Girls Design and Create a New World Every Time They Play with Build & Imagine! {Review}

I often tell my girls that they can grow up to be anything that they want to be.

Whether that is more realistic (Big Sister E's continued desire to be a teacher) or slightly less likely to happen (Little Sister B's ever-changing ideas about being a rock star), I will stand behind them and support their dreams 100%. Athletes, doctors, race car drivers, engineers, mechanics — I'm going to encourage them no matter if their chosen path is stereotypical for a male or female.

But as much as we all want our little girls to grow up believing in themselves in this manner, why is it that the toys they play with are not encouraging the next generation of females to continue on in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as much as those for boys? When will the day come that blocks and construction toys don't feel as though they were designed with males in mind?

Fortunately, there are companies that realize the importance of encouraging and inspiring the future of female innovators and engineers and are working to keep girls from losing interest in STEM subjects. Instead of simply sitting back and hoping that girls will decide to play with traditionally "boy" toys on their own, it's time to continue to revolutionize the way that we motivate girls to look at the world with Build & Imagine.

Founded by a female award-winning toy designer, Build & Imagine was formed when Laurie Peterson wanted to close the gap in the girls' section of most toy stores and include more experiences involving building, creativity and experimentation.

The result is an award-winning line of whimsically illustrated magnetic building sets (which include leading female characters, of course) filled with rich colors and endless details that ensure users are always discovering something new. What girl wouldn't be amazed by the combination of the fun of a dollhouse and the enrichment of a construction toy?

Even better, while each set contains a variety of the illustrated panels, the fact that there is no wrong way to join them together is an instant inspiration for the creativity of young builders.

Instead, girls create scenes both big and small and are then able to bring them to life with the enclosed dress-up dolls, costume pieces, animals, objects, foods, and more. In essence, Build & Imagine puts girls into the role of architect, engineer, builder, designer, storyteller and more!

Unsurprisingly, my girls couldn't wait to get to work imagining, creating, and building as soon as they saw three sets from Build & Imagine arrive. It was time to reinvent the classic dollhouse with Malia's House!

From the moment we started removing the pieces from the box, it was already easy to see how this one toy could help encourage my girls' STEM skills. These parts are just asking to be assembled, disassembled, built, and rebuilt time and again!

From the swimming pool to the kitchen to the outfits, accessories, pets, moving door, two characters, and more, Malia's House includes a total of 58 pieces that provide endless creativity in the numerous ways and possibilities that they can be constructed, mixed, and matched. Who themselves hasn't thought about how amazing it would be to design their dream house?

I'm telling you, the details on these dual-sided building panels, wooden dolls, and magnetic accessories are just so eye-catching and fun!

Considering that my two young architect storytellers had such a great time constructing all sorts of home variations with Malia's House, there was no doubt that they wanted to delve further into the world of Build & Imagine.

It took all of zero convincing to get them excited about the Draw & Build Dollhouse and Career Dolls!

As if simply having the ability to full create your own dollhouse with movable walls and pieces wasn't enough, Build & Imagine took things to a whole new level with the Draw & Build Dollhouse.

Using the four included markers, builders can draw their own decorations and scenes right on the walls (as well as hair and clothes on the doll) to truly make them unique. Want outer space themed wallpaper? Polka dots? Zigzags on the roof?

Whatever your heart and imagination desires, draw it on and then combine the panels to make a house, store, building, and more! Plus, if you own other Build & Imagine sets, the Draw & Build Dollhouse pieces are easily worked right in — in our case, they have made Malia's House even more innovative and special!

As much as I have loved seeing my kids' imaginations working overtime illustrating and creating their Build & Imagine modular pieces, the Career Dolls instantly made me swoon with all of their possibilities.

The 75 colorfully illustrated magnetic clothes, props, and two wooden dolls (as well as the dual-sided background scene) are the perfect extension of me telling my girls that they can grow up and follow whatever career path they choose. These magnetic outfits pop on and off so easily and can be put together in full — a complete police detective, chemist or fire fighter, for example — or can be mixed and matched for all sorts of interesting combinations!

