Unfortunately, one type of wooden block is being recalled, and not for the obvious reason of having too much lead in the paint on the surface. This one had too much barium in the paint.

Product Name: “Wooden Alphabet & Number Blocks” by First Learning

Full Product Description: 50 piece wooden alphabet and number block set painted a variety of colours; manufacturer’s age recommendation 18+ months; item no. 8409; UPC # 834162008198.

More details can be read at Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety site.

Product Name: “Sky Scrambler” Wireless Indoor Helicopter

Full Product Description: The “Sky Scrambler” toy helicopters have yellow, red or blue decals; product # 1610865; UPC # 694202303351; BH26047 is printed on the helicopter tail.

Hazard Identified: The rechargeable lithium ion battery inside the helicopters can overheat, catch fire, and ignite nearby combustibles, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers.

More details can be read at Health Canada’s Consumer Product Safety site.

CPSC staff evaluation showed that newer fields had no lead or generally had the lowest lead levels. Although small amounts of lead were detected on the surface of some older fields, none of these tested fields released amounts of lead that would be harmful to children.

Lead is present in the pigments of some synthetic turf products to give the turf its various colors. Staff recognizes that some conditions such as age, weathering, exposure to sunlight, and wear and tear might change the amount of lead that could be released from the turf. As turf is used during athletics or play and exposed over time to sunlight, heat and other weather conditions, the surface of the turf may start to become worn and small particles of the lead-containing synthetic grass fibers might be released. The staff considered in the evaluation that particles on a child’s hand transferred to his/her mouth would be the most likely route of exposure and determined young children would not be at risk.

Read the full report by clicking here (PDF file).

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Wooden Toys

Units: About 375

Manufacturer: Earthentree of Kirkland, Wash.

Hazard: The recalled toys contain small parts or can break into small parts, posing a choking hazard. The recalled rattles violate the federal rattle standard. Some of the toys also have a string longer than 12 inches, which can pose a strangulation hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: This recall involves a variety of wooden toys including egg shakers (maracas), pull toys, rattles, and trains. The toys are painted glossy red, orange, green, brown, yellow or natural wood.

Sold at: Earthentree’s Web site, Fairs, Trade Shows and retail stores nationwide from December 2007 through May 2008 for about $7 to $34.

Here is a guest article about name meanings, written by Warren Wong. Enjoy.

A given name or a first name is the name given to a person to differentiate that person from someone else in the family or someone who carries the same surname or last name. This name is given to a person by the parents or guardians. The name is not carried down from generation to generation like the surname. Different groups have different name meanings and use the given names and surnames in different ways.

In most European and American countries a person’s name is usually written with the given name first followed by the surname. However, in countries such as Hungry the given name generally comes after the surname. In some East Asian countries a given name could be given to an entire group of people and they must share the name. When done in this manner, the given name is meant to denote a whole generation of people rather than just one person.

In most Western countries, people typically have one or more given names. If there is more than one given name, there is one name that is used on daily basis and this is the name that person goes by and then there may be supplementary given names that are referred to as the middle name or names. Legally a child’s given name is the name that is given to them at the time of their birth. This is the name that will appear on the birth certificate. However there are some countries that do not permit the parents to give the child a name that may cause them harm. In this case the name is taken into consideration and it is decided if the name is appropriate or not.

Today there has been an influence by popular culture on the names selected by parents. People are starting to move away from naming their children after another family member to naming their children after people and names that they see in the media. For example, in 2004 in the United Kingdom, Keira became a popular name as people began watching movies with the British actress Keira Knightly in them. Characters from fiction also seem to influence the naming of children as well. Research as shown that when a new name comes out in a television show or a movie there is an increased use of the name in the following year.

People often become dissatisfied with their names and attempt to change them. However, changing your name is not as simple as one might think. In some countries people are not permitted to change their name without legal consent from the parents who gave them the name. This means that if the parents are living then they must sign a paper stating that it is alright for their child to change their name. In other parts of the world, the person wishing to change their name must have a reason for wanting to change their name. For example, they may wish to change their name because it is too hard to spell or they may want to change it for professional reasons, such as actors. There is a procedure that must be followed when changing your name.

Author Resource:-> For more information on the name meanings,how the meanings of names determine the choice and lots of other topics related to names and their meanings visit http://www.Names-And-Their-Meanings.Co.Uk

Article From the Come and Read Article Directory

So what is a Webkinz? A virtual pet!!! What in the world?

Webkinz plush pets are sold in retail stores across the country and online. They also come in a number of different styles. The plush animals that are popular with most kids include lions, panda bears, snakes, turtles, frogs, cats, and dogs, but those are not your only options. These plush animals are cute, cuddly, and great for any stuffed animal collection.

As nice as a cute and cuddly plush animal is, you may be wondering why the average selling price is around $15. After all, that can seem a little bit high for a stuffed animal. What you need to know is that Webkins pets are more than just traditional stuffed, plush toys. You also get a secret code. As previously stated, the plush animals and virtual pets are one in the same. Attached to the tag of the plush animals is a secret code.

Once again, as neat as a secret code sounds, you may be curious as to what your child can do with it. Your child can use this secret code to access the Webkinz website, which is located at Webkinz.com. There, they will be able to adopt a virtual pet, which will be an online version of their new plush friend. Right away, your child will be able to name their animal, but that isn’t all that they can do. In fact, that is just where the fun begins.

When you or your child registers the secret code online and finishes the adoption process, a small amount of KinzCash is awarded. This is the name for virtual cash. Right away, the money can be used to buy a few items for the newly adopted pet, including furniture. Also, right away, you will be able to see that more money is needed. Here is where the real fun begins. If you are a parent, you will love what the Webkinz brand and it virtual world can do for your child.

Since more money is needed to care for your child’s virtual pet, they will need to earn it. As a reminder, virtual cash is used; therefore, you do not have to pay extra for your child to play this online game. Instead, your child will earn their own virtual KinzCash. They can do so by answering quiz questions, playing arcade games, as well as doing a few other activities on the website. The games that your child will play and the questions that they will answer are all fun, educational, and they help to promote logical thinking.

As previously stated, your child will be able to buy fun accessories for their adopted pets online through the use of KinzCash that they earn. This may give you comfort in knowing that no extra money is needed to be spent right away, unlike many of the other popular electronic toys and games today. With that said, it is important to know that the Webkinz secret code that your child gets from their plush animal will only last for a year. After that year has passed, a new Webkins pet with a new secret code will need to be purchased.

Check out the following eBay Auctions of Webkinz Items

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She told me that its name is Shelley. My question back was, “What is its boy name”. A discussion ensued and she finally gave in and added Brayan to the name.

This got me thinking about other exotic, or non-traditional, pets. The resulting article is found at http://www.grandparichardskids.com/article/top-5-modern-pets.

Parents need to be vigilant about what their children are doing, and where they are. Even in off-road areas ATVs are a safety hazard for children, even 14 year-olds. Only allow your children to use these vehicles under proper supervision, and only after you are satisfied that they can operate the ATV safely.

For more ATV articles, visit atv-lovers.info.

In this case, a babysitter placed a 2 year-old boy on a kitchen counter which was flush with an open window. The babysitter then turned briefly to tend to a meal cooking on the nearby stove. When she turned back, the boy was gone, having fallen out of the window to the ground below, a 12 foot drop.

It is thought that the boy was fascinated by some brightly coloured flowers in a window box.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that each year more than 4,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries received from falling from a window. The CPSC knows of at least 120 window-fall related deaths of children since 1990. Most of the injuries and deaths were to children under the age of 5.

One easily installed safety item are window stops. These stop the window from open more than a certain amount. The recommendation is that they be set to a maximum of 4 inches (10 cm). Some models have a feature whereby an adult can release the stop so that the window can be opened further.

Install window guards or window stops to prevent children from falling out of windows. If you are in doubt about whether to put a guard in a particular window, go ahead and install a window guard there. Better to be safe than sorry. Do not place furniture under or near a window to avoid giving children a way to climb directly to the window. NEVER depend on screens to keep a child from falling out of a window.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that children as young as 2 years old start having their cholesterol levels screened if they have a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol. Screening should start no later than 10, the academy said.