VTech Toys Gift Pack Giveaway

It’s that time of year when I find myself walking through the toy aisles trying to come up with the perfect Christmas gifts for my kids. Honestly, it can be a little overwhelming. It seems like there are so many directions I can go, and the last thing I want is another toy that’s just going to end up collecting dust in the corner a few weeks later.

I always love when I can find a toy that’s not only fun but also encourages development in my kids. My twin girls are currently in a stage when they’re vocabulary is taking off. They are learning new words every day and it’s SO fun to be able to talk to them! I want to do all I can to encourage them to say more and more, so I’m looking for toys and activities that will help them to practice their words.

When VTech approached me and asked me to partner with them, what intrigued me the most was the fact that they have an expert panel compiled of six experts, including Dr. Lise Eliot, Early Childhood Mental Development Expert, who help them create toys that are specifically geared for the developmental milestones that children need to reach at each age from newborn – nine years old.

Each age range is broken down into three categories: Language and Cognitive, Social and Emotional Development, and Physical and Motor.

VTech sent me some products to try out, and my kids LOVE them! Our favorite for their age is the Chomp & Count Dino. They will literally sit for a good 30 – 45 minutes just putting the coins in his mouth. It’s a great toy to help them use their language and fine motor skills. If you’re looking for a great gift, that’s the one I’d get!

Here are the descriptions of all three toys I received.

Lil’ Critters Play & Dream Musical Piano™

(Ages 0-12 months; MSRP $24.99)
· Learn and play music with animal friends! The Lil’ Critters Play & Dream Musical Piano by VTech has a variety of fun musical activities that engage your child on the floor or attached to the crib.
· This soft piano features five animal piano keys that introduce music, instruments and animals.
· The piano also includes a light-up sun that shines and flashes to the music to attract your baby’s attention.
· Choose from two modes of play for fun learning and music activities.

Roll & Surprise Animal Train™
(Ages 6-36 months; MSRP: $15.99)
· Your little one will enjoy peek-a-boo fun and develop fine motor skills through turn, slide and press activities.
· Animal friends introduce animal names, animal sounds and colors.
· This educational toy also rewards curiosity and teaches cause and effect with pop-up surprises and 55 songs, melodies, sounds, and phrases.

Chomp & Count Dino™
(Ages 12-36 months; MSRP: $19.99)
· Simply place one of the eight brightly-colored play pieces in the dino’s mouth and watch as he eats and recognizes each piece.
· Play in either food or counting mode and the dino responds with rewarding sounds and phrases all while introducing colors, numbers, shapes and more.
· Press the question button and kids can answer the dino’s questions to show what they’ve learned.
· Five shape buttons help kids learn shapes and numbers, while spinning the disc on the dino’s back will play sing-along songs.
· The dino can also be pushed or pulled by a string for even more fun melodies.

VTech has offered to give away a gift pack including these three to toys to one lucky Mommy’s Me Time reader! Simply enter using Rafflecopter below. US mailing addresses only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you’re interested in some more in depth information about developmental milestones, below are a few questions answered by the VTech Expert Panel!

Q. As a parent, what are your suggestions on things I can do with my child to help them develop their social and emotional skills? What are ways I can help my child to get the most of their playtime?
A. Social-emotional skills are the bedrock of learning, so good for you for taking an interest in cultivating them in your child. The best way to promote emotional and interpersonal skills is through interaction–reading, singing and lots of talking with your child. Make eye contact with him or her. Laugh together. Direct your child’s attention to interesting things in your environment. When you read together, ask your child questions about the characters’ thoughts and feelings. This can help build empathy. Another way to think about it is to use books or videos as a stepping stone for dialogue with your child. It’s the two-way, back-and-forth sharing of words and feelings that build emotional and communication skills. Playtime has ample opportunity to do this, whether you are visiting the zoo, finger-painting, or playing with toys. Take every opportunity to talk about the feelings and relationships among characters your child is drawing or playing with.

Q. As a stay-at-home mom, I feel like I’m responsible for most of my toddler’s learning the first couple of years. How can I ensure that I’m teaching him all he needs to know? What are the best games or play to help him learn basics things like numbers, colors, words, etc.?
A. Children learn through play, so almost any activity is a learning opportunity for your child. Show your child how to count banana slices at lunch time, or toothbrush strokes at bedtime. Read ABC books to him to teach letter sounds and recognition. But don’t worry too much about academic skills in younger children. Most important at this age is for children to learn the joy of discovery. Try to avoid drilling exercises (like flashcards) and instead focus on learning about the real world around him–animals, people, vehicles, music, art–whatever you encounter through books or the world outside that excites your child. When kids find a passion and get absorbed in it, early literacy and number skills follow easily.

Q. What if it seems like your child isn’t reaching a particular milestone, what can you do to facilitate the learning of it? While every child is different, are there any Milestones (when not achieved on schedule) a parent should be concerned about?
A. It’s important for parents to know what milestones to expect, because failure to reach them can be a warning sign of a developmental delay. For social skills, we like to see babies making eye contact early on, and worry if it doesn’t happen by 3 months or age, or if s/he is not sharing facial expressions or some other kind of back-and-forth communication by 9 months. For language skills, we worry when children are saying no words by 16 months, or only a few words at 2 years, and when there is any loss of communication ability at any age. For motor skills, it is concerning if a baby cannot bring an object to his or her mouth by 7 months, sit independently by 10 months, or walk by 18 months. If your child isn’t reaching these milestones, talk to your pediatrician, who may propose additional testing and exercises you can do with your child at home to promote his or her development.

Q. My 2 year old (26 months to be exact) barely talks unless she wants to. She has two older siblings who tend to speak for her. She can string a few words together like “me up” or “love you.” How can we encourage her to talk more and what VTech products would be most beneficial for her?
A. There’s a simple equation to verbal development: “Language in = Language out” The more words you and others address to your child, the larger her own vocabulary will eventually be. You are right that younger children sometimes do have trouble getting a word in edgewise in a big family. Find opportunities when your daughter can be the only one speaking. Try to carve out some one-on-one time, when you are just focused on each other, and make sure to listen and respond to every word or babble she makes, acting as if you understand her. Imitate her words and sounds and offer lots of praise. Just giving your child the confidence that she is being heard will provide great reinforcement to encourage her to speak more.
Also, VTech’s infant toys can promote this language development since most produce simple words or phrases that babies love to control. Toys such as Cody The Smart Cub™ and Cora The Smart Cub™ introduce children to first words, emotions, stories, sing-alongs, and more.