Rocketry is one of those things that is often said to be a great STEM project for boys, but I find that girls also love learning how engines work and fuel burns to create the energy needed for a rocket to work.  This list of best rocketry sets and guides is just what you need to begin working with rockets and your kids for added fun and STEM learning on the weekends. Best Rocketry Sets and Guides Tools to build your own rocket: These tools are what you need if you plan to build your own rocket from scratch.  You'll likely want to look at many guides and books before beginning, but these basic items are a must. I find that engines are harder to locate online than other components.  You may find great luck at your local hobby store, or specifically Hobby Lobby finding multiple sizes of engines. Rocketry guides and books: Before you blindly build a rocket with your kids, you'll want to understand how it works and what is needed.  These basic guides are ideal … [Read more...]

Disclosure: We received this set (and one to give away) in exchange for an honest review. The set was reviewed by students at Northside Elementary as they also got to keep it in a program to create a "Maker Space" for their school. The K'nex company was VERY generous in the items they sent, as you will soon be reading. I am now a life-long lover of their company! Not that kids need building ideas, but this set includes 25 of them, just in case. There are some kids who LOVE step by step instructions though and that is a nice inclusion for them. That makes the 375 pieces in this set even more versatile. Now, let's see what the kids had to say about this: While it had lots of small pieces and came in a huge variety of colors, this set for 7+ year-olds is easy to put together.  You can make interesting builds that are creative and abstract. It's super creative! It's "bendy" parts make it fun and we will say that the smaller ones are a tiny bit harder to work with. Overall, we … [Read more...]

Disclosure: We received this set (and one to give away) in exchange for an honest review. The set was reviewed by students at Northside Elementary as they also got to keep it in a program to create a "Maker Space" for their school. The K'nex company (Lincoln Logs is part of them) was VERY generous in the items they sent, as you will soon be reading. I am now a life-long lover of their company! One thing that I LOVE about this company? Made Proudly in the USA! This particular kit has 51 pieces (most are wooden) and even a cowboy figurine. Normally retailing for $19.99 it's a great starter set for the 3+ crowd. How do kids like it? Here are words from the kids themselves talking about the Forge Mill Cabin set that they sent and the kids reviewed. We built stuff with it like a tank, table, etc. It was fun and I would say this is great for kids K-5. I REALLY like it for building stuff! It's perfect for group use, individual use and perfect for schools! I learned how to … [Read more...]

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved using my imagination. Growing up, I always had a plethora of imaginary friends to play with, and I loved using my creativity to make up games and other fun activities. There was rarely a dull moment for me as a child, and now that I'm a mom, I realize just how important creative play is in your early years. Cultivating your child's creative side in early childhood will give them fodder for a more colorful and imaginative future. The Gemmies Design Studio has small parts so it's not meant for anyone under the age of 3, but with supervision, children can start using their creative side from 6 and upwards. The cutoff age is 15 but for my money, I'd play with Gemmies and I'm well past the recommended age! This fun and addictive set is ideal for creating 3D figurines that your child can play with, give as gifts, or put on display to show off their unique, trendy creations. Gemmies is the only kit out there that allows children to create … [Read more...]

Disclosure: We were given a Laura Ingalls doll for purposes of review. All thoughts are entirely our own and we hope one of you win the giveaway! We were beyond delighted to take on this opportunity as I am a lifelong fan of the entire Ingalls story. I remember playing Little House on the Prairie with my friends when I was in elementary school and making sure we never missed an episode on television. (Yes, I come from days WAY before DVRs and even VHS tapes, LOL!) I even had a family visit to DeSmet South Dakota where we did the big tour of the town! I saved all my treasured books and taken great joy in reading through them with Miss Sarah. We even have the cookbook and have worked on a few of the measured recipes! I worked with Mockmill and we tried milling our own grains to cook with just like they did in the Long Winter. Yup. Diehard fans. That is why I jumped at the cross promotion with Queen's Treasure to review this beyond adorable 18" version of Laura Ingalls. She … [Read more...]

When it comes to providing my daughter with toys and gadgets to help pass the time, I always strive to find the ones that will provide an educational experience as well as a fun one. These days, finding toys like that can be a bit of a chore, what with so many toys just built for the fun part and less for education. I'm always a little taken aback when I journey down the toy aisle at my local retailers and all I see are rows and rows of dolls, race cars and Legos; I'm always wondering what happened to educational toys and games!My daughter loves a good challenge and as a parent, I love to give it to her, with fun and educational toys that she will enjoy while also being able to learn new and exciting things while doing so. The Ozbot Start Pack comes complete with everything your child needs to ignite their imagination. Quite simply, anything your child can imagine, Ozbot Tech can do and all while teaching your child the bold basics of coding. If your little one has a knack … [Read more...]