These Halloween Counting Cards are perfect for kids ages 2-5 to practice their counting during the month of Halloween! Just download, print and enjoy!
These Alphabet Letter Identification Printables are such a fun way for preschoolers to learn their letters! Just download, print and start the learning fun!
These Valentine’s Day Bookmark Punchcard are the perfect way to help your kids track their reading and help motivate them to learn to love to read!
These Harry Potter Printable Bookmarks are the perfect way to help track your progress as you read all the Harry Potter books! The reader can easily mark off each chapter as it’s finished!
Roll a Rainbow is a super fun St. Patrick’s Day Kids Game that is fun for kids of all ages! Roll the dice and place the candy or item on its assigned color to create your rainbow! It could also be used year round as a way to practice color recognition!
Valentine’s Day Learning Printables for preschool aged kids! These fun printable pages are the perfect way to celebrate the Valentine’s Day holiday while learning!
The time is here and I am SO excited! This Halloween Pre-K Pack is the perfect way to incorporate learning and fun into your Halloween season! This pack as 30 pages of learning sheets for your kids ages 2-5! Don’t forget to download the Halloween Pre-K Expansion Pack if you have a 4 or 5 year old. The expansion pack offers a little more challenging worksheets!
These Printable Punchcard Bookmarks are the perfect way to help your kids track their reading and help motivate them to learn to love to read!
Hey friends! It’s time to start our Christmas shopping! Each year I try to choose something eductional to get my kids and we’ve had fun in the past with the gifts I’ve got my kiddos! And, I’m already searching for something fun to get them for this upcoming Christmas! So, today I’m going to share with you some fun ideas of Educational Themed Gift ideas for Kids!
Solar System Planetarium:
My oldest has just become interested in the Solar System! I’ve been researching some ideas and I’ve decided on this fun Solar System Planetarium!
ABCMouse.com
We are big fans of abcmouse.com! In fact I wrote an entire post about ABC Mouse way back in 2012! Which now as I’m typing this make more realize that article could probably use some updating, because their site has tons of updates and new features! All 3 of my kids have spent hours and hours having fun and learning from all their educational gifts!
The cool part of ABC Mouse is that it tracks your kids progress and grows with them! They can follow the Learning Path which will take them through a variation of fun lessons on their level. Or, they can play explore other areas of the program that allows them to choose their activity. This ensures that your kids won’t get bored and stay having fun, while learning all at the same time!
Gift a year membership to your kids this Christmas! They generally have some great deals around the holiday too! Check them out here – abcmouse.com!
Magformers
One of the best toys I’ve invested in are Magformers! We’ve invested a lot of money into building up a big set, but guess what? There’s a knock-off brand that looks identical and is 1/2 the price!
So here are are the original Magformers!
And here are the Amosting Magnetic Building Tiles!
Snap Circuits:
My nephews have this Snap Circuits set and my boys have LOVED playing with it! They’ve created some way cool stuff with the help of the different project cards that come with it – like a radio and a burglar alarm! It helps them learn about electronics and the science of power!
Learning Resources – Super Magnet Lab
We got this fun magnet set for our boys last year and they’ve had such a blast with it! It comes with enough stuff for multiple kids to play with and helps teach them about magnetic force!
Little Passports
Give the gift of adventure with Little Passports this holiday season! Little Passports is a BLAST! With Little Passports you choose a subscription based on your childs age. Then each month they get a package that helps them explore something new!
For example, my boys are 6 and 8. So, they subscribe to the World Explorers. Each month they get a package with activities that help them explore a new Country! It really is a blast!
Check out the subscriptions available for your kid here – Little Passports!
Magic School Bus – Microscope Lab
There are actually TONS of these awesome Magic School bus kits! My boys loved this Microscope Lab Kit one where they got to look at slides with specimens using a microscope. They get to record their observations in the fun Date Book that comes with it too. Be sure and check out the other kits:
Chemistry Lab
Jumping into Electricity
Blasting off with Volcanoes
Engineering Lab
Journey into the Human Body
The World of Germs
Space Lab
Growing Crazy Crystals
and there are even more!!
KiwiCrate
Does your little one prefer hands-on learning? Then KiwiCrate might be just what they want! KiwiCrate is supporting the STEAM program.
S= Science
T= Technology
E= Engineering
A= Art
M= Math
KiwiCrate has created an engaging way for kids to have fun and learn! They have different boxes for the different age groups! With a subscription they receive a box full of fun each month in the mail!
Robotic Arm
Our neighbor has gotten her son a couple of these robotic kits and he loves them! My kids love learning to control them and they’ve each asked for one for Christmas! You get to built them from scratch and then learn how to control them to do things that you want them to do! He has even taught his robotic arm to write! This set has great reviews, so I think I’m going to get my oldest it!
Laser Maze
We learned about this fun game/activity, Laser Maze, a few years ago when they had it on display at a local learning toy store! We grabbed it thinking the kids would love it, but honestly me and my husband loved it more! haha! But, now that the boys are getting older, they’ve used it plenty!
Zoob Builder Toys
We learned about the Zoob Builderz a few years ago from my friend Lisa! I got them for my boys that Christmas and they’re still a regular played with toy at our house! You can built the most cool stuff with them! They have normal Zoobs or Zoob Jr. for younger kids!
I hope this gave you some great ideas for your little learners! If you have any great suggestions of toys your kids have loved, please leave me a comment! I’d love to check them out!
Happy Holidays!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kids II. All opinions are 100% mine.
Hey friends! Today I’m sharing a car themed reward chart that I originally designed for a friend and then I used it with my middle child (who is now 6) as well! I decided to print a new copy a few weeks ago, because I needed to help my daughter find a little motivation and I thought this would do the trick!
During the week it’s just me and Dylan at home and for the most part she’s an angel (read: no brothers are home to fight with). The only problem is she thinks she and I need to do EVERYTHING together! Including picking up after her, going potty, etc. I really needed her to start finding some motivation to do some things on her own.
I’ll eventually design a more girl themed printable, but she loves cars and Go Grippers, so I figured this works for now. And I’ve never shared it here on OTBM! You’ll find the download link at the bottom of the post! Here’s how I utilize the reward chart:
Establish rules.
One thing you will want to make sure you preface to your kids is that you decide when the reward is earned/given. They are not allowed to mark the chart or add a sticker without you saying that it’s okay. In the beginning, as they are getting used to the system, I may allow them to complete it a little faster. Especially the very first time. This way they learn the whole reward chart concept. But, now that I’m a few weeks in I’d say that Dylan will take about 2 weeks to complete her chart each time.
Also, sometimes they will ask if they mark their reward chart for something they’ve done. Sometimes I will say yes, but not if they’re asking too often. I will just remind them that I get to choose when a behavior earns a mark.
Together choose the end reward.
This could be a dollar amount, a prize or reward. Because of Dylan’s age (3), she chooses between a prize or reward. But, with my son we eventually transitioned to prizes or dollar amounts, so he could save up for something that cost a little more.
My friend recently allowed her son to earn the Oball Go Grippers™ Bounce ‘N Zoom Speedway™ by completing two charts! To make this work, instead of having 1 chart hanging up, she taped two next to each other! It worked great!
This toy is so fun! I wish it was around when my kids were little! To be honest, when my kids are over at his house they have no problem playing with it!
His favorite feature is the claw that will reach down, grab the toy and then drop it on the bounce pad! Plus, the speedway has two ramps and multiple paths, so the kids love just having cars zoom down the raceway!
The entire collection is genius if you ask me! You know those balls that have the holes in them, so that babies and toddlers can grab them easily? Well, they designed this entire toy line after them! You really can’t find anything like it out there!
It helps those little developing minds using their imagination and play for hours!
You can buy the entire collection at Toys R Us. They have lots of different options: Oball Go Grippers™ Bounce ‘N Zoom Speedway™, Oball Go Grippers™ Vehicle Assortment, Oball Go Grippers loader ™, Oball Go Grippers dump truck™, Oball Go Grippers car carrier ™, Oball Go Grippers Race Cars™. You can shop this collection easily on Kids II too!
Reward behavior or actions that are above expected behavior.
My kids don’t get a sticker for doing things that I expect or their regular chores! Obviously, this is different for each of my kids, depending on their age.
For my daughter, cleaning her room up when asked would be a great accomplishment. Before using the chart, she would whine some and then come and beg me to help her. So, if I ask her and she does it without complaining and on her own, then I’m super stoked and I would allow her to mark a spot on her reward chart!
However, for my older son, that wouldn’t be the case. He would get rewarded for picking up his room without being asked. But, not if I have to ask him to do it.
Praise their good behaviors and accomplishments.
Kids love and NEED to hear acknowledgement of their good choices! So make sure to praise when they do good!
Also, make sure when they complete their first reward chart that you explain to them that that their reward is because of all their good choices and behavior!
“We get to have a fun date night, because of all the good choices you made to fill up your reward chart!”
Also, I never take away a mark or sticker for a bad behavior! I want to keep the chart a POSITIVE thing and if they are always feeling threatened that they could lose a mark, then they may lose the motivation to keep trying for them. Plus, they earned that mark. It’s theirs to keep!
And lastly,
Be Consistent!
This needs to be something that your kids can expect and rely upon you to remember! Otherwise, they won’t stay motivated!!
Now for the download!
Don’t forget to check out the Oball Go Grippers Toy Collection! Every home with little kids needs it! There isn’t another toy line out there and your kids will love this for a long time!
Exploring all phases of life.
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