Home School Product Reviews

We have such fond memories of Smencils from when we first started homeschooling. Each boy had their own and they treasured it! The smells last a long time too. When you store the Smencil in the case it comes in, the smell lasts a long time and smells like the first time you opened it. If left out, it still smells, but loses some of its smell over time ~ but they still smell! I haven’t seen these in a long time and was so happy to see them on your site. Will add these to my “wish list” for sure! I know the kids will be thrilled to bring back some fun memories {and remember how excited they were when we first started homeschooling!}.

Michelle

Fun for Multiple Ages

I’ve been looking for craft projects for ages ranging from 2yo-3rd grader. I’m not a naturally crafty person, so I like kits with things already assembled. We have tried the Farm Animals kit. We’ve only made a few animals, but if we do them all, we are supposed to be able to make 10 animals. A little plastic container comes with instructions and lots of different sized pom poms, googly eyes, chenille stems, and 4 foams pieces. The children love making the little animals and playing with them. I couldn’t let them use the hot glue gun, but next time I’m going to try rubber cement. The price wasn’t too bad. Sure, you could probably buy all the supplies yourself for cheaper, but they wouldn’t come with instructions (which you could also probably figure out), but if you were that type of crafty person, you probably wouldn’t be buying this craft, would you? The children enjoy playing with what they’ve made. That gets an “A” in my book.

Actually Works!

I have bought so many pencil sharpeners and been disappointed by them all. But this one honestly is completely different. It actually sharpens the pencils. Previously I was having issues with the pencil lead breaking off completely, or the pencil sharpening but then breaking once the children started writing. I’ve been using this sharpener for a couple weeks now and it’s consistently doing a great job of sharpening the pencils, both regular and colored! I like it so much that I hide it from the children…guess I should just buy them their own! )

My boys both love these pencils. When I asked them why they liked them so much I was surprised by their response. They both liked that they saved trees. Right behind that is the yummy smell. I like the feel of the pencil- it’s a bit heavier than your normal pencil and feels nice in my hand. I love the aroma!! Refreshing!

If your child already knows how to use scissors, these (My First Scissors) won’t be necessary. But I kind of took that as common knowledge. I had bought (not from Timberdoodle) a different brand of supposedly easy scissors for my 2 year old (he’s 3 now). They are still not easy for him to use independently. He was so excited when he saw these new scissors. I pulled a cutting page out of our book, I showed him how to use the scissors, and he went over and started cutting paper all by himself! He was so proud! He still needs some practice, but they are so easy to squeeze, he’ll get the hang of it in no time. My 17 month old was so jealous, when big brother wasn’t looking, I let him cut a little, too (with help). Guess what little brother will have in his stocking? (still in the package Child Safety Groups

I purchased holiday smencils two years ago (locally, not from Timberdoodle, because they didn’t carry them at that time). My kids enjoy using them (BTW, that 2 year guarantee~ they STILL smell great). They smell good while writing, and the paper is scented for a bit after writing. they sharpen nicely, write smoothly, and hey! They are made from recycled newspapers. Excellent! IThere are only a couple of things that would improve these (To my frame of mind)~ to include colored leads, and to manufacture them in the US of A instead of China~ These make a great stocking stuffer or little “Twelve days of Christmas” gift.

This is great stuff! It is light, cuts easily with a plastic knife, can be rolled flat and cut with cookie cutters. The plastic molds that Timberdoodle sells are inexpensive and enable one to make a nice castle, or cut the pillars into coins, cookies, blocks, etc. It is dry enough that any that falls on the floor sweeps up easily. It is non-toxic but has a slight odor. It can be formed into a ball but it takes a bit of pressing to smooth it out. I recommend getting the big bag. I brought it to the table for my toddler grandson, and my adult children couldn’t wait to get their hands on it!

Bubber - 4oz Bucket

I bought one bucket of Bubber for my 4 year old great niece.  We played with it for three hours straight!  She loves it.  I ordered another bucket so we would have two colors.  Though it doesn’t “model” as nicely as play dough, I really enjoy playing with it:-) She always chooses the Bubber to play with after we finish her school work:-)  It is well worth the money.

Bubber is an amazing new product imported from Sweden; contrary to its playful name, Bubber is destined to become a workhorse in the educational market. See the numerous sizes and colors of Bubber.

We had purchased some Stikfas many years ago from a toy store, but then were never able to find them again.  The action figure is a great imaginative toy for a child.  The simple details are great for an active boy to play out scenes using the variety of pieces included in the set.  The pieces are small and could be a danger to a toddler.  Caution must also be used when changing out the figure’s pieces.  The connection points of these plastic figures can be broken if extreme pressure is applied (as in forcing the pieces together).  Despite the fragile nature of the small plastic pieces, I would still highly recommend these toys for a boy interested in action figures.  The simplicity and lack of facial detail allows a child to play without the constraints of replicating scenes from TV or other media (allowing free creative play).

Color Combi Pencil Sharpener

The Color Combi Pencil Sharpener is amazing. Expensive electric sharpeners are noisy and break; cheap little plastic sharpeners are dull and messy. This sharpener is quiet and sharpens to an angle that does not break easily. Plus it has a receptacle to catch the shavings. We tend to lose everything at our house, but even buying a few each year is worth it.

Find out how to get a free Color Combi Pencil Sharpener.