YWAM Publishing Heroes of History: Milton Hershey Review

The Heroes of History - Milton Hershey: More Than Chocolate book is one of the 1-29 books from the Heroes of History series that consists of biographical true accounts of the men and women over the years that helped change history. We chose Milton Hershey mostly because we love Hershey chocolates and a couple of years ago, we visited Hershey, Pennsylvania and became interested in how he was a part of history. It was hard to choose from the collection of 29 books as well as another series of 49 books from the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series as I'm a huge history fan and luckily, that has rubbed off on my children. I have to admit that there is much more than meets the eye on these books as I am a strong believer in knowledge is power but these aren't just novels rather they are comprehensive curriculum thanks to the downloadable study guides that accompanies each book from YWAM Publishing.

Milton Hershey: More Than Chocolate by Janet and Geoff Benge is a fantastic true story about perseverance, adversity and heartache that brought success not only to the Milton Hershey family but also to those around him with the great care he had for others.  It's a tale that teaches about history, human character, Christian living and much more. I love books like this for my children as it teaches that hard work, faith and commitment with an acceptance of occasional failure is the secret to success and success is not always monitory. The book was a huge win with my student and myself.

The other very key components when utilizing these books in a homeschool or other teaching environment are the downloadables Overview for Unit Curriculum Guide and the Unit Study Curriculum Guide. Once the files are unzipped, there are multiple options to choose from and it's very intuitive. I printed mine out and sat out the table to prepare everything I needed to start.

What I liked about the Overview for Unit Curriculum Guide:

• It's a very flexible program allowing the user to use the curriculum in place of a history curriculum or utilize portions to enhance the existing curriculum. I decided to utilize it as an enhancement since it focuses on a person at a time.
• It's also comprehensive in which I was able to integrate other subjects such as creative writing, geography, reading comprehension, social studies and more with each book to add more learning punch to each book.
• It's flexible across age groups and the homeschool parent/user can decide what is appropriate for their student(s). 
• It can be utilized in a homeschool environment individually or in groups.
• It's also flexible for different learning styles.

What I liked about the Unit Study Curriculum Guide:

• The Unit Study Curriculum Guide offered plentiful ways to supplement the books with fun activities for any age. I liked that examples provided included possible grade levels for an activity.  The activities vary and really make the student read, comprehend and think about what they have read. For example, one of the activities is to choose three of Milton Hershey's character traits that seem most obvious. Write an essay describing those traits and give several examples of how they were manifested in his life. 
• A section on chapter questions that include vocabulary and factual questions from the book as well as questions to gauge the student's comprehension and then two open-ended questions to encourage thought and interpretation is included. There is a section for the answers at the back of the Guide.
• There is a wealth of resources for enhancing the project in ways I hadn't thought of. It's so comprehensive with various ways that learning can be incorporated in different subjects making each activity engaging and fun.
• There is also a section for additional books, other heroes and films that correspond with the biography.

There is even a bonus section online that provides additional activities from word searches, crossword puzzles to maps and so much more.  It's really a great program and I would highly recommend this for students of any age.

Completing a bonus word search.

I plan on using more of these fantastic Christian themed books in our homeschool adventures. I'm torn with which one to start with:

• THEN & NOW Betty Greene: Wings to Serve; or 
• Abraham Lincoln: A New Birth of Freedom.

Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or on their blog.

Check out what others on Crew thought:

Memories of Your Childhood - Sauzer's Kiddieland & Waffle House in Schererville, Indiana

Those wonderful childhood memories are something we all have. For those of us that move away, they are in many ways more meaningful when we see photographs especially when the places are no longer there. I have very fond and vivid memories of a local amusement park called Sauzer's Kiddieland. It was on the corner of 30 and 41 also known as the Crossroads of America in Schererville, Indiana which isn't too far from Chicago. It was in operation from 1949 until 1994. It was originally started by Frank Sauzer and his son, Frank Sauzer Jr., took over. Frank Jr., was the person I knew when I worked there one summer.  

They had 15 acres that housed about 18 different rides and a paddle boat pond. Many businesses had their summer office parties there and it was just the place to be in the summer. Many people might even remember some of the regulars like Tiny or favorite rides like the Mad Mouse. I worked at the concession stand and it was my introduction to adult responsibilities as I was moved up to concession stand manager and had to say no to the free requests from food from some of the cute boys that worked. It taught me a lot and introduced me to my first real job as a waitress at their corner restaurant called Sauzer's Waffle House that was in operation from 1941 until 1990. 

Sauzer's Waffle House was one of those small town places where the locals congregated on one half which was the coffee shop and families went to the other side. During late nights, the local, county and state police would gather in the most often emptier family side and chit chat about their days. The quirky old timer staff would never let you down from an older woman named Toots to the young kitchen staff sneaking some smokes, legal and illegal, in the back. 

It was also the place where my dad gave me my first driving lesson and we can say I absolutely failed just pulling out of the parking space!  That would be my last fall place of employment before I ended up leaving and joining my family to southern Indiana. When I returned, there were many changes as both places were sold off and tore down and sadly I heard Frank Jr. passed away as he was a nice man. Some areas look just as it was when I left while others changed a bit but overall, I still have a sense of sadness when I drive around and see all the changes.

A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft Inc.) Review

Math can be a not so fun subject to teach as it's not a favorite of my youngest. It's been quite difficult as a matter of fact which is why I wanted to try out A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft Inc.) Adaptive Math Curriculum Online program to see if this would be the magic link to what she needs to get interested in a very much needed subject. Starting out with the program was easy and enrolling me student was equally effortless.

Once I enrolled my student into the program, she had to take placement tests which I found helpful in understanding where she was from a learning perspective. The first mini-tests gauged her skill levels and automatically adjusted the difficulty level of questions based on her answers as well as detected any gaps between the targeted level and her actual level. Since the Adaptive Math Curriculum Online is geared towards grades 1-6 and pre-algebra, I was confident that she would gain from the program.

Note, there is another program called the Family Math Package that does not pre-test students and also incorporates all the grade levels as the Adaptive Math Curriculum Online. It allows flexibility in moving the student to different grade levels pending their knowledge.

Quick Overview of Student's Dashboard:

The student's Dashboard provides the following options:

• Take the Adaptive Placement Test 
• Provides a test for each concept (Number Sense, Addition, Subtraction, etc);
• A visual Goal line so the student can see their progress;
• Options for lessons, worksheets, reports and details are available; and
• Option to retake the test.
• View My Lesson Plan
• View Video Lessons & Interactive Review - this portion of my review is covered below.
• Practice with Online Worksheets
• Worksheets are provided per concept and has 10 questions that provide a summary of correct, incorrect and unanswered questions.
• View My Reports
• Summary Reports provides a list of all math concepts for my student's grade level. Each concept has notations on whether my student was at the grade level expected, how many attempts were made and I could view the Summary Report.
• The Summary Report helps the student understand where they might need a little more help and an opportunity to review the Video Lessons and Interactive Q & A.
• Progress Reports provides the student an understanding of their progress relative to each lesson and how far they are from the goal if they hadn't met it yet.
• Coming soon, a How to Get Started? (View Tutorial) isn't available yet but I suspect it will be helpful to new students.

Review:

The results of her mini-tests established a good area of focus for her to begin with the lessons. I had to spend a little time helping her to navigate through the format and how the program works. She is used to textbooks and actually prefers them over online programs as I found working through the A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft, Inc.). She quickly learned that she does have to read each instructional screen to understand the next steps in proceeding with the lessons.

The Table of Contents provides the various concepts such as Number Sense, Addition, Subtraction and so forth. Once the student clicks on the manila folder to expand the selections, they choose the first lesson that begins automatically with an audio that corresponds with the topic with demonstrations and explanations of each concept. 

The voice is easy to understand and isn't too fast. My student, who is impatient, thought the voice was too slow and became easily bored and distracted. 

There is also an interactive Q & A that provides the student with an opportunity to ensure they understood what was just taught.

At the top of each lesson, a completion date and status are provided so the student can track their progress which is good so they can see where they are relative to learning as well as to track where they left off. After they complete the interactive Q & A, a screen pops up with their score and a chance to print off the certificate. The questions are animated with a frog to place the answers in and to provide further encouragement by making it fun.

Overall, I think this is a good program for students who prefer to learn online. It's very thorough and ensures the student is retaining the information they are learning. They are also detailed in demonstrating and explaining how a problem is answered. I like how the students have the ability to retake lessons when they need further assistance in understanding each concept and how the student can always check on their progress. My student is rather bored easily and impatient and I believe she prefers the old school way of using textbooks.

Follow A+ Interactive Math (by A+ TutorSoft Inc.) on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for the latest updates and news.

Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Review

Learning about anatomy and physiology was not a favorite of my 10 year old. She is usually resistant to bodily functions and how it all works together but this was not the case with our review of Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology. Once she picked it up and began chapter one, she returned enthusiastically proclaiming she really liked what she had read. She liked how it has a Christian theme and didn't get grossed out by anything ... yet. We've been utilizing the following for seven weeks and to date, after every chapter, she is so excited to reinforce with me what she has learned:

• Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Text 
• Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Junior Notebooking Journal 
• Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Notebooking Journal 
• Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology MP3 Audio CD 

Textbook & MP3 Audio CD

We found that the each product works beautifully together offering a comprehensive program to teach anatomy and physiology. I had my student first read from the Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology book and then I played the MP3 audio CD for her. The MP3 audio CD, which can play on any device capable of playing MP3s, provides an additional resource to reinforce the teachings from the book. The audio is a perfect speed for the child to listen without getting bored or lost. The audio stops and refers the student to particular pages in the book for "Try This!" activities or experiments. These provide a nice break from reading and listening and allows hands on activities that furthers the lesson. I also liked how the audio suggests the student should tell someone else what they learned. My little student loved this part as she always gave me an account after each section she read.

Each section or main idea from a lesson has a corresponding audio to go along with the reading making it easy to keep track of where the student is or where they might want to be by clear title headings on the audio menu that matches the book. The audio was also great for when we had to run errands as I could play it in the vehicle.

The book is easy for the young and older student to understand with great pictures and diagrams that helps explain the particular body system or function. It's not full of words that require a dictionary to be on hand either. With numerous "Try This!" opportunities, the student can have many opportunities to practice what they have read and heard. 

One example of the projects is from Lesson 3 where the student will create their Personal Person Project. The student adds muscles to their Personal Person and if they have the journal, which we do, my student had to cut out and add to her person.

Another "Try This!" project was showing emotions which she loved!

I have to add that my student was quite pleased to reach lesson six and hear all about asthma since she feels it's an overlooked condition. She was diagnosed with asthma prior to turning one year old.

Junior Anatomy Notebooking Journal

The Junior Anatomy Notebooking Journal for Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology is for younger students and is a valuable resource to compliment the textbook. The Note from the Author at the beginning notes it is designed for students that are not yet proficient writers. It also states the student will need some supplies such as glue, colored pencils, etc. 

There is a suggested schedule which was extremely helpful to me as I tried to plan our daily lessons. I didn't feel it was overwhelming and thought it provided just the right mixture of activities ranging from coloring pages, activities, notebook pages, scripture copy-work in cursive, projects, miniature books, 'more to explore' and field trip pages. I personally LOVED the scripture and Biblical aspects tied in with the many pages. Having the student draw as part of the lesson also encourages their creative abilities within each drawing.

Anatomy Notebooking Journal

The Anatomy Notebooking Journal for Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology is for the older student and also requires some routine supplies. It also has a nicely completed schedule that is quite doable and didn't overwhelm my student. As with the Junior Notebook, this journal also requires the student to draw and provides many opportunities to write by responding to questions from the text book. It really makes them understand what they just read and/or heard from the audio. There are crossword puzzles, scripture copy-work in cursive and much more.  It's a great tool in getting your child to form independent thought while learning how to read and interpret. 

This is by far, my favorite program for teaching anatomy and physiology. I believe there is everything and more needed to teach a sound understanding of anatomy and physiology with the Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology package. My daughter gave it a thumb's up too!


Follow Apologia World on Facebook, on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube. 

Please take a moment to see what others in the Crew thought: 

Memoria Press First Form Latin Review: Highly Recommend

I have always been interested in learning Latin and wanted the opportunity to teach one of my children. My fifth grade homeschooled daughter seemed to be the perfect candidate for this learning endeavor. We've been using the complete set for several weeks now and to date, she really has been enjoying the First Form Latin lessons from Memoria Press. Intended for grades 4-9, it's been the perfect program to introduce and teach her Latin. The complete set has everything needed to begin learning Latin and is affordable. I've tried another language program in the past that worked mainly from memorization but First Form Latin is much more and each product has a purpose:

• The Teacher's Manual provides an introduction to the person teaching the language which is very comprehensive. It's not the type of program that one can pick up and teach without preparation. It appeared a little overwhelming at first given all the materials provided but once I was able to understand how each product fit into the overall teaching picture, it was easy to follow. 
• I've tried many different homeschooling programs and curriculum over the years and what I liked about Memoria Press's Teachers Manual is the student text inset with answers in color to ease the teaching process. I didn't have to keep flipping from book to book as everything was right where I needed it to be.
• I'm a chalk board type of teacher so the "Chalk Talk" portions of the instructions were favorites of mine.
• The recitations helped to reinforce her oral skill set as well as memorization of each lesson.
• The extensive teaching notes and FYI sections were also useful references to turn to when I needed extra guidance.
• The Student Workbook contains lessons that provides practice and tests mastery as well as helps to teach the concepts behind Latin. It can be very confusing understanding things such as first conjugation present, imperfect and future and singular versus plural with the "o, s, t, mus, tis, nt" endings but the lessons helps to reinforce it along with the Student Text. Here is one of the pages from lesson twenty:

• The Student Text is a smaller more concise 34 two-page lessons that furthers instructs.
• The Quizzes and Test booklets is used to ensure the student is learning and can be reproduced to reinforce areas that might be troublesome. The Teachers Key has all the answers to the workbooks tests and quizzes making it easy to find without having to search.

Additional items in the complete set continue to reinforce and master First Form Latin by Memoria Press which includes:

• Flash cards that are provided loose bound so the order can be created however is best for the student's needs. They include vocabulary, Latin sayings and grammar forms.
• The DVDs, three discs at nine hours directed at 15-20 minutes per lesson, provide further instruction on ensuring pronunciation of the words are understood. The DVDs compliment the program greatly as Highlands Latin School teacher Glen Moore does a great job bringing Latin to life. My only wish here would be for him to slow down when he's pronouncing the words as he does go a bit fast but as time progressed and her learning increased, it was easier to understand.
• The Pronunciation CD included all the vocabulary and grammar forms for each lesson. We were even able to take it with us as we ran errands to reinforce the lessons.

She really liked the program which I was very happy about! 

I think her only complaint was the length of the workbook lessons but those can be divided up pending the speed and attention span of a particular child. The resources compliment one another to provide an extremely comprehensive program for learning a new language in a pace that meets your's and your student's needs. I liked the ease of use once I got the hang of the program as well as being able to have tools that helped reinforce the lessons. I would highly recommend Memoria Press First Form Latin. I really like the classical Christian approach to education and I am definitely going to look into supplementing my children's education with one of the other subject areas Memoria Press has.

Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube.

Memoria Press has other packages in various subjects such as Traditional Spelling 1 and Traditional Spelling II along with many others. Click below to see what others from the Crew thought about First Form Latin and other subject areas from Memoria Press:

Carole P. Roman Books and Collections Review

This review contains affiliate links.

I have encouraged my children to have an interest in history and both my younger children enjoy writing stories. My 10 year old particularly loves historical books that read like a journal or a first person's account. I was delighted to partake in the review of Carol P. Roman books and collections. My historical preferences are all over the place but since one side of my family ancestry is from eastern Europe and the other England, I was interested in having them read the books that covered Italy and England with a bonus about Mali thrown in. The books aren't very long which was a plus for both of them as although they do like reading, they don't like getting bogged down with real lengthy books quite yet. Carole P. Roman provides many interesting facts in each of the children's books that we read while still providing such entertaining books.

We had the privilege of reading three of the If You Were Me... series books from Carole P. Roman books and collections: 

• If You Were Me and Lived in...Renaissance Italy: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 7)
• If You Were Me and Lived in...the Ancient Mali Empire: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 5)
• If You Were Me and Lived in... Elizabethan England: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 8)

For starters, things I first noticed about the books in general were:

• The awards Carole P. Roman has received for each of the three individual books we reviewed were impressive to me.
• Each book was complete with colorful illustrations to help bring the stories alive. My youngest wasn't impressed with the illustrations but my older child and myself thought they were good.
• They provide a foundation for fully understanding what life was like in each time period and respective country.
• They were just the right length to not lose interest with either of my girls.
• Pronunciation help is provided for any word that might be difficult for the readers which was a great idea.

If You Were Me and Lived in...Renaissance Italy: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 7)

The book begins providing the foundations of if you were born during the Renaissance in Italy over 500 years ago! We liked the maps, the comparisons between now and then, the history of who governed city-state, how the political system was set up as well as what your name might have been whether a boy or a girl. The cultural aspect was fully covered and I'd say the part we enjoyed the most was how Carole P. Roman described it from the point of if the child was there at that time. The book was very educational also covering the history of the time period, cultural influences and even art. 

They were surprised to learn that women would pluck their hairline to make their foreheads look wider and the stylish ladies painted their faces white with lead powder in spite of being told lead by some it was harmful.

Towards the back of the book, were famous people from the Italian Renaissance as well as a glossary thus making it much easier for a reader to look up a word they might not know. The girls enjoyed this book.



If You Were Me and Lived in...the Ancient Mali Empire: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 5)

This book was a little longer starting out with the Mali empire, history, government, family, religion and more. It introduced a great number of new words and fully detailed what life would be like for various family members. It was also educational and introduced my children to a region that were Muslim outside of the normal Muslim traditions they have been exposed to. One of the key points they thought was unfair was the tradition of if a family member died, only the men were allowed to accompany the body to the cemetery if the person was Muslim.

The ending also contained famous people and a glossary.

If You Were Me and Lived in... Elizabethan England: An Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time (Volume 8)

Like the other two books, this one was also fully educational and started out over 400 years ago during Elizabethan England. This was their favorite book mostly due to my interest in English history to include Elizabeth 1. They were quite surprised to learn there were laws dictating what color of clothing and type of clothing one could wear. Since my youngest likes to write stories such as this, she really liked how the author started with what your name might have been, how the family dynamics were, the political and/or government systems were, how you might have lived, what you ate and all the way to the religion of the time and the currency system. 

As with the other two books, there was entertainment so it wasn't all gloom and doom as many might think. The details around the various ways they had fun was touched on in all three books making all three very well rounded experiences for the reader. Even though the books weren't very lengthy, the author really provided a great and thorough experience of life in each of these areas and time periods.

This book also contained famous people of the time period and a glossary.

This was their favorite book out of all three!

As a homeschooling mom or just a parent in general, I would recommend these books given the comprehensive scope of what life was or might have been during these time periods.  Carole P. Roman provided history, reading and entertainment all in one with these books that would enrich any child's education regardless if homeschooled or not. I even enjoyed them and learned from each one.

About Carol P. Roman:

She is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books ranging from pirates to princesses to discovering the world around us. She also hosts two blog radio programs and is one of the founders of a new magazine titled, Indie Author's Monthly. 

Check out Carole P. Roman on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.



Here is what the other Crew Members thought:

Upgrade to Google's Lightest and Most Equipped Pixelbook & Limited Time Offer to Save $100

Disclosure: this is a sponsored post and I will receive compensation.

Having the latest in technology is a must for many people as well as myself. We're a very high tech family and we love to have the latest in computer technology. Enter the Pixelbook! A new high performance Chromebook and a Pixelbook Pen (sold separately based on availability) that will provide and meet a fast pace world to get things done faster while working more efficiently. Its ultra-thin design allows for ease in transporting and utilizing anywhere. It's versatile from its size and shape to the collection of apps all powered by Chrome OS which is the only one my family and I use. The security and software features are top notch.

The new Pixelbook is the first laptop with the Google Assistant built-in and easily accessible three ways:

1. A simple push of the dedicated Google Assistant key on the keyboard;
2. Using the "Ok Google" wake word; or
3. Pushing and holding the pen of the Pixelbook Pen and then tapping it on the Pixelbook's screen.

Google Assistant is a great feature that helps to manage tasks such as calendar reminders and looking up e-mails to playing music, movies or videos as well as manage smart home devices just to name a few of the features.

As I previously noted, the size is perfect for a laptop. The Pixelbook is just 10.3 mm and is Google's thinnest laptop made with a lightweight aluminum construction. The 360° touchscreen has a versatile 4-in-1 design that allows greater use and satisfaction. From editing photos to sketching, productivity should increase thanks to the GSuite apps and Drive that automatically backs up so no more angry moments when you realize you forgot to save!  All those great apps such as Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, photos and more are right there.

Another great feature is the ability to enjoy movies and TV shows on or offline via apps such as Google Play Movies or YouTube Red.

I've been a Chrome OS user for as long as I can remember mostly due to the speed but also because of the latest security and features with software that does not interfere with what I'm doing as it automatically updates and back ups in the background provided it's connected to an internet connection.

The Pixelbook also starts up in under 10 seconds! It also comes equipped with an all-day battery that is fast charging and provides up to 10 hours from a single charge!  It's perfect for work or play!

Click the link to learn more about the Google Pixelbook and from March 25th through April 7th, save $100.

Note:

• Some features requires internet connection.
• Intel and Intel Core are trademarks of the Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
• Battery performance is based on a mix of standby, web browsing and other use. Charging time requires a battery to be at least 5% charged, the device to be inactive, and use of included charger. Actual results may vary.

Zirrly Super Beads Jungle Animals Review: Imaginative & Educational Fun in One Kit

We've been trying to do more arts & craft projects to enhance my homeschool curriculum as well as to have more fun so we were thrilled to try Super Beads from Zirrly. We chose the Super Beads Jungle Animals and decided to have my middle daughter and their niece and nephew join in the fun. Our kit came complete with everything needed to make several jungle animals and with the boards, they can create whatever their imagination allows! Zirrly provides an easier way by using the Super Beads which require no hot irons or glue and with the patterns and boards, the children can build their design, spray with water (bottle included) and let dry. 

Our kit included the following:

• Lion
• Rhino
• Elephant
• Zebra
• Monkey
• Design Templates
• Super Beads
• Super Beads Work Tray
• 1 Spray Bottle
• 6 Boards
• 1 Design Tool
• Instructions

We started out getting everything organized which did not require a lot of time. The anticipation of unboxing the kit was exciting for the little ones. It was quite manageable as my oldest, 14, assisted in creating the works of art. Once the designs were put in place on the boards, it allowed the smaller ones an ease in where to place the appropriate colored Super Beads onto the template. Once we were done with the designs, all it took was some sprays from the water bottle and they had fun completed projects! We also found that if they didn't stick together, we could just respray with the water and they would refuse together.

It was a fun project for all three, regardless of age, as they really enjoyed working with their aunt and she enjoyed showing them how to make this playful monkey. I thought the younger ones might have problems handling the small beads but they did just fine along with my older child. My older hands seemed to have a little more trouble but that's expected as we become more seasoned (smile). I think utilizing the small beads, tray and boards was ideal for younger ones that might need some hand eye coordination activities. They never became frustrated with the first build but after the first one they built, they were ready for a break.
We found we had to wash our hands in between using the red or orange beads and lighter colors like yellow as it would bleed onto the lighter colors. It was important follow the directions and ensure hands were completely dry and to wash with soap and water afterwards. The instructions do state to wash one's hands and have I mentioned they are also safe and non-toxic? 

Overall, they had fun with the Zirrly Super Beads Jungle Animals kit. They were able to build their projects while helping one another and learned how to follow direction. The ability to make the various jungle animals and their other creations allowed them to utilize their imagination and creativity. Not requiring a hot iron or glue was a big plus for me! The colors coming off on their fingers wasn't really a problem since it did easily wash off. The trays and patterns (templates) helped them create something that looked like the box and instructions which was another win as they felt it was pretty cool to have completed something that looked exactly like it should have looked. The flexibility of the kit also allowed for children to create what they wanted by using the board without the patterns (template).

Follow Zirrly on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
Check out what others had to say: