I’ve been reading more and more about parents renting toys for kids this holiday season. I was just wondering if anyone else has heard of this new trend?  You can now rent toys for a small fee and let your children play with  them, and then one to three months later, send them back and rent new ones! I personally have my ups and downs about the whole thing. Why rent toys for your child? How clean are the toys really? What is the quality of the toy going to be like when you receive it? What happens if my kid loses or breaks a toy?

We as parents always have different concerns about are children. If I buy them that toy, will it make them happy, and how long will they play with it? What toys should we buy them? Is this the right toy to help my children develop and grow mentally and physically?

It’s hard to say because we feel that a child’s education, learning and development through toys can be done within a couple of months. Some toys can provide years of education and learning. The child might grow an attachment to a toy, then what do you do? You either have to tell the child that you have to return the toy and break their heart, or buy it for more money than you would have bought it for in the first place.

Kids are kids, and they sometimes break things. Not all children break their toys or treat them rough, but all kids are different and things do happen. So now you just spent around $5 per toy and then have to turn around and buy it for a discounted price. So what’s the discounted price?

Here’s an example:

Girl Dress Up Mix ‘n Match Peg
Our price – $6.57
Many of the renting toys places charge  $5 per toy, some charge $30 or more for 4 toys per month.

We here at Wonderbrains understand that education, learning and developmental toys are a great way for children to grow and learn. We also understand how important it is to get your children the best toys. Shop our online store and receive free shipping with a purchase of $50 or more.

We want to know what you think about renting toys for your children. Leave a comment or go to our Facebook page and leave a comment our wall.

Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to play musical instruments that you make yourself? It’s really easy to do, and if you know how to use a glue gun you don’t even need Mom or Dad to help you! (Though they should supervise.) Here’s how to make a drum, a guitar and a tambourine to get started your very own rock and roll band!

Make Your Own Colorful Bongo Drum

This is a really fun and easy project to make, and it looks really cool when it’s finished. You can play this drum by holding it between your knees, or hang it around your neck. It’s great as a project for a musical birthday theme party too.

Things You’ll Need To Make Your Bongo Drum

• Oatmeal or coffee can with plastic cover
• Yarn, lots of colors
• White glue
• Scissors
• Sequins, adhesive rhinestones, other decorations

Directions

1. Make sure the inside of the can is empty and clean.
2. Cut a small hole in one side of the plastic lid, and another small hole right across from the first one.
3. Take a piece of yarn (any color) and string it through the holes. Make sure the yarn is long enough to hang the drum from your neck. Tie a knot in the ends to secure the yarn.
4. Glue the lid to the top of the can to secure it.
5. Cover the outside of the can with glue (not the bottom), and wind the yarn around it, covering the entire can. You can use different colors to make it look really cool.
6. Glue on any decorations you wish. Remember, don’t decorate the top part. This is where you will hit the drum.
7. Let the finished drum sit overnight to dry completely, and it’ll be ready to play by the morning!

Make A Guitar You Can Really Play!

Of course, this isn’t exactly like a real guitar, but it’s loads of fun to make and to play, and an essential part of your rock band!

Things You’ll Need

• Shoe box lid
• Rubber bands (multi colored ones look really cool)
• Long Ruler (18 inches) or flat stick, like a paint stir
• Glue gun and glue
• Poster paints, any color

Directions

1. Paint the shoe box lid and ruler any color you like, and set them aside to dry.
2. Once the paint is dry, take the elastic bands and stretch them around the lid. These will be the strings that you strum. If you use different sizes of elastic bands, they will play different notes.
3. Using the glue gun, glue one end of the ruler to the back of the box (guitar body). This will be the neck of your guitar. Wait to dry, and now your guitar is ready to wail!

Make Some Noise With A Hand-Made Tambourine

Here is one more percussion instrument for your rock and roll band, and it’s really easy to make! If this is an activity as part of a kids party, omit the painting and use solid color or patterned paper plates.

Things You’ll Need

• Jingle bells
• 2 cardboard plates
• Hole punch
• String or yarn
• Poster paints
• Adhesive rhinestones, glitter, sequins and other decorations
• Glue

Directions

1. Paint the outsides of both plates with poster paint, any color. Once dry, glue the two plates together, bottom sides out.
2. Make holes around the outside of the plates with the hole punch.
3. Decorate with glitter, rhinestones or whatever you think would look funky.
4. Tie jingle bells to each hole with string or yarn. Now, your tambourine is ready to play.

Now that you have your instruments ready, gather up a couple of band members, practice for a while, and give a concert for your family and friends!

Post written by Chris Molnar of ThemeAParty.com

Rattles Recalled by Rhino Toys Due to Choking Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: OBall Links & Mini Rattles™

Units: About 14,000 in the United States and 14,000 in Canada

Importer: Rhino Toys Inc., of Santa Cruz, Calif.

Hazard: The hard plastic C-links on both ends of the rattles’ soft plastic chain can break, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: Rhino Toys has received one report of a broken C-link. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves infant rattles called OBall Links & Mini Rattles™. The soft plastic OBall is 2 1/2 inches in diameter and has beads inside a small plastic bubble that make the rattle sound. The OBall is attached to a 7 1/2 inch soft plastic chain by C-shaped plastic links on both ends. “OBall” is stamped into the top of the plastic chain.

Sold at: Toys R Us and other specialty toy stores nationwide from April 2010 through December 2010 for about $8.

For more information on the Rattle recall – CPSC

Manhattan Group Recalls Parents Wooden Activity Toys Due to Choking Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Parents® Busy Time Activity Centers™

Units: About 400

Manufacturer: Manhattan Group LLC, of Minneapolis, Minn.

Hazard: Wooden pegs on the xylophone activity can come loose, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC has received one report of a child putting a peg in his mouth. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The Parents® Busy Time Activity Centers™ is a wooden activity center cube-shaped toy that has a multi-colored bead run on the top. Activities on each side include a 4-tone xylophone and rasp, butterfly and caterpillar spinners, zig-zag drum, castanets, and pockets with “alligator,” “bear,” and “cat” pillow characters. Only items with wooden pegs bearing date code 400090GC are involved in this recall. The date code can be found on the bottom of the product packaging near the UPC code and on the tags on the bear character.

Sold at: Specialty and gift stores nationwide and through mail order catalogs and online and in Canada from December 2010 through February 2011 for about $90.

For more information on the Wooden Activity Toy – CPSC

Fun World Recalls Little Pet Vet and Dr. Littles Halloween Costumes with Toy Stethoscopes Due to Choking Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Little Pet Vet costumes and Dr. Littles costumes

Units: About 1,800

Importer: Fun World, Inc. a Division of Easter Unlimited, Inc. of Carle Place, N.Y.

Hazard: The costumes are sold with a toy stethoscope accessory. The plastic ear pieces at the end of the stethoscope can be pulled off, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: None Reported

Description: This recall is limited to the stethoscope accessory from Fun World’s toddler-sized Pet Vet and Dr. Littles costumes. The costumes include a white lab coat, a cap, scrub pants, a scrub shirt and a stethoscope. The cap and scrubs are pink, turquoise or blue. A tracking label bearing the code 10060GFI01 and a production date of either Jan-Mar 2010 or Apr-Jun 2010 is sewn into the neck of the scrub shirt or the lab coat.

Sold at: Novelty stores, costume and party supply stores nationwide from August 2010 through October 2010 for about $15.

For more information on the Little Pet Vet and Dr. Littles Halloween Costumes – CPSC

On February 17 2011, IKEA, Health Canada and US CPSC did a recall on all SNIGLAR Full-sized Cribs. Approximately 6,000 of the recalled cribs were sold at IKEA stores in Canada and about 20,000 were sold in the United States.  The cribs were sold from October 2005 through June 2010 in both countries.

The four bolts that hold the mattress secure are not long enough. It can cause the mattress support to detach and collapse, creating a risk of entrapment and suffocation to a child in the crib. As of February 21, there hasn’t been any accidents or injuries reported.

This recall involves SNIGLAR non-drop-side, full-size cribs with model number 60091931. SNIGLAR, IKEA and the model number are printed on a label attached to the mattress support. The crib frame and mattress support are made of natural/light-colored wood.

Consumers should stop using the crib immediately and check the crib. If the mattress support bolts extend through the nut, the bolts are the proper length and the crib is not included in the recall. If the bolt does not extend through the nut, the crib is included in the recall. Contact IKEA for a free repair kit for recalled cribs. In the meantime, find an alternate, safe sleep environment for the child, such as a bassinet, play yard or toddler bed depending on the child’s age.

For more check CPSC