The Best Educational Toys that Offer Holistic Development

*This post may be a sponsored post or may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

Kids definitely have it all in this day and age. It is so easy to get them toys from all across the world these days, some parents just cannot keep up with all of their requests. You can get them building blocks from the UK, educational toys from Australia, even those animal rocking chairs in the US. But there are some toys that we should be focusing on, and those are toys that stimulate a child’s mental capabilities. These are not just educational, in a way, it also enhances their physical capabilities.

Here we have listed down toys that offer holistic development when our kids play with them.

Smart Globe Discovery by Oregon Scientific
Teach your kids all about the different countries and continents of the world with the Smart Globe Discovery. It comes with 19 interactive games that can teach you kids all about capital cities, geologic features, and more. This is one of the best ways to help expand your kids’ vocabulary and to ensure that their grasp on general knowledge is improving.

Genius Kit by Osmo
If the name of this is any indicator, our kids will probably become smarter than us in the future. The Genius Kit is a technology-based board game that aims to stimulate a child’s problem-solving skills. It features interactive activities on Tangram, Masterpiece, Newton, Words, and Numbers. There are also a whole lot more that can be downloaded through iOS.

Rock on! Geology Game with Rock and Mineral Collection Kit by iLaughnLearn
A different kind of science kit is surely a good addition to your child’s growing number of toys. This does not make use of the usual soft chemicals to make volcanoes or bolts and wires for their first circuit board; Rock On! is meant to teach kids about the planet through its natural geologic processes. They will learn about and be able to create rock formations and stones. The kit comes with rock cards, rock specimens, and a little more than 60 minerals and elements.

Mathlink Cubes - 100 by Learning Resources
Mathlink Cubes work like LEGOs, in a way that each cube can be attached to another on all its sides. It has been used to teach kids basic mathematical concepts, like assigning values to differently coloured cubes and allowing them to think through the problem in front of them. It has become a most helpful tool in improving their math skills, but more than that, it can also improve a child’s spatial skills and motor coordination.

There are still countless of other educational toys your kids can play with on their free time. Bring this list with you when you are considering what to give them for as a gift. Remember, though, that education does not just come from the toys or from lessons learnt in school. Being able to do things with them, something as simple as playing these toys with them helps enhance their communication skills and will surely add to your bonding moments.

Amino Science Game Review (Kickstarter Campaign)

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

A moms review: 
We love games and Kickstarter so of course I jumped at a chance to help the creators of Amino spread the word about their educational, science game. Amino was created by Lauren Woolsey a 4th year graduate student at Harvard. Below I have my personal review about the game, but you can learn even more and watch several videos on the Amino Kickstarter Campaign page.

Lauren was kind enough to send me a protype of this lightweight strategy game for our family to check out. The portable game comes in a plastic case and contains 42 playing cards, 6 player reference cards and 2 sets of the game rule cards. You can read the rules in their entirety here (they fit on one sheet of paper)!

My favorite part about the game is how quick and easy it is to learn. In just a few minutes you will be playing this simple, fast and fun game. The game can be played in just 30-45 minutes and is designed for 3-6 players. It is fun for both children (ages 7+) and adults. Game play includes bluffing, strategy and memory skills.

The object of the game is to collect molecules to form amino acids. It is the perfect game for homeschool and classroom use because it teaches real science! Each card collected represents molecules and environmental effects. The goal is to build an atmosphere that can foster the creation of amino acids.

During each turn players complete four actions. First they peek at two of the cards face down on the table, next they play a card in their atmo, then they swap any two played cards or play a card in any atmo and lastly they draw a card from the deck. Don't worry it is not as complicated as it sounds and there is a help reference card to help you remember. Each molecule card has a value (+ and -) for keeping score. There are also two additional cards lightning and sunlight which act as wild cards and bonus cards. The object of the game (besides learning) is to get the most points and put negative-point cards in front of other players. Sounds fun right!!

I played the game with my 7 and 9 year old's and had a blast. Since each molecule card includes the chemical symbol, molecular diagram and science fact we not only had fun together but we also learned together too.

The only minor improvement I feel the game needs before hitting production is a revamp on the instructions. There were a few things missing from the instructions that confused me a little bit...but thanks to the game playing videos on the campaign we were able to learn how to play Amino very quickly.

Back the campaign:
Fellow homeschoolers, parents and educators you can help make this worthy dream a reality by donating $1 or more on Kickstarter before March 7th! If the campaign meets its goal the game will retail for around $8.

Make sure you also visit Crafts, Games and Science Unit to learn more about Lauren's endeavors.

Out of the Box Games - Snake Oil Party Potion Review

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

Out of the Box Games is an American game publisher that has been dedicated to providing fun, innovative party, card and board games since 1998. All of their games are easy to learn, colorfully illustrated, fun, educational and easily played in less than an hour. And they have won numerous awards.

A moms review: 
We love games...like a lot. We love them so much that we have an entire chest and bookshelf full of them. And I am always on the search for games that are not only fun, but also educational. Well the game we received from Out of the Box Games totally fits the bill!

We received a copy of Snake Oil – Party Potion which is recommended for children ages 8 years and older...however younger children that are able to read will be able to play as well. Snake Oil is super easy to learn and lots of fun to play. We couldn't wait to play Party Potion, so the day it arrived we grabbed the quilt, headed out to the front lawn and played several rounds. Both my 8 and 7 year old loved the game and had no trouble playing it.  They especially liked that there were no lengthy instructions. It was the perfect way sneak in reading for the day. Since then we have played the game several times and each time the game is tons of fun and different than time before.

Before I get into the game playing specifics I want to tell you the educational values of this game. It just so happened that we were learning about the Wild West when the game arrived and it went along wonderfully with what we were learning about. Have you ever heard of Snake Oil? Well the term Snake Oil is from the Wild West days and was used to describe fake health products. In the ol' days, salesmen would try to convince customers to buy oil or liquors in medicine bottles. Yup those magic bottles would cure all yer' aches and pains. People spent their life savings only to realize a few days later that they had been swindled and that the Snake Oil salesman was long gone and probably already in the next town.  Some of the other educational concepts this game promotes are oral presentation skills, creativity and innovation, risk taking, communication skills, vocabulary building, empathetic persuasion strategies and more.

How To Play The Game:
The game is designed to be played by 3-6 players, takes just 5 minutes to learn and 20-30 minutes to play....but your children will have so much fun they will want to play for hours.

To play Snake Oil Party Potion you first decide who will be the customer. The customer then chooses a customer card (blue on one side and green on the other). The customer cards provide a role such as Mad Scientist, Princess, Snowman, The President, etc.

The other players use the word cards (2 sets included) to create a unique, outrageous product for the customer. Each player (aka Snake Oil salesman) will lay down two word cards to create a potion. Next they will pitch their product to the customer and convince them as to why they NEED the product. Boy does it get silly.

After the players have made their pitches, the customer awards the customer card to the player who had the best sales pitch. Then the player to the left of the customer becomes the next customer. The game continues in this fashion until everyone has been the customer at least once....or in our case until all the customer cards are finished. The winning player is the one with the most customer cards.

Doesn't that sound like tons of fun?

The game even grows with your children because you can combine the Snake Oil Party Potion cards with the original Snake Oil game (recommended for ages 10 and up) for even more game playing fun.

This game is lots fun and perfect for the entire family...even the anti game playing members. We had a blast playing and laughing together. And later the children had fun drawing pictures of the crazy products they concocted. Can you imagine what poison milk, magic pants or wish plunger would like like? We loved the fact that the game is easy to transport making it perfect for family camping trips, car rides or hotel stays. It has become a new family favorite and thankfully it is packaged in a small box so it had no problem finding a home on the game shelf.

Links to follow:

-Out of the Box Facebook
-Out of the Box Twitter
-Out of the Box YouTube

Where to buy:
Snake Oil Party Potion retails for $14.99 and can be found at local game stores and on Amazon.

Click here for more Out Of The Box Games reviews from the The Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Robot Turtles Game Review

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

Robot Turtles is the most backed board game in Kickstarter history. The game was created by Dan Shapiro a father of twins and software programmer. Dan got the idea for Robot Turtles during his shower one morning. He created the first version using clip art images and had so much fun playing it with his children that he took a leave of absence from his job at Google to develop the game.

A moms review:
I never pass up an opportunity to review an educational board game, because games are part of our homeschool learning arsenal. When I read about Robot Turtles I immediately fell in love with this one of kind game. The game is great for children ages 4-10 years old and provides crucial brain development and computer programming skills. Children will learn about order of operations, debugging, limited syntax, functions and more. The board game is very similar to a video game and has cool obstacles and powers that you can unlock along the way. 2-5 players can play this game, which literally takes seconds to learn (which is awesome when you have impatient children). The game is one that will grow with your children as their programming skills improve.

The first time we played the game it was a rainy dreary day, which is perfect game playing weather. After reading the basic game instructions, which took just a minute, we were ready to play. In the game the parent is the "Turtle Mover" and the children are the "Turtle Masters." The "Turtle Mover" run the game, provide encouragement and add to the fun my making silly turtle noises. My children really enjoyed the silly turtle noises that I was required (per the game instructions) to make. Turtle Masters get to create the programming and boss the "Turtle Mover" (aka computer) around. 

Beep, boop, beep, boop! Doot-dot, doot-dot-doo! Zippity, Zap!

