Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.
Thank you to Aeromax, Inc for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize. All opinions expressed are my own.
Kids can now go on their own journey to outer space with the new Jr. Space Explorer Inflatable Space Shuttle from Aeromax Toys. This fun space shuttle has lots of realistic looking features like an instrument panel and gauges. There are even two QR codes that can be scanned to watch real space shuttle videos. This inflatable toy is ideal for kids ages 3 and up and can handle a weight of up to 90 pounds. The space shuttle can be used in imaginative play at home or as a floatie in the pool.
My kids love playing with their space shuttle in the pool. Because of the extra wide wings, it stays afloat and balanced well. They can ride around in it pretending the water is outer space and that they are going on space missions. It was pretty easy to blow up and as well constructed as you’d expect a quality inflatable toy to be. The QR code videos are really neat and we loved watching those as well. This toy certainly has help us beat the summer boredom and our boys look forward to more time playing in outer space.
Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.
This photo has all sorts of red in it. It was taken when our 6 year old son was trying to break in his new Shox Scooter. He was so thrilled to have a "big boy" scooter and is happy to pass on his first scooter to his little brother and sister. He is just growing up so fast!
If you'd like to see more Ruby Tuesday photos, go visit Mary at Work of the Poet!
Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.
Almost a year ago, our now 6-1/2 year old son tried out his first scooter. It was during the middle of fall, so he did not get to ride his new scooter very much before the snow and ice came along. Luckily his new Shox Scooter from Shred Sled was better-timed and arrived for late summer, so our son will be able to enjoy riding his shock absorbing scooter throughout the next three months.
Shred Sled, the creator of the original jointed 4-wheel in-line caster board, is a name that is associated with extreme sports. Since I had to put my foot down that our son was too young for a Shred Sled, he was utterly thrilled to be able to ride a scooter created and designed by the same company.
Our son is not a hardcore biker or skateboarder, so he had to start off slow. That being said, he did travel much faster on the Shox Scooter than he did with his previous traditional scooter.
I have to say that this scooter seems very structurally sound. It is made mostly of aluminum and steel. The Shox Scooter actually only weighs about 7lbs, so it is easier for a child to handle. I like that the deck has good traction because I do worry about my son's foot slipping, which could cause him to have an unwelcomed fall. I also like that the foam handles are thick and easy to grasp.
There is a foot brake at the rear wheel that can be activated with the heel, if necessary. The polyurethane wheels seem to be extremely durable.
The handle height is adjustable. We did have a slight problem where the handle was jammed too far in during packaging. My husband had to pound on the handle repeatedly before it would allow him to extend the height. Luckily, this did not damage or affect the scooter's performance in anyway.
I was very pleased to find that our son grew comfortable on the Shox Scooter right away. Because he weighs under 50 pounds, he really could not feel the shocks at work. He would really need to go airborne and land before he would feel the bounce. He is working up to that, but is not quite there yet. The scooter does fold compactly in half, so we can easily fit it into our already packed car for trips to the park.
The Shox Scooter retails for $59.99 and can be found on ShredSled.com, as well as at major toy retailers, such as Toys R Us and Amazon.com . You can also find out more about this product by visiting The Shred Sled on Facebook.
Thank you to The Shred Sled for sending us a sample product free of charge to base this review upon for this Team Mom campaign.
Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.
Although this toy is recommended for children 3 years old and up, it can hold two children up to 60lbs each. In fact, I think this toy is more suitable for children 5 years and older because it is a very physically demanding toy to operate. In addition to using their legs to push their side of the teeter totter up, each child must have enough arm and upper-body strength to keep the the Teeter Ball from tipping over. Our 6yr old son is able to do this, but our 3yr old twins are not.
Another feature that makes this teeter totter unique is the maze that is built into the base. There are two yellow marbles and two purple marbles that can be moved by the two riders rotating and teetering the Teeter Ball. The goal is to get the marbles that match the color of the handle on each child's side to land in the center of the maze. This game is much too hard for younger children, but our 6yr old and his friends had fun attempting to get their marbles into the center first.
