Ozobot Evo Party and Review #Tryazon #OzoSquad

As a participant in the Tryazon Ozobot Party, I received an Ozobot party pack which included a complimentary Ozobot Evo for my family and a guest. All opinions expressed are my own.

Growing up, I never thought anything about being interested in science and math. In fact, I knew from a young age that I wanted to be an engineer, although honestly, I'm not sure I really knew what an engineer was. Coding was something that was still 'new' when I was growing up, at least non-punchcard coding, but I had several opportunities to experience it in fun ways through camps and classes. I can remember first learning on an Apple Desktop computer and on a TRS-80 in math class in junior high. I even had a chance to go to a three week long summer camp in high school where I learned to program to create drawings. That knowledge base has served me well in my career too.

As a mom, I look for ways to bring STEM concepts to my kids in a fun way, such that they don't always realize that they are actually learning. When I first learned about Ozobot, I was intrigued it looked like a fun interactive toy that would help my kids learn about the basics of coding. Then, in late summer, I was invited to participate in a Tryazon party to check out the new Ozobot Evo and share it with friends and family. I was very excited to get the chance to let my kids and their friends play with the Ozobot Evo.

I didn't mention it to the kids until the party pack arrived. My daughter was so excited, wanting to know when we could open them and play with the Ozobot.

I love the packaging that the Ozobot Evo came in. Once opened, there are cute little 'drawers' that hold the charger, the markers, and the skin. There is also a pocket that holds the play mat and the top allows you to store the Ozobot Evo easily.

We started with the Experience Pack (available free on their website for Ozobot Evo owners). It introduces the kids to Line Navigation, first with basic pre-drawn black lines and then engages the kids by having them draw black lines that the Ozobot can follow.

As they work through the Experience Pack, they are awarded with stars on the Ozobot app and learn about the color codes that can provide direction to the Ozobot Evo. These color sequences can tell the Ozobot to spin, to walk backwards, turn right and more. The experience pack includes a code reference sheet.

The set comes with markers, but we found that if you have good markers you can also use standard markers to make lines to navigate and color sequences to tell the Ozobot what action to take. This is very helpful when everyone wants to make their own set of lines for Ozobot and you only have one set of official markers.

The Ozobot Evo in action:

Everyone had fun playing and exploring with Ozobot. After tackling the Experience Pack, the kids explored using the app to control the action of the Ozobot Evo. Then, they moved onto OzoBlocky on the app which allows them to drag and drop coding and create loops of the activity. With five levels from novice to master, OzoBlocky allows your child to do progressively more challenging code concepts. Once the code is assembled, load it to the Ozobot Evo and they can see their code in action.

At this point, my kids have only touched the surface of the games and learning opportunities within the app. My daughter really wants to explore racing with two Ozobots and has found continuous lines (both loops and intersected loops) on YouTube that she is experimenting with and discovering new ways to play with the Ozobot Evo.

I think this is a great toy for kids to explore coding concepts through interactive play. One mom at the party talked about how this would be a great alternative for a child that is in to video games, as Ozobot Evo can provide learning and exposure to coding through interaction. Which is a great alternative to some of the video games that are out there.

You can learn more about Ozobot, the Evo and the Bit and explore the App and other available resources on their website. Ready to buy? Right now, for a limited time, you can save on the purchase of you own Ozobot Evo by heading to their website and using the coupon code OzobotParty1517 to save 15%.

As a participant in the Tryazon Ozobot Party, I received an Ozobot party pack which included a complimentary Ozobot Evo for my family and a guest. All opinions expressed are my own.

Busy Bag DIY

Recently, I saw a pin of this really cute busy bag and decided that it would be perfect for my daughter. She is always one to enjoy coloring and writing on the go, but it always seems like she is losing her crayons or dropping her pencils and when we go to clean out the van, we find them all. Plus, it is portable and we can easily take it in if I have to take her to a meeting or a book club, where she needs to entertain herself.

It is a really straight-forward project, you don't need much from an 'equipment' perspective, a tape measure, scissors, an iron and a sewing machine.

We were able to pick up all of our supplies at Walmart. We bought 1/2 yard each of two fabrics, you could probably use less if you went with one fabric, but she wanted two. We got 1/4 yard of fusible fleece, because we could only find it on the bolt. If you can find a package, just make sure that it is at least 8" x 19". We also got 21" of webbing - they had a lot of colors according to their shelf tags, but we got white because it was the only one that they had in stock. We already had Velcro at home, but you will need 2" x 1/2" piece. You will also want 4 - 6 Quart size bags. I would recommend not using the one with the slide, in case that would break. We went with 4 bags for our busy bag.

1/2 yard of two coordinating fabrics
1/4 yard of fusible fleece
21" webbing
2" Velcro (1/2" wide)
4-6 Quart size zipper bags

Cut out a piece from your outside fabric that is 8 1/2" x 20" and two pieces that are 8 1/2" by 10 1/4" from your inside fabric. Cut your fusible fleece to 8" x 19". Cut your webbing into three pieces - 2 that are 9" and 1 that is 3".

Using an iron, adhered the fusible fleece to the wrong side of your fabric according to the directions on the fleece.

Fuse one end of your 3" webbing with a lighter to seal it. The other end will be inside the project and does not need to be fused. Sew one side of your Velcro to the 3" piece of webbing.

On your outside fabric with the right side up, measure in 2" from the side and pin the end of your webbing handle to align with the edge of the fabric. Do this four times. Pin your 3" strap in the middle on one of the ends. On the other end, pin the other side of the Velcro to the fabric. Using a 1/4" allowance, baste all five connections and sew around the Velcro.

Sandwich the quart bags between the inside fabric, with the right side of the fabric towards the bags. Using a 3/8" seam allowance, sew the fabric and bags together.

With right sides together, align the inside and the outside fabric pieces, pinning in place. Sew most of the way around, leaving yourself a small opening to flip the bag right side out. Sew the opening shut.

I only sewed the 2" opening I had left, but for a consistent finish, you could sew a 1/4" seam around the entire bag.

The finished project:

The bag stocked for use:

My daughter was pretty excited to see the fabrics she chose turned into a bag that she can use on the go to tote her crayons, pencils, tablets and more.

Kohl's - new online tool

Recently, I have been doing a lot more shopping online - both real shopping and "window" shopping. Don't get me wrong, I still love to go shopping, but time is not always on my side. Frequently, shopping means going out in the evening after the kids are in bed or trying to squeeze it in between activities. As such, even if I am going to shop, if I am heading out to get something for someone, I like to have a good idea in my head of what I am going to get.

Recently, Kohl's launched a tool in their toys department that will make browsing even easier. This new tool allows shoppers to browse toys based on age. It makes shopping for age appropriate gifts for your kids, cousins, nieces, nephews and grandchildren a whole lot easier!

Giveaway!
To help celebrate their new tool, Kohl's is offering one A Busy Mom of Two reader a $50 Kohl's gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway will remain open through January 31st. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected through Rafflecopter. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.


No compensation was received for this post. Kohl's provided information and the gift card for the giveaway. All opinions expressed are entirely my own or that of my family.

Toys "R" Us deals

Right now, there are two Toys "R" Us offers available that can let you get some stuff for a really great deal.

First, you can head here and print the coupon for $5 off of $5. The offer is good until 8/16.

Second, you can text 5ONUS to 78697 and you will get a message with a link that you can follow at the store and get $5 off of $5.

We grabbed both of these offers this morning and headed to Toys "R" Us this morning. We also had a $3/$3 coupon that my son received for his birthday.

They seem to restrict a lot of the standard Toys "R" Us restricted items on these coupons - like diapers, formula, FAO Schwarz, etc., so you will want to watch the restrictions as you make your selections.

We had to do two transactions, they allowed us to stack the $3/$3 and one of the $5/$5, but not all three in one.

Transaction #1
Racko game

-$3
-$5

Total $1.99 plus tax.

Transaction #2
2 - Craft Sticks (one plain, one colored)

-$5

Total $.98 plus tax.

I was pleased to get us a new (old) game that I used to play as a child and some craft supplies for only a total of $3.16 OOP.

What will you get with your coupons?

LeapFrog “Learn, Create & Share” Party

Recently we had the chance to host a LeapFrog Learn, Create & Share Party through MomSelect and MommyParties.

When the party pack arrived, I was really excited to check out the products that we received.

First was the new LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet that was just launched in August. The tablet and available apps are targeted for children ages 4 to 9 years.

"LeapPad is the personalized learning tablet just for kids with a built-in camera and video recorder! LeapPad offers limitless learning and endless play through a library of 100+ cartridge games and activities with innovative creativity and reading apps! This tablet is the ultimate combination of high-tech features in a kid-friendly form factor! Touch the screen with a finger, tap it with the stylus or turn, twist and shake it for exciting motion-based gameplay! A broad curriculum includes school basics like reading, mathematics and science, plus geography, art, music, language and culture, health and more. Skill levels adjust automatically so kids can learn at their own pace, and progress is remembered from game to game and book to book. LeapPad also hosts a robust suite of creativity apps to nurture kids' innate curiosity!"

In addition, there was the LeapFrog Tag Reading System and Interactive World Map.

"Tag is the #1 selling reading system and recommended by 99% of teachers to help kids learn to love reading. Tag brings stories to life with each touch of the interactive Reader to the pages of specially printed storybooks. Words talk, pictures come to life and stories live out loud, engaging children's senses to make reading a rich, fulfilling experience. Children can use Tag as they begin their own personal learn-to-read journeys, then continue to enjoy it as their skills grow, from hearing an entire story read aloud to seeking help with individual words. With a library of 40+ books, maps and more, children can also take the fun beyond reading with fun play patterns that broaden curriculum experiences such as exploring other cultures, building skills in life science or even learning how to write!"

We had planned to have a party to have everyone over at once to play with products, but some schedule challenges and illness resulted in us sharing the toys slowly over time with several friends at little mini-parties. Not as much fun as getting together for a big party, but still everyone got the chance to play with everything. I think my daughter probably liked the chance to share her toys multiple times, plus it made for less of a struggle in waiting to take turns!

After we opened the LeapPad Explorer tablet, we spent time together exploring the tablet's features.

The LeapPad comes with a camera and video recorder. Once a picture is taken, you can use the tools to add effects to the picture. Surprisingly, the LeapPad Explorer Tablet will hold up to 30,000 photos or shoot 120 minutes of video. Using the Story Studio experience, the kids can create their own stories to share with us.

