brain twister:perplexus

 The Playful Walnut, The Smart Walnut
Nov 302011
 

My 3-1/2-year-old is fascinated with puzzles. She started out with simple 3- or 4-piece wooden models whose knob-handle pieces made them easy to complete. Before long, she was moving on to puzzles with more pieces, especially the ones that had sounds and other bells and whistles. I notice there’s a particular one at our local library that she favors: a maze of animals whose tummies get filled with tiny marbles by using a magnetic wand. Each time she “feeds” the hippo, she shouts out in jubilation. I’m impressed with her persistence, as it wasn’t too long ago when she would have given up and cried if she wasn’t successful right away. Practice and patience are two things I’m trying to teach my girls, and I’m marveled at how such puzzles can teach them just that. Maybe that’s why Perplexus Rookie recently caught my eye. It’s a transparent globe that features the inner-workings of a colorful 3-D maze, and the object is to move a tiny ball along the numbered path until the end without losing your way. Twisting and turning is the name of the game, and stellar hand/eye coordination is key. But, even if you think you’re a master at this sort of thing, don’t count on it with Perplexus. There are plenty of obstacles and pitfalls along the way to catch you off-guard, like a set of scary stairs and an inviting igloo. I love that Perplexus also comes in Original and Epic versions, offering more advanced challenges for older kids and seasoned puzzlers. Wouldn’t it be great to get everyone in the family something they can play at the same time without fighting over, or one toy that your oldest won’t complain about being “too easy?” We think it makes for a great gift at the office, too, especially during those conference calls that seem to last forever. Don’t blame us if you become addicted…

In a Nutshell: It’s the season’s best can’t-put-it-down toy for all ages and abilities. This is one puzzle worth solving.

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little linguist

 The Playful Walnut, The Smart Walnut
Sep 282011
 

My 3-year-old is learning French in her preschool. (When I was 3, the only French I could master was in the form of fries.) Today, exposing a child to her diverse, multicultural surroundings has become the norm, beginning well before the school-aged years. And since research shows that younger children demonstrate a natural aptitude for learning a second language, it helps to look for entertaining ways to cultivate this love of learning for your little one. Any parent who’s already familiar with the Little Pim line of educational DVDs will find the brand-new board book line to be a natural extension. And even if you don’t know the charming little star of this series, you’re bound to find a new learning partner for your preschooler. We got our paws on a couple of the series’ books featuring the global-trotting panda, found a cozy spot and began reading. For starters, the pages are especially sturdy and meant to hold up to lots of repeat page-turning. As pre-readers are introduced to different colors, feelings and other basic subject matters, they will enjoy the tactile experience of lifting the corresponding flaps and tabs, highlighting a specific word in both Spanish and French, as well as English. We like that the text can be witty as it entertaining (“No, this frog isn’t red!”), making this teachable moment more of an adventure. How great…or, should we say, “tres bien!”

In a Nutshell: If you’ve got a budding bookworm who loves to turn the pages and mimic what you say, help her become a lover of language with these engaging, multicultural first books.

 

 

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words with little friends

 The Playful Walnut, The Smart Walnut, The Traveling Walnuts
Sep 192011
 

My 7-year-old has just started getting the hang of Hangman. I knew that day would be coming once coloring books and makeshift games of Tic Tac Toe on restaurant playmats quickly lost their allure. Now that she’s become a solid reader, it’s a great way to build on her growing vocabulary and keep her motivated to read for pleasure. For kids who love a good game of words, but may not be ready for Scrabble, comes Flip to Win Hangman, a portable game that works just as well while waiting for dinner to arrive, as it does traveling to Grandma’s. I like that kids can turn over each letter possibility as they fill in the corresponding answer on the dry-erase board; having the alphabet front and center jogs little brains that are doing their best to guess the possible answer. Easy wipe-on/off  will have you playing this game over and over, so now you don’t have to feel so guilty about playing Words with Friends as much as you already do.

In a Nutshell: Hung up on Hangman? This version works nicely for younger kids wanting to impress Mom or Dad with their budding vocabulary. Oh yeah, and they want to be able to beat the pants off you, too.

