We love pirates! For whatever mischief they did throughout the history, we all have this romantic image of a villain, wearing his eye patch and cool pirate hat, oftentimes with a wooden leg and, of course, the faithful talking parrot keeping an eye on the seas.

We grew up with the likes of Sea-Goin’ Sam, “the blood-thirstiest, shoot-’em-first-iest, doggone worst-iest buccaneer that ever sailed the Spanish main”, Jack Sparrow, and a whole bunch of other Hollywood pirates. As a kid, you cannot help but fall in love with these characters.

Catch phrases like “Ahoy Mates!”, “Shiver me timbers” or “Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!” are classics. Merely hearing them once in a while sends you to a world of fantasy and unbelievable adventures.

For every one of these villains, one of the most prized possession, besides the huge treasure chest, is his ship.

Any pirate that wants to be taken seriously and be feared by the unsuspecting folks that he runs into has to own a huge, fearsome ship with a legendary name!

So, where can you get a wooden pirate ship for your child?

I’ve searched the web to find some of the most interesting such vessels and I’ve come across a couple of deals that are really worth taking a closer look.

One of the first ships that caught my attention was the Seven Seas Wood Pirate Ship sold by Magic Cabin.

While it is definitely not the most detailed piece of woodwork you’ve ever seen, it does come with a series of features that every young pirate will definitely enjoy playing with. If has some of these authentic features that make any make believe play so much more authentic.

These features are:

-a crow’s nest with a rope ladder

-an anchor

-two skull and crossbones flags

-a steering wheel that actually works

Of course, the ship has a working crew of four pirates, who handle two cannons, a lifeboat and a treasure chest.

To find out more, go take a look at the Seven Seas Wood Pirate Ship pageover at Magic Cabin.

Another pirate ship that caught my eye was Ryan’s Room Pirate Ship from Small World Toys.

This one is definitely one of the best looking ships I could find, but it seems to have some manufacturing defects. It kind of tends to fall apart. But if you make sure to glue it back whenever some parts fall out, your child should be fine playing with it for a long long time. To take a closer look, take a look at the Ryan’s Room Pirate Ship on Amazon.

Finally, there’s the Deluxe Pirate Ship Play Set from Melissa & Doug

Unlike other pirate ships, this one really looks like a not too frightening toy that kids would really enjoy. It might be a little to stylized, but it still cool. Find out more about it here.

Some of these pirate ship remind us of one of the most popular punishments the pirates used: walking the plank! I loved seing those scenes in the movies.

Since there are quite a lot of wooden pirate ships to choose from, you’ll find a nice selection of them in the box below. Enjoy!

With all the care and effort that we put into making sure our homes are as clean and germ-free as possible, it is at the very least a bit strange that somebody would even think of launching a collection of plush microbe toys.

But it did happen and, what’s really shocking, it is actually quite successful! Kids love the Giant Plush Microbes, but adults enjoy them a lot also. They’re great props for when you have your friends over

I must say that the idea is neat. You take something that nobody in the world would even consider wanting and turn it into a really cute, fluffy toy that is simply irresistible. That’s genius!

What better way to learn about the icky things?

What the producers insist on, and I agree with them, is that these stuffed toys are actually educational. You know that the flu, for instance, is bad for you. But with these cute stuffed toys, you can actually visualize how the virus looks like and interferes with your organism.

The Giant Plush Microbes are especially great if your kid is fascinated with science. Not only can he play with them, but also you can explain him what those microbes do to the human body. It is a pretty entertaining way of learning about these things. Who knows, maybe it will spark your child’s interest and he’ll later end up a successful doctor.

Each of these plush bugs comes with a card describing the diseases and the symptoms it generates. As somebody said it all too well, “Yucky and Wonderful!!!”.

How do you find the Giant Plush Microbes?

Just like in the real life, there’s a bunch of giant microbes from which to choose from. So the manufacturers have decided to categorize them according to the way they are transmitted and the way they affect the human body. Here are a few words about each of them:

In my opinion, the most spectacular or all these pests are the Aerials, which include annoying insects such as mosquitoes and a variety of flies. With these plush toys, you can now get a closer look at their anatomy so that the next time you want to squash them, you can do it while admiring their unique physique.

You’ll see that the Critters are also a really fun bunch. Definitely a colorful and diverse gang, I can certainly say that these are the ones that kids will love most. You have the bed bug, the flea, the dust mite and a handful of other lovely insects.

