I can’t believe that Christmas is almost here! Ten days and counting. Are you ready? We don’t even have our tree up yet (that’s first on my hubby’s to-do list this week). And shopping? I’m about half-way done! If you can believe it, I actually find children to be the most difficult to shop for…especially when the children are not my children. Some parents offer a list (which I greatly appreciate), but most say that “anything will do,” which isn’t entirely true.
As a parent, I look for a few key features when shopping for a toy. Safety and long-lasting value are very important to me. I really like educational, open-ended toys that challenge a child and stimulate his/her imagination. In the past, we have purchased several toys from VTechkids and have been very happy with them. The company prides itself on developing quality, innovative educational products for children. We live in a society highly focused on all things technical. Rather than sheltering children from “electronics” I think it’s important to expose them to age-appropriate content.
VTechkids recently launched a new line of toddler toys (designed for children over the age of 18 months) called Jungle Gym. Toddlers like my son, need to be active daily. My son does not do well when he hasn’t had a chance to run, ride his bike and just release his energy. The new line is designed to stimulate both the mind and the body through active play. The animal theme immediately piqued his interest. And the bright colors are very attractive. Most important, toddlers will start learning the basic foundation for letter, number, color, and object identification.
We received the Ride & Learn Giraffe Bike, courtesy of the company. Immediately, I thought about the potential it has to teach my son how to eventually learn to ride a bike…and I was impressed. The basic premise of the toy is that as a child pedals, he/she is learning. There are five play modes and tots will learn the alphabet and count animals (among other activities). It’s relatively easy to put together and requires 3 AA batteries.
The age range is 18-36 months, but I’m not sure my son would have fully understood all of the concepts at 18 months. The bike is adorable and relatively sturdy (although my son could tip it over if he decided to). The funniest thing my son has done is ride the bike, then come back squawking, saying he is a parrot!
The Ride & Learn Giraffe Bike retails for $49.99 and is available at Toys R Us and Walmart
For more fabulous Holiday Gift Ideas, visit The Mommy-Files
Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this review. I did receive a product, courtesy of the company in order to facilitate my review.
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Isn’t this fun? And think Cate can use it too! (well in a 18 months LOL)
*SQUAWK**SQUAWK*
That’s funny! My hubby actually pointed this out to me last night when we were at Wally-world! Our almost 4 year old is too big, and the baby can’t even sit by himself yet! His rebuttal, “But I can help him sit on it!” Silly man!