How Reading Eggs Has Changed the Summer

All of my kids have been fighting boredom from day to day during the pandemic. The toddler in particular has sometimes needed an escape. When her siblings are playing or busy reading, she can feel left out. So I've been glad to have her working on Reading Eggs and learning throughout the summer. I present this review in partnership with US Family Guide and Reading Eggs.

*Disclaimer: I was given my subscription free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not otherwise paid or endorsed.*

Do you need something constructive to keep your kids learning in a fun way? Reading Eggs might just be what you are looking for! During the pandemic, there are lots of kids stuck at home. Choices are limited. And backsliding in what they had learned is a real problem. Reading Eggs has several options to choose from that could help your child learn to read, become a better reader, get help with math or give you, the parent, additional resources to stock up on! 

What is Reading Eggs?

It is a comprehensive reading program for ages 2-13 that teaches reading through games and challenges, helps readers boost their reading skills, and keeps them engaged in reading. One thing I have been afraid of is having one or more of my children seeing reading as a chore. I want them to love reading. Even if they aren't that good at it. My oldest is especially like this. He likes reading when he likes the story. His favorites are ones that come in comic book form or are game characters. So once he finishes a series he likes, he flounders through other books. And he has trouble staying in his grade level. Reading Eggs boosts their confidence. The more they accomplish in the game, the more they feel able to continue. They are learning without realizing it.

My toddler loves it!

First we have the product trial.

Learn to Read in 30 Days for FREE!
Reading Eggs is the multi-award winning reading program for ages 2 to 13 that uses scientific research to help your child learn to read, in just weeks! https://readingeggs.com/afamilynetwork/

Our mission has always been to make learning easy and fun for young learners, and we feel there's never been a more important time to do this. That's why we're giving you 30 days' free access to the Reading Eggs and Mathseeds online learning programs.

This 30 days' free access is our effort to ensure your child can continue learning at home with a quality educational resource designed by experienced educators and used by over 10 million children worldwide. https://readingeggs.com/afamilynetwork/

If that works for you, maybe you want to sign up for more at a discount? 

12 Months of Reading Eggs and Bonus Mathseeds for $45. Unlock the complete reading and math adventure with a 12 month Reading Eggs subscription, plus get a BONUS 12 month Mathseeds subscription absolutely FREE - valued at $108.95, you pay only $45! *New Subscribers only.* Offer for 1 child only. Customers can only claim a maximum of 2 promotional codes per year. These offers cannot be claimed in conjunction with any other offer and are only available to United States and Canadian residents. Copy and Paste this URL: https://app.readingeggs.com/shop/ONL847US/parent-details

But they didn't stop there! 

Reading Eggs just compiled a comprehensive list of FREE resources for parents. Free downloads for Grades K to 6th. https://readingeggs.com/free-resources/?utm_source=online&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=AFN_Apr2020 

Hope this helps you hang on to your sanity just a little while longer!  

Time to Kill Boredom the Fun Way!

Another week has gone by. Kids have finished another history report, this time on the American Revolution. We were entering the weekend and I decided we needed some fun in our lives. Okay, the kids needed fun in their lives. Unlike Mom, they can't spend all day reading and be fine.

So I thought... why not a scavenger hunt? But this one would be different than last time. That one was too easy. Too quickly over. No, no. This time it needed to be more of a challenge. This time I wanted multiple options. I wanted them to split up. So I created multiple paths for the girls and boys to take separately. I'm getting help from various scavenger hunt clues I found through Pinterest bloggers. After creating a new board that will be dedicated to scavenger hunts, I took ones that I knew would be useful in our particular household and wrote them down on some business cards I had that the printer messed up. Though note cards work just as well.

Fun looks like this:

One blog post in particular caught my attention. They listed out so many other options that you can incorporate! *Light bulb moment* Now I'm in the zone to really spark the fun. I tried out Word Search Clue. I created a word search that could be solved by eliminating all the letters of a different word.

Then I pushed myself to go a little harder. I wrote 2 messages backwards so that they can become Mirror Messages! And let me tell you, I impressed myself!

