Fabulous and playful!
353365
Jodi Ohl is one of the most talented art/mixed media teachers I have had the pleasure to get to know. She is articulate and her instructions are easy to follow even for a beginner like me. I look forward to her next book. It will definitely become part of my art library.
4169037
The character list of this game includes the Sun, the Moon, an Apple, a Mushroom, Flowers and Stars.  A bumble bee is the leader of the group.  The object is to grow all the flowers before the sunset.  Everyone does this together by taking turns doing yoga poses.  When we play with our neighbor friends, everyone literally cheers out loud when successful.  Not that I have anything against good old fashion competition, but I am happy that there isn't a trace of it in this game.  Yoga Garden encourages co-operation all the way.  The ages of my children are from 4 to 8 years old.  But I can certainly see tweens enjoying this too.  Even I get in on the fun, sometimes!  Which leads me to my final point:  A guardian watching over and helping play makes the experience of playing that much more delightful.  It is hard NOT to be present when playing this well thought out invention.  Remember to give reminders to smile and breath along the way!
2721059
The ten O'Leary children share one very, very wide bed, and getting out of it is lots of fun! Each sibling, one at a time, tumbles, rolls, dives, slides, or somehow booted out of bed by another sibling in this gleefully fun book of nonsense and some sense rhymes. Author Doyle explains that children counted, bounced balls, and played skipping games to these rhymes, many of them Irish, and many of which "bring back fond memories of my childhood in Whitehead, County Antrim."

The book begins with a simple counting scheme ("One, two, three O'Learys, four, five, six..."), although the vivid colors and textures begin on page one.  The text, however, becomes as wild and unpredictable as the frolicking kids (who unfailingly smile as their siblings de-bed them). Doyle's silly verse accompanies illustrations bursting with action and an amazing variety of unusual yet pleasing colors. On one of the 2-page spreads, three sisters dance in unison on the bed, while a smiling boy with a rainbow wig slides (is kicked?) off.  Echoing the three sisters, the parents and even the pets perform a little jig as well.

Hickety pickety, eye silickity,

Pompalorum jig.

I wish I hadn't any hair,

One, two, three,

OUT goes he!

In a show of unity, the ten kids then shake daddy out of bed, chase him down a fire pole connecting the top and bottom floors (!), and grab his and each others' coattails as he runs outside through the snow. Later, they climb a knotted rope up the fire pole!

Catch him by the waistcoat,

The jacket, and the overcoat.

Tell him he's a billygoat

And CHASE HIM DOWN THE STAIRS!

This is an enormously fun, silly book to read and hear, and the good-natured siblings and inventive rhymes engage and warm the heart.  For kids who love wordplay and/or counting, and parents who like to read out loud (and perhaps want an example of some silly family fun), this book is a fresh delight.  For more information on author and illustrator, visit [...] and [...]
4190567
Simply love these fashionable playful sneakers!!! Highly recommend!
4622849
These are totally fun! I received on pack of these LED Badminton Shuttlecocks to review and they are so fun!! We love to get out and play yard games but we don't really have any lighting in the back yard, so once it starts getting dark we have to stop. These LED shuttlecocks create a whole new element to the game! I love them! We love to play around, but we aren't professionals or anything. Rules? What rules?!?! This box contains four shuttlecocks and the only complaint I have is that one of them in my box was dead. I'm not sure if the button somehow got pushed in shipping or if it was just a dead one. I haven't yet tried to take it apart or anything, but I might. The other three work fine so  it hasn't really been a problem.
These are goose feather with a cork ball head that has terrific bounce and give good return. They are lightweight and easy to handle. These are great for extending the playing time past dark and are a decent value for the fun. I think we're going to be enjoying these for awhile!
175145
Boy, this game was so much fun!  It is fun to replay it when it's raining out, there's nothing else to do or when I'm in the mood for adventure!  I don't know what is it about this little childrens software that is so involving and somehow realistic, there's a feeling that I've travelled through the real European Continent whenever I come back from playing this game, it is absolutely delightful and one of my favorites!

Madeline had planned to go to camp with other girls that day, but things quickly changed when, under some steps at the Paris Train Station, Madeline spots a magic lamp.  She softly touches the lamp and it begins to glow very brightly revealing a genie, who quickly befriends Madeline.  Suddenly, a shadowy figure snatches the lamp from Madeline's hands and sets off in a train.  Poor Madeline is left with nothing more than a map that the thief had dropped but Genevieve accidently tears it to pieces.  After this, Madeline knows she can no longer go to camp, instead, she decides to follow the thief and rescue the genie.  Before she leaves Paris, however, Madeline will have to do some searching and finding in order to adquire some things she'll need.

As you play, you'll be able to explore different areas in France, Switzerland, Italy and finally, Turkey, meeting all kinds of interesting and warm characters as you travel.  Also part of this enchanting little adventure game are a few sets of activities.  Different word games allow a child to learn over one hundred words both in Spanish and French.  The game includes pictures of different European landscapes and monuments that you can color and then print out.  Finally, the best one, in which you can learn about the location, flag, name and capital of nineteen different countries by doing series of matching, after each one you get right, you'll be told an interesting fact about that country.  The graphics, backgrounds and animations are of the same quality as most Madeline products such as the books and the TV series, keeping it more appealing by sticking to a rather simplistic outlook.  The music is pleasant and adds a very nice touch to the mood of the story, blending quite nicely with each different situation and place.

This little masterpiece should be checked out by all little children, especially those who may be attached to Madeline and her adventures.  I found this game to be delightful and much, much more entertaining and with more replayable value than Madeline and the Magnificent Puppet Show, which was cute, just not as involving.  Perfect game, 10/10.
4181218
I bought this on a whim from the 'recommended' section. My girls are 5 and 6, and we love playing games together. We've never played 'charades' of any kind before, so this was new to them. I was able to quickly explain the premise and the rules, which they caught on to immediately. We were playing within 5 minutes of opening the box.

My 5 year old is not a strong reader yet, so I'm thrilled for any game that promises her inclusion and where she can be her own independent player - that makes her enjoy any game so much more. It is so fun seeing them try to figure out how to relay a picture to us - we have had so many laughs, and it was definitely worth the purchase!

There are plenty of cards, so you won't run through them too quickly, and so far they have all been easy for my kids to understand and know what the picture/words were immediately. A+!
4379235
We were having a hard time finding a Wii game that our 3.5 yo DD could play or even relate to, but Cosmic Family has fulfilled that desire. She enjoys the fun stories and can easily play along with the "adventure" or the 20 mini-games and activities. There are 3 game levels that you can choose, perfect as they progress in skills. There are educational themes like shape &/or color matching and sorting, puzzles, associations, sound memory and painting/drawing. She learned to use the Wii remote easily with this game. Oh, and the elephant is always there to click on for help, our DD loves him! Some of the mini-games also have glasses you can click for help if you get stuck, kind of like a hint. Our DD does occasionally need help w/ the more advanced concepts, but we all play it together anyway. This is a great game for younger children to feel included in Wii fun, and can even be fun for a little mindless adult entertainment! :-) We definitely recommend it!
3821619
We love this game!  Our children love it, and we as parents love it because they have to be active to play it.  Just played it with a group of about 30 people (adults and children).  We were all laughing and giggling - so much fun!  Graphics may not be the best, but we don't care because it's so much fun to play. It's challenging, great for building coordination and encouraging players to be active, and most importantly to us, providing a fun activity to do as a family. Perfect for bad weather days too!  We love it!
2214525
We ordered this game to have here when our two granddaughters come for a visit next month.  Of course we've been playing it so we will be up to speed when they get there!  OMG, this is one of the most fun children's games I've ever played.  It is not boring for us at all and yet I know the 7 year old will be able to play it easily.  Actually she already is because we sent it to her for a Christmas present.  Her dad tells us she beats him 90% of the time!  The five year old is not playing yet, but we'll get her playing when they come.  The good thing is that you can play it on a lower level.  My son evidently didn't read the directions thoroughly so he didn't know about scoring by the most sets acquired.  They have just been playing by number of skippers acquired.  If you have younger players, I think you could play as teams and include them in deciding which skippers to jump.  And you will enjoy it even if you don't have kids to play with.  It's more challenging than checkers and less challenging than chess.
4072219
This toy provides incredible hands-on kinesthetic play opportunities!! From figuring out the toy vehicles design, to manipulating the battery operated drill, kids will have plenty of fine and gross motor skill building experiences! Then, once the toys is built, they can use it for pretend play activities.

I love that this could be used as a single or group activity. The pieces are large enough for smaller preschoolers to handle AND I love that they are large enough that they don't get lost underfoot. A little bit I wish the clear screws were not clear those as sometimes if they roll away they can be hard to spot! :) But not a huge deal.

Sturdy enough for the rigor of toddler and preschool play, this toy generates a lot of excitement and I love the "build" aspect of it that is so different from other building toys! My kids love their design and build toys!

I received this product free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
2407360
I purchased this game to help my youngest child improve her speed with simple addition and subtraction.  The reviews were positive and it sounded like a cute game.
She LOVES this game!  Her older sister and I have a fantastic time playing this game with her.  The most stunning thing is the fact that my husband has fun playing Shut the Box!  He really doesn't enjoy most games and will usually say 'no' when the kids ask him to play.  With this game, HE will ask THEM to play a round!
We have played this every day since it arrived - a few times a day, actually.  It really doesn't leave the coffee table.  It is an attractive game, not garish and kid-like in color or design.
The instructions are so simple that I figured we would have to throw a few games and let the youngest win to keep her interested.  HA!  She 'shut the box' before any of the rest of us!  As a matter of fact, 'shutting the box' has only happened half a dozen times now.  The games are usually won by scores, so it is a HUGE thrill when you can take it down.  Hence the addiction - you get so close, and you are sure that if you try just ONE more time, you can do it.
1873007
I absolutely ADORE  this book of playfulness, acceptance, and teenage angst. The pictures are warm and colorful and the storyline is perfect for 2017, in a world in which acceptance of other's differences is a great lesson to teach children of all ages. My friend's daughter, who I read it to once, STILL runs up to me, rubs her shoulders against mine, and says "Ooh, SPARKLE, SPARKLE!" (She's three!) This book should be a household staple!
4777355
This book is super fun!  Though technically a children's book, I (as would many among my peers with a sense of wonder and humor) enjoyed it tremendously!  If I did have a kid it would be a blast to read this to him or her!  It would definitely be an instance where it is actually fun to answer a billion questions from a kid about a story!  The artwork is colorful and fun, and the story is both kind of sweet and tongue in cheek at the same time.  I really couldn't stop smiling the whole time I read this thing!
3591412
Simply wonderful, fun and joyful ! The kids will be entertained while they learn and grow while the adults will have plenty of good chuckles too. You won't go wrong !
4585064
This toy is a lot more than i thought it was when i purchased it. It is very interactive. i bought it for my 8 month year old neice and she loves it. Each symbol represents a differnet animal and it can play classical music! Which many experts think is very good for little kids and i even like to listen to it myself. It is very upbeat and fun. My 8 month year old neice maybe a little too young for some of the educational value of the toy but it is very interesting to her. You can't beat the value of this toy for the price. Has been vey durable and doesn't seem to suck batteries like some similar toys!
A++
2349584
I absolutely LOVE the colors of this toy. The wood is nice and the quality is perfect. This is one of my baby's first Christmas presents. He will be almost 11 months old at Christmas (crazy!!). I thought it would be such a fun toy for him now that he's so busy using his hands for everything. The animals are adorable and the toy will be great for bringing with us on the go to play in the car or when out and about. Skip hop never disappoints with their products. There are so many toys out there that make noise and have flashing lights and all the bells and whistles, but it's really nice to have a toy like this in the mix for just calm, quiet play where he can just enjoy his new abilities and practice his motor skills without all of the distractions. Definitely recommend!