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Fun with Kids: Make Your Own Recycled Rainbow Crayons

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Fun with Kids: Make Your Own Recycled Rainbow Crayons

If you’re like us, you probably have a ton of old & new crayons laying around! Since our little ones only seem to gravitate towards the new, fresh and sharp crayons, we have a large bucket filled with the ones that are not deemed ‘usable’ anymore! This is also a great way to use up all of the crayons you receive from restaurants. So, we took a rainy day afternoon to make our own recycled rainbow crayons!

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To Do This Activity, You Will Need the Following:

Crayons (and more crayons!) – wrappers removed

Muffin Tin(s)

Cupcake Liners

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Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to the lowest temperature setting. This varies by oven, ours is at 220 degrees F.
  2. Put cupcake liners into the muffin tin(s).
  3. Remove the wrappers from the crayons. ***You may need to help your child do this part, as my 5 year old had trouble getting her fingernail under the wrapper to pull it off.
  4. Break the crayons into small pieces and fill the cupcake liners with the broken crayon pieces. The more colors you use, the more you will have a rainbow effect when done!
  5. Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake the crayons for 20-30 minutes, or until the wax has melted. Our crayons took longer than 30 minutes, so it will vary by oven.
  6. Remove the muffin tin; let cool.
  7. Once cool, remove the cupcake liners from the crayons.
  8. Use the crayons to color and create!

*This article was written by Tiny Green Mom. All thoughts expressed herein are my own.*

 

 

 

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Symphony in B by B. Toys

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Awesome new toy alert! If you have a child who is musically inclined or loves to sing and dance, the new Symphony in B from B. Toys will be their favorite before long. This new musical toy lets your child be the conductor while learning all about 13 different instruments as they orchestrate their own inspired musical combinations.

To play, your child can choose up to 5 different instruments to place in the orchestra pit, which will be played together. Your little one can choose from 15 songs and classical symphonies and even change the tempo as the instruments play. Instruments include the clarinet, flute, tuba, trumpet, xylophone, drums, cymbals, piano, accordion, koto, guitar, violin and sitar, and each instrument is labeled with its proper name. Plus, each instrument has a distinct shape on the bottom so your child can also reinforce their knowledge of shapes as they place each instrument back into place after playing.

Unique features of Symphony in B include:

Lights teach the sections of an orchestra
Beautiful, rich, professionally recorded sounds
Included playbill teaches composers, writers and lyrics
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“Mom’s” toddler absolutely adores Symphony in B, and has already gone through one set of batteries as she composes symphony after symphony. The music is not cheesy or annoying, as some children’s toys can be, but beautiful and classic. We could listen to the various symphonies for hours, and even older children will enjoy it. (yes, parents too!) This is one fabulous musical learning toy!

To learn more about Symphony in B, or to locate a Target retailer near you, please visit justb-byou.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this piece.*

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New Hooded Towels from ZOOCCHINI for Summer Fun!

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Just in time for summer fun, ZOOCCHINI has debuted 7 fun new characters in their hooded towel line! Whether for a day at the beach, an afternoon spent poolside with the kids, or to make bathtime more fun – these generously sized, pure cotton terry hooded towels are ready to make a splash.

Little ones can choose from a Duck, Dog, Frog, Flower, Owl, Polar Bear and Shark, and each adorable new design features hand grabs for tiny fingers to wrap themselves up in after swimming or bathing. If you have more than one sibling – ZOOCCHINI’s hooded towels are the perfect way to assign each child a designated towel to avoid squabbles!

To see all of the hooded towel designs from ZOOCCHINI, or to order online, please visit Zoocchini.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this piece.*

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Skip Hop’s New Alphabet Zoo Toy Collection

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You will go wild for Skip Hop’s Alphabet Zoo line, the newest collection to be introduced from this innovative and modern company! This zoo-rific collection includes four boldly-colored, whimsical pieces featuring modern graphics and beautiful colors. The soft baby toys are developmental with a designer twist and allow your little one to play and engage in a myriad of ways.

“Mom” adores the super-soft Stack & Stick Animals, which has been safety-tested to meet or exceed ASTM, CPSIA, EN71 and applicable safety standards. 3 lively animals, including a zebra, owl and elephant, attach together with velcro or can be pulled apart for sensory fun! The elephant’s ears crinkle and features a chime inside his plush body, the zebra rattles, and the owl has many different fabrics embroidered on his body for tactile exploration.

In addition to the Stack & Stick Animals, the Alphabet Zoo collection includes:

Alphabet Zoo Activity Gym – The graphic activity mat, which includes a Tummy Time pillow, offers irresistible multi-sensory play for baby at every stage of development and brings new life to ABCs. The Activity Gym features 17 developmental activities for ages 0+ months and up.

Alphabet Zoo Activity Mirror – Baby will have tons of fun learning to recognize himself while playing with a monkey friend that sticks around the mirror. Large and baby-safe, the mirror is surrounded by a soft and friendly elephant.

Alphabet Zoo Unfolding Activity Book – Filled with tactile activities, this book opens up to become a fun-filled play center with five friendly animals all in a row. Packs neatly in a diaper bag, too!

The Alphabet Zoo Toy Collection is available online and at select retailers nationwide. Learn more at SkipHop.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this piece.*

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Crawlings Knee Pads

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When your little one starts to crawl, bumps, falls and scrapes are inevitable! Besides wrapping your child’s knees in bubble wrap, what can a parent do? How about placing a pair of adorable knee pads, designed just for those learning to crawl and manuever through life, on their knees? These extremely soft, cushioned knee pads give parents the security they need as their little one sets out to explore the world around them with ease and in comfort!

