Baby's Got the Beat
Here's a great batch of products for the new song in your heart.
by Ronna Mandel
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Bang on The Drum All Day
(IPlay www.FatBrainToys.com, $22.00, ages 12 months and up) Give your toddler the Flash Beat Drum with colorful lights, cool music and distinct drum beats! Flashing lights and funny sounds mean busy time as your child experiments with all the different settings. The Flash Beat Drum plays as it’s rolled on the floor, touched on the drum pad or any of the four sound buttons. It is a great toy for pre-walkers. Requires 3 AA batteries, included.
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The Land of Nod
Parents will be pleased that so many of the songs they thought would make great lullabies now are! In the Sleepytime Lullabies collection (SonyBMG/Nickelodeon Sleepytime Lullabies, $6.98), your little ones will love going beddy-by listening to newly arranged instrumental versions of such favorites as Lennon/McCartney’s Blackbird and Goodnight, Mancini/Mercer’s Moon River, Dan Fogelberg’s Longer and James Taylor’s Sweet Baby James. Other tracks include You Are So Beautiful, Close To You, Nursery Rhyme Medley, Dream A Little Dream Of Me (made famous by the Mamas & The Papas), You’ve Got A Friend, Itsy Bitsy Spider/It’s Raining, and Greensleeves. There’s even a bonus track called One Magic Kiss performed by Brandi Carlile. Set your cell phone alarm, Mom and Dad, so you can wake up from your catnap and move into your own bed.
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Run, Don't Walk
Stroll-a-Tune (Active Tunes iRIDE, $29.99, available at OneStepAhead Catalog, online, and at running and stroller stores) is the first portable, detachable stroller stereo. Parents can listen to their favorite music without earbuds by attaching Stroll-a-Tune to stroller handlebars. Listen to music without tuning out your kids and the traffic around you. Included are speaker, audio line-in cable, neoprene audio player pouch, and a universal mounting bracket that fits the handlebars of all jogging strollers and most standard strollers.
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Rattle On
Keep play green with the Natural Oval Bell Rattle (Maple Landmark Inc. Wooden Toys, www.Fatbraintoys.com, $9.50), a truly natural rattle with ends made from sustainably harvested local maple and a whey-based finish. The rattle is 2.5 inches long. The beads float freely on the pegs for maximum sound and movement. Makes a great gift for your favorite new mom.
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Play, Move and Hear
When you read The Way We Move, Hear The Music and Places to Play (BabyEinstein, $7.95 each, ages 18 months and up) you’re bound to have fun encouraging your baby to discover new sounds. This all-new BabyEinstein three-book set features a detachable sound strip that can be swapped in and out of each of the three books. Each title exposes your little one to five new sounds and their corresponding images. In The Way We Move, little ones are introduced to different ways animals move, from flying, swimming and scooting, to hopping and running on four legs. In Hear the Music, Baby Einstein characters play different musical instruments and in Places to Play little ones are exposed to various play environments, such as the beach, playroom, and park.
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Mess Free Monkey
Does your little rocker need someplace hip to hang his hat or keep his blankie handy? Consider a funky yet functional wall hook from Crib Rock Couture & Décor. This local company has introduced a must have fun new line called Metal Mania, (Crib Rock Couture & Décor, www.CribRockCouture.com, $49.99 each). An adorable accessory or a piece of art, the Monkey Drummer and his drumsticks will hold a school bag or bathrobe. Available in a variety of rich, funky lead-free colors, each wall hook is precision cut from solid 3/8-inch steel.
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You Spin Me Right Round
It whirls, it twirls! It’s a spinning, music-making tower of fun. Here’s an inexpensive toy especially for parents on-the-go! Geospace (Available at www.geospaceplay.com, $10, 5 tops included) offers perfect solutions for young boys and girls with unique toys providing hours of entertainment! Wind up each of the five Super Sonic Spinnerz and send them twirling into high-speed orbit for a multi-colored light and sound show. Try to stack them five high if you can – while they are spinning of course! The largest Spinnerz plays 16 different tunes and displays 64 different light patterns. Move over kids, mom wants a turn! |
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Tat! It’s Tuck Me in Time!
The latest in the super successful Snappy Sounds series, Snappy Sounds TOYS! (Silver Dolphin Books, $12.95 ages 3-5), with art by Derek Matthews, playful text, big pop-ups, and lovable characters is going to be a big hit with parents this fall. Children will delight to the sounds that accompany each 3-D picture spread as it pops up. As a bedtime story or anytime, here’s a wonderful way to help your young one develop object-sound recognition while discovering the exciting world of reading. |
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When You Sing You Begin with…
Do Re Mi Musical Blocks are (WJ Fantasy www.FatBrainToys.com, $25.00 ages 4 and up) stacking blocks and a musical instrument all in one. Cubes of fun help make learning to play songs fun! The top of each of these eight musical blocks is fitted with a metal bar that, when struck with the mallet provided, plays as a xylophone. Each block top also depicts a graphic of the note positioned on the staff, representing the full "C" scale. And, with the accompanying songbook, children can learn to play simple songs all by themselves! The different block sides teach children about orchestra instruments, counting and more. A towerful teaching tool that’s fun for everyone! Stacks 45 inches tall. |
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Pucker Up and Press
Open up Bunny Kisses, a Pat The Bunny book (A Golden Book www.goldenbooks.com, www.randomhouse.com/kids, $9.99) and meet Bunny, Squeak, Tickle, Cat and all those precious puppies. Then, just press the magic red button to blow kisses to all your favorite friends. A perfectly charming touch and feel board book for baby with a soft blanket, a fuzzy teddy bear and more. |
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