Teaching Kids Science And Stem With Thames & Kosmos

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases 

  Five months ago when schools closed, I have learned a lot about how to home school. The biggest thing that I have learned is teachers are amazing. I have also learned that I do not want to home school my kids. That may sound mean but my boys don't want me to be their teacher either. These past five months have been stressful and I am so ready for this virus pandemic to be over. I am ready to send my kids back to school. I am ready to take off my home school mom hat. 

When I started preparing for the respiratory virus pandemic, I forgot to prepare for teaching my kids at home. I thought that my boys would enjoy doing online school but in reality, they were super bored as it was too easy. So I tried supplementing their home learning with fun online math games that were supposed to make learning math fun. The math games got boring for my boys and they were wishing that they could be at school hanging out with their friends. So then I tried using baking for home school lessons and my boys enjoyed making frog bread. Even making focaccia bread flowers and painting rocks made me feel like I was teaching an art class. Eventually, my boys grew tired of my attempts to teach them school at home. The only class that my boys are enjoying with me being their teacher in gym class. I am glad that my teen boys still want to go running with me. 

Learning to be creative with at-home learning 

 I have learned that if I want my boys to learn, I have to make my school lessons not feel like school. So I am allowing my boys to cook dinner and telling myself that I am teaching them home ec. When my boys decide what they want to eat for breakfast and lunch with healthy foods, I remind myself that they are learning nutrition. Giving my boys chores of folding laundry and taking out the trash is teaching them responsibility. Doing yard work for friends helps my boys learn other life skills. So maybe right now, my boys are learning and I can take away the mom guilt.

Using STEM kits to teach science

 At home school and learning do not have have to be like traditional school lessons and I have realized that my kids are still learning even without me having to make lesson plans. I have learned to utilize fun STEM Science Experiment Kits that make learning fun. I have discovered some science kids that engaged my boys in educational fun so the school learning can begin even before my boys go back to school. While online school is set to start next week, the in-person school may or may not happen a month later.

 When the science kits from Thames & Kosmos arrived at our house, the boys got excited and read the outside of the boxes. So I was teaching the language arts and also patience as they had to wait until picture day to explore the inside of the science learning kit boxes. The life of being a kid to a blogger mom means that you have to wait to enjoy the contents of most boxes that arrive at your front door. A day in the life of a blogger may mean checking out some cool new toys and tasty healthy snacks but it also means that mom has to first take pictures of the products. Blogging is a full-time job for me and yes, I make money blogging.    

 Ooze Labs: Colorful Crystal Lab

 Explore the natural beauty and wonder of crystals by growing them yourself in many different shapes and colors! Set up your lab station — complete with beakers, test tubes, centrifuge, display dome, and more — and use safe, non-toxic crystal salts to conduct more than ten experiments in crystal formation. You can even make red, pink, blue, purple, and clear crystals using the spinning centrifuge! After you’ve completed the experiments in the kit, continue your crystal growing adventures using the cool lab setup and common materials from around your home.

 My boys were excited to make crystals and this cool educational kit that teaches science has over 11 science experiments in one box. I liked that the science projects used safe non-toxic crystal salts and I did not have to worry about them blowing up the house. I also loved that the kit for STEM learning include almost everything that they needed to make colorful crystals. We had all the additional items so I did not have to purchase anything other than the Ooze Labs: Colorful Crystal Lab kit. My boys were learning about chemical reactions and how crystals form. 

Crystals, Rocks & Minerals Science Experiment Kit

Unearth the secrets of geology as you dig deep into the science of rocks and minerals and the crystals that form them. Through 18 hands-on experiments, kids will discover some pretty amazing things about geology, mineralogy, and crystal growing. Become a geologist-in-training as you mold your own crystal geode and grow three different types of crystals that vary in color and shape. Work with real mineral specimens to learn how to determine a mineral’s chemical properties such as color, luster, streak color, hardness, density, magnetic properties, and carbon, sulfur, or iron content and use your findings to identify unknown minerals. As you explore, you’ll get an overview of the geologic rock cycle and discover how the three main categories of rock — igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic — are formed, altered, destroyed, and formed again. 

