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Kick Start Your Kids Love of Engineering with STEM Robotic Kits from CIC

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

 

You want your kids to grow up to be successful and happy. You've probably heard a lot about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. Since the 1990s, available STEM jobs in the US have grown by 79 percent, and the average college-educated STEM work makes $81,011 per year in contrast with the $60,828 for other college majors earn.

But how do you engage your children in STEM topics? You want them to show an interest in STEM without it seeming like they're back in school. One of the best ways is through play. Kids love to build things and use their imaginations, so why not use STEM toys to instill a love of science and other subjects in them.

Here's a look at two new hot STEM robotic kits to help your kids grow a passion for science and engineering. 

Robotic Hedgehog Robot Kit

Love the idea of a family pet but hate the idea of all the work involved? The CIC Robotic Hedgehog Kit makes it easy for your kids to build their own pet, an adorable hedgehog. While building their new prickly pet, your kids learn more about robotics and the inner workings of robots. They discover how the mechanics work together to move the robot as it responds to sounds. This is a toy that provides as much fun in the building phase as it does in the playing stage. 

After the fun of creating their new pet is over, the euphoria of playing with their new pet begins. Your child's new hedgehog responds to a variety of sounds. Your kids will enjoy watching as their pet rolls over, spins around and tumbles across the floor. The built-in sound sensor is designed to respond to a variety of sounds that your kids can use to make their pet respond in a variety of ways. The cutest action occurs when the hedgehog bristles its quills and then calms them again. 

Suitable for kids age 10 years old and up, this STEM robotic kit teaches your child about the inner workings and mechanics of a robot. 

CIC 5 in 1 Mechanical Coding Robot

Who doesn't love choices, and with this cool STEM Robotic Kit, your children have the choice of building five different robots? They can even build one today and change it to a different one next week. The robotic options include:

The 5 in 1 Mechanical Coding Robot helps teach your child how to code, part of computer science. Children, as young as eight years old, can build each of these robots and learn valuable lessons about the connection between coding and actions without needing more screen time. It also teaches your child through play how coding makes a difference in the real world and fuels their imagination for their own futures. 

The "coding wheel" helps your child learn to code. The best part is that this is a toy that doesn't need to go online so you don't need to worry about what your child is finding on the internet. Your child can easily remove and replace the pieces of code to make the robot become the various options. Your child learns the basics of computer coding in a fun way that encourages them to learn more. 

STEM toys are an invaluable tool to encourage your child's love of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics without lectures and classes. Once they get the bug, they'll pursue more information and learning on their own.

Making sure that you have STEM toys available for their play is an essential part of your job as a parent. 

Posted in CIC 5 in 1 Mechanical Coding Robot Kit, CIC Robotic Hedgehog STEM Kits, CIC STEM Robotic Kits

PIPSQUIGZ LOOPS for the Baby Adventurer!

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

It's a big, big world out there! Babies don't know it, but they're born explorers. They learn about their world by using their senses to interact with people and things in their environment.

There's so much to see, and baby's wide-eyed visual examination of his surroundings provides the much of the first input his brain receives about how to interact with the world around him. Over the first two years of life, he's learning everything from how to track movement and make the eye muscles move in a coordinated way, to recognising faces and objects, depth and distance.

Touch is another sense that is highly developed in newborns, and it is essential in creating the initial parent-child bond. Babies as young as two months can even recognise the difference between hard and soft textures. He begins to reach for objects in early weeks, and by six months, he can grasp objects and even transfer them from hand to hand, making this an ideal time to start introducing toys. This sense of touch continues to develop as baby grows and explores throughout his first year. 

It's super-cute when baby puts her fingers and even toes in her mouth, but she doesn't stop there--when she learns to grasp, objects find their ways to the mouth, too! Oral exploration is an important stage in a baby's development. She is learning about taste and texture and even shape by using her mouth.

Imagine the hum of a lullaby, the songs of birds in the early hours of dawn, the cooing voice of a mother soothing a fussy baby. The world is full of sounds that provide baby with information about what's going on around her. She also learns to sort out the sounds in speech so that she can build her own vocabulary and communication skills.

With the little explorers taking in so much information in the first few months of life, it's important that they are provided with toys, textures, and sounds that provide vital stimulation in a safe, healthy manner. If it goes into the mouth, it should be toxin-free. If it is squeezed, snuggled, thrown, and waved around, it should feel good. If it's played with, it should be interesting and colourful. If it makes noise, it should be calming or surprising without startling.

So if baby has a naturally inquisitive nature, what does he need to fulfil his curiosity and teach him about this big world he's come into? We at KidzInc have an answer for him: PIPSQUIGZ LOOPS by Fat Brain Toys.

PIPSQUIGZ LOOPS provide numerous benefits for the baby adventurer:

Soft silicone that is BPA-free, making it safe for baby's mouth and especially soothing for teething gums;

A brilliantly colourful and bumpy texture to provide exploratory excitement;

Large suction cups that stick to any non-porous surface, but which make a surprising "POP" when pulled from it; and

Durable plastic rattle rings for further sound and texture discovery.

 

PIPSQUIGZ LOOPS is a stimulating toy to introduce at age 6 months when baby figures out how to hold objects, and it will hold her interest for months to come as she continues to absorb messages about how to interact with her environment. Because it is manufactured by award-winning Fat Brain Toys and has been tested and retested to ensure quality and safety, it will be a quality addition to baby's collection that will undoubtedly spark curiosity through toddler-hood.

KidzInc. is committed to providing parents with the very best resources to stimulate development, creativity, and intelligence throughout various stages of a child's life.

Please visit our baby range and get ready to enter a world of exploration for babies and beyond! 

Posted in Fat Brain Toys Australia, pipSquigz Loops Australia

Building Fun with SmartMax Magnetic Discovery Construction Sets

Posted on April 21, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

 

Kids of all ages love construction play, and the process of creating and building fosters both physical and cognitive development. Building toys teach problem solving skills, enhance fine motor skills and stimulate hand-eye coordination and spatial perception.

One of our favourites in this category is the SmartMax Magnetic Discovery construction sets, an ideal introduction to the fun of building and the wonders of magnetism.

The sturdy SmartMax system is specifically designed to encourage imaginative play by toddlers and preschoolers. The extra-large (3 cm and larger) pieces are very easy for little hands to manipulate and are safe for even the youngest builders. 

The bright-hued SmartMax bars provide a simple, colour-coded STEM lesson in magnetism: opposites attract. Kids will soon discover that the "cold" coloured (green, blue, purple and white) bars repel each other, and will only connect to their opposite "warm" coloured (red, orange, yellow and pink) pieces.  

Classic SmartMax Sets

Your little ones are sure to enjoy these classic sets, some of our best sellers. All SmartMax sets are compatible; combine several for maximum fun as your child grows.

The SmartMax Basic 42 Piece Set  provides everything your child needs to get started: 18 short magnetic bars, 12 long magnetic bars and 12 magnetic balls, as well as an illustrated model building guide. Suitable for age 1 year and up.

 

The Build and Learn XXL 100 Pieces offers plenty of creative play with 100 of the colourful, oversized SmartMax building blocks. The set is suitable for kids as young as age 1. The attraction and repulsion of the magnets provides amusement for the youngest builders, while older builders can create towers and other structures. The uniquely designed container provides a useful building grid on both its lid and bottom.  An illustrated building guide is included.

  Imaginations will soar with the SmartMax Power Vehicles set. The 26 magnetic components click right into place. Kids age 3 and up can easily assemble their trucks, automobiles and construction vehicles.

Go all out with the 74-piece Mega Ball Run, suitable for age 3 and up. Discover some simple engineering concepts by building the ultimate ball track…the possibilities are endless with special parts that include tubes and unique X-shaped bars with 4 magnetic ends.

Inspire creative play with My First Animal Train . The 25 oversize train components are easy to build and play with, enabling kids to create a full, moving, 4-car train. Three large, soft animal pieces are included. Suitable from 18 Months to 5 Years.

New SmartMax Sets for 2019

SmartMax continues to introduce innovative additions to their product line:

Toddlers and preschoolers ages 1 to 5 will adore these colourful and creative playsets, brand new for 2019.

Playtime is fun with My First Farm Animals. Build and play with the horse, cow and other farm residents,  or invent some unusual combos with the 16 pieces.

With My First Tractor, it's easy to build the oversize tractor set, perfect for imaginative play with the included horses and the farmer. 

Mix and match the bright-hued animal shapes to create My First Totem.

My First Dinosaur includes 14 large, soft dinosaur pieces, enabling kids to create five dinosaurs…mix them up for your own prehistoric creations.

Kids age 3 and up can explore magnetism and gravity with the new SmartMax Build and Roll 44 Piece Set. Young engineers can let their imagination run wild with the 44 assorted pieces--bars, curved and straight tubes, 12 metal balls and a funnel. Let the balls roll, and then pack everything away in the sturdy storage case.

At KidzInc we have a near complete range of the SmartMax Magnetic Discovery set and you can find these fun, quality and educational toys at here.

Posted in SmartMax Magnetic Discovery Australia

Splash Into Fun With The Drip Drip Bath Toy!

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

Bath toys: they mould, they break, and they collect at the bottom of the bathtub. If the thought of another bath toy makes you batty, rest assured you are not alone! Fat Brain Toys understands the struggle and has worked tirelessly on designing a fun, hassle-free bath toy that kids will enjoy and parents will love. In comes Drip Drip Bath Toy! A revolutionary new water toy for little bathers, perfect for sparking their interest and teaching them cause and effect.

Gone are the days of broken sailboats and cracked water cups; Drip Drip Bath Toy is a colourful creation made of silicone and high-quality ABS plastic. Water cups sit snugly inside rings that attach to almost any bathtub surface, utilising strong suction cups to deter curious hands from pulling and tugging. In conjunction, their materials help keep the toy more durable than standard bath toys, allowing your little one to experience the joys for many bath times to come.

Drip Drip Bath Toy offers fun and simple lessons on cause and effect as well as visual-spatial relationships. Ask open-ended questions and keep the dialogue going. With a recommended age of 18 months and over, your toddler may not be able to respond quite yet but can process and understand to an extent the science of what is happening. Encourage and lead the way! What happens when you dump a lot of water? A tiny bit? Why does the propeller spin? With three unique cups dripping at various speeds and an attachable propellor, be amazed as your budding bathing beauty watches in wonder as she pours water through the funnels. Water can trickle, stream, spray, pour, and runneth over time and time again.

Not only does Drip Drip Bath Toy introduce science in a very toddler-appropriate way, but it also provides a wonderful sensory experience. The cups were especially (and brilliantly!) designed with different textures from cup to cup. Guide your toddler's hand to the bottom half of the cup and stimulate their senses as they feel bumps, ridges, and lines. Offer your child the toys before they become wet for a more in-depth sensory activity. How does the plastic feel when dry? Is it as slippery as when it's wet? Facilitate sensory activities over and over with the Drip Drip Bath Toy and watch your child become more engaged and excited to play. Want even more sensory fun? Drip Drip Bath Toy is crafted with food-grade silicone, perfect for teething tots! And because each part of the cup is one solid piece, you needn't worry about any part becoming a choking hazard. What another bath toy provides this much fun while being educational and safety-conscious?

In case you still aren't convinced that this is one bath toy you won't regret buying, the Drip Drip Bath Toy also comes with a mesh bag, perfect for drying and storing after bath time! Say goodbye to mould and mildew; the included bag promotes airflow so toys are thoroughly dried and ready for their next use. Should you find the toys aren't as clean as you'd like, Fat Brain Toys has even created it to be dishwasher safe. Throw the pieces in the top rack of your dishwasher, press start, and open when finished to reveal clean, sanitised toys at the push of a button. Could it be any easier?

Fat Brain Toys is paving the way in creating revolutionary toys that both capture children's attention while helping them exercise the necessary skills in a fun and straightforward way; something parents and kids alike love.

Check out more multi-functional and educational toys designed by Fat Brain Toys today!

Posted in Bath Toys, Fat Brain Toys Australia

Magnetic Tiles for Fine Tuning Motor Skills, Creativity and STEM Skills

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

Magnetic play has always been enticing to children of all ages. Over the last several years sets of magnetic tiles from brands like Magna Tile, NeoPuzzle, and MagSnaps have become very popular for home use, as well as classroom and therapeutic learning. Magnetic play encourages experimentation and imagination but also brings a host of other benefits for the child.

For younger children these colourful, magnetic tiles can help with learning about colours and sorting, as well as recognising shapes and sizes. As the child gets older, the magnetic tiles can help them add depth to their creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Building tall structures helps with hand-eye coordination and actually helps to prepare a child for reading by teaching their eyes to track the pieces as they build, as they would words on a page.

These tiles also come in useful in learning and therapeutic environments. These magnetic tiles have been shown to be especially useful for children with sensory disorders by helping to calm sensory overload and allowing them something tactile to manipulate in moments of overwhelm. Magnetic play also feeds into STEM learning which has become a huge focus in education due to the growth of STEM-related jobs.

STEM encompasses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and these magnetic tile sets allow for interaction with each of the STEM points. In Science, the magnetic tiles help children learn about how a magnet works and can also be manipulated into Life Sciences and Biology by allowing children to build various cells, flowers, and insects out of the tiles. For Technology, magnetic play opens the discussion topics of what kinds of technological devices use magnets and what kinds of devices can be damaged by magnets. For engineering, the magnetic tiles obviously offer a host of opportunities to build a number of structures, enabling learning as they create. In Mathematics, the magnetic tiles can be used as a manipulative to learn addition and subtraction. Aside from STEM learning magnetic tiles also feed the arts by allowing many artistic opportunities for children to create anything they can imagine.

Obviously, magnetic play and magnetic tile sets bring a variety of learning benefits to the table and are a toy that your child can grow with and use on an ongoing basis, but there are a ton of different brands now due to their increased popularity. So which one is the best? Let's look at a few comparison points between three major brands - Magna Tile, NeoPuzzle, and MagSnaps.

Durability and Performance

Magna Tile is the original magnetic tile set and has been used for longer by a wider audience, so it carries a slight edge in the durability and performance category. However, NeoPuzzle and MagSnaps are both very durable and hold up well to extended use and play.

Creative Opportunities

All three brands offer an equal amount of creative opportunities. NeoPuzzle does carry a 155 piece set which offers more shapes than the other two brands in comparison.

Use with Other Brands

All of the magnetic tile brands play well together and can connect to each other. This is great news when building a larger set, knowing that no matter which brand you choose it can connect with any other magnetic tile set. Mixing and matching magnetic tile sets can also open more creative avenues!

Price Point

While magnetic tile sets are very popular, they can also be very pricey. All three brands fall in approximately the same $100 - $200 price range depending on the size of the set you purchase, but NeoPuzzle comes out on top when it comes to getting the most bang for your buck, coming in slightly cheaper than the other two brands.

Magnetic tile sets and magnetic play can give your child an abundance of creative opportunities while allowing them to build their fine motor and problem-solving skills. These magnetic tile sets also feed well into classroom and therapeutic learning environments as manipulative for STEM learning or focal objects for sensory therapy. While they may not be the cheapest toy on the market, they have an unlimited amount of uses and applications and they are a toy that will grow with your child and be used for years to come.

Kidzinc was one of the first stores in Australia to sell Magna Tiles and offers all three of the discussed brands of magnetic tiles, along with a couple of other options. Take a look and order your set today!

Kidzinc is dedicated to the development of young minds, and assisting you to develop your kids to their fullest potential, through books, toys, games, puzzles and interactive play! Our purpose is to provide you with the best educational and developmental products, sourced from all corners of the world. 

Posted in magnetic tiles, magnetic tiles australia

The Best Educational Baby Toys for your Child

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

 

Early in life, a baby's brain goes through incredibly rapid development. Every day, they're learning more skills, developing better understanding, and forming pathways that will help them, not just through this critical year of life, but for the rest of their lives.

This is why selecting the right baby toys is so important. 

While most babies can be entertained relatively simply, providing the right toys can help stimulate baby's brain and offer them enhanced brain development, which helps form the core of those long-term skills your child will need. 

Brain Development in the First Year

During the first year of life, your child's brain will double in size. He will learn skills like cause and effect, gradually increase self-control, and evaluate the world around him. As your baby learns and grows, you will see her become more comfortable in her environment, developing an increased sense of safety and security. When they feel loved and safe, babies are more likely to learn and grow--and having the right toys can help them better interact with their environments. 

Choosing the Right Toys

It doesn't take long to end up with shelf after shelf of toys that your baby will virtually ignore: toys that fail to fit their overall developmental needs. We'd like to offer you the right toys to help improve your child's brain development and provide them with a better understanding of their world.

The Wimmer-Ferguson Infant Stim Mobile offers bright primary colours and fascinating patterns, with both simple and complex graphics. The reversible cards allow parents to change the patterns their infants see, increasing the complexity as baby grows. The graphics and patterns on the Wimmer-Ferguson Infant Stim Mobile reflects over 40 years of academic research to help visual development in your baby. This mobile is close to my heart, as it's the one I selected for both my children after many hours of research in finding the best one on the market. 

The Whoozit shows off its bright primary colours, fascinating shapes, and great textures. Baby can grab, chew, and explore with the Whoozit to her heart's content, learning more about her world as she plays. 

The Whoozit Water Mat for Tummy Time is a great way to use baby's tummy time to maximum potential. While he's hanging out on his tummy anyway, baby can squish the fun shapes floating through the water, exploring cause and effect as he discovers what his little hands have the power to move and create. 

Sensory rollers are more than just balls, though they can certainly be used in that capacity. Each ball is made of a different texture. They're easy for small hands to grab on to while allowing baby to explore a range of different textures. 

 

Tobbles Neo is a fantastic stacking toy. Each of the pieces is weighted for easier stacking and comes in a series of bright colours that will help with brain development and catch your child's eye. Children will love stacking up the pieces one after another, knocking them down, and then starting all over again. 

Dimpl is a great sensory toy for children of all ages. Little ones can push the small "buttons," then pop them back out the other way again. It will keep their attention long-term, allowing them to explore the simple act of pushing that button while enjoying great textures. 

This Geometric Rattle Trio allows little ones to build, shake, and explore both texture and sound through the same simple toy. It's a building toy your kids will be sure to fall in love with!

The Take-Along Activity Box is the perfect activity for taking on the go. With gears, mirrors, and plenty of textures and movements to explore, it will be sure to catch baby's eye and intrigue them. 

 

The Snail Pull and Play Sorter offers different types of play as baby learns and grows. Little ones will love exploring the holes and trying to fit each shapes into the proper space. As baby gets older, the snail can be pulled along behind them as they crawl or toddle around the floor. 

What toys will you choose to fill your home while your baby is small? With this great selection of toys, you can help improve your child's brain development and assist them as they learn about the world around them and develop the vital skills they need in that first year of life. 

We have more wonderful educational toys for your baby that you might want to select from by clicking here.

 

Posted in baby toys, baby toys australia

Tobbles Neo: The Stacking, Spinning, Tumbling, Toppling Toy For Your Tot!

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

Have you been searching for a toy certain to capture your baby's attention while helping his/her brain development? Do you have a mischievous baby looking to explore everything? Are traditional toys too loud, not engaging, or lack developmental opportunity for your baby?

Look no further than the Tobbles Neo; a stacking, toppling, wobbling, spinning, balancing toy perfect for satiating curious minds and hands!

The Tobbles Neo is a six-piece weighted sphere toy, sitting atop a base. Dual-coloured with a unique texture, this toy keeps baby engaged and exploring everything it can do--and the possibilities are limitless! Let your baby flip and flop the spheres every which way, or spin them one by one. Knock them down and start all over again; the simplicity of the Tobbles Neo is a welcome invitation to timeless play!

Spheres are quality constructed, made of ABS plastic and thoroughly safety tested, allowing your baby to play endlessly while giving you the peace of mind you should expect from Fat Brain Toys.

Babies are like sponges, they absorb everything, including educational information. During a baby's first year, meaningful, play-based education cannot be more important. Teaching your baby things such as the utilisation of fine motor skills, coordination, and sensory activities are just a few of the very important skills babies should be learning and flexing at every opportunity possible.

The utilisation of fine motor skills are methodical, coordinated, and intentional movements engaging the hands, fingers, wrists, feet, and toes. The utilisation of fine motor skills as infants build onto more advanced usages, such as writing and holding a pencil as your child gets older. By spinning and wobbling the spheres on the Tobbles Neo, your child can begin to practice using their fine motor skills while squealing with delight.

Overall coordination is an important skill for babies to develop, however, starting small by working on hand-eye coordination is a simple and effective way to begin introducing coordination. Stacking the sphere on the base is an excellent task in exercising that coordination. The repetitive activity can teach your baby to intentionally touch and grasp items to complete a certain task while the inviting shape and colour of the spheres can help to entice baby.

Sensory activities are a crucial part of child development. Hands-on learning is both enjoyable and educational for babies as they take charge of their learning at their own pace, choosing things they want to experience. Allow ample opportunity for baby to explore inside, outside, and with a variety of toys, household items, and the like. Four out of five senses--sight, taste, touch, and sound--can be satisfied with the Tobbles Neo. Allow baby to enjoy the different shades of colours on each sphere while she feels the smooth plastic under her fingers, then the pointy ridges up top. Because the Tobbles Neo is made of high-quality plastic, nibbling on the spheres can be a great learning experience by feeling the texture on the gums and tasting the material (which is much different than milk or pureed peas, as baby will soon find out!)

The Tobbles Neo is a multi-use toy for babies ages six months and older. It has won a variety of awards, wow-ing parents and toddlers across the board for years.

To get your hands on this award-winning Tobbles Neo stacking toy, click here. 

For a list of available toys designed with education in mind, view our extensive range of Fat Brain Toys products here!

Posted in fat brain toys tobbles neo, Tobbles Neo Australia