Buckets-O-Fun: Your Kids are Gonna Love This!

Buckets-O-Fun, the company has been around for about 4 years.  As a company though they are sending their products in a new direction with an emphasis on science projects for all ages. They have teamed up with a veteran science teacher and they have launched a series of projects that highlight four different Yuck slime products slimy, snowy, chunky and saucy. This is a product your kids are going to love. My kids (11,8) played with this stuff for hours!  Enough said to make your kids happy.
As a parent, I found it easy to mix and turn into a learning experience.  The product comes in granule form, like white sugar, and is nontoxic and biodegradable. The instructions for mixing each type of Yuck are clear and easy to follow. We talked about polymers, chemical changes, evaporation, toxicity and how this might effect the environment.
But, as a mom, I did find it hard to clean up, you cannot wash this product down your sink. My kids did not like going outside to wash everything up. I  have to say in the interest of honesty, that I am the kind of parent who takes my children away from home to do messy crafts. Here are some thoughts from more open-minded parents. Your kids will love it.
One pound of Yuck sells from $16-20 dollars depending on the type. Our samples came with a list of fun games and a science worksheet  to help you use the product in an educational and fun manner.My children really liked the Chunky Yuck and the Sticky Yuck.  This is definitely a great gift, party and rainy-day activity that your kids will love!

You can order free samples from the company:

Buckets-O-Fun

6436 SE 134 th Ave.

Portland, OR 97236

800-223-6901

503-760-8880 (local)

503-761-2052 (Fax)


Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Introducing: PG Key SafeKey

 PG Key was developed by Brothers Mark and Brian owner operators of IT based businesses for about 20 year. Brian was being approached by frustrated parents struggling with the challenges brought on by new technology. Mark and Brian were in a position to recognize the need for a comprehensive, but exceedingly easy to use solutions for parents (or anyone) worried about the many dangers kids face online and frustrated by the challenges of parenting when it comes to the family computer. Not to mention that as dads of kids between 6 and 11, they were especially aware of the new risks created by technology for children and modern-day parenting...
That being said, I hate adjusting my technology because when I make a change it always involves a phone call to customer support. Usually that involves hours of time fixing things back. With the PG Key, it did involve a phone call to customer support, but it just took 5 minutes. Thank you technical support person, you know who you are! The technology is plug and go. I had to make a call so that I could adjust the PG key not to block all of my blogging websites.
After that the PG Key did block sites of questionable content. You can set the key to the level of monitoring you want on your computer. You can also set it to monitor just certain users. The PG Key does record the sites you visit. The PG Key worked just as described. When the Key is removed the computer is "locked" so you can control time usage. The search engine worked also in blocking questionable content, so well that I adjusted the control to the lowest level. It also recorded the sites our family visited (up to 60 hours of computer activity can be recorded and easily reviewed by parent.)
I also agree with the thinking behind the design of the key "stay involved in your children's and teen's online world. We know you can't monitor your children's computer activity all of the time, which is why we created SafeKey, an easy-to-use solution to help protect your children, be alerted to dangers and help make sure they are using the computer securely and responsibly."
I found that the PG Key did meet all of the promises made. I have an 11 and 8 year-old. I still have reservations about relying on technology to protect my children's computer time. We have our computer in a family area, my children are not allowed to "surf" the Internet, and we do not belong to any social networking sites and while I found the Key worked as described, we may not have pushed the boundaries that say a "teenager" would.
My final recommendation would be this is a definite must for families where there cannot be close supervision. The price is affordable at $49.99 plus tax which is a one time payment, no month to month fees which is good, you can check out the free trial or you can purchase locally by getting a store list from the company. So you really can't lose.

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

BookSneeze Review: Where Hearts Are Free

Recently I received a complimentary copy of  Where Hearts are Free by Golden Keyes Parsons. This is the third book in the Darkness to Light Series. In this novel we are introduced to Bridget Barrington. The story takes place in Philadelphia in the 1700s.  Ms. Parsons combines history, mystery and romance into a poignant story. 
There is mystery and tension as the various characters are challenged by circumstances to make godly choices. Questions raised are what expectations should parents have as their children contemplate marriage? Do our beliefs matter as long as we believe? How can we fulfill our obligation to Cesar and God?
We see Bridget learn to balance her desire to be a faithful daughter and aspiring wife with her natural desires and the social expectations of the day. Her spirituality is highlighted in her desire for guidance and wanting to be a person of faith. The characters are well rounded, and even though this book is part of a series, you do not feel that you are missing something from the previous books.
This is a wonderful book for a rainy day or to take on vacation. The plot gently progresses to a sweet and satisfying conclusion.  I would caution there are scenes that depict aggression. I have to say though that I am going back for books 1 and 2!

Where Hearts Are Free
Golden Keyes Parsons
Copyright 2010
Thomas Nelson
ISBN 978-1-59554-628-9

I received this book free as a member of BookSneeze.

New Monic Books: Vocabulary Cartoons Word Power Made Easy

 This has been a very fun book for me to review! Vocabulary Cartoons by New Monic Books, Inc. uses mnemonics in the form of hilarious cartoons and rhyming words. We have enjoyed Vocabulary Cartoons (grades 3 and 5) . This is helping with the children's reading comprehension and, in our state, standardized testing.  Vocabulary Cartoons promotes learning by association and not just memorization. Check out some of the sample pages.

The composition of the book gives you 21 word lists with 10 words per list. There are 10 cartoons per section and then a 10 question review quiz. Though not officially broken up into chapters each word list is clearly grouped. So you could say to your child "Please read Review #6" and they could find it on their own and begin reading that section of study words.

My son enjoyed the pictures but did not really pick up the book to read it. So for our use I would assign word lists for him to read. We did not do the quizzes because he had a good understanding of the meanings after reading the cartoons.

Since this is a skill area we are working on for him in this year (5th grade) it has been a useful tool for us. I think I would rather if the book was set up like a dictionary so that we could use it as a reference book to look up words to use when writing papers but the book is like a workbook and we just adapted it to our particular needs.

If you have a reluctant writer who uses the same words over again, this would be a highly recommended resource to add interest to their writing and encourage them to learn new words in a fun way. The company has a large variety materials. This particular books is for grades 3-6 and sells for $12.95 before tax, 245 pages.

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Great Gift Idea ! Schleich Animal Figures

I am always on the look out for unusual gifts for children. I keep a few things in the closet just for back up. Recently I had the opportunity to learn about Schleich GmbH. This German company is the leading manufacturer of animal figurines and play worlds.
Their quality, durable products are poured into moulds and hand painted. They are very substantial and age appropriate from 3 years of age up.

I like them personally because no batteries are included or involved. My daughter, in particular, likes to set up whole play sets and entertain herself for hours and even days on end because she constantly shifts and changes her set.
These animals also lend themselves to learning if you are studying animals, dinosaurs, habitats, Native Americans or again to encourage imaginative play.  The sets are divided up into 7 worlds: Farm life, Wild Life, Prehistorical Animals, World of Knights, World of American Indians, Bayala, and Smurfs. Also if you want to provide a creative alternative to online pets Schleich provides interactive activities that can supplement your child's studies or provide rainy day activities.  Some of the neat and unusual animals you can purchase are Meerkats, Whale Sharks,  giant Octopus, Jaguars, Apatosaurus,  Clydesdales,  Bernese Mountain dogs and the list goes on and on. You can also purchase a stable girl, covered wagon driver, various knights, elfs, dragons to round out your child's world. At our local store you can by these figurines anywhere from $2.99-$7.99 but you might go to the website to check local availability. 

My daughter and I recommend these products as a great gift and/or high,quality, long lasting educational toySearch Amazon.com for schleich.


Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog

Salem Ridge Press Wholesome Family Stories

As Fall approaches and inclement weather, I stock up on chocolate, coffee and good books! I like to have books on my shelf just waiting to be enjoyed. I am trying to get my children to take an interest in reading and stock up their own shelves. Recently I was able to present my son (age 11) with a book from Salem Ridge Press based on true events with a fictional setting. I am trying to expose him to a variety of "quality" reading material. He has his favorite reading genres but sometimes I would like to see him read something more meaty.
Soldier Fritz
 
Story Setting: Germany in 1525 - 1526
Notable People and Events: Martin Luther, German Reformation
Originally published in 1871; 137 pages; For Ages 8 – Adult
$10.95 soft cover edition

The font of the book and line spacing makes for easy reading for children. The drawings are simple black ink pictures. This book has two illustrations which might seem lacking to some children who still enjoy picture books. I like that unfamiliar words like : furbishing, palfrey, anteroom are defined simply in the margins of the book.

My son's opinion: That the story is long, very wordy but interesting. He would describe it as realistic and teaches the lesson of conquering your inner fears and learn to control yourself before you can conquer the world. It teaches that the Holy Bible is real and though people tried to keep the bible out of the common people's hands they failed. It shares the historic fact that before people could read the bible for themselves they were taught lies by the spiritual leaders of the day. It is a good story for kids because it explains how children lived in medieval times and kids can relate because the lessons the book teaches are still valuable today.

My daughter (age 7) and I are enjoying Mary Jane Her Visit


Originally published in 1918; 190 pages; For Ages 6 – 10
Softcover $12.50
The second book in the Mary Jane series, five-year-old Mary Jane has more happy wholesome adventures, this time at her great-grandparents' farm in the country where she hunts for eggs, picks berries, finds baby rabbits, goes to the circus and more!

I have to say I like the illustrations better in this book. They are very reminiscent of the ink drawings of Victorian art. Again the spacing and font are well suited to pleasant reading with definitions in margins as needed. I am enjoying this story because it dignifies the values I want my children to learn of contributing to the welfare of the family by working together (Chapter 10 Learning to Cook), working to earn what you want (Chapter 13 Earning Money), and being considerate to others (Chapter 5 Gardening with Grandfather).
So in conclusion I would definitely recommend these stories for your family's shelf. The wordiness my son mentioned can be attributed to the time period that many of these books were written in-late nineteenth century. I liked that it caused him to "stretch" himself and think more as he read. I also enjoyed that the stories broadened both children's vocabularies. We used the word "valor" in a sentence! The stories reprinted by Salem Ridge Press are historical fiction but they have made selecting the stories very easy by dividing their book lists into categories based on readers' age, time period and author.


Winter's coming get stocking those shelves.

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Looking for help teaching math?

An opportunity to review an up and coming math site was presented to me recently. America's math teacher is a new math tutoring site that is just launching. The producer/teacher Rick Fisher is a math instructor for the Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California. Since graduating from San Jose State University in 1971 with a B.A. in mathematics, Rick has devoted his time to teaching fifth and sixth grade math students.
Rick designed this system for elementary, middle grades and even high school students who were not prepared for algebra, to help bring them to algebra-readiness in less than one school year. The program, states that many of Rick's students have improved several grade levels in their math abilities in just one school year. Rick has also used the program successfully with students who are struggling with math and have limited English skills.

I am teaching (3rd, 5th) and I did find that my children used the recorded tutorials and worksheets provided. The program is divided into 2 courses. We examined course 1 which covered math tutorials from adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying whole numbers to fractions, probability, ratios, and over and above the course of study my children are currently using. Based on my examination though I found all tutorials easy to follow and understand.

One year's subscription is $195. You can check out the program by taking advantage of the free sample lessons and downloads. So if you are looking for a better fit for teaching math this would definitely be something to examine.

Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how I used the product within my family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog