Results tagged “kids” from The official blog of Vat19.com

OK, this is so adorable that it's a little overwhelming.

There are babies popping up all over the place in my family, and I am very tempted to purchase this hand knit teddy bear hat for all of them. Not only is it cute, but it looks very well made and super warm. I love the details of the braided ties and little bow (although I'm not sure if the bow is included). It also helps that they have a very sweet little baby modeling it. I could pinch those cheeks!

Anyway... at $26.00, it would make a great gift for your favorite little one that they could hold on to as a keepsake as they get older.

It may not look like much, but the Carson Micro Max Lighted Microscope is a fun little gadget. It's small enough to fit in your pocket, but it has the power to magnify things from 60-100x! Plus, it has a built-in light, so you can see your subjects much clearer.

This would be a really fun stocking stuffer for kids. They'd have a ball running all over the house looking at everyday objects like money, their toys, or even the dog (if the animal is willing to cooperate, that is). It'd also be fun outside, checking out flowers, trees, bugs, you name it! They'll be having so much fun, they won't even realize they're learning.

Who doesn't love finding little surprises every once in a while? You reach into your coat pocket to put away your keys and - what is this? - a $20 bill you totally forgot about. Sweet!

The Wonderball from Channel Craft has a whole lot of these little surprises wrapped up in an unassuming ball of yarn. As you unwind it, little "trinkets of the past" like charms, jacks, and jewels are revealed. You never know what you're gonna get - how fun is that? Once you're done unwinding, you can play Cat's Cradle games or make friendship bracelets based on the instructions included with the toy. Nothing like All-American, wholesome goodtimes.

This shark-shaped tent is really neat for kids. It isn't scary looking and also isn't too cute.

How fun would it be for kids to camp out (even if it is only in the backyard) in one of these? You could bring a portable DVD player along and watch Shark Week DVDs inside the Shark Tent!

If you've been a long-time reader of the Vat19.com blog, you know that we like dinosaurs. We like them so much that we sell Walking Dinosaur Pencil Sharpeners, a Big Belly Dinosaur Bank that eats coins, and a Wishosaurus to hold birthday candles over at our store. When I saw this little night light, I knew I had to write about it.

The Big Mouth Dinosaur Night Light is a cute, color-changing night light. It can be removed from its base so kids can carry it around. It does not require batteries and can be recharged. A full charge can last for 8 hours!

These Crayon Rings are pretty neat looking. You probably can't color very well while wearing them on your fingers, but they are still a fun shape. The set of 8 rings costs $50, which is a lot to spend on crayons for kids. They'd probably break quickly!

If you want to find a unique coloring gift for kids that is affordable and durable, check out Smencils Scented Colored Pencils.

I've said this so many times, and I'm going to say it again here - "Where was this toy when I was a kid?!?"

Back in the 80s, my waterslide was basically a strip of yellow tarp. Don't get me wrong, I loved it. We'd lay it on the big hill in my grandparents' backyard and slide for hours, ending up with some serious grass burns by the end of the day. But holy cow, if we'd had the 3D Shark Bite Waterslide back then, I don't think you'd have ever gotten us back inside.

As you can see, the slide features a big ol' shark's mouth that you slide through. If that wasn't cool enough, it comes with 3D goggles, so the shark's mouth really pops, making the ride, well, at least 3 times more thrilling. It also appears to have a "guard" at the end so you don't fling off into the grass like I used to in the old days. Safety first, kids.

Maybe kids will actually be willing to hang up their own clothes if they're able to do it with these super-fun Apehangers. The clothes hang off of the ape's legs and his upright arm serves as the hook to hang him up. See?

Cute, no? The trouble here is the cost. At $20 per hanger, you could easily get 20 regular hangers for the same price. But those are regular hangers, and this is an eco-friendly and organic monkey hanger that can also be used as wall decoration. So, there you go.

Sunprints are seriously magic. All you need to create these unique photographs, also called cyanotypes, are sunlight, light-sensitive paper, water, and whatever object you want to photograph (leaves, coins, flowers, etc). The Sunlight Print Kit includes the light-sensitive paper, instruction/project booklet, templates, and a pen for marking your photographs. Mother Nature will provide the sunlight, water, and your inspiration. Here are a couple examples:

Cool, huh? Now that summer is nearing, this would make a great outdoor activity for kids, as well as adults who just need a fun and creative outlet. And be sure to check out Vat19.com for even more outdoor fun!

Nowadays lots of adults (with real jobs and actual important business to tend to) don't even use business cards anymore. It's simply easier to enter someone's info to your cell phone or add them to your email address book. Exchanging info is done in about 3 seconds without any little cards to keep track of.

Play date cards are pretty much like business cards for little kids. They might be cute, but I can't be the only person who sees these as a pretentious waste of money. Some parents must think their child is important and serious enough to require cards with pertinent contact information. Oh, please.

Behold the cuteness that is Teddy Ruxpin. An 80s classic, he was one of the toys that I longed for as a child and never received, which is something I'm still a bit bitter about. I mean, look at him with his sweet little face. I had no idea he was still around, but apparently, good ol' Teddy has been updated for the 21st century.

He still has the same cuddly looks and soft, calming voice as the original, but now uses MP3 cartridges instead of analog tapes. How tech-savvy of him. He is also a bit smaller and not as heavy as the original. If I had kids, I'd totally buy one so that I could vicariously relive my childhood.

Be sure to check out Vat19.com for more huggable plush toys.

I am in love with this wallpaper. And that's kind of saying a lot, because I hate wallpaper in general. But seriously, this is one of the greatest ideas ever.

Initial thought: This would be perfect for a kid's room. They would always have something to color, draw, and paint on. The only trouble I see is that kids can only reach so high, so after a while they're bound to start dragging kitchen chairs or unstable boxes into their rooms to reach the higher frames. Solution? Do a chair rail around the room and only put the wallpaper on the bottom third of the wall.

Besides kid's rooms, though, this would also be great for teenagers so they can display all their funky photos in a more creative way and appealing way than, say, sticking them into a mirror or to a corkboard. And actually, this wallpaper might also be cool in a bathroom. As we've all experienced in public restrooms, people like to write and doodle on walls while they do their business, and their creations would give you something to look at / read while you're doing your business. Just be ready for some not-so-nice stuff, depending how how obscene your friends can get. That's what White-Out is for, I suppose.

OK, so I totally had no idea that the Radio Flyer people made anything besides the classic red wagon. But they do. Check out their Retro Rocket:

My original impression of this was that it was big enough for the child to sit inside the rocket, which I thought was super cool. But then I saw a different picture and realized it was just a seat that you sit on top of, which disappointed me a little. However, the Retro Rocket has a whole slew of special effects that still make it a really awesome gift for the little boy, or little tomboy, in your life. It has a 3-2-1 blast-off count and a vibrating motor action to simulate take-off, plus "astronaut and space" sounds, working lights, and a clicking cone. There is also a storage compartment under the seat, which I think kids love. It's like their own secret hiding place. Plus, it's just a cool-looking toy - all shiny and red and retro-like.

Radio Flyer also offers the Little Red Roadster, which doesn't have as many features as the rocket, but it still has that awesome retro vibe. And for the kids who love cars, there's the Sport Coupe. What's great about this one is that a child can actually open the car door and sit inside. And, when they get tired of pushing themselves all around, they can put up their feet in the "stow away" footrest and get pushed around by mom or dad using the telescoping handle.

I know there are a lot of other "cooler" cars for kids out there, like $350 Jeeps and Mustangs that have actual working foot pedals and AM/FM radios. But those just seem so blingy. I love the simple, classic look and feel of the Radio Flyer vehicles. It's refreshing.

I would've begged and begged for this TV if it would've been around when I was a kid! A small TV that looks like a crab is just plain awesome. In fact, I dare say it is 100% Curiously Awesome.

At the moment, it doesn't look like the Plush Crab TV is available. The manufacturer, Hannspree, also has other really neat TVs in unique shapes. They make TVs surrounded by an apple, firetruck, monkey, baseball, and more. Geniuses.

I am outraged.

Baby Bangs! HAIR+bands are basically headbands with faux hair attached for babies from 0-9 months. This tot-sized toupee, as the website states, was created "for baby girl's [sic], with little or no hair at all, to enhance their natural beauty." Here is a before-and-after:

Is anyone else ticked off by this? The world already puts enough pressure on young girls to look a certain way; we do NOT need to start "enhancing beauty" before the kid even hits 1! Let them enjoy their lack of hair (and frankly, their freedom) while they can! They have plenty of years ahead full of the hassles of blow-drying, teasing, and highlighting.

As far as I can tell, the main reason this product was created was to spare mothers (and/or fathers) the embarrassment of their baby girl being mistaken for a boy. I have a feeling that any parent that would be seriously annoyed or hurt by this innocent mistake would be the type that dresses their baby in extremely girly outfits, full of pink hearts and purple ruffles, therefore totally eliminating any possibility that the child could be mistaken for a boy in the first place. So, why burden the kid with a hairpiece?

Furthermore, what baby is going to allow this thing to be perched atop her head? I've held and babysat my share of babies, and in my experience, they squirm a lot. No wonder the makers of this product had to use a baby doll to illustrate the six-step process (six steps!) to secure and style the band on your baby's head. I take issue with steps 2, 4, and 6, specifically. Steps 2 and 4 require the use of a rattail comb, and step 6 suggests hairspray. HAIRSPRAY! As I said, babies move a lot. Their heads wobble, and they've got those soft spots that I'm always so paranoid about. I'm not about to go wielding a pointy comb and a can of hairspray around their fragile and still-developing heads.

If you ask me, the only time a Baby Bangs! HAIR+band is appropriate is if it's on top of a Cabbage Patch Doll's head, or mopping your floor.

Bald is beautiful, people, especially on babies. Embrace it!

There's something inherently funny about people (yes, even kids) getting hit in the head with balls. It seems to be funnier if the ball is big and the kid is small. It isn't funny if it is on purpose or if serious injury results. If it is an accident and nothing too awful happens, then it is hilarious.

Why hasn't America's Funniest Home Videos dedicated an entire show to this!?

This one is so funny. The little girl is running along and then, WHAM, down she goes.

The likelihood of this ever happening again and also being caught on tape is so rare, making this one of the greatest hit-in-the-head videos ever. It's great how you see him start running at the beginning. He slides pretty far after going down.

The force of the giant ball makes this little girl do a faceplant into the grass. Listen to all of the adults laugh it up while she's crying. It is so difficult not to laugh at this stuff!

A montage of people getting hit in the head!

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/voteprime/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/thevoicewithin/

Have you ever walked into a store and noticed a sign that says "No Heelys"? The fact that stores even have to put up signs for this is ridiculous. Kids need to stop shoe-skating around in public places where it isn't appropriate because it is really annoying for everyone else.

I've seen kids slam into racks of clothing, fall because they don't know how to use their "cool" shoes, and run into other shoppers or pedestrians. I'm cool with kids having and using Heelys, but their parents need to teach them when they can and cannot use them. If they can't follow those rules, then bye-bye Heelys. Furthermore, kids that are so immature that they are "skating" around the mall shouldn't be unattended at the mall to begin with.

The other day I saw a sign next to an escalator warning people to use caution when wearing Crocs sandals. Are you joking? How many feet have been mutilated by an escalator to warrant a sign like this? How stupid are people? The fact that this particular brand and style of shoe was singled out is pretty crazy. Then again, the amount of kids (ugh, and adults) that I've seen wearing Crocs is huge so it's no wonder something stupid happened to someone.

What makes parents think that a chunk of whole-punched plastic is appropriate daily footwear for a child? Kids are always running around and climbing, and I wouldn't think these are the safest choice. Playing at the beach or a place where you'll want to hose them off - fine. Running around - you're asking for a fall and a possible injury. Those things don't even stay on feet securely, they start to smell despite the ventilation, and they are clunky and pretty ugly.

Crocs are everywhere. They are even sold in Hallmark stores. Why does a card/stationary/gift store sell shoes?

I know kids like things that are colorful, but I'm getting sick of seeing all those little charms that fit in the holes of the Crocs. But, I'll give that a break since I'm from the generation that drilled holes in dice to put them on the strings of our Adidas jackets.

Adults who wear Crocs is a whole other issue. Unless you have a job where your shoes are likely to get gross and need to be washed frequently, then you probably shouldn't be wearing bright, plastic clogs. I just don't get the fascination with them. What's wrong with a pair of flip flops? Are they worried they'll stub a toe? Are these things that comfortable that they'll disregard the hideous style?