May Palacpac, Storyteller

When  Monica of Absolutely Mommy extended an invitation to me through my good friend and fellow blogger, Mommy Tina of Truly Rich Mom for a post-mother’s day lunch sponsored by Ban Kee, I was ecstatic. It wasn’t much about the lunch, it was more because the event doubles as an introduction of some of the toys that the company distributes and we were encouraged to bring our children.

I decided to take our 5-year old Lukas with me. The event was held at Cravings, Shangri la mall which is not that far a cab ride. We got to the venue way before time and this was the sight that greeted us at the door:

Exciting right? I was familiar with a lot of the toys they were going to show us. These are the toys that catch my eye whenever we visit Toy Town and other toy stores. I immediately spotted my favorites. But it wasn’t all toys. There were fancy food containers and feeding bottles, too!

The room was especially made up for the occasion and there was a beautifully arranged dessert table at one side of the room.

Lukas couldn’t wait to attack the Stickos but I told him to wait for the other mommies and kids who are joining us to get there before he starts devouring everything on the table. Since we came early, he was given a bag of marshmallows as a special treat.

Ban Kee Trading Incorporated

Ban Kee’s Advertising & Promotions Manager, Jenny T. Fernandez was the one who walked us through their products. Ban Kee Trading Incorporated happens to be the leading distributor of these brands:

Any of these brands familiar to you? Most likely. When you’re a parent, you tend to identify the best quality products for your children and these are the brands you’ll find when you go checking for high standards.

Trying out Cra-Z-loom

One of the highlights of the event was when the mommy bloggers were given the opportunity to try out Cra-z-loom.

Kids, Preteens, Teenagers and even adults are crazy over these colored DIY bracelets nowadays and part of this loom phenomenon is that it seemed to have awakened the entrepreneurial potential in many young adults.  They spend hours creating bracelets, necklaces and rings using the materials provided and sell them to their peers.

Chill Factor Slushy Maker

This one here is one of my favorites among the products introduced to us. Who wouldn’t want this? You pour in chilled juice or any other drink, put on the lid, squeeze and put in the freezer for 60 minutes to get your own slushy, the kind you buy at 7-11 stores! Cool, right? The best part was that I got picked in a raffle and got to win a slushy maker to bring home.

Check out this video!

Toys, Technology and Tablets

One of the biggest concern nowadays is on the effects of technology on children. For me, it’s a matter of finding a good balance. Technology can and will disrupt a child’s developmental progress if usage is not regulated.

But as technology continues to advance and evolve, denying a child the opportunity to grow with it is just as detrimental as letting them plunge into it without caution, being in the web industry has taught me that.

To tablet or not to tablet?

Now why am I suddenly saying all these? It’s because providing a child access to a tablet device has become a subject of debate lately. I, myself, was not very happy when my husband decided to purchase one for our children. We had to come up with a much stricter set of rules for them to follow because they spent so much time playing games and downloading new apps.

When I first saw Leap Frog’s Leap Pad, I wasn’t really that interested in it. I thought it was just a little machine with educational games that would bore my kids out.

But I was wrong!

Leap Pad functions just like any regular tablet except that the brand decided to take it further by locking it on kid-friendly sites cutting down risks for our children.

It comes with built in educational apps and games but also allows you to download new ones.  I let Lukas use the drawing app and he was hooked!

I’m not overlooking the importance of developing fine motor skills and the benefits of learning how to create on paper, but here’s a fact: We are in the internet era. Gone are the days when the internet was exclusive to coding geeks. It has already evolved into a huge marketing arena with vast opportunities for all kinds of industries.

Even artists and architects have discovered the advantages of online portfolios and technical proficiency. Letting your children use technology to explore their interests is a step in the right direction.

Another thing that might interest you about Leap Pad is that it’s manufactured with kids in mind so it’s durable. It doesn’t get broken easily even if you drop them countless of times.

Reading, reading and reading!

I’ve always been interested in Leap Frog’s Leap Reader. It’s comes with a pen-like device that helps kids read words and teaches them proper pronunciation.

I’ve seen kids at restaurants with their noses into many different devices as their parents’ way of keeping them at bay while waiting for their food to be served. I get that. We do that, too, sometimes. I think that if parents find it necessary to keep their kids busy to avoid having them run around and cause accidents in the venues, this can be a more productive substitute for them. Of course a regular book is still the best option but this product makes reading much more fun.

Of age appropriateness and learning assistance

Have you ever observed a child at play? If a toy is age appropriate, it’s easy for the child to learn how to use it with little or no assistance. BUT…they don’t always use them as they are intended. Our kids change stories at a snap of a finger. A toy shovel can become a carnival ride, a set of animals can become a group of  fantasy characters, stacking cups can become stairs to a whole different world in the eyes of a child.

Needless to say, toys are fun and the right ones can help stimulate a child’s imagination even more. Just remember to leave room for individuality and the creativity.

Ban Kee products are made of the finest quality of materials that are safe-tested for children.

You may also read the account of two of my fellow mommy bloggers who graced the event:

Mommy Ana of Bluey’s Family Treasures 

Mommy Janice of Roller Coaster Ride

 Give-away alert!!!

I’m giving away 2 Leap Frog DVDs! Mechanics are simple and since you’ve already read this blog, you’re already a step ahead. CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE GIVEAWAY CONTEST.