Category: children

November 26, 2017

Build, Battle and Learn STEM with HEXBUG!

We all know how important education is – I am personally very fond of the sciences. I did my Bachelors in Kinesiology and many of my electives were in Biology and Chemistry. I want my boys to understand this same love I have for sciences and how much fun the sciences can be (how can you not love mixing chemicals for reactions or building up a car that moves?). When you can combine learning with fun in a toy, this is a definite win win for this parent!

This year, HEXBUG has released a whole new line of products that are perfect for children from three to their teens. These products will find your child building, using their imagination, battling and so much more.

The HEXBUG nano Space Discovery Centre allows your child to take their HEXBUG adventures to space and beyond. The set is very easy to build and put together. My son and I had it ready to go in under ten minutes flat. The set comes with two nanos, space suit, a rover and all the necessary pieces to make their space adventure come to life.

Our son had so much fun creating space battles and even added in extra nanos to race around the space centre. He used his larger HEXBUG as an alien that would attack the Space Discovery Centre and the smaller nanos would have to do everything they could to protect the centre and not allow the alien to take over.

The Space Discovery Centre provided hours of imaginative fun and can be found at many retailers, including Amazon, Chapters and Toys R Us. There is also a nano Space Cosmic Command and nano Space Zip Line in this product line that would go perfectly with this set.

Maybe you have a child that is a budding engineer? Then the VEX Robotics Tombstone by HEXBUG would be a great gift option for them.

This set will have your child putting together pieces to assemble their own VEX BattleBot. This set is definitely for the older child or a younger child with a lot of patience and a parent nearby to help them. The instructions are excellent (some of the best that I have ever seen) and also includes real size image of many of the smaller pieces so that you can compare each piece to the instructions during each stage (which really helps to ensure that you don’t get near the end and realize you used the wrong piece in step two). The BattleBot took us about two hours to put together, although to be fair we took a lot of breaks.

It was really fun to put together and the pieces snap together easily, although they are a bit trickier to pull apart. I found if you used one of the smaller pieces and pushed from the bottom the pieces would unsnap easily. Once the BattleBot was fully assembled, it looked incredible. We were both quite proud of the final product!

The VEX Robotics Tombstone can be purchased at Amazon and Toys R Us. You can also purchase the VEX Robotics Minotaur by HEXBUG to get into full battle mode.

What features do you look for when purchasing educational but fun products for your child?

Make sure to follow HEXBUG on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with all the newest products and more.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 17, 2017

Operation: Escape! An Exciting Game for the Whole Family

Escape Rooms have been all the rage in the last year. And if you haven’t heard about them – where have you been? They have been gaining in popularity and are popping up all over the country.

Operation: Escape! combines the problem solving skills, strategy and teamwork that is required in real life Escape Rooms into a fun, portable game.

How To Play Operation: Escape!

Your main goal in this game is to work together as a team to complete three tasks to let the captured player free of the locked belt – all before your time runs out. Sounds simple enough right? Here is where the tricky part comes in!

After you choose your person to lock up, you will begin to solve the clues to unlock keys. There are three problems that need to be solved and three keys that need to be uncovered in order to release your team-mate. The three challenges are based on skill, strategy and luck. The first skill challenge will find you having to wiggle a key out of a locked box. This box has different levels of difficulty and for our first round we choose the easiest (side one). The second challenge is the Strategy challenge which you will use the provided cards (that also come in three levels of difficulty). You answer the questions on the card and enter your answer into the provided device. If your answer is right a portion of the key is revealed. You need to get three answers in a row correct in order to release this key. The third challenge is pure luck! You have to insert the key into a spinning device, spin the wheel and you have three chances to reveal the key. Once this key is finally released, you need to release your locked team-mate. Hopefully you were paying attention to time and completed all the challenges within the time frame – otherwise you all lose.

We had a blast playing Operation: Escape! The first time we played it, we did a run through using the easiest options as I had a harder time following instructions (my kids are so much better at following instructions than me – go figure). But once you understand how to advance from step to step, the game becomes quite simple, although we all had a harder time with the strategy cards. My kids both did amazing at each challenge, only getting better and better each time we played the game. I was the only one who wasn’t able to complete the challenges in time – there is a lot of pressure with that clock ticking and I clearly do not do well under that type of pressure. It was really exciting to play with the time ticking down, this adds a whole new level of intensity to the game. We always choose the suggested time of 180 seconds but we are aiming to cut that down to 120 seconds to see how well the kids can do. I love that each time you play this game it is a little bit different, adding more to the excitement of the game.

Check out the trailer from the Yulu website:

Operation: Escape can be purchased just in time for the holidays from Toys R Us and Amazon.

Make sure to follow Yulu on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest products and more.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 13, 2017

Interactive Brushing with Grush Smart Toothbrush

We all know how important brushing our teeth is and we know our children know this too but it doesn’t always translate to proper brushing two to three times a day. We also know many times they aren’t brushing for the required amount of time and are relying on dental visits for thorough cleanings.

How many times have you fought with your child over brushing their teeth? Or have they lied to you that they went in the bathroom and brushed their teeth? Or you looked at their teeth and can tell that they tried to brush them properly but they missed so many spots (got to love juice stains)!

The Grush Smart Toothbrush combines technology and interactive fun to help your child learn how to properly brush their teeth for the right amount of time PLUS it gives you feedback on their brushing. This toothbrush is a parent’s best friend!

The Grush Smart toothbrush kit comes with three removable brushes and rotates at the push of a button. The toothbrush uses bluetooth technology to connect to the Toothy Castles app on your phone. The app is interactive and can detect where your child is brushing – right down to the specific tooth and location (front and back). Once the two minutes is up (which feels like a long time but with the game it makes those two minutes short and fun as you try to gain as many points as possible), you can track their current session to see how well they brushed and compare it to previous brushing sessions.

The brush itself fits perfectly into a child’s hand and is soft with natural curves on the handle to make it more comfortable and easier for their little hands to hold. The app was easy to find and was quick to download on my phone without taking up much space. It is an easy to use app, there really is not any set up which we loved. My son just has to hit play and ensure his brush is in the horizontal position for the app to track his movements. That is all it takes to start the brushing game. We set the phone up on it’s stand so he can easily watch the app and see which tooth he is on and which tooth he should brush next.

The app itself is perfect for young children – I loved the graphics and sound effects (think of pows and bams from popular superhero cartoons) with motivating music and voice prompts to engage your child. They also collect coins for every time they get the bad guys hanging out on their teeth so our youngest couldn’t wait to beat his scores. At the end of the session, you can view their results of how well they brushed their teeth. We go to the dentist every four months for my boys and I know he has a bit of room for improvement when it comes to brushing, but I was still shocked at how much he had missed, especially on the inside of the teeth. It was a great visual to be able to show him because he can listen to me tell him he missed spots in his mouth but when I can show him which teeth he is missing each time, it is easier for him to understand. I noticed great improvement each and every time he went back to brush his teeth and I strongly belief this is because of the tracking and results that we are able to see at the end of a session.

My favourite part about the Grush Smart toothbrush? My son had so much fun brushing his teeth, he actually asked me to brush his teeth three times in one day over the weekend. After I got over my shock, we were in the bathroom so he could brush his teeth. Now that is a Mom win!

You can find more information on Grush on their website. You can purchase a Grush Smart Toothbrush on Amazon, Home Depot and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Make sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news and more.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 2, 2017

Make a Memorable Holiday Season by Adopting a Species Through WWF Canada

Make a Memorable Christmas by Adopting a Species Through WWF Canada

Last Christmas, my family and I made the trip to my husband’s home – South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. While we visited his family, we were able to experience the amazing wildlife and animal sanctuaries that can be found in abundance. This exposure really drove home for our children and us how important it is to protect our wildlife and that one person can make a huge difference in the life of an animal. Here were everyday people who were making a huge difference in the world one animal at a time by rescuing injured animals, nursing them back to health and if it was possible release them back into the wild.

When we returned home to Canada, our youngest was adamant that he wanted to grow up to take care of animals. Now whether this means he will be a Ranger in a park in Canada or leave us to go care for the animals abroad, we were so proud of him and wanted to continue to encourage him to do his part in caring for our wildlife.

But how could we do this?

World Wildlife Canada gives Canadians a unique opportunity to support a species while gifting an important person in their life with a special gift pack. For this holiday season, why not consider purchasing an Adoption Kit from WWF Canada! The Adoption Kit contains a plush toy of that species, personalized adoption certificate, reusable tote and information pamphlet and poster.

You can choose from a wide range of species that includes:

Canada Lynx
Atlantic Puffin
Three toed sloth
Red fox
Snowy Owl
Snow Leopard
and so many more!

For a complete listing of all the species that you can adopt, make sure to visit the WWF Canada shop where you can find the adoption kits and so many more gift ideas. The Adoption Kits range in price from $40 to $50 Canadian and can be shipped directly to the recipient or to yourself so that you can see their reaction when you give them their gift (which is honestly the most beautiful experience you can see, the happiness and shock in their face makes your day).

We received the Red Fox and I have never seen our son so excited before. His favourite part was the Adoption certificate, for him that paper signified that a red fox in Canada was being cared for because someone cared and made a donation in his name. He had a chance to make a difference in the life of an animal and this meant the world to him. We later framed his adoption certificate so he could place it on his shelf in his room to remind him everyday to care for others that need our help.

This holiday season please consider giving someone important in your life a gift that has the power to change the world – an Adoption Kit from WWF Canada. For a small cost, you not only help a species but you gift the most memorable gift a child (or friend) will ever receive.

Make sure you follow WWF Canada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with the latest information and more.

Disclosure: We received an Adoption Kit, no further compensation was received. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 2, 2017

Opposite Things by Anna Kovecses

It is time to learn all about opposites with your favourite character, Little Mouse!

About Opposite Things

Learn your opposites with Little Mouse! This cute board book features a large lift-flap on every page, making learning about opposites easy and fun! With stylish retro-modern illustrations this is the perfect introduction to opposites for young children.

Our Thoughts

Little Mouse is back and this time we are being taught all about opposites. This is an area, in my own experience with my children, that I found the hardest to help my child learn about. We could talk about it and go over things like big vs small but when it came time for recall later, they had a tougher time with this subject.

This hardcover book (which is a must for young hands!), helps address this topic through imagery, repetitive words and fun. We learn about the opposite of wet, inside, happy and so much more as Little Mouse explores these areas. Children will have fun lifting the flap that accompanies each page which also helps them if they get stuck on a word.

The illustrations are bright, bold but simple. They have a geometric type feel to them that will help young children identify the objects (sun, house, mouth and so on) and helps to engage them in the story.

The book is geared to children aged two to five. It is part of a series of books about Little Mouse that includes Counting Things and One Thousand Things. This book (and the Little Mouse collection) would make a beautiful gift for a young child, baby shower or a special addition into your child’s home library.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Young, dynamic illustrator ANNA KOVECSES’s work marries contemporary minimalism with an appealing retro-modern illustration style. Born in Hungary, she lives and works in Cyprus.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.