Monthly Archives: June 2012
Fourth of July Food Favorites for the Whole Family
Fourth of July is fast approaching. Why wait until Wednesday to kick off the festivities? Start your celebration with some of these tasty patriotic treats:
- Everyone loves the Flag Cake at each 4th of July barbeque. Kolcraft has developed our own take on the family favorite. Instead, we recommend creating a strawberry shortcake display of the American flag. Using mini shortcakes, your favorite whipped cream, and either blueberries or and strawberries, display the short cakes in the shape of an American Flag.
- Every mom knows she will be making quite a few sandwiches per week. Try using your star cookie cutter to give a patriotic spin to your child’s PB&J.
- We loved the idea of a 4th of July fruit kabobs from Events to a T. Use strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows to create a great tasty treat. Check out these other fruit kabobs for your next barbeque.
- Our blog has some great festive recipes as well. Enjoy Nut Butter-flys, grilled corn with chipotle lime butter, and more from our archives.
New Video Demos Help You Find the Perfect Baby Products
When you are looking for the perfect baby product, it can be hard to picture the features when you are just reading about them. Kolcraft has been making different demos that demonstrate product features, help you understand the difference between similar products, give tips on how to pick the baby product that is right for you, show you how to assemble your baby product and more! You can find these demos under the demo tab on the individual product pages on Kolcraft.com. You can also find many of them on Kolcraft’s YouTube page.
Fourth of July Pinwheel Craft for Kids
What you need:
- Paper
- Scissors (adult use only)
- Crayons, markers or paint
- Tac (adult use only)
- Pencil, straw or doll-rod
- Have your child color or paint on one side of the paper.
- When your child is finished, cut from the tip of each side of the paper towards the center. Make sure you don’t cut too deep so the paper separates.
- Fold the tips towards the middle.
- Place the tac through the middle holding the sides together.
- Write the year on back of pinwheel.
- Fasten to a pencil eraser or doll-rod.
Also, thanks to one of our Kolcraft employees and her 10-month old for taking the time to share their art! We look forward to seeing her art skills again soon.
Understanding Your Baby’s Personality
While waiting for baby we often wonder, “Will she be curious like me? Will he be chilled out like his dad?” We wonder what our baby’s personality will be like as he or she grows into a toddler, child and adult.
Your baby is born with some traits and others he will pick up from his environment. A few things you can observe to see what your baby’s personality may be like.
- Schedule – Does your baby seem to operate on clockwork – eating, sleeping, etc. on a schedule – or does she tend to be more unpredictable? While all babies need structure and schedule, some need a more rigorous schedule so be sure to respect that. If she is unpredictable, she will fight a rigid schedule. Give her routine, but be flexible.
- Activity – Does your baby seem bored easily or does too much activity make him cranky? If your baby gets bored and tends to be on the move, be extra careful that there isn’t anything that can be a hazard to baby – flipping out of bouncy seats, putting things in mouth, etc. Your little guy is adventurous, be sure to keep his play area safe. If your he is more on calm, low activity level have toys for him to play with, but don’t overwhelm him with too much.
- Party Time – Does your baby seem to trust anyone and everyone who pinches her cheeks or does she seem to be cautious of everyone except mommy and daddy? If your baby is super social, join playgroups and take her on outings. If she seems shy watch her reaction and don’t force her into uncomfortable situations with “strangers”. Give her time to warm up to the people and environment around her before letting others hold her.
These are just three traits that will give you clues into your baby’s temperament. The important thing is not to label your baby, but to look at clues into personality so you can interact accordingly. Remember that your baby is growing and changing every day just like any person changes from day to day. Have fun discovering and embracing who your baby is as he and his world unfold every day.
Help Your Child Have Fun With Summer Reading
School is out for the summer, but that doesn’t mean your child’s reading should stop. You can make summer reading fun with this summer reading tree. For every book your child reads, his or her reading tree receives a leaf. Make a game of it by trying to have the tree full of leaves by summer’s end!
What you need:
- White paper
- Non-toxic glue or tape
- Brown marker
- Scissors (adult use only)
- Different colors of construction paper for the leaves
What to do:
- Have your child draw the trunk of a tree on the white construction paper.
- Label the tree with your child’s name to personalize it.
- Cut out leaves for the tree so your child sees them which will encourage him or her to want to fill the tree up with leaves.
- For every book that your child reads write the name of the book and author on the leaf and glue or tape it to the tree.
- Hang the tree in a prominent place to encourage your child to read.
Be sure to keep the tree as a memento. It will be fun to pull out at a graduation to show the seeds of learning that were planted early on.
Entertain Your Baby for Hours with Kolcraft’s New Activity Center
Kolcraft is known for baby products that give long-lasting value to parents. Kolcraft’s new Baby Sit & Step 2-in-1 Activity Center is not only an activity center but it is a walk behind! We love the new, bright gender neutral pattern. (The Kolcraft Baby Sit & Step is also available in pink!)
Some of our favorite features:
- 8 toys to help baby develop motor skills including an electronic discovery center and teethers
- Activity center rocks and spins
- Activity center turns into a walk behind when baby is learning to walk
- Brilliant colors keep baby’s attention
- Activity center multi-position height adjustment for growing babies
To learn more about the the Kolcraft Baby Sit & Step 2 in 1 Activity center, please visit Kolcraft’s website. The Kolcraft Baby Sit & Step 2 in 1 Activity Center is available at Amazon.com
Refreshing Easy To Make Raspberry and Banana Torte Recipe
Farmers markets abound with fresh fruit. You can have a fun day going to your local farmer’s market with your kids and teaching them about growing fruit and vegetables. Ask questions of the local farmers, they are more than happy to explain things to your children. Once home you can make this yummy torte together.
What you need:
- Angel food cake
- Fresh raspberries
- Banana sliced round
- Cool Whip (or make your own whip cream. It’s as easy as freezing your mixing beaters & beating heavy cream on high setting)
- Banana flavored instant pudding (we also like it with vanilla!)
- Milk
What to do:
- Cut angel food cake into 3 or 4 small layers (horizontally)
- Mix pudding with some milk so it has constancy of gravy
- Fold in Cool Whip
- Lay down angel food cake
- Add layer of pudding/Cool Whip mix
- Add raspberries and bananas (this is fun for kids to do)
- Repeat until finished with top layer.
- Top with remaining pudding/Cool Whip mix
- Garnish with raspberries and bananas
- Chill
- Enjoy!
What is your favorite summertime dessert?
5 Easy Tips for Summer Fun & Safety At the Fair
Summertime is the perfect time to get outside with your kids and go to the fair! Just google county fairs in your area and plan for a day of fun. A few tips for making your time at the fair safe and fun!
- Plan ahead – You will be outside so dress comfortably & sensibly! Don’t forget to wear sunscreen and a hat.
- Be smart – Be sure your child has your phone number, understands stranger danger and knows a designated spot to meet you in case you get separated.
- Riding rides – Respect height & weight requirements for rides. If a ride looks unstable or unsafe, skip it.
- Keep clean – There are lots of cute animals at state fairs. Be sure your child is gentle with the animals and if the animals lick your child wash their hands or apply hand sanitizer.
- Limit Candy – Cotton candy, rock candy and limitless candy choices can be a child’s delight, but be sure to limit candy intake so your time at the fair isn’t cut short by a tummy ache!
Kolcraft Celebrates Our Moms and Dads
Kolcraft wants to congratulate all moms and dads. You are doing an amazing job and we are lucky to have readers like you. This Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, we asked our blog readers, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers to share their photos and reflections with us.
So many of you made us smile, laugh, and think about your families.
Today, we are excited to announce our Mother’s Day and Father’s Day contest winners. Dafnie, winner of our Mother’s Day contest, shared the reflection below of being a mom.
At times it is hard being a mom, but I love it because it’s the most fulfilling task any women could ever have. Also, being a mom is a source of happiness and unconditional love that no other thing could replace.
We also chose this father-child moment for our Father’s Day photo contest. We love this precious picture because nothing beats cuddles and kisses (even Eskimo!) with dad!
Thank you to all moms, dads, and grandparents, for sharing your thoughts and family photos with us. We look forward to many more summer contests and sharing opportunities. If you want to share your little one’s summer time moment with our Facebook community, send the picture to marketing@kolcraft.com and it will be entered in Kolcraft’s Fan of the Week Facebook Cover opportunity.
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day! We hope your day is filled with hugs, smiles and the joys of fatherhood.
From our Kolcraft family to yours – Happy Father’s Day!
