Monthly Archive — November 2011

  • Child with Christmas Presents

    Time to Play: 5 Ways to Tame the Gimmies at Christmas

    From Guest Blogger on November 29th, 2011

    Christmas is such a magical time of year. It seems that everyone is just in a better mood and there is a feeling of hope and love in the atmosphere. With that said, there can also be a bad case of the “gimmies” going on in your house. What are the “gimmies”? That’s when your child needs [...]

  • Shopping Bag

    Holiday Shopping 2011: The Main Event Isn’t Always Buying

    From Christopher Byrne on November 28th, 2011

    Were you one of the 212 million shoppers that the National Retail Federation said hit the stores over the Black Friday weekend? Or have you waited for this week to get the Cyber Week deals that are being promised? I was in Los Angeles for the weekend, and visited toy stores all over the area [...]

  • Teaching Children to Give

    Time to Play: Teaching Children to Give

    From Guest Blogger on November 22nd, 2011

    When I was a little girl, money was tight. Not just tight – think choosing between food and electricity, tight. We learned fast where all the best food pantries were and how to buy a loaf of bread for 20 cents. When Christmas came around, my mom’s heart sank because she knew there was not [...]

  • Breaking Dawn

    Weekend Box Office: Breaking Dawn Sucks the Cash

    From Jeff McKinney on November 21st, 2011

    The new Twilight movie came out over the weekend. You will never guess what came in first at the box office for the weekend of November 18 – 20.

  • An Attitude of Gratitude: Recalling What Thanksgiving is About

    From Christopher Byrne on November 17th, 2011

    A mom I know and respect recently talked with me about conversations in her 7-year-old daughter’s class among the kids about how rich their families were. Now before you roll your eyes, understand that this is an age when kids are trying to locate themselves within a peer structure—it’s a natural thing we do as humans—and material status is tangible to kids. So let’s assume that they are not intentionally being monsters but, as kids do when they begin to interact in the world as separate individuals looking for simplistic ways to locate themselves within the social order in which they find themselves. True, these kid interactions can create awkward questions and situations at home, but so can questions about body types, clothing, personal habits and myriad other topics that are new to kids as they first encounter the world outside their homes and realize they are encountering things that are different than what they know. Even as a child blurts out, “Why is that person so like that?” at full volume in a public place, we have to struggle to realize that they are trying to get a grasp on this big, strange world they suddenly find themselves in. They don’t know topics are off limits or inappropriate for a high decibel discussion, even as you, the adult, want to disappear.

  • Toys for Kids with Special Needs

    From Jim Silver on November 15th, 2011

    Timetoplaymag.com has launched a section featuring toys for kids that have special needs. We wanted our section to be different. Following our Real Parents/Real Reviews, instead of working with doctors we wanted advice from parents that have children with special needs and the experience is hands on. Working with Emily Vanek, our “Colorado Mom”, we’re thrilled to debut our section, which features ten different categories of toys. We’d love to hear any feedback or thoughts about this section.

  • Donate Toys

    Too Many Toys? Donate to your local School.

    From Emily Vanek on November 15th, 2011

    My youngest son just started preschool. He is on the autism spectrum, so he is required to go to public school to receive his therapies. Long story short: our school district is one of the poorest in the entire state of Colorado. This was a surprise to me as there are quite a few affluent [...]

  • Ickee Stickeez

    How to Stay Sane While Out to Eat with Kids.

    From Emily Vanek on November 15th, 2011

    When you were young and kid-free, you could go to eat at just about any restaurant. Fine dining? No problem! Local dive bar? Even better! Chain restaurant with a kids eat free night? Um, pass. Then you have your own kids and think, “I can still go to that swanky new restaurant! Just because other [...]

  • Picky Eater

    Time to Play: Surviving A Picky Eater This Holiday Season

    From Guest Blogger on November 15th, 2011

    I never thought I would end up with a picky eater. Unfortunately, my 4 year old takes one look at my dinners and proclaims, “I don’t like that!”. He has quickly learned that I am not a short order cook and he will be eating what the rest of us are having. Over the past [...]

  • Toys and Age Guidelines

    From Jim Silver on November 8th, 2011

    If your child is 2 1/2, is it OK to buy a toy that is age graded 3+?

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