|
Catherine Love ~ from my heart and home~
Nov. 23, 2009
We R Fun: Life On The Farm Board Game
My kids love board games! They especially love board games involving money, although they have been known to start making up their own rules after awhile, and playing the game ElCloud style. I enjoy board games, because I know they are engaging my children's minds and teaching them things like strategy and math.
We were very happy to have a chance to review the Life On The Farm board game by We R Fun, Inc. It had been on our children's wish list for several months. This is a high-quality, well-designed board game with a colorful playing board. We received the original version, for players age 8 and up, but there is also a preschool version available which doesn't require any reading.
Life On The Farm was designed by Keith Gohl and his sister Ev Johnson, to help others understand what life on a farm is really like ... from a family business perspective. Each player rolls a dice, moves forward that number of spaces, and then follows the directions on the board. Players draw income cards and expense cards which require them to pay vet bills, taxes, or collect sale income. It's a game of chance, as my 12 year old daughter discovered last night. She was poised to win, until she had to pay taxes four times, when no one else paid taxes at all that game.
The goal of the game is to be the first to retire with 60 cows and the money you began farming with. As We R Fun states on their how to play page: "Life on the Farm is not about running other players out of business - it’s about managing money and making the most out of what happens to you - what life is really about on a family farm! It is a classic board game, fast-moving, easy to understand and fun to play, and it truly appeals to all ages."
While I agree that this game appeals to all ages, and the family can enjoy playing it together ... we didn't find it very fast-moving. Well, I suppose the plays happen quickly, but the process of playing the game itself can be long. The instructions do include a shorter version, and that is the only way we have played it so far. It's just the nature of this type of board game to take awhile.
My kids have enjoyed playing the game twice since we received it. They wanted to play it many more times, but we didn't always have enough time to fit a game in. In our opinion, Life On The Farm is a great board game, with educational entertainment value for the entire family. It's an excellent way to spend quality family time on a winter evening.
The original version of Life On The Farm (ages 8 - 108) retails for $25.00, and the preschool version retails for $20.00. The game can be bought from We R Fun, Inc, The Old Schoolhouse Store, Amazon.com, and also on Kmart.com.
This would make an excellent educational (and FUN!) Christmas gift for any children age 7 and up, or a family gift for those you love!
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting In Him,
April E. |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Nov. 23, 2009
Easy Holiday Cran-Apple Fruit Salad
On Saturday we attended a potluck dinner for our 4-H Achievement Banquet . Unfortunately, I was lacking inspiration on what to prepare. Just after lunch, I finally started flipping through cookbooks looking for ideas.
I settled on a cheesy scalloped potato recipe, but had to take shortcuts by microwaving the potatoes for awhile before putting them into the crockpot. (If you're curious it was Potluck Potatoes from the Fix-It And Forget-It Cookbook.)
But, I still needed a second dish. I started flipping through the desserts and salads in the cookbook my church put together. I found a Cranberry Jello salad that sounded good, but I didn't have fresh cranberries to boil into syrup, and didn't have time to mess with letting a jello set-up. BUT I decided to take some of the ingredients and improvise my own fruit salad. It was easy and delicious! (If you like the tartness of cranberries, that is.)
ElCloud's Easy Holiday Cran-Apple Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
2 (16 oz.) cans of whole-berry cranberry sauce
3-4 apples, cored and diced
1 cup mini-marshmallows
Directions:
1. Open both cans of whole-berry cranberry sauce and pour into a 2 qt. bowl
2. Use a spoon to break up the cranberry sauce.
3. Cut apples into wedges, removing the core. Skin can be left on, or peeled off.
4. Cut apple wedges into small pie shaped slivers.
5. Stir apples and mini-marshmallows into the cranberry sauce.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
That's it! It looks beautiful, and it's delicious!!
Enjoy!!
Trusting In Him,
April |
• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Nov. 20, 2009
Today I am thankful for...
Today I am thankful for...the legacy my Mama and my Mom left me in the kitchen, as well as several of my sisters teaching me their "secrets" too!
Hugs,
Cynthia Robin |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Nov. 20, 2009
Santa Claus, ElCloud Style
We don't "do" Santa Claus at our house. We hang stockings, and we watch Santa movies ... but we don't tell kids he's real or give gifts from him. All gifts are from Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Aunts, etc.
But despite that, every one of our children at 3 years old has wanted to believe in Santa Claus. We have books that talk about how Christmas is about Jesus, and tell the true story of Saint Nicholas vs. the make-believe Santa ... but they still believe.
The older kids know he is fake, but occasionally present me with "Letters to Santa" anyway. I received four letters yesterday (to be posted later in this article), right before my children tried to convince 3 yo L that Santa wasn't real.
But they didn't stop at saying he was pretend. They tried to convince her he was dead ... complete with photos they found on the internet of the hunter who shot Santa, and Santa's grave. (these photos are not gory or inappropriate in any way)
I then had a distraught 3 yo. She was already upset that we kept saying there isn't a Santa Claus and that Christmas is about Jesus. She would say, "But Santa is in Christmas, too, right?" with a pleading look. But after these photos, she was almost in tears. Leave it to teens to torment a preschooler like that.
I told the children to drop the subject and stop arguing with her. Next year she'll be older and more able to understand the difference between what is pretend, and what is real. For now, it's not worth upsetting her.
And now ... the letters to Santa from my kids who all know Santa isn't real ... well, except for 3 yo L.
Dear Santa C,
For Christmas, I want Barbie clothes, Barbie stuff, Barbies,Kens, Kelly dolls, Girl coloring books, High School Musical. I was very very extremely good this year.
From 10 yo C
(she even included a map to her bedroom and our house from the North Pole)
Dear SC,
I need a Nerf Toy, and I want it to be a Nerf Build Your Own Blaster! Or a The Largest Full Auto Nerf Blaster.
PS I was very good.
Love, 8 yo J
(maybe we need to discuss needs vs. wants again)
Dear Saint Nick,
I was very good this year. For Christmas I want Build Your Own Blaster.
5 yo M
(he drew a picture of a wii, although he didn't list one)
Dear Santa,
For Christmas I want a bouncy ball, a doll, a teddy bear, toy dishes, a crown, a coloring book, crayons.
From 3 yo L
(no more crayons, please -- we have too many already)
Now, if you're a family member reading this, and you've already received a Christmas idea list ... just ignore these. These are not necessarily Mom and Dad-sanctioned gift ideas.
Just sharing the Santa-related activities at our house this week, from a family who doesn't even "do" Santa.
Trusting In Him,
April |
• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
Nov. 19, 2009
Exploramania's Gymathtics DVD
The first thing my children did when the Exploracise Gymathtics DVD arrived in the mail, was to put it in the DVD player. They love exercise videos and were eager to test a new one. After their first test run, they were all worn-out. Only the 3 year old and 8 year old actually finished the 30 minute workout -- the 5 and 10 year olds both quit. My 8 year old son was intent on keeping up with the children on the DVD, and my 3 year old came to tell me how tired she was at the end. "And my head is weally tweating," she said. (sweating)
The Gymathtics DVD by Exploramania is more than just an exercise video. It also includes math concepts for 2nd - 5th grade students: basic geometry, counting, skip counting, and number patterns. As the children exercise, they learn about parallel lines, horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, polygons, skip counting, and patterns. You can see a more detailed list of the topics covered on the DVD HERE.
Combining math concepts with full-body movement provides a multi-sensory approach to learning that can be very helpful for the kinesthetic learner. The visual learners will also benefit from watching the DVD, and the auditory learner will benefit (to a lesser degree) from hearing and seeing the explanation. Exploramania has based their Exploracise program on scientific research.
I consider this to be more of an exercise video than a math lesson. The math is just a fun reinforcement of concepts already taught in your curriculum for most children. But for the kinesthetic learner, it can be very helpful understanding the concepts covered. The DVD appeals to younger children than 2nd grade, so it also serves as an introduction to concepts that will be taught later. Four of my kids (ages 3 - 10) enjoyed the DVD, although the 10 year old is already bordering on considering it silly. The four children who have used this DVD enjoy using it occasionally, but it isn't their favorite exercise DVD.
I was surprised by the voice-over of wellness thoughts in the stretching wind-down at the end of the DVD. It just reminded me of a New Age, pop psychology, positive thinking, meditation and relaxation recording.
- "Relax your body and open your mind to think about good health and well-being."
- "Be nice. Ride the "nice wave". "
- "Eat healthy super foods with lots of vitamins and minerals."
- "Be a dream stretch star. Stretch your dreams and reach for the stars. Stretch your mind to reach for your dreams with hard work and determination."
In the future, I think we'll be turning the volume down for the wind-down segment. There isn't anything overtly inappropriate in there, it just annoys us all. As Christians, we do prefer to place our trust in God and follow His direction rather than believing in the supposed power of positive thinking.
The Gymathtics DVD is available for $24.99, and they are currently offering free shipping. There is also a Gymathtics 2.0 DVD for 4th - 7th grade students. Exploramania has Exploracise Mats (educational yoga/exercise mats) and Exploracise Thumballs available to combine math with exercise.
Gymathtics DVD is a great way for young children to get the wiggles out and burn some energy on a rainy day ... and reinforce some math concepts at the same time.
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting In Him,
April |
• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link
|
|
