Friday, October 1, 2010

Innovative Kids

So we've been traveling A LOT over the past 2 months. I am one of those over packers that takes the whole house with me. Ella is a very "out there" child and if she's not distracted then she's getting into trouble. So I tend to bring more toys than often needed. When I heard about innovativeKids green start products, I got really excited to try something new.

innovativeKids creates award winning books that are fun, creative, and engaging. They are out of the box books that inspire children with their hands-on reading. innovativeKids not only makes amazing books, they have puzzles, games, toys, and more. They also have an amazing Reading program which I'm going to start Ella on very soon.

What I love about the green start line is that it teaches the basics about loving the earth. It's very subtle and is enjoyable for everyone. This is a blurb from their press release: "Designed for ages 18 months to 6 years old, the green start™ series is designed to help give very young children an awareness of the natural world and an understanding of how people are interconnected with everything around them. innovativeKids believes that by giving preschoolers a green start, it will be that much easier for them to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into their everyday lives as they grow."

We got to try out a little of something from the whole line. First, I have to say that the packaging is AMAZING! It's all made out of 98% post consumer recycled materials that is exceptionally durable. I love being able to take a box on the go and not have to worry about the box folding in and everything spilling out. Majority of the green start products are made out of the same 98% post consumer recycled material and printed with soy based inks. This gives the products a more natural feel- plus I love how vibrant the soy ink pops out on the cardboard.

We received "the five senses" and "animals everywhere" books. They both retail for $6.99 and are recommended for children ages 2+. The eco-friendly inks have a glitter to them that I love. The designs are very natural and they have a nice diversity of the characters. The books are great for beginning readers. I love the short rhymes and educational content. I love that children are learning without knowing they are learning. It makes bedtime stories even more fun.

Ella loved the whole line of storybook and plush box sets. You can get the little gorilla, little elephant, little polar bear, and little panda. She loved the mini animals so much that she found "mama" animals for them. So keeping the animals with the books have been a task. Though, when we read at night she matches them to the books. The books are smaller than your palm. These are great to take on the go to pull out when waiting in line, at the dr.'s, and even if you are staying the night out. Each mini book tells you about the animal and their habitat. Each storybook and plush are $9.99 and are recommended for children ages 3+. These would make great stocking stuffers!

The giant ABC floor puzzle and the book and game set: numbers in nature have been life savers on many occasions. Especially when we were trying to help set up Franklin Goose. They both come in sturdy boxes with handles. They are durable and sturdy, so perfect for rough preschoolers. Ella has pretty much mastered the ABC floor puzzle and it takes her about 20-30 minutes to put it together. Which is perfect while I'm working! The numbers in nature book and game set also keep her occupied for a half hour. She matches the cards to the book and then turns the cards upside down to play the matching game.

We also got to try the wooden butterfly puzzle. It says it is recommended for ages 3+ but I think younger children can get this one. Especially since both sides of the butterfly match. Ella can put it together in about 3-5 minutes. So it's not as challenging as the floor puzzle. It retails for $9.99.

Be sure to check out all of innovativeKids green start line! They also have some really cool tips and activities. I can't wait to try more. Plus everything is under $15- which make great gifts.

*These are my personal thoughts and opinions. I was sent these products to review from innovativeKids.

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