Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton Casting Kit

Tyrannosaurus Rex Skeleton Casting Kit
Ages: 4 and up
Did you ever make something with Plaster of Paris when you were a kid? It is a lot of fun to start out with a mushy liquid, and end up with a cool model that you can paint! With this kit, you start out by pouring the plaster (which they call "Perfect Plaster" into the mold. After the plaster has hardened, you pop the pieces out of the molds, and then you get to paint them! The kit also includes magnets that you can attach to the back of each piece, so you can assemble it like a sort of puzzle on a magnetic surface. Some people opt to glue the pieces together instead. The mold can be reused again and again... either as a mold for more plaster, or as a playdough mold, or even as a candy or cookie mold!
The kit also includes a booklet that shares interesting facts about the dinosaur, as well as the name, and function, of each individual bone. Kids who enjoy memorizing the names of things will enjoy this aspect of the kit!

ZIpBIn Dinosaur Toy Box and Play Set

ZipBin Dinosaur Toy Box and Play Set
Ages: 3 and up
It's a toy box! No, it's a play mat! No, it's... both!
This is a vinyl mat that can be spread out to display a dinosaur island with fields, trees, rivers, volcanoes, and more. It can also be zipped up to turn it into a box, which can hold toy dinosaurs! The play set comes with two toy dinosaurs to start you out. The mat,size is 26 x 29 inches. When folded into a box, it is 13.5 x 12 x 8 inches.

Weighted Blanket

Children with autism, ADHD, and various other special needs are often calmed and centered by holding, pushing, or being covered with a heavy object. Kristi Samson, the owner of Peace Weighted Products and also the mother of two children with special needs, makes weighted stuffed animals and other things for children. She started her store in order to provide weighted products at a more affordable price than many of the other stores out there sell. I had the opportunity to review one of her products recently (which I will be adding to my other blog soon) and my opinion is that her products are high quality, durable, and loveable.

One way that weighted products can be used is to help children sleep better, in the form of a weighted blanket. When a weighted blanket is placed over a child in his bed, the deep pressure is calming and comforting, and can help him to relax enough to fall asleep. Kristi's blankets come in small (shorter than a crib or toddler bed mattress, and weighing 2 to 6 pounds), medium (longer than a toddler mattress but shorter than a twin bed mattress, and weighing 4 to 10 pounds), twin (fitted for a twin bed, and weighing 5 to 15 pounds) or full-size (weighing 10 to 25 pounds.)

The blankets are weighted with nontoxic poly beads. When you order a blanket, you get to choose how much weight you want added. Occupational therapists commonly recommend the following formula for how much weight to add to a blanket: 10% of the child's weight, plus 1 or 2 pounds. So, if your child weighs 60 pounds, you might want a 7 to 8 pound blanket. The objective is to provide comfort and relaxation, not to squash the child under a very heavy blanket! This formula would also work for adults... if an adult weighs 140 pounds, you could choose a 15 to 16 pound blanket.

Kristi's blankets come in all types of designs... solid colors, such as purple, red or turquoise; licensed pictures such as Dora the Explorer, Frozen or Spiderman; or fun patterns such as airplanes or horses.
They are washer and dryer safe. She sews them from scratch, so you know you are getting something made with Tender Loving Care. To order one for someone you love, check out her website. I highly recommend it!

If you are looking for a smaller or less expensive weighted product, consider a weighted lap pad, or neck wrap. They also have weighted stuffed animals, my personal favorite!

Weighted Stuffed Animal

Children with autism, ADHD, and various other special needs are often calmed and centered by holding, pushing, or being covered with a heavy object. Kristi Samson, the owner of Peace Weighted Products and also the mother of two children with special needs, makes weighted stuffed animals and other things for children. She started her store in order to provide weighted products at a more affordable price than many of the other stores out there sell. I had the opportunity to review one of her products recently (which I will be adding to my other blog soon) and my opinion is that her products are high quality, durable, and loveable.

The weighted stuffed animals she makes include a cow, a monkey, a pig, dogs, cats, a dinosaur, a giraffe, a ladybug, teddy bears, a lion, and a tiger. These stuffed animals look just like a regular stuffed animal you'd find in a toy store, with sweet faces and soft fur. They are weighted with bean bag pouches filled with nontoxic aquarium gravel. Stuffing is then added around the bean bag pouches, so they are still soft and cuddly instead of crunchy!

Kristi suggests many ways that a weighted stuffed animal can be used by a child. For instance, a child can carry his stuffed animal while going on an errand with his family, such as to the grocery store. The heavy object in his arms serves to help him stay calm and grounded, while also keeping his hands busy and less likely to touch random objects. It can act as a transitional object that the child can bring with him from home, to school and other places.

 You can read more about the stuffed animals, and about her ideas for their use, here. 
To see all of the stuffed animals that are currently available, and to purchase one, visit the Peace Weighted Products website.

Astronaut Costume

Aeromax Jr. Astronaut Suit
Ages: any age, up to size 12-14.
If you know a kid who takes his imaginary play very seriously, he's going to need a space suit like this. It includes authentic looking NASA patches. You can get it in white or orange.

Oh yeah, and she might also need this!

Space Monkey

NASA Space Monkey
Ages: 3 and up
Did you know that, before there were people in space, there were monkeys in space? It is actually kind of a sad subject because most of the monkeys either suffocated on their way to space or died on impact when their rockets crashed. But lets not tell little kids that. To them, this is just an adorable stuffed monkey in a space suit! He's about 11 inches tall, and includes a removable helmet and backpack. Okay, full disclosure... the Amazon link sells it for $45. which I think is a little steep for a stuffed monkey. You can find it for $19.99 at the Kennedy Space Center online store.

Space Exploration Toy Set

Space Exploration Toy Set
Ages: 6 to 10
For the kid who loves outer space and enjoys playing with toys and models related to space, this is a nice play set to have! It includes five toy rockets and five toy space flight vehicles. All of the items are models of actual NASA equipment! It also comes with an informational booklet so kids can read about the real rockets the toys are modeled after. This is also a collector's item, so you might be helping someone to start a new hobby!