After children decide which color "Robot Turtle Tile" they want to be (Beep, Dot, Pi, Pangle) they are ready to start creating their code. Each child takes turns laying down a "Code Card" and the "Turtle Master" moves the child's "Robot Turtle Tile". "Code Cards" allow children to move Forward, Left and Right. For younger children who may not completely understand left vs right yet the "Code Cards" and "Robot Turtle Tiles" have color coded flowers to help guide children.

The object of the game is to reach the matching "Jewel Tile" in the center of the board. There is no need to worry about making a mistake because there is a "Bug Tile" to undo a move.The children caught on quickly and after playing the basic game a few times they were ready to move onto some of the "Obstacle Tiles". The obstacles include: Ice Walls, Stone Walls and Crates. In order to get around obstacles more advanced "Code Cards" will need to be used these include lasers and function frog.

My 7 and 8 year old fell in love with the game the first time we played it and even after 2 hours of continuous game playing they were not bored. It is a game that they ask to play at least twice a week. Both children are getting really good at the game and they have been able to add several different "Obstacle Tiles" to their game playing.

The game board game, cards and game pieces are bright, colorful, and sturdy. This game provides families with endless learning opportunities and before you know it your children will be writing computer games rather than just playing them.

On the Thinkfun Robot Turtles website there are video instructions, extra game board setups, the full Robot Turtles story, adventure quests and more.

Gwyn (8 years old) and Rowyns review (7 yrs old):
Gwyn, "I like the turtles they are cute. I think the guy did a good job creating the game. I have fun playing the game with my mom and brother. I like the creativity of the game. It is so much more fun than our other regular board games. I liked it so much I hope he makes more fun games"

Rowyn, "I like the crystal cards. The game is fun and exciting. I have fun playing with the turtles and moving them on the board."

Links to follow:

-Robot Turtles Website
-Robot Turtle Facebook 
-Robot Turtle Twitter 

Where to buy:
You can purchase Robot Turtles on Amazon for $24.99. Also available from Robot Turtles is an interactive, choose your adventure Robot Turtles storybook.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Rainbow Bandz Loom Kit Review

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

Rainbow Bandz® is a company dedicated to providing top quality Rainbow Loom Kits which are very fun and beneficial to children. Rainbow Bandz believes in providing their customers with the best satisfaction and best quality in all aspects including  product performance, delivery and support.

A moms review:
A few weeks ago a special package arrived for my daughter. She had been dreaming of getting her very own loom kit since last Christmas. Loom kits were the hottest trend and were on every top 10 toy list for Christmas 2013. Sadly there was no loom under the tree. But her sweet friends provided her with lots of beautiful bracelets which she cherished.

When the packaged arrived I told her it was a present for her....a very belated Christmas present (who says you can't have Christmas in June). When she opened the package and saw what was inside she let out a huge squeal and immediately opened the Rainbow Bandz Loom Kit to get started.

The Rainbow Bandz Loom Kit comes in a lightweight, slim, sturdy black box. This made it very easy for Gwyn to tote it around with her where ever she went, which she totally did. Inside there is an organizer which holds the hook with base opener, durable plastic loom, 24 C-clips, 600 colorful silicone latex free rubber bands, and instruction manual. You can make up to 28 colorful and durable bracelets, necklaces, rings and more. It is recommended for children ages 4 and up.

The instruction manual is easy to follow and provides step by step written instructions and clear close up photos for creating a "single" pattern bracelet. These are the ones Gwyn made the most of. She is 8 years old and was able to read the instructions all on her own. Also included in the manual are tips, pointers, how to for the mini rainbow bandz tool and even a pattern map for creating more intricate designs. We haven't quite figured out the other design options yet.

With this kit you can make single and wide pattern bracelets and you can even combine multiple loom sets together to make even longer and wider combinations. Short combinations make fun rings and longer combinations make crazy necklaces.

This is a great kit for beginners and experts. It helps children develop their dexterity, mental and cognitive skills while having fun and being creative. And the completed creations make great gifts too!

Gwyn sometimes has an issue with keeping herself entertained and unfortunately I hear the words "mom I'm bored" out of her mouth way too much. But thanks to the Rainbow Bandz Loom Kit she has found something that keeps her busy for hours and fosters her creative spirit too.

Gwyns review (age 8):
I love my Rainbow Bandz Loom Kit . I made lots of gifts for friends and my family. Mommy wears here bracelets all the time. I like that I can take it with me in the car to keep me busy on trips.

