Snazzy Baby i-Mat Giveaway Winner

It's with much excitement that I announce the winner of the i-Mat Giveaway! 

Melissa has been a long time follower and supporter of Learning that's Fun, so although the winners are drawn randomly by the Rafflecopter App I'm so glad that a loyal friend has been selected to win.

Melissa also happens to be a blogger, who writes about the adventures she has as a Mum and Wife with her two little people. You might like to check out her website at http://www.twolittlehumansandme.com/ or follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TwoLittleHumansAndMe.

Also an opportunity for me to thank Cyndy from Snazzy Baby who provided Learning that's Fun with this fantastic opportunity to grow our community and offer such a wonderful gift to our audience. The i-Mat really is a wonderful educational and fun learning toy to have in your home. I remember as a kid we had a set of books with a similar pen, and it would buzz if you selected the right answer to the questions. Those books were some of our most treasured toys and got LOADS of use years.

I can't wait to see what new mat sets they bring out. And will definitely be adding more to my collection.

To purchase your own i-Mat head to the Snazzy Baby website at http://www.snazzybaby.com.au. You'll also find a great range of other baby products.

Runners Amanda G and Chelsea T, please get in contact with us to claim your Learning that's Fun book pack.

Happy Learning! 

Buy Learning that's Fun here. 

Mason reviews the Award Winning i-Mat PLUS your chance to Win!

As soon as I opened the door Mason came running to see "What's this" as he yelled and pointed excitedly. For a little man who doesn't talk much he certainly made that clear! He was captivated before we even unpacked the box, and we are talking about a little fella who's attention is hard to grab!

So once he popped on some pants we unpacked the box from Snazzy Baby and set about putting the i-Mat together, pre-loaded with a recorded message on the pen from Aunty Lou. His little eyes lit up as if to say, WOW How Cool! 

Within about 2 minutes Mason completely had the hang of the iMat. Touch the pen on this and it says a word, touch this one to turn it on and off, and this one makes it louder. (He likes it loud). So luckily there's a headphone jack in the pen so Mummy doesn't have to listen to the sound of the Moo Cow all day long! The only tricky bit we found was trying not to press the Voice Record button constantly...his boisterous grip is a bit rough. But being such a big solid easy grip pen makes it great to control and touch the right spots on the mat.

But I was blown away by how stimulating it was, how quickly he picked it up, and how well it actually held his attention. So we all sat and played for a while. Even Nanny and Pa got in on the action for a bit of a giggle. "Ooooh how do they say Kangaroo in Spanish?" And asking lots of questions, like how much does it cost, can you get more mats to extend it and many ooohs and ahhhs. I think I could see Christmas Shopping ticking through their minds already! Turned out to also be a good spot to sit for a snack and then lay under for a quick nap. Boys huh!

Needless to say Mason was pretty rapt in the iMat, I was very impressed with it, and Nanny & Pa were certainly very entertained and commenting on all the educational benefits their grandies could get out of it. We might need to stock up on some more pens though!

It's little surprise that the iMAT has won numerous awards overseas and here in Australia. I know Mother & Baby Magazine wouldn't take their awards lightly. The i-Mat is educational, introducing kids to new words in verbal and written form and also working on those fine motor skills and learning universal controls such as on/off, volume and record. But our number 1 rule here is that it has to be fun, and I can't tell you the last time I had so much fun with a kids toy. I can't wait to see what mats they bring out next so we can add to the collection. 

i-Mat Features 

Includes:

• 4 soft padded interactive play mats - puzzle style interlocking

• 1 voice pen - large grip for toddler hands

• USB Cable - for use as new mats are released

Features:

• Bright colourful pictures with name bubbles (visual & written cues)

• Point the voice pen to hear the names of the animals & landscape

• 3 languages - English, Spanish & Chinese

• World Wide animals - giraffe to kangaroo, penguin to beaver

• Volume Control

• 2 Games - where is the animal & which animal makes the sound

• Voice recording function in pen

• Head phone jack in pen

• USB connection in pen - to download additional sounds & games as new mats are released

i-Mat & Voice Pen RRP $109.95
Voice Pen RRP $59.95

Purchase yours from http://www.snazzybaby.com.au

i-Mat Giveaway from Snazzy Baby

Thanks to our friends at Snazzy Baby, we are giving away an i-Mat to one of our lucky readers!

Valued at $109.95 this is the BIGGEST giveaway we've EVER had at Learning that's Fun! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Learning that's Fun Photo a Day Challenge

Hello Blossoms.

 I'm going on holidays for a week, and thought I'd leave you with a bit of a Learning that's Fun challenge.

A bit of fun and creativity for you and the kids to join in.

What to do

• Grab your camera or  phone and take a snap a day for 1 week
• Use the daily prompts to give you ideas related to "learning that's fun"
• Be as obvious or as crazy creative as you want 
• Do 1 photo per day. Do 7 at the end. Use old snaps or new ones. Up to you! 

Where to post the pics

• Join the Facebook Event and post them to the wall
• Post them straight on our Facebook Page
• Post to Twitter or Instagram using #LTFphotoaday
• Post them on your blog & send us link

How to remember

• Import the iCalendar for smartphone or google account
• Join the Email list for a daily reminder
• Facebook Updates - hover over the "liked" button on our page and make sure "show in news feed" is ticked.
• Twitter Updates - follow us @blossomconnect

Can't wait to get home and see what fabulous ideas you've posted up! I'll share my favourites on our Pinterest boards. Tell your friends and get them on it too. A challenge to them!

START TOMORROW - Monday 4th November

Until then. Happy Snapping!

5 Tips for an Educational Wonderland Party

Kids parties are always a tonne of fun, and often a little stressful! You might have seen a few days ago I wrote a guest post for another website about spicing up your children's birthday parties with an educational twist. So I thought I'd share a little more party cheer on Learning that's Fun.

I wrote about 5 easy ways to sneak in some learning benefits and practice some of the skills the kids have been learning at school in a practical way that keeps them interested while getting your party organised.

Here's a snippet.

1. Get Organised - during the planning stages, what activities can you get the kids involved in? They can practice their hand writing, their computer skills, getting creative and even a bit of maths if you've got a budget.

2. Choose a Theme - Opt for an educational spin on your themes. Think books, professions, art & craft, sports and science.

3. Party Games - Make up games that challenge, stretch and test the mind. Quizzes, mazes, challenges and competitions.

4. Feed the Brain - Healthy, doesn't mean boring! But it's a great chance to get creative with the kids trying to think up new recipes and healthier snacks.

5. Gift of Learning - Think about the learning benefits of a gift when you're making a purchase for a friend. Or rethink the idea of Goodie Bags and replace the junk & lollies with a single thank you gift for guests that's meaningful and useful.

To get the full Educational Wonderland eBook click here to sign up to the Learning that's Fun Newsletter. We'll send the link straight your inbox.

Happy Learning!

Party Fun for Little Ones: Make your Party an Educational Wonderland!

Last week I had the great pleasure of writing a guest post for Whats on 4 Kids. I love their websites, they have everything for Kids in Australia pulled into one source. 

Party Fun for Little Ones: Make your Party an Educational Wonderland!

Drop by and share the link or leave a comment on their blog. 

When you're done, click here to sign up for the Learning that's Fun Newsletter & download the new copy of our eBook on the party theme ;) 

a-MAZE-ing Kids

I've yet to meet a family who didn't have kids that were polar opposites of each other. One is an avid reader, does really well at school and just gets it. The other doesn't get it, takes a lot longer to learn and grasp the ideas than the others and reading is like a chore, rather than a pleasure.

This is life, everyone is different, we all learn at our own pace and in our own ways. And frankly, some people just don't like reading for pleasure...it's not fun for them. Weird I know!

Image courtesy of Surachai / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I won't jump on my high horse today and ramble on about the importance of NOT comparing them, and making sure you don't call them names that reflect their ability, or inability. Don't refer to them as the one who's good at school and the one who's not good at school.

But I will focus on reinforcing what they are good at instead! And some activities that those who aren't so great in the classroom might really enjoy. And I mean REALLY enjoy!

Mazes, puzzles and games!

There's all the talk out there about left-brain, right-brain, creatives and intellectuals and frankly I struggle to remember which is which. But for those kids who are more tactile learners, who really find visual and hands on activities more engaging, mazes, puzzles and games can be a brilliant way to educate while having fun.

Mazes

Come in all shapes and sizes. Paper ones, 3D real life ones you can walk through, mirror mazes at the circus, trying to find your way through a shopping centre, directing your family trip through a new town on a map. They are everywhere. But they really encourage problem solving, thinking ahead and quick response.

Puzzles

Again, come in all shapes and sizes, pictures, photographs, getting the ball in the hole, the shape in the right section, rubik's cube, moving pieces to pull apart, lego, building blocks, beading to make patterns, cross stitch...all require putting pieces together to make something. Some have readable instructions, others are mind benders, but they are all stretching the imagination and encouraging those little brains to get stimulated.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Games

So games is a bit generic, but think Board Games like scrabble, pictionary, trivial pursuit, operation, uno, bingo, snakes & ladders, tic tac toe, connect 4, battleship...all those games you used to love! And then think family games you can play together like charades, hang-man, celebrity heads. All of these games have elements on learning in them, but are more engaging than sitting reading the times table chart or memorising spelling words. They have elements of reading, increasing vocabulary, numbers and maths, counting, spelling and general life skills like competition and sportsmanship.

So when you're out getting books for your little bookworms, be sure to grab some puzzles, games and mazes for your little creative mind too, or look for them in the papers or magazines, borrow from a friend. Start a game / toy swap with your close knit friends so you've always got new games and puzzles to play with the kids but don't have to spend a cent! Christmas is coming soon too, so keep them in mind for presents!

The quality family time, plus the added learning might just be the key to see your little bud really blossom.

Happy Learning!

P.S. Did you know we've got a few other posts about board games, and other fun learning ideas? Sign up to the email list here to get your regular dose of Learning that's Fun.

Finals Fever

Here in Australia it's that time of year again! The AFL and NRL finals are upon us and football fever is going nuts in the media. But for many of us, we just don't care that much. I mean I do enjoy a good barbeque or friendly get together on Grand Final day, but the fever is lost on many families who just aren't that into it.

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

I ask you this though, do any of your kids really love football? Or just sports in general? Do they madly follow a team or really want to be a superstar themselves one day? Maybe they just like to kick a ball around the yard in their free time.

If that's your child, for the next couple of weeks I'm asking you to embrace it. Even if you don't love the games yourself. Take a step back and have a look at the value in following the sport? A dream to follow, a role model to look up to. And THEN, look deeper for the educational values in following a sport. They might be hard to find at first, but I promise you they are there!

If you really can't see them, I'll make it easy for you and list some of them here :)

Image courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Reading: Even if it bores you to tears! Get them to read to you. Especially out loud.

• Read newspaper articles on their favourite team or players
• Read the team names from the ladder board
• Read the statistical guides in the paper
• Grab a copy of the latest magazines on the sport and read articles from it
• Even reading the player names listed in the teams is a great exercise. I spent years thinking my friend's name (Maher) was pronounced MAY-HER, when it was really just MAR.
• It's Christmas coming up soon, get them a book on the sport or their favourite players to read 

Image courtesy of cooldesign / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Maths: Nobody likes maths right? WRONG! Sport lovers LOVE maths. They just don't know it! 

• Keeping score is maths, especially if you follow the AFL. One goal is 6 points, and a "behind" is 1 point. Keeping track of that is hard in anybody's language, so it's brilliant for working on your 6 times tables.
• All those player statistics in the newspaper and magazines that you skip over to look at the pictures? They are maths. The odds, the possessions, the scores, the number of games, injuries, all those numbers are maths! 
• Player of Year Awards are even maths. I don't know what they call it in NRL, but in the AFL it's "Brownlow Medal Night". Sitting and watching those officials read out the votes for every match in every round can be as boring as watching paint dry. But keeping a track of the vote counts, and working out how many votes a player needs to get, and how many rounds they have left is a great way of working out who's going to win before they get to the end. So for one night a year, let them stay up late and watch, and encourage gently to work out those numbers. 
• You could even sign them up for one of those Super Manager games online? Coaching is a great way to start looking at numbers in sport.
• Or open up the computer or download a free app on the phone/tablet and do start making charts from the stats in the paper. You can do some really cool looking charts and graphs with the templates in those programs now.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER HERE!!!
DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT tell them you are encouraging all these things for educational value! If they even sniff a whiff of school type stuff here, they will bolt like horses! You can't force this kind of stuff, but you can be open minded to it :)

General Life Skills

Then there's the general stuff that kids can learn from following sports. They learn to watch how teams "play" together, analyse the on-field and off-field behaviour, morals and ethics, look up to people they admire and want to follow in the footsteps of.

Footy Finals Fever is a special time of year for some, and the bane of others' existence, but if you have a little one in the family who loves it, don't put a downer on it. Embrace the learning benefits and get caught up in the moment of seeing your kids excited and happy :)

Happy Learning!

Before I forget...if you like this article, sign up here for more Learning that's Fun ideas straight to your inbox. Opt out if you don't like it. No spam, Promise! And I'll never share your email with anyone. It's free, so why not. Saves you time searching for ideas :)

Flies, honey and a soccer ball

With the smell of deep heat lingering in the air, a few interruptions about which uniforms to wear and a bit of anticipation about the upcoming match I spent some time with my brother Michael, coach of the Vikings FC playing their first season at state level. Never being much into sport myself, I wanted his insight into the links between learning and playing sports.

After a few sibbling banters about my small stature and his filthy shoes, and quick chat about his knowledge of finance and background in business - of which I know nothing and desperately need to pick his brain to help get Blossom Connect up & running, we got into the questions...

How long have you played sports and what were your favourites? 

For as long as I can remember I've played sports. At school I played anything, cricket, footy, soccer, bat tennis (he says, don't put that one in and laughs, so I put it in, what is Bat Tennis anyway?). Even if there wasn't a game or a ball I would just make up games. I used to kick my brother's teddy bear up and down the hallway, and in high school we used to kick around a coke bottle, and then upgraded to a tennis ball. (I remember the teddy incidents....not pretty. Poor Bed Ted.). It just goes to show that getting involved in sports and playing games doesn't have to be expensive, just make up your own and use what you've got at your disposal. 

But it wasn't until I was about 9 that I started to get into competitive team sports. I started out with cricket, and I just loved it. By the time I was about 12 I started to get better at soccer and eventually made the switch. 

What do you love about playing sport?
Winning. Or more to the point, the celebration of winning. There is just nothing better than celebrating a success with a group of people who were there with you, sharing the emotion and being part of the same events. Celebration in individual sports is so different when you're on a team. But it's not always about winning, it's about celebrating the success you have and gaining confidence, even if it's just celebrating a goal or making a great pass. It's almost back to Maslow's basic human needs, food, shelter and a sense of belonging, being part of a tribe. 

As a senior coach, what are the most important lessons you've learnt?
It's really horses for courses. Everyone is different, personality wise, ability wise, and you just can't treat all team members the same. You have to be flexible and work to their needs. It's also a case of winning more flies with honey than with glue. If you coach through fear and dictation you might get what you want, but nothing more. But if you coach with encouragement, support and belief in your team's ability they will have trust and faith in you and will have the opportunity to succeed and exceed. I also coach juniors and it's really about getting the balance right in terms of development. You will have early and late developers and you will have different abilities, but you can't limit the opportunity for the talented for the sake of playing time for those with less ability. Kids know when you're underestimating them or patronising them. Is it more damaging to let the less talented think they are great and lose the game, or to encourage them to find areas where they are better and can exceed? 

