September 26, 2010

Congratulations on taking your first step toward becoming TOYconomical! TOYconomy is about bringing more fun and learning for your kids but less clutter and money for you! Plus, it’s good for the environment! 

TOYconomy is a brand new company and to thank you for helping us get our feet off the ground, we’re giving you an extra $10 off your next order! And, the savings don’t stop there! If you order one of our 60-day Rental Plans, you will receive a special discount code to receive 50% off your next 60-day Rental Plan. So, start SAVING today! 

TOYconomy offers quality and educational toys and products to rent for babies, preschoolers, and school-age kids! We carry LeapFrog, Fisher-Price, Melissa & Doug, VTech, Mindware, iPlay, among many more. Keep checking our website – new products are added all of the time! 

Did you know that you can send TOYconomy a “Wish List” of items that you would like to try that are not currently on our site? Send an email to info@toyconomy.com with your “Wish List” and we will notify you if and when the products are available to rent. 

Use coupon code: SAVE10 during checkout. You must enter the coupon code and hit “update cart” for the coupon to be applied before checking out and submitting payment through PayPal. Help others save too and forward to your friends and family. Enjoy!  

Go to www.toyconomy.com and start SAVING today!  

Use coupon code: SAVE10 during checkout. You must enter the coupon code and hit “update cart” for the coupon to be applied before checking out and submitting payment through PayPal. Help others save too and forward to your friends and family. Enjoy! 

  

Go to www.toyconomy.com and start SAVING today!

How to keep your home safe and toxin-free

The perfect time to start thinking of your baby’s safety in his/her new environment would be before actually having a baby. If you already have one, it is never too late to take the necessary measures to keep your precious little one safe.

The main concern parents have within the home is safety for their children. As children grow older, their immune systems become more resistant to certain germs and bacteria. This, however, does not happen as soon as your child is born. You will need to take steps to ensure your baby’s environment is safe and toxin-free. There are many preventative measures we can take to ensure this safety, though not all are obvious ones.

Child proofing your home should be priority once your baby is born, because in no time, your little one will be crawling and exploring around the house. The obvious measures include installing safety gates, safety locks and latches, having door-stop holders, protecting electrical outlets as well as securing sharp corners around the house. Even after taking these apparent actions, safety goes beyond the mere physical environment. Remember, the little things matter.

Check to make sure your baby’s toys are just as safe for playing. Take note of the following:

1. Always heed all warning labels when buying a toy.
2. Small, loose parts are not the best thing to have around your baby (anything that fits into your baby’s mouth easily should not be given to him/her).
3. Make sure that toys have no sharp ends or breakable edges.
4. Strings of any kind should not be longer than 7 inches.
5. It is probably not a good idea to give your baby toys that have been worn-out or damaged. Always ensure all sources are credible.
6. Last but not least, all toy manufacturers have to abide by a law that requires the toy to undergo testing for safety. If this safety standard has not been met, the toy could be a potential toxic or physical hazard for your baby.

At birth, your baby’s nervous, respiratory, reproductive, and immune systems are under-developed. That puts your baby at a higher risk of toxic poisoning.

Toxin is defined as a harmful or poisonous substance that is capable of causing infections and diseases. A toxin-free home for your baby doesn’t have to mean throwing out everything. Identifying what’s safe and what’s not is fundamental. There are three main ways toxin can begin to affect your baby – through ingestion, inhalation and absorption.

“How will I tell what’s safe and what’s toxic?” If that question has struck you before, then here’s something you will need to know.

Besides keeping the obvious household products clear of your baby, you will also need to pay attention to the types of toys you leave around your little one. Painted toys for example must be covered with lead-free paint and should have the code ‘ASTM F963’ printed on the box to let you know that the paint is safe for children. Any art materials should be labeled as ‘non-toxic’ and have ‘ASTM D-4236’ on the package. This indicates that all material has been evaluated and meets the safety standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (http://www.astm.org/).

It is always best to keep a safety checklist for each area in your home. After all, being a parent also means having a lot on your plate. Keep in mind that safety comes first and a safe baby always makes a happy parent.

About TOYconomy

TOYconomy is an online toy rental and exchange program that can help you significantly decrease toy clutter and help you save money and resources by being more selective about the toys you choose. Founded and established in 2010 by a mother of three in Richmond, VA, TOYconomy’s mission is to help you keep your kids happy and healthy without having to burn big bucks.

Follow TOYconomy on Twitter or Facebook to stay updated and win prizes every month!

TOYconomy is available at http://www.TOYconomy.com/.

Does your kid need a little extra help with Math?

TOYconomy offers a variety of educational toys to help enhance your child’s learning curve. Check out our latest product feature of the month. 

Counting Money Combo: Mindware’s Loose Change and Lakeshore Learning’s Counting Money Puzzles Level 1 and 2 

Counting Money Combo: Mindware's Loose Change and Lakeshore Learning's Counting Money Puzzles Level 1 and 2

 

(Ages 6+) Loose Change: The Buck Stops Here in this Game of Coin Counting! Each player is dealt a hand of cards that includes nickels, dimes, quarters and half dollars. The object? Be the first to have a pile of cards add up to exactly one dollar. Be careful, though. If the coin card you play breaks the bank and exceeds the value of one dollar, you go bust! Loose Change includes Lucky Find and Save cards to help you along the way. The player with the most dollars wins. 2 to 6 players. The Counting Money Puzzles is a fun way to help kids learn coin value and how to add coins to reach a sum using different combinations.

(SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE : $40.85)

  

Click here to rent this toy for only $5.00!

Learning Through Play

The symbolic meaning of play began as long as man has walked this earth.

As the great philosopher, Plato (428-348B.C) said, “The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.”

For that reason we see our modern world today consistently finding ways and means to incorporate play into the learning process of every child – both in schools and at home.

From a young age, play exists to be a way of life. As parents, we are aware that a child is happiest when playing. Have you ever experienced the drama of pulling a toy away from your child? That’s because play is a natural form of entertainment and learning for kids. The desire in a child to play leaves the child focused solely on his/her own actions. Though play is vital to a child’s learning process, there are different forms of play that cater to the different needs of children. Making age-appropriate choices of these toys are imperative.  

Your choice of toys should cater not only to your child’s physical development, but also to the development of the intellect (cognitive).

Materials and toys that educate through play should provide some form of interaction between the physical toy and the child. Toys that require a child to play with another child aim to build social-emotional development in children (social skills). Toys that rouse a child’s intellect include puzzles, matching games, building and construction toys and sorters (sorting shapes, buttons, etc). Such toys also give you an opportunity to bond with your child should you choose to play together. Doesn’t it sometimes feel as if your child is teaching you how to play?

As young as six months, your child begins developing concepts in language through toys that have incorporated features in music, songs and speech. It is also important to realise that the development of your child’s sensory organs (the five senses) are best at such a young age. Single out toys that provide such an awakening like soft toys, hand-held toys and musical toys.

Once your child has become a toddler between the ages of one and three, you’ll need to begin your search for toys that support his gross-motor development (the ability to manipulate muscles to accomplish various tasks such as gripping and holding a crayon).  These may include toys from the basic building blocks to the kiddy pedal cycle and the list goes on.  

Let’s not forget the toys that have specific purposes such as to reinforce concepts in Language and Mathematics. The nice thing about learning through play is that your child is never too young or old to acquire knowledge and attain new skills. With the help of all these toys from infancy to toddler, your child should be ready for more abstract toys. Flash cards of numbers, alphabets and pictures aid in your child’s development of memory and concentration. There are also numerous CDs that consist of hours of appealing educational songs (singing to addition or multiplication) that your child would simply adore. There are also interesting number and word building puzzles that the whole family can enjoy while simultaneously teaching your child the basic concepts of reading and counting!

Learning should not be demanding and over-challenging for your child. The right approach to learning can present significant results at the end of the day. And since we never stop learning throughout our lives, it is important to cultivate that interest in our young. What better and simpler way than to provide for them the means to learn through toys in a fun yet didactic manner! So start your child playing today!

Follow TOYconomy on Twitter or Facebook to stay updated and win prizes every month!

Check out http://www.TOYconomy.com/.

Feeling Lucky this month?

SEPTEMBER SUPER SAVER LOTTO

What better way to save than to get something for FREE?

Every month, one of TOYconomy’s registered customers will have his or her name drawn to be the lucky winner of a FREE product that you keep.

This month, the Super Saver Lotto winner will receive a free Giant Playdate Central Activity Tablecloth. Kids will love coloring, drawing, and doodling on this tablecloth with their friends or while you’re cooking dinner. The best part is that it is washable so you can keep reusing it over and over again! Includes six washable markers. ($29.99 VALUE!) As a bonus, a free TOYconomy tote will be included with your package!

 ENTER TO WIN HERE!