GeekMom

5 Surprise Mini Brands, Image: Sophie Brown

‘5 Surprise Mini Brands’ Blind Box Capsules Are Fun But Wasteful

August 7, 2019August 7, 2019Sophie Brown1

‘5 Surprise Mini Brands’ are collectible blind box capsules containing five segments which open to reveal miniature replicas of popular brands.

Make a Splash This Summer With Zuru’s Water Toys

August 3, 2019August 2, 2019Sophie Brown

Zuru Toys sent our family a bunch of fun outdoor water toys, and we’ve spent the last few weeks keeping cool and entertained with them.

Dealing With Darth Vader Fears

May 25, 2017December 12, 2017Rebecca Angel

Seeing Star Wars on the big screen didn’t traumatize four year old Rebecca Angel. Playing through it helped make Darth Vader ok.

Is Spielgaben Worth the Splurge?

May 2, 2017December 15, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

Spielgaben set is a beautifully designed educational set that offers countless learning opportunities for your children… but is it worth the splurge?

Gameschooling: Play More in the New Year

December 31, 2016December 9, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley4

Game-based learning can be such a blast. With a new year on the horizon, resolve to add more play to your day with a 31-Day #GameschoolChallenge.

Using Games in your Homeschool Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley, GeekMom, homeschooler, play, educational games, board games, homeschooling

Games in Your Homeschool: Learning Through Play

September 6, 2016December 15, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley7

Among the biggest of homeschooling perks in my world is the fact that our family is able to play games frequently. We don’t have to try to squeeze in a family game night on an already jam-packed weekend, but rather we can play daily and sometimes multiple times daily if we desire.

10 Things Parents Should Know About ‘Harry Potter & The Cursed Child’

July 20, 2016December 8, 2017Sophie Brown

‘Harry Potter & the Cursed Child’ is a play that forms the latest installment of the Harry Potter series & follows on from the events of the ‘Deathly Hallows.’

Stealth Summer Learning

July 17, 2016December 15, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

I am a big fan of stealth learning. When children are engaged in fun, hands-on activities, they are often unaware that they are practicing important skills. So much learning can happen through fantastic books, play, and games!

Practice Math Through Play

May 11, 2016December 15, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

I have one of those kids who understands higher-order math concepts but stumbles over the rote memorization piece of it. He makes careless errors because he’s always flying at full speed, and he hates back-tracking to remedy the situation. We are homeschoolers and, initially, this tendency resulted in heaps of power struggles. And tears. I want my children to love math, and to see the value in it. I want them to grow into adults who feel confident in math. How can we practice those skills without the never-ending battles? Is it possible to make it fun?

educational games, strategy, logic, reasoning, board games, family games, homeschool, parenting, play

Stratos Spheres: A 3-Dimensional 4-In-A-Row Game

March 22, 2016December 15, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

What if I told you that you could take your Connect Four love to the next level with an updated game that you can hold in the palm of your hand?

Engage in Counter-Tourism

August 17, 2014November 23, 2017Laura Grace Weldon

Visit a shopping mall as if it were a post-apocalyptic artifact. Kiss a statues, Use a dream symbolism book to interpret a heritage site. Try these and other Counter-Tourism tactics.

Minecraft Essentials and Redstone Handbook Image: Dakster Sullivan

Making a Reader Out of My Son With The Minecraft Essential Handbook and The Redstone Handbook

July 17, 2014December 15, 2017Dakster Sullivan

Minecraft used to just be an obsession for my son. Now it’s a learning experience thanks to the new Minecraft Guides by Scholastic Books.

Russian Caravan Fantasy

November 23, 2013November 26, 2017Rebecca Angel

My nephew is an adult, and one of my favorite people to hang out with. One day, the smell of smokey tea took us to another dimension.

Confessions of a Loser

June 27, 2013December 15, 2017Rebecca Angel15

I learned early on not to play games of chance. My name was never picked from the hat, the dice never rolled in my favor, I rarely picked the good cards. I wasn’t oddly unlucky; I didn’t have random horrible things happen to me, but I was not a winner.

Screen Free Week: The Wrong Conversation

April 29, 2013November 24, 2017Amy Kraft14

As someone who makes games for kids to play on screens, I’m not a fan of the Center for a Commercial Free Childhood’s Screen-Free Week, which begins today. I’m all for kids getting more unstructured play, more time outdoors, more time reading, and other good stuff, but the label “Screen-Free Week” forces the wrong conversation that lasts all year long.

Outdoor Summer Fun: 30 Ideas for Your Geeklets

June 7, 2012Laura Grace Weldon

30 ideas for active summer fun.

Chronic Pain And Toddler Play

October 25, 2011GeekMom5

For nearly a decade, I have suffered from daily chronic headaches. Basically I have had the same headache for that whole time so I am in constant pain. But usually the pain level is low enough that I can ignore it. There are times that the pain gets as bad as a migraine. I made […]

Education Week: Educating Too Early

September 8, 2011Laura Grace Weldon14

Look at promotional material for preschool and daycare in your area. Chances are, there’s an emphasis on math, pre-reading, and other academics. And why not? We’ve been told for years that our little ones should play with educational toys and attend enrichment programs designed to boost learning. Well-intentioned parents follow this advice. We do this […]

Education Week: Reading Readiness Has To Do With The Body

September 7, 2011Laura Grace Weldon12

Today’s children sit more than ever. Babies spend hours confined in car seats and carriers rather than crawling, toddling or being carried. As they get older their days are often heavily scheduled between educational activities and organized events. Children have 25 percent less time for free play than they did a generation ago, and that’s […]