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VTech Toys Blog

Discover, Play, & Explore!

Updated: Jun 29, 2021


Organize your playroom alongside Cory Carson and his pals with these simple tips to promote fun, learning, and exploration!

As a busy mom of two young, energetic kids, I am no stranger to the clutter generated from a well-used playroom. I absolutely love listening to my kiddies come up with creative ideas while playing with their favorite toys, but it’s also a reminder that they can enjoy their toys infinitely more in an organized space that allows for movement, consistency, and easy clean up!


We have a little saying that we live by in our house: Surround yourself with things that you love, and store (or give away) the rest!


When the kids got a chance to explore VTechâ’s adorable Go! Go! Cory Carsonâ collection, I knew these awesome Bumperton Hills friends would be a staple in the playroom. I am thrilled to incorporate and share some of my best tips for creating an organized playroom with this super fun line of toys!


1. Make cleanup fun with designated storage

Combining pretend play with accessibility allows children to enjoy their cleanup time. Add a “pull-in garage” to any unused or open spaces in your storage shelves or toy boxes to allow Cory and his vehicle friends to sleep for the night in Bumperton Hills!

My daughter loves to park Halle the helicopter in the “construction garage” and pushes the windshield to hear her talk. Freddie the firetruck is my son’s favorite because he LOVES to place him on the Firehouse’s SmartPoint location to discover more phrases and sounds.


2. Use picture labels to promote independent sorting

Pictures are a great guide for children when sorting to clean up and it creates a more effective way for everyone to organize. I use printable picture labels that are easy for my three-year-old to recognize and include additional labels wherever we need them! The bin labeled with a construction helmet shown below contains all of their helmets and the label also highlights the location of the Bumperton Construction Garage. :)

3. Incorporate a toy display area

This is one of my favorite tips. Take advantage of a smaller or awkward wall space by turning it into a toy display! Your kids will be delighted to see their favorite Bumperton pals highlighted in their play space, and it also allows you, the parent, to control whether toys are in or out of reach at any given time.

4. Choose furniture with ample storage, the more the better

Toys are an important part of our kids’ lives and help them to develop in so many vital ways. At home we embrace the toy life and make sure that we have the storage we need to stay organized. If you don’t have a lot of space, try opting for a table or corner stand with built in space for storage.

5. Designate small containers for storing smaller toys

When small toys are dumped into large toy boxes at the end of the day, it’s easy to lose track of what toys are actually in the room, sometimes resulting in favorites getting “lost in the sauce”. Using smaller containers for small toys creates a reliable system that can inspire children to enjoy cleaning when they get that instant gratification of putting toys in the right place.


Larger Toys=larger baskets! My son enjoyed designating a new

home for Freddie’s Firehouse.

6. Rotate out your child’s underused toys


To make organizing easier for everyone, have a separate place to put toys away that isn’t as accessible as the rest of the toys. A closet in another room coupled with a few plastic storage drawers is a great example. So while I have a small space upstairs for a toy rotation, Timmy the bulldozer and all of their other go-to toys are accessible every day!


7. Utilize storage space in an adjacent room

Clearing clutter is an important part of organization. If clearing out toys isn’t at the top of the list, using a storage ottoman in a nearby room, for example, can be helpful to store those miscellaneous toys.

8. Utilize storage spaces in seating

Multi-use storage solutions are a life saver for organization. They certainly have been for my household. Storage, seating and a play area? Love it! Grab a cushion and some pillows for your storage shelves or try a storage bench. My daughter lights up with laughter as she listens to Cory Carson sing songs and play melodies on the bench!

She loves to take her pals to another town on the bench :)



9. Make the space below count

Rolling storage drawers are a great way to store toys in smaller spaces. Whether you have extra space below a desk, couch, or even a bed, utilizing that space can free up the play area.

10. Plan for extra room to play

Creating ample space to play is one of most important benefits of organization. When choosing storage and furniture, or simply reorganizing, remember to plan for pretend play. With our open floor space, the kids imagine and go on adventures, pushing Cory and his friends around to trigger some super fun sound effects.