The only way our 3yr old twins can ride on this toy is with their big brother on the other side. Our daughter sat opposite of her big brother once. The second her feet left the ground, she decided that this toy was not for her. Her twin brother, however, was much braver. He was unsure at first and tried to keep one foot on the ground. After his father offered to hold onto him to keep him steady, he began to really enjoy going up and down.
After awhile, our 3yr old son was able to ride opposite his big brother without the help of his father. He actually had a huge smile on his face the whole time. The only problem with this arrangement is that his big brother is doing all the physical work of making the toy teeter back and forth and of keeping the toy from tipping over. Although it is a tiring activity, it does give our son a great workout.
We tried using the Teeter Ball both indoors and out. I found that using this toy on the grass is steadier, but is not the best choice if the children want to bounce and rotate. A smooth indoor or outdoor surface is better for rotating.
Although this toy is tons of fun for the children, it was not easy to put together. My husband is very skilled at assembly and it took him 45 minutes to finish assembling this toy. He recommends using a powered screwdriver (or at least a ratcheted screwdriver) because the majority of the screws are very long. This toy does come with a pump to inflate the base, which was convenient. Once assembled, this toy is sturdy and durable like most Little Tikes products.
You can purchase the Teeter Ball right on LittleTikes.com and at other major retailers, such as Toys R Us.
Thank you to Little Tikes for sending us a sample Teeter Ball free of charge to base this review upon.
Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.
Can you believe that Little Tikes, a company born in 1970, is turning 40 this year? That means the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. What could be a more suitable feature for our battery-free toys series?
This well-trusted company is featured in Bruce H. Wolk's book Made Here, Baby!, which is a guide to American-made products for children. The Little Tikes Company has come a long way, but there are certain toys that are just considered classics. The Cozy Coupe is one of those toys. We personally have owned the police car version for four years now and it has proven to be a fun, safe, and durable toy for my older son, and now for his younger siblings.
If you have not visited the Little Tikes website recently, you will be amazed at the variety of toys they offer for both indoor and outdoor play. Through May 31st, 2010 you can receive Free Standard Shipping on orders of $200 or more when you use Code: FRSH0322 at checkout.
To keep up to date with what's new at The Little Tikes Company, here are some helpful links:
Thank you to Little Tikes for providing the prize for this contest. Although I have a review scheduled for a Little Tikes product in the future, I have received no compensation for hosting this contest for my readers.
What you can win: One lucky reader will receivea Little Tikes Cozy Coupe - 30th Anniversary Edition (ARV $49.99).
Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.
How to Gain Entries:
Leave a comment telling me what was your or your child's favorite Little Tikes toy. (If you need to jog your memory, visit www.LittleTikes.com .) You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.
Extra Entries:
1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.
2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.
3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND LittleTikes.com. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.
4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.
5) For 1 extra entry EACH, follow Little Tikes on Twitterand/or fanLittle Tikes on Facebook and/or sign up for the Little Tikes Newsletter. Remember to leave a separate comment for each (with the link to your Tweet or your Facebook profile or what email you used to sign up for the newsletter) if you complete more than one of these extra entries.
6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.
7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.
8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed onMonday, May 10th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.
Good luck in the drawing!
Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.
Since my son is not yet 6yrs old, my husband and I did not think he was quite ready for a skateboard. We did think that a Radio Flyer scooter would be a good compromise. There are several different scooters offered by Radio Flyer. We chose the EZ-Rider scooter because it is recommended for ages 3 to 8, but it is not a starter scooter.
This scooter retails for approximately $69.99 and is very well-constructed. It definitely lives up to my expectations as far as Radio Flyer products go. By the time our kindergartner outgrows this scooter and is ready to try his hand at a skateboard, I am confident that we will be able to pass this down to his younger brother. Of course we will need to pick up a pink one for his younger sister as well.
Please take a minute to watch the EZ-Rider scooter in action:
Additional thoughts I had about this scooter:
1) I like that the handle height is fully adjustable. This guarantees that we will be able to pass this down to the twins without worrying if it is a good fit, like we might with a bicycle.