What values do you think kids can learn from sport?
Responsibility and commitment. Just like when you go to work or school, you can't turn up late, you can't wag a day and expect to take the test the next day. If you don't put in the effort at training, you can't just expect to get a game. It's about the good of the team and just because it's not professional level, doesn't mean you shouldn't have professional standards. But as coaches, we get to know our players, and we know when there's a disadvantage or hardship going on, and we can work with those kids on an individual level to help get them to game day. In our senior teams we have 5 or 6 police officers, and they will be the first to tell you that the kids they pick up for crimes in Ballarat have no role models and aren't involved in team sports. When you work in a team you learn to tolerate others, even if you might not like them, and you learn how to make the best of a situation, and not over-react to situations. 

Do you see any links between sport and academics?
Yes. Sport can be a substitute for academics. For some kids, school is just not for them, the classroom terrifies them and they don't want to be ridiculed for their lack of ability in class. But when they get out on the field, their mind goes into overdrive and they just open up and take it in their stride. Those are the kids who will learn just as much on the playing field as they ever will in the classroom, and it's beautiful to see. It gives them confidence, and they know they are great. For some kids it could be a great way to expend that extra energy and release the adrenalin that they run on, so then they can take that calm time to concentrate on their work. 

How could sports help kids with their school work?
Sport is ALL about maths. It's about statistics and counting everything. If footy is your thing, you should be an ace at counting by sixes (one goal = six points) so if a team wins by 120 points, how many goals is that? Same if it's cricket looking at 4s and 6s. In soccer it's all about possessions. Play computer games like Football Manager or AFL Dream Team. Read about the team player stats and match results in the sports guides and magazines. 

And for the teachers out there...I don't know a single boy in my class who enjoyed writing a book report. But if you'd asked us to watch a game of sport, then write a full report on it, we would've excelled I'm sure! It's about getting the kids genuinely interested in the content. A boring romance between Romeo & Juliet is not nearly as exciting as the passion felt in the AFL dramas going on. When it comes to sport, I don't need a script, I can just talk and be confident in my knowledge. 

What are your top 3 tips for parents looking for a sports club for their child?

1. Do your research. Don't choose the closest club to you. Find one that meets your child's needs now and into the future. Are they talented and want to go onto higher levels? Or are they just happy to have a crack? 

2. If your kids have a friend or 2 already in the club take that into consideration. Just like school, clubs have cliques. It's very hard to get into a new team and make new friends if you have nothing in common and don't know anyone. But beware of advice from people who are actually involved in the clubs. You will often get biased opinions that are perceptions, not reality. 

3. Even if you think you can't afford it, go along and give it a go anyway. Talk to the club's administrators who will go out of their way 110% to try and help you get into the game. Payment plans, discounts or other arrangements are always possible in local clubs. Clubs know how important it is for kids to get involved in sports and they don't want to disadvantage or exclude anybody. 

So the clock ticks over and it's time to head out into the rooms and give the team a bit of a rev up and get ready for the game. In my eyes cricket may be the most boring sport in the world, but in Michael's eyes it glistens. He was right, he could just talk and talk about sport, about soccer and helping young kids. You can see it in his manner that once he relaxes into it, he's got ideas firing left, right and centre. He even gets animated when he talks about the numbers involved. Maths. It's just not my thing. He really does live and breathe the game though. I once asked him what he would do in his spare time if he had all the money in the world. And he said "I would think up better ways to win games and then I'd get all the kids involved in it". I think someone knows their passion in life.

Do your kids play team sports? Or do you think they would like to? What are the challenges for you as a parent getting your kids into sports?

If you'd like a copy of my book "Learning that's Fun" click here to order. Just $12 plus $5 postage to anywhere in Australia.

Happy Learning!

Guess what's behind my back?

What began as a simple show & tell about his souvenir flag soon turned into a good couple hours of guessing what my best friend's little boy had behind his back. While we were waiting he came to show me the flag he'd been given at the ANZAC Day parade that morning.

Him: Guess what's behind my back?
Me: Ummmmm, is a pirate hat?
Him: Nooooo, don't be silly.
Me: OK. Is it a peanut?
Him: Nooooo (laughing).
Me: Is it big or little?
Him: It's kind of big.
Me: So is it a dinosaur?
Him: Noooo, not THAT big.
Me: Is it an ant?
Him: Noooo, not that little. In between.
Me: Is it an animal?
Him: No, it's something.
Me: What colour is it?
Him: It's blue, with white and red. And it has stars.
Me: Ohhhhhh, I know. It's the American Flag!
Him: YES! How did you guess?
Me: Just clever I guess. (laughing).
Me: Oh but wait, that's not the American Flag. That's the Australian Flag. You know, we live in Australia, and America has a flag too, but it's different.
Him: Oh. Like my Foo Fighters Flag.
Me: (hilarious laughter at a 4 year old). Yes, just like that!

So next thing I know, he's back with something else behind his back! Then 3 things. Then 5 things. Then a tin (oh sorry, a suitcase) full of things!

An hour or two later I've managed to guess a tiger, a pig, a car, Lighting McQueen, a ring, a police in the shape of a police helmet, a flute made out of straws at kinder, an elephant from Thailand and a whole bunch of things I can't even remember, and some that I even had to cheat and guess thanks to Google on my smart phone.

But while we were having fun, mucking about, having a laugh, we were learning!

Learning new words, learning to describe things without saying what it is, learning beginning and rhyming sounds (what does it sound like.....it starts with aaaallllll....alex the lion!), learning colours & shades, big & small, what things feel like, what they sound like, what they can & can't do. Learning about animals, countries and cities. Learning to think laterally and be creative and learning to communicate.

WOW! Who would've thought you could learn so much from a simple made up kids game?

So next time you do something fun that the kids enjoy, and they keep coming back, and back, and back....before you get tired of the game, have a quick think about what they could be learning from this and keep it going while you've got the chance.

Happy Learning!

Come say Hi to us over at Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram for lots more fun games and activities.

My Top 4 Educational Sites

Over the weekend I had a concerned Mum asking me where to start with her teenage son who has managed to slip through the cracks of the school system and is still struggling with his reading. His younger siblings are starting to pass him academically and his self-confidence is really low. The obvious suggestions that came to mind were private tutoring or talking to his school to see what support services can be accessed.

But being on a budget and looking for something that could be started immediately, these suggestions weren’t really suitable. So we began talking about some online options that are free or less expensive than tutoring, that could be started today and added to his daily routine. So I thought I would share them with you. There are hundreds of educational sites out there, but these are a few that I have used and think are great value.

Literacy Planet

The best thing about this site is that it’s free. But it’s great fun. The kids can sign up for an account which you can also access as a parent, they can make their own avatar and when they complete lessons they can earn points to purchase items for their avatar such as extra clothing and accessories. It’s bright and colourful and a lot of fun.  

Future School

Future School is designed around the Australian curriculum and has lessons in a variety of subjects. You pay subscription fees for each subject area for 6 & 12 month memberships and also get discounted rates when you sign up siblings. It has a great parent access point too, so you can get great progress reports.

The Ten Minute Tutor

This site uses a variety of delivery methods to really engage your kids. It is primarily aimed at children with dyslexia and related learning difficulties, but the principles and the learning style will suit lots of children, particularly those who prefer a more hands on approach. For a monthly subscription fee that is less than a 1 hour tutoring session, dedicating 10 minutes a day a few days a week will really help improve your child’s learning.

Reading Eggs

Reading Eggs is a great fun interactive game site from ABC. It’s bold and colourful and can be accessed on the web and a number of iPad / iPhone or Android apps can be downloaded for specific needs. The fees vary depending on what you want to use, but the apps give learning that hands on approach that is often lost when staring at a text book or a worksheet.

