Oola - The Oola Blog

Cool Christmas Gift Ideas for Boys

2012-11-16T11:16:14+11:00

We asked who you needed to buy for and there was an overwhelming request for what to buy for a boy beyond trucks and building toys.

Here's our recommendations to make your shopping easier this holiday season:

For boys over 8

Banangrams and Alphabet Dice are two of the hottest games this year. Each is a different spin on the traditional Scrabble where game play is faster and letter combinations change quickly to help you spell your way to victory.

The card game Loot is a unique strategy game that's also easy to transport. And if you're looking for a fun party game in card format, try Cranium Cards.

The new Disgusting Science range is proving popular with boys and girls alike where kids learn about everything from the science behind special effects - fake blood anyone? - to your favourite gags and pranks.

View our full collection of products ideal for over 8 year old boys here.

For 5-7 year old boys

Seedling craft and exploration kits are a great choice, check out the Create Your Own Sock Toy or Great Adventure Kit.

One of our favourite games for this age group is Rush Hour - choose from original, deluxe or our favourite, Safari Rush Hour. There are 60 different setups of varying difficulty making it entertaining for hours.

We also recommend games like award winning Rory's Story Cubes and Story Cubes Actions where you roll the dice and make up your own story with different scoring rules to increase the complexity.

And for boys like my son who still likes a soft toy to play with and cuddle, check out our Smoodoos like Sporty, Boxx, Bigg and iRat.

View our full collection of products ideal for 5-7 year old boys here.

For 3-4 year old boys

Pretend play is big in this group and we love the idea of magnetic creative sets. Reusable and easy to pack away, yet hours of imaginative fun. Check out Melissa & Doug's Joey or our Mudpuppy kits of Robots, Construction and Outer Space.

Get creative with stamps featuring everything from dinosaurs to vehicles and more unusual Potato Heads and Knights.

Feed the Woozle is a wonderful award winning game for this age group. Kids work together as a team to select food and carry it to the mouth of the Woozle. Great for motor skills and early counting as well as a little laughter.

This is a great age to start out on Jigsaw puzzles with some fun images for boys like Construction Crowd or In the Galaxy, or the two-sided Very Hungry Caterpillar Puzzle.

View our full collection of products ideal for 3-4 year old boys here.

For boys under 3 years old

Little ones will love some of the fantastic retro styled tin toys on offer. Choose from the traditional Jack in the Box or Spinning Humming Top (we love the foot to help it stand up). For something unique try the ABC Radio or Chime Ball.

Our range of Brainy Kids Games like Bright Buttons are designed for toddlers to enjoy game play. Simple rules and actions introduce board games while developing motor skills and social skills.

Introduce beautiful wooden puzzles to develop motor skills and matching. Choose from peg puzzles or chunky pieces depending on their age and development.

We also love the Eric Carle range of games. Introduce colours with Animals Animals Colour Bingo. The travel versions of the Very Hungry Caterpillar Game and ABC Game are compact yet offer the full game in a handy pack away tin box.

View our full collection of products ideal for under 3 year old boys here.

How Much Should We Shelter Our Kids?

2012-10-01T09:49:43+10:00

Do you ever make decisions about what to allow in your house and then wonder if you did the right thing? In our house, both parents have firm beliefs in encouraging independent thinking, pursuit of facts to make choices and acceptance of the imperfect world we inhabit. However, we also wonder how quickly the warts and all of life should be exposed to our innocent little people.

We have started a new habit in our household recently. When I make dinner, we put the news on the TV in the background. The kids are often tired and would prefer Cartoon Network or Wii, but I think we need to call time on kids entertainment via TV at some point in the day so for me, this is it.

Yesterday, a segment came on about people with Tourrettes Syndrome. It was well presented, but a little confronting. And my eldest child, about to turn 9 and in grade 3, was absorbed by what she was learning. I made the choice not to shield her from any of it while she was watching, after all, some families live with the hardship of disease, disability, or loss every day. Just because we are fortunate in this regard didn't seem to me a reason she should not see another perspective.

However, she was also visibly shaken by the sadness she saw in what she was watching. We sat together. We talked about it. We found parallels to both the bullying that happens at schools and to our own insecurities as we learn to love ourselves even when we might be slightly different to others. Certainly we found a way to put the situation into context, but also to highlight the reality that our world does not match the ideal of perfect depicted in fairy tales.

It's a tricky lesson, and one that is better learnt sooner than later. But I'm still curious about how much shelter and protection is right at this age versus helping our kids gradually experience the world that they will help shape though their choices as they gain independence.

What decisions have you made about exposing your children to the realities of life?

Getting Ready to Road Test the Parent Manifesto

2012-09-05T12:44:24+10:00

Starting next Monday, we will be participating in the 12 week Parent Manifesto put together by Jodie Benveniste.

I've been reading some of Jodie's blog posts about parenting and at least one even made it onto our Facebook page. So when Jodie offered me the chance to participate and share my experiences, I was eager to try it out despite the fact that long ago I decided that parenting advice was not my cup of tea.

There are two main things I sense are different about this program, and both are completely aligned to what Oola is all about.

Confidence in our individual choices. We want Oola kids to build confidence through play. How much of that is reinforcing what we do as parents? The Parent Manifesto promises to support my choices, not tell me what I should do differently.
Catering for time-poor parents. Let's face it, what parent is not in this category. Oola parents choose us in part because we're fast - order Monday and have your gift in time for the weekend party. Jodie assures me that only 1 hour per week is required.

We'll be sharing our experiences of this program on the Oola Blog and hope you'll consider coming along on the journey with us.

Signup for the next Manifesto here.

And let us know how it goes.

Build Models to Build Understanding

2012-08-13T09:59:51+10:00

Models: the very foundation of creativity. To piece one together is a feat that promotes logic and problem-solving, not to mention it encourages that interest of crafting in your child. And since the complexity of puzzles and models improve your child’s cognitive functions, we recommend the following fun model-toys, perfect for your children 9 to 10 years of age.

Take Oola’s Amazing Bridges model set: a puzzling and fun experience for any youngster. Each set comes with enough pieces to build and spice-up three amazing and historical bridges. The Amazing Bridge set can be built into the mighty Roman Arch, a sturdy Truss Bridge, or even the elegantly designed Suspension Bridge. Each bridge built by your child will improve his understanding of how these physical wonders work, and with every piece put in place, your little engineer is not only having the time of his life, he’s also building a bridge for his own success.

Go on a historical tour with your child through the prehistoric age with the Anatomics Dinosaur. This marvel of modern science has years of study in its finely detailed package, featuring a highly detailed and scientifically accurate depiction of one of the most powerful dinosaurs ever to exist: the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex! Venture with your child into the mysterious anatomy of this huge land reptile, and who knows, you might even learn something yourself! Each model comes with miniature, but detailed versions of this mighty reptile’s organs and skeletal system, all perfectly packaged in a replica of the resilient skin of the T-Rex. Anatomics Dinosaur springs forth the interest of any child in the field of science with its engaging form.

Not to be overlooked, we have the Ancient Pyramid, an enigmatic replica of Egyptian tombs of old. Every pyramid comes full of fun surprises for your child. Help him create hieroglyphs of old with the included decoder, or watch his exuberance at the variety of interesting noises as if they came from real mummies in Egypt! Each Ancient Pyramid comes with a 35-page Fun and Fact activity book too, adding to the hours of fun and education your young archaeologist can gain from this one-of-a-kind piece of history.

Whether you have plans for your kid to be an Engineer, Doctor, or Archaeologist, Oola delivers the tools you need to not only make learning fun but also fully educational.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

2012-07-30T11:59:39+10:00

Make the story come Alive!

Based on the best selling author Eric Carle’s book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Oola gives a brand new take on making a story come alive for your young ones in this new group of fun-ducational toys.

Presenting The Very Hungry Caterpillar Game Tin, a diverse and informative game designed on taking change and adding beauty to the mix. This artistic set of cards provides insight into Eric Carle’s amazing understanding of a child’s perception on change. Help your kid understand the concept of progression as he follows the Caterpillar on its journey to self-realization in this colourful and simplified version of the book. Let him go on his own journey of self discovery, and watch as your child dawns upon new knowledge that is sure to brighten up his thinking. Whatever your child does with it is a guaranteed precursor to better results in developing his cognitive functions and perception.

Love puzzles? Then grab the Very Hungry Caterpillar Jumbo Floor Puzzle, another great Carle-themed puzzled brought to you by Oola. This decorative piece of learning challenges your child in the ways of logic and critical thinking. Each case comes complete with thirty-six fully coloured puzzle pieces creating a detailed illustration straight from the book! Not only can your child watch as the caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly, but he can make one himself as well and join in the wonderful journey of belief and self-confidence. This beautiful puzzle-set comes with an easy-to-carry suitcase to store your puzzle pieces after use, or you can even place it in his room or frame it as a sign of his achievements.

These educational and eye-catching products from Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar book and brought to you by Oola is a definite must buy for any fan of his work. And if you aren’t already, then we guarantee you’ll love it after a small peek. These one of a kind educational toys are perfect for young, promising toddlers three and above of age and their parents looking to make a bright and happy future for their children.

Product Review: Square by Square

2012-07-02T16:09:29+10:00

Do your kids like a puzzling challenge once in a while?

With Square by Square, Thinkfun have found a great way to entertain kids who like to reason out how shapes fit together. They cater for varying abilities (and age groups) with the 60 challenge cards that build in difficulty level.

