Earth Day is Fri. Apr. 22 this year and if you’re looking for easy ways to show our planet some love, you’ve come to the right place. While topics like climate change may seem overwhelming, everyone can do their part by something as simple as recycling.
To make turning trash into treasure as easy as can be, lots of family-friendly companies have partnered with Terracycle, a social enterprise currently in 21 countries that is diverting tons of waste away from landfills. Keep scrolling to see how you can be a part of this movement with brands you already use, not to mention companies that have their own programs in the works.
Mon Coeur New Again Program
Clothing brand Mon Couer wants parents to send their used clothes back to be up or downcycled. The New Again Program offers 40% off your next purchase for sending in used clothing, which will reduce waste and over usage of fabrics and keep items out of landfills.
Once Upon a Farm
All those baby food, smoothies and applesauces pouches an be easily recycled with Terracycle. Clean them out, dry them off and ship off so they can be sorted and pelletized––ready for a new life.
Cerebelly
Food pouches are super convenient, especially for on the go, but they add up quickly. If you're at a loss for what to do with them, head to Terracycle to snag a printable label! Add it to a box of used pouches, ship and repeat.
Hasbro
Tired of storing old games and toys? Recycle them! Hasbro's recycling program takes your kiddos old My Little Pony, Play-Doh, GI Joe and more and transforms them into things like play spaces, park benches and flower pots so they can continue to bring joy.
Honest Drink Pouch
Kiddos love their juice! Rather than tossing in the trash, save up the aluminum and plastic pouches (you can even keep the straws!) for recycling. Make sure the pouches are empty before shipping. When they are received, they'll be melted into hard plastic so they can be reshaped into something new again.
Spin Master
CNW Group/Spin Master
The new Spin Master Recycling Program gives a second life to your toys. All you have to do is sign up on the TerraCycle program page and mail in your old toys. Your old toys will be cleaned and melted into hard plastic so they can have a new lease on life by being made into items like park benches and picnic tables.
Gerber
Gerber
There are tons of Gerber products you can recycle, like baby food packaging (but no glass!), shrink labels, plastic containers, plastic lids, flexible plastic pouches and small and large hook Gerber baby clothing hangers. Once you have a full box of products, just send in with a free label and your products will be recycled free of charge.
L.O.L. Surprise!
L.O.L. Surprise! dolls are super fun, but they come with a ton of wrapping! Now you don't have to wonder what to do with it all. Just pack it up and ship to Terracycle and they'll do the rest.
Colgate
Don't toss those old toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes into the trash! Check out the simple programs from Terracycle where you can drop off in person or mail in so those old products don't end up in a landfill.
Carter's
Carter's has recently partnered with Terracycle to bring you Kidcycle, a way to recycle old baby and kids clothes. Not only can you send them in or drop off for free, but all your packages can even earn you Rewarding Moments points, too!
Target Car Seat Trade In
Target
A few times a year Target's car seat trade-in keeps millions of pounds of plastic from landfills. All you have to do is drop off your old seat at a participating Target location, get a coupon and rest easy that you're saving the planet, one seat at a time.
Nordstrom BEAUTYCYCLE
iStock
We mamas have tons of products that could end up in the trash––or get recycled! Nordstrom's BEAUTYCYCLE program takes packaging from haircare, skincare, makeup and more so it doesn't head to a landfill. You can help them reach their goal of recycling 100 tons of packaging!
Stasher
Stasher bags already keeps tons of waste out of landfills, but even they don't last forever. When you send them in for recycling, they'll be. cleaned and ground into a crumb-like powder which is used for playground, athletic field or track ground cover.
Teva
Send your beloved Teva sandals on one last adventure through TevaForever. The recycling program turns them into melted hard plastic so they can go on to live in athletic and playground tracks.
VTech & LeapFrog
When your little has outgrown their fave learning or electronic toy, recycle it! The free program will melt down your old toys and transform them into materials used in new playground and park equipment.
