Also called a baby quiet book, these are made with different materials that encourage and boost a baby’s development and sensory exploration.
Other than that, boosting your baby’s development from an early age with quiet busy books will pay off later. That’s because teaching your baby through learn and play method will have a deep impact in later life. Moreover, it will reduce their screen time.
Isn’t this great?
Well, if you’re new to this world, then you might be thinking about what quiet books are and what makes them so special for babies or toddlers.
Don’t worry, we are going to explore everything about the quiet book for babies.
What are quiet or busy books?
The quiet book is a fabric book that includes educational activities for toddlers. Every page of a busy book includes buttons, zips, bows, 3D objects, and more which helps children to become familiar with several things and scenarios. It helps a child to identify many things such as animals, meals, laundry, and more (only to name a few).
The materials that are used for creating Montessori quiet books help kids familiarize themselves with various things with his/her sense of touch. Unlike classic books, toddler busy books contain objects with which the child can interact. For example, the Deer Quiet Book includes textures and materials that help a child learn and develop key skills.
What are the Reasons to Love Quiet Books?
Boosts Imagination:
There’s a reason why quiet books are preferred by most parents and caregivers. Quiet busy books have the power to tap into the kids’ minds to nurture their imagination from cover to cover.
This way, kids are encouraged to use their imagination to create their own stories, get into pretend play, and discover their ideologies with every flip of the page.
Baby busy books help in improving their speech and developing communication skills by expressing their thoughts and concerns better. Also, they’ll become proud of the victories they achieve on the way to completing their activities.
Improves Fine Motor Skills:
Handing over the felt busy books at a young age of 9 to 10 months can help them learn to pick things early, feed themselves, and beyond. Moreover, it will encourage them to grab a better grip on pencils when they enter their school years.
You must know that 6 months old is the perfect time to help your little one grow and give them support using their thumb and forefinger to hold onto small objects. Also, it further helps them perform basic actions in the most imaginable way.
Quiet books for babies help them develop motor skills at a very young age since it ingrains a sense of confidence in kids that ensures mentally fit, healthy, and strong adults who possess confidence in what they do and achieve!
Encourages Creativity & Imaginative Play:
Toddler quiet books often feature characters and scenes that can spark a child’s imagination. This encourages creative and imaginative play, which is essential for children’s cognitive development.
For example, a quiet book might include a farm scene with animals that can be moved around, or a storybook with characters that can be dressed up in different clothes.
The quiet books help improve the kid’s speech and increase their ability to communicate better, by expressing what and when they need help. This way, they become proud of the little victories they achieve.
Promote Language Development:
The felt busy books can be used as a tool to promote language development at an early age. It includes labeled pictures or words, which can help children learn new vocabulary and concepts.
Reading and interacting with toddler quiet books can also help children learn how to follow a story and understand the connection between words and their meanings.
With the help of quiet books, children learn to create fictional stories around any activity or action. This way, they can practice mutual communication and follow directions even in the real life.
Learn Basic Concepts:
In addition to promoting language development, quiet books for toddlers can also be used to teach children basic concepts such as colors, shapes, and numbers.
For example, a quiet book might include a page with different colored shapes that can be matched to a corresponding-colored outline. This helps children learn to identify and name different colors and shapes.
Quiet books are meant to improve basic concepts, memorization, and identification. When these are encouraged in the early stages of a child’s development, they are more likely to grow up into intelligent human beings.
How to pick the right quiet book for toddlers?
Due to a wide range of educational requirements, age, and gender of the toddler, one needs to choose the right quiet book. Basically, you can find two types of quiet books in the market. Let’s get into detail such that you choose one for your baby.
Printable Quiet Books:
Generally, quiet books are made up of 80% polyester and 20% cotton. Inside the book, you can find many printed colorful images.
Pros:
Cons:
Interactive Quiet Books:
This busy book for toddlers integrates more details made of fabric or other materials to create interactive activities.
Pros:
Cons:
Conclusion
Quiet books are a great way to grow your child’s memory, imagination, and vocabulary. Moreover, it fosters a parent-child bond, since it involves many activities that encourage children to communicate while completing any activity.
So, are you now ready to buy busy books for your child? The above-mentioned benefits are enough to encourage you to invest in a quiet book.
If you’re searching for ‘where can I buy busy books for my kid’, go through our wide collection of quiet books. Choose from a wide variety of quiet books including deer quiet books, alphabet quiet books, fox quiet books, number quiet books, shape quiet books, and more.
]]>Here are a few benefits of singing along with different ways you can introduce singing into your child’s routine and nourish their social and emotional growth.
Boost Social Skills & Develop Empathy
Nursery rhymes and puppets are a great way to expand the vocabulary and polish their language. Singing rhymes and lullabies also help introduce various concepts like sharing and caring and develop empathy so that they understand other people’s emotions. The multicolored handmade puppets offer a perfect fusion of storytelling and singing; they help retain the interest of your active toddler, who would enjoy the rhythm and relate it with the puppets easily. These finger puppets for kids are easy to use and complement your singing; they are available in different shapes and characters like cows, sheep, etc.
Raise a Confident Child
Singing is a great way to boost your child’s confidence as it gives them their own space where they can express their emotions, release their fears, and understand self-regulation. For toddlers, nursery rhyme toys are the first step toward self-expression. As they follow the rhythm and tone, they learn to focus and develop listening skills.
Control Anxiety & Fears
Have you ever noticed how an infant calms down instantly after a lullaby or soft music? Various researches have shown that singing has a calming effect on babies and lowers anxiety levels. It releases endorphins that help reduce pain or stress and brings a happy feeling. That’s why it is recommended to use circle time toys along with singing as it encourages learning, engages the children, and hones their language and vocabulary.
In today’s stressful world, it is of paramount importance to have self-expression. Music and singing is the perfect way to do that! Boost your child’s emotional growth and social skills through singing.
]]>Read on to explore the types of toys that help in nurturing and improving your child’s brain development.
Wooden Toys
Wooden educational toys prove to be of great help in educating children in a fun and enjoyable way. For instance, wooden playdough tools, wooden abacus, number boards, flower stacker, tree set, and kitchen set not only offer a playful way to educate children about new objects but also function to enhance their recognition, balancing, pattern-making, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Besides that, wooden toys are safe for your child and sustainable in the long run.
Building Blocks
Puzzles
Quiet Books
Take your storytelling sessions to another level by introducing your toddler to interactive Busy books that allow them to use their imagination and encourage them to touch different textures, shapes, raised-die-cut pieces and offer tactile stimulation to them. The vibrant colors, sturdy pages, and striking characters retain their interest, which would also help introduce various concepts to your little ones.
Wooden Alphabet Blocks
Right from play dough to sandcastle kits, there are a plethora of options that would help you engage and edutain your child while honing their sensory motor skills.
So, if you are looking for some of the best educational toys for your child, then your search ends here with Zia Play-Along. Founded by a dedicated mother, Zia Play-Along serves as a perfect teaching toys store, offering you a wide range of safe and sustainable educational toys to promote your child’s optimal learning and development.
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At ZiaPlayAlong, we understand the toddler phase is a crucial stage, where your little one is developing physically, emotionally, socially, and is expanding their vocabulary, sensory, and motor skills. However, while focusing on creating a stimulating environment for your child, we tend to forget the importance of having fun and encouraging their imagination! After a lot of brainstorming, we’ve come up with 7 interesting and fun Easter gift ideas for toddlers and preschoolers that encourage creativity and sharpen visual, tactile, and kinesthetic learning!
Give a twist to the usual Easter basket by adding these fun, educational, and out-of-the-box gifts for your toddlers and preschoolers!
]]>As daycares are re-opening up, it is important to prepare your children so that they have the right mindset for going back to daycares. Here are 5 tips to consider for this preparation.
🖐️ Create a plan that gradually helps kids go back on schedule for bedtime, nap time and meals to make the transition to daycare easier.
🖐️ Talk with them about what is happening with COVID-19 and how life will slowly go back to the way it was before the pandemic.
🖐️ Expand your social circle, if possible, to include another family with a child of similar age to your child.
🖐️ Find new ways to play with your kids, like getting on the floor to play with their toys or role playing with their dolls, stuffed animals and figurines.
🖐️ Organize online playdates and video calls with your child’s friends.
Do you remember when you were a child, you were able to play with various types of toys for hours? Toys are an essential component of a child’s development as they are an instrument of learning. When a child interacts with a toy, he/she first observes it closely. Then the child engages with the toy using their motor skills, such as touch or listening. Some toys will help the child to become physically and socially active. There are several toys, such as a costume, that allows the child to nurture their imagination and creativity, while other toys can foster problem solving and analysis skills. Children can also express their emotions, such as happiness, or develop language skills while interacting with the toys.
These are the prominent abilities that a child needs to develop and later utilize when they transition into adulthood. Therefore, it is vital to provide them with educational toys that can truly enhance their cognitive and emotional skills.
]]>The last few years have been an eye-opener for all of us. The pandemic not only taught us to appreciate the simple things in life, but also prepared us to make conscious efforts to keep our surroundings clean by making choices that are eco-friendly! Whether you buy utilities for your home or select toys for your little ones, it is important to make smart decisions. As parents, we all try to create a healthy atmosphere for our children so that they understand the significance of nurturing the environment.
Over the years, eco-friendly toys have garnered attention from everyone. As per a report, the sustainable toys market is expected to reach $59.64 billion by the year 2030. As these toys are made of natural material sans the chemicals, these are safe and long-lasting. Materials like natural wood and organic textiles are used to craft sustainable children toys that are entertaining as well as educational. Toddlers love to explore their environment by touching and using their hands and mouth, which reiterate the importance of natural baby toys.
The drastic transformation in the manufacturing and packaging of the toys is sheer proof of the fact that there is a lot of sensitization and awareness among people to opt for choices that are environmentally friendly and are in fact, kids-friendly!
At ZiaPlayAlong we ideated a safe and stimulating environment for our little ones and created an exhaustive range of BPA-free nontoxic toys .Right from conceptualization to manufacturing and packaging, we make sure that our toys are completely safe and eco-friendly. Our earth-friendly packaging completely eliminates the use of plastics. The Zia fabric bags are recyclable and can be reused to store different items. The drawstring closure is easy to use and secures all the materials. The idea is to offer sustainable options in a fun way!
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Anjali
Early Childhood Educator
]]>One of the first questions that usually comes to mind while purchasing toys is "Is it safe?." If a toy is fragile and breaks easily, then children may risk choking some of the pieces. On the other hand, Wooden toys are not easy to break.
Every year, we generate a massive 5 million tones of plastic waste in which some of the waste comes from old toys, broken plastic products such as toys, and plastic bottles.
So why not just reuse, recycle, and cut back on waste? Wooden toys are an excellent way to make your little contribution to the environment without even having to do much. You can play a small part in reducing the number of plastic wastes by purchasing wooden toys that come with plastic-free packaging.
It has been observed that young children tend to bite and squeeze plastic toys, so it's best to have a toy that withstands time with minor damage. Because even if they're composed of robust materials, plastic toys might shatter .On the other hand, Wooden toys can survive children's active play in any situation because they are composed of solid materials.
While plastic toys may have sound effects and flashing lights, research shows that wooden toys can help children enhance their arithmetic, literary, spatial awareness, and problem-solving skills.
ziaplayalong wooden toys are open ended and come in the shape of doll house furniture ,puzzles, shape sorters and building blocks, which encourages imaginational and creativity.
Similar to how wooden toys can aid in developing educational skills, they can also help stimulate creative thinking and play habits in kids.
Simple wooden toys assist in firing up kid's imaginations and get them thinking outside the box, whether it's a wooden horse galloping through the forest or playing architect extraordinaire with a variety of colourful building blocks.
Wooden toys, which typically include sound effects and movements, assist toddlers in developing their hearing, speaking, and other sensory skills as they make sounds to accompany their play.
When children start school, they will be required to work in groups at some point. Whether it's playing sports on the playground or participating in a classroom project, it's ideal to initiate activities which would encourage them to play and work in teams.
Wooden toys promote teamwork by allowing other children, parents and caregivers to assist children in creating structural building block or putting puzzle pieces together.
Educational wooden blocks and puzzles for kids have many benefits. These encourage creativity and imagination. check out our unique collection of wooden blocks and puzzle
Your tiny builders will enjoy these shiny gems construction blocks. This puzzle has lovely, thick pieces, perfect for little hands. Would you please sit back and cherish your tiny human's imagination and creativity as they build with these building blocks/puzzles?
Your wild ones will love this rainforest-themed 3D puzzle that features some of their favorite animals. The fun doesn't stop there. The 3D blocks and puzzles for kids are a great way to help children develop their logical reasoning skills. Children analyze the shapes and match them together, developing an understanding of geometry in the process.
ZIAPLAYALONG aims to provide developmentally appropriate, meaning and engaging wooden toys. We try to incorporate the developmental domains of early childhood development that would strengthen the following skills.
Ø Linguistic Skills
Ø Logical Thinking
Ø Sensory & Motor Skills
Ø Cognitive Skills
Ø Creativity
ZIAPLAYALONG educational toys aim to stimulate children's young minds and personalities through exploration and play.
Instead of letting the toys end up on a shelf and get dusty, it’s better to consider some criteria; as they act as excellent points to focus on while opting for toys.
Other than being developmentally appropriate, it is also important for toys to be age appropriate. Below are some suggestive points to consider while selecting toys for young children.
Young infant and Babies tend to observe people closely, always watching them with their eye. Most infant and young babies will typically like things that have faces and colors that are bright. As infants are capable of extending their limbs, observing the things their hands and feet can do, raising their heads, shifting their eyes in the direction of sounds, and placing objects in their mouths are few things they are fascinated of.
Young infants favorite toys includes something that they can reach out for, hold, shake, suck, squeeze, make noise with. Toys like large rings, soft balls, books with nursery rhymes and poems, lullabies and songs.
Babies between 7-12 months are typically referred as movers. They like to roll, sit, bounce, creep, pull themselves up and stand.
Best Toys For Older Infant Includes
Doll, puppets, plastic and wooden blocks and cubes such as Grimm’s toys, water toys, vehicles with wheels. Most older infants are also attracted to toys that they can drop which includes plastic bowls, beads and nesting toys.
However, they are also attracted to huge balls, push-and-pull toys and soft objects to crawl over.
It as been observed that one year old are always on the go! Children who are 1 year old can walk and even climb stairs with ease. In addition, they appreciate reading and convey with other children (not same in every case).
Best Toys For One Year OldBooks with simple yet real images and objects, toy phones, dolls, stroller, puppets, stiffed toys, vehicles, wooden blocks and puzzles for kids, toys with removable parts, ping-pong balls, rhythm instruments, toy phones, ride-on-cars, play dough, card boards etc.
When it comes to buying toys for your infants and children, durability and safety is something that always comes to our mind at first. And, there could be nothing better than wooden toys that not only acts as a better substitute to plastic ones for your kids, but also engage in less damage to the toys while playing. In fact, the wooden toys seems to be a perfect choice for children’s safe day care toys.
If you have been looking for safe, durable and best place to buy Grimm’s inspired toys for children, look no further than Zia Play Along. Designed for children, Zia Play Along’s sole purpose if to bring positive childhood experience.
]]>Taking walks and setting off to explore nature with children is probably the best way to bond as a family. There are also some kid-friendly games you can play on a hike, to keep the little ones occupied. We will share more about these fun games in this article.
Kids love to run around and discover new things on a nature walk. They have the freedom to climb small rocks, watch animals, and trees as the Canadian trails offer.
But there are times, they get bored and need fun distractions to keep going. We are here to help you avoid the sudden meltdown with our list of fun activities to do on these walks.
Nature walks or hikes are an amazing way to relax and explore the environment. It is an opportunity to unplug yourself from daily life and observe and explore nature. There are various opportunities to connect with your child by engaging in some nature walk games and creating memories together.
Rather than letting your kid waste time on a phone or tablet, engaging in nature walks stimulates their senses and also lets them learn more about the world.
One of the latest studies has cleared that children gain some remarkable benefits from nature from the time spent out on a trail. Let’s get to know some of the reasons why you must take your kid on a walk or hike.
If you’re searching for some things to do on a nature walk with your kids, then you are at the right place. Let's explore the top ten games to play on walks with your children.
Develop a story or fairy tale as you go along nature walks with children. Encourage your children to continue the story as you pass along the dense tree cover and ponds. Make secret path names and codes to keep the kids excited.
Buy NowThis nature walk game can inspire your child to "lead" you through the trail, over and around obstacles. This boosts confidence in them as they like adults can instruct and motivate you to keep moving.
Buy NowMake a list of things you see on your daily walk or hike trails, and start a game of Scavenger Hunt with your children. Each participant gets the list, and they can mark all the things they collect on the walk. You can make this even more fun but keeping a theme.
Buy NowKids always insist upon taking their toys on a walk. But of course, parents can't always allow it. Though, the 'Zia Play Along' daycare toys are light enough to be carried anywhere. The handmade bunny toys can be their adventure partners on the next trail walk.
Buy NowWalk and call out the things you see on your way down the trail, and test each other's awareness and vision in nature. Keep calling out familiar objects as "I spy something green" when it's your turn. This is one of the nature walk activities that you can take advantage of on the next trail.
Buy NowIt is a simple yet innovative game, where you point at things and let your child guess what it is! These could be birds, animals, or things, you have read together in books. Conducting nature walk for children along with this kind of game can help increase their awareness.
Buy NowFind the perfect hiking stick with your kids. They feel they are doing something important in a family outdoor activity.
Buy NowWe all collect different things; it could be stamps, flowers, and beautiful pens, anything! And many children find something they admire and build their collection. You could encourage them to find their treasures in nature. It could be sparkly pebbles, beautiful flowers, or even bird feathers.
Here we shared all the outdoor games you can play on hikes. But what about the long days spent inside during the pandemic? 'Zia Play Along' has an exceptional collection of Montessori and baby toys to shop online. Games like blocks and puzzles keep children occupied for long durations. These inspire learning through play.
Buy NowNature walk games are a good way to keep your children occupied during a walk or hike. Nature walk activities for adults can keep their walk more interesting and challenging. Here we shared a list of games to play on walks you can play on hikes. We hope that these nature walk games can help you keep your kiddos busy and have fun. Hopefully, these ideas will help you! But what about the long days spent inside during the pandemic? 'Zia Play Along' has an exceptional collection of Montessori and baby toys to shop online. Games like blocks and puzzles keep children occupied for long durations. These inspire learning through play. Do you have any more nature walk ideas to keep your kids motivated on the trail? Let us know in the comments section! Happy trails!
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Our busy book /quiet book named The Sloth Book is perfect for encouraging imagination in young children. The book will have new felt animal friends as well as cars, clothes, and fruit. It is filled with colourful, detachable pieces that will let the child explore several distinct textures, vibrant colours, and challenging scenarios. Guess what; these 'Quiet books' can make the 'Quiet Time' fun, engaging and meaningful.
We all remember playing with playdough! Gooey but rubbery, flexible and malleable with a very distinct smell. Now your child can get in on some of that doughy magic and produce unique patterns with these rolling pins. The set comes with 12, each created to press a different texture into the playdough. Once stamped, they can use their various pieces to create whatever they'd like! These playdough tools will get their imagination going - while providing a unique sensory experience. Encourage kids' Creative development and Sensory development through this open-ended playdough/clay/sand playset.
The play with tools is an absolute favourite among kids. Kids like to play with tools available in the house, and this tool kit will serve the same purpose with much safety. It will spark curiosity among kids to play, build, break and make again. It encourages open-ended play, imagination, Pretend-play and creativity.
The tools are well packed in the wooden box. The box has antique locks and a handle to pick and carry.
The edges are smooth, and the colours used are non-toxic. It's an excellent toolbox with a toy screwdriver, toy spanners, toy rulers, toy square and saws, hammers, toy pliers, screws and more.
7 pcs - the wooden car set is another Open-ended and Meaningful gift for kids
These little wooden toy cars are great for sparking imaginative play and holding a young one's attention. Hold them in your lap and spin the wheels for a nice distraction or roll them around with each other to act out different scenarios. Your child will have fun deciding how fast they go while taking them on grand adventures.
Kids get excited when they see fire trucks, school buses, and the people on them. These seven little wooden Toy cars can catch a young one's attention. They can roll the cars around and travel in their vibrant imaginary world. These are an excellent addition to other toys, allowing for creative free play. This set comes with seven vehicles, three peg people, and a storage bag.
These geometric animal blocks can be put in their tray as a puzzle, stacked together to create shapes and patterns, or included for imaginative playtime. Each block is painted with a cute animal face and colorful details, giving them more character. These buddies will bring a smile to any kid's face, and you can play along too, teaching them all the animal sounds!
We all loved trains when we were kids, didn't we! These wooden toy tracks, along with two train toys, are an all-time favorite among children.
Kids sleeping with their soft toys is so heartwarming to see. Maybe it's time to get new snuggle buddies for their birthday! We have a cute bunny family set, all set to spark the kids' creativity. These are handmade with love and wool.
Want to decorate your children's room? The 'Zia Play Along' nursery boho décor collection for kids is perfect to shop for beautiful pieces. The new additions will surprise the little ones and make their playtime fun!
The Montessori-inspired toys can be ordered online anytime.
Enjoy free shipping throughout Canada and the USA.
]]>It is well known that puzzles can encourage brain development in children as they grow. They start with simple block puzzles in the form of simple shapes that fit into corresponding board cut-outs. After a certain age, they go to more complex outlines of real-world objects that take more attention. And then, there are jigsaw puzzles that vary based on complexity.
Let's explore some interesting benefits of puzzles for your child as they grow and other homeschooling resources as well as toys available on ziaplayalong.com.
When a child solves a puzzle, they enhance in all three child development domains:
It is an activity that needs attention, and young children can spend their quiet time without getting bored. Playing with puzzles with other children and family members can teach social skills, communication, and group work.
The next step is choosing the right puzzle and toys!
'Zia Play Along' provides your family with blocks, puzzles, and toys for every stage of your kids' development with honest and informative resources along the way.
With our Number Puzzles and balancing blocks, the child can learn maths in a fun way. And guess what, there are several benefits of including these mathematics-related toys-
You can also order Montessori toys and resources online on 'Zia Play-Along. And you get free shipping throughout Canada and the USA. Anjali, the founder, introduced these products intending to inspire and encourage meaningful play!
Feel free to comment and send us your queries!
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The Pattern
As parents, we’re constantly working to ensure that everything we do is in our children’s best interest. Our pressing desire is to raise smart, highly credentialed young ones that will go on to be the most successful in whichever career they choose.
The path to success that often seems intuitive is structured, disciplined learning. In this mindset, playtime would distract from the main goal of staying focused and achieving measured progress.
I want to help other parents break that pattern. According to countless accredited professionals and proven studies, play does not distract from learning. Play IS learning.
The Answer
Zia Play Along was founded on the fundamental concept that for children, play has a crucial impact on learning. As parents, it’s our duty to our children to nurture their creativity and encourage their imagination.
Let’s put ourselves in our children’s shoes for a moment. What is their day to day life like? What do they experience? The answer is not much, but also SO much.
While they don’t have the responsibilities that take up the bulk of an adult’s day, everything they experience is new. They don’t have anything to base their emotions or thoughts off of; they have no frame of reference for their experiences. How do you begin to make sense of life when yours is just beginning?
The answer is play.
Essentially, playtime is discovery time. It’s exploration and experiment time. Children inherently lack life experience and play gives them access to scenarios to work with.
“We need to consider that young children learn in quite different ways [than adults]. They learn by comparing physical experiences, by interactions with other people and their own feelings. And they learn an enormous amount through their imagination.... Play is what pulls together the logical and creative parts of the brain.” - Professor Doris Fromberg, Director of Early Childhood Teacher Education at Hofstra University
The Importance
What exactly are children learning when they play?
When you think about it, we (as adults) don’t go through a single minute of any given day where we don’t use one, or more likely lots of these skills. If we have the secret to enriching the learning process for our children and helping them become fully functioning adults, why would we not do everything in our power to make it accessible to them?
The Reminder
While it can be difficult to remember sometimes (especially in this day and age), raising a well-rounded, stable individual is more important than producing the next baby Einstein. We have the ability to fill the world with compassionate, empathetic thinkers with enthusiasm for learning and developing all the tools they need to continue their personal growth.
The Bottom Line
I am a firm believer that experiences are far more valuable to a developing child than products, but that’s not to say that the right products can’t inspire and encourage meaningful play! That’s my goal with Zia Play Along; to provide families with top quality, affordable toys that enliven playtime.
Which toy speaks to you?
Anjali Sembee