We have to admit that last month the men in our lives did a great job finding the perfect cards, candy and flowers for Mother’s Day. This weekend smart moms won’t be heading to the building supply or clothing stores for a treat for the father of their children. To truly celebrate being a Daddy, they will be heading to the toy store!
Because interacting with the kids — on the floor or in the backyard — is what being a Father (with a capital F) is all about!
For the top 10 gifts to give from Daddy’s little girl or guy, we look to Mr. Dad Seal of Approval Winners for Father’s Day 2015, just out this week! And what a surprise (not really!), many just so happen to be KidStuff PR clients. They know how to pick ‘em!!
To win a Mr. Dad Seal of Approval, toys must “facilitate father-child relationships by getting dads and kids engaged and having fun together.” What more could a mom ask for? Listed below are this week’s best bets with descriptions from the Mr. Dad blog for why each one won.
Build & Imagine’s Day At The Beach • $39 • Ages 4+
www.buildandimagine.com
With all the talk about the importance of STEM skills, building with our kids becomes more important every day. And while we don’t hear as much about them, cooperation, creativity, and imagination are way high up on the list of skills our children will need to succeed. Build & Imagine’s Day at the Beach kit gives dads and kids a wonderful opportunity to work on those things at pretty much the same time. All of the pieces in the kit are magnetic, which means you can easily create any scenario you want, depending on the details of the story you and your daughter spin together.
Moulin Roty’s Large Tool Kit • $75 • Ages 8+
www.bonjourpetit.com
If you enjoy woodworking and using tools and you want your child to share your interest, you‘ll absolutely love this tool kit. The “wow!” factor starts even before you get to the tools: the wooden storage box is well-made, with nice clasps and a solid handle, and has a familiar, retro feel (plus you get to learn how to say “toolbox” and “toys of yesterday for today’s children” in French). Before you open the box, get your camera ready so you can capture the wide-eyed, open-mouthed joy on your child’s face. Inside, you’ll find a variety of fully functional, child-sized tools (no plastic here), including t-square, ruler, c-clamp, sanding block, and more.
The Young Scientists Club’s The Magic School Bus Science Explosion • $29.99 • Ages 5+
www.theyoungscientistsclub.com
The Magic School Bus has a long history of making science accessible, fun, and memorable for kids — and plenty of adults. We’ve reviewed a lot of their products and they never disappoint. Science Explosion is actually two games in one. The first is a matching game; the second is a little harder and involves strategy and critical thinking. Both expose players of all ages to nature, physics, chemistry, biology, and more. Magic School Bus provides the education, you provide vinegar, baking soda, and the players. The combination is a recipe guaranteed to turn learning about science into a real blast.
Moulin Roty’s Dinosaur Night Time Shadows • $18.50 • Ages 3+
www.bonjourpetit.com
Most of us have made shadow puppets, either for our own amusement or for our kids. But, honestly, how many do you know how to make? We’re guessing four or five: a bunny for sure, a dog, a horse, a bird, and maybe a swan. Those are great, but a little limiting. What if your story really needs a T-Rex or a Triceratops or a Stegosaurus? If you’ve got Moulin Roty’s Dinosaur Night-time Shadows, you can easily add a little pre-historic adventure to your bedtime routine. Actually, why limit your daddy-child bonding to bedtime? You can use these nicely detailed, laser-cut silhouettes anytime, anywhere.
Trudi’s Hand Puppets • $25 • Ages 3+
www.bonjourpetit.com
Although this line of adorable, plush hand puppets is officially called Mama & Baby, it could just as well be Papa & Baby. Our first reaction when seeing these puppets was, “Awwww.” They are absolutely irresistible. And the fact that they’re incredibly soft just adds to the charm. There’s something about puppets—perhaps more than any other toy—that allows parents glimpses into what’s really going on in their children’s head. That’s in part because there’s something about puppets that helps kids “tell” us things they might not be able—or want—to verbalize. These puppets come in four styles: Hen, Penguin, Owl, Koala, and they’re all machine washable.
The Young Scientists Club’s Clifford Water Science • $19.99 • Ages 3+
www.theyoungscientistsclub.com
Of all the childhood age groups, preschoolers are by far the most curious – and many of their questions have to do with science: Why is the sky blue? How old are rocks? Why do boats float but rocks sink? Unfortunately, most kids don’t start learning about science until they hit kindergarten or 1st grade. Enter Clifford Water Science, which will turn your preschooler into a scientist. It starts with the 20-page manual, narrated by a spunky kid named Emily Elizabeth. She introduces a whole series of engaging, educational, and fun water-based experiments. You and your child will learn about floating and sinking, the water cycle, how to make rain, and some very cool things you can do with celery.
Creative Baby Inc.’s i-Mat My Animal World •$79.99 • Ages 18 mos.
www.creativebabyinc.com
Do toddlers really need technology in everything they do? After trying this out, we’re big fans, in part because the tech part is a nice-to-have option, not a must-have one. The mat itself consists of four 2’x2’ pieces that you put together to create a 4’x4’ soft mat that’s covered with illustrations of 50 animals. You and your baby can roll around on the mat and you can have him or her name various animals or make the appropriate noise; no tech needed. But if you want to go further, break out the “voice pen.” Turn it on, pick a language (English, Spanish, or Chinese), and when your child touches the pen to any of the animals, the pen says the animal’s name and makes its noise. There are also two games. Your toddler will love it, and happy baby = happy daddy.
Modarri’s Cruzer and Camo cars• $20 • Ages 6+
www.modarri.com
Racecars are not just for boys, and neither is building them! Designed by three dads, Modarri cars can be configured and reconfigured in a variety of ways. And when you own more than one model, you can mix and match to your heart’s desire, swapping elements of the chassis, hood, seat pan, seats, fenders, frame and wheels. There’s a lot here for dads to love. First, introducing your kids to the idea of working with their hands is a great way to spend time together. Second, speaking of hands, these cars come with a real suspension, which makes it really fun to steer through the tightest loops and hairpin turns using only your thumb and index finger.
Pacific Play Tents’ Cotton Canvas Teepee • $246.99 • All ages
www.pacificplaytents.com
There’s no better way to live out your fantasies than with this awesome cotton and canvas teepee. It assembles in minutes (a little longer if the kids are helping), and once it’s up, it stands a full eight feet tall and is big enough inside to accommodate one dad, a couple of kids, and a dog. There’s a mesh window so kids can watch out for bad guys (or know when to attack if they happen to be the bad guys. Hey, you’ve got to be ready for anything. There’s also a Velcro opening, which makes comings and goings easy and, because sometimes you’ve gotta ditch the sheriff, right? When you‘re done, you can either take the teepee apart and store it in the cool bag it comes in or you “hug it” closed and wait until the great outdoor calls again (in about an hour).
Haywire Group’s Worry Eaters • $22.99 (L) or $15.99 (S) • Ages 2+
www.haywiregroup.com
Got a kid who won’t sleep due to nightmares? Or maybe it’s those first-day-of-summer-camp jitters, or the fact that mom is having a new baby, or even just the stress of learning to use the potty. Or it could be something that seems like nothing to you but is a huge deal to your child—it’s a big, bad world out there and kids worry about a whole lot of things. Enter Worry Eaters, adorable, plush, flat-ish toys that kids can snuggle with and confide in.
Better yet, these little guys snack on worries! So have your child tell the Worry Eater what he’s worried about, or have her write it down (or you can help with that part if she can’t write yet) and let the Worry Eater chow down. Boom, worry gone! (Burp). Listening in on those conversations may give you some important insight into what your kiddo is fretting about. Sometimes kids will tell their inanimate pals things they won’t tell us. Here’s a thought: wouldn’t you like a new snuggle buddy who can keep your worries at bay? So why not get a big one and a little one, and you and your child can both sleep better tonight.
Happy Father’s Day!