The Many Benefits Of Juggling

Juggling has been around for millennia. There is evidence that it was practiced in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and it was practiced extensively in Europe throughout the Middle Ages. It’s also captured a special place in the hearts of the American public, as a popular circus act and sideshow attraction.

But few realize the valuable and far-reaching benefits that learning to juggle can have, both physical and mental. Juggling is a physically active pastime that has been shown to improve hand-eye coordination and motor skills, as well as ambidexterity, as the hands must move independently of one another.

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Check Out Schylling’s Retro Vehicles

Vintage toys, especially tin toys, are all the rage nowadays, and Schylling, offering everything from keepsakes to collectible toys and more, has the market cornered. One of their specialties, however, is their retro collection of vehicles.

Boys love to imagine that they’re flying high with toy planes. The Schylling “Overseas Airplane” lets kids do just this. With its real spinning propellers and painted details, kids love to pull the plane back and let it shoot forward. Perfect for your little pilot!

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Melissa & Doug Puzzles–Perfect For Young Children

Parents love puzzles for kids because they’re so effective at stimulating a child’s natural urges to think and learn. They’re great because they promote multiple types of thinking, all while children are having too much fun to realize that they’re learning! Melissa and Doug, a true mom ‘n’ pop company started over twenty years ago, has become one of the top sellers of all different sorts of kids’ puzzles.

Their Chunky Puzzles are perfect for babies. They come with large, colorful pieces that fit neatly into the board and can also standalone for imagination play. The big, chunky pieces are perfect for small hands and developing motor skills. Aside from every variety of animal puzzle, Melissa & Doug also offers puzzles that are great for teaching children counting and the alphabet.

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Parents And Kids Love Schylling Vintage Toys

Tin toys are coming back in a big way. Parents love their nostalgia-inducing designs and children love their timeless fun. And the toy company on the leading edge of this phenomenon is Schylling, who offers a fantastic collection of vintage tin toys that are sure to bring you back to your childhood.

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2008’s Biggest Toy Trends

The world is changing, and the world of toys is keeping pace! Toy manufacturers have their fingers on the pulse of society, and are catering to emerging interests and concerns. Here are some of the hottest and most exciting trends in toys:

- Toys Go Digital – Largely inspired by the incredible success of Ganz’s Webkinz, toy manufacturers are starting to build online worlds around the toys they sell in stores. Neopets rivals Webkinz in popularity, while even dolls such as Barbie and Bratz have created extensive websites to stimulate kids’ imaginations. With the advent of online toys, kids and parents are spending more time with their new friends! Read more

Making Your Own Wood Toys–Is It As Hard As It Seems?

The timeless appeal of wooden toys is indisputable. They’re beautiful, safe, and hold a child’s imagination for years. If you’re the arts & crafts type and have a few tools lying around, you might consider making your own wood toys for your children. This will make them even more personal and special, and ensure that your children will love and cherish these toys for years to come.
This site features fantastic guides for all sorts of wood toys, from building logs to go-carts. The type and dimensions of wood that you’ll need depend on the project you’re tackling, but poplar, pine, fir, and spruce are all good candidates that are most likely available at your local hardware or hobby store. You’ll also need a selection of woodworking tools, such as cutters and molders, as well as glue and finish. But the results are well worth the effort—wooden toys are perfect for children of all ages, and knowing that you’ve made them yourself will bring you satisfaction and joy.
Of course, if the task of making your own wood toys seems a bit daunting, manufacturers such as HABA offer wonderful wood toys that are environmentally friendly and germ-resistant.

Demand For Wood Toys From India Grows

When you think of toys made of wood, you probably don’t think of India. But it’s a testament to how universally adored these toys are that even in this developing nation, dedicated craftsmen turn out high-quality, child-safe toys in droves.

For many Indian craftsmen, toy making has been their family’s way of supporting itself for generation. But it’s just now that many toy makers are working together and pooling their resources in order to increase production. Newer designs, improved quality, and better marketing facilities have allowed toys typically distributed solely within India to find their way to the international market.

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Featured Product: HABA Ball Track Construction Set

Construction sets are a perfect way to foster children’s creativity, improve their motor coordination, and nurture their cognitive development. They’re also a toy that is easily integrated with others, and that lets a child’s imagination run wild. Unlike newer, flashier play sets, the Ball Track Construction Set from HABA promises to hold your child’s interest for years to come.

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Japan Employs Hello Kitty To Fuel Tourism

We all know what a global phenomenon Hello Kitty has been. But now the government of Japan is using the adorable icon to represent the country in China and Hong Kong, ambitiously hoping to boost tourism revenue.

Hello Kitty is enormously popular in China and Hong Kong, and tourists from these countries represent a significant percentage of Japan’s tourism business. Hello Kitty is one of the most popular characters ever created, and it is depicted on over 50,000 products across the world and is even the star of its own musical that recently opened in Beijing.

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Monkeying Around: Male Monkeys Prefer Masculine Toys

According to a recent study published in the New Scientist, male monkeys have shown an innate predisposition towards toys deemed to be masculine. The study presented a group of male and female monkeys with ‘masculine’ toys with wheels and plush ‘feminine’ toys. Researchers found that although female monkeys played with both sets of toys equally, the males seemed to be significantly more interested in the wheeled toys.

This could be an important finding in the debate over whether children’s toy choices, such as between trucks and Barbie dolls, are due to inherent preference or are the result of socialization. Though some might say that this study proves boys’ innate predisposition towards masculine toys, it is important to note that females did not show preference for either type of toy. Scientists also cautioned not to over-interpret the results, conceding that factors such as color or shape may have caused the distinction as well.

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