fawn&forest

Let the kids go crazy with a Yoodo! 

The Yoodo by Offi is a modular system made of extra-heavy weight cardboad designed for kids to build a fort or otherwise secret playhouse... just throw a sheet over the top? Remember that?! The Yoodo construction creates fun places for the kids to crawl through, create windows (puppet show?) or just makes some off the all race car (that perhaps would be the case in our house....). 

The Yoodo kit includes 16 big + little pieces and is currently on sale for $29. And while the red + white is nice, I'd be tempted to let the kids loose with a few markers and some stickers to really sweeten it up. 

Hopscotch reminds me of being 8 + the endless hours of summertime. A childhood game we all have surely played with much laughter. But have you played the Alaskan or French version? Want to learn how to play hopscotch from around the world with your kids? And if you need standard instructions on how to play hopscotch, learn how to play here.

Hopscotching ideas + variations are endless. You can even hook your kids up with this  indoor hopscotch mat via Martha or for quick action make a masking tape grid on the carpet. Oh so fun + the kids will strengthen their counting skills + calf muscle at the same time. 

Images from flickr, left and right .

Ahh, yes. The ultimate do-good toothbrush. The Kid's Preserve Toothbrush by Recycline.  

The Preserve Jr. combines thoughtful engineering with fun colors and shape to make a toothbrush that both kids and parents enjoy. Designed for children ages 2 to 8, Preserve Jr’s ergonomic, pea pod shaped handle makes it easy for young hands to grab on to while the soft bristles protect your child's teeth and gums. The Preserve Jr’s handle is made from 100% recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups, and is recyclable when mailed back to Recycline.

The Preserve Jr. is available in 3 colors at $3 each or 3 for $8. Brusha brusha brusha.  

Summertime is right around the corner, thankfully. The kiddos are sure to have all that sun-induced extra energy, begging to be spent. Why not?

We've had fun zooming around the yard (and house!) with the Sibi Max push car and the Lorette trailer. What have I learned? A 2 year old butt does not fit into the Lorette trailer, no matter how hard Eliot may try. And with a bit of imagination, the Max car is a motorcycle and it goes "fast" (which, sorry to say, the Max does not....). 

Both the Max and Lorette are made by Sibi, an old-time German woodworking company founded by the Sirch Family over 300 years ago. Made of solid birch and ash with non-marking Eva rubber wheels, both pieces are incredibly well made and quite stylish. 

And a lot of fun to chase the dog with.  

No matter what age, Play Dough is indeed a lot of fun. Eliot has recently brought it to my attention that it is even more fun to fill innocent tiny truck motors + flatbeds with play dough and do a little 4-wheelin'. Sound effects are a must! Apparently he is not the only one to crash cars and play dough, images above via  here and  here. I love it.

If you are not a huge fan of the gasoline smell (ugh...) of Play-Doh from the store, Organic Play Dough is also available. I have not tried it myself, but it looks good enough to eat (which, perhaps could be a problem....!). I have tried numerous homemade play dough recipes and have not come up with the perfect recipe thus far; I detest the dry salty feeling left on my hands. Eliot on the other hand does not mind it or the gasoline smell!  Here is a basic play dough recipe, tagged Mr. Rogers. 

Mr. Roger's Homemade Play Dough
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Food coloring

Throw everything in a pot, cook for 3 minutes on low heat, stirring constantly. Turn off heat, allow to cool for a few minutes. Knead with hands until smooth. Add food coloring.

Fun!

As my son Eliot just turned 2.5 years old + the weather is (finally) looking nice, a bit of LIKEaBIKE action is most certainly in order. We have our eyes on the mini, as the seat height is shorter (starts at 10") but still adjusts as your child grows.

"The LIKEaBIKE is a unique bike for children between the ages of two and five. A lot of fun and highly beneficial for the development of their motor skills and sense of balance. A LIKEaBIKE has no pedals. When first trying to ride, kids play with their LIKEaBIKE as they would with a hobbyhorse. They become familiar with the saddle first, carefully sitting on it. Soon they start to walk with it, then run. In no time the little rider becomes more confident and by pushing off, picks up speed. If the bike starts to tip, kids instinctively regain their balance with their feet. 

