A week in the life of homeschoolers - June 23rd - June 29th

June 23rd - June 29th


Saturday we celebrated Rowyns 5th birthday! I cannot believe my baby boy is 5, where has the time gone?

We had a blast at our apartment complex pool party. They had food, games, cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones, ballons and a bounce house. Afterwards we went home changed and then headed to my hubby's work for a family movie night. We had some more yummy food and popcorn. Played carnival games to win fun prizes. And then watched Dolphin Tale under the stars. This was by far the cheapest birthday party ever completely FREE and it was TONS of fun.

Sunday we stayed home and just relaxed. Gwyn went on a little date with daddy to Lowes to build a Madagascar Car. He also bought her an ice cream sandwich on the way home that they ate them under a tree (no pictures to share hubby is not crazy with a camera like me). Monday we had drama club and then went to the library to see Atlanta Zoo Mobile. We learned about the different regions of Georgia and the animals that live there. We also learned what Georgias state mammal and reptile are. And BEST of all we got to pet a Gopher Tortoise, Snake and Baby Alligator. Tuesday we went to Chamberlin Chocolate Factory to have some fun with chocolate. We learned about where chocolate comes from, the first group of people to utilize it, where white chocolate comes from and lots more. Then the kids got to make white chocolate lollipops using a balloon mold, chocolate pizzas and white chocolate covered Oreos with sprinkles. They also got to have a taste test where they sampled a coca bean, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Afterwards we played with some friends at the park. Wednesday we had a day filled with lots of errands. The big boy had his 5 yr old check up and speech therapy. Then I got my lockbox key so I can show houses this weekend (yup I reactivated my Real Estate license). Then we cleaned and vacuumed out the car and went grocery shopping. The kids went to bed very early due to misbehavior at the dinner table. Thursday we made some no bake oatmeal cookies and then played at the pool the rest of the day. Friday Gwyn helped me make some zucchini bread. And then we spent the day having some crafting, imagination fun. The kids made a pirate ship out of a box and a Zither all on their own. Later we headed outside into the very HOT weather to play with our new sidewalk chalk and finger paint from Rose Art. Then the kids watched their new favorite TV show on Netflix "Myth Busters." I love that they would rather watch educational shows over cartoons.

I hope you had a great week too!


Linked up with these blogs and others on the left side bar:
Summer Fun 2012, Lets Here It For The Boys 

FreeBEE Friday - Bugs, Butterflies, 4th Of July

Jen, from Gricefully Homeschooling, and I team up, every Friday, to bring you a list of freebees...on both of our blogs.

PLUS...with the added bonus of this being a weekly link up...where you can showcase your freebies, things you've found online, and also, things you've received in the mail, totally FREE in the last week...or so. 

FreeBEEs:

If you have homeschool FreeBEEs to share
please link up at the bottom of this post!
You can copy the button from my right side bar.

Internet FreeBEEs:
Summertime is upon us. It is over 100 degrees in most areas of the country right now. With Summertime comes Bugs, Butterflies and Patriotic Holidays. So in this edition of FreeBEE Fridays you will find FREE resources for these three things.

4th of July:

-Free 4th of July ebook - crafts and recipes
-Did you see my adorable Patriotic Windsock Craft?
-2 Teaching Mommies Pre-School 4th of July Unit
-Fireworks Minibook
-Simple Days Why We Celebrate the 4th of July
-4th of July History
-Can't make a firework show make your own with this cool Android App - Finger Fireworks

Bugs:

-Terminix Kids Corner
-Orkin Kids and Teachers lesson plans and more
-Simple Schooling Bugs Unit Study - NOT FREE but only 99 cents right now
-Spiders - NOT FREE but only 50 cents right now
-Video with Bee Expert
-Bug coloring pages
-Eric Carle Insect Unit on Homeschool Share
-Lots of Bug Facts
-Spider Unit Study
-Praying Mantis Lapbook on Homeschool Share - be sure to check out all of the other insect lapbooks
-Bug and Insect craft ideas
-Teacher Vision - lots of resources you cant print 5 resources FREE (use multiple computers to print more)
-Free ebook "Is this and Insect?"
-Bug games - these are so cute

Butterflies:

-Butterfly life cycle game
-Live Monarch - raise your own virtual Monarch Butterfly
-Butterfly Power Point Presentations
-Backyard Butterfly Lesson plans and more
-Butterfly Lapbook on Homeschool Share
-Simple Schooling Butterfly Lapbook and Unit Study and some cool videos (this is a limited time offer so get it quick)
-Butterfly Fun Facts - downloads, pictures, facts and more
-Butterfly coloring pages, bookmarks and life cycle worksheet
-Monarch Butterfly Copywork - Not FREE but only $1

Make sure you stop by A Journey Through Learning to snag your FREE lapbook. And check out som of the other awesome lapbooks while your there.

Giveaways:

-Expedition Mom is having a giveaway for North Georgia Petting Zoo
-Homegrown Learners - BEEhaving is Best DVD giveaway (ends June 30th)

FreeBEE events:

Michaels Passport To Imagination is still going on.

Saturday July 7th 9am - 12pm build a moving truck at Home Depot.

Barnes and Nobles events check your local store to see what's going on. Our local store has things like stories, visits from authors and more.

Sign up FreeBEEs, items I will be reviewing soon and items I won:

Top photo: Free Pen from a Facebook offer. Bottom Left: Science workbook I won. Bottom Right: More fun stuff from Rose Art. Cannot wait to share more craft posts with you.

If you don't enter blogger giveaways or do Twitter and/or Facebook parties you need to because you can win cool stuff. Also it pays to follow companies on Facebook you score lots of FREE stuff.

I hope you find these resources useful. If you ever have any questions feel free to leave me a comment or email me. Also be sure to follow my FB page where I post FreeBEEs daily.

Link up: FreeBEE Fridays with Kathy's Cluttered Mind and Gricefully Homeschooling

Remember when it comes to FREE resources the internet and a good search engine are your best friend.

*Disclaimer - Many of the links found on my side bars and in my blog posts are affiliate links. Please note that prices indicated in the post are subject to change. As a result, I might get paid money and I will most likely spend the money on homeschool supplies.


Linking up with 3 Boys and a Dog

Cooking Lessons - No Bake Oatmeal Cookies

The funds are a little tight this week so there wasn't much money for groceries. Luckily we had some things on hand that I was able to use to make some snacks and bread. So far I made some Pudding, Pudding Pops, Jello, No Bake Oatmeal Cookies and tomorrow I am attempting to make Zucchini Bread.

Today Gwyn helped me make the No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. I used this recipe but added a little bit of honey to it as well. Gwyn did a great job of measuring the ingredients and mixing them all together. And we learned a valuable lesson about NOT putting things on top of the stove. I turned on the wrong burner and we melted a plastic plate. It smoked and melted but didn't catch on fire thank goodness. It was super smelly though and we had to open a window.

What kind of things have you made with your kids in the kitchen? Have you ever had No Bake Oatmeal Cookies? They are super yummy to eat and very cheap, quick and easy to make.

Linking up with:

Please VOTE on these photos!!!

I have entered two photo contests and could use your help.

Facebook Lake Shore Learning Summer Learning Photo Contest. Please visit the photo here and then click like. It ends June 30th so please vote now. THANKS!

Dr. Seuss Mulberry Street Parade Photo Contest. You can vote once a day now through July 26th. Just click "Love It". below or visit this link if it doesn't work below. THANKS!

Contest details

Thanks for your help!

Review Learn Math Fast....And Easy

Need a simple, fun way too teach your kids math? Then be sure to read this review on the Learn Math Fast System.

I have a confession I dislike math!! Probably because math has always been confusing for me and never fun. Thanks to school class schedule conflicts and a school counselor I was pushed ahead and skipped over basic math principles in Jr. High and High School. I was plopped in Algebra 1 without taking Pre-Algebra and tossed in Pre-Calculus (which I ended up dropping out of) after struggling my way through Algebra 2. It wasn't until I took Electronics classes my Senior year that math started to click a little for me. Why? Well because it was fun and practical. 

