Pre-Literacy

The Worry Eaters are soft, plush toys with zipper mouths designed to devour a child’s worries that the child has written down and / or illustrated on a sheet of paper and inserted into the toy. The Worry Eater is intended to serve as conversation starter in order to process the “worry” with a parent, facilitator, or members of a play / therapy group. The Worry Eaters are available in 18 varieties, varying in physical appearance characteristics and sizes, bound to appeal to a diverse set of tastes.

Comprised of 18 large, interchangeable block pieces, children are able to assemble six characters representing familiar professions.  In addition, two-sided stand-up cards are provided for more play variety and learning. One side provides the name of the profession in six languages and a photograph of a child in the matching “uniform”, the other side provides one section of mural of a town with the profession’s matching work environment. A “More Ideas to Play” brochure is also provided for developing thoughtful conversations about possible career paths.

Find It! is a closed ended clear tube filled with multi-colored pellets and forty small objects “hidden” among them. The hidden items are related to the tube’s central theme (Dinos, At the Beach, Glitz & Glamour, Discover America, Pirates, Starry Night, Kids, Wildlife, Mythical Creatures, Made in Washington, Eww Gross, and Original), and are listed on the tube end cap. Players shake, roll and twist the tube to uncover and identify the objects.

This plush puppy uses Smart Stages™ technology to grow with your child.  Smart Stages™ technology gives the puppy three different stages, “explore,” “encourage” and “pretend,” each one growing upon the last to advance with the child as they progress through milestones. The puppy accomplishes this through interactive elements on his ears, paws and belly so children can use the different sensors to explore various outcomes and interactions. 

Appearing as any one of a variety of friendly stuffed animals (zebra, lion, lamb, bear and dog), Bluebee Pals provide kids with huggable pretend-play fun. The secret to these plush is that they include a Bluetooth receiver and microphone that allows kids to interact with smart devices. Blubee Pals can act as a speaker for kids to listen to music and hear stories from downloaded Android and Apple apps, and Bluebee Pals even take phone calls!

Letter Sounds DVD uses friendly characters, music and visual aids to scaffold learning. The DVD is divided into 11 short segments starting with the alphabet to introduce recognition and identification of consonants and vowels and advancing to spelling, sight words and reading sentences. Letter Sounds DVD is a total of 62 minutes and meets Common Core State Standards of learning. 

Embroidered cloth daily calendar depicts month, day, season, and year with interchangeable cloth pieces. Special areas on the planner allow children to highlight today’s weather, activity and their mood. The 67 individual pieces are attached to the Daily Planner with Velcro and are stored in pockets on the planner.

Switch-activated spinner replaces traditional game board spinners and/or dice. Press a large button to spin the dial. The unit does have an external jack and can be activated by plugging in your own external switch. Once activated, the dial spins for a preset period of time and stops. This assists children who have difficulty releasing the button/switch. Interchangeable overlays can be used for different games. Unit includes two double-sided overlays: dice on one side and blank wipe-off second side for each overlay. More overlays are available and sold separately.

uKloo Early Reader Treasure Hunt Game takes kids on a reading adventure! Game play is similar to a scavenger hunt and turns the house into a game board. Cards are hidden around the house enticing kids to read the first clue card, find the next clue and locate the surprise at the end. When kids get stuck on a word, the Picture Helper poster provides assistance to sound out the word using a visual cue. This game is beneficial for a wide age range and helps kids build confidence and independence as they learn to read.

“Two Tuba Switch” is a book and corresponding toys dedicated to the story of a boy who switches into objects due to his extreme shyness. When the main character turns into a tuba he must overcome his shyness when he is accidentally taken to an unfamiliar home. The toys match the book so that a child can act out the story as it was told or create his own story line.