Archive for the ‘Family Times’ Category
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
STEP 2 Neat and Tidy Cottage Bright
All companies are run by people, and a few companies have people with capability, vision and respect . For me as a toy shop owner, STEP2 are within that small group of companies that have a real story.
STEP2 are the market leading manufacturer of “rotational” plastic toys. Rotational plastics is the process of manufacturing hollow plastic products such as this Step 2 Neat and Tidy Cottage.
STEP2 was founded by Tom Murdough in 1991. But the real interesting aspect is that Murdough previously founded Little Tikes which he sold to a company that is now owned by MGA Entertainment of Bratz and Moxie Girlz fame.
After 5 years managing Little Tikes, he then left and 2 years later set up STEP 2 with five employees. It has now grown to its present 800-plus full-time employees.
Now if you look at the range of both companies, they are selling the same products to the same people through fairly much the same shops. However this didn’t get in the way of a good party as when Little Tikes held a 40th anniversary party, they had the generosity to invite the founder and former chairman, he had the generosity to accept.
Can you imagine the awkwardness during that party “So tell me Tom what did you do with all that money from selling Little Tikes!!!”.
There are two unique factors when considering a purchase of STEP 2.
Firstly their plastics use a high content of UV stabilisers allowing the colours to remain clear and bright year after year.
Secondly as a result of manufacturing nearly everything in The US, they can innovate very quickly and test market new lines of toys without considerable expense and without huge time lags.
The feedback we in Mimitoys get from our Parent customers is twofold. Firstly the excellent attention to detail that stimulates play and secondly the robustness of the toys – they last generations. A Step2 purchase will be used by your children’s children. Just wipe off the mold and moss and it will still work.
These factors means I believe that it is a value for money toy.
Posted in Activities, Family Times, Outdoor Play, Parenting | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012
Starting with the less obvious issues
- Don’t allow children play on swings and slides where the grass underneath has had weedkiller applied , the chemicals that poison the weeds will likely do the same to your children.
- Soil cushions falls, soil with grass cushions even better. So site swings and slides on grassed soil or consider EN 71 artificial safety grass mats and place them under high fall points such as climbing wall.
TP Swing with Grass Underneath from Mimitoys
- Leave space between the play equipment and soft / hard garden features – and that includes thorny rose bushes - 1 - 2 meters approximately.
- Install the equipment with safety in mind. Obviously this means no short cuts in assembly but also and critically make sure the legs are steel bolt anchored into 4 concrete filled holes (18 inches diameter approx 24 inches deep). These concrete cylinders sit under the 4 extreme corners of the swing section under the soil level. Lastly ensure that that there is no visible concrete that a head could knock against. If there is cover the exposed concrete with padding.
- Associated with the above point is to ensure that the swing and slide set is not placed over a hard surface such tarmacadam, concrete or timber decking.
- Install it near your viewing window in the house, so that you can have a look at the child or children. Allowing you to react to falls or rough play.
- Never situate any garden play equipment under a tree with lower hanging branches. Children will reach for the branch, grab it, suspend from it and then fall from it. Honestly it’s a broken arm waiting to happen.
- Big children should never play on outdoor toys for small children, eg small plastic slide – heavily bumped heads are a likely outcome. Similarly small children should never play on outdoor toys for big children as per the above reason.
Climbing Outdoor Toy with Pirate Theme - Mimitoys
The Mimitoys recommendation depends on the age of your children. If all under 5 then firstly concentrate on a good outdoor climbing toy eg this Pirate Ship. These options are more social than pure swings and slides and don’t require an adult in constant attendance to push the swing.
If some children are over 5 then go for the full swing and slide, with as many features as your budget can stretch.
I particularly like the Suricate Wooden Play Centre, as you are getting a lot of features for the spend (€769.99 at time of writing incl delivery). Click here for details.
Conclusion. Swings & slides & children during summer sunny days are images that remain enshrined in the memory of parents. Pay a bit of attention to type of swing & slide, its quality and positioning and make sure those memories are not interrupted by trip(s) to the Accident & Emergency of your local hospital.
Tags: outdoor toys, Swings & Slides
Posted in Activities, Family Times, Outdoor Play, Parenting, Play Ideas | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
Now that Mimitoys has extended its range of outdoor toys in time for a glorious (?) summer ahead, I have had lots of queries about which toys I would recommend most for family outdoor fun. Of course I think that all our range is fabulous - that’s why I picked it! - but I have a few favourites that I’ll share with you here.
From the deservedly popular TP Toys, I have to finally admit that I have caved in and am thinking of getting a TP Star Trampoline with Surround for my 3 older kids. I have held out for years, arguing safety, cost and size concerns, but the health, fitness and fun advantages have finally outweighed any issues I had. The new breed of trampolines like those from TP have sturdy, high surrounds and clever safety features that keep feet safe from springs. Of course, these are only of full benefit when adult supervision is applied liberally and only one person bounces at a time, but that’s not unreasonable! I also have high hopes of a new toned me when I start my own bounce routine…
Of course you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get the kids outside. One of my family’s favourite toys is the Hand Catcherball. At €6.95, it’s probably not going to break the bank but I promise you little kids love it! The TP Garden Games range also offers a nice selection of activities from seesaws to badminton/high jump sets, not to mention the ever popular Football Goal sets.
We have just started stocking one of my favourite outdoor toys: Swingball. I’m sure that it’s not just me who has fond memories of thwacking a tennis ball for hours on end in a sunny corner of the garden. Swingball also manufactures a useful range of junior basketball hoops that are compact and portable. Both swingball and basketball are obviously ideal for the garden, but are equally good for daytrips or holidays by car.
What we really need to have fun outside is, however, some good weather. We haven’t yet managed to find a reliable supplier for that, but when we do, you’ll find it first at Mimitoys!
Tags: baby toys, doll houses, dollhouse, early learning toys, outdoor toys, toy shop, toy store, wooden toys
Posted in Family Times, Play Ideas | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
The summer passed by in a blur and suddenly here we are, 3 weeks into the new school year and the kids are already exhausted. I know that a lot of the tiredness comes from settling into a new routine and new classroom, with new teachers, but I also think that the modern approach to parenting could also be to blame.
When I think back to my childhood, I remember a lot of “down time”: home from school, something to eat, relax a bit, watch telly, play with my toys and then homework. After school activities were restricted to once or twice a week and every evening was spent with my family.
Consider the 3 or 4 after school activities, the 2 evening activities and the weekend exploits of my kids, and there doesn’t seem to be much time left for the family to spend together. I don’t think that we have signed our kids up for more than other parents and I think that there is great peer and school pressure to get involved in everything. Obviously the opportunities offered to our children are much more exciting than those offered in our youth, but I wonder whether we have got the balance right?
What do kids do when there is nothing organised to amuse them? What happens when they get bored? I don’t think our kids are learning to amuse themselves and think that it’s interesting that nearly all activities are adult-directed and not led by the children. Will this breed a generation of passive adults, waiting to be told what to do? Or will it create a well rounded group who have experienced everything and therefore made informed choices about their lives?
I don’t know the answer, but I do know that if I have to stand on the side of a sodden football pitch one more time this season…
Tags: baby toys, computer games, construction toys, doll houses, dollhouse, early learning toys, outdoor toys, toy shop, toy store, wooden toys
Posted in Family Times, Parenting, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, May 17th, 2010
When I look at toys on our suppliers’ websites, their stands at toy fairs and their brochures, it’s always in the back of my mind, “Would my kids play with that?”. I have to stop myself just shopping for my children. I know that all kids are different and have different tastes, but I think that I cover a good selection amongst my four - the Quiet, Booky One; the Noisy, Physical One; the Inquisitive One; and the Nurturing, Caring One. The trouble is that any one of my kids could be all of these in one day!
With that thought, I want to share my selection of toys that any of my kids and their friends will play with. Bearing in mind that the weather has been so kind recently (just turn the temperature up a bit and we’ll be even happier), I thought I would look at outdoor toys. None of these toys is particularly expensive or sophisticated, but I challenge your kids not to enjoy them:
- Our fabulous Gunther Kite selection - just add wind (never in short supply in Ireland) and you’ll have rosy cheeked laughing kids in no time;
- Spring Ball set - once they get the hang of this, they’ll be twanging around the garden (great for the beach too);
- Disk Balance - it’s egg and spoon racing, but not as you know it;
- Super Torpedo with Whistle - well, it just makes throwing the ball at each other even more fun; and
- Our cool Gunther Wind up Planes - excellent competition potential!
All these toys are available in our Outdoor Toy category http://tinyurl.com/mimioutdoortoys
Have a look and let me know what you think www.mimitoys.ie
Tags: baby toys, construction toys, doll houses, dollhouse, early learning toys, outdoor toys, toy shop, toy store, wooden toys
Posted in Activities, Family Times, Play Ideas, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
An extended weekend with the family playing together (and obviously bickering too) has got me thinking about an issue that we have to address regularly - when a child gets hooked on a particular computer game. For a while recently we had an absent child - he was there in body, but there was no interaction with us or his siblings and all he could think about was when he could get home to play his game.
We talked to our friends and our family. We tried allowing him to play as much as he wanted until he got fed up (that just didn’t happen). We tried restricting it to specific times (that just caused arguments and resulted in his “killing time” until it was allowed). We tried removing it all together (all hell broke loose and life was unpleasant for everyone).
Finally we hit on something that seems to have worked - we talked to him! Myles and I sat down and discussed with our son what would be a suitable compromise. We talked about how he was missing out on family time by playing his games all the time, that his brother and sisters missed him and how there were many more interesting things that he could be doing. So far, so “in one ear and out the other”, but then we asked him what he thought. Together we drew up a contract scheduling out agreed times for gaming. He signed the contract, content that he had been part of the decision making process.
Three weeks in and things are going well. Our son doesn’t feel punished by having his game time restricted yet the rest of the family see more of him. Of course there are still times when he wants to play outside the agreed times, but he backs down more readily in the face of the contract and we in turn are more likely to concede to those extra 5 minutes!
If you have any more tips for getting them away from their consoles, please let me know! www.mimitoys.ie
Tags: baby toys, computer games, construction toys, doll houses, dollhouse, early learning toys, toy shop, toy store, wooden toys
Posted in Family Times, Parenting | No Comments »
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
After a lovely weekend of long sunny, mild days I have been thinking about outdoor family activities. Obviously, the moment I started writing about them, the wind picked up and it started to hail, but I refuse to be put off! In my mind, spring has finally arrived and we’ll all feel much better for feeling the breeze in our hair, the sun on our faces…and probably the rain on our backs.
I have put together some ideas for having fun with the kids outside and you’ll find them at www.mimitoys.ie under the “Play Articles” tab. Below I set out a few of my favourites – with a nod to Myles for his prowess at welly throwing.
Nest building
Get the kids to build their own nest outside. You will have lots of materials in your garden you can use, like lengths of dry grass, twigs and lichen. Make your nests in the garden and place them on the ground or in a tree if you have one. Is it sturdy enough to hold some small stones (your ‘eggs’) and would your nest be able to survive a windy day (give your tree a shake!)?
Spring nature trail
Take a walk to your local beauty spot and look out for signs of spring on the ground, in the trees and in the water. Things to look out for include; frogspawn in streams and ponds; butterflies; caterpillars; catkins opening for spring…perhaps you can make a collage of all the wildlife you’ve seen when you get home?
Welly hurling
All you need is some open space and a welly boot. You’ll need to mark a throwing line and then record each competitor’s throw by marking the spot where their boot landed - perhaps use twigs to do this. The aim of the game is simply to throw the boot the furthest.
Bird watching
Spring is breeding time for many birds so it’s a good time to get outside and observe our feathered friends as they get geared up for the new season. You’ll hear lots more birdsong now the days are warmer and some birds will be showing off their plumage and engaging in elaborate courting rituals to attract a mate!
So, go on - dodge the hailstones, lean into the wind and ignore the rain. Summer’s coming!
Tags: baby toys, doll houses, dollhouse, early learning toys, toy shop, toy store, wooden toys
Posted in Activities, Family Times, Play Ideas, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Finally the children are back to school, we are back to work and the world seems almost to be back to normal, but what an interesting few weeks! I don’t know what impact the arctic weather had on your family but it brought us a mixed bag of revelations and inconvenience.
Firstly, it’s hard not to have fun when the world outside is white and no one has to go to work or school. The timing of the big freeze couldn’t have been better and we had fabulous fun perfecting our snowmen and practising our snowball aim. It is so relaxing not being able to go anywhere or do anything constructive outdoors. Once the urge to spring clean the house had passed (it lasted a nanosecond), we all relaxed into relative peace, playing games, reading or watching dvds. It was bliss!
Then came the night of the big, big freeze when our water (like so many other people’s) just didn’t arrive at the taps. The first day was fine, even a novelty, but by day 2 we were all a little peeved at having to use unfrozen rain water from the butts to fill the cistern. By day 3 we were frankly starting to smell a bit so we all trekked to a friend’s house for showers. Day 4 and washing clothes had become an issue, dishes were piling up and we were all fantasising about moving to a warmer country where we would live a less Dickensian existence.
As I write, we have finally thawed enough to have water dribbling from the kitchen tap so civilised living may soon return. If, however, you meet us on the street in the next couple of days, I would advise crossing the road. I promise I won’t be offended. www.mimitoys.ie
Tags: baby toys, doll houses, dollhouse, early learning toys, toy shop, toy store, wooden toys
Posted in Family Times, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, December 14th, 2009
Keeping pets can be a great way of giving kids responsibility, as well as offering new opportunities for play, interaction and learning, but it’s important to choose wisely.
Take advantage of any information sources you can find. Talk to friends with animals about their experiences and have a look online or in the library for information on the pet you are considering.
You also have to ask yourself is my child ready for a pet? Having a pet requires a lot of commitment. It’s not just about having something to cuddle; there is also the responsibility of feeding, cleaning and, in some cases, exercising another living thing. When considering a pet, take into account that a lot of the looking after will be done by the adults, no matter how determined the children. Try not to get tempted by the idea of a pet without realising that most of the practical stuff - cleaning out cages, taking dogs for walks, etc - will be done by you!
That said, having to look after a pet even a little is good life training - it teaches children about responsibility and the importance of good nutrition and cleanliness. If you are sure your child will be willing to play some active role in looking after their new pet in the long term then you may find they pick up some good experience along the way.
If you want to read more on children and pets, and the other things to think about before you commit, then see the article I have posted on www.mimitoys.ie/playarticles
Tags: baby toys, doll houses, dollhouse, early learning toys, toy shop, toy store, toys, wooden toys
Posted in Activities, Family Times, Parenting | No Comments »