Category Archives: Educational Toys

Super WHY! wows toddlers with toys

Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Educational Toys, New posts,

Madelyn loves the popular PBS show Super WHY!.  In case you haven’t seen the show you can watch it on PBS, click here to find your local station, and you can watch a snippet of the show on YouTube here.

Super WHY! toysSUPER WHY, is a preschool series designed to help kids ages 3 to 6 with the critical skills that they need to learn to read.  Madelyn loves to repeat the letters and words.

Learning Curve’s new Super WHY! product line includes a wide range of exciting, adorable and educational plush toys, figures, vehicles, play sets and early learning aids. With many of the items available for under $20, and filled with familiar sights, sounds, and a cast of reading-ready superhero characters straight from the popular preschool literacy program, children and parents will love Learning Curve’s new Super WHY! line.

A few Super WHY! toys are the Super WHY! Zap & Learn Why Writer, a handheld learning aid that combines role play and learning for hours of interactive fun; Super WHY! Electronic Role Play Sets, which enable children to “become” their favorite character and act out the show through imaginative play; and the Super WHY! Hovering Why Flyer, a motion-activated toy that “magically” hovers above the ground and features lights, sound effects and phrases straight from the TV series.

Madelyn loves her Super WHY! Electronic Princess Presto Role Play Kit and the separate Princess Presto Wave & Learn Magic Spelling Wand. Sometimes she’ll use both wands at the same time.  I’m sure to get out of the way then!

Shop for Super WHY! toys for your PBS Super WHY! lovin’ toddler at Amazon.com here.

GIVEAWAY!
We are giving 3 lucky readers their very own Super WHY! Hovering Why Flyer!

About the prize: The Super WHY! Hovering Why Flyer magically allows our favorite storybook hero to take to the sky!  Actually hovering above the ground, this amazing motion-activated toy features lights, sound effects and phrases straight from the Super WHY! TV series.  The innovative hovering flyer takes imaginative play to a whole new level, as kids take Super Why in search of new adventures for hours on end. Ages: 3 and up. SRP: $19.99

To enter, tell me in the comments below what you and/or your child love about Super WHY!. Get an extra entry by re-tweeting this review using your Twitter.

Entries accepted until August 31st.

Enjoy!

Alicia Hagan, TMI Editor

Young Minds Numbers & Counting DVD for Toddlers + Giveaways!

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Educational Toys, New posts, , ,

There are times when I feel like I need to let Madelyn watch TV.  I try to occupy her through out the day with toys, creative stuff, etc.. but with most of my work needing to be done between 1 and 6pm, I rely on the TV to keep her occupied for an hour or so. However, I hate Sponge Bob and after 3:00 or so, shows are mostly geared for older kids.  I try to find the best quality, most educational show on during that time but there is such as a thing as re-runs and just plain yucky educational TV.

Young Minds - Numbers and Counting DVD

I was recently introduced to Young Mind Number and Counting DVD and Madelyn, 3 years old, watched it for the first time today.  Her response was adorable and I really enjoyed seeing her reaction and hearing her talk along with and back to the DVD.  Here is a short video of Madelyn watching the DVD.  I apologize for the sound quality and the camera seems to have zoomed in and out the entire time.  Yikes!

MathTutorDVD.com has created the Young Minds series of DVDs to introduce young children to the joys of learning Math at a young age. This DVD in Numbers and Counting teaches young children to count from 1 to 10 by way of engaging classical music, photographs, and video.

Each number is presented with colorful, non-cluttered, large photographs, video, and animation that kept Madelyn’s attention very well.  Numbers are animated to fly-in from off screen and show the child how to count by counting objects that they are naturally interested in. Animals such as frogs, horses, jellyfish, sharks, whales, and more are shown to the viewer along with the animal sounds. Colors are also taught by pointing out the color of objects on screen.

DVDs in this area are designed to stimulate young children to take an interest in Math at an early age.  The DVD is set to classical music selections from the great composers such as J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, and others!

The central idea of this video is to teach children numbers and counting while at the same time teaching them the names of animals, machines, and other objects along with their associated sounds and colors. This integrated learning approach keeps children interested and promotes continued learning.

Learn more about Young Minds and their DVD’s at the Young Minds / Math Tutor DVD website here.

GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to Young Minds we are giving 10 lucky readers a Young Minds Numbers and Counting DVD!

To enter leave a comment below telling us why you want to win a copy of Young Minds Numbers and Counting DVD.
For 2 entries, click the green ‘retweet’ button to Twitter this post to your friends and then leave your Twitter ID in the comments below.
Entries accepted until August 31st.[tweetmeme]

Animal Fun Time iPhone app review + 5 readers will get a free copy!

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Educational Toys, Games, iphone, New posts, , , , , ,

Animal Fun Time iPhone appI’m having a blast trying out new iPhone apps and what’s even better is that I get to watch my kids enjoy them too! Yes, I try apps for organizing, apps for recipes, apps for travel, but apps for the kids are the most fun because my kids are involved and I love to see their reaction and desire to play or watch them over and over again.  My kids are on iPhone time limits.  I don’t recommend handing your iPhone over to your kids and letting them have at it for hours. I think about 10 minutes at a time is plenty.

Animal Fun Time (iTunes link), brought to us by people operating technology, provides interactive musical on-screen flashcards featuring the animals as the stars. Promoting interactive see, touch & recognition skills, with bright colors and great sound effects, it’s the perfect app for a busy toddler AND for a busy parent who needs a busy toddler!

So what is Animal Fun Time? It is an app that teaches toddlers ages 3+ animal recognition as well as hand-eye coordination.  There are 5 animals on the screen at a time and your child must ‘press’ on the correct animal to move to the next screen. Kids are awarded with realistic (if not real) animal sounds and enthusiastic praise when he/she presses on the correct animal.

Madelyn, 3 years old, has a great time with Animal Fun Time. She loves to hear the noise each animal makes when she chooses the correct animal. The game is randomized so the game is never the same and thus your kids won’t get bored with it. Oh, and don’t worry, there’s no need for instructions so you can count on handing your iPhone over to your toddler to play Animal Fun Time and she’ll be on her way to a super fun time!

GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to people operating technology, we are giving 5 lucky readers their own free copy of Animal Fun Time!
1 entry: Just leave a comment below telling me why you want to win Animal Fun Time and/or tell us a funny story about your child and your iPhone.  Did something crazy happen when your kid had your iPhone?  Let us know!
2 extra entries: Click the green ‘retweet’ button to share this post with your Twitter friends then leave a comment below with your Twitter ID.
Entries accepted until August 25th, 2009.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

[tweetmeme]

Kids Central Kitchen baking mixes – review, coupon, and giveaway

Educational Toys, Food and Drink, Fun stuff for parents, , , , , ,

Kidscentralkitchen_flapjacksPlaying with kids can be a chore for parents.  Kids play by their own rules and often with toys that are missing pieces which gets very frustrating for me.  If you are looking for something more structured, fun, and educational to do with your young kids, look no further than Kids Central Kitchen.  My kids LOVE to help me cook and love the end result even more.

  • Kids Central Kitchen has 7 different baking mixes including Flap Jacks, Propellar Energy Bars (my favorite), and Brownies. 
  • You provide minimal ingredients, mostly water, milk, oil, and/or yogurt and the rest is in the baking mix. 
  • These baking mixes provide an easy, fun way for older kids to work on basic skills like measuring and reading.
  • Simple yes, full of yummy delicious flavor.. yes!

You'll also find kitchen utensils, bakeware, and baking supplies at Kids Central Kitchen and while you're there check out the Kids Baking Party in a Box!

WEBSITE

COUPON CODE: MOMMY15 – get 15% off your order (expires 12/31/09)

GIVEAWAY: One lucky reader will win a $25 Kids Central Kitchen gift certificate!
Leave a comment below telling me what color the BIG mixing bowl on the Kids Central Kitchen homepage is and your email address will be entered in the giveaway drawing!  GET TWO ENTRIES when you tell me a short story about a funny cooking experience you've had in the comments area below.

ItzaBitza Educational Reading Game for kids + giveaway – this game is so much fun!

Computers & Software, Educational Toys, Gadgets, New posts, , , , ,

This is one of the most entertaining games I’ve played in a long time.  Yes, I admit I played ItzaBitza.  My kids weren’t even around.  The concept of ItzaBitza is awesome..I’ve never seen anything like it.

ItzaBitza promotes reading comprehension, artisitic and imaginative creativity and provides an exciting gaming experience for kids ages four and older.  I was amazed time and time again by how the game responded to my drawings and made them come to life.

Here are just a few things you can do in the first ItzaBitza scene:

  • Draw a tree, apples grow on it.
  • Draw a moon and stars light up the sky and your Sketchie goes inside the house you drew, goes upstairs and goes to sleep.
  • Draw an envelope and your Sketchie takes it to the mailbox.
  • Draw a cup and watch your Sketchie drink out of it.

The Sketchie your child chooses at the beginning of the game (a boy or a girl) asks your child to draw things, including a house and a tree, then the drawings become part of the animation and story.  An example would be when I drew a tree with leaves, the game added apples to the tree.  You can see my award winning drawing (ha!) below.  Click on the image to view the larger version.  I didn’t draw the flowers.  When I drew the sun, the flowers grew! How cool is that?

Through out the game, the Sketchie gives you ideas and little games to play via a little word bubble that pops up when you click on him or her.  If your child has trouble reading a word in the bubble, all she has to do is move the mouse over the word and it is sounded out for her.  Great reading practice!

Itzabitza1

There are several scenes that can be unlocked as your child progresses in the game including a camping scene and a naunted house.  You’ll have to buy the game to find out what happens in each of the scenes!

Buy a copy of ItzaBitza at Amazon.com for $17.99 (current price) OR buy and download the game here.

Giveaway details are coming soon but until then you can subscribe to our updates and you will be notified with giveaway details as soon as we get them up!