Although it can be argued that just about any toy has benefits and encourages kids to practice a variety of skills (e.g. small motor, creativity, reading, etc), there is a smaller number that truly manage to inspire... and Build & Imagine is one of them! Each of their sets are just right to inspire the next generation of innovators and help girls think beyond only the toys that are princess and pink.

My kids not only love these sets and accessories on their own, but immediately realized that all of the pieces from each of the individual sets can easily be combined and used for just about any sort of other creation. Girls simply have to use their imagination and the sky is the limit in building and constructing!

Even better, I adore the way that Build & Imagine has not only inspired Big Sister E and Little Sister B individually, but that they will often sit down together to collaborate on their next construction — discussing various building ideas and trying out one option after another. I love when a toy is not only educational and entertaining but one that encourages my kids to happily work together!

Malia's House (MSRP $59.99), Draw & Build Dollhouse (MSRP $22.99), and Career Dolls (MSRP $14.99) are designed for ages 4+ and can be purchased in select retail locations (look for them making a recent splash on the shelves of your nearest Target!), directly from Build & Imagine, on Amazon, and more.

You're also going to want to head over to BuildandImagine.com (and connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) to find out more and see the full line of imaginative play possibilities that Build & Imagine has to offer. Remember that all of the sets work together for all sorts of delightful, crazy, mixed-up stories that kids can invent when combining them!

This holiday season and beyond, Build & Imagine is the perfect way to encourage all kids to see their world in a different way as they collect, build, interchange, design, cooperate, and come up with endless storytelling possibilities to go along with them.

Other than the three sets that I was provided by Build & Imagine in order to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this post in any way. This review is solely my honest opinion about this product.

Encourage STEM Learning All Year Long with the Boys & Girls Club of America My.Future Website {#Learn365}

This post was sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of America as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

As my kids literally counted down the final days of school earlier this month, I was filled with a mix of emotions. Happiness over getting to spend more time with them, excitement over embarking on new sports endeavors... and fear and dread over the knowledge that their boredom nearly always leads to bickering and fighting.

Fortunately, now that summer is in full swing, we have managed to stay occupied with swim team practices and meets, bike rides around town, visits to the library, taking care of our garden, playdates with friends, and more.

But can I help it if I want to incorporate some learning into our days as well? We've all heard of the "summer slide" (the tendency for kids to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year) so I'm always on the lookout for educational ways to encourage my girls to use their minds throughout the summer as well.

Which is why I'm happy to have been introduced to the Boys & Girls Club of America My.Future website!

It is no secret that Boys & Girls Clubs have been leaders in out-of-school time programming for more than 150 years. But now they have teamed up with Comcast NBCUniversal to create the My.Future program to specifically deliver programming that sparks kid's and teens' interests and passions in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) areas.

STEM jobs in the U.S. are expected to grow nearly twice as fast as other fields by 2018, but 3 million of them may go unfilled because of a lack of people with needed skills. Instead, by introducing youth to new technology skills early, they may be more likely to pursue a career in a STEM-related field and take on the global economy.

Pretty great, right? The My.Future program was created and designed to teach today's youth the skills needed to thrive in our current digital world. It enables kids and teens to select from over 40 hands-on activities to help them understand how to safely and productively engage online, and identify and develop digital interests.

I love that My.Future offers staff-facilitated projects that provide members of all ability levels with foundational technology skills so that those who are just beginners gain confidence and those with a great deal of previous knowledge are not bored. As members accumulate a certain number of outcomes, they qualify for certified digital badges that can then be showcased online and added to a member's resume to show their technical competency.

All throughout the school year our children are challenged to learn and grow, so this summer be sure to keep encouraging them to continue! The My.Future program will help your kids/teens understand our media filled world while allowing them to identify and develop digital interests and delve into subjects such as robotics, game design, programming, and online journalism.

Instead of fretting over allowing your kids more time in front of a screen, My.Future will provide technological advancements that will help them this fall and beyond! Find out much more by visiting MyFuture.net today.

The Educational, Active Video Game System for Kids: LeapFrog LeapTV {Review}

As a mom, I feel constantly torn between all of the choices that I make for my children that contrast what they want. I want them to eat healthy, they want foods that are as sweet as possible. I want them to get plenty of sleep at night to be well-rested and they want to stay up as late as they can to not miss out on any fun.

When it comes to video games, they would surely love to have all of the latest and greatest gaming systems so that they could play game after game all day long, but we all know that just sitting and staring at a screen isn't the most beneficial activity ever.

Fortunately, we have been introduced to a way to incorporate education, movement, and action into gaming all in one unique, child-friendly way thanks to the LeapTV by LeapFrog.

LeapFrog is known as a leader in education innovation throughout the world. Their award-winning learning toys, interactive book and map experiences, reading systems, educational gaming handhelds, and learning tablets are age-appropriate, trusted by parents, valued by teachers, and loved by children.

Which is why I wasn't surprised to hear that LeapFrog figured out how to make gaming smarter with their interactive LeapTV. This innovative system provides three ways to play — body motion, pointer play, and classic control — to keep kids ages 3 to 8 entertained, involved and having a blast!

Knowing that just about any kid would have a great time pointing, jumping, wiggling, dancing, twisting, and more (while also practicing their reading, math, science, problem solving, etc.), it was time to spend some time being entertained in an educational way!

Right off the bat, setting up the LeapTV proved to be just as easy and convenient as I had hoped. After simply plugging in all of the included cables and cords, it only took a few minutes of connecting the LeapTV to our internet connection and completing the registration process.

Then it was time to play!

Just as I suspected, we had a blast!

The kids were immediately curious about the transforming, easy-to-hold controller and the instant the colorful home screen appeared, there was no stopping them from getting started.

As opposed to traditional gaming systems where I have had to spend time explaining every last detail about the gameplay to my children, the LeapTV has a simple and intuitive user interface (and clear audio prompts) that kids are able to understand and control effortlessly. I barely had to say a word or give an instruction the entire time both kids took turns playing again and again.

Even better, as the LeapTV features today's most popular kids' characters, who is going to want to say no to playing (and learning) with buddies like Elsa, Anna, and Olaf?

The LeapTV has a library of 100+ LeapFrog educator-approved game cartridges, game downloads, and videos, so the likelihood of running out of fun is pretty small!

In Disney Frozen: Arendelle's Winter Festival (ages 4-7), users can play solo or with a friend as they proceed and interact with five magical, fun-filled Arendelle adventures.

Sculpt ice; create jewelry from snowflakes; join in a festival by using counting, addition, subtraction, place value, shape recognition, and number sequencing; and much more!

I find it hard to believe that any Frozen fans wouldn't have a blast trying to make Olaf fall into the dunk tank or creating an ice skating path for Elsa and Anna. This game is the perfect mix of enchantment and wonder with great math skills!

For slightly younger children who are into a little more action, Blaze and the Monster Machines (ages 3-5) focuses on the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills all while helping Blaze and his friends build an awesome stunt track.

Featuring everything from number recognition to physical science and problem solving, this game is part monster truck and part educational adventure!

Or, when ramps, loops, and straightaways aren't cutting it, LeapTV Letter Factory Adventures (also ages 3-5) brings children through a variety of adventure games as they take a train ride through the alphabet from A to Z.

At each train stop, players learn the name, shape and sound of the letter, build words, customize an alphabet book, and more.

Even though this game is a little too young for my girls, they have had a great time bending and twisting themselves into letter shapes, popping bubbles to find letters and complete words, and racing the clock to show off their alphabet knowledge. Overall, this game is a fun and active way to play solo or with a friend to ride the rails to learning fun!

Finally, for the ultimate in constructing your own custom island, Mr. Pencil Presents DoodleCraft involves a little bit of everything: creativity, building, sorting, memory, observation, matching, and much more.

Players earn blueprints to construct buildings; unlock art tools to add paint, patterns, doors, windows, glitter, stickers, and more; and go on quests to unlock and explore five different neighborhoods to find hidden objects and locations.

I love that, along with educational skills, this game also promotes important everyday skills, as players recycle, clear away obstacles, tidy up messes, scrub buildings clean, and more to keep their residents happy. Whether played alone or as a team (or two players can make their own separate islands and go visit each other!), Mr. Pencil Presents DoodleCraft is open-ended and challenging enough to encourage kids to return to it time and again.

Since the arrival of the LeapTV and these games, I have been nothing but impressed with LeapFrog for inventing such an active video gaming system. I love the way that kids of all ages (we have had players between the ages of 5 and 9) have had no problem using the controller, transforming it from a classic controller into a pointer, or moving easily between options and games.

My girls and their friends have gotten a kick out of seeing themselves right in the action ("I'm on TV!") and the way that LeapFrog designed the games to automatically adjust the levels depending on the age of the player ensures that they are challenged without being frustrated. They truly have made gaming smarter, more educational, perfectly appropriate, and kid-friendly!

While we have long loved LeapFrog and the way that their unique toys and learning solutions provide entertainment as well as educational advancement, the addition of the LeapTV fits right in. Kids are able to express their creativity and have active, happy fun all while learning and practicing a wide variety of educational skills. What more could I ask for?

This innovative video game system is available now from LeapFrog, on Amazon and in stores near you with an MSRP of $59.99 (a crazy good deal for the holidays, considering its debut price was $149.99!) with game cartridges sold separately for $19.99.

Find out more about LeapTV and all of the available games and accessories available for it by visiting LeapFrog.com and connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

As a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador, I receive products, promotional items and educational material to use and share as I see fit. However, any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

The Tiny Smart Robot for All Ages: Ozobot Starter Pack {Review}

Although it is a little bit of a blow to the ego, I have no doubt that both of my children will grow up to be far more technologically-skilled than I am. After all, right now I can still manage to muddle my way through using just about any device or application, but the way that they can both pick up gadgets or apps and instinctively know what to do is a regular way of life for them.

On top of that, when I grew up I had toys and games that were just that, toys and games. Kids these days? They have amazing, incredible, innovative things that are far more than just toys in that they are fun but also fully educational.

In fact, they are technologically-advanced, fully interactive miniature robots that can change the way that children learn and play — they are Ozobot!

An open-ended, user-friendly, extremely unique robotic system, Ozobot promotes social interaction, computational thinking, and confidence-building all in one teeny tiny package. While STEM-infused toys and gadgets are more and more commonly available these days, I was instantly drawn to the fact that Ozobot can be controlled simply by drawing colored lines. What better way to get even the youngest of children excited about programming!

This holiday season, it was the perfect time to check out the joy of coding with the Ozobot Starter Pack.

Including all the necessary tools to ignite the imaginations of children while inspiring and enticing them to play with Ozobot, we couldn't wait to open the Starter Pack (available in red or blue) box and take this tiny robot out to play.

Inside, we found four code-creating markers, two clear play surface sheets, two sheets of reusable Ozobot code stickers, a DIY blank customizable Ozobot skin and DIY skin sticker sheets, and a charging USB cable.

Have you ever looked at a robot and thought it was adorable? I haven't — until now!

I always appreciate products that don't require extended setup, installation, construction, charging or more before they are ready for use and Ozobot is exactly that!

I simply glanced over the Quick Start Guide and marveled at the sheer number of stickers, accessories and activities that were included in this set...

...and followed the 2-second instructions to calibrate our Ozobot to a large black dot (seen in the upper right of the above photo).

Then it was time to press the power button and set Ozobot loose to see it immediately start following any of the lines printed on the activity sheets. This cute little guy even changes the color of his lights to match whatever color line he is rolling along on!

While I was content to simply watch Ozobot zip back and forth along a variety of simple routes (what can I say? It's so cute to watch!), both Big Sister E and Little Sister B were more than eager to put their logic, programming, and reasoning skills to work to extend the experience even further.

We began by using the included markers to draw a variety of lines and designs, quickly realizing that Ozobot is easily customized just by changing the color, direction, and shape of the lines. The girls took one look at the Code Reference Sheet (showing which color combinations would cause Ozobot to do things such as speed up, slow down, spin around, etc.) and started drawing patterns and designs for him to follow!

At the same time, the ability to "dress" Ozobot in all sorts of ways with the various protective skins made everything even more enticing (and cute, may I add)!

Attractiveness aside, I love how simply playing with Ozobot led to the girls and I talking about how it can identify color and therefore the color sequences act as commands for it to follow. This little gadget truly makes it so that programming is not just for geeks, it's for everyone!

In the time since our Ozobot Starter Pack arrived, its appeal hasn't lessened one bit. The ability to do more simple or more complex activities with this one-inch robot has provided a huge range of opportunities for logic, critical thinking, problem solving, seeing how the idea for a sequence of commands can turn into a visual outcome, and much more.

Whether you are coming up with your own innovative paths for this enchanting robot to follow or are using the mission-based activities to figure out exactly what commands he needs to get from point A to point B...

...Ozobot can foster a love of technology for kids of all ages!

I can't even tell you all the fun that we have had with this amazing little piece of technology, so just take a peek at it in action in the great video that the company made to show it off!


To find out more about what Ozobot can do (there is a free app to extend the enrichment even further!), see why retailers and parents are in love with this award-winning robot, or simply to decided if Cool Blue or Lava Red would be a better choice for the child in your life to unwrap this holiday season, visit Ozobot.com and connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Ozobot Starter Pack is recommended for ages 6+ and retails for $49.99. It can be purchased from retailers such as Barnes and Noble and Toys "R" Us, on Amazon, and more.

Other than the Starter Pack I was sent from Ozobot in order to facilitate my review, I was not compensated or enticed to do this post in any way. This review is solely my honest opinion about this product.

Pick a Series, Grow a Reader with Scholastic Branches Books {Review & Giveaway}

Although I know that there was a time when my children couldn't walk or talk, I look at the big kids that they are today and find it extremely hard to remember. I had to feed them and change their diapers? These two? Really?

Along the same lines, I know that in previous years my kids spent a great deal of time simply flipping through pages in books and looking at the pictures. Books have always been an important, much-loved part of our household, but to try to look back to a time when my girls were only able to enjoy the illustrations seems nearly impossible.

These days, we read, read, read. New books, old favorites, ones that have been read hundreds of times and have to be held together with more and more tape... there's no comparison to getting lost in a good book.

However, while Big Sister E can happily dive right in to her chapter books, Little Sister B is in a stage where early readers are too easy while traditional chapter books are a little too complex. Why is there nothing in between?

Now there is, thanks to Scholastic and their unique new line of books specifically designed for newly independent readers that bridge the gap between leveled reader books and chapter books: Scholastic Branches.

I was in love with the concept of the Branches line of books as soon as I was introduced to it! What better way to help foster a love of reading in kids ages 5 to 8 by giving them the tools they need to become life-long readers?

Each Branches book includes easy-to-read text, simple plot lines, plenty of context cues, cliffhanger chapter endings, and purposeful illustrations (on every page!) that aid in reading comprehension. All of this works together to provide your child the feeling of being a successful reader — which bolsters their self-confidence and leads to an increased interest in reading.

At the same time, the Branches line is made up of 14 different book series. This encourages young readers to return to their favorite characters again and again to build reading stamina and even more confidence. Not to mention that there is something for every young reader no matter their interests and preferences — everything from humor to fantasy to spooky stories!

Truly, the entire Branches idea is to help children get a head-start on his or her reading career and I couldn't wait to see what Little Sister B would think of the first book from each of the Branches series.

These books are amazing!

Just as Scholastic had specified, the text is large and easy to read, the beautiful, eye-catching illustrations (some in color, some in black and white) are throughout, and the length is just right that younger readers won't get overwhelmed. Can I help it that I may have gotten caught up in the pages of a few of these myself?

As expected, Little Sister B couldn't be happier about having a collection of books that are perfectly at her level and she has excitedly read about friends, school, magic, adventure, and more within these pages. I'm even more thrilled that these are series books, as now she can select her favorites and continue on with such fun characters!

Did you know that 73% of kids believe that they would read more if they could find more books that they like? If you have a child in your life that is ready to make the leap from early readers but is not quite prepared for a traditional chapter book, you've got to check out Scholastic Branches, as the 14 different series (and counting!) delivers on providing plenty of choices that will grab their attention!

Find out much more about this incredible new line of books by visiting Scholastic.com/Branches and connecting with Scholastic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Plus, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to provide the budding reader in their life with some amazing new books to add to their collection as well, because...

One lucky person will receive four of the most popular Branches books* from Scholastic!

*Titles include: Owl Diaries: Eva’s Treetop Festival; Kung Pow Chicken: Let’s Get Cracking; Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive!; and Dragon Masters: Rise of the Earth Dragon.

Entry-Form

A big thank you to Scholastic for providing providing samples for me to review as well as books for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Action-Packed Kindergarten Prep with the LeapFrog Word Whammer {Review}

Although I may have originally resisted the acceptance of my kids' obsession with technology, I've been able to see firsthand the difference that it has made in their lives and all of the positives that go with it.

Do I want them to sit in front of a screen for 12 hours a day? Of course not. But do I want them to enjoy learning and want to play games that are educational as well as entertaining? Absolutely. 

Therefore, when I'm introduced to a gadget that is safe, entertaining, easy to use, designed with kids in mind, full of learning, and more, there is no doubt that kindergarten prep just got much more fun thanks to the Word Whammer from LeapFrog!

Known as a leader in education innovation throughout the world, LeapFrog's award-winning learning toys, interactive book and map experiences, reading systems, educational gaming handhelds and learning tablets are age-appropriate, trusted by parents, valued by teachers and loved by children.

And the addition of the Word Whammer to their already-impressive line of products is no exception! Instead of repetitive letter recognition, sounds, and early spelling, what child wouldn't rather get ready for kindergarten through action-packed games instead?

Keep an eye out for a review of the LeapPad Platinum and Imagicards coming soon!

It barely took more than removing the Word Whammer from the box before my girls were able to start playing!

The power switch is located conveniently at the top (and also includes two volume levels), while the handle on the right twists up and down for choosing between options and is pressed inwards to select.

I would rather LeapFrog have made a volume dial instead of the two settings, as the quieter option is still a little too loud for my liking.

Containing three games and five learning levels that adapt as children play (love that!), the Word Whammer gets kids excited about phonics skills as they spin, push and twist the handles to identify letters and build 100+ words.

The three learning games include:

Dragon's Rocket Ride — children blast Dragon's rocket into the correct answer.

Panda's Bumper Cars — children bump Panda's car into the correct answer.

Penguin's Tea Cup Twister — children twist Penguin's tea cup to select the correct answer.

The five levels of play on the Word Whammer are:

• Level 1 — Twist and turn the handle to identify letters, match upper and lowercase letters and pair letters with their sounds.

• Level 2 — Build words with spelling support. For example, find the letter "n" to complete the word "net."

• Level 3 — Identify the letter at the beginning, middle or end of a 3-letter word. For example, find the letter that begins the word "hat."

• Level 4 — Fill in the missing letter to complete a 3-letter word.

• Level 5 — Practice spelling more than 100 3-letter words such as "big" or "fox."

While both of my children are past the age that the Word Whammer would teach them any new skills, they have still had plenty of fun playing with it and especially get a kick out of the Super Speller Spin Machine bonus game.

This game appears at the end of the three main games, giving kids the ability to spin (and stop) the three dials to create 3-letter words. After the word and an image of the word is displayed...

...children then proceed to use the "tickets" they earned from the previous game to play the claw game to win their character a prize. My girls have had a great time giggling when they have won things like wigs, roller skates, party horns, and more for Dragon, Panda, and Penguin... and then get to see the animals show off their new items in a cute little parade!

Retailing for $19.99 from LeapFrog, in stores, on Amazon, and more, the LeapFrog Word Whammer is an affordable and innovative way for preschoolers to practice core learning skills in an upbeat, unique way. This device is recommended for children 4 and up, but I would suggest it for 3-5.

We have long loved LeapFrog and the way that their high quality toys and learning solutions provide entertainment as well as educational advancement, and the Word Whammer fits right in with the rest of their collection. Kids are able to gain important knowledge, laugh endlessly, practice their ABCs, improve their fine motor skills and much more!

Find out more about this and all of LeapFrog's great products by visiting LeapFrog.com and connecting with them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

As a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador, I receive products, promotional items and educational material to use and share as I see fit. However, any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.