I received the mentioned supplemental learning products to review. All opinions are my own.
Starting my in-home preschool has been an overwhelming experience. I have been trying to use my creative side to come up with activities and projects, but I also still need materials to help. I have been trying to find products and activities that cover numerous areas of development.
Super Duper Publications is a company that offers hundreds of enticing products to improve various skills in all children. Browsing their website, I found oodles of products that would be perfect for our little preschool area. The best part is finding products that will benefit all three kids for years, from preK through grade school.
Ask & Answer ‘Wh’ Bingo
The easiest way to teach my sons right now is through games. The Ask & Answer ‘Wh’ Bingo game appealed to me because it teaches relationships between items & words and verbal expression of question skills. The game includes:
- Laminated bingo boards printed front and back (6 each of Who, What, Where, When, Why, and Combo)
- 144 total “Wh” calling cards (24 cards per each 6 categories, color coded to match the boards)
- 200 bingo chips in assorted colors in plastic storage tub
We had to play four rounds the first time we got it out, because it was such a big hit with my four year old. It sparked a lot of questions and made for great conversations. It encouraged the boys to learn about new things, help each other out, and differentiate the types of questions. They also don’t settle for ‘5-in-a-Row’ Bingo. They want to play ‘Blackout’ so we go through all the questions and their playing boards are covered.
I also like to get out the calling cards just to start a conversation or pass time (while waiting or during dinner prep). The kids take turns answering the questions and elaborate on how the came to their answer. It can then lead to other questions about the topic or coming up with things that are in the same category.
MagneTalk Match-Up Adventures Kit
The MagneTalk Match-up Adventures Kit immediately caught my eye because of all the skills it targets and the countless activities it can be used for. The large set includes:
- 2-sided magnetic, dry erase tabletop easel (12″ x 16″)
- 10 game boards (two of each scene: camping, picnic, outer space, ocean, and grocery store)
- 10 magnets for each game board (100 magnetic pieces)
- 34-page reproducible activity book with a CD-ROM for easy printing
- Dry erase marker
- Convenient carrying case
The magnets and game boards are numbered so they can easily be matched together. Each board and magnet set has two sets. Since the tabletop easel is two sided, the activities can be completed simultaneously. It works great so that my three and four year old can do the same thing, but separately.
I started out by letting my son place the magnets on the board any way he wanted. We then pulled out the workbook and went through some of the activities with the corresponding scene. I love that it also comes with a CD-Rom so I can print off multiply worksheets for endless lessons.
There are so many skills the activities can promote with the MagneTalk boards including vocabulary, story-telling, following directions, deductive reasoning, and more. They love having me tell them where to put an object and trying figure out where it should go. I enjoy letting them put magnets on the boards and telling me a story allowing for their little creative imaginations to flow.
Both these products have been a great addition to our preschool area and can be used to fit into any curriculum planned. The best part is the boys think they are just new toys and want to play with them frequently.