Research has shown that playing these sorts of puzzles is great for developing cognitive skills across all age groups, even adults and seniors. Yet, for those of us not too bothered about our rating on the brainiac scale, the game is simple fun.

Choose a pattern you'd like to create. Arrange the green and blue pieces to fit within the provided square tray to make the shape you've selected. But watch out, it's not quite as easy as it seems. My kids were quick to point out that you can turn the card over and it gets easy to put the pieces in - yep, when you look at the solution, the puzzle is simple.

The good news is that with a little guidance, like put the big pieces in first, my 6 and 8 year old both enjoyed this game and it's sibling, Shape by Shape. And truth be told, I also couldn't resist a few rounds once I saw them having a go.

Do you enjoy logic puzzles? Share your favourite in the comments.

Book Review: The Doorbell Rang

2012-06-28T10:03:37+10:00

Expose Kids to Fractions and Division through Stories

This week's book is one that picks up on some of the mathematical skills that kids pick up through other channels. Just like building spatial reasoning through putting together puzzle pieces, kids can understand mathematical concepts well before they 'officially' learn them in school.

The Doorbell Rang is all about sharing Grandma's cookies. And each time the doorbell rings, there's more children at the door to share the cookies, presenting a great way to introduce division across the growing number of kids arriving.

The illustrations are in a cartoon style and filled with bright colour. There's a cat to find on each page that adds an additional element of enjoyment for kids. Plus, principles of fairness and sharing reinforce social development throughout.

Look out for the surprise ending!

If you enjoy our book reviews, please share with your friends and let us know in the comments.

See other recent book reviews:

Snow Party

Flotsam

Top 7 Puzzle Strategies for Pre-Schoolers

2012-06-26T11:52:55+10:00

Wanting to do puzzles with your toddler or pre-schooler and not sure where to begin?

Puzzles for kids are purposefully simple and designed to be fun while helping small children develop the really important ability to mentally transform shapes. This is true for early wooden peg puzzles as well as jigsaws.

In fact, recent research from the University of Chicago has confirmed that kids who do puzzles between the ages of 2-4 develop improved spacial relationship skills that translate into greater aptitude for science, technology, engineering and maths.

To help make your foray into puzzling with your young child even more fun, here's seven strategies to help your pre-schooler enjoy puzzles.

1. Make a game of turning all the pieces the right way up.

When all the pieces first come out of the box, the idea of turning each one right way up can seem like tidy up time torture. Make it into a game by looking for all the pieces with a special colour on them, or a straight edge on them, or even a race to see who can get the biggest pile of right way up pieces.

2. Tackle just a few pieces at a time.

Remember that a pile of puzzle pieces can be daunting to start with, if you didn't separate the edges as part of your 'right way up game', gather a small number of pieces that go together.

3. Line up the correct pieces to build confidence if they get stuck.

Especially at the beginning of a puzzle, kids can need a little help imagining how all the pieces go together. Putting one next to another so that the mental leap is a little smaller can reinforce their confidence. However, let them test out pieces that don't go together to see for themselves why not.

4. Follow their lead.

Let your child decide what part of the puzzle they want to do first. Perhaps they love the dinosaur and really don't care about the rest ... make that the focus.

5. Take turns.

In addition to teaching them an important social skill, taking turns when doing a puzzle allows you to jump in and complete the hard ones if they're having trouble without making them feel like you are helping because they failed. That's the good kind of sneaky.

6. Ask what they see.

It is so amazing to hear a child's view of the world. Sometimes it's colours for them and shapes or objects for us. Other times they see the black like which was just the outline of something else for us. Talk about the shapes and colours on the pieces in their language. Use the discussion to help them match up the right pieces.

7. Cheer each success.

Even if the puzzle is obvious, their brain is working hard on each piece and they get a little victory with each successful fit. Make a big deal of it and encourage them to find the next one. It's such a reward when they want to leave the completed puzzle on the floor as a trophy, even when it's not part of your colour scheme!

Looking for a new puzzle?

Check out our ranges of wooden and preschool puzzles.

Here's our Jigsaw Buying Guide to help you choose the right puzzle for your child's age.

We'd love to know your ideas for fun puzzle time with small children. Let us know in the comments.

Vote for Oola in the AusMumpreneur Awards

2012-06-25T11:08:05+10:00

We are honoured to be a Nominee in the Emerging Entrepreneur category of this year's AusMumpreneur Awards. We've had a fabulous first eight months in business at Oola working hard to ensure that online shopping is simple and great value for busy parents. There is still so much to come. We value your feedback and look forward to continuing to provide great ideas for playtime.

We're also in the People's Choice Awards for Best Customer Service so we need your support. Please vote for us!

Here's how:

1. Become a member of Connect2Mums - it's free and required to vote.

2. Go to the Customer Service Category.

3. Look for the photo of our founder in the warehouse:

4. Click 'like' at the end of our story.

Thank you so much for your support. As always, contact us with any feedback or questions via Facebook, our Contact Us page, or in the comments below.

Link Love: Bravery, Wood Craft, Best iPhone Apps for Kids

2012-06-22T10:02:16+10:00

Today's link love features three great posts that are timely as we head into the end of June and the July school holidays. I loved the reflection on being a parent from Geralyn Murray in "Can you catch bravery from your kids".

If you're staying home for the holidays, you won't want to miss the Simple Wood Crafts to keep little ones busy, and for all of us who allow a little screen time in the holidays, here are some iPhone/iPod app suggestions for kids.

Link Love:

Can you catch bravery from your kids … perspective on parenting

Simple Wood Crafts

25 Best iPhone Apps for Kids

And if you missed our Book Review this week, we recommend Snow Party by Harriet Ziefert as a brilliant celebration of winter.

Have a great weekend.

Book Review: Snow Party

2012-06-21T12:29:45+10:00

Today, on the winter solstice, our book celebrates this special occasion.

Snow Party by Harriet Ziefert is a magical celebration of the shortest day of the year.

The story celebrates folk lore where the falling of snow on the first day of winter brings out all of the snow people - men, women and children - for a party. The snow people bring everything they need for a celebration of the start of winter. They set it up and the magical snowy merriment begins.

The brilliant illustrations by Mark Jones will enthrall your little ones as they imagine this snowy wonderland. The colours are vibrant and really reflect the mood of a winter storm which is gentle and mysterious.

Each page has only one or two lines of text so young readers can enjoy without feeling overwhelmed. Even adults will enjoy the story, the folk legend, and the pictures. This story is ideal for children from four to eight years old and makes a great bedtime favourite in winter months.

You can find Snow Party at Amazon.com or Booktopia.

Book Review: Flotsam

2012-06-07T08:07:54+10:00

This week we introduce weekly book reviews. It’s always tricky to know what’s great, so we thought we’d pick out a favourite each week and share it with you.

Today is Flotsam by David Wiesner.

This week’s book was chosen by Korben, age 6. His reasoning was really insightful to a young mind: “this book doesn’t have any words so it really easy to read.”

It was a great reminder to the grownups that by the time our early primary schoolers reach bedtime, their little minds are tired from all the learning, and the listening, and remembering to be kind, and to share, and to take turns, and to walk away when someone does something they don’t like in the playground. Sometimes storytime doesn’t need any words, or can let us make up our own words.

This is exactly why Flotsam is great. It tells a beautiful story filled with adventure, imagination, and thought. And it does it all in pictures, beautifully illustrated pictures. The story is rich enough to engage an adult, but certainly filled with ideas perfectly understandable by kids.

The premise is a boy by the beach who finds a camera. The story is told by what he then finds on the film - old school film so your kids might even learn a bit of living history.

We won't spoil it here, but can say that we always love discovering stories that can span pre-school through to middle primary. We also love stories that you can 'read' over and over again and keep discovering something new.

Have you read this book? Buy it online from Booktopia, Book Depository or your favourite online bookstore.

Discovering Planks

2012-06-03T20:17:57+10:00

We first discovered the concept of Planks five years ago in a hotel in Budapest. Next to a beautiful pot-bellied wood stove were some cozy chairs, a spread of magazines and, oh so wisely, a collection of long, thin, identical, wooden blocks. We first looked at them and wondered if the kids would even play with them. And then, we could not escape that corner of the hotel lobby. We were able to relax and read, and our kids were able to create to their hearts content.

Here's a slideshow of some of the wonderful things you can create with these brilliantly precise, long and thin blocks.

Known as Kepla blocks in Europe and Keva in the US, our Australian-made version are Planks. They are beautiful. And they are fun - for the parents and for the kids.

I’ve never forgotten those blocks, and so was delighted to find Australian company Green Hat Workshop producing an identical product. We now have Planks on Oola and hope that you will find as much joy in these blocks as we have. The premise is simple. Each of the 100 blocks is exactly the same size and shape. They are perfectly balanced and can therefore produce all sorts of structures. Have a look at the slideshow for some ideas. The box comes with a builders guide to get you started as well.

For any kid with an imagination, the possibilities are endless. Build a fence for your Littlest Pet Shops or learn about society's structural masterpieces. Create an amazing tower to learn about balance and structure. This is one of those staple toys that every household should have.

And if you’re little ones are particularly creative, they might like this idea from Easy Peasy Kids:

(Photo curtesy of Easy Peasy Kids)

For the eco-conscious among us, these blocks are made from sustainably farmed pine. This makes me happy, and it will make your kids happy when they still have a healthy planet as adults.

Purchase 100 Planks for just $64.95. And shipping is free!

Do you love blocks? Let us know what building happens in your house.

Link Love!

2012-06-01T15:16:24+10:00

Introducing a new Oola feature. Every Friday, we'll post a short collection of some of our favourite ideas and blog posts. Unsurprisingly, they have a family education slant, but we won't limit ourselves to this alone when we see something great. After all, just because we're parents doesn't mean our interest in the rest of the world stops.

So here it is: Link Love

8 Reasons Why Fairy Tales Are Essential To Childhood from Imagination Soup

How to Miss a Childhood from Hands Free Mama.

Inspiration from Ethiopia - helping children with the most difficult challenges.

Dry Erase Paint Turns Any Wall Into a Fun Space including video.

We hope you'll be able to grab yourself a cuppa and a couple of minutes to relax. Enjoy!

Playing with Words

2012-05-29T14:56:23+10:00

This made us smile ... especially since we do a series of 'later alligator' calls each morning at school drop off.

Source: marvelouskiddo.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Do you have a daily drop off tradition?

WIN $50 of Style Me Up Creative Kits for Tweens

2012-05-27T15:19:05+10:00

How do you discover great new toys for tweens?

As our kids get more and more independent and we get more and more busy, how do we discover some of the less mainstream products they'd love? We don't have a sure-fire answer, but we do know that being creative makes us happy. And that being happy feels good.

So for our tween and nearly tween girls out there this week, we’re giving away $50 worth of Style Me Up creative kits. Filled with great options for making their own jewellery, designing their own fashion, and making their own cosmetics, tween-age girls will have fun making and doing as well as wearing their creations.

We need your help getting the word out. For each person sharing our Style Me Up range for girls on Facebook or Twitter this week, we’ll put you into a draw to win $50 worth of Style Me Up merchandise.

THIS COMPETITION HAS CLOSED. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK TO HEAR WHEN WE ANNOUNCE OUR NEXT GIVEAWAY.

Origami Ideas from origami-instructions.com

2012-05-23T13:24:05+10:00

This week on Oola, we're talking all about making things with paper. And while we have lots of great origami products and other paper crafts, there are simple do it at home options that we want to share with you.

The best website we've found for origami instructions is Origami-Instructions.com. The site has written instructions together with photos of each step so that kids can follow along easily.

Here's a few examples of creations from their site:

Monkey Butterfly Whale

(all photos Copyright Origami-Instructions.com)

Check out this monkey that's made from whatever paper was available at home and simply coloured in for decoration. Origami can easily be an entertaining and inexpensive pastime!

So if you like making things from paper, expand your horizons and have a go.

Did you try any of these? Let us know how it went in the comments and share a photo of your creations.

Storytelling is Everything

2012-05-15T14:46:52+10:00

(Photo: David Crosling, Source: Herald Sun)

Today at breakfast, my daughter said something seemingly innocuous that made me bristle: “I don't like writing.”

My daughter, along with much of the Victorian and possibly the Australian population is taking the Naplan tests today. She told me this morning that she had Language Composition and Writing tests. And then she said, “I don't like writing”.

As someone who was never enthusiastic about writing in school, my inner alarm was ringing loudly. And then she said something that highlighted the complete cultural difference between our kids and many of us parents, at least all of us who are Gen X-ers. she said, “it’s not like when you do typing on the computer.”

A swirl of thoughts

Here we are, writing is fun when it is called typing. Writing is not so fun when it happens with pen and pencil. The swhirl of thoughts, questions, and mild consternations that went spinning around in my mind were palpable:

Does she just not like pen and pencil?
At least she likes to be crafty and artistic so she won’t be entirely without fine motor skills that were once measured in quality of handwriting.
Do we not provide enough alternatives to keyboards and online entertainment to ensure that she has a wide range of interests?
Does she see me too often at work, something that nearly always includes a keyboard?
Does she actually not like writing?

It is so difficult to succeed in life without writing well. At anything. Despite the prevalence of video and the tradition of oral communication which precedes all of us to the beginning of humanity, the advent of writing and in particular the printing press that brought widespread publishing is one of the major turning points in the development of humanity.

And while humans have probably done some things that are damaging to humanity, our planet and plenty of individuals in the ensuing epochs since we’ve been writing, wouldn’t we rather live now than then.

And so maybe my daughter doesn’t like writing.

In the split second that I had to formulate a comment amidst the swirling craze in my mind, I said only, “please try your hardest at writing. We can’t communicate in today’s world without it.” All the while wondering what I can do to ensure that the playful elements of writing capture her heart.

Here’s what I’ve come up with after a morning of mulling this problem:

If kids love storytelling first, writing can follow.
Storytelling is all around us at all ages in our play.
The reason screen time captures kids attention so easily is because of storytelling – conflict, goals, challenges, and a resolution.
We must be able to build on the storytelling they think of as easy – from TV and video games – to reinforce it in other elements of play.