2) This toy does take practice to master. It requires balance to ride. I like that the deck is low to the ground. This really helps my son feel safer. Although he does not allow himself to glide with both feet on the deck for more than a foot at a time, his confidence is growing every time he rides his scooter.
3) One thing my son is having difficulty mastering is turning corners. He has not yet found the right combination of turning the handle while shifting his weight and maintaining balance all at the same time. I'm sure it will come in time.
4) The handles are just the right size for my son's hands and the padding makes them comfortable to grip.
5) I think that the deck of this scooter is large enough to accomodate a child up to 8 years old. Of course, every child is sized differently. If your child has larger feet, I would definitely consider trying this scooter out in a store prior to purchasing.
6) The large wide wheels offer a smooth ride and offer much more balance than the tiny wheels on a skateboard would.
7) I cannot forget to mention that this scooter folds down so it is easy to throw in your trunk for a trip to the park and is compact enough to store without any hassles at home. We actually put ours right inside our Radio Flyer wagon when it's not in use.
I think the EZ-Rider scooter is a perfect alternative for a child like my son, who has not shown too much interest in learning to ride his bike. Depending on your child's age, this scooter will provide many years of play, especially if there are younger siblings involved.
You should be able to find this scooter at most major retailers of Radio Flyer products, including Toys R Us, Target, Walmart, Amazon.com, and Sears.
Thank you to Radio Flyer for providing us with both a review product and a contest prize free of charge.
What you can win: One lucky reader will receive a red Radio Flyer EZ-Rider Scooter.
Limitations: This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.
How to Gain Entries: Browse the selection of Radio Flyer products. Then leave a comment telling me what Radio Flyer product would you have been thrilled to own as child (aside from the scooter reviewed here today). You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.
Extra Entries:
1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.
2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.
3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Radio Flyer. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.
4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.
5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook, making sure to show a thumbnail of the product or the sponsor's logo. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.
6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.
7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.
8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing: This contest will be closed on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.
Good luck in the drawing!
Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.
It is never intentional, but adults do lose sight of their children now and then . . . especially in crowds. That is why SafetyTats came up with a way for adults to put their phone numbers or other important information on their child. These are a modern-day take on the ID bracelet, which are not flexible about what information you would like to include on them for your child's identification.
Bunnytail Blankets is a Massachusetts-based business who offers kids outdoor blankets that are water resistant and wind resistant. These Polartec fleece blankets come in many fun colors and prints and bear a reflective strip on the outer nylon shell for add safety during evening outdoor activities.
What you can win: One lucky reader will win ALL the items listed below. Two additional readers will each receive a set of SafetyTats.
The winner will receive one in-stock blanket of their choice from Bunnytail Blankets. These washable Polartec fleece wind and water-resistant blankets measure 30” x 36”.
These are the 8 blogs participating in this giveaway event. You can gain additional entries for this contest by entering on all 8 blogs.
Limitations: This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, we will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.
How to Gain Entries: 1) Browse the selection of items available on RadioFlyer.com . Then leave a comment telling us about one item you would love to buy for a child in your life.
2) Leave a comment telling us one example of when you think SafetyTats would come in handy.
3) Browse the selection of outdoor blankets on BunnytailBlankets.com . Then leave a comment telling us which blanket you would choose if you won this contest.
You MUST do ALL THREE to be eligible to win this contest, but you will receive one entry for each completed mandatory entry provided you leave a separate comment for each.
Extra Entries:
1) For 5 extra entries, leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments telling me the title of the post you left your comment on. You will earn 5 extra entries for each non-giveaway post you leave a comment on.
2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.
3) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites
4) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.
5) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.
6) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this as often as you wish until the end of the contest.
7) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
8) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
9) Add my "Get Cool For School" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
10) Add my "Monterey Car Seat" giveaway button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
Now go visit the other participating blogs to obtain additional entries for this contest!
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing: This contest will be closed on Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.
Bunnytail Blankets
