Review: LeapFrog Mr. Pencil Stylus

Today I wanted to review a great product for toddlers and preschoolers. First off let me say that this is not a sponsored post.  I purchased this product and love it so much that I wanted to share it with you.  Hannah is left handed and has been having a hard time learning to form her letters by watching ME write them because I'm right handed.  She was getting frustrated and started protesting when I suggested we work on her letters. This stylus turned that all around.

The LeapFrog Learn to Write with Mr. Pencil Stylus & Writing App is basically just an over sized stylus perfect for little hands. There is an app you can download (for Apple products only right now), and by using the stylus you can unlock the full version of the app for free.

The app takes the child on writing adventures around Doodleburg, and help Dot and Dash decorate 24 parade floats for Doodleburg’s Art Appreciation Day Parade.

The child learns upper and lower case letter, numbers 1-20, and basic shapes.  The voice commands assist the child with each step, and once the child successfully writes the number, letter, or shape three times, then there is a little celebration and they can move to the next activity.

Another thing I really like about the Mr. Pencil is how durable the stylus tip is.  My one year old son William is teething and keeps stealing the stylus to bite on the squishy tip.  Despite his sharp baby teeth, the stylus remains intact.  I've purchased other stylus product to use myself, and the tips have easily ripped, so I'm impressed with the construction quality.

Clicking on any of these pictures will take you to the product's page on Amazon.com where it is currently available for under $10.  The improvement Hannah has had in her penmanship, as well as her excitement for letter and number recognition lately, has made it well worth the price.

Lastly I wanted to thank you for supporting my site.  By clicking affiliate links you're supporting my family at no extra cost to you, thus allowing me to publish more product reviews like this.  

Exploring Space - The Power of Puzzles

Day 6 - The Power of Puzzles

Puzzles have been an integral part of Hannah's education up to this point.  From basic chunky puzzles as a baby, to peg styles as a toddler, and now she can quickly master jigsaw puzzles.  This puzzle from Melissa and Doug was our first giant floor puzzle, and we'll definitely be purchasing more of them in the future.  

Exploring Space - Punching Constellations

Day 5 - Punching Constellations

While it's fun to teach Hannah things, the knowledge doesn't resonate with her until she's able to connect it to her everyday life.  The concept of space and planets is hard for her to fully grasp, but stars is something she understands.  Today I focused on turning those seemingly random smattering of stars  into constellations - stories and figures that create a veritable fairytale in the night sky.

Exploring Space - Sparkle Play Dough Recipe

Day 4: Sparkle Play Dough

For those in the USA, Happy 4th of July!  I thought it would be timely to post a recipe for sparkly play dough.  When your dining room table is covered in shimmering stars, you'll understand why I thought this was a particularly patriotic post.

Exploring Space - Stamping Stars

I thought I had it all planned out.  I gathered the supplies and prepared the tray the night before, and in my mind I thought this would be the perfect activity for Hannah to do while I nursed William in the morning.  Lesson Learned - test it out ahead of time if you want it to run smoothly...

Day Three - Stamping Stars

Exploring Space - Sensory Box

Anytime I do a 'unit' with Hannah, I make sure to have an accompanying SENSORY BOX.  Today we'll take a look at the one I put together for our look at Space.  It might seem a little bare, but Hannah absolutely loves it.

Day 2 - Sensory Box

Exploring Space - Painting Planets

I have been abysmal at blogging this year, but now that I've found the groove of life with two children, I've been itching to get behind the keyboard and type again.  I figured the best way to make myself find the time would be to 'challenge' myself to post a daily blog for 2 weeks straight.  

Since Hannah turned 2.5 years old in March, I've noticed that she is just a sponge for knowledge and facts.  The girl wants to learn, so I'm going to embrace that and create learning units for her.  Cultivating ideas from other amazing mom bloggers, pinterest, and my own imagination, we are embarking on 2 weeks in Space!  We're learning all about: Planets, Stars, the Sun, Rockets, Astronauts, and Astronomy (no aliens or robots this time).

First up: Coffee Filter Watercoloring

Playing with Play Doh

I had big plans for St. Patrick's day, 

and they included green play doh crafts.  

...

But Hannah and I decided to nap and relax all day instead.

Worth it.

We were 5 days late, 

but I finally got around to introducing Hannah to Play Doh:

To say She Loved It! would be an understatement.

She played with it for quite a while before bedtime, 

and then asked to play with it 1st thing this morning.

And in case you haven't played with Play Doh in a while,

Hannah wanted to show you a few fun things you can make with it:

She really did walk around the living room talking on her 'phone'.

Now that I know how much she enjoys it, 

I plan on trying a few homemade dough recipes,

which I'll share in an upcoming Montessori Monday vlog.

Montessori:

Play doh is a great Sensory activity.

It stimulates Touch, Sight, Smell (add spices and scents), 

and sometimes Taste senses - ew!

Safety Tip:

As always, make sure to wipe off your surface before, 

(to minimize debris IN your play doh)

as well as wiping it off afterwards.

(to minimize debris LEFT by your play doh)

Remember to wash hands too!

(double check under nails and between fingers - it's sneaky stuff)

Teach your child the appropriate way to play with the clay:

• No eating it - 
• but lets face it, one bite and they'll probably spit it out...
• No grinding it into carpet.
• Make sure you pick it all up when you're done.
• Teach them how to close the container securely.
• But most importantly - use your Imagination & Have Fun!

not a sponsored post

March Sensory Box

On Monday I wrote about Sensory boxes 
and their role in the Montessori environment.

Having seen many Montessori blogs post photos of their sensory boxes,
I wanted to build one for Hannah.

However, the one step missing from the other blog posts
the I had read was HOW they built them.

SO, I vlogged the photographed the step-by-step process 
of creating her March Sensory Box, explaining
where I bought items and why I included them.

Hopefully this helps you design a stimulating box for your child!

Click the photo to see each addition to the box, 

and watch the video below for further explanation, and to 

see how Hannah responded to seeing the box for the first time.

Tip:

The bigger the better.  

Even with a towel as large as this, I was still cleaning it off the carpet.

________________________________________________________
Items used include a base of split green and yellow peas,hidden plastic coins, rainbow
poofs, a metal container with lid, plastic jewel table scatter, mardi gras necklace,
scrapbooking silk flowers, scoops, and a funnel all stored in a plastic tub.

Inspiration was St Patrick's Day (Saint Patrick Patricks), Rainbows,
Flowers, Springtime, Green & Yellow, and Textures.

Sources: JoAnn Fabric, Michael's, Dollar Store, Craft Room, Other Toys.

What Are Sensory Boxes?

Sensorial experiences are one of the key elements in a 

Montessori environment. By engaging their senses they begin to 

explore and discover the world around them.

It's why kids like to squish their toes in mud!

It engages their senses and is an exciting tactile experience.

Hannah's sensory tub is a clear plastic storage tub with lid, 

and I fill it with lots of different materials that differ in texture, weight, size, and shape.

I also include lots of scoops, bowls, pairs, and even a funnel -

So that even playing with the same box will be a different experience, 

which keeps it interesting, while improving their fine motor dexterity.

Still confused?

Do a Google Image search for 'Montessori Sensory Tubs' and be inspired.

There are some fabulous ideas out there.

Hannah at 15 Months - Pouring Coins

Hannah loves playing with the coins from my wallet. With supervision, she likes to pour them from bowl to bowl, stack them, and tries to sort them by type (which she's not very good at but will improve with practice).

I post short videos like this to remember what she was like at different ages. I know they don't appeal to everyone, but I'm sharing them for family and those interested in H's progression.

Toy Review: Melissa & Doug Primary Lacing Beads

I purchased this item with my own money. This is not a paid or sponsored video.  But if Melissa and Doug would LIKE to sponsor me, I'd totally be open to that. :)

This is my video review of the Melissa & Doug Primary Lacing Beads.

Lacing beads were encouraged for 1.5 year+ in
Teaching Montessori in the Home: Pre-School Years
by Elizabeth G. Hainstock

~~ LINKS ~~

Toy: http://amzn.to/sjIhAe

Book: http://amzn.to/rtHW0Q