Flea Circus - a TOS review

In this game by R&R games, you try to attract dogs and cats (the points) to your show by putting out your best flea circus acts (your cards).  The person with the most spectators (cats and dogs) wins the game.

This is a fun game, perfect for families that love having game night.  We've played it on numerous occasions in the time we've had it. The bright colorful box includes an equally bright and colorful set of cards and a number of plastic dogs and cats (which are choking hazards, a warning clearly stated on the webpage) and directions.  Our box came without instructions for some unknown reason, but, thankfully, the directions are online.  The directions are in FULL color, which makes them beautiful to look at,

 but I didn't want to use up all my ink and print it.  This did put me off a bit, because I would keep having to go back to my computer to check when we first started playing and I couldn't seem to keep the rules straight.

The directions are a little confusing, but not in how they are written, just in the number of different cards and what each card means and trying to retain all that information when you play the first few times.  The number of points and the place from where the points are taken (the middle pile, the player to your right, any player of your choice) varies depending on the card .  Once I could retain all of that, the game became much easier and faster. 

Although it is a game geared for 6 years and up, my 4 year old enjoys it a lot.  Truthfully, I think it has something to do with having little plastic cats and dogs to collect as you play your cards.  I admit that my husband and I enjoy that part too.  :)

 I do occasionally have to remind her how many points to gather for certain cards as we play but one thing I like about the point system is that dogs are worth 2 points and cats only 1.  When your daughter only wants dogs, she quickly learns about trading in her cat to pick up two dogs when she needs 3 points. What a great way to get some extra math practice.

If you would like to purchase this game, R&R games is offering a coupon code: CREW20 for 20% off any purchase from their website until the end of the year.

Company: R&R Games
Product: Flea Circus
Price: $15.95
Ages: 6 and up (my 4 year old could play as long as I told reminded her how many points to pick up)
Number of Players: 2 to 6
Other products by R&R Games: card games, family games, party games, and strategy games



Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. To see what other members of the Crew thought click the picture below.

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How to Have a H.E.A.R.T For Your Kids - A TOS Review

Known for great Science curriculum, Apologia also offers some parent resource books such as

How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids by Rachael Carma, which I was sent to review.

From the publisher:

How well do you really know your kids? What has God shown you about who they are and who they will become? He has sent these children into your home at this specific time for His glorious purposes. Indeed, you have been invited on the adventure of a lifetime, a journey on which you will see walls fall, seas parted, and giants slain. You don't need special skills or training for this journey—you need only to seek God and hold tight to His mighty hand! As with so many things, the first step to having a heart for your children is knowing your heavenly Father. As you seek daily to share His heart for your children, keep this inspirational book close at hand.

This little $13.00 book teaches you through 5 chapters, one dedicated to each of the letters of the acronym, how to have a H.E.A.R.T. for your kids. This is achievable by Having a Heart for the things of God, Enriching your marriage, Accepting your kids, Releasing them to God, and Teaching them the Truth.

This came at a perfect time in my life.  It's as if God himself sent it to me.   I read "Though we have been given emotions, it is His desire that we keep them in check and rule over them instead of allowing them to rule over us," and I recall a less-than-stellar parenting moment from the morning.  Certain parts of this book are certainly convicting my poor sinful soul (and inspiring me to stick to those morning devotions and prayer time).

The end of each chapter has what the author calls a "Heart Checkup," a few questions to get you thinking about the things just read about.  Doing these little exercises at the end of the chapters helped put things in perspective and helped revisit the key points of each chapter.

I especially liked her reminders of the importance of teaching our children about God's Truth and that "this is the foundation upon which all other knowledge is built." Sure, as a Christian, I know that, but I think I've let that slip more than I would like and this book has brought to the forefront some things my family should be praying about and changing in our daily walk with Jesus.

The book certainly did not teach me anything I didn't know, but as I said at the beginning, it must have been sent to me by God and it was the book I needed at that moment.  It served as a mirror so I could really see myself and my family and see the states of our hearts. It served as an inspiration to do better.


I don't know that How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. for Your Kids would be the perfect fit for everyone.  However, I personally enjoyed it, was convicted and encouraged by it and would at least recommend reading the sample chapter available here to see if it would be interesting to you.




Disclosure: I am a member of TOS and I was given this product free for review purposes only. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. To see what other members of the Crew thought click the picture below.

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Classical Conversations

I've mentioned we started Classical Conversations this year.  After our first week of it, I am so glad we chose this for Bear and J-jo (J-jo isn't in the program yet, but attends a toddler program in the same church with the rest of the toddler siblings the morning of Classical Conversations).  I could try to explain it all, but I just found this post that does it so well for those that may be interested in learning more about it. 

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BFIAR - Goodnight Moon / Bonsoir Lune

We love Goodnight Moon and have read it numerous times since Bear was born.  Still, both children loved all the activities and discussions this week as we followed the BFIAR guide (I'll be reviewing this guide for TOS September 14th)  One special thing I am trying to do with the BFIAR books is find them in French or Spanish and do all the reading in those languages.  So this week, we read Bonsoir Lune and the companion book Buenas Noches Luna 1,2,3.


Practical Life and Sensorial

Goodnight Moon Sensory Bin

Cutting strips - made in a Word document.  

Leave a comment if you would like me to email them to you.

 J-jo has shown lots of interest in cutting in the last two weeks, but only if there are pictures on the strips.

 Red "balloons" with tongs (I also added one of these red "balloons" to the sensory bin after I took the photo above).

 Goodnight Moon shows the room getting darker and the outside getting lighter, so it was a great time to do a presentation of the third color box (or our version of it).  I was so surprised when Bear chose it again later on in the week.  I've been trying to interest her in this since she was two and a half and this has been the only time she goes to choose it herself, and more than once.  Sensitive period hit?

Math:

 I put some telling time flashcards (Target dollar section - I only put out the hour and half hour cards).

J-jo did his clock work though.  He just had to complete this clock puzzle.

 Left over from Blueberries for Sal last week, but ties in to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which is present in Goodnight Moon.

 Measuring from Making Learning Fun.  Bear had to clip a clothespin to the right answer and check the back to see if her clip lined up to the dot I had placed there.

 Bunny themed shopping game.  We lay out the bunny cards and she has to make purchasing choices based on the coins in the basket.    It's also from Making Learning Fun.

Coin sorting.  This is now easy. Yay!

Language/prewriting:

Lots of reading of books about rabbits, the moon, and nocturnal creatures.

 Rabbit tracer cards from Jolanthe's The Runaway Bunny pack for J-jo (2).  I was surprised when he traced the line really well (not photographed).

The cards in the basket are from Homeschool Share.  While I read the book, the kids had to find the objects on the cards in the story.

I also made French three-part cards for the words in the story.  If anyone teaching French needs them, just leave a comment with your email.

Science:

Nocturnal animal sort and painting the moon's cycle. Reading LOTS of books about the moon and nocturnal animals.

Special Memory:

We have been ballooned out from all the August birthdays, so we will visit a pet store and hopefully see some bunnies instead of doing a red balloon. We also went out in the middle of the night to try to see the moon. We will row The Little Rabbit and The Runaway Bunny (in French) next.

Resources:

Homeschool Creations Runaway Bunny Preschool Pack
Making Learning Fun
Homeschool Share
Phases of the moon


Go visit Delightful Learning's row of it too.  She has a great mitten hanging activity that I wish I had remembered to do! If it weren't for all of Michelle's BFIAR posts, I don't think I ever would have even known about Five in a Row.  Thanks, Michelle!

Linked to Tot School at 1+1+1=1; Preschool Corner at Homeschool Creations; Mom 2 lil Posh Divas; Beneath the Rowan Tree and the Weekly Wrap-up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

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Goodnight Moon Sensory Bin

This sensory bin was so much fun to make. I collected items around the house for it and it was quick to put together.   The kids love using the two spoons and spooning black beans to be mush for the little bowl in there.

Goodnight Moon Sensory Bin:

wooden crescent moon - from a game

black beans - for night sky

three bears on chairs- counting bears, Playmobil chairs

clock - button with clock face drawn on paper and glued on it

stars - yellow pompoms and white star beads

mittens - cut from craft foam

kittens - counting cats

a comb, 

a bowl (not full of mush)

a spoon for the bowl,

a cow - it blends in and is hard to see

telephone - it's black and tiny and nearly invisible in the photo (just below the moon) - it's from the dollhouse I had when I was a girl

a mouse - tiny mouse shaped button below the kittens

a little old lady - Fisher Price little people circa 1970's

some bunnies

There's also a red pompom in it to be the red balloon, but it wasn't in the bin for the photograph.

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A great planner - on sale but just for today!

Do you have a planner yet for the school year?  I just got Jolanthe's planner at Homeschool Creations.
I am having a great time filling it all in when I find a moment to sit.  I love that I can go back and edit it and re-use it year after year.  I'm hoping to be finished with most of the writing of the plans by the end of the month.  We've already started school, but I'm trying to become more organized.

The Planner is ON SALE!  But just for today.  So if you need a planner, today's the day you can save $8 and get the planner for $12 instead of $20.  Just use the code BACK2SCHOOL at checkout.  And if you love her planner like I do, she even has an affiliate program.

(Disclaimer - the links to Jolanthe's planner in my post are affiliate links.  I plan to do a more thorough review of the planner, which she graciously gave me to use but wanted to share the sale that is going on now.  The opinions expressed are my own.  Please note, if you are not an on the screen person, you can still print out her planner and write everything in in pencil or pen.)

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How we do our Calendar Time

This is a reply to a comment in which I was asked how we did circle time at home.  Our circle time is mostly calendar time.

We are a trilingual family, and I really try to incorporate that into calendar time.  We start school with the ringing of a bell - just to make it fun and because it reminds of of Little House on the Prairie.  The kids come running into the school room and as they sit down on the floor, I sing, to the tune of Morning Bells are Ringing,

Goodmorning, Bear.  Bonjour Bear. 

How are you?  Comment ca va?  

Very well, I thank you.  Tres bien, merci.  

How are you? Comment vas-tu?

We sing it a second time for J-jo.

Then we sing, "there are seven days" to the tune of Oh My Darling.  We usually alternate singing in French and Spanish one day and in English on the next day because it can be quite lengthy to sing every song in all three languages every day.  I made my own printables for days of the week and months of the year because I needed all three languages there.

That is followed by "Today is __________" to the tune of Morning Bells are Ringing.  I've translated this song into French and Spanish as well.  If you are interested in those details, email me or leave me a comment.

Next we sing the Months of the Year.  I use the tune that Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations uses.  We sing that in all three languages as well, again, alternating every other day.

I am limited on wall space for the calendar.  It actually used to be up on the wall, then came crashing down on us one day so I just slip it at the top of our bookcase for now.

 I just place it on the floor for calendar time.

The rest of our calendar time is on the back.  I put the "Make today's date with Coins" and "What's the Weather?" portions of Carisa's calendar printables on laminated envelopes and just have velcroed the envelopes to the edge of the calendar.  We sing "What's the Weather?" song to the tune of Oh My Darling, in all three languages.

On the back side is where Bear does her tallies and makes a math equation for today's date and we count the days in school.  J-jo usually disappears for this portion of the calendar.  The printables for this that I am using are from Confessions of a Homeschooler (the sheet to the right in the photo) and from Mama Jenn.

I would like to sing some other theme related songs to them during calendar, but I've usually gone beyond J-jo's attention span, so I normally just sing the songs (most are from canteach.ca) that relate to our theme as we eat our lunch.

I also have an Early Concepts Sing-Along Flip Chart and CD that we sing for J-jo every few days.

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BFIAR - We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Blueberries for Sal Part 2

Rowing these books together is working nicely for us.  We did  Bear Hunt in English last week and are doing it in French this week.  We are also reading Blueberries for Sal each day.  I was going to move on next week, but Jolanthe from Homeschool Creations has just made some of her BFIAR printables available and both We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Blueberries for Sal are done, so we may just continue these books for part of next week.

Math:

We made circle bears.  Bear did everything herself.  I did everything but glue J-jo's.  Well, he also put the eyes and nose on himself.  I love that after I wrote his name on his, he started saying the letter sounds and pretend writing it too.  That was a first.  He hasn't shown much interest in letters.  Numbers are more his thing.

I made some impromptu counting color cards to use with the counting bears.

Practical Life:

 We scoured our pantry to see what we could use to make a Going on a Bear Hunt lunch.  

Green beans: grass

Glass of water: river

Black beans: mud 

(chocolate pudding or refried beans would have been a more accurate texture)

Sweet Potato Fries: forest

Yogurt: snowstorm

Potato wedges put together to look like the entrance to a cave.

The kids thought it was great.

 We missed blueberry season by two weeks.  The season ended more quickly this year because of the lack of rain and the intense heat. I bought blueberries at the supermarket and the kids dropped them into their tin pails before eating.

Tweezing blueberry pompoms into a little paint tray.

Art:

 By far, this was the most fun part of the week.  We made a long banner of the sequence of We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

 Top row is J-jo's work; bottom row is Bear's.

Grass: blue and yellow tempera paint squirted directly on the paper and mixed to green with the paintbrush.  Green and yellow tissue paper torn into strips pushed into the paint before it dried.

River: blue and red watercolor paint on wet paper.  Plastic wrap was bunched up on the wet paint, leaving a really neat effect.

Mud: finger painting brown tempera paint.

Forest: J-jo used toilet paper mixed with glue to add texture to his trees.  Bear just painted hers.  Both used green tissue paper scrunched up to make the leaves and painted the sky blue.

Snowstorm: rolled grey onto the paper and then blotched white paint on top for snowflakes.

Cave: I cut the caves out of brown construction paper, scrunched them and then we glued the edges down, leaving it so the bear can go in and out.  Bear drew her own bear (below) while I drew J-jo's.

 Once they dried, I taped them all together to make an accordion.  They are sitting on the top of our school shelves.

Linked to Tot School at 1+1+1=1; Preschool Corner at Homeschool Creations; Mom 2 lil Posh Divas; Beneath the Rowan Tree and the Weekly Wrap-up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

 

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Little Hands-On abc's and 123's - Duplo Tower Race

Head on over to Totally Tots to read about Duplo Tower Races.

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Before FIAR - We're Going on a Bear Hunt and Blueberries for Sal Part 1

We are on our second week of activities for these two books.  Last week we read only We're Going on a Bear Hunt.  This week, we are also reading Blueberries for Sal, but since we haven't finished the activities for Bear Hunt, we are rereading this one too.  Warning: long post.
.
Practical Life  

• Cutting Strips

 We have these wonderful scissors from Timberdoodle (a purchase, not a free review item).  I love them, yet only recommend them for a toddler/preschooler who has not yet tried real scissors.  J-jo keeps wanting to stick his fingers in the hole (because I have tried him with real scissors), but when I redirect him, he can successfully use these on strips with a bit of help from me holding the strip.  He is nowhere close with real scissors.

 I used a bear clipart in a Word document to make these strips.

Sensorial

• Sensory Bin

Delightful Learning has a great We're Going on a Bear Hunt sensory bin that I pretty much copied, changing things up slightly to work with our supplies.

• grass - paper (see photo below)
• river - blue aquarium rocks
• mud - brown felt rectangle, rolled up
• forest - trees from a Toob
• snowstorm - Bear helped with this one and suggested we take the white fabric squares from the Corduroy fabric match
• cave - the one from the bear sensory bin from the week before.

• oozy substances - we haven't done this yet, so I have no photos - to come in Part 2, but get a sneak preview at Delightful Learning - I got the idea from her.

Science 

Worksheets were found at Time for Kids, from a sample PDF of the Prairie Primer, and from kidzone.

• hibernation
• lifecycle
• diet
• habitat
• parts of a bear

Some YouTube videos
catching fish
hibernation
hibernation (in stills, more like a power point presentation)

Geography

• where bears live - we placed all the bears we had from various Toobs and placed them on the correct continents.  I then made our own types of bear nomenclature cards, but didn't cut them out as three part cards, just left them together so we could play memory.

Language Arts

• Reading about bears

• Poetry basket

•    Bear songs at calendar time - most of which were from CanTeach

French 

• reading about bears in French, 
• answering questions in French about bears, 
• singing songs and reciting poems in French
• tracing the word "ours" (bear)
• puzzle of the word "ours" (from a word building puzzle my mom found us at a thrift store in Quebec)

 I got it in my head that we need to do more French during school and I was curious to know if I could find any resources for We're Going on a Bear Hunt in French, since I know they have translated the book.

 I found the french text to the book here from this site.

You can listen to the song in French here. 

Art

 

 We drew bears, looking at an how-to-draw book we had in the house.

I have a neat project planned for this week that I'll share in Part 2.

Math

Color game (Orchard Toys) - matching, sorting

 

  Counting Bears:
o Sort by colors
o Sort by size
o Patterning
o One to one
correspondence
o Counting

 I made a counting and color book for J-jo using clipart and the words came from a first grade or kindergarten blog (I will need to search for the link).  The teacher had it as a pocket chart activity.

Drama

We made our own bear cave and acted out the story.  

Bear and J-jo have also been pretending to be a hibernating mama bear and bear cub underneath our duvet in the morning before I get a chance to make the bed. 

Kidzone is a good resource for bear activities.

Whew, you've read to the end (or skimmed, or maybe just looked at photos). Thanks for sticking it out.

Linked to Tot School at 1+1+1=1; Preschool Corner at Homeschool Creations; Mom 2 lil Posh Divas; Beneath the Rowan Tree and the Weekly Wrap-up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

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