Next week, my 4-year-old heads back to preschool. That means it’s time to brush up on sharing, taking turns and all those social skills that have become a bit rusty since June. (Sure, she’s had plenty of practice with big sister this summer, but sibling rivalry eventually takes its toll.) On a rather humid, late-summer afternoon, we decided to stay indoors and put those character-building skills to the test with a brand-new board game. Perfect for ages 3 and up, Animal Soup is a wacky mix-and-match game that rewards astute players with entertaining results. The premise of this no-reading-required game is simple: Be the first person to correctly pair different animal tops and bottoms with similar colored backgrounds, and you win. If your child is [&hellip
The Smart Walnut Archive
Now that my 4-year-old is a fully fledged preschooler, we’re looking forward to an exciting year when she’ll have a chance to master all sorts of skills. From coloring in the lines, to putting letters together to form sounds and words, there are no shortage of activities to help her learn and grow. And while my daughter has taken to certain things, like completing puzzles and dressing her Calico Critters, I notice that she shies away from things that frustrate and challenge her, such as removing stickers from their backing (they tend to rip if she’s not too careful). To help fine-tune those dexterity skills, we hear that lacing is a great trick, and the new Lacing Peacock from Hape Toys seems like the ideal [&hellip
I can hardly believe that in another year, my younger daughter will be starting kindergarten. It feels like only yesterday that my older girl was boarding the bus for the first time, and now she’s about to enter third grade! Because the little one likes to follow in her big sister’s footsteps (or at least, some of those steps!), she loves playing school even when she’s not in the classroom. I knew then that my preschooler would just eat up Get Ready for Kindergarten, the latest book in the LeapFrog Tag Reading System. If you’re not familiar with this electronic learning tool, it’s essentially a “smart” pen reader that works by touching the page to launch interactive games, reading exercises and other fun-filled activities. We [&hellip
Not long after my first daughter was born, I armed myself with enough baby gear to entertain an entire playgroup. Well, maybe not that much stuff, but in our modest living room, it sure felt like it. Looking back, I realized that the few things that seemed to interest her early on, ironically, didn’t take up much space at all: her books. And because I’d heard about the benefits of black-and-white toys and books for stimulating newborn eyes, I was armed and ready. To this day, I recall a cloth book that contained bold imagery with no words, so that I needed to “get creative” and come up with my own witty dialog (as it turned out, I could have been chanting about anything and [&hellip
Come the weekend, my daughters love to fight over who gets to use my husband’s iPad (you know, your average Saturday struggle). So like most families with different aged kids, we’re always on the lookout for apps that will suit everyone’s interests–easier said than done. Fortunately, my 8-year-old loves playing school and you can only guess who has been recruited as her one-and only student. When my girls got their hands on Educational Insights’ Hot Dots Jr. app, it was all they could do not to contain their excitement. The game play is relatively straightforward: four categories (ABCs, numbers, colors and shapes) with 12 questions in each. A friendly girl prompts young players to answer questions and with each correct answer, a talking dog rewards [&hellip
I don’t claim to be good at math. I may have inherited my dad’s good looks (!), but most definitely not his knack for doing complicated calculations in his head. My 8-year-old, on the other hand, seems to devour numbers and relishes challenging equations. So when we find a board game that truly tests her math prowess and keeps her engaged, we know we’ve got a keeper. Robbin’ Eggs keeps kids on their toes, even if they count on their fingers. Just like a good math problem, the concept is straightforward. Players roll the dice and then turn over eggs to get the sum as close to the number on the dice. The catch? Some numbers are positive, others negative; if your kid can do [&hellip
If your preschooler is forever calling dibs on your iPad, and you’re in search of a satisfying game that doesn’t give you mommy guilt, check out the latest reading app for the 5 and under crowd. Elmo’s Big Birthday Bash from Random House is packed with plenty of learning-based activities to keep your little party-goer in gaming heaven. With 30 pages of interactive entertainment, kids can celebrate Elmo’s special day as they play guessing games, expand their vocabularies and, best of all, have fun while doing it. There are plenty of surprises along the way, and not just for the birthday boy. Our favorite part? No after-party sugar shock to contend with. We like to think of it as a screen-time reward for anyone who [&hellip
If you haven’t figured it out already, The Talking Walnut is a big fan of Skip Hop, makers of durable kiddie products kid gear in eye-popping designs. So when we recently had a chance to see their new Alphabet Zoo Wall Decals in the flesh, we knew we wouldn’t be disappointed…and we were right. This adorable assortment of removable decals perks up any child’s room or nursery with a touch of whimsy. Whether you’re spelling out your little one’s name or introducing her to the ABCs, these stickers offer instant personality to even the closest of corners. If you’re working under tight conditions (city dwellers, you know who you are) or decorating on a shoestring (man, those cribs are costly!), this sweet set will work [&hellip
I never realized how my work as a camp counselor would someday come back to haunt me as a mother. Many moons ago, I had a camper who refused to play sports. Any time we were headed in the direction of a field or gymnasium, she suddenly felt sick to her stomach and couldn’t participate. Because I knew to play by the rules (and I certainly didn’t want the camp director reprimanding me for any bad choices), I let her sit on the sidelines. But of course, once the end of the day rolled around and ice cream time was upon us, her stomachache mysteriously seemed to disappear. Well, one day, rules or not, I was not allowing this manipulative child to have even one [&hellip
What would a road trip with the kids be without playing the license plate game? For as long as I can remember, my sister, brother and I passed the time seeing how many different state plates we could spot on those long treks down I-95. The game always seemed to start off slow–how many times could we spot New York and New Jersey before getting out of the tri-state area?–but before long, it got a lot more interesting as we headed south. If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to engage your tech-savvy kid in this classic game, it’s time to kick things up a notch, smartphone-style. Introducing pl8s, a kid-friendly travel app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that gives a virtual shout-out to U.S. geography. [&hellip