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Spot on German Easter Traditions: Easter Bushes and Fountains

In many German speaking countries, it is now time to decorate the Easter tree or bush. While the origin of these traditions is long lost, eggs are at the center of all activities. For an Easter bush, you start with a bouquet of sturdy branches that can range from Forsythia to Pussy Willow and put it in a large vase. Next comes the tricky part: you'll have to blow out the eggs and then carefully paint or color them. In many families these artfully decorated (and fragile) Easter eggs are handed down from generation to generation. Alternatively, you can also buy Easter eggs made from paper, plastic or wood. Just keep in mind, the heavier the eggs are, the sturdier the branches of your Easter bush should be.  

The weeks before Easter Sunday, you will also see beautifully decorated Easter Fountains in many German speaking areas. sigikid hails from Upper Franconia in Northern Bavaria where many villages still follow this tradition. On Easter Sunday itself, children go searching for Easter nests that their parents have hidden for them earlier in the day outside. The content of the nests can vary widely, but chocolate eggs and candy in all shapes and sizes are a must. Legend has it that the Easter Bunny tediously hides all the nests and it is a mystery to many children how the Easter Bunny manages to surprise them every year.


 

March 02, 2023 by sigikid USA

How to Wear a Face Mask - a guide for kids

 Face masks are part of our new normal and we thought we let our plush toys demonstrate how to correctly wear them.

 We wish we didn’t have to wear masks and look forward to the time where we can safely hug each other again. Until then, we’ll try to make the best out of it, spend time outside whenever possible and eat healthy to boost our immune system.

 Most importantly, we’ll keep a safe distance of 6 feet and wash our hands for at least 20 seconds.

A few basic pointers for using your mask:

  • Wash your mask before wearing (if made of reusable material)
  • Wash your hands before putting the mask on
  • Hold the mask in front of your face by the ear loops and pull both loops behind your ears
  • Ensure the mask covers both your mouth and nose
  • Even while wearing your mask, maintain social distance and sneeze and cough in your elbow
  • Do not touch the mask while wearing it
  • Remove the mask by the ear loops without touching your face
  • Wash your hands after removing the mask

***Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2.***

May 22, 2020 by sigikid USA

sigikid's COVID-19 Update

Dear sigikid customers:

 In these uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic, we would like to take a moment to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to make your sigikid purchase safe.

 Our highest priority lies in keeping the entire sigikid family safe: From our customers and their families to our hard-working team members near and far.

 We continue to ship out of our warehouse in Virginia where we are in full compliance with the mandated state laws. We will fulfill your orders as long as we can safely do so. Please keep in mind that this might take a tad longer than usual.

 We also know that a delivery from sigikid will bring a much-needed relief and smile to many families. For as long as we can do so, we want to make your day a little bit brighter.

 Keep in mind that all of sigikid’s baby and kids toys are machine washable. We encourage you to do this before the first use.

 We are all in this together. There will be days where it is hard to see the end of the tunnel because we are in uncharted territory. But the sun will rise tomorrow again, and we will get through this. We will update you on a more frequent basis about things that you and your children can do to make this time a little bit more enjoyable.

 We are grateful for your support. Stay safe and healthy!

We send you a virtual bear hug:

The Gottstein - Frecea Family

March 23, 2020 by Eva Frecea

sigikid is turning 50 this year! Read more about how it all started:


sigikid is turning 50 this year! How did it all start?

My parents founded sigikid in 1968, feeling that there was a need for soft and cuddly toys in the German market. My mother’s nickname is Sigi (pronounced with a hard g, as in “garden”), short for Sigrid. And my brother is the first kid, thus sigikid! Until today, sigikid is a true family business, with my brother Axel Gottstein at the helm in Germany and my husband Lucian and myself as his North American business partners, based in California.

Where do you take your inspiration from?

sigikid's main inspiration is good design. And with good design we mean, the best design possible. Good design doesn’t have to be complex or complicated. Simple forms and shapes drive our products. There is just something about sigikid toys that feels intuitively right for children of all ages. Our toys are oldfashioned in the sense that they are not battery-operated and don’t make any beeping sounds. Our toys’ faces have gentle, kind features that are not air-brushed on for special effect. sigikid toys simply encourage imaginative play.

What have you found most challenging or rewarding throughout your business journey?

