August Fields

Favorite Toys 2014

i always find it so very helpful when others share their favorite tried and true toys and gift ideas.  i have done gift lists in the past on my blog so i thought i’d share some more in hopes that it will be helpful to someone else.

these are all toys that have been tried and true in our household!  real favorites 🙂

don’t forget extra darts!

make sure to add a wiffle bat.

this is the exact hoop we have and keep it indoors.  the kids love to play year round.
you can see some of our own keva creations here. make sure you get a lot so the kids can share… this equals hours of fun!

lord of the rings.  also, the chronicles of narnia.  (these are excellent read alouds for older children as well!)

*these are affiliate links through amazon.  but you all know i only recommend my favorites!
happy shopping.

i’d love to hear your favorites in the comments!

Friday favorites: toys

With Christmas quickly approaching I’ve decided to have couple of Friday favorites designated to toys. Look at previous friday favorites which include more toy reviews.

These are all toys that we have and really like! It’s got to be good to make it to Friday favorites.:)

Keva blocks
Boone just received these for his birthday and they are awesome! Great for ages 5 to adult. Possibly younger if there are older siblings or adults to play with. We have the 400 piece set that cam with a canvas storage bag. I recommend this size set to allow building the bigger structures and to share with siblings and friends.

We have other wooden blocks but it’s the uniform shape and weight of keva blocks that allow you to build amazing structures! Another bonus is that they’re made in the USA.

Perplexus epic
This is like the original perplexus but more difficult. A small metal bead is housed in a hard plastic ball that is filled with a numbered, maze-like track. I would say ages 7 and up. Adults even like picking this up and having their hand at it! A fun toy to play independently.

Dump trucks with a big bed to carry things. John Deere has a nice big plastic one but I’m not brand specific with this toy. Ages 2-6 for us. My little boys love to push a dump truck around the house or outside if it’s nice. They will fill the back bed up with little trucks or blocks and haul it around.

Ripider360 bike by razor.
It’s like a big wheel bike in front and a razor scooter in the back.

some of our favorite toys

here are some of our favorite toys!  maybe they will find their way to your christmas lists this year 🙂
foam saddle scooter from timberdoodle   this is technically for dubs, but hank is always scooting around on it!  works better on hard surfaces.
thinking putty from timberdoodle

smencils.   these are available several places.  timberdoodle, barnes and noble, specialty toy stores.

blokus. 
perplexus. we ALL love to play this 🙂
haba ball track. dubs (just turned 2) can’t get enough of this!
heart club dolls.  MUCH preferred over barbie.  soft, flexible, modest shape.
chess.   we have this particular board by melissa and doug but really any set is fine.  just get playing!

for the love of a picture book.

a recent nytimes article noting the decline for the love of picture books has done nothing but spur and encourage my LOVE for picture books.  the article, by julie bosman, reports that parents are pushing chapter books earlier in life, thus depleting the demand for picture books.

many picture books carry meaning and thought provoking stories.  the lessons learned through picture books often run deeper than the lessons learned through the “popular” “easy to read” chapter books that abound.

now i’m not here to debate i’m here to encourage the love of picture books.  don’t ever stop adding them to your children’s library….even when chapter books are introduced.

if you have the option…buy them in hardcover

add them to birthday and christmas lists!  make sure to write a sentiment in the front cover including the date 🙂

my 9 1/2 year old daughter is as captivated by the stories in picture books as her 5 year old brother.  (i am too as i read them aloud!) 🙂 🙂

without further ado, i am going to showcase several of the picture books in our personal home library.

there are sooo many more than this.  please share your favorites in the comments!!

help me be good series – by:  joy berry

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 bright future books – by:  gary and jan bower

when i first read ‘the person i marry’ i cried.  the story is beautiful…and the pictures by jan are breathtaking.

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more books from the bowers.  beautiful beautiful!
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 these are a couple of favorite board books that the little ones really like.

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 big thoughts for little thinkers series – by:  joey allen

these books are offered through Answers In Genesis.  go peruse the site….they have a LOT of wonderful resources!

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 more beautiful books offered through usborne.

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 cloudy with a chance of meatballs – by: judi barrett  

this is just fun!

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 because i love you – by:  max lucado

this is a beautiful story!

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blueberries for sal – by:  rober mccloskey
one morning in maine – by:  robert mccloskey

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 little pea – by: amy krouse rosenthal  cute 🙂

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God’s wisdom for little girls – by elizabeth george
God’s wisdom for little boys – by jim & elizabeth george

these are favorites!  beautiful pictures, important lessons.

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 doughnut day – by ruth ann rudolph

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 a home for virginia – by:  patricia st. john

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 la la rose – by:  satomi ichikawa

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 a giraffe and a half – by:  shell silverstein

we also like his collections from ‘where the sidewalk ends’

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 the boy who held back the sea – by:  thomas locker

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 p is for putt – by: brad herzog

these books are fun to collect. other titles include:  ‘T is for touchdown’, ‘H is for homerun’ and ‘K is for kick’.

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the giving tree – by:  shell silverstein  

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 the snowy day – by:  ezra jack keats

this is nice because it is a story about the JOY of snowy days!

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 first hundred words – by heather amery

this is our second book…the first one became soooo worn.  pointing out these pictures and saying them is a favorite with little ones!

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c is for caboose – by:  chronicle books

fun for the train fanatics!

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 tinka – by: rainy dohaney

the kids love this tale of little tinka…they made me include a picture. 🙂

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 poetry for young people, robert frost – by gary d. schmidt

the poetry for young people series makes a wonderful collection.  walt whitman, emily dickinson etc.

wow.  i could go on and on…..please add your favorite picture book titles to the comments.  
let’s bring them back!  i for one am so tired of seeing the chapter book section full of dark, vampirish, spell binding titles!
refresh the soul…..and get reading a good picture book! 🙂

friday favorites

this has pretty much been my go to brush since high school. 
when my brush has run its course……i go and buy the same one.  
thank you paul.
adventures in odyssey!  
along with jonathan park, adventures in odyssey are a family favorite!
the children listen most evenings to the daily episode each 
evening on a local radio station that brodcasts  it.  otherwise you can 
go to my link and listen online.
these are great for long car rides too 🙂
what???  you don’t remember everything you learned in history??
that’s fine….i don’t either!! 🙂 🙂
drive thru history will change all of that for you 
and your family!
this makes history come alive!  the host is hilarious (even my 3 year old laughs at him),
and the videography is very captivating.  
we are only on dvd 2 as a family but i must have said at least 3 times
“i never knew that! i would have loved to have been presented with history like this!”