Holiday Gifting: Shapes Puzzle

 

If you're like me, then you spend a lot of time trying to find gifts that are educational in some way, shape, or form for your kids to open during the holidays. Today's gift recommendation is for those of you with preschoolers!

This post uses affiliate links. 

Shape Puzzles

One of my favorite finds that I gave my preschooler last year is this set of LIKEE pattern blocks. When I was growing up, I was obsessed with tangrams. I loved the challenge of these puzzles. But they were definitely a little TOO challenging for my preschooler. Fortunately, I found these and they are perfect!

This set comes with 36 wooden pieces painted in bright, non-toxic colors. Overall, they are larger than most pattern blocks so that makes it easier for little hands to manipulate them. 

The set also has 60 pattern cards of easily recognizable patterns for your child to create. The items include animals, transportation, household items, and more. They range in complexity from simple (like the boat shown above) to challenging (like the excavator). One side of the card shows the completed design and the name of the object. The other side shows you the pieces needed. Your child must figure out how they fit together and if there are layers.

This game is great for developing critical thinking skills, fine motor skills, and analyzation. It also helps you teach colors, shapes, counting, and vocabulary (round, half, combine, layer, etc.)

This set is best suited for children ages 4 to 7, but my then 3-year-old was able to use them easily last year and even my teen enjoys doing them with my youngest. (Okay, in all honesty, I enjoy them, too!)

If this shape puzzle sounds like something you've been looking for, you can find it here on Amazon:

Media Literacy for Kids

The following post is in collaboration with The Juice Learning Company. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One thing the last four years have taught me is that as my kids get older, they need to be well informed about the world, as well as the events and people who are shaping our country. I feel an urgent need to make sure that they are able to distinguish between fact and fiction on the internet. And that they especially value the facts as they make decisions for themselves and their families. 

My oldest is a junior and my second is a freshman, so the pressure is on to get this done. That's why I've been actively searching for courses and tools to help.

So learning about The Juice Learning Company has been absolutely wonderful. If you've never heard of it, read on!

Quick Overview

Program: The Juice Learning Company
Religious Perspective: Secular
Format: (Self-Paced) online website
Ages: 
Price: $6.99/mo or $50.99/yr (homeschool version)

Teaching Current Events

Many high schools (and even middle schools) are beginning to assign current events reviews or projects. My oldest does it pretty regularly at her private high school. This is the first year I'm going to be implementing the same with my middle kid who is a homeschooled freshman. Why? Because it really helps my kids understand the important impact that people and events have on their lives and those of other people.

A Media Literacy Tool

The Juice is like a subscription-based news service... but more! Every week day (M-F), your child will receive an email telling them that their Juice for the day is ready. It is available in four different reading levels for students in 5th through 12th grade.

Their homepage has four different areas for them to click on. The first is the NEWS section with articles that are carefully curated by journalists and educators. These articles present JUST THE FACTS - no editorializing/commenting. Each one is approximately 200 words total. 

One of The Juice's biggest claims is that they are not biased one way or the other. Students are only presented with the facts and then are encouraged to dig deeper and develop their critical thinking skills.

The second section is labeled EXPLORE. This area lets students dive more deeply into any given topic via short informational posts or videos. Today as I write this, for example, some of the topics available to be read are: 

• The Suez Canal
• The Filibuster
• Iceland's Volcanoes
  
• Women and Sports 
• DC Statehood

When you click on one of the topics, a small pop-up window appears with more (scrollable) information for your student to explore.

I also like that each article has a read-aloud option for differentiated learning. This is also especially helpful for students with learning differences or who learn best while listening and reading.

The area on videos is hip and fun and perfect for young students. In fact, I sort of think they are created by high school or college students - but I don't know that. It just sounds and feels like a younger vibe presenting the information. And I think that makes it more engaging for my 9th grader. 

The third section is for QUIZ RESULTS. Every single story has interactive quizzing to measure reading comprehension. As a parent/educator, I can follow my kid's progress in my own dashboard which shows me his results and average score.

The final section is reserved for ANNOUNCEMENTS. Teachers who subscribe have the option to post announcements to their class. (This option is not available for homeschoolers.)

