Timberdoodle Buddy Blocks: A Review

My buddy.  {my buddy}

My buddy.  {my budd-eeee}

My buddy and me.

Wherever he goes I go.  My buddy and me like to climb up a tree.  My buddy and me, we are the best friends you can be-eeee!

And repeat song . . . .

Anyone remember these lyrics from way back when?  Maybe I am dating myself.  I’m not even sure what toy this song was genius-ly (Is this a word? My spell check doesn’t like it!) crafted for other than the obvious, “My Buddy.” 

Perhaps a doll?

Well, Timberdoodle Buddy Blocks aren’t a doll.  But they are fun and they will travel.  You can choose from three puzzle styles: farm, jungle and backyard.  We played with the jungle Buddy Blocks, which is also found in the Timberdoodle Toddler Curriculum Kit.

Much of the time, they actually sit beside my computer.  When I am having “work time” and the kids want to talk with me, they come over and play with the Buddy Blocks while we chat.

The Buddy Blocks can be used by children of multiple ages.  They just play with them differently.

Naomi eats them.

Gabe makes a tower and then knocks them down.

Ezra likes to put them in the box and then flip the contents over onto the table.

Asher tries to put on a magic show . . . or have you guess what new animal concoction will be formed when he reveals the rearranged blocks.

In short, this is a “renewed”  classic toy.  It’s better because it is splinter-proof, made of rubberwood, uses non-toxic paint, and comes in a sweet wooden storage box.  Each Buddy Block set makes 6 unique animals when properly matched up, making it the perfection transition toy to a more complex puzzle.

I heart wood toys.  But you already knew that. 

Read up!  Find out what other moms said about Buddy Blocks!

Find Timberdoodle on Facebook or Twitter!  And don’t forget about those Doodlepoints!

As a member of Timberdoodle's Blogger Review Team I received a free set of Buddy Blocks in exchange for a frank and unbiased review.

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.