We have hit the point in our homeschool year where we are wrapping up our current year and planning for the next one. That doesn’t mean that learning slows down. It means that mama has to become more creative in how the learning happens. I love that since we do a lot of toy school there is learning for everyone to be done while we are having fun. Here are a few toys that are helping our brains stay strong.
Upbounders Mommy’s Shadow Inspiring Careers Flash Cards – Interesting fact, when JustaBXgirl was tiny, she was not into flash cards. I bought all didn’t types and she would play with them once in a while but never the way I saw it working in my head. Meanwhile, HOPS adores flashcards. She will sit with me and play with them for hours, then turn around and play with them on her own. Now that JustaBXgirl is older and has HOPS chasing after her, she enjoys using them together. These are a favorite. We all love the variety of occupations included. We also love the illustrations showing diversity in mommy & me. Upbounders is one of my favorite brands when it comes to diversity. They do a remarkable job of making everyone feel seen. These cards are designed for ages 4 – 8 but can be used younger and older depending on how you decide to play with them. Some cards include activities which are questions that can be used as writing prompts for older littles.
Blockzee Balance Activity Set – You read about this in our Spring Fling recap. We are excited to share that Blockzee has entered the building. Let me tell you how we love it even more now that we have it at home. Math is always more fun with manipulatives. Add Number Blocks as the manipulatives and you can bring episodes to life while learning. This set comes with 10 double-sided activity cards and a dry-erase marker that can be used endlessly. I like using the cards with HOPS because she can hold them and she gets excited to see her Number Blocks friends. Knowing which way the symbols faced took JustaBXgirl some time when she was learning greater than, less than, and equal to. This set brings the lessons to life. The set also comes with 61 Mathlink Cubes which help us out when creating fractions.
The Paper Girls Show Origami Craft Book – JustaBXgirl and a homeschool friend learned how to make paper stars a few months ago. Since then, my house has been invaded by paper stars of all sizes. When I asked JustaBXgirl if she would like to learn more origami she flatly replied, nope. She was happy with her stars. A few weeks ago that changed. Paper stars were replaced with paper ducks. Yup, she downloaded an origami app and began making paper ducks of all sizes. Now, I have paper stars and paper ducks invading my home. Still, I’m all about encouraging new skills and hobbies. Homeschool is about self-expression and art as much as it is about math and science. This book allows JustaBXgirl to learn 21 new creations meaning my house will be getting new guests once she feels like she’s mastered the creation. I love the introductions to each design. They are informative and conversational before getting into the instructions. I also love the paper and stickers included in the book.