One more thing that I think is important is that educators and parents also have access to The Juice Blog where they post about important topics related to media literacy. These posts are super helpful and some contain tips for discussing issues with your kids. Take a look at their blog.

Option for homeschoolers

The Juice is available to homeschoolers in four different reading levels and each child can receive a different level. This edition of The Juice comes with five child accounts and is priced affordably for families.

Things that I like

I love that I don't have to worry about what my kid may be reading or anything that may distract him from the topic at hand. 

I also like that every day, The Juice includes at least one inspirational story about a remarkable person who is beating the odds or doing something incredible to leave the world a better place. 

Also, from my parent portal, I can see all of the same content that he does PLUS I can see:

• if he opened his email, 
• completed a quiz (and the score), 
• and if he watched a video or read the Extra Juice. 

It also gives me a cumulative grade average at the top in case I'm counting this as a separate class or want to incorporate the grades into his class grade or GPA. This final tool right here is gold for those of us homeschooling high schoolers and makes it easier for us to calculate their grades.

Sign up with a discount!

If this sounds like the type of tool you've been looking for and want to incorporate in your middle schooler or high schooler's curriculum, subscribe today! 

As a MommyMaestra reader, you can save 25% off the subscription price using my special discount code: JuiceMYMA.

Or if you prefer to try it out first, you can do so for a week at no charge. Click the link above for the free trial. 

Want to find this review again in the future? Pin it!

10 Tips for Raising Problem Solvers

I can't deny that for parents like me, who have chosen to send kids to traditional school, stepping into the classroom once in a while is super important in order to stay informed. After three visits to three classrooms for back-to-school nights, I learned so much! What seemed like endless parent informational meetings on my calendar this month, resulted in newly gained knowledge on how to help my boys do better in school.

This year, the theme seemed to be "Helping our students become problem solvers." I heard this at both schools over and over again. It left me intrigued. And because I love to share anything and everything I learn about education with Mommy Maestra readers, I asked a lot of questions on the topic of raising children to be problem solvers and I went around reading and doing my own research to find out more.

It makes sense that we consciously attempt to teach children to become problem solvers, and bravo to the fact that schools are realizing that we can't just have kids memorize information and take tests. Not only do we strive for our children to become independent and make wise decisions, but it also makes sense that we send them off to the world to help and contribute.

I have learned that there are some things parents can do at home to help support this brilliant idea.

1. Ask your child open-ended questions. This is key for critical thinking skills. Open-ended questions allow children to express themselves while giving details in an answer. Just ask a child how he would spend the day if he were a cat! See what he comes up with!

2. Ask your children questions that will lead to brainstorming with you. This is great for creative thinking skills. Just this weekend, we brainstormed ideas on what one can make with all the apples being picked this season. Pumpkins too! Children pull ideas from past experiences, what they already know, and always want to come up with their own suggestions.

3. Have your child come up with personal observations. I believe books are great for this exercise! When reading, always ask your child what they think is going to happen next in the story. Also, ask how they think a character in the book is feeling. If there is conflict or a problem in the story, ask your child for predictions on how things might end up.

4. Don't give your kids the answers. I know this is hard, but try to not to give answers to your child when you are asking an open-ended question, when you are asking for ideas while brainstorming or while asking questions while reading. If they don't answer, no worries! DO continue to ask but...perhaps not at that moment. I often end a conversation with my oldest by asking him a question fully aware he won't respond. When we break away, I know (or at least hope) he is going over that question in his head.

5. Provide lots of problem solving activities. Puzzles, books, and artwork are great problem solving activities. Putting on a show or a little play are great, too, because they have to figure out what they need for a performance, what props are necessary, and even try to come up with what will happen next.

6. Let children choose what they want to do. If a child would rather spend the majority of the time playing dress-up or putting train tracks together, let them go for it! Children learn through play and if they have the tools, they will be solving problems to meet their needs.

7. Let your child struggle. All parents will admit that sometimes it is easier to give in to children's requests and help them solve their problems. I spend a lot of time zipping up jackets and tying up laces because... it's easier. Be conscious of who it is easier for! Are you really helping your child by practically doing their homework yourself, or are you guiding along without directly answering their questions?

8. Let children experiment. I'm okay with my boys coming home with holes in their pants, dirty shirts and smudged faces. All of that means they were using their hands, doing something, and learning from their experiments outdoors. We failed at gardening this past season but the boys are already coming up with ideas on how to make it work next year!

9. Be okay with the fact that children will make mistakes. Not all questions will be answered correctly and not everything from art class will be a masterpiece. Children should feel safe when wrong. That means: no teasing, laughing, or shaming when given the wrong answers.

10. Ask your kids for help. My oldest is the greatest helper. I often ask him to help me with his little brothers. Whether it is having him play the role of referee when all three are playing together or when I ask him a question about dinosaurs because his siblings are asking. He feels valued when he helps me solve problems around the house. Helpful children are confident children and with that confidence, kids have no hesitation of trying to figure out complex situations.

 -------

Betty Galvan, is writing "for smart and stylish moms" over

at MyFriendBettySays.com.

Happy Kid Inventors' Day!

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
- Alan Kay

Did you know that today is Kid Inventors' Day? It's celebrated every year on January 17th in honor of one of our country's greatest inventors: Benjamin Franklin. He was born 307 years ago today.

We studied Franklin last year and the kids had a blast learning about all of his inventions: the lightning rod, the Franklin stove, bifocals, the flexible urinary catheter (yikes!), the odometer. And at the ripe young age of 12, he invented swim paddles (flippers). He also discovered many fascinating things about electricity, including how to store it in a crude battery of sorts.

People who invent things fascinate me. More often than not, they invent more than one thing. Some would say that few people are born true inventors. I would argue that everyone is born with that natural curiosity and creativity that are the parents of invention. But instead of encouraging our children and students, we tend to discourage it.

How often do your kids create elaborate mazes or machines out of ordinary household items? How often do you compliment your child when they do...or are you like me, sometimes fussing about the mess they've made?

Instead, why don't we make it a regular habit to encourage their spirit of invention? Today, I'm setting aside some time this afternoon for my kids to create something. Whatever they want. And to inspire them, we'll explore the Kid Inventors' Day website.

To make things fun, we'll be putting together an Inventor's Kit that includes (among other things) an Inventor's Journal, tape, glue, pipe cleaners, paper clips, brads, popsicle sticks, yarn, magnets, and anything else my children happen to think of. I'll post a picture when they're finished with it.

The Kid Inventors' Day website has some great books about inventors around the world. But before I end this post, I wanted to share with you a list of just some of our favorite Hispanic inventors:

Narcis Monturiol - Spanish inventor of the first submarine.

Ellen Ochoa - Invented optical analysis systems (and was the 1st Latina astronaut).

Victor Ochoa - The Mexican American Inventor of the Ochoaplane, and a windmill, magnetic brakes, a wrench, and a reversible motor.

Ileana Sánchez - Puerto Rican inventor of a book for the blind that brings together art and braille.

Guillermo González Camarena - The Mexican inventor of the first color tv.

Ronald "Ron" Rivera - Puerto Rican. Invented an inexpensive ceramic water filter used to treat gray water in impoverished communities.

Jose Hernandez-Rebollar - Invented the Acceleglove, a glove that can translate sign language into speech.

Pedro Flores - Inventor of the yo-yo. (He's actually Filipino.) 

The Game of Kings

by Betty Galvan

My oldest son, who for the past three months is "almost six", is about to take part in his first chess tournament this weekend in New York City! He is "almost six" but was probably more prepared for his tournament a year or two ago than he is today.

Since our move from New York City last year, it has been more and more difficult to continue to have him learn the game he learned to love at the young age of three. Back then, his preschool had a chess coach go in to the class once a week and teach small groups. His teaching of chess was like nothing I had ever seen before. The coach had a story for each piece and told it with so much animation and passion, that it was impossible for the children to forget how each piece was supposed to move. Diego learned that one King moved one step at a time because he had a huge belly!

It has been difficult to find a coach or a program who works well with very young children. We spent a year trying different places but many don’t take children under seven, so we would sit and try to teach him the little that we know. We also downloaded Shredder Chess app for the iPad as recommended by his former coach. We eventually relaxed when we learned his school would open up the chess after-school program to the kindergarten classes this winter. He will only have one class before the tournament this weekend but we felt it was important for us to have him re-connect with the coach who helped build his love for chess.

The benefits of a child learning chess are just as important as the benefits of a child learning math and music. Chess helps with critical thinking skills, analyzing, planning ahead, pattern recognition, concentration, creativity and sportsmanship. It’s also very inexpensive (especially if your school offers a class) compared to other activities. Parent Magazine has written that, "A growing body of research is showing that chess improves kids’ thinking and problem-solving skills as well as their math and reading test scores. Accordingly, communities across the country are racing to create after-school chess programs and start local chess clubs, and some states — New Jersey, for one — have written chess into official school curricula." This is being seen in inner city schools as well as private schools.

We don’t know how well Diego will do on Saturday, but he is excited to go and that is what is important to José and me. Diego will see his old coach, perhaps see old friends and we will all be motivated to start up again. As parents, we have also realized that there will be so many things we cannot teach our children! We have vowed to find resources when our sons’ express an interest in an activity as beneficial as chess because, "The beauty of a move lies not in its appearance but in the thought behind it." -　 Aaron Nimzowitsch

To learn more about the specific chess curriculum designed for children of ages 3-10, visit Chessat3.com!

---------------------------------



Betty Galvan, is helping her readers "find the positive and seek the benefits" over at her blog, MyFriendBettySays.com. 

She is the mother of three beautiful little boys and a teacher.

Design Squad Nation’s Build It Big Contest

Do you have a young inventor living in your casa? Does Papi limp around the house from stepping on (not-so-lost) LEGO pieces in the middle of the night? Maybe you have so many Lincoln logs scattered around your house that the neighbors think you’ve been hit by termites?

This, then, is the post for you!

Since I am dedicating this week to the topic of encouraging Latino students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, I am excited to share DSN’s website with you.

In case you don’t know, Design Squad is a reality show on PBS where kids ages 6 – 19 design ingenious machines in the hopes of winning college scholarships. The kids are given a challenge (thought up by the show’s creators) and some raw materials, which they transform into fabulous, workable solutions.

Design Squad Global Clubs connect kids ages 10-13 in out-of-school-time programs around the world! Kids explore engineering through fun-packed, high-energy, hands-on activities-and they partner with a DSG club from a different country! Choose between two options (a 6-week or a 12-week program) and they'll match you with a partner club.

One of the things I liked most about Design Squad Nation is their inclusive outlook and the way the students participating on the show reflect the diversity of our nation...

In addition, Design Squad Nation has carefully provided most of the activities on their website in both English AND Spanish! So if anyone on your team is not completely fluent in English, download the information for them so that they can better understand. This is especially helpful for Spanish-speaking parents and other relatives who want to show their support, but aren’t sure what exactly you are up to!

The site also offers a Global Challenge where kids are presented with an activity challenge and they share their creative solutions. In fact, the site is full of challenges for kids to tackle. It's a wonderful way to keep  

¡Ándale, gente! Let’s get our kids excited about engineering and math. Show them how fun it can be to make their ideas a reality.

Other Posts You May Like

• FIRST LEGO League
  
  
• Engineering, Go For It!
  
  
• Raising Science and Math Lovers
  
  
• Making STEM Accessible and Fun Across All Cultures
  
  

Con mucho cariño…

Where are all the Latino Engineers?

Mommy Maestra is dedicating this entire week to Latino students who are interested in STEM careers. Parents, I hope you will find encouragement and resources to help your child pursue his or her dreams.


According to a 2008 report by the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Latinos account for 13.1 percent of the U.S. labor force over 16 years of age – but they only account for a mere 5.8 percent of the engineering workforce.

So I guess the question of the day is: Where are all the Latino engineers?

Why is it that our children are not pursuing careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) fields? Our girls, especially, seem to be almost nonexistent in these fields.

Is your child interested in math or science? If so, what are you doing about it? If not, why aren’t they? (And, again, what are you doing about it?)

As a science lover, parent, and teacher, here’s what I think about all of this:

In order for a child to take an interest in science or math, they first have to be exposed to it in a positive manner. ¿Qué dices? Your daughter shrieks in fear when she hears the word “math?” Your son hides in the closet when you pull out the science textbook? Then they haven’t been taught right. A good teacher engages the student and she makes learning fun. A teacher shows examples of math and science at work in every day things…and makes it mysterious and exciting.

Sitting at a desk reading about the water cycle is about as exciting as staring at a rock (unless it is a Petoskey stone, of course!). But creating a cloud in a bottle – ay, mama, watch out!

Hands-on activities are essential to learning. They ignite passion and spark the imagination. Pretty soon, it is not so much "How does…?” but “I wonder what will happen if…?” Don’t throw out those textbooks. But if your kid’s teacher isn’t backing up the lessons with activities and experiments, then get your gloves on, Papi, and find out what your child is supposed to be learning! You’ll be amazed at the number of experiments available online that can easily by carried out using common household materials.

A child who is not provided with opportunities to explore their ideas, will soon forget or simply abandon them. Once an interest is observed, it has to be nurtured.

Little Maria wants to know: What kind of nest material do birds use? Get out your binoculars (optional), put on your walking shoes, grab a local field guide (borrowed from the library, of course!) and get outside during a nice spring day. You can go to a nearby park, the local botanic gardens, or just look around your own backyard. Search in bushes, trees, under eaves, inside barns, and under bridges. For added fun, take a camera to record your results, or have Maria bring along a journal to record her discoveries. Call all your amigos and find out who has birds hanging around their place. Then arrange a visit. (¡Ay, no! It’s Maria’s mami calling again asking some crazy science questions!)

I’ll tell you right now that the single most influential factor on a child’s pursuit of a career (STEM or otherwise) is PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT.

But how can a parent encourage their children and provide them with opportunities? Especially if that parent does not understand the child’s interest. Here’s a good question: "How do I support and encourage my child to develop her/his talents or interests when I don't have any idea about this subject?"

It's true that parents have to do their research. They need to actively look for programs, contests, and other opportunities. It may be as simple as investing in a subscription to a science magazine, finding fun websites that support learning about a particular subject, monthly trips to the bookstore, signing them up for a local event, or even a library card.

Hey, try asking your child to teach you. I now know how much a person can learn once they are responsible for teaching it. Don't be afraid to say to your child, "Teach me…. and make it FUN!" Now THAT'S a challenge!

But the reality is that a parent doesn't have to know about the subject - although it certainly helps! All you really have to do is be there. Urge them to follow their dreams. ALL THE TIME. Encouraging and praising your child's interests and accomplishments does more than handing them a book or video. Alone, a child can feel hopeless and alone. But with the love of family, your child can make it all the way to the moon...and back.


Con mucho cariño…

Do You Teach Your Children to Listen?

Photo by vagawi

How many of you watched tonight's State of the Union Address?

I did. Unfortunately, it was a little too late for my young children to stay up for - especially after an exciting day that included a field trip. But had they been a little bit older, I would have encouraged them to stay up late and watch.

Why? Because I am a firm believer in listening. Doesn't matter if you agree with the person speaking or not. How will you know if you agree or disagree with someone if you don't stop to listen? They might surprise you. You might find you have more in common than you thought. Or they may simply strengthen your convictions. You might find that you misunderstood them the first time - or that they misunderstood you!

Either way, communication is an invaluable tool in our society. Without it, we are lost.

This is something I want to teach my children. It is great to talk and stand up for what you believe in. (My kids don't have any trouble in this area.) But it is even more important to listen. We can learn so much in doing so. Listening can help us avoid misunderstandings. It can teach us something we didn't know. And if you listen right, you'll hear what isn't said.

Do you spend time teaching your children or students to listen? 

Exploring Culture as Part of Your Curriculum

A week or two ago, I ran across this article, which stated that "learning a new language should not be just about learning vocabulary and grammar, it is also about experiencing culture and traditions."

This makes sense, no? I mean you can’t really do one properly without the other, in my opinion. If Juanita Doe decides to learn Spanish but knows absolutely nothing about Latino culture, more than likely she will find it difficult to understand certain aspects of the language. But it is also very possible that she will be lost in a conversation with a native Spanish-speaker. (She's actually German/Irish, but was named after her mother's best friend - a Latina!)

Naturally, this got me to thinking about the diversity of the Latino culture. How often I marvel with mis amigas over the differences in our traditions, foods, dress, and yes, language.

Exploring a culture can really cover most subjects in your curriculum: geography, social studies, language, art, writing, science, math, reading, and more.

Here, then, is a list of ways to explore different cultures with your child. I am emphasizing Spanish-speaking countries, but you could easily substitute any country. Incorporating some or all of these ideas into your curriculum can be easily done if you take your time, and focus on one aspect at a time. The sections can be as simple or as complex as you want to make them, depending on the age and interest of your child.

A simple unit study can go something like this:



Can you guess which country we're working on?

Week/Day 1: Geography

Pick a country then spend a week finding it on a map, discussing the continent, hemisphere, closest ocean, and distinct geographical features (i.e., mountains, deserts, rain forests, coastline, peninsulas, lakes, waterfalls, etc.) Ask: How large is this country? What shape is it? How close to the equator is it? What type of seasons does it have (dry/wet, winter/summer)?


Week/Day 2: Zoology

Closely related to geography, this topic makes a nice transition to literature. Crack open those field guides and discover a world of exotic animals! Have your children create flash cards with a picture of some of the native fauna and have them label them with both their English and Spanish names. On the back of the card, have them list some facts about classification, habitat, diet, courtship rituals, nesting habits, and anything else you want. Or maybe you could have your children create puppets and tell stories about them.


Week/Day 3: Literature

Find stories about the country, or tales that were written for children from that country. The International Children’s Digital Library is an awesome resource for children’s literature from around the world. This would probably be the first place I hit to find original, native stories.

Week/Day 4: Notable Figures

Research and compile a list of important artists, inventors, politicians, musicians, scientists, etc. This can be as comprehensive or as simple as you want it to be. For younger children, look for coloring pages for them to fill out. You can also print or cut out a picture of your famous person and have your student label him/her or show an example of their work.


Week/Day 5: Traditions

Customs and traditions are possibly the most fascinating aspect of a country. Children are often most interested in the traditional costumes, or the way people dress. Do a little investigating and find pictures of local people and have your child draw them in their native dress. Perhaps, this too varies. It could be influenced by:

• different tribes, cultures, or groups living within a country.

• the geography where they live in the country. For example, those who live high in the mountains may wear different or heavier clothing, than those who live along the coastlines.


Week/Day 6: Holidays

Holidays can tell a lot about the people who observe them. Is the holiday religious in nature? If so, what is the dominant religion? How do people celebrate a specific holiday? Do they wear special clothes? Eat certain dishes? Create unique artwork or other crafts?

Some distinct holidays from the Latino world that come to my mind are: Día de los Muertos in Mexico, Holy Week in Guatemala, the festival of San Fermin in Spain (Pamplona’s running of the bulls), etc.

Week/Day 7: Cuisine

Ah! La comida! Your kids will really have a blast with this one. Scour the Internet or your local library for traditional dishes from the country you are studying. Pick one or two and cook it together with your children. To really get into the swing of things, decorate your dining room with symbols of your country of study.


Week/Day 8: Statistics

Spice things up by having your student create a mini-book with simple data such as: What is the capital city? What is the national language? What type of currency do they use? What does their flag look like? What is their main export?


Week/Day 9: Videos

There are many online resources for videos on any of the topics mentioned above. You can find generic videos on the country itself, or narrow it down to a specific subject, like a famous person, nature series, or geographical feature. Some of my favorite sites:

PBS.org

YouTube.com

TeachersDiscovery.com

TeacherTube.com

Week/Day 10: Field Trips

Contact your local museums, or look on-line for clubs, embassies, or organizations related to the country. Maybe you are studying Spain and your art museum has a special exhibit on Goya, Picasso, or El Greco. Local universities may also have international teachers or students who would be willing to sit and talk about their country over lunch or dinner. To go a step further, have your child think up some interview questions, and take along your flip camera to record the meeting.

I’d like to explore each of these topics a little more in depth and discuss related activities, so be looking for future articles in this series!

Con mucho cariño…

The Power of Role Playing for Young Children

On our very first day of school, one of the books we read was about other children playing dress up and pretending to be veterinarians. As soon as break time arrived, my kids immediately raced upstairs for their doctor toys, stuffed animals, and a white sweater (to sub as a lab coat). For the rest of the break period and after school was over, this role play dominated their play time.

Fortunately for me, they let me take a few pictures to record one of their cases. (For insurance purposes, you know.)

La doctora is in...

 

Hmmm...Apparently the diagnosis has something to do with a bad heart.

 

Pobrecito! He does look a little FOWL!!

(Jajaja! Oh, come on. It was funny!)

A little surgery should fix him right up...





¡Pues, con razón! No wonder he was grumpy!

Wouldn't you be, if you had a block stuck in you?





Anyway, all this got me to thinking and paying attention and soon I realized that at least once a day or more during their play time together, my kids are actively role playing. Veterinarian, doctor, cowboys, knights, native Americans, super heroes, explorers, royalty, scientists, bird watchers...the list is endless. Sometimes they even pretend to be the characters in books we have read or movies we've watched, like Adelita (from Tomie dePaola's novel of the same name), Rosalinda (from Under the Lemon Moon), Jack and Annie from the Magic Tree House series, or Violet and Dash from The Incredibles, to name a few.

So I started doing some reading and before you know it, I have a new found respect for this form of play. Not only is it helping them explore and develop their imaginations, but it also may also have a physical effect on my children's brains. It does, in fact, have many benefits, as I discovered after reading One Step Ahead's Pretend Play: The Magical Benefits of Role Play. And once I realized how role playing can take many forms, I discovered that the percentage of time my kids spend doing this increased exponentially.


So next time you see your kids acting out their favorite story, or making one up as they go along, don't hesitate to jump in and give them a helping hand if need be. Not only will they be delighted to have another participant, but you might just be surprised at how well they have learned their role.

You can read more about role play at one of these sites:

ROLE PLAYING IN EDUCATION :: Adam Blatner, M.D.

The Nature of Children's Play :: David Fernie

The Role of Pretend Play in Children's Cognitive Development :: Doris Bergen for Early Childhood Research and Practice

Con mucho cariño...

Working on Critical Thinking Skills

One of my goals is to help my kids develop their critical thinking skills. So, naturally, I was especially happy earlier this year when I happened to find this awesome little boxed set of manipulatives at my local TJ Maxx - and at a greatly reduced price! I had been secretly yearning for recently discovered some of these attribute blocks after I had read about them in a catalog from the Critical Thinking Company™.

This particular set is put out by Mighty Mind®. Now, I don't know that I would exactly say that it keeps kids busy for hours, but it certainly held my children's attention for the better part of one. (Okay, okay, I'll admit, I really liked doing a few on my own, tambien.)

The kit comes with 30 puzzles geared for beginners. The player begins with card #1 and steadily works through the puzzles in numerical order. They start off very easy so that young children do not get discouraged. These beginning cards actually show you which pieces to use in the puzzle.

Then, each one gets a little bit harder than the last, until finally you have a really challenging one that may involve all the pieces.

Some of the harder puzzles are also layered.

But I love how once my daughter discovered this, she now sometimes adds her own decorative touches and places extra pieces on the top to personalize her piece.

Overall, we've had a lot of fun with this game. And the Mighty Minds® kit was a great introductory set. It is great for starting off the day with a bang, for using during a break, or for ending the day on a good note. I'm definitely looking forward to purchasing more attribute blocks for the coming school year.

If you'd like to buy your own set of attribute blocks, visit La Librería.

Con mucho cariño...