Family Favorites: Educational Toys for Play-Based Learning

May 19, 2020

School is officially out, and while parents, teachers and children may be rejoicing, the dreaded summer “brain drain” looms in the background. With about a third of the school year spent at home, learning through worksheets and/or digital resources, parents are more nervous than ever that their kids will fall behind if/when school begins in the fall.

We’ve compiled a list of toys for all ages that encourage learning through play. Whether you give one of these items to a birthday boy/girl or surprise your own child, you can rest assured that s/he will be learning important skills under the guise of playing. Research backs the importance of learning through play, especially for early education, and after the disruption of the 2019-2020 school year, parents and children need all the support they can get.

Lucky Ducks is a wacky, quacky memory and matching game that practices developmental skills for young children, helping kids with shape recognition, color matching, and memory. Lucky Ducks is a modern version of a traditional matching game that moves while players try to find a match, which makes it easier for little fingers/hands that can’t necessarily hold a deck of cards. It’s also simple enough that young children can play independently! For 2-4 players, ages 3 and up. Available on Amazon (with over 800 positive reviews!) and Walmart.

Chef Showdown Food Matching Game is a food-themed matching activity game for 2-4 young players that teaches matching skills. Flip the sand timer and start the food matching madness! Race to find a perfect match on your card to the food cards on the table. As soon as you find a match, place your chef on that card! But watch out — the other players can knock off your chef if they also have a match! This is another fast-paced family game that is simple enough for preschoolers but engaging enough for older kids (and adults). Ages 4+. MSRP $39.99. Available at Amazon and Walmart.

Little Medical School® “How to be a Great Sibling” teaches big brothers/sisters how to care for the newest addition to the family. Choose from two baby options, “caucasian” or “multi-cultural” and help keep older sibling engaged and a part of the process when bringing a new sibling home. Activities include Prepare for Baby, Keep Baby Safe, Watch Baby Grow, SHHH…Baby is Sleeping, and Be the Best Helper. Ages 4+ but appropriate for slightly younger. MSRP $29.99. Littlemedicalschool.com

Let’s Go Fishin’ provides reel-y good fun for all ages! The rotating pond and fish that open and close their mouths allow children to practice fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they race to catch the most fish. Each game only lasts a minute or so, so parents can join the fun without committing to an hour of gameplay (Monopoly, anyone?). Other bonus: kids can play this game on their own, so it’s perfect when mom/dad needs a few moments to get something done. For 1-4 players; ages 4 and up. Available at Amazon (over 3.5K positive reviews) and Walmart.

Little Medical School® “How to Be a Veterinarian” offers aspiring veterinarians a variety of hands-on and educational activities. This “Classroom in a Box” kid can be enjoyed multiple times as the laminated boards can be erased when used with the enclosed dry-erase marker. The five separate activities include Adopt A Pet, Perform A Nose To Tail Exam, Measuring Your Dog, Healthy Treats and Sick of Ticks. The included plush dog is cuddly and soft and perfect as a nighttime companion for younger kids. The kit is designed for children 6+ but can easily be adapted for younger kids. MSRP $29.99. littlemedicalschool.com

LEGO® sets are classic and timeless for a reason; they provide endless hours of imaginative play. Kids learn to follow directions and the fundamentals of design and engineering in order to correctly build their chosen set. LEGOs encourage creativity, independence, and allow kids to use their imagination. They are fundamental “building blocks” for a STEM education. Sets are clearly marked by age, but most start around age 6. For younger kids, check out the larger LEGO counterpart, DUPLOs, which are appropriate for kids under 6. Available at Amazon, Target, and most stores that carry children’s toys. Prices vary.

Mother’s Day May GIVEAWAY: Enter our Mommy & Me Photo Contest!

Digital Media

May 18, 2020

MeyerFamily — Meyer Family representing their own quarantine life thanks to The Front Porch Project!

Submit your cutest, funniest, or goofiest candid mother/child photo–quarantine style–to win our Mother’s Day Giveaway for May: flowers from Hafner Florist, a $50 gift card to Reve Salon and Spa, and newly added, a $50 gift card to Social Gastropub!

Moms have been working even harder than usual during this COVID-19 pandemic–taking on the role of teacher on top of mom, chef, maid, and all of our other regular duties–and this is a way to spoil her with flowers, a spa day, and a delicious dinner that someone ELSE cooked!

Need inspiration? Check out the photos below or visit The Front Porch Project from Old Orchard Love from Afar.

Photo submissions have been extended to May 22. Voting ends May 31.

Where to Buy Face Masks Locally in Toledo Area

Erin Schoen Marsh

May 18, 2020

Toledoans are resilient. We aren’t strangers to struggle, and we face challenges head-on. With face masks in low supply, local artists, moms, designers and seamstresses stepped up and began sewing, donating, and selling face masks for those in need.

Buying local is more important now than ever, so if you’re looking for face masks as Ohio begins to reopen, consider these local sellers, many of whom have been working tirelessly to donate face masks to healthcare workers.

Rayna Scherer has a ton of fun designs (Star Wars, anyone) for kids and adults with porch pickup available (Old West End). $7.

Designer Jemma Hostetler (Old West End) has created face masks for those who still want to be fashionable without breaking the bank. Sold on Threadless ($17) and shipped to your house (shipping additional). Adult sizes.

Julie Kaser (Sylvania) has plenty of options for kids and adults in Oscar’s Garage. $7 adult with ear loops, $9 adult with tie straps, $5 Child. Shipping starting at $3.80 per package. Local pick-up available.

Alli Snyder (Maumee) has been making and donating face masks for healthcare and essential workers but is now offering some for sale. Various sizes available.

By Tima’s Headbands.

Local Etsy dealer, Tima’s Headbands, offers a combination face mask + headband for a cute and comfortable alternative to typical face masks! Children and adult sizes. Headband with face mask, $15. This is the perfect option for those who want to look cute while wearing a face mask and/or prefer an option that does NOT go behind the ears.

Sara Zaciewski, former MSN, RN, is making, selling, and shipping adult and child-sized cloth masks from Millbury, Ohio.

Kala Brackett, in Oak Harbor, asks only for a donation to cover costs!

Elisha Mae Whitenack (Old West End) sews 2 layers of cotton with ties and a metal nose piece for $7 that can also be used as an N95 mask cover; $2 from each mask will be donated to charity. Essential workers receive a discount. Adult sizes available; tweens and children’s sizes coming soon.

TutuAdorbow is a company started by Southview graduate Lauren Hartman Rismiller that has transitioned to making cute face masks for adults and kids alike. $12 with free shipping over $50.

Erin Kimberly has made over 350 face masks with her son in West Toledo! She offers porch pickup and shipping.

Erin Garber-Pearson (Old West End) sells her masks on a sliding scale of $10-15 based on income and $5 each for those who are unemployed. All masks have filters and a pocket to put in a new filter, as well as a wire nose bridge.

KPea Original offers adorable masks for little ones and adults, located in Elmore, Ohio, with shipping available. $10; use code LOCAL for pickup.

StephanieFaceMasks1 — By Stephanie Guittard Scigliano.

Stephanie Guittard Scigliano (Ottawa Hills) makes and sells high-quality face masks, as well as donates them to healthcare workers. There is even an interior pocket for an additional filter, as well as a nose wire to keep the mask in place. Bonus: the strings tie behind the head for those who wear hearing aids or find ear loops troublesome. Children and adult sizes available on her Facebook business page, Our Studio with Olive m’lou. $10. Local, non-contact pickup available; $5 shipping.

Jess Betz (Sylvania) makes face masks with a nose wire piece and filters. $5 muslin, $10 floral mask with ribbon, $15 floral mask with lace. Contact her on Facebook or Instagram.

Check out face masks “the Satrangi way!” Satrangi is a boutique located in Perrysburg that converted to making face masks once the COVID-19 pandemic started. Adult and children sizes. Regular fabric masks start at $7 each. Customized face mask prices vary. Order online through Facebook or call 419-324-5465. Curbside pickup and USPS delivery available. 26343 Carronade Drive, Perrysburg.

Bride and groom face masks from Satrangi.

Child welfare agencies call for emergency relief

Erin Holden

May 18, 2020

The Children’s Defense Fund (Ohio) is joining other child advocacy organizations nationwide, requesting that Congress provide extra assistance in the next COVID-19 relief package. The CDFO and other groups drafted a letter that points out a likely increase in child welfare referrals due to abuse and neglect as states begin to reopen. The surge is predicted as families continue to be affected by coronavirus-related job losses, school closures, loss of childcare, and other challenges.

The 31 percent increase in calls to parent helpline 1-800-4-A-CHILD is an indicator that agencies may be flooded with such cases.

In Ohio, the recent budget cut totaling $775 million to state agencies and programs means that the CDFO could need the extra funding more than ever. Angela Sausser, Executive Director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio explained, “We need to ensure that our county agencies can meet the demand for services for these vulnerable children and families.”

To read the full statement, visit cdfohio.org.

FoolProof: Free Online Program Teaches Children Financial Responsibility

Digital Media

May 15, 2020

With the current coronavirus outbreak, many Ohioans’ daily lives have been changed as lockdown orders keep individuals at home and off work. With potentially disrupted income and the uncertainty of when businesses will reopen, families find themselves with extra time…and perhaps not much extra money.

FoolProof, sponsored by Directions Credit Union, provides children and young people with a completely free curriculum that is geared toward strengthening financial responsibility.

“Finances are on everyone’s minds right now, which makes this the perfect time to introduce and encourage financial education to our children,” said Barry Shaner, President and CEO of Directions Credit Union. “FoolProof offers courses that are geared towards middle school and high school students [and] focuses on many practical topics.”

The program is seeing increased use in Ohio, as well as across the country, while families spend more time together at home. FoolProof can even be used by adults and their children together to maintain productivity.

“We are finding ourselves talking about finances as a whole family, my middle school student included,” Toledo mother Katie Hahn said. “It’s a great time to start teaching her the value of money and instilling good principles like saving.”

Hahn recently started the FoolProof financial literacy course with her 11-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, who is currently not able to physically attend her junior high school due to the stay-at-home orders.

“I can do fun lessons that teach me about saving my money instead of spending it on things that I don’t really need,” Mackenzie explained. “I always go into Directions with my mom and watch her with the tellers, but now it’s all starting to make sense. The program gives me something fun to do while I’m at home, and I think this will help me as I start to manage my own finances.”

Many local teachers are utilizing FoolProof to supplement their current curriculum with more interactive components. “Teachers have access to all of FoolProof’s 27 modules for the middle school and high school students,” said Shaner. “We’re really proud to partner with Ohio teachers, providing them with best-in-class teaching tools as they adapt for at-home learning.”

Young people preparing to join the workforce after graduation are even able to use FoolProof courses to learn about financial obligations that may come in their near futures, like renting or buying a home, investing, and the dangers of credit cards.

Kayla Sweeny will be graduating from Bowling Green State University in May. She sees herself, and many of her peers, as unprepared in many of these financial topics. “I myself have not come across many opportunities to learn about investing and putting money away in a retirement fund,” said Sweeny. “I hope to find my first teaching job in the coming months, and these are all things that I will need to take into account as I transition into my career.”

To begin free FoolProof courses, students and parents alike can start by visiting https://foolproof.directionscu.org/academy.

Advice from a Microbiologist on Getting Back Out There

Phoebe Samuel Rapp

May 13, 2020

Enjoying public spaces safely as Ohio reopens

The announcement that patio dining will resume on the 15th is some much needed good news. Finally a warm meal that someone else is cooking, serving, and clearing away! It has the promise of a great family outing and a late Mother’s Day treat.

Starting to find our way back to public shared space is both thrilling and terrifying. It will be a joy to see non-family members of the population. Still, we don’t want to find ourselves back where we started with major threats to health still very much a reality.

A reality check from grandmother of two and microbiologist Ebtesam Samuel helps put things in perspective while incorporating some basic practices to keep the entire family safe in public spaces. Samuel explains the science behind viruses and provides some ground rules for getting back out there with children in tow. Samuel describes a virus as, “A structure carrying code for its own replication. It finds its way into a host, invades cells, and proceeds to wreak havoc on the host’s body.”

Samuel advises that our best hope against such attacks is setting up defenses and offenses. Defenses to prevent infection and offenses to actively eliminate the virus’s ability to “succeed” in it’s attempted take over. The offensive strategies are intended to break down the structure and internal code of the virus to weaken its ability to replicate.

Defensive Strategies:

1) A healthy immune system. Eat well, exercise, and stay hydrated and well rested.

2) Practice impeccable hygiene, before and after any activity or interaction. Wash your hands like you are prepping for surgery. Get your kids to make those bubbles for 2 “Happy Birthdays.”

3) Minimize your contact with surfaces, especially in spaces where bodily fluid is likely to have escaped.

4) Maintain social distance whenever possible. The less physical contact you engage in, the less likely you are to be directly exposed to contagens.

5) Stop touching your face. Seriously, there is no reason your hands need to be near your face. While you’re at it, stop touching your mask. If you keep touching it you’re defeating its purpose entirely.

Offensive Strategies:

1) UV light. Putting things out in the sun or under a UV lamp will break down the virus’ structure and coding.

2) Chlorine. Bleach is very effective in breaking apart the structural integrity of the virus. Washing or cleaning with a chlorine solution will help control the spread.

3) Alcohol reduces the virus’ potency. Clean surfaces with 70% alcohol, such as found in rubbing alcohol and many hand sanitizers. Note: let the solution sit on the surface.

Samuel warns that some of the offensive measures create a false sense of security, “Just because you wiped a surface down with sanitizer does not mean it is entirely free of the virus.

The defensive strategies are a better measure in reducing risk of infection.” Teach your children about preventative hygiene and help them understand why to take such measures, so that when you are not with them, they are not a health hazard to themselves or others. Have them practice these strategies until they become habit so they take precautions without your prompting. Building good habits now while we are home can help us be prepared for getting back out there.

1...270271272...701 Page 271 of 701