I was given products in this post to test and give my honest feedback. All opinions are my own.
Welcome to the 2015 Simply Me Holiday Gift guide! The holidays should be fun. At times finding the perfect gift, great deals, decorating and recipes can be overwhelming. The Simply Me Blog wants to put the fun back into the Holidays so over the next several weeks I will be posting great gifts for everyone, decorating tips, recipes and everything in-between!
To see the entire Gift Guide please click the photo above!
From the moment we are born we start to learn. Though sound, touch, taste, smell and sight. Learning is something we do each and everyday, even without knowing we are doing so.
I like to sneak in as much learning as possible into my boys life. I try to provide them with educational shows, toys and even adventures. I want learning to be fun and not something that is forced upon them.
I think The Learning Journey understands that since they have toys that are not only fun, but also a learning experience.
They have something for each age group and all their toys are engaging and sure to keep kids intrigued. They want to give kids the tools they need to succeed.
I have a 4 and 7 year old who love to play together. There are some days though when they want alone time. I try to give them toys that are perfect for self play and will challenge them.
The two toys The Learning Journey sent me are perfect. First lets talk about Quinn's toy:
This is Quinn's 2nd year in preschool and he is finally starting to retain information. Last year he was able to get all his colors down, but had a tough time with letters and shapes. This year though he is whizzing right through the class and I think that is because all summer we worked on it. We kept at it and played fun games. His favorite was scavenger hunt, where we went outside and found things that were certain shapes or started with a certain letter. Now that it is getting cooler and our lives more busy it is tough to find time to go outside as much as we did in the summer. I don't want him to fall behind again so the Magnetic Make a Shape Board is perfect! He can play indoors and he didn't have to wait for me to get a minute to play with him. He can do it all on his own. Quinn loves putting different shapes together to make creatures and other structures. I love it when he comes into the kitchen while I'm doing dishes to show me his dino has a square head! I love that he knows which "Body" part is made by which shape. I will even look at his creations and some times ask him, "What shape did you make the tail out of buddy?"
We aren't perfect yet, but the Magnetic Make a Shape Board is helping him get there.
The shapes stick to the board for fun play, they can be stored in the side and there are even cards for the kids to try and replicate the photo. Quinn likes doing his own and also using the cards.
Techno Gears Marble Mania Mini Series is a great way to challenge your child’s building skills and introduce them to the Techno Gears Marble Mania line. The Crankster set includes over 100 pieces to build and create your own marble and gear run. Once completed, the hand crank that turns the bucket and chain pulley systems will lift the marble to the top of the build where the track and the fun begins. All Techno Gears Marble Mania sets are interchangeable and will require a minimum of 1-2 hours of construction for completion
This is the perfect toy to teach trial and error with. Each time you switch something up you will get a different outcome. It was fun watching my son move things around to get what he wanted. I could see him study the course to try and determine what would happened if he moved a certain piece.
That I feel is the best part, it can give a kiddo hours of play since they can keep switching up the course.
Both items were super fun and really taught my kiddos about different things. Each time they thought they were just playing, little did they know they were also learning.
These are only two of many items offered at The Learning Journey as I said they have something for each age group.
To see all they have to offer please see my link below: