Disclosure: This post is written and sponsored by The Boys and Girls Club of America GRADUATION & THE DIGITAL LITERACY GAP Not everyone who graduates will have the digital skills to succeed Students are well into the new school year – but how many of them will actually finish it? Here’s the good news – in 2016, the most recent year that statistics are available, the national high school … [Read more...]
2018 Holiday Gift List: STEM Toys, Games, & Kits
Are you looking for the best STEM gifts of 2018 for your kids? Discover the newest and best coding kits, building sets, science kits, STEM books, cool tech, and MORE. I hope this helps you with your Christmas and holiday gift giving. Almost all of these will help your children develop their knowledge and skills in STEM -- science, technology, engineering, and math. I love giving gifts that do … [Read more...]
Bridging the Digital Divide
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Boys and Girls Club of America. BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE Creating an Even Playing Field in an Era of Digital Education As students start heading back to classrooms across the country, instead of pencils and paper, many children rely on laptops and the internet to do their work. According to a recent study, 96.5% of students need internet access to … [Read more...]
Free Legends of Learning Online Science Games for Elementary & Middle School Classrooms
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Legends of Learning. All opinions are my own. Free Legends of Learning Online Science Games for Elementary & Middle School Classrooms Science elementary and middle school teachers, you can use the science-based Legends of Learning website to help your students learn and review science concepts. In fact, you can assign a playlist of games to individual … [Read more...]
BGCA & Samsung’s 5 Weeks of Summer of #STEM Challenge
Disclosure: The Boys and Girls Club of America and Samsung sponsored this post. All opinions are my own. Don't miss this free 5-week STEM curriculum for you to do with kids at home from The Boys and Girls Club of America and Samsung. BGCA and Samsung value summer learning and STEM activities. They're offering this to families to help grow children's interest in STEM fields. The Boys and Girls … [Read more...]
Best Books for Kids About Space
The solar system -- the planets, stars, moon, space travel, all of it -- is endlessly fascinating to kids. (And many of us adults, too.) Read these nonfiction and fiction books with your children to learn more about space -- how to be an astronaut, what Mars life would be like, facts about the moon, and what happened to Pluto. Best Books for Kids About Space Hello World, Solar System by … [Read more...]
Meet Botley, An Adorable Coding Robot for Children 5+
"This is cool!" my daughter exclaimed after trying Botley, the new, adorable blue and green coding robot from Learning Resources. And she's right! Botley is a cool {engaging & fun} way for children five and up to learn hands-on coding. Even better, Botley does not require any other devices-- NO smartphone or tablet required. What's more, I love the growth mindset opportunities like failure and … [Read more...]
New Favorite Coding Toy for Kids: Cubetto
We absolutely love Cubetto -- it's our new favorite coding toy designed for young kids to learn coding skills as early as age three to six in preschool but also educational and fun for older kids as well. (Like my daughter.) Cubetto is an adorable wooden robot with a wooden screenless(!) coding control board and function blocks that introduces kids not just coding skills like sequential … [Read more...]
Make It Educational — Give a S.T.E.M. Themed Easter Basket!
What can you give kids in their Easter basket besides (or instead) of candy? I love to think of themes. A S.T.E.M (STEM - science, technology, engineering, and math) theme a fun educational option. Today I want to share some fun little gifts for Easter basket items that work for kids ages 6 to 12. Make It Educational -- Give a S.T.E.M. Themed Easter Basket! Top TrumpsSilicone Briks and … [Read more...]
13 Standout STEM Engineering and Invention Picture Books
Want to find picture books that inspire engineering, tinkering, and invention in kids? Read one or all of these engaging-themed books. You'll love how they show the STEM concepts in such a positive light. And, I bet they'll put some new ideas in your child's mind. Ideas like inventing their own wonderful something... Standout STEM Engineering and Invention Picture Books Magnolia Mudd … [Read more...]
Best STEM (STEAM) Chapter Books for Kids
I'm so excited to see more STEM and STEAM chapter books (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). The stories on today's list make STEM enticing to readers. If it isn't already, that is. Whether or not your kids are even interested in STEM, see what develops after reading one of the book on this list. Maybe an interest will grow? I've divided this into two sections: beginning … [Read more...]
3 New Products that Help Kids Learn to Code
In honor of the Hour of Code the second week of December, I wanted to share with you 3 new products that will help kids learn to code: Let's Start Coding, Girls Who Code, and A Beginner's Guide to Coding. Products that Help Kids Learn to Code Let's Start Coding Let's Start Coding Kit teaches kids coding using a kit of hardware and components and a computer app with lessons and projects. I … [Read more...]