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.) 

Kids Can Publish Website

Mel's Thoughts:
Five Star Publications recently introduced us to a website called Kids Can Publish University.  This site was basically started to get kids even more interested in writing and illustrating, and simply, in creating; they would have the opportunity to see their writing or drawings come to life, in published form, via monthly contests.  First through ninth graders are welcome to submit their manuscripts for the contests.  

This website is not only a great tool for kids, but it's a wonderful resource to teachers, as well.  With workshops, helpful hints, info on grant writing, etc., it's a very handy website.  Kids Can Publish is also an avenue by which a teacher can have authors of children's books come to speak to her class.   Also available is a section that helps give the teacher ideas for writing assignments/projects for her students.  

The best thing about the contests is that they are free.  So, this is a writing project that could be a monthly project for your child or your student.  They don't have to just write stories, though; they can write poems, nonfiction pieces, editorials, or articles; budding artists can submit cartoon drawings, illustrations, photography, drawings, etc.  

You can learn more by just browsing around Kids Can Publish University.


Melissa J's Thoughts

I, as an adult, dream of being published, so what a thrill for kids, that they have the potential to be published. Kids Can Publish University is a website that offers that potential to children. I was surprised to see that there was no fee to use this service, put out my
Five Star Publications. The only action required, is for kids to submit their piece, via the submission page (parents, don't worry. You must sign the permission slip for them to do this!)  Pieces are then chosen on a monthly basis for publishing in a contest style choosing. Anything from creative writing to pictures can be submitted. 

I can see a positive to this site and a negative. Negative first. Not being chosen could devastate a child. To do this on a "only the very best entries" are published, could be rough after awhile on a child who's entries are not chosen. 

The positive is, this could really be used as a tool to encourage your child's creativity. It can also teach them perseverance, even in the face of rejection. And what's more, if something does end up being published, what an awesome motivator for your child to continue broadening their talents and abilities!

Timberdoodle: Upturn Game

Mel's Thoughts:
Timberdoodle is an amazing company that is just full of great educational toys, games, and homeschooling materials.  We recently received the game of Upturn in the mail.  It's a game for ages 6+ (or as soon as they can recognize double-digit numbers), and you can play with 2-4 players.  The sturdy box it comes in is very nice with storage dividers inside and a drawstring bag to hold all your number tiles. 


As we were setting it up to play, it almost reminded me of Rummikub in a way.  I very faintly remember playing that with our neighbor, whose house I used to clean, as a teenager.  Dan, Jacob, and I were able to play, and we each got one standing tray to organize our number tiles on.  We each got seven number tiles.  Included with the number tiles were arrow tiles, numbered penalty tiles, twin tiles, skip player tiles, and jokers. We picked a number tile from the bag and laid it on the table, and then whoever went first got to pick the direction we'd be going at first, up or down (number-wise).  For example, if that first tile was a 35, then Jacob might go first and place a 41 tile down, stating that we were going up.  Then, as we went along we could change the direction of the game, we could skip players, or we could stack tiles up on the other player's rack with our penalty tiles.  The twin tiles were my favorite, because if you got a twin tile, say 99, and the last tile laid down was a 45, you could lay down anything between that 45 and 99 because of that twin marker, all in one turn.  When you got down to one tile, you had to yell out, "Upturn!"; if you didn't, you would be penalized by having to pick up 3 more tiles to add to your rack.  Whoever got rid of all their tiles first, won the game!  Jacob actually won our first game....  I know this may be totally confusing until you actually play the game, but just know that we had a lot of fun with it.  Games are nice, with our family, because they are something we can sit down with and be in the moment together.  Even Jaden sat there with his coloring book and was content to just be with us.


It's actually a great game that I may use some in math with Jacob and even Jaden later on because it would help give practice on greater than/less than concepts, recognizing double-digit numbers, etc.  It has a great mental/strategic aspect to the whole game.  You can find Upturn on Timberdoodle for $25.


Melissa J's Thoughts

If you had told me a week ago, that I thought $25 was worth a game that involved numbers, I would have thought you were nuts! But Upturn is definitely worth the purchase price. For a person who hates numbers, I sure enjoyed the game. My husband, who hates games, even commented, "This is kind of addictive. . ."

We did find it a bit difficult to get into the groove in the first two games, just because different tiles have different signs on them and we had to keep looking at the directions to see what they meant. But by the third game, we were on a roll and I was disappointed it ended so quickly. 

Although the game doesn't use advanced math skills it still helps kids use their numbers-knowledge to figure out which numbers fit into the ascending and descending series that are going on.  

I didn't get a chance to try this out with actual kids, since we had to cancel our game night because of illness, but I already have plans to take it to my in-laws for Christmas to play with my nephews. In fact, I think my mother-in-law will even enjoy it!  

I was so impressed with the tile pieces we used too. I need to add that.  They are sturdy, heavy duty game pieces that I would guess are indestructible to even the most active, mischievous child. 


Timberdoodle is impressing me more and more, with every review I do. Their products are amazing and high quality. Not only that, they teach children through the action of play. As a mother, who encourages both play and education, I appreciate this mix. I love the fact that my child can have a good time, all while learning how to use her educational knowledge. Thank you Timberdoodle for providing such amazing teaching tools for our children!


 


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

Timberdoodle: Rapelli Game

Mel's Thoughts:

Timberdoodle has provided us with another great product, the Rapelli game.  Rapelli comes in a big orange box, that also has a convenient carry handle.  It is eco-friendly, being made out of 100% bamboo, and it is very sturdy, which is important to me, as a Mama to boys (not a slam to boys, just a fact that sometimes my boys can be a little rough, especially my toddler).  This game is best suited for ages 4 years and up, and it's made for 2-6 players. 

We eagerly sat down to play one night this past weekend.  The game is put together really easily.  You connect the two bamboo halves together, and there are two attached stretchy bands that hold the tower together.  Then each player chooses a color of caterpillar that they want to play with.  My toddler liked this next step the best.  Each player has to push all his caterpillars all the way into a row of holes that are on the tower.  Then the game begins.  There are two dice provided that show what color of caterpillar and which direction to pull the caterpillar out, plus how many notches to pull it out.  Each caterpillar is flexible and a little stretchy....but still quite sturdy.  Whoever gets all of their caterpillars totally out of the tower first, wins the game.  It made for a very fun time.  Jacob loved it.  Jaden loved it when he could get his hands on a caterpillar....and he loved throwing the dice down the middle of the tower and yelling, "Tada!" when he picked the tower up to reveal the dice at the bottom....LOL.  

I really love this game, not only because it's fun to play, but because I can also get it out while we're working on school, and I can set it up for Jaden to work with.  Now, it's got small parts, so he needs to be supervised (due to choking hazards), but he can work at putting those caterpillars in and out of the holes, which helps to work on his fine motor skills, not to mention his color skills and directional/organizational skills.  It could also be a wonderful tool for learning how to count.  When being played, it allows the players to begin thinking about strategy, as well.  So, yes, I definitely recommend this game.

You can get Rapelli from Timberdoodle for $21.50.  In my opinion, it would make a great Christmas present for the children on your Christmas list.  Really, it might even make a great family gift.  


Melissa J's Thoughts

Because I have a 2 year old, I had set up a family to come over to our house to help us review Rapelli - - but they had to cancel because of sickness. So. . . . I recruited my husband to help me review the game. We're in our 30's, but we put ourselves into a child-like mindset--and had fun doing so!


We were both impressed with the sturdy material the game was made out of, as well as how easy it was to assemble and set up. The instructions were easy to follow, and I can see how children in the age group the game was created for, would really get a kick out of the game. How could they not with the cute little worms that are being pushed and pulled with every dice throw?  

The worms have alternating colors on them, separated by plastic pieces that keep them from falling all the way out or all the way in as the game goes on. The only "complaint" I would have, is those plastic pieces to make it sometimes hard to tug out or push the appropriate number of sections sometimes, without going too far. But that is easily adjusted as necessary. 

For parents, it could be the game that never ends. :-)  It reminded me of Chutes and Ladders, in which it can go back and forth for quite awhile. That being said, it's a game kids will love, for that very reason - though I can see younger children being upset if their worms have to get pushed back in. 


Rapelli is a great teaching game and is worth the money!  Not only will kids enjoy the game, it will cause them to use heir counting skills and that is just awesome! I can't wait until my daughter and daycare kids are old enough to understand how to play it. We will be using it for sure, in our homeschool years. Until then, maybe I can get my husband to play it with me again.  ;)




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

TOS Crew: ABC Teach

Mel participated in this review with the TOS Homeschool Crew.

Homeschooling sometimes involves stepping back and taking time to just review over concepts that are just not clicking.  Sometimes this takes a bit of creativity on my part as the Mom, and that can be one of the hardest things, is just finding a way to help make it click in their brains.  Recently, we were given the opportunity to review ABC Teach with the Crew. 




ABC Teach is full of worksheets and resources that can easily be printed off and used along with our daily lessons.  They have over 6,000 printables on their free side, and they have over 30,000 printables on their paid side.  That was a lot of resources at my fingertips.  

I bet you can guess which part I went into first.....yep, the math printables.  I was able to generate worksheets for Jacob to review his addition/subtraction facts.  I was even able to print off a quick game for us to play in math, Math Star.  We both enjoyed this game, and it just gave us some "fun" math time.   Now, not only can you just automatically print off a ready-made worksheet, but you can use the ABC tools to create your own version of a worksheet, and there are video tutorials on the site to help you do that.

ABC Teach doesn't just offer math worksheets, though.  They have many different categories that you can choose from for your printable needs, whether it be worksheets, clipart, games, or even teaching helps/resources.  Here are a few of the categories on their site for paid members:

• Art and Music
• Book Units
• Border Papers
• Clipart
• Graphic Organizers
• Handwriting
• Holiday/Seasonal
• Homeschooling and Parent Resources
• Language Arts
• Languages/ESL
• Math
• Montessori Materials
• Shape Books
• Social Studies
• Think Green, Teach Green

...and there are many more categories.

Their free side also has many resources, including some of the following:

• Reading Comprehension
• Subjects, like Math, Phonics, Word Walls, Writing, Art, etc.
• Holidays, Months, & Seasons
• Homeschoolers & Parents
• Flashcards
• Fun Activities
• Think Green, Teach Green

...and many, many more.

The worksheets come for all ages, Pre-K/Elementary Education/Middle School/Junior High.  A one-year membership is $40, and you can watch a video that will take you through what you would receive.  In my opinion, if your child needs the extra help with his subjects, or even if you just want to have these resources at your fingertips when you need them, then this is a wonderful site to join; but for myself and my family, even though $40 is relatively inexpensive, I would rather try to use their free resources and try to find other free online resources when possible, since it's important for us to really budget out what we spend on our homeschooling needs each year.

To read more reviews, check out the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog.

(Disclosure: I was provided with this free resource by ABC Teach, in association with the TOS Homeschool Crew.)      

Timberdoodle: Bucket of Bubber

Mel's Thoughts:
What is Bubber, you may ask?  Bubber was actually imported from Sweden and is now sold by Timberdoodle.  Bubber is a type of modeling compound that is very lightweight, colorful, and fun to squish around in your hands.  Honestly, it'd be a great stress reliever.  It has an aroma, similar to Playdoh too, that honestly doesn't smell bad.  It comes in a 4-oz. bucket with a convenient carry handle.  You can get it in several different colors, including blue, green, purple, red, white, or yellow.  We actually got the green, and it's a really bright,
almost fluourescent shade of green.

When we first got our bucket, I was really excited.  Jacob loves playing around with Moonsand and Playdoh, so I knew he was going to love this.  As he was playing with it, he actually mentioned that it felt warm.  It has the consistency that makes you just want to sit and squish it around in your hand; it almost feels like a squishy form of styrofoam, only much more squishy.  He enjoyed building his castle, but he did mention a couple of times how it was hard to release the Bubber from the castle molds, which we also received.  He tried different methods, but the Bubber is very crumbly.  We had the tools to go with it, and he took advantage of those.  I actually used the mirett, and it was fun to use, sliding it across places where I wanted to slice the Bubber off.  He used the spoon-knife, along with the castle molds to build his little castle.  

