Timberdoodle Review: Tenzi came and Card Deck

Here's another gift idea from Timberdoodle.com:

TENZI  is a fast paced tactile dice game that can be played with most ages. The TENZI Tube comes with 40 brightly colored dice, 10 each of 4 different colors (enough for 4 players). The most basic play is to roll 10 dice, with the ultimate goal of rolling ten of the same number (similar to rolling 5 of the same number in Yahtzee). It's nice to have a simple game which is good for beginners, and is great for amount/number recognition, but it doesn't stop there.

Included in the tube are rules for 6 or 7 more variations including TENZI tower ~ Stack your dice as you roll the number you're collecting, SPLITZI ~ Roll 2 sets of 5 different numbers, TIMED TENZI and more.

Once you've mastered those,  you can pick up 77 Ways to Play TENZI Game Cards to expand on the play. The cards include specific goals as well as patterns to roll and even some physical challenges (Stand on one foot while rolling the dice for example).

One of the things that I, as a mother, really appreciate is that it really can be a quick game (10 minutes?), for when you feel the need to break things up a bit in the school day, redirect a child, or fill somebody's love bucket with some fun attention, and my 9 year old enjoys playing and rolling all those dice!

TENZI is part of Timberdoodle's 2nd grade curriculum kit, which is a great age to begin playing TENZI, although it could be played with slightly younger children, and it is enjoyable for those who are older as well. Timberdoodle definitely seeks out interesting and fun educational toys to go along with their curriculum, and I value the inclusion of play in a curriculum package.

I think the combination of TENZI and 77 Ways to Play TENZI  would make a very nice gift on their own, or a really nice stocking stuffer for anyone aged 7+. It is very compact and portable, perfect to pack in a bag for family visits, road trips, and camping.

Blessings~

Timberdoodle review: Simbrix (What is that ???)

Here at ~ Acorns ~ Nuggets of Gold~ I am always on the lookout for unique gift ideas that are also educational in nature. Often I turn to one of my favorite Homeschool vendors, Timberdoodle, to see what they have found that is new, fun and edifying for the brain cells. ;)

This year, in looking at their 4th grade Curriculum Kit (Because youngest is in 4th grade...), I discovered a STEM item that I'd not seen before:
Introducing Simbrix Expert Kit, from Nottingham, England:

What exactly ARE Simbrix? They are a two dimensional pixelated art supply, most similar to fusible beads, but they don't fall off a peg board mid-design (Hurrah! So much less frustration!). In fact, there is NO peg board. The beads are square, instead of round, and lock together to create whatever design your child thinks up or wants to illustrate from their learning. While the designs won't be permanent unless ironed, they can hold up to moderate display ~

Simbrix can be used to focus on following directions and patterns, similar to following a cross-stitch pattern, for example, and are excellent for fine motor tactile skills.

They are also simply pleasing to the eye and hand, and can be used a'la sand-table style, to create multicolor designs simply by swirling the beads into a specific shape.

The Expert Kit includes a brightly printed canvas with two plastic bags of beads in bright and pastel colorways~ with 4000 beads in total, and 17 colors, the possibilities are only limited by imagination, and unlike fusible beads, creations can be taken apart, and the beads can be used to build something new. 

We had a Tardis and an 11th Dr. Minion

A Baseball field and American Flag (Sort of)

and some Flowers, for our first attempts

Younger children will be challenged simply by putting the pieces together. Older children (And perhaps adults) may be a little finicky, as the pieces definitely have a front (Smooth and shiny) and a back with little dots. In the close up of the Flag you can tell that the pieces were put together with disregard for front and back, but it doesn't really affect the final outcome for the one who put it together. 

Just as adults and teens can be drawn into coloring with a younger child, Simbrix offers the opportunity for many levels of "play" for all ages, and may be a creative tool that would be enjoyed in your home throughout the seasons. You never know what might end up being the stand-out, unexpected gift of the year (And they were carrying this item LONG before it was found at any of our local toy stores), but Timberdoodle has offered products in the past that have been just that at our house. Maybe Simbrix will fill that spot at YOUR house this year! :)

Blessings~

Critical Thinking Press~ Books for all ages

I have a few "The Critical Thinking Co."  books that I have enjoyed using with my children over the years, but as they have gotten older, there are some products I didn't own that I have wanted to examine in person. Timberdoodle graciously offered my choice of one The Critical Thinking Co. book for each child to use in exchange for an honest review. It was hard to choose, as Timberdoodle carries over 40 Critical Thinking Co. products. Read on to see what we ended up with and our thoughts.....

For my Eldest, we chose to use  Editor In Chief B.  (List price $16.99) I think our "Editing" skills have been a little neglected, and being busy (As most moms with 3 children, one of whom is a 3yo, usually are), I was very happy to have a product that includes an answer key! :) (Call me "lazy", I prefer "practical" :)

As opposed to the generic proofreading exercises in her spelling book, Editor in Chief has some great features that I am especially impressed with.

• Editing Checklist ~ which gives hints to help the student remember what to look for in their editing tasks.
• Answer Key that provides more than just the generic corrected  selection, but a list of the number and types of errors(so you can give hints, if your student is having a tough time finding everything), a paragraph with superscribed numbers showing the location of the errors, and a key explaining the errors with numbers referencing each item in the guide to grammar and usage (mentioned next), as well as a complete, corrected paragraph.
• Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation in the back of the book, which covers all the skills found in this book. I appreciate having this to fall back on, occasionally, when explaining why something is wrong. Each entry includes at least one or two examples to further help in instructing.