Nanny to Mommy

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AND a Teach My Kindergarten Learning Kit

Mommy's Playbook's Prize is Sponsored by Teach My

I love having supplies on my to extend my child's education from the classroom. We have our list of Back to School Shopping List, but Teach My products are perfect for anyone!

This post is sponsored by Crayola in the form of complimentary products. All opinions are my own. These products were featured in our Back to School Guide.

My mom was a teacher when we were growing up. I remember watching her go back to school after she and my dad divorced. She worked so hard to become a teacher, a lot of late nights studying and creating lesson plans. She loved being a teacher so much. Educating our children is such an important and, often times, underappreciated profession.

Crayola has been our brand of choice for so many years. My mom and I would create lesson plans and activities using Crayola because they make high quality products with beautiful vibrant colors in every box. And they are the one and only crayon and marker brand I trust to actually be washable when the package says it is. This summer Crayola has started an amazing initiative. They have started the next phase of the “Thank a Teacher” campaign. They want kids around the country to show their appreciation for teachers and help reach one million thank-yous to teachers across the country!

I received complimentary products to provide this post. All opinions are my own. Includes affiliate links.

I like to keep fun stuff around to help my kiddos stay school ready and avoid the summer slide. That why I love having Play Smart activity books around.


Play Smart activity books have been raking in the awards! Early Learning 2+, Early Learning 3+, and School Skills 4+ have been given Family Choice Awards and Early Learning 3+ also won a National Parenting Product Award (NAPPA). "It's a great combination of learning and having fun. This is a fun activity book filled with puzzles, games, and art projects. We especially like the design and the colorful stickers that make the book engaging for early learning. And now Play Smart workbooks is growing! Play Smart Picture Puzzlers (6 new titles) are packed with 64 themed fun-first, adorably illustrated activities, a wipe-clean game board, and more than 80 colorful stickers—value priced at $6.99! Age ranges include 2+, 3+, or 4+.

My hope each and every summer is that my children avoid the summer slide which is not forgetting everything they learned the previous school year. STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. I love to have educational toys on hand during the summer in hopes of beating summer slide.

This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase at no cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Give your kids the world! The best kids’ gifts inspire the imagination and keep kids interested and engaged. That’s exactly what you get with Little Passports monthly subscriptions! They have the perfect gift for all ages:


As they grow, kids are constantly discovering that they are citizens of the world. Gifts that encourage exploration of places, cultures, recipes and ideas will bring excitement and spark new conversations and knowledge. These award-winning subscription gifts for kids bring those experiences right to your front door! Whether it’s a geography or science focus, connect with them through shared adventures, and help change the way they see the world – one activity-packed monthly package at a time.

I have been a fan of ABCmouse.com since 2012. Recently I contacted them about adding their program in my Annual Holiday Gift Guide because I love giving the gift of fun education to my children.

ABCmouse.com is an early learning software developed by Age of Learning, Inc. for the purpose of using technology to educate children through a full online curriculum. The current program will benefit children ages two through second grade with curriculum created by a board of teachers and educational experts from a variety of fields including science and history.

My daughter just graduated Kindergarten and I have been stressing this summer making sure she doesn't forget anything she learns last year. The thing is, I don't want her to stress about it. I still want her to have fun and enjoy her summer break. I was recently sent this fun game from PlaSmart called Catch and Learn. It's "the educational game where you fish for answers".

Education is so important to me. I believe that in order to help our children be self-sufficient, they need a solid foundation which in my opinion is education. I have been home schooling SweetPea for a few months now. I looked into a two year old preschool for her, but with money being tight, I didn't feel that was a viable option. I was recently asked to try an Early Learning Academy app with my daughter. I feel it is more budget friendly option for the parent who wants to help further their child's education.

You can sign up for one (or both) subscriptions to follow Sam and Sofia on their exciting adventures around the USA and the world. Inspire a love and understanding of the world as your child learns about geography, history, culture, and language in a fun and memorable way. Watch as your children race to the mailbox every month to learn about Sam and Sofia’s latest destinations. Monthly packages arrive filled with lots of goodies and access to online games and activities.

My daughter is at this amazing age where she wants to learn as she plays. I think it has a lot to do with the amazing teachers that she had last year. They focused on a lot of hands-on learning and she learned so much in the past year. Now that summer is in full force, I have been wanting to make sure she doesn't get "Summer Brain Drain" and lose all that information.

I received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

So when I was asked to review the GeoSafari Jr. My First Telescope from Educational Insights, I took it as an opportunity to help my daughter learn about the moon and other lunar facts with a hands-on experience.

