The more I speak about schooling with families, the more I realize our children need our support. It’s August, many students have already started school, NYC students are enjoying their last few weeks of summer and a large number of families are beginning their adventures in home school for the very first time. Regardless of the way your child will be educated this year, as their adult, you want to make sure that the education is the best. It is my hope that the products included in this Toy School, and every Toy School post, complement and supplement their current education.
Hand2Mind Mindful Maze Set – I love and use this maze set myself. Yup, not just for the littles. It is a wonderful learning toy for tiny (ages 3+) fingers to use to begin understanding directions. It is designed though to work hand in hand with helping littles focus on their breathing. You have heard me mention before that meditating is difficult for me. This helps me to focus my breathing with tactile prompts. Focus and breathing exercises can truly mean the difference between pass and fail for our students. And more importantly than grades, using breathing boards can help them learn to manage their emotions. This also fits in great with the Fidget Fun items that I suggested last year.
GeoSafari Jr. My First Telescope – It’s still summertime, so let’s get to those backyards, those local parks, and those front stoops and explore. This first telescope is lightweight and a great way for littles to explore their surroundings. It is focus-free, and has a nine times magnification! Yup, 9x. As someone that wears glasses, I adore the dual eyepieces, even though it is important to note that it is designed with preschoolers in mind. What does that mean? It means that it is based on children’s pupillary distance. I can still see through it, just not as clearly as JustaBXgirl. This is great for a game of I-Spy, a chance to check out local wildlife, and even to look at the stars and the moon.
Disney Doorables – Not sure if you know this but these are one of my ALL-TIME favorite collectibles. I don’t usually share them with JustaBXgirl. They sit on my desk and keep me company as I write but that is not how I am sharing them as a learning resource today. Today, I will share how they and all tiny collectibles are great partners in math. I might have shared this lesson in a previous Toy School post but it bears repeating. Visual and tactile learners can often need objects to help solidify what they are learning. Disney Doorables are the perfect size for helping out with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
GeoSafari Jr. The Perfect Kid Microscope – Microscopes are like magic for littles. Let’s be honest, they’re kind of magic for adults too. They allow us to see secrets. They allow us to see what is right in front of us but somehow normally remains invisible. This microscope includes 3x low magnification, 15 slides with 60 REAL images, storage drawer for slide safekeeping, built-in LED for illuminated discoveries, and science guide with over 200 facts. We can probably build our entire science curriculum using just this product!
