Made in the USA goes Mainstream!

I saw the following article on MSN.com this morning when I turned on my computer:


American-made Toys and Games on MSN.com

 I was so excited to see the mainstream media finally paying attention to the importance of buying American-made toys!  And really it is not as hard as some people think to find Made in the USA.  You might have to give up some of the plastic, blinking light toys that talk, maybe even some of the television and movie characters, but in return you will get high-quality, SAFE and EDUCATIONAL toys.  Isn't that a pretty good trade?   I was happy to see some of the brands that we carry mentioned...Holgate and TAG toys to name a few, but there are so many more! Check out our All-American Holiday Gift Guide for even more Made in the USA toy ideas, and of course our website All-American Baby!

GREAT After-Thanksgiving TOY SALE!

I hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving Holiday!  I know lots of people are out shopping today, but just as many of us who won't go near the stores today!  I prefer to do my shopping online today and this weekend, and avoid the crowds.  Then I will venture out next week to finish up my shopping.  So, with that in mind, we decided to offer our online customers a GREAT After-Thanksgiving Toy Sale on our All-American Baby retail website.  TONS of toys are on sale all weekend!  Take advantage of our free shipping on orders over $150 as well.

Here are some examples of the toys on sale:

Green Toys Fire Truck $22.50


 

Soft Chenille Grab Balls $10.00



My First Blocks Wagon $21.50






Isabella Sock Monkey $20.00



Dolls Made in the USA? Yes!

Since the darling Wordless Wednesday picture I took this morning included my daughter’s “best doll friend” (see my previous post), I thought I’d take a minute to tell you about it (I guess that makes it a not –so-wordless-Wednesday!).  Her doll “Alise” is a soft rag doll from Adorable Kinders…and guess what?? Yes, it is MADE IN THE USA!  It is very hard to find American-made dolls, so I was thrilled to come across Adorable Kinders a few years ago.  The quality of the dolls is really excellent, and my little toy tester has had hours of fun, tea parties and field trips with her friend Alise.  There are cute outfits to choose from as well to dress the dolls.  And the best part is (other than they are American-made!)…there is a doll for everyone!  Adorable Kinders has 26 dolls to choose from…one named for each letter of the alphabet, and each one is as individual as the child who will love it!  We have since added “Thomas” to our personal doll collection, and both my son and my daughter enjoy him as well!  Another fun aspect of the Adorable Kinders dolls is that each doll comes with an internet key-code that may be used to register online at the “Adorable Kinders eSchool”.  There children can play educational games that make learning fun.   You can find some of the Adorable Kinders dolls on our retail site All-American Baby.   The rest of the doll collection can be found at the Adorable Kinders website, along with loads of great clothing and accessories!

Holgate Toys – Made in the USA Toy Review & Giveaway! {CLOSED}



Holgate Express Train

I am so excited to share the first in our series of reviews of Made in the USA Toys!

Holgate Toys has been in business since 1789, and has been making toys since 1929…truly an American company. All of their wooden toys are Made in the USA from sustainable hardwoods and using non-toxic paint. Holgate has been exceeding safety standards for years, long before the CPSIA requirements.



Holgate's early workshop

Holgate is a company rich in American history. In the year 1789, America's Constitution was signed and George Washington became the country's first President. It was also the year Cornelius Holgate established his Pennsylvania woodworking shop! In 1929, the company expanded its product line by making educational pre-school wooden toys. Holgate's early toy designer was Jarvis Rockwell, brother of famous illustrator Norman Rockwell. Jarvis Rockwell's concern for safety, durability and educational play earned him recognition as America's premier toy designer during this period. With the great consumer success of its toys, Holgate began concentrating on this segment of its business. Today Holgate is synonymous with toys... and still making the finest wooden toys in America.



Bingo Bed

My personal and professional experience with Holgate has always been a positive one. Their toys are excellent quality wood toys, at reasonable prices! The toys they offer are educational and geared toward the developmental needs of young children. One of my favorite things about Holgate Toys (besides the fact that they are made in the USA!) is that they require the child to participate in the play, and thus the learning. No batteries needed here! Just imagination!