This STEM experiment kit was teaching my boys geology, mineralogy, and how to grow crystals. My boys were also learning about the properties of rocks and crystals. I was amazed at all that was inside this box of science experiments as it had 41 pieces. The science kit also taught 18 experiments. This science box was definitely for the older kids as it was label 8+ for use under adult supervision. My boys are 12 and 13 so I knew that they could safely explore the Crystals, Rocks & Minerals Science Experiment Kit by themselves. The kit included safety goggles and I instructed my boys to read the 32-page manual as this STEM learning kit has chemicals like potassium hexacyanoferrate and copper sulfate. So I loved that my boys were learning about chemical properties.

 My boys had plenty of fun with these science lab kits and they were learning new things. I was succeeding in homeschooling and my boys were getting an educational experience. I am hopeful for the new school year as the teachers have had 5 months to prepare for teaching online school. I am sure that there will be plenty of online instruction from the teachers and I am also hoping that there will be homework that does not involve the computer. My boys have had way too much computer time this summer and need homework that involves writing and math. It would be cool if the teachers could do Google Meets with science kits. Maybe the state needs to increase the school budget so the schools can give every student an at-home science kit.

Check out the crystal that my son grew!

At Home Learning With Thames & Kosmos

My school district just announced the plans for the school year and I am not sure what to expect

       I received samples of products to facilitate this post. This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases 

 It may still be summer here but that does not mean that the learning has to stop. This C lung virus pandemic has made it harder to motivate my kids to do any type of learning or schoolwork. So other than daily reading, I have pretty much given my boys a break from learning. Their last two months of online school were boring for them and I am not blaming the teachers as most of them have never done online instruction. My boys don't want me to be their teacher and I don't blame them as I have no clue how to homeschool two middle school boys. I am glad that the boys are allowing me to be their gym teacher as they join me every morning for running. The boys caught the COVID slide earlier this summer and they are still experiencing side-effects from it. Just last week the school district announced their plans for the school year and the boys and I have mixed feelings about the school year.


Online school with some at school learning 

 Next month school will begin with 5 weeks of online school. Then in the middle of September, the boys will attend school four days a week, every other week. The rest of the learning will be online. I am not really seeing the benefit of the boys attending school at all since they will only be going for 8 days a month. Why not just do all online teaching? My boys are just happy that they can go back to school. I am hoping that their teachers have used the past 4-5 months to figure out how to best teach online school so my boys will learn. I have also made a plan of how to boost their immunity so they will hopefully not catch the covid virus at school.

Board games to enrich learning

 My boys have rediscovered board games and I am glad. Playing board games not only gets them off the electronic devices but they are also getting some learning in. Shh! Don't tell my boys that they are learning as they want nothing to do with that as they are on summer break. My boys started playing card games and other non-electric games when their older brothers were here. It was great to see all my boys enjoying games like Monopoly and Risk. Now that their older brothers have gone back to school and overseas, playing games are not as fun with only 2 people.  So I was glad when I discovered some learning games that can be enjoyed with 2 players.


 The learning games from Thames & Kosmos are keeping the boys entertained while also giving their brain some memory exercises. These exciting thinking and puzzle games are making me feel better about my boys not being in school right now. I also am not feeling guilty about not doing the homeschool thing. My boys have friends who are homeschooled and I mentioned that I was going to talk to their friend's mom about what program she uses for homeschool. The boys said, "no mom, don't do that as we will be going back to school." I am glad that the boys are ok with returning to school. So check out the fun games that the boys are enjoying.

Brainwaves

Brainwaves is a series of games developed by game designers and neuroscientists with which players can challenge their episodic memory — their recent memory of autobiographical events. These compact, card-based games are designed and scientifically proven to exercise the brain to improve memory functions. These innovative memory games place demands on three types of brain functions: fluid intelligence, working memory, and long-term memory.


 My boys received Brainwaves: The Astute Goose and Brainwaves: The Wise Whale to explore and play. These were card games that challenged their memory and they had my boys using their brain with critical thinking skills. I liked that my boys were having a friendly competition that used their brainwaves. 

