Sarah Lyn Gay

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...]

Disclaimer: We were sent product in exchange for an hones review. All thoughts are entirely our own - and the elementary school students' who tested this out for us. The product was then left at the school to be part of their "maker space". If you have an older kid or teen who is interested in building things, science, electronics, or the link, you need to look into getting a Circuit Scribe Kit! This kit actually allows you to physically draw working circuits onto paper! This kit allows you to make at least 6 different working circuits. The way it works is by using an actual conductive ink pen. This pen allows you to draw metal circuits directly onto a special paper to design your own circuits! Who needs wires, when you can just doodle something onto paper?! The conductive pen uses silver ink, and is totally non-toxic. It doesn’t give off any weird smells, so you don’t have to worry about stinking up the room! This kit lets you connect LEDs, use a capacitor to fade them from … [Read more...]

Disclaimer: We were sent an Arckit GO Colors product in exchange for an hones review. All thoughts are entirely our own - and the elementary school students' who tested this out for us. The product was then left at the school to be part of their "maker space". The Arckit GO Colors Building Kit is a must have if you or your kids like to build things! These amazing kits are like a mix between Legos and Lincoln Logs and combine all the best features of both to come together into a wonderful building set that will keep you entertained for hours upon end! Like Legos, these come in a kit that has instructions on how to create specific designs. The bright colors allow you to enjoy your design and differentiate between pieces easily. But, like Lincoln Logs, they’re made out of wood, instead of plastic! If you don’t feel like following the instructions to build the designs that came with the kit, you can also free-form design to your heart’s content! There’s 170 pieces in the Arckit … [Read more...]

Providing kids with toys that encourage them to love STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is so important, but finding toys that encourage that love of STEM without being boring can be complicated. GEOSMART is the future of STEM-based GeoMagnetic construction, with sleek designs, strong pieces and a double-secure, patented safety system. The Mars Explorer is what we have been playing with recently. We found that the Mars Explorer Drives Our Creativity. The GEOSMART Mars Explorer is a 51 piece set that includes lights, track wheels, motor and a remote control it is the ultimate dynamic magnetic construction kit!  Kids can build all kinds of creations and make them go. Mars Explorer offers extensive play value by enabling kids to build all kinds of moving vehicles, with lights that add the thrill of moving these vehicles in the dark. Features Include: Stem focused magnetic construction. Bright and colorful colors. A patented double locking system for ultimate … [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...]