Inspiring Agility: An Action Figure Giveaway

It’s not a doll, it’s an action figure.

Big difference between the two.  Dolls are carried around and snuggled with.  Swaddled.  They pretty much lead a pampered and boring dusty life.

Not action figures, such as Manhattan Toy’s Boysterous Action Figure.

(Note:  “Matthew” is really a snowboarder . . . but the boys were sharing the action figure sports equipment.) 

“Matthew’s” skateboard is magnetic.  

Here is “Charlie.”

However, “Charlie” received new gear.  Because . . . well  . . . we kind of encourage our boys to be dangerous.  (Thanks to this book.)

So we had to do some gear improvising and I created a snowboard for Charlie. 

I personally think that Charlie will be a little cold; however, I have known people to ski in shorts on a clear, April, Colorado day.

Once Ezra’s action figure was like Asher’s . . . the world was a happy place filled with danger and stunts.

And more stunts . . .

 

And more jumps . . .

With the grand finale of jumps . . .

The four great things about this toy:

• It has its own carrying case that can also be the playing field that can be purchased separately ($30 . . . gulp).  (Great if you purchase all 5 action figures {$18 each} …. which has been hinted at around this house.)

 

• The toys are open-ended . . . which encourages creative play . . . and trust me my boys were creative!
• Serves as a great tool to try “dangerous” stunts out while being relatively safe.  Relatively. 
• Even dad approved of this particular soft toy that is reminiscent of some toys his daughter has that collect dust, are swaddled, and filled with stuffing. 

Want to win a Manhattan Toy Boysterous Action Figure?

Mandatory:  Visit the Manhattan Toy website and tell me which action figure would you like to win?

Optional Entries:

• Like Manhattan Toy on Facebook.
• Like Manhattan Toy on Twitter.
• What age is the Boysterous Action suitable for?
• Become a fan of Granola Mom 4 God.
• Sign up to receive me in your inbox.
• Like Granola Mom on Facebook, even though I don’t have it set up right . . . but hopefully Maureen will continue to help me with that. 
• So . . . give yourself an entry by entering one of Maureen’s giveaways!
• Enter one of my other giveaways (located on the sidebar) and give yourself an entry.

Giveaway ends Friday, April 29, 2011 at midnight.  Only open to those with a US shipping address.)

This is a MamaBuzz review. (You could actually try winning on some other blogs too!) The product was provided by Manhattan Toys for this review.

Guidecraft Construct-It Early Building Set: A Review and Giveaway

Christmas is over.  Hopefully most of your decorations are put away.  Maybe even some of the new toys are hidden, only to emerge at a later date when the February doldrums sets in and young bodies are anxious to be busy. 

I tried as long as I could to hide a certain building toy set sent to us by Guidecraft. 

No, let me take that back.  I actually had it “stored” in our family room for a long, long, long time.  I wanted the boys to get super-duper curious. 

It worked.

On a particularly boring day (for them), due to the fact that I had to devote more attention to Naomi, I unveiled unpacked the Construct It Early Builder Set.

Why were they so curious?  Well . . . imagine a boy suddenly acquiring 160 pieces to build as many machines and toys as his imagination will allow.  In our house, if it has a hammer, pliers, and a screwdriver . . . it is sure to be a hit.  (Not to mention the fact that this toy is geared toward ages 4 and up.  Yup, we got a few of those walking around our house.)

They were enticed to build this . . .

and this . . .

 and this . . .

 

What does a 6 year old do with this toy?

He treats it like a set of Lego's.  Except he can build more useful things.

But a 6 year old who is used to following step-by-step instructions becomes frustrated when those instructions are NOT included.  He has to look at a picture and somehow figure out what pieces to use to mirror the aforesaid object.

I, personally, don’t have a problem with the lack of instructions.  I think it is good practice to employ problem solving skills.  But it was a little hard to convince a certain 6 year old that there is value in working through something difficult to create something useful.

What does a 4 year old do with this toy?

He mainly watched his brother.  Smart little tyke.  He wanted Asher to construct the toy, and then he would play with it. 

But he could (for school or for play-time with mommy)

• sort colors
• sort shapes
• follow my step-by-step instructions to create something

What does a 2 year old do with this toy? 

He looks at it.

He tries to figure out what on earth his brothers built.

He takes his brothers’ creations apart.

What else could he do with this toy?

• refine his fine motor skills by dropping dried spaghetti through the holes
• pound the pegs through the base rectangles with the supplied hammer
• experiment and see what pieces fit through a paper towel tube

And what will brothers do when they play with the Construct-It Early Builder set?

They will turn a laundry basket into a boat.  Underneath the basket you will find a blue blanket that is actually water.  And with the Construct-It Early Builder set, they will attach the blanket to the basket so that they can pretend to be the captain of a pirate ship.

Looks like the Construct-It Early Builder set must be an open-ended toy.  I like that.

And if you like that . . . head on over to Mama Jenn’s to win this very set!  Giveaway ends January 21st! 

And if you don’t win the giveaway, , you can head over to the Guidecraft website OR purchase the Construct-It Early Building set through Amazon!

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, this product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Magneatos: A Guidecraft Mom Blog Review

Primary colors.  Magnets.  Balls.  Lots of pieces. Open-ended play.

Three little boys’ delight.

Magneatos.

Guidecraft graciously sent us a Magneato 36 piece set and the jumbo curved 24 piece set to play with and review as part of Guidecraft Mom Team. 

What can you do with this toy?

• Experiment.  Plain and simple.  See what shapes you can make and see how magnets work. 

• How high can you build a Magneato tower before it falls?

• Magneatos work great as barbells for working out! 

• We also used Magneatos to count and sort colors.

• Mr. Smiley loved cleaning them up.  Can’t argue with that!

• They also worked as a GREAT Tot Tray toy! 

• He spent time seeing what he could find that his Magneatos would stick to . . .

But his favorite place to play with them (and I am not condoning this for any of your children) was Mussie’s crate! 

____________________

For other ideas on how to play with Magneatos, head on over to Mama Jenn’s blog!  Not to mention that Magneatos are going to be the featured “Play With Me” toy over at Totally Tots!

Or if you would like to win a set for the child in your life, here is your chance. Jolanthe over at Homeschool Creations will be hosting a giveaway beginning Monday for a 36-piece set of Magneatos as part of the Guidecraft Back to School Twitter Party on Tuesday, September 28th from 8-9pm EST. 

 

 

This product was given to me for review purposes and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.  And I must admit, I am enjoying being a part of the Guidecraft Mom Blog team because Guidecraft has a lot of great educational toys for children!

Guidecraft Baby Doll Cradle: A fun review

While my mom and the boys played,

I did my own form of playing. 

Playing with something that I never thought would reside in our house.

 

A cradle.  I mean a BABY DOLL cradle . . . the kind that girls play with . . . like when they are playing house.  (We currently play sheriff and have gun battles.)

It probably took me 1/2 hour to put the cradle together.  Guidecraft supplied all the parts for this precious baby doll cradle. . .

. . . and only ONE page of directions!

The hardest part was tightening the screws . . . but my hands are a little stiff these days.  I’ll take most of the blame.

  

When it was finished, I was impressed with my creation . . . well, really Guidecraft did all the craftsmanship . . . it is sturdy, made of solid wood, and it matches Sweet Pea’s furniture (though it is also available in espresso)! 

 

I actually had a couple of options of Guidecraft toys to pick out to use and review (for free).  I chose the cradle because I felt it would be good practice for the boys . . . well, mainly for Mr. Smiley, seeing as though he has never been a big brother before. 

(Anyone think Sweet Pea will be born this weekend?)

(Isn’t this a fun gift my friend, Melanie, made?) 

However, he is oblivious to it.

Not his brothers, though.  They have had fun preparing this little bed and taking care of their “practice” sister (who looks like a boy).

They are going to make such good big brothers . . . really . . . they are going to make awesome dads, should the Lord tarry.

You’ll be happy to know that if you have twins, they’ll fit too!

 

After “Baby Sister” was tucked in, Sir Honey rested beside her should she wake up crying.  He remained close to give her a toy to make her happy.

The only thing I would change:  the cradle came with blue bed linens.  Have no fear though . . . my mom arrived today with matching pink gingham covers that tie in with Sweet Pea’s curtains and bed!

Perfect! 

Now I just need to make the boys their slings! 

Head on over to Guidecraft to see more of their educational toys for children.  And don’t forget about Jolanthe’s Guidecraft Twitter Party on September 28th! 

Green Toys: A Review and Giveaway

What do Green Toys and tea have in common?  A great gift, a fun toy, and a tea party. 

Besides all of the fun pretend tea parties we have been having . . .

and having my chai brought to me in bed by a sweet boy with a sturdy toy . . .

unwrapping the contents of this box made me truly appreciate green products. 

Say goodbye to wire twist ties and copious amounts of tape securing your child’s toy for the next atomic bomb. 

Wanna know more about Green Toys?  According to the EcoMom website,

Like all Green Toys products, this tea set is made from advanced environmentally friendly materials, helping to reduce fossil fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions, all in the name of Good Green Fun.

The tea set that EcoMom sent to us to included 17 pieces: pink tea pot with lid, purple sugar bowl with lid, blue creamer, 4 blue cups, 4 green saucers, 4 yellow teaspoons. On top of all that, the entire product (including packaging) are 100% recycled and recyclable.

Guess what the tea set is made from?  Recycled milk jugs!!!!

Though the age for this product is 3 and up, Smiley (2) has been enjoying adding a lot of honey to his tea pot.

And big brothers, Sir Honey and Mr. Smackdown, often host tea parties.  What I like about these parties is that I don’t have to fret about my tea pots breaking!  And there is never any spilled milk!  (Remember – we are pretending!)

Because EcoMom is such a great company, they are offering a giveaway to my readers.  Enter to win . . .

a $15 gift certificate to be used at the EcoMom online store.

 

How to Enter (and yes my friends and family can enter . . . I use www.random.org to pick the winner . . . and you aren't friends with Mr. Random.  No one is. So enter to win ON MY BLOG NOT through a FACEBOOK COMMENT.)

When you leave a comment, make sure you are signed into DISQUE or you LEAVE your email address.  I have had so many people NEVER email me back . . . and lost their prize. 

Mandatory:  Click on the following link and sign up to receive the EcoMom newsletter.

Optional Entries (meaning write a new and separate comment for each)

1. Become a fan of my blog (look over on the right sidebar) and tell me that you are or already were.  A little avatar will show up when you follow me through Google Connect.
2. Subscribe to the Granola Mom 4 God Feedburner – meaning you will get me in your in-box! 
3. Visit Eco-friendly Baby Products - EcoMom and tell me what you would purchase with your $15 gift certificate.
4. Follow EcoMomCEO on Twitter.
5. Become a fan of EcoMom on Facebook and let me know.
6. Read my blog post and submit a picture of you jumping on a bed!
7. Make my perfect cuppa chai and blog about it!

Giveaway Ends:  September 23, 2010 Midnight.

US and Canada residents only!

P.S. Just so you know . . . I received this product for free and could freely express my thoughts and opinions on the Green Toys Tea Set.  I was not paid for this post nor do I have to return the product.

P.S. #2 . . . Check out the EcoPass.  It will allow you to purchase a $99 annual membership, which provides for a 15% discount on every order, as well as free shipping with no $75 minimum requirement.

P.S. #3 . . . . If you won this giveaway last time, you can not win again!  Sorry!  We need to allow new people to try out EcoMom!