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Archive through December 02, 2004

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2004 Nov. - 2005 Jan.: Parenting Place {ARCHIVES}: Christmas ideas: Archive through December 02, 2004 users admin

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Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Wednesday, October 13, 2004 - 9:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
http://www.toystogrowon.com/

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Sunday, October 17, 2004 - 9:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Can any recommend Hullabaloo or Balloon Lagoon? (Games from the makers of Cranium.)

I can recommend Cariboo-for ages 3-6. It is fun, easy, a bit educational and each player helps to win. So those little "sore loser" type kids (like my ds) like it better. Cuz there are several winners before the one main winner. (You release 6 balls to get the treasure chest to open and everyone gets a chance to release a ball...)

Deesandy
Member

08-12-2003

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 7:30 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Has anyone seen the VideoNow item that is out this year? Is it really as exciting as they are making it out to be?

Deesandy
Member

08-12-2003

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 7:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I had another question...

I need a gift for a seven month old who is hearing imparired and will be wearing hearing aids. I am looking for something very visual, and it can be for when he is older too. Any suggestions?

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 7:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I personally think that VideoNow is a ripoff. You can only play their tapes. They are only about 30 minutes long and are basically just tv cartoons.
But, I am also looking at it through the eyes of a 10 and 15 year old, maybe a younger child would like it.

Llkoolaid
Member

08-01-2001

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 10:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Don't buy the VideoNow, Hilary wanted one and I had my brother check it out when he went to target. He called me back and told me what it was and I asked him to speak to someone in the electonics department. It was 70 dollars and you can only play their stuff. For an additional 30 dollars he showed him a portable dvd player that she can take along in the car and it plays regular dvds. A much better idea and we can use it too. Hilary is 10 and I am sure she will be so much more pleased with our choice.

Deesandy
Member

08-12-2003

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 6:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Maybe it will go on sale then and maybe I will consider it. We are traveling 1200 miles by car, twice, and need entertainment for our child so that she will not drive us insane as we drive home for Christmas!

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Tuesday, November 30, 2004 - 6:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Buy a 9" tv/dvd player that you can hook up in the car and then take inside with you or even the portable DVD player....it will be well worth every penny you pay for it!!!!!!!!!!!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 1:46 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Texannie, I agree. My kids asked last year for Videonow's. We went and checked them out, found out about only being able to play their stuff on it and decided that portable DVD players would be a better idea. Least you can play anything on those.

How old is your little one, Dee?

Sewmommy
Member

07-06-2004

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 4:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The portable dvd players are fantastic! We finally broke down and got 1 this past summer because we do lots of 4-5 hour trips(one way). My girls,4&8, loved it.
The videonow thing just didn't look worth the money, there seemed to be a very limited selection of videos to choose from.
What the girls are getting though is the original Pixter, not the colored one wich is $70. Very easy to stuff into their backpacks when we are flying to visit family on spring break.

Sewmommy
Member

07-06-2004

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 5:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I just thought of something, is anyone going to give their kids an ole' standby. Something that you played with as a child and loved?
My 4 year old loves building stuff, so she is going to get some Tinker Toys, the original wood ones. We already have Legos, so we had to go with something new.
And a question on this as well. Do any of you with younger kids have experience with K'NEX or Erector sets? Are they appropiate for 4-5 year olds?
Thanks

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 6:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
My ds loved Legos and Knex, but never got into the Erector sets. The junior models would be too easy and the older sets too hard. He's 15 now and we are thinking about getting him the Knex Roller Coaster for Christmas! LOL

Resortgirl
Member

09-23-2000

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 6:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
My sons favorite toy bar none was a Fisher Price farm set that came with Sesame Street characters. He slept with Ernie for about a year!! And if it got misplaced all heck broke loose!! The second most favorite was the Fisher Price Ship. I think he played with that from age 4 to about 8. We actually just threw that away because it's been outside for the resort kids to play with, and it was pretty deteriorated. My favorite toy growing up was a "tunnel" that I got about age 5. My sister and I played with that until we were 9-10.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 6:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
If you want to try the k'nex, make sure you get the "younger" set. They can be somewhat complex. The regular set is too hard (my opinion). I think it says ages 6 and up but I think it's more appropriate for 8 and up.... We got our 5 yr. old the jr set (ages 3-6 I think.) which has some fun components like googly eyes and wheels, etc.

My 5 year old loves building stuff too.

I would highly recommend those magnetic sets with the "balls" & "sticks." There are several different brands, the one that comes to mind is Magnetix by RoseArt. Mega Magz is the brand we have.

Danas15146
Member

03-31-2004

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 7:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I am looking to get Samantha one of those fashion design sets. The ones the have the plates with different heads, middles and bottoms that you just run pencils over the paper with these underneath. Anyone seen these lately?

Secretsmile
Member

08-19-2002

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 8:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Danas, we bought one of those for my daughter, many years ago, I believe it was a Barbie set. She did play with it once or twice, it was never a favorite with her, and she misplaced the stencils. The ironic part of this whole thing is she is now in college studying costume design and I'm sure there are times when she wishes she didn't have to draw everything free hand.

Kimmo
Member

05-02-2003

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 12:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Danas, here is a link on Amazon for the Barbie kind-- It has the fabric set and the tracing set combined. It says it's out of stock, but maybe you could find it on Ebay? There was a link to similar items, too (but the closest matches were character-specific, like Strawberry Shortcake or Hello Kitty).

Barbie Fun Fabric Fashion and Design a Fashion Set


Deesandy
Member

08-12-2003

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 1:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Wargod, my dd is three and a half years old. We have had a tv/dvd player for the car for two years now and that does work great except it is a pain to change the disc when need be. She also has a laptop that allows her to play computer games and watch movies on that as well. The thing is that she gets bored sitting in the car for two days and I am looking for ways to help us survive the trip!

Before y'all start thinking that she is spoiled, well yes she is, but she is also at an age five level intellectually and very challenging. Now her emotional level is another issue...

Llkoolaid
Member

08-01-2001

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 2:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I don't think that means your child is spoiled one litlle bit Deesandy. Let's face it, whatever it takes to make them happy on long car trips is more for us than them, lol, at least for me it is.

Deesandy
Member

08-12-2003

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 2:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
You hit the nail right on the head Llkoolaid!

I can only read so many books and explain so many times that we are not there yet!

The entire road trip has us eating out at any place that has a play yard so she can wear off some of that pent up energy. DD is not the best of sleepers either so unlike me, she likes to stay awake for the trip.

I remembered a great toy that amuses children is the viewfinder! I am stocking up on lots of different reels and they are only two bucks apiece on sale! Any moment of peace I can get is welcomed.

We have to drive 1200 miles twice in less than two weeks...



Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 3:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Books on tape? Magna doodle, etchasketch???
I would buy little stuff and wrap it up and take it out every so many miles.

Jmm
Member

08-16-2002

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 6:49 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Deesandy, One thing I did when the girls were small and we were driving across country a lot was to take their favorite books and record myself reading them. You can use a little bell or just say "turn the page". They seemed to listen longer to the ones with my voice than the other books on tape. Also I always carried coloring books with colored pencils (no crayons to melt into the seats). You can buy a cute little lap desk at Wal-Mart to color on.

ETA: Don't forget a pencil sharpener with a shavings holder.

Kaili
Member

08-31-2000

Wednesday, December 01, 2004 - 8:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
We'd play dumb car games like seeing who can spot the most different state license plates, go through the alphabet with signs (and neither can use the same sign unless there are two of the same letter). Q was a difficult one. You basically need to find a Dairy Queen or a liquor store. Can't use license plates either.

Tim and I play 20 questions now except we don't count the number of questions...and we listen to books on tape. The library has tons.

Oh! And when I was a kid I'd have a little tray and play with play-doh in the car.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 12:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I was thinking along the lines of Polly Pockets, Dee. Small play sets that would be easy for her to use in the car and alot of the Polly stuff comes with it's own houses. Not sure if she'd be too young for those though?

She may be too young for something like Gameboys, but I saw while Christmas shopping last week handheld games for younger kids. The ones I can remember off the top of my head were Candyland and Simon says. Whenever we take the kids on car trips (which are usually about 2 hours each way) we buy new coloring books and art pads for them.

I don't think it's spoiling her by planning ahead for a long car trip. 1200 miles for an adult is a long trip, for an active kid it can be pretty boring. Whatever it takes to keep her happy is what counts, because it also keeps you guys from becoming nuts, lol.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Thursday, December 02, 2004 - 6:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Leapster and/or leapfrog books...