Carlito C. Caterpillar’s MathHouse Game Cards {Review & Giveaway}

As a former math teacher, I am always excited to check out new math materials! So, of course, I agreed to review the Carlito C. Caterpillar’s MathHouse Game Card Set.

So, what exactly is the game card set? Well, I must admit that it is not quite what I had expected. In fact, it is better. I thought it was going to be a single game. However, it is a set of 40 games with 20 steps (2 games per step). Designed to provide a chance for parents to teach their kids math skills through fun and games while building relationships at the same time, the games and steps are divided into three stages: 

Stage 1: Quantity

“The 10 steps of Stage 1 immerse the learner in playful activities that enable a student to develop the necessary skills to imagine, to see, and to feel the numbers from 0 to 10, and, most importantly, to establish a strong math foundations.”

Stage 2: Numeration

“How Ten becomes 10 is a milestone in the learning of math. The numeration of our system of numbers as a decimal system is done with the aid of an abacus. The use of this c3pla tool addresses the visual and tactile ways in which children learn. Skip Counting is also included in Stage 2 because it is a form of enumeration.”

Stage 3: Operations

“If numbers are the materials of math, operations are the tools that utilize those materials. Operations are defined in the context of objects and actions with which children are familiar. Addition is simulated by gluing together two strips of graph paper. Subtraction is modeled by cutting them. Multiplication is taught by copying, duplicating. And Division is demonstrated by folding.”

The set contains

• 30 double-sided, full color, illustrated Game Cards
• Related editorial information explaining to parents The What, Why and How of Each Step
• Each 8" x 4" loose leaf card is printed on heavy card stock, lacquered to help protect from spills and ring bound to keep together and facilitate play

I had fun playing some of the games from the set with my 4 year olds. In the photo below we are working on quantities of numbers from 0 to 10. We matched the symbol, word and quantity of each.

Below I used one of the techniques/games from the set with my 7 year old to visually reinforce the concept of multiplication by showing that it is multiple duplications. This activity helped to reinforce the repetitive addition behind multiplication.

Here is a close-up of the card (and instructions) that we used.

FYI, many of the games require materials that you could easily make for yourself. However, you can also download many of the need materials for free! Both of the printables shown in the above photos are free downloads from the site. I slid the second one in a clear page protector so that it could be re-used!

While we have not played all of the games, I am certain that I will be adding many of the other Carlito C. Caterpillar’s MathHouse games to my lesson plans. I love it when my kids have fun learning! It is even better when they are so busy “playing” and having fun that they don’t even realize that they are learning!

You can purchase your own set of Carlito C. Caterpillar’s MathHouse game cards for $23.95 (includes free s&h).

If you would like more info, be sure to head over to the Carlito C.Caterpillar website or follow Carlito C. Caterpillar MathHouse Games on Facebook! 

Giveaway Info:

~Giveaway is Closed~

So, would you like to win a set of Carlito C. Caterpillar MathHouse Game Cards? I have the opportunity to give away a set to one of my readers! The first and mandatory entry is to leave a comment telling me one fun activity that you use to teach math to your child(ren) or students.

Optional (Additional) Entries: The following are additional ways that you can enter to win. However, you MUST complete the mandatory entry above. (Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!)

• Follow Mama Jenn via Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar on blog) AND/OR subscribe to Mama Jenn via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries) 
• Check out the Tips for Shaping Learning and leave a comment telling me one of the tips that you use with your children. (max 1 entry)
• Check out the Myths and Realities of Early Mathematical Learning and leave a comment telling me one myth or reality that you agree or disagree with! (max 1 entry)

The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, October 7th! Giveaway is for US residents only. Winners will be randomly selected and emailed. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way for me to contact you in case you win!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Crispy Pumpkin Treats

When I saw the Krispy Apple Treats (thanks to Pinterest), I immediately thought of pumpkins…so we made Crispy Pumpkin Treats!

I knew I could probably adapt the recipe to make pumpkins and yes, they were super easy to make and the kids LOVED them! I didn’t have all of the same ingredients on hand as those used in the apple recipe, but here is how we made our pumpkins!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of crispy rice cereal
• 1/2 package of large marshmallows
• 1.5 tbsp of butter
• 1 envelope of orange Kool Aid (I didn’t have orange Jello on hand.)
• large pretzel sticks (I didn’t have any Tootsie Roll candies.)
• baking spray
• wax paper
• white icing, optional
• red, yellow & green food coloring, optional

Directions:

1) Put the marshmallows and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave for an additional minute.

2) Remove the mixture from microwave and stir in the Kool-Aid. If it is not “orange enough” for you, you can add some red and yellow food coloring to enhance the color.

3) Add the crispy rice cereal and stir well. (We used Erewhon Whole Grain Crispy Brown Rice Cereal, but you could easily use regular Rice Krispies Cereal!)

4) Spray your hands with baking spray and roll the mixture into balls and place them on wax paper.

5) Break the pretzel sticks and use the icing and food coloring to make the “stems” green. I followed the same procedure as with our Edible Crayons! Dip the pretzels (or Tootsie Rolls) in the icing and allowed them to harden on wax paper.

6) Once the icing has hardened, stick the stems into the holes in the pumpkins. {In hindsight, I should have prepared the stems beforehand so that the kids would not have had to wait for them to harden before finishing their treats.}

Now that you are all done, ENJOY!

Looking for a little more pumpkin fun?

Check out some of our other pumpkin activities and snacks below:

• Pumpkin Lollipops
• Pumpkin Grid Game
• Mr. & Mrs. Pumpkin Heads
• Pumpkin Snowmen

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“This is the life!”

Just had to share! My boys were lounging on our bean bag chairs with a stack of books. I overhead one of them casually say, “This is the life!”

Apparently reading in our bean bag chairs is WAY MORE FUN than reading anywhere else! Gotta love it!!!

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Usborne Sticker Book Winner!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the giveaway to win the Usborne Getting Dressed Sticker Book! However, we only have one winner!

 

Congratulations Kelly! Be on the lookout for an email from me!

Don’t forget that you can still head over and purchase this adorable sticker book and much, much more from my Usborne eShow! Christmas will be here before you know it and good quality books always make great gifts that keep on giving! So, be sure to head on over and see what special gifts await the special little people in your life! The eShow ends at midnight on Friday, September 30, 2011.

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Theo DVD Winners!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered to win the giveaway for the Theo DVD! As promised we have TWO winners! Drum roll please…

 

and

Congratulations Ladies!

UPDATE: Due to the fact that I have not received a response from one of the winners, another winner has been selected. Congratulations to:

 

And for those of you who didn’t win, don’t forget that digital downloads of the episodes are available on the Theo website for only $4.99 each. Plus, the Theo DVD (which contains three episodes & bonus material) can be purchased directly from the Theo website for $14.99 or via Amazon. Remember, for every Theo DVD purchased, Whitestone Media will send a child in need their very own Theo DVD!

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Pumpkin Grid Game

With the first day of fall upon us, I have been working on some fun fall-themed grid games! First up is the Pumpkin Grid Game!

 

We usually play our Grid Games along with our Education Cubes and the coordinating insert cards. Using standard dice is possible with some of the games. However, we think it is much more fun with the Education Cubes! To play the first game, roll the cube and count the number of objects on the cube. Using counters of some sort, cover the same number of objects on the grid until it is full. Super simple, but my kids LOVE it! (Click here for information on the Pumpkin Counting insert cards.)

Helpful Hints: I prefer to slide the game into a page protector and use it on top of a magnetic cookie sheet. We use our puff ball magnets as counters to cover the grid. As an option, you could use dry erase markers and simply mark off the objects on the grid rather than using counters. Click here to see one of our grid games in action!

Download the Pumpkin Grid Games (and many others) Here!

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Nn for Nest! {MFW Kindergarten printables}

As much as I love the hands-on activities and crafts in our My Father’s World Kindergarten Curriculum, I was not very good about doing the Words to Remember badges with my daughter. So, I came up with something a little different for the boys. I created printable  art/copywork pages for them to work on their penmanship while creatively depicting the Words to Remember.

This is the Lesson 5: Nn Nest page from one of my older boy’s kindergarten school year. The boys cut some eggs from blue construction paper. Then we glued a bunch of brown yarn on the copywork page to make the nest. Afterwards, we glued the eggs “into” the nest. Cutting the ovals for the eggs was great practice with scissors and gluing all the yarn worked on those fine motor skills!

You can download the Words to Remember printables from my MFW Kindergarten Supplemental Printables page.

PLEASE NOTE: These copywork printables are only for students who are reading and writing easily. This type of copywork is not a regular part of My Father's World Kindergarten curriculum.

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Usborne Books eShow & Giveaway

Because I use My Father’s Word for our curriculum, I am VERY familiar with how awesome Usborne Books are! So, I was VERY excited when Jade Clark, Usborne Books & More Independent Consultant from www.HeyJadeBooks.com contacted me about reviewing some Usborne products AND hosting both an eShow and giveaway!

If you are not familiar with Usborne books, I would highly suggest that you take a look at all they have to offer! Just browsing through the Usborne catalog gets me all giddy inside! There are so many wonderful books to choose from! Can you tell that I am already starting to plan for Christmas gifts?!?!  {wink, wink}

Here are just a few of the Usborne books that we already own and love!

Now, thanks to Jade, we have added two more Usborne products to our family library! First, we received the super cute Getting Dressed Sticker Book!

My kids LOVED playing with this sticker book! Initially I just had my preschoolers in mind. However, ALL five of my kids begged to be able to use the sticker book! As my little boys dressed the dolls, we discussed what clothing was appropriate for each of the children. Then, they worked on  those fine motor skills by removing the stickers and dressing the dolls. I was surprised by how meticulous they were about getting the clothes on just right!

My little guys only wanted to dress the boys. So, my almost 8 year old daughter happily dressed all of the girls! I think begging would be a more appropriate word! She LOVED the sticker book…maybe even more than my little guys!

We also received the Addition Learning Wrap-ups. These provide a unique, hands-on, self-correcting way to work on addition facts!

My kids LOVE using these! They are a fun alternative to flash cards! You perform the addition problem and use the string to wrap around the key to match the correct answer.

Once you have completed all the addition problems on the key, you put the string in the bottom notch and flip it over to check your answers. The string should match up with the lines on the back.

I often find my boys relaxing on our bean bag chair with their Wrap-up in hand!

Needless to say, we love Usborne products and love adding them to our family library! Here are some other books that I have my eye on:

I think the Around the World Sticker Dolly Dressing would be a fun supplement to our world studies this year! After seeing how much she enjoyed the little boys sticker book, I just KNOW my daughter would L.O.V.E. this one! I think the Anna Hibiscus books would be a fun addition to our “Brown Like Me” Books and the Art Treasury would be a great way to add some art appreciate and projects to our studies! Oh, so many great books to choose from!

Now, on to the really fun parts! I am excited to be able to host BOTH a giveaway AND an eShow! First the giveaway…

Giveaway Info:

~Giveaway is Closed~

I am super excited to be able to giveaway a copy of the super cute Getting Dressed Sticker Book! Here are the entry details:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment letting me know what Usborne book/product you would be most interested in. You can visit my eShow to see some of the awesome Usborne books to choose from! (A purchase is not required to enter the giveaway.)

Optional (Additional) Entries: The following are additional ways that you can enter to win. However, you MUST complete the mandatory entry above. (Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!)

• Follow Mama Jenn via Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar on blog) AND/OR subscribe to Mama Jenn via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries)
• Sign up for Jade’s Usborne e-Newsletter and leave a comment letting me know that you did.
• Tweet or blog about the giveaway and leave a comment letting me know that you did. (max 2 entries) You can copy/paste/tweet this:

@MamaJennBlogs is hosting a giveaway for Usborne Getting Dressed Sticker Book. Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/oLkCai

The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, September 23rd! Giveaway is for US residents only. The winner will be randomly selected and emailed. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way for me to contact you in case you win!

Usborne eShow Info:

I am also thrilled to be able to host an Usborne eShow! Don’t forget that Christmas is right around the corner and books make great gifts!  Usborne has books for every age level and on basically any topic, so there's definitely something for everyone!

You are invited to an Usborne Books & More eShow to explore the world of Usborne and Kane Miller books. Usborne Books & More offers high-quality children’s books, games, activities, and more. We have books available for all ages, all reading levels and on just about any topic you can think of! From Touchy-Feely books for little ones all the way up through great fiction writing or beautifully illustrated encyclopedias for high schoolers and beyond! There is something in our catalog of over 1,500 products for everyone!

Purchases made through the links in this post during the month of September will help me earn free books! Yay! If you are interested in learning more, you can click here to find out about the income possibilities with Usborne, which is a home-based business with representatives all over the country! For even more info on this great career opportunity for stay-at-home moms, be sure to head over to the Facebook page for Jade Clark, Usborne Books & More Independent Consultant and let her know that I sent you!

Please Note: A purchase is not required to enter the giveaway.

Disclosure: I was provided with these products to review on my blog in exchange for providing my honest, unbiased opinion. The opinions are my own and they are not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

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Color Wheel Printables {Now on MamaJenn.com}

Just wanted to let you know that I have now updated ALL of the Color Wheel links within my blog!

Both color wheel printables are now available for download from my website, MamaJenn.com, on my Color Wheel Activities page. That means no more 4shared wait time! Yay!! Click here to see one of the color wheels in action!

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Mama's Mission of the Month {Sept Mid-month Reminder}

Alright, all you mama’s who are participating in Mama’s Mission of the Month for Septemberl, this is the September Mid-month reminder about the goals that we set for the month of September. With the month more than half-way over, I just wanted to check in to see how you all are doing!

As for me, I have been plugging away at ideas for my little guys (preschoolers). Basically I need some fun activities for them to work on during school time while I work with the older kids. So far, I have got some great ideas lined up, thanks to Pinterest! So, I am plugging right along with that! However, I still have not made the time to decide what we are going to do for our African American history studies. I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head, but have yet to bring them to fruition…

With that said how are you coming along with your September Mission of the Month? Feel free to leave a comment letting us know how your mission is going! {No, you don’t have to leave an update comment. And yes, you will still be able to write your complete Accomplished post and link it up at the end of the month. The update comment is simply a way of keeping you on track with completing the goals you have set for the month.}

If you have no clue what the Mama’s Mission of the Month is all about, it is basically a monthly blog carnival designed to help me {and you} follow through on some of the goals that we have set for the month! For more information or if you want to know how to join in next month, check out the intro post!

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THEO: Teaching Children God’s Word {Giveaway}

I love cute little children’s programs that direct and encourage kids in the ways of the Lord. So, of course I accepted the offer of reviewing the DVD, THEO: Teaching Children God’s Word from Whitestone Media.

About THEO: The DVD THEO is an animated series that guides children through Biblical truths. It is created by Mike Joens, who has produced and directed segments from both “McGee and Me” and “Adventures In Odyssey.” The main character, Theo, is an English theologian. He discusses sin, the character of God, salvation and godly living in a way that is easy-to-understand and causes children to want to learn more about the Christian faith. Bringing some humor to the DVD are mice, Belfry and Luther!

From the THEO website:

Theo Presents is designed to serve as a multi-media resource tool that will help men, women and children fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, to go into all the world and make disciples and to teach those disciples Godʼs Word. The multi-media outlets include a DVD series, curriculum, books and audio CD series. Each of these facets are designed to work with one another or individually. Theo was created to reach kids of all ages. The lessons and teachings of Theo can be used for Sunday school lessons, Christian school curriculum, missions, evangelism and homeschooling. The overall purpose of Theo Presents is to provide as many tools as possible to help present the Gospel to many kids and audiences around the world.

Our Thoughts: We received “Saving Faith” and “Good News” and were impressed with both! In fact, after opening the package, we watched both episodes twice! “Good News” explains and guides you through the steps of salvation. “Saving Faith” discusses the fact that without faith it is impossible to please God. During this episode, Theo goes to his bookshelf which is full of books and boxes. He pulls out a box labeled Abraham and begins to talk about Abraham’s faith and how he obeyed and followed where God led him. My daughter quickly noted that Jonah did the exact opposite of Abraham!

 

The only thing we didn’t like is that the episodes are short, ranging from 5 to 10 minutes each. We wanted more of Theo and his two, little friends!!! Perhaps this is part of the reason why we watched the episodes multiple times in one sitting. While we would have preferred longer shows, I can definitely see how the shorter episodes can be helpful for settings like Sunday School, VBS, or Children’s Church where you may not have a lot of time and need to get to the message of the story quickly!

I must admit that when I saw all the boxes on Theo’s bookshelf, I couldn’t help but wonder what other boxes he would take down and open and what other stories he will tell! Other episodes include: “Loving Obedience,” “Forgiveness,” and “The Armor of God.”

 

More Info: The THEO DVD (which contains three episodes & bonus material) can be purchased directly from the Theo website for $14.99 or via Amazon.

Digital downloads of the episodes are available on the Theo website for only $4.99 each. “Good News” (shown below) is available as a free download:

Theo - Good News from Theo Presents on Vimeo.

And, if that weren’t enough, there is also a curriculum available to coordinate with the episodes and free coloring pages! Plus, be sure to check out the free THEO app for your iPhone and/or iPad! You can also follow Theo on both Facebook and Twitter!

Giveaway Info:

~Giveaway is Closed~

So, would you like to win a THEO DVD? I have the awesome opportunity to give away not one, but TWO copies to my readers! How cool is that!?!?! The first and mandatory entry is to leave a comment telling me which THEO episode you are most interested in seeing.

Optional (Additional) Entries: The following are additional ways that you can enter to win. However, you MUST complete the mandatory entry above. (Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!)

• Follow Mama Jenn via Google Friend Connect (see right sidebar on blog) AND/OR subscribe to Mama Jenn via RSS and/or via email and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a comment for EACH follow or subscription. (max 3 entries)
• Follow @MamaJennBlogs on Twitter AND/OR @TheoPresents on Twitter and leave a comment letting me know that you do. Leave a separate comment for EACH follow. (max 2 entries)
• Tweet about the giveaway and leave a comment letting me know that you did. You can copy/paste/tweet this:

@MamaJennBlogs is hosting a giveaway for TWO @TheoPresents DVDs. Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/oNMQvl

The giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, September 23rd! Giveaway is for US residents only. Winners will be randomly selected and emailed. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry and a way for me to contact you in case you win!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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