Could your kiddo use some cardboard magic in their life? If your creative child needs an outlet for their artsy side, this new product is the perfect playtime activity!
Cardboard Magic is an eco-friendly toy that gives your child the chance to create their own dramatic play set. Instead of a ready-made playhouse, this imaginative option lets littles start from the ground up and color or design the exterior and interior to their heart’s content.
The cute collection includes several different options to meet your child’s interests. Choose from a color-in play house, princess castle, rocket, pirate ship, mini castle, coastguard boat, castle (larger-sized), beach buggy, safari jeep, ice cream truck, food truck, fire truck, mini house, or helicopter.
Whether your child is a future sea captain, a budding foodie, or just enjoys a day filled with plenty of pretend play, these cardboard color-in’s take creative crafting up a notch—or a few. Each kit is 100 percent recyclable and made to use indoors or outdoors (depending on the weather).
How can you get a Cardboard Magic kit for your fam? Visit the brand’s website here to browse options, learn more about the products and buy a kit for your kids.
The holidays are around the corner and Target is upping their gift game this year. The retailer has just announced a new Target and FAO Schwarz exclusive 70-piece toy collection and largest ever Bullseye’s Top Toy List.
The new collab with FAO Schwarz will be available at Target stores nationwide, on Target.com and at the FAO Schwarz store in New York City. Many of the items will be under $20, and more than 300 items from Target’s exclusive brands will also available at the FAO Schwarz store in New York. The collection will be revealed on Oct. 18 and arrive for shopping on Oct. 24.
Bullseye’s Top Toys list is the largest ever this year and includes 50 of the most anticipated toys. Additionally the list contains 19 exclusive toys from Disney, L.O.L. Surprise, LEGO and more.
To spread even more holiday cheer, Target is donating $2 to Toys for Tots for every Top Toy purchased, up to $1 million. To see Bullseye’s entire list, head to target.com.
Now parents have more control over where their Amazon purchases come from. Given the option, parents can choose to support small businesses when purchasing products for their kids and families instead of defaulting to products only sold by corporate retailers. Tribe, an online tech company has launched a new tech tool, the Small Business Browser, which will easily facilitate this.
The Small Business Browser Extension allows parents to choose products sold by small businesses across the country when purchasing thousands of popular children, lifestyle, food, home goods and wellness products on Amazon. The new Small Business Browser Extension is in addition to the already existing feature in the extension allowing consumers to also choose cruelty-free products.
“Parents and families are consistently rated as one of the most conscious consumer groups in the marketplace, choosing products that support their families, the environment and their communities,” said Tribe CEO and founder Kim Pieper. “Tribe’s free Small Business Browser Extension now gives parents and families the power to choose small makers over large corporations when shopping for their kids and home. From baby care brands to toys and kid-friendly snack companies, parents now have the power on Amazon to choose to make their purchases from a small business. It’s a win, win for parents, communities and the nation’s economy.”
When consumers install Tribe’s Small Business Browser Extension to their browser of choice and search for their favorite products on Amazon, the free tool appears as a small box in the corner of their browser window, alerting the shopper to similar products offered by a small business. The new tool is currently available for download on Chrome, Safari, Firefox.
“Our goal is to help families use their collective purchasing power to support a small business manufacturer selling the same or similar product on Amazon. We want to give the family consumer as many competitive options available at their fingertips while at the same time, supporting small businesses that have been profoundly hurt during the current COVID-19 pandemic,” Pieper concluded.
Google Search just got more exciting! In April, Google released its 3D Animal Feature and now, in partnership with NBCUniversal Media and Ludia, the company is sharing 10 new AR dinosaurs from the Jurassic World franchise that can be viewed in 3D or brought into your own space for a life-size experience.
All you need to do is use a mobile device to search for a dinosaur on Google, using a Google app, Android or Safari browser. Then tap “View in 3D,” where you’ll be able to zoom in, rotate, adjust the size and even hear footsteps (Android devices only)! Currently you can view the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, Triceratops, Spinosaurus, Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Pteranodon, and Parasaurolophus.
If that wasn’t enough, users can also create AR videos by using the recording options! When you share, be sure to tag #Google3D and #JurassicWorld.
Give your little one a bright and comfy spot to play on. These Little Journey Foldable Playmats will be available at ALDI starting Jul. 29. Choose from several designs, each with reversible sides.
Little Journeys Reversible Playmat Safari
Little Journeys Reversible Playmat Elephants
Little Journeys Reversible Playmat Sea
The mats reverse to reveal an adorable animal themed alphabet.
Each mat retails for $14.99 and is available for a limited time.
While Denver kids are home from school, you can still tour lots of your favorite museums, visit the animals at the zoo and check out the local art scene. We’ve got a bunch of our favorite Denver virtual events for kids below and you can head over to our massive virtual events calendar for more. We’re here for you, parents!
Virtual Safari with the Denver Zoo
Denver Zoo
Denver Zoo may be closed, but animal care staff is still providing vital care for nearly 3,000 animal residents. They're here to keep you informed, entertained and engaged with daily videos, wildlife-themed activity ideas and much more!
Join the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver Instagram community for daily inspiration. Practice gratitude, tap into your creativity, learn, laugh and more.
The Colorado Symphony will be sharing videos from their incredible musicians as they #PlayOn during this difficult time. They'll showcase projects they've been working on and what they're up to while they strive to keep the community safe and healthy. Hopefully these videos give you a moment of peace, a brief distraction from the grind, or just a small smile as you go about your day.
Dig into Nature at Home with the Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Botanic Gardens
While Denver Botanic Gardens may be temporarily closed, there are still plenty of ways to engage your family in fun and educational activities. Go on a scavenger hunt, play garden BINGO, study seeds and more.
Denver public art staff and their families suggested their favorite local works of art. You can also find some coloring pages to go along with your art tour.
For more virtual fun every day of the week, head to our virtual events calendar. You'll find dance classes, scavenger hunts, animal encounters, drawing classes and MORE!
Earlier this month, National Geographic launched the new NatGeo@Home hub, an online destination for families to find resources as we all spend more time at home. Now, the platform is celebrating Earth Day with brand new content!
In a celebration that is lasting all week long (Apr. 17-22), NatGeo@Home is encouraging families to stay connected by bringing the world to their home by hosting a Neighborhood Safari. Keep scrolling to see some easy ideas on creating your own wild world!
Let the kids go crazy creating a safari scene, using sidewalk chalk, original drawings or paintings. You can even download the free coloring pages from the NatGeo@Home hub.
Encourage your kids and neighbors to hang up their artwork so everyone can see. Get creative with window displays, balconies and fences! Then, take a walk around your neighborhood to check out all the unique animals.
Don’t forget to snap a few pics and share with the hashtag, #NatGeoEarthDayAtHome!
––Karly Wood
Photos: National Geographic/Feature photo: Sutirta Budiman via Unsplash
Though all of us are working overtime keeping our distance from one another, it doesn’t mean we’re completely confined to our own 4 walls. Why not go bananas with the monkeys at Brookfield Zoo? Swim along with the Shedd’s incredible jellyfish? Or set off on a safari led by the keepers of the Lincoln Park Zoo? Zoos across the country are setting up their cams and bringing their beloved critters right into our very homes! Start close to home with Chicago-area zoos, and then move on to offerings from zoos around the country with our round-up of virtual zoo visits!
Brookfield Zoo brings over 2,000 animals direct to your home! And don’t worry, they won’t bite! Join in on the zoo’s fascinating Facebook broadcasts to make time home with kids entertaining and educational. See African painted dog puppies get their first physical exam, gorillas using tools to get food, and many more animal antics from the comfort of your sofa. Consider supporting the zoo by pre-purchasing tickets for the summertime!
TheLincoln Park Zoo is helping supporters to ‘keep in touch’ with their favorite animals and spaces at the zoo during the Covid-19 crisis. Tune in to Facebook and Instagram for keeper chats, virtual habitat tours, Q&As, relaxing videos, and Facebook Lives with Zoo Director Megan Ross, Ph.D. Check out the zoo’s blog for an inside look at how Lincoln Park Zoo provides world-class care to nearly 200 species, as well as ways to connect young ones with nature and much more. Now is also a great time to adopt an animal, as you’ll be supporting the zoo, too!
Swim along with the fishes at Shedd Aquarium, home to 32,600 species of sea life. With the Shedd Aquarium’s Underwater Beauty live cam, you can dive right into the deep blue ocean, where jellies pulse, eels ribbon and a rainbow comes alive with reef fishes in the aquarium’s most diverse special exhibit ever. Underwater Beauty shows how every aquatic animal is beautifully adapted to thrive in its environment — and how this beauty is worth saving. Inspired? When you symbolically adopt a beluga, sea turtle, sea otter or penguin at Shedd, you support the aquarium’s mission and top-quality animal care.
Set off on a home safari and meet the elephants, porcupines, sloths and other fascinating creatures that call the The Cincinnati Zoo home. The zoo hosts a live video every weekday of one of their animals and an activity on Home Safari at 3pm EDT. You can also watch previous day videos on their website.
Expect to find yourself mesmerized by the penguins, sea otters, jellyfish and other creatures that live at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. Ten live cams bring free live streaming direct into your home. We can’t get enough of the moon jelly cam!
The San Diego Zoo has live and archived videos of animals of all kinds, from apes to tigers! (We love checking in on the polar bears!). The zoo’s family-friendly website is jam-packed with videos and information about animals, fun stories, hands-on activities, and games, perfect for at-home fun.
Many schools have turned to distance learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Many attractions have temporarily closed but are offering fun and educational videos to keep kids entertained during this time. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden will highlight one of their amazing animals each weekday at 3pm ET.
The zoo’s first home safari video highlighted Fiona the hippo. Don’t worry if you can’t tune in every day, all of the safaris will be posted on the zoo’s website and on their YouTube page.
After the video, your kids can complete a quiz to be entered in to win four tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo to visit once they reopen.
As concerned parents, at Red Tricycle we are making every effort to provide you with the most accurate information. However, at this time wide-spread closures are occurring at the last minute due to the spread (or prevention of the spread) of Covid-19. For more on what parents need to know about the Coronavirus outbreak, click here. For current info about the Museum of Illusions check their Facebook page or call ahead before heading to the museum.
Spring Break is fast approaching but you don’t need to leave town to experience something the kids will never forget. The Museum of Illusions and the Upside Down House will make memories and epic photo ops worthy of any vacation. Located right in the heart of LA on Hollywood Boulevard, read on to find out why this incredible museum is worth a visit (and get a sweet offer code to save on tickets).
Special discount for Red Tricycle readers: Buy your tickets now to use later! Now through March 20th, 2020, save 40% on tickets!
This Is Not Like Any Museum You've Been to Before
Full disclosure: the Museum of Illusions and the Upside Down House are not like any other museum in town. You can throw out all of the “don’t touch” and “use your inside voice” cautions on this museum visit!
New 3D Illusions & New Artwork Throughout
Even if you've visited the Museum of Illusions in the past, it's recently undergone a massive upgrade to enrich your experience. All of the existing 3D artworks have been changed, and an entirely new exhibition of 3D Illusions has been unveiled to the public! Think: African Safari, walking on the edge of skyscraper, battling a dragon and more.
A Next-Level Experience
The new Illusions are now providing an even more immersive, sharp and mesmerizing experience, elevating the Museum of Illusions to an extraordinary new level and transporting you out of the ordinary.
The Upside Down House
While the original Museum of Illusions exhibit uses 3D graphics painted on the walls to immerse you into other worlds, you'll also find the Upside Down House featuring seven interactive upside-down rooms: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, and more! Kid climbing the walls at home? Now they can do it, in real life!
Kid-Friendly & Interactive
Totally kid-friendly (and basically a parent’s dream), you are encouraged to touch and interact with every part of the exhibits at the Museum of Illusion and the Upside Down House. Enter the kitchen and you can hang from the chairs and float in midair above a platter of food. What would it be like to sip a milkshake on the ceiling? At the Upside Down House you can find out!
You Will Feel Like a Kid Again (& Your Kids Will Love It)
Best enjoyed in groups (think: birthday party!), bring your whole crew and let the kids and their grown-ups loose to see where their imagination takes them. You can even get in on the action yourself and opt for the VIP treatment where you turn over picture-taking duties to a pro photographer who will follow you through the exhibit and send you Insta-worthy photos at the end.
Kids 5 and Under Are Free
Ready to plan your visit? We've got options for you! Snag an all-access pass if you want to check out both the Museum of Illusions' original 3D exhibit along with the Upside Down House. You can also opt to visit just one and save the other for another day. Whatever you decide, use code REDTRI at checkout and you'll save 15% on admission to Upside Down House or Museum of Illusions. Kids 5 and under are freee.
Museum of Illusions
6751 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
747-274-9374
Online: laillusions.com
