LilSugar

There's a Doll For That: Teaching Kids About Natural Birth, VBAC, and More

LilSugar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:49:24 PST

If mama ever wants to explain to her lil one how he was born vaginally, while his big sister came out via C-section, there's now a doll for that! Perhaps one of the odder baby products out there MamAmor has just introduced a VBAC doll ($175), complete with a C-section scar and a Velcro opening through which her new lil one can enter the world. The company recommends the doll for tots over the age of three, but mom may want to wait until her tot is a bit older to explain the differences.

The VBAC doll joins a growing collection of anatomically correct toys on the market that help a mom visually explain vaginal birth. From breastfeeding versions to those that also deliver the placenta, here are six birthing dolls for kids.

5 Wooden Play Tables For Some Old-School Fun

Kate Stahl — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:34:16 PST

If you haven't added a play table to your toy collection, we highly recommend it! A combo of activities means extra playtime for kids of all ages, and when you invest in a slightly more expensive, but doubly sturdy wooden table, even cruisers can join in on the fun, as the table gives new standers support while they explore. Just be sure to supervise, as small pieces have a way of making their way into tiny mouths (I removed any choking hazards for my lil one). Play tables come in all shapes and sizes, but we picked five of our favorites, all sure to become heirlooms.

Playtime! 5 Creative Additions For Your Toy Box

Kate Stahl — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:04:00 PST

Winter can call for a little - OK, a lot - of creativity. Get some help (and get your kids away from the television) with these five supercreative new toys. From an affordable, make-your-own model that your lil one will spend hours designing online to a book with incredible disappearing-ink technology that requires some fun and time-consuming interaction, these toys are totally worth the cost. Now how many days do we have until Spring?

A Future Feminist? Watch This Lil One's Rant Against Toys' Gender Stereotypes

Kate Stahl — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:06:52 PST

Now that the Christmas buying madness is over - and your little lady's room is probably stocked full of new princess toys and your son has scored some new trucks - watch this future feminist's rant against the gender stereotyping of toys. The adorable little Riley is not happy that toy manufacturers keep forcing pink and princesses on little girls, who she says like other colors and superheroes, too. Her diatribe puts her right up with the 5-year-old lil girl who told us she had to have a job before she got married - one of the cutest kid videos of 2011. Kind of makes you think, right - and wonder what her parents did to make her so articulate and thoughtful at such a young age? Riley, Betty Friedan, and Gloria Steinem would be proud!

Best of 2011: The Baby and Kids Products That Had Us Doing Double Takes

Natasha Dantzig — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:32:50 PST

Things that make you go hmmm. This past year saw some pretty amazing, innovative, and seriously game-changing products for moms and tots; great new toys, new baby carriers, and of course the ever-important new strollers. Amidst all the good, there were definitely some - er - questionable products to hit the market in 2011. Keep reading for 10 items that definitely left us scratching our heads.

Can You Feel the Beat? Toys For Musically Inclined Tots

LilSugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:16:29 PST

Bono once said, "Music can change the world because it can change people," and the experts seem to agree. Numerous studies link tots' exposure to music - especially in infancy and toddlerhood - to everything from a child's language development to their motor skills and even how children adapt to the culture in which they live.

Check out the following selection of musical toys for tots to inspire and encourage a lifelong love of music.

Let's Play Pretend: 10 Felt Toy Finds For Tots

LilSugar — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 05:27:15 PDT

Felt fun for everyone! Plastic toys can contain BPA and other hazardous chemicals leading mamas to search for healthier options. Wooden toys are a nontoxic alternative but as any mama - on the receiving end of a wooden slice of watermelon thrown by baby - can tell you, they can be dangerous when airborne. Check out these 10 felt toys for tots and let the good times roll!

Sweet Talking Ken Doll: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:33:09 PDT

Do lil ones really need to be sweet talked? Some doll makers think they do. Meet a new version of Barbie's better half, the Sweet Talking Ken Doll ($19), who pretty much looks like Barbie (same blue eyes and pouty pink lips) but with a surfer-dude shag haircut. Sporting an awfully tight fitting shirt that reads Ultimate Boyfriend in multiple languages, this Ken doll, marketed to tots five and up, has the unique ability to "sweet talk" tots - with their own words.

Lil ones simply press a heart on Ken's shirt to record themselves saying whatever it is they'd like to hear from Ken himself. Kind of a bizarre concept: own your ultimate boyfriend and program him to say exactly what you want. What do you think?

Not Your Grandma's Dollhouse: 10 Contemporary Designs For Modern Tots

LilSugar — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:01:34 PDT

Kids don't need to understand cubism to appreciate the modern makeover that's rocking the dollhouse world. While classic Tudor cottage, traditional Victorian, and southern mansion styles once dominated the dollhouse landscape, today's tots have a wider variety to choose from, thanks to major modernist designers getting in on the thriving miniatures scene.

Keep reading for a selection of thoroughly modern dollhouses to please discerning design fiends of all ages. Parents be warned: these dollhouses are so cool that you might have a hard time remembering who wanted the dollhouse in the first place!

Mold It! Creative Alternatives For Play-Doh

LilSugar — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:05:07 PDT

There's nothing better than a hands-on creative experience for kids! While lil ones love to mold and sculpt until they exhaust their artistic energy, most moms aren't fans of the inevitable mess the activity creates. Play-Doh has been a beloved "modeling compound" in households since 1956, but it's also infamous for being tough to get out of carpet and crevices. I've rounded up five alternatives tots will be eager to try.