Back to School with Learning Resources

Learning Resources is one of my favorite places to get educational toys for my son. I wanted to let you know about a some of our favorites toys just in time for Back to School. You can order any of the items below at their website www.learningresources.com. They have a great clearance section for parents and teacher and $5.75 shipping on all orders over $75! Enter code FS109WT at checkout. Not valid with any other offers.

Funny Phone™ Early Listening Game

Ages 4-12

Calling all jokesters! Laughter’s always on the line in this group game that gets players of all ages giggling. This game is a great resource to teach memory and listening skills. It was a bit difficult for our 5 year old, so you need to play the games with younger ones.

Invites players to dial in, hear their challenge…and prepare to be silly!

• Offers over 300 individual and group questions; you never know what Funny Phone™ will ask you to do, and it’s never the same game twice

• Provides 9 hilarious kinds of challenges, including tongue twisters, rhyming, singing, drawing, acting and more

• Features automatic shut-off, adjustable volume for both speaker and handset, and break-away safety cord

• Includes Activity Guide and 50 tokens that store in the built-in drawer

• For 2+ players

• Measures 8.7″ in diameter x 7.6″H

• Requires 3 AA batteries, not included, or AC Adapter (LER 6989), available separately

• Ages 4+

Let’s Tackle Kindergarten™

Ages 3-6

$44.99

Our tackle box is packed with fun activities that help prepare your child for early success in school. I love the organization of keeping everything in the tackle box and Nolan loves playing school. There are a ton of learning tools to utilize with you child in this kit.

• Engages kids in practicing 10 key kindergarten readiness skills: social skills, personal well-being, listening and speaking, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, reading, handwriting, math, thinking and problem solving, and creativity

• Features appealing hands-on activities, that ease the transition to learning different skills and subjects in school

• Allows you to track and reward progress using the checklist included in the 24-page Activity Book

• Includes 10 double-sided photo cards, 4 stacking cups, 60 plastic links, bean bag, 2 foam dot dice, 8 attribute blocks, 26 uppercase letters, 26 lowercase letters, 20 numbers, 16 pet counters, write & wipe board and 2 sticker sheets

• Plastic tackle box with sorting tray and carrying handle measures 13″L x 7″W x 6″H

• Ages 3+

Snap ‘n’ Learn Color Caterpillars

Ages 2-5

Colors and creepy-crawlies come together! Your little one build on fine motor skills, learn shapes, and colors. Plus they are so cute!

• Features chunky, snap-together pieces that are easy for little hands to manage as they build adorable caterpillar friends and fine motor skills simultaneously

• Includes resealable plastic storage bucket with carrying handle for easy clean up and play on the go

• Encourages kids to make patterns and create with mix-and-match pieces in different colors and small, medium and large sizes

• Includes 15 pieces that make 3 caterpillars (head, tail and 3 body pieces each)

• Sturdy plastic pieces wipe clean

• Each caterpillar measures 7.75″L x 3.75″W x 3.75″H when assembled

• Ages 2+

Pretend & Play® Bakery Set

Ages 3-6

Stir up a good time! Perfect for involving kids in baking for special occasions, holidays and more. We have had tons of fun pretending to bake and Nolan especially loves to crack open the eggs.

• Invites kids to imagine holding a pretend bake-off, making special treats for company, running their own bakery or entering the school bake sale

• Offers a realistic, hands-on play experience with egg that cracks open to release the yolk, cookies in 4 shapes to cut out and more

• Introduces parts of a whole with sliceable 3-piece loaf of bread and pie with three 2-piece slices kids can fill with fruit

• Provides a measuring cup and spoon so kids can be sure they’ve added all the right ingredients

• Set of 31 durable plastic pieces includes favorite baked goods and all the utensils a baker needs

• Largest piece (rolling pin) measures 8.5″L

• Ages 3+

Got It!™ Reading & Math Game

This is our favorite! The reading and math games are fun and Nolan hasn’t been frustrated that it is too difficult for him (he is five). I like the unique design for the game too.

Ages 5-8

Gobble up answers before the hungry monster—or your opponent!

• Features a 2-faced monster character who pits players against each other for head-to-head play with twice the speed and skill challenge

• Offers solo game play option if desired

• Includes reading and math games with bonus rounds for high scores, motivating kids to succeed

• Provides immediate feedback through fun graphics and sound effects

• Allows for quiet play with adjustable volume control and 2 headphone jacks

• Prolongs battery life with automatic shut-off

• Includes Activity Guide

• Monster unit with 2 display screen mouths and 2 joysticks measures approximately 6″L x 9″H

• Requires 3 AA batteries, not included, or AC Adapter, sold separately

• Ages 5-8

Holiday Guide For Kids

Kiddesign is a fantastic company that makes interactive educational toys for children.  KIDdesigns is a leading manufacturer of cutting edge, interactive electronic toys, learning aids, and real electronics for kids of all ages. We understand and respect the importance that toys play in kids’ lives. With that responsibility in mind, we combine state-of-the-art technology with old-fashioned fun to create innovative, exciting, and enjoyable products that kids will love and parents can trust.  KIDdesigns is dedicated to creating products that help boys and girls grow, learn, and have fun.

KIDdesigns has received some of the most prestigious awards and honors in the industry, including Family Fun’s “Toy of the Year” award, “Top Toy” recognition from the Great American Toy Test, and the “Best New Product Innovation” award from Toy Wishes Magazine. Our most-treasured honors, however, have always been the smiles and laughter from millions of boys and girls when they play with our toys and use our products.

They are must have on your Christmas list.  We loved playing with the following toys and highly recommend them!  You can buy them at www.kiddesigns.com and Toys R Us.   Free shipping for orders over $30.
Growing Smart Laugh With Me Botley (Isn’t he adorable!)
An Interactive Learning Friend

Botley is loaded with fun and games and he’s eager to help kids learn words, numbers, logic, and more! Watch as Botley comes to life with moving head and mouth. Join this lovable laughing robot for hours of teaching entertainment.

Logic Circuits
Logic and Reasoning skills keep young minds sharp and focused

Letter Circuits
Letter Identification and recognition is fundamental to language and reading skills

Word Circuits
Recognizing and understanding words is an important component to reading comprehension

Math Circuits
Teaches basic math skills

Game Circuits
A variety of challenging games help sharpen strategic thinking

Custom Game and Data Circuits
Customization of content creates a personalized challenge

Growing Smart Learning Laptop (Spiderman Design)
Your child will want to look just like you with his or her own laptop!  This one is the perfect size and teaches them e-mail even!  So cute and educational.  There is a Barbie laptop just for girls.

* 8 learning zones with 48 different activities, including great games like hangman, snake, word jumble, word matching, letter matching and more
* Spider-Man® speech and exciting sound effects
* S.M.A.R.T. Chip™ Technology will automatically adjust quiz levels that are appropriate for each child
* Translate button translates select words into Spanish instantly
* “My Zone” feature allows custom spelling lists, instant messages to Spider-Man, Email and more
* Backlit display

Barbie™ Pet Doctor

We have so much fun being a doctor to this adorable dog.  He makes sounds and lights up to show your child where he is hurt and where they can treat him.  A great toy to teach empathy and inspire your child to help animals.

* Interactive pet with pressure sensitive pads in head, back, and all paws to activate different exciting doggie sounds
* Dog responds to bottle and bone
* Realistic dog sounds such as barking, panting, yelping, chewing–even a heartbeat
* Includes a carrying bag to store doggie and accessories
* In store “Try Me” plays sound effects from paw
* Accessories include carrying bag, stethoscope, thermometer, milk bottle, syringe, bone, certificate, and a prescription pad

Leapfrog Tag Reader Giveaway!

Leap Frog makes great educational toys that are also fun and the TAG READER is another fantastic toy.

Perfectly sized for little hands, the Tag Reader is a touch-and-talk reading device that brings stories to life like never before and offers insights into what your child is learning.  As children touch the Tag Reader to the pages of specially printed storybooks, a small camera in the tip “reads” the pages, enabling children to hear words and stories read aloud.  Characters, pictures and learning activities spring to life with every touch, immersing children in the thrill of reading.

Designed for children four to eight, the Tag Reading System works with a broad library of more than 20 books and games.  Children can explore classic books such as Olivia and The Little Engine That Could, or join popular characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Ariel the Little Mermaid in new reading adventures.  Leveled learning activities in every book adjust automatically to your child’s pace, helping build confidence and a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.

Amazingly easy to use, the Tag Reader holds audio for up to five books at a time.  Simply connect the Tag Reader to your computer with the included USB cable, download the audio for your Tag books and drag-and-drop up to five of your children’s favorite stories onto your Tag Reader.

* The amazing touch technology of the Tag Reading System encourages a child’s love of reading as words talk, pictures sing and stories live out loud!
* The Tag library includes over 20 books and games featuring characters from TV, movies and classic tales.
* Tag storybooks and learning activities help children build vocabulary and reading skills such as word recognition, reading comprehension and phonics skills.
* Children learn to read through an exciting and interactive experience in which they can also earn online rewards.
* Parents can connect the Tag Reader to the online LeapFrog Learning Path to see what their child is learning, and explore ways to expand their child’s learning journey.

Ozzie and Mack book included with purchase of Tag Reading System.  Takes batteries (not included)

My favorite things about the Tag Reader:

Not only does it “read” the book, it also asks interactive questions and games, so your child is thinking and engaged and learning.

The frustration level is kept to a minimum because my child cannot answer questions (play games) that are too advanced until she masters the lower level questions.  This is the BEST thing!

I receive emails from Leapfrog that tell me which books my child listens to the most; how long she played last week and which questions she tends to answer right. The emails also provide learning percentages which is SO cool!

Has a headphone jack!  Yeah!

Make sure you check out LeapFrog’s See the Learning contest.  Upload a photo or video of your child demonstrating a “learning moment” for a chance to win a Hollywood family vacation and behind-the-scenes visit to a movie studio.  There will also be $5,000 for college from UPromise, awarded through a sweepstakes of all entrants.  Right now Leapfrog.com has free shipping and Tag Reader Bundle Packs for Girls, Boys, Learn To Read Gift Pack and more!   Leapfrog toys are available at major retailers everywhere.

LEAPFROG WANTS TO GIVE ONE OF MY READERS A GIFT OF A BRAND NEW TAG READING SYSTEM!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

TO ENTER:  FOLLOW LEAPFROG ON TWITTER AT WWW.TWITTER.COM/LEAPFROG

FOR SECOND ENTRY:  STUMBLE, TWITTER, OR SUBSCRIBE( NEW ONLY)  AND LINK IT BACK HERE IN A SEPARATE ENTRY.

THIS CONTEST WILL END DECEMBER 16TH AT MIDNIGHT AND I WILL E-MAIL THE LUCKY RANDOM WINNER!  DON’T FORGET MY OTHER KUERIG COFFEE BREWER GIVEAWAY, HOLIDAY BOOK SET, WII POPSTAR GUITAR GIVEAWAYS!  COME BACK TOMORROW FOR ANOTHER ONE!