Stay-at-Home Roundup of Kids products

Please note I was sent free products in exchange for this blog post. All photos and opinions are my own.

I have to say the kids have been great during this phase of staying at home.  They do their e-learning every morning and play all afternoon.  They have never once whined or complained about staying home or not being able to go places.  Part of that is that I work hard at keeping them busy with different activities and projects.  I have rounded up 4 products to share with you today that my kids have tried, tested, played with and made that have kept them busy and entertained.

Try Sitka Salmon Shares for dinner tonight

Please note I received free product in exchange for this blog post.  All opinions and photos are my own.

I have always enjoyed the taste of Salmon.  It is my favorite fish to eat.  I recently sampled Salmon from Sitka Salmon Shares offering sustainably-caught wild Alaskan seafood.  The fish are harvested using low impact methods to minimize negative ecological impact within sustainable fisheries. I sprinkled a little lemon pepper on top and placed in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees and it came out perfect.    

Story Blox- light up blocks

Please note I was sent product in exchange for this blog post.  All opinions and photos are my own.

My kids were super excited to receive this Story Blox set in the mail to check out.  They love to build things with their hands and use their imaginations.  And this new brand is taking children’s playing and learning to a new level.  

  

E-Blox was founded by a father and two sons in Illinois, with the goal of offering a new generation of educational toys through STREAM education -- Science, Technology, Reading/wRiting, Engineering, Arts and Math.   With E-Blox plug-together bricks and modules, kids can build dozens of toys and games that light up and make sounds.  

Slime Fun for all ages

Please note I was sent product samples in exchange for this blog post. All photos and opinions are my own.

It seems like all the kids are crazy about slime right now. Every birthday party we've gone to is giving it out as party favors. Small town festivals offer a slime bar for kids to make their own. Pinterest is full of recipes for it. And every store is selling it. Slime might even be on your Christmas shopping list. So today I'm reviewing two slime products to keep in mind as gift ideas for the upcoming holidays.

This first one I really like how it has a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) component. Alien Slime Lab from Thames & Kosmos allows your children to pretend they are a chemist in a laboratory making UFOs — Unidentified Funky Oozes! Mix up batches of “alien” slime and conduct tests to analyze and investigate their special properties. The kit comes with all the tools needed on your alien slime research mission. Use the syringe to conduct viscosity tests, roll the slime with a roller, and dissect it with tweezers and a plastic scalpel. Cut a brain shape out of the slime, stamp it with an alien head, and add eyes to it! Explore your slimes’ make-up and properties — like their different colors, glittery components, and glowing and color-changing effects — and then use your findings to correctly identify the different slimes. Recommend for Ages 6 & Up, but my after the slime is made my 5 year old loved playing with it.

Glitter Dots for crafty kids on your Christmas List

Please note I was sent product in exchange for this blog post.  All opinions and photos are my own.

If there is a crafty kids on your Christmas shopping list this year, then look no further.  I have just the product that they will love to create and design with, and leaves behind no mess.  Crayola Glitter Dots!  That's right, I said glitter with little to no mess.  Glitter and I have a love/hate relationship.  My kids love to use it, and I hate finding it everywhere.  But these Glitter dots truly leave behind no mess. It's not on their hands, it's not on the table, it's not on the floor. It is only on their project.  Genius!  Right?!?!  

Crayola Glitter Dots are little circles of colored glitter in a punch packet.  Air tight, completely contained glitter balls.  Simply punch out of the packet, place on your project and flatten with your finger or tool.  The glitter does not sick to your fingers.  Move around the glitter and then allow to dry for one hour.  The glitter sticks to itself, or your project and not to you.  Below is a picture of the Crayola Keychain Glitter Dots kits.  The kids choose the color of glitter they wanted and pushed it into the reservoir filling the area by pushing and flattening out the ball of glitter.  When they were done they let them sit for an hour.    

Stem Gumball Machine Maker

Please note I was sent product samples in exchange for this blog post.  All opinions and photos are my own.

It's no secret around here that I went to Purdue. And something that Purdue hosts every year is the Rub Goldberg contest. Teams of Engineers assemble contraptions to turn a simple procedure into an 8 step process. Think of it a little like the mouse trap game, where a ball rolls and knocks over domino which releases a string to drop the net to catch the mouse. Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist in the early 1900's who drew up some of these complicated gadgets, and Purdue created a contest and named it after him.

Dusty Crophopper Jello Cups

Our ShOTT of Espresso turned 5 this month and is a fan of the Disney movie "Planes" and "Planes Fire & Rescue."  The little orange plane named Dusty Crophopper learns to become a world class air racer and an aerial firefighter.  So for his class party at preschool I came up with the idea of make orange snack pack jello cups into looking like Dusty Crophopper.  With a few simple printables, glue stick and of course the jello snack packs I put together an adorable treat for his preschool class party.

I bought the jello cups, orange construction paper and then found images of Dusty's eyes online and scaled them to the width of the plastic jello cup.  I then found a propeller clipart and scaled it to size as well.

Tinkering Labs for young minds

Please note I was sent product samples in exchange for this blog post.  All photos and opinions are my own. 

I have a child who loves to know how things work.  At the age of 3 he discovered that cars have a spare tire.  He was fascinated with where it was kept on different makes of cars and trucks.  He would innocently ask family and friends, "Wheres your spare tire?"  While I knew what he was getting at it, it was so embarrassing to see peoples reactions.  I would have to jump in and say, "On your truck?  He want's to know where is the spare tire on your truck?"  Oiy... the things little kids say. 

Tinkering Labs offers an Electric Motors Catalyst kits to keep your kids busy.  Tinkering Labs offers kids the chance to build with real motors, wood and hardware.  The kit contains 50 parts, so really all the supplies you need to build the featured project.   I love that is comes with safety googles and tools (like this time a screwdriver) and batteries. Yes, it even came with batteries.  Just in case you didn't already have those, now you do and can complete the project without running to the store.

Plus+Plus equal a win!

Please note I was sent product samples in exchange for this blog post.  All photos and opinions are my own.

Any rainy day my kids can be found building things.  Whether they are stacking blocks or stacking pillows they are busy constructing.  I was recently asked to review Plus+Plus Zoo Tubes.  Plus+Plus is shaped like 2 plus signs and they are an interlocking brick to build 3D creations.  The pieces come in a tube with simple instructions to follow and build.  The tubes make for easy storage, and are also compatible enough to take with you.  This STEM toy helps kids develop fine motor skills, focus, imagination and creativity for hours of fun.

STEM blocks that light up... yes!!!!

Please note I was sent product samples to review in exchange for this blog post.  All photos and opinions are my own.

I think it's safe to say Blocks are a universal childs' play toy.  But blocks that light up and are magnetized..... now that just up'd any kids interest level 10 fold.  I was recently asked to review Tactbit.  Cubes that light up when they are pushed together.  The cubes are magnetized and great for stacking and building.   It is perfect for my 4 year old to play with, but my 7 year old is equally interested in them.

We have a lot of STEM toys at our house, because I love for my kids to learn while they play.  Tactbit is perfect for teaching kids how to hypothesize, invent and build. Preschoolers through elementary can learn the basics of circuitry, conductivity, magnetism, resistance and more.  With my 7 year old we placed a large paper clip diagonally across the cube to demonstrate a short circuit.  Often times when an electronic device stopped working I made the comment it must have a short somewhere.  She never understood what that meant until I demonstrated that the battery was connected to the light and once another connection was made (i.e. the paper clip) bypassed the battery and turned off the light.  (I just love science.) 

Reviewing Marigold Star childrens book

Please note I was sent product samples in exchange for this blog post.  All photos and opinions are my own.

I have a bookworm in my house. She devours books in no time.  Mainly chapter books about fairytale like places, but she's been known to get into the non-fiction books as well.  Once she starts it's hard to get her to stop.  Book fairs and libraries beware as she has been known to frequent them.  And there is one book that recently fell victim to the bookavore... Marigold Star by Elise Primavera.
 

Magformers Fire Truck Set

Please note I was sent product samples in exchange for this blog post.  All photos and opinions are my own.  

My youngest loves to build.  He builds with blocks, legos, sticks and stones, he even stacks up grocery items as I'm organizing the pantry.  He could build all day long if I let him.  So when I was contacted to try Magformers Amazing Rescue Set, I eagerly agreed to review them on my blog because I know my little guy would like it.