History is Hip

My son took a class field trip to an old school house, and returned home excited and full of stories. He dazzled us with what he had learned that day, ranging from how kids used to learn through math drills and spelling bees to the games they played at recess. He was especially intrigued with how kids were punished if they didn’t know their lessons, and by the food the kids ate at lunch. “And they didn’t have yellow school buses either,” he said. “They had to walk both ways and it could take like two hours or more!” When he went to bed that night, he reflected on what his own life might have been like, had he lived more than 100 years ago. “I guess I would have had to be really good in math,” he said, “because I’d hate to be punished and have to hang on a hook on the wall if I didn’t know eight times eight.”

History is a difficult subject to teach kids because it doesn’t usually relate to their lives. But I love history, and have wanted my own children to be as fascinated by it as I am. So I tried MindWare’s Professor Noggin’s History of the United States Game to spur additional interest in history with my 9-year old son. The game provides facts and trivia along with true and false statements from important times in U.S. history. The game served as a great conversation starter on important topics, and we used the web to discover even more information. For example, the cards included facts on slavery, and we found more information online so that my son could write a sound summary to present to his class during Black History Month.

Games usually spur interest, but not often passion. I don’t think much can compare to seeing history up close and making it personal. By placing students in the old school house and playing games from that period, my son’s school was able to pull the kids fully into an era from more than 100 years ago.

And for one evening, I had an opportunity to see the same passion that I have for history in my son’s beautiful brown eyes. What a thrill!

Five Tips for Cooking up Some Fun with your Kids

The other day, I was talking to a friend with children much older than mine, and we had an interesting discussion about empowering kids in the kitchen.  She told me that one of the greatest gifts she gave her three children (two of whom are boys) was the ability to cook.  She shared with me that one of her sons actually went on to become a chef!  So how did she do it?  Each child had a day of the week that was their responsibility to plan the meal (Epicurious is a great website for recipes), help shop for the necessary ingredients, and to prepare the meal.  Here are some helpful tips she shared with me:

1. Too many cooks spoil the pot.  Allow only one special helper in the kitchen at a time to avoid conflict and eliminate distraction.  (They will appreciate the one-on-one time with you as well.
2. Give them some parameters in which to work (i.e. the meal must include a vegetable) and then let them use their creativity to make something they will be very proud of.
3. Do it together. Allow your child to lead the way, but offer tips and techniques that will serve him well throughout life (and certainly impress their future spouse!)
4. Encourage kids to try new things.  It is suggested that children who cook are better eaters, complain less and eat a more varied diet.
5. Math can be fun!  Help them understand how important it is to follow directions and measure accurately to create the best finished product.
   

Most importantly, have fun.  Cooking together with your kids will not only create lasting memories for you, but will be a cherished life skill for them.

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling…

Kids love to build things (think LEGOs and Lincoln Logs), and they love things that roll (think balls and race cars).  Combine building and rolling, and you’ve got one super-cool toy in “Marble Run.”

Marble Run allows kids to construct a colorful track, complete with chutes, “drop-throughs,” spinners and merry-go-grounds, and then send marbles down the track they’ve made.  Kids are enthralled with building the structure, rolling the marbles down the track, changing the route and seeing what happens.

Building toys are great for kids’ development. Children use their imaginations, experiment with cause and effect, and are rewarded with a big sense of accomplishment when they’re done. Building toys also improve fine motor skills, and give parents an opportunity to spend quality time with their kids.

Marble Run is geared for kids aged 4 to 10, and may be found by visiting MindWare.com.  Have fun building your run!

One of our family’s favorite games, hands down, is Blokus. We have been playing the original 4-person version for years, and even when the kids were a bit too small to play, they loved to make shapes on the board with the colors.  It is a great game to get everyone’s mathematical mind going. The strategy is also important, but easier to catch on to than chess.

But Blokus isn’t just for kids!   My husband and I liked it so much that we purchased the travel edition a few years ago before a trip to Ireland.  We began a tournament on the plane – that continued 10 days, through the countryside, in the pubs, airports and hotels throughout that fair land.  Our Blokus game was never far away, and we kept a running total of the points to determine the ultimate winner.  The object is to have the fewest number of tiles remaining – each tile representing one point.  The person with the least amount of points wins.  To this day, when I think of that trip, I cannot help but remember the thrill of victory in our little mini Blokus tournament.

I would say Blokus is a must-have for every game cupboard!

Importance of Imaginative Play

I have more acting roles than Nicole Kidman.  My kids love to play make believe, and recently I have been cast in the role of “The Beast” (to my daughter’s Beauty), a teacher, a concert pianist, and both doctor and patient.  But I have to admit that on some days, after being cast as “The Mom” (a real stretch, huh?) for the umpteenth time, I inwardly sigh and think, “Really?  Again?”

I know that imaginative play is important for kids.  But I’ve discovered that it’s even more vital than I had realized.  For one thing, experts say that imaginative play helps kids’ brains develop.  It helps the physical wiring in their brains to flourish.

Being Green

There’s a massive pile of plastic trash floating in the Pacific that’s twice the size of Texas.  The world’s polar bears are in serious danger of extinction.  Talk of global climate change continues.  This is some scary, intimidating stuff.  It may make you feel overwhelmed.  But instead of being mired in the gloom and doom, we should all think of what we can do—each and every one of us, every day, to help our planet.

Customer Testimonial: Dizios

This is a fun and challenging game that requires matching colored edges to score the most points. The fun part is trying to match edges on two or more pieces at the same time. We quickly learned the rules but found it took longer to figure out moves. The score sheet uses a graph column, so a younger player can keep track without having to do addition. My 9-year-old daughter, who loves dominoes, thought it was a great game. We’ll definitely be trying out the solitaire options as well! Five stars!

-Lynn Gumert

Games Help Create Family History

I could hear the laughter all the way out to the garage the other night as I came home from a meeting.  “What’s the ruckus about?” I wondered, as I hung up my coat. I entered my kitchen and saw my family gathered around the kitchen table playing Apples to Apples, a game my 8-year old received for Christmas. The laughter stemmed from his still somewhat limited quick reading skills, and in the final hand, he read the word “Communities” rather than “Communists,” and this slip-up changed the outcome of the game.

Building Your Kids’ Vocabulary

I recently read that children under the age of 10 learn more words in a week than most adults learn in a year.  I believe it.  My kids’ absorption of language is amazing to me—they’re constantly learning new words and getting more adept at sentence composition.  It’s so much fun to hear, and I love that our conversations are growing deeper and more complex.

But I wonder, are there certain things I should be doing to improve their vocabularies even further?

Science is Fun!

Have a kid that just loves science?  Or maybe one you want to encourage more in that direction?  There are some great resources out there for you to connect with to increase their joy and fun with science.

Attend a local science fair.  Most communities have science fairs you can take your “fan” to, just check the Internet or local paper.  At the high school, regional or university level there is sure to be one in your area that you can enjoy and draw inspiration from.

Invest in some toys that promote your child’s love of science. At MindWare toys, there are any number of great, hands-on items, including a Microscope set that comes with over 40 illustrated experiments!  Or you can go online and come up with your own experiments using a microscope.  Another favorite for a beginning scientist might be the fun food science labs – which in the end might also help Mom with dinner!

Have a family contest.  See who can create a robot out of items you have around the house.  Or form teams (depending on the size of your family) and have your own science fair.  Divide up, give each “team” a week, and find age appropriate experiments (on the internet) to do together and then show them off at your own family fair.

Enter an age appropriate science fair. There are opportunities for kids to get involved in local science groups or fairs – even if they aren’t doing a fair at their own school.  Call your local high school or grade school administrator and find out how you can get your child involved.  There are also clubs that have science focus – check out your local community education or after school programs.