6 Super Duper Gift Ideas for Children Who Love to Have Fun While Learning (plus a 15% off Promo Code!)

Thank you to Super Duper Publications for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Holidays are upon us, and Super Duper Publications wants to be your go-to place for holiday gifts. Their new, fun and educational items are perfect gifts for any age of child and you are sure to find something they will love.

Teaching children to tell time can be a daunting task, but the MagneTalk Telling Time Game makes learning this skill fun. Kids can learn to tell time both on the traditional clock and a digital clock, so they will have this skill mastered in no time. There are even “sentence makers” so you can have your new time-teller practicing their reading and story-telling skills. We’ve always had good experiences with the MagneTalk products and this one doesn’t disappoint either. Using this has really improved my 6 year old’s clock-reading abilities and it’s been done in a fun way. This product retails for $21.95.

We’ve used Super Duper’s Yogarilla products for a while, so when we saw the MagneTalk Yogarilla Exercises Game, we knew we would love it. In this game, kids copy the magnetic pictures posted on the board by Yogarilla Otis. This helps improve posture and balance, builds proprioceptive input, and more. We all love using our Yogarilla board every day. This product also retails for $21.95.

Word Joggers for Categories is a game that puts a spin on regular BINGO. Each card features items in one of the following categories: animals, food, clothing, home, school, and transportation. Players then take turns drawing from the corresponding decks to get clues as to which animal they should cover with their chips. This builds their vocabulary and causes them to think in another way. The game is fun and has variations for different levels of children. It contains 30 boards and 396 cards and retails for $64.95.

In the Go For the Dough Board Game, kids take turns finding answers to problems based on categories, synonyms, multiple meanings, opposites, rhyming words, and definitions. On their turn, kids read the word on their colorful dollar and then come up with a word that fits their category. If they give a correct answer, they put their dollar in the center and advance according to the dice. Once they deliver their pizzas, they collect the loot in the middle. This game can be played quickly or can be played for a long time. It is fun and fairly fast-paced and is both my children’s favorites of the lot. This one retails for $49.95.

The Hopping Frogs Language Game builds articulation by having children say certain words based on their sound. They use the most commonly mispronounced sounds, P, B, T, D, K, G, and F, and use them in the beginning, middle, and ends of words. Once the child produces their sound or word correctly, they can “hop” the corresponding number (according to their card) of frogs onto their lily pad. The player at the end with the most frogs on their pad wins. As with most of Super Duper’s games, this has variations for more advanced players. The pronunciation portion of this game is not my son’s favorite, but the frog hopping part more than makes up for it, according to him. He loves playing this game and I’m glad we have it. This game retails for $49.95.

Finally, if you’re in need of stocking stuffers, the Electronic Spinner might be a great one to consider. This spinner has a 3-inch diameter and features both numbers and colors (6 total) and lights with optional sound. It is sure to add a flair to any game night with family and friends. This one retails for $10.95.

Super Duper Publications. is one of my favorite sites on the web and these kinds of games are why. Their games are all fun, well made, creative, unique, and almost always have variations based on learning level, so they are great for any age or stage of child. Super Duper Publications has also been kind enough to offer 3G2S readers a 15% off coupon code through December 20th with the Super Duper promo code D39A3S7R. Shipping is also free on all orders of $20 or more for anywhere in the US and Canada.  To shop, visit www.SuperDuperInc.com.

New Engaging and Educational iOS Apps for Children

Thank you to Super Duper Publications for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

Super Duper Publications has long been one of my favorite websites for educational children’s toys, games, and more, but now Super Duper is stepping into the technology age with their learning apps for iOS devices. We were given three of their newest apps to try out on our iPad and we have been very pleased with them.

Webber Photo Cards 60 Story Starters is a unique app that gives kids a picture and the first sentence of a story and then lets children’s imaginations run wild with ideas. It is simple to use and really helps get creative juices flowing in just one line. Quinn, who is 6 years old, had a little difficulty at first with making up his own stories with only a picture and a line to begin with, but he quickly had fun creating his own, fun plots…complete with twists and turns.

Quinn's only complaint with this app is that it gives no “feedback” when being used. There are red and green dots to “score” the stories, but there is no response on the app for the story that is given and that irked him a bit. Of course, I just give him the feedback myself and even prompt him when his story starts to lull. All in all, he’s had a lot of fun with this and I use it in our homeschool as well for creative writing for both of my kids. This app usually retails for $1.99 on the iTunes App Store but is currently $0.99.

Super Duper StoryMaker, a winner of The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, is an amazingly fun app that gives kids free reign on their imaginations. This superb app gives kids the ability to use clipart, markers, text, and even pics from their camera roll to create interesting stories that they can save and even record their own voice to. This app is easy to use by touching, placing, and dragging all the elements and even pretty young children could use and have a blast with it. I cannot put into words how much Quinn loves this app. He is a creative kid anyway and this is like Photoshop that he actually can use and master. He loves creating nonsensical stories, non-fiction presentations, and even memory albums using photos on the iPad.

From the first time he opened it, Quinn has been obsessed with making stories to share with us. I love seeing him be creative and enjoy making stories with this app. This app has a free version that has limited features for trial purposes and the full version is usually $4.99 on the App Store but is currently marked down to $2.99.

Last, but certainly not least, is WH Questions Cards Pro, another TNPC Seal of Approval winner. This app teaches kids how to correctly ask and answer the 5 “W”s…who, what, when, where, and why. With fun games that engage and teach children, this app is a new favorite in my house and has taught Quinn so much about proper questions. This has 280 colorful illustrated picture cards with audio for non-readers along with many different play and even reveal options so it never gets boring. Quinn’s favorite is the matching game where it asks a question such as “Where do you wear your hat?” and you have to find the match (“On your head”) on the opposite side. It’s such a clever twist on traditional matching games – which Quinn loves – and it makes it all the more fun for him to play. I am really impressed with the genius of this app and am so glad it’s in our collection. Like StoryMaker, this app has a free version and the paid is $11.99 but is currently on sale for $7.99.

You can learn about all of Super Duper Publications apps on their website, www.superduperinc.com.

4 Fun New Learning and Developmental Games from Super Duper Publications

Thank you to Super Duper Publication for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Super Duper Publications specializes in fun learning materials for kids and so far we’ve not been disappointed with their products. The game, Lids n’ Lizards, helps children practice sorting and categorizing, describing, plus builds memory skills in an entertaining way. To play, parents place small magnets from various categories inside the lids and occasionally hide a lizard under as well. Kids take turns flipping the lids over, sorting the magnets into their proper category (food, animals, transportation, around the home, or clothing), and keeping the lizard if you find one. The one who collects the most lizards in the end wins the game. My 6 year old, Quinn, loves this game! He loves setting it up and deciding which magnets to put in play and hiding the lizards underneath. Then he loves mixing them up and playing either by himself (he says at least he’s sure to win that way!) or with others. He has played this at least a dozen times since it came and it’s quickly become a favorite of his. I love that it’s a teaching game and that the lids, lizards, and magnets are all sturdy so his new fave isn’t likely to wear out soon.

The MagneTalk Early Classifying Magnetic Board Game is a game that capitalizes on the appeal magnets have for children to make something that improves sorting skills, builds vocabulary, critical thinking skills, and even fine motor skills. MagneTalk Early Classifying has the same five categories that Lids n’ Lizards does and square magnets that children can sort into their proper place. For younger kids, this could sometimes be challenging but very beneficial to them nonetheless. For my 6 year old, this is a little simple but he loves doing it still and even making stories using the items as he sorts them which also helps him improve his imagination. He loves to do this while I read chapter books to him and he makes a game of finding a magnet to go along with the book. Like all the Super Duper, Inc. products we’ve tried, this features very sturdy materials that aren’t likely to show wear with proper care.  Plus, the board and magnets store away neatly in a handled tote so it’s compact to store and easy to travel with.

Both of these great products can be purchased on www.superduperinc.com. Lids n’ Lizards retails for $39.95 and MagneTalk Early Classifying retails for $21.95.  These are just two of the four new games from Super Duper Publications.  You can read my review of the Topic Talk and the All About You, All About Me card games here.

The winner of our random drawing will choose to receive one of the following games . . . 

Lids n' Lizards

MagneTalk Early Classifying Magnetic Board Game

Topic Talk

All About You, All About Me

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Good luck in the drawing!

Learning Fun with Scholastic 2-Pack Nintendo DS Games

Scholastic Media is a well-known and parent-trusted brand of educational titles for children. They’ve done it again with their new games for the Nintendo DS. These interactive games are designed to tap into a variety of kid’s educational interests.

Smart Games for Kids features two games in one package. In My Amusement Park kids set up and run their own amusement parks. From broken rides to running out of food, kids will have a blast creating a virtual wonderland and maintaining it. Digging for Dinosaurs is a fun game where kids separate fact from fiction to learn the truth about 21 different dinosaurs. Both games are teaching math and science skills in a fun way so that kids don’t even realize they are learning.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Get ready for hours of fun with brain-teasing challenges in the I SPY Game Pack. This unique I SPY pack contains two video games: I SPY Fun House and I SPY Universe. They have over 50 I SPY riddles and more than 200 levels of play to keep your child engaged for a long time. This game teaches critical thinking skills as kids match the illusions where nothing is as it seems.

Both my kids loved these games! They had fun playing them and loved learning new things as they played. Avery (10) preferred I SPY and Quinn (5) liked the Smart Game pack the most. They both really had a blast searching, solving riddles, building, and more and are very glad they got to try these four fun games.

Both 2-pack of games are available at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon.com and retail for $19.99 each.  To learn more about these and other Scholastic DS games, visit Nintendo.com.


Thank you to Scholastic Media for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.

Kerflip! . . . a Fun New Anagram Board Game

Kerflip! by Creative Foundry Gameworks is a super fun, fast-thinking anagram game that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Designed for 2-4 players ages 8+, this game is a fast-paced twist on other word play games that makes it entertaining and simple to play for everyone. The premise of Kerflip! is simple: make words using the selected tiles faster than your opponents. Once a letter has been used, it flips to the orange side and is then worth half the points. Everyone receives points if they make a word, though.

It’s hard to explain the game in words, so I highly recommend you watch the video below to give a better demonstration than I can . . .





The thing that makes this game even better is that it has a genius setup and cleanup. The entire game play takes place inside the box and the tiles are sent down a chute when they’re used up, and then funneled into a storage area. Instead of cleaning up tons of separate pieces, they are easily dumped back into their storage pouch for the next time.

We have really enjoyed playing Kerflip!. It is fun, easy to set up and play, and can be done in as few as 10 minutes. Avery (10 years old) loves playing it and Quinn (5 years old) can play if we go easy on him and let him use small words. Kerflip! is also great for building their vocabulary and for helping them practice spelling. We really love Kerflip! and think this would make a great gift for anyone in our lives, both children and adults.

You can learn more about Kerflip! including where to purchase on their website, www.Kerflip.com. It retails for approximately $24.99. Creative Foundry Games is kind enough to offer 3G2S readers 20% off their purchase through July 31st, 2012 with the coupon code “blog20”.


Thank you to Creative Foundry Gameworks for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer

In the summer of 2010, our children were introduced to the Leapster Explorer and then to the Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Recorder last Fall.  I really thought that LeapFrog could not top themselves after that, but somehow they managed to with the recently introduced LeapPad Explorer tablet.

If your child likes the Leapster Explorer, then this tablet for kids will likely be one of his or her favorite toys.  The LeapPad has three times the memory, a 5" screen that is both brighter and sharper, and a better digital camera and video recorder that is built-in.  One of the main things that makes the LeapPad Explorer unique is that it offers motion-based play in which it responds to the player's motions, such as tilting.  This toys is user-friendly enough so that all of our children (ages 4.5, 4.5, and 7.5) can use it without assistance.

Our 7.5 year old's thoughts about the LeapPad Explorer and 3 new Explorer games and apps . . .

"The LeapPad is great because, on the Leapster Explorer it has a game called Jewel Train, and on the LeapPad Explorer it has Jewel Train 2 Twisty Tracks.  The LeapPad's main menu is very much like the Leapster Explorer's main menu.  My favorite part of the main menu is, when you turn the LeapPad upside-down, your pet falls and hangs onto your name tag, and, when you tilt it diagonally or sideways, your pet slides the way you're tilting it."

"My two dogs on Pet Pals 2 look the same, except for their color.  The first pet I got was white, black, and brown.  My second dog looks like a zebra, but it has blue and black stripes.  I think the game is realistic because the dogs want the things real dogs want in real life.  There's more than one building besides your house.  My favorite place is the playground because you can actually play fetch with your dog.  Before you go outside, if you have two pets or more, you have to choose the dog that wants to go outside.  Before I got my second dog, I was thinking about getting a Dalmatian, but then I saw the blue and black stripe puppy and then I got that puppy.  I just got my second dog awhile ago and I'm not use to having two puppies that want different things at the same time."

"In Pixar Pals, it's like a Wii game where you have to get points by earning stars and, to play games, you have to get the red and blue key to unlock the door to the game.  In WALL-E, I unlocked the red door, but I got EVE up to the button to unlock the door to the blue key, but I couldn't get WALL-E up there to get the key because there were no ladders going to that platform and WALL-E can't jump.  The obstacles in WALL-E are the floating chairs and walls.  The obstacles in Nemo are puffer fish and sea urchins.  The obstacles in Toy Story are jacks."

"In Cars 2: Project Undercover Ultra e-Book, the first game in the story is when Mater tows Finn to the spy plane.  The second game is where you disguise Mater.  My favorite game is the third game when you help Lightning McQueen hook onto Mater's hook.  The mini games are finding words, unscrambling a sentence, finding out who did what, and who is who."


As a parent, I definitely like the educational games and apps available for the LeapPad and that some of them can be used both for the Leapster Explorer as well as the LeapPad.  Did you notice how my son barely mentioned any learning activities in his review?  The reason for this is because he is having fun without even knowing that he is learning and practicing important skills.  Like the Leapster Explorer, the LeapPad automatically adjusts to your child's skill level, so they are pushed to challenge themselves, as opposed to sticking with the easier levels.  Just a few of the skills covered in these games are listening comprehension, use of logic, problem solving, sorting, counting, and other important math skills.  I also love the portability of the LeapPad.  We have taken it to soccer games, visits to relatives' houses, and on long car rides.  This unit takes 4 AA batteries.  I do wish there was a charger for it because, with three children fighting over it, we need to change the batteries weekly.  I highly recommend using rechargeable batteries or purchasing the AC adapter.

You can purchase the LeapPad Explorer and LeapFrog Explorer games on LeapFrog.com, Amazon.com, Target, Toys"R"Us, Walmart, and other major toy retailers.  For a limited time, LeapFrog.com is offering Free Standard Shipping on all LeapPad Bundles.  The LeapPad Explorer retails for $99.99 and is available in green or pink.

A portion of this review was written by:

Thank you to LeapFrog for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon and for providing additional products for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a LeapPad Prize Pack containing the following . . . 

• LeapPad Explorer (Color subject to availability - ARV $99.99)
• LeapFrog Explorer Pet Pals 2 game (ARV $24.99)
• LeapFrog Explorer Pixar Pals game (ARV $24.99)
• App Center Card (ARV $20)

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the 81 LeapPad games and apps offered by LeapFrog. Then leave a comment telling me the name of the Game or eBook you think your child would find to be the most engaging. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)  For 3 extra entries, follow me on StumbleUpon. Then come back here and leave THREE separate comments with the link to your StumbleUpon profile.

3)  For 1 extra entry, "Like" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here with the link to your Facebook profile.

4)  For 1 extra entry each, follow LeapFrog on Twitter and/or "Like" LeapFrog on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


5)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

6)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

7)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

8)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, December 5th, 2011 at 10:00pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Math Blaster Online Learning Game by JumpStart

Math Blaster is a new award-winning game from the makers of JumpStart that teaches elementary school age kids to use math to solve problems for the characters. Featuring different types of math at all different math skill levels, Math Blaster turns computer time into a fun learning experience for kids in all grades.

We received a free subscription for Math Blaster and Avery, my 9 year old third grader, was very excited to try it out. Avery is a total math lover and a bit of a computer nerd, so he was in heaven playing this game.

He really couldn’t answer when I asked which game was his favorite, because he liked all the mini-games so much. I did, however, notice that he played one section a lot where he had to scale levels and answer math questions about tenths, hundredths, etc . . . to go forward. He played that particular section several times that I saw.

(Click any image to enlarge)

You can learn more about Math Blaster at www.mathblaster.com, the Math Blaster Blog, and the Math Blaster Facebook Page.   To find out more about the preschool learning games available through JumpStart at www.jumpstart.com.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a 6 Month Membership to the Math Blaster online game AND JumpStart.com (ARV $48).

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me what type of math your child could use more practice with. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

4)  For 1 extra entry each, follow JumpStart on Twitter and/or "Like" Math Blaster on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


5)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

6)  Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

7)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

8)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, May 16th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

***One-Day*** V.Reader Giveaway: Tips For Encouraging Kids to Read [CLOSED]

Our Winner is #19 - Heather Ransom

If you have visited my site in the past, then you know that I love coming up with creative ways to promote learning. If you have not already taken the V.Reader Summer Reading Pledge, it is not too late to do so. Summer is only half over and there is still plenty of summer reading fun to be had.

One of the things that the new VTech V.Reader has shown us is that reading is not limited to traditional books. There are many other ways for a child to develop reading skills. I have a list of several activities I do with my 6 year old during the summer that only take a few minutes each.

In the following video, my son Jake tells you about a few of the simplest activities we do together that do not require a lot of time or creativity on your part . . .

(Turn your volume up because the little guy has a soft voice . . . well, on camera anyways.)

My list of tips to encourage children to read:

• Word Searches
• Filling out and reading Mad Libs together
• Unscrambling Sentences
• Family Reading Night
• Letting older siblings read the story at bedtime

Now it's your turn to share your tips! The best tips will be featured on VTech's “The Ultimate Tip List for Encouraging Our Kids To Read.”

Thank you to VTech for providing a sample V.Reader to us free of charge so that we would be able to participate in this paid VTech Voices campaign for TheMotherhood.com .

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a VTech V.Reader of their very own plus a Bonus Game Cartridge.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment sharing a tip or idea about how to encourage a child to read. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest. You may enter as many times as you wish as long as each tip you leave is unique. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Top 5 Math Tips for Preschoolers from LeapFrog

On Tuesday, February 23rd, Lionsgate and LeapFrog will be releasing LeapFrog Math Adventure to the Moon on DVD! In honor of this much-anticipated release, I am gladly sharing these math tips offered by LeapFrog with my readers. It is never too early to introduce the concept that math is useful in our everyday lives.

TIP #1: Math is everywhere!
Next time you're in a waiting room with your child, scan the room (or the magazines on the tables) for evidence of "math." Advise your child to find as much math as possible, and you can give clues if you need to. Numbers, patterns, shapes, categories, and measuring devices (e.g., ruler, scales), are just a few examples of some of the math you might see all around you!

TIP #2: Patterns and Codes are All Around Us!
Make patterns using standard household objects. For example line up repeated objects--sock, stuffed animal, sock, stuffed animal, and so on. Next, ask your child to continue the pattern to figure out the "secret code." You can vary the difficulty of the pattern to suit your child's ability--banana, banana, pear, banana, banana, pear. You can also make deliberate errors that your child needs to find--pear, apple, banana, pear, apple, banana, pear, pear, banana.

TIP #3: Play the Sorting Game!
Take a deck of cards, and discuss with your child all the ways you can sort the cards. They can be sorted by color (red versus black), suit (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs), numbers (2's, 3's, etc.), royalty versus numbers (jacks, queens, and kings versus the numbers), odd versus even numbers, etc. Sky is the limit! You can play the sorting game with many collections of things around the house, such as socks and building blocks.

TIP #4: Since It’s the Weekend -- Make it a game night!
Playing number-related, age-appropriate board games, such as Chutes and Ladders, can help support many math-related skills. For an important twist, help your child practice saying each number he or she lands on and passes by with each roll of the dice. For example, if your child is on 23 and rolls a four, help him or her say "24, 25, 26, 27" instead of "1, 2, 3, 4." This way, your child can learn about order and magnitude (i.e., how large or small a number is in relation to other numbers).

TIP #5: Count-down for Launch!
You and Your Kids can pretend to be rocket ships set for launch. Practice counting down to blast-off! You can make the challenge as easy or difficult as you want remembering that you don't have to start counting down from 10. You and your kids can count down by ones (e.g., 17, 16, 15, 14…) or Practice counting by 2's (e.g., 25, 23, 21, 19…)! For advanced math students, try multiples (e.g., 21, 18, 15, 12...)!

Thank you to Lionsgate and LeapFrog for providing these tips to share with my readers. There was no compensation received for sharing this information, however I will be reviewing this DVD in a future article.

Review: "My Amusement Park" Leapster Game

My nearly 6 year old son has owned a Leapster 2 for a little over a year. Although he seemed to like it okay, I had never seen him play for a long period of time. I just thought that maybe he was not so interested in handheld games since he barely shows any interest in console gaming. Well, that is what I thought until now.

The new Scholastic Leapster game My Amusement Park has turned my son into a gamer. It seems to be a trend that my son will not spend time on a new game because he is intimidated by the unfamiliar, he does not like timed activities, and he just does not like to make mistakes. (I wonder where he gets that from.)

After I sat with my son and showed him how fun this new game was, he was more relaxed and has been playing it for an hour or two daily. I think what mainly attracts my son to this game is the ability to build his own amusement park. The concept is fairly simple. He earns virtual dollars by playing games, responding to alerts telling him something needs attention in his park, or by painting his attractions. Then he can in turn spend these dollars on building new attractions, which include food stands, game booths, and rides.

Although this game touches on spelling and mathematics, it mainly concentrates on fostering creativity, problem solving skills, memory skills, and deductive reasoning. There are also games and activities that teach your child food and recycling categories. Most of the activities allow your child to select a difficulty level of 1, 2, or 3. My son has a tendency to always choose level 1 even though the activities are not challenging at all for him. I need to give him a little nudge to test the waters of level 2.



While I was watching my son play this game last night, he said to me, "This game is a lot of fun, but I'm not learning anything." The fact was that he actually was learning and he didn't know it, which is perfectly fine. This game exercises my son's brain in an entertaining way just as crossword puzzles do for me.

Currently, the Leapster Learning Game: Scholastic My Amusement Park can be found on Leapfrog.com at a reduced price for the holidays. You should also be able to find this new game most places where Leapfrog products are sold.


Thank you to Leapfrog for providing a sample game for this review.