The LIKEaBIKE was designed with a keen eye to your child's safety, so you won't find any sharp edges on it. The gap between the frame and the fork, moreover, is filled with felt, so your child's fingers can't get pinched there either. The felt also prevents the front wheel from making sharp turns, a common cause for mishaps with young riders of regular bikes." (Paraphrased text from LIKEaBIKE).

Available in 7 different models with a lovely selection of accessories, such as a wooden kick stand + sleek saddle bag. Both images from Flickr. Image on left via here, image on right via here .

Now all we need is a helmut.

Unless you have one of those toddlers that is a human trash compacter, it is quite true that these pint-size critters are rather randomly selective in the food department. I don't have a eat-everything toddler + have even found myself saying "popcorn for lunch? sure!" as at least it's something.

So enough with being uninspired + having my child eat random bits (popcorn) for substance (lunch). Granted, not everyday is wacky, but if there is one thing I've learned about being a mom: a plan + preparation = success. 

Another thing I've picked up on? Tasty flavors. The kid likes spice + flavor + complexity. And food has to be fun + with variety. 

That's where the majority of "toddler food" recipes + ideas fall short (oh dear, not another ants-on-a-log!) as they are dumbed down + oddly renamed versions of "adult food". So I was blessed to recently pick up the Toddler Cafe by Jennifer Carden and was so impressed by her fun ideas for feeding toddlers. Fresh, inventive and healthy recipes that look astonishingly fun to eat. I have yet to try any recipes (still in preparation mode) but the first one that I will try? Minty Pea Pops, a recipe that involves cream cheese, petite peas, mint + mini chocolate chips. Frozen + on a stick. I'll keep you posted. 

I was also inspired by the toddler/preschool "bento boxes" from Wendolonia blog (who provided the pictures above, left + right). Simple + look quite lunchy! Presentation is often the key, or perhaps it just makes us feel better about neurotically cutting cheese into mini-men? Not quite sure, but surely more adventurous for the kids to eat. 

And while I would not normally think to link to this store, the Kids section is actually quite fun + Gastrokid approved, so what the heck.  While I am at it, these watermelon icepops are looking delicious as well as this fresh fruit kiddie cocktail.

Ecotots collection of children's furniture is quite possible the greenest wood furniture for kids, ever. Your kids can sniff it + lick it and even eat off it (right?) and they won't be off-gassed on or consume any other yuckies like formaldehyde. I like!

All 3 pieces of the Ecotots Collection (by Inmodern) are made of 100% formaldehyde-free, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified/environmentally friendly SmartWood® and feature a durable, 100% non-toxic water-based finish. All 3 pieces, the coatrack, project table + stools and art easel are available in 4 colors -- fire, leaf, natural + cocoa. 

Easy to assembles and disassembles (for easy storage) in minutes with Inmodern's patented, no-tools assembly method. Which is cool, not an allen wrench it needed! Though I will tell you from experience, these peices will need a real good whack as they are designed to fit snuggly together. 

Some other noteworthy goodies:  Pieces are UV cured finishes minimize greenhouse gases, all materials sourced in North America as well as wholly designed and manufactured in USA. Member of the SFC (Sustainable Furniture Council) and a sweet lifetime construction guarantee .

Now is your chance boys + girls to get super sweet deals on select Nurseryworks pieces. The 40% off sale has now ended.... and now select items are on clearance (until sold out) at 50% off!

The 50% off sale includes the Playdate Table + Stools (in all colors, shown above left) and all upulstered pieces in Microterry, Canvas, Felt and Microsuede in Navy -- Including the Goodnight Gilder (pictured above, middle), Goodnight Ottoman, Sleepytime + Storytime Rockers, Perch Stool and the super fun Mini-Sleeptytime Rocker + Ottoman for the kids (pictured above right). 50% off!! And no, this is not an April fool's joke!

Neither the Goodnight Gilder + Ottoman or the Mini-Sleeptyime Rocker + Stool were included in the previous Nurseryworks sale, so now is your chance! Certain fabrics do tend to sell out quickly. And as they say on those cheesy tv ads "when it's gone, it's gone" -- all sold out fabrics are then being discontinued and will no longer be available.

Correction 04/10: the Mini-Sleepytime rocker + stool is no longer included in the sale. 