I also enjoyed the Infarmeries category. Did you know that the Chicken Pox germ looks like a chicken? Well, hey there, Captain Obvious! I really had no idea where that name came from

Don’t you hate Alimentary illneses? They always seem to happen at the wrong time. Well, you’ll learn to love them once you see how cute the E-Coli bacteria looks like!

You’d think that Exotic illnesses like the Bird or the Swine Flu are some bad ass viruses that look like a miniature version of The Hulk! You’d be wrong. I don’t think I’ve see a virus that looks more harmless than that. But appearances are treacherous!

Curios how some of the Tropical viruses look like? Well, you’ll be surprised how cute some of them really are, like the West Nile or Malaria.

Well, I could go on to describe all the other categories, but I’ll stop and just mention the ones that are left: Ambulatories, Menageries, Maladies, Corporeals and Venereals.

Just like I said, the Giant Plush Microbes are fantastic plush toys because they’re educational for kids and also interesting for adults who enjoy shocking their friends.

To get your hands on them, go see all of them on Amazon.com, where you’ll get a really good bargain!

Combining these cuddly and irresistible plush animals with the internet, you get this spectacular experience that is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Of the hundreds of stuffed animals in the family, the Webkinz Husky is definitely one of the most popular. Just look at it! So precious! It’s a fantastic addition to your child’s plush toys collection.

Just like all Webkinz stuffed animals, the Husky also comes with a special code that allows your kid to enter the virtual Webkinz World where she can build up an entire family of plush toys.  This little simulation is unbelievably fun and it takes the interaction with her collection of toys to a completely new level.

Whereas back in the day a kid would have to play-pretend serving a cup of tea to her dolls or cooking, she can easily click a button or two and actually have the toy do that. Talk about technology..

That website is so beautifully designed that even preschool kid can get around its features with ease. A fun way to play and an interesting approach to getting more comfortable around computers.

What is cute about this little pup is that when you ask “how are you feeling”, it tells you something that totally melts your heart: “You and I are best friends forever!” Awww! Isn’t that sweet? Makes you want to snuggle it!

And not only that, but it has a whole range of funny responses to your questions. Not that the other stuffed animals are boring, but this one sort of stands out.

You can find out more about the other pets in the family on the Webkinz stuffed animals page that I wrote a while ago.

So, if you think that the Webkinz Husky is the stuffed animal that your child will adore, then go ahead and buy one from Amazon.com for only about $7.50.

Well, in my opinion, the famous Uglydolls aren’t ugly at all… or you can say that another way: They’re ugly, but sooo cute!

So, what’s the story with the Uglydolls?

These fluffy little cuties have been around for over ten years and kids loved them for all this time. The fist Uglydoll came to life in 2001.

As the story goes, that year, Sun-Min Kim had to go back home as her student visa expired, leaving her boyfriend, David Horwath, back in the States. While she was away, he was writing her numerous letters, and each time, he closed them with a small drawing of a character he called Wage.

One time, she decided to make David a surprise by sending him a hand sewed doll of Wage. He liked it so much that he showed it to a friend who was the manager of the Giant Robot toy store in LA. He thought it was a product pitch and immediately ordered more. David asked Sun-Min to sew and send more of them.

Since the appearance of the dolls was somewhat funky, not beautiful by any conventional way, they decided to turn the whole thing on its head and name them Uglydoll. Just to see what happens. They sold out on the same day they arrived!

Well, after that first event, Sun-Min and David felt they were onto something, so they started designing more of these dolls. They turned their little passion, a game between two lovers, into a worldwide craze.

The Uglydolls became even more popular as on her first day of school, Natasha Obama wore a Babo keychain on her backpack. You can imagine how every kid in the country went nuts over thee curiously looking Uglydolls.

Over the last ten years, they’ve put together an entire army of characters. If I were to guess, I’d say at least 125 of them. First, there was Wage, but soon after that came Babo and Ice-Bat and they made a great team.

How can you find them?

You’ll find that the plush Uglydolls come in four different sizes, the Little Uglys priced at 10$, the Classics, priced at about 20$, the Jumbo Characters, priced at 40$, and the Clip-Ons which your kid can hang on just about everything, from backpacks to door handles, or use them as keychains.

All Uglydoll plush dolls are handmade, so that each piece is a somewhat unique.

Each of the dolls has a small tag which describes the personality of each character. You obviously want to know what kind of cute ‘monster’ you bring into your house, right?

Beyond Uglydoll dolls

With such a successful character, it was only natural to expand the product offerings. I already mentioned the keychain that Sasha Obama has, but there are also a series of Uglydoll books, clocks, stationery, action figures, tin toys and even clothing. There was even one set of Uglydoll cups. Nice!

Take a look below to get a glimpse of the Uglydoll universe!

But this time I’m terrified! They are now coming out ready for war and destruction. There are no longer some cute and cuddly plush toys, they’re frightening!

I’m talking, of course, about the new Angry Birds Knock On Wood Game

You didn’t expect them to stay safely inside your phone forever, right? After capturing the hearts of kids and adults everywhere, the highly temperamental birds are leaving the touch screen in yet another form, this time as a really entertaining game.

The new game set from Mattel includes three different birds and three pigs, a few wooden blocks and a number of other props to make the palace more interesting.

The set includes a slingshot to launch the furious birds against the fortress of the pigs. Just like the touch screen game, kids can calibrate the angle and the force of the jump in order to produce maximum damage… or to at least make the pigs fall from their outposts.

How will the kids play Angry Birds knock on game?

Pretty much like the virtual game.

One of the kids will pull a card with a simple structure drawn on it. He will have to build it using the blocks in the package and place the pigs as indicated.

The other player has to use the slingshot to launch the indicated birds against the pigs’ structure. He can control the trajectory as he thinks best so as to inflict as much damage as possible. Depending on the number of pigs killed and the wooden blocks destroyed, he earns a number of points.

Both kids take turns building the structures and bringing pain to the evil pigs. The first one to reach 1000 points wins the big pizza

Also, as the game advances, the missions get become more difficult, and they are worth more points.

How cool is it that kids can play their favorite phone app in real life? And not only kids! It is designed for 5 years old kids and up, but I can see myself playing this with my friends. It’s a lot of fun.

Truth be told, it takes a little more skill than the virtual game. But it is so much cooler!

It’s just as silly and childish as the mobile app and that makes it so addictive.

Totally worth it!

P.S. Go claim a set of the Angry Birds Knock  on Wood Game for your kid now. You’ll both love it!

So when parents ask me whether they should invest in a computer system for their little kids, I wholeheartedly say Oh yes! Ten times, yes!

So, why are computers for children necessary?

Because this is the world we live in

Computers occupy an increasing role in our day to day life. Everywhere you go, you’ll  find computers. At office or at home, they are almost indispensable.

You have to know at least their basics so that you can efficiently do what you need to do. And this will only get more important in the coming years as the world moves towards a digitalized future.

Children are extremely talented at absorbing the ways of the technology. I was looking at my two year old cousin working his way around the computer and was astounded to see that he was doing so much better than many adults who are struggling with this. Can’t wait to see what he’ll do in a couple of years.

You should definitely introduce computers to your child early. Doing this, the kid will find himself adapting much easier to the ever-changing technology. Nobody knows what the future will bring, but it will come natural to him.

They’re fun

Now, it is true that your kid will most likely spend a great deal of his time in front of the computer playing. I know when I got my first computer, you couldn’t get me to leave it if the house was on fire.

I understand that this will most likely bring in some frictions between you and your child. But try to remember that playing is one of the best ways to learn stuff. From the moment we’re born, the things that we learn best are those that we like to play with.

Now, you’ll ask me ‘What’s there to learn from playing World of Warcraft?’. Although some games don’t have any obvious educational purpose, your child will still have a lot to gain from getting familiar with the way the games work. They also include an important component of socialization.

At some point, games will no longer be your kid’s priority and he will start exploring the other uses of the computer.

After I got over my video game phase, I became more interested in how they work, the internet, 3D modeling and so on. Now I can proudly say that I know a lot about computers, and I thank my parents for buying me one at an early age.

There’s a wide range of educational computer software for kids available

Every year, companies release an ever increasing array of educational products as computer programs and electronic encyclopedias. Unlike traditional books, these products feature a full range of cute graphic, audio and video materials that give them a unique interactivity that you won’t get anywhere else.

Kids love it when they push a button and some cute puppy starts talking to them.

How are children affected by computers?

Do they affect the eyes?

When I was growing up, there were numerous stories and legends about the way computers would damage your eyes if you spent too much time in front of them.

The fact of the matter is that spending time in front of a computer is no more dangerous for the eyes than reading a book. What is truly harming is the use of small fonts (both in books and on computers) where you have to squint or get very close. When that happens, the eyes try to adapt, but they inevitably are affected.

That’s why children’s books and software designed for kids use large, clear forts.

One other thing that I noticed was affecting me was the monitor’s refresh rate. At 60 Hz, my head would start to hurt. But if you get a monitor that has a refresh rate of 85 and up, this issue completely disappears.

The tendency for isolation

One of the issues that I think is more important is the fact that kids will get so hooked up with their PCs that they will neglect everything else. Playing outside and socializing with other kids in a very important element for the well development of every child.

So you will have to make sure that your child does not neglect his real life socializing skills because of video games.

How to find the best computers for children?

You can think of them as toys that are somewhat more sophisticated.

The difference is that unlike most toys, computers are somewhat more expensive. But their prices today are pocket change compared to what they were a couple of years ago. And you can think of it as an investment. Whatever money you spend for a PC today will come back multiplied in the form of a better understanding and knowledge for your kid.

What you want to be looking for is a system that all modern video games will run smooth on. For that, you want a desktop pc that has lots of RAM memory, plenty of storage, good processing power and an awesome video card.

The system on the right is a fantastic deal. It has a memory of 4GB DDR3, 1.5 TB storage capacity, an AMD Athlon II X4 640 3.0GHz processor and ATI Radeon HD 5570 1GB Graphics, at the price of $529.

With this kind of configuration, your child will be equipped to play all the video games available today and many of those that will be released in the following few years. Go buy it right here.

What is great about a system like this is that is well equipped to handle all sort of other activities that your kid will like after he’ll get over the vieo game pahes, like web design, photo and video editing and much more.

You should take a look at some more of the specially designed gaming desktop systems at TigerDirect to find other great deals.

Later on, when playing computer games will no longer be your child main activity, this computer will be a solid platform that he will use for other purposes: net surfing, learning, 3D modeling, etc.

What’s next?

Now that you chose the best system for your child, the next step is to also get an appropriate child computer monitor.

The system above comes with a really cool keyboard and mouse, but you can do a much better job by getting a more personal child computer keyboard.

P.S. If you enjoyed this guide, sign up for my newsletter using the form below and I will regularly send you news and more tips about a whole range of toys an games related issues.

But, oh my god! For the last month or so, I’ve been completely hooked by the Angry Birds Rio game! I got myself one of those smart phones and now, every time I get the chance, I can’t help destroying some stuff and killing some evil monkeys!

The angry birds are now for real!

It was all fun and cool to have those furious feathered animals at your disposal.. Whenever you felt like throwing something, they were right there.

Well guess what! The angry birds are now coming out from the virtual world and are ready to kick some ass! Are we all in danger??? What can we do?

Relax!

They’re only coming out as plush toys! Can you imagine what the world would look like if they were actually alive and ready for destruction? God, have mercy on us

So yeah, the Angry Birds plush toys are now available and every kid out there who was hooked by the video game can now do the same thing in the house. You know, things like knocking off fragile and expensive decorative you may have in the living room The physics work pretty much the same as in the video game

Ok, I was kidding… No child would try to do something like that…

I really believe that they’re really fantastic as plush toys. They’re characters that many kids and, well adults, have fallen in love with.

Here’s a video they’ve made. It’s super hilarious. I was laughing hysterically when I saw it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eyig_V-_5o

And below you’ll find a selection of the Angry Birds plush toys you can find on Amazon. Have fun!

Simple system, worked for ages.

Now, babies love plush toys. A lot! They soft, just like mommy’s gentle touch. They’re colorful and simply lovable!

So, maybe it was somewhat inevitable for these two ideas to somehow be put together into something even more interesting. That’s how the Wabbanub infant pacifiers took shape.

You take the regular pacifier and attach a super cute plush animal to it and you get this unique toy.

The animals can be anything from puppies, kitties and little ducks to lions, giraffes and elephants.

On the paper, the idea is great, but does it really work?

Do the Wabbanub pacifiers do their job?

What’s the whole point of a pacifier? It’s to give something to the baby chew on, something that feels almost like mommy’s breast, so that she can exercise his gums and, maybe most importantly, keep quiet for a while. Right?

