High Maintenance Mom - Games/toys

Winter adventure game giveaway

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:38:15 -0800

Want to try a new game your kids will love? High Maintenance Mom and WheeGO want to help you entertain your kids this winter with a fun adventure game that reinforces environmental awareness and kindness! Two lucky High Maintenance Mom readers will be chosen randomly from the logs to win a copy of WheeGO...

Early 2008 HMM Picks: Indoor games

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 09:21:45 -0800

N received Cranium Cariboo for the holidays and played it 10 times each day for the first three days. We still play it and have switched from the beginner version to the advanced version. Caribou is a treasure hunt game where players take turns picking a card and then 'unlocking' doors to find all six balls needed to open the treasure chest. Doors are picked based on matching characteristics from the picked card to the door. For example, in the beginner game a card with a green number one on it would match an door with one object on it or a door with green objects on it. The key is then pressed into a 'keyhole' and the door opens to reveal if a ball has been found. Once a ball has been found, it is put into the treasure area. Because the game is started by dropping the balls into separate holes and shuffling the cards, each game is different. The only issue is that my kids want to play with the balls too so we have to talk about how the game balls are special and need to stay with the game...

I don't like the ones where you have to follow the instructions - A Lego Story

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 08:41:34 -0800

"We have the good Legos at school", my son tells me as we look at all the fabulous Lego sets in their enticing boxes. "Which ones", I ask concentrating on picking a set I would like to build. "The ones without the instructions." It takes me about a minute to figure out, with B's help, that the "good ones" are any Legos in a big box that you can use to build whatever you want. At age five I was looking to graduate B from the Duplos to the "big kid Legos" but he didn't seem to want to relive my youth with me. The realization that he wanted a big box of pieces or in my mind, the aftermath of buying a few sets, loosing a few pieces, and putting everything that was left into a box, felt like waking rested from a coveted nap to a quiet house...

New HMM picks

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:49:43 -0800

The new HMM picks include the LeapFrog Leapster® Learning Game System, My Book About Me, and MGA Play Smarter Cook'n Learn Kitchen.

LeapFrog's Leapster - We bought a Leapster before a hospital visit and it has been a huge success. We ended up waiting at the hospital for three hours in the morning and it was used for most of that time (we also read books together). Now that the Leapster is at home, both kids are using it. They love trying to collect carrots in the math and letters games that are included.

Summer top picks

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:45:08 -0700

Here are a few of our top picks for the second half of the summer.

February 2007 Top Picks

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:57:51 -0800

I recently realized I had stopped posting about the Top Picks until after I had switched the items so today there are two Top Picks posts. The theme for the February Top Picks is Valentines day. I've included a heart-shaped muffin/cake pan, a game my four year-old loves to play with his friends, and some of our all-time favorite bath items that are now available as a set.

More toy purchase ideas and a service to do it for you

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 13:10:00 -0700

eBeanstalk is a new company that will send you specially picked developmental toys four times a year (every three months). There are toy categories for newborns, one year-olds, two year-olds, three year-olds, and four year-olds. You can register for your children or for a friend (it makes for an easy gift). If you want to purchase gifts, you can buy packages ranging from about $50 to $300 for four toys a year or you can purchase individual toys...

Target Dollar Spot travel games

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 21:32:33 -0700

The Target Dollar Spot has a bunch of travel games that are fun for kids. I bought the travel lap desk, a few of the magnetic games (bingo, checkers, tic-tac-toe, etc.), a magic pen coloring book, and a write-on wipe-off travel game. There are also decks of cards, sticker placemats, and workbooks for slightly older kids. We find these types of items to be great on trips. I also bought an inflatable pillow, which I brought with me on a recent six hour trip.

March 2006 Items of the Month

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 21:45:40 -0700

Games and toys for 18 month olds

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 22:30:48 -0800

As I was trying to watch the SuperBowl, we were bringing out all the favorite toys so I thought I'd answer the post about games for different ages by listing some of Scavenger's favorites. S, 19 months, loves books with flaps, cars and anything he can push, magnetic puzzles, and a magnetic fishing set. Below are a few examples...

February Giveaway - Adorable baby/toddler toys from CuteLittleMe

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 11:34:34 -0800

Looking for the perfect toy for your baby/toddler or a gift for a friend's? High Maintenance Mom and CuteLittleMe want to give two lucky High Maintenance Mom members a fabulous baby/toddler toy in the February giveaway. One Manuella elephant or one Pastel Toys wooden rabbit could be yours at the end of February...

Astroboy powers

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 21:16:54 -0800

Once again, J has pulled out the Astroboy game and we have played it, more than any of his other games during the past few months. Today, as we were playing, I jotted down some of his comments and asked for his review when we had finished...