Ravensburger Puzzles Pt. 2: How to Be" You" When You're in an "Us"

Sometimes you have to put your piece down and it's not where you are sitting.  How would you do it?  And how would you respond if someone encroached upon "your space"?

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AGAIN
WHAT: Ravensburger Jigsaw Puzzles
DOES: allows you to use and adjust your solving tactics, give you a chance to work cooperatively, must be courteous of other's "space" and their "projects,"  Stiff but smooth and high in quality, Ravensburger puzzles for young children are an EXCELLENT alternative to wooden puzzles if you want something slightly more complex but you don't want to give up the stiffness and quality you get from wooden puzzles.
INVEST:  some 100 piece puzzles cost $9 and up  (Pictured is $12.99 - Highlights: Amusement Park)
TOOLS: Express Yourself, Lose and Win Gracefully, Fertilize Responsibility and Courtesy, Flexibility is My Superpower

Review & Giveaway: Clumsy Thief + Last Letter: Teach Opportunistic Test-Taking Skills

Focus! Think Fast!  Act Faster! Then Relax!

Use Working Memory & Speed Reading to Win This Game.

WHAT: Clumsy Thief (Math Game) by Melon Rind and Last Letter (Word) Game by ThinkFun
DOES: Why "be tested," instead, let them test themselves. These games arouse the hunt and gather instinct in our young humans.
INVEST: Clumsy Thief $13.99; Last Letter $12.99

AGES: Clumsy Thief (box says 9+ but definitely can be played by young kids if they are big on math and mature enough to have their stuff stolen from them)  Last Letter (8+ but definitely can be played by younger kids if they are big on visual scanning and/or spelling)
TOOLS: My Body Needs to Move, Think Like a Scientist/Engineer, Family Fix-it, Foment the Love of Language, Flexibility is My Superpower

GIVEAWAY PRIZE:One Winner Wins BOTH Games!!! 

Bicycling: Can Kids Ride Their Way to Academic Success?

SPONSORED POST

Huffy Green Machine Tri-Bike

WHAT: My virtual eye-shopping trip at KIDS' Bicycles at Big W, Australia
DOES: Gets one thinking about outdoor activities especially those of us who are facing milestone moments: first trike, first bike with training wheels, or the ominous first big kid two-wheeler sans helper wheels
INVEST: $54 and up

TOOLS: My Body Needs to Move

Review & Giveaway: Modular Toys: It's State-of-the-Art Play!

WHAT: Modular Toys 3D Racetrack and Modular Toys 3D Express Sets
DOES: Excellent alternative to building race tracks and train tracks. Can be connected to structural building sets using same system. - yeah, you make a whole town by clicking pieces together.
INVEST: $49.99 (Racetrack);  $64.99 (Highway); $69.99 (Express Train)

TOOLS: My Body Needs to Move, Think Like a Scientist/Engineer, More Make Believe Please

GIVEAWAY PRIZE: You CHOOSE: Deluxe Set of Modular Toys 3D Highway (72 pieces) (It's even bigger than my set!) or Modular Toys 3D Express Tracks (101 pieces) ($70 value)

Review: Hearbuilder: Childhood is a Once in a Lifetime Event- Don't Make Children Wait to Learn

An educational steal of a deal- a Super Duper Steal!

WHAT: HearBuilder (Following Directions, Phonological Awareness, Auditory Memory, Sequencing) by Super Duper Publications  

DOES:  

1. Assists a child in building a stronger foundation for his/her language skills = better reading and writing and listening and talking 
2. Helps a parent/educator figure out exactly where a child is having trouble.  ie. WH- questions and translates those trouble spots into IEP-language!
3. Shows you how learning aligns with Common Core

 

INVEST:  Per Program CD $69.99; All Four Programs on one CD: $199.00; Professional CD editions and online subscriptions are also available

AGES: Pre-K to eighth grade (I used it with 2 children (7 and 10 year old) whose skills vary from above grade level to below grade level depending on the skill. Both have language delays but theme and content was fun and appropriate for both and that's no small thing for two kids who play nothing but Minecraft when it comes to screen time privileges.