Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog

Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog - With 12 removable quill pegs

I looked at Spike the Hedgehog several times over the years. Only recently did the price drop enough for me to take the plunge. Learning Resources is a great brand and I use quite a few of their products because of the quality, durability and whimsical themes that kids love.

Spike the Hedgehog has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon from almost 7,600 people. With that said, let me point out a couple of things about it that surprised me. First, the blue and brown plastic pieces are not made from the heavier-duty plastic that a lot of their toys are made of. Second, the "soft" quills, as they describe them, are made out of a plastic that I can actually smash at the top if I pinch them between my fingers. I don't know why they rated this as 18+ months because you could chew on the quills, with teeth, and could get bits and pieces in your mouth. With that said, if you are not working with a chewer, you may like it.

The hedgehog measures about 7" from toe to tail. It is made of two pieces, brown and blue, and is empty inside. Store the quills inside, snapping the blue piece on top to keep the quills together with the hedgehog. 

The blue piece has 12 holes and they are numbered 1-12, with a raised number by each hole. The numbers are in order: numbers 1-4 in the first row, 5-8 in the second row, and 9-12 in the third row. You can also stand the blue piece on the table, without the brown piece, and add all the quills.

There are 12 quills in four colors: 3 green, 3 red, 3 purple, 3 orange.

Try this:

• Sort by color. Place all red, then all green, etc. Reinforce the color by saying the color out loud as you push in each peg.
• Place the quills in in any order, picking up one quill in each hand and putting them in at the same time, by 2s.
• Call a number and a color. For instance, place a purple quill in number 3.
• Place the colors in randomly, in number order. Count out loud as you add each one to a hole.
• Place one peg, upside-down in the individual's hand. Ask them to turn it in-hand to orient and place in the hedgehog.
• Place the pegs randomly in the holes. Ask the individual what color is in a hole by calling out the number.
• Put the pieces away by color. Place the blue piece on the table and add the quills randomly. Pull out all red and place in the brown piece for storage. Then all green, then all purple, etc. Say each color out loud as you pull them out to reinforce color names. Try to hold all three of one color in the same hand as you pull them out. Alternate hands when you switch colors.
• Place all the quills randomly in the holes. Ask the individual to look for all red pegs and tell you what number holes they are in.
• Put the quills in by color, three pegs each in four columns.
• Put a treat in the hedgehog and snap the blue lid on. Play games. When the blue lid is taken off to put the quills away, the individual will find the treat.
• Use the opportunity to talk about the hedgehog, since it may not be a familiar animal to some kids.
• Put the quills on the tabletop. Add the pegs to the blue piece by color. Pick up all 3 of one color in one hand, then place them all in the blue piece with the same hand, trying not to drop any. 

In the box: 2 piece hedgehog, 12 quills

If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below.

 

My Giant Busy Box

My Giant Busy Box - 16 complete kids crafts

I have had several different craft boxes by Alex. This particular box is designated for preschool, but I have used the crafts with kids much older. The crafts are always whimsical and fun, and kids have enjoyed making them.

There are 16 crafts in My Giant Busy Box and everything you need to complete them are in the box. Each craft is different. Flat pieces for each craft come in a cellophane bag, so you can easily see what you have. The crafts are brightly colored and there is a lot of variety. Here is what you get in this box:

• 4 paper bag puppets
• 4 collage farm animals
• 2 sticker scenes with 2 plastic frames
• 4 animal punch outs
• 2 tissue art pictures

There are lots of art supplies in the box (everything you need) including tissue paper, pom poms, googly eyes, glue, feathers, buttons, fuzzy sticks, dough etc. Most of the supplies are wrapped in plastic.

Below is an image of an instruction sheet in the box and some of the materials.

I've had several of these boxes because I pick them up at thrift stores. I looked at the price at Amazon today and was kind of shocked to see $39. Maybe because of the pandemic more people are ordering stuff like this to do at home, and because the demand is high, so is the price. I've watched that happen with jigsaw puzzles. The price has tripled in the past few months with some brands. It would be fun if I could mail boxes to kids I am working remotely with, but not at that price. I did get to thinking that if you go to Michael's or Hobby Lobby you could easily pay $2 per craft. Then again, maybe you could find this box cheaper if you surf around. I did see other cheaper boxes from other companies on Amazon but I cannot speak to the quality because I have not seen them. This one is pricey, but I like the quality and variety.

If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below.