Product Review: Lamaze Chime Garden

The Chime Garden is a flower themed music toy. Each flower features a different note or plays a song when hit. There are 3 music modes: chime, song segments and full song play. What a great baby toy! Includes batteries. DIMENSIONS: 9" X 8.75" X 6.75"

This Christmas AppleBlossom was spoiled and got two big gifts. One, from Grandmama and Grandaddy was the Fisher Price Classical Super Star Stacker with music and lights. The other was the Lamaze Chime Garden thanks to ThanksMama.com a new and amazing online cloth diaper store based out of Boston, MA. 

The choices of which to play with are hard to make. 

Right out of the box, Daddy helped her play. 

 

The recommended age is 9mo and at 5mo AppleBlossom is a "supported sitter" and gets a little carried away while sitting alone and playing, but with support she's all into it.

• Brain research has concluded that music helps lead the way for learning in other areas, particularly in language abilities. Besides being cute colorful flowers with bright colors, the musical exposure your child will get from this fun and educational toy will go a long way so it's the perfect baby toy.
• First, your child will just hit and bat at the toys and they will make music. This is great for cause and effect. They will learn that whatever flower they hit it will make a different chime or noise.
• Depending what setting you have your Chime Garden on will determine if your child will make notes or if it will just play a song.
• Pretty soon your child will be making their own music will all the different notes these flowers make.

We won our Lamaze Chime Garden from the ClothDiaperTalk blog run from the Mama behind ThanksMama.com and oh we could not have been more excited! (see excited face above) She has giveaways going on and a fair chance of winning. I highly recommend you check it out. Between giveaways and sales announcements for her store you cannot go wrong with that information! 

 

 These images were not staged (the foot prop is to keep her from knocking it over reaching for it - hope you like my paw print socks). And she does love the Star Stacker as it sings and lights up. But I think she's attracted to all the pretty colored faces and textures of the flower petals from the garden. (Yes, I agree she is cute.)

Age: Newborns+  (Target Age: 9 months)

Target Age

Children grow and learn at different speeds. This item can be enjoyed by younger and older children depending on their interests and abilities.

The Target Age is the time most children START enjoying this toy, game or book as determined by our Child-Experts.

Please be aware of small-part warnings when choosing toys for younger children.

Brand: Lamaze

Yet then sometimes, she prefers the fist over all else...  The growling and biting at the garden was quite cute as DH pointed out too. *grin* 

You can buy your own at ThanksMama.com or  ebeanstalk.com. It's another Expert recommended toy!  

Product Review: Taggies Soft Blocks from ebeanstalk

Something we have discovered is that picking a toy is not easy. There are so many variables to choose from and there is a website called ebeanstalk dedicated to selecting good, safe baby toys and toddler toys. But they need help from Mamas like me to help pick the toys. Thanks to ebeanstalk, the toy they provided for review is called Taggies Soft Blocks, it is one of their many unique toys.

Taggies Soft Blocks are great learning toys because each feature tons of tactile elements, colorful images, silly sounds and, of course, TAGGIES galore! Easy-grab, un-stuffed blocks can be squashed into a diaper bag. Clever hook & loop links attach all blocks together for play in the stroller, highchair or car seat. DIMENSIONS: 8.75" X 4.25" X 8.5" PACKAGED

When I opened the box to find these Taggies soft blocks I was ecstatic. AppleBlossom likes them too. There are so many colors and textures! I love the different animals and the shooting star! Two blocks have a bell inside and the other two blocks have the crinkly material, both are great noises that really catches her attention and curiosity. Already she is grasping the tags and rubbing them between her fingers. These blocks are the first Taggies-type product she's been around and already I can tell they are a big hit. When she is more into holding the blocks I can easily see toting a couple around in the diaper bag, and they are no problem at all in size for that either.

Introduce your child to the different textures and sounds of the Taggies Soft Blocks. Encourage them to pass them from one hand to the other, to shake them and throw them.

Once you find out which block is your favorite, be sure to stuff that one into the diaper bag or clip onto the stroller or car seat. Or, you can link them all together and take all of them

As your child gets older, you can teach them the different animals and see how quickly they learn. Ask them to pick up the lion, the sheep, etc.

These could not have come to us at a better time and I am loving the idea of seeing her grow with them. From naming the animals and colors, to feeling the varying array of textures and materials, hearing the bells versus the crinkles I'm so excited about the activity and learning with these blocks. After seeing this in hand I highly recommend them and would gladly get them for gifts. I'll give you more updates as she grows in her usage with them in the future too!

Age: Newborns+ (Target Age: 3 months)

Target Age

Children grow and learn at different speeds. This item can be enjoyed by younger and older children depending on their interests and abilities.

The Target Age is the time most children START enjoying this toy, game or book as determined by our Child-Experts.
Please be aware of small-part warnings when choosing toys for younger children.

Brand: International Playthings

We got these right about when AppleBlossom turned three months, and she was curious about them, but it was not until she was almost four months that she really just started to love them. They were around and she would play with it if you shook it or held it to her, but now she'll grab them on her own and squeal about them too. *grin*

Product Review: Lamaze Spin and Explore Mat

The Spin & Explore Mat puts a unique spin on tummy time play, an important developmental phase for all newborns. Babies gently and comfortably spin round on their tummies, stretching and building upper bodies while exploring lots of squeaky, crinkly, tactile fun. DIMENSIONS: 14" X 17.25" X 6"

Another gift that we received when AppleBlossom was born from some coworkers of my husband was the Lamaze Spin and Explore Mat. You gotta love this ladybug! The leaves near the earthworm and the wings of the butterfly crinkle and they are definitely the favorite parts for AppleBlossom, yet more and more she is finding another interesting piece. She cannot squeeze it, but she loves to hear me squeeze the birdie who will then chirp for her. Also she loves to hear the bumblebee buzz his rattle. Then it almost goes without saying how she is enjoying the mirror. At first she would just be still and look, now she grasps the mat and kicks with her legs and pulls herself round. It is so fun to watch her learn and grow!

Place your infant on his/her stomach on the Spin & Explore Mat for tummy time. At first take off the spin seat. This will strengthen neck muscles and improve head control, which makes this a great baby toy.

Get down on the floor with your child. Your baby will love to see you at his level encouraging them to pull and tug at the different colors and animals. This will develop fine motor skills, as well as visual abilities.

When your child starts to hold their head up better put the spin seat on the mat and they will have fun spinning and exploring all the crinkles and textures on the mat.

Play peek-a-boo with your child by showing him/her how to hide the toys in the pockets or how to lift up the butterflies wings.

At about 5 or 6 months when your baby can sit up remove the spinner and it’s a great play mat they can still explore and play with.

I absolutely love the intelligent design of this toy with making the birdie squeak/chirp and the bumblebee rattle/buzz as they do in real life. I find that highly educational and praise the design. It is far less confusing that such toys that have purple zebras and such.

Age: Newborns+ (Target Age: 3 months)

Target Age

Children grow and learn at different speeds. This item can be enjoyed by younger and older children depending on their interests and abilities.

The Target Age is the time most children START enjoying this toy, game or book as determined by our Child-Experts.

Please be aware of small-part warnings when choosing toys for younger children.

Brand: Lamaze

You can buy your own at ebeanstalk.com. It's another Expert recommended toy!

Product Spotlight: Baby Animals Nesting Blocks

Thanks to my friend Julie J. we have a set of these great Baby Animals Nesting Blocks for AppleBlossom to grow into. I love the potential for learning with these using the varying animals and the board book with ABCs. Another favorite part is how the go all right back into the package and travel so easily.

From the Experts at ebeanstalk...

Why we love it

We tested lots of soft nesting & stacking blocks and these are the best! They are beautifully made and super soft for baby′s delicate hands. They are durable blocks that help very young children learn to stack items on top of each other, then nest inside of each other; big to small! Later on these blocks and the board book will help your child learn his/her alphabet. These are more than just blocks, they′re educational baby toys! Did we mention they′re fun too?

Description

This fantastic set of educational toys is very soft and super cuddly. These unique nesting blocks also include a first-learning board-book filled with the charming illustrations from Susan Winget. DIMENSIONS: 6" X 5.5" X 5"

Another great toy that is ebeanstalk approved!

As far as baby toys go, these soft, cuddly Baby Animals Nesting Blocks are a perfect first step for your little one to learn his/her ABCs and about Baby Animals. At first take the blocks out and let your child explore each one. Though each has a different size and picture, they all have a quited texture.

Sit on the floor with your baby and build a tower together. Then, begin the countdown and let him/her knock it down. 3-2-1!

Demonstrate for your child how the blocks nestle inside of each other. They sort of “disappear” but then reappear. This teaches object permanence and begins to show size relationships. The large block holds the block of the next size down.

Little fingers will enjoy turning the pages as you read the ABC board book that is included with the blocks.

As you read through the book, have your child pick up the block that goes with the page in the book.

Age: Newborns+ (Target Age: 9 months)

Target Age

Children grow and learn at different speeds. This item can be enjoyed by younger and older children depending on their interests and abilities.

The Target Age is the time most children START enjoying this toy, game or book as determined by our Child-Experts.

Please be aware of small-part warnings when choosing toys for younger children.

Brand: WJ Fantasy