MobiGo Touch Learning System

If you're trying to discourage your kid from playing with your expensive cellphone, why not give your little darling the MobiGoTouch Learning System, an interactive learning device that uses a touchscreen and keyboard to control gameplay. She can clicked to her heart content without accidentally calling your friendsor using your minutes.

The MobiGo Touch Learning System is a next-generation learning device that uses the popularity of modern handheld electronic devices to build skills in young children. It encourages the development of important dexterity-based skills by shifting between touch-based games and keyboard-based games, and it promotes the development of skills related to problem solving, spelling and grammar, observation, and mathematics.




















You can select a wide variety of games for your kid based on skill levels and themes, which makes MobiGo a versatile learning device that will maintain relevancy as a child grows. The MobiGo keeps track of user activity and saves this information under a personalized user profile that a child can set up the first time she uses the device. Although other users can play with the device, only one user profile can be saved at a time. This user can log onto the VTech Web site to download performance information, compare progress with other MobiGo profiles, and earn rewards for a job well done.

Learning to Play Musical Instruments

Children learn by doing and watching. Even when she was just born my husband play clarinet to our daughter. When she can started walking we have to put the clarinet where she can't reach it since my husband has it since he was a kid. Then when she turn two we though of buying her a  recorder so she can play with it while her daddy plays the clarinet. At first she was not able to blow enough air on it then one day she just learn how to use the recorder, granted there is no particular tune but it sounds good to our ears.

Same thing happened with her harmonica. Her daddy has a harmonica so he bought her a harmonica for a day or two she's just moving one end to another across her lips maybe because she watched her daddy moving his harmonica from left to right and back when he plays. One evening she just learn how to use her harmonica . She actually sat on our bed and keep playing for a bit beside her daddy but he was already asleep and he sleep soundly.The sound she produce are kind of faint too. At first I can hear some air in between the notes but she gets better as she keep playing with it. The next day my husband can't just believe it when he heard her playing, but she kept playing almost the whole day so by the time he got home she sounds a lot better.

Interesting Books for A Toddler

Ever read to a toddler? You won't believe how many times you will be asked to read the same book over and over again. A family friend once commented that she would have the story in her dreams after riding with us in the car. I read a book to my daughter again and again to amuse her while we are in the car. This is why it is important to have a good selection of books at hand at home or in the car or even packed in the diaper bag.

The book Toes, Ears, & Nose! A Lift-the-Flap Bookby Marion Dane Bauer is a great book for a toddler. My 19 months old likes lifting the flaps as I read to her. I just wished the flaps are a little sturdier though because she pulled hard and after a few reading one ear got torn. This book is an introduction to body parts and my daughter loves pointing to the particular body parts that corresponds to the part of the body that she uncover by lifting the flaps. She is not only learning parts of the body(toes, ears, fingers, etc.) but things we wear in winter as well like hat, jeans, mittens, coat, etc.

Another great book to entertain your toddler is the book Who's Hiding? In the House: A Lift-the-Flap Book. The book has five two-page spreads with a "Who's hiding?" question on each left-hand page and a flap hiding various animals on the right-hand page. My daughter is fascinated uncovering the animals hiding in the flaps. She is amused as she find a surprise inside the last flap, a mirror that shows her sweet face!

FREE Workshops for Kids and Parents in NYC

The Jewish Museum - High School Video Workshop
In this after-school program, students learn the basic skills of video production including storyboarding, shooting with a digital video camera and editing. Workshop participants collaborate in the creation of an original film. The final productions are shown at a special screening and reception for family and friends at The Jewish Museum.

Kids Creative - Free Weekend Workshops
Kids Creative offers free weekend workshops on music and recording, acting, etc.


Advocates for Children of New York - Trainings and Workshop
Advocates for Children of New York provide parents and professionals information to enable them to advocate on behalf of their children.

Animal Sounds Farm

Your little darling would surely love the Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm. Each gate in the barn make an animal sound to guide him where to put a particular animal so it would be fun for him to learn animal sounds as you show him what part of the barn each animal should go. What's more there are two yellow sliding windows on the side of the barn. The upper one shows eggs with mother hen and rooster and when you slide it to the left your child will see eggs hatched, a good opportunity to tell your little one that chicks come from eggs. The lower window show father and mother rabbit then on the right with bunnies with them already which will be a good opening that animals had babies too just like him with Mommy and Daddy. The farm includes Farmer Jed, cow, sheep, horse and pig; the chicken stays attached to the barn.  All pieces can be stored inside. This playset also comes with a special free sampler DVD featuring three charming stories of the Little People friends.

Toy Cell phone

Like having pretend conversations with your baby?  This Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Friendly Flip Phonelets you introduce your baby to telephone conversations. It says hello when he flips it open and goodbye when he closes it. Each time your baby flips the phone open, the screen cycles between three exciting friends for them to chat with. Show your baby how to open and close the phone, and the rewards will encourage an understanding of cause and effect. Pressing the buttons plays one of three ringtones, or musical key tones. This great education toy encourages the development of motor skills. Flipping the phone open and pressing the buttons teaches hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. It also enhances learning through discovery by encouraging you baby to vocalize and develop language skills.

If your child still grab your phone when you are using it or still playing with it when you forgot to put it away then giving him the Motorola Q Dummy Display Toy Cell Phone Good for Store Display, or for Kids to Play

might be a good idea. It looks and feel like a real phone but will not connect to any network so you will avoid all those call to nowhere or accidental dialing of your friends' numbers on your real phone when you let your child play with it.

Toy Remote Control

When your baby already how to switch channels and you are hankering to enjoy your TV programs in peace, buying your growing baby his own toy remote control will be a good idea. The Fisher-Price Sesame Street Silly Sounds Remote let's your baby hear over 35 silly sounds and fun phrases as he presses the buttons just like those on a real remote. He can also make Elmo's eyes open and close by pressing the button on the uppermost right part of the toy.

Books on Manners

If you are looking for a book that would introduce your toddler to sharing, try the I Can Share: A Lift-the-Flap Book. With the simple, repetitive text and adorable toddlers, this playful little book is the perfect way to introduce the concept of sharing. However this book is not about sharing items directly but is instead of sharing experiences such as playing or working peacefully along side a friend without conflict.This book honors your child's feeling instead of indirectly sending the message to her that anyone can just take away her toys away when they ask for it. For toddlers, sharing can be a hard concept to grasp, but with the help of this book, they’ll learn that sharing can also be fun!

If you want a book that promotes social skills and right attitude, try the book Be Polite and Kind (Learning To Get Along). This book introduces the topic of manners, shows examples of manners in actions, as well as the benefits of being gracious with expressive drawings of children and adults from many ethnic groups. The concepts are simply stated and are dealt with in a variety of ways. It encourages kids to think through things themselves. Also, the author shows what happens when we do not use good manners and how we can make amends. The book is about considering options when things don't work out as expected and emphasizing the importance of talking and listening with respect as well as playing fair.

Adjustable Gym

The more you stimulate your baby, the more brain synapses he would develop. The more synapses he would develop, the more intelligent he would be. It is also rewarding to watch your child learn something.  The Little Tikes 5-in-1 Adjustable Gym would help him learn more motor skills from birth to 3 years. Watch him as he learns how to kick the parts of this adjustable gym as a baby and hear his delight as it makes the sound, either the music or the notes. Guide him how to turn the spinning toys as he gained more fine motor skills. This adjustable gym will surely engage your child's senses with lights, music, and things to touch and play with. The gym transforms into five different play centers as your little darling grow: traditional play gym, seated activity center, stand-up center, play table, and easel. It has three caregiver-selected play modes: "motion activated," "songs," or "piano", as well as sleep mode to extend battery life.

 

Jewish Books for Young Children

It is important to read books to your children books that contains his cultural heritage. For young Jewish children, Before You Were Born, a beautiful retelling of a story from Jewish folk tradition, is a good start. Your child's imagination would surely be captivated by the wonderful story of a soul's journey from the Treasury of Souls in highest heaven to its earthly body in its mother's womb,

Another book that is worth considering is Rabbi Joe Black's Afikomen Mambo (Passover) which will enliven the afikomen hunt at your seder. It comes with lively pictures and a sing-along CD.

Visiting Queens County Farm

Queens County Farm has a lot to offer young children, from hay ride to pony rides to pumpkin patch or corn maze, my toddler enjoy herself. If your child is too young for pony rides then maybe he or she can just watch the horses in their corral. I don't understand why they have to have electric fences though considering there are many children walking around.

                             

 

Visiting Central Park Zoo

Going into Manhattan and finding a parking spot not too park from the zoo can be daunting. However  Central Park Zoo offers a lot of attractions for kids that it is worth the hazzle.

The walrus statue is impressive. I took a picture of my baby sitting on top of it, with my husband holding her of course.

Watching the white bear swimming back and forth in the water is entertaining.

 

Watching the penguins antics is sort of funny!

Visiting Children's Museum in NY

As a parent we are suppose to continually expose our children to new experiences to enrich their vocabulary, and build connections between their brain synapses which is very important in raising intelligent children.

The NY Hall of Science in 47-01 111th Street, Queens, NY is a great children's museum in New York.  It has a lot to offer to young inquisitive minds.

Visiting the Long Island Children' s Museum in Garden City is worth the trip!

There is a colorful mural of a collage of children's drawn faces on the wall outside the museum .

There are a lot of hands on interactive galleries but my toddler's favorite is the Tot Spot. We can hardly take her away from the toy crane truck. She likes getting in and out of it, sitting on the seat  and pretending she is on a ride. It's very popular though so we have to pry her away from it any time someone wants to try it. She also tried riding the motorcycle in the gas station in the corner. It is really cute that you can pretend pumping gas into the motorcycle! There is also an enclosed area that make children feel that they are inside a bus there are even a costume of bus driver's uniform for those who wants to try it.

There is also bubble fun in another gallery (although it can be slippery so use extreme caution when everything is covered with soap and bubbles).

We enjoyed seeing ourselves on TV in the Communication  Station.

Recording our voice and hearing the output in the radio room is certainly fun!

 Spinning the big wheel requires a little effort for our little darling but she get the hang of it.

There is a wall of numbers in English, Spanish and sign language.

Visiting NY Aquarium

Visiting NY Aquarium is fun! There are a lot to see! Jelly fish, lego penguins, sea lions, turtles, etc. Being greeted by the lego penguins is such a neat idea! Watching the sea lions perform is such a treat! Looking at the antics of the turtles as they move back is fascinating. My toddler was enthralled!