Learning the Suratul Fatihah – the fun way April 20, 2013

What is it?

My Furqan – Suratul Fatihah “The Opening”

What’s the price?

RM49.90

Where to buy it?

Simply contact us, yeay!

What are the special features?

• Beautifully illustrated and brightly coloured hard pages
• Comes in two languages, English and Malay
• Each page contains a single sentence from the Surah with flaps that break up the words in the sentence
• The opposite page gives a brief desciption of the sentence, in simplified words, easily understandable by young children

Review

Surah Al-Fatihah, the first & foremost surah in the Holy Quran, is the leader, if you will, of all surahs, which is why it is called The Opening. It is the one of the pillars of solat, and when used correctly, can cure a great number of illnesses.

So it is only befitting that as a Muslim, the first surah that a parent should teach his/her child is the Surah al-Fatihah. And what better way to teach a child than with a cute, fun book that has secret hiding places?

As we know, all surahs of the Quran tell stories of important lessons, and the Opening tells the most important lesson – that Allah our Mighty Creator, is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, the Master of the Day of Judgement. The One we worship and the One we seek help from, always.

These are important lessons for a young Muslim, yet are quite heavy and can be complicated for them to understand. The cute illustrations come in handy in explaining further the meanings of the Al Fatihah, the concept of God and satan, of good deeds and bad deeds.

What I like about it

From a child’s eye, I would find the flaps most interesting – what kid wouldn’t love a little game of hide and seek? The illustrations itself tells a story – my daughter would make comments such as “Why is the girl afraid?” “Look, she’s going to school!” “They’re having a picnic.” You can always elaborate on these comments and ask them what they think is happening in the picture, and you’ll be surprised at your own child’s answers.

What I don’t like about it

I have to admit it’s a bit pricey, but do consider the knowledge it offers, in such a fun and appealing package. It’s better to read together  with your child, though, as the flaps are a little fragile and can be torn in little excited hands.

Conclusion

This book sure packs a punch of learning fun, makes a great Opening in any household. A gold treasure indeed.

Muslim talking friends – not your average dolls December 13, 2012

What is it?

Aamina the Muslim talking doll, girl version

Yousuf the Muslim talking doll, boy version

What’s the price?

RM199 including postage nationwide

Where to buy it?

Simply contact us, yeay!

What are the special features?

• There are 5 pressable spots – the nose, the 2 hands and 2 feet
• When pressed, the dolls would say different Islamic phrases, recite surahs and sing several songs
• Approximately 43 cm in height and 25 cm in width
• Watch Aamina in action here

Review

When you think of dolls, I bet the first thing you’ll think of is a Barbie doll, with the slim body, blue eyes and blond hair. Not only Barbie dolls are far too showy for Muslims, I’ve read that they portray bad body image for a girl. It tells a girl, that in order to be pretty, you need to have a pencil thin body just like Barbie, which I think is completely untrue. True beauty comes from the inside, not just a pretty face and a one-size fits all body shape.

This is the first time ever that I’ve come across a Muslim doll that covers up the female aurat properly. It gets better – these dolls talk in  adorable voices when you press the 5 points on the body i.e. the nose, the 2 hands and 2 feet. My kids’ favourite is definitely the nose; press it and it’ll say “Atchoo! Alhamdulillah.” See Aamina in action here.

The dolls say various Islamic phrases, with translation of the phrases such as Bismillah, Assalamualaikum and many others. They recite 2 surahs with translations – Surah al Fatihah and Surah Al Ikhlas. They also sing nursery ryhmes that have been changed into Muslim versions.

What I like about it

I love these dolls, especially Aamina, which I think is a perfect companion for young children. My daughter couldn’t stop smiling when I first gave her the doll, cradling her like a baby, pressing the nose again and again. She has already begin to hum along with the songs and repeat the phrases.

What I don’t like about it

The price is quite expensive, as these dolls are imported from UK. And I think that Yousuf’s lips are too bright, as if he’s wearing lipstick. Heh.

Conclusion

While I agree that they are a bit pricey, I think it’s a worthwhile investment and great way to incorporate learning through play. It sure beats Barbie a mile long, though.

