Toddlers or pre-schoolers, are a great fun to have around and are absolutely adorable. But if they go haywire, they can create a total ruckus. If at all you are tearing your hair out to keep your toddler engaged, read on the article below to get a low down on fun things to do with toddlers. This article was writtenL
By Medha Godbole
Published: 8/25/2009

They are bundles of joy, agreed, but sometimes you need to keep them occupied as they can really blow off the fuse of your patience! They are cute and extremely lovable. You would seldom find people who do not like babies and toddlers. And taking care of toddlers is a tough task for the parents and no cake walk. Just like the baby, who is all over the house, in one of the Tom and Jerry episodes, you never know where and when they can go crawling with their cute little feet. So what are the activities for toddlers that can make them all giggly and are not going helter skelter? The following is a compilation of fun things to do with toddlers.

Things to with Toddlers:

There is almost a caboodle of things to do with your toddlers. There is absolutely no dearth of things you can do.

Musically Yours: Play some music and songs sung by kids or meant for kids. The melody, the rhythm is surely going to attract the attention of your little one. Indulge in a little jig with your kid. Or better still, pick your kid and along with the music, do a waltz. The kid will love it!

A la Chef: If the kid or the kids are a bit older, are just on the verge of going to schools, have the kids help you in a simple recipe. Cookies, popcorn, and the likes are a good choice. They involve least processing and need minimum appliances. Spray the chocolate powder or flour for the cookies on your kid and give him or her the chance to do that to you as well. Its great fun, although being messy!

Doll Game: Play with your daughter’s lovely dolls. You can even give the dolls a bubble bath! And while doing that, I do not need to tell you how most of the kids enjoy being splashed gently with water! So while bathing the dolls, bathe the children as well!

Wordsworth: Read out fairy tales and simple books to the apple of your eyes. Remember Baby’s Day out? The film starts with the mother reading out a lovely fairy tale to her extremely cute and adorable baby. So read out to your kid. If they are just about to go to school, this will introduce them to words, objects and so on.

A War of Tickles: This is a sure thumbs up, when it comes to fun things to do with toddlers. Have bout of tickles with our kids. It is incredible fun. All you would have is lots of laughter and your toddler will have a great time!

Tape it: Place a strip of duct tape on a carpet or any other flat surface in your home. Ask the children to walk on the thin strip of tape. They are allowed to jump over the line, hop on the line and run down the line or even scoot. It is a fantastic way to amuse your kid or kids.

These were fun indoor activities for kids. So lets give the tiny tots a chance to have a nice tryst with nature. So here is a checklist of outdoor activities with toddlers.

Things to do with Toddlers Outside

Rendezvous With Friends: Have a walk around your private garden to take the kids to a public garden. Plant seeds and indulge in gardening. Children enjoy getting all muddy! You can also introduce the kids to the the common plants in your area.

H2O wonders: Take your kid to a beach, if it is in the vicinity. If not that, the most convenient would be to take the kid/s to a swimming pool. Let them have fun in water. Water is a hit with most of the children or you can go to a lake and go boating.

Picture Perfect: When you go out, click photographs, for no reason at all, with your kid. Have them printed and developed and ask the children to identify the people in the photographs.

‘Antiq’uity: Take the kids to a museum nearby. It can be a really out of the world experience for them. Get them acquainted to the local or national history, culture and so on. This is a cool outdoor idea for having a ravishing tie with your kids.

Fun on Wheels: Take out your bike and go biking. Even if you do not, coax the kids to take out theirs and go biking. Biking is good for your little one’s health and will tone the muscles as well. Your kid will develop a habit of biking from the tender ages. So one can go in for biking!

Catch it up: If you are short of ideas, simply grab a ball or a Frisbee and play with it. Its as simple as that! No elaborate things, no investment, absolutely nothing. Just throw the ball to the kids and ask them to throw it back to you. You could also teach them how to throw it properly. With the Frisbee you have to be more careful. The way children throw these things, is a sight to watch.

There are many more fun things to do with toddlers apart from these. But if I enumerate all those, you would have to lose a day of fun with your kids because of the length of the article!

Whatever you do is great as at the end of the day, the lovely smile on your kids face is all that matters. It does not matter how tired you are or how messy the house is! And so its your baby’s day out!

By Medha Godbole
Published: 8/25/2009

The following is some great advice by Denise Sanger, who is the Vice President of NewCoolToysOnline.com  reprinted by Tootsies Stride Rite, a 25 year old retailer and online children’s shoe store, representing Stride Rite shoes and seamless socks.  We hope you enjoy Denise’s advice:

As soon as summer starts to wind down, it is time to purchase the essentials you need to get your child ready for another (or even a first) year of school. Making “preparing for school” into an event that the whole family enjoys will help your child feel ready-and also show him that you are interested and involved with his education. Take some time in the weeks leading up to the big day, and plan a few outings and activities to be sure you both are ready. Try a few of the tips below to get started:

• Buy a new backpack and lunchbox. Even if your child has a backpack left over from last year, you may want to invest in a new one-you can still keep the old one for long car trips or sleepovers. Your child’s taste may have changed over the last year, and the new backpack and lunchbox can reflect their “new” style.

• Shop together for school supplies: Most schools will provide you with a list of items that your child will need for classroom use, or will need to contribute to the classroom. Make an even of shopping for these together, and check each item off your list as you find it. Most big box retailers offer great “back to school” promotions during the latter half of August, so shop around for the best deals.

• Buy new shoes: Pick up a new pair of shoes. Chances are, if you purchased shoes during the prior school year they have either gotten too small, or are simply to worn to start a new year. Many stores offer back to school savings, so it is a good time to stock up.

• Visit the school in advance: If your child will be attending a new school for the first time, or is going into Kindergarten, you should try to visit the school in advance, so he or she can take a look around. Take some time to play on the playground, if it is open, and drive by the entrances and carpool or bus drop off so your child will know exactly where she is headed on the first day.

• Make a countdown calendar: Keep track of the days with a calendar, and count down the number of days til the big day together. Younger children will enjoy making a paper chain, and tearing off one “link” per day.

• Talk about school: For returning students, talk about what teachers or specials they may have in the upcoming year. For new students, talk about the fun things you do in school, and read books that feature characters going to school, or that are set in school environments.

Plan ahead and you will both be ready for the big day. If you work outside the home, consider taking the first day of school off-you will be ready for the break, and you will be better able to help your child get ready that first hectic morning if you are not concerned about your own schedule.

Denise Sanger is the Vice President of a Toy Company that specializes in swimming pool/bath tub toys. She also owns and operates NewCoolToysOnline.com that carries a large selection of toys for active and outdoor play including educational toys, pool toys, pedal cars, playground toys, and creative toys.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Denise_Sanger

Mom’s Article:  Every morning we have sock knot issues. They are making my GFG crazy and late for school. Does anyone know of any resources for seamless socks or have any ideas. He has to wear shoes and socks because of PE and so that he can look more like the NT kids so that they won’t relentlessly torture him with teasing. I’ve checked the Sensory Comfort website and all of their socks are long. He wears shorts to school and the long socks would look funny.

Another Mom’s Response: Stride Rite has carried them in the past, but I don’t shop there anymore. The ones I saw were seamless.
You can find seamless socks from Stride Rite on our web site by clicking on the following : Seamless Socks from Tootsies

The Stride Rite Children’s Group, the leading provider of premier children’s footwear, announced today the launch of a new collection of baby shoes with patent-pending Sensory Response Technology™ (SRT™). This revolutionary children’s footwear technology, developed in conjunction with the Leon Root, M.D. Motion Analysis Laboratory at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, improves the way a child learns to walk via a sensory feedback system, an ultra-flexible design that allows for more freedom of movement, and a unique construction that reduces the number of stumbles and falls.

Stride Rite continuously conducts testing and research to improve its products and is dedicated to developing the best technology in children’s footwear. The company learned that babies’ first steps help shape their walking gait into adulthood. Stride Rite commissioned a multiphase biomechanics study at the Leon Root, M.D. Motion Analysis Laboratory at Hospital for Special Surgery to better understand the effects of footwear at the important learning-to-walk stage of a child’s development. This study is the most in-depth research conducted on children’s footwear by Stride Rite and within the industry to date.

The first phase of the study analyzed qualitative and quantitative measurements of babies’ gait, plantar pressure and the ability to negotiate different obstacles. Early findings indicate that in order to develop a healthy walking pattern, first walkers need shoes that allow them to feel and grip the surface beneath them, as well as distribute their weight properly to keep their balance.

“Stride Rite’s investment in the continual pursuit of enhanced knowledge about growing feet is unparalleled in the industry. We are excited to be the only children’s footwear company to commission a study to analyze children’s movement patterns and stability on a variety of terrains,” said Pamela Salkovitz, President of Stride Rite Children’s Group. “Key learnings of the study have enabled us to develop the SRT collection. Its technology, comfort and style make it the ideal shoe for new walkers.”

