Unplug Your Preschooler with more than 200 screen-free games and activities

Unplug Your Preschooler with more than 200 screen-free games and activities!

“Just plain fun!... Will help parents give their children the kind of childhood that more and more children are missing.”––Mary Piper, PhD., author of Reviving Ophelia Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
 
From Animal Doctor to Lunch Bag Puppet, Letter Hunt to Life-Size Me, here are more than 200 screen-free games and activities to help kids enjoy the wholesome, old-fashioned experience of playing creatively and freely...without technology. There are outdoor games and indoor games, games to play solo and games to play with others, arts and crafts, songs and rhymes, playdates and party favorites––even instant activities to do at the kitchen table while dinner’s cooking. All games are preschooler-tested and approved.  

A note to parents: Play matters! Technology has its place, but these unplugged games are designed to stretch the imagination, spark creativity, build strong bodies, and forge deeper connections with family and friends.

My Thoughts

So we all know that this last year has been tough. There has been a lot of time spent in the house with our children. In the beginning of quarantine and the lockdowns, I remember saying, "He is cooped up inside and can't see his friends, who cares if he watches a bunch of tv or plays with his tablet." Well as Covid lockdown goes on and on and on and on, we have to change up our thinking with that. No one thought it would go this long. It is time to put some structure back into the world for my children lol. This book is adorable, and well organized. There are sections for how you are going to play; by yourself, with mom and dad, other kids, at a party. There is indoor activities, outdoor activities, things to do in the car, etc. There is a great and descriptive introduction on their theories behind this back and how children should and do play, and also how to use the book. Definitely something a parent should read before getting into these activities. There are quick activities, long activities, toy recommendations, recommendations for children with special needs.  

Sometime they are things as silly as putting stickers on cans in your pantry, building a fort our of a kitchen table, to more intricate things like making your own play dough, and art work out of fabric scraps. Some of the things were a little obvious like sidewalk chart or painting, but some of the things got me excited to try and were very inventive like Dunkin' Ducks. They even have a "shopping list" in the back for what you should have on hand for a good preshcool play closet. We have tried a bunch of them. We just moved and the tools and fix it activity was adorable. It went really well with him "fixing" a bunch of stuff in the house while we unpacked. It backfired us when he took Daddy's hammer for him, and gave him his "hammer" telling him he wanted to switch lol. Otherwise it was adorable. We have done sidewalk chalk, built forts, made our own play dough. I think as we get into more of the cold of winter this book will become our everyday manual. Highly recommend for your kids. It gets very inventive. 

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Holiday Gift Guide- Color your way down memory lane in the TOTALLY 90s COLORING BOOK.

 

It’s the perfect time of year to decompress with a coloring book! Illustrator Christina Haberkern’s, TOTALLY 90s COLORING BOOK, is the newest necessary addition to every adult coloring book collection.

From the ever-popular fashion accessories like scrunchies and fanny packs, to outdated but lovable tech like the Walkman and VCRs, this coloring book is the perfect memento for ‘90s kids. It's also a fun time capsule for artists of any age. Christina has put together her favorite 90s throwback songs for you to listen to while you color your way down memory lane. You can find this playlist on Spotify under the title, "Totally 90s". 

My Thoughts:

Being born in the beginning of the era, I feel like I got the full 90s kid experience! I was so excited when I heard about the Totally 90s coloring book. Coloring is a relaxation tool I embrace in my life even as an adult. It feels very meditative. This was the perfect coloring book to use to take a trip down memory lane and connect with my inner child. 

My favorite aspect of the Totally 90s coloring book is how detailed the pages are. They all have multiple 90s designs in the background and plenty of famous celebrities, activities, and accesssories throughout. I laughed so hard when I saw the photo of, The Rock, in his fanny packs. That's probably my favorite page out of all of them!

If you're looking for the perfect relaxation activity or a fun holiday gift, I can't recommend the Totally 90s coloring book enough! You won't be disappointed. 

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Spring Projects Ahead with CELESTIAL WATERCOLOR.

CELESTIAL WATERCOLOR
LEARN TO PAINT THE ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS AND SEASONAL NIGHT SKIES

CELESTIAL WATERCOLOR
By Elise Mahan and D. R. McElroy
On-Sale Date: April 2, 2019
$19.99 US · $25.99 CAN · 128 pages · Hardcover
ISBN: 9781631065880
Rock Point, an imprint of The Quarto Group

Celestial Watercolor takes visionary artists on a dreamlike journey – complete with an overview of the tools and techniques of watercolor painting, this instructional guide will teach you how to paint the beautiful night sky throughout the seasons and introduce the signs of astrology.

The zodiac has been used for a millennia to bridge the gap between the mysteries of the universe and mankind’s understanding of the world. Travel to the heavens with this collection of ethereal artwork and let your passion for creativity soar while learning about legends and myths of the night sky.

Featuring instructions on how to illustrate the constellations through the yearly cycle of four seasons, Celestial Watercolor also includes exquisitely detailed information about sun and moon signs, simple directions on how to paint the 12 moons from the Native American and spiritual traditions, and easy-to-follow steps for using the correct watercolor wash techniques. With this book, every aspiring artist and imaginative dreamer will have the opportunity to use elements of the environment, such as trees, lakes, and mountains, to design each painting with their own personal style and flair.

The topics of astronomy and natural history gave artist Elise Mahan the inspiration to begin creating open-ended mixed media art projects, from which she can educate children of all ages.  She believes every painting provides a chance for artists to draw upon ethereal elements that explore texture and pattern.

Co-author and professional writer D.R. McElroy has a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture as well as a Master of Science in Environmental Resources. She has been pursuing work in the field of English for ten years and now lives in Michigan.

 My Thoughts:

Two of my favorite interests are wrapped up into this book by Elise Mahan and D.R McElroy, constellations and watercolor! As an art teacher, I knew I needed to add this book into my collection. Firstly, the art is so incredible. Gorgeous soft colors that just jump off of the page with every turn. It's relaxing to look at. I loved the information shared about each astrological sign, moon phases, along with the constellation shapes. It is perfect for anyone that is interested in learning more about the zodiac or an avid reader on all things astrology.

My favorite part though was certainly the projects. Each step was easy to understand and produced a beautiful outcome. They share the ideal colors to make to match their project, something I have not seen in other books I've had. It also shared the types of tools you may need to produce it.

Ultimately, this is a wonderful book that I highly recommend for any artist in your life and/or anyone you know interested in the constellations and moon phases. This book is going to be in my collection for a long time for my own projects and for my students.

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Harry & Meghan Wedding Paper Dolls Review + #Giveaway.

Celebrate the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with these lifelike cut-outs of the happy couple. Sixteen full-color plates include figures of the bride and groom, complete with accurate re-creations of the fashions they wore to pre-wedding events as well as on the day of the historic occasion. Highlights include the bridal gown, an exclusive design by Clare Waight Keller that was one of the year's biggest fashion secrets and has already achieved iconic status.

Price: $9.99
ISBN:  978-0-486-82866-4

My Thoughts:

One of my favorite memories is sitting down with my mom and watching Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say their wedding vowels. The two of them have a real life Cinderella story. It's safe to say we all lived vicariously through Meghan during the Royal Wedding! Relive the moments with the new, Harry & Meghan Wedding Paper Dolls book. No matter if you are a collector or wish to use the paper dolls for fun or decoration, this book will have you all smiles!

The quality of the paper dolls is absolutely stunning! The paper is nice and thick and the artwork is so intricate. Meghan's unique outfits are all depicted is this book, as well as Harry's dashing looks too. Within are also some fun facts and information in regards to the wedding. This book is certain to be a must have for years to come. Don't miss your opportunity to own it now!

The Giveaway:

Dover Publications was kind enough to offer one free Harry & Meghan Wedding Paper Dolls book for one lucky winner! Thank you so much for the opportunity!

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The Lion Guard: Life In The Pride Lands

Rough, tough and roarin’ to go, your favorite heroes are back for more epic adventures in The Lion Guard, the animated series that continues the storytelling of Disney's The Lion King.

Join Kion and his diverse group of friends as they celebrate unity within the Circle of Life and protect the Pride Lands in five action-packed episodes also featuring Simba, the spirit of Mufasa and the hilarious antics of Timon and Pumbaa.  You’ll go wild for all the ferocious fun, because whether the Lion Guard team is tracking a rogue leopard, foiling tricky jackals or facing stubborn crocodiles, Life In The Pride Lands is always “hevi kabisa” – totally intense!

My Thoughts

The Lion Guard introduces us to the next generation of the Lion King. Kion is the second-born cub of Simba. He is tasked with leading the Lion Guard. This team of heroes are the animals who protect the Pride Lands.  Lots of new characters are introduced to work with Kion including a badger named Bunga, a cheetah named Fuli, and a hippo named Beshte. and a bird named Ono. This mismatched band of heroes prove that anything is possible with teamwork. Even though Simba at first disagrees with the idea of non-lions being int he guard, Kion and his friends prove they have what it takes when they fight off the predators threatening their land. This series picks up with the movie left off and brings us five exciting episodes, 2 music videos, and some bonus shorts. They include: 

The Rise of Makuu

The Kupatana Celebration

Bunga & the King

Never Roar Again

The Imaginary  Okapi

Bonuses

2 Music Videos

6 Shorts: "It's Un-Bunga-Believable"

This is a wonderful series that my children really enjoyed. It's fun to see the old favorites mixed in with the new characters.  I love how  Kion works to overturn stereotypes and prove that anyone can be a hero.  This DVD also includes a cute wristbands which are a great bonus. We're looking forward to seeing what the next season brings.

 

My Giant Fairy Tale Activity Book - #Giveaway

Magic away the hours with your favorite fairytale characters! Join the adventure with enchanting pictures to color and mazes to solve, as well as magical things to spot, match, doodle, copy, and count on every page.

Outsmart the evil witch with Hansel and Gretel, help the prince find true love in the Princess and the Pea, escape the wolf with the Three Little Pigs, and join Little Red Riding Hood on a big adventure to save her granny! Follow the stories and complete the fairy-tale activities, perfect for imaginative boys and girls aged 4 and up.

My Thoughts

This is such a cute activity book. There are over 100 different activities for children to complete, and each one revolves around a different fairy tale.  The four fairy tales included in the book are The Three Little Pigs, The Princess and the Pea, Hansel & Gretel, and Little Red Riding Hood.  There are mazes to find your way through, counting games, coloring pages, find the difference puzzles and so much more. This book makes for many hours of entertainment.

The graphics in the book are colorful and fun. The activities are not only entertaining but also educational. My daughter is six and she was able to complete most of the activities independently. She really enjoyed it, especially since it involved some of her favorite fairy tale characters. I would recommend this book to anyway with kids between the ages of 5 and 10. 

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The Giveaway 

One lucky winner is going to receive a copy of Spot A Lot! Animal Escape.  To enter just fill out the giveaway tools  form below. Open to the US only. Giveaway will end 2/20/16. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to Parragon for offering this fantastic prize.

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Book Review: Design The Life you Love

In this fast-paced and complex world, change happens quickly, one can get caught up in work, distracted by technology, and bogged down by banalities of everyday life. As we approach the end of the year, many people are focusing on how to make 2016 a year of happiness, focus, and achievement. Keeping in touch with one’s own values and goals is important to maintain balance, and taking the time to design your life is key to making 2016 the best year yet.

Ayse Birsel, author of Design the Life You Love, has hosted wildly successful workshops and speaking engagements for organizations including Nike and Adobe. Her approach to creating a meaningful and fulfilling life is interactive and highly creative.

Design the Life You Love uses a simple but proven method—applying creative thinking and the design process to one’s life—to give ordinary people new tools to think about life differently. Learn how to turn constraints into opportunities with optimism and holistic thinking using four simple steps: taking the whole apart, forming a new point of view, putting it back together, and giving it form. Ayse Birsel's hand-draw Hello Laura,n art and type set off her brilliant, life-changing design process, empowering and inspiring readers to create a better life.

My Thoughts

This is a very neat book.  I did a quick flip through and read a few of the pages of this and think this is a great gift for anyone. The beginning of the book talks about happiness, goals, focus. Once you reach the middle of the book, there are activities for you to do to help pull our your creativity and focus on the things you want to encourage.

Some of them are more intense then others, helping you learn more about yourself. I liked how interactive the book was and how it would work differently for every person who uses it. The book supplies pages for you to do the activities, so as the year goes on, you can flip through and look at the ideas you had, see what you've accomplished, and so on.

The book comes with a strap on it to help keep it closed, giving it that journal look to it. This will be a book that stays on my night stand with my journal, and be there when I need to reflect. I really liked the positive message that this book provided.

My Fashion Doodles and Designs: 200 Activities to Sketch, Color and Create

Product was received for free in exchange for an honest review.

Doodle your way to a dream wardrobe.

Introducing “My Fashion Doodles and Designs,” a new activity book that will inspire any budding fashionista as she draws, doodles and designs outfits, accessories, shoes and more.

Guaranteed to spark the imagination, this innovative book is packed with 200 fun and fashionable prompts, including craft and color custom sneakers, create exciting celebrity hairstyles, play makeup artist for a runway model, sketch adorable accessories for your pets, design a head-to-toe London street style look and so much more. 

Unleash your inner creative diva with "My Fashion Doodles and Designs!"

My thoughts:

I myself had fun with this book. I haven't colored or doodled in some time. I have an eleven year old daughter who sat with me and did some of the activities also.   

In this book there are so many different things to do such as design a coat for a cat, design a front page of your own fashion blog, color shoes and boots, and design your own patterns on leggings just to name a few things to keep you busy in this book.

You will surprise yourself of your artistic side that you thought you never had.  This book makes you think about designs and fashions that you would want.  It really is a great book for just about anyone who loves to doodle and design.