If you were to ask a child if playing and learning were the same things, you might get a resounding no! However, toy manufacturers and parents alike have found a way to help children simultaneously learn and play. With so many options to choose from, USDISH has put together our choices for the top 10 interactive tech toys, emphasizing ones that encourage gross motor skills, educational stimulation, and social learning.
Building on our previous list of exceptional kids toys, we’ve assembled the latest and greatest on the market for this year. Keep reading to find out if your child’s favorite toy is on our list or discover new ones to introduce to your family—all in the name of playtime.
1. Pai Technology Botzees Building & Coding Kit for Children: Pai brings modern tech to little hands with its robotics coding kit. And the best part? Kids can see their code come to life in augmented reality. Best for kids ages 3–8 years old.
2. Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad: If you own an iPad, the Osmo Starter Kit is a great way to give kids some screen time that’s safe and educational. Kids learn the basic hand movements for forming letters, mixing and matching, and making shapes. Best for kids ages 3–5 years old.
3. VTech KidiZoocan m SmartWatch DX2: The SmartWatch DX2 functions as a regular watch with analog or digital watch face options, but works as a smart device too. Kids can capture videos, play brain teaser games, and track active time with a pedometer reader. Best for kids ages: 4–12 years old.
4. LeapFrog My Own Leaptop: Perfect for curious little hands, the LeapFrog Leaptop provides kids with ways to explore letters, music, animals, and shapes—all with the ability to connect online to LeapFrog’s Learning Path. Best for kids ages: 2–4 years old.
5. VTech Touch & Learn Activity Desk Deluxe: One of the hardest things about toddlers is getting them to sit for longer than four seconds, but the activities on the VTech Desk can keep even the most mobile children interested. There’s plenty for your toddler to see and feel with five pages that teach numbers, letters, fruits, and colors. Best for ages: 2–5 years old.
6. Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet: Give your kids the benefit of Amazon’s FreeTime Unlimited content—including your favorite shows, apps, and books—without the risk of unprotected internet use. The Amazon Fire Tablet provides your kids hours of fun on or off Wi-Fi and makes for the ideal travel item. Best for kids ages: 3–12 years old.
7. VTech Little Apps Tablet: Perfect for parents looking to introduce gadgets to little hands without paying the price tag for the real deal, the VTech Little Apps Tablet provides 12 different learning activities with a screen that lights up. Activity topics include letters, matching, counting, math, and music. Best for kids ages: 2–5 years old.
8. Hot Dots Jr. Phonics Fun: Introduce reading in a whole new way with Hot Dots Jr. Phonics Fun. Kids can master vowel sounds, letters, and even words as they play the day away. Best for kids ages: 4–6 years old.
9. Osmo Genius Kit: Turn iPad time into learning time with the Osmo Genius Kit. With five apps available, your kid can learn problem-solving, self-expression, visual thinking, math, and spelling in a digitally-safe environment. Best for ages: 6–10 years old.
10. Harry Potter Coding Kit: Want to unlock some truly magical learning? Why not try Alohomora? The Harry Potter Coding Kit teaches your young witch or wizard how to build their own wand with codeable LEDs, code more than 70 spells, and make objects fly on screen. Best for ages 6 and up.
Kids learning through play combines fun for the child with stimulating educational experiences. Incorporating toys in their lives that offer a combination of entertainment and education is one great way to achieve both.
Along with toy selection, parents can consider turning on subtitles while watching a favorite show to encourage reading, or using cooking time to learn the difference between subtraction and addition.
Many industries are switching to more eco-friendly practices, and the toy industry is hopping on board. VTech has announced that it has plans to launch a variety of green electronic learning products throughout 2021––working towards the company’s goal of replacing fossil-based plastics with sustainable alternatives by 2030.
Both VTech and LeapFrog will be dropping a combined seven new eco-friendly products this year. In addition to green alternatives for toy construction, VTech packaging currently is made up of 94 percent recyclable materials and the company is committed to getting rid of fossil-based blister packaging by 2025.
Kids will soon be able to play with three new vehicles in the Go! Go! Smart Wheels line made from plant-based plastic, and the Sort & Recycle Ride-on Truck made from reclaimed plastic. Looking for LeapFrog products? Keep your eyes peeled for a new Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot with vegetables and accessories made from plant-based plastic, and two new wooden toys that include a Touch & Learn Nature ABC Board and Interactive Wooden Animal Puzzle.
Dr. Allan Wong, Chairman and Group CEO of VTech Holdings Limited states, “VTech’s sustainability vision is to create sustainable value for the lives of people and protect the planet for the future generations. We are committed to using sustainable materials in our products and packaging and recycling them in a responsible way, using eco-friendly transportation modes in our supply chain management, increasing the use of renewable energy and reducing the consumption of natural resources in our production process.”
So how else is VTech changing the toy landscape? The company is taking part in post-consumer packaging recycling programs in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand, included packaging recycling labels like “How2Recycle®” its packaging to promote awareness and has partnered with recycling companies like TerraCycle® as an easy avenue for consumers to recycle products.
You can learn more about VTech’s sustainability efforts and achievements at vtech.com.
Can you believe it?! Another trip around the sun—time to celebrate! Trying to find the perfect gift for the young kiddo in your life can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With so many options, what to pick?
We’ve teamed up with VTech and LeapFrog to bring you a curated list of fun and engaging toys that make learning new skills a snap! For ages 1-5, you’ll find a variety of gifts that will spark their imagination, get their bodies moving and their brains firing on all cylinders. Ready. Set. Go! (And discover the perfect gift by age and stage!)
For Ages 1-2
Stroll & Discover Activity Walker™
From floor play to first steps, the Stroll & Discover Activity Walker™ grows with your little one. The easy-to-remove activity panel is great for floor play and is packed with features and the legs fold for easy storage.
When you get the Sort & Recycle Ride-On Truck™, you’re already doing your part to help the earth! This recycling truck is made from plastic that is 90% reclaimed.
Hold 100 animals in your hands with the touch-sensitive pages of the 100 Animals Book™! Six double-sided, interactive pages feature animals from 12 habitats and environments.
Fix and play with the Drill & Learn Toolbox™! Open this toddler-friendly toolbox and get ready for role-play fun with the included electronic fix-it tray, working toy drill, hammer, wrench, nails and screws.
Win the learning game with the Count & Win Sports Center™. Toddlers get their muscles moving with a soccer ball to exercise their legs and feet, and a basketball to get little arms and hands working.
Learning is sweet when pretending to run your own ice cream cart. Create imaginative and tasty-looking ice cream combinations using delicious ice cream flavors and toppings.
An exciting adventure awaits with the LeapLand Adventures™ learning video game. Kids go on a quest and learn about letters, numbers, shapes and colors along the way.
The Write & Learn Creative Center™ provides children with an interactive and fun way to give them a head start on how to write. Animated demonstrations help preschoolers follow along to learn proper stroke order for uppercase and lowercase letters.
Learn and create with the Explore & Write Activity Desk™! This interactive desk features five activity pages filled with engaging content including letters, numbers, music, colors and more.
Blue’s Clues is back with a new host, Josh. Blue’s Clues & You! has a new generation of preschoolers searching for clues with their favorite puppy, Blue. Now, LeapFrog is bringing Blue’s Clues & You! to life with Blues Clues toys that help your child recreate the magic of the show.
Play & Learn Thinking Chair
The Play & Learn Thinking Chair is a great place for your preschooler to sit and solve their own game of Blue’s Clues. They can press the light-up buttons to listen to clues, music and sounds.
Really Smart Handy Dandy Notebook
The Really Smart Handy Dandy Notebook lets your child talk on the phone with Blue and Josh, check email with Mailbox and dance along to playful songs and tunes inspired by the series.
Target recently announced its 2019 Top Toys List—and you can’t miss these big red bullseye retailer play-time picks!
Even though you might not have holiday shopping on the brain, Target does. That’s why the retailer is busy adding more than 10,000 new and exclusive toys in stores and online. While not all 10,000 made it onto the 2019 list, the top toys do include plenty of “exclusive” options that you’ll want to check out for yourself. The list includes toys for your child’s imaginative side:
Free-streaming service The Roku Channel has just expanded its popular platform to include kids and family-friendly content, but you’ll have to sit through ads.
The Roku Channel is one of the most popular streaming services thanks to the fact that it doesn’t cost viewers a dime to watch shows. Instead, like broadcast television you have to sit through a handful of ads to enjoy free programming.
photo: Courtesy of Roku
Now Roku has added new offerings with the addition of a section called Kids & Family. Roku is also rolling out Parental Control features for The Roku Channel giving parents tools to control what kids have access to on the platform.
The new category includes over 7,000 movies and episodes from more than 20 partners including All Spark, A Hasbro Company, Mattel, Nelvana and Happy Kids TV, with shows and characters like Bob the Builder, Care Bears, Leapfrog, Little Baby Bum, Super Mario Bros., My Little Pony and Thomas & Friends.
Like the rest of The Roku Channel, young viewers will need to sit through ads to watch. However, the platform promises that compared to network television, the ads will be fewer and they will only be age-appropriate. The Kids & Family category isn’t on a separate app and can be accessed from the main landing page.
Subscribers who use The Roku Channel to access paid premium content, like Nickelodeon and HBO will be able to see the kids content offered by those providers under the Kids & Family section. The new category is available as of now on Roku Streamers and Roku TVs, but for the moment it will not be available via the digital app, which means it can’t be viewed on smartphones or tablets.
Whether your baby is doing an army crawl on their elbows or a sprint on all fours, crawling is a game-changer, adding new fun activities and putting major baby-proofing-pressure on parents. Here are 15 items, from safety must-haves to fun toys, that’ll make your life with a tiny mover easier.
Clever Cabinet Locks
Lock away breakables and cleaning supplies with the Safety 1st Magnetic Locking System. Cabinet locks come in all forms, from the slide locks that wrap around knobs in the front to the latches that go inside of them. Although they can take some time to install, magnetic locks are the most secure of the bunch. Pick up extra magnetic keys so you won't get locked out of your cabinets along with your little one.
Once your baby is on the move, they'll love having new places to go. A tunnel gives them a fun place to crawl through and hide, with interesting colors and textures. Especially great for small apartments and rainy days indoors.
Your newly mobile babe loves having toys that go where they go. These Animals on Wheels are a fresh alternative to pushing cars and trucks through the house. Each one comes with a handle that makes it easy for new crawlers to hold on to. These toys are made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs.
Hardwood floors can be slippery for crawlers. Go Little One Go puts safety grips on the knees of cute leggings so babies have traction while they're on the move. These pants are machine washable and come in a bunch of colors, including black, pink and indigo.
Sometimes, you might want your on-the-go kid to stay in place for a few minutes. That's when a learning table comes in handy. Featuring musical instruments and more than 70 songs, the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table Activity Center can be plopped on the floor for crawlers to explore, or put up on the included legs when your crawler starts pulling up to stand.
Outlets are unfortunately at baby height, so they're enticing for little fingers. Keep them off limits with sliding outlet covers, like KidCo's Universal Outlet Cover. Slide the cover to plug something in, and then when you remove the plug, the cover slides back into place.
Now that your baby can go, go, go, they'll love crawling to catch this adorable, rattling ball from Skip Hop, which comes complete with teethers, beads and openings that make it easy to grasp. Comes in three adorable animals: hedgehog, fox and owl.
Tire out your baby before naptime with the Little Tikes Li'l Ocean Explorers Ball Chase Octopus. It automatically releases balls from the octopus's tentacles, so your baby will have lots of opportunities to chase after the colored balls. It also teaches fine motor skills and coordination.
Keep dangling cords in control and out of reach of curious baby hands with the Hanging Cable Loft Cord Keeper. Thought up by industrial design students from the Rhode Island School of Design, it'll keep six cords from tangling on the floor behind your desk, while a silicone strip keeps the whole thing in place.
Crawlers love to chase after rolling toys, and you'll love this one because it's made of reclaimed wood, so it's eco-friendly. Non-toxic, VOC-free paint means your little one won't be exposed to harmful chemicals when they decide to give it a nibble.
Your crawler will be pulling themselves up to stand in no time. And that means many new things become accessible to them, including televisions that aren't mounted to the wall. To keep your baby from pulling the TV onto themselves, get some heavy-duty straps to secure it in place, like these anti-tip TV straps from Teddykins.
Here's another ball your baby is sure to love. It doesn't roll across the floor like any old ball, it vibrates and wobbles in all different directions, making ball play even more fun for newbie crawlers.
Crawlers love discovering new things and then putting them in their mouths. So keep cleaning products up high and locked away, especially laundry detergent pods. Tide Pods Child-Guard Pack comes with a child-guard zipper for a little extra protection and peace of mind.
This supercute bee uses lights, music and buzzing sounds to entertain and encourage your little crawler. The bee is removable for even more play, and the cloud it's cradled in can move in circles or a random pattern to keep your baby intrigued.
Crawlers are ready to move from slipper socks to adorable moccasins. This handmade pair from Etsy seller Curly and Gus Baby Co comes adorned with woodland animals: bunnies, owls and foxes. You can choose faux suede soles that won't slip, or pick waterproof rubber soles that are extra grippy.
Kindergarten is an exciting time for children but it can also be a stressful time of change, not just for little ones, but for parents too. Although each child is unique and develops at his or her own pace, most educators and experts agree that four key areas of development are essential for further growth and achievement in school.
To help your child adjust to kindergarten and make a smooth transition, here are a few ways parents can support these key areas of development at home:
Vocabulary and Oral Language Development
Encourage your child to communicate through words. Ask your child to tell you a story, and ask questions that encourage them to be descriptive. For example, if your child says a dog was chasing a stick, ask what color was the dog? Did he run fast or slow? Was the stick big or small? In public, give your child opportunities to speak for themselves or make requests. If they’re asked what they want to eat and drink at a restaurant, let them reply, even if you know what they want.
Social-Emotional Skills
Children will use social-emotional skills every day in kindergarten, whether they’re asking a teacher for help, being polite to classmates or following instructions. Scheduling a fun, unstructured play date is a great way to let children interact with their peers, helping them learn to share and express themselves through play.
Small Motor Control
Developing small motor skills can be as easy as coloring with your child and cutting with scissors – anything that gets those fingers and toes moving! Other great activities include putting puzzles together, building with blocks, throwing, catching and kicking a ball, riding a tricycle and outdoor activities like running, jumping and climbing.
Attention to Sensory and Visual Detail
Paying attention to our senses is a mindful practice that can help children in the academic world of kindergarten. Noticing textures, smells and tastes, and using language to describe these details provide vocabulary development as well as encourage children to compare and contrast their experiences. Offer a variety of snacks during snacktime and ask your child to describe the food with words like sweet or sour, crunchy or juicy, rough or smooth. When playing with puzzles, ask your child to sort the puzzle pieces and then describe what the pieces share – colors, patterns, edges, or other visual details.
Children enter kindergarten at many different levels, so don’t worry if your child hasn’t mastered all his or her letters, sounds and numbers yet. Their teacher will practice these skills with your child throughout the school year, but you can help by continuing to reinforce them at home.
Dr. Clement Chau is the Director of the Learning Team for VTech and LeapFrog. Along with Dr. Chau, the Learning Team includes subject area experts in early literacy, science education, and early mathematics who oversee the design, creation, and production of VTech and LeapFrog toys, books, and digital products.
Ever wanted to be a fly on a wall when your kid is with his friends? A 33-year-old father on Reddit did just that: he spent the day in his daughter’s kindergarten class. After his visit, he took to Reddit to discuss some of his thoughts.
Top Ten Observations From a Day in Kindergarten
My daughter’s school participates in a program called WATCH D.O.G.S, which encourages dads to volunteer one day a year in their kid’s school. Part of it is to bond with your kid and see what their day is like, the other part is to be a positive male role model for other students who don’t have a lot of that in their lives, especially in elementary schools where 99% of the staff are typically female. These are my top ten thoughts and observations:
The day started with a fire drill. Followed by a “lock down drill,” which we didn’t have when I was in school. All four classes piled into a single classroom and had to be absolutely quiet and still while the lights were off and the doors were locked. Scary to think about, but necessary in today’s pre-Trump world.
The “star student of the week” brought a tablet for show and tell. Everyone got excited. He pulled out what looked to be one of those cheap LeapFrog devices. Kids started peppering him with questions…”can you play Angry Birds or Crossy Road?” “No.” “Can you FaceTime?” “No.” I felt bad for him….he was excited to show off his favorite toy and immediately got railroaded by the iPad posse.
I spent most of my classroom time playing Chutes and Ladders with rotations of kids. They also had a card game called Line Up that’s sort of like solitaire. My educational contribution was telling them “those upside down hearts are called spades….those clovers are called clubs. Tell your mommy you want to go Vegas for spring break.
10:45 AM — time to force feed myself lunch. I rarely finish my coffee before 11, much less have lunch. Made the rest of the day seem extra long. Also the kid sitting next to us didn’t have a spoon for his pudding and was TERRIFIED to ask for one. SEINFELD REFERENCE #1: It was like asking The Soup Nazi for bread. YOU DON’T HAVE A SPOON? NO PUDDING FOR YOU. NEXT!!!
I’m so glad I have girls. Boys would randomly do karate chops, push each other and try to stir up trouble. Also about half of them were wearing Star Wars shirts. I asked a couple what their favorite Star Wars movie is and they all answered that they’re “not allowed to see the movies but watch the cartoons.” Interesting. I told them that when they’re older to skip the prequels and prepare for Slave Leia to make them feel funny inside. And not to get too attached to Han Solo.
Was fascinating to see the gender differences in action. The teacher divided them up to turn geometric shapes into animals. The girls worked together, sharing ideas and encouragement. The boys turned into cavemen, arguing and fighting, grunting and growling.
To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld (reference #2) recess was like “running a blender without a top.” Or a prison break. Pick your metaphor. One of the boys ripped my sunglasses off and refused to give them back. 33 years old and I’m still getting bullied. I was going to tell him the truth about Santa, Tooth Fairy and Darth Vader if he didn’t give them back. #revenge
Post-recess, an urgent meeting was called for the entire grade. Apparently several of our “kindergarten friends” were picking up trash on the playground and putting it in their mouths. This was a deadly serious meeting, in which I had to bite my lip. Leave it to a teacher to turn a negative into a positive — she’s bringing work gloves and trash bags. “If you want to pick up trash, you can help clean up your playground instead of making your mouth dirty.” Also, hide and seek and tag have been banned until further notice because “several of our friends have been pushed and gotten hurt.” #Yolo
I participated in most of PE. Jumping jacks, squats, etc. Gym teacher said I was one of the few dads who’s been able to touch their toes. #Winning I did, however, have to sit out yoga. Hard to do downward dog and candle pose in jeans.
Teachers are really good actors. They run their classrooms like drill sergeants. I don’t want to say mean…but definitely very strict. And they have to be to keep control. But then they would turn to me to chat and would be super sweet. It was a switch they could flip on and off. Never crossed my mind that teachers are playing characters. And after spending a day in their shoes, I have the utmost respect for who anyone who dedicates their lives to molding young minds….especially kindergarteners!
Then we came home. And I immediately took a nap.
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Have you shadowed your kid’s class? How did it go? Tell us in the comments below!