I received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

 

I love subscription boxes. I especially love ones that are educational while exploring fun new products. So when I was asked to review Discover Our America, I was extremely excited. Discover Our America is a monthly subscription box that empowers people to experience and celebrate each U.S. state's uniqueness. Monthly, they carefully pick 5-7 products from each state to help you experience it in a new way.

 

 

I received the Michigan box. I have never been to Michigan, but it is on my bucket list because I want to see the great lakes. So getting a taste of a new state that I have never been to before is a very cool experience.

 

What was in my box:

This summer, my main goal is to make sure my daughter doesn't suffer from summer brain drain. So I have been trying to get creative on how we play. I have some craft ideas (that I will be sharing soon) and we have even been getting creative in the kitchen together. My daughter actually likes flash cards, so we have been working with those. We also bought some BOB books and she has started recognizing more sight words.
 

 I received complimentary product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

I was also contacted about reviewing a Discover Box for Sensory Play from Revelae Kids I jumped at the chance. Discovery Boxes introduce kids to a magical world of realistic-looking creatures, sparkling crystals, colorful rocks & shells, and miniature plants & flowers. Discovery Boxes encourage hours of imaginative play; kids can scoop up the sensory beans, water beads or play sand and discover the hidden treasures within each box.

Discovery Box Highlights:

I received complimentary products to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

Peanut is almost two, but he is going through a "stranger danger" phase. One of my new year resolutions was to make sure I did something every day with my children. Take them to the park, take them to story time, etc. Peanut has issues when we go out in public and meet other children. If they look at him wrong, his feelings get hurt. I feel socialization and meeting other children is the only way to resolve this. He does love to sing and dance whenever he hears music, so when I was offered the chance to experience a Music Together class, I jumped at the chance.

Music Together is an internationally recognized music program for children from birth through age 7—and the adults who love them. Their Mixed-Age classes, for children from birth to age 5, are the perfect way to introduce babies, toddlers, and preschoolers to the joys of making music.

Welcome to the BMN Loves Giveaways Hop, hosted by Lindsey Blogs and Viva Veltoro. We're celebrating the upcoming holiday with something everyone loves... giveaways! Be sure to hop around to all the bloggers involved in the Hop, including the two Grand Prize giveaways, in the linky below!

 

I received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

We are HUGE fans of the LeapFrog learning toys. We have been buying LeapFrog products since my daughter was a baby, but I have loved them well before that. LeapFrog has helped my daughter learn letters and numbers in fun and exciting ways. As part of the LeapFrog Mom Squad, I get to test out products, share my thoughts, and gain valuable information about the brand that I get to share with all of you! I recently shared my post about the new LeapFrog Epic and now I'm excited to share the new Number Lovin' Oven and have even included it in my Holiday Gift Guide.


With the LeapFrog Number Lovin' Oven , little chefs can enjoy hours of pretend-play fun with learning secretly baked in.

I received complimentary products as a #LeapFrogMom. All opinions are my own.

I know that I have mentioned how I am now a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador. I am so excited to be an ambassador for this brand because I have been a HUGE fan for YEARS. As part of the LeapFrog Mom Squad, we received a ton of awesome goodies, including the LeapPad Platinum and Imagicards. But the first thing my daughter went for was the Word Whammer. You can check out my unboxing video on YouTube.


The LeapFrog Word Whammer is a great way to bump an up and coming kindergartener's letter skills up. With 3 action-packed games and 5 learning levels that adapt as children play, the Word Whammer toy gets kids jamming on phonics skills as they spin, push and twist the handles to identify and build words.

I received complimentary products as a #LeapFrogMom. All opinions are my own.

We are HUGE fans of the LeapFrog learning toys. From our LeapTV to our LeapReader, LeapFrog has helped my daughter learn letters and numbers in fun and exciting ways. If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, then you already know that I am super excited about becoming a LeapFrog Mom Ambassador! As part of the LeapFrog Mom Squad, I get to test out products, share my thoughts, and gain valuable information about the brand that I get to share with all of you!
 

As part of our September kit, we received the LeapPad Platinum, Imagicards games, and Word Whammer. The Imagicard games we received were: LeapFrog Letter Factory Adventures (ages 4-7), PAW Patrol (ages 3-5), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (ages 5-8). My daughter loved the Word Whammer, which I will share about in another post. But today I wanted to share about the LeapPad Platinum and Imagicards.

Thank you to "M is for Monster" for the complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

We received had the opportunity to review the "M is for Monster" May 2015 Box. "M is for Monster" has themed weekly learning activities with all the supplies included for you and delivers them right to your door. It's perfect for any moms of toddlers and preschoolers who want to teach their children with an easy to follow, already put together curriculum. I am loving it to keep my daughter school ready and beat summer brain drain.

What we received in our May Toddler Box: