Entertain Kids as they Learn this Summer With Activity Books from The Quarto Group-Giveaway

July 11, 2017 by Kathryn 59 Comments

With summer break underway, I’ve already had a few days of dealing with restless children desperately looking for something to do. While we’re lucky enough to be in a neighbourhood with plenty of kids to play with, there are still hours in the day where both my boys are roaming the house restlessly, getting in my way as they look for something to occupy them. Of course, the fact I limit their screen time during the summer months doesn’t make things any easier!

So this year, I found a new way to help keep my boys entertained: activity books! Recently The Quarto Group sent me three of its newest titles to review and as soon as I saw them, I knew that my boys would be spending plenty of summer hours trying out the crafts and activities in every one.

Stick Sketch School: An Animal Artventure

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Kids Love Learning with the LeapStart Activity Book System-Giveaway

July 26, 2016 by Kathryn 130 Comments

As a parent, there are a few skills that I believe are essential to my boys’ proper development, so I’m passionate about ensuring they’re developing those skills. And in my mind, the absolute most essential skill to ensure a child’s future success is a love of learning. I use all kinds of different tricks, techniques and toys to make learning a fun and rewarding experience for my boys. That’s why LeapFrog products have always been a favourite in our home.

From the earliest baby days to the school years, LeapFrog has used innovative electronics to help kids gain proficiency in a variety of different areas, from math and science to reading and writing. And the brand new LeapStart system is the perfect example of why I’ve always loved the brand. The system uses a library of activity books that let kids have fun while developing STEM skills, problem solving, shape recognition and, of course, literary skills! I recently received the brand new LeapStart to review and Benjamin was only too happy to help me test it out. [Read more…]

Keep Kids Learning this Summer with Hot Wheels FUNdamentals #PlayAdvocates

June 30, 2015 by Kathryn 19 Comments

With school out and my boys home every day, there’s plenty of playtime filling our hours right now! And while I don’t mind leaving my boys to their own creative devices for the majority of their summer vacation, I do still want them to have some intellectual stimulation as well. Zackary challenges his mind quite regularly with educational games and nightly reading, but finding fun learning activities for Benjamin is a little bit harder. Luckily, one of my boys’ very favourite brands, Hot Wheels, has come to the rescue!

My oldest son was a huge Hot Wheels collector when he was younger and at one point, he knew the name of every single one of his almost 200 Hot Wheels cars. (I didn’t even realize they had names until he asked me one day what the car’s name was and I found it printed on the bottom!) And while Benjamin wasn’t quite as obsessive about Hot Wheels as his brother, he also spent many happy hours playing with the tracks and racing the cars.

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Kids Will Have a Knightly Summer with Mike the Knight DVDs, Books and Toys-Giveaway

July 8, 2013 by Kathryn 100 Comments

With summer here and kids home from school, finding a way to provide a little extra entertainment is always a good thing. And this summer, NCircle Entertainment, HIT Entertainment and Fisher-Price have a very special set of Mike the Knight products that will be sure to keep younger children captivated!

Mike the Knight is the new hit Nick Jr. television show that emphasises skills such as problem solving and making responsible choices to its younger audience. My three-year-old is a huge fan of the show but even my seven-year-old loves watching it sometimes too. It’s always a plus for me when I can find a quality show that both my boys enjoy.

mike the knight in training box art [Read more…]

Entertain Your Kids with the Where’s Waldo: Santa Spectacular Activity Book-Giveaway

December 19, 2012 by Kathryn 115 Comments

When winter break boredom strikes, it can be hard to find entertaining activities for my boys that don’t involve a screen. But neither one of my boys can say no to a good book and both of them love fun activities. So I was thrilled when I got the chance to review Where’s Waldo: Santa Spectacular, a fun activity book featuring everyone’s favourite hard-to-find friend, Waldo.

This book is not your typical Where’s Waldo book. Packed full of fun activities ranging from puzzles to word searches, there’s a lot more than seek and find adventure inside! I loved the fact that the book also contained hundreds of stickers so that kids could create their own Where’s Waldo scenes.

Zackary is a big fan of Where’s Waldo books so I knew he would love this book, that combined some of his favourite activities with one of his favourite book characters. At six-years-old, he was just the right age for this fun-filled book and like almost all kids, he always loves a book that includes stickers! [Read more…]