Toy Review: Reptangles

I love to give unique gifts.  You know, something you don't see everyday.  This was part of Joshua's 6th birthday present.

These are Reptangles from Fat Brain Toys.  Think Legos, but with turtles.

We love our Reptangles.  They are used in so many ways.

They come with instructions to build about 24 different structures, but they also provide endless hours of free play not only building but also serving as transportation for superheros. 

I use these to work on logic in our workboxes at least monthly.  They're recommended for ages 6 and up, and I would say that's an appropriate range.  Josh (7) and John (5) are able to build with them, but Josiah (4) still has a little trouble connecting them together.

We also have AnimaLogic and Inchimals from Fat Brain Toys.  Inchimals actually came in our Kindergarten cirriculum from Timberdoodle last year.

If you've never heard of Reptangles or Fat Brain Toys, you can check them out here or by clicking my affiliate link below. 

Toy Review: Monkey Balance Board

Here's another fun toy from our stash.  The Monkey Balance Board by Alex Toys.

Really, there is nothing fancy or outrageous about it.  It's a board that you balance on.  You're probably thinking, "OK, so what?". 

This simple little toy is played with at least daily by someone in our home.  It's great for improving balance and coordination, but most of all, it's just fun.

I like that it's battery free, small enough to tuck in beside the toy box or under the bed and talk about sturdy.  Ronnie & I have both taken turns balancing on it with no problems. 

It's reasonably priced at around $20, and while it wasn't the Christmas morning hit, it's gotten more play than any other toy under the tree.

Just thought I'd toss a nice, non-earsplitting, battery free option out there for you.

Favorite Toy Friday

I have become somewhat of a toy aficionado.  What I used to know about Intra aortic balloon pumps and coronary vasculature is slowly being replace by the best ways to teach reading and how many foam letter O's will fit up a three year olds nose.  (Two if your curious). 

Today's favorite toy that I'd like to share with you is......

Hyper Dash

This is a great game for ages 3 to 9, in my opinion.  There are four different settings, each with three levels of play.  On the easiest level, you can play by color alone.  The highest level is more math based.  It can be played inside or out.  I use this as a great way to burn off some energy in the winter.  

To play, you place your discs as far apart as you'd like.  Then pick your mode and play.  The tapper will call out a color or number or math problem and you take your tapper and cover the correct disc. 

This makes a great gift and is reasonably priced at less than $20.