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by littleones.com, on November 9th, 2010  V.Reader Animated E-Book System by V-Tech
Also available:
 V.Reader Animated E-Book System by V-Tech – Pink
Multiple Awards Winner! Bring reading to life with the all new V.Reader Animated E-Book System by V-Tech. It's a perfect choice for pre-readers and early readers ages 3 to 7 years old. Young children can practice important core reading skills while having fun with this incredible and durable touch screen learning machine.
The V. Reader is an interactive story teller which plays fully animated children's stories. Children can have stories read to them while following along the highlighted text. They can pause the story and touch the screen to have words pronounced, or they can touch characters and objects to make them come to life. Each story features a story dictionary which provides simple definitions. Another great feature of the V. Reader is the 8 entertaining reading games (included with each story) designed to reinforce comprehension and practice reading skills. Similar to game machines or other learning systems, individual cartridges must be purchased separately. There is a wide variety of classic children's stories and popular children's characters available. Expansion is possible with downloads of additional stories and features from the V Tech website (USB required)
What is most appealing about the V. Reader is its multi-sensory approach to reading. Stories are presented using a combination of visual, auditory and tactile learning strategies. Children see the words and illustrations, hear the story recited, and interact with the story by touching the screen to learn and do more. The combination of these three approaches reinforces the learning process. as well as increases this product's success with different types of learners. It's educationally sound and truly combines both learning and fun!
Get children hooked on reading with the help of the V. Reader E-Book System. It's a great alternative for young children as opposed to the more grown-up oriented Kindle or other E-Readers. It's durable, stimulating and very kid friendly! A gift that is sure to please parents and children!
 See Little Ones Review of Kindle Fire for more information about children's color ebooks for young readers.
See additional Little Ones Toy Reviews at www.littleones.com.
For great gift ideas for children of all ages, please see:
For great gift ideas for children of all ages, please see:
Best/Award Winning Baby Toys (Birth -2 years)
Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts
The Little Ones Holiday Gift Giving Guide
Best Presents for Children's Birthday Parties
Little Ones "Twelve Weeks Before Christmas" Holiday Toy Series: This holiday series is designed to help parents and grandparents make smart choices by featuring outstanding/award winning "toys that teach," accompanied by reviews which highlight and explain the educational benefits and specific skills children receive from these types of toys.
Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts, Birthday Theme Parties and Baby Basics, along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!
 If you haven't done so already, Subscribe Now to receive our weekly Little Ones articles via E-mail.
by littleones.com, on November 8th, 2010       L
WEEK #6:
BOARD GAMES & CARD GAMES FOR OLDER CHILDREN
(AGES 7-ADULT)
Children love playing games! Whether on family night, a playdate or a rainy day, playing games is always a great choice. Luckily, board games and card games are relatively inexpensive, so having a wide selection of games in your home is feasible, and actually helps to incorporate various ages, interests and skill levels of family members and visitors. You'll find that many of the games that younger children play rely simply on "the luck of the dice." However, as children get older, they begin to enjoy games which require some thought, creativity or speed. These types of games can be both enjoyable and educational.
The educational games recommended below promote critical thinking skills, logic and strategy development for older children. And even though these children are more "seasoned" game players, they still get to practice those basic game playing behaviors such as following the rules, taking turns, teamwork and most importantly, winning and losing graciously (a behavior that is still developing throughout much of childhood!)
Enjoy this great selection of recommended games!
Bananagrams Multiple-award winning, fast paced, educational word game for ages 7-adult. Addicting scrabble-like game that has requires no board and allows for numerous players.
 Blokus Classics Game Winner of over 20+ awards! Exciting brightly colored strategy game perfect for the whole family. Encourages spatial thinking & problem solving skills using simple rules. Ages 5-adult
Qwirkle Award winning wooden tiles game develops logic and strategy skills. This challenging family game has simple instructions that require players to match tile shapes and colors to earn points. Ages 8-adult.
Buzzword The Lively, Addictive, and Challenging Game that Fuzzes your Memory and Buzzes your Brain! Multiple Award Winning Game! Great for family night or parties! Teams get 45 seconds to solve word clues and find the "Buzzword." Includes 400 sets of buzz word clues, score cards, timer and scoreboard. Ages 10+ Also available: Buzzword Junior
Loopz Game Crazy new musical game of skill & action. Players must correctly repeat the sequence of lights and music by waving their hands through the semi-circular motion sensors. Features 7 different games including solo or group play. Way cool! Ages 5-teens.
 Blurt The Webster's Game of Word Racing Classic, fast-paced family & party game. Be the first to "blurt" out the correct word based on its definition. Multiple award winning game that builds vocabulary! Includes 300 cars with 1800 clues at 2 playing levels. Ages 10+
Apples to Apples Party Box – The Game of Hilarious Comparisons Multiple award winning family & party game! Players pick cards that best describe the judge's card. Humorous comparisons of people, places and things. Includes over 1000 cards. Ages 12+. Also available Apples to Apples Junior – The Game of Crazy Comparisons!
 Uno Card Game This extremely popular color coded card game is easy to learn, unpredictable and fun for the whole family! Loads of excitement for ages 7-adult, (educational tool for 4+.)
 Blink Card Game Don't "blink" or you might just miss the game! Super fun, super fast card game requires players to match shapes, colors or number count on cards with lightening speed. First player to use up cards wins the game. Reasonably priced. Ages 7+.
 Monopoly THE classic, extremely popular board game you enjoyed as a child. Buy properties, build houses & hotels all with the roll of the dice. Ages 8+ Also available: Monopoly Junior Edition
 Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition Totally modernized and updated version of the classic Monopoly game. Use an electronic banking unit instead of cash to make transactions and purchase extremely high value properties. Ages 8+
 Clue An exciting game of strategy and deductive reasoning as players meet the suspects,find the clues and try to be the first to solve the murder-mystery. Ages 9+ Also available CLUE JR. Game
 Boggle Fast paced, educational word search game in which players shake lettered cubes and try to gain the best score by creating words with the highest point values. Ages 8+ Also available:Boggle Jr. Game
 Stratego Exciting game of battlefield strategy and unexpected events as players lead armies, attack opponents and try to capture the enemy's flag. Ages 8+.
 Scrabble Crossword Game An old favorite! Score points as you build crosswords from lettered tiles. Educational family fun. Ages 8+ Also available Scrabble: Junior Edition
 Milton Bradley Pictionary Board Game Race against the clock with this quick draw party game. Players draw simple sketches as teammates try to guess their secret word. Ages 12+ Also available:Pictionary Jr
 Taboo Challenging game in which players give creative clues to get teammates to shout out a secret work. Be careful to avoid any restricted or "taboo" words in your clues. Includes 504 word cards. Also available: Taboo Junior
 Connect Four Tic-Tac-Toe..FOUR in a row! This vertical strategy game requires players to get 4 checkers in a row-horizontally, vertically or diagonally while blocking their opponent. Ages 7-10.
 ALLOWANCE GAME Teach children the value of money with this enjoyable and educational board game. Players earn money by completing chores and collecting allowance. Players can then spend money and/or save money. Learn basic money skills along the way.
Jenga Loads of thrills and excitement with this delicate stacking game. Remove wooden blocks one by one without letting the tower fall. Great family fun for everyone. Ages 6+.
. Battleship The ultimate naval warfare strategy game. Sink all 5 of your opponent's ships before yours are found. Teaches coordinates, using grids and critical thinking skills. Ages 7+.
 Great States Race the clock and learn about the USA by answering over 400 questions using "facts, figures, find and fun " cards. Ages 7+. Also available: Great States Junior
For more information, please see:
Board Games For Younger Children (Toddler- Preschool)
For more holiday information, please see:
The Little Ones Holiday Gift Giving Guide and
Little Ones "Twelve Weeks Before Christmas" Holiday Toy Series: This holiday series is designed to help parents and grandparents make smart choices by featuring outstanding/award winning "toys that teach," accompanied by reviews which highlight and explain the educational benefits and specific skills children receive from these types of toys.
Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts, and Children's Educational DVDs along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!
by littleones.com, on November 5th, 2010 Get ready for Thanksgiving with these timely articles especially for parents of young children. Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday filled with new foods, family and friends, visiting new places, family traditions, changes in daily routines and much more. All these exciting events can sometimes be a challenge for young children to process and handle gracefully. How can you prepare your little ones to cope with all the joys and mayhem of the upcoming holiday season?
The Little Ones Thanksgiving Special helps busy parents prepare their children for the holidays. Holiday preparations and festivities can sometimes be overwhelming for children. These helpful holiday hints will keep holiday hassles to a minimum. Remember these 4 easy strategies and watch your holidays become more meaningful, memorable and manageable!
The Little Ones Thanksgiving Special also includes a selection of wonderful children's Thanksgiving Books. Thanksgiving books introduce and educate children about Thanksgiving and its history. Give your little ones an appreciation for the true meaning behind this national holiday, and develop a spirit of thankfulness in your children with these great books!
 See the Little Ones Thanksgiving Special
For more holiday information, please see:
Little Ones "Twelve Weeks Before Christmas" Holiday Toy Series: This holiday series is designed to help parents and grandparents make smart choices by featuring outstanding/award winning "toys that teach," accompanied by reviews which highlight and explain the educational benefits and specific skills children receive from these types of toys.
Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts, and Children's Educational DVDs along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!
by littleones.com, on November 4th, 2010 Parents are busy people! With the holidays approaching there will be even more tasks to tackle on top of an already hectic family schedule. Although many of us enjoy the last minute rush of holiday shopping, there are some very good reasons why starting your holiday shopping early makes sense. If you need to be convinced how shopping early can save time, money and your sanity, ponder these early bird shopping secrets!
See 7 Smart Reasons to Start Your Holiday Shopping Early at www.littleones.com.
For more holiday shopping tips, please see:
The Little Ones Holiday Gift Giving Guide and
Little Ones "Twelve Weeks Before Christmas" Holiday Toy Series: This holiday series is designed to help parents and grandparents make smart choices by featuring outstanding/award winning "toys that teach," accompanied by reviews which highlight and explain the educational benefits and specific skills children receive from these types of toys.
Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts, and Children's Educational DVDs along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!
by littleones.com, on November 3rd, 2010 Whether children have their snack first, enjoy some playtime, wait until they return home from after school activities or work on homework after dinner, it is important that clear expectations be established about when and how homework is to be done. Taking the extra time and effort to structure and enforce a predictable homework routine sends the message that homework is important to both of you. Since individual children's learning styles and energy levels vary greatly, as do family schedules, you need to develop a routine that works best for you and your child.
In general, it is best not to leave homework until the end of the evening when children are tired and bedtimes have to be disrupted. Let's face it.. kids need a break when they get home from school, just like grown-ups, but just make sure that their break is reasonable and not excessive. Eating a healthy snack when they get home is a great way to unwind and boost energy levels for the tasks ahead. Asking children to produce quality work when they are either too tired or hungry is unrealistic and is bound to backfire. Likewise, leaving the most difficult or involved assignments to the very end of the night is not a good idea. Most children tend to procrastinate when it comes to more challenging work, and will complete easier tasks first. The truth is that they need to tackle harder assignments earlier in the day (or evening) when they are more alert and less tired. Most schools will schedule testing or academic subjects earlier in the day for this very reason. Encourage your child to complete subjects like Math first, and to complete all written assignments before moving on to non-written tasks or time consuming tasks such as studying for tests.
Try setting reasonable time limits for homework completion. When homework becomes an open-ended activity it can drag on into the late evening hours. Teach children to estimate how long it will take to complete their homework (a very valuable skill) and check on their pacing periodically. It will take time to develop s sense of how long it takes to complete certain tasks, but just getting kids to be aware of their pacing is a huge accomplishment. Do you have a bedtime curfew? Does homework need to be completed by a reasonable hour? Remember too that finishing assignments early can help children to get to bed earlier- a routine that can improve your child's performance in class the following day.
Naturally, it will take time to find a homework routine that is comfortable for both you and your child, but your efforts will eventually pay off. Be patient, and with the proper homework routine your child may even surprise you by automatically completing assigned work without you even having to ask.
View the entire Homework Help! Series at www.littleones.com.
Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts, Birthday Theme Parties and Baby Basics, along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!
If you haven’t done so already, Subscribe Now to receive our weekly Little Ones articles via E-mail.
by littleones.com, on November 2nd, 2010 Get ready for the holidays with Little Ones Toy Reviews. This timely series reviews some of the best and hottest toys on the market. Find out which toy companies have the top selection of fun and educational toys, along with reviews of recommended individual products. Check back each week for a new holiday toy review or simply subscribe to our email to receive this series along with our weekly Little Ones articles.
See Little Ones Toy Reviews at www.littleones.com.
For more holiday information, please see:
The Little Ones Holiday Gift Giving Guide and
Little Ones "Twelve Weeks Before Christmas" Holiday Toy Series: This popular holiday series is designed to help parents and grandparents make smart choices by featuring outstanding/award winning "toys that teach," accompanied by reviews which highlight and explain the educational benefits and specific skills children receive from these types of toys.
 Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts, Birthday Theme Parties and Baby Basics, along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!
If you haven’t done so already, Subscribe Now to receive our weekly Little Ones articles via E-mail.
by littleones.com, on November 1st, 2010     
WEEK #5:
CARS, TRAINS & VEHICLES THAT MOVE!
Children love things that move! Setting vehicles in motion is a thrilling way for children to experiment with the some of the basic laws of Physics. Vehicles and transportation sets continue to remain a top choice on children's wish lists. These sets convey that adventure is just down the road, as far as your imagination will take you! This selection of popular products is just a sample of the many toys available to give your child hours upon hours of fun and excitement. See Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts.
Toysmith Battat Ready Set Go Cars Colorful and durable set of 4 chunky cars great for little hands ages 1+. Pull back action sends cars zooming, with delightful sounds! Award winner!
KidKraft Deluxe Garage Set Award winning interactive wooden garage set. Features winding ramp from top floor to ground, working elevator & garage doors, helicopter & helipad, car wash with moving scrubbers, 6 cars & trucks, gas station, ticket booth and more! Loads of fun for ages 3-6.
 Melissa& Doug Parking GarageEye catching wooden garage includes elevator with ramp, gas pumps and more, Kid-powered entertainment! Ages 3-6. See Melissa & Doug garage accessories listed below.
 Mattel Cars' Lightning Fast Speedway Mattel's Figure 8 racetrack unfolds for lightning fast racing and crashing. Press and hold hand pedal plus Cars die-cast vehicle included. Action packed toy for ages 3+.
 Shake 'N Go Crash-Ups Crash Course Lots of car-crashing excitement! Shake your cars and let them rip on this figure 8 course. When cars collide doors & hoods pop open with crash up sounds. Lower the bridge to send cars flying. Non-stop action for ages 3-6.
 Hot Wheels 20 Car Pack 20 of the coolest die-cast vehicles in one gift collection.Great choice and value for hot wheels fans! Ages 3+
 Mattel Hot Wheels Trick Tracks Drop Tower Deluxe StuntHigh speed stunt and racing set features multiple stunt combinations with power blaster. Cars race down the tower to capture the flag. Allows for creative track design. High speed thrills! Ages 4+
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Railway Set Amazing 128 piece high quality wooden railway set has everything train fans want. Includes round house engine shed, dozens of tracks, multi-piece trains, cranes, switches, t-junction, suspension bridge, trestle bridge, traffic signs and more! Outstanding value! Years and years of playtime fun. Ages 3+
 Learning Curve Brands Thomas Wooden Railway – Down By The Docks Set 45 piece durable wooden Thomas the Train set includes Cranky, Percy, Bulstrode the Barge, the Sodor Bay bridge, lighthouse and more! Award winning choice for Thomas the Train fans ages 3 and up!
