The name “Radio Flyer” evokes memories of flying down the driveaway on my tricycle and, of course, hauling freshly picked apples in a classic red wagon. A beautiful thing about parenthood is the opportunity to relive those memories with my children.

Just in time for apple-picking season, Radio Flyer sent me their Ultimate Comfort Wagon, a fresh take on a classic toy…

I’m not sure who loves the new Harumika Fashion Design mannequin more, me or my daughter. Anyone who has an interest in fashion would have fun with this toy. Harumika sets make a great present for a kid or a fun desktop creativity toy for an adult harboring a secret dream to become a fashion designer.

When I’m not with my family or obsessively shopping on the Internet, I’m an educational consultant. And I was just named one of Education.com’s JustAsk Experts. Education.com has some amazing resources, including a community, articles, and plenty of activities.

My daughter and I signed up for the Summer Activities Challenge–just complete 20 activities by August 31, 2009, and you’ll get a certificate of achievement and even be entered to win some prizes.

Summer is a great time for enrichment activities. Free from the daily grind of classes and homework, your child can explore his or her creative side.

Shop for art supplies on sale at local craft stores, or find wholesale arts and crafts supplies online at DollarDays. Many moms have a craft box (or craft closet) full of supplies to keep their kids occupied during school vacations and on rainy weekends.

While some parents splurge on summer art classes and camps, activity books can inspire at a much lower price tag. LittleMissMatched’s The Artist in Me! costs under $12 at Amazon.

I wasn’t bored much growing up. On rainy days and lazy Saturday afternoons, I’d be engaged in some craft project or interesting game. My mother, a teacher, has a gift for finding and organizing fun activities on a moment’s notice. Now that I’m a mom, I appreciate how easy she made it all look.

Some organized moms dedicate entire closets to craft supplies and keep file folders full of craft-ideas clipped from magazines and newspapers on-hand. But if that’s not your style, you can still entertain and educate your children with the fabulous art kits from Eye Can Art.

As part of the Love of Learning Month, Little Partners is giving away 20 Learning Towers (ARV $200 each). Mamanista has one to give away to a lucky reader.  Check the Love of Learning Month to find out which 19 other bloggers are giving away one, too!
In December, Debbie reviewed the Learning Tower, which was one of our Hottest Holiday Toys:
If you love cooking, the Learning Tower from Little Partners is a must have. Kids love to help in the kitchen, and it’s a lot easier if they aren’t perched precariously on …

One of our hot holiday toy picks for 2008, TOOBEEZ are a toy the whole family will enjoy.
TOOBEEZ can best be described as giant Tinker Toys. The TOOBEEZ building system consists of different sized tubes and connecting spheres.
Construction is easy. Just insert either end of the tube into one of the sphere’s 10 keyholes and twist the tube’s rotating end to “lock” it in place.
TOOBEEZ encourage creative open-ended play. While TOOBEEZ come with instructions for building dozens of fun structures, the only limit is your imagination. Your kids (ages 4+) will learn spatial relations as …

Imagine a toy that is reusable, suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children, rolls up for storage, and inspires creativity without any mess–and you’ll have Aquadoodle.  My daughter will draw all day long, but she always wants a clean page.  We save a few of her paintings, but mainly she just enjoys doodling. Since she is not attached to any of her masterpieces quite yet, it seems a shame to fill page after page, wasting all those trees.  So, I was eager to see if she would take to an …

Prima Princessa is a cheerful cartoon fairy who wants to share her love of ballet with your child.  She floats, flitters, and glides through a condensed version of Swan Lake, performed by the Paris Opera Ballet. Interspersed with the dancing are clips of preschool girls learning dance steps, young students from the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center rehearsing, and toys and animals dancing about. My toddler especially enjoys the critters, exclaiming, “That’s Funny! Flamingo dancing!”
By encouraging activity along with an interest in the arts, this sweet video answers …