We hope you enjoyed these kid-friendly tips for organizing your child's playroom. Implement just a few and your kids will be having fun with Cory Carson and his pals in an organized playroom in no time.



Kayla Hollomon is a former engineer and a marketing consultant for wellness and consumer brands. She is also a stay-at-home mom of two and has home schooled her children for the last two years. She is the author of keeptoddlersbusy.com, a resource created to provide activities, tips, inspiration, and ideas for moms. Her love for children has grown into a passion for helping busy moms create fun and educational environments for their children while also organizing their lives and homes to promote balance and happiness.

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Updated: Jun 29, 2021

Hi, everyone! Andressa of Twinkle Twinkle Little Party here! I am so thrilled to share adorable rainbow unicorn party ideas with you today! 

My daughter is the typical 6-year-old girl. She absolutely loves anything rainbow unicorn. Needless to say, she was beyond excited when I told her we were going to throw a Magical Rainbow Unicorn Party inspired by VTech®’s Myla the Magical Unicorn™ and Myla’s Sparkling Friends™. Imagine all the excitement!




For a Magical Rainbow Unicorn party, incorporate an eye-catching trendy fringe backdrop in pastel colors. Make it even more festive by completing the look with a balloon garland and unicorn themed party banner. 



Adorable party supplies, such as rainbow plates, napkins and cups are a must to create a festive kids tablescape that will absolutely excite the little guests, and let’s not forget the iridescent unicorn horn party hats! 



Keep the party treats sweet and simple! Jazz up plain popcorn with pastel marshmallows, fun sprinkles and unicorn chocolate chips to create the ultimate magical snack. My daughter goes crazy over this popcorn! 





Spruce up simple cupcakes with fun rainbow unicorn themed toppers. 





Cookies to match the theme are always a good idea. There’s something special about rainbow cookies. They will definitely put a big smile on the kids’ faces! 



Another fun idea would be a cotton candy cake. Doesn’t it look delightful? 



The kids will have a blast playing with Myla the Magical Unicorn™ and Myla’s Sparkling Friends™ while enjoying their party treats!





Just like Myla, the Sparklings can brighten any celebration. The kids can sing along with them and accessorize themselves and the Sparklings using the fun hair clips, combs and rings.





The kids can change the Sparklings’ color by touching their magical necklace and then touch their horn, eyes or wings to change their color as well.



Last but not least, you can have rainbow unicorn themed kids face masks ready for your guests upon arrival. Best part? They double as party favors. Place them in clear bags filled with confetti for extra fun!







I hope these party ideas inspire you to create the most magical rainbow unicorn celebration! 

Concept & Photography: Andressa Hara of Twinkle Twinkle Little Party 

https://twinkletwinklelittleparty.com

​​Rainbow partyware: Daydream Society

​​Unicorn cups, banner and cupcake toppers: Pompom Party Shop

​​Fringe backdrop: The Stylish Detail

​​Kids Face Masks: Mandy Christine Designs

​​Cookies: Sweets Illustrated

​​Cotton Candy Cake: Candy with a Twist

​​Silver Cutlery: Bon+Co. Party Studio






Andressa is the founder and content creator of Twinkle Twinkle Little Party, a blog for all things DIY and party related. Andressa loves inspiring other moms to celebrate at home and create special memories with their kids through crafting, baking and planning the sweetest parties! 

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Updated: Jun 29, 2021

In parenting articles, you read so much about the developmental skills that children should master, the words they should know, and the math concepts they should have down by certain ages. But we don’t talk nearly enough about tech knowledge. And I don’t mean how to use a mouse, or the fact that control/Z is the best ever keyboard command.

More like, the big important ideas about technology that will carry your kids safely and smartly through life. Because what we really want, even more than “tech-savvy” kids, is to raise good digital citizens, as we always say on Cool Mom Tech.

When your kids are old enough to start tapping your tablet screen, they’re old enough to start understanding some basics about technology. With that here are 5 really important things you can teach your kids from a very early age.


1. Technology is a tool that can help us do positive things.

We can’t emphasize this enough: When your kids see technology in a positive way, they’ll put it to use in positive ways.

So let’s help our kids make explicit connections between technology and its positive effects.

Video chat connects us with grandparents and far-away friends. Smartphones can untether parents from our desks, so we can spend more time with our kids – even if we have to check in from time to time. Cars have rear view cameras to keep us safe on the road. Apps can help us explore passions and improve skills of all kinds. Digital photos help us preserve memories. Video cameras let us tell stories, and to explore and express our creativity.

(Psst, that’s one of the reasons we’ve recommended VTech®’s KidiZoom® camera, and now, the KidiZoom®Creator Cam, which lets you do even more.)

As parents, we must be careful of the language we use when we talk to our kids about tech. If they only hear us describing tech as bad, scary, or dangerous, they pick up on our fear. While we want to keep them safe, we don’t want them to miss out on so many of the incredible things that kids can do with technology, and all the ways it can help kids flourish and grow.

2. Take good care of your technology!

Just as with owning a pet, owning technology comes with responsibility. Talk to your kids about cases and pouches, explain how to safely wrap cables and keep ports clean, show them how to clean their screens, talk about where laptops and other gadgets go when they’re through (i.e. not on the floor, thanks), show them how to turn off devices to save power, and above all, make sure your kids always see you taking good care of your own technology.

Your own example is the best way for kids to really learn this point.

3. Some tech is more age-appropriate than others

We know that saying no can be hard for parents. (It’s so much more fun to say yes, we get it!) But it’s important for kids to understand limits and boundaries early on, especially when it comes to technology.

Don’t just turn on parental controls, explain to your kids they exist for their own safety and protection. Explain the purpose of ratings for apps and videos, and why no, your second-grader can’t download that 18+-rated FPS game or teen-targeted social media app.

The same goes for the gadgets they may ask for – we generally don’t hand kindergarteners a $500 smartphone of their very own and send them to school with it. The same goes for our own cameras, headphones, and other high-end technology. That’s why we love gadgets specifically designed for kids, like the KidiZoom Creator Cam. It lets kids take the same photos and high-def videos they see us taking, only using a durable, kid-proof camera design that has parental safeguards built right in.

KidiZoom Creator Cam even offers kids lots of the functionality that’s appealing to them about social media apps, like fun animated backgrounds, green screen effects, time-lapse, and stickers. Only in this case, sharing their creations can only be done by parents, in a safe and appropriate way. Phew.

4. Not all screen time is the same.

It’s easy for parents to complain about time kids spend on screens – and for good reason. But balance matters. Not just in terms of off- and on-screen time, but we want our kids to differentiate between active and passive screen time.

Doodling with a drawing app, practicing calligraphy on a tablet, video-chatting with cousins, researching the stars in the night sky, playing math games, editing videos made with the KidiZoom Creator Cam – those are all active screen time activities that can be fantastic for kids’ brains. That’s the kind of tech use we should be encouraging and applauding as parents.



5. If you have a question, you can always ask a parent.

More than anything, what kids need to understand most about tech is that we’re always here for them. For any reason, any time at all, no matter what.

Whether they don’t know how to use a particular feature on a gadget or see something online that makes them uncomfortable or feels wrong, they should feel safe coming to us first as parents.

But to get to this point, it’s so important for us to keep lines of communication open with our kids.

And hey, if we don’t know an answer to a question, we can look it up together. Your kids don’t expect you to know everything. There’s always going to be a lot of new things to learn as we go along.

And hey, isn’t that basically all of parenting?



Liz Gumbinner is the co-publisher of the popular websites for parents Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Tech. She also co-hosts  the award-winning Spawned parenting podcast with her partner Kristen Chase, as well as the brand new Out Tech Your Kids podcast which provides tech-positive answers to parents' top questions in 15 minutes each week. Liz can been seen discussing parenting trends, gifts, technology, and culture on shows including NBC's TODAY, CNN, GMA, Nightline, Martha Stewart, and more. She lives and parents her two teen daughters in Brooklyn.




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