- Cherry Red

- Dolfy Blue

- Froggy Green

- Sunny Yellow

- Lilly Purple

The cuddle swing has many benefits. It is a valuable therapy tool for children with sensory issues or on the autism spectrum, because the swing’s cocoon-like feel provides a soothing environment for children who have trouble with over-stimulation. Swinging in the cuddle swing makes a great wind-down tool for an over-tired and hyper child in need of some rest.

Learning about the anti-gravity yoga made me wonder if some of the exercises could be tried at home on the cuddle swing by adults or even children. Of course children should be directly supervised at all times and exercising should be done in a room clear of obstacles and clutter surrounding the swing area. People who have never been to an anti-gravity yoga class should not attempt these exercises at home.

The relaxing combination of both yoga and the cuddle swing together could create up a whole new meaning of  “down time” after a busy day at work and school. Look for anti-gravity yoga at your local health club today.  And then, why not try to do some of the moves right at home on your very own cuddle swing!

What great time for us to announce that our very popular camping hammock is back in stock! After a long winter’s absence due to overwhelming demand, we are stocked up and ready to go.  The hammock folds into an unbelievably small package, which makes it perfect for even the most minimalist campers. But don’t think that it lacks in comfort! Made out of resilient parachute material, it provides full-body support and is totally breathable. The best part? The bag comes attached to the hammock itself, so it’s impossible to lose.

So, for your next family trip, pack one or two of these along (people tend to fight over them once they try them- get extra!). You won’t know how you ever camped without it. But don’t pack it away with your camping supplies! The camping hammock is great for your backyard all summer long. And its small size and portability make it a great take-along for family day trips to the park, cottage or even friends’ backyard BBQ’s. It also makes a well-appreciated gift for a camper or that person who “has everything”.

Take summer relaxation to a whole new level with our resilient, ultra light and portable camping hammock!

According to the Think First Foundation of Canada, helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by 88 per cent when they are worn properly. I learned first hand why safety helmets are critical. While skiing, I turned to answer a call from my son and promptly crashed full speed into a tree. When I regained consciousness, I found I was luckily uninjured but my helmet was shattered. The ski patrol told me that, without it, I probably wouldn’t have survived the accident.

Since then, I have been on a mission to try and reduce the number of preventable head injuries. Accidents may occur whenever people are biking, skating, skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing or riding horses so it’s paramount to ensure you and your children are wearing the proper equipment. One of the best ways to get kids to wear their helmets is for children to see their parents and caregivers wearing them. Role modeling the behaviour is critical! It’s also important that your child’s safety helmet fits properly because a helmet that is too loose, too tight or isn’t done up properly is not going to provide the optimum protection.

Making sure your child continues to wear their helmet while engaged in their sport is often difficult. Kids often don’t like wearing a helmet because they are not perceived as “cool”. This is where Tail Wags Helmet Covers can help! Tail Wags has over 40 different designs that transform a helmet into something fun to wear. For example, how many little girls dream of becoming a Fairy Princess one day? Boys love the Menacing Monster because it’s gross, green and slimy. Older kids describe their favourite designs as sick – apparently a huge compliment! But the biggest endorsement I have received is from parents who say they are delighted with their Tail Wags helmet covers because their kids finally WANT to wear their safety helmets. In fact, parents have told me time and again that their kids are now wearing their helmets (with their favourite Tail Wags design) to bed, in the car and around the house because it’s become one of their beloved dress-up items. Every time I receive a customer testimonial, it confirms that Tail Wags Helmet Covers are doing their job and successfully helping to reduce the number of preventable head injuries!

Children are at particular risk, racking up between fifty and eighty percent of their lifetime sun exposure before the age of eighteen! Unfortunately, we often forget to apply protection until after receiving a nasty sunburn – or worse – sunstroke.  Research has revealed that a bad sun burn before the age of ten can give you up to a fifty percent greater chance of contracting skin cancer as an adult.  Sun Damage is cumulative; skin can repair superficial damage like the redness and soreness of sunburn, but the underlying damage remains. Once our natural defenses against harmful UV rays are gone, you cannot get them back.

A cotton t-shirt offers only about a 5SPF while SunSmarty UV apparel by Seasons UV has 50+++SPF.

Seasons UV Solutions, a leader in active wear and swimwear offers sun protection that can help keep your kids safe in the sun. But aside from wearing the right clothing or swimsuit, there are some important tips to follow.

Tip number one is: remember three simple letters.  POP!  Put On Protection. Wear a hat, apply sunscreen, and don protective apparel.  It’s important to protect our skin all year round.  Even as we head into fall, it is vital to realize that the sun is still out and we still need to be mindful of sun safety.  POP! As ski season approaches, concern shifts to the reflective rays from the snow. POP! Many families will travel south for winter vacations and spring break getaways and children will be running around in bathing suits and shorts.  POP!

Seasons UV is a Canadian company that has been making UV protected apparel and accessories market since 1999.

While there are lots of warm weather activities for children, such as baseball, soccer, camping and hiking, many parents find it challenging to keep children active during the colder months. Summer playgrounds are often inaccessible and, although it would be great to spend the whole time outside tobogganing, skiing and skating, the reality is we have too few days suitable for outside play. Besides, sometimes it is nice to stay home in the warmth and comfort.

So while you watch your children using your living room as a gymnasium, you might think you have no choice. But DreamGYM has a great solution. The DreamGYM Indoor Jungle Gym will easily fit in most basements or a spare room. It needs only 4’ x 6’ of floor space.  Children will have a blast climbing ladders, scaling monkey bars, swinging on a trapeze bar, or doing flips on gym rings right inside their rooms.

Even if your home is tight for space, there’s no need to get discouraged! DreamGYM has an option that won’t take up a lot of room. The Doorway MiniGYM can be mounted in a doorway in minutes. It comes equipped with gym rings and a trapeze bar combo. Additional accessories include a belt swing and rope ladder. Children will happily swing, climb and flip on their DreamGYM rather than your living room furniture.

DreamGYM products help raise agile and healthy children.  Kids will have loads of fun playing and you’ll be delighted at the amount of exercise they’re getting year round!

Enter our Well on Their Way contest for the chance to win a prize pack of great kids’ products valued at over $1000

Realising I was my son’s most important teacher drove me to start my educational toy business. When my son was 18-months old, I was excited to teach him the basic building blocks of learning – the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colours. After searching several stores for an all-in-one kit, I settled for buying individual pieces at various teaching supply stores in my area. I filled a box with mismatched flashcards, kindergarten charts, books and puzzles, and called it ‘Mama’s School’. My son and I sat down with ‘Mama’s School’ almost every day for 20 minutes. By the time he was three-years old, he could read. Parents at nursery school and playgroups began to ask how I had taught him.

I realised other parents would be interested in teaching their children the basics, so I created Teach My Toddler, the multi award-winning all-in-one learning kit for toddlers. After the success of Teach My Toddler, I went on to create Teach My Baby and the newest addition to the Teach My learning series, Teach My Preschooler.

According to growachild.org, a child’s brain develops constantly in the early years, especially from birth to age three. You can aid this development by giving your young children plenty of one-on-one interaction and external stimulation. In fact, Teach My all-in-one learning kits make it easy for parents to sit down for 20 minutes of supervised and focused educational play.

Wellness from the beginning is the kind of investment in your child that will pay off in the long run! Your child will be more likely to succeed in school and have the skills to fulfill their dreams.

We know that children develop essential motor skills early in life and Pediatricians agree that learning balance and coordination with exercise can jump-start a child’s growth and development.  Traditional bikes tend to place too much emphasis on learning to pedal while steering at the same time is very difficult for children. The challenge of mastering that skill can lead to feelings of instability and fear, sometimes causing children to give up altogether.

