Congratulations to the 2011 PAL Award Winners

Sherry Artemenko’s PAL AWARDS are not your usual beauty contest. Yes, they are often given to the gorgeous (Zylie the Bear) and the colorful (Chuggington Traintastic Cargo). But the awards’ raison d’etre is simple –to be of service to parents and their kidlets.

Sherry Younger Artemenko, Speech-Language Pathologist, has worked with children for over 30 years, in the schools and private practice, building language skills through play. Since early language proficiency correlates with later performance in school—reading, writing, and critical thinking—and influences emotional, cognitive and social growth, choosing the best toys and books is critical to practice and develop these skills.

But here’s my favorite part of Sherry’s bio:

ARTEMENKO’S DAILY ON-THE-FLOOR PLAY WITH KIDS PLUS 30+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE in the schools and private practice empowers her popular blog, playonwords.com, a trusted resource for parents, teachers, and toy manufacturers.

I vividly remember Sherry’s considerable skills at “On The Floor Play” from way back when at Bayside School. Also from Brownie Scouts, various camps, Sheboygan and “Capture the Flag” tournaments. So I was not in the least bit surprised when she grew up and morphed into a frequently quoted expert, turning up in news outlets like the Chicago Tribune, Time to Play, and News12 Connecticut. She’s also been a contributor to Parents’ Choice Foundation.

Here’s where our grown-up worlds intersect: Like me, she’s advising start-ups for children’s toys and media. Next week, I am moderating a BayAngels event, which features as one of the presenting companies, Hopscout, a new online store devoted to simple, classic and timeless children’s products. I have a feeling that Sherry and Founder Deap are a good match.

I like to catch up with this Play Guru every chance I get, but certainly when the PAL Award Winners are announced. These “Play Advances Language” awards came about because over the years, parents have continuously asked Sherry for recommendations. Her unique reviews from an expert’s perspective, provide tips on how to use the product for maximum language building. In other words, the PAL Awards are that rarity. Each carefully-researched choice is a tool meant to coach and comfort. (Check out the Testimonials’ page)

Do you have a candidate for the PAL AWARDS? Learn more about the PAL Award.

What’s hot and what’s not in 2010: Toy Trends Expert Sherry Younger Artemenko’s take on Toy Fair.

Guru’s Note: Many moons ago, when my “executive” job in toyland consisted of cobbling together lines for Strawberry Shortcake (“Have a berry, berry good day!”) and the Care Bears (“Dream on, little starshine”), I looked forward to ferociously tackling the annual new products frenzy that is the International Toy Fair. These days, since my feet may never recover from CES, I leave it up to the pros. In this case, that’s my genius of a guest blogger, Toy Trends’ expert and Speech Language Pathologist, Sherry Younger Artemenko, M.A., C.C.C., who reports to us from New York’s 2010 International Toy Fair.

Sherry says: Wow! That’s how I describe the incredible experience of walking through the Jacob Javits Center, filled with inventive, imaginative, and creative people sharing this year’s new products for kids. I was privileged to go to a Blogger’s Breakfast at Hasbro Toys yesterday, as their executives introduced their newest pets, ponies, transformers and Play-doh creation stations to name a few. I will devote a whole blog to that later.

Today, I went to the Toy Fair and saw some great new products for kids that encourage language development through exploration and creative play. First let me share some of the trends that I see in 2010:

* “Green toys” or organic lines. I visited Haba toys today and they introduced Cotti toys which are made from organic fabrics, including a little friend with a removable cushion that can be heated or cooled depending on what a child’s boo boo requires for relief. Organico Blocks by HaPe are lightweight and made from bamboo.
* Toys with a new online connection that links the offline play with an online experience. Hasbro has introduced a new online experience for Littlest Pet Shop. Check out their website with your Pet Shop fans
* Games where the players can determine the length of play before beginning by shortening the board’s path such as Cranium’s new game, or choosing one of three different durations for your game of Monopoly before beginning to play.
* Updated graphics on classics to be more relevant to today’s child. Hasbro’s Candyland board includes baked goods along with the traditional candy and has added such hip characters at the “Duke of Swirl!”
* Toys and games to encourage both genders to play with what has been traditionally linked to just boys or girls. Edushape introduced “Chubby Edublocks” in bright colors, including pink, to attract the girls, while International Playthings offers a series of “Wild Science” including a line for girls so they can participate in a perfume lab or make fancy soaps.
* Games designed for friends or siblings of varied ages to play together. I Can Do That Games introduced several clever, engaging games that would be fun for the whole family including “What’s In the Cat’s Hat” and “Konexi.”

Guru’s Note: For more from “Kid Guru” Sherry Younger Artemenko, visit her PlayonWords blog.

Don’t Want Your Kids To Grow Up Talking Like Elmo? Better Check Out This List of Best Educational Toys from Parenting Expert Sherry Artemenko.

Parenting expert Sherry Younger Artemenko and I bonded over Mattel’s talking-doll-classic, Chatty Cathy, a zillion years ago. Sherry’s Cathy was pristine; its blonde hair curled, coiffed and Christmas-present perfect. (My Cathy’s hair had been ‘re-styled’ by my brothers.) Her Cathy’s outfit was still neat and clean. (No comment.) Her Cathy still had its patent leather shoes. (I was simply glad my Cathy still had a foot.)

So it was no surprise that over the years, Sherry has morphed into a primo parenting expert, with a string of prestigious degrees (M.A., C.C.) and robust experience working with children to improve their speech and language, serving as a speech language pathologist in both the public and private school systems and private practice.

To help parents navigate the chaos known as the holiday shopping season, she’s released this carefully researched list of Best Educational Toys to Build Language. The list is a savvy blend of age-specific new and old favorites accompanied by Sherry’s educational tips.

Here is a sample — visit Sherry’s parent-friendly, content-rich site, Playonwords.com, to read the whole list.

Birth-1 years and up

eebee’s Adventure Play Mat and Play House (6 months to 3 years): Every now and then a toy comes along that I get really excited about. This is one. Maybe because I had an older brother and he was always making forts out of our couch cushions and planting me inside with a bowl of popcorn! This colorful set of foam sections, attachable with Velcro strips, invites your child to make a house and climb right in. Every day he can make a new creation, lift the curtain to peek out the window, catch a glimpse in the mirror, crawl through the circular hole or have a chat with a eebee’s life size face. crawling babies enjoy exploring the vibrant, textured panels even when they are laid out flat.

Language Building Tips: Follow your child’s interest and describe the colors, textures, and features of the panels. Use action verbs to name what your child is doing such as going “in” “out” or “through.” Provide a few additional props for an older toddler such as a play dishes for a picnic or tea party.

Guru’s Note: Pictured above is the toy *I* want. It’s called Chocolate Fix and I need it now. Hear that, Santa?

Sherry says:
Chocolate Fix by ThinkFun Inc (8 and up): This gold award winner from Parents Choice is a feast of fun! Take turns filling your customer’s orders at the chocolate shoppe. Flip to the page of visual clues on where to put your 9 tempting treats in three flavors and three shapes. Let’s see, the pink square chocolate is next to the dark circle chocolate. In the grid of nine positions, the chocolatier has to solve all the clues to place the pieces in just the right spot. With several levels of play, kids and adults are entertained. An added language building value is that kids love to role-play as the chocolatier and the customer.