SB Finds : Toys & Games

In our family, card games and language go together. Whether we are playing escala cuarenta in Peru or cribbage in Wisconsin, there is constant banter and conversation. When my kids were little, simple card games often led to delightful interactions. Now that they are older, I appreciate the language and social skills they learned from the games. Children of any age can play Batalla de Velocidades and Batalla de Tamaños. They are based on the traditional game La guerra (War)Read More ...

It’s hard to walk into a house with a preschooler that doesn’t have one of Fisher-Price’s Little People characters in the play area. This is a classic and iconic toy that has inspired generation of pequeños to engage in the early stages of creative play in any language. No wonder over two billion Little People figures have been sold in 60 countries since the brand’s launch 54 years ago. From the days when I played with them back in the 1970′s,Read More ...

I have a very curious four-year-old bilingual boy at home who is eager to learn his letters and numbers. He traces them with his fingers, and has learned the letters M, P, and O. “M” for of course, Matías (his name), Mami and… Mono, “P” for Papi and “O” for Oma (what he calls his abuelita). But here is the real kicker, I only taught these to him two weeks ago when Munchkin, the children’s safety and learning toys brand,Read More ...

A new study from WestEd has found that engaging low-income parents and their preschool children with PBS KIDS content and games improves math learning and helps prepare kids for kindergarten. The study examined improvements in preschool kid’s math knowledge and skills by studying families that use online games and at-home activities from the PBS KIDS Lab which features well-known character such as Curious George, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, and Sid the Science Kid. The study showed that kids whoRead More ...

While Lego have never gone away, it seems they’re experiencing a resurgence in popularity. This past Christmas, every boy under the age of 12 that I know, had Lego on their wish list – my own 11 year old included. Although Lego sets can be expensive, it’s one of those toys I’m willing to spend money on because of the quality. Mixed in with my son’s Lego collection are many of the Lego bricks which I played with as aRead More ...

It’s when I see toys like Fisher-Price’s Cruise and Groove Ballapalooza that I wished we were having another baby, or that my girl could regress a bit! Since I know neither one of those is happening, I can at least enjoy knowing that one of you will be able to enjoy this super fun developmental toy with your baby. Fisher-Price really grasped that babies and toddlers love to groove and bounce to the rhythm as soon as pumping beats areRead More ...

We just love the holiday season because it’s such a great time to of year to celebrate with all of you and to make some great giveaways available to you! For the last months I’ve been writing for Time to Play Magazine about bilingual and bicultural toys and games because we go as far as we can to spread our message. Here are my articles: 5 Ways to Discover Other Cultures Through Play 5 Apps to Expose Your Kids toRead More ...

Some toys can just bring the most immense joy in the power of their simplicity. Such is the case with Fisher-Price’s Ready for Potty Baby Dora. This baby Dora is the perfect companion for a little girl that’s learning the basics of going to the potty. Your girl can play with feeding her the bottle and then place her on the potty and chant with her “We did it!”,” “¡Lo hicimos!” Of course, Ready for Potty Baby Dora is bilingualRead More ...