So what have I decided?

Continue to encourage play of all types. She’s 8 years old. Here future interests are wide open. After all, I was 30 years old before I knew what I wanted to do with myself professionally.

If you’re wondering about ways to encourage storytelling in play, we've created a buying guide to the best storytelling toys and games by age group.

Product Review: Zoob

2012-05-14T07:47:28+10:00

As we highlight building products on Oola this week, we have to share our love of Zoob. Often compared to Lego, it is such a different play experience. You will not find characters and new worlds in a box ready for assembly. Instead, the imagination creates the ideas which can be put together by combining the 5 different pieces.

There are two critical highlights for us:

1. after building something, the parts move so kids can play with it. Imagine creating a dinosaur and then being able to move the arms and legs as they rotate in their sockets. Check out this video on YouTube to get an idea of how it works.

2. all three of my kids across a 5 year age span enjoy playing Zoob together. When one gets it out, they all jump in to play. And it is often my 8 year old girl, who is not so much a fan of Lego, doing the instigating.

The fundamentals of Zoob are these 5 pieces. I'm showing them on my hand to give you an idea of size. Yep, they're big enough for little hands, hard to swallow when that's a consideration, and allow the creation of some fairly complicated structures that could absorb the older kids for hours - just try the famous Zoob double helix.

The most important part of Zoob is that they are just plain fun.

If you'd like to try Zoob, we're putting the 40 Piece Zoob Set on sale this week only for 15% off. It comes with instructions for 3 ideas to get you started and a travel bag to pack it all away. Officially recommended for kids over 6, my 3 year old manages with some help from us or her siblings.

Oh, Mom!

2012-05-13T16:58:43+10:00

Oh, Mom!

How many times will we hear that phrase?
How many times have we said that phrase?

In our childhood, it was for help.
In our teen years, it was in exasperation.
In our early adult years, it was in excitement.
In our motherhood years, it was for advice.
And for evermore it is for love.

Today is a day where we celebrate our mothers. Their lives, their love, their sacrifice, so that we could become who we are.

Today, I celebrate my mom. The woman who led by example. Who taught me to love unconditionally. Who taught me that girls can grow up to be anything they want. Who showed me an example of a woman pioneering a man’s world professionally. Who encouraged me, and still does. Who loved me, and still does. Who set me free to live life with gusto. And who loves and cherishes me as if I were still that small creature who arrived on the scene nearly four decades ago. Who set for me an outstanding example of how to be a mom. And who is now showing me an outstanding example of how to be a grandma.

So today, we celebrate motherhood. That great institution built on little more than the instinct to love, nurture and provide. One of the few things left in the world that is truly selfless.

Happy Mother’s Day.
And thank you.

Building Imagination With Pretend Play

2012-05-08T08:17:54+10:00

This article originally appeared as a guest post in the Babies & Toddlers Directory.

Pretend Play

One of the big cognitive development phases that preschool kids go through is using their imagination in what we call pretend play. Kids practice expressing themselves and create imaginary worlds in which they take on a role and the characters around them – siblings, soft toys, or other character toys – play a part too.

Many parents enjoy a bit of pretend play with their kids, but quickly feel the need to get on with life – those real tasks on the to do list ranging from household chores to administration and even work for the many WAHMs out there. How can we ... read more

You can shop for toys that stimulate imaginative play on Oola.

Tea Set by Schylling

$24.99

Dress-up Figures and Playscenes by Mudpuppy

from $26.00

Dress-up Figures by Melissa & Doug

from $26.95

It's a Family Affair

2012-05-07T10:40:33+10:00

Over the weekend, the whole family got involved in discovering our new merchandise. It is always fun being able to have the kids around while I work and one of the best things about this business. It’s something everyone loves.

We are excited to have added some great games for 3-7 year olds by British brand Orchard Games. Several have won awards like Shopping List and Bus Stop. All of them will encourage the development of interpersonal skills as well as memory and counting.

For the older kids, we have several new logic based games by Think Fun. There is, of course, the well known and award winning Rush Hour, as well as some independent games developing logic, spatial relationships and just plain fun: Square by Square, Shape by Shape, and the Amaze Game.

I have a particular soft spot for two very educational games which will offer young readers and mathematicians some fun practice: Pathwords Junior and Math Dice Junior. Two of my little helpers uncovered Math Dice and just couldn’t wait to get started.

Here's a link to the new collection by Orchard and here are the logic games from Thinkfun. If you’re looking for a fantastic game, have a browse.

What’s your favourite game?

Images of Autumn

2012-04-19T14:56:21+10:00

Changing seasons can make us think of so many things we love about the new season starting. Here are our top four great things about autumn ... in pictures.

