Feel and Find World Icons: A Guidecraft Review

 

We are still recovering from the loss of my birthday laptop computer (of five years). . . then using my Notebook (Neo) in the interim,  and finally switching over to our new computer (yet to be named) recently. 

I have had pictures everywhere and some are now nowhere. 

I had taken some exciting pictures of Guidecraft’s sensory toy bag called Feel and Find World Icons.  The boys had helped me stack, sort . . . you name it.

But alas . . . these action sequence pictures met their demise with the loss of our trusty and mightily used laptop.

The fun we had with our sensory toy bag is present in my memory banks, though. 

It boasts of 20 different shapes with matching tiles. 

We played with the Feel and Find World Icons many different ways:

• sorting by color
• placing the icons upright
• stacking the tiles
• tracing the shapes
• finding farm animals, shapes, and things on our earth, etc.

I would imagine that as we study other languages in our little schoolhouse . . . we will use the Feel and find World Icons to practice our basic vocabulary. 

Notice, the word “world” is included in this wood toy.  Why?  Because Guidcraft is pretty excited that the shapes included in this toy encompass many cultures.

It’s a diverse toy.  A diverse wood toy.  A diverse, non-toxic, wood, eco-friendly toy.

I like that!

Wanna win it?

Head on over to Thanks Mail Carrier!  Or Guidecraft ($30).  Or Amazon (where you will find this sensory toy for a wee bit less . . . . try $22.99 with free shipping!) 

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, I was provided this product to review. I was not paid for this post and all opinions expressed in this post are mine.

Guidecraft Bead and Water Blocks

You know I’m a snob for wood toys.  And the Guidecraft Bead and Water Blocks didn’t let me down.  They are keepers.  These wooden blocks are open-ended and easily ushered us into the world of imagination.

 

Combining balance with beauty.

 

Entertaining simplicity and structure.

 

 

Fortitude and collaboration.

 

Modeling architecture that rivals Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

And I haven’t even shown you all of the educational things you can use these blocks for . . . but you would have to visit Mama Jenn for that . . . .

Or just try and win a set of both the Guidecraft bead AND water blocks over on Jolanthe’s blog, Homeschool Creations until 8pm tonight (July 25th!)!

But if you don’t win. . . you can buy them through Guidecraft for $32 each.  The last I looked the Shimmer Water blocks were $24.97 plus free shipping on Amazon.  I found the Crystal Bead Blocks for $26.88 from a toy store who used Amazon to fulfill their orders . . . which means free shipping for you!

 

(I was provided with Crystal Bead Blocks and Shimmering Water Blocks as part of my participation as a Guidecraft Mom. I wasn’t paid for this post nor was I bribed with a vanilla latte.)

Fraction Action Board and Fraction Cups: Review and Giveaway

I almost feel silly writing this post, because Mama Jenn has blown this math toy and this math toy out of the water with great activities to do with it. 

Introducing Guidecraft’s Fraction Action Board and Fraction Action Cups (also found on Amazon) . . .

 

Seriously.  I have nothing more to add . . . other than I actually used it as a baby toy, too!  I encouraged Naomi to play with the larger parts of this wood toy.  No toxic stuff to worry about as it is made from Eco-friendly rubberwood and stained with low VOC aniline dyes.

 

Like I was saying, Mama Jenn has come up with the way to play with Guidecraft’s latest creative wood toy (a big whoop for wood toys!).  Using Education Cubes she has created a great learning game that you can learn more about here.  (Maybe she will let me try it out . . . hint . . . hint . . .hint.)

The boys “tolerated” me teaching them about fractions . . . but the real fun began when I just let them play.

• They created Cair Paravel (from The Chronicles of Narnia, which we are reading as a family.)

• letters

• sorted by color

  

• discussed and decided which shape was larger (Yes, that’s my dog’s paw.)

• built towers

• made music

 

Basically we turned this math toy into an everything toy!  In fact, it is so pretty, you could use it as a decoration for your house.  (Kind of.)  Just kidding.  (Kind of.)

 

  

And now you have the chance to go win and receive both the Fraction Action Board and a set of Fraction Cups over at guess who’s website?  Mama Jenn!

 

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, this product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to Guidecraft and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Twisters and Twisters Curves Giveaway!

We played.  We built.  We twisted.  We curved. 

We enjoyed Guidecraft’s building toys.  Even Mom.

I built, with the help of my sons, a Twister dude.

His legs were a little shaky, though.

And he fell.  Poor guy.

Guidecraft’s Twisters (91 pieces) building toy is pretty simple to figure out. 

My 6 year old taught me.

You gotta line up the openings and insert the building toy into the correct circle or square.

The fun happens when you get to use the pliers. 

And pull out a “nail.”

   

The Twister Curves (also 91 pieces) also afforded us some silly time.

But that’s not hard when you have two very goofy boys.

 

Twisters and Twister Curves . . . find them at Guidecraft or on Amazon. 

Or try and win them! 

(You’ll be heading on over to Carisa’s Review and Giveaway site, which is part of 1+1+1=1.  Carsia has shown some GREAT ways to use Twisters and Twisters Curves as educational toys!)

Thanks Guidecraft!  I received this toy for free in exchange for an honest review as part of being a Guidecraft Mom.  I do get to keep these fun toys!

Interlox: A Guidecraft Review and Giveaway

I’ve told you before. 

I’m a wood toy snob. 

Sometimes . . . just sometimes . . . I can “like” something plastic.  But it’s got to be unbreakable like a Nalgene bottle, tough like a Kong, and creative like Magneatos.

Unfortunately, when the Guidecraft Interlox building toy entered our home . . . it had a competitor. 

A wood opponent.

Yet even this wood look-a-like has never been a favorite with the Granola children. 

Me . . .  I’m the one who put the similar building toy on my children’s wish list a few years back . . . and it isn’t uncommon that I end up playing with it when it is displayed on a Tot Tray.

However, the Interlox got even less enthusiasm than its wood counterpart. 

Maybe it was because I took the fun out of it.  I had defined boundaries and expectations for this building toy. 

I had a desired outcome that I engineered in the school room. 

I never pulled the Interlox out to encourage my children to creatively play with.  Boo-hoo on me. 

I had Sir Honey sort by color . . . I know, rather boring . . .

And Gabe did have a delightful time playing mailman to the Quaker Oats box -- that had the perfect hole that allowed for safe passage of an Interlox piece. 

Other Guidecraft Moms weren’t quite so dull as me . . . so don’t judge this toy by our experience . . . we just like the feel and texture of wood. 

After taking a sneak peak at some of the other reviews . . . you could:

• stack the squares
• create houses, fences, rocket ships, etc.
• make patterns

Call me old fashioned. 

Actually, Guidecraft has had me spoiled with all of the other toys we have tried out from them! 

I blame Guidecraft!

For a chance to win Interlox, head on over to Cindy’s post over at Along the Way!

By the way, it has 96 pieces of “translucent plastic panels with inset details in five beautiful colors.”  The target age for this toy is 3 and up.  Find it at Guidecraft for $16.00 or on Amazon.

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, this product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Guidecraft Country Kitchen complimented with a Giveaway

I’m jealous of my daughter’s kitchen. 

She has gas burners. 

I used to.  But we moved.  No gas burners.  I’ll live.

But I still miss my old gas burners.

Her oven is also cleaner than mine . . .

And the rack even pulls out.  

Her kitchen resembles something out of Pottery Barn . . . it must be the bead board.

It even sounds like a gas oven . . . minus the real gas unless my sons are around. 

So, I’m thinking that once the boys and Naomi are too old to play with this kitchen, I’m going to be able to store it in our basement until the grandkids come along, should the Lord tarry.

The Guidecraft Country Kitchen has hinges . . .

And a secret (not really) key to turn your kitchen into a Transformer . . . only 6 inches thick. 

 

It has the IKEA advantage of saving space.  (Not my house . . . I think Jolanthe’s but I pulled this picture from the Guidecraft website.)

This solid wood kitchen is like a bomb shelter.  It is solid.  Seriously solid. 

It was built to last.  (The price reflects it at a whooping $200 over at Guidecraft or  $188 plus free shipping on Amazon.) 

However . . . this would be the kitchen  I personally would ask for next time (not that I am going to ask for one or need to ask for one now). 

I purchased a significantly cheaper wood play kitchen . . . and three years later much of the parts are missing. 

Our old kitchen is actually somewhat hazardous, to be honest.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to review the Guidecraft Country Kitchen . . . I knew that Miss Naomi was going to need one.  And basically anything Guidecraft . . . is solid. 

It’s compact.  Sturdy.  Wide enough to cook multiple dishes (which is a the habit of our real kitchen stove.) Cute.  And it comes in one other color. 

To celebrate Naomi’s launch into being trained up in righteousness (thanks to Guidecraft), Little Light Creative, who is also a homemaker in training, is offering one of my readers a custom print or a preprinted illustration.  Your choice! 

I specifically wanted something something unique to Naomi . . .

Naomi Torah . . . who means pleasant word . . .

And Hannah, the woman behind Little Light Creative, knew how to give me what God had put on my heart. 

(That’s Hannah . . . I actually know her!)

How does Hannah create?

I specialize in graphic design and will do custom work on my shop as well as freelance work. As of right now, I am not offering custom illustrations with the exception of the silhouettes. Most everything I do starts with a pencil, paper, and God's gracious gift of creativity! From paper I move into Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, where I digitalize my ideas. I love print work and am so very blessed to print on a high quality Epson printer.

But why does she create . . . this I love!

I have so many scripture design ideas, so God's Word definitely inspires me. The Proverbs 31 woman is such a beautiful example of biblical womanhood, her example is what inspired me to start a shop.

I’m hoping that Hannah creates a design with the Shema on it . . . hint, hint Hannah!

Want to win an amazing

11x14 print for your home (free shipping)?

Mandatory:  visit Little Light Creative and tell me what your favorite print is.

• Become a follower on Hannah’s blog, Immer Wachsen
• Follow @ImmerWachsen on Twitter.
• Retweet this giveaway: 
• subscribe to my feedburner and receive my blog posts in your inbox
• become a fan of my blog
• tell me what is the Shema?
• Like Guidecraft on Facebook.
• Follow Guidecraft on Twitter.

Remember, only #1 is mandatory. The rest of the entries are optional (bonus), but you MUST comment separately for each one.

Whatever you do . . . please spread the word about this giveaway.  I want to bless Hannah’s socks off!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Fine Print: I will email you when you have won. You must respond within 48 hours.

Contest ends April 13, 2011 at Midnight (not that I will be awake)