Category: reviews

August 4, 2014

The Big Book of Things To Make from @DKCanada #review

Are your kids hitting the mid summer slump yet? You know the point where the idea of school being out has worn off and now they just want to do be doing more (anything more – science, physical activity and learning to name a few!) – mine are.

The Big Book of Things To Make from DK Canada has over 200 activities ranging from simple to a little bit more complicated to keep your child learning and having fun at the same time. Activites include simple science experiemnts, learning to juggle, building castles as well as outdoor activities. There is the perfect combination of physical activities and more sedentary activities to keep your child engaged.

We did several of the experiemnts already including making solar systems and soap monsters. We cooked, we were outside playing our favourite games (those ones that they always say they hate but now somehow they are super cool because they are in the book – yup those ones!), they practiced juggling (ouch!) and so much more. We have so much more to get through in this last month of the summer and can’t wait!

Feeling like you need some more summer time fun to keep the kids active and learning? Don’t forget to check out the Summer Fun Boutique running now over at DK Canada with 30% discounts!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own.

August 4, 2014

Doodlepedia Dinosaurs with @DKCanada

It’s summer time and you want your kids to have fun but don’t want them to stop learning. Why not mix learning with fun? Try out Doodlepedia from DK Canada.

The newest edition to the Doodlepedia series features everyone’s favourite topic – Dinosaurs! Doodlepedia Dinosaur edition features 96 pages of fun including loads of different dinosaurs, plenty of activities with facts and as well as many opportunities to colour and create your own dinosaurs. The coolest part about this series? You colour right in the book. Pretty awesome right? How many times has your child wanted to colour (or gone ahead and coloured in) in a book – well now they can! Kids can jump in anywhere to colour as there is no real start to finish approach which is great for young children. Both of our boys loved the activities and the pictures that were featured.

The book is a great size (300x251mm) and the paper is thick enough that it wont rip but still easy to colour on. It was easy to bring to the pool, soccer field, car rides and so much more.

Check out Doodlepedia and more in the Summer Fun Boutique where you can currently receive 30% off!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned book free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own.

July 21, 2014

Peas and Hambone versus Flesh Eating Zombie Gorillas

Peas, a ten year old boy, and Hambone, a dog who can also talk and walk, sneak into a zoo one morning only to witness a terrifying sight. A mad scientist had turned all of the gorillas into flesh eating zombies! Peas and Hambone know that they need to save the world before it is too late – but how do they do that?

A fun and entertaining read for young readers. My son who is nine had no problem reading this novel. It has roughly 120 pages and well spaced with a large enough font for young readers. It has a fun tone throughout the book that relates to younger readers well. It was fun, full of action and the perfect amount of yuck in it that kept my son turning the pages. While the title may seem like it would be a bit scary (flesh eating zombie gorillas) it is the exact opposite and focuses on the silly actions of Peas and Hambone.

Todd Nichols earned his Bachelor’s degree in cardiopulmonary science (wow!) in 1993 and went on to receive a Master’s in Education. He teaches elementary school students which you can completely see throughout the book as he has the ability to relate to young readers so well!

Peas and Hambone versus Flesh Eating Zombie Gorillas will be the perfect read for your young reader – boys and girls alike!

Rating: 5/5

You can find this book on Amazon here.

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

July 18, 2014

Squiggle Monsters #review

Looking for a fun way to keep the kids entertained in the car or even at the field watching a sibling play a sport? Or even just looking to have some fun while waiting for a meal or to beat the rainy day boredom?

Squiggle Monsters is a self contained activity kit for children that comes complete with activities, washable markers and a dry brush. The activity kit was perfect for our youngest to work on at his big brother’s soccer games. The size of the book is small enough that it can be held on his lap perfectly and he can use the dry brush to erase what he made and make another monster. It is the perfect activity to keep him entertained while his brother plays.

Using both his imagination and the spinning wheel he created his own little monsters and then gave them their own character traits to help bring them to life. A true lifesaver!

Squiggle Monsters was developed by Random Line to help encourage creativity through doodling – pretty awesome right? Who doesn’t love to doodle away – I know that I still find myself doodling away at work. You can check out their full line of products here.

How do you like to encourage creative play with your children?

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

July 14, 2014

Get Started Growing Vegetables! #review #DKCanada

The ability to grow your own garden and have it flourish is so important not only does it provide good food but also helps teach children about the importance of good food and growing your own food.

I fell in love with the easy to read Get Started Growing Vegetables from DK Canada. The guide ranged in difficulty from beginner gardeners to the more experienced. It included raised beds, tips on how to grow plants in pots and hanging baskets (which I loved!). I like to think I am not quite a novice but I definitely have room to grow with my knowledge.

With large pictures, plenty of reminders and tips this guide makes it hard to take a wrong step. There are instructions on how to grow pretty much any vegetable, fruit and herb you can think of – even how to place them to create a visually appealing and fragrant garden. The guide also included plenty of advice on what to do when things go wrong – which they so often can! I even used it this weekend to learn how to ‘pinch’ off my tomato plants that were getting out of control!

I wanted to give you a glimpse of my vegetable garden – one that I am quite proud of and a garden I hope my Grandfather would be proud of too. He was my inspiration on learning how to garden. We have harvested all of our spinach leaves which was the perfect addition to stir fries and omelettes. We have since planted carrots (seen below).

Here are my lovely tomatoes growing in – I am most proud of them.

As well as a little cucumber:

I also tried out cucumbers and radishes in hanging baskets using tips from the book (the rocks on the bottom and holes).

And some potted vegetables using their same tips!

That is my garden! Can you tell how proud I am? Are your growing your own vegetable garden? If so any tips and advices for this novice?

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