Aarghhh!

If the pirate's life is for you, there be plenty of swashbuckling events to shiver your timbers. 

Enjoy a glass of grog and pirate swordplay at the Sterling Renaissance Festival in New York during their Pirate Invasion this weekend, July 24 & 25 (http://www.sterlingfestival.com/). 

Head south to the Town of Rock Hall on the Isle of DelMarVa for the Pirate's and Wenches Fantasy Weekend August 14 & 15 (http://www.rockhallpirates.com/) and learn about the Legend of Greybeard while you attend the Buccaneer's Ball.

Or pillage and plunder like the Canadians do, eh, at the landlocked pirate village of Dry Bluffs in Milton, Ontario July 31 - August 2 (http://www.thepiratefestival.com/).

And be sure to take your own Pirate Pocket Farkel Dice Game along for the ride!

www.Bubstoys.com

Let's take a trip to the Zoo!

IT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY

WE WANT TO GO TO THE ZOO,

PACK A PICNIC LUNCH...GRAB A HAT

SEE LOTS OF ANIMALS...BIRDS TOO.

 

 

 

 

WE WILL STOP AND VISIT THE ELEPHANT

WATCH THEM DO A TRICK OR TWO,

WALK PAST THE ZEBRAS....THERE STANDS FOUR

SEE THE PEACOCK...FEATHERS SO BLUE.

 

 

THERE LIES TWO OLD HIPPOPOTAMUS

SLEEPING IN A VERY MUDDY PEN,

WE SEE THE LION SITTING ON SOME ROCKS

IN HIS CAGE I HAVE NEVER BEEN.
 
 
 
 

WE SEE LOTS OF SNAKES, TURTLES AND SPIDERS


WE VISIT THE PENGUINS IN THEIR COLD SPOT,

IT IS FUN TO WATCH THEM WADDLE AROUND

FLY TO THE OUTSIDE, THEY CAN NOT.
 
 

WE PASS BY THE CAMELS CHEWING SOME FEED


SEE MONKEYS SWINGING ON A ROPE,

THEY SWING WAY OVER THE SMALL POND

INTO THE WATER, THEY NEVER FALL-I HOPE.
 
 
 
 
 

SOON IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME


BUT WE WILL RETURN ANOTHER DAY,

THERE WILL BE NEW BABY ANIMALS

WE WILL STAND AND WATCH THEM PLAY.
 
A Trip to the Zoo, Author: Adine Cathey
 
 

 

Bearington Collection, Springbok Puzzles, Lubies, Rofflemates, and Warm Whiskers available at:

http://www.bubstoys.com/

and

Bubbadah's Buys on eBay, Bonanzle & Amazon

Rainy Days and Family Fun

Rainy days, there's bound to be at least one during your vacation day at the beach.  I think families secretly crave them after days of crisping our skin under the sun.  They provide us with an excuse to escape to a movie or play a game together or, my favorite, peacefully settle around a jigsaw puzzle while listening to the pounding drops of a passing thunderstorm.

Leave it to the ingenuity of a dedicated teacher to invent what we now call the "jigsaw puzzle."  "For the purpose of teaching geography," John Spilsbury, a teacher in England, created the first jigsaw puzzle in the year 1767. Adhering his maps to flat hardwood, he used a fine saw to cut along the borders of the European countries, and the jigsaw puzzle was born (until the jigsaw was actually invented, however, this was called the "dissected puzzle.") Hand-painted and made of wood, the puzzle was a map of England and Wales, with each county making up a separate piece.

People actually seemed to enjoy this learning tool enough to begin creating jigsaw puzzles for entertainment.  The earliest known light-hearted puzzle was a 1785 depiction of John Gilpin's wild ride on a runaway horse from a comedic ballad by William Cowper.  None of these were interlocking, of course, until nearly a decade later when power tools were invented.

The first jigsaw puzzle for children, "The Smashed Up Locomotive," was designed by Milton Bradley in 1880.  By printing a lithograph of a steam engine locomotive and cutting it into pieces, the "smashed up" effect was achieved when a child opened the box and saw the locomotive all in pieces. Because of his Puritan upbringing, Bradley's nature was to seek order. Therefore, the object of the "The Smashed Up Locomotive" was to make the locomotive whole once again.

And I guess, maybe, that's why so many of us enjoy our "puzzle time" - it allows us a brief respite, one quiet moment to piece together a little jigsaw island of order in the sea of our crazy chaotic lives.

25 piece kids' puzzles and Springbok puzzles up to 2000 pieces available at

www.Bubbadah's Buys.com on eBay and Amazon

and www.Bubstoys.com

Keep the Kids Cool! Play a Musical Sprinkler Game!

Like Musical Chairs, but a whole lot wetter!

Hook up a sprinkler to your water source, but don't turn it on yet. Instruct players to move around the sprinkler area, dancing, hopping, or striking funny poses. When the sprinkler is turned on, kids must freeze in position without moving until the sprinkler is turned off again.

Wet N Wild Flower, Hydrant and Safari Sprinklers available at www.Bubbadahsbuys.com

and

www.Bubstoys.com

Happy 4th of July from Bubbadah!

Check out these links for Holiday coloring pages and crafts for the kids:


http://holidays.kaboose.com/july4-color.html

http://www.coloringcastle.com/july_4th_coloring_pages.html

http://coloring-page.net/america.html

http://www.preschoolcoloringbook.com/color/cp4july.shtml

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/july4/

We hope you have a safe and happy holiday!

www.Bubbadahsbuys.com

www.Bubstoys.com

Summer Games - Monster's Ball Bonanza

This is a great game for 4 or more kids to play in a swimming pool!  All you need is 3 or more beach balls. (Try to maintain a “3 balls” to “4 kids” ratio for this game. For example: 6 kids = 4 balls, 8 students = 6 balls etc.)

Make sure you have everyone except one child, called "the Monster," go to the same end of the pool. The Monster gets all the beach balls.

The objective is for the kids in the pool to make it to the other end of the pool without getting hit by the balls the Monster is throwing. On “go,” they must swim to the other end of the pool. If they choose to swim underwater, they must surface at least twice. This gives the Monster a fair chance as he/she throws balls at them.

Once the Monster throws all of the balls, he can't get them out of the pool until everyone gets to the other end of the pool. When the Monster hits one of the swimmers with a ball, they must get out of the pool and become a Monster in the next round, and help him/her in the next round. Play until there is only one child left in the pool, and that person is the winner.

Make this game even more exciting by playing at night with Swimways Light Up Beach Ball! 

Available at Bubbadah's Buys on Amazon

(These are awesome for those outdoor summer concerts too!)

Summer Games: Squirt the Tail off the Donkey!

All you need for this wild water game is duct tape, white crepe paper and one water blaster per player

To prepare, use duct tape to attach three 6-inch strips of white crepe paper to the back of each player's shirt. 

Give each kid a water blaster, then let the squirting begin!

Whoever has the most remaining paper once the water runs out is the winner!

Hint: Kids with Fisher-Price Turbo Blasters will have a definite advantage!  They offer a one stop fast fill water station with an unique easy fill base that fills in less than 10 seconds. These water blasters require no pumping action and are easy for preschoolers to use! 

Available at www.Bubstoys.com and at Bubbadah's Buys on Amazon and eBay!

Summertime Fun - Duck, Duck, Splash!

Remember Duck, Duck, Goose?  Try this summer twist for cooling off!

Have everyone sit in a circle, and the person who is IT chooses their "Goose" by squirting them with the Super Soaker "Soaker Wars Bottle Blitz blaster,"

Expand your Super Soaker with an ordinary soda bottle, then get ready to run fast from one very drenched goose!

Soaker Wars Bottle Blitz Blaster available at Bubbadah's Buys on Amazon and eBay. 

And now on our very own website www.Bubstoys.com!

Summer Pleasers.....And Please Don'ts!

Sandals and summer go foot (er) hand-in-hand, but No Socks Please!


Esny kitten-heel flip flops with beads, a real summer pleaser and too tricky to wear with socks!

Victoria Beckham
Please don’t go strapless without proper support!


Fashion Forms adhesive bra with graduated padding for natural-looking enhancement is sure to make that backless, halter or strapless red carpet dress a real crowd-pleaser!

Unless you’re as tough as Mr. T, please leave the extra bling at home!

St. John’s brushed gold chain belt is just the right amount of eye-pleasing bling! Wear it over a tight knit white halter and flowing print skirt for a sophisticated carefree summer look.

Matchy-matchy makes everyone’s eyes go zing – please don’t!

Hula Honey Tankini Top and Guess Side-Tie Butterfly Bottoms

Get creative by mixing colors and patterns with our body-pleasing swimwear separates!

www.Bubbadahsbuys.com