes and scrabble to create a game of strategy that intrigues players young and old. Score by laying the colorful wooden tiles to match attributes of the tiles that have already been laid.
Qwirkle is for ages 6 and up. It doesn’t require reading and can be played with 2 to 4 players. It has won the Mensa Select, Major Fun and Parents’ Choice Gold awards. Add it to your game closet today!
The Amazing Bilibo
November 14, 2008
When we say that Bilibo is an open-ended play kind of toy, boy, do we mean open-ended!
If Bilibo has taught us anything, it’s that children’s imaginations truly are amazing things and that, given the chance, their minds can come up with some pretty inventive things to do with Bilibo. Things, that quite frankly, our adult minds never even came close to dreaming up!
There is no "one way" to use Bilibo , and that’s its magic. What the children dream to do with it is dependent only on their age and interests. And, speaking of age, there’s no one age for Bilibo - as they grow, children will discover new uses for Bilibo .
Click here for a link to our product page and a fun video showing how kids play with Bilibo.
Available in a selection of bright colors, Bilibo is one of our favorites; a toy full of possibilities powered solely by a child’s imagination, invention and creativity. How wonderfully simple, yet amazingly multi-faceted!
Created by a Swiss designer and a team of child development experts, Bilibo is recommended for kids from 2 to 7 but we’ve found that older and slightly younger kids can have fun with it also. It comes from Kid O.
Home School Fun with The Pretend and Play School Set
November 12, 2008
When we were kids we loved playing school at home. We’d set up kitchen chairs in rows and find some tablets and pencils and take turns being the teacher. It was fun to imagine being an instructor and helping the other kids with their lessons. Today’s kids can take their imaginations a step further with the Pretend and Play School Set . It helps kids quickly create a classroom anywhere.
The set includes a big tri-fold board that is easy to set up and it makes any space feel like a real school room. The board has a dry erase section in the middle, and maps and calendars on each side. The set even comes with a grade book, some stickers, hall passes (in case somebody needs to go to the kitchen to get snacks!), crayons, a clock and the important hand bell to signal when class is about to start.
When class is over, the board folds up and fits in a portfolio with a carrying handle so kids can put everything away. The Learning Tree Toy Experts love the Pretend and Play School Set and recommend it for pre-school and grade school age kids.
This play set is made by Learning Resources . They are a leading manufacturer of quality toys and playsets. We carry many of their items at The Learning Tree .
Click here for more information or to purchase.
The ELF on the SHELF - make it your new Christmas tradition
November 11, 2008
If The ELF on the SHELF isn’t one of the most adorable things we’ve ever seen, we don’t know adorable!
The ELF on the SHELF could also be called a ready-made tradition just waiting for a family! Now is the perfect time to make this wonderful addition to your household as said elf on the shelf usually likes to make his first appearance just after Thanksgiving.
Our boxed set combines a sweet, impish elf (who is waiting for you to name him!) with a book that tells his story - how during the day he watches over the youngsters and at night travels to visit Santa himself at the North Pole and fill the jolly guy in on the children’s activities. (Just how do you think Santa keeps track of those names on that naughty/nice list?)
Each morning, the elf returns home and with a little assistance from an adult (the kids don’t have to know that part!) hides in a new location, just waiting to be found. Can’t you just imagine your little ones running through the house to find their special elf’s new hiding place each morning?
The ELF on the SHELF started as one’s family’s personal tradition; over the years, new rules were introduced that are now part of the beautifully illustrated story book. While children can talk to the elf as much as they want, they’re not allowed to touch him - you don’t want to interfere with the magic, after all. And the first elf’s first adult found that just his presence helped excited children to better control themselves. After all, the elf is always watching!
Don’t let another Christmas holiday go by without your own personal elf; give one a new home and introduce this creative tradition in your house. You’re guaranteed to build precious memories year after year.
Turn Your Child’s Bedroom Into a Star-filled Galaxy!
November 4, 2008
While we love the soothing, sleep-promoting aspects of the Lady Bug and Sea Turtle , the Star Guides and informational booklets that help teach about the constellations and the big, wide world in the sky also are on the list of reasons why these guys are on our favorites list.
Just think about snuggling in under all those stars and learning, all at the same time. It puts a twinkle in our eyes just imagining it!
Every Twilight Sea Turtle and Ladybug comes complete with 3 AAA batteries, energy saving time-out function, push button reactivation, Star Guide and easy 3 color selection.
The Teaching Cash Register helps kids learn about money the fun way!
November 3, 2008
How many quarters does it take to make a dollar? Is a dime bigger or smaller than a penny? Just how do credit cards work?
The Learning Resources Teaching Cash Register takes playing store to the next level by helping children learn about money through play. This talking, interactive toy is one of our favorites here at The Learning Tree . From its real-size coins and bills to the working scanner, the register helps turn sometimes difficult concepts about money into tangible lessons.
Play store, count the change, use the 4 interactive math games that come with the toy or weigh grocery items and learn about the value of items with this toy that we think is worth a million bucks, but doesn’t cost that much!