 In Brainwaves: The Astute Goose, my boys had to identify a burglar hiding in a crowd. They had to remember things like what did they look like, what color were their clothes and other things to correct figure out which burglar committed the crime.

In Brainwaves: The Wise Whale, my boys had fun playing a matching game to see who could gather the most different colorful sea creatures cards. This was a fun brain-training game for the whole family.

Ubongo

Ubongo is a fast-paced, addictive, and easy-to-learn geometric puzzle game. Players race against the timer and against each other to solve a puzzle of interlocking shapes. The faster you solve the puzzle, the more gems you get. 

 Ubongo reminded me of the computer game Tetris but I loved that this game was offline. This was a fast-paced game that was an easy way for my boys to learn about geometry. The boys had to quickly fit the geometric puzzle shapes on their puzzle boards in the right order. The first person who solves their puzzle shouts " Ubongo!" and then the countdown is on for the other player who then have a time limit to earn some points. The fastest player wins bonus points and after eight rounds, the player with the most points wins. My boys really enjoyed playing this game as it was a portable game so they could play it on the floor. This game even challenged me with my thinking when I played with my boys.


Drop It 

This colorful, inventive family game is easy to learn but deceptively mind-boggling! One at a time, each player drops a shape into the vertical game board’s drop zone. Players earn points for the highest level that their shape reaches when it lands and extra points for touching bonus circles. But be careful: Don’t break a landing rule! The shape you dropped is not allowed to touch matching shapes or colors after it lands. If you break a landing rule, you will go away empty-handed. The winner is the player or team with the most points at the end. 

Drop It was a game of chance that involved a lot of thinking. My boys had to figure which shape to select and then the best place to drop it in the stand-up game board so the shape would hopefully land where they wanted it to go. This game also had plenty of rules that encouraged even more critical thinking. It was a mind-boggling game that made my boys think before they dropped a shape as they did not want to break any landing rules. The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the game. I am glad that my boys read the rules of this game as it took me some time to learn how to win the game.

 So I am glad that the boys had some learning games to entertain themselves during the day when it was too hot to play at the park. These board games are summer fun essentials for my boys. That way mom and dad could get some work done during the day. The school thing is still stressing me out but not because of the respiratory virus but more because of all the rules that the boys will have to follow at school. The boys will have to wear face masks at school and I need to buy more of these lightweight face masks for kids. They also have to stay 6 feet apart from their friends and not share anything. So that means no giving a friend a pencil or passing a note. They can't even drink from the drinking fountain or sit next to friends at lunch. Kind of makes school stressful for both the kids and teachers.

 I think parents and teachers need some G&Juice to help us with stress. These hemp-infused sparkling beverages are not only delicious but they will help us chill out. Each can has less than 2 grams of sugar and only 20 calories. They also have 20 mg of hemp-derived CBD and the four mouth-water flavors contain no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. The flavors of this bliss out juice are Coconut Vanilla, Ginger Peach, Strawberry Lemonade, and Blueberry Mojito. The best part is CBD is the non-psychoactive portion of the plant, which means consumers won't "get high."

 So all I can do now is take one day at a time and as I told my boys we won't worry about school just yet as we still have a couple more weeks until school starts. This school plan for online school and some in school learning will have to work for the boys. I am sure that my boys will do fine and the will learn. This too shall pass.

What is the plan for your kid's school this year?

How To Prevent The Covid Slide In Kids Of All Ages

The COVID Slide is real so parents need to prevent it

This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  

I received samples of the mentioned products.

 This summer is going to be a long one and I am not sure that I am going to like that. I used to look forward to summer but I am not sure I am looking forward to this summer. It seems that summer vacation began 10 weeks ago with my kids and I am not sure when this vacation is going to end. It is hard to call this time off from school as a vacation because we are stuck at home not being able to do the fun stuff that we normally do every summer. The pools are closed. Museums are off-limits and even the free lunch at our park, that my boys look forward to, has changed. So my boys will not have the typical fun summer of playing with their friends at the park and instead have to stay at home entertaining themselves. I am thankful that the weather is warmer and my boys have each other but I am worried about the Covid Slide.


Beware of the Covid Slide 

 The Covid Slide is a real thing and it has parents across the world concerned that their kids are going to catch it. Previously known as the summer slide, this parental concern has been happening at my house for the past 10 weeks and I am worried that it is going to be worse as I was not made to homeschool my boys. I fear the setbacks that are happening to my boys and their brains are not getting the learning that they need. My boys are not liking my homeschool lessons of cleaning, baking one bowl peanut butter cookies, and yard work of moving rocks and natural ways to rid the yard of weeds even though it was an effective science experiment. The boys were not even excited about the science lesson of watching the anthill video that I made during our gym class-ie running time. The only class that I succeeded in so far has been my art class of painting rocks.

 I am ready to give this job back to the teachers and I am sure that the teachers are ready to return to school. Unfortunately, this new way of learning is here for a while so we parents have to figure out ways to teach our kids to succeed in school without going crazy. We parents need creative ways to teach our kids.

Teaching kids with toys 

 Parents are ready for a break from their new job of homeschool teaching and they need a break. Even real teachers don't work 24/7. So I discovered some products that can keep kids engaged with learning and prepare them for when they do get to go back to school. These products teach kids STEAM and the kids won't even realize that they are learning math, science, art, and more. These toys that teach STEM will keep kids busy hopefully long enough so mom or dad can have a much-needed coffee break.


A deck of cards can teach math and more

 Who knew that my boys would be excited to receive several decks of cards. My boys have rediscovered card games during this shelter at home time and I love that it is a form of entertainment that requires no electric devices. My boys are learning about math and critical thinking when they play poker with their older brothers every Saturday night. The boys have also taught themselves how to play solitaire and how to make card stacking houses(learning gravity and balance.) They even created a new way to play 52 card pick-up so they have been expanding their imagination and small motor skills. There might even be some language learning when they went online to learn other card games to play.

 Do you remember learning your first card game? How about winning at an old-fashioned game of solitaire? Or that holiday tradition of Gin Rummy after dinner? Since 1885, Bicycle playing cards have been a part of household gaming. Known for its quality and rich heritage, Bicycle® playing cards have been bringing people together for generations. Every Bicycle® playing card deck is specially crafted so that you can trust Bicycle® cards performance, hand after hand. Great for all card games. Great for all players.

Bicycle® Standard Index Playing Cards



Solar-Powered cars that teach science

 My boys love activities that involve engineering especially when the end result is a car that is powered by the sun. I like that this STEAM kit uses no batteries and has my boys using their brains. My boys are learning science and technology as well as critical thinking. This cool solar-powered rover kit has kept my boys busy for several days as they keep trying out different ways to build the rovers. The fun part is seeing their creation move around the yard with them felling victory that they made the right connections to make the solar car move by the sun. My boys enjoyed this STEM experiment kit and are already requesting which one I should buy next.

Want to build fun solar-powered vehicles and devices that move using electricity generated directly from sunlight? With this kit, you can construct five motorized models. Build three types of solar cars, a solar fan, and a solar robot model. Conduct science experiments with each model to learn about gear ratios, solar cells, and more. The ultralight materials, including strong bamboo rods, make your models speedy and durable. A modular gearing system lets you test out three different gear ratios. Experiment with a solar cell, electric motor, gears, and ultralight materials. Build five different solar-powered models. Learn about how solar cells work and about the energy from the sun. Ages 8+

Solar-Powered Rovers

Stick-O City for toddler learning

 Even the grandbaby is getting some learning in when she comes to visit. My grandbaby likes playing with the big colorful magnets and is getting some small motor skills in with tactile experiences. She loves when my boys create cars for her with the big bright magnetic pieces. The fun starts when my boys make the cars go fast and the grandbaby chases after them. The Stic-O pieces are big and they stick together instantly so toddlers do not get frustrated. We received a kit that builds a car and a plane but there are many other Magformers activity kits to purchase.

From Magformers, Stick-O encourages toddlers to explore tactile learning through hands-on magnetic play. Each Stick-O shape contains magnets that rotate so toddlers' creations always stick together for a frustration-free play experience. Stick-O’s unique 3D shapes contain a magnet pocket, designed so the magnet can find the right magnetic direction to stick to every time. Stick-O magnets are completely encased inside BPA-free, ABS plastic to ensure children’s safety. With the Stick-O City 16 Piece Set, kids can construct their very own busy city. Toddlers can build a car, racer, airplane, and more with the City 16Pc Set. Included in this kit are 1 Sphere, 2 Stick, 3 Long Stick, and magnetic accessories including vehicle wheels, wings, and propellers.  ages 36m+.



So these are fun ways to keep your kids engaged this summer with learning. The learning does not have to stop just because the kids are not in school. These STEAM toys will give parents a break from the stress of homeschool learning and keep kids busy. The best part of these STEM activities is the kids won't even realize that they are learning. After the kids are done learning for the day, reward them with some outdoor fun that involves playing with their food in a good way. Go check out 2 ways that kids can have fun with marshmallows. Then spend some time in the yard as a family. The summer can be simply enjoyed and the kids will be just fine when they return to school in the fall. So make those summer memories and enjoy the nice weather.

Protect the teen's eyes

 Kids are getting more screen time with online school and activities. All these hours on computers and phones can strain their eyes, resulting in irritation, dryness, fatigue, or blurred vision. We all know kids are quickly becoming more tech-savvy each day, and that’s not changing, but their eyes may suffer because of it. They need support. That’s where Screen Shield™ Teen can help! EyePromise Screen Shield is specifically formulated for reducing the effects of screen time on children ages 4-17.

 This once-a-day, fruit punch flavored chewable eye vitamin is designed to help support your child's vision from the inside out. With 5 mg of dietary zeaxanthin and 2.5 mg of lutein, this leading eye health vitamin is guaranteed to help increase the eyes' natural protective barrier that defends our source of vision while also protecting it from the effects of increased screen time. My boys love the taste of this eye supplement and I love that their eyes are getting some protection from the devices.

These are just some of the ways that I am helping my kids avoid the Covid slide. Other learning activities that I am doing with my boys is baking bread. My boys discovered Frog bread and asked if they could make it. I said yes as baking involves math, science, and art. I am anxious for the boys to go back to school but for now, I will have to be creative in finding ways to keep their minds learning.

Teach Kids About Fire Safety With PLAYMOBIL

October is Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Month

            I received a sample from Playmobil to facilitate this post.

 Now that my boys are old enough to stay home by themselves for a couple of hours it is a good time to teach them about fire prevention and fire safety. My boys have learned some things like don't use a lighter or matches unless a grownup is nearby and how to escape if there is a fire. These are important things to know but I think my boys and I could use a refresher on fire safety. One does not expect their house to be on fire or even a small fire in the kitchen but one needs to be prepared.



October is Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Month
 Since the whole month of October is Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Month, I decided that this would be a good time to help my boys be prepared for an emergency like a fire. That way I can rest a bit easier when I leave them home by themselves. Since this is a time when public service departments across America join forces to spread the word about fire safety, then I will make it a time for my family to learn about preventing fires and what to do in an emergency.



A wonderful toy to teach kids about fire safety
  PLAYMOBIL has an awesome Fire Station that would be a great teaching tool to help kids learn about fire safety through play. Did you know that most kids learn better through play? This Fire Station comes with everything you need to help kids learn about what to do in an emergency through imaginative play. Kids can move the fireman people around the two-story firehouse and have the people slide down the fire pole to get to the included emergency helicopter. The fire station even has a functioning alarm sound and fold-down bunk beds. My boys love that PLAYMOBIL even though about small items like brooms, fire extinguishes, and chairs. The set includes two firemen that have hands to hold items like helmets, megaphone, flashlight,  and fire extinguisher. So kids can pretend to put out fires and handle emergencies.

 My boys have several other playsets from PLAYMOBIL and my grandbaby has sandbox toys from PLAYMOBIL. These have been fun toys for them. Since my boys are almost teenagers, we will be donating this awesome playset to a Christmas toy drive that my church does every year. So that way some special kid will receive a wonderful gift that will teach them about fire safety and fire prevention. It does not have to be October to learn about how to prevent fires or how to escape from a burning building. These are things that we should be teaching kids year-round. It should be more than stop-drop-and-roll and having fire drills at school.

 I discovered a wonderful website that has plenty of information and resources to help you teach your kids about fire safety. This Fire Prevention website has safety tip information, coloring sheets, and even helps you plan and practice how to escape a fire in your home. I was amazed at all the information. My boys and I will be using these resources so we can be prepared for an emergency like a fire in the home. I hope that my boys never have to put this information into practice but knowing that they are prepared, helps me feel confident in leaving them home by themselves.

What are you doing this month to teach kids about fire safety?

Cosmic Cubs Teach Kids About The Solar System And Ecology

“This post has been sponsored by Cosmic Cubs.  All thoughts and opinions are my own"

 My family recently took an overnight train trip and it was a great trip. Traveling by train was way better than a long car ride. My husband liked that he could relax instead of driving and I liked that we could move around on the train. My boys liked that they could spend their time playing games and watching movies. Since they brought with their tablets, I loaded them with some fun educational apps so they could learn while playing games. I made sure that I selected kid-safe apps that taught my boys yet were fun to play. My boys have been into space and the solar system lately as they had recently learned them at school. So when I looked into some apps for kids, I came across Cosmic Cubs and I loved that this safe app for kids made learning about space with fun puzzles. As I was downloading the Cosmic Cubs Space Puzzles app on my Android device, (also available for iPhone), I notice that Cosmic Cubs also had an Eco Puzzler app that could teach my kids about the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle. I am all about saving the earth so I also downloaded that app onto my boy's tablet. Cosmic Cubs also has a cute Cosmic Cubs Dress Up app that kids could play dress-up with the space cubs and I added that one to my list of apps for my granddaughter when she gets older.

Learning Apps For Ages 3 and Up
 I really loved that these fun educational apps could make device time learning time. I am the mom who wants to help children succeed in school and I know that learning apps can enhance their knowledge. The learning games on the educational apps were great for kids as early as three years old but since they have different levels that ranged from easy to hard, I knew that they would keep my boys entertained. The kid-safe apps had my boys learning about the solar system and ecology through different fun puzzles. My boys had to solve the puzzles to reveal pictures and facts about the planets and tips about the 3Rs. The best part was some of the games were free to play so you can check it out before you purchase the app.

Color your favorite Cosmic Cub while learning more about our universe.
Download and print educational coloring pages HERE

The Games Lead To Great Discussions
 Since we were on the train, I had fun helping my boys solve the puzzles. The boys and I had fun seeing who could solve the puzzles the quickest and with the least moves. Once we solved the puzzle, we took turns reading the facts. I loved that the Cosmic Cubs Space solar system games taught my boys about the different planets and stars. My boys learned that the surface of Venus has no water or oxygen and many volcanos. The games even rewarded us with beautiful images from NASA. The Eco Puzzler games lead to the boys and I discussing of ways we could do better on reducing and recycling around the house, like using bringing our reusable cloth bags to the store so we would not need a plastic bag for our groceries.

Great Fun For Younger Kids
 My boys even had fun passing the time on the train playing with the Cosmic Cubs Dress Up app. This fun app is geared more towards the younger preschool age kids but my boys had fun dressing up the space cubs and selecting different items for the cubs to play with. Once my boys were done creating the Cosmic Cubs danced for them. If we were at home, we could even print some Cosmic Cubs coloring pages. My boys still enjoy coloring and I wished I had thought about bringing with crayons and coloring pages.

Check Out The Three Cosmic Cubs Apps

Cosmic Cubs Eco Puzzler • Ages 3+ • Free or $1.99
Join the Cosmic Cubs to learn about the 3 R's-Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle -- while playing a slide puzzle. Kids quickly figure out which puzzle pieces move in position to recreate an image. This app helps raise awareness and offers suggestions for children to save the earth resources. 

Cosmic Cubs Dress Up • Ages 3+ • Free or $1.99
Clothes make the man and the cub! Choose from hundreds of different items to dress the various Cosmic Cubs as they step out into space. Look for enchanting themes from Princess to Spy.
Outerwear, helmets, scenery and more make this a delightful way to spend downtime with family or as solo play in the backseat of the car.

Cosmic Cubs Space Puzzles • Ages 3+ • Free or $1.99
The Cosmic Cubs are exploring the Solar System and you can travel along. Learn about the solar system, with NASA images and fun facts about the universe. Download the free version that
provides access to 17 images of the inner solar system, from the
Earth and the Moon inward to the Sun. You can also purchase all
54 of the puzzles of the outer planets and entire the Universe.
Children will be exposed to beautiful images from NASA and
can learn about Planets, stars and other fun facts about space.

Cosmic Cubs apps are fun and engaging while teaching children 3 and older about the solar system and the 3 Rs, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Each small step can become a giant leap in learning! Blast off to a Cosmic Cubs galaxy of learning fun! Explore the universe with the Cosmic Cubs! Cosmic Cubs is KIDSAFE certified.

  Download Cosmic Cubs apps at the iTunes App store and Google Play. 

To learn more about these educational apps click HERE

Summer Learning With The Electric Motors Catalyst

The ultimate kit for young tinkerers to think outside the box

              I received a STEM learning kit to facilitate this post.

 School may be out for the summer but that does not have to be the end of learning. They say that when kids take a long break from school it can hurt their learning as they forget what they learned in school. So I like to keep my kids learning during the summer break. I want my kids to succeed in school and that to me means providing my kids with opportunities to keep learning. Summer learning does not have to be boring for kids with books and worksheets. There are many ways to make learning fun for kids with activities and STEM learning kits. I make learning fun for boys so they will want to engage with the materials that I provide them. My boys love robotics and creating things. My youngest has a knack for building things and wants to invent things. He was to be an inventor or engineer when he grows up.

Check out some of the ways I help my child succeed in school

https://www.momknowsbest.net/2018/08/helping-your-child-succeed-in-school.html

 One of the fun summer learning activity that I have for my boys this summer is a fun hands-on-STEM kit. The Electric Motor Catalyst kit from Tinkering Labs will teach my boys science, technology, engineering, and math. This exciting learning kit has over 50 parts in it and allows my boys to use their creativity to create over 16 inventions. The best part is the inventions don't take long to build everything is included in the box, even batteries. The STEM kit has examples that show kids what to build but it also allows for kids to build beyond those inventions.

Ten Challenges to get minds moving

 The STEM kit includes ten challenge cards with ideas to help kids think outside the box and take the include parts to make something like a machine to scramble an egg. I love that the challenges take 30-60 minutes to create as any longer seems to frustrate my boys. The ideas do not require kids to have any tinkering experience and are designed to get their hands and minds moving. 

A box of fun that teaches

 My boys were super excited to start creating with the Electric Motors Catalyst kit. The instructions were super easy for them and they did not need my help. I loved that they were able to work together and have fun. My boys stay busy for a long time and I loved that they were not on electric devices all morning. I was able to get work done while they created some cool machines that did everything from scrambling an egg to drawing a picture. Their gifted teacher would be proud to know that they were enriching their minds with learning during their summer break. This kit is just one of the many activities that my boys will do this summer to enrich their learning. We will also be visiting the children's Explora museum several times as we have a family membership. 

Storage bag included

 I loved that the learning kit came with a cloth storage bag so clean-up was easy. All the parts were available for my boy's next invention. The bag of parts then was easy to store in the box with the instruction books. The bag of parts was just the beginning of my boy's creation as they used their creative minds beyond the box and started adding other things to their inventions. Every time that my boys played with the Electric Motors Catalyst they came up with different ideas on how to build with the 50+ parts. 

What learning activities do your kids do in the summer?