TOYplay Tips: ZOOB!

This weekend I was bored, and remembered that my Mom brought home a new toy called Zoob. When I opened the box, I saw many different colored and shaped pieces that looked like golf balls. I started snapping all of the pieces together right away.

Zoob comes with 5 different guides that include many tips and creations that you can build. I decided to look through all the pictures in the first guide and made the glasses from yellow, gray, green, blue, and red pieces. The next thing you know, my 6-year-old brother walked in, and I helped him to make a pair of glasses too. He also had made a cellphone completely by himself. After that, I started snapping random pieces together, and built some binoculars. My dad took our picture wearing our new sunglasses.

The next day, I looked through Guidebook 3 which has combinations that show you little tricks to make your creations look more interesting. The “fireman’s weave” looks like a compass. Another combination called the “full swirl” is made from 7 red connectors and fits on your wrist. Finally, the “bending square” twists and turns in your hands. There are so many creations to choose from and I wanted to think outside of the box so I asked my dad if we could build the Washington Monument.

I am a girl, eight and a half years old, in third grade, but only for 2 more weeks! Zoob connectors are a really fun toy. They snap together quickly and allow you to build things fast. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did!

Developmental Areas: Fine motor skills, creative play, finger dexterity

Recommended Age : 6+ years

Playtime: Endless

Tested and Reviewed by: Addie Brooksbank, Age 8

Extension activities:

1). Use the pieces to practice patterns and sequencing

2). Memory game: create a design using different colors and shapes. Let the child study the design then have him close his eyes. While his eyes are closed, remove one piece. See if he can remember the color of the piece that was removed.

3). Re-create: create a simple design with the pieces. Let the child spend a few minutes studying the design. Give the child the same pieces and see if she can re-create your design by memory.

Menu Ideas: Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Enjoy this yummy pork tenderloin recipe! This is one of my kids’ favorite meals. They keep coming back for more and particularly enjoy the yummy sauce on the side!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp. Hoisin Sauce (chinese barbecue sauce)

2 Tbs. Dry Sherry

1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. Oil

1 /2 Tsp. Honey

1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

2 -3 Lbs. Pork Tenderloin or Pork Chops

Mix together all ingredients. Pour over pork and marinate in refrigerator for 6 – 8 hours. Remove from marinade and cook over hot grill. Baste with remaining marinade as cooking.

*** Feel free to double or triple the marinade recipe. Use half to marinate pork and reserve the other half for later. Approximately, 10 -15 minutes before the pork is ready, heat up the reserved marinade in a small sauce-pan over low heat. Use as a dipping sauce for the pork.

Author: Jeanne Brooksbank, mom of 3 and TOYmember Services Manager at TOYconomy

TOYplay Tips: Q-BA-MAZE by Mindware

Q-BA-Maze is not your ordinary marble run! When I first opened the box and started to assemble the parts, I found the pieces to be very different because of the colors and the unique shapes that they could make.

For the first maze, I followed the instructions and easily built a neat sculpture. After that I started to experiment on my own and rearranged the shapes to make different designs such as animals and silly shapes. Different pieces make the marbles go in different directions, so as you assemble the maze, it is fun to think about what direction you want the marbles to go. Some make the marbles go to either side, some allow the marble to go to just one side, and some drop the ball straight down.

Building the maze is only half the fun. I also enjoyed rolling the marbles down the green, blue, and clear box shaped figures and trying to predict which side they would come out. I came up with many little games to play and many different tracks to roll the marbles down. You can build this however you want and with as many pieces as you want. I hope you can enjoy this product as much as I did.

Developmental Areas: Fine motor skills, cause and effect, spatial reasoning, critical thinking skills, creative play

Recommended Age : 5+ years (small marbles – choking hazard for children under 3)

Playtime:  30 minutes – 1 hour or more!

Tested and Reviewed by: Chase Brooksbank, age 11

Going on Vacation? Pack Less, Enjoy More!

Summer vacation, a week at the beach, visiting grandparents? It all sounds so simple and relaxing, but the work that goes into packing and planning for a family trip is enough to make your head spin. I cannot count how many times, we have loaded up the car with everything that we planned to take, and then started piling on the extras…toys, pillows, blankets, video games, more toys, etc. Pretty soon the car is packed to the hill and my poor husband cannot even see out the back window.

As you start to make your vacation plans for this summer, be sure to include TOYconomy in your packing list. By sending a shipment of toys directly to your vacation destination,TOYconomy can help eliminate all of the last-minute extras and save space in your car and luggage!

Imagine the look on your children’s faces when they get to their new destination and have a box full of new and exciting toys to play with for the week. And the best part is when your vacation is over, TOYconomy will schedule a pick-up and you can depart without worrying about how to get everything home. As we all know, luggage tends to double in size during a vacation, and we all seem to leave with more bags than we came with!

Be sure to check out www.toyconomy.com. With a few simple clicks, before you hit the road, your toys will arrive at your favorite spot in pristine condition and ready to be enjoyed by all!

Author:

Jeanne Brooksbank, mom of three. Currently works at TOYconomy in TOYmember Services.

FUNtastic! Recycled Box Art

Created for local elementary school's Eco-Fest

If you tend to do a lot of online shopping, chances are you have a lot of cardboard boxes that need to be recycled. Why not use those boxes as canvases for artwork! Eco-art is a great way to teach your kids how to create a new use for things you don’t need anymore. You can cut the boxes down to any size you like and decorate them: create signs for sporting events, door hangers, wall art, picture frames, and any other creative idea you can think of!

Suggested Supplies:

Cardboard boxes

Box cutter (adults only for cutting the boxes)

Washable paint

Glitter pens/glue

Stencils

Ribbon or yarn for hanging (if applicable)

Author: Shannon McAfee, Founder and Owner, TOYconomy