Beautiful Nature
Hot Chocolate
Roast Dinners
AusKick Weekends

What are yours?

Photo credits:
1. Oola Collection
2. About.com
3. For the Love of Yum
4. AusKick

Hidden Treasures with Find It Games

2012-04-04T14:40:40+10:00

Have you ever found something so thoroughly addictive you kept coming back to it over and over again?

Find It is one of those games. It is a simple, yet engaging, premise. There's a list of objects hidden inside the canister, obscured by small bits of coloured confetti-like filler. There's a list of all the objects conveniently printed on the top of the canister so even if you misplace the handy check pads that are also included, you can continue to hunt and find over and over again.

We've played the Glitz & Glamour version and the Kids version. Both are fun, challenging and provided hours of entertainment across generations. Grandparents, parents and kids all could take turns hunting for a cupcake, bird, flower or umbrella. Passing it along and occassionally going cross-eyed from looking so hard.

The game is fully self contained making it ideal for car or plane journeys where you could otherwise loose small pieces. As frequent travellers, we love finding screen free travel games for our journeys.

It can also be played in either competitive or cooperative mode. Teaching our kids to work together is something we like to reinforce with play so this was a big plus for us.

Check out the collection of Find It games here.

Kids' Jigsaw Buying Guide

2012-04-01T11:22:26+10:00

How many times have you wondered what size puzzle is right for your child's age?

Just like choosing the right level of book for reading skills, choosing the right size jigsaw makes the difference as to whether a child enjoys or dislikes jigsaws. We've put together this buying guide to help make a good selection for your child. After all, anyone can enjoy assembling an interesting picture and benefit from all the skills that are honed in the process: from spacial awareness to pattern recognition.

How to choose the right jigsaw puzzle:

3 years old

The size of the pieces and complexity of the image are important considerations as well as the number of pieces. Generally puzzles should be about 36 pieces or less and puzzles can start at as few as 12 pieces. We recommend Djeco silhouette puzzles like Goldilocks or the Sheep where the puzzle comes in an attractive silhouette shaped box.

4 years old

Choose 60 pieces or less for your 4 year old's jigsaw. Ensure the image is something they're interested in and remember to mix up the larger or more complicated puzzles with some of the simpler ones to reinforce their independence and build self-esteem when they can solve it all by themselves. Check out our larger Djeco Silouhette Puzzles or 60 Piece Ravensburger Jigsaws.

5 years old

As dexterity increases, kids are ready for puzzles with slightly smaller pieces, but they may still need a low piece-count to complete the puzzle before their concentration runs out. We find the Ravensburger 49 piece puzzles are great for this age as they come with three images to be completed one at a time or all together for a bigger challenge.

6-7 years old

At this age, go for a 100 piece puzzle to provide a good challenge while still including pieces that are large enough to be handled easily. Kids really care about the picture so choose something that matches their interests. There's still plenty of good choices for boys and girls together - it's not all unicorns or monster trucks, though we offer plenty of gender aligned choices too.

8 years old

Kids at 8 years old now have the attention span for a 200 piece puzzle. They're ready for the challenge and these puzzles typically have slightly larger pieces than a standard adult puzzle, but still support use of fine motor skills in turning the pieces around to fit the puzzle. Of course, there's plenty of arranging pieces by colour or pattern to complete the puzzle.

9 years old and beyond

Choose a 300 piece puzzle for this age. Kids will find a great intro to adult sized pieces in the Ravensburger 300 collection but a small enough piece-count that they cans still finish them easily.

Check out our full range of jigsaw puzzles.

Digitally Connected Kids, Learning from Mum

2012-02-27T10:26:44+11:00

There's definitely a debate among parents about the pros and cons of our kids growing up fully connected. We see it play out in everything from the toddler who can use an iPhone or iPad to the school kid's devotion to video games. Like most things affecting our kids, parents debate whether this is healthy or overkill. And for parents in Gen X, there isn't a benchmark example from our own childhood of acceptable digital behaviour.

When in doubt, lead life by cliche.

It's always possible for us to fall back on the old adage "Everything in Moderation". Personally, there are lots of aspects of parenting where I don't actually know what's best nor do I have the time to research each one. In the end, whether junk food, playtime, sunshine, fizzy drinks or time on the Wii, Nintendo DS, iPod Touch, or PlayStation, I try to opt for everything in moderation. At a minimum, it saves me from that other adage "You can have too much of a good thing."

Otherwise look to our own example.

How many times have we seen our kids at all ages mimic the behaviour they observe from their special grownups? Yep, every mum has heard their kids snap back at them a zippy expression which until that moment was casually tossed out as perfectly acceptable grownup speech. And then the moment comes, our two year old comes out with an instructive, "Do it NOW, mummy. I'm in a HURRY." The same applies to our digital behaviour.

Are you the parent who is always stealing a glance at your iPhone while the kids are at the park, swimming lessons, playing video games, doing their homework? Surely I have my moments. Even if they don't comment, they see that and assume that's what grownups do and so that's what they should aim for. We're all busy and keeping up with our lives while on the go with our kids enables us to feel like we have both a mummy life and our own individuality whether that's a sliver of social life or the maintenance of a professional persona or a little of both. Just remember that our kids learn from that too.

At Oola, we believe that kids need both on- and off- line stimulation.

Every child is different. Every child with grow up with their own interests. And every child today will grow up in a totally connected digital world. A young mind is an inquisitive mind. We don't have a no batteries policy. Nor do we have a all electronics section. We try to help kids find fun in exploring and learning about the world around them. We want them to develop creativity, imagination, and understanding. That applies to weaving patterns with thread or beads as much as it does getting outside and cycling, gardening or digging for worms.

How do you feel about your kids' digital lives? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook wall.

Time Saver: Turn off the Television

2012-02-20T16:26:46+11:00

What parent is not in search of a way to make their lives easier. Since each of my kids turned about 3 years old, the television in our house has held their attention for long enough to allow us to complete important tasks like making dinner, household chores and the occasional important email or phone call.

Last week, we took the counter-intuitive step of turning off the television during the school week. Everyone was suffering from back to school exhaustion as the structured days failed to give way to structured evenings as easily as we'd have liked. In order to make sure that homework was completed and night time tasks - packing the school bags, for example - were done, we removed the lazy distraction that a TV show often provides.

It was as much a shock to my system as a parent as it was to theirs for the first few days. However, perseverance paid off and by the end of the week, the "I'm too tired to do anything but watch TV" had given way to colouring, drawing pictures, writing stories, and reading books.

When the lazy way out was no longer an option, the kids did things that they enjoyed just as much, but that didn't turn them into zombies. They had something to say at the dinner table and could remember elements of their day at school. Plus, all the take home reading and other homework was completed and returned to the school bags since it was just as fun as reading their own books and making up their own stories.

I am certain we'll still use the TV as temporary babysitter from time to time. And we'll do it guilt free. But I encourage you to try switching off a distraction in your lives to create a new routine that's healthy for your family.

If you have other tips to share, we'd love to feature them on The Oola Blog. Let us know in the comments.

How Do You Make Glass?

2012-02-15T11:37:44+11:00

This was the question of the day on the way to school. I'm really excited to be in the phase where my kids are wondering how everything in the world works. And then of course they want to try it at home. Some of the projects, like glass-making, are not quite possible in full at home, but there are creative ways to simulate the idea of glass making. My favourite is stained glass lookalikes.

Have fun making your own stained glass windows at home.

Supplies:

Black craft paper
Scissors
Transparent vellum paper
Coloured Texters
Sticky Tape

Method:

Cut vellum paper and construction paper to the same size rectangle (or any other preferred shape, mine will want a love heart). Fold the black construction paper in half and then back in quarters like a fan. Cut along folded edges to make holes for the coloured light to shine through. Attach cut out construction paper to vellum paper with sticky tape. Colour in the openings with texters.

Voila, a beautiful stained glass decoration that will make the family say "ooh la la".

Shop our range of creative products.

New Science Kits from Slinky Science

2012-02-15T11:29:49+11:00

Today we have added several new products that encourage kids to have fun with science. Aimed at the older primary school kids ages 8 and over, the range by Slinky Science offers kids the change to explore different phenomena they come across in every day life.

Concepts include magnetism, electronic circuitry, ciphers, cryptology and magic. Who new all those fancy words could be fun!

Check out the full collection.

Make Jewellery You Actually Want to Wear

2012-02-13T14:24:42+11:00

It's no secret we love the great creative products by Style Me Up, especially the Cool Bead Stringer which we are excited to say makes beaded bracelets and necklaces that your girls will actually want to wear.

The kit contains plenty of beads thread and hardware to make a good number of pieces. The skill part of the Cool Bead Stringer is in getting the beads onto the clear thread based on your chosen pattern. The kit comes with the standard J shaped needle for stringing beads and a clever container to spin the beads right onto the needle.

The patterns in the instruction manual provide guides for when to change the colour of the beads depending upon whether you're making a bracelet or necklace and how many colours you want to use in your creation. Plus there's a great idea for how to use up the odds and ends that are sometimes left with kits like this.

In no time, we had made a good start with our first colour. Though it must be pointed out that this is a manual process so although faster than individual threading, it's not a mechanised process that means you'll have your prized jewellery in a few short minutes. Patience is certainly required, but that's something that 8-12 year old girls often have developed.

We'd love to see your examples of a finished product. How do they compare with the official promo shot from Style Me Up?

Shop for the Cool Bead Stringer here: