Why Art is so Important for Young Children

Art is undoubtedly a very important aspect of our culture. But the sad truth is that most children in today’s modern age are not introduced to art at a young enough age. Early development of motor skills is highly attributed to art. Although children’s millions and millions of drawings can be overwhelming, and the mess is enough to drive even the most savvy mom crazy, it is a highly important skill that all children should pick up at a young age. There are solutions out there that help these problems, and you can always give them whatever you feel comfortable with them having, just please, for the sake of your child, allow them to at least doodle. The act of drawing allows them to recognize their surroundings earlier, view people and objects as their actual size, allow them to develop their observational skills, and increase their fine motor skills (which is done by how they need to control the art instrument.)

Concerned about the mess? Phhhh…. there are solutions to that! Art messes have aggravated parents for decades! Now we are blessed with non-mess art for kids! Take a look!

Crayola Color Wonder Travel Tote (colors & styles may vary)

		List Price: $13.71 Buy New: $6.79 You Save: $6.92 (50%) New (16) from $6.79
The Color Wonder Travel Tote provides fun with mess free creative activites that fit your "On the Go" lifestyle, Hours of mess free fun, Portable writing surface and storage, Contains 12 page color wonder activity book and 4 Color Wonder markers (more)

		List Price: $9.99 Buy New: $7.41 You Save: $2.58 (26%) New (12) from $7.41
The paint is in the brush - mess free, 5 Brilliant colors and a 24 page tablet of Color Wonder Paper for open-ended creativity., Paint is clear and colors magically appear (more)

But the main idea is this, no matter whether mess is an issue, cost, or any other aspect. Please do not rob your child from art. Children who engage in artistic activities at a young age will have an easier transition into school and, you never know, maybe you’re raising a talented artist!

There are many toy controversies out there, everything from breastfeeding toys to sleeping bags that eat your children, and even to barbie dolls! People always think of good ideas for toys, but oftentimes the public recieves them in an entirely different manner. Many people will believe that the parents are simply overreacting, but there is some validity to their claims. I will explore a few of these crazy controversial toys.

The Chum Buddy Sleeping Bag!

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This interesting toy allows your dear child to be eaten by a shark everytime they want to sleep in their sleeping bag. It opens up at the mouth and you crawl inside the shark. It is by far very creepy and disturbing, and just the fact that it exists makes me entirely uneasy. There is probably a reason it is listed for $199.99, due to the fact that they kinda stopped making them… so creepy…

Bebe Gloton  the Breast Feeding Baby Doll!

		Buy New: $59.95 New (1) Collectible (2) from $59.95
Nothing is more natural that nursing a child. Now with the breast milk baby your little one can have a doll of her very own that she can nurse., This doll is adorable and her beautiful eyes and realistic face will enchant your little one., For children:2 years and over., An excellent tool for professional lactation consultants and educators who want to demonstrate the importance of breastfeeding., Bring awareness to breastfeeding and its positive benefits (more)

This doll is an anatomically correct model of how women breastfeed. Most children (especially ones with younger siblings) understand all too well how babies are fed, but for those who do not, some parents do not want them to know (not quite sure why, but it’s irrelevant), but this is definitely a crazy toy, and might lead to some crazy games among children that parents aren’t quite ready to deal with.

The Homeless American Girl Doll!

		Buy New: $355.00 New (3) from $355.00
(more)

This doll is viewed as a great idea by some (her back story portrays a homeless girl who is still managing to be happy), but some believe that it is almost mocking homeless children or portraying that children could stand running away. I see it personally as a good intention, but they are a little young to see the horrors of deadbeat parents, house foreclosures, and the stressors of the adult world.

The Barbie Doll!

		Buy New: $9.95 New (11) from $9.95
Poof! Barbie's a mermaid!, Based on the DVD movie, Barbie in A Mermaid Tale! She really can do it all!, Perennial favorite beach doll Barbie as Merliah from the DVD movie, Barbie in A Mermaid Tale! Features Barbie in her blue swimsuit., Order yours today, and get in on the undersea fun!, Stands about 11 1/2-inches tall. (more)

		Buy New: $82.95 New (12) Collectible (2) from $82.95
Midge & Baby Happy Family Mom & Baby Doll Set is a 2002 Mattel production., Includes: Pregnant Midge Doll approx. 11.5" tall, Girl Baby Doll approx. 1-3/4" tall, Midge's Outfit: Pair of Earrings, Dress, & Pair of Shoes. Also includes a green Blanket for Baby, a pink & purple 3-in 1 Crib w/white Mattress, yellow & purple Toys, Bottle & Accessories for Baby Doll., All the provided details are to the best of my ability & may not be exact; colors, styles, sizes & info may vary., For ages 3+ years. VERY COLLECTIBLE SET!! CAUTION: Small Parts Included., For Box Condition see CONDITION NOTE or Email Seller for Details. (more)

		Buy New: $13.99 New (21) from $13.99
Chill-lax and have fun with Barbie, Barbie is ready to soak in her new glam tub, Features a tray for all of Barbie?s bath accessories, Barbie doll comes with towel covering to keep her dry, Great for taking a bubble bath with Barbie soaking in her own tub (more)

		Buy New: $34.95 New (13) Collectible (1) from $25.00
Girls can set up a Newborn Nursery, Includes cuddly twin babies, Dreamy nursery furnishings, Barbie doll included, Barbie can achieve any career (more)

		Buy New: $49.95 New (19) Collectible (3) from $49.95
Barbie Doll contributes to fighting breast cancer, Pink Ribbon Barbie is both a tool to help those affected with breast cancer talk to girls, and a way to support the cause, She wears a pink gown with a signature pink ribbon pinned to her shoulder, $2.50 is donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for each doll sold, with a guaranteed minimum donation of $25,000.00, Age Range 6 Years And Up (more)

		List Price: $18.99 Buy New: $18.46 You Save: $0.53 (3%) New (30) from $18.46
Barbie and Stacie in their own individual fashion and style, 2-pack includes Barbie and Stacie dolls and accessories, Features skating fashions and roller skates accessories, Collect both sets of Barbie Sister 2-Packs, to reunite all 4 sisters together, A must have in every girls Barbie collection (more)

A normal woman altered to have Barbie's scale.

Oh Barbie Dolls. Most likely, we all know children who have grown up around them, but what are they doing to women? Have you noticed how the supermodels are anorexically thin? How women do not feel satisfied with their appearance? If barbie was real, her dimensions would be unreal. As shown in the picture, that is a woman with barbie’s proportions. The scale that girl dream of and look forward to having in their teen and adult years. They do a great deal of harm to children too! (Ever noticed how many people have blonde hair? Barbie has it too!) But yeah, people would probably feel better about themselves if they didn’t compare themselves to the Barbie doll.

It is said that Johnson & Johnson should be boycotted. They contail cancer causing chemicals, even after being pulled. Dioxane is “a likely carcinogen” that “is a byproduct of a process for making chemicals more soluble and gentler on the skin.” The other is quaternium-15, which releases formaldehyde. A known human carcinogen. Babies are more vulnerable than adults, why are we allowing them to use these chemicals? They are, in essense, poisoning them! The company still has trace amounts of carcinogenic chemicals, and they say they will change, but even if they do, they still have done it, why does it say “no tears” if they don’t mean it? In the meantime, the safest thing to do is use organic or kid-safe shampoos!

		List Price: $32.85 Buy New: $24.96 You Save: $7.89 (24%) New (3) from $24.96
Pure, mild castile-based shampoo & body wash, Mild enough to cleanse delicate baby skin and hair, Made with a hint of safe, calming lavender, No SLS, parabens or other chemical preservatives, dyes or additives, Not a no-tear formula because it has no anesthetizing agents (more)

		List Price: $10.95 Buy New: $6.61 You Save: $4.34 (40%) New (11) from $6.61
Pure castile soap is safe for the whole family, Thick foaming formula stays where you need it, Rated zero for toxicity on skin deep database, NSF certified, contains organic oils and calendula (more)

I know that children develop so well with music to aid their sleep but, I know I’m not the only one to think this but, why does children’s music have to be so annoying???

Your Baby is Becoming Sick and Tired of it Too

Well, the wonderful music industry seems to have changed this with a line of lullaby renditions of popular classic rock songs. Maybe you’ll be just giving them peaceful sounds to sleep to, or maybe raising a child who will enjoy classic rock music, but either way it’s a great win-win. You still (kinda) get to listen to your music, while your child gets the rest and relaxation he or she deserves! Check these soundtracks out!

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $11.48 You Save: $5.50 (32%) New (36) Used (9) from $10.71
No one will be able to say for sure whether Lullaby Renditions of the Beatles will successfully "glide your little one across the universe, through an octopus's garden, and send them into a slumberland (more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $11.12 You Save: $5.86 (35%) New (24) Used (14) from $9.99
(more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $11.72 You Save: $5.26 (31%) New (21) Used (13) from $9.95
Unique Baby Gift Item, Baby Shower Gift, Birth Gift, Rock Baby Attire, Rock-n-roll Baby (more)

		Buy Used: $114.99 Used (3) from $114.99
CD, Children's, Kids, Rock (more)

		Buy New: $14.00 New (3) Used (1) from $14.00
New Baby Rock Records Lullaby Renditions Of Radiohead Type Compact Disc Children'S Collections (more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $10.67 You Save: $6.31 (37%) New (26) Used (11) from $8.99
Unique Baby Gift Item, Baby Shower Gift, Birth Gift, Rock Baby Attire, Rock-n-roll Baby (more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $10.64 You Save: $0.04New (26) Used (8) from $8.99
(more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $10.64 You Save: $6.34 (37%) New (18) Used (9) from $7.99
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		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $11.67 You Save: $5.31 (31%) New (24) Used (10) from $9.99
(more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $10.89 You Save: $6.09 (36%) New (23) Used (10) from $10.88
Unique Baby Gift Item, Baby Shower Gift, Birth Gift, Rock Baby Attire, Rock-n-roll Baby (more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $11.68 You Save: $5.30 (31%) New (21) Used (7) from $8.50
(more)

		Buy New: $13.99 New (2) Used (1) from $13.99
Lullaby Versions of Grateful Dead (more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $10.69 You Save: $6.29 (37%) New (20) Used (4) from $10.69
(more)

		List Price: $16.98 Buy New: $11.85 You Save: $5.13 (30%) New (23) Used (8) from $7.96
(more)

		Buy New: $98.12 New (1) Used (12) from $1.82
Lullabies For Little Dreamers : Soft Rock Classics From Your Favorite Stars (more)

		List Price: $11.98 Buy New: $7.27 You Save: $4.71 (39%) New (17) Used (15) from $1.49
(more)

I hope you may have found something that your child can enjoy, and maybe you won’t be driven so crazy because of the *cough* annoying *cough* music children like to listen to.

Aren’t we in a modern age where almost every child from a very young age requests and adores our modern smart phones as a gift due to the flashy games and the “other” children who have them and they can text. Honestly, most children who want a cell phone are quite too young, especially for a smart phone. Not to mention that they do not have parental blocks, so they are free reign to search anything they would like. I personally believe that when a child walks to school or has extracurricular activities where there is no trusted parent present (I used to play softball after school with my friends in middle school), if household funds allow it, a cell phone can probably be beneficial. By cell phone, I do not mean a smart phone, although a child craves the shiny new iPhone, I would wait until at least 14, more closer to 16 for them to acquire this, and another great thing to do is, if they have an allowance and still crave the iPhone more than a free flip phone, make them pay the difference. My parents would pay the texting and $9.99 fee for the phone, but I had to come up with hte $30.00 data plan, which I dutifully paid. The situation can be different for every parent, but usually the smart phones get the teens in trouble in school, so there definitely need to be certain restrictions. Also, iPhones and similar phones tend to break a lot, so they will need to be responsible enough to not drop the phone or dish out extra money for an Otter Box or similar protective case. A great alternative for the parents who do not wish for their children to attain smart phones, would be an Apple iPod Touch. It plays all the games and apps as an iPhone, just doesn’t make calls, and it needs WiFi. Usually if you give a cheap used iPod Touch (ebay is a great site) to a younger child who requests a cell phone, (5 – 10 years of age) you can set up Skype on it and convince the child that it is a cell phone. Just a trick one of my friends used to coerce her son that he had an iPhone at six years old. But all in all, cell phones are a sign of independence, they are free reign, and it is a great opportunity to allow them to see what paying true bills are, even if it is only half their allowance.


Smart Phones are a basis of society in the teen culture, if you have a smart phone you’re in a good family, but if you have a flip phone, they can be cruel, but if your child wants a smartphone, make them work for it, and no child in Elementary School should have a cell phone at all. (In addition, make sure to make a signed agreement that you can check their phone at any given time, and make them charge it in the living room so they can’t be on the phone all night.) Considering all the issues such as talking all night, sexting, and using the cell phones in school, you have to know your child. Can your child be trusted with a cell phone? Can they make a commitment to pay the bill and not cop-out? All this and more needs to be discussed with the child, and receiving a cell phone will be a life-altering experience and will make the child feel more independent and important. If you have any other details, feel free to answer in the comments.

Here is some cheap phones/cases/iPods you can purchase if you feel like your child is ready:

		List Price: $199.00 Buy New: $187.99 You Save: $11.01 (6%) New (2) Used (279) Refurbished (44) from $132.99
It has 8 GB capacity for about 2,000 songs, 10,000 photos, or 10 hours of video, It has up to 40 hours of audio playback or 7 hours of video playback on a single charge, Support for AAC, Protected AAC (iTunes Store) and other audio formats, H.264, MPEG-4, It has one-year limited warranty, iPod touch has 8 GB capacity for about 2,000 songs, 10,000 photos, or 10 hours of video. (more)

		List Price: $199.00 Buy New: $187.99 You Save: $11.01 (6%) New (2) Used (78) Refurbished (16) from $130.00
iPod touch has one-year limited warranty., iPod touch supports for AAC, Protected AAC (iTunes Store) and other audio formats, H.264, MPEG-4, and Motion JPEG video codecs in M4V, MP4, MOV, and AVI formats., iPod touch plays up to 40 hours of audio playback or 7 hours of video playback on a single charge., iPod touch has 8 GB capacity for about 2,000 songs, 10,000 photos, or 10 hours of video., iPod touch has a 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display with 960-by-640-pixel resolution (326 pixels per inch). (more)

		Buy New: $0.01 New (37) Used (1) from $0.01
Compatible with the iphone 4s, iphone 4 and iphone 4g! (more)

		Buy New: $0.01 New (76) Used (1) from $0.01
Valued combo includes three reusable screen protectors per order: 2 Fronts and 1 Back , micro fiber cloth, Type: Non-OEM / Aftermarket., Accessory ONLY. Phone is not included. NOTE: Please apply the screen protector gently in order to avoid too much pressure onto the screen., 30 Day Money back Guaranteed., 100% Brand New item. (more)

		Buy New: $480.00 New (42) Used (36) Refurbished (1) from $440.00
8 mega pixel camera with full 1080p video recording, Siri voice assitant, iCloud / App Store / Air Print / Retina display, UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only) (more)

		List Price: $49.99 Buy New: $18.65 You Save: $31.34 (63%) New (25) Used (4) from $18.67
Fine interior texturing of touch screen membrane eliminates static, bubbles and oil slick appearance, Inner felt liner cushions your device. Textured silicone exterior for improved grip, Included holster holds device. in or face out Completely re-designed holster for stronger hold on device, Holster doubles as a stand for hands-free media viewing. Case accommodates most 3rd party chargers, Universal Version fits BOTH iPhone 4 AT&T and Verizon Versions (more)

		List Price: $59.95 Buy New: $27.00 You Save: $32.95 (55%) New (125) Used (6) from $31.65
Compatible with both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, Three layers of protection, Complete interaction of the device's functions, Ratcheting belt clip holster included, Clear protective membrane on touch screen (more)

		List Price: $49.99 Buy New: $17.99 You Save: $32.00 (64%) New (43) Used (8) from $17.99
Fine interior texturing of touch screen membrane eliminates static, bubbles and oil slick appearance, Inner felt liner cushions your device. Textured silicone exterior for improved grip, Included holster holds device. in or face out Completely re-designed holster for stronger hold on device, Holster doubles as a stand for hands-free media viewing. Case accommodates most 3rd party chargers, Universal Version fits BOTH iPhone 4 AT&T and Verizon Versions (more)

		List Price: $49.99 Buy New: $14.99 You Save: $35.00 (70%) New (67) Used (32) from $12.19
Fine interior texturing of touch screen membrane eliminates static, bubbles and oil slick appearance, Inner felt liner cushions your device . Textured silicone exterior for improved grip, Included holster holds device face in or face out. Completely re-designed holster for stronger hold on device, Holster doubles as a stand for hands-free media viewing. Case accommodates most 3rd party chargers, Universal Version fits BOTH iPhone 4 AT&T and Verizon Versions (more)

Classic Toys Should Be Chosen Over Electronic Modern Toys

With the vast majority of toys in stores being electronic, and a much smaller portion of the store is non-electronic, like the toys we all grew up with, it makes you think whether you should be buying these significantly more expensive “learning toys”, or stick with the classic entertaining toys and do the teaching yourself. There are many different views on this issue, and I personally believe that classic toys should be chosen above, but I am warning you ahead of time of my bias. I grew up with classic AND electronic toys and I think I grew out of those expensive toys too fast and I always preferred my markers, my coloring book, my lincoln logs, but I do admit that I watched cartoons quite a bit…

Small children learn about cause and effect from electronic toys. If they touch them, they light up, if they spin them, they make sounds, etc., but parents should also give positive reinforcement for their actions, and it eventually leads to the children learning cause and effect in a way that promotes parent-child bonding. Non-electronic toys can be used for many different ways, they require imagination, creativity, and they also make the child acquire fine motor skills and they can (with a parent) learn colors, letters, and numbers. Did you teach your child to talk by giving them toys that encourage talking? Did you teach them by interacting with them and talking until they mimic you? When they did attempt did you reward them with positive reinforcement? Well, what makes other fine motor skills, learning colors, learning to read, or learning any other skill any different than the all-so-essential need for speaking? Physical non-electronic toys will aid learning when in sync with a parent offering positive reinforcement.

Another benefit for non-electronic toys is the price. One of my family members recently had a child, for their first birthday, I went to go purchase a toy for them, and it was thirty dollars. These tiny, single action electronic toys can make a parent go broke in no time! The toys also are not nearly as flexible as other toys (I know 4 year olds and 12 year olds who use playdoh, lincoln logs, and legos), and when they grow out of it, it goes to a yard sell for a fraction of what you paid for it. I don’t know about you, but I would rather furnish my child’s room with a room full of toys that will last a lifetime then constantly buying electronic toys that won’t really last that long. Not to mention the expensive batteries… I have diapers and college to worry about, I think my child can make the sacrifice, and states that, “they get overwhelmed and over-stimulated and cannot concentrate on any one thing long enough to learn from it so they just shut down”, which can easily be proven, and I agree. You see so many children nowadays moving from one toy to another, why not just ditch the batteries and go all natural with healthy non-electronic learning toys? I know some people like the ease of not having to hover over their children all the time, I understand that some people work, or their children go to a child care with electronic toys and they will want, and I’m not saying that you should not ever buy an electronic toy, I just believe that one must incorporate non-electronic classic toys such as playdoh, coloring books, dolls, sand boxes, bicycles, tricycles, lincoln logs, legos, yo-yos, and almost any other classic toy.

Lots of smaller-scale toy stores, usually locally-owned, (among quite a few Cracker Barrells) sell classic toys, along with my store, but I personally believe if you have a locally-owned smaller toy store, not many children play with non-electronic toys anymore (sadly), so most toy stores that don’t sell electronics are going out of business in favor of superstores that can keep up with the constant updates of electronic toys, but if you truly cannot find a smaller store, you can go to and use the search bar for anything you would like in particular.

If you have any comments or questions, just leave me a comment, and thank you for listening to my rant, I am actually quite a young persona and I may just be rambling on about how I miss being younger, but I hope I might have helped you parents or future parents decide on a cheaper toy source that can help the environment (lots more toys = lots more plastic), your wallet (who doesn’t like extra cash, diapers are expensive!!), and more interaction with your child, love and compassion should teach, not toys. <3