There is an abundance of toys out there at very low price points and with low quality standards, in terms of design, look and feel. Modern parents have become much more quality-conscious of big items like strollers, cribs or high chairs, and now we can see the same trend in the toy industry. With sigikid, we offer our customers quality, design and sustainability at attractive price points. It is a pleasure to see how our retailers and online customers have embraced our vision of good design.

March 08, 2018 by sigikid USA

Nikolaus Day - A European Tradition

In many European countries the night before the 6th of December is very special. Kids of all ages put their boots outside and eagerly await the next morning to check if Nikolaus has put something in them.

Today’s blog post is about this tradition. We consulted the experts at Living Language to give you a good overview about how the Nikolaus tradition started. Without much further ado, here we go:

Nikolaus was born on December 6, and he was the Byzantine Bishop of Myra in the 3rd and 4th century. According to legend, he performed many a wonder, some of them having to do with kids.  It is said that he brought a child to a thus far childless couple, brought the murdered son of another couple back to life, and saved yet another child from drowning. So it’s not surprising that, when he was canonized, he became the patron saint of children. His birthday, like those of many other saints, became a religious holiday, and was often celebrated with a gift exchange.

During the reformation movement in the 16th century, which, among other things, rejected the adoration of regular folks as saints, the church did away with the holiday, and supported moving the big gift exchange to a later date — Christmas.

But traditions are hard to erase.

In some countries, such as the US, Nikolaus became Santa Claus, who delivers the presents on Christmas Eve to celebrate Christ’s birthday.  And in Germany, like in many other European countries, children put their Stiefel (boots) out on the eve of December 6 in the hopes of finding them filled with goodies the next morning. Nikolaus travels from house to house, carrying the book of ‘sins’, which tells him which child’s Stiefel boots should be filled with presents, and which child’s Stiefel (boots) should instead be filled with twigs bound like a Rute (whip) to be used to punish unruly kids.

Today, of course, all Stiefel (boots) are filled with goodies – nuts, oranges, chocolates shaped like the holy bishop like the modern Santa Claus, and sometime even small toys – often hung on a Rute.

It’s not that Germans don’t celebrate Christmas from December 24 through December 26; they do.  But Nikolaus – Santa Claus – is done with his deliveries by then.  It’s the Christkind (Christ child) who delivers the presents then. 

Blog quote from Living Language

December 06, 2017 by Eva Frecea

German Christmas Markets

This Saturday, December 9th, sigikid is bringing its toy collections to the German Holiday Market in Mountain View, California!

 

You can also find sigikid products in Chicago and Atlanta this year. These month long markets are great fun for the entire family!  

If you are not too familiar with German XMAS markets, we are happy to give you a little insight into what these markets are all about. At the end of November, in almost every German city Christmas Markets pop up. Local vendors and artists set up booths for the duration of the Holiday season which typically ends on Christmas Eve. Often referred to as Christkindlmarkets, you can also find them in Austria and Switzerland with some regional variations, but undoubtedly with the following key culinary treats:

Gluehwein: hot mulled wine to loosen and warm up. Gluehwein is made with red wine, spices and sugar and depending on the quality of ingredients and level of personal intake, it is a delicious libation, best enjoyed in moderation. In the US, you can buy ready-made Gluehwein at stores like Cost Plus/ World Market or Trader Joe's but it is really easy to make it yourself.

Sausages: to help absorb above mentioned Gluehwein...

Roasted chestnuts or almonds and Gingerbread

If you have ever been to a Christmas Market in the midst of winter, then you know how truly magical this experience is. This Saturday, if you're in the area, you will be able to get a taste of it in Mountain View, CA, if only for a day and take advantage of some great deals on sigikid toys. See you there!

December 06, 2017 by Eva Frecea

7 Ways to Promote Your Child’s Development

Promote Your Child’s DevelopmentAs parents, we want to do everything we can to give our children a leg up in life. That means stimulating their development as best we can. Here are a few ways you can promote learning.

1. Provide plenty of toys

You want to make sure your child has plenty of open-ended toys. Toys give your child a chance to experiment with their environment in a safe way. Stuffed animals are great because they simulate human interaction (because they have humanoid features – faces, arms, legs, etc.).

2. Provide lots of tummy time

You should be starting tummy time around two months-old. Tummy time gives your baby opportunities to learn motor skills and exercise those little muscles. At first, place your baby on your chest so she gazes into your eyes and doesn’t feel afraid. Them, you can move your baby on to a blanket or activity mat. Do tummy time for just a few minutes at a time until she becomes comfortable with the position.

