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Worried about Your Child’s First Day of School? Here’s What You Need to Do By: Kaila Weingarten, MSED I used to wake up early with a pit in my stomach the first day of school. Now, the nervousness is rolling over. My daughter will be entering preschool. How to prepare her for the first day? I’m going to start now. There is so much to get used to from the big yellow bus, to the classroom environment...

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Meet Wee Baby Stella® Our Baby Stella® soft baby doll collection has been winning awards and the hearts of little ones around the world. So, we thought, why not make a smaller version and call her “Wee” Baby Stella. The 12 inch Wee Baby Stella® dolls have the same...

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By: Kaila Weingarten, MS ED The summer is reaching it's end, but there is still plenty of time and ways to enjoy the remaining days of summer. Searching for som..

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The Creation of MiO: MiO's Release to the World! – Part 3 of a 3 Part series MiO'S RELEASE! IT’S FANTASTIC! The line has been in development for well over a yea...

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The Creation of MiO: Becoming MiO - Part 2 of a 3 Part series WHAT MAKES OUR PLAY ENVIRONMENT UNIQUE? There was much internal excitement, because we knew that w...

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The Creation of MiO: First Steps - Part 1 of this 3 Part series MIO – FIRST STEPS The original idea for MiO sprang from a series of events - a lecture at the Nu...

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Do you have old fashioned blocks? Or have the simple building toys lost their appeal to snazzier toys? Here’s one rule to learn: The more a toy does, the less likely your child will be to use her imagination when playing. One milestone I assess in children is, “Can he stack seven blocks at age eighteen months?” I often wonder if children are missing this skill due to lack of exposure to blocks.

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At Manhattan Toy, we find joy in making playthings for kids! Our wish is to create toys that become childhood favorites, but a lot of work goes into making unforgettable toys. Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a Manhattan Toy approved friend? Take a visual tour with us to see how our newest baby collection is coming to life! STEP 1: TREND RESEARCH The whole process begins with trend research. We travel the world, searching our surroundings for inspiration - store visits in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Tokyo - trade shows in London, Paris, New York - along with trend forecasts and web research. This helps us to deve...

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All parents know that kids are happiest when they're playing outdoors. Unfortunately for them, and us, there are many days every year the weather just doesn’t cooperate. Even though we've reached the summer months, the rain and the heat can conspire against us to keep kids inside. You may be up for splashing in the puddles or bringing out a sprinkler, but for the days you would rather stay dry, check out some creative ideas for indoor fun. After all, a rainy forecast is never a pain when you use your imagination. When boredom strikes and you're stuck inside, a puppet show is always a safe bet. In my house, we keep a few puppets around that can be used to act out any sto...

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