Disrupt Your Toy Box: DIY Plus Plus Clock

Our Disruptus game inspired us to become bolder in our creative play AND home decor too!

WHAT: DIY Plus Plus Clock
INVENTOR: Tester #2 and his mom, Jenn Choi (and of course the makers of the clock and Plus Plus)

DOES: Makes you happy whenever you look at it and it also tells time!

INVEST:  $5-$6 for the DIY Clock + Plus-Plus pieces from a 600 piece set (300 piece set can do it too).  To get you into the mindset, you should play Disruptus to boost your creativity skills
AGES: 3+ for Plus Plus (hey that rhymes)

TOOLS: Express Yourself, Think Like a Scientist/Engineer
 

Review + Giveaway: Disruptus: The Kids Will Blow You Away

 You will want to be a disruptive person after you read this review and everyone will think you're awesome!

WHAT: DISRUPTUS by Funnybone Toys
INVENTOR: Julien Sharp

DOES: it really is possible to practice creative problem-solving with real-life themes in a controlled game setting, excellent way to practice communicating ideas via speech and/or drawing

INVEST:  $24.99 MSRP
AGES: Box says 10+ but we went a bit lower. See Adaptive Play ideas here.

TOOLS: Think Like a Scientist/Engineer, Express Yourself, Work Experience
GIVEAWAY: Two winners will each get a game of Disruptus- Open to U.S. and Canada

Top Ten Tips: LEGOS on the CHEAP! Really? + LEGO Giveaway

Imagine getting all these LEGOs for just $25!  I was kissed by the God of Shopping that day.

And you'd think this was enough but.....

Read This if Your Kid's LEGO Obsession is Bleeding You Dry.....

How Often Does This Happen to You? Lesson in Why Good Design is Crucial

Don't worry, you won't see me wearing sunglasses sitting on a toilet singing Psy's song.

WHAT: Quick video for kids
DOES: teaches children of all ages what good design does NOT look like, helps grown-ups understand why kids hate public toilet

INVEST:  $your time

AGES: all

TOOLS: Family Fix-it, Work Experience 

Review: Workbooks: Parental Relief for Hurricanes and Other Emergency No School Days

This is a big chunk of our collection.  Sometimes it's great to use a book instead of printing free sheets from the internet because I am not as smart as those mothers that know all the good free websites.  Keep forgetting to bookmark them!

WHAT: Workbooks from School Zone, Flash Kids, Scholastic

DOES: provides some much needed structure on emergency-no school days

INVEST:  $3 or $4 and above  (varies depending on retailer)
TOOLS:  Family Fix-it, Work Experience (you can still play but workbooks give them time to collect themselves and strangely prevents boredom and appreciate any kind of recreation more - including board games!

AGES: 3+ (depending on workbook)

Review-Giveaway: Contraptions Catapult: Real Live Angry Birds

We couldn't help it.  We had to put Angry Bird in our Catapult.  Wouldn't you?

WHAT: Contraptions Catapult by Mindware

DOES:   allows children to learn about basic physics principles through play; offers an opportunity to build something from raw materials via clear and well-illustrated directions

INVEST: $ 24.95 MSRP

TOOLS:  Think Like a Scientist/Engineer, Work Experience

EXPERT Opinion Included: Alison Berkley,  expert educator and co-owner of Emerge and See Education Center
GIVEAWAY Details Below

Inventor Profile (& Giveaway!): Melissa Sweet: I Do Believe Anybody Can Draw

I would say there might be a difference between looking at something and actually seeing it and when you draw, you have to see it.  - Melissa Sweet   (all photos courtesy of Melissa Sweet unless otherwise noted)

Oftentimes when discussing a toy with an expert, we wonder who designed such an amazing product.  What were they thinking?  Whenever I find that out, I tell my kids.  Their faces light up.  After I tell them about the inventor, they look at their toy differently, as if an uncle had made it for them.  There is admiration but more importantly, there is appreciation.

Want to be a Toy Tester?

I'm a worry wart.  I feel like I may need more help for the holiday season.  Just want to be prepared.

WHAT: Help Wanted
DOES:  Folks, we have great testers already but I have this nagging feeling that it is very possible that the testers will need help testing toys for the upcoming holiday season.
INVEST: Just a quick and simple read; if you're interested, apply!
TOOLS: Testing is not as easy as it seems but it's fun fun fun fun!

Review & Giveaway: Grow Your Own Sunflowers Kit: Pride Comes From the Work

 

Easy to start and small enough for your windowsill!  photo: DuneCraft

WHAT: Grow Your Own Sunflowers Kit by DuneCraft
DOES: teaches children that they can't control everything but they can impact outcomes, sprouts come with "hats"; grows fast- over 8 feet tall but will mature in three months; worth the patience after easy-invest (that's the hook); "work" becomes a great kinesthetic learning opportunity
INVEST: $9.99
TOOLS: Fertilize Responsibility and Courtesy (water it!), Work Experience (plant and then transfer later), Think Like a Scientist/Engineer (problem-solving), My Body Needs to Move (planting is greats for hands-on learner)
Giveaway Details below- It ends this Friday 6/29/12 12:01 AM!!

Friday Mindfeed: TEDxTEEN: Tavi Gevinson: A teen just trying to figure it out

WHAT: NEW!!!!!!  "Friday Mindfeed"- first story from TEDxTeen: Tavi Gevinson: A teen just trying to figure it out

DOES: Since the birth of my first child, I am no longer able to read the Sunday paper anymore.  If you make time to still do this then I applaud you.  Me? I really miss those Sunday mindfeasts where the paper was the main course and the coffee and doughnut were just the dressing on the side.  Those stories really allowed me to stop, think, and look at everything in perspective.   Friday Mindfeed at Toys are Tools will attempt to provide these servings big and small.
INVEST: Your time is the most expensive of all.  It's up to you to take a bite.
TOOLS: Family Fix-it (take a moment to look at the big picture, your big picture), Social Scene Helper (here's something to talk about with your kids or friends or yet another fun witticism for Pinterest or Facebook)

An Alternate Way of Displaying Creativity

Puzzle-making is a great way to be creative if you prefer puzzles more than open-ended toys like building blocks.

WHAT: Rush Hour Traffic Jam Jr. by ThinkFun
DOES:  Allows you to solve 40 fun puzzles, with one puzzle represented on each of the cards.  Cards are numbered thus as a child completes a puzzle, he moves onto to a slightly harder puzzle. Added surprise: this puzzle allows your child to create his own puzzle easily.
INVEST: $14- $18
TOOLS: Express Yourself, Think Like a Scientist/Engineer, Work Experience

The Best Starter Pets

Gerbil 1 and Gerbil 2.. Can you guess which one was sick?*

WHAT: Gerbils (not a toy)

DOES: Watch and raise cute little animals that eat, sleep, and play in a tank and can come out to play with you too.

INVEST:   2 gerbil pups+ starter 10 gallon tank + screen + bedding+ food+water bottle = almost $100 dollars

TOOLS: Fertilize Responsibility and Courtesty, Excuses for Learning Disliked Subjects, Think Like a Scientist/Engineer, Work Experience

Several months ago we brought home two gerbils.  They are great because they are small. They don't smell too bad either (just don't stick your face in the tank). They are active and always need to be with other gerbils (at least one other).  I am told they make great "starter pets" and I agree.   While we couldn't have a dog (building rules) or cat (I'm allergic) in our home, I do love animals and thought the gerbils would help my children in a variety of ways.

For one, the gerbils can have a nice calming effect on Number 1.  They are also amusing because by nature they are pretty active.  If you give them an empty toilet-paper roll, they shred them in minutes.