As a mama, this is a very fun product for the kids.....for Jaden, who is not quite 2, it just wasn't something I was willing to bring him in on.  For one thing, I was afraid that he'd just want to eat it....plus the messy part kinda got me too.  This was a naptime art project.  The Bubber is very crumbly, and it tends to cling to surfaces, so when Jacob was done, he had it, not only all over himself, but all over the table and the floor.  It was not fun to clean up.  So, that was one drawback for me.  For kids, though, they don't really think about all that stuff, and Jacob had fun with it.  It kept him occupied for over an hour, which is really something for him.  It would be very useful, especially, in a homeschooling setting for special needs children, a setting in which they could work with their hands and develop motor and coordination skills.  It is also non-toxic and gluten-free.  You can pick up the 4-oz. bucket for $10.50.  The tools I mentioned range in price from $.95-$4.95.  In my opinion, it is a very affordable toy.  Want to see more Timberdoodle?

Melissa J.'s Thoughts:

Bubber is fun! *laughing*  That's the short version of my review.

The longer version is:  It's like sand in a sandbox. You want to just keep touching it and playing with it because it's an absolutely fascinating material. The cool thing about the product though, is it doesn't dry out like Playdough, so it's reusable for quite awhile.

My daughter is 2 and thought it was great, even though it's not geared for her age range. I can't wait to let my 4 year old daycare kid have a go at it.

I really like how the Bubber has the potential to come hand-in-hand with castle molds and sculpting tools. Even my husband wanted to play when he saw those. ;-)  Bubber is like a soft, smooth, silky Playdough, only it's dry. It's actually very fascinating and I can't help but wonder what it's made of. Inquiring minds want to know.

The only down side to Bubber is how crumbly it is. Because it is a dry substance, it crumbles everywhere when being played with. Of course, that could be the age of the child playing with it, but still, I played with it too, and had the same problem.

Despite the crumble-effect, it's a product I would definitely buy, both for my household and for gifts for other children. It gets a two thumbs up from me as a reusable and captivating "toy" for children.



(Disclosure: We were provided with these free products by Timberdoodle.)      

Giveaway: Kids' Journal From NicoPaperGoods

This week's giveaway is so cute, and it's really unique.  If you have children, and they love to write or keep a journal, then this is the giveaway to enter.  The kids' journal we are giving away comes from Andrea Kohler at NicoPaperGoods.  Andrea has an Etsy store, that is really wonderful to browse around in.

Andrea was born and raised in Switzerland, where she learned the craft of bookbinding, but she is now residing in the Northwest United States.  All of her books and papergoods are handmade, meaning each one is truly unique and special; she is very passionate in her work.  Her journals come in all different kinds and colors, and some even come with a marker or a pencil.  Andrea also has created memory games, that involve matching up faces or automobiles.  She also has weekly planners available for all of you busy women out there. 

This giveaway includes a kids' journal from Andrea's collection.  Many of her journals come with a pocket on the front cover that kids can fit small pencils or other tools they might need for their writing time.  Check out all of her wonderful creations!

We will draw the winner (using a random number generator) for this giveaway on Saturday, October 9, 2009. To enter the giveaway, you can do one or more of the following; just be sure to leave a separate comment on here for each of the steps you've done(the more steps you do below, the more chances you have of winning):

1) Leave us a comment on what you like about this prize or your favorite quality about it.

2) Go check out NicoPaperGoods on Etsy, and browse around a bit.
3) Follow MamaBuzz, over on the right-hand sidebar....or subscribe to it.
4) Tweet about this giveaway over on Twitter!
5) Compose a blog post on your own blog about this giveaway, and make sure to link back to MamaBuzz!

MRM Classroom: Word Wall Words

Mama Buzzers, please link up your review at the bottom of this post, with Mr Linky. Thanks!


Mel's Thoughts:
In our family, we homeschool our children (well, Jacob, but I'm working on colors and shapes with Jaden right now); anyway, with homeschooling, we're always on the lookout for interesting and useful products and tools we can use to supplement the boys' education.  Recently, we had the opportunity to review MRM Classroom's Word Wall Words. 

The Word Wall Words are an educational tool to help kids learn their sight words, the words that can be harder to remember, because basic spelling rules sometimes don't apply.  Sight words are also high frequency words that are used every single day by anyone.  I was pretty excited, because I thought these would make a great supplement to our spelling program....and they have.  Each set of Word Wall Words comes in a packet for a particular grade level; there is a packet for first grade and a packet for second grade.  We dug into the second grade packet, since the words go along with what we are learning right now.  The packet is a really nice, sturdy box type folder, and all of the pages fit down inside of it.  It even has a convenient carry handle and closes up with velcro, so if we have to go somewhere, and Jacob wants to take it along, it's easy to handle and not lose everything.  

Each page that is included in the packet has a different sight word, embedded in an abstract design.  Jacob finds and colors the sight word  in one color, and then he is free to color the rest of the design however he wishes; he has come up with some pretty unique creations.   This makes for a great arts and crafts learning activity as well.   I love the theory behind this kind of activity, because it makes a great activity for visual learners and for kinesthetic learners as well.  It gives both a visual example and a hands-on experience. 

At $19.95, and with over 100 sheets in each packet, this is a great value.  The activity sheets could be spread out throughout the year in lesson plans and make a great supplement to any phonics/spelling program.  Not only can the kids color the words, but they can take the sheets they have done, and they can make their own books out of them.  They could hang them on the wall for wall decor that also has learning appeal; they could laminate them and place them on a ring or in a binder.  There is no end to what could be done with these sheets. 

So far, Jacob has colored four of the sheets, but we plan to use them throughout the rest of the year.  He has sat for an hour or two at a time coloring these, and for Jacob (if you know him at all), he doesn't sit like that.  He is up doing something all the time.  He actually comes to me and asks if he can do more when he's done with the one he has been doing.  It's so cool!  So, not only is it a great learning tool, but he is loving it at the same time, which makes my Mama's heart so glad. 

Would I recommend the Word Wall Words?  You bet, in a heartbeat!  To learn more about MRM Classroom and their educational products, check them out at MRM Classroom Connections, LLC.

Here is a press release about the Word Wall Words:
Product press release:

These educational activity kits help children practice and learn the sight words, necessary for reading and writing. Children color a graphically designed sight word and “find” the hidden word.

“The product is creative and artistic,” said Maria Rios-Marrero of MRM Classroom Connections.


“Children who love to color or create an artistic product will love this kit. Children who are having trouble reading will interact with words in a fun manner.”

This product is a 2008 iParenting Media Best Product of the Year Award winner and Mom’s Choice Award winner.

Launch date: September 2007



Melissa j's take:

I have a confession to make. . . When I saw these packages of Word Wall Words, I wanted to open them and start coloring them myself. They remind me of those fun books you can buy at craft stores, that have neat designs to color. More than designs however, are high frequency words, relevant to the grade the package is geared towards.  

It's easy to see why World Wall Words have won the Mom's Choice Awards, Honoring Excellence, the iParenting Media Winner Aware, and Creative Toy Awards, Product of the Year Award. It's an ingenious concept that MRM Cassroom Connections has come up with!  It moves away from static text book learning and launches into the dynamic world of arts and crafts learning. 


World Wall Words come package in sturdy, colorful folders which contain alphabetized lists for the words that are contained within the package. 


I don't have a child old enough to use this product. . . yet! But when she is old enough, you can be sure I will be using these World Wall Words with her. In the meantime, I will be recommending this product to every homeschooling mom I know!

Reviewers, please link up your posts here:

TOS Crew: Studypod

Mel participated in this review with the Crew.

A couple weeks ago, we went out to the mailbox to find another package from the Crew, and when I opened it, I wasn't quite sure what it was at first. After I read over the box, though, I quickly got excited. Have you ever tried to hold a book open, a book that doesn't want to stay open, and write at the same time? Especially for younger kids, it can be a task just writing, let alone having to wrestle that big book open at the same time. That's where the Studypod comes in.

I am loving our new Studypod. Although Jacob has used it for school, I also plan on using it in the kitchen to hold my cookbooks when I'm making that batch of cookies or that apple pie.

The Studypod looks like a plastic book; in fact, it is small enough that I could fit it into my purse or into Jacob's backpack. It's very easy to open up and situate too. You simply swivel the prop rod until you feel it snap in place, then you open up the Studypod itself and slide the locking pin into place, so it can't close. There are two little shelves that you then flip down to rest your book on, and the two wires pop out to hold your pages open for you. Then it just sits on your desktop as you write or read. Inside the Studypod is a little pouch to hold little things like maybe a highlighter or small calculator.

It's such a handy thing to have around. It worked so well for Jacob with any type of copywork because he didn't have to struggle so. I love that we can put it beside the computer for him as well; or if I'm writing an article, I can prop my book on it and be able to type without having to hold a book open in front of me. Plus it stores easily because it's so compact.

The Studypod sells for $19.95 and comes in different colors, including black, blue, and pink.

Right now, for our readers, Studypod is offering a $5 discount if you use this coupon code at checkout: TOSBLOG5.

For more reviews on the Studypod, check out the TOS Crew Blog.

TOS Crew: Grapevine Studies

Mel participated in this review with the Crew.

Jacob and I have been using a new Bible curriculum shared with us via the Crew. It's the Old Testament Overview put out by Grapevine Studies.

Jacob has really been enjoying this book, and I really think it's because it has a lot of hands-on activity. He's able to visually see me drawing the lesson on the board (in stick figures), and he's able to copy what I'm doing, tweaking it to his own style. He's basically learning the Bible in stick figures!

When we received this curriculum, it came with two books; one is the Teacher's Book, and the other is the Student Book.

It's important to note here that you can not only receive these books as hardcopy in the mail, but if you'd rather download them, you can do that instead. The great thing with the Teacher's Book is that it covers Levels 1 & 2, whereas the Student Book we are using is just for Level 2. So, you get 2 levels for the price of 1 with the Teacher's book.

In the beginning of the Teacher's Book, there are pages that describe the Grapevine method of teaching, their statement of faith, goals for the curriculum, and instructions on how to teach and schedule the lessons. The lessons are laid out in such a format that it's easy to teach how your family doctrinally believes, and it's also very easy to prepare for the lesson every day.

Each lesson covers a specific portion of the Old Testament timeline, and before we ever started the lessons, we went through and drew out the timeline, giving Jacob an overview of what he was going to be learning about this year. When I say draw, I mean in stick figures; it is so easy for a non-artist like me to do; plus, what kid doesn't like to draw stick figures, especially for a Bible lesson?:) (Update: here is a picture of Jacob's drawings on the paper beside my drawings on the board; just thought I'd share for those commenting about the drawing portion of the lessons). Personally, I wanted to make it really upbeat and fun for Jacob, so I went out and bought a cheap little set of colored dry erase markers to use on our board. He has his own markers, and he grabs a piece of paper and follows me along through the lesson. We cover one page in his book every day, which puts us to about a whole lesson every week. The first page of the lesson is a timeline review from previous lessons and a memory verse review. There are one to two memory verses to work on with each lesson. The second and third pages cover the main part of the lesson; for example, the lesson could be on The Tower of Babel. I usually have Jacob read over the verses for each section as we go, and we take breaks to draw out the different points and talk about them. At the end of each lesson, we do a character or event card, where he writes out, on an index card, the main points that he learned; he usually copies from the board. That way, he'll have that card to review later on. We also write out the memory verse/s. Other memory work might include learning the different books of the Bible in order, etc. Every so often, throughout the book, there are bigger reviews to cover a portion of what we've been studying, and we can play trivia games or review over parts that are harder to remember.

So far, we've both really enjoyed this. As a busy homeschooling mama, I love the fact that it's so easy to organize and teach; there's little to no prep time, unless I just want to read over the verses for that day's lesson. Each day's lesson is so short that it keeps his attention quite well, and again, he benefits from the hands-on learning. This is also a curriculum that you could use across broader age gaps; so, if you have multiple children, you could more than likely teach all of them from the same books, tweaking it to their levels, of course.

The best part is that through September 15, 2009, Grapevine is honoring a 30% discount to any of my readers who go and purchase any of their books. All you have to do is use the coupon code: Crews, when you checkout. The price for the Teacher's book is $45.95, and the price for the Student Book is $25.95.

So, look them over, and see for yourselves. Personally, for myself and my family, I can't say enough good things about Grapevine. The search for a good Bible curriculum can be tough, but I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to review this particular product.

If you'd like to read more reviews on Grapevine Studies, head on over to The Homeschool Crew Blog.

* Products for K - 2nd Grade *

Rattle Snake Rules

Draw and Write through History

Grapevine Studies

Think and Blink Shapes Flashcards

Bubber