Home School Product Reviews

I can not tell you enough how neat this bag of science truly is! It arrived today, and my two girls ages 9 and 12 were thrilled with what was inside. I carefully took the time to read the very nifty instruction booklet that came with it. Then I went through the supplies to make sure they were all in the bag. We will be starting the first several of these next week in our homeschool. I am certain that these will be very hard not to do all in one sitting!! It is SO NICE to have everything in one bag. The only things you have to add are items that are likely in your kitchen. The girls especially can’t wait to make soda shoot six feet into the air. Sounds super messy, but great fun for all of us. Thanks Timberdoodle. This was our first order, but we will definitely order again

Great, like everything Timberdoodle sells!

Surprise, another great find by Timberdoodle!  I got this (Trucky 3) for my 3 yo to give us something fun and new to do during Christmas break.  He likes it a lot, but it’s a bit hard for him.  I think 4 and up will probably be better.  It’s very nicely made.  The only thing I can say is the games from this company (Smart Games) don’t come with good storage.  With all these little parts, I’m going to need to make a bag or something.  They come in a cardboard tray, but you’ll never get them back in the trucks like they were, at least I won’t, lol.  If you have a child who has done vision therapy and needs more work on visual perception, they’ll find this very challenging and beneficial, even if they’re older.

I was trying to find a reader that my 8 year old boy would enjoy. After reading a lot of reviews I decided to give the Pathway Readers a try. He loves them! The books are well within his grade level. I love how the books talk about different values. It’s started a lot of great conversations with us!

A Great Handwriting Program

We used A Reason for Handwriting last year. My son really liked decorating the pages and the people he gave them too really enjoyed them. People commented on his beautiful handwriting which greatly improved with this program. When it came to ordering a handwriting program this year he specifically asked to do A Reason For Handwriting again. It is an excellent program.

The Big Bag of Science is a wonderful bargin!  There are so many fun experiments that it is hard to keep the kids to save some for other days.  Some experiments do built off each other so watch out you dont throw anything away that you will be needing.  I would recommend this kit to any parent!

Fun way to learn history

I purchased How to Draw the Life and Times of Abraham Lincoln because it was a combination of history and art. When I got it, I was concerned that my boys would freak out a little because some of the drawings are rather challenging (and art is not our strong point), but they are learning a lot about the presidents and they are having fun with the drawings. Some of our drawings of people look a little unsophisticated, but it’s been fun to challenge ourselves.

Finally, a way to actually get Geography done!

I had purchased some cool geography curriculums in the past, only to have them languish on the shelf as we struggled to complete our other work. Then I found Daily Geography. Mondays take longer because we read through the lesson, but the rest of the week is a breeze. Each day contains two questions based on Monday’s reading. Each week also has some vocabulary words which can be reviewed daily if you choose. I’m so glad to find a good geography program that we can actually get done!

Creative way to learn critical thinking skills

We purchased Anaconda for our 9-yr-old son as a way to help him focus on learning critical thinking skills, as he loves critters. While he may complain about completing a math assignment on paper, he will sit quietly for a long time and work on these puzzles, figuring out which pieces must go where to complete the snake. I have been adding these types of puzzles to our homeschool curriculum so that we can all have a puzzle to work on during “game time”. My son and I race to complete our puzzles, and my other children are occupied with other puzzles. My younger children enjoy just playing with the Anaconda pieces – putting a snake together without following the diagram. These games are a refreshing change from book work and I am looking forward to continuing this aspect of our schooling.

I have to say that I am VERY impressed with the 4-D Human Skin Anatomy Puzzle. I teach nursing as well as medical terminology at the college level. I planned on using this with my children, but I am going to take it in to the college students as well. The detail is absolutely amazing and will give my children and adult students a truly amazing picture of the skin. Definitely an excellent buy!

This is a great (Engino Mechanical Series – Cams and Cranks) product and I was very surprised at all that came with it!  My 7 yo. son likes to take things apart, fix them and then put them back together.  So this is super perfect for him!  The pieces snap easily and stay together.  He was able to follow the directions on his own with minimal assistance. The companion booklet is very thick with detailed “take it further” and exploring different cranks (remember the early model T?!).  I am looking forward to using all the other sets and really digging in with him once fall arrives.  I can see this lasting for a long time and getting a lot of uses.  One thing is the string, it is super long and can be difficult for him (and me!) to manipulate in place.  The directions are not clear on whether it should be cut or what…But that has not spoiled the family’s enthusiasm on this product.  :) Highly recommend it.