It’s been known that once they’re bored with their pacifiers, babies simply spit them out. Parents sometimes get frustrated by this. Do Wabbanub plush toys help the baby hold it for longer?

Parents report mixed results. Some swear that with the new toys, they’ve completely got rid of the old problem, while others say that on the contrary, their baby spits it more often because she doesn’t need to physically spit it… all she needs to do is to hit the toy and bam, it’s out.

One other problem that I noticed is the fact that with a classic pacifier, the baby can easily crawl and run around the house and still keep it in the mouth. It’s not uncomfortable.

That’s not gonna happen with the heavier Wabbanub toy attached to it. It’s gonna come out the second the baby leaves the start line.

So, is it worth it?

If you’re talking strictly about pacifiers, I honestly believe that a classic one is much more appropriate. A baby needs something light to chew on, and she doesn’t need to pull the weight of a plush toy every time she moves her mouth. And you actually have pretty colorful and attractive designs to choose from.

On the other hand, who can resist a cute plush toy? And there are parents who swear by their Wabbanub infant pacifiers, so you might want to give them a try.

Here are a few you could choose from.

The name itself means “great” or “big”, although I can’t say in what language

The firm has made a name for itself selling toy trucks made of metal. Metal! None of that girly plastic stuff. They really mean business. And with names like Mighty, Tough or Thoughest, you can’t get more suggestive than that!

The classic Tonka bulldozer

The Tonka bulldozer is one of their classics, having stood the test of time. The first version of the toy was launched decades ago and it is still selling strong.

The bulldozer and just about any other Tonka toy are perfect for boys from 3 years and up going through their heavy equipment phase.

I remember when I was a kid, I did get a huge truck and I was carrying everything with it: rocks, buckets of water, earth, puppies I could fit in there myself.

Now, if you decide to get a bulldozer for your kid, make sure to order the metal one. In the last few years I’ve seen that Tonka has gone a little soft and started selling plastic vehicles… Definitely a negative point for their image, but they still do manufacture the metal versions of their classics.

What’s a parent to do?

Without trying to add to the clutter, I’ve put together a short guide to help you get an idea of the types of toys recommended for babies in every development stage. I’ll cover toys for babies 0 to 6 months on this page.

If your little bambino just happened to grow a little older than that, I’ll post a guide for babies of 7 to 12 months in a couple of days.

Without further ado, let’s go into the fun stuff.

What does a baby of 0 to 6 months like to do?

Toys for this age are primarily designed to stimulate the infant’s senses. Esentially, they’re made for looking, listening, sucking and fingering.

Infants really like seeing:

• Simple designs
• Bright primary colors (red, green, blue, black and white)
• High contrast
• Clear lines and features
• Human faces and especially the eyes
• Something like a bull’s eye pattern

Babies 0 to 2 months don’t move all that much, so they enjoy seeing or hearing interesting things… like a beautiful bed time story.

Babies 2 to 6 months on the other hand are blasting with energy and they show a growing interest in touching, battling, shaking, turning, kicking, mouthing and tasting objects.

All infants enjoy variety and toys made for watching are so much more appealing if they also move and produce some sounds. Just not too sharp or too sudden.

So what toys do I recommend?

For infants of 0 to 2 months, there are a few classic toys that have stood the test of time.

• Soft hand puppets, held and manipulated by adults. They’re great, especially if you make that into a fun theater act.
• Stuffed toys, such as small plush animals, music box animals (operated and monitored for safety by adults)
• Grab-on soft toys
• Soft Squeeze balls and texture balls
• CD or otherwise music with gentle and regular rhythms.
• Books. Every baby loves hearing the parent’s voice, and telling a story is a great way to do it.

For infants of 2 to 4 months

• Simple baby rattles, in all shapes and colors. They make those sharp noises that immediately catch the attention, and with their bright contrasting colors, they easily make the baby focus.
• Teething toys
• Light, sturdy cloth toys
• Squeeze toys
• Toys that you can suspend above or to the side of the baby for batting or grasping. Careful, don’t use long strings which may pose a danger.

For babies 4 to 6 months

• Mirrors (large enough and unbreakable), fastened to the crib or playpen.
• Music boxes
• Soft blocks

A few safety points that you should consider

All toys must respect all the safety features recomended for babies, but mountable toys should especially have that. They all should have:

• No sharp points or edges
• No small parts that can be swallowed
• No glass
• No long strings