In the past, we have enjoyed providing our customers with fun DIY activities such as crafts and recipes for holidays. However, for this Memorial Day weekend, we decided to provide you with a festive way to celebrate using your child’s Step2 toys! Decorating your child’s playhouse or climber can be a fun way for you and your child to use your creativity while celebrating this patriotic time of year.

What you will need:

• Red, white, and blue construction paper (or poster board- that is what we used! We felt it was sturdier)
• Scissors
• Garland
• American flag(s)
• Stapler
• Tape

How to create the red, white and blue chain(s) [Adult supervision required for this step]: Cut the construction paper or poster board into strips, then take the strip and attach the two ends of the strip together to create a ring. Staple the two ends together.  Place the second strip of paper through the newly made loop. Again, join the ends of the strip together by stapling. Alternate between red, white, and blue strips to continue this process of creating a long chain.

Once you have completed the long chain, place the chain(s) on the desired playhouse or climber. If it is windy, you can tape parts of the chain onto the playhouse or climber. Place the American flag(s) in the ground around the climber or playhouse. Tape the garland near the doorway of the playhouse or in and throughout part the climber.

Decorating your Step2 playhouse or climber can make your backyard or home more festive as you celebrate this Memorial Day weekend! What are you doing to celebrate Memorial Day?

The post Memorial Day DIY Decorations appeared first on Step2 Blog.

Tom and Elizabeth Hug from Plainfield, Illinois wanted to help residents that were affected by the floods in Illinois that occurred a month ago. Now that a tornado has devastated Moore, Oklahoma, Elizabeth and Tom want to help out again. Through social media, Tom and Elizabeth created the Helping Hugs Facebook page. The page was originally created during the April flooding. On Tuesday, May 21^st, Tom and Elizabeth posted on the page asking for donations to be sent to the EMS responders in Oklahoma. They are asking for a collection of snacks, coloring books, crayons, socks, and cards to create care packages for the residents of Moore, Oklahoma.

Other items that are needed to help the people of Moore, Oklahoma are:

• Large Ziploc bags
• New or used DVDs
• Travel sizes of shampoo, body wash
• Candy
• Gift cards to fast food
• Gift cards to Walmart/Target
• Playing cards
• Pens
• Small notebooks
• Drink mix (for water bottles)

If you would like to make a donation, email HelpingHugs@ymail.com.

In addition to Tom and Elizabeth doing their part to help, the Plainfield Fire Protection Station has offered to be a drop-off location for care package donations. Also, firefighters from Plainfield are working with other firefighters from Channahon, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois to travel to Moore, Oklahoma to assist the people that were affected by the tornado.

This Thoughtful Thursday is dedicated to the brave men and women that want to help those affected by the tragedy in Oklahoma. We can fight through tribulations with the assistance of kind people that want to make a difference.

There are other ways you can help. Visit the Red Cross’s website to make a donation or text REDCROSS at 90999 to make a $10 contribution. You can also visit the Salvation Army’s website to make a donation online, text the word STORM to80888 to contribute $10 for relief efforts, or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.

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Streamers and decorations aren’t just for wagons this Memorial Day weekend!

The post Wordless Wednesday: Memorial Day Fun appeared first on Step2 Blog.

On each play kitchen’s page, you may have noticed we have listed the height, width, and length dimensions to better assist you during your decision on which play kitchen to purchase. However, we have received questions surrounding the height of the counters on our play kitchens. Therefore, we decided to create a scale to reference and compare the highest point, width, length, and height of the counters of each play kitchen to help you decide which kitchen is perfect for your child!

The post Play Kitchen Dimensions appeared first on Step2 Blog.

The 8th Annual Saving tiny Hearts Gala is just 12 days away! To have some fun and count down the days leading up to this event, we’ve decided to share the love and offer “A Coupe a Day Giveaway.”

Over the next 12 days, you can enter to win 1 of 12 Easy Turn Coupes, in your choice of green or pink. As an added bonus, Step2 will donate $1 per entry received to the Saving tiny Hearts Society at the gala (up to $10,000). To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. Giveaway is open to residents of the 48 contiguous US states, age 18+. Giveaway will close at 12:00AM ET on 6/2/13. 12 winners will be selected at that time and winners will be contacted by email within 48 hours. Winner may select a green or pink Easy Turn Coupe. One winner per Easy Turn Coupe. If you have any additional questions, feel free to send an email to thestep2team@gmail.com.

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Here at Step2, not only are we moms but we are also grandparents who love spending time with our grandchildren.  There are many stories we look forward to sharing with you with our installation of “We’re Grandmas Too” which is a series based off of “We’re Moms Too.” We look forward to sharing the love, joy, and laughs being a grandparents brings.

by Maria Isabella

My middle daughter (the one who was so kind to bear the only grandchildren I have so far even though I have five adult children, ahem) called me about a month ago. “Mom, I have some frequent flyer miles that are going to expire soon,” she said. “Would you mind watching the kids while I take a little vacation to visit (name of her oldest sister who lives in California)?”

What? Are you kidding me?! Would I mind spending time and playing with my adorable little grandkids who live out-of-state and who I hardly ever get to see?

“Of course, honey!” I shot back without even a nanosecond of hesitation.

“Oh, and I forgot to mention,” she continued. “(Name of her husband) will be out of town, too. He’s got to go on a business trip the same time I’ll be gone.”

Now I have to confess, this gave me slight pause. Three young children (ages 5, 3, and 1)…24 hours a day…for 8 days…all by myself. (Remember, I’m no spring chicken. And I did skip some of my gym sessions recently. Ok, maybe all of them. But only for a little while. Ok, maybe for about five years.)

All of a sudden, I got a little nervous. (Who am I kidding? I got a lot nervous!) Did I have the strength and stamina to keep up with them? Would they miss their parents? And how in heaven’s name would I manage to finagle those darn car seat straps on my own?

Don’t panic, I said to myself. I figured if I could just keep them all out of the hospital and the house from burning down, we would be ok. After all, I knew my daughter wanted this break. Nay, needed this break. It’s a lot of hard work raising young children, and it’s good for a young mom to get away every once in a while.

“Oh, I’ll be fine!” I said, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

The day finally came for me to start my babysitting gig. But there were rules. “Don’t spoil them too much,” my daughter instructed. “Try to keep them on schedule. No junk food. And whatever you do, don’t let them walk all over you.”

“Ok, bye honey! Have a good time!” was my weak response.

You see, I’m a pushover…especially when it comes to my grandchildren. I just look at their beautiful little faces and I simply melt. In fact, I become putty in their hands. Pure putty, I tell you. And they know it.

So I did my best. I really did. I didn’t spoil them…too much. I kept them on schedule…pretty much. I didn’t feed them junk food…at least not too often. (Does whipped cream out of a can count? It is a dairy product after all!) And I didn’t let them walk all over me…at least not most of the time anyway.

We also did some pretty fun things together.

We built super-duper stuff out of Legos.

We colored neat pictures of boats and ships and things that go toot-toot.

We took nice, long walks.

We went to an awesome neighborhood park.

We blew lots and lots of bubbles (outside).

We played ball.

We planted beautiful flowers.

We went bowling and even got a couple strikes.

We went to swimming lessons.

We made healthy, organic pancakes.

We set the table real nice.

We made (lots and lots of) popcorn.

We watched both funny and classic (G-rated) movies.

We read many great books.

We splashed in really sudsy, bubbly bubble baths.

And we cuddled. A lot.

The kids and I enjoyed a very busy week. There were no meltdowns. No traumas. No broken bones or burnt houses (allowing me to achieve my goal). In fact, we had a fantastic time together and grew much closer, if that’s even possible. But I have to admit I was truly bone-tired by the end of my stint. “How does she do it?” I would ask myself of my daughter as my head hit the pillow every night.

When my daughter finally came back home, she literally sprinted up the stairs to hug her kids. Which made me quite happy. You see, even though I really wanted her to have a good time, I didn’t want her to have too good a time, if you know what I mean. In other words, I didn’t want her to suddenly think she was missing out on other things while raising her children as a stay-at-home mom.

Quite the contrary. Even though she enjoyed her trip very much, she truly and genuinely could not wait to return. She was rejuvenated, refreshed, and renewed. She was ready to be back with her children and continue parenting again.

Sometimes all a young mother needs is a little break once in a while. It doesn’t have to involve jet setting across the country (although that certainly is also very nice). Maybe just an hour or two for a manicure at the local beauty shop. Or a cup of tea at the corner café. Or a chick flick with a friend at the neighborhood theatre.

A few hours can and will make a world of difference. I should know. I raised five children who were all less than two years apart — and that’s all I wished for some days.

So if you’re a busy mom who sometimes feels a little overwhelmed or underappreciated, please don’t be afraid to ask for a break. Let a kind and willing neighbor babysit for a few hours. Take a friend up on her offer to exchange playdates. Or by all means, call your mom (or mother-in-law).

I’m so glad my daughter called me. I hope she’ll call again. But first, I need to go renew my gym membership.

This post was written by Maria Isabella. Maria is a mother, grandmother, published author, and award-winning writer with over 30 years’ experience in the advertising, marketing, and publishing industries.

The post We’re Grandmas Too: Grandmas Are for Spoiling appeared first on Step2 Blog.

Step2 toys have a reputation for lasting many years. Since our toys last for so long, many times customers will see toys that their friends, neighbors, and family members own that were available for purchase in the early 2000’s. But, unfortunately, these products that have caught their attention are no longer available for purchase.

Many customers have asked about the Camper Fun Playhouse and Caterpillar Swing for Two. Unfortunately, these two products are among the discontinued. Although these adorable products are no longer available for purchase, we have products that are similar in function and size.

Naturally Playful Welcome Home Playhouse: This giant playhouse is even bigger than the Camper Fun Playhouse, which means more children can play in the playhouse together. In the old camper, children would use pretend play to imagine that they were going on a camping trip. In the Welcome Home Playhouse children can pretend to not only to play house but they can imagine they own a drive thru restaurant and use the windows to take food orders and use one of the other windows to deliver food.

Infant to Toddler Swing and Toddler Swing: The Caterpillar Swing for Two held two children; however, by attaching the Infant to Toddler Swings or Toddler Swings next to each other on a swing set, toddlers will still be able to swing next to one another while being able to enjoy a comfortable swing all to themselves.

Which products have you purchased as an alternative to the Camper Fun Playhouse and Caterpillar Swing for Two?

The post Alternatives to Discontinued Camper and Swing for Two appeared first on Step2 Blog.

In 2009, SPPRAK (special people performing random acts of kindness), a nonprofit organization was launched by Kim Grubb, Robin Heng, and Susan Short.  SPPRAK’S mission is to encourage acts of kindness that make a difference in the lives of others. In February 2013, SPPRAK received permission to place banners inside schools, encouraging students to write on sticky notes when their classmates and teachers performed a random act of kindness for them. A first grade teacher in Terre Haute, Indiana, where SPPRAK banners were placed, asked her students to write down each act of kindness that their classmates and teachers did for them. This was only meant to be a two week program but due to its popularity it has become a long term program that has become popular in other local schools and even at many high schools. American comic strip creator and author Scott Adams once said, “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”  This quote is true for the students partaking in SPPARK; they are proving that kindness is contagious. This Thoughtful Thursday, we thank SPPARK for teaching children at a young age how to be kind to others.

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Are you hungry? With so many kitchens to choose from, your children will be cooking up a storm!   

The post Wordless Wednesday: Let’s Get Cooking appeared first on Step2 Blog.

Did you know that Step2 originally started off manufacturing mailboxes and home & garden before branching into children’s toys?. Even to this day, Step2 is known for durable mailboxes and home & garden products. While there are currently a variety of home & garden products available, some of products get discontinued from time to time.

During the spring, we often get questions from customers about where can they find a Step2 pond for their yard. At the end of 2010, we discontinued the Stone Hill™ Tranquility Pond. Although this product has been discontinued, we have other home & garden products that can make your yard look great (we even have garden tools that will help make gardening easier).

Outdoor Storage Bench: This bench with natural colors and textures will look great in any backyard and can also double as a great storage place for gardening tools or children’s toys. Spoiler alert: be on the lookout for more outdoor furniture during the summer of 2013!

Garden Kneeler: This planting assistant makes it comfortable to kneel or sit while gardening! It is also easy to transport from place to place.

Garden Hopper: Roll your gardening tools around and take a seat on this durable gardening tool. It also features a beverage holder to keep you hydrated while you plant.

MailMaster Hudson Mailbox with Planter: While flowers and other plants are in full bloom, you can place some shrubbery into the planter of this mailbox and have the most beautiful mailbox on your street! This mailbox is also available without a planter.

Which Step2 home & garden products are you using this spring and summer in your yard?

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