SRT’s features promote a healthy lifelong walking pattern and improve baby’s ability to respond to their environment. Highlights include:

Greater feel of terrain: Sensory pods in the forefoot of the outsole move independently of each other offering multiple reaction points, increasing a baby’s feel of the ground beneath them. This allows a baby to stabilize their gait and better respond to their environment.
More natural support: Unique “hourglass” construction in the midfoot mirrors a baby’s foot structure to help supporting bones and muscles that are not yet fully developed. A smooth, rounded transition from outsole to upper prevents catching an edge, reducing the number of stumbles and falls.
Freedom of movement: Ultra-flexible design allows the foot to move in many directions to help baby learn how to adapt to uneven surfaces.
“Many people do not realize how important it is for a baby to wear proper shoes while learning to walk,” said Dr. Tanya Altmann, a pediatrician and best-selling author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents’ Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers. “A baby’s foot can provide a rich array of sensory information from which a reliable walking program may be developed if their shoes are flexible enough to permit such feedback.”

Shoes in the SRT collection are also designed to make baby comfortable. They feature moisture-wicking linings, which help keep baby’s feet drier longer, and eco-friendly materials such as a recycled EVA heel cup and a partially recycled outsole to protect baby and baby’s future environment. A great feature for mom and dad is a removable insole containing a Fit Check™ system that easily lets them know when it is time to see a fit specialist. Mom or dad just removes the insole and places baby’s foot on it. If baby’s toes pass the Fit Check™ line, then it’s time to visit Stride Rite and see a fit specialist.

The fall SRT collection is comprised of four boys’ styles and seven girls’ styles in baby sizes 3 to 8 in various widths, and features fun fashion touches such as suede fringe, metallic leathers and bright hits of color. Additional styles will be released in spring 2010. The collection is available at Stride Rite stores, striderite.com, better department stores and independent retailers. Visit striderite.com to find a local retailer.

About The Stride Rite Children’s Group, LLC. and Collective Brands, Inc.

Stride Rite Children’s Group, part of the Stride Rite unit of Collective Brands, Inc., markets the leading brand of premium children’s footwear in the United States under such brands as Stride Rite®, Saucony® Kids, Sperry Top-Sider® Kids, Keds® Kids, Robeez® and among others. For 90 years, the company’s passion for excellence in design has been focused on ensuring the proper development of children’s feet with a commitment to innovation, research and technology.

Like jelly in a mould, your baby’s feet can take on whatever shape they’re forced into, so infant shoe shapes should always match the form of the foot. In toddler shoes, the shoe is wide at the toe and narrow at the heel, a shape that will change as the foot develops.

The width and depth of a correctly fitted Stride Rite shoe ensures excess pressure is never applied to your baby’s delicate foot
Our children shoes, when fitted with our fitting charts, have built-in growing room to give children’s toes plenty of room to develop

Do you have a child who refuses to wear socks everyday? or do you yourself have an issue with wearing socks?

Please post to our blog your experiences and really describe what its like to deal with a child who is a challenge to get dressed everyday.

 If you have purchased seamless socks has the product produced the desired results? 

We thank you in advance for your participation.

Tootsies Soccer and Baseball Shoe Sale Going On Now

Soccer is an excellent sport that can be played by almost all kids regardless of the size or athletic ability of the child. It is most noted for its excellent aerobic benefits in children, its total team participation and how it enhances an individual child’s decision-making ability.

It is also a sport that is culturally inclusive, bringing many different groups together for social interaction and competition.
Specializing in young children’s soccer shoes, Tootsies Stride Rite has been in business in Richmond, Va., since 1985.  In almost 25 years of business, we have fitted thousands of kids soccer shoes in both our retail store and online business.  For more information on Tootsies, please visit us on the web by clicking on our name, Tootsies Stride Rite,  or call us at 1-866-235-0626.

Tootsies Stride Rite is now offering the Zephz® Swirl indoor soccer shoe for kids in black/silver/red swirl features a uniquely designed lightweight synthetic upper for comfort and support and asymmetrical speed lacing which provides an increased surface area that lets you produce great ball spin control. Plus, the flexible rubber outsole provides great traction on all indoor field surfaces.

Our kid indoor soccer shoe is available in medium widths only from a child 10 1/2 to an older child 4.  You can shop our child indoor soccer shoe online at http://www.tootsiesstriderite.com or call 1-866-235-0626 for mor

Tootsie Stride Rite is having a year end clearance sale with savings on every shoe in stock!  A good selection of our kids shoes have been reduced by as much as 30 percent off Stride Rite’s suggested retail price.  

Save up to 30 percent

In addition to our “up to 30 percent off clearance product list”, the rest of our Stride Rite shoes and socks have been reduced at least 10 percent off Stride Rite’s suggested price.    

And finally, you can save even more off our already reduced prices with our coupon for $5 off a total product purchase of $100 or more.  The $5 off coupon code is Save 5.  Simply type the code Save5 on our order page where asked ‘What is the coupon code?’ and  $5 will be subtracted when you product purchases exceed $100!  

To shoe our online Stride Rite store and take advantage of our year end closeout prices, simply click on any product pictured above or on our store name:  Tootsies Stride Rite