On those days when only two people want to play a game, as often happens in our house (kid and dad), Think Fun offers a new logic 3D four-in-a-row game called Stratos Spheres for kids ages 8+. Logic 3D Four-in-a-Row Game: Stratos Spheres Stratos Spheres is similar to tic-tac-to except that you must get 4 in a […]
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ION: A Compound Building Game intimidated me at first glance. But, this chemistry game surprised and delighted me because I LEARNED (what my 13-year old already knew) simply by playing this new STEM game. And even better, I thought it was AWESOME that I learned so much in a fun, interactive way. ION got up to speed […]
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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle invented the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes. Since Doyle’s writing is too difficult for most kids, I’ve found alternatives — easier-to-comprehend books for kids and teens related to Sherlock Holmes plus a few other fun goodies as well . . . Sherlock Holmes for Kids Sherlock Holmes in the Hound of the Baskervilles BabyLit® by Jennifer Adams , illustrated by Alison […]
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As you know, I’m a huge fan of Think Fun‘s learning games for kids. Their latest math game, Math Dice Chase, is an engaging game for kids practicing multiplication skills. It’s like Hot Potato but with multiplication and pairs of dice. I think it’s best for 3 to 6 players and highly recommend it for classrooms. Math Dice Chase […]
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So last weekend we opened a new (2015) game. And played it for hours! It’s called Bounce-Off. It’s surprisingly addictive, very entertaining, and great for anyone– adults and kids. We highly recommend it for your family since it’s our new favorite family game. And, Bounce-Off is in my recommended 2015 games gift guide. (If you want to […]
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Stories influence and shape us, they also help us make sense of our lives and the world in which we live. Most of the time we think of story as something that we read or hear. But, it’s important to remember that story is also something that we create and say out loud. Building the storytelling muscles […]
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Schmovie is a clever family game for ages 8+ requiring creativity to win trophies for making up the funniest, best movie titles. My kids and I love it — partly because if we play it at night, I’m hopeless at creative movie titles and they ALWAYS WIN. Schmovie is meant for 3-6 players or, if you have more people, you can […]
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You want your child to be happy, creative, and smart, right? Let her play. Yes. Play. Ignore our adult created concept that kids need scheduled activities. It’s not true. It’s not how kids learn. How to Raise a Happy, Creative, and Smart Child Kids actually learn by playing! (See links below to the decades […]
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We LOVE puzzles — so we feel that we’ve researched all types of puzzles for children of all ages. And for the toddler / preschooler set, the P’Kolino puzzles are our hands-down favorite. Puzzles, as you probably know, are fantastic learning toys. They help children develop hand-eye coordination, spatial skills, and fine motor skills. Plus, these double sided options allow children room […]
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You know we love puzzles but do you know that my kids are addicted to puzzle races? (Especially against daddy.) They’ll get a stack of 3-4 puzzle boxes with the exact number of pieces, usually 30 – 50, and race to see who can finish all the puzzles first. Well we just discovered that we were […]
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Want to know one of our favorite open-ended toys? My kids don’t have many toys that have lasted as long in the play rotation as this toy– ZOOBs. It’s pretty amazing considering my kids have been playing with ZOOBs since ages 4 and 7! Now they’re 11 and 14 and still playing with them. Which is why I […]
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Want a learning game that is totally fun? Oddly Obvious is a family word game that is so engaging that kids don’t even realize how much they’re thinking and learning. But trust me, they will be thinking! This game forces players to think about puns and word play in order to guess the correct word and win. Oddly Obvious Word […]
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I can’t wait to tell you about the latest new books to get your kids excited about reading. So for this summer vacation 2016 or any time, browse through these reviews and see what will appeal to your child. See also my summer book lists by grade and age. New Books for Summer 2016 Nick and Tesla’s Solar-Powered […]
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Whether staying home or traveling, it’s SO helpful to have activity books for your kids to keep them engaged in non-tech learning and creativity over the summer vacation. Here are a mix of just-for-fun and educational travel, coloring, and activity books. Activity Books for Road Trips Boredom Buster Games for the Road by Lonely Planet Kids You’ll find fun travel games […]
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The card game, Pick and Draw, takes learning the basics of cartoon faces and makes it into a fun drawing game for kids and families and was created by Rich Davis, the illustrator of the Tiny and Kell book series. Davis created this $10 card game using basic shapes to broken down into categories of features — face, mouth, etc. The […]
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This July 1, American Girl is releasing a new product in collaboration with Mattel’s Mega Bloks team — AG building sets. American Girl Building Sets & Writing Prompt These building sets have fully articulated Girl of the Year mini figure characters, including Grace, Isabelle, Saige, McKenna, and Nicki. (My kids think the bendiness aka. articulation is great feature.) […]
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Want a fun math game to practice mental math? Clumsy Thief is an exciting, fast-paced game that makes addition pairs to 100 exciting and believe it or not, hilarious. Because there’s stealing involved. (Hence the thief part of the game. Which makes everything more fun.) Clumsy Thief Card Game Players are dealt 7 cards each. Each […]
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I always want my kids to pretend play — to imagine, to create, and to just be unplugged. As they get older, it’s been harder and harder to find something that will engage both kids in pretend play with something they will play together. (They’re 14 and 11.) But Play Tape pretend road tape reinvigorated my kids’ imaginative […]
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Are your kids Harry Potter fans? Have you tried any of the Harry Potter games? These five favorites games of ours keep our HP love going strong. (Not to mention it hones our attention to detail.) I must add that I LOVE that my kids still are fans even as teens and tweens! I don’t think they’ll […]
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Minecraft Stop Motion Animation Studio was a recent reward for my Minecraft loving daughter. It came with 1 movie stage, 6 different backgrounds, 3 exclusive mini-figures, a device holder, and over 18 other accessories. It’s been a fun way to make Minecraft stop motion movies. (Not to mention the bonus of getting cute collectibles.) Minecraft Stop Motion Animation To set up your […]
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