THE GOODS : Taking the ABCs Personally
Three innovative products for children are among new products out this month.
Kideo is a personalized educational video--three different ones are available--that debuted this week at the International Toy Fair in New York.
Provide a color photo, and these video stories will feature your child’s name and likeness as the on-screen character who participates with whimsical cartoon characters in learning exercises such as practicing the alphabet and numbers and exploring nature.
Kideos ($29.95 each) are aimed at 2- to 4-year-olds. “My Alphabet” teaches letter and word recognition as the child makes friends with Alexander G. Bear; “1,2,3 Come Count With Me!” teaches children to count with the help of a counting cat, parachuting kangaroos, buzzing bees and purple porcupines, and “Mr. Tibbs & the Great Pet Search” goes on trips to a farm and the ocean and on a safari.
To order, call (800) 33-KIDEO.
Controlling What Goes Into Their Mouths
Kindertools, clever toothbrushes and eating utensils, offer safety and comfort for little children. The toothbrushes and spoon and fork set are designed with triangular handles that help reduce the risk of injury if a child falls while brushing his teeth or eating.
Designed by Millie Thomas, a Colorado mother of three boys, Kindertools are also easier than conventional toothbrushes and utensils for tiny hands to grip. Thomas says the Kindertool design also assists children “in the essential development of the necessary motor skills needed to effectively brush their teeth with a standard toothbrush.” The Kindertool design has received the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval and was recently listed in the Top 100 products for 1994 by Dental Products Report, a trade publication distributed to dentists nationwide and abroad.
There are two Kindertools toothbrushes, Stage 1 for babies and Stage 2 for toddlers ($2.99 each). Stage 3 is the spoon and fork set ($3.49). All come in yellow, green, blue and bright pink.
To order, call Kindertools in Fort Collins, Colo. (800) 224-3557.
No More Crying Over Spilled Milk
The Oops! Proof No-Spill Feeding Bowl, designed by a 12-year-old girl and manufactured by Little Kids in East Providence, R.I., helps keep messes off the highchair or table.
A smaller bowl within a larger one, the Oops! Proof bowl has a wide rim that catches liquid or food from the small bowl when a youngster tips it. It can also be used as a warmer dish for infants, and has a lid that seals tightly for travel.
The Oops! Proof No-Spill Feeding Bowl ($6.99-$7.95) comes in several bright colors and are available through the One Step Ahead, (800) 274-8440, and the Right Start catalogues, (800) 548-8531. In the Los Angeles area, you can also find them at the Right Start store in Arcadia, Bed, Bath & Beyond stores, Tiny World in West Los Angeles and Bergstrom’s in Anaheim.