Islamic educational wooden puzzles November 1, 2012

What is it?

Islamic educational wooden puzzles – assorted

What’s the price?

RM35.00 each

Where to buy it?

Simply contact us, yeay!

What are the special features?

• 5 types of puzzles: Hijaiyah alphabets; Solat – girl; Wudu’ – Girl; Solat – Boy; Wudu’ – Boy
• Made of lightweight wood
• A great first introduction to the Arabic language and to perform wudu and on to solat via play

Review

I love puzzles, especially wooden ones. You can read more about the benefit of playing with puzzles here. But these puzzles are even more special, giving not only the benefits of puzzles, but also teaching young children the Hijaiyah alphabet, the key pillars in perfoming wudu’ and solat.

The Hijaiyah alphabets are essential to early learning of the Arabic language, and ultimately, the words of the Holy Quran. Kids normally memorize the ABC’s quickly, so why not teach them the Hijaiyah alphabets too? Don’t forget to teach them the correct pronunciation of each letter.

The wudu & solat puzzles are separate for boys and girls, mainly to show that even though the mannerisms are the same, the dress-up are different – this shows that the aurat for a girl and a boy is totally different. The boy covers up modestly, while the girl covers up her aurat completely, as dictated in Islamic teachings.

What I like about it

I think, as parents, we should emphasize the importance of learning the Hijaiyah alphabet with the same priority as the ABC’s and 123’s. I also think that it’s never too early to start teaching our young the basics of performing wudu’ and solat. And what better way to teach, other than by playing with your kids?

Also, you can read more the benefits of wooden puzzles here.

What I don’t like about it

You can also read more about this here.

Conclusion

Not only it’s fun and cute, easy on the parent’s pocket, with basics of Islamic teachings, these puzzles sure pack in a lot of punch in one toy. Get one before they run out, mommies!

Islamic wooden puzzles September 10, 2012

Teaching kids the fun way? Use puzzles!

Fancy having a Castle of Dreams for yourself? August 14, 2012

Castle of Dreams – the outside look

some tips at the back of the box

more tips and suggestion for parents

the blocks, the towers and the challenge book

Look at the small block with red print. Notice there’s no hole on top….

Flip it on the other side, the print faces left with a hole on top. Tricky!

the easiest challenge

notice anything out of place? yep, the print patterns are wrong. oops.

ok, now I got it right.

starter challenges. too easy for adults.

junior challenges

another junior challenge

expert challenge. now you’re talkin’.

wow, I’m getting quite hooked here.

master challenge. emmm.. this is quite tough.

Ok, I confess. I peeked at the answer at the back. Oh well.

What is it?

Castle of Dreams – wooden blocks IQ game

What’s the price?

RM35

Where to buy it?

https://www.facebook.com/smartintelligent.toys

http://smart-intelligent-toys.blogspot.com

What are the special features?

• The game consists of 4 blocks and 3 towers in different lengths, with holes so you can slide the towers into, but at different locations.
• It teaches problem solving skills, logical thinking and fine motor skills.
• The game has 3 difficulty levels according to age: Starter for 3 years onwards, Junior for 4 years onwards, Expert for 5 years onwards and Master for 6 years onwards.

Review

Puzzles are always good family games and encourage social interaction. You can read about the benefits of puzzles here, but this game takes puzzles to a whole new level.

I do prefer wooden puzzles as they feel nicer to hold, more solid in your hands. The game comes with a booklet of challenges that range from very easy to very difficult, with solutions at the back of every challenge.

All the blocks have different coloured prints on each side, with holes in different locations. You have to follow the picture exactly or you may not be able to slide in the towers. The smallest block has the same red print on either side, but different orientation to the hole – take a look at the pictures to see this clearly.

The challenge is not too hard for an adult, but it could be quite a problem for little kids. There are hints for parents in the booklet, such as how to suggest or encourage your child to solve the challenge. The Master challenges, however, are very difficult, as the picture shows a blank shape and no prints to help you figure it out.

What I like about it

I like that the game looks simple, but has many variations to it, so it could be played as your child grows up and gets better at it. Also, the game needs parents’ involvement as to help your child, at least in the beginning. Any game that promotes family bonding time is always a winner.

