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In years past, shoppers have trampled each other for the last Tickle Me Elmo doll or the latest video game console. So what are the hottest toys and games in 2007? Let’s look at what’s selling this year.

Nintendo Wii

The #1 toy this year isn’t technically a toy. It’s the Nintendo Wii video game system. The Wii is the latest console from Japanese maker Nintendo. Nintendo is known for quality of gameplay and the family friendliness of their game lineups, ease of use and game controls. The Wii is different from other video game systems, like the Sony Playstation and XBOX 360, mainly due to the controller. The controller is completely different from any other system available. The Wii controller consists of a remote that is motion senstive, so that when you swing the remote like a tennis raquet, golf club or sword, you are controlling the character or action onscreen. This type of controller is a major innovation and incorporates lots of physical movement into video games, where before there was virtually none. Read more

Many parents dread a rainy day, with active kids stuck inside all day with nothing to do but watch TV or play video games. Here are some ideas for easy activities to engage and entertain your kids on the next rainy day.

Coloring

It seems like a simple idea, but coloring can take up alot of time and is a very inexpensive activity. If you don’t have coloring books around, go online and print out some coloring pages. It’s easy and free.

Puzzles

Keep some jigsaw puzzles around in case of a rainy day. These puzzles can be a good challenge for kids and keep them busy for a while trying to piece together the picture. You can even get puzzles from garage sales and flea markets for pennies.

Board Games

Board games like Life, Chutes and Ladders and CandyLand take up alot of time and gets the kids or family together. Popular board games are another item you can find at garage sales for much less than you buy them in stores new. Read more

Sometimes kids are the hardest family members to please when it comes to holiday or birthday gifts. How can you give a gift that is fun and interesting for the child, yet won’t break the bank and will last past the week? Here are some excellent ideas for practical, affordable gifts, specifically for children.

Board Games

Board games are great for all ages, but for kids, they are an especially good idea. Board games become a fantastic way get the family together for quality time with the child. Stick to the classics for young children and older children, with such favorites as Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, Uno, Life and Sorry. You simply can’t go wrong with a board game as gift, and it’s perfect for both boys and girls.

Crafts and Hobby Sets

Few children will be unhappy with a crafty gift. Craft gifts are a great way to engage the senses, get the child interested in art, science, cooking, sewing, building or a myriad of other useful and engaging activities. Some crafty ideas include clay, art sets, cookbooks, children’s cooking sets, science kits, garden kits, calligraphy and writing sets, jewelry making kits, sticker sets, sand art kits, vehicle or airplane model kits and many other options. Just head down to your local hobby store and you’ll find many options for a crafty gift. Read more

History

Creative Teaching Press (CTP), Trend Enterprises, and Mello Smello are just some of the companies that had marketed the immensely popular ‘scratch and sniff’ stickers in the 80’s. The 3M corporation invented microencapsulated fragrances that were later incorporated into matte paper stickers and became the scratch and sniff stickers we know today. Although scratch and sniff stickers were available only through educational catalogues, they were soon available for ‘non-educational’ purposes also.

How scratch and sniff stickers work

Scratch and sniff stickers use a technology called microencapsulation. Microencapsulation is designed to trap the aroma generating chemical and encapsulate it in small gelatin or plastic spheres. The spheres are extremely small and are no more than a few microns in diameter. Since all fragrance is essentially vapor, the spheres actually act as store houses of fragrance. When the sticker is scratched, the microcapsules rupture releasing the fragrance. Before microencapsulation, the best a manufacturer could do was capture fragrance in fragrance sticks or in absorbent materials. Microencapsulating is a much more effective way of trapping fragrance. Read more