Timberdoodle BambinoLUK Early Learning Series

You have been reading me blab on-and-on about the wonders of learning toys that my children can work on independently the past four weeks. 

And you all know it is because I have a newborn and well . . . I am nursing a lot. 

Sadly, I don’t always have my hands (or brain) free all of the time to work tete-a-tete as much as I would like with my other munchkins. 

For example, one day the BambinoLUK Starter Pack, Critical Thinking Pack, and Concentration Pack comprised much of our schooling for the morning.  Sir Honey was content, happy, and delightfully engaged with his new learning toy from Timberdoodle by himself. 

I was an excited mom, proud that my son could learn skills such as

• logical thinking
• observation
• visual discrimination
• association
• identifying and relating
• combining
• perception of transformation
• comparison
• spatial perspective

independently.  Don’t get me wrong.  Sir Honey’s entire schooling can not be independent work.  He needs me to teach and love on him, but there is value in figuring out a concept using your own God-given thinking machine – your brain!

How does the BambnoLUK work? (I must admit I had to read the directions and watch the video – but it was worth it!)

Step 1:  Open the controller (the clear, plastic, scalloped, book-like object) and place it on top of an exercise page. 

Position the six tiles on the controller case’s upper half.  (FYI -- Sir Honey’s tiles are on the lower half in the picture.  He is in the process of moving the house tile to the picture just above the mushroom that shows a house.) 

Step One is completed when it looks like this:

Step 2:  Pick up the house tile in the upper left hand corner to reveal the question (rather picture).  It is best to work from left to right, and move down the page – as if you were reading a book. 

That said, I am going to show you an example OUT OF ORDER!

Sir Honey picked up the car tile that revealed an ice cream cone.

Based on the uncovered picture, he had to figure out where to put the tile in his hand. 

As you can see, he found the correct home for his car tile.

Repeat this procedure until all tiles have been placed on bottom portion of the controller.

Step 3:  Close the controller,

flip it over,

and match the pattern up with the one located on the bottom, left-hand side of the exercise page.  You know you completed the page correctly when you have a perfect pattern match.

My thoughts:  I am sure you can already tell that I like the BambinoLUK learning toy.  It teaches a variety of important skills as I have already stated, is perfect for independent learning, and is quality made.

We have used a similar product (geared toward the same age group as the BambinoLUK, 3-5 year olds), but not of the same caliber of construction and more difficult to manipulate.  The ease of use comes from two different construction aspects:

1.  thick tiles with thick walls to keep the tiles in place

versus . . . thin tiles.

2.  the controller actually sits on top of the exercise book for the activity, making it less likely for the child to spill the contents of the controller.

(Notice that the book Smackdown is using is located beside the exercise book.  It isn’t uncommon for us to accidentally misplace the tiles due to repositioning the controller.  Depending on where you sit, often the book and the controller can not comfortably fit on your lap.)

3.  Without a doubt, the BambinoLUK is far more colorful.

Thank you, Timberdoodle for allowing my family to use and review the BambinoLUK Early Learning Series.  We have been enjoying it . . . and even one little boy is using it right now for his Quiet Time, while I type this!

This product was provided to me for free and I was allowed to express my personal opinion regarding the BambinoLUK.  

A List For Myself

This is actually a purely selfishly motivated post.  I need to create a “to-write” blog post list.  And by uploading it for the whole world to see it holds me moderately accountable. 

Notice, though, I am not setting due dates at this point.

• Tropical Traditions review and giveaway of the Cinnamon Orange Chapstick
• review of Smartypants Gummy Vitamins and $15 giveaway from Ecomom
• tutorial on making fermented potatoes
• the long awaited post on how to brew your own water kefir soda
• Date and almond granola bar recipe
• review of Kurt and Brenda Warner’s book First Things First
• Elementary House bi-weekly link-up (note this will include 1st thru 5th grade due to Michelle and Melanie’s suggestion)
• Loves First Bloom book review
• Etsy Baby Shower
• The making of OUR Jesse Tree
• compilation of everything we did and learned by reading The Little House on the Prairie book
• Thanksgiving Tot School Pack
• Preschool Corner
• Tot School
• God Made You Special Link Up – spurred on by my total enjoyment of Naomi
• a few thankful posts to support Conny!
• Timbetdoodle BambinoLUK Starter Pack
• and lastly, I’ve been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, for afterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning. 

Wow.  I have my work cut out for me.

No due dates.  Only when I have time and it is for the pleasure of the Lord.

Animal Train Sort and Match

I love order, but I struggle to keep it.  I greatly enjoy when everything has a place.  A box.  A home.  A permanent location. 

But with three boys, toys end up everywhere, and used for multiple purposes (often not what they were intended for).

I think that is why I have always appreciated the children's quiet times, especially when they were contained confined to their bed or crib.  The toys stayed in one location and they were easy to put away.

That is until Smiley came along.  His goal is that by the end of his quiet time to see how far he can throw his toys across his room.

Anyhow, recently we began playing with the Guidecraft Animal Train Sort and Match.  Though this learning toy teaches matching, sorting, sequencing, and pattern recognition, it best served us by teaching our boys how to work together! 

Here is the low-down on this learning toy from Guidecraft:

An award-winning educational tool for teaching color-matching, shape-matching and pattern-recognition in a fun, game-like setting. Animal Train Sort and Match includes six double-sided pattern cards, 43 animal and train pieces, a wooden storage case, and a self-propping board with pegs and metal backing to help guide the parts into place. Ages 3+.

From a mom perspective the primary reason why I like this toy is  because it is self contained.  Technically, no pieces – NOTHING -- would have to ever leave the box. 