The Strider™ PREbike is designed to instill confidence in a child as they acquire their balance and coordination.  It is free of cables, chains, sprockets, pedals or protrusions that can harm your child.  Control is enhanced with a low and flat handlebar design.  Kids can reach forward rather than up, which gives them better leverage and maneuverability.  The Strider’s lightweight design and low center of gravity make it easy to control, offering your child a safe and secure sensation.  At the first feeling of instability, your child will instinctively place both feet securely on the ground and because the bike’s adjustable seat height starts at 11 inches, it accommodates the shortest of legs.  Designed to be steady and stable, the Strider™ encourages bike safety and fitness.

Family outings often include toddlers who can’t keep up on a tricycle or bike with training wheels. With a Striderâ„¢ your child will become significantly more mobile.  A whole new, healthier, world can open up for them to ride in as they wheel their Striderâ„¢ to outdoor gatherings, a nearby park, or anywhere else you walk or bike.  Your child will easily be able to keep pace. Our first test rider — after riding a Striderâ„¢ prototype for only six months — was riding a two-wheel pedal bike without training wheels at age three. Many parents tell us that the Striderâ„¢ has given their child a safe, speedy and smooth transition into a pedal bike.  And your child can share this same experience too.

Keeping kids safe when they’re away from home is a challenge. From “stranger danger”to life-threatening allergens, peril seems to lurk around every corner. Experts recommend teaching kids their full name, address, phone number, parents’ names and workplaces, and how to call 911. But what if your kid is too confused or shy to pass info on to that uniformed adult they’ve been advised to seek out if lost? Or too intimidated to explain to their friend’s mom that just breathing in that peanut filled treat could send them to hospital? There are many times when we’re not going to be there to protect our kids.

Information is key. While peanut-free school lunches are the norm, lack of awareness about other common anaphylactic-shock producing foods is a concern. Health Canada identifies these as tree nuts, shellfish, fish, milk, egg, wheat, soy and sesame. Almost 6% of Canadian children suffer from food allergies according to McMaster University’s Dr. Susan Waserman and this number is growing. A recent study showed that kids’ emergency room visits for serious food-allergy reactions may be rising while asthma, which allergies can trigger, continues to be a major cause of hospitalization of children.

Protecting kids (and moms’ peace of mind) is possible with Safety Products from Mabel’s Labels. As company co-founder and mom of six, I rely on these daily. My kids don’t hit a theme park, mall, field trip, party or play-date without their “My-411 Wristbands”. These durable, disposable bands come in five cute designs and are customized with names, contact info and other vital information. They speak if my kids can’t so if anything goes wrong, I’m contacted quickly. And for school, camp or trips, dishwasher/microwave-safe Allergy Alerts labels remind care givers and lunch buddies of dietary restrictions. Kids really shouldn’t leave home without these!

So the bottom line is:  teach kids safety awareness but prepare for worst-case scenarios. As a busy mom I find it very reassuring that Safety Products from Mabel’s Labels are there when I can’t be. And I have no worries that they’ll tear or come off. My built-in test group from toddler to tween prove daily that super tough Mabel’s Labels can take on whatever the big, sometimes bad, world throws at them!

Visit Mabel’s Labels website to find out more about Kid Safety Products.

Modesta hanging chair is made of natural cotton and it is available in ecru. It is made in Brazil to a high standard. The size of this hammock chair allows comfortably to seat an adult and a child together. It is a perfect Christmas gift.

This hanging chair comes with a matching bag. When you don’t need this hammock chair, just fold it and put it away until next time – it doesn’t take more space than an umbrella. This makes the hammock chair really practical and easy to carry.

The natural colored Modesta hammock chair offers a high comfort. Because of its understated style it blends in perfectly into every living space. It is used indoors just as much as outdoors.

- Cloth Surface 105 x 140cm (48″ × 56″)
- Total Height 145cm (58″)
- Length of Rod 110cm (44″)
- Carrying Capacity 130kg (280Lbs)
- Net Weight 2.4kg (5.2 Lbs)

Please visit Modesta Hammock Chair page to see more pictures.