tumbles.of.fun

I've got a new favorite kid's bed this week and it's the Twin Mansion Low Loft Bed by Maxtrix Kids.

Maxtrix Kids is all about designing sturdy bedroom furniture (made out of birchwood) that also provides innovative play space for your child. There's nothing too specific or gimmicky here. The bed designs are simple and streamlined, built for durability and safety. What makes them fun are the optional curtains you can add to the beds to create tents and club houses on or beneath your child's bed.

As a kid I would have gone crazy for these beds! My twin sister and I were always drawing up plans for elaborate tree houses and my parents would just shake their heads. A tree house was expensive and time consuming, not to mention difficult considering all we had in our backyard were oak trees with no low-hanging branches. I'm sure plenty of parents have this problem, or something like it: Parents that live in urban areas, or who have small backyards, or who just can't affort a play house for their kids. Maxtrix beds offer a wonderful, affordable alternative.

The curtains are simple enough that your child won't get bored with them. One day the play house might be a castle, the next day a pirate ship. The curtains give your child a blank slate for imaginative play. Plus, the simple design will look stylish--not childish--in any bedroom, which parents will appreciate.

If your child is longing for a special play space all his or her own, consider a bed from Maxtrix Kids at All Children's Furniture and let the fun begin.

Here's a really cool toy that's affordable, energy efficient, and offers fun for the whole family! It's called the PlasmaCar by PlaSmart and can be used by anyone age 3 and up. The PlasmaCar comes in red, blue, green, and purple and is not designed to look like an adult car, vespa, or motorcycle. In fact, it's kid-friendly and simple: six wheels, a seat, footrests, and a steering wheel. There are no pedals or gears.
This ride on vehicle doesn't require gas or batteries to run. All it requires is for the rider to turn the wheel back and forth to propel it forward. The natural forces of inertia, centrifugal force, gravity and friction do the rest. It can actually reach up to 6 miles an hour! Of course, that depends on how fast the rider is at turning the wheel. Unlike electric ride ons, this one is more like a bike in that it can only go as fast as the rider can make it go, which is sort of like a built in safety device in my opinion. Your 3 year old won't be able to make it go that fast...but you might.

And that reminds me: the PlasmaCar has a 220 lb weight limit so long as your on a flat surface like a sidewalk or gymnasium. Buy two (it would still be cheaper than buying almost any battery-powered ride on vehicle) and you could race your kids. Or just sit back and savor the fact that your kids simply can't outgrow this toy!

Perhaps best of all--okay, in my opinion--is how easy it is to stop. All your child has to do is stop rotating the steering wheel and, when the car slows, put his or her feet on the ground to bring it to a full stop.

Even if you haven't heard of the PlasmaCar, it's won several prestigious toy awards, including the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award (2005). So take a look at this innovative toy and other fun ride ons at our sister site RideOnVehicles.com.

Okay, maybe robots are not taking over the Earth. But with Wall E taking over cinemas everywhere, I suspect that we are probably days away from an all out robot takeover similar to the influx of penguin products following Happy Feet. I love Wall E, I just have one tiny little issue with him: he is not in the least bit cuddly--which is fine for a character in a movie but not so great for tucking into bed with your toddler at night.

Enter Glenna Jean's soft and adorable Plush Red Robot. This robot is definitely cuddly and ready for nap time. That's no surprise since Glenna Jean is most well known for their crib bedding. Recently they've branched out to include plush toys that coordinate with their bedding collections. Even if your toddler has long since moved into a "big kid bed", he or she is sure to love this soft, friendly, retro robot.

Plus, this little guy is under $25, making him a fun, affordable gift for the little robot-lover in your life.

If you're hosting a barbeque this weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July or if you've got a child's birthday coming up, you should take a look at Little Tikes' inflatables! So many families in my neighborhood rent out huge inflatables for their summer parties. But why rent, when you can buy it yourself and get way more use out of it?

And while we're on the subject, why not kick it up a notch with an inflatable water park of your very own? That's what you'll get with Crashing Waves Inflatable Water Park. Now, I had a slip n' slide when I was a kid but this just blows that...well, out of the water.

Your kids can climb up the rock wall to the top of the lighthouse, spray their friends with the spray cannon, and then slide down the other side, right into the water. More refreshing fun can be found by splashing around in the pool and exploring the crawl through tunnel in the middle of the lighthouse. It's really your own mini water park in the safety and convenience of your own backyard!

The inflatable is made of Puncture-resistant material with durable mesh netting and can hold up to 350 lbs. Just make sure there's only one child on the climber or slide at a time. It's durable, but not indestructible.

Stakes anchor the bouncer firmly in place, while a heavy-duty blower provides continuous airflow. It also comes with a repair kit just in case as well as a storage bag for when it's not in use. But be careful: once you inflate this thing, your kids--and the rest of the neighborhood--may never want you to take it down!

Have a fun and safe Fourth of July! And check out our other fun outdoor toys at All Children's Furniture.

(Before I go I just have to say that I love this picture. I don't know many moms that are 6 foot tall models with perfectly manicured lawns, who manage to make all the neighborhood kids play nicely all the while having perfect hair and looking fabulous. But who knows...maybe this product is really that magical. Though I doubt it'll make you 6 feet tall.)