The Animal Train Sort and Match has worked well in our house as an independent item for our workboxes. 

I recommend this toy especially if you are a nursing mom and you need to provide you child (children) with an independent  learning  toy while you are attending to your new baby.

This toy can be found at Guidecraft or on Amazon ranging in price from $33-$40.  Similar and equally cute products are the Construction Sort and Match and the Flower Match Garden Patch.

Or you can try to win this toy by heading on over to My Life On  A Taffy Pull.

Once again, a big thanks goes out to Guidecraft for allowing me to be a part of their Mom Bloggers Review Team.  I was not paid for this post nor do I have to return this toy!

Ornament Exchange

I want you to know that I truly do enjoy Thanksgiving.  Seriously.  It is a warm holiday and a great time to truly celebrate gratitude.  God has blessed us richly.

But . . .

I adore Christmas music (especially now since I discovered that I can play it so easily – with variety – on Pandora). 

And . . . well, my crafty sister is hosting an ornament exchange over at her blog. 

Needless to say, we have entered the season that we honor our Savior’s birth a bit prematurely.  But then again we should act like every day is Christ’s birthday, anyway.

So, the plan is that you make an ornament and send it in the mail to another family that my sister, Michelle, will pair you up with.  In return, another family will make and send you an ornament for your Christmas tree.  Head on over to Michelle’s blog to read all about how to make this happen in  your home.  She needs to know that you’re “in” by November 20th, 2010.

(They’re supposed to be sheep . . . but a duck slipped in.) 

I hope that the ornaments don’t have to be perfect.  I must admit my crafty perfectionism is struggling to ship our ornaments out, partially because my kids made them.  MEANING, I savor their little handicrafts, for a time. And the other partially . . . because . . . well . . . they look like kids made them. 

 

If I ship them across the USA, though, perhaps seeing the joy that went into my children’s creations, will make our ornaments hang in a high place of honor upon some green boughs.  You better bet that I am including a link to this blog post in our package.  (Hi! to whoever got our ornament!)

Here is how I recommend this goes down in your house. 

Have an ornament making party.  Invite a girlfriend over who has kids that get along well with your brood.  Better yet, have the person coming to your house come up with the craft.  (For example, I hosted . . . my sister played the roll of art teacher . . . and my mom supplied the lunch.)

Set all the little kids down at one table.  I highly recommend you give each child a tray to collect glitter, glue, and whatnot. 

Don’t know what to make?  Here are two ideas for you.  You probably already have the supplies to make them.

Fuzzy, Fat Yarn Sheep

Supplies:

• small square cardboard
• scissors
• hot glue gun
• yarn
• felt
• black pipe cleaner
• anything else – bonus

1.  To make the body, loosely wrap the yarn around the width of cardboard square until it has been covered at least three times. (The more yarn used, the fluffier the sheep's {or duck’s} coat.)

2.  When finished, slide the yarn onto your fingers, gathering all the loops together.

3.  Using your other hand, put a rubber band around the loops, cinching it in the center like an hourglass.  (We used string and made a knot.)

4.  Cut the pipe cleaner in half and thread the two pieces through the center of the sheep's body, so that they stick down on each side like legs.

5.  Cut through the loops on both ends of the hourglass and fluff up the pom-pom.

6.  If the yarn pieces are uneven, "shear" the sheep with the scissors.

 

7.  After cutting a face shape out of the felt, glue it onto one end of the sheep. Smackdown totally sheered the sheep’s face for a flat surface to glue his triangle.

8.  For a hanger, cut a 10-inch length of ribbon, fold it in two, and knot the two ends together. Thread the unknotted end of the loop through an embroidery needle, then pull it up through the center of the sheep.

And for our second craft – geared for the younger children in our group . . . but clearly enjoyed by my niece.

Glitter Balls

Supplies: 

• Styrofoam balls
• glue
• glitter/sequins
• tray (recommended)
• disposable plastic containers (recommended)
• ribbon
• egg carton (recommended)
• toothpicks

1.  Use Styrofoam balls of various sizes. Insert toothpick into the center of each ball in order to hold your ball to later uniformly coat it with glue and glitter.

2.  Put glue into a bowl, dip the balls into the glue, and sprinkle with glitter.

If you happen to have bags of glitter instead of handy glitter bottles like sane people, let me recommend that you borrow a jar from your spice cabinet. 

3.  Place them onto wax paper to dry.  However, we found that poking a hole into an egg carton with the toothpick was even more effective.  Plus, we could also place initials by each child’s craft.

4.  Attach ribbon at the insertion site of the toothpick, once glue has dried, with a hot glue gun.

 

Voila!

Be brave!  You don’t have to be overly crafty.  Create a new memory or Christmas tradition with your children.  Head on over to Hi Mama and sign up to be a part of our Ornament Exchange!   Sign up by November 20, 2010 and mail your ornament by December 6, 2010.

Wordless Wednesday: Compassion

As Mussie continues to hang on, Sir Honey has increased his devotion and compassion for his furry brown dog. 

Mornings are full of snuggles and patiently encouraging her to eat her dog food. 

 

Though Mussie is just a dog, I love seeing how nurturing Sir Honey is . . . his love despite the fact that she doesn't give much back in return.  He is learning a good lesson. 

But I know an even harder one is nearing. 

I don’t mean for this to be a sad post.  What I intended to show is how proud I am of Sir Honey.  He is an honorable young man.  It is in quiet moments that his sweetness really emerges.  I love seeing how God made him and when Sir Honey uses the gifts the Lord instilled in him.  Often Sir Honey only uses them when he feels unobserved. 

He is a quiet Knight. 

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom.