Warmer weather is here for many of us, and for those of you “up North”, the days will soon turn balmy for you as well (I promise!).  With warmer weather we get to enjoy budding plants, more outside playtime, and (our favorite) BUGS!

Exploring the world around us should be an integral part of growing up and learning.  Studying nature and the outside world allows children the opportunity to learn more about how we, as humans, work and live with and in the environment, taking care of our planet and the inhabitants thereof.  Through nature, children can explore patterns and solve problems.  They can learn to make decisions based on how that decision affects others around them, and they can observe life cycles of other creatures to learn more about themselves.  And, nature is simply COOL.  Bugs included!  Just ask any child what a worm or a beetle is, and they can certainly tell you!

WonderBrains offers a variety of products to promote observation of living creatures in a safe way - safe for children as well as the creatures!  Products, such as the Bug Explorer, are perfect for safely “catching” a variety of insects and observe them in a non-threatening way.  And, the insects can be released back into their natural habitat.  Or, look into products such as an ant farm or ladybug farm to bring insects that might be more difficult to capture into a safe observation area.  One of our favorite insect-toys in our family is the butterfly habitat.  With it, my boys can send off for caterpillars that the boys then watch as they grow and metamophosize into beautiful butterflies.  We then release them in our own back yard, where they can be spotted for quite some time afterward. 

Whether using store-bought product or making your own collection system (jars with holes in the lids, plastic containers, nets), bugs can be easily observed and recorded.  Even little tikes love to draw pictures of what they see.  Simply stapling a few sheets of paper together to make a journal or record book can open up many doors and opportunities to learn.  Encourage your child to ask questions, to look for answers, and to write or draw what they see.  Keep a journal of types of bugs found in your backyard, and encourage your child to keep track of the numbers of each kind they see and find.  Take photos of different insects to use as a reference when looking for more information at your local library or online.

As with any type of creature, teach your child some safety tips when handling living things.  Try not to touch any creature so as not to harm the animal (or have the animal harm your child!).  Always ask an adult before attempting to capture an animal/insect in order to make sure that the child is being safe and aware of the surroundings.  Try not to disturb the animal’s habitat, and be sure to release the animal back at the same place it was found so as not to confuse it.

Bugs can offer a multitude of learning opportunities and adventures!

One of the most frustrating things for me about this time of year as a parent is guessing which toys my kids will “dig” and which ones won’t be worth the packaging they came in.  My boys are influenced by television and friends - seeing toys and products that they just HAVE to have (I’m sure you’ve heard the whining yourself at some point).  With holiday budgets being cinched and the need to keep the charge cards down, I am very wary of any purchase I make for my boys for the holidays.  I am looking for quality merchandise, and not some flimsy product that will break within the first day of use.

I can always be assured, though, that products I choose from WonderBrains have gone through a careful check for quality of their products.  Each toy and item is described in detail and categorized according to Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, insuring myself, as a consumer, that I am purchasing something that my child loves and enjoys.  There are too many products to count on here that have won awards or been recognized for outstanding quality and craftsmanship.  I know that what I purchase to come into my home will be something my boys will enjoy and use for a good, long while.

Put your mind at ease and shop a bit this week around the store.  There is something for every child, of all ages, at WonderBrains!

With each year that passes, I stand in awe at all that my boys accomplish.  I guess what they say is true - time flies when you’re having fun!  At each birthday, though, I want to stop time, take a moment and relish the experience of my child right then, right there.  While that isn’t possible, it is quite easy to “freeze frame” the memory into something tangible.

Here are several ideas to hold on to those precious, fleeting moments as your child grows up.  These are adaptable at any age and are a great way to remember these amazing years.

• Make a stepping stone.  Stepping stones are quite easy to create.  Craft stores usually sell kits to create one, or you can gather the materials yourself to make your own.  Use either a disposable baking pan (such as a 9 inch square aluminum pan) or, if you want a round stone, use a saucer for a large flower pot (we’ve done this one!).  Purchase a bag of quick-set cement, mix up a batch and pour it in the pan.  After it starts to set, have your child press his or her hands or feet into the cement.  You can decorate it with rocks, colored stones or other objects.  Be sure to use a stick to write the year in the stone as well.
• Design your own plate - there are some inexpensive kits available for creating a unique design.  My boys have “birthday plates” they created and use on their special day.  Try Plate Works Design Your Own Plate or, for a twist on this idea, why not create a wall clock?
• Preserve those special birthday cards by creating a unique placemat for your child.  Take a piece of poster board, cut it to an appropriate size for a placemat, and glue special cards to the posterboard.  Cover the entire creation in contact paper to protect it from spills.  Imagine the fun of looking back at neat cards and notes received on birthdays past!
• Use a kit, such as My Photostory, to chronicle the past year in photos.  This is an awesome tool for preserving those special moments from the past year.  Once the book is completed, it is sent off for production and mailed back in a bound, archival-quality product.  This is a wonderful idea for those milestones, such as the first birthday, turning thirteen, turning eighteen…
• Create other projects to mark the occasion, such as mugs, wristwatches or a painting.  Another great kit is a calendar kit.  Use a picture or a drawing from each month of the past year to create a special birthday edition calendar for the following year.  Or, use the calendar to record special events from the past year.

Birthdays are a wonderful time to reflect on the amazing growth our children go through.  Marking it with a tangible reminder is a wonderful gift to you and your child!

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about candy and costumes.  It can be creative fun, full of imagination and role-playing.  What child doesn’t like to create his or her own creature or play in a new world with puppets?  What about exploring and making your own slime or other fun science-related products?

WonderBrains has pulled together an amazing line of products geared towards promoting the fun and educational side of the season.  Let children explore their imaginative side with puppets, from wizards to doctors, princesses to chefs.  Or, for the older group, invest in a science lab kit to make gooey concoctions, play foam (that glows in the dark!) and slime.  Little kids will enjoy the bumblebee hand puppet and the lightning bug flashlights.  And, for kids of all ages, check out the make-a-mask kit!  Kids can create their own mask for trick-or-treating!

Halloween doesn’t have to be all about the chocolate and the lollipops.  Find a few things that will tantalize their creative side as well!

WonderBrains is offering a 10% discount on their Halloween toys and products!  Visit the online store, and use 10SPOOKY at checkout for your discount!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what does that make a puzzle worth?  Puzzles are wonderful learning tools without even appearing as such.  Children love to piece together puzzles at almost any age, from toddlers through the teen years and into adulthood.  The benefits of “puzzling” are innumerable, but here are a few areas that puzzles really shine.

Puzzles are excellent for visual discrimination.  Children must learn to match shape to shape (or cut out area to cut out area), looking for specific details on each piece.  In younger children, peg puzzles help develop matching skills and shape identification, whether those shapes be “standard” shapes or unconventional ones.  

Putting together puzzles also increases a child’s fine motor skills, which is necessary for pre-writing skill development.  Fitting puzzle pieces together “just so” works on finger dexterity and strength.  This, in turn, aids in writing skill development with control over pencil/crayon movement. 

Puzzles are excellent tools for developing problem solving strategies.  Children must figure out how to put the pieces together, where to start, and what method is easiest for them.  While many may choose to work the “edge” of the puzzle first, there are those children who will find starting with a specific design or picture within the overall puzzle is easier.  Both ways are correct ways to fit together a puzzle; both ways develop different strategies in problem solving.

Have a variety of puzzles on hand for children.  Puzzles are a great way to have fun and learn at the same time!

Bells are ringing across the country, in classes (and homes) as children make their way back to school for another year.  As a parent, I want to give my child the best possible chance at a successful school year.  Being actively involved in my child’s experiences at school by volunteering and assisting, as well as being a physical presence around the school, are great ways to take an active role in my son’s education.  I also like to find things to supplement classroom learning and bring it home as well.

WonderBrains is currently carrying two lines of materials that are perfect for homeschooled children and children who are educated outside the home.  Carson-Dellosa, a leading education publisher, has created a variety of activities and workbooks for children ages three through fifth grade.  For preschool-aged children, WonderBrains carries a variety of read-aloud, activity-centered books, such as Magnix: A Visit To the Farm.  The Magnix series of books also branches into early math and writing activities as well.  For school-aged children, WonderBrains carries Carson-Dellosa’s Summer Bridge series.  But, don’t let the titles fool you!  These are excellent tools year-round, and may even inspire your young learner to come up with even more activities.  These books are found as Summer Bridge Activities, Summer Bridge Math and Summer Bridge Reading and are available in several different age ranges. 

WonderBrains has also welcomed Remedia on board.  These reading activities workbooks are available for children from Kindergarten through high school with a wide range of reading skill areas.  For younger children, the Remedia Beginning Reading Program is a comprehensive collection of age and ability-level appropriate materials with an accompanying activity guide.  Choose from the sampler set or the small group set (three copies of each story).  As the students progress in their learning, so do the skill materials covered by Remedia’s materials: comprehension, vocabulary, context clues and life skills reading activities.  For reluctant readers, Remedia offers a line of activity books that are high-interest, low-readability to boost confidence and success in students who need it the most. 

Extending the learning to the homefront is a wonderful way to stress the importance of education with young people.  WonderBrains can help you find the resources to do so!

On a lighter (scented) note… have you ever wondered how they make cosmetics and perfumes? The Creative Cosmetics kit explains the “Science of Skin Care.” Not only does this kit explain skin, nail, and hair care, it gives a broad “foundation” of dermatology and the chemistry of oils, gels and lotions. Your kids will get to create their own formulas with the cosmetic bases and natural ingredients you purchase from your local store. Kids learn hygiene and safety are essential for proper skin care, as well as how to apply their creations to their lips, eyes, face, and body. Learn the basics of beautiful, radiant skin!

The Art of making Scents has a very long history. With the Perfume Science kit, kids can experiment with countless fragrance combinations and make their own scents. The kit contains scents that are used in high-quality designer perfumes. Learn the biology of smell, the chemistry of scents, the fine fragrance industry, and the history of perfumes. With the Perfume Science kit, you can even learn how to extract fragrances from plants! Best of all - every one of the products contained in the Creative Cosmetics and Perfume Science kits were never tested on animals.

Ever heard of Willy Wonka, Milton Hershey, Forrest Mars, or John Cadbury? Whether these names are real or not - these Candy makers all share one likeness: they were experimenters and innovators. The Candy Factory includes instructions, recipes, scientific explanations as well as a lot of different tools used to make candy. Learn the chemistry of crystals and the biology of taste. Explore the origins of chocolate and sugar. Mmmmmmmm, yummy and fun!

You have probably noticed that “Going Green” is all the rage right now with celebrities and major corporations. Meanwhile, we regular Joes and Josephines have been doing our part in reducing, re-using, recycling, and composting without cameras following us around (thank goodness). Think about what you are doing to help conserve Mother Earth. What do your kids know about being conservative with electricity and water? Do they know about renewable and non-renewable resources?

Wind is one of the most promising sources of clean, renewable energy available today. So, how would one obtain power out of thin air? We have toys that can help parents explain the Sun and Sustainable Living in the 21st Century. Power House provides an introduction to regenerative energy sources and sustainable living. Children will learn about energy we get from the sun, wind, plants and electrochemical reactions.

Outside of these engaging experiments, parents need to take an active lead and discuss with their children the importance of being environmentally friendly. Little changes in everyday life can help save the Earth from becoming the garbage dump of the Milky Way. Since everyone tries to stay healthy by drinking water from those handy plastic bottles, just think of how many you put in the garbage can - knowing it can be saved to recycle.

I know that the Recycling Man comes around at least once a week where we live. I’m sure he gets bored with just driving his route and keeping a look-out for houses with recycling bins set at the end of the driveway. Make sure you give him a reason to stop, get out of his truck and do his job! You don’t want your tax dollars going to someone who doesn’t have to work, do you? (I’m sorry Mr. Recycling Man, please don’t take this personally.)

Alliant Energy Kids has a website that can help your children understand the importance of “renewable” and “non-renewable” energy sources. Parents need to lead by setting an example by conserving water. Also, explaining to kids why fresh water is important helps immensely. Tell your kids that we need fresh water to drink, cook and bathe with, and water plants. Ask your children serious questions about what they know about water conservation… Ask them to tell you which ways they waste water. Keep the questions going. What do they think would happen to the world if we ran out of fresh water? Ask them open ended questions that will get them thinking about the Earth and how naturally beautiful and important it really is. After having an open discussion, they will understand conservation better. This will help your kids stop wasting water and electricity - which will help lower everyone’s utility bills.

So your older kids already know about power and water conservation? That’s awesome. Try getting them to think outside the aspect of conservation and progress to Alternative Energy Sources. We at WonderBrains have added new Alternative Energy and Environmental Science kits. Power House introduces kids to regenerative energy sources and sustainable living, while teaching basic concepts in physical science. Learn the physics of force and motion as it applies to Wind Power.

Your kids have now been briefed on Alternative Energy, Renewable and Non-Renewable Resources. The next step is Fuel Cells, Solar Cells and Electrolysis. Help you and your children learn how solar cells turn sunlight into energy with the Fuel Cell Car. Learn how fuel cells work, how to use alternative energies for automobiles, and about reversible fuel cells with Fuel Cell X7, a hydrogen powered car. You never know, you may end up with the next generation’s most influential Green Environmentalists!