3. Talk to your baby

Babies begin developing language at a very early age, even though they can’t speak. Speak to your baby often, even though you don’t expect a response. When your baby does make a noise, reply with an upbeat, exaggerated expression. Talk about your day, what’s happening nearby, or what your plans are for later.

4. Turn off the screens

During the first year, babies need human interaction and less screen time. They need feedback from other parties to learn. For example, when your baby uses a word, you or your partner would praise her for her efforts and correct her if she was wrong. A television character, however, will not provide this feedback.

5. Stimulate those senses

Give your baby opportunities to explore her senses. Let her touch interesting textures, see vivid colors, and hear strange new noises. Experiment with temperatures and fun smells. Every new piece of information you introduce will get filed away. When she experiences it again later, her brain will make all sorts of connections.

6. Meet those needs right away

This is especially important during the first months. Meet your child’s needs immediately to provide a sense of security and inform her that mom and dad will take care of her. This builds attachment and trust by providing predictability and comfort. It creates a platform for other learning because baby doesn’t spend energy worrying or coping.

7. Enjoy interactive play

Play is best when it involves another person, even if your baby is only partially aware of your presence. Peekaboo is a popular game for this. By changing states (hidden and visible), you’re actually teaching lessons in object permanence and physics. If baby plays alone, she wouldn’t have those changing states.

Written by Eva Frecea, CEO sigikid-usa

sigikid is a family owned company whose roots back more than 150 years. sigikid’s German parent company “H. Scharrer & Koch GmbH” was founded in 1856. In 1910, Theo Köhler, the great-grandfather of sigikid’s current owner, took over and introduced toys. When the next generation took over in 1968, the trademark sigikid was born. Eva handles business development in the Americas, creating plush, educational and organic toys.

At sigikid, we put all our focus on playing. Our products are designed to make children happier. To achieve this, we use the most wholesome and important ingredients available: quality and love. sigikid toys are classic, innovative, prestigious, durable, soothing and affordable. We're playfully different!

Interested in writing a guest blog for sigikid-usa? Send your topic idea to press@sigikid-usa.com.

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. sigikid-usa makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, current-ness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

October 06, 2017 by Eva Frecea

5 Ways to Stop a Picky Eater

Ways to Stop a Picky EaterAs parents, we all want our child to develop a mind of their own, even if this may cause some issues down the road. This can be seen from your child’s eating habits becoming picky and you may begin to struggle to get them to eat a meal. Since you’re going to want your kids to eat the healthy foods that they may not always enjoy, these eating habits need to be fixed early on. Here are some ways to stop a picky eater:

1. Make a Drink

As long as it tastes decent, your child will most likely prefer a shake or juice drink over having to eat a full plate of food. Make a fruit and vegetable smoothie for them to get those vital nutrients to your kid. Better yet, if you have an electric juicing device, you can make the most of your healthy foods by squeezing the essential vitamins and minerals out of them.

2. One Bite

Sometimes you have to put your foot down as a parent and make your children do things that don’t want to. Instead of letting it go when they don’t want to try something new, instead make them at least try one bite of it. Most of the time children will come to find that they actually enjoy a new food if they have the courage to try it!

3. Dip It

Young children love to immerse their food in tasty dipping sauces, which can be used to your benefit. You’ll want to try finding healthy dipping options however, so that your child isn’t cancelling out their healthy food options. Here are some great options: cottage cheese, fruit preserves, guacamole, peanut butter, pureed fruit and veggies, and Greek yogurt.

4. Toppings

Similar to dipping food into various spread, as mentioned above, adding special toppings to your child’s food will help make them less picky. Find some nutritious toppings they like to broaden your picky eater’s possible menu. Here are some more suggestions for toppings: Greek yogurt, cream cheese, melted cheese, guacamole, tomato sauce, applesauce, and peanut butter.

5. Trickery

While it’s not the best practice to trick your children into eating food, sometimes they’re only picky eaters because it’s “all in their head.” Try to slip grated or diced vegetables into some of their favorite foods. You can also try the “Dip It” method of covering healthy foods with some of their favorite sauces in order to make your child more willing to eat it.

Written by Eva Frecea, CEO sigikid-usa

sigikid is a family owned company whose roots back more than 150 years. sigikid’s German parent company “H. Scharrer & Koch GmbH” was founded in 1856. In 1910, Theo Köhler, the great-grandfather of sigikid’s current owner, took over and introduced toys. When the next generation took over in 1968, the trademark sigikid was born. Eva handles business development in the Americas, creating plush, educational and organic toys.

At sigikid, we put all our focus on playing. Our products are designed to make children happier. To achieve this, we use the most wholesome and important ingredients available: quality and love. sigikid toys are classic, innovative, prestigious, durable, soothing and affordable. We're playfully different!

Interested in writing a guest blog for sigikid-usa? Send your topic idea to press@sigikid-usa.com.

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. sigikid-usa makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, current-ness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

September 03, 2017 by Eva Frecea

Dress Up Play: The 5 Benefits for Your Kids

benefits of dress up playDressing up in costumes is an important type of play that every child needs to experience. Children seek it out naturally. Today your kids will play as pirates, tomorrow they are superheroes, the next day lords and ladies at a tea party.

The costumes they use reinforce the scenarios so that these rituals have profound positive effects on their development. Here are the benefits of playing with costumes.

1. Dress up play fosters the imagination

Children have vast, open imaginations. They aren’t constrained by what they know about the world; their minds can go anywhere. They’ll make connections you and I never would because just don’t know any better.

When children play dress up, they root their imaginative stories in reality for a short while, giving them a chance to explore it more thoroughly. For example, if your child dons a fireman’s hat, he practices helping people, community service and bravery.

2. Dress up play lets them explore themselves

By pretending to be other people, children experiment with new ideas and behaviors. They can decide what they like and what they don’t. They can explore the elements of a new identify and take back to themselves whatever they like.

Maybe your child pretends one day to be a cowboy. He decides that working on a farm isn’t for him, but he still loves animals, which leads him down a path to becoming a veterinarian.

3. Dress up play strengthens relationships

Playing with costumes is a strong lesson in empathy. By “living” the life of someone else, your child has to put themselves in that person’s shoes. How do they feel? What are their motivations? How would they behave in certain situations?

This strengthens a broader skill: the ability to understand other people’s feelings. It will help them deal with and work with people in school and at their jobs.

4. Dress up play establishes gender identification

While there aren’t any hard-and-fast rules for gender identity, most people fall into typical categories. As children play with costumes, they experiment with different gender identities and the behaviors of those characters.

Boys are usually drawn toward fathers, builders, heroes, and servicemen, and women are drawn to artists, mothers, teachers, and dancers. It is quite normal for children to experiment with different gender roles as they learn about themselves.

5. Dress up play improves communication

Dress up forces children to experiment with new language. They have to anticipate what, for example, a ballerina would say, or how a space explorer would speak. This gives them chance to practice with words and phrases they wouldn’t normally use.

Written by Eva Frecea, CEO sigikid-usa

sigikid is a family owned company whose roots back more than 150 years. sigikid’s German parent company “H. Scharrer & Koch GmbH” was founded in 1856. In 1910, Theo Köhler, the great-grandfather of sigikid’s current owner, took over and introduced toys. When the next generation took over in 1968, the trademark sigikid was born. Eva handles business development in the Americas, creating plush, educational and organic toys.

At sigikid, we put all our focus on playing. Our products are designed to make children happier. To achieve this, we use the most wholesome and important ingredients available: quality and love. sigikid toys are classic, innovative, prestigious, durable, soothing and affordable. We're playfully different!

Interested in writing a guest blog for sigikid-usa? Send your topic idea to press@sigikid-usa.com.

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. sigikid-usa makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, current-ness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

September 01, 2017 by Eva Frecea

BIG Summer Safety Tips List

Summer Safety Tips ListThe summer months are perfect to spend lots of time outside, but they come with their own dangers. We want to remind parents about the potential dangers so everyone can be prepared and have a good (but safe) time. Here is a big list of summertime safety tips.

  1. Always check both ways before crossing the street and walk, not run. Ideally children should cross with an adult. Do not run between parked cars in a parking lot.
  2. Diseases from ticks can be serious. Wear protective clothing when walking through the woods, like long pants and sleeves. Use tick repellent spray. Perform tick checks after walking through the woods.
  3. Wear a properly sized helmet whenever anyone is on any sort of wheels.
  4. Avoid the sun during peak hours: 10AM-3PM.
  5. If you spend hours outside, wear a brimmed hat and sunglasses. Put on plenty of sunscreen, especially for babies. Put it on 30 minutes before going out in the sun and every time you step out of the water.
  6. No one is drown-proof! Everyone should have a buddy when playing in the water. An adult with a baby does not count as a buddy; you need an additional person to watch for help.
  7. No swimming in the lake or ocean or public pool without a lifeguard.
  8. Remember children can drown in any water source, even backyard swimming pools, kiddie pools, ponds and streams.
  9. Swimmer’s is actually an infection you get from excess moisture hanging out in the ear. Dry the outer parts of the ear after water fun. If an infection occurs, see your doctor about some antibiotic drops.
  10. At summer picnics, food sitting out too long can spoil. Keep cold foods lower than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
  11. Keep a first aid kit nearby. It should include soap, Band-Aids, antibiotic ointment, gauze pads, clean cloths, cold pack, tweezers, Motrin or Tylenol, oral antihistamine, a thermometer, rubbing alcohol, Neosporin, and emergency contact information.
  12. Poison Ivy, Sumac and Oak aren’t any fun. If you come in contact with them, you can wash it off quickly and avoid a rash. Use hydrocortisone cream to fight rashes. Here’s how you can look out for them.
    • Poison Ivy – 3 pointed and notched leaves per stem.
    • Poison Oak – Similar to Ivy, but rounded tips.
    • Poison Sumac – 6-12 leaves in pairs with a single leaf on the stem.
    • Do not leave children unattended around hot appliances like grills.
  13. If burnt, apply cool water for 10 minutes. Do not pop any blisters. If the burn is dark and waxy (deep in the skin), seek medical attention.
  14. Floral patterned clothing attracts bees, as do open food and drink containers. If a bee lands on you, gently blow it away.
  15. Cover small children and babies with lightweight clothing and mosquito netting to keep bugs away.
  16. Choose bug repellents with 30% DEET (enough to be effective, but safe for kids), but not for babies under two months. Apply repellent once per day only.
  17. Treat bug bites with topical antihistamine to relieve the itch. Pull off any ticks with tweezers.
  18. Don’t let kids play where bugs gather, like stagnate ponds or gardens in bloom.
  19. Teach kids to swim. It might save their life! Take a CPR class so you might save someone else’s.
  20. All pools should be surrounded by fencing so children can’t get in.
  21. When you’re out in the water, everyone should be wearing a life jacket. In pools, small children (3 and under) should wear life jackets.
  22. Fireworks can burn if they aren’t handled properly, even sparklers. Attend professional displays rather than handling them yourself.
  23. Never ever leave infants alone in a parked car. They heat up faster than you think, even with cracked windows.
  24. Dress infants in loose, lightweight clothing, but keep their skin covered.
  25. Check to make sure all playground equipment is well-maintained and safe. Supervise children at all times whenever they are near a fall hazard like stairs or slides.
  26. Metal, rubber and plastic can become very hot in the summer sun and burn one’s skin.
  27. Never let kids walk around barefoot on pavement – it gets hotter than the air.
  28. Everyone needs to remember to drink regularly. Drink before you or your kids are thirsty. We lose fluids faster in the heat, so drink to compensate.
  29. Look out for heat exhaustion: symptoms are extreme thirst, fatigue, cramping, and dizziness. If a person doesn’t cool down, it can lead to heatstroke, which is deadly.
  30. If someone has heat exhaustion, put them in the shade and spray them with water. Ideally, get into air conditioning. Infants are especially vulnerable to heat exhaustion.

Written by Eva Frecea, CEO sigikid-usa

sigikid is a family owned company whose roots back more than 150 years. sigikid’s German parent company “H. Scharrer & Koch GmbH” was founded in 1856. In 1910, Theo Köhler, the great-grandfather of sigikid’s current owner, took over and introduced toys. When the next generation took over in 1968, the trademark sigikid was born. Eva handles business development in the Americas, creating plush, educational and organic toys.

At sigikid, we put all our focus on playing. Our products are designed to make children happier. To achieve this, we use the most wholesome and important ingredients available: quality and love. sigikid toys are classic, innovative, prestigious, durable, soothing and affordable. We're playfully different!

Interested in writing a guest blog for sigikid-usa? Send your topic idea to press@sigikid-usa.com.

All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. sigikid-usa makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, current-ness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

July 13, 2017 by Eva Frecea