Hickory Dickory Dock Clock

Holgate has toys for children of all ages. Their infant toys, such as rattles and baby blocks, are perfect for baby’s first toys. Toddlers love pull toys, and Holgate provides a variety of these toys with their My First series: My First Train, My First Boat, and My First Block Wagon. For preschoolers, Holgate has educational toys like their Hickory Dickory Dock Clock, which helps develop motor skills while teaching early concepts such as numbers, shapes, sorting, and more. For details on these products and pricing, see our Holiday Gift Guide (coming soon).



Rocky Color Cone

One of our favorite Holgate Toys is the Rocky Color Cone stacking toy. This stacker is a beautiful, lasting heirloom toy. Both of my children have enjoyed many playtimes with this wonderful toy, and ours is still in excellent condition after several years of use. It is unique from other stackers in its size and quality! The size of the cone is smaller than other stacking cones, but I found that to be one of its advantages. The stacking pieces are the perfect fit for little hands. The smooth, colorful finishes keep the little one’s attention, and the pieces make a wonderful clacking noise when banged together! It is fun to watch the cone rock, roll and fall. As the child develops, the toy helps very young children learn about size, ordering, and the way things fit together. It provides excellent fine motor skill practice. And when the child wants to put it in his mouth, which inevitably happens, there are no worries about the product’s origins or the safety of the finish. The Rocky Color Cone is in our Holiday Gift Guide as an excellent idea for a Holiday gift for a child on your list.

Buy it: This toy retails for $18.00. It can be purchased here. Other Holgate toys we carry can be found here.

Win it: Holgate Toys has generously offered a FREE Rocky Color Cone to one of our customers or followers! What a great way to check off one item on your Holiday shopping list!


1. Mandatory Entry: please visit our website (http://www.all-americanbaby.net/) and return with a comment on one item that you LOVE!


Additional Entries (must complete mandatory entry first):


2. "Liking" us on Facebook,
3. TWO extra entries for following our blog! (Remember to leave two comments for this or it will only count once!)
4. Subscribe via email or RSS
5. Add your networked blog
6. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to All-American Baby Blog, and leave the URL to your blog post in the comment for an additional entry.


Be sure to leave an additional comment for each entry to get credit! And please leave a way to contact you! Comments without contact information will be disqualified. Contest ends 11:59 p.m. EST November 22, 2010.



Please note that all comments are moderated, so your comment will not appear until it has been approved.


Disclosure: This blog is used to promote American-made children's products, and our retail website All-American Baby. Many of the products reviewed here are available for purchase from our online store, http://www.all-americanbaby.net/. I am always on the look-out for only the best products to offer to parents looking for American-made items. I will only promote high quality, safe products that are made in the USA, whether in my store or in my blog. Holgate Toy is providing the gift for the winner of this giveaway. All views and opinions with regard to the products or manufacturer itself are my own and were not influenced, nor reviewed, by the manufacturer prior to posting. Offer Valid US only!

What's the Big Deal About Block Play?

I was watching my 18 month old son play with his blocks today. Now, his favorite game is really “Godzilla”; in which he is Godzilla to anything that his sister is attempting to build. But today, she was out with Daddy on an errand to Lowe’s, and he didn’t have anything to destroy. So, he actually started building. I’ve been working with him on stacking and building, trying to model the building-up process instead of the knocking-down process. I was excited to see him working to stack the blocks on top of each other, experimenting with stability and balance. I helped him along a little by steadying his tower as he added a new block, just so that he could experience some success and would want to continue. Then he began adding his little dinosaur toys to the top of each stack of blocks he had created, and he was so proud! Sometimes the toy was too big for the tower, and as it crumbled we laughed and started again. It was a beautiful learning moment, and I could just see the wheels turning in his little head as he made connections, solved problems and had fun. The mother in me was just enjoying his quiet concentration and the time spent alone with him (while of course admiring his obvious engineering and architectural talents). And as always, the educator in me was reminded of the reason block play has always been and is still such an important tool in learning and development. My 4-year-old daughter loves to build as well, and although we usually have to allow her a “special place” for her creations (read: away from her brother), she has the skill and knowledge to create wonderful fantasy worlds with her blocks and her little ponies!It is so much fun to see the creativity at work in both of them, yet in such different ways.

More about Block Play

Play is an important part of a child’s learning and development. The wonderful thing about classic wood toys, such as unit blocks, is that they require the child to guide the play, and thus help to encourage creativity, problem solving and critical thinking. The constructive and creative play that results from block play will benefit the child in all areas of learning and development. Children can use their imagination to create structures, while learning the practical science and math concepts required for building. Block play helps children learn number concepts, develop logical thinking and spatial understanding, and improve motor skills.

Observing block play is just one way to experience child-initiated learning. Parents observing children immersed in block play will begin to understand what the children learn through block play, including creativity, collaboration, science skills, math skills, and more. Developmentally appropriate play for children includes significant time spent with hands-on, manipulative materials. Blocks meet this need for hands-on exploration, and are a fundamental learning material because they require open play. Children playing with blocks can make them into anything they want them to be. The child decides.

The age of the child may determine the type of exploration and play that takes place. Young toddlers begin simply with sensory exploration, finding out the feel, shape, weight of the blocks. Next, children will move into fantasy play with the blocks, which helps them to think creatively, and problem solve. Children’s explorations with blocks help deepen their understanding of the practical world through trial and error experimentation with concepts such as gravity, stability and balance. In addition, collaborative experiences are plentiful when children interact with each other during block play. Studies even suggest that block play contributes positively to language development, as young children use various communication strategies and shared meaning while they are engaged in block play. The study found that children use unit blocks and supplemental props as important play materials “to promote oral language and emergent literacy skills”. (If you are interested in the study details you can read more here: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb1439/is_3_21/ai_n29341306/ ). Providing blocks for block play is just one way parents can enrich their child’s development, and encourage creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, and collaborative skills.

More about Blocks

Traditional Block Sets are based on the standard 1-3/8" x 2-3/4" x 5-1/2" unit, which is a standard block set dimension used in schools. Each block is a fraction or multiple of the basic unit, providing blocks that support successful play. These sets include an assortment of block shapes and sizes to provide a wide range of building options to the child using them. The number and shapes of blocks can vary depending on the size of the set. There are excellent hard maple blocks in this size that can be found here: http://www.all-americanbaby.net/unit-blocks-starter-set.html.

In addition, there are unit blocks that are based on the smaller 1 inch unit size. The base block unit is 1" and each dimension of all blocks is a multiple of 1" so blocks can be stacked cleanly and uniformly. The advantage I have found with these blocks lies in the size for younger children. The smaller block size is more appropriate for little hands, and the blocks are not as heavy (especially when they fall!) for the littlest builder. Older children can still enjoy these blocks and by adding on or combing sets you can create wonderful building opportunities. Find these “My Best Blocks” sets at http://www.all-americanbaby.net/mybebljubuse.html.

Alphabet blocks are another favorite and are great for teaching block skills along with letters or even numbers and other skills! Alphabet blocks are not just ABC’s anymore…you can find nursery rhyme blocks, number blocks, shapes and pattern blocks and so much more. See them here: http://www.all-americanbaby.net/blocks.html.

What a perfect opportunity to play with your child while observing the way their mind works! Ask them what they are doing, and why. Have them explain to you the reason they stack the blocks a certain way, and not a different way. Let them use other small toys to add to their block kingdom and make up the story to go along with it. As I’ve said before, when it comes to classic block play, batteries are not required, but imagination is!

Nursery Rhyme Blocks by Uncle Goose

Another update of a classic, these whimsical Nursery Rhyme Blocks help children to learn their nursery rhymes. Great for block play, early reading or as a nursery decoration. Sure to be cherished as a favorite toy or family heirloom.Each block is embossed on opposite ends with two silhouette images from classic Mother Goose stories. The nursery rhyme text is printed consecutively on the four remaining side. 28 blocks, made from the same generous 1 3/4" blocks as our alphabet set. Ages: 2+. Made in the USA, of course!

Nursery Rhymes included: Little Jack Horner, Three Little Kittens, Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, Old Mother Hubbard, Humpty Dumpty, Diddle Diddle Dumpling, Little Boy Blue, Baa, Baa Black Sheep, Old King Cole, Tom Tom the Piper's Son, Hickory Dickory Dock, Little Bo Peep, Ladybug Ladybug, Jack & Jill, Pat-a-cake Pat-a-cake, Wee Willie Winkie, Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, Dickery Dickery Dare, Pussycat Pussycat, Jack Be Nimble, Sing a Song of Sixpence, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Hey Diddle Diddle, Little Miss Muffet, Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe, One Two Buckle My Shoe, Little Robin Redbreast.

Also available in a 9-block set.