Category Archives: Age 5-7

The Adventure of Bento Babeys

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Books, Music & DVD, Store Reviews

Bentobabeys
Do you know what your baby is doing in her spare time?  Did you know there are babies with secret karate skills?  I bet not!  Mikey, Shonda, Pedro, and Sahi, are four very special babies with karate skills that keep the city safe while we sleep at night. Isn’t this every child’s dream?  I think this is an awesome concept because this type of story that we read to our children usually focuses on adults being the "hero", not other children. The Bento Babeys book can be a great educational tool as well as a wonderful confidence booster.

The book comes with a colorful figure for each character so your child can play along with the story or make up her own stories using the characters in the Bento Babeys book. What a great idea!

A CD featuring songs with easy to understand lyrics and music that your child will love comes with the book.

Sebastian, my seven year old, loves anything to do with martial arts. When I got the Bento Babeys book to review on The Mommy Insider, he was so excited.  He loves the figures and really enjoys the CD and best of all, he actually WANTS to read the Bento Babeys book and share it with his classmates at show and tell.

Sebastian really appreciates the section of the Bento Babeys website where the facts about each ‘babey’ are told. Apparently, his favorite character Sahi once ate a fuzzy caterpillar which made her throw up! It’s funny things like this that make Bento Babeys easy to related to and enjoyable for children.

Where to buy: Bento Babeys
 

Time-Out Animals

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Fun stuff for parents

TimeoutterrierI don’t know who likes our Time out Terrier more; me or Sebastian. Sebastian loves stuffed animals and when I received the Time out Terrier for review on The Mommy Insider, Sebastian seemed a little confused as to how such a cuddly stuffed animal could count the minutes that a child spends in time out which is actually NEVER! He’s a great kid.

Because Sebastian is seven years old, is a good kid, and doesn’t go to time out, we have come up with these ways to use our Time out Terrier:
1. I set the timer for how long Sebastian should brush his teeth.
2. We set a thirty minute limit on TV time.
3. When we are on a time limit, I set the timer for 10 minutes when we read stories at bedtime.
4. Sebastian loves to turn himself into a raisin in the bathtub so we set the timer to remind him to get out before he disintegrates.
5. I’ve even used the Time out Terrier as a cooking timer!

Parents and kids can choose from several Time Out Animals including Lilly the Lamb, Fernando the Frog, and Travis the Terrier.

Mom can use the Time Out Animal too!
If your child is old enough to occupy him or herself set the timer for thirty minutes, put it next to your child, and go take a nice warm bath, do some yoga, or call a friend. Explain to your child that until the timer goes off, you are not to be interrupted unless there is an emergency.  If your child is mischievous, be sure to put the Time Out Animal up high so he can’t change the timer!

Where to buy: Time out Mom

The Mommy Insider readers get $5.00 off any animal with code ‘MOMFINDS’!

Time4Learning…Fun and Successful

Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, Educational Toys

As a mother of a seven year
old, I’m always looking for a way to balance learning and fun. I’ve
noticed that Sebastian becomes really engaged in learning when lessons and
activities are interactive. In my search
to find the perfect program for Sebastian, I considered a few things. First, I wanted something that would begin
building a foundation of skills for first and second grade. Secondly, I had to find a program that would
help Sebastian who struggles with reading comprehension. Lastly, I was on a budget and needed to find
something extremely cost effective. I
began my search and eventually made an great discovery…Time4Learning.

Time4Learning can be used for
preschool,
as an after-school
supplement, as an
alternative to summer school,
or even for homeschooling. For those children with special needs,
the engaging graphics, songs, and videos create interactive learning activities
that kids really enjoy. Sebastian loves
how the lessons can be read aloud by a fun cartoon character. This feature, in particular, keeps him from
stumbling over new material or from losing his place on the page. Activities in the preschool program, such
as counting games and alphabet songs, keep Sebastian entertained while
learning. It’s amazing! The best part is that Sebastian can work
independently using the personalized program in which he can navigate entirely
on his own. Time4Learning’s low monthly
cost will fit perfectly into any family’s budget.

Sebastian actually looks
forward to logging on to the Time4Learning website after school.  He particularly enjoys the reading lessons.
The characters are very easy for him to follow and enjoy and the stories are
engaging.

Time4Learning is a
student-paced program for grades Pre-K-8th. Children work at their own pace…something I find
very helpful, especially for Sebastian, whose self-esteem began to soar as he
used writing tools such as graphic organizers, spell-checkers, and personalized
evaluations. I saw incredible
improvement and lots of smiles shortly after Sebastian began using the Time4Learning
website.

Learning and fun: http://www.time4learning.com/demos.htm

Preschool http://www.time4learning.com/preschool-games.shtml

After school supplement http://www.time4learning.com/learning-enrichment.shtml

Summer school http://www.time4learning.com/summer-school.shtml

Homeschooling: http://www.time4learning.com/homeschool-curriculum.htm

Special needs: http://time4learning.com/learning-special-needs-shtml

Preschool program: http://learninggamesforkids.com

I’ve got great news!
The first three people
to email me regarding this post will get 1 FREE MONTH on the Time4Learning.com
website! Email me at Alicia@themommyinsider.com and I will email the
first three who respond Friday afternoon to let you know what the next step is.

Princess Onesie – Roslyn’s Closet

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Baby & Kids Clothing

Roslynscloset_princessonesie_1Princess Peanut… that’s what I call Madelyn. I know, it’s a pretty wierd nickname.

Now, when Madelyn wears her super cute princess onesie from Roslyn’s Closet, the whole world understands that they are not in the company of ‘just another baby’ (there is no such thing, actually), they are looking at a Princess!

The genius behind the whimisical designs at Roslyn’s Closet, Jodi, is a mom of two, and her goal was to create pieces that capture the innocence and
sweetness of being young which I think she has done exceptionally well.

Madelyn’s onesie is nice and soft with an easy to slip on neck. The fit is very cute. Of course, the onesie is machine washable.. would I allow anything else in my home.. no! 

There are designs for both boys and girls at Roslyn’s Closet. Her sizes go up to 6T and are available in short and long sleeves.

Where to buy: Roslyn’s Closet

Myself Belts – They make life a little easier!

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Baby & Kids Clothing

As most of you know, I have a seven year old son, Sebastian. Sebastian loves to be like Daddy and Daddy wears a belt.  So, Sebastian always wants to wear a belt. . just like Dad. However, he learned quickly that Dad must have a trick up his sleeve because it takes him about 5 seconds to put his belt on and it would take Sebastian about 5 minutes of spinning himself around and around in one spot before  getting his belt through all the loops and then buckling it. He was a real sport though. As long as he looked like Dad, everything was OK. The patience of a 6 year old!  I wish I had it.Myselfbeltes

Sebastian’s belt routine became a whole lot easier when he recieved a Myself Belt to try out. He caught on to the three simple steps to the Myself Belt very quickly and life has been a breeze since. (at least that few seconds, anyway)

Sebastian was able to figure out how to put on his Myself Belt the first time which really impressed me. I know your child will do the same. All the child does is snap the end of the belt around the front right belt loop to secure the belt, first. No more dangling belt. Then he slides the rest of the belt through the loops. He has since learned that standing still works a little better than spinning around and around when putting the belt through the loops. The last step is to join the ends together via the Velcro on both ends. That’s it! He’s done!!  What a relief.

I recommend a Myself Belt or two, or three, for your kids ages 2-6. Myself Belts are a great way to give your kids a sense of self accomplishment and help them look like Mom or Dad without taking forever like traditional belts.

Myself Belts are available in sizes for 2 – 6 year olds and larger sizes are available as well. Parents can choose from several styles for both boys and girls. My favorite girl belt is the Pink Cordouroy and my favorite boy belt is the Camoflauge.  Don’t worry, your kids can also have a Myself Belt for fancier occasions like Church, going to Grandma’s house, etc as they offer nice black and brown leather belts for both boys and girls.

Where to buy: Myself Belts

The Mommy Insider readers get 10% off when using coupon code FINDS.