Make Science Fun Again with @LearningHandsOn Toys!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

As a preschool teacher, one of my absolute favorite companies for the classroom is Learning Resources! Learning Resources is a leading global manufacturer of innovative, hands-on educational products trusted by teachers and parents and loved by children. Their products are alway so much fun that children don't even know they are learning while they play with them!

Science is one area I tend to struggle in teaching in the preschool classroom but it is so important for the child's development! So this school year, I am so glad I have Learning Resources by my side because they have a great selection of science-based toys and I am so excited to try them out with my preschoolers this year!

Check out some of my favorite science toys from Learning Resources:

Primary Science™ Outdoor Discovery Set

We will be using this great set to explore the great outdoors this Fall and Spring!

Discover the wonders of plants, bugs, and more with all the kid-cool tools for some naturally fun experiments. Ten double-sided Activity Cards include easy-to-follow experiments to capture, create, and observe the world outside. Leaning comes naturally as children conduct their own investigations and discover the world of plants and insects firsthand.

Product Features + Benefits: 
· STEM-supporting set
· Includes a sprouting jar with 2 lids, watering can, 3 plant pots, 3 plant markers, Big View Bug Jar, Handy Scooper™, and Activity Guide

Age range: 3+ years
MSRP: $29.99 from Amazon.com

Alphabet Acorns Activity Set

This fun and challenging matching game gives children multiple ways to learn and play. Children can match uppercase and lowercase letters as they put the acorns together, plus play hide-and-seek by finding a surprise inside each acorn. The object they find begins with the letter sound on the acorn. Colors correspond to letters, and little learners can even practice making words, learning their ABCs, beginning sounds, and more!

My children loved playing with these acorns and the children in my preschool will too!

Product Features + Benefits: 
· Alphabet acorns help children learn letter Identification and much more
· Bottoms of acorns feature written letters—tops have matching colors. Kids will learn as they match them together!
· Each acorn has a color counter inside that corresponds to the letter
· Includes 26 two-piece acorns and 26 color counters

Age range: 3+ years
MSRP: $29.99 from Amazon.com

Erupting Cross-section
Volcano Model

There's nothing like an erupting volcanic eruption to get your child fired up about science! Create your very own erupting volcano with this unique no assembly required model.

When we study the letter "V" we always do a fun volcano for science! This great Cross-Section Volcano will make it so much more fun and interesting for the kids!

Product Features + Benefits: 
· Includes an easy-to-prepare lava recipe, a 13" clear plastic tray and a removable tube that allows for quick clean up. Detailed cross-section shows the inside of the volcano. Includes a fact-filled Activity Guide, with all the information kids want to know about volcanoes.

Age range: 6+ years
MSRP: $39.99 from Amazon.com

* Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

New @NGKidsBks Books Make Great Gifts! #Giveaway

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Books make the best gifts -- a thoughtfully selected book will hold a child's interest long after the new toys have been tossed aside, and books are also very budget-friendly.

This holiday season, National Geographic Kids Books is featuring SIX new titles that are perfect for gift giving. They are big, bold and beautiful hardcovers; cater to book enthusiasts and reluctant readers alike; and are fun, inspiring AND educational (but don't tell your kids that last part!).

Check out more info about each book below:

How Things Work 

(ages 7-10, $19.99) 

Discover the secrets and science behind bounce houses, hovercraft, robotics and everything in between in this book that provides both the quick answers AND complete explanations for all things high tech, low tech and no tech (how DOES glue work???). Detailed diagrams, revealing photos, hands-on activities and and fascinating facts all help to demystify many common items -- like how a microwave works, how an eraser makes pencil marks disappear and how an iPad or tablet can do so much -- and also delves into the more futuristic -- but very real -- inventions like bionics, invisible cloaks and tractor beams. "Tales from the Lab" and profiles of talented engineers, inventors and scientists provide plenty of inspiration. How Things Work is perfect for the kid who thinks "just because" isn't a REAL answer. Several spreads from How Things Work can be found by clicking here.

Ultimate Oceanpedia 

(ages 7-10, $24.99)

Perfect for the ocean-obsessed, this book is the most complete ocean reference ever! Ultimate Oceanpedia is overflowing with amazing facts, photos, art and diagrams that take the reader on a journey through the ocean. Whales, dolphins, porpoises, turtles, sharks, fish, crustaceans, sponges -- from the weird to the wonderful -- they are all featured in breathtaking photographs with easy to read captions. Wild weather, underwater exploration and tips and pointers on how to help keep our oceans thriving round out this thick, keepsake volume.

Tales from the Arabian Nights: Stories of Adventure, Magic, Love and Betrayal by Donna Jo Napoli 

(ages 8-12, $24.99) 

 "A brilliant tapestry woven not of yarn but of stories, both fresh and faithful to its historical routes" -- starred review, Kirkus

Do you have a child who loves magical stories about far away places? Classic stories and dazzling illustrations of princesses, kings, sailors and genies come to life in a stunning retelling of the Arabian folk tales from One Thousand and One Nights and other collections, including those of Alladin, Sinbad the Sailor, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. In this beautiful, gift-worthy book, beloved author Donna Jo Napoli not only brings timeless tales of royalty, adventure and love to life but also includes sidebars that connect the stories to history, culture and geography. A perfect story time selection for bedtime or anytime.

The Book of Heroines and The Book of Heroes 

(ages 8-12, $14.99) 

All kids are heroes in waiting and these two titles are sure to inspire. In The Book of Heroines it's all about Girl Power! Looking for a leading lady? How about more than 100 of them? True stories of superstars, war heroes, world leaders, ladies in lab coats ad everyday people who all have two things in common -- they were girls and they changed the world. From Michelle Obama, Jane Goodall and Wonder Woman to Susan B. Anthony, Gloria Steinem and Katie Ledecky, The Book of Heroines not only highlights how girls are just as tough as boys, but also challenges the reader to be a heroine herself and provides tips on how to unleash her inner heroine. Sample pages of Heroines can be found here. The Book of Heroes highlights 100 guys who had the boldness, bravery and brains to meet the challenges of their day. Featuring a very diverse array of amazing minds, heroes from history, sports stars and even action heroes -- like Abraham Lincoln, Mark Zuckerberg, Stephen Hawking and Steve Irwin -- boys will be sure to find more than just a few role models in the pages of this book and also perhaps inspire them that they, too, are capable of extraordinary things.

5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!) 3 

(ages 8-12, $19.99) 

Did you know that one-third of the earth is a desert, that beets are sometimes used to give red velvet cake its color or that there are more caribou than people in Alaska? Well, that's only the beginning......5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!) 3 features gross facts about toilets and edible insects, gravity defying facts about things that fly, awesome new dino-discoveries and even facts about newborn octopi and how many oranges it takes to make one glass of o.j. -- to name just a few! This book is the ultimate boredom buster and is perfect for curious kids who love to learn about the weird, wild and wacky!

On behalf of National Geographic Kids Books I'm so pleased to offer your site a Holiday Gift Pack Giveaway of the six books listed above (ARV $120.00). US only please and we'd be pleased to ship the gift pack directly to your winner.
It would be terrific if your readers could earn additional entries the following ways:
* Follow National Geographic Kids Books on twitter - @NGKidsBks
* Friend National Geographic Kids on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/NationalGeographicKid

Win It:

National Geographic Kids Books is generously offering (1) Holiday Gift Pack Giveaway of the six books listed above (ARV $120.00) to a lucky winner!

Enter here for a chance to win:

(1) National Geographic Kids Holiday Gift Pack including:

• The Book Of Heroines
• The Book of Heroes
• 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!) 3 
• Tales from the Arabian Nights: Stories of Adventure, Magic, Love and Betrayal 
• Ultimate Oceanpedia 
• How Things Work

(worth $120!!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Thank you to National Geographic Kids for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Gifts that Keep Teaching All Year Round!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

ETA hand2mind, an educational company that provides learning resources for grades PreK – 12 teachers and students, has two awesome science kits this holiday season to give the learning lover in your house!

As a preschool teacher, I am instantly excited about cool new kits that make learning fun and easy - for both teacher and student! These STEM at Play kits make perfect gifts this year and bring science concepts to life through hands-on activities.

Check out two of my favorite kits below:

Splash! Water Science Lab Kit

This kit encourages children to become an expert in all-things-aquatic. The fact-filled lab guide is chock-full of pictures and information for hours of experimentation in your own aqua lab.

I love that this one box allows for 23 fun experiments including dancing bubbles, color changing flowers and a tornado! It is perfect for pulling out on a rainy day and having a lot of education fun with the kids.

What's in the Box?

Kit includes:

• 32-page Career and Lab Guide
• Straws
• Balloons
• Pasteur pipettes
• Small measuring cup
• Petri dish
• Syringes
• Transparent tube
• Modelling clay
• Cardboard box
• Bottle with bubble solution
• Soap bubble hoop
• Rubber bands
• Paper clips
• Marble
• Blue food coloring
• Red food coloring
• Liquid glycerine
• Plastic test tubes with lids
• Protective goggles

Boom! Combustion Science Lab Kit

Become and expert in things-that-go-boom! This box also contains 25 experiments including how to make rockets from a chemical reaction or a balloon, make fizzy bombs, make a fun explosive bag, and create a color explosion.

What's in the Box?

Kit includes:

• 36-page Career and Lab Guide
• Protective goggles
• Sodium bicarbonate
• Salt
• Citric acid
• Large measuring cups
• ‘Kaboom’ paper sheet
• Funnel
• Round plastic container
• Small measuring cups with lids
• Colored paper sheets
• Decorative sticker for the rocket
• Rectangular plastic container
• Round filter papers
• Balloons
• Plastic spatula
• Pasteur pipettes
• Wooden spatulas
• Plastic bags with zip-top
• Plastic test tube
• Iron powder
• Red food coloring
• Green food coloring
• Candle
• Protective gloves

These STEM at Play kits provide hours of fun and learning for the whole family! I love that there are so many experiments in each box! These make a really great gift for any child that loves to learn, experiment or learn about science. I love these as a teacher and as a parent!

Buy It:

You can purchase the STEM at Play kits for $24.95 from Amazon.com

*  Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

@Robots4U Summer Camps Now Enrolling - Where Fun, Thinking & Learning comes to Life!

*This post is brought to you by Robots-4-U.com.*

Looking to enroll your children in an extracurricular that is educational this summer?? Then check out ROBOTS-4-U Summer Camps Now Enrolling - Where Fun, Thinking & Learning comes to Life!

They incorporate S.T.E.A.M. education: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math!

Campers having a BLAST, while learning and playing in a dynamic environment. Children get to learn about Robotics and Science, in an independent and exciting way!

Visit www.ROBOTS-4-U.com to see dates and locations for these day camps.

Each camp features:

- Robot / Science / Engineering / Day Camp / Challenges

- Camps Girls and Boys - Aged 7 to 14

- Robot Camps and Dynamic Art Camps offered during June, July and August

- Hands on Learning, Self-Paced. Beginners to Expert!

- 1 week (5 days) long

- Days: Monday to Friday Times: 9:00-11:30a.m. and 12:30-3:00 p.m.

- CAMPERS RATIO: 1 Instructor to 16 participants

- Each Camper Individually uses a ROBOTICS or DYNAMIC ART Kit. Robot kits do not go home with campers but are available for purchase!

Make sure to Register early as camps do fill up quickly!

PLUS!

MY READERS RECEIVE 55% Off Robotics Science Summer Camps! Code: USFMN167 www.ROBOTS-4-U.com

*This post is brought to you by Robots-4-U.com.*

Save 60% Off ROBOTS-4-U Summer Camps

This post is brought to you by Robots-4-U. All opinions are mine.

Do your children like Science, Design, Art or robotics? 

Then they will DEFINITELY LOVE the ROBOTS-4-U Summer Camps that are now enrolling!

ROBOTS-4-U Summer Camps is where Fun, Thinking & Learning comes to Life! Campers have a BLAST, while learning and playing in a dynamic environment. They learn about Robotics and Science, in an independent and exciting way!

Each Camper Individually uses a ROBOTICS or DYNAMIC ART Kit. Robot kits do not go home with campers but are available for purchase!

More info about the camps:

- Robot / Science / Engineering / Day Camp / Challenges
- Camps Girls and Boys - Aged 7 to 14
- Robot Camps and Dynamic Art Camps offered during June, July and August
- Hands on Learning, Self-Paced. Beginners to Expert!
- 1 week (5 days) long
- Days: Monday to Friday Times: 9:00-11:30a.m. and 12:30-3:00 p.m.
- CAMPERS RATIO: 1 Instructor to 16 participants

Visit the WEB Sites www.ROBOTS-4-U.com and www.dynamic-art-design.com to see dates and locations for these day camps.

Make sure to register early as camps do fill up quickly!

PLUS, my readers SAVE 60% Off ROBOTS-4-U Summer Camp with Code: TEX1660M15 at www.ROBOTS-4-U.com (Expires 3/31)

* This post is brought to you by Robots-4-U. All opinions are mine.*

Science-themed Family Nights & Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab Prize Pack Giveaway!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Are your children fans of the fun new animated series, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab? 

Well, then you will LOVE the NEW kids meal and Family Night offering at Ovation Brands’ portfolio of restaurants, including Old Country Buffet, Ryan’s, Hometown Buffet, and Country Buffet.

From November 12th through December 31st, they are teaming up with the innovative, exciting and newly-launched animated series, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab series, available on Netflix, PBS Stations, and Comcast XFinity. Each Thursday from 5-8PM (excluding holidays) they will be hosting a different science-themed event in our restaurants, from showing kids how cotton candy is made, to why we dream and the importance of quiet time before bed.

The activities featured are as follows:

November 12 “Why Do Things Float”
November 19 “Sweet Dreams/ PJ Party”
November 26 Thanksgiving DVD Sweepstakes (Each restaurant will give away a DVD)
December 3 Cotton Candy Experiment
December 10 Genius Dress Up
December 17 What’s Your Bright Idea!
December 24/31 Thomas Edison Secret Lab Activity sheet available

**Note that 100 of their restaurants will also be showcasing episodes of the popular series each Thursday night. Check with your local restaurant for details.

To celebrate the promotion is also an amazing sweepstakes featuring a trip for a family of four for 5 days/4 nights to sunny Florida! The prize pack includes air, hotel, admission to Edison & Ford Winter Estates, and even a gift card for ground transportation! The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village boasts a prime waterfront location within the prestigious Tarpon Point Community overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the Caloosahatchee River and San Carlos Bay. In addition to the hotel stay, the package include round trip air, admission for four to the Edison & Ford Winter Estates as well as a $250 Visa gift card for ground transportation and an extensive collection of Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab videos! The trip is courtesy of Entertainment Marketing Group, Ovation Brands, and our friends at VISITFLORIDA.com.

So make sure to stop into your nearest Ovation Brands restaurant (Old Country Buffet, Ryan’s, Hometown Buffet, and Country Buffet) on Thursdays! And meanwhile, enter this super fun giveaway below for a chance to win a special Thomas Edison's Secret Lab "Genius" Prize Pack valued at OVER $100!!!

Win It:

Ovation Brands is generously offering (1) special Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab “Genius” Prize Pack, complete with themed, collectible products including a Secret Millionaire’s Club (SMC) “Business in a Box” lemonade stand, a SMC Car Wash, SMC DVD and of course your very own FREE MEAL COUPONS from any of the more than 300 Ovation Brands restaurants.

Enter here for a chance to win:

(1) Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab “Genius” Prize Pack including: 

• Secret Millionaire’s Club (SMC) “Business in a Box” lemonade stand
• SMC Car Wash
• SMC DVD 
• FREE MEAL COUPONS from any of the more than 300 Ovation Brands restaurants

 (The prize pack is valued at well OVER $100!!!!!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Thank you to Ovation Brands for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

Conquer Math & Science Classes with the TI-Nspire CX Calculator!

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

Looking for a calculator that will take your student from beginner math classes onto advanced college math courses?? Then let me recommend the TI-Nspire CX, the coolest tool from Texas Instruments for back to school. A one-time purchase will take students from middle school math and science courses through advanced college level work, so it will help save parents money in the long haul!

Plus, the TI-Nspire CX is also allowed on high stakes exams including the SAT and ACT and comes bundled with software so students can transfer their class work to their computer for deeper investigation after-school.

The TI-Nspire™ CX handheld is a robust, hands-on learning tool that satisfies math and science
curriculum needs from middle school through college.

The most sophisticated graphing technology on the market today, the TI-Nspire CX is much more than a calculator. It is more like a mini-computer that enables students to gain a deeper understanding of abstract concepts in math and science subjects.

Benefits & Features

• One-Time Investment. TI graphing technology is a one-time investment that will last students from middle grades through high school math and science, and into college and career.

• Math and Science. The versatile graphing calculator is recommended for math courses from Pre-Algebra to advanced Calculus, and science courses such as Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

• Save and review work at home. Each handheld comes with student software for students on the go. Students can create interactive reports or study guides with the software and transferring homework files is easy, allowing for deeper investigation outside class

• Permitted on high-stakes exams. Allowed on the SAT, ACT, PSAT/NMSQT, AP, Praxis and IB exams, as well as many state assessments.

• Fancy features. Bright, full-color screen, built-in rechargeable battery and durable enough to pass the backpack test.

This calculator is definitely the one I would have wanted through all my years of education and definitely the one your student will want too - they will be the envy of all their math and science classes with this TI-Nspire CX calculator. 

 For more information and retail availability, please visit education.ti.com

Buy It: You can purchase The TI-Nspire CX at most major retailers and from Amazon.com.

* Thank you to Texas Instruments for their product for review! Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*

The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab & Giveaway

A product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.

In today's global economy, students who excel in S.T.E.M. subjects - science, technology, engineering and math - will be the leaders of tomorrow's innovations and ingenuity. Even President Obama has often said that winners of science and engineering fairs should be celebrated like NCAA champions! The Young Scientists Club agrees. As part of their 15th anniversary of making the most fun, yet educational science kits for youngsters around, the "Club" is adding something brand new - math and engineering themed kits! After all, S.T.E.M. education is the new buzz word in schools for even the youngest learners.

Since 1999, The Young Scientists Club has enthused children with unlimited possibilities, parents with age appropriate (and fun!) learning tools and toy industry judges with phenomenal products that empower children to explore and wonder.

Engineering is a big subject in our house since my husband is a mechanical engineer! My son is always talking about how he wants to be an "engineer" like his daddy! So when I saw the The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab from The Young Scientists Club, I knew my husband and son would have some great quality time together "being engineers" together and solving fun and unique problems!

The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab is for Ages 5+ (but my son enjoys it at age 4.5). Ms. Frizzle and her students invite youngsters on a wild ride as they explore the fascinating world of engineering. Young scientists are asked to solve all kinds of fun and unique problems that lead to discoveries in the fields of chemical, electrical, mechanical and even civil engineering.

Become an engineer in your own kitchen when you build a solar oven, design a car, construct a bridge, create solar energy, design an electric game, make a simple machine, construct a submarine, and much, much more! This bus-shaped kit comes with 33 colorful experiment cards, a data notebook to record experiment designs. Plus it's packed with science components such as a solar panel, motor, buzzer, electric wires, and so on!

My son asks to do this set every night with Daddy and I love watching them interact and work together to solve fun problems and experiments! I love watching my son's eyes light up when they get something to work or create something he had never thought about before!

Making an electric buzzer game!

This is a great kit for all families - it is educational, fun, and creates memories and lessons that will last forever!

Buy It: You can purchase The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab for $39.99 from The Young Scientists Club online store.

Win It: The Young Scientists Club is generously offering (1) The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab to a lucky winner!

Enter here for a chance to win:

(1) The Magic School Bus Engineering Lab
from The Young Scientists Club
($39.99 value!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* Disclosure - This product was given for review for my honest opinion. No other compensation was given.*