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leading by example

 The Smart Walnut
Sep 132011
 

Later this week is back-to-school night at my daughter’s elementary school, and I think I’m nearly as excited to meet her teacher as she was. After listening to my daughter’s daily descriptions over the last few days, I’ve begun to form my own positive impression…and can only hope this mental picture lives up to my expectations. Putting a face to a name is always nice, especially when it’s the person who’s educating your child for the next 180 days. No matter whether you look forward to a school open house, or you find yourself painfully reliving those days spent at wobbly desks and smelly gym classes, it pays to develop a good rapport with your child’s teacher in the long run. Aiming to open up the lines of communication between teacher and parent comes a new paperback that deserves a spot on your nightstand. Way to Go, written by educator Mary Beth Gaertner, is an insightful look at what makes a good school-based relationship. With over 30 years of experience in the classroom and the main office, the author is clearly an authority on helping to fine-tune your dealings with your child’s teacher. She shares snippets of letters from both teachers and parents to demonstrate effective (and ineffective) dialogue–an eye-opening device cleverly disguised as a teaching tool in and of itself–and also puts herself in the shoes of the parent by offering teachers advice on “listening without defense.” I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar tactic, “Tell the Teacher More” Day, which my daughter’s own teacher had already implemented. A very good sign indeed.

In a Nutshell: A lesson well-taught, Way to Go is worth a read-through, whether you are attending your 1st or 14th back-to-school night. Parent/teacher conferences everywhere are bound to go a bit more smoothly with the help of this book.

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numbers up

 The Playful Walnut, The Smart Walnut
Aug 232011
 

I don’t which subject my daughter loves more these days: reading or math. She devours books just as veraciously as she does numbers, so I’d have to say it’s a toss-up. (Wish I could credit my genes for the math, but I’ll have to settle for helping shape her into a wordsmith…). In the meantime, trying to keep up with her fascination with all things binary is not as easy as introducing her to a new author or making frequent jaunts to the library. What’s a a numbers-challenged mom to do? For kids who love a good math fix, especially during these last few weeks of summer vacation, Math Slam will motivate them to test their skill set. At first glance, it’s an electronic handheld game. But before you shout cries of, “Oh no, not another one of those!,” take a closer look. This is not a character-driven, mind-numbing flurry of lights and noise, but rather a well-paced, question-after-question game that quizzes kids on everything from simple subtraction, to more complex equations (algebra, anyone?). Players are posed with a question, and they must hit one of the corresponding buttons with the right answer…before time runs out. My 7-year-old is delighted to be able to impress us with her rapid-fire right answers, and aspires to make it through all three levels. I hope I can keep up with her; I may have to hide out with my Tina Fey book.

In a Nutshell: If the extent of your kiddie math days only date back to the “Numbers Rhumba,” help your child challenge herself with a mind-blowing math game.

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safe supplies

 The Organized Walnut, The Safe Little Walnut, The Smart Walnut
Aug 082011
 

It was right there as I rounded the corner, practically impossible to miss. As I pushed my shopping cart past the sunscreen display, spiral notebooks, ballpoint pens and pocket folders competed for my attention. That’s right: back-to-school shopping is nearly upon us and before long, school districts will be updating their Web sites with a laundry list of classroom essentials. But in this information age in which we are thinking twice before making any kid-related purchases, selecting which items to stock our kids’ desks is no longer a no-brainer. You’d have to be living under a rock not to know about toxic substances like PVC lurking in plastics, especially in kids’ products. To make your job as a conscientious consumer a little easier comes a handy new tool you’ll want to consult before heading out to shop. The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ)’s Back to School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies offers helpful tips on selecting everything from backpacks to lunchboxes. There’s also a list of suppliers that offer PVC-free products, so you can make a point of looking for safe supplies. If you consider yourself a green-minded mom, you will find this guide to be an invaluable resource. It’s also available as a wallet-sized version that’s an ideal companion when heading out to Staples, Target or wherever you’ll be shopping. See you in September.

In a Nutshell: To ensure that your child’s school supplies make the grade, consult this free-of-charge downloadable guide for shopping tips and suggestions.

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beam me up baby

 The Playful Walnut, The Smart Walnut
Aug 052011
 

For most parents (and grandparents), the name Spock is best known as a respectable pediatrician who’s a trusted resource on everything from pacifiers to potty-training. In our home, Spock is only synonymous with one thing, and that’s Star Trek. If ever I thought never the twain shall meet, I was pleasantly mistaken. For Trekkies new and old comes a brand new picture book that goes where no baby has gone before. . I let my husband, a self-proclaimed fan of the show (who doesn’t consider himself a Trekkie, mind you), take a peek at Star Trek Book of Opposites. After thumbing through the pages after a long day at the office, he smiled knowingly at the pairing of opposite photos taken straight from the classic TV show, such as a “calm” Spock vs. a “surprised” McCoy. A chuckle after a 2-hour commute home? Imagine what this book will do for a tantrum-throwing toddler. Whether it’s the means to calming down a cranky child, a walk down memory lane or a way to introduce your own child to the wonders of your version of TV Land before the days of the DVR, this kitschy book is an amusing romp out in space that gets you back home before bedtime.

In a Nutshell: Live long and prosper. Star Trek gains a new life in a fun format for kids of all ages.

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corner office-worthy

 The Playful Walnut, The Smart Walnut
Aug 032011
 

As a work-from-home mom, I sometimes miss the workplace environment: the camaraderie with my office mates, the feeling of accomplishment after a productive day and yes, even the day-old doughnuts (sigh…). After all, the incessant chatting of two little girls can’t outdo the IT guy who could talk a blue streak while fixing my PC . Whenever I need a little slice of the adult world, I tune into one of my favorite sitcoms, “The Office.” I can’t decide which character I enjoy the most–the ingenious Jim or the persistent Dwight or any of the others in between. And since I just learned that Jenna Fischer’s real-life pregnancy will be incorporated into the character of Pam, I’m as pleased as punch…and it’s not just because she’s my namesake. Because I can’t watch the show 24/7, it’s nice for an at-home mom like me to get her fix with The Office Kit. Packed with all the essentials that make Dunder Mifflin what it is, this kit can turn my plain old home office into a one that’s brimming with amusing memorabilia. From Michael Scott’s “World’s Best Boss” coffee mug, to magnets from Vance Refrigeration and Schrute Farms, I can pretend to be working even when I’m not. So, while I’m on hiatus from the water cooler chit-chat, I’ll just have to yuck it up with these guys. Here’s to having a window office and working in my PJs!

In a Nutshell: A great gift for your favorite co-worker or the work-from-home parent who needs something on her desk other than broken crayons and Lego pieces, The Office Kit will give you a lift…when what you really deserve is a raise

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eraserheads

 The Accessorized Walnut, The Organized Walnut, The Smart Walnut
Jul 182011
 

I nearly knocked over a display of back-to-school stuff at the grocery store the other day. I couldn’t believe that pails and shovels were quickly being usurped by notebooks, crayons and pencils…oh my! With Labor Day nearly six weeks away, September is actually sooner than you might think (sorry to be a spoilsport!). Because we’ve always got an eye turned to the latest kid product trends, we took a look at what’s big in writing for the coming season. Does your kid have dry erase markers on her school supply list again, the same ones she’s forever needing to replace because someone forgets to put the caps back on and they dry out? Well, the smart folks at Crayola have come up with a solution to that pesky problem with their new Dry-Erase Bright Crayons. The modern-day equivalent of the chalkboard, whiteboards are being used by teachers and students alike for spelling and math, and these marker alternatives make the perfect accompaniment to this style of learning. They don’t have any caps to lose, they don’t have that funny marker smell and they wipe clean with the included E-Z Erase Mitt. We give the Dry-Erase Crayons crayons an A+ for their convenience and versatility…For bigger kids who have graduated from pencils to pens, but who still need the occasional “do-over” comes the EraseAway. It’s a retractable ballpoint pen that erases. If your child was always misplacing the caps to her markers, this is the pen for her. Available in blue, black or red ink,  it does not have an erasable cap. The sleek, grown-up look and feel of the EraseAway will make a middle school kid think she has finally “arrived.”

In a Nutshell: When shopping back-to-school, here are 2 products that have all the write stuff.

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books on board

 The Smart Walnut, The Traveling Walnuts
Jul 082011
 

My 7-year-old is zipping through a bunch of books this summer with a mission in mind: She’s trying to earn enough minutes so she can take advantage of our local library’s summer reading club contest. If she logs enough time, she’ll score tickets to a juggling show. To this 7-year-old, there’s nothing as thrilling as live entertainment…unless, of course, it’s a new Wii game. My hope is that once the show has come and gone, she’ll still be just as excited to keep reading, especially when we head out on vacation. To help keep kids on the go psyched about books, PBS Kids and JetBlue are running a Soar With Reading program that provides traveling families with plenty of incentives for hitting the books. Just by visiting the Soar With Reading site, parents can download a free reading activity kit, create a summer reading list for their kids and track how much they’ve read. And for any families traveling JetBlue this summer, child passengers can receive in-flight activity kits to keep them occupied and entertained. As anyone who’s ever flown with a young child knows, that’s worth its weight in gold!

A Walnut Nugget: To help promote the Soar With Reading program, one lucky Talking Walnut reader will win a JetBlue backpack containing an activity, a new children’s paperback and a Steve Songs CD. The winning entry will be randomly drawn. This giveaway closes on July 8, 2011 at 8 pm EST. Good luck!

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