 Geotrax Grand Central Station Terminal with Aero and Eric and Exclusive Bonus 3 Piece Set All aboard for playtime fun! Geotrax set includes fast & easy to use remote control train with sounds, 14 sturdy snap-lock tracks, main terminal building, cargo drop, weigh station, train yard, working elevator and 3 figures. Allows for a variety of configurations and is compatible with other Geotrax accessories. Ages 3-6.
 Kid Galaxy "My 1st RC" Monster Truck Durable yet squeezably soft remote control vehicle is perfect for first time drivers! Extremely use to use steering wheel style remote with 2 buttons is great for little hands. Makes exciting "bump n go" sounds. Safe choice for a first r/c for children ages 2-4.
Kid Galaxy Cobra Radio-Controlled Land/ Water Vehicle Very unique amphibious remote control vehicle. Comes with 4 wheel drive, padded wheel treads for both land and water operation. Includes working headlights. Ages 5-9.
 Tyco R/C Cars Lightning McQueen 1:16The star of the movie CARS, Lightning McQueen is now a super fast remote control vehicle! This extremely durable r/c features easy to use controls and speedy grip wheels. Sure to be a winner at the finish line! Ages 8+
TYCO R/C Stunt Psycho Vehicle – Red Awesome 10" inch wide stunt vehicle. Performs wild and crazy stunts such as wheelies, tornado spins and flips. All terrain wheels work on a variety of surfaces. Simple to master remote. A thrilling gift choice for ages 8+!
For more holiday information, please see:
The Little Ones Holiday Gift Giving Guide and
Little Ones "Twelve Weeks Before Christmas" Holiday Toy Series: This holiday series is designed to help parents and grandparents make smart choices by featuring outstanding/award winning "toys that teach," accompanied by reviews which highlight and explain the educational benefits and specific skills children receive from these types of toys.
Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts, and Children's Educational DVDs along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!
by littleones.com, on October 27th, 2010 Have you ever tried to concentrate on completing a task when you are faced with endless interruptions, noisy distractions and missing materials? Losing your train of thought cannot only be frustrating, but can certainly make completing your job more difficult. It is helpful to get in the habit of using a specific and consistent location for homework completion. The best location is usually a place with limited distractions and temptations (noise, TV, video games, telephone, windows, siblings, etc.) In addition, having the necessary materials at hand will prevent interrupting concentration to retrieve missing supplies. Some students experience difficulty remaining focused and benefit from workspaces such as cleared off desks or tables. Be especially wary of the many desktop gadgets and gizmos that tempt children to play. As a rule, keeping it simple is best. You may also wish to consider encouraging short breaks between subjects or approximately every thirty minutes. Allow children to switch homework locations when working on different types of assignments. For example, reading a chapter book might be more relaxing in a livingroom chair (free from distractions of course) rather than while sitting at the kitchen table. Experiment to find what works best for your child by tailoring the homework environment to fit your child's learning style and/or type of assignment.
In the early stages of homework completion, young children may require occasional reminders and assistance from parents to remain on task and to keep track of their pacing, so keeping them within view is probably a good idea. Once good homework habits are established, students should be able to work independently in a remote location without reminders or silence. It is always important to remember that children's learning styles are just as different as the children themselves, so what works for one child will not necessarily work for another. The key is finding the work style which is best for you and your child.
For additional information, see Homework Help! at www.littleones.com.
Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts, Birthday Theme Parties and Baby Basics, along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!
If you haven’t done so already, Subscribe Now to receive our weekly Little Ones articles via E-mail.
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