Showing posts with label educational toys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label educational toys. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Moonjar Family Kit Review and Giveaway

Like reading, writing and arithmetic, teaching children about money and saving is an important and valuable life skill leason. I was happy to review a product called Moonjar. I received a teachers guide, story, worksheets, an evaluation form, postards, moonjars, passbooks, guides, book, game and character dolls.
Moonjar moneyboxes encourage kids to enviision their dreams and creatively bring them to life. It offers a visual beginning for children to learn how to use money and build a financial foundation to reach their goals. There are 3 moneyboxes, one for each...spending, saving and sharing that also comes with a Moonjar Passbook which is kind of like a checkbook register. Your child keeps track of withdrawls and deposits into each moneybox.
The Classic Moonjar is a tin 3 part Moneybox with removable lids. All moneyboxes come with a family guide to encourage goal setting and discussions and a passbook to track the changes. The lids are also removable and the tin moneybox is very durable. The grandkids love the idea of having their money separated into different parts. The visuals are awesome because it helps to remind them of exactly what their goals are. Not once have I heard "I've changed my mind, I want to go and spend my money now". They love looking at exactly what they are saving for.
The Standard Moonjar is a foldable version of Moneybox. Easy to assemble and add visual reminders of goals and dreams to help children visualize budgets. It aslo comes with a passbook and guide. This is exactly the same as the Classic Moonjar except that it isn't tin but cardboard. Still has all the great benefits.
Noom and RaJ start a Business - The ABC's of Money - A hardcover business book for kids that is perfect for ages 5-12. It teaches them to build a business and comes with a standard Moonjar Moneybox, guide and passbook also. It is like a binder book. I have to say my 7,8 and 9 year old grandchildren really have learned alot from this book. It has lots of valuable lessons to be learned from it and even the younger ones can relate to it because of the pictures and how they are presented.
Conversations to Go is a box filled with big questions to stimulate conversations that get everybody thinking, sharing and talking!  It is a game that questions money. One of the questions is: If someone surpirised you with a good amount of money, more than you usually earn or get, what would you do with it? Wow! This is another great product! Not only did the grandkids learn alot from it but I learned some things they already knew that I didn't kow they knew. It was actually funny to listen to some of their answers they gave while answering some of the questions.
Moonjar Character Dolls are felt characters that are hand made in Mongolia. Each one has a Moonjar trait and comes with a loop for backpacks and a tag with the story of their character. We received Raj and Noom. My 2 and 3 year old grandkids nabbed onto these real quick. They put them on their backpacks. They try to do whatever the big kids do and since the older ones have all kinds of things attached to their packs, the little ones feel big now too.
Leader's Lesson Plan - This 45-minute lesson plan gives teachers, parents and community members the tools to teach kids about Saving, Spending and Sharing. Fun and educational; making money management accessible and engaging for everyone. This was really great to read through and teach the lessons to the grandkids. It made me think alot about some of my own decisions also. It includes  a word search puzzle, dream bubbles, cost of goods page, needs vs. wants and a goal setting page along with many lessons to be taught and learned. 
Moonjar LLC was established in 2001 by Eulalie Scandiuzzi, a Seattle native, to inspire and incorporate strong financial values and practices into everyday lifeThe name Moonjar comes from the idea of “Shooting for the Moon” and creating Big Dreams, along with the ancient custom of placing hopes and dreams in a jar.

Today Moonjar is a vibrant young company working to bring financial literacy to children and families around the globe. They believe the time to start the conversation about money is now and the way to start the 
conversation is through Saving, Spending and Sharing. All Moonjar products are trademarked, copywritten, patented and created with recyclable materials.
Although my 2 year old grandson doesn't understand the concept of saving yet, he loves to go and put his money in his Moneybox just like the older kids do, so he is learning to save regardless. He is still at the age where he wants everything he sees on TV so needless to say his dream bubble is changing hour by hour. 
It says for ages 5-12 but my 3 and 4 year old grandchildren totally understand what it is about and are just as excited as the older ones. 

One of my lucky readers will win the Moonjar Family Kit.
Rules: You MUST be a PUBLIC GFC follower of my blog to enter. If you do not do EXACTLY as I have asked I will just move on and select another winner. Please double check that you actually doing what is required for your entries to count...this includes leaving a comment somewhere if it is asked of you.
  • Mandatory Entry: Visit Moonjar and tell me another product you would like to have other than what I have listed above! Leave email with this entry if it is not public in your profile.
  • Bonus Entries: Leave a separate comment for EACH entry.
    1. Follow me on FacebookFacebook again and Twitter (+1 ENTRY EACH). Remember...leave a separate comment for each of these entries.
    2. Vote for me - just click-that's all (+1 DAILY) and Share on Facebook (+1 Daily).
    3. Subscribe and Confirm to My Emails and RSS Feeds (+2 EACH).
    4. Like Moonjar on Facebook and leave comment "FunFritzFamily sent me" (+2).
    5. Tweet and Retweet (Button at top of page)(+1 DAILY).
    6. Grab my New ButtonBlog about giveaway and Rate my Blog (+5 EACH).
    7. Enter any of my other giveaways (+1 EACH giveaway). 
    8. Leave a comment on Moonjar Blog (+1).
    9. Follow my other blog Fun After Dark via GFC (+2).
GIVEAWAY CLOSES on at noon CST on June 3rd.  The winner will be selected using random.org and announced by June 4th. You will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this review. I received the product(s) described above. This is a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. I am not responsible for delivery of this product.***

