Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Hit the Beach with a Metal Detector for Kids (Giveaway!)

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I always wanted a metal detector as a kid. When we would take family trips to the beach, I’d do some digging for buried treasures on my own, but became quickly discouraged at the sight of those old men with metal detectors.

They probably beat me to all those lost diamond rings and really old coins that I just knew were a few feet under the sand. RUDE.

So when Learning Resources informed me that they could help today’s little ones best those old gold diggers with their new metal detector for kids, I was all over it!

metal detector for kids

We took it with us when we visited the beach for the first time, and while we didn’t find any treasures, it was still a major hit. I may or may not have had a wee bit of trouble sharing it at first, but now I am totally comfortable letting the kids run around in our yard with it. As long as I get my turn, too.

What? This is totally normal, you guys. TREASURE MAY BE LURKING!!!!

metal detector

My kids love this great outdoor toy. And yes, it really does function as a metal detector. It requires batteries to run, and it lights up and makes noise whenever it gets near metal. Pretty awesome!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Learning Resources metal detector for themselves their children.

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
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Learning Resources Twisty Droppers Water Droppers (Giveaway!)

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While I am feeling very sad, in some ways, that my baby is turning one in a few weeks, I’m also feeling REALLY excited.

Mostly because I know what her “big” present is. Since Layah isn’t a reader of mine, I can spill the beans here: she’s getting a water table! Layah takes her play VERY seriously, and I know that we are going to spend hours and hours on the back porch splashing in the water while big sister runs around in the yard.

I’ve already got the perfect accessory for the water table, and it is also great in the tub! Learning Resources Twisty Droppers are very affordable (just $12.99 for 4 droppers). They are sturdy (Layah has been chewing on them, so I know for a fact that they hold up well!). And they are FUN!

twisty droppers water droppers

Kids love to play with water, and they also love to move water from one vessel to another. The Twisty Droppers provide a means through which they can have a lot of fun and also work on several different skills and competencies, including developing fine motor skills, strengthening hand muscles and learning cause and effect. While Layah doesn’ t yet have the hand coordination skills to use the droppers as they are intended, Darah does, and when she plays with them in the tub or at the table doing a water lesson, I can see her really concentrating hard. She LOVES watching how the water goes up the dropper, and then back down. The twisty effect really helps kids pay close attention to what is going on inside the dropper.

I think this toy is a winner. And if you don’t need all 4 droppers for your kids, they make fantastic gifts. What a cute item to put on top of a birthday present as part of the wrapping!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of Twisty Droppers!
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Be sure to enter my other contests, found on the sidebar of my page.

I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Oompa Toys and the Alphabet Matcher Review

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Oompa Toys

Christmas has come and gone. It was a crazy event for little Darah, who was basically assaulted with presents! Don’t get me wrong; we are extremely grateful for the generosity of our family and friends. But Darah is going to be re-discovering her toys all year long as we have put most of them away, and on the suggestion of my BFF, will be pulling them out one at a time on “rainy days” when we could use something new and exciting.

The toys that got put away first were the annoying ones. Anything that made noise is just not in rotation for now. I can see where some of these toys do have their place (Darah does continue to LOVE her battery-operated drums), but overall, I think all the noisy toys are just that: noise. oompa toys logo
That’s why I’m drawn to the online toy store, Oompa. Their tag line is, “NO BATTERIES. NO BLINKING LIGHTS. NO CARTOON-THEMED TOYS. PERIOD.” The founder, mompreneur Milanie Cleere, started Oompa because, “I felt there was something unnatural about surrounding my daughter with so many disposable toys. I wondered if she dreamt of copyrighted characters or if her first words would be ‘Dora’ or ‘Mickey’. I wondered if she would ever learn to use her imagination. She did, after all, play with toys that with the push of a single button did and said everything for her.”

But finding a good selection of toys that were designed to last and that weren’t covered with characters from television wasn’t exactly easy. She finally found what she was looking for in Europe, where they seem to know what they are doing when it comes to making high quality toys that inspire creative play.

While I was researching Oompa, I was especially impressed with the statement they make about how they ensure that they pick truly safe toys to sell. Their process includes extensive interviews with company representatives and annual onsite tours of manufacturing facilities where the toys they offer are made. That’s some serious quality control, and as a parent, does give me some confidence that the toys at Oompa are totally safe.

alphabet toys for kids Speaking of the toys at Oompa, let me tell you about the one we got to try out. It is the Twisterz Toys Alphabet Matcher. Basically it works like this: “A child twists the rings on the toy to choose a letter, then attempts to find the five objects on the ring that start with that letter! Alphabet It contains three extra sets of rings, covering 24 letters and 120 images!” It is recommended for children ages 3 and up, but Darah is already enjoying it now. While she can’t yet match up images and letters, she can name some of the pictures and some of the letters independently. And she really likes moving the rings around.

One thing I really like about the Twisterz Alphabet Matcher is that it is really portable (especially if you aren’t bringing along the extra rings). It can very easily fit in a diaper bag or a purse. I think it is going to be an especially helpful toy to have on long car rides, as it can occupy a child for quite some time, all without making obnoxious noises that the driver has to endure!

The other thing I like about this toy is that it engages a child in so many different ways. As your child plays with the Alphabet Matcher, s/he will work on motor skills, logic, problem solving and spelling.

My first experience with Oompa was a very positive one. Now I’ve got my eye on the Caterpillar Box as a second birthday gift idea for little D!

Buy it!: Oompa offers a tremendous variety of toys for your little one, so you should definitely check them out. The Twisterz Toys Alphabet Matcher
is available for $18.99.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will get your very own Alphabet Matcher, courtesy of Oompa! The contest will run until January 19th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me an item that Oompa Toys sells that is really catching your eye. Their selection is HUGE, so just look in the What’s New section!

My answer: This bird puzzle. Darah really loves birds right now, and it coordinates with her room! Perfect!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Oompa on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary item for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.