Bright Ideas. Eco-Friendly Play - Illuminating the Imagination with Geomag Glow

Geomagworld has been innovating with magnets since 1998, introducing young innovators and learners to the creative and imaginative world of magnet-building fun. Through its magnetic rods and steel spheres, Geomagworld has provided a fun, constructive, and educational environment for children to explore the limitless possibilities of magnetism. For 25 years Geomag has created numerous product ranges; from Magicube, Classic Geomag in multiple color ways and themes such as Panels, Supercolor, Glitter, Glow, and for old builders comes Mechanics.  One concept, three platforms, all ages!   

From building blocks to complex structures, Geomag has something for all ages. All toys are made with the utmost care and respect for the environment. Geomag is committed to reducing its environmental impact. All the company's products are manufactured in the European Union, Switzerland, with all power used 100% renewably. To ensure their operations didn't require any fossil fuel energy sources, the company converted their factory to run by hydropower. By doing this, Geomagworld has drastically reduced its carbon footprint and even makes its toys from 100% recycled plastic, meaning no new plastic is created in the process.

Geomag is an excellent tool for independent play and collaborative activities. Regardless of age, kids and adults can explore, experiment and create in a relaxed and interactive environment with magnetic rods and metal spheres. It encourages creativity, engineering capabilities, and problem-solving skills and encourages teamwork as it allows multiple people to collaborate to achieve their desired shape or structure. With its variety of colors and shapes, Geomag allows individuals to explore the different ways that magnets attract or repel each other, a great way to learn about magnetism! Geomag is an excellent tool for developing spatial thinking, practicing fine motor skills as well as providing hours of educational fun.

Geomag toys are STEM.org-certified toys and are perfect for a fun and sustainable learning experience. These educational toys have been carefully reviewed and evaluated to ensure that they meet rigorous standards of quality learning experiences so your children can get the most out of their playtime while learning invaluable skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The Geomag Glow range is the perfect educational toy for young children aged 3+. It includes the Geomag Glow 93-Piece Set (339) that stimulates children to explore and create amazing constructions using the power of magnets. Made with 100% recycled plastic and a natural plant-based glow it is certain to inspire creativity and develop problem-solving skills. helping to build a strong understanding of basic science concepts. The Glow rods come to life in the dark, providing an all-around mesmerizing experience for your child. With 93 pieces that connect through the power of magnetism and allow endless construction possibilities, Geomag Glow provides a stimulating and engaging environment. In the Glow range, there are also sets available in various sizes, the (328) 25-piece set, (329) 42-piece set, and the (338) 60-piece set.

All Geomag Glow sets can be added to other Geomag ranges to make even bigger sets.  As the range continues to expand, it allows the models, and the children’s achievements, to increase to impressive heights.

All Geomag Glow sets can be added to other Geomag ranges to make even bigger sets.  As the range continues to expand, it allows the models, and the children’s achievements, to increase to impressive heights.

The Geomag (328) Glow 25 Piece Set costs $24.99 from Maisonette

The Geomag (329) Glow 42 Piece Set costs $39.99 from Maisonette

The Geomag (338) Glow 60 Piece Set costs £54.99 from Maisonette

The Geomag (339) Glow 93 Piece Set is available at Geomagworld.com

Review: National Geographic Home Learning Essentials

 

National Geographic

Home Learning Essentials

Beginner's United States Atlas, Third Edition: (ages 7-10) The fully updated edition of this popular atlas introduces young readers to the wonders of all of America's states and territories, with maps, fun facts, geographical features, and more. It’s accessible design showcases what's unique about each state and territory and every profile starts with a colorful map and essay and includes capital cities; population; important land and water features; state birds, flowers, and flags. It's all packaged in a bigger format, with a refreshed design, and bold, bright photos and illustrations.

United States Atlas, 6th Edition: (ages 8-12) Current, authoritative, and produced by the expert cartographers at National Geographic, this best-selling United States atlas is newly updated with all the latest info and is packed with maps, stats, facts, and pictures. National Geographic's world-renowned cartographers have paired up with education experts to create maps of all 50 states, U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C., that pinpoint the physical features, capitals, and other towns and cities. Discover the latest data along with colorful photography of each state and the people who live there. Key points reflect the latest information about land and water, people, and places. Essays cover each region of the country while eight specially themed maps on nature, population, economy, energy, climate, and more delve deeper into key issues. State birds and state flags add to the high visual interest.

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2021: (ages 8-12) - The latest installment of the New York Times best-selling almanac is edutainment at its best. With features like Homework Help and STEM related topics, and deep dives into history, geography and cultures from the world, combined with facts, crafts and activities, this is the go-to reference for both the school day and down time. This new edition also includes the Almanac Challenge 2021 — which inspires kids to reduce their plastic waste and encourage others to do the same — and also highlights the winner of the 2020 Almanac Challenge.

You can purchase these books from ShopDisney, Amazon. and other major retailers.

My Thoughts

As many people probably are doing right now, we find ourselves in the position of distance learning for school and began to throw in unofficial homeschooling. These National Geographic books for kids are awesome - my son loves all the detail in the United States Atlas, 6th Edition. Our current lesson is learning about the Midwest, where we live. The atlases are divvied up by region, making it even easier to explore. There are facts about the USA itself, each region, and each individual state plus information on our territories. A glossary and index are at the back.

The Beginner's United States Atlas, Third Edition edition has a little less of the same great details which is great for younger learners. You can see in the photo above the detail comparison for the state of Minnesota.

My son is very into nature and often asks to learn about specific animals so we are supplementing his education with the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2021 as well as the National Geographic Ultimate Weird But True book. After utilizing National Geographic Kids and other websites, we then turn to these two books for added fun facts. 

I'm sure we'll be adding more National Geographic books to our collection in the future! What a great way to make learning fun!

Help Your Kids Learn to Read with Wonster Words

Wonster Words is an exciting educational app inspired by some of your favorite Sesame Street Characters. Available on both  iOS & Android, this award winning app helps children learn how to sound out their words and improve their spelling. 

Wonster Words introduces basic word families and the some of the most common phonemes to children in ways that make them fun. They can play with animated letters and use them to put together different words. These animated letters will sound out the phonics, gliding vowels, and consonant blends as they are being played which helps children understand how the words sound and helps them learn to read. Once kids complete their words, they are rewarded with short animations and mini-games that tell the story of the words. Some of the key features of the game include:

•    Learn the ABC’s and Phonics and Spelling
•    Fall in love with the adorable Wonster crew as they explore word families, phonemes,    digraphs and more
•  Silly animations reinforce word definitions in a fun and engaging way
•  Hundreds of words, 12 word families and 12 original stories; frequent new content
•  Encourages exploration and engagement without scoring, quizzing, limits, or stress
•  Stories cover popular children’s themes including: birthdays, friendships, nature, space, and more

Just in time for the holidays, they have also introduced a few new features kids and parents are certain to love:

• Introducing the interactive Wonster Island, an entirely new User Experience!!
• New educational biomes cover Phonics, Stories, Math, Science, Art and Music
• New engaging mini-games that reinforce puzzle topics
• 5 new original scores and silly ambiance throughout the app
• Vowels coming soon!

I have several children who are learning to spell new words in school.  Sometimes it can be a challenge, but this app has made learning spelling fun for them at home!  The words that they are spelling aren't always in line with what they're spelling at school but it's giving them a head start with other words.  Since we started using this app, my kids can spell things they really struggled with before.

What I liked the most is that not only is this fun for the kids, it's fun for adults, too.  It's learning and the kids don't even realize they're learning! The graphics are fabulous and it's just an all around fun app!  I would highly recommend this app to those who want an educational experience for their children but also want them to have fun while learning! 

This amazing app has been the recipient of many awards including Parent’s Choice, Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice, and the National Parenting Product Award, and is recommended for ages 3-6. If you want to try out the Wonster Words app for yourself, it's available on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. Download it now for the holidays and make sure your children don't fall  behind on the holiday break.

Book Review: First Time Garment Fitting, The Absolute Beginner's Guide by Sarah Veblen

In First Time Garment Fitting, sewing and design expert Sarah Veblen takes you by the hand and teaches you everything you need to know to adapt patterns so you can sew garments that fit just right.

With detailed descriptions of essential tools and techniques, the easy step-by-step instructions will have you altering patterns and sewing tops, pants, and skirts that fit you to a T in no time. The projects introduce key skills you’ll use again and again for all your garment sewing.

With First Time Garment Fitting, you’ll soon be sewing amazing clothing with confidence.

Sarah Veblen is a custom fashion designer who focuses on creating clothing for her clientele and on teaching and writing to promote the craft of garment-making. For more than 25 years, Sarah has been designing and making clothing for her private clientele, specializing in fit, innovative pattern design, and quality construction. Her focus is on helping women create a wardrobe that is comfortable and compatible with their lifestyle. Dedicated to promoting sewing at all levels, Sarah enjoys immersing herself into her students’ learning process. She teaches in her studio and other classroom venues, as well as online through PatternReview.com. She is also a frequent guest lecturer and regularly holds workshops for sewing groups and organizations across the country. 

Sarah has authored many articles and publications on sewing and design, including her books First Time Garment Fitting and The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting and writes her own blog. She has also made a series of instructional fitting DVDs, produced by Threads magazine, on skirt and bodice fitting and on making stylistic changes to a pattern. Sarah has a Certificate in Fashion Design from Baltimore City Community College and a BA from Stanford University. She is an active member of both the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals (ASDP) and the American Sewing Guild (ASG). She lives in Sparks, Maryland. See more of her work at sarahveblen.com.

Visit Sarah on Social Media:

Sarah Veblen Clothing Originals

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First Time Garment Fitting

Our Thoughts

As far as clothing goes, I can follow a pattern, or make simple alterations to a purchased garment (like hemming a pair of pants, or taking in a seam here and there) but there is much more I haven't yet done. 

I learned how to use a sewing machine at my mother's knee, designed and sell online my own style of cloth diapers, and more recently have taken a bigger interest in quilting.  My mother often made us dresses, and my (maternal) grandmother could often be found elbow deep into a sewing project, ranging from clothing to quilts to household items.  I have a lot of her sewing tools, including the antique wire dress form my mom dubbed "Bendy Wendy". (There's a story there of how Bendy Wendy came to live at my house, but I digress.) 

I wouldn't call myself a beginning sewist, but as far as First Time Garment Fitting goes, oh boy, yes I AM a beginner. Beyond the above-mentioned hemming pants, taking in seams, & cloth diapers, I've never created a clothing pattern nor made major alterations to a pattern.  First off, I feel like I need to take a class just to learn how to use the various tools.  Ha.  The closest I've ever come to a major alteration was frantically done the night before a friend's wedding for my bridesmaid dress the dress shop owner insisted ordering a size too big and failed to make adequate alterations nor fix the issue - no, really my bust doesn't rest that close to my chin! 

First Time Garment Fitting is full of fabulous information and lots of it. It emphasizes that all bodies are different; therefore fitting is a very individual thing.  Pre-made patterns are pretty average and to get your own good fit, you're likely going to need to do some alterations. 

There are excellent step-by-step instructions with photos on not only fit, but how to alter a pre-made pattern. Which is what I needed!  A lot of times, I can see a fit issue, but I don't know how to fix it. Some of it was simple (like shortening/lengthening) and other fitting issues are much more complex.

Sarah highly recommends working with a test fabric, similar in kind to the intended fabric of your finished garment, to test your pattern and make adjustments.  She shows how to fit the garment on the body, and transfer those changes to your paper pattern so you can make a new test garment when necessary.  Be warned, you may go through several test garments before you get the right fit.  

Shortly before reading First Time Garment Fitting I altered 3 summer dresses - removed the bra-strap style shoulder straps and replaced them with the useless-but-pretty waist ties, and shortened the hem of one dress considerably. The fit isn't perfect - the dresses are designed to be much more low-cut than they comfortably sit on me, so the horizontal balance line (HBL) isn't exactly horizontal.  I could adjust it, but I tried holding the fabric in place and honestly preferred the overall look of the dress with the slanted HBL.  

Shortly after I started reading First Time Garment Fitting I purchased a $7 dress on clearance.  Not a style I normally wear and it didn't fit me well at all, but I could see it had great potential to be a cute dress once several alterations were made.  It had a shirred elastic waist (well, right below the bust) which was way too long for this short-waisted gal.  And the whole top was too big. Normally I don't care much for ruffles, either, but I thought, if I could shorten up the waist by getting rid of the shirred part and bring the ruffles on either end together . . . then reduce the top . . . well, it's only $7 so if I fail, I'm not out much.  

I didn't remember to take a photo of the shirred elastic waist before I began (sorry!) BUT I did take some during/after the fitting process.  I am glad I have Bendy Wendy, and that I long ago shaped her to my body. My right shoulder differs in height from my left by approximately 1", so fitting that part was made considerably easier than trying to fit and pin it solely on my body (BTDT!).

Here I also pinned the front pieces together as they were only attached at the under-bust seam. (This was after cutting out the shirring and sewing the bottom & top sections back together.)

Once the alterations were complete, I was rather pleased with the fit.

Admittedly, I didn't do the greatest job on the under-bust waist seam but the ruffles hide it well enough it doesn't concern me.

First Time Garment Fitting has given me more confidence in making more/bigger alterations to pre-made clothing. I'm not sure I'll ever get to the level of creating my own clothing patterns, but that's a thought for another day.

Award Winning Educational Toys

• Family Choice Award Winner 2018, Mom's Choice Gold Metal, Tillywig & Academics' Choice Brain Child Award Winner 2017! Innovative and educational. Rock It! Roll It! Spin It! Great fun for toddlers and children.
• Early educational toy with colorful light-up mushrooms to learn numbers, colors and play music.
• Memory Games - As the colorful mushrooms light up, pay attention to the patterns and follow it. The patterns get longer as you progress!
• Skills learned include numbers, colors, music, hand and eye co-ordination, creativity and imagination, music, logical thinking, motor functions, concentration, problem solving, dexterity and memory.
• Requires 3 AAA batteries (included); intended for toddlers and early learners of ages 12 months and up.

 

• Mom's Choice Gold Metal, Tillywig & Academics' Choice Brain Child Award Winner 2017! An interactive 1 to 2 player(s) talking matching game with LCD displaying the progress and score while playing.
• Includes 48 lessons (24 cards); with over 570 questions and answers!
• 2 Modes: Versus & Co-Op, for 1 or 2 players. Fun and competitive to learn alone or with parents and friends in co-operative mode. Challenge another player in versus mode, the fastest answer wins!
• Skills learned include alphabet, spelling, numbers, math, time, animals, earth science, geography and environment, logical thinking, problem solving, concentration, professions, anatomy and memory.
• Requires 3 AA batteries (included); intended for preschoolers and early learners of ages 3 years and up.

My Thoughts

I like how versatile this Mushroom Garden learning toy is. It is like a little rock em' sock em' robot. My son can spin it, drag it, roll it around with his buddies. It is very interactive, especially for a little boy who likes to get really crazy with his toys. It has easy to press little mushrooms that can be controlled by the center button. It has music themes, numbers, colors, and patterns. It is great for hand eye coordination. It has a pattern feature where the baby can follow the pattern. It is a fun toy because it can grow with the baby. It can be for toddlers as young as 12 months and grow with the toddler. These toys have won many awards

The Connectrix Junior seems like a wonderful toy that Declan will definitely enjoy when he is a little older. He is a little young for it right now. My husband and I checked out it out, however. It is a very interactive. There are 24 cards with 48 lessons. There are games, some one player others two player. You can interact and play with your friend. My husband and I played each other on a few of the games (I won). I am excited for my son to be able to use this. These cards cover a lot of subjects like math, animals, science, time, the alphabet. These are great ideas for schools to implement as well. To turn learning into a game is the goal of any parent. These are perfect for that. 

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Encourage Kids to Read with PhonicsMuseum - #Giveaway #app

Whether you have kids heading to preschool or already starting to read chapter books,  you want to give them a head start.  The PhonicsMuseum app merges a classical approach to learning with state-of-the-art technology that focuses on getting children to read and write as quickly as possible. They use educational games and catchy songs that make learning fun for kids of all ages. 

Getting started with PhonicsMuseum is easy. Once you purchase the app on iTunes, you are able to download it directly onto your devices.   For each child, you can create a custom avatar that looks just like them. You are also able to select their age range so the games they see are geared to their reading  level.

Once the kids start playing, there will be no stopping them. There is just so much to do. There are stories to read, games to play, music videos, and so much more.   The best part is, every one of the games are educational, so kids are always learning something new. The app uses visual, auditory, and tactile learning methods in order to deepen your child’s reading comprehension. Kids can explore over 900 games, and cover topics such as art, nature, and history, so there is something to appeal to everyone. With PhonicsMuseum, even kids who are struggling in school will be reading in no time at all.

One of the things I really love about this app is how the games can be customized to your child's specific reading level. This app is designed for children ages 3 to 7. Most apps I've tried appealed to only one age group. This is the the first app I've seen that offers such a wide range of reading levels.   PhonicsMuseum provides games kids all many ages can enjoy, whether they are beginner readers or working on something more advanced. 

If you want to give PhonicsMuseum a try, you can download it on iTunes for $9.99 for one month or $99.99 for an annual subscription.  With the holidays coming up, it's a great time to give kids a gift that will keep their minds active and encourage them to develop their reading skills. For additional information and a free 14-day trial, visit PhonicsMuseum.com. 

The Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive an annual subscription to PhonicsMuseum.    To enter, just fill in the Giveaway Tools form below. This giveaway will end on  11/15/17. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to the sponsor for offering this fantastic prize.

Entry-Form

Review: Magic Plasma Ball by Theefun

Filled with rare inert gas, the high-strength glass globe generates colorful streams across the whole surface due to black spherical electrode in the center and an oscillation circuit board at the bottom. As the voltage on the electrode is very high, the created light is a number of radial glow, gorgeous in the dark.

• Educational Plasma Ball: It can generate colorful streams of electricity dance across the surface of whole globe like atmosphere, perfectly demonstrating physics science
• Interactive Toy: Place you finger on the glass surface and watch as colored bolts of glowing light follow your every move
• Eye-catching Decoration: Once switch it on, the colorful streams created inside make it stunning and absolutely great for decorating your living room, office or anywhere else
• Sterilize and Purify Air: The plasma ball produces large numbers of negative ions to adsorb bacteria, neutralize and precipitate positively charged elements like dust, smoke floated in the air
• Great for Health: It can activate the oxygen molecules in the air to make it easily absorbed, activate diverse body enzymes to promote metabolism and encourage better sleep

Specifications
- Input: DC 5V/300mA
- Power: 1.5W
- Power Source: USB or 4 AAA batteries(not included)
- Diameter: 3 inches

Our Thoughts

I always thought plasma balls were pretty neat.  Fun to see, fun to touch; watching the streams of electricity move.  Best yet is playing with it in the dark - especially taking photos of it in the dark! Fair warning, it can be a bit mesmerizing!

Addicting, for sure. I played music to see what the Magic Plasma Ball would do, if the electricity streams would dance along; I noticed it's more responsive to loud bass than anything else. If you touch and move your finger along the sphere, you can actually hear the streams. 

The advertising says it helps clean the air; always a good thing.  The sphere is approximately 3" - easy enough to find space on your desk or a shelf. The Magic Plasma Ball can be powered two ways - by the use of 4 AAA batteries (I have mine powered by batteries so it's more mobile), or by the included USB cable.  Theefun offers a Lifetime Support Guarantee and a 12 month replacement warranty along with a 30 day money back guarantee.  The first one sent to me for review unfortunately stopped working after about 10 minutes and they did replace it quickly. The second one has been working fine.

Magic Plasma Ball: Enjoyable to see, touch, use; great gift for kids and adults alike!