Showing posts with label creative activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creative activities. Show all posts

Monday, January 18, 2010

Musicolor offers fun and creativity!! (Review and Giveaway)

Music is such a fun way to express oneself, especially when you get to color your tune! My kids and I just got to review a great product that is very fun and interesting. Musicolor is like an "old style" record player, actually quite like the Fisher Price one I used to play with when I was little, except this one offers so much more creativity!
Musicolor has several "records," or discs made out of paper. Each disc has color-coded letters on it, so kids (of all ages) can know which color that spot should be.
With using the special letter-marked musical markers, kids design their song. Some of the songs included in these pre-designed discs are: Three Blind Mice, Humpty Dumpty, I'm a little Teapot and more. I think it is great that Musicolor introduces colors to children through this product, and they are exposing children to recognition of letters. Caleb loved saying which color and letter he was coloring, and I am excited to use this product with Madelyn and Cole when they get a little older. What a fun and creative way to teach colors and letters.
There are eight different "special" markers that you use when you color the themed records. You also get a few blank records that you can design your own look, which in turn makes your own tune! This was a big hit with Caleb.
When you color the spaces, place the disc onto the record player and hit play, you get to hear the tune of colors. The arm of the music player scans over the colors and music pores out. It can be tricky if you miss a spot, because the record player won't detect it, and you will have a missing piece of the song. Then, you just take it off and find where you missed.
Caleb loved making his own song discs. He loved counting the shapes, saying the color names and talking about the letters on the markers. All in all, we really enjoyed this product and I would recommend this for your pre-schooler, or early elementary age child.
My 11 year old son thought this invention was neat, too. He colored his own music disc, as well.
Musicolor was created by Delta Creative, known around the globe for producing creative products that emphasize self-expression through color. Delta Creative is focused on innovation, quality and service. Last year, Delta Creative launched their “Delta Kids” product collection to include more than 50 new items appealing to creative young consumers, parents and grandparents alike.
Musicolor is available online at target.com, amazon.com and deltacreative.com. Retail price $49.99. Musicolor is for ages 4 and up and comes with 14 pre-printed song discs, 8 music not markers, 5 create-a-song discs and 1 pre-colored song disc. You can purchase additional create-a-song discs for $5.99 (20 count) and Music Note Markers for $5.99 (8 count).
Enter to Win!!
Delta Creative has offered to giveaway a Musicolor to one of my readers. To enter to win, go to the Delta Creative website and find out something that you enjoyed or learned about them. Contest ends January 25th, 2009. Contest open to residents of the United States.
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday with something else you learned from Delta Creative. Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**
This review was provided from Delta Creative. They have provided me with a free product to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a giveaway prize to giveaway to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Felt Tales (review and giveaway)

Here is a great product from Babalu that really encourages imagination, story telling, creativity, and role play. I love the FeltTales story boards that Babalu, Inc. has. FeltTales story boards come with approximately 19 pieces of felt (shapes, animals, people, etc.) that kids can tell a story with. I think these sets are super, and all of my kids enjoy them.
The felt story boards are made from safe, soft and colorful felt. I think the art work on the felt pieces is amazing, and the pieces are very durable (my kids tested them well). My kids got the Busy Day at the Farm FeltTales story board. The animals are so cute, and I love that there is a boy and girl "farmer." There is a pail for milking the cow, and there is a tractor to plow the fields. My kids liked pretending to be on the farm. I thought that the FeltTales were a great resource for home schooling and it prompts great educational/learning time. We talked a lot about how a farm functions and works. I highly recommend the FeltTales!
Each FeltTales story board has a different theme (dinosaurs, ballerina, Pirate, Farm, etc.). On the back of the story boards you will find a story as an example, but kids soon realize it is fun to come up with their own stories (at least mine did).
I have a heart for felt boards because I just think that kids can really let their imaginations go in story telling. I think kids can also share what is going on in their hearts with story telling, too, because they can "act out" how they are feeling.
This is playtime at its best,” said Babalu founder Blair Everett. “The reason our FeltTales are bestsellers year after year is because children truly love playing with them, and parents love to have their children to play with them.” I agree whole-heartedly!
With money being tight for many families this year, you will be happy to know that most of the company's toys are under $25, and a large number are priced under $20! That is great value for the price! Babalu Inc., offers so many classic toys like building blocks, and felt storyboards. I love this website's selection!
I like that the FeltTales story board can travel with us, too. I only wish that the FeltTales came with a little storage case that attached to the board. We just put our pieces in a plastic bag.

FeltTales are geared toward ages 3 and up, and have a SRP$19.95. Since its introduction in 2006, FeltTales have been praised by award agencies. Honors include two iParenting Media Awards, Canadian Toy Testing Council 3 Stars, Creative Child Seal of Excellence and Preferred Choice Awards, Dr. Toy Best Vacation Toy Award and a National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. Also joining the Babalu lineup are classic toys from WJ Fantasy, a company that Babalu recently acquired. WJ Fantasy has been specializing in nesting blocks, building blocks, advent calendars and books for more than 25 years.

