August 27-28: Weekend Product Spotlight

Instead of posting activities over the weekend, when most programs wouldn’t have access to them anyway, Toolbox Training will use weekend posts to focus on various products.

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Activity Cards

For those who have followed Toolbox Training’s daily activity posts since August 1, you know that the concept is to post an activity each day which relates to a holiday or event from that day. Many of these are unfamiliar and unusual celebrations. The activities used to celebrate these events are generally pulled from Toolbox Training’s activity card sets.

Activity Card Sets:

·         Art

·         Construction

·         Cooking

·         Drama

·         Games

·         Music

·         Nature

·         Science

A ninth set, focused on language activities such as reading, writing, and storytelling, will hopefully be completed before the end of 2011!

Each activity card set offers 100 activities divided into various categories. The activities have been compiled with school-agers in mind, but are often easily adapted to younger ages as well. Each set is $15.00. Check the Toolbox Training website under the activity card link for more information.

Also – check the books page. The game, music, and science activity sets have been reformatted into book form as well and only cost $12.95.

Thanks for following Toolbox Training’s daily activity posts!

Check out the full August calendar at ToolboxTrainingOnline.com.

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Child Care Materials Catalog Guide

Detailed on this page are descriptions of and contact information for various catalogs which offer child care materials. Discount School Supply: I’m not really sure what the website address has to do with the Discount School Supply catalog. You’re better off ordering the print catalog. In the catalog, materials are offered in a wide range of areas including paint, watercolors, paper, arts and crafts, dramatic play, sand & water, active play, block play, furniture, manipulatives, puzzles, music, language, math, science, storage, carpets, and resource materials. Discount School Supply • P.O. Box 7636 • Spreckels, CA 93962-7636 1-800-627-2829 (toll free phone) • 1-800-879-3753 (fax) www.earlychildhood.com (web site) For Kidz Only: This catalog focuses on developmentally appropriate furniture for early childhood and school-age. If you click on “Products” on the home page, you will get categories such as active play, activity centers, art products, block play, cubbies/coat lockers, educational carpets, lofts, manipulative play, mats and cots, portable classroom furniture, room dividers, science, sensory products, soft play, storage, and tables & chairs. www.forkidzonly.com (website) Free Spirit Publishing: This is a book publisher not specifically targeted to child care, but they sell materials for children and those who work with them. After clicking on the “Catalog Search” on the home page, you can search for resources by keywords, age groups (from preschool to age 18), or categories (e.g. self-help for kids, self-help for teens, gifted and talented, learning differences, creative learning, etc.). Free Spirit • 217 Fifth Avenue North, Suite 200 • Minneapolis, MN 55401-1299 1-800-735-7323 (toll free phone) • 612-338-2068 (phone) • 612-337-5050 (fax) help4kids@freespirit.com (email) www.freespirit.com (website) Gopher Sports: Gopher Sports is not specifically targeted to kids, but is the parent company of Play-with-a-Purpose, which physical development products for young children. The latter’s website was not up as of 1/15/01 and suggests you visit Gopher Sports instead. That site lists kinds of materials in the sidebar (e.g. aerobics, aquatics, archery, badminton, balls, baseball, basketball, bean bags, bowling, cones and markers, fitness, flying discs, foosball, football, games, golf, gymnastics, hockey, hoops, juggling, jump ropes, mats, paddle games, playground, rhythm activities, scooters, soccer, softball, storage, table games, tetherball, volleyball, etc.). Gopher Sport • P.O. Box 998 • Owatonna, MN 55060 1-800-533-0446 (toll free phone) • 1-800-451-4855 (fax) www.gophersport.com (website) High/Scope Educational Research Foundation: In addition to providing resources to those working in the early childhood field, High/Scope does research, training, and curriculum development. Their philosophy is based on Jean Piaget’s constructivist theory of child development. On their home page, if you click on “Catalog” then you can access publications for preschool education and child care, elementary education, or adolescent education. High/Scope Educational Research Foundation • 600 North River Street • Ypsilanti, MI 48198-2898 734-485-2000 (phone) • 734-485-0704 (fax) info@highscope.org (email) www.highscope.org (website) J&A Handy-Crafts, Inc.: Their print catalog offers materials in categories such as animals, Native American crafts, posters, fabric, sports crafts, candles, shellcraft, leather projects, basketry, braiding and embroidery, foilcraft, mosaics, sand art, wall hangings, beads, yarn, woodcraft, clay and plaster, specialty papers, scissors and other tools, sponge painting, paint supplies, markers, and lanyards. J&A Handy-Crafts, Inc. • 165 S. Pennsylvania Avenue • Lindenhurst, NY • 11757-5058 1-888-252-1130 (toll free phone) • 1-631-226-2400 (phone) • 1-631-226-2564 (fax) Info@JAHandyCrafts.com (email) www.jahandycrafts.com (website) KidzLit: KidzLit, created by Developmental Studies Center, focuses on the after-school setting and how children can get more enjoyment out of reading. 100 books, chosen for the values and diversity they reflect, are coupled with guides that offer suggested activities and methods for sharing the book with children. Developmental Studies Center • 2000 Embarcadero Suite 305 • Oakland, CA 94606 1-800-666-7270 (toll free phone) pubs@devstu.org (email) www.devstu.org/Afterschool/KidzLitInfo.html (website) Mindware: From the home page, you can click on categories including hands on, brainteasers, early learning, building toys, puzzles, educational, or games. MindWare • 121 Fifth Avenue NW • New Brighton, MN 55112 1-800-999-0398 (toll free phone) • 888-299-9273 (fax) info@mindwareonline.com (email) www.mindwareonline.com (web site) Nasco: From their home page, click on “Educational Materials.” That brings up a menu including topics such as arts and crafts, early childhood, health education, math, physical education, science, and special education. Nasco • 901 Janesville Avenue • Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0901 1-800-558-9595 (toll free phone) • 920-563-2446 (phone) • 920-563-8296 (fax) Info@eNASCO.com (email) www.enasco.com (website) U.S. Toy Company/Constructive Playthings: Constructive Playthings is a division of U.S. Toy. On the home page of the website, you can access categories such as active play, after school games, books, block play, furniture, health & nutrition, language, manipulatives, mathematics, Montessori, music, pretend play, science, software, and teacher supplies. U.S. Toy Company/Constructive Playthings • 13201 Arrington Road • Grandview, MO 64030 1-800-841-6478 (toll free phone) ustoy@ustoyco.com (email) www.cptoys.com (website) Zany Brainy: Home page includes headings on toys, books, music, software, videos, and video games. You can browse by ages and stages (6 categories, starting with 0-12 months and ending with 12+years), by category (e.g. arts and crafts, building and constructing, dolls, electronics, games, music and instruments, pretend play, puzzles, room décor, science and nature, sports, stuffed toys, etc.), by brand name (e.g. Crayola, Disney, K’Nex Lego, etc.), or by favorite character (e.g. Blue’s Clues, Harry Potter, Madeline, Rugrats, etc.). Zany Brainy Headquarters • 2520 Renaissance Boulevard • King of Prussia, PA 19406 614-396-4915 (phone) www.zanybrainy.com (website)

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