Reviewed by Wendy What it is: TABLETOPICS are boxed sets of cards to get conversations started. They have countless versions: for families, for dinner parties, to go, Girls Night Out, Couples, Not Your Moms Dinner Party, Teens and more. One side has a question, such as “What’s your ideal vacation spot?” and the other side has an… read more
Reviewed by Wendy What it is: An online kids’ site based on similar themes from the Discovery Channel (nature, animals, sports, science, etc.). The site is divided into videos, games, explore, shop and “Brave Wilderness,” the latter of which is a channel that introduces kids to animals and various adventures. Brain Benefits: The games on… read more
What it is: Fat Brain Toys website dedicated to selling quality toys that educate and entertain. Brain Benefits: This online store offers toys to help with a variety of special needs. There’s an entire section called Special Needs Resource Center that offers categories of toys based on the feedback from customers whose children with special… read more
What it is: 2017 Smart Mom’s Toy Box Brain Benefits: logic & reasoning, visual processing, attention, auditory processing, memory, processing speed What We Love: Every year this annual list of brain-boosting toys helps parents mine some gems from the thousands of toys lining the shelves at the big-box stores. This year’s list is particularly fun because it contains… read more
Reviewed by Wendy What it is: (from the publisher’s website): Henry and his big dog, Mudge, star in this award-winning series that has introduced millions of beginning readers to the joys of reading. Henry and Mudge do everything together. When Mudge gets scared, Henry stays by his side. When Henry gets scared, Mudge licks him!… read more
Reviewed by Wendy What it is: The aim of this word puzzle game is to find all the hidden words. They can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal or backwards. Simply swipe your finger over a word to select it. Brain Benefits: attention, sound blending, visual processing, memory, phonemic awareness What I love: My 12-year-old daughter loves… read more
Reviewed by Wendy What it is: For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) is a nonprofit offering a collection of programs created to encourage kids and teens to participate more in science and technology. The four main programs are FIRST LEGO League (grades 4-8), FIRST LEGO League Jr. (ages 6 to 10), FIRST… read more
Reviewed by Wendy What it is: An educational but fun website for young kids (ages 3 to 5 or so) offering more than 150 games, plus storybooks, printables, videos, recipes and activities. The site offers some of the most popular PBS cartoon characters as themes throughout the various activities. Brain Benefits: Numerical fluency, problem solving,… read more
Reviewed by Wendy What it is: [Amazon Product Description] “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” is a children’s book packed with 100 BEDTIME STORIES about the life of 100 EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN from the past and the present, illustrated by 60 FEMALE ARTISTS from all over the world. Each woman’s story is written in the style of a… read more
Reviewed by Wendy What it is: Perhaps my all-time favorite board game, Scrabble is a word-lover’s dream! Scrabble may be a bit more of a generational icon, ranking at the top of the list for fun for those of us who grew up without cell phones, tablets and computers. So for those handful of people who… read more
