we live in the time of electronics October 12, 2009

It seems all our children must have a cell phone, I pod or some electronic game.  Wouldn’t  it be wonderful if we all could give these presents to our children.  however life isn’t always perfect or even fair.
I grew up with ball and jacks, board games, cards, which I spent many hours playing with my grandmother. Check out this year the many toys and gifts that are under $10.00 and still provide hours of fun and gather the family together for a few shot hours that will be remembered in their later years.  Something to think back on. These memories stay with us for life!

Falls here! Christmas will arrive before we know it. October 12, 2009

Holidays have always meant lots of glitter, toys and great food, but this year a lot of us will be grateful if we have a roof over our heads and something to eat on the table.  Remember that in the past,  family and friends created the love of the holidy.  May we all be able to stay close to our family and friends this year, and get back to some of the old cherished basics.  Play a game of cards ( ie: rummy or canasta), a game of checkers, read the night before Christmas to the children, sing carols around the Christmas tree.  There is  still a lot of love to be shared amoung us, even though for a lot of us times have been a lot better.  May we all have something to be grateful for this coming holiday.

current chess news September 17, 2009

I own a website “ustoysandgames.com” which is fairly new to the internet.  However, I know very little about what’s going on in the chess world.  The last name I can relate to chess tournaments is Bobby Fisher! Is he even still around?  Who are the current names in todays chess world?  Just drop me a short blog and help bring me up to date.   Thanks!

History of marbles September 17, 2009

Marble HISTORY! Marbles are small, hard balls made from clay, stone, wood, glass, steel or any other suitable material. They have been made for thousands of years and games with marbles are popular in countries around the world.

DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORY The earliest marbles were made of flint and stone and baked clay. Examples have been found in archaeological sites around the world and some of these, from Rome and ancient Egypt, can be found at the British Museum.

There are frequent references to marbles in Roman literature and it is probably fair to assume that the Romans took this popular form of entertainment with them to all parts of their empire.

For centuries thereafter the marbles were made of common stone or in some cases, real marble. China and crockery marbles were introduced around the year 1800 and before that glass marbles had been made in Venice. However, it was only when a German glassblower invented a tool called the marble scissors in 1846 that production became quick enough to make the sale of glass marbles to the public an economic proposition. These marbles became increasingly popular throughout Europe and America. An enormous variety of colors were used and intricate patterns were created within the glass.

Clay marbles began to be produced in bulk from about 1870 onwards on both sides of the Atlantic. In the 1890′s the first machines for the manufacture of glass marbles were, introduced. However, machine production remained low until the 1914-18 war in Europe cut off supplies of marbles to North America. This stimulated the machine production of glass marbles in the U.S.A. This production technique and the machines themselves are now found in many countries, east and west.

At the time of writing, there are only thought to be three people in the world making glass marbles by hand. One of these modern, handmade ranges is available through the House of Marbles and one can still sometimes find early examples in antique shops. However they are much sought after as collectors’ items and are becoming increasingly scarce. A marble made of pure, ground marble, or other suitable stone, is highly prized and regarded as being the most accurate for shooting. They are expensive and therefore they are rare. Conversely, clay marbles are very inexpensive, but they tend to be inaccurate in dimensions and dull in appearance and, although they were once the most common of marbles, lack of demand has made them hard to find. These days, marbles are made from all sorts of materials, but glass remains by far the most popular. Glass lends itself to machine production and provides an article which is appealing to the eye and the touch.     http://www.ustoysandgames.com/custom.em?pid=855231

Checkers rule variations of other countries September 11, 2009

The Argentinian, Thai, and Turkish Rule Variations of Checkers

Very similar to the Czech version of checkers, the Argentinian, Thai, and Turkish rule variations of the game contain an excellent mix of exciting rules and concepts. Aside from being played on an 8 by 8 checkerboard, these three games allow jumping kings, while simultaneously prohibiting the backward means of capturing the opponents’ pieces. Furthermore, the rules of all these checkers variations mandate players who are controlling the white pieces to make the very first moves in the games.

While these three excitingly unique game variations may share a couple of more characteristics and aspects, certain differences are always unavoidable. Although they may differ from one another in terms of rule implementation, they all got what it takes to provide quality entertainment and challenge to anyone. At the same time, the diversity of checkers only proves how far the game has become and developed since its inception.

The Argentinian version of checkers uses 12 pieces for each player to dispense and protect throughout the game. While a single capture may serve as the game’s most basic way of cutting down the opposing players’ army, players are not prohibited to perform multiple captures in one direct sweep. Whether it is two, three, or more, as long as the opportunity and rules allow, players can get into a capturing spree. While not exactly the same, this version shares a lot of likeness with Spanish checkers.

Meanwhile, the rules of the Thai checkers are another great way of playing the game. With only eight pieces given to each player at the start of every game, this is an internationally recognized game variation with the fewest pieces set at the beginning of every match. Just like Argentinian checkers, this game shares many commonalities in terms of the rules of Spanish checkers. One main difference that sets the Thai version from the Spanish version is that in the former, a king must stop after the captured piece, before it can make another capture.

On the other hand, Turkish draughts is another exquisite form of checkers that is widely recognized all over the world. In this excitingly unique game variation, players will have 16 pieces each at the beginning of every match. By then on, they should protect and use these pieces as means to earn victories. This is only possible if they can eliminate the capacity of the opponents to triumph. Instead of the traditional diagonal moves used in most checkers variations, the pieces in Turkish draughts can move forward or sideways. Aside from the Middle East, this version is also very popular in countries like Greece, Lebanon, and Turkey.

The importance of developing your childs motor skills September 4, 2009

FINE MOTOR SKILLS
Fine motor skills are our ability to use our fingers, hands, & arms together to reach, grasp, manipulate small objects & use tools like forks, spoons, crayons & scissors.  The coordination of Fine Motor Skills & integration with our abilities enable us to learn complex skills like fastening buttons & zippers, eating with a fork & knife, and printing, handwriting, typing & cutting.