Monday, June 23, 2014

Under The Sea Toys For Babies and Tots

The phrase "Under The Sea" definitely resonates with me on that Disney's Little Mermaid Level (90s kid here), but it was also one of my favorite toy and decor themes growing up.  Still today, I'm enchanted by dazzling aquariums, larger than life whales, and coral reefs.  Soothing ocean waters and charming marine life continues to be a popular decor and toy theme for both boys and girls, proving it as a reliable go-to reference for quick birthday gifts and baby shower presents.

Top toy brands like Hape and P'kolino offer great solutions for ocean themed birthday presents for babies and toddlers too.  Offering a more unique twist on the shape sorter game, P'kolino's Fishing Hole Size Sorter encourages children to drop colorful fish into their corresponding fishing holes; helping to foster such fine motor skills as hand/eye coordination, dexterity, and logical thinking.

Children aged 1+ can continue to improve their building skills by creating whimsical oceanic structures with Hape's signature wooden blocks.  Hape is one of those completely charming brands, like eeBoo, Janod, and Haba, that produce vibrantly colored play blocks with personality.   Their "Under The Sea" blocks particularly stand out because they feature a wide variety of visuals, such as bubbles, starfish, water, sea grass, octopus and sand.

Switching gears a little to the Arctic, polar bear plush is a terrific add-on gift with a more educationally-driven toy.  Gund makes adorable baby plush with so much character, with Snuffles being one of the most beloved and softest of the bunch.  This terrifically chubby snow-white polar bear is appealing to both babies and big kids alike.  Snuffles also reminds me of those Coca-Cola polar bears during Christmas time!

"Under The Sea" style gift wrapping is really fun to create too.  There's so many possibilities if you're running short on time as well, such as creating party favor bags with simple recycled brown paper bags, sea-themed party confetti, and tissue paper (sea colors: light blue, white, dark blue, light green and a dash of pink)

Need more ideas? Visit our website for toy and party idea inspiration.

Monday, June 16, 2014

Whimsical Birthday Gift Guide For Imaginative Kids

Magical gnome villages, woodland fairy houses, cute intergalactic toys, and marshmallow soft plush are among the many go-to gifts for whimsical themed Birthdays.

But that's really just the tip of the iceberg. Whimsy can be found in almost any toy genre, like imaginative play food, dress up silks, Waldorf style dolls; yes... the list goes on and on!

Stuffed animals are a classic hallmark of imaginative play. An ideal go-to gift for girls and boys, Jellycats plush is definitely well-suited for whimsical birthday parties because they come in a variety of cool creatures like unicorns and dragons.  Plus they feature fanciful pastel colors too!


Classic, finely crafted wooden toys are reminiscent of Santa's workshop, also making them a surefire choice for whimsical birthday gifts. Like These wooden dress up bears that were made in Germany!  They also come with heaps of adorable miniature outfits for whimsical imaginative play and their own sliding wardrobe box.  

Along with Manhattan Toys' charming finger puppets, these gifts are not only fanciful and creative, but thoughtful as well.  Plus they're a great way to bring kids together and inspire puppet theater masterpieces at that next birthday bash.