Here's another project that will help alleviate that huge stack of kid's drawings + other such thoughtful scribbles: impromptu notebooks! I have pledged to no longer scratch heaps of notes to myself on small pieces of paper + post-it notes. Instead, I keep a lively notebook of reminders, grocery + dinner lists and other bits I would otherwise forget. 

I also have found it sad to toss out any of my son's endless amounts of artwork. A great deal of the drawings + scribbles are exciting and fun, but not so frame worthy. Recycling my son's  artwork into notebooks is a useful way to use up that big stack of goodness.

Most of Eliot's marker + crayon drawings (paintings would not work so well for this project) are on large 15x20" pieces of white drawing paper. As long as the stack of papers are cut down to the same size, you can create a notebook any size you wish. With that in mind, I made between 2 and 4 notebooks per stack of 15x20" paper. Depending how thick you want the notebook, use between 10-15 sheets of scribbles.  

With the paper cut down to size, fold each piece in half. Once you have a stack of the folded pieces, nest the pages together to create a book. If you choose to put a cover on the notebook, cut a sheet of paper (I used colorful cardstock on some, other I left without a cover) about 1/2" longer and wider than the inside pages.

To bind the notebook, I used regular 'ol office staples + stapled the spine of the notebook in the middle a few times. You could also use a sewing machine (depending on the thickness of your pages) to bind the notebook or use other simple bookbinding techniques, depending on how fancy you want to get.

Though the pages of the notebooks are not totally blank, I find writing over + around the scribbles to be quite charming as it reminds me of my son's unbound enthusiasm. 

Puppies, bunnies, mice and bears. Boys + girls dressed in the cutest little clothes. Each animal by Kata Golda is handmade of plant-dyed wool felt, sewn with love + embroidered with the sweetest expressions.

Measuring 12" short, each animal can be personalized with your child's (or your!) name, as shown above. The animal set as well as a few other Kata Golda goodies will be soon be available in the toy category. Sweet!

Meet Storm by Esthex. He's is soft + stuffed. A bit peculiar + totally lovable. His helmet is removable as is his cape + belt. Yes, Storm would look nice on your son's shelf or sit politely as part in the Esthex collection, but he is really just ready for the action. Ready for the imaginative adventures you child will surely take him through.  

Storm has noodle-ish legs and awkward arms + is ready to fly. Beady eyes and no mouth or nose but surely he can talk. He may get a bit dirty and perhaps be used as an unofficial teething toy (minus the accessories). Storm is the kind of softie that will be your child's friend...forever or until he stops playing with stuffed animals.  

The Boon bath toys are vibrant, playful + a welcomed change from all those other random bath toys that end up in the tub. The Boon set includes fifteen bath appliqués, three balls +  two mini-scrubbies, perfect for little hands. And even though these designer bath goods leave the tub looking stylin', they are not exempt from the bathtub-sludge. 

I was fixing Eliot a bath the other day, and noticed a tad-bit of slimeyness on the toys. Uh, gross.  I am not so into the chemical cleanser genre and find good ol fashion vinegar often does the job. According to vinegartips.com: "White distilled vinegar is a popular household cleanser, effective for killing most mold, bacteria, and germs, due to its level of  acidity. Cleaning with white distilled vinegar is a smart way to avoid using harsh chemicals. You’ll also be glad to know that it is environmentally friendly and very economical."

Perfect! You can of course clean the Boon bath toys in the tub or sink, but a bowl works as well.  Fill a large bowl (tub or sink) with water, add a big splash or 2 of white vinegar and of course the slimey bath toys. You can add some dish soap as well, but it's not necessary. When you remember to rescue the toys from their bath, give them a rinse + air dry. 

Made of reclaimed wood + salvaged bits, the EF wood rattles are a treat from nature. It's fun to discover something so simple yet so meaningful. Although it is a rattle and perhaps will receive more attention from a slobbering 6 month old, I still have our walnut rattle on the end table. Eliot still picks it up almost everyday, perhaps in attempts to throw or chase the dog with. We live in a time where 2 year olds say "I type on my email" that an injection of real wood + and the natural sound of lentils shaken inside a small piece of wood is refreshing. It's one step closer to rescuing your child from nature-deficit disorder. 

Handmade of solid wood, hollowed + filled with lentils or beans to make a beautiful sound. Available in walnut, myrtle or maple and measure roughly 5x2 inches.