Timberdoodle: BrainBox & Hot Rocketz (Coupon Code)

Mel's Thoughts:
Timberdoodle, home of all things educational, including homeschool curriculum and educational games and toys, has sent us two more great products to review.  This time they sent us the BrainBox and a Hot Rocket.  Let's start with the wonderful BrainBox.

BrainBox is a sort of trivia game based on short-term memory and good observational skills.  It's a great way to help your child develop his learning skills.  BrainBox comes in several different varieties, including My First BrainBox, BrainBox World, BrainBox USA, BrainBox US Presidents, and BrainBox Animals.  We chose to receive BrainBox USA.  The box that the game is stored in is just a gift size, square box with a slip-off lid.  The whole box is very sturdy, so that makes for great storage if your kids are a little rougher on things, as I know my boys can be.  When we opened up our box, in one compartment was an hour glass, as well as a diamond shaped dice.  Then in a separate compartment, we had all our game cards, all 55 of them, including 10 questions on each card, totaling 550 geography facts you and your child can learn together. 

Here's how you play.  Your child picks a card and has 10 seconds to look at the picture side of the card and try to memorize the facts he observes.  When his time is up, he hands the card to you or to another player, and he rolls his dice.  The number he gets on the dice is the number of the question you or the other player has to ask him.  If he gets the question correct, he gets to keep the card; if not, then the card goes back in the box.  Then it's the next person's turn.  Whoever has the most cards at the end of the game wins. This game can be played with 1 or more players, and it's meant for ages 8 and up.  All of the cards in our box correspond to a specific state or U.S. territory.  This is going to be a great learning tool not only for school, but for us to get to know more about our country.  I say "us" because I think with homeschooling, I have learned so much right alongside Jacob, things I never knew or had forgotten.  It's so amazing and exhilarating to learn and learn some more.  You can order BrainBox for $17.00 from Timberdoodle, which to me, is a very good price, for something that is going to last a very long time and provide much learning experience that is both educational and lots of fun.

Now the other thing we received from Timberdoodle was Hot Rocketz.  Now this toy is a winner with Jacob; I haven't tried it with Jaden yet....I'm not sure how he'd do with the bungee.  This can be an inside or outside toy, and it's made out of foam, so it floats, meaning it'd be fun at the pool too.  It's a very simple design.  It is shaped like a rocket and has a red bungee cord inside with a handle on the outside; you grab the handle and pull, letting go as you watch the rocket launch through the room.  These babies have been known to soar 100 feet.  Although we haven't gotten ours 10 feet yet, I'm sure we will, as Jacob is having a lot of fun figuring out how to make it go farther.  Hot Rocketz are for ages 4 and up.  You can get Hot Rocketz for $1.95 from Timberdoodle.    

Timberdoodle has graciously offered to give our readers a coupon code for a free Hot Rocketz with any order placed by Monday, December 21, 2009.  When you place your order with Timberdoodle, just add the Hot Rocketz to your order, and insert this coupon code- mfreerocket - at checkout.  With Christmas coming up, BrainBox would make an excellent present, and Hot Rocketz an excellent stocking stuffer, at least, in my opinion.

Melissa J.'s Thoughts:

Timberdoodle Review from mama buzz on Vimeo.

(Disclosure: We were provided BrainBox and Hot Rocketz, free of charge, by Timberdoodle, in association with MamaBuzz.)

Timberdoodle: Stories from History Graphic Novels

Melissa J's Thoughts
 
I would never have thought about it, but putting history into graphic novel form is a great way to help kids learn history! That's exactly what the Stories from History: Graphic Novel Set of 10 from Timberdoodle does!  At $16.95 (when it is listed for $69.50) the entire set is a very worthwhile purchase!  Even I, who does not care all that much for history, enjoyed reading through these.

Books included in the set are:
Elizabeth and the Spanish Armada
The Life of Christopher Colombus
Gladiators and the Story of the Colosseum
The Life of Julius Casear
The Race to the South Pole
The Discovery of T. Rex
The Life of Anne Frank
The Life of Leonardo DaVinci
The Building of The Great Pyramid
Pizarro and the Incas
Alexander the Great


All the books are 48 pages in length, short enough to keep a child's attention but jam packed with enough information to pack a proverbial historical punch! There is so much information contained in one book, it can be worth a history text book chapter.


Each graphic novel follows a similar format. Immediately the reader is provided with a "Cast of Characters" who explains the key figures the book centers around. Then, an overview of the book is provided in "Contents". Once into the main part of the book, key facts are presented at the top of the graphic illustrations in boxes, short, to the point, and very concise. Then, as most comic books and graphic novels do, those facts are played out with full color illustrations that have character dialogue.


Each book then wraps up with pages that contain important dates, miscellaneous facts, a glossary, and even an index of key facts within the book--all of which would come in great for review and test purposes for homeschooling families.


Mel's Thoughts:
The Stories from History Graphic Novels set is any little boy's dream, but any mom's dream, as well, at least for this mom.  Every time we go to the library, where does Jacob head?  You got it, straight to the comic/superhero section.  Now I've been able to point him in the direction of some truly educational comic books with real heroes and figures from history.  How awesome is that?! 


This set includes the following 11 titles:
Pizarro and the Incas
The Life of Anne Frank
The Building of the Great Pyramid
The Life of Julius Caesar
The Life of Christopher Columbus
The Race to the South Pole
Gladiators and the Story of the Colosseum
The Life of Alexander the Great
Elizabeth I and the Spanish Armada
The Life of Leonardo Da Vinci
The Discovery of T. Rex

Meant for ages 8-14, or grades 3-8, this set of graphic novels is particularly useful for supplementing any history curriculum.  It helps the lessons and historical figures in the curriculum to come alive before the child's eyes.  Each book has a listing with descriptions of the central Cast in each story.  There is also a Contents section.  Most of the books, but not all, have a section in the very beginning, that helps the reader to put together where the story took place.  It introduces the reader to the place and setting of the facts in that particular story, with maps that are filled with borders, sites, trails, conquests, etc.  The end of each book has a detailed Timeline and a Did You Know? section, as well as a Glossary and Index.  I particularly love the Glossary section because it helps to explain terms and serve as a reminder to Jacob of what certain places and who certain people were.  It's a really great resource to flip back to, if needed.

Timberdoodle has mentioned that page 13 of Gladiators and the Story of the Colosseum and page 26 of The Life of Leonardo DaVinci may need a little white-out, depending on your family's modesty standards.  

I do highly recommend this set of novels for any history student or history buff.  The set is significantly discounted with Timberdoodle, being lowered in price from $69.50 to $16.95.  Of course, you can buy each book individually, but the set is a considerable bargain.  I am hoping to especially use these with our history curriculum, as we have been studying ancient history and will soon be starting to study medieval/Middle Ages history.  Timberdoodle also offers other homeschool curriculum and homeschool supplies.

(Disclosure: We were provided these products, free of charge, by Timberdoodle, in association with MamaBuzz.)

* Hands of a Child *

Melissa J's Thoughts:

Because I'm a bit housebound without a car, I was unable to go and buy the supplies necessary for the entire 12 Days of Christmas Fun project pack, written and compiled in a neat e-book by Hands of a Child. *insert sad face* I just recently discovered lap booking, and even though I have a pre-schooler, have quickly developed an addiction. Ok, "addiction" may be too strong of a word, but I certainly enjoy putting them together!


After beginning with an introductory explanation of what a Project Pack is and how to adapt your project to fit your child's needs, 12 Days then provides the list for everything that will be needed to complete this pack over the 12 days of Christmas (beginning on Christmas Day and ending on Epiphany).


Each day then has an activity that your child can complete.
Day 1: Create a bird out of paper and craft supplies
Day 2: Create two Turtle Doves with paper and craft supplies.
Day 3: Create Three French Hens
Day 4: Create Four Calling Birds
Day 5: Create Five Golden Rings
Day 6: Create Six Geese-a-laying
Day 7: Create Seven Swans-a-swimming
Day 8: Create Eight Maids-a-milking
Day 9: Create Nine Ladies Dancing
Day 10: Create Ten Lords-a-leaping
Day 11: Create Eleven Pipers Piping
Day 12: Create Twelve Drummers Drumming


     These all go together to form a lapbook at the end of the completed time period, colorful and fun!


    Each activity has some additional activities and sometimes accompanying songs to listen to and at the end of the book, recommended reading books are listed.


     For those afraid they are going to have to design and do artwork for each day's activites, they can breath a sigh of relief. Templates and specific instructions are included in this e-book. Everything that is needed, minus craft supplies, is included in this package.


   Is it worth $20.00? For those that love to lapbook but aren't creative, yes. For those that are resourceful, all on their own, then $20.00 may seem to steep of a price for this e-book. 

Mel's Thoughts:
Hands of a Child is a company that was started by two homeschooling moms who were tired of constantly searching for the right supplies and images necessary for lapbooking.  They now have over 200 project packs, as well as lapbook supplies, craft supplies, membership programs, etc.  They are continually adding new project packs as time goes on. 


Project packs contain activities and lesson plans pertaining to a certain subject.  For example, they might have a project pack on butterflies.  Your child could do a unit study on butterflies with that project pack.  We received the 12 Days of Christms Fun Project Pack.  This particular pack is meant for the 12 days of  Christmas beginning Christmas Day, or it can be done anytime really, even in the 12 days leading up to Christmas.  It is meant for grades Pre-K-1st grade.  The pack contains projects for each day, lists of supplies needed, instructions on how to do our project pack, or lapbook, and put it all together, tips on teaching the lessons, etc.  This particular pack doesn't really contain full lessons, since it's meant for doing Christmas projects with your children.  I did find the supply list that came in the beginning of the pack quite helpful; it lists the supplies needed by day.  Most of the supplies are relatively inexpensive, and some might even be found around the house, which makes it even better.  All of the reproducible images for each day's projects are found towards the back of the pack.  

Some of the projects included in this pack are as follows:

• Day 1: A Partridge in a Pear Tree
• Day 2: Two Turtle Doves
• Day 3: Three French Hens
• Day 4: Four Calling Birds

....and so on; each project fits the song The Twelve Days of Christmas with activities and craft ideas for each day.  By the end of this pack, your child should have created at least one lapbook.  The pack offers pictures of what your lapbook might look like, but ultimately it's up to you and your child, based on his creativity and what he has learned or what he likes/dislikes.  The boys and I actually started on Day 1's project, A Partridge in a Pear Tree, and here is what they made (Hint: They're supposed to be partridge birds....)  :)

Jaden even got in on this project, since it actually fit his age and wasn't really too hard for him, with a little bit of help.  We had to improvise with some of the supplies, but overall, they had fun with it, which is what matters....

At the end of the pack are recommended Christmas books that your family might enjoy together while working on this project pack.  I love how Biblical concepts/Scripture are weaved throughout the projects.  This pack would definitely inspire creativity.  It's great for tactile stimulation and learning coordination/fine motor skills, as the child gets to cut, glue, write, draw, color, put together his lapbooks, etc.  It's about learning by doing, which definitely fits kinesthetic learners. 

The 12 Days of Christmas Fun Project Pack is available in several forms: E-book, printed, CD, Printed/CD Combo or Kit Pack.  Prices range from $12.00-$27.00.  We received the E-book, which is $20.  I probably would not pay that much, although with all of the materials it contains, it is probably worth that price.  We are just starting to get into lapbooking, though.  If your children can't get enough of lapbooks, then Hands of a Child will most likely be a goldmine of information and help to you.

(Disclosure: We were provided this product, free of charge, by Hands of a Child, in association with MamaBuzz.)

TOS Crew: All About Spelling

Mel participated in this review with the TOS Homeschool Crew.

At the end of last year, in our homeschooling endeavors, I decided it was time for a change in curriculum....it was time for a slight change of pace in the way I was teaching Jacob and in the way he was learning.  We switched over to a more classical way of education.  This included switching our spelling program.  We've been using All About Spelling this year, and I have to say, I'm so excited about this program.  It's been absolutely wonderful so far.  We are still in Level 2, but I received Levels 3 and 4 to review for the Crew. 

All About Spelling is the multisensory program for spelling success.  The program works with a variety of learning styles.  Jacob can visually see the letters on the board, he can exercise auditory skills when he sounds out each word, or pronounces it for spelling, and he can kinesthetically learn as well, as he spells each word with the letter magnets and then writes each word down.  The program proceeds in a logical, well-thought out manner, giving Jacob review at the beginning of each lesson.  For example, I usually have him practice putting all his letter magnets in alphabetical order at the beginning of each lesson, and then we also review certain phonogram, sound, key, and word cards that we feel he hasn't quite mastered yet.  There are certain lessons throughout the book, in which he reviews past concepts thoroughly.  Here is a video to help you learn more about this program.

Before I tell you how the program works, there are certain materials that are necessary for you to have.  Each level comes as a packet with a Teacher's Manual; four sets of flashcards (including phonogram cards, sound cards, key cards, and word cards); index card dividers; a progress chart and completion certificate; etc.  Levels 3 and 4 also come with extras, including a Syllable Division Rules Chart, Word Banks, a Homophones List, etc. When I first ordered from All About Spelling, I ordered the Levels 1 and 2 Teacher's Manual and Student Packets, as well as the Letter Tiles.  They also have magnets for your Letter Tiles and a Phonogram CD-ROM, but I already had magnets on hand, and I was fairly confident that I could do this without having the CD-ROM, after reading a review that a friend had written.  (By the way, reading reviews on any kind of homeschooling product you're about to order is the best way to learn more about it and if it might be right for your family.)  They also have a Beehive Reader and the All About Homophones book and e-book available; I did order the All About Homophones book, and I use it as a supplement on days when we just need a change of pace.  Jacob really enjoys doing the worksheets and games in that book.

The beginning of each Teacher's Manual starts out with a warm up lesson, in order to review concepts from the previously taught levels.  There are currently 6 levels in All About Spelling, and they are not based on grade, but on mastery.  Jacob and I spent the first part of this new school year using Level 1, because I wanted him to have review and make sure he understood the concepts that All About Spelling teaches, since before we had used a spelling program based solely on phonetic sounds and word list drills/tests for mastery.

Level 3 and Level 4 proceed in the same manner as the previously taught levels.  In Level 3, each lesson starts out with Review and Word Analysis.  Jacob has to take a word and analyze the sounds and structure of that word.  Then the lesson proceeds to the new concepts he is learning that day.  Level 4 actually starts out with review and then proceeds to new teaching right away in each lesson.  He will also learn new spelling strategies and how to analyze and spell words that don't fit in with the regular phonics rules.  Keep in mind that each lesson in the Teacher's Manual is scripted for you, so there is hardly any prep time, besides getting out the letter tiles and cards you will need for that particular lesson.  As the lesson moves on, Jacob may be introduced to new phonogram, sound, or key cards, which we practice over.  Jacob usually has to spell each word with his letter tiles, sounding out each sound as he brings each letter tile into place, then saying the word when he is finished.  Reinforcement is given, as he spells the words on paper, spells some words orally, and then writes phrases or sentences that are dictated to him.  Level 3 starts a new section called Writing Station, in which he has a particular set of spelling words, and he has to write original sentences using those words.  With Level 1, the work was pretty easy and pretty much a review for Jacob, so we were able to complete a lesson each day, but as the lessons go on, there might be days where we break the lessons up between days, in order to learn more difficult concepts, and that is totally fine.  This program is bent toward mastery of the concepts and not just drilling a list of spelling words.   

The program is working wonderfully for us.  Buying the first 2 programs was a bit heavy on our budget, since each Teacher's Manual and Student Materials Packet costs $29.95-$39.95.  That cost does not include the Letter Tiles or other extra materials; but since you only have to buy one set of Letter Tiles in the beginning, it really is a good deal, in my opinion.  I firmly believe the program is worth the cost, too.  Jacob is thriving with it, and honestly, it could probably be used to supplement a phonics course for children just beginning to read. Each book is also re-usable, since the student isn't writing in the books, so the whole program can be used for other children down the road; this is so important for a lot of families, since they don't want to have to purchase the program for multiple children.  As a homeschooling Mama, the only drawback I had was cutting out all of the flashcards, although my first set came perforated, so that made it easier.  It just takes a little time in the beginning to set up your index card box, though, and you're off and running.  The book shows you how to set up your letter tiles, so that you are ready to concentrate on teaching, not just getting a bunch of materials ready.  Overall, I give this program a definite two thumbs up.

To read more reviews about this program, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

(Disclosure: I was provided with this Levels 3 and 4 of this program by All About Spelling, in association with the TOS Homeschool Crew.)    

Timberdoodle: Typing Instructor for Kids

Melissa J's Thoughts

Timberdoodle has done it again!  A product geared towards children has provided much entertainment for me. :)  Maybe entertainment isn't right. Maybe "challenge" is the word I want.


My two year old is too young for their Typing Instructor for Kids program, but you can be assured I will be using it with her once we begin homeschooling and hit that age where she can learn that skill! In the meantime, I'm using it to hone my own typing skills - -yes, even though it's a kids' version.


With a parrot as the guide, and his friend, Toby Typer, kids will be taken through an adventure that teaches them how to type. Think of a map. Each place on the map has new typing skills to learn and games to master, before they can move on to the next place on the adventure map. It is all done in animation and I think young children will be attracted to both the animated characters and the drawings throughout the adventure.

There are two levels that can be chosen, "easy" and "not so easy". I started out with "easy". I also started out with the default program, which not only teaches the typing skills of home row, lower row, and upper row, it also allows children to test out those skills with games after each teaching lesson. If parents don't want their child to have the games between lessons they are able to choose a non-game format instead. They also can choose to go lesson by lesson instead of having the adventure part of the program, automatically advance the child's progress once goals have been met.


There is also an option to change the settings, in which you can change from the default words-per-minute goal to your own goal. This is where my own challenge came in. I was attempting to move beyond the child's goal to mine--just a mere 80 wpm. Think I could meet that, even on the home row? No, I couldn't! And I type for a living!  (Though, it's harder to type letters fast as you see them, than it is actual words in my opinion--or is that excuse?)


The only critiques I have of the program are, the introductory animation moves slowly and it made me impatient. I just wanted it to get to the point. Also, Toby Typer is a boy, but has a girl's voice. That just didn't match for me, though perhaps, children won't think twice about it.


Most computer software in a store like Staples can run $50 on up into the $100's. I was shocked this was less than $25!  It is an awesome program that any parent would do well to invest in for their child!

Mel's Thoughts:

Timberdoodle is well-known for their wonderful homeschool curriculum and homeschool supplies.  After using Typing Instructor for Kids with Jacob and then playing some myself this afternoon, I feel like I need more practice definitely!  I thought I knew all there was to know about typing; evidently not, if I can't even reach my normal 80+ WPM, just doing the first basic letters.  For some reason, I find it easier to type whole words, so when I started out just doing basic groups of letters within close proximity to each other, I found myself getting mixed up and needing to work harder.  I actually had to lower my goal WPM....which I then was able to slightly raise back up later, since I was doing better.  This has to be one of the most unique typing programs available. 

I found the program to be very interesting and colorful.  It definitely caught Jacob's attention when he sat down to work on his first lesson.  At first, getting into the actual lesson was a slower process, since we had to go through how to use this program with Toby Typer and his parrot, Lafitte.  I noticed if I clicked off the Typing Instructor page to look at my email or go to another webpage, the character stopped talking and started over again when I came back to Typing Instructor.  It gave careful instructions, and the program even has a User's Guide in pdf form, which is really helpful when trying to figure out how to get started.  The very beginning starts out teaching your child what kind of typing posture is best as well as hand/finger placement on the home row. The installation process was super easy, although each program from Typing Instructor does have certain system requirements you want to be sure you have before ordering. 

As the program moves along, the student is focusing on conquering five different sections of Typer Island, until at the very end, he conquers the castle and rules it.  As he moves along in the default program, he will do a lesson, a game for reinforcement, and then a challenge, or test at the very end of each lesson.  Jacob and I worked on the first lessons, involving The Wild West.  The Wild West focused on the home row of keys on the keyboard.  The student can set his own goal WPM, lowering or raising that goal as he moves along.  At the end of each lesson, game, or challenge, it will actually show him how he did with an accuracy percentage, WPM, etc.  There is a progress map available to show which parts of the island he has already conquered and completed.  As the student moves along, he will uncover certain treasures that he can add to his collection; this part really made it fun for Jacob.

The student doesn't automatically have to do the default setup.  If the teacher feels he'd do better without games, for instance, she can set him up on a custom program, taking it step by step.  With Jacob, I'd tend to stay with the default program, as the games would give him a welcome break.  If he needed more review, the program would automatically keep him back in that section until he did well enough to advance.  I do like the feature that allows me to add in my own lesson plans and music, though.  I also love the fact that this program uses dictation, in which the computer reads to the child, as the child types back what it's saying.  The child can also practice typing stories at the Story Lagoon.    

Priced at $8 right now, Typing Instructor For Kids is a definite bargain and one I would probably purchase in an instant.  I feel that this will make a great addition to our homeschooling curriculum and offer a break to both me and Jacob on those days when we just need some fun.  The characters throughout the lessons are fun and kid-friendly, and I am definitely impressed with the quality of this program.  The only qualm I would have is that as I was playing one of the games, the program had a slight delay, but it quickly picked up and carried on, so it wasn't too much of a hindrance.  I definitely give this program a thumbs' up for any family who wants to learn how to type better.  This particular program is meant for grades K-7th, and they have another Deluxe Version for grades K-12.  The more I think about it, the more I love the idea of Jacob learning how to type before he starts having to do research papers later on.  Any person would benefit from using this program, though, no matter the age.  I hope to use it myself for further practice.  Maybe I can get reviews and articles typed up even faster.:)

(Disclosure: We were provided with this program, free of charge, by Timberdoodle, in association with MamaBuzz.)

Timberdoodle: Puzzleball Globe

Mel's Thoughts:
Timberdoodle is a great company full of homeschool supplies and homeschool curriculum.  Once again, we received a wonderful product to review, the Puzzleball Globe.
The Puzzleball Globe is a 96-piece puzzle that is different from any other we've ever done.  It actually fits together in a round 3-D globe, resting on a small base piece that comes with the puzzle.  It's a very handy thing to have not only for geography, but for a cold, rainy day.  It's also a great substitution for a video game on said cold, rainy day (just stating from our experience). :)

Yesterday Jacob and I spread this puzzle out all over one half of the kitchen table.  The first thing we set up was the rectangular guides that snap into place; then you add the larger circular pieces to them, fitting them into the proper place.  This setup serves as a guide for the child while putting the pieces together.  At first, that part confused me, but I quickly figured it out and was able to show Jacob how to use it.  He already had it pretty much figured out before good ole Mom, though.:)  I thought this puzzle might be a challenge for Jacob, but he actually did really well with it.

He was going to town on it, and he has it halfway done, with a little help from Daddy who couldn't resist working on it before we got home from karate last night.  It is hard to resist working on if left out.  Anyway, Jacob started out by taking out the starter piece that was separated in a little bag.  Each piece has a number and an arrow on the back, signifying which piece to add next and in which direction, which makes it a lot easier to put together or to doublecheck yourself if you'd rather use the picture side of the puzzle.  I think Jacob was using both as he snapped pieces into place.  Using the picture side is a bit more of a challenge, but it would make for a great geography lesson/supplement.  The pieces are not your ordinary puzzle pieces.  In order to form a round globe, they are curved pieces, and they are plastic, not bendable.  This means that they are very durable, which I love as a mom to two hard-playing boys.  There are 96 pieces in all.  Best of all, it uses no glue.  I found that the pieces stayed together pretty well, especially once you got it going and had it resting on your surface.  At first, I had to be more careful, but once we got it going with 5-6 pieces (which I did help Jacob with), it stayed together much better.



This puzzle makes for a great supplement to any homeschool curriculum.  It would be great for kinesthetic learners and to build fine motor skills, as it gives tactile stimulation.  The globe itself is very attractive to young minds with its bright colors and animals that decorate the surface. 

The Puzzleball Globe is best suited for ages 6+, and it's available on Timberdoodle for $12.75.  This is definitely a worthy price, in my opinion.  This would actually make a really great Christmas present, one the whole family could enjoy together.

Melissa J's Thoughts

I'm a sucker for jigsaw puzzles, especially unique ones.  This puzzle globe from Timberdoodle is geared for children but provided plenty of amusement for me as well. :)  The first thing I noticed when I was opening the package was how sturdy the puzle pieces are.  I was expecting the usual cardboard ones and was wondering how they would form a ball. Or styrafoam that my daughter could get her hands on and snap in half. But these are firm, plastic pieces that are pretty much indestructible. 

Not only are the puzzle pieces sturdy for wear-and-tear sake, they also help the puzzle stay firm as it's being built up. The click into place firmly but not so hard you struggle to put them into place.  

The beginning directions confused me. I couldn't understand what the two rectangular pieces were about with the accompanying circles, but then I figured out they were a guide so I would know what the puzzle was supposed to look like. It definitely helped. :)

This is a great way to teach geography, especially to children that learn through hands on experience. Seeing the round shape of the world, with the countries in relation to each other, is sure to stick in a child's mind more than a flat map will. Not to mention, as they build the puzzle, the animals that are pictures on the different countries will also sink indelibly into their brains. I can't think of a better learning tool for $12.75, than this puzzle. 

It may be a bit hard for the age group it is proposed for, but I don't see a harm in that. In that case, it will require parents to help their children out with it, and what's wrong with that? Fact is, parents can probably use a geography lesson as much as their child does!
 


(Disclosure: We were provided this product, free of charge, by Timberdoodle, in association with MamaBuzz.) 

Timberdoodle: Police Blockade

Mel's Thoughts:
My husband and I actually sat down last night to try out a game we had received in the mail yesterday with Timberdoodle, a company that specializes in homeschool supplies, homeschool curriculum, and educational toys.  Only this really wasn't any ordinary game.  It was Police Blockade,  a single-player game.....which meant we had to take turns.  Once we started playing it, neither one of us wanted to give it up, though.:)  We did take turns, however.  LOL  Anyway, Police Blockade is a game that challenges the brain in many ways.  It's a "no escape" puzzle game meant for ages 7+.  If you have ever played the online game of Traffic Jam, it kinda reminds me of that....it's a lot of fun!

The game comes with a little spiral-bound "Challenges and Solutions" manual that is full of challenges you can do, ranging from starter levels to expert levels.  I actually tried one of each level, but expert was the only one I could not beat....yet.  The object of the game is to surround the stolen sports car with all your police cars, to where he is blocked in.  Before you start, you set up the board as the picture for that particular challenge says to do.  There are building pieces that have to be in certain places, and then you put your sports car in the designated spot.  Once you have it set up, the game begins.  Now your job is to fit all of the differently shaped pieces onto the board without any empty spots left over.  It is quite the challenge. 

I am really looking forward to using this with Jacob for Thinking Skills.  This one-player game develops logical reasoning, builds higher cognitive thinking, and strengthens visual and spatial perception.  I think it will help him to stretch the boundaries of the way he thinks about things, and I definitely think it might help to build up common sense thinking, as well as give tactile stimulation.  I also love the idea of being able to take this with us when we go places or when we travel.  With a plastic cover that fits over the game board and a wide elastic band that holds it all in place, it would be easy to take with us on our trips to see family.  Plus, it's small and manageable in a confined space.  The pieces are made out of plastic and very durable, which makes me very happy, as a mama to two hard-playing boys. 

We have all enjoyed this game, and priced at $17.75 on Timberdoodle, Police Blockade is definitely worth the price, in my opinion.  It would be something I'd consider getting as a Christmas gift for any children/teens on my list.  It's not only educational and challenging, but it's very fun.  


Melissa J's Thoughts

"I am officially stupid."  These were my words to Mel when I attempted to get through the second challenge in Timberdoodle's little spiral bound notebook that came with Police Blockade. Setting up the car and buildings per their instructions, I breezed through challenge Number 1. "Fun, but not hard" were my initial reviewer thoughts.


Challenge #2 then took me 20 minutes. I'm too red-faced to admit how long they say it should take. After almost an hour at the table, I decided I wasn't going to proceed beyond the "easy" section of the challenges. No sense setting myself up for embarrassing failure. 


My husband came home. He's a brick and stone mason. He rearranges pieces of brick and stone all day long so I thought for sure he's get this in a heartbeat. I was relieved to see he didn't. :)  It took him awhile to think through some of these challenges, though his brain was able to make it work (as opposed to mine). 


By this point, this may sound like a negative review. It's not. This is a great little game!  It makes adults use their brains and is awesome for teaching logical thinking to younger brains. Perhaps if I had a game like this when I was in my brain-development years, I wouldn't struggle with it in my brain-addled adult years. ;-)


Is it worth the price? Yes, it is!  Police Blockade will provide hours of entertainment for anyone that buys it while teaching necessary thinking skills. It packages up neatly for storage and takes up very little space in a game cupboard in relation to the amount of entertainment it gives. It would also make a great travel game, as the pieces set well into the board without any looseness.



(Disclosure: We were provided with this product, free of charge, by Timberdoodle, in association with MamaBuzz.)

TOS Crew: AVKO

Mel participated in this review with the TOS Homeschool Crew.

AVKO Educational Research Foundation is an organization that is dedicated to helping kids, both homeschooled and traditionally schooled, with all aspects of literacy; they aim to help guide parents, teachers, and researchers.  Their focus is on helping educators learn how best to teach their students how to read, write, spell, and even teach the subject of keyboarding.  They provide all kinds of free and low-cost resources to homeschoolers and teachers everywhere.  They especially aim to help those with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia.

They do offer several free resources on their website, but in order to gain a full appreciation for the wide array of what they do have to offer, a membership is a great option.  For an individual membership, it's only $25/year, and you have access to 25% discounts on printed materials, tons of free e-books, the AVKO newsletter, access to mp3 recordings of some of Don McCabe's (he's the research director for AVKO) most popular workshops, materials to supplement your curriculum, pretests and placement tests, etc.  Institutions or schools can join also.

Don McCabe, a dyslexic himself, has been able to research and implement ways to teach dyslexics, which he shares in his book, To Teach a Dyslexic, which comes free with any membership.  Other materials that are provided on the membership website include the following:

The Reading Teacher's List of Over 5,500 Basic Spelling Words 

The Patterns of English Spelling: Volumes 1-10

Sequential Spelling Word Searches

Vocabulary Illustration Worksheet

Advanced Vocabulary Flashcards

Many documents for reading comprehension

....and many, many more.

AVKO also offers many printed materials for you to buy, keeping in mind that being a member gets you a 25% discount on these.  They offer materials such as Engaging Language Kits, Sequential Spelling, Let's Write Right, etc.  Here is Part 1 of AVKO's To Teach a Dyslexic, in which Don McCabe takes a 17-year old through his first lesson at AVKO's Dyslexia Research Foundation.

For more reviews on AVKO, visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

(Disclosure: I was provided a membership, free of charge, by AVKO, in association with the TOS Homeschool Crew.)

Timberdoodle: I Can Trace & Prismacolor Colored Pencils

Melissa j's Thoughts

We received I Can Trace today in the mail. I'm so excited about it, I'm going to order two more for my daycare kids!  I'll use them in the winter quarter of our pre-schooling. The trouble is, when I went to the pre-school section of their website to order my additional copies, I saw about 20 other things I wanted. . . but I guess that's not what this review is about, is it? :-)

I feel a bit foolish that this book is $13.00, based on how much comes with it. I spent more than half that amount on another similar series this past Fall, only the pages were less than half the size and the book had less than half the amount of pages this particular volume has. I wish I had known about Timberdoodle when I bought that original series. . . .

The majority of pages in the book are tracing pages, which basically consist of colorful pictures with thick, dashed lines that preschool hands should be able to follow in their first attempts at tracing. It starts out simple with just straight lines. For instance, page 1 has a dog, a mouse, a rabbit, and  a bear on the left side of the page. On the right side of the page is their food.  A thick, dotted line joins the two sides. This activity then increases in difficulty, ending with letters that need to be traced.

The book also includes an appendix of samples from Timberdoodles other series, such as I can Color, I can Draw, I can Fold, and I can Paste - which if course, I want all of!

Lastly, the book also has a wipe-page in the back, which your child can use to draw on repeatedly. This is a value all in itself if you have a pre-schooler who loves to draw and is just the cherry on the sundae in my book.

Is this book worth the cost? Absolutely! Take it from a mom who has browsed all there is out there, and even spent money on several products. For the price, this book delivers at least double what other companies are offering.

The PrismaColor 12 piece pencil set I also recieved from Timberdoodle, is listed at a price of just $8.00!  I can't get over that. I've seen poorer quality colored pencils for double that in craft stores. This is a gorgeous set with vibrant, brilliant colors.

Normally, when I think colored pencils, I think weak transfer of color onto paper. Not so with the PrismaColor set. These write as brilliantly as they appear in their compact tin holder. This 12 piece set includes all the primary colors and will be great for children who are developing fine tuned motor skills and moving out of the crayon stage.

Mel's Thoughts:

Timberdoodle is a wonderful company that we've been blessed to be working with.  They carry all sorts of homeschool supplies and homeschool curriculum.  They have products for all ages, and this time we were sent the Big Skills for Little Hands- I Can Trace book, plus a Prismacolor set of 12 colored pencils. 

This book is meant for agest 2+.  I did use it with Jaden, but I think he just needs a couple more months before he'll really understand what he's doing.  He was mainly interested in coloring with his new colored pencils.  He did love the pictures in the book, though.  The book is progressive in nature, meaning that it starts out with simple tracing pictures, like getting the animal or object from here to there.  It will have straight lines to trace and then some curved lines.  Sometimes the child will have to follow a certain color of line, so as to not get mixed up in the tangle of lines....sort of like a maze; in fact, there are a few mazes that challenge the child's thinking as he traces.  As it progresses, the child is able to start tracing different shapes and eventually numbers and letters.  In the back of the book are a few activities from the other Big Skills books, including I Can Cut!, I Can Paste!, I Can Color!, I Can Draw!, and I Can Fold!  There are also suggestions for other things that you can do with your child around the house, to improve his fine motor skills, as well as a School Readiness Checklist.  Another great bonus is the dry erase page in the back, which your child can use to draw on, write on, and then erase, only to start all over again. 

In the front of the book are pages that help to explain brain research and things you can do to help stimulate and develop your child's brain.  There are things to help you with his emotions/senses, language development (which I really need to work on with Jaden), exercise/coordination, large-motor and fine-motor development, and social skills.  I am loving this book because it is something that I can pick a page or two every day and work on with Jaden; then I can expand upon those pages with other activities.  I do think he needs a couple more months, though, before he will be fully ready to really embark upon this.  You can get this book for $10.50 from Timberdoodle, which, in my opinion, is a great price!  That is completely affordable for over 200 pages of activities and helps in teachingyour toddler/preschooler.  It's a great start for fine motor skills, as well as beginning handwriting skills. 


We also received the Prismacolor Colored Pencils, a set of 12.  These are so nice, that I'm tempted to keep them for myself, although I know that my children will greatly benefit from them.  There is also a color shading stick included with the set, and the minute I saw this, I thought of Jacob's map work and all the shading in of oceans that he has to do.  This will make it so much easier.  We love colored pencils, especially for history and mapwork, because they just provide a much neater appearance for tedious work.  I also love the idea of Jaden using the colored pencils, because it will help to start him out early on, holding a real pencil and learning how to use it. 

The Prismacolor set is so nice; it comes in a thin tin case, with these colors included:
PC903 True Blue
PC909 Grass Green
PC912 Apple Green
PC916 Canary Yellow
PC918 Orange
PC924 Crimson Red
PC932 Violet
PC933 Violet Blue
PC935 Black
PC938 White
PC945 Sienna Brown
PC946 Dark Brown 
You can get this set of colored pencils for $8.00, which, in my opinion, is also a fantastic price for something that will be of great use in our homeschooling ventures.  Even if you don't homeschool, they are wonderful for any kind of activities you do or even for journaling, as Melissa J. was telling me earlier. 

Either way, if you have a young child at home and are in need of great stocking stuffers or just a great present, these items might be just the thing to keep him busy on those cold winter days that sometimes lead to cabin fever.

(Disclosure: We were provided with these products, free of charge, by Timberdoodle, in association with MamaBuzz.)