Review + Giveaway: Celebrate Earth Day with Dirt and Sand: The Big Dig and Kinetic Sand

It's official. Sand is divine. Kinetic Sand by Wabafun

Didn't you always want one of these? The real deal is finally affordable. Thank you Reeves Toys for The Big Dig

WHAT: Kinetic Sand by WabaFun and The Big Dig by Reeves Toys
DOES: works on fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills AND gets you back in touch with earth in the most intimate and fun-loving way!
INVEST: The Big Dig is $44.99; Kinetic Sand is $24.99

AGES: 3+
TOOLS: My Body Needs to Move, Think Like a Scientist/Engineer,

GIVEAWAY PRIZE: One winner will get both Big Dig and the Kinetic Sand!  Wow!

Review + Giveaway: Sensible Solutions for Kids: The Pocket Occupational Therapist + Weighted Pocket Scarf + Mini Push Pathz

Thanks to Albert Dungca, OTR/L, who helped my kid learn how amazing sprinklers can be.  Other therapists like Cara Koscinski and Aviva Weiss (see below) are also making miracles by helping kids enjoy their primary occupation: PLAYING.

WHAT: Sensible Solutions: Strategies to Help Kids Get Back On Track
The Pocket Occupational Therapist (Book) ($19.95) author: Cara Koscinski 
Weighted Pocket Scarf, invented by Aviva Weiss  ($29.99)
Mini-Push Pathz by Abilitations (School Specialty $19.99)- part of the giveaway! (Read review here)

TOOLS: My Body Needs to Move, Family Fix-its

GIVEAWAY PRIZE: Your copy of The Pocket Occupational Therapist and All Five of the Mini Push-Pathz (the BIG HIT of 2013)

Review + Giveaway: Constructive Eating: No More Fights at the Table

Mindful eating promotes joyful eating and joyful eating promotes healthy eating

WHAT: Constructive Eating's  Construction and Garden Fairy Set
INVENTORS: Carter and Jackie Malcolm
DOES: allows your child to be more actively involved in feeding himself/herself

INVEST:  $19.95 (for utensils only) plate ($14.95) additional items available
AGES: 1+ ? (depends on you and your child)

GIVEAWAY PRIZE: One set includes the utensils, plate, and mat!  Woo-hoo!Your choice theme (garden or construction)

Review + Giveaway + FREE SHIP Code: LOCK LACES: Because You Have Bigger Fish to Fry

WHAT: LOCK LACES
INVENTOR: Eric Jackson

DOES: gives you freedom from the tyranny of shoelace-tying instruction or service, especially in the AM. 

INVEST:  $7.99  (have free ship code for you!!!!!!!!!!!!)
AGES: if they can lock them or you can lock it for them, then they can wear them.Usually my kids don't unlock them, they just slip off or wiggle out of their sneakers instead.

TOOLS: I Can Take Care of Myself- Morning sanity is one giant step closer to reality!

Review + 2 Calm Giveaways: Buddha Board: This Too Shall Pass

WHAT: Buddha Board
INVENTOR: Eric Thrall

DOES: a visual-tactile REAL-time display of how you can let go of something great and LIVE THROUGH IT; get help shrugging off mistakes because you'll see that this too shall pass

INVEST: Buddha Board - Original: $34.95; Buddha Board - Mini: $11.95
AGES: As water is generally non-toxic in many parts of the world, I am going to say 3+? But maybe make sure that younger kids don't eat the brush? It's a nice brush

TOOLS: Express Yourself, Family Fix-its, I Can Take Care of Myself
GIVEAWAY: Two Winners will each receive and Original and a Mini Buddha Board!

Review & Worldwide Giveaway: MeMoves: Prepare the Body For Learning

Why is very cute boy's arms glowing?  I can explain.

WHAT: MeMoves by Thinking Moves
INVENTORS: Roberta Scherf and Chris Bye

DOES: works to prepare the mind and body for learning; calming; midline work

INVEST:  $59.95 for DVD Program (The iOS app is $9.99)

AGES: 3+

TOOLS: I Can Take of Myself, My Body Needs to Move
EXPERT OPINION: Karin Buitendag, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Director, Occupational Therapy, STAR Center (Sensory Therapies and Research Center) and Amy Baez, Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Founder of Playapy

GIVEAWAY: TWO Winners will each receive a MeMoves Program complete with DVD, Music CD, User Guide, and Puzzle Cards! 

Review + Giveaway: Super Magnetics: A Pocketful of Science

Magnetic putty attracts children too.  photo: Iridescent Learning

WHAT:  Super Magnetics by Crazy Aaron's Puttyworld

DOES: NEWLY IMPROVED for 2013- a magnetic putty that is more appropriate for younger kids, safer and more flexible- thus further allowing you and your child to learn about magnetic forces in the most HANDS ON way possible!!! It's just super fun to explore this toy

INVEST:  $14.95 MSRP

AGES:  8+ (I have gone lower but please exercise caution)

TOOLS: This Like A Scientist/Engineer, My Body Needs to Move, Father Day Ulterior Motives Gift (Hey, play with the kids a tad more.... with something Daddy will love)
EXPERT OPINION: Paige Teamey, Director, Engineers as Teachers, Iridescent Learning 

GIVEAWAY:  Win your own tin of Super Magnetic Putty! You can choose the color! Reactive Razz (magenta), Tidal Wave (electric blue), Strange Attractor (black) and Quicksilver (silver)

Review: OgoDisk: Dittos Don't Build Dendrites

In this game, there are no winners or losers.  The way to win is to have fun and the way to have fun is to keep the ball in play.

WHAT: OgoDisk Mini and OgoDisk Super by OgoSport

DOES: bilateral coordination, visual motor integration, visual tracking..  basically it's all about hand-eye coordination and also using your eyes with more control for things like... reading... you know... stuff like that  

INVEST:  $33-46  prices will vary with retailer  (each set of two disks comes with one ball)

AGES: 3+

TOOLS: My Body Needs to Move
EXPERT OPINION: Pediatric Occupational Therapist Susan L. Roberts, MDiv, OTR/L

Review + Giveaway: Peapod: Squeeze to Focus, Hug to Calm

Have you been wondering what it is like to go inside of an Abilitations Peapod?  We will tell you everything we know.

 
WHAT: Peapod (MEDIUM) by Abilitations

DOES:  envelop your child with indescribably comfortable pressure.  Helps them do certain tasks independently like.... READING... (and playing video games.. oh wait, they don't need so much help with that)

INVEST:  $89.99

AGES: This (pictured) is the medium that is well suited for 2nd and 3rd graders.  If you have a third grader, I'd say to go for the XL. If you have two kids, go for the XL.  The Peapod Jr fits PreK - 1st grade.

TOOLS: Family Fix-its, I Can Take Care of Myself, My Body Needs to Move
EXPERT OPINION: Pediatric Occupational Therapist Susan L. Roberts, MDiv, OTR/L

GIVEAWAY:  Win your OWN Peapod!!! Shipped FREE to your home!

Review and Giveaway: Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty Hypercolors: Change Is Definitely Good

Bluebird's Nest by Number 2 using Twilight and Sunburst Hypercolor Putty by Crazy Aaron's PuttyWorld

WHAT:  Heat Sensitive Hypercolor Putty by Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty

DOES: fidget to focus, fidget to wake up your creativity, fidget and be social, fidget and make art, fidget and feel alive!!!

INVEST:  $11 MSRP (3.2 oz tin)

AGES: 3+  (I could do 2+ but only with supervision)

TOOLS: Family Fix-its, Holiday/Birthday Build-Uponner, Social Scene Helper, Think Like a Scientist/Engineer
EXPERT OPINION: Pediatric Occupational Therapist Susan L. Roberts, MDiv, OTR/L

GIVEAWAY and DISCOUNT CODE:  Win a tin of Glow-in-the-Dark Putty and one Heat Sensitive Hypercolor Putty too!  U.S. addresses only please...   See Discount Code info below.

Because you're HOT then you're COLD, it's YES then it's NO..... Hypercolor putty kind of acts like a person

Review + Giveaway: Meet Super Duper Pubs: An Educational Trailblazer

The back of the card is even better than the front!  Yogarilla is a superstar!

WHAT: 500 Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems Super Fun Deck and Yogarilla (both from Super Duper Publications)

DOES: 500 Prefixes, Suffixes, and Stems is a treasure chest of word parts that your child can use to help with both decoding and reading comprehension; Yogarilla is an excellently designed tool that helps you and your child do yoga positions in an accurate and fun way. 

INVEST:  $49.95 and $34.95 respectively
AGES: Fun Deck (Suggested Gr. 4+ but we loved at Gr. 3 too), Yogarilla (3+)

TOOLS: Foment Love of Language, My Body Needs to Move

EXPERT OPINION: Susan Schwartz, MAEd, Learning Specialist, Friends Seminary and Mike Pfeiffer, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Owner/Director, Leaps and Bounds Pediatric Therapy

GIVEAWAY:  Win a fifty dollar gift certificate to this really amazing store filled with 100s of awesome tools.   COUPON CODE TOO

Review + Giveaway: Curious Chef Knives Set: It's All About Respect

I know what you are thinking. And the answer is YES!  These are for kids and they're fabulous.  Take it from a kid whose parents were in the restaurant business for over forty years!!.

WHAT: Nylon Knife Set (of 3) by Curious Chef

DOES: kids can slice, dice, and chop!!! safely? yes!!!!!  These aren't like plastic disposable knives.  These babies can cut!  Could this be the key to unlocking appetites or be a sneaky fine motor/OT-ish exercise? You will just have to try it yourself.

INVEST:  $8.99 as listed on their website.  I paid a couple of dollars more for it at Amazon but it's worth it!

AGES: Hmmmm I think parents should decide.

TOOLS: Holiday Build-Uponner, Express Yourself, Fertilize Responsibility and Courtesy

GIVEAWAY:  Win your own set of knives (U.S. only please)

Review + Giveaway: Super Fidgets: Caterpinch & Mini PushPathz

Push Pathz helps him transition to sleep. 

WHAT: Caterpinch and Mini PushPathz

DOES: Fidget to focus, fidget to transition, fidget to balance, and fidget to strengthen, and more...

INVEST:  $17.99 (for one) and $19.99 (for a set of 5 different pathz)

AGES: Any number between 1 and 100 (says me)

TOOLS: My Body Needs to Move, Social Scene Helper, I Can Take Care of Myself
EXPERT OPINION:   Aimee Prainito, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Prainito Pediatric Therapy and Mike Pfeiffer, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Owner/Director, Leaps and Bounds Pediatric Therapy

GIVEAWAY:  Win both the Caterpinch and Mini Push Pathz ($38+ value!!!)