Designed to protect a child from the time they learn to crawl, walk and then run through the big wide world,
Crawlings kneepads are perfect for indoor use and the rough and tumble great outdoors. Made of premium
cotton, EVA foam and spandex, the kneepad is soft, stretchable and breathable, designed to move and grow
with the child.

Crawlings knee pads are just too, too cute – arriving in an adorable star covered box, perfect for gift giving! Available in a variety of trendy, fun designs, including Lavender Elephant, Pale Pink Bunny (“Mom’s” favorite!), Yellow Bandage and Navy Basketball.

For more information, or to order, visit Crawlings.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this piece.*

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Make Bathtime Fun!

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Bathtime struggles will cease when these educational and exciting bath toys are brought into play! BPA-free and just plain FUN, little ones will once again love their bathtime routine!

Wonder Waterway

Engage your little one with this eye-catching Wonder Waterway from Munchkin! For ages 6 months and up, this adorable toy can be stacked to create a fun waterway, or taken apart to be played with individually in the water. This cute little find is a fabulous toy to help your baby build hand-eye coordination with ease!

White Hot® Super Safety Bath Ducky

“Rubber ducky, you’re the one… you make bath-time so much fun!” Your child will be singing this tune while splashing and playing with this rubber duck which boasts a special “White Hot” disc at the bottom that tells you when the water is too hot to handle, and then lets you know when it’s just right to bathe your baby. But your little one won’t know the difference – she will be having too much fun making up games with one of three ducks – a firefighter, police office or mermaid! What “Mom” loves is that the ducks are watertight, so no mildew will build up inside, which is often the case with water toys!

Octopus Ring Toss

It’s a water sprinkler and ring toss game in one! Your baby will love to watch as water poured into the octous’s head trickles down his arms, or play an exciting game of ring toss while in the tub! Easily mounted onto the wall, the Octopus Ring Toss by Skip Hop is made of soft, no-bump material.

Starfish Stay-Put Stacker

Every child loves this classic toy – which Skip Hop has brought to the bath for added enjoyment! Your little bathing beauty will love to stack and re-stack the rings as the Starfish Stacker stays firmly attached to the tub floor. For an added dexterity challenge as baby gets older, let the stacker float on top of the water while your child tries to stack the rings! Plus, kids will love discovering that the rings stick and cling to the tub wall when wet.

*Companies generously provided images and samples for this piece.*

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Take it Easel

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For hours of creative writing, drawing, and just plain fun – the new two-sided Take it Easel from B. Toys is a budding artist’s dream! No need to waste paper – this reusable easel features an erasable whiteboard on one side and a chalkboard on the other, becoming a tabletop easel or chalkboard in an instant. Just pull the handle up and click it in place when ready to draw and create!

With an extremely handy handle for carrying the easel to the desired location, the Take it Easel is portable, which makes it a great item to pack along for trips to Grandma’s when on-the-go! It holds art supplies right inside when closed, and comes with 10 non-toxic washable markers, an eraser and chalk to get your child started! “Mom’s” little one is having a blast carryng the Take it Easel all around the house to play and draw, and “Mom” loves how easy it is to clean up!

To learn more, visit B. Toys, or purchase one at Target.com or OneStepAhead.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this piece.*

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Wheeee-ls!

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Just in time for Valentine’s Day Fun, the new Wheeee-ls! by B. Toys will race into your little one’s heart as an adorable treat that is sugar-free! With 4 vehicles that each have a heart license plate, the bright, bold cars & trucks are entertaining and just plain fun! Your child will love to pull each car or truck back to watch how far it will go! “Mom’s” daughter couldn’t wait to get them out of the box to play!

NO batteries are required for these chunky vehicles, sized just perfectly for tiny hands! Each one makes a different noise – the car rings, the truck chimes, the racer rattles and the taxi squeaks. For ages 1- 4, Wheeee-ls! by B. Toys can be found at Target stores nationwide.

Please visit justb-byou.com to see all of B. Toys’ unique toys and games for children.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this review.*

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Putumayo Kids’ New Coloring Books and Sticker Collections

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Creating eco-fabulous learning tools and gorgeous coloring books in one, Putumayo Kids has outdone themselves! Featuring a large colorable map of each cuture, along with 20 oversized coloring pages, and a glossary of animals and instruments, the Putumayo Kids’ Coloring Books are extremely high-quality and printed with eco-friendly soy ink. It is fun to sit with your little ones while they color and learn all about each fascinating culture through play. In addition to the Africa Coloring Book, the collection offers a Latin America Coloring Book and Europe Coloring Book, as well as sticker collections that can be purchased to go along with the coloring books. “Mom” hopes that they continue to add cultures to the collection, as the books are simply wonderful – larger-than-life illustrations really grab the attention of your child as he/she travels and explores the pages of each culture through their music, animals and people. For rainy days or to reinforce concepts learned in the classroom, the collection will definitely be a hit!

Putumayo has sourced sustainably-derived resources in the manufacture of products. Our printer is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and the company has taken a “100% replanted” approach, providing funds to Trees, Water, People to support global reforestation efforts.

To learn more about Putumayo Kids, or to order one of the coloring books or sticker collections, please visit putumayo.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this piece.*

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Twisty® Figure 8 Teether Toy

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Baby can twist, bend and chomp on this non-toxic Twisty® Figure 8 Teether Toy from Munchkin! Winner of the Parents™ Choice® Gold Award, it is no secret why this is a hit with babies ages 6 months and up! Easy to hold, with bold colors, a fun rattle sound and soothing textures for sore gums – this is one toy that will be packed again and again in your diaper bag! It is definitely a hit at “Mom’s” house – even toddlers enjoy bending it into different shapes!

The Twisty® Figure 8 Teether Toy is available nationwide at Target, as well as online at Munchkin.com.

*Company generously provided samples and images for this piece.*

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