Stack & Nest Building Blocks

Courtesy of www.mybbstore.com

There are a lot of variations on these stack & nest toys i.e. wooden ones, plastic ones, rings, blocks, cups, just to name a few. It’s good if you can get those classic wooden blocks that will truly stand the test of time, so you can keep it for all your children to come. The stacking and nesting enhances problem solving skills and strengthens the eye-hand coordination.

My daughter’s favorite thing to do with the blocks is swipe at it with her hand so they all come tumbling down. I’d make a funny face, and then she’d laugh. (I tried to take a photo of the blocks still standing, but I wasn’t fast enough. She keeps swiping them down!) I also showed her how to nest them inside each other and she’s beginning to get the ropes. This is another favorite toy of hers and could keep her occupied for some time. Something so simple, yet so enjoyable to little kids. Goes to show that life can be simple after all. To kids, that is.

Here's some choices for you. The one in the picture above is Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Stacking Action Blocks. It's on sale at http://www.mybbstore.com/ for RM35.91.

Courtesy of www.mybbstore.com

The above is Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Stack and Roll Cups, also on sale at http://www.mybbstore.com/ for RM35.91.

Courtesy of www.mybbstore.com

This one is Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Rock A Stack, also on sale at http://www.mybbstore.com/ for RM26.91.

Or if you prefer a cheaper version, go to Ikea!

Courtesy of www.ikea.com.my

MULA Stacking Rings, made of wood and synthetic rubber, for RM29.90.


Courtesy of www.ikea.com.my

MULA Building Beakers, made of plastic and synthetic rubber, for RM6.90. (Perfect for cheapskates like me.)

Bedtime Two Minute Tales

Bedtime Two Minute Tales – MPH bookstore

This is the first book I bought for my daughter; I bought it at MPH before she was born. It’s a big hardcover book with beautiful illustrations. I started reading it to her when she was around 2 or 3 months old at bedtime. At first my husband laughed at me when I started reading in storytelling tones, you know, in an exaggerated manner with hands waving all around. But when he saw our daughter falling asleep during my storytelling session, he tried it out himself. This remains the “bedtime” book for her because I want her to stop playing, relax and listen to my voice telling her the story.

Now she’s more involved in the storytelling, pointing her fingers at the words and the pictures, laughing when I make animal sounds. She wouldn’t sit in my lap but she would sit on the book itself, so she could see the pictures up close. There are a few torn pages here and there, though. I guess she gets a little too enthusiastic sometimes.

Here are some pictures of the book in action:

She keeps lifting her face up to smile at the camera when my husband snaps the photo.

Engrossed in the book. I think.

She simply loves the camera!

Her favourite story, Fat Cat.

Count and Play

Count and Play - Mytoysandbooks.com

This is her favourite book so far, the one that could hold her attention the longest. As she's a very active kid, longest for her would mean 5 to 10 minutes. For now I keep this book in the car, along with some coloured pencils and paper for scribbling, so she would sit down quietly for some time. Her favourite would be the 4 pizzas, because she could take them off and paste them on repeatedly. Next would be the 1 rabbit, the 2 doors, the 5 birds and the 6 fishes. The 3D stuff that you could actually hold is what makes this book awesome! She would actually point out her finger and "count" in a sing-song voice by herself. Even her older cousins love playing with this book. A truly fantastic and engaging book.

What's there not to love?

Busy Baby Noisy Book

Busy Baby Noisy Book – Mytoysandbooks.com

I bought this together with the Lullaby and Goodnight book, because I read that babies love to look at other babies. It's a big book for a baby and easy enough for her to turn the pages, with colourful pictures of lots of babies doing daily activities such as bathing, eating and feeding. Something like a reference guide for babies, but a very cute one.

At first she would just look at the pictures of the babies in the book. (That’s pretty much what a baby can do at 4 months old.) Now she would pull the book off the shelf by herself and opens it up, babbling all the way. She would press and pull and the noise makers at the right side of the book, she would babble as she points at various pictures of babies. There is a picture of a baby holding a sock to her foot. She would then take a sock from her dirty laundry and try to put it on her own foot (making a mess of her dirty clothes at the same time). I guess she improvised from the guide just a little bit there.

Lullaby and Goodnight

Lullaby and Goodnight – Mytoysandbooks.com

In my opinion, this is a great book to show your child the bedtime routines. It's nice if you can set up an established routine, as young children loves the predictability and comfort of knowing what's going to come next. Try and repeat the same pattern every night e.g. diaper change, a feed and a story. (I did say try, I varied it myself from night to night, depending on my energy levels. Or what's left off it.)

I bought this for my 14-month old daughter when she 4 months old. At the time, she loves to grab the teddy bear and put it into her mouth. I used to show her the pictures and she would look at them, holding the bear in her hand. She still puts the bear in her mouth, but now she loves it when I bring the bear to life i.e. make as the bear is moving through the motions; drinking the milk, taking the bath and putting on the pajamas. The best part is the goodnight part where she’ll kiss the bear and then kiss me too!



Check out other photos of the book at this page:
http://www.mytoysandbooks.com/lullaby-and-goodnight-bestseller-p-290.html

Buying books or toys? Check these out!

When you’re out of ideas of do-it-yourself games or crafts to do with your little ones, buy these value-for-money toys. As children spend majority of their time playing, it’s essential that you buy old fashioned, educational toys. When in doubt, don’t worry, just buy books!

One of my favourite toy stores is www.mytoysandbook.com. Oh, I still buy the occasional Fisher Price and Vtech toys, but I love stuff from www.mytoysandbook.com for the educational value of it. They would include the developmental benefits for every product, so I’d have more sound knowledge of everything I buy. Gone are the days where you just buy toys because they look and sound nice. Don’t be cocooned in your blissful ignorance, knowledge is power!

These reviews are based on my observations with my daughter. Reaction may differ from child to child, but we definitely had tremendous fun.