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If that title got you thinking then you already can see why Wooden Toys have been a long time favorite of mine as a parent. I think there is something very rich about a toy made of natural products such as wood that connects us to a simpler time,a time less rushed and free from boundless stimuli. I remember having the most fun as a child with toys that allowed me to make the story,that challenged my creativity and imagination. With all of the recent news about toxic chemicals such as lead found in children’s toys it is nice to be able to rely on products such as the Chomp and Clack Alligator Wooden Push Toy by Melissa &Doug which I received from GummyLump.com to review. Its also great to find toys that make children get up and get moving – too many parents fall into the trap of easily setting kids in front of “educational” videos which have been proven to fall short in increasing creativity,learning and development.
From the moment I opened the box my son was intrigued – to be honest he was intrigued with the box too. The toy had only one piece that needed to be attached,the handlebar. At first I attached it incorrectly because I dislike reading directions thankfully my 9 year old was at the ready to show me the error of my ways. My main problem was in not realizing that high quality wooden toddler toys are made so that all of the edges are hidden,kind of like dovetailing.
Five minutes later and the clack,clack,clack of three wooden alligators could be heard rushing through my home with the occasional pause to give the tactile pieces on the handlebar a whirl and spin. Even my 1 year old’s high activ was no match for the Chomp and Clack as he pulled on the alligators to see what made them go,looking under the toy like a mechanic checking on an engine. There was no stopping him from whizzing around the house hysterically laughing as three green alligators chomped away.
As a former educator and volunteer working with children with special needs I can honestly say that wooden toys such as these are ideal and almost a necessity. GummyLump has a whole section dedicated to toys to help children with special needs. Wooden toys such as the Chomp and Clack Alligator address particular skills that all children can benefit from. Looking at the toy it is very vividly painted with non-toxic colors – something that will engage the visual learner,with small moveable shapes dangling on the handlebar to increase fine motor skills. The toy itself is tactile as it is a push toy that works on gross motor skills such as strength,pushing,pulling and walking. For those children who need auditory stimulation you have the Chomp and Clack Alligators who make sounds as your child pushes the toy,of course linking the cause and effect of these actions may be a higher learning skill,but it is still there working on logic and reasoning. Not to mention the creativity this toy can foster as a child imagines himself taming three unruly alligators,or coercing them to eat the grass as an alternative to using a lawn mower – the possibilities are limitless. The measure of any toy though is the joy it brings to those who play with it and this toy created a whole bunch of laughter in our home. As I was putting together this post and loading photos my littlest looked up from nursing and started signing play and pointing to the Alligators,he truly adores these.
You can fill your home with laughter and learning too! Check out GummyLump.com right away because they are having some awesome sales. You can get 20% off of Melissa and Doug Toys,Buy 3 Get the 4 Free Play Food,Free Shipping on $75 and more – offers can end at any time so don’t delay.
Find out more about GummyLump sales,toys and specials by connecting with them via twitter @gummylump,like them on facebook ,and follow their blog. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of their main page for links to Resources for Parents of Children with Special Needs,Printables for kids and more under the yellow PARENT tab. Check out my youngest son enjoying his opportunity to review the high quality,high fun Chomp and Clack Alligator Push Toy on the Streaming Sky Video from Momtv.com
This Product Was a Free Giveaway
You could WIN a great Wooden Toy from GummyLump. Here’s how:
1. Open to US Residents only
2. Visit and Like GummyLump on Facebook,leave the message “Saw the Giveaway on naMAMAste.com” come back and leave a comment with link to your message.
3. Gain another entry by Following GummyLump on Twitter and Tweeting “Entered @gummylump Giveaway on naMAMAste.com” – get a comment entry for each tweet,1 per day,leave a link in the comment
4. Gain an entry by liking naMAMAste on Facebook and leave a comment “I am entering the GummyLump Giveaway” leave a comment with link.
5.Winner determined by random number generation Wed Sept 22,2010.
CONTEST CLOSED:Winner Chelsei Ryan,please email with mailing address within 2 days 