We started out our first homeschool year using printable worksheets and workbooks on addition, subtraction an money. I soon realized my 6 yr old daughter loved math, uh oh!!! How was I going to teach a subject I dislike to a child who loves it? I knew I needed to continue making it enjoyable and that I needed to make sure they were learning all the necessary math concepts. So I started researching math curriculum's this year to find one that would meet my criteria: hands on, fun, easy for me to understand, easy for the kids to understand, simple to use and practical. I knew I didn't want a curriculum that was nothing but pages of text jargon and a few sample problems. During my research I found Learn Math Fast.

A moms review:
Learn Math Fast was created by homeschool mom J.K. Mergens. The books show how she taught math to her own son during their homeschooling years. At the age of 16 her son was enrolled in college. He was hired as a math tutor, earned 3 college degrees and today is a Civil Engineer. 

There are 5 books in the Learn Math Fast system teaching grades 1st - 9th grade. Each book teaches a different approach making it possible for children to advance several grade levels in a matter of months. Children will understand and be able to get past the 6 math stumbling blocks: Addition, Multiplication, Fractions, Negative Numbers, Solving for X and Geometry using the Learn Math Fast System. I love how the grade levels are not actually printed on the books. This is great especially for children who may be behind in math. Need to figure out what book to start your child at? Then have them take the placement test (make sure you check out the cool "9's Trick" video).

We started out with Volume 1. All of the books include the lessons, worksheets, tests, and answers. To preserve your book for another child or resale there are copies of all the worksheets on the home page of the website. Just scroll down to the very bottom of the page. The 1st edition worksheets are available to everyone for FREE however the 2nd edition worksheets require a password to access them (this is provided to you upon purchasing the book). Book one is geared towards grades 1st - 3rd. But again it is not printed on the book so if your child is in 4th grade and needs to start on Volume 1 then that's where they start and their self esteem will not be damaged by seeing 1st-3rd grade printed on the cover. Volume 1 covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, place value, the decimal point, and US measurements. I know its not a key math concept but I would have liked to see a little bit of "time" learning skills thrown in somewhere.

Volume 1 starts out teaching children about addition and subtraction using pennies. We used our play paper pennies and Gwyn really enjoyed the hands on approach. The first chapter has several lessons and starts children out very slowly by teaching how to add and subtract numbers up to 5. There is a quick lesson which uses penny visual aids followed by a game that you play with your children to make what they just learned FUN. When they are ready to move on there are a few sample problems followed by a worksheet and timed test. Children should not move onto the next chapter until they master the timed test. If your child gets stressed out about timed tests email the author for some alternative approaches. Children proceed through the first chapter by learning how to add and subtract numbers up to 10 as well as adding and subtracting the same number. In Chapter 2 children will learn how to add numbers larger than 10. Chapter 3 discusses multiplication and division. And Chapter 4 gets into US standard measurements. At the end of the book there is a final exam as well.

We have only worked through the first few lessons in Chapter 1 due to it being Summertime and Gwyn just starting to move onto 1st grade material. But what we have done so far she finds very enjoyable. She is so very proud of herself when she get the problems correct. I have paged through the rest of the book and I must say I am upset I didn't learn math this way. And I am sure as I go through the book with the children I will be learning and freshening up my math skills along with them and who knows maybe even begin to enjoy math.

A few other things I really enjoy about this book are:
-The way decimals and place values are taught using dollar bills.
-The way that multiplication is taught. The book does not focus on memorizing ALL the times tables.
-The measuring cup and spoon graphics that are used to teach measurements. This makes what they are learning very practical.
-The way that multiplication and division are covered together.
-The way that coins and dollar bills are used throughout the book which cover money learning skills.

Even if you're not in the market for math books, you might still enjoy the free worksheets, math lessons, math game, or great articles about homeschooling on the Learn Math Fast website; no "sign in" is necessary.

If you would like more information about Learn Math Fast check out their video and sample pages.




Gwyns review (6 yrs old):

I like learning about math and I like my new book. I really like counting the pennies to learn to add and minus. 

Links to follow:
-Learn Math Fast Website

Where to buy:
The books can be purchased directly from Learn Math Fast. The individual books are $49.00 or you can opt to purchase them as a package: Volume 1-4 is $149.00 and Volume 1-5 is $190.00. All prices include FREE shipping. If you need to make payments there is an option to do that as well through Paypal.


*Disclaimer - I received a copy of Volume 1 Learn Math Fast in return for my honest review. Please note that prices indicated in the post are subject to change. I was not compensated for my review and all opinions are our own! Many of the links found on my side bars and in my blog posts are affiliate links. As a result, I might get paid money and I will most likely spend the money on homeschool supplies.

Totally Ridiculous Misspelled Sign

I just had to share this photo. This sign is posted in a local public park which we were playing at today with some homeschool friends. It's a great park with a very nice playground. Not only is the wording hilarious since its a park where umm, children play but...check out how "prohibited" is spelled. Our hard earned tax dollars are hard at work don't you think?

Deals and Steals - Unit Studies, Field Trips, Lapbooks, Photobooks

Passing along some great deals I have found. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom for a some great FREE stuff.

$4-$5 Unit Studies Get Moving - Auto Racing, Sailing Ships, Flight, Trains, Amelia Earhart. Buy all 5 get another $5 off. Plus make sure you get your FREE Planner!

Make sure you take advantage of these great We Choose Virtues Sales.

-Now thru July get 25% off any Kit $99.00 or above with promo code START25.
-Kids Virtue Poster and Three Rules Poster ship FREE in June.
-Use code POSTER35 for 35% off ALL posters.
-Use VIRTUE15 for 15% off your cart .
 -SHIPFREE for free worldwide shipping.

(only one coupon code is allowed per order)

Knowledge Box Central Lapbooks check out these awesome $5 lapbooks.

Make sure you check out the great sales going on over at Bright Ideas Press. Young Scholars Guide to Composers is currently 30% off.

Get up to 75% off photo books at My Publisher.


GA Deal. $14 for a Family 4-Pack of Tickets to Aurora Children's Playhouse - a $28 Value - ENDS SOON

GA Deal. AMF Bowling – Multiple Locations - Two Hours of Bowling and Shoe Rental for Two or Four (Up to 64% Off) $15 or $25.

And of course I have to share some FREE stuff with you too...

FREE Middle School Chemistry Lesson Plans. This looks like an amazing resource.

Prang Underwater View FREE art lesson.

Jumpstart FREE Worksheets. There are some amazing worksheets on the Jumpstart website for every grade and subject.

FREE Summer Clip Art from Lakeshore Learning.

*Disclaimer - Many of the links found on my side bars and in my blog posts are affiliate links. As a result, I might get paid money and I will most likely spend the money on homeschool supplies.

Patriotic Windsock Craft

When you think of Summertime what comes to mind? Vacations, beaches, pool time, cookouts, playgrounds and camping? Well let's not forget all of the patriotic holidays that occur in the Summer like Flag Day, Memorial Day and The 4th of July! So today am sharing an adorable patriotic craft how to with you. This patriotic windsock will make a great 4th of July decoration. I got this idea from Mrs. Schott during our Founders Academy Flag Day course.

Materials:
-Red, White (x2) and Blue Construction Paper
-Glue
-Tape
-Kid-Friendly Scissors
-Assorted Glitter - like Rose Art Glitter Glue Pens, Magic Glitter Pens, Glitter Shakers
-Streamers
-Fishing Line

Instructions:

1. Take a piece of red construction paper and fold it into 1/8's length-wise. This will make lines for the kids to cut along. You could also use a ruler to make the lines but I found this quicker and easier. Next have your kids cut out the 8 strips.

2. Glue the red strips onto the white construction paper width-wise. Then fold the blue construction paper in half width-wise and glue it to the top of the white paper.

3. Next cut out several stars from another piece of white construction paper and glue them to the blue portion. Now let your kids loose with the glitter and glitter pens.

4. Cute several streamers to your desired length and have your kids tape them to the backside of the white portion. Now make a tube with your completed project and glue or tape the ends together.

5. Now add some fishing line to the top of the windsock to hang it up. Gwyn hung hers up outside of our front door. Doesn't it look great with our ribbon?

*Disclaimer - Rose Art supplies from Mega Brand supplies us with lots of wonderful products in return for honest review and craft project how to's. I was not compensated for my review and all opinions are our own! Many of the links found on my side bars and in my blog posts are affiliate links. As a result, I might get paid money and I will most likely spend the money on homeschool supplies.

A week in the life of homeschoolers - 5 week Summer fun update

Well I am behind AGAIN. Summertime has really thrown off our routine (well what little routine we had). We have been busy enjoying the outdoors and spending LOTS of time with friends. We actually haven't been doing much "school work" like I had planned. I had hoped to continue working on unit studies and a few other things but hubby said we needed a break because we worked so hard this past year. So I have been spending time with the kids and having FUN! After all this is my first summer as a stay at home mom.

Beware this post contains lots of photo collages!!

May 20th - May 26th
What a wonderful fun filled week despite not having a car again most of the week. Monday we had an amazing first annual homeschool field day. There was about 80+ kids. We played lots of games and had an amazing picnic lunch. Tuesday we had Lego club at the library. Wednesday I took the kids and the ferret to the play court to ride their bikes and play with sidewalk chalk. Later Gwyn played on Coindexter a really cool game that teaches kids finances. Friday we did some Geocaching and Hiking. We found two more puzzle pieces to our GA 400 Geocache. Then we found a new place to hike called Sawnee Mountain Preserve. We also did another Geocache there as well and got to see an awesome view of North GA.  Saturday morning the kids learned to fish Tom and Huck style. The kids got a lesson from a park ranger and then made fishing poles out of bamboo. They even used a cork for the bobber. Both kids had a blast and my crazy daughter enjoyed cutting worms in half and playing with the fish that were caught. She even kissed one, YUCK!  Later that night I got to enjoy some alone time with several moms from our homeschool group.  I painted a gorgeous sunflower canvas painting which is now hanging in Gwyns room.

May 27th - June 2nd
Sunday we had a great family day at Tree Top Preserve. We got to climb and zip through the trees. You can check out my review about this place over at Expedition Mom. Monday we went to downtown Roswell to celebrate Memorial Day we had a fun time and got to hear some amazing stories from Veterans and got to hear some amazing music. Later in the afternoon we took an amazing Memorial Day course from Founders Academy. Wednesday we went tubing down the Chattahoochee River in Helen, GA. There were several homeschool families that attended and everyone had such a blast. We also walked around Helen which is an awesome town. It is actually a replica of an Alpine Village. We checked out the cool shops, got some yummy ice cream and ate lunch by the river. The kids also got to feed Molly a carriage horse some carrots. It was so much fun we are doing it again in July on a weekend so the dads can join the fun. Thursday we had fun with our friends playing at the Sprayground in Roswell, GA. Friday we enjoyed a relaxing day at home. Rowyn has been really into Superman so he decided it would be fun to fly around the house. Then we played in the rain which is one of the many items on our Summer Fun Bucket List. We also made a cheesecake and decorated it with sprinkles, watched movies and read books. Saturday we relaxed at home and Gwyn lost another tooth she was so excited.

June 3rd - June 9th
Sunday we enjoyed a day at the HIGH Museum of Art. I also have written a review about this place for Expedition Mom. The kids had a lot of fun and learned all sorts of amazing things. Monday we had our very first drama club meeting. Tuesday we took a tour of Canine Assistance and learned all about how they train assistance dogs for the disabled. The kids got to even play with the puppies. Afterwards we had some fun eating lunch and playing at the park with our friends. Wednesday we had our very first Geocaching Club meetup. I taught several of our friends how to Geocache and we released Homeschool Pinocchio on his journey around the world. Then the kids and I colored our Rose Art Imagination Station which we used as our Lemonade Stand for our Alex's Lemonade Stand event. Thursday we made some brownies, played on the computer and went to the library for a puppet show. Friday we held our first Alex's Lemonade Stand to help raise money for childhood cancer. You can read more about it here. We had a great turn out and raised $235.85.

June 10th - June 16th 
Monday we had another fun day of drama. Wednesday we went to see The Little Mermaid Pirate (another review by me) at the Center For Puppetry Arts. The show was absolutely amazing. Afterwards we met some friends at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Thursday we went to see a very cool, educational magician at the library. He got the kids excited about reading and shared some pretty cool facts with them while preforming magic tricks. The kids also got to pick out their free books for reading 10 books for the summer reading program. They also got coupons for FREE Chick-fil-A kids meals so we ate out for lunch. Later we took a Flag Day course from Founders Academy and then made a patriotic windsocks as a craft. Friday we got to learn all about K9 Police Dogs in a demonstration by the Cherokee County Sheriffs Department. This was such a cool educational event. Afterwards we went to Stevi B's for some pizza and ice cream. Saturday was my birthday and 12th wedding anniversary. We went to Krispy Kreme for breakfast then had some fun playing video games. Later that night my wonderful husband let me go out with the girls for a fabulous girls night out!

June 17th - June 22nd 
Sunday we enjoyed a great Fathers Day at White Water. I am so very thankful to have awesome friends who get us into places for free. Monday we had drama club then we went to our friends house to pick some amazing blueberries. The kids also got to play with a really cute black bunny named Enota. When we got home the kids decided to they wanted to make blueberry pancakes. Tuesday we went to the library and a great time at the petting zoo. The kids got to pet Ponies, Goats, a Donkey, a Pig, Scottish Highland Cow, an Alpaca and a Chicken. We stayed there for an hour and a half and my kids even helped pack up the petting zoo trailer. The kids read 10 more books so they each got another FREE Chick-fil-A kids meal. Afterwards we headed to the pool for the first time this Summer. Gwyn told me she was going to learn to swim this year. Last year she was terrified of the water but not this year. We also collected dead bugs from the pool to add to our bug board. Afterwards the kids helped me make dinner, Pasta with spaghetti sauce and baked zucchini. Wednesday we had fun playing in the fountains at Centennial Olympic Park. We also got to watch the fountain show. We also took some pictures with the Dolphins on Parade which is one to of the things on our Summer Fun Bucket List. Thursday we hung out with Moms Mustard Seeds at her pool. The kids had a blast and so did I. Nothing better than chatting with a homeschool mom friend! And well today Friday we are spending time at home. I am organizing the schoolroom, cleaning the apartment and getting caught up some other things like finishing this post.

So that is what we have been up to the past five weeks. Hopefully I will be better about getting next week up.


Linked up with these blogs and others on the left side bar:

Coindexter - Teach Your Kids Financial Literacy

We have been homeschooling for a year now and one thing I have noticed that doesn't seem to get a lot of attention in the homeschool community is financial literacy. If you are anything like my husband and I you have probably made lots of financial mistakes throughout your lives. So why not begin educating our children at an early age on how to earn, manage and invest money? Well Coindexter is one way you can teach your children financial literacy in a FUN way. I learned about Coindexter at the GHEA Homeschool Conference. They were luring kids and parents to their booth with two computers where kids could play the game. They also gave out free adorable canvas tote bags, activity/coloring pages and pens. Gwyn had a great time playing the game at the conference and was immediately hooked. She begged me the rest of the day to get the game for her.

A moms review:

Welcome to the town of Econopolis - home to Professor Phineus Coindexter and the Coindexter Kids Penny Parker, Nick Nickels, Kelli and Kerry Cash, Luis Lender, Debbie Dinero, Chelsea Ching, and Billy Yen. (Piggy Banks will be featured in a separate site for younger children up to 5 years of age).  Econopolis is a fun and safe environment where children will learn to earn, save, invest and even spend money. This game even has an entire story built into it. In the town of Econopolis there are currently 5 areas your children can explore: the Mansion, Downtown, Boulevard, Midtown and Country.

Throughout the game children earn money by having jobs and doing chores. Gwyn's favorite job is the lemonade stand. In this game children must purchase their own inventory, budget their funds, serve customers and count back the customers change. Most of the time I have to assist Gwyn with this game because she has a difficult time toggling back and forth between recipe and ingredient screens and runs out of time. Children can also earn money through a newspaper route or by cleaning grimy dishes.

After children earn their money they can do all sorts of cool things like buy a piggy bank which will fly around behind them during the game and allow them to carry more money with them, open a savings account which will earn interest, visit the ATM to deposit or withdraw money, learn to write a check, and invest at the stock exchange where they will learn the concept of stocks both the good and the bad. They will learn terms like portfolio, value, market, shares and more. Once kids get $200 into their savings account there is a special VIP room that is unlocked. 

They can also have fun buying clothes, hairdos and gear. This is Gwyn's favorite part and she is learning a valuable lesson already because she keeps running out of money before she can even buy herself a piggy bank. She is such a girl and likes to change her clothes and hair way too much.

There are some other fun games as well like the recycling game, ispy game where children must find the missing time machine pieces and a memory game which uses currency types from around the world. Throughout the game there are Coindexter club members with red icons who will tell your children all there is to see in and do in Econopolis.

Your children will be able to see and interact with other children who are playing the game at the same time. Now I know what you're thinking...but don't worry because children can only interact using canned dialog making the conversation very friendly. The Coindexter program does conform to the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act and is certified by TRUSTe. 

Gwyn, age 6, has been able to navigate much of the game on her own. She has needed my help with reading dialog to her and playing two of the games. The controls are pretty simple and use the arrows on the keyboard and the mouse.

The program is geared towards kids as young as 5 or 6 up to early teens.

Program Updates Coming This Year:

• By the end of the year Coindexter will be adding 10 additional games as well as several more areas to explore.
• Coindexter will be converting to a  FREE play model in September of this year. This means that a paid membership will not longer be required unless you wish to have a premium account where you can access more advanced games and features.
• There will be an updated  parent portal which will also have a phone app available. In the portal, parents will be able to track and analyze their children's progress in four behavior categories: earning, saving, spending and investing. 
• The 'Coindexter Mission Objective' feature will be added. Mission Objectives will send children on mini-quests where they will work on a behavior category they are struggling in. In return for completing the objectives they will earn rewards. 
• The 'Coindexter Savings Bank' and 'Coindexter Rewards' features are being added. This feature will allow parents to enter real world chores and activities that children can perform in order to earn Coindexter Rewards which can be spent in the new Coindexter Reward Zone. These items will be real items (like toys, games, puzzles) that will be available through participating financial institutions, as well as virtual items that can be used in the game. 
• A Coindexter mobile app for both Android and iPhone is in the works and the app will be connected to the Coindexter nextwork so any money and rewards earned will be reflected at all times on your child's account.
  
  

Gwyns review (6 yrs old):

I like the game because its fun and educational. You can learn about getting pieces to fix the time machine. You can learn to earn money. You can learn to count money. I like the characters that live in the town.

Links to follow:
-Coindexter Website
-Coindexter on Facebook
-Coindexter on YouTube

Where to buy:

Currently you can purchase a Coindexter 1 month membership for $5.99, a 6 month membership for $17.99 and a 1 year membership for $24.99. You can also check with your bank or credit union to see if they offer the Coindexter program in your area. AND remember in September the program will be FREE so make sure you save this website as a favorite!!

*Disclaimer - I received a 90 day trial in return for my honest review. Please note that prices indicated in the post are subject to change. I was not compensated for my review and all opinions are our own! Many of the links found on my side bars and in my blog posts are affiliate links. As a result, I might get paid money and I will most likely spend the money on homeschool supplies.