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Little Engine That Could Package Giveaway from Kidtoons

Kidtoons!!! Yah!!! That is what my grandkids say lol. For the month of March, Kidtoons is featuring The Little Engine That Could. I remember reading that book to my kids and now my grandkids. I remember asking my children when they said they couldn't do something...what did the Little Engine say? Of course, they smiled and said...I Think I Can. 
Kidtoons is dedicated to helping parents connect with their kids by bringing family friendly animated movies to the big screen every weekend at participating theatres across the country. 
The timeless story comes to life in this all-new, feature-length film filled with fun and adventure! When Little Engine (Alyson Stoner, Cheaper by the Dozen) must leave Dreamland to deliver toys into the real world, she sets her fears aside and learns that with a little determination and courage, anything is possible.  Featuring an all-star cast, including Whoopi Goldberg (The View), Jamie Lee Curtis (Freaky Friday), Corbin Bleu (High School Musical) and Brenda Song (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody), this "fun family film" (Francine Brokaw, Los Angeles Family Magazine) is one you'll enjoy again and again.
One (1) of my readers will win:
  • 1 Little Engine That Could Hardcover Book
  • 1 Little Engine That Could theatrical one-sheet poster
RULES: Must be a public GFC(Google Friend Connect) follower. 

Mandatory Entry: Visit Kidtoons & tell me something you learned. Leave email with this entry if it is not public in your profile. 

Bonus Entries: Leave a separate comment for EACH entry. 
GIVEAWAY CLOSES on at noon CST on April 15th. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced April 16th. You will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this review. I received the product(s) described above. This is a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. I am not responsible for delivery of this product.**

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Build A Dream Playhouses Review & Giveaway

Product to Review: Build A Dream Playhouses
Product Information: Build a Dream Playhouses was founded by a father from Cleveland   dedicated to the futures of the City of Cleveland, the State of Ohio, and the imaginations of children. To achieve that, and reflecting on his city’s hard times, he recruited two bright, ambitious, and innovative college students. In collaboration with the world famous Nottingham-Spirk Design Associates, a group of 3 to 9 year old children, and the Smurfit Stone Container Corporation, Build a Dream Playhouses is now proud to introduce to you what they believe to be the most innovative, fresh, and fun playhouses on the market. Build A Dream Playhouses are safe, affordable, eco-friendly products that stimulate and encourage the endless imagination of ALL children. 
We received the Snack Shack for our review and it is something the grandkids are STILL enjoying. They have spent hours upon hours painting their snack shack and playing it in. They have their little own lemonade stand as they call it. They have even decided to sell hotdogs and gummy worms(their play food of course). But they are actually using it at the church garage sale(selling real lemonade and hotdogs) and donating any money they make to help less fortunate kids in our area. This is not a toy that they have played with then just forgot about. They get very excited whenever someone mentions a charity or something like that...that they can use their snack shack and make their contributions! They each have put stickers on it also with all their names. They have convinced me to make them some peanut butter & chocolate chip cookies for the church sale...looks like I will be baking lol.
One (1) of my readers will win a Build A Dream Playhouse of their choice. 
Rules for the Giveaway: MUST be a GFC follower before entering. Leave your email address with the initial entry if it is NOT public in your profile.
Mandatory Entry: Visit Build a Dream Playhouses and come back and LEAVE the LINK to the one you will choose if you are the winner.


Bonus Entries: Leave a separate comment for each entry.
  • Follow me on FacebookFacebook Again & Twitter(+1Entry EACH).
  • TweetRetweet(Button at top of page)(+1 DAILY).
  • Subscribe & Confirm to My Emails & RSS Feeds(+2 Entries EACH).
  • Like Build A Dream Playhouses on Facebook and leave comment "I am entering into the Giveaway at FunFritzFamily"(+2).
  • Vote for me-just click-that's all(+1 DAILY).
  • Share on Facebook(+1 DAILY) & list it in any Linky(+1 EACH linky).
  • Grab my NEW Button, Blog about it & RATE my blog(+3 Entries EACH).
  • Follow Build A Dream Playhouses on Twitter.
  • Enter any of my other giveaways(+1 EACH giveaway).
  • Follow my other blog Fun After Dark via GFC.(+2)
GIVEAWAY CLOSES on at noon CST on April 8th. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced April 9th. You will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.

***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this review. I received the product(s) described above. This is a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. I am not responsible for delivery of this product.**