TOS Review: DIVE Imagination

 

 

I’m so excited to be telling you about this product. We struggle with Science.. not that we don’t like it. Just because for some reason, its hard to do sometimes. This year, we have been meeting with another family for science class. This has helped to keep me doing it often, and on track. Plus the kids have way more fun, when there is a few more people to do it with. This year we have touched upon so many subjects.

I’m sure you are asking yourself what is Dive Into Your Imagination. It was started by Anne Crawley. She started Dive Into Your Imagination to try and give the new generation a different view of the ocean.

 

 

Who Lives in the Sea, is one of three DVD’s offered by Anne Crawley. You can also find Dive into Diversity, and What makes a fish a fish. We were able to check out Who lives in the sea. On this DVD, you can learn about Dolphins, Sea Lions, Seals, Nudi Nudi Nudibranchs, Whale Sharks, and so much more. The DVD is only 45 Minutes long, and is broken into 8 sections. They are not super long, which makes them great for kids who don’t like to sit still. Yet, they still are pack full of information. They can be seen in English and Spanish. These DVD’s are geared towards children ages Pre-K and up. You are able to get PDF Educational Guides to go along with each DVD.

 

My thoughts:

First off I was super excited to watch this just cause I found the cover to be very catchy. Loved how bright and eye catching it was. Another plus for me, was that they are short clips, so if you have kids who are not fond of sitting still. My kids loved watching this DVD. They really enjoyed it, and they retained so much information. They are still telling people little facts they have learned. Another bonus was the amazing PDF Educational Guides. They are jam packed full of information and activities. They are also made for multiple age groups. Which for me is really helpful, since I teach 3 different grades. It is broken into 2 different groups, Pre-K and Kinder guide, and the 1st- 3rd grade. Some of the information you will find in this guide, is vocabulary, discussion questions, and book recommendations. As well as lots of activities, such as puzzles, math, and more! I also love that it gets the kids to use their imagination!!! Some of the answers to the questions I asked were great, and made us all laugh!

 

The Monkey’s Thoughts:

We really loved the DVD. I like all the cool pictures! I really learned a lot. They make the activities fun, and I really like doing them. I hope that my mom gets the rest of the DVD’s.

 

Price:

You can purchase these DVD’s for $19.95 each. The Educators Guide is a bit pricey (however, there is a lot of information in it) at $299 for all the guides for each DVD. Or you can purchase just one for $70. Right now if you purchase any one of the DVD’s and mention in the comments that you homeschool, and would like to have a PDF version of the Educators Guide. Anne Crawley will send it to you free!!!  *** Important*** Don’t order the guides from the annecrawley website.

 

Want to see what the rest of the TOS Crew thinks??!

 

* Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Who Lives in the Sea, and an Educator Guide as part of the TOS Crew in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% mine or my monkeys!

Leap Frog “Learn, Create, & Share” Party

 

 

I’m a bit behind getting this up, but things have been so crazy around here. As I’m sure you all understand. We were so blessed to be able to host a Leap Frog “Learn, Create, & Share” party, from Leap Frog and MomSelect.

My kids were so excited it was so hard to keep them out of the box, until closer to the party date. We decided to do it the same day as Middle Monkey’s Birthday party, since we had all kinds of little kids here. What more of a perfect opportunity!

 

This party was to introduce the Leap Pad. Which is one of Leap Frog’s newest products. It was designed to help detour children away from mom and dad’s Ipad’s. They tried to make it as similar to what appeals to them from the IPad, but kid friendly. Here is a list of things that the Leap Pad has to offer.

• Designed for Ages 4-9 years old
  
• Has a Camera it can take up to 30,000 photo’s  & Video with up to 120 Mins
  
• You can choose from over 100 Cartridges games, Apps, Digital Books, Video’s, and Flash Cards.
  
• Touch Screen
  
• Adjustable Skill Levels

That makes for lots of hours of fun! My kids have loved using it, and finding the various features. One of their favorite things to do, is make the Story Book of Me. Which allows them to make a book about themselves, imputing photo’s and video’s.

Here are the Technical Spec’s:

• Touch Screen: 5 inches, 480x272 pixel resolution

• Camera: 640x480 resolution capability

• Video Recorder: 320x240 resolution capability

• Input Controls: D-pad, touch screen, embedded microphone, camera, motion sensor

• Connectors: Cartridge slot, AC adapter, audio jack, USB connector

• Battery Requirements: 4 AA batteries (not included)

• Battery Life: Approximately 8+ hours

• On-board Memory: 2 GB

 

Another product we got to try out was the Tag system. This is a little handheld pen like object, that kids can drag over Tag books, and it will read the words. Helping younger kids to learn how to read. As well as interactive information, games, and activities.

 

 

 

The Tag also has maps that you can use with it. We got the World Interactive Map. Which was an awesome asset to our schoolroom. It has lots of facts, to share. Plus, it has some great games to go along with it. Our favorite one is the timed, find the country game. We like to race each other and see who can get the highest score. So far Monkey Man, is beating us all! Now we can’t wait to get the Us Map. To see how fast we can learn facts, and placement of the states!

What the Leap Frog Tag offers:

• Fun
  
• 40+ Interactive Books to choose from
  
• Winner of 55+ Awards Worldwide
  
• Easy Audio Download
  
• No Cartridges to lose
  
• Builds Confidence
  
• Builds Independence
  
• Parents can monitor child’s learning
  

Tag Product Details:

 

• Batteries: Requires 2 AAA batteries (Batteries not included).

• Product Dimensions: 5.0 x 1.0 x 1.0 inches

• Package Dimensions: 11.0 x 2.5 x 10.6 inches

• Package Weight: 1.80 lbs

My youngest daughter really loves the books, and finds them to be very entertaining. I have seen her vocab increase since starting to use them.

The kids are the party had a blast playing with these and exploring everything they could do with them. I think that both of these products are great, and can be very useful for any child to increase they’re learning potential.

 

*We were given these products for free, in exchange for throwing a party, and sharing our experiences by Leap Frog & MomSelect. All opinions are 100% my own, or my monkey’s.

 

Maine Maple Sunday

 

 

 

is here again. We love to go out and visit the various Sap Houses on this day. The kids love to get the treats, and well; ok so do I!!!

We started our morning off going to a local pancake breakfast in support of the Snowmobile Club. It was a fantastic breakfast, and we were good and full to start our day.

This year we stopped at 3 different Sap Houses. We sampled ice cream with maple syrup on it. (that was the kids favorite of the day) Some maple cookies, maple cream, and some maple candy. We are on a sugar high now!

Here are some picture’s from our day!

 

Maple candy (in snow)

 

Ice Cream with Maple Syrup on it! Yum!!!

A pretty horse!