So head along to some of those sites and see which one you think will suit your children best, and remember that private tutoring can be really expensive, and although some of these sites require you to pay for a membership, the money could be well worth it. And when you think about it, they really need to generate some income so they can pay professionals to continue to update their sites and design good solid content for your kids.

If the kids are using the computer and the internet, and you tell them it’s a game and they can only have X minutes per day, they will be begging for more time! What better way to get them learning than having fun?

Happy Learning! Be sure to leave a comment and tell us about any other sites your kids love to learn from!

For more ideas like this one on how to make learning fun. Check out my eBook Learning that's Fun.



Books with Benefits!

If you're a book worm like me, you will already have that inate sense of value that books bring. They are like rectangular treasures filling your world, piling up in corners of your rooms and spending money on books is as necessary as buying milk or bread.

But for many people, they just don't feel the same way. Strange to say, but there are lots of families out there who really don't own many books at all, and just don't find reading an enjoyable past time. Now there's nothing wrong with this at all, we are all different and people find joy and interest in various activities and past-times...if we were all the same the world would be a pretty boring place.

However, reading is a really important part of life, especially for our kids. The skill of reading benefits us in all walks of life, being able to read instructions, read contracts, read letters, read forms and understand how our world operates. Reading comes naturally to some people, but others struggle to grasp the concepts and take more time to learn, which can hinder their development in other areas.

So encourage kids to read books from an early age can be a really easy way for parents to instill a love of reading in their children, even before they head off to school. Great books can be found all around us, in libraries, at friend and family places, in discount stores, book shops, on the internet and now with the increase in eBooks you can even read and view them on your computer or eReader for the kids who are so technologically minded.

The one thing I like to remind people, is that books can be SO MUCH MORE than "just books". There are books you can hear, books you can feel, books you can smell, books you can write in, books you can relate to, books you can act out, books that come with toys and so much more.

Here are 5 of my favourites from the bookshelf at home. Books that are more than just books and make reading time fun!

FAIRYOPOLIS - is a beautiful big book for late primary age through to adulthood. This is MY book and it's just magnificent. With all the gorgeous illustrations, little scrapbook type items you can touch and take out to inspect it gives you a sense of discovering the world of fairies. With such a fabulous cover this a treasured item on my shelf.

DANCING QUEEN - part of the Australian "Go Girl" series; I love these books! Aimed at the "tween" age group they are an introduction to chapter books that are easy to read, and easy to relate to. The characters in this series experience the same things as the reader, this particular one relates to self esteem, fitting in, making new friends and being self conscious. I picked these up at a second hand store and have loved each one of them. I believe there is a new set out more recently.

THE JOLLY POSTMAN - an aboslute classic! This was the anniversary edition of the Christmas Postman, but it is just the most fabulous interactive book! Through the journey of mail delivery you get to experience the goings on of each residence along the way. Opening the letters, reading the christmas cards, even a small puzzle to complete. I loved this book as a kid; it was one of the most popular books in our school library and you would have to wait months to borrow it! Still a must have for primary aged kids.

THIS DINOSAUR IS SO BIG - for pre-school aged boys, this book is brilliant! It has big bold colourful pictures, is about dinosaurs and has magnetic pages and magnets to stick on! Every time you read this it is different depending on where you place the magnets! "This dinosaur is so big it can eat a CAR/HOUSE/PLANE/TREE for breakfast!" It's got great repetition to remember the words, goregous illustrations and is just a whole lot of fun!

WRITE & WIPE - again for the younger kiddies, I love these books. The pictures are bold and colourful, the words are simple and repetitive but with the added bonus of a board marker they can learn to write the letters as well as recognise them. They can trace pictures and refine their writing skills....just be sure to keep these ones away from fabric furniture!

So next time you are looking for a gift, or wondering what you can do to encourage your young ones to read think about a book...but think about a "book with benefits".

Find more ideas like here to make learning fun for your kids!

From Bored to Board

We have been doing some home improvements this week and needed to clear out a book shelf and a big storage trunk before we could begin...what I uncovered was an absolute treasure trove!

A massive pile of board games, puzzles and card decks.

It's not like I didn't know they were there; I mean the trunk is their home, and I was the one who decided to keep them there. It's a nice neat place where they can live in peace without causing clutter or having their game pieces lost. It makes a great central spot in our home where we can go looking for something to do on a cold winter's night, or some funny entertainment when we have friends over. But what I was reminded of while I was pulling all these games out was how valuable they can be to our families and our children.

Do you remember being a kid spending a night in with your brothers and sisters sitting around playing a round of monopoly? Or trying to join in with your parents and answer the questions in Trivial Pursuit? When I was a kid one of the most popular titles in our house was "Beetle", it's the most simple game of spinning a wheel and adding the eyes, legs, body, antennas to your beetle and the first one to complete wins! So simple, but we spent hours playing it. When we eventually lost most of our beetle body parts one of us got a new version of the game for a gift, and on we went. I believe some of this game may still be in my Nanna's toy box.

So where am I leading with all of this?

The educational value of playing board games!

Beetle seems like quite a simple game, but it helped us learn some really valuable lessons about competition, fine motor skills, sharing and taking turns, even colours and shapes for the younger kids, and more importantly for Mum, it taught us to pack up when we were done and keep things neatly so we didn't lose the pieces. It seems sometimes that the old board game gets forgotten in among all the techno gadgets we have today. So many people overlook the humble board game and head straight to the i-section, the game consoles, the dvds and portable entertainment systems, the computerised toys, everything that needs batteries...and what do we always forget to do when purchasing electronics??? Get the batteries! But board games don't need batteries! They are simple, cheap, easy to use, no power cords, no special add-ons for your computer, no software to download. And most of all they can make learning fun for your kids without even realising that they are being educated!

Lets think about some of the old games we used to play and how they can educate?

Monoply - teaches mathematics, handling money, investing, increases the vocabularly to learn words like mortgage and develop.

Scrabble - is an obvious one, spelling, reading, vocabulary, but it also has some mathematics in adding up the scores and learning to use a dictionary.

Cranium - this might be one you haven't heard of, but trust me, it is a HOOT! Your kids and your family & friends will love it! It is a blend of all the old games you used to play, it combines charades, pictionary, acting, humming tunes, making plasticine figures, trivia and has the most outrageous looking game pieces and is an all round fun game!

Trivial Pursuit - so maybe when you were 10 you couldn't answer your parents questions, but now that you're older you can get the millenium editions and actually get the answers right! Or you can get the kids edition and play with the whole family. General knowledge, reading, problem solving and elimination are all skills you can learn from this game. And patience....it can take a while this one!

Deck of Cards - how basic is a deck of cards? You can pick one up for $1. But they are so versatile, play SNAP with the kids and help them learn to recognise numbers, shapes and colours and improve their quick response skills. Play SOLITAIRE, play GO FISH, PAIRS or MATCH or the good old trick...PICK UP 52...kids love that. Again, simple, but effective.

You don't have to spend alot of money on board games to get value out of them. You can often pick them up in a second store, or find them in your relatives cupboards to borrow. They also make a fantastic gift idea. So next time you're out shopping for birthdays, Christmas, Christenings etc be sure to stop into the board game section of your local department store, or even visit a specialist game store. Perhaps if you have a lot of friends with kids you could all purchase one per family and share them around to save on the cost.

Hours of fun in one box, a cheapy from our local discount store!

It's not just the value of learning new skills that kids get from board games, it's the time you take as a family to sit down and spend time together and do something enjoyable as a group. These are the memories your children will grow up to treasure. I know I do.

All a-board!!!! TOOT TOOT!!!

Find more ideas like this here to make learning fun for your kids!

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