ABOUT BABALU, INC
Babalu, Inc. was launched in 2006 to better a classic toy tradition with the introduction of the FeltTales brand. Its founder, Blair Everett, has an exceptional 30-year career in the toy business and he brings that knowledge and commitment to the growing classic toy product with improving play and quality.
In June 2009, Babalu acquired WJ Fantasy, a 25-year-old toy company specializing in a distinctive selection of nesting blocks, toys, advent calendars and children’s books. WJ Fantasy and Babalu will operate under two separate divisions until 2010, when they will be joined.
WJ Fantasy’s products are available at http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.kazootoys.com/. Babalu’s FeltTales can be found at specialty stores nationwide and online at http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.roundtabletoys.com/. For more information visit http://www.babaluinc.com/ or http://www.wjfantasy.com/.

Enter to win! Winner can choose one item from either the FeltTales or the WJ Fantasy line!

This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 16th, 2009. To enter, leave a comment about something you found interesting from the Babalu.com, or something you found on the WJ Fantasy site. (mandatory for entry)
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add something else you found on the Babalu or WJ Fantasy websites (you didn't know they sold). Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Babalu.com, which provided me with the free product to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a product to giveaway to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Let your kids show their "creative side" with TeeJuice!

My kids LOVE doing art projects, and I love exposing them to new ways to show their creativity. I was happy to review for Jacquard Products again, and try out the TeeJuice Fabric Markers. I know markers on clothes is usually a bad idea, especially when Mom doesn't know about it until later. However, the TeeJuice Markers are kid friendly, mom approved (me) and made to use on clothing. I think it is a good way to show that your kids can do this activity on their clothing, as long as it is done with Mom's approval. As you can see, Caleb was totally getting into his drawing. He loves doing projects like these, and he wears his design with pride. He loves telling people that he made his shirt all by himself.
I think he did a pretty good job! I like that there are three different options for the size of markers you wish to use with the TeeJuice markers: Broad Tip (big tip, like a bingo dotter), Fineliner (similar to the width of a pen), and Medium Point. Caleb liked using all three, and he was able to use them with plenty of ease.
You can use TeeJuice markers on any fabric (cotton, jean, leather, etc.) and then you can “lock in” the color by ironing it. After you do those steps, your finished product will hold~ and you can safely wash it and the color will stay! Here is a pair of jeans that my oldest son, Nathaniel, decked out:
He drew on the back pockets, too. He had a blast putting his personal touch on his jeans.
All three sizes of the non-toxic TeeJuice Fabric Markers are available in eight vivid colors: Golden Yellow, Red, Blue, Black, Chocolate Brown, Orange, Purple and Emerald Green. The pens are available individually or in box sets. Individual Medium Point and Fineliner Pens, MSRP $2.99; Individual Broad Tip Marker, MSRP $3.99. Box Set of Medium Point or Fineliner Pens has 5 colors and Box Set of Broad Tip Markers has 4 colors, MSRP $14.99.
Being a home school mom, I have thought of seeing if my kids would like to enter one of their designs in the TeeJuice weekly or quarterly contests held at http://www.teejuice.com/. Each week, a design is chosen from each of the four themes: Fun & Games, The Edge, Beauty & Beast and Holiday/Seasonal. Entrants are separated into two age brackets, 12 & under and 13 & up. Quarterly awards are given based on overall creativity and artistic value. Prizes range from gift baskets to cash prizes. I think that it would be a fun way for them to really put their time and care into their project.
To learn more about the contests or TeeJuice Markers, click here. Jacquard Products have so many great products and activities to do!
This review was sponsored from TeeJuice and Jacquard Products. They have supplied me with product to review and keep for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Ready, Go Play-Doh contest!

I love art, and I love doing art with kids! Play doh is a great art for younger children to participate in, and our household digs play doh!
Thanks to Mom Central , I have found out that Play-Doh wants to embrace the idea of creating food. Play-Doh has created a “Ready, Go Play-Doh” contest where our kids can come up with their own Play-Doh “food” creations for a chance to win a makeover of both their playroom and their school’s playroom. You can visit www.ReadyGoPlayDoh.com to enter by uploading a photo of your child’s food-inspired Play-Doh creation along with the “recipe” to make it.
The grand prize winner of the “Ready, Go Play-Doh” contest will win $10,000: $5,000 for a playroom makeover as well as a $5,000 “Doh-nation” to their child’s school. Contest entries will be accepted through September 30, 2009. On October 15, 2009, the ten finalists will be posted on ReadyGoPlayDoh.com and the public will vote on who receives the $10,000 prize! The website will also feature a gallery of entries, so even if you don’t win, everyone can see your child’s creation. So, grab those containers of Play doh, and see what your child will imagine up to eat.