What I don’t like about it

Can’t find anything to dislike.

Conclusion

Considering the versatility of the game, this block wooden puzzle is a great investment. Go get it!

Clock wooden puzzle July 10, 2012

the clown clock wooden puzzle

the puzzle base without the puzzle pieces

the puzzle pieces with little pegs

What is it?

Clock wooden puzzle

What’s the price?

RM15.00

Where to buy it?

https://www.facebook.com/smartintelligent.toys

What are the special features?

• Large pieces with knobs for easy handling for a toddler’s fingers
• Movable clown hands to teach a child to tell time
• Painted with non-toxic ink
• Measures about 25cm in diameter

Review

This is such a cute and irresistible looking clock! The coloured number pieces and the smiling clown with movable hands is a huge hit with my kids.

For my younger, not yet 3-year-old son, this puzzle teaches him to recognize the numbers and colours. For my 4-year-old daughter, it teaches her the ordering and position of the numbers on the clock, which is helped by the specific shape of the puzzle piece. So if she forgets where to put number 5, she could just test match the piece into the right slot to find which one that fits.

And of course, teaching to tell the time. You can move the hands to show your child what time is it, which would take some time, but fun, nonetheless.

You can read more about the benefit of puzzles for kids here.

What I like about it

I really like wooden puzzles as they are more durable than cardboard ones, and easier for a toddler to hold in their little fingers. You can read more about this here.

What I don’t like about it

You can also read more about this here.

Conclusion

An affordable toy that teaches the time, numbers and colours. A sweet deal, if you ask me.

Speller Junior July 3, 2012

the complete set of Speller Junior

with the Word Cover flipped up

with the Word Cover flipped down

the Speller Junior tray

the cute little letter cubes

the 3- and 4-letter word picture cards

portable for travel

sealed with a kiss 🙂

What is it?

Speller Junior

What’s the price?

RM29.00

Where to buy it?

https://www.facebook.com/smartintelligent.toys

http://www.kids.net.my/speller-junior-iq-games-3873.html

http://www.moresales.com.my/catalog/entry/jtucjtcd.shtml

What are the special features?

• One simple game that encourages many skills
• Encourages bonding time with your child
• Lightweight and portable

Review

The game contained the Speller Junior game tray, 30 picture/word cards with 3- and 4-letter words (printed on both sides, so there are 60 pictures in total) and 8 letter cubes. The plastic tray holds the card, with four slots to fill in the letter cubes to spell the word as in the picture on the specific card. Each card has a 3-letter word on one side and a 4-letter word on the other side.

Besides teaching how to spell, the Speller Junior gives a number of other skills for a child to practice with:

• Object and word recognition – The child recognizes the object on the card and the word for that object, a preparation for reading readiness.
• Letter recognition and matching – To spell a word, the child must be able to recognize the letter or alphabet. This would also enable the child the find the letter on the cubes to match the letters on the card.
• Concentration and memory – The child glances at the picture and the word, then flip the Word Cover over the word. The child is no longer matching the letters, but is actually spelling the whole word from memory.
• Taking turns, sharing and playing together – The game can be varied for 2 players or more. Children take turns spelling the words on the cards. The player who spells correctly – you can play by letter matching for young children and spelling from memory for older kids – keeps the card. The person who has more cards in the end, wins.

What I like about it

There are countless games of this nature online, some are downloadable for free. You can just download some games, hand over your laptop or Ipad to your child, and he could play it to his heart’s content and you could have some peace and quiet. That’s the beauty of a traditional game; it encourages you to sit down, spend some time together and socialize.

I also like the portability of it. It’s small and lightweight, easy to be stashed in a plastic bag or container, so you can bring it for travels.

What I don’t like about it

It would be nice if the game included a carrying case, but that would, of course, increase the price. You can easily find your own casing for it, no big deal.

Conclusion

A good tool for some family bonding time and fun learning. That’s a major benefit for RM29. Buy this and make your own family game night.

Counting Animals wooden puzzle May 7, 2012

Counting Animals wooden puzzle

the puzzle pieces

the puzzle base

What is it?

Counting Animals wooden puzzle

What’s the price?

RM22.00

Where to buy it?

• http://www.kidzpuzzle.com/home.php
• http://www.moresales.com.my/catalog/entry/tbzfzait.shtml

What are the special features?

• Raised, large puzzle pieces
• Size: 29.5 x 21 x 0.8 cm
• Weight: 300 gram
• Painted with non-toxic ink

Review

Wooden puzzles are perfect for a toddler’s little hand; they’re solid & nice to hold in the hand instead of cardboard puzzles. The whole puzzle is lightweight enough to be taken during travels; I’ve taken them on long journeys in the car. The base of the puzzle has no sharp edges – another plus.

Each of the puzzle pieces has pictures of animals on them, the coloured number on the base indicates which puzzle to be put there. The child will need to count the number of animals in the puzzle piece in order to be able to put in the correct piece into the correct slot. This teaches the child hand-eye coordination in addition to the ability to count correctly.

Older toddlers like my 4 year old daughter might be able to recognize the shape of the puzzle by sight, and will be able to put in the correct slot without needing to count the number of animals.

What I like about it

It’s a really simple and affordable toy, but with lots of benefits. Puzzles are a fun tool for bonding time. Parents are expected to sit down with their children and teach them how to put the puzzle together, meaning, spend some quality time together. In this case, I can teach them to count the animals in the puzzle piece and correctly match each piece to its slot. Unlike cardboard puzzles, a wooden puzzle won’t get mangled up when chewed on by a toddler, which sounds icky, I know, but inevitable when dealing with toddlers.

What I don’t like about it

Nothing much about the puzzle itself, really. It’s just the fact that the puzzle pieces can get lost easily, like other small toys around the house. Unless you’ve trained your toddlers to properly clean up after playing, you’ll have to be there yourself during cleanup time to ensure that the pieces won’t get thrown someplace it can’t be found later. It’s quite frustrating to find incomplete pieces the next time your child wants to play. (The child won’t really care, actually. It’s the mom that will be rather upset, believe me.)

Conclusion

A great investment. It’s not only easy on the pocket, but encourages bonding and cuddling with your child. Best friend with benefits indeed.

LeapFrog Alphabet Pal Caterpillar April 30, 2012

LeapFrog Alphabet Pal Caterpillar

front view

side view

rear view

the 4 modes: Letter names, letter sounds, colours & music

rear view from another angle 🙂

2 sound levels

press this to hear the full ABC song!

the flashing antennae

 

What is it?

LeapFrog Alphabet Pal Caterpillar

What’s the price?

RM98.00

Where to buy it?

• www.onebabyworld.com
• www.mybbstore.com 

What are the special features?

• 4 learning modes – letter names, letter sounds, colours & music
• Comes with a pull string, when pulled, the caterpillar sings the ABC song
• Flashing antennae, silly giggle & zigzag walk

Review

The first thing that attracts me to this toy is the vibrant colours. Apart from the body itself, which comes in bright green or deep purple, the 26 legs comes it colourful shoes, each of them can be pressed to make sounds. Even the voice is cute & bubbly, just like a real kid.

Letter names – says the names of the letters i.e. A, B, C and so on

Letter sounds – pronounces the sounds of each letter, A (ei) B (bi) C (si) and so on

Colours – says the colour of the legs pressed i.e. blue, green, red & yellow

Music – a different melody for each individual leg. That’s 26 melodies!

There is volume control just behind its head, and another big button of a bug lounging on its back, that when pressed, also sings the ABC song. The pull string is good in encouraging babies to walk, seeing the caterpillar trail behind them.

What I like about it

The caterpillar is a straightforward & simple toy, but its sturdiness is amazing. All I can say is that it is built to withstand a toddler’s manhandling. My kids’ caterpillar had withstood pretty much all tests – being thrown around, being stepped on, being kicked (poor thing), being pulled by two toddlers. All its pretty legs are still functional. Just don’t let them throw it into the bathroom sink!

Additionally, the wheels underneath the caterpillar is put a little off centre, making it inch along zigzag like an inch worm, which is really adorable.

What I don’t like about it

The cute and bubbly voice gets really annoying when pressed too many times. I mean, how many times can you listen to the ABC song anyway? Kids learn by repetition anyway. So if the caterpillar’s singing the ABC song nonstop, just stuff your ears and walk away.

The pull string is rather short. For young toddlers, it might be adequate length. But older, taller toddlers might need to stoop and bend their bodies a little in order to be able to pull the caterpillar behind them. It makes more sense for the manufacturer to attach a longer or maybe adjustable string.

Conclusion

A simple toy which seems quite expensive for its simple functionality. Buy it if you don’t mind listening to the ABC song 100 times a day.

VTECH First Step Baby Walker April 23, 2012

VTECH First Step Baby Walker

puppy says & whirring buttions

the colours, the numbers & the shapes

the fading butterfly 🙂

the ABC piano keys

the “cordless” phone

the rattling “cordless” phone

fun wheels!

ABC mode & song mode

2 sound levels

the detachable unit

the crash test done by my son. (notice his arms)

The sturdiness test done by my daughter. Note: Don’t try this at home!

What is it?

VTECH First Step BabyWalker

What’s the price?

RM129.90

Where to buy it?

• www.littlewhiz.com
• www.mybbstore.com
• www.toysrus.com.my

What are the special features?

• Detachable learning centre with lights and sounds
• 2 basic learning modes – alphabets & numbers and music play

Review

Both my husband and I loved this walker at first sight. Its bright, contrasting colors are definitely eye catching. Every button pushed or touched will emit a cute sound (except the smiling, yellow sun above the green phone. That’s a purely decorative item). The three colored wheels – purple, green and blue – can be turned together, producing silly whirring sounds. The puppy button plays a game something like “Simon says”, where a pleasant lady’s voice will say “Puppy says, clap your hands.” There are several different easy phrases to teach your kid to follow instructions. The green “cordless” phone which can be picked up, acts like a rattle when you shake it. When you put the phone back, the lady’s voice praises your kid “Well done!” for successful hand manipulative action of putting back the phone.

In the alphabets & numbers mode, the numbers button will give out either a number or the colored shape. For example, if you press the red heart number 1, it will say “red heart” and “One” in turn. Whereas the five letter keys will emit a soft light, the alphabet, the word and an action sound of the word said. For example, if you press the “a” button (the button is huge and can fit the whole palm of your child on it) the lady will say “A is for apple” followed by an apple crunch sound.

Turn the butterfly wing to the left, and you are now in music mode. Press the numbers button and each will produce different, catchy, toddler-dance-worthy tunes. Press the alphabets button and the lady will make the sound of the alphabet. Granted that there are only 4 numbers and 5 alphabets, I would say this toy is not solely for the purpose of learning only, thus the limited numbers and alphabets.

As an additional note, the walker has two sound levels, one is the quieter one and the other is much louder and noisier. Music will keep playing without anyone touching any buttons (which could be creepy for little kids) until the lady’s voice says “Bye bye!” and it goes quiet into its energy saving mode. The whole learning panel can be detached from the walker, so you can, for example, take it for travelling in the car.

What I like about it

As the name suggests, this toy is first and foremost, a baby walker. And a marvelous one, at that. Although it is rather pricey, (but aren’t all toys are?) it is tremendously sturdy and tough. Sturdy enough to be climbed on and tough enough to be thrown on the floor, without any parts broken. The textured wheels and easy grip handle ensures that your kid will never over-roll it and land in a broken heap on the floor, thank God. My boy could hold on to it and stand up by the time he was 8 months old, and he was pushing it around the house by 10 months old. Oh, and he walked not long after that. The walker really helped him build up his body strength and trained his legs to start taking those first independent steps.

What I don’t like about it

The cordless phone is also a con, as it has no string attached, so the phone keeps going missing. Just like a real cordless phone, you’ll be spending some time searching for it, and unlike a real cordless phone, you’ll give up and let it go missing. The lots of flashing sounds and ongoing music might also be an overstimulation for very young babies.

Conclusion

I would definitely recommend parents to buy this. It’s a value-for-money educational toy, despite the price and would last all your kids to come, for years. For safety reasons, I would suggest this toy for older babies around 8-9 months that can already sit up on their own or babies learning to stand up.