My kids recently have decided that making videos is fun. It is great that they have a camera now that they can use to make videos. Just this morning, they pretended to be sword fighting and shot a video of themselves. I like the creative play.

The LeapPad tablet also had Ultra eBooks available in many titles. (I was actually surprised to see the selection on a recent visit to the toy store - considering it was just released in August, I wasn't expecting so many options) The books come with different story levels and modes optimized to support reading development. While reading the books, they can touch the screen to get word-by-word support or definitions.

There are also game apps available for the tablet. They use the microphone and the built in motion sensors to allow the kids to play a variety of interactive games.

For the parents, connecting the LeapPad Explorer Tablet to the computer allows you to see how your child is progressing and to send their artwork and pictures to friends and family.

What everyone thought:

My daughter was so excited to share the LeapPad tablet with everyone, that she even took it to school (unbeknownst to me) to show her friends and play with after nap. I found out when I picked it up and it was in her cubbie in plain sight. I told her that we shouldn't take it to school without asking first, but she was so excited to play with the LeapPad that she tried to slip it into her back pack the next day. I decided to check the bag when I dropped her off and found it (she wasn't happy when I told her that for not listening, not only would she not get to keep it at school, but she also wouldn't get a chance to play it after school either). The teachers commented about the LeapPad Tablet and based on watching her play with it, thought it was a really nice toy to help the kids learn.

One mother that I worked with thought it was great and her girls really loved that they could play games, read books and take pictures on the tablet. She recently purchased a portable game system for them, so she didn't feel that now was the right time for her to buy one. but said that she definitely would recommend this to her sister-in-law that was looking for something for her daughter.

My daughter is still drawn to the LeapPad Tablet. Which is a good thing, as many toys seem to lose their luster quickly. She surprised me the other day when she was sitting at the kitchen table working on her LeapPad Tablet. She paused, looked at me and said "It's helping learn my letters and how to spell words too!" I thought it was pretty neat that she was having fun and learning, and recognized it.

There was also the LeapFrog Tag Reading System to explore and enjoy. We have had other reading systems - including an older reading system from LeapFrog - and all of them have required a book, a cartridge and reader. I was very intrigued by the Tag Reading System. The technology is very impressive (at least to me). As a parent, I love that there aren't any cartridges required. It makes it more portable and easier to store.

The books allow the child to select read the page to hear a single story page. They can also use the Say It, Sound It and Spell It buttons to explore each word on the page. Many of the books also include Games that can be played.

The Interactive World Map for the Tag Reading System is a two-sided interactive map. One side shows the countries and the other has animals and people to allow the child to learn more about the countries. There are games available to encourage the children to explore the map and learn about the countries.

My daughter, who is starting to learn to read at preschool, is really enjoying the Tag Reading System. There are a variety of books available, including familiar characters and stories, as well as Learn to Read Sets. We have been exploring the Learn To Read set focused on short vowels. I like that it gives her the freedom to read books when she wants to and at times where I am busy.

Everyone that has played with both toys has really enjoyed the experience and excited by the options presented.

You can see these toys in action on the LeapFrog YouTube channel. You can find LeapFrog on Facebook.

No compensation was received for this post. I received free LeapFrog products and information from LeapFrog in order to host a Learn, Create and Share Party from LeapFrog through MomSelect. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

DaGeDar - a Review and Giveaway

Have you heard of this new toy - DaGeDar? I hadn't heard of it until a few weeks ago, when we were invited to check it out. "A game of speed, challenge, and above all racing, DaGeDar is unlike any toy you’ve ever seen before. Each DaGeDar is made from a weighted ball bearing, and has a character face and code."

The story behind DaGeDar and Dimension 33 was sort of interesting to read - I never new so many things were tied to the number 33.

When the box arrived and I told my son that I had a new game for him, he was excited to open everything. He had everything stacked and ready to open, as soon as we gave him the okay to open them after dinner. (My daughter, of course, wanted in on the fun too - "it's not fair" is one of her favorite expressions. Funny how she doesn't seem to find it unfair when she gets something and he doesn't.)

We assembled the High Speed Score Zone Raceway and some of the balls. You release the balls down the ramp, they do a loop and then jump from the track to the scoring zone. The technique and skill of the "Ballers" come into play as they adjust the ramp position. We soon learned that too steep or too flat weren't good options - once you found the right angle, the ball had the right speed to complete the inverted loop and to jump into the 100 point score box. At first, the unsupported ramp seemed a little awkward, but we soon positioned it against the couch in our basement. This way, it doesn't topple over between turns.

The kids seemed to really enjoy the High Speed Score Zone Raceway. Next, we opened the Rapid Fire Power Launcher, which can be played on it's own or hooked onto the Raceway in place of the ramp. I found that my kids had a little trouble releasing the ball with any force. I was able to do it, but for my 4 and 7 year old, they weren't getting the right pull and release to make it happen. We quickly returned to the ramp on our Raceway.

There are some features that I really like about the toy. First, NO BATTERIES! Second, I like that there are several series of DaGeDar balls, that the kids can collect and trade. They even sell carrying cases that will allow you to easily transport up to three balls. Third, I like to believe that playing with the ramp and seeing when the ball will and won't make the inverted loop and the way the speed impacts where the ball lands in the scoring zone will make physics touchable - certainly, I'm not suggesting that kids will fully understand the physics behind it, but much like the displays at the science center, the hands on experience still builds a seed in their brain that someday will make the Physics and Calculus seem more relatable.

Here is what my son has to say:

"I like DaGeDar because it is a good toy to play with when you are bored DaGeDar is fun too. I like how the DaGeDar balls can race to the finish! I like the dragon ball I want the skeleton horned fire ball and the mummy one too with another ball case as well. And two more tracks called stunt jump track and battle jump raceway."

I think that he was missing some punctuation and sentence structure, but it is summer and he is still only 7 (even if he does point out that he will be 8 soon).

I feel that DaGeDar is one of those toys that the kids will have interest in for a while, lose interest in and then find again. I have seen this happen with other toys - including a car track that my son got when he was much younger. So far, I have found that they will play with it for a little while and then be done - it won't fill an afternoon the way some toys will. I do wonder though, when my son's friends come over if it will have a renewed and extended interest. Sharing the track with his sister certainly isn't as much fun as competing against a buddy. Also, as his friends learn about DaGeDar and if they start to get their own Balls, I think that it will further heighten his interest in the toy.

The DaGeDar website features a whole section on how to play with the DaGeDar - including an elimination tournament for up to 15 friends. I think it could be fun to have a few of the tracks and have competitions to see who could master each one.

Giveaway!
One lucky A Busy Mom of Two reader will receive a DaGeDar basic ball set and a spinner or carrying case to enjoy with their family.

To enter: Leave a comment sharing who would get to play with the DaGeDar.

Additional Entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

Follow ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter.

Tweet about this giveaway. You may complete this entry once per day. (You may use the following or write your own: Enter to win a DaGeDar Basic Ball Set. @ABusyMomofTwo. Ends 8/11 http://bit.ly/qRMDHt)

Follow A Busy Mom of Two. Subscribe to updates in your feed reader or in e-mail. Leave me a comment letting me know that you signed up, or that you already subscribe.

Like A Busy Mom of Two on Facebook.

Share this giveaway with friends - on your blog, on Facebook or by posting it on a giveaway link-up. Leave me a comment letting me know how you shared or leave a link to the giveaway link-up. You may have one additional entry for each giveaway linky that you submit it on.

Leave a comment with a link to your blog where you have either my button or have a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll.

Giveaway will remain open until August 11th at 6 pm. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. We received DaGeDar balls, raceway and accessories through MomSelect and BSM Media. The DaGeDar Basic Ball Set and Spinner or Carrying Case is being provided for the Giveaway. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family.

FyrFlyz

Recently, we had the opportunity to check out a new toy called FyrFlyz.

When you look at the toy, sitting on the counter,

it doesn't seem like there is much to it. But, when you turn on the two LED lights and head into a darkened space, you can create quite a light show.

You can check out the cool light show my 8-year old did with one FyrFlyz:


Both of my kids have really enjoyed playing with these toys. I am sure there is a "technique" to create each of the many tricks that they share on the package and on their website, but we mostly just played with them and probably never did the same thing twice. That was okay with us, we had a great time just playing.

The toy is being released this summer and should retail for under $10. Select Toys'R Us are carrying them currently, but the toy is planned for national release in August.

No compensation was received for this post. We received two FlyrFlyz through MomSelect & BSM Media. In addition, my son will receive a gift card for submitting a video. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Daily Deals - Kids and Families

The Mamapedia Sweet Deals site has a number of great offers for kids and families. Some have been up for a day or more, so don't wait too long to pick one (or more) of these deals up.

$25 for $50 Worth of Name-brand Products from Zoolu!


$15 for $30 Worth of Name-Brand Toys from Wild Planet

$12 for 1-Year of National Geographic Kids ($24.95 Value) plus 18-Page Downloadable Activity Book

$20 for $40 Worth of Family-friendly Merchandise from fisherkids

I like that Mamapedia Sweet Deals will contribute 5% of your purchase price to the school of your choice.

In addition to getting a great deal when you purchase through Sweet Deals, now, if you share the deals that you buy with friends, and 3 purchase the same deal, yours is FREE!

Boysterous Action Figures - Review and Giveaway

When I was younger, I remember my brother's playing with action figures. They had a variety of action figures. Action figures can be a great way for boys to play both with others and independently. They can create scenes and events for them and really use their imagination.

The new line of action figures called Boysterous from Manhattan Toys are no exception. The Boysterous line is a sports-minded series of action figures. There is one that plays football, soccer and hockey and ones that skateboard and snowboard. There is also an Extreme Sports Zone accessory available, that serves not only as a playing field for the various sports, but also is a convenient zipped storage case to allow for easy clean-up and transport of the action figures.

When we received a couple of the Boysterous action figures the other day, my kids were very excited. They could hardly wait for me to remove them from the package so that they could start to play.

It didn't take long for us to discover that magnets were used to allow them to interact with their props. We first realized it with the snowboarder, whose board is metal. Then, we discovered that the soccer player had magnets in his feet and a magnet in the ball too. My son discovered that if he held the soccer player about 1/2" from the ball and just above the playing field, that the magnet would "push" the soccer ball down the field.

Soon, they were playing soccer, my son using the soccer player and my daughter using the snowboarder. They really liked that they had a sports field on which to play soccer with their action figures. The sports zone can either be laid flat to be a soccer field or flipped over then could be zipped up part way to either form a half-pipe or if we inverted that, to become a hill for the snowboarder.

I asked my son what he thought after a few days and he asked if he could type his review, so here are my son's thoughts:

I like the Boysterous action figures because you can make them do really cool tricks that nobody on earth can do. I like how there is a magnet in the feet and the accessories. I like the case because it turns into a course on each side. I like how when you zip it half way it turns into a ramp for your skate boarder and snow boarder.

You can find Boysterous Action Figures at a Specialty Store near you and online at www.manhattantoy.com. You can see the action figures at play on the Manhattan Toy You Tube Channel.

Giveaway!

You have the chance to win one Boysterous Action Figure, courtesy of Manhattan Toy.

To enter: Visit Manhattan Toy and then leave a comment with another toy that you think your child (or nephew, neighbor, grandchild) would like.

Additional Entries (please be sure to leave a comment for each additional entry):
Like Manhattan Toy on Facebook
Follow Manhattan Toy on Twitter.
Follow A Busy Mom of Two on Twitter.
Tweet the following: Enter to win a #Boysterous Action Figure from @manhattantoy, ends 5/3, http://bit.ly/hf8Rgr #mamabzz (can be done once each day)
Share this giveaway on your blog.
Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook.

Giveaway ends 5/3 at 6 pm and is open to US residents only. Winners will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winners will be contacted by e-mail (Please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or clearly visible on your profile or blog) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. We received two Boysterous Action Figures and an Extreme Sports Zone from Manhattan Toys through MamaBzz for the purpose of playing with them and sharing our feedback. Manhattan Toys also is providing the Boysterous Action Figure for the giveaway.

Toy Story Action Links

A while back, I had the opportunity to host an in-home party featuring the Toy Story Action Links. We had some friends over for the evening and while the adults all hung out and played games and visited, the kids spent their evening in the family room playing with the action links.

The toys are each set up to have a "trigger" that when activated, sets off the action of that toy. When linked together, the action of one piece serves to activate the trigger of the next piece. We had a number of units and we set them up in series. The kids had a lot of fun rearranging the sequence of the action units and seeing how they still worked in series. They tried to link them up in a circle, but they couldn't stay ahead of the action and it didn't keep going - like I think that they wanted it to do.

As part of each unit, one or more Toy Story figures were used. We had Woody, Buzz, Jessie, the aliens, Lotso, and more. My daughter is a huge a Toy Story fan and plays with the figures outside of playing with the Action Links.


No compensation was received for this post. As part of the MomSelect HomeParty, I received a kit that included a number of Action Links toys. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.

Hexbug Nano In Home Party

Through MomSelect, I was lucky to have the opportunity to host a Hexbug Nano In Home Party. Now, if you are like me, you have never heard of these Hexbug Nano toys. They are these little bugs that come in test tubes. They are battery powered and scamper about when you turn them on. You can build a habitat for them and watch them scurry about. We received a habitat starter kit, as well as a Battle Bridge. Plus lots of habitat pieces and tracks to share with our guests. Our guest bags:
The kids and I built the track a few days before our party, on our dining room table. We were planning to have some younger guests at the parties and wanted the track up and out of the way. The habitat was super easy to assemble. The thing that was hardest for me was the ramp - I'm an engineer, so perhaps I shouldn't admit this, but I could tell it was a ramp to move between levels, but it didn't occur to me for a few minutes that it was supposed to be a spiral - once I realized that, it was way easier to assemble. I like that the Hex Cells come with their own built in "doors". After you assemble the track, in any unused "doorways" simply flip the orange pieces in place and the bugs can't exit through them. This is better than some other sets we have had where you have to insert other pieces for the doorway (one more thing to be lost, at least at our house).

My husband liked the compact size of the habitat. Some of the other toys we have that include habitats take up a lot more space (probably because the "animals" are bigger) and seem to be in the way. Those other sets also seem harder to put together. This set is really easy to connect the bridges and the Hex cells to set up the habitat and since it doesn't take much space and isn't in the way it is also easy to leave it set up.

We started with a small habitat and turned one bug on and set it loose. The kids of course, wanted more. We expanded the habitat and opened up three bugs to watch them scurry about in our multi-level habitat. The kids were really very excited about the Hexbugs. Every night it seems, when we get home from work and school, my daughter asks if we can watch the bugs. She even chooses them when we tell her that we only have time to watch the bugs or an episode - that I like.
So, Sunday, after we had our fill of Macaroni and Cheese, the kids found themselves in the dining room and the parents soon followed. The kids really enjoyed the bugs. They kept wanting them to fight on the battle bridge and would pick them up and set them all on the bridge to fight. The way we had our track set up, about 1/2 the time it seemed they would fall onto a track and even if they were upside down, would soon right themselves and scurry on. The other times, one of the kids would grab them and set them back up on the bridge. The one little boy, not quite 3, loved them. He would pick them up and hold them - the look on his face when the bug was vibrating in his hand was cute. We kept encouraging him to watch, not touch...but you know how it can be with little boys.

I have seen the Hex Nano Bugs at Target and was pleasantly surprised by their pricing - the starter set is only $17.99 (MSRP). The habitat set is $29.99 (MSRP) and comes with 3 Hex Cells, 7 bridges (track pieces) and 2 Hexbugs. They also have a case for storing your Hexbugs, which might be something I will pick up.

There is also a full online experience, that we have yet to check out. It looks intriguing to me. "The Hexbug Nano is built around an ancient, fabled society called Hands & Stars, dedicated to human progress through science." The site is built on this and geared to children 7 to 14. Based on the descriptions, it seems like it could be an educational experience including challenges and quizes. The website is www.handsandstars.com.

The kids were happy when they found out that they got to take some bugs and pieces to build a small habitat home with them. Then, we moved onto the Healthy Home Party (okay, not really, we talked about it while we watched the kids play with bugs...but it's easier to write one at a time!).

Kung Zhu

As a mom, there are just some toys that I would never think to pick up off the shelf at the store. It's not that there is anything wrong with a toy, it's just that sometimes I wonder would my kids actually like that or play with that? One such toy is the new Kung Zhu line from Zhu Zhu pets. If I had seen it on shelf, I'm not sure I would have picked it out. My kids are lucky though that through MomSelect, I recently had the opportunity to check out Kung Zhu Pets. They LOVE them.

What are Kung Zhu Pets?

"With eight original characters split into two battling groups called Special Forces and Ninja Warriors, Kung Zhu Pet owners will have the thrill of training each character to transform fighting, battling warriors. While these Kung Zhu hamsters may start of as "cute" and "mild-mannered" once they are sent into their main training grounds, smart chip technology will actually allow you to hear a distinct personality transformation of fighting ninja and warriors."

Deck your Special Forces or Ninja pet in their armor and they are ready to achieve their goal of "justice in the zhu-niverse".

We came home from school one afternoon last week to a large box sitting in the kitchen. They were excited and couldn't wait to know what was inside. When I opened it, they immediately started pulling things out and wanting to know if we could open them.

I allowed them to each select a hamster and a set of battle armor for their hamster. These Kung Zhu pets are very similar to regular Zhu Zhu pets, but they have some special features that make them even more fun. They can be played with in "discover" mode like the original Zhu Zhu pets, in which they just tool around, making cute noises and bumping into things, or in "battle" mode where they make cute little warrior noises and do some special tricks (spins, wheelies, etc). Their armor set comes with a shield that has a track to run them across to "charge up their armor". Even before we opened anything else, the kids were having fun with their Kung Zhu hamsters.

After getting our hamsters out, suited up and running, we finally opened and set up a Battle Arena, where the two hamsters can duel it out a couple at a time, pushing each other around, doing spins, and trying to "win" by knocking the other Zhu Zhu over. We set up a Ninja training set and a Special Forces training set on either side of the arena. There also were some battle accessories for the arena (or for use on their own). We built and connected all of the pieces. The hamsters were ready for battle. (We only connected one training set to each side and added two battle accessories, but there are all kinds of accessories that you can hook onto the battle arena to make it more intricate and fun, too!)

The kids were a bit disappointed that when the hamsters were wearing their armor that they couldn't fit through the training set. This did seem somewhat odd, since the training sets attach to the "tunnels" leading to the battle arena. The kids quickly got over this and just let their hamsters train and upon reaching the battle arena, they would pick them up and pop on their armor. The battle accessories and the armor both have some "action" pieces that when bumped into fire or drop or swing a weapon into the arena. Of course, mostly these just serve as obstacles to the hamsters, leading to one or the other to flip over and "lose". That's okay, once they lose the kids switch sides and let their hamsters run on the other training set and return to battle again.

Generally, I am not a big fan of "fighting" or "battle" toys, but this one features cute hamsters and really makes the kids giggle - so it feels less violent than a "battle toy" sounds. In addition, the arena and the accessories can really start to take up a lot of space. We are fortunately enough to have a basement, but we first set it up in our family room which quickly was overrun in Kung Zhu. Once we moved it to the basement, there was plenty of room.

I have been impressed by the amount of time the kids spend playing with the Kung Zhu pets. Most of the time, hasn't even been in battle. As they were downstairs playing, my son came up and asked if he could recycle the boxes that the pets and toys had come in. Recycling makes sense to me, so I said sure. Turns out he meant reuse. They took to opening boxes and using the cardboard inside to create houses for their Kung Zhu hamsters. It was really great to see them spend time playing and being creative together. To me, a toy that inspires them to be creative is a good thing. Of course, all of their play has not been without squabbles. They both want to use the same set of armor - it fires off missiles when it gets bumped and my daughter struggles with letting her brother's Kung Zhu train on "her" training set (the one she helped me open and set up), but they have worked through both and now take turns.

Overall I would give these pets a great review...my kids have enjoyed playing with them all weekend! I love that you can play with just the pets alone or add in any number of accessories to mix it up.

Giveaway:

Kung Zhu giveaway! Thanks to MomSelect, I have a HUGE package of Kung Zhu fun to give to one lucky reader. Here is what the winner will get:

Two Kung Zhu pets
Two Sets of Kung Zhu armor
One Battle Arena
Three Accessories

To enter - check out the Kung Zhu hamster bios (here) and then leave a comment sharing which Kung Zhu hamster you could best relate to.

Additional entries:
· Follow @ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter. Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. (this can be done daily)
· Follow this blog or sign up to receive e-mail updates (upper side bar). Leave a comment letting me know that you follow or subscribe (or if you already have been).
· Include my button on your side bar or a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll. Leave a comment with a link to your site.
· Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook.
· Write a post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment with a link to your post.

Giveaway will remain open until July 5th at 6pm. Winner will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (Please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or clearly visible on your profile or blog) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. I did receive through Mom Select a pair of Kung Zhu hamsters, armor, battle arena and some accessories for my family, that we could play with them and share our experience. In addition, a set was provided for a giveaway.

New Games/Toys Coupons

Have you checked out the new coupons on Coupons.com (available on my sidebar). There are a bunch of new coupons for toys and games(26 according to my count). Some of these are the same as we saw before Christmas - including Mr. Potato Head, Pictureka, and more. Use these game coupons to pick up the card game version for about $1 or less at many locations.

Sorry - $4
Pictureka - $5
Scrabble - $4
Scrabble Deluxe - $10
Monopoly - $4
Electronic Catch Phrase - $5
Mr. Potato Head - $3
Sit'n Spin - $5
Step Start Walk 'n Ride - $5 (one of our favorites!)
My Little Pony - BOGO (single pony)
My Little Pony (So Soft Newborns, Family Convertible, or Ferris Wheel) - $5
Strawberry Shortcake - $5 on $20
...and more.

It might be worth checking out. I plan to use a few of the coupons to pick up some inexpensive gifts to put in my gift closet for future birthdays.

YooHoo and Friends

See those big sappy eyes.

If you were here, you could give them a little squeeze and hear their fun playful noises. You could hold them and see how soft they are.

My kids have taken to these cuddly little characters.

What are they? They are YooHoo & Friends from Aurora World.

Aurora’s YooHoo & Friends are the company’s number one selling plush animal. With big eyes and long fluffy tails, the lovable plush YooHoo & Friends are based upon real animals from around the world, some of which are endangered. Current selection include the Sugar Glider, Panda, Penguin and Lesser Panda and many more. In fact, there are more than 50 styles in the line with more to come, as Aurora plans to introduce many new YooHoo & Friends throughout this year. The Beaver, Yellow Tiger, Jaban Rhinoceros and Japanese Macque (both in five and eight inches) will kick off the 2010 introductions.

Want to learn more about the animals on which the characters are based and play with them in an interactive virtual world? You and your children can play with the characters and learn about the animals at YooHoo World. I find it refreshing that the YooHoo & Friends website, geared to children ages 5-12, is FREE! No purchase or activation codes are required to play in the YooHoo World. You do need to create a log on for your child. Your child chooses a pet that they want to raise. They have the opportunity to use their "green" (money) to buy accessories for their room. There are games to play (you can earn more green by doing well on the games). You can interact with your pet by feeding it, praising it and playing with it from the My Page link. You can even make the days progress (and your pet grow) by feeding it, praising it, playing with it and cleaning the room the right number of times.

In addition, for each YooHoo friend, you can find out about the real life animal on which it is based and learn more about that animal, through an interactive map on the YooHoo & Friends page. You can also watch short YooHoo animations.

There are also free wallpapers for your computer that you can download. You can also join the community on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and more.

Would you like to get a YooHoo & Friend plush for a child in your life? You can purchase them online at Aurora World, Inc and in retail stores. The 5" plush are just $7 a piece, even for the animals that include sound. Of course, you could also try to win one, as they have offered to allow one A Busy Mom of Two reader to win their own YooHoo & Friend Plush toy assortment.

Giveaway

Primary Entry:
Head over and check out all of the YooHoo & Friends characters. Leave a comment answering the following question: Which friend is your favorite. If you win, who would you share the YooHoo & Friends with?

Additional Entries:

• Share this giveaway with friends - on your blog, on Facebook or by e-mail. Leave me a comment letting me know how you shared.

• Follow @ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You may complete this entry once per day.

• Follow A Busy Mom of Two. Subscribe to updates in your feed reader or in e-mail. Leave me a comment letting me know that you signed up, or that you already subscribe.

• Leave a comment with a link to your blog where you have either my button or have a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll.

• Follow YooHoo & Friends on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know that you follow and your Twitter ID

Giveaway will remain open until January 12th at 6 pm. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

I received no compensation for this post. I received 2 5" YooHoo Friends and 1 Keychain to review and share with my family.

Target Toy Coupons

I came upon these coupons last night. They appear to be on Target's site, so I have no reason to believe they are altered or otherwise invalid. I say this, because last year there was an altered coupon for Target. If anyone knows otherwise, please let me know.

I tested it this morning using the online coupon code and it worked. The coupons are good through November 25th.

Thanks!

Target Holiday Toy Coupons

Don't forget, there are family game coupons and toy coupons available through Hasbro.com and on coupons.com. These will stack to make some great deals.

Me Too!

My daughter is a real treat sometimes. It doesn't seem to matter what others are doing, she wants to do it too.

The other day, we went shopping. I was trying on some clothes to figure out which slacks I liked the best. She was in the fitting room with me. I told her that when I was done, we would go look at clothes for her and her brother. She indicated that she would try her clothes on too. So, I finished and we worked our way through the store, trying on shoes - she tried on the same pairs as me - even needed a footie. We checked out her section and the boy's section, picking up some things from the clearance racks for next year. As we headed towards the checkouts, I found some additional slacks that I wanted to try on. We headed back to the fitting room. As soon as we were in there, she began to undress and pull down all of the hangars with her stuff. Sure as she said, she was trying on her clothes. She put them on, looked in the mirror and took them off. What a hoot! My 2 year old was trying on clothes.

When it comes to being around her brother, it really brings out the "me too" trait in her. She seems to think that because her brother is almost 6, that she is too. As a parent, it can sometimes be a struggle to let her do some of what he does, while still keeping her safe and treating her like a 2 year old.

When we let him have an occasional "special drink" (soda), she wants one. I'm not going to give soda to a 2 year old, so we offered to let her have apple pop - a homemade mix of apple juice and club soda. She says its spicy - which I think is an interesting interpretation of the carbonation.

When my son brings something to school for a particular themed event, you better believe she needs to bring something too.

When he is swinging by himself on the swingset, she wants to too. Amazingly enough, she figured out on her own how to make herself continue to swing by leaning back and forth - without using her legs.

We went shopping for his birthday and are getting him a new bike. Guess who wants one for her birthday now too. We likely will put the training wheels back on his old bike and let her have that one, and maybe get her a pretty basket to hang on the front handlebars, to make it her's.

When he's riding his scooter, she wants to ride it too. I am happy to say that she will soon get her wish on this one, because I am going to be reviewing the Razor Jr Folding Kiddie Kick Scooter courtesy of All Children's Furniture. (All Children's Furniture - you wonder aloud? I was a little surprised to learn that they sell everything from kids chairs to toys.) I do like that the scooter is styled with three wheels, making it more stable for her than the standard two wheel scooter her brother has. I also was able to select it in pink, which is nice since even though she is a "me too" she is also all girl.

There are of course limitations and boundaries that we try to maintain. Afterall, she is just 2. Her brother is allowed to stay up later some nights (just 1/2 and hour), but she is not allowed, she can when she is older. He likes to take a shower on his own, she is not allowed to do it on her own, but can take one with me. He is allowed to occasionally chew gum, she is not. He is allowed to run out to the mailbox by himself, she needs someone to go with her.

With as much of a "me too" girl she is, I do try to encourage her when she does something uniquely her. She likes to choose her own clothes, and let me tell you, season and temperature play no role in her decision - she chose a warm up suit the day that it reached 90 here and I let her (I was practical and packed a pair of shorts for her to change into).

Letting her safely explore what others are doing and fostering her unique personality, works for me. For more tips and tricks, check out Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

Baby Toys

One thing that I remember from being a first time mom, is being overwhelmed by the selection of everything that there is for baby. The first wave of "Oh My!" hit when we were registering, there had to be no less than 20 types of bottles and 10 crib mattresses to choose from. We did our best to feel our way through, choosing some things by the patterns/colors, some by the consumer reports safety tips and others by polling our friends who already had kids.

Over time, the sense of being completely overwhelmed has subsided some, but we still struggle with questions - what toys will help them learn and grow?, what is a good thing to get for their birthday, etc. We've leaned on friends and family with older kids for recommendations on toys that are right for each age, those that their kids just loved. With our daughter, we had the benefit of having watched our son play and learn with his toys and were better poised to know when to pull certain toys out of storage for her and which toys to not even pull out.

A few months ago, I was introduced to ebeanstalk. I just wish I had a resource like them when my kids were babies. With each toy, they provide a lot of information in the listing about the toy beyond just a description and picture - they answer "why we love it", they select the developmental skill each toy is best at developing, and provide safety information about the toy. The one tab that doesn't provide much about the product is oddly the Features tab, which seems to be more focused on where a child of a given age is developmentally.

Ebeanstalk is dedicated to a baby's development. Their goal is to select the best baby toys matched to a baby's development. To see great information on how a baby grows up, check out the info on their baby toys page.

Picking toys for a baby is not as simple as it sounds.

Here are some quick baby facts:

• Toys for a newborn baby: A newborn baby is briefly looking at objects and attempting to imitate facial expressions. They can follow objects with their eyes and usually quiet down, when they are picked up.


• Toys for a three month old: They will enjoy ‘frolic play', reaching for objects and will repeat enjoyable activities. Believe it or not, they will respond to ‘no' (about half the time) and will start babbling.


• Toys for a six month old: They'll search for hidden objects (object permanence). They'll reach for themselves in the mirror, play peekaboo, crumple paper, roll from their stomach to their back and even respond to their name.


• Toys for a nine month old: They are pushing toy cars, playing pat-a-cake and looking for hidden sounds. The baby toys they are playing with are also getting more fun.

The good news is that ebeanstalk might say they are focused on baby, but they also offer age appropriate toys for older kids. They have them organized by age as well to allow you to shop for toys by age in year increments up to "7 year old & up".

The toys offered on their site are not the typical items that you find at your everyday department store. I have seen some of them at local specialty and educational stores, but being online, they definitely have a larger selection of unique toys. I like their selection, which is especially great when it comes to giving gifts. There is a lot less likelihood that the recipient might receive two of the toy you select, because the selection is different.

Do you have a question about child development that you would like to have answered? Leave a comment with your question. I will ask ebeanstalk and will do a post with the answers to your questions.

Ebeanstalk was kind enough to offer a 15% discount on any first purchase at ebeanstalk. Simply enter TGS345 at the shopping cart to get your 15% discount.