Where to buy:
You can purchase a Rainbow Bandz Loom Kit on Amazon currently for $9.99. Each kit comes with a complete 90-day no hassle free replacement guarantee. They make a great gift for any occasion.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sini Zeenie Dollz Review - Saving The Planet That's Our Style

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details. Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

The concept of Zeenie Dollz started out as a sketch by Hansini Wadhwani the creator, designer and inventor of this adorable planet saving doll series. Hansini showed her supportive mother, Laxmi Wadhwani her sketch of Mother Earth, a girl with flowing blue hair. And together this mother-daughter team brought that sketch to life. Zennia (Mother Earth) was the first doll in the series. From there the duo worked together to create 5 more dolls. Their belief in this one of a kind concept, creativeness and passion for the environment shines through in these beautiful dolls.

“We are thrilled to launch the new Zeenie Dollz series,” said Laxmi Wadhwani, sales director, Zeenie Dollz LLC. “The dolls truly tap into a unique, eco market and we are proud to bring this message to the toy industry. The Zeenie Dollz are beautiful and fashionable, but they also align with environmental causes that need our attention. We hope this eco-awareness will appeal to a wide range of today’s children and parents.”

A moms review:

We received the Sini, Zeenie Doll to review. Sini was so amazing that I decided she would make a very special Christmas gift for my 7 year old daughter so these are my personal thoughts, however I will come back and update this post (at the bottom) with Gwyn's thoughts.

I was very intrigued by Zeenie Dollz and really felt that this was the perfect item for us to review for several reasons. First Zeenie Dollz is a small, family owned and operated business which I am a BIG advocate of. Secondly as a homeschool mom I try to teach my children about the importance of everything and everyone around us and show them that we can make a difference. As a family we enjoy helping others and making our World a better place. And thirdly they create a one of a kind modest doll with amazing values perfect for little girls ages.

If you read my blog often or follow us on Instagram then you know I have a 7 year old daughter who is VERY passionate about animals, the environment and nature. Her passion is to own a horse farm/animal rescue when she is older. She even has a blog Adventures Of A Homeschool Cowgirl dedicated to her love for animals. When I read about this company I just knew we had to review one of these dolls. They are the perfect doll for little girls who have a deep passion for the World!

These 12 inch, ball jointed dolls are absolutely beautiful. Each one has a unique look and style. They sort of resemble the Bratz dolls, but I personally think they are prettier and I like their outfits much better. Their outfits are colorful, stylish, beautiful and reflect their different eco-powers. Gwyn is going to love Sini's pink and purple dress which which has cats and dogs on it. Each Zeenie Dollz comes with a stand, silicone saving the planet bracelet, plush toy sidekick, luggage tag and hairbrush. What makes these dolls really SPECIAL though is that each one is made from non-toxic recycled materials, right down to the packaging the dolls come in. The package is actually a biodegradable plastic.

Packaging!

The Zeenie dolls have 12 ball joints which provide flexibility and movement during play. She can hold things in her arms, strike various poses and tackle any eco job that may come her way. And thanks to the included stand she can even stand all on her own. Their beautiful colored locks can be combed and styled to perfection. And their jewelry, shoes and clothing can be easily removed. My favorite feature is their large, striking eyes!

Choosing a doll for Gwyn was not very difficult because Sini represents her passion so well. Sini is protector of farmlands and pastures. As you may know my daughter volunteers quite often at a local horse rescue that saves the lives of horses and other animals. Sini like Gwyn has a passion for rescuing all farm animals and pets that have been abandoned and not cared for and takes them in to provide them with shelter and loving homes. Sini also fights against urban development so that animals can enjoy nature more freely.

Meet Sini!

More about each of the dolls:
There are 6 dolls in this series and each on has a different eco-awareness job. Their goal is to bring to light their environmental cause that needs attention and educate young girls.

Zennia, the special edition doll in the series, leads the pack and embodies Mother Earth, the protector of our planet.  As the giver and sustainer of life on Earth, Zennia is passionate about combating the evil anti-environment villains that threaten to destroy the world. To assist her in protecting our environment and spreading eco-awareness, Zennia is joined by a team of five eco-warrior fashionistas:

• Evee, Protector of the Skies and Defender against Pollution
• Kazumi, Protector of the Polar Regions and Defender against Global Warming
• Lina, Protector of the Rainforest and Defender against Deforestation
• Sini, Protector of Farmland and Defender of Mistreated and Abused Animals
• Yana, Protector of the Oceans and Defender of Marine Conservation

One more really cool thing about the Zeenie Dollz is that a percentage of every sale is donated to organizations that are working to preserve the environment and protect all animals and the places they call home.

These dolls are way cooler than Captain America who was the Earth saving hero of my time.

Zeenie Dollz would make a fabulous gift for any eco warrior girl. Be sure to also visit the Zeenie Dollz website for more information on each of the dolls, games, printables, puzzles, ways you can help save the environment and more. There is even a Zeenie Dollz App for iPhone!!! And this page has great Zeenie reminders for children.

Video:

Gwyn's (age 7) review: After Christmas I will come back and update the post with Gwyn's thoughts, some more pictures and maybe even and video! I will be sure to include a photo of her opening Sini.

Links to follow:

-Zeenie Dollz Website
-Zeenie Dollz Facebook 
-Zeenie Dollz Twitter page
-Zeenie Dollz Instagram
-Zeenie Dollz Pinterest
-Zeenie Dollz Flickr

Where to buy:
Each doll is available for purchase on the Zeenie Dollz website for $39.99. Zeenie Dollz can also be found on Amazon. Soon they will also be available from retailers Nationwide.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Educational Insights Hot Dots Jr Kindergarten Review and Giveaway

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details. Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Educational Insights is a California based company that has been manufacturing fun products that also provide serious educational value since 1962. Their wide selection of products include subject specific classroom products, teacher resources, educational toys and games. As a homeschool mom I am always on the search for fun yet educational resources. And Educational Insights certainly goes above and beyond in this area. We own several products from Educational Insights and I am always happy with their quality, durability and educational value.

A moms review:

We received the Hot Dots Jr Let's Master Kindergarten Math and Reading sets to review. This is another item that I decided to wait until Christmas to give to my children because of how awesome it was. So for this review I personally played with the "Ace" and the books. Last year my children received several Educational Insights gifts and they loved them so I am sure these are going to be a huge hit on Christmas morning.

These sets are recommended for children ages 5+. I initially got these sets for my 6 year old son but after paging through the books I have discovered that my daughter, age 7, will also be able to benefit from them. My first thought was these are going to be perfect for car rides. We are a very on the go homeschool family and since we live in GA our car rides often end up being 30-45 minutes long.  I am always searching for learning resources for the children to do in the car and Hot Dots are perfect! Hot Dots are easy to transport, require little adult assistance, are not loud or annoying and most importantly they are fun and educational!

The Hot Dots Jr Let's Master Kindergarten Math and Reading sets each come with two durable spiral bound books and "Ace" - the talking teaching dog (requires 2 AAA batteries). Each book contains 100 self checking lessons. The only parental assistance your child may require is reading the instructions for the quiz like lessons. Hot Dots are so simple to use and children will definitely be able to utilize this educational resource on their own after a short time.

"Ace" is perfect for little hands. The Jr. sets come with "Ace"and the 1st -3rd sets come with a pen. "Ace" will tell the child if they got the answer correct by responding with a fun, congratulatory phrase and/or sound and glowing green eyes. Some of the phrases and sounds include: yes, you got it, terrific, bow wow sound, ruff sound, horn sound, trumpet sound, etc. If the child gets an answer incorrect "Ace" responds with a gentle wrong answer phrase and/or sound and glowing red eyes. Some of the sounds and phrases include: that's not right, sorry, whining sound, whimpering sound, buzzer sound, etc. Sometimes "Ace" will surprise you with some tail wagging vibrations too!!!! I love that there is no need to turn "Ace" on and off. He automatically goes to sleep when he is not being used and is always ready to play as soon as he taps a black dot. "Ace" also has a 3 position button to adjust the sound level (including a mute option), as well as a 3 position button for selecting the types of sound you want to hear (speech, sound effects or combo).

The spiral bound books in each set are clearly labeled book 1 and 2. The pages are glossy and very durable, so they will withstand lots of abuse and be able to be used over and over again! The books are small so they are perfect for little hands and easy to transport. Each book is broken into color coded, skill sections. Under the skill heading are simple one sentence instructions. There are about 2-3 quiz like questions on each page. Under each question you will find black dots (aka Hot Dots). Your child simply looks at the question, determines the answer and then presses the pen to the corresponding black dot to see if they are correct. The last 15 pages of book 2 has a challenge section which will provide children with skills from the next grade level to help them get ready to move on to the next set of books.

Here is what skill topics are covered in each of the Kindergarten sets:

Hot Dots Jr. Kindergarten Reading

• Letter recognition
• Upper and lowercase letter pairs
• Beginning consonant sounds
• Ending consonant sounds
• Short vowels
• Sight words
• Color words
• Shape words
• Number words
• Long vowels
• Basic capitalization rules
• Basic punctuation rules

Hot Dots Jr. Kindergarten Math

• Numbers
• Counting
• Patterns
• Addition facts
• Shapes
• Basic fractions
• Subtraction facts
• Data and statistics
• Sequencing numbers
• Number words
• Three dimensional shapes
• Weight
• Length
• Time
• Money

Hot Dots are going to be a great addition to our relaxed homeschool style. They are something that the kids can pick up an utilize completely on their own either at home or in the car. They are perfect for all learning styles and provide hours of interactive learning fun. As a mom on a budget I love that the price on these is very affordable at just $24.99 a set. And since the books are non-consumable Hot Dots are something that you can easily pass down to another child or sell when your child is done.

Reading and Math Hots Dots sets are available for PreK- 3rd Grade and are great for both home and school use!

Gwyn's (age 7) and Rowyn's (age 6) review: After Christmas I will come back and update the post with the children's thoughts, some more pictures and maybe even and video! I will be sure to include a photo of them opening their Hot Dots.

Links to follow:

-Educational Insights Website
-Educational Insights  Facebook 
-Educational Insights Twitter page
-Educational Insights Newsletter

Also visit Educational Insights FREE downloadable section for learning resources and tips!

Where to buy:
You can purchase Hot Dots from Educational Insights and Amazon. Each set is $24.99 (Amazon currently $21.99).

Now time for the giveaway: 
Educational Insights has graciously offered to giveaway a Hot Dots set to one lucky reader. Winner may choose grade level for either a reading or math set. Only the first entry is mandatory. Other entries are optional and give you extra chances. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. The winner will be posted on the blog and will be emailed. Winner must reply within 24 hrs with their contact information or another winner will be chosen. Open to US only! Prize will be mailed via the company.

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

The Presidential Game Review - Hail To The Chief

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

The Presidential Game is an educational board game that is made right here in the USA! The game released on July 12, 2012 and is the first of its kind. The game was created by well-known Wall Street executive recruiter, Regina Glocker and a father and son graphic design team of Russ and Christopher Patrick. The initial funding for The Presidential was raised through Kickstarter in February 2012. 

Learning about the US government has never been so much fun!

A moms review:
Board games always make learning much more fun...for both adults and children. During last yeas Presidential election we thought it was very important to include our little citizens and teach them about the election and voting process. We discussed at length the candidates that were running and why it was so important to vote. We took the kids with us when we voted. We read books, created lapbooks and colored in electoral maps when the poll results rolled in. You can read more about all that here.

When I found out about The Presidential Game I jumped at the chance to review it, even though my children are under the recommended playing age which is 11 years old and up. I knew though I could probably tweak the game a little to make it work for my 6 and 7 year old. Well I am happy to say the game worked out great for our family and the children had tons of fun (below I explain how I tweaked the game to make it work).

The Presidential Game is very educational and teaches children about politics as they barnstorm across the USA to earn 270 electoral votes to become President of the United States. However this game teaches much more than that including math, geography and social studies. It also encourages the use of critical thinking and strategy skills. And it helps develop important character qualities like sportsmanship and teamwork.

The Presidential Game includes:
-1 United States game board
-2 'vote' cards (Democrat & Republican) 
-300 chips (150 red & 150 blue)
-6 dice (3 blue & 3 red) 
-80 Politics cards
-40 "write your own" Politics cards
-1 Electoral WebMap Calculator Access Code
-1 score pad

We have played the game several times over the last few weeks. The first time we played we didn't do teams (as suggested in the instructions) instead Gwyn was the Republican candidate and Rowyn was the Democrat candidate and well mommy was the debate referee. The first thing the debate referee had to handle was who was going to be the Democrat candidate and who was going to be the Republican candidate...because neither child wanted to be Obama. Yes just like a real election there will be squabbling. This was very easy to resolve. I had each child roll a die and the child with the highest number got to be the Republican! The next few times we played we got daddy involved and we each teamed up with a child. 

The first time I opened the box the children asked, "why is there a donkey and an elephant head on the emblem?" So I took a few minutes and explained it to them with some help from this great article. We also learned a little more about political parties from these two videos, Political Rap and The Evolution of America's Major Political Parties before beginning the game.

How to play and how we tweaked:
So after the first debate about who is going to be the Republican and Democrat candidates it was time to play.  

Game Goal:
The goal of the game is to be the first team to make it to 270 electoral votes in 30 weeks (30 turns for each player). Our game ended up being a little shorter, due to limited attention spans. The game instructions estimate though that it will take about an hour to play 30 turns (but it could be less or more). You will need to decide how many weeks you want your game to be.

Campaigning and Fundraising:
Before each turn you decide whether you are going to campaign or go fundraising. My children didn't really get the difference and understand the advantage to fundraising, so most of the time they just campaigned.

If you are campaigning you choose three states you want to campaign in, then roll the three dice. Next you will decide which die (number of votes) corresponds to each of your 3 states. You simply place the correct number of chips on each state. For example you choose PA, GA and IN and you roll a 3, 6, 2. You could place 3 on GA, 6 on PA and 2 on IN etc. 

Strategy will eventually come into play because you can take over votes from an opponents state. Because of some tears with taking over states (yes I am sure the Presidential candidates cry and stomp their way up the stairs when they don't get their way too) I only allowed each child to take over 1 opponents state during their turn. We also didn't mess around with subtracting the tokens when they would take over a state, I just let them take over the entire state and remove all their opponents tokens. For example if you were placing 6 red votes on PA which already had 3 of your opponents blue votes you would remove all 3 blue tokens and place 3 red. In our case the children would just remove all 3 and place their 6 in its place. 

If you are fundraising, you must place at least 1/2 of your votes (you rolled) onto one on the 4 fundraising states (green Washington states) which you choose before your turn.  For fundraising you only use 2 die. The remaining votes may be allocated individually to any other sates. For example if you roll 10, 5 votes must go to TX and the remaining 5 may go anywhere else and can even be divided up among several states. Afterwards, you must select a 'Politics Card'. 

The politics cards are really cool and quite funny too. They give you the scope on what the media is saying about the election. Some cards must be played right away others can be held onto and played later. Some of the cards provide rewards other give penalties.

Here is an example of one of the cards:
You endorse domestic product of energy, including coal. Add 3 votes to West Virginia.

Keeping Score:
There are two options for keeping score. There is the traditional way which is writing down your score on the included score pad. I attempted to use this however with two impatient children who would add and remove chips faster than I could add and write it became too difficult so I ended up preferring the Electoral WebMap. The online calculator requires an access code to open it. It worked great on my tablet which I sat up right next to the board game. The map was much easier for the children to visualize what was occurring during the game and see how many votes they had. There is also a counter in the bottom right to keep track of how many weeks you have played (it took us about 15 turns to finish a game). 

The kids loved the map and immediately said, "mommy it's just like the one we filled out during the election and like the one that was on TV." We will definitely be using the interactive Electoral WebMap during the next election!

End Of The Game:
The game ends when the number of weeks selected has passed. If there are undecided states (still neutral) you will need to each roll a die. The team with the highest number gets the votes. The team with 270 electoral votes is the winner!

Hail to the Chief!

The Presidential Game has won 'The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval 2013' award in both 2012 & 2013.

Other Uses:
So another cool thing about this game is that the awesome USA map game board can be used for lots of other subjects as well like geography, history, etc.

For geography we decided it would be fun to play a find the state capital's game. I printed out a list of the capitals and states here. The game is so simple to play. Simply say a capital name out-loud and have the children place their chips (red/blue) on the state that they think the capitol is in. If they get it correct their chip remains if they got it wrong they remove their chip(s). The child with the most chips at the end wins! If you have more than two children you can use other colored chips, pennies, beans etc.

For history you can mark various trails, wars etc on the map using yarn, slips of paper, playdough etc. I tried to use a dry erase marker and it did work however I think prolonged use would end up ruining the board.

Gwyn review (7 yrs old) and Rowyns Review (6 yrs old):
Gwyn, "I love the game, it was lots of fun and we learned a lot of things about the President. I wanted to be the first woman President but my brother the democrat won."

Rowyn, "I liked the game a lot. It was a really fun game. Everyone should buyed it."

Links to follow:

-The Presidential Website
-The Presidential Facebook page 
-The Presidential Twitter 

Where to buy:
The Presidential Game can be purchased for $35.00 (plus shipping) directly from the website. From time to time they also offer special promotions.

Click here for more Presidential Game from the The Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List and Giveaway

The holidays are approaching very quickly. I don't know about you but I have already begun getting prepared. Becoming a stay at home/homeschool mom last year meant making sacrifices and learning how to live on one income. That meant preparing in advance for birthday and holiday gifts. Some of the ways I prepare are by picking up items when I see them at a really GREAT bargain price. Or by using coupons (be sure to join Melissa and Doug's email list for extra discounts and free shipping offers). And by entering the many great giveaways that are offered throughout the year on Facebook, Twitter and websites. Last year about 95% of what my children received at Christmas was won through online giveaways. 

Well thanks to Melissa and Doug I have some great news for you and a way to WIN some great toys for your kids. 

Melissa and Doug has just released their Top 20 Holiday List for 2012. It is filled with lots of great educational toy ideas. Be sure to check it out! They are also hosting a giveaway everyday (starting today) over on the Melissa and Doug Facebook Page. And they have offered several bloggers a great giveaway opportunities for our own blog. 

The item we were allowed to giveaway could be anything from the Top 20 Holiday List for 2012 so I choose to offer a giveaway for the game called Suspend. There are a few reasons I choose to giveaway this item. First off it is something the entire family can enjoy making it great for all those upcoming family get together's and for those cold winter days. Second it analytical and FUN! Third there are multiple ways to play the game. I like when a game can be changed up to make it even more fun. And Fourth its a game that can be fun for just one person. I can see my very tactile, puzzle solving, builder loving son playing with this game by himself for hours. 

About the game:
A family game of tricky hangs and steady hands! Try this hanging balance game and you'll be hooked! Suspend comes with 24 notched, rubber-tipped wire pieces to hang from a tabletop stand. Sound easy? Try adding another piece! Each time a bar is added, the balance shifts, the difficulty changes and the incredible midair sculpture transforms. Can you add all your game pieces without making it fall? This tricky game for 1-4 players is a test of steady nerves and steady hands. Ages 8+. It gets 5 star reviews. 

Now time for the giveaway:  Melissa and Doug has graciously offered to give away the Suspend game to one lucky reader. Only the first entry is mandatory. Other entries are optional and give you extra chances. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. The winner will be posted on the blog and will be emailed. Winner must reply within 48 hrs with their contact information or another winner will be chosen. Prize will be mailed via Melissa and Doug (please allow 10 days for fulfillment).

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer - I am receiving a Suspend game for my family in return for this post, which will be placed under the Christmas Tree of course. 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.

RoseArt New Products - Goo-hu and 3D Create 'N' Color Breakthroughs

The kids and I had the opportunity to get a special sneak peek at three amazing NEW RoseArt products. The three items I will be telling you more about in this post are Goo-hu, 3D Create 'n' Color Breakthroughs and Scraps. All of these items released this month and we have had so much fun playing and learning with them.

 

 

Goo-hu is a NEW unique NEVER before seen product and is great way to introduce matter science in a fun to your family. This product is fun for both boys and girls and recommended for children ages 3-99 yrs old. With each Goo-hu kit you get 5 A-Matter Pods, 5 B-Matter Pods, an instruction sheet and the molds. The instructions are super easy to follow and both of my kids were able to complete the experiment on their own. As they worked on mixing their A-Matter and B-Matter we discussed what matter is and what was going to occur after they mixed the two compounds together. Here is great website that has a simple way of explaining matter to children. A-Matter and B-Matter are gooey and squishy (kind of like slime but thicker) that will remain gooey forever if NOT mixed. But....when they are mixed together in equal amounts they change and a NEW magical matter is created. The new matter becomes rubbery, bouncy and flexible.After if fully cures your project will remain in its form and provide hours of fun. 

I had planned to save some of the Goo-hu matter for another day of fun but the kids decided to use it all up in one day. We reviewed the racers kit and made several racers which we had fun slamming into each other. The first set of racers we made (red and blue) turned out just okay. We should have removed more of the excess Goo-hu and left them cureing a little bit longer. The second set (green and orange) came out much better. We also made a bouncy ball (with a toy soldier in the middle) and Rowyn made an elephant and Gwyn made a doll. Goo-hu is all about exercising your childrens imagination, but it also is about creating a toy object you can collect and play with!  

Video of the kids making their Goo-hu creations:


Kits currently include:
-Racers
-Squish Bugs
-Cushie Critters
-Super Bounce Ball (boy colors and girl colors available)

*more coming next year
 
Retail price is $9.99 and they are available at Target and Kmart. They will also be available in January at Michaels. Goo-hu makes a fabulous gift for any birthday or holiday.

 

3D Create 'N' Color Breakthroughs are lots of fun and will make ALL kids imaginations and rooms EXPLODE with creativity. These awesome 3D creations are very large and it took the kids about 4 days to complete all of the coloring. This product is recommended for ages 5 and up. The kids did all of the coloring of our Dolphin Breakthrough which is over 4 ft wide when assembled. I helped the kids with the assembly. Each 3D Create 'N' Color Breakthrough also comes with step by step instructions and printed illustrations to provide a coloring guide. My very creative daughter decided to not follow the coloring instructions and designed a very colorful dolphin which hangs on a wall over her bed. Markers are not included so you will either have to use ones you have on hand or purchse some. 

 There are currently 4 3D Create 'N' Color Breakthroughs:
-Jumping Dolphin
-Terrifying T-Rex
-Shark Attack
-Beautiful Flower

Retail price is $19.99 and they are available at Kmart. And in November they will be hitting Walmart, walmart.com and RiteAid just before Black Friday. 3D Create 'N' Color Breakthroughs make a fabulous gift for any birthday or holiday.

 

There's am urban legend about characters that exist,

They are fuzzy, magical and hard to resist.....

Be sure to check out the Scraps Review and Giveaway post. There is still plenty of time to enter to win 1 of 3 Scraps Prize Packs. These would make a fabulous stocking stuffer!

Gwyns review (6 yrs old):
Goo-hu is bouncy, gooey and fun. You can make bouncy balls, shapes, cars and other cool things. The Breakthrough was fun to color and it took me a few days to color it. I like it hanging on my bedroom wall. It makes me happy and excited.

Rowyns review (5 yrs old):
Goo-hu is super, duper, duper fun and gooey. We made balls and cars. I like that the cars bouncy off each other.

Links to follow:
-RoseArt Website
-RoseArt Facebook

-RoseArt Twitter
-RoseArt Pinterest


*Disclaimer - I received the items mentioned from MEGA Brands in this review free 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.