Then, while everyone was sleeping, I got to work hiding them all. With them, are things they enjoy. Small things. The idea is, the more you participate, the more "treasures" you will find.

Then I wrote a note explaining my little game. I left the note where they were sure to find it.

Normally, they would've just followed the clues to find their treasures. However, my daughter decided that wasn't enough. She started going around the house and looking for the clues out of order. Oh, the argument I woke to the next morning.... So the next one I do, will have changes.

What can you do when you have multiple kids?

Color coordinate the clues. Then tell them they are only allowed to go after their colors.

Put their names on each clue so that they know if they picked up the wrong clue, they need to put it back and find their own.

My husband had the idea of creating ciphers for each child. Then code their clues. Only their cipher will decode the clue so they can find the next one. This one is trickier, but would definitely make it challenging for them.

Another idea my husband had is to make it so that each clue they find holds a piece of the puzzle towards solving a final riddle that will give the location of a prize OR would be the code to a locked box where the final prize is hidden.

Overall....

Have fun! I spent a few hours working on this one. Trying to get the clues to line up just right and keep the kids all going to their own clues. Which is why I really wasn't happy when I caught my daughter cheating in the game. But ultimately, I created something that would have been so much fun. Keep that in mind as you make yours. It needs to be fun for them, but you will do a better job if you are having fun while you make it!

Let me know what you think! Leave me a comment below on your thoughts. What would you change? What ideas might you have? I'd love to hear them!

Medieval Times in Dallas is Re-Opening on the 15th!

Before the pandemic, we had plans to go see Medieval Times. Dinner and a jousting show! What more could we want?? Sadly, we arrived right after they shut Dallas down. But our trip wasn't a total bust. We met the manager, who was kind enough to give us a personal tour and tell us all about the show, the horses, the characters! It was amazing.

I'd always heard about Medieval Times, yet I'd never had the pleasure of going. It is more than a meal. It is also more than a show. It is an experience. An unforgettable one. Since our trip, I have kept in touch with the manager as well as followed the Dallas Castle to see what was going on. Far from sitting idle on the sidelines, they have been actively assisting the community and keeping the online entertainment going!

Videos have been shared on their Facebook page and YouTube channel. I love the funny ones that the knights and queens made from various castles, showing how they are surviving the pandemic. They show off the horses and falcons which are still being well cared for (which makes this horse lover very happy). My 3 year old has been talking about the horses since that trip in March. She can't wait to see them again. Magnificent creatures, they are still participating in trainings with their riders.

The knights at Medieval Times truly care about the horses. They aren't like
circus animals - they are like a part of the Medieval Times family. As are
their falcons.

We were still planning to take our trip up there. My husband had even asked off some time towards the end of July. However, things here are ramping up again and we won't be able to make that trip after all. Normally, I'd be writing this post as a review, but instead I wanted to tell you guys some great news about their reopening. Right now, they are offering a great discount. You can currently get 25% off your ticket purchases.

Now is when you want to start purchasing your tickets and planning your visit. They will be reopening on July 15th. Using health guidelines, they have plotted out the best way to allow everyone back in without compromising the health and safety of all their guests.

Planning Your Trip

They want to make sure you are ready and enjoy your trip to the fullest! So they have their own blog post to help you through the decision-making process. Check it out HERE.

Don't just take my word for it though. From my conversations with the manager and from what I've seen in our trip, I think this is the perfect way to break the monotony and ruts we have been in during the pandemic. It is time to get out there and share smiles with those you care about. And watching knights in action while eating the feast of a Queen?! How can you go wrong with such a combination??

Do me a favor though. If you have ever been, or if you go, won't you please tell me all about it? Leave me a comment. I'd like to live the adventure through your story. Stay well!

Funky Divas & Dudes Will Rock Your Child's Summer!

Through my association with US Family Guide, I was able to get my daughter into a week long virtual camp with Funky Divas & Dudes. This camp was centered around learning dancing, but also gave her a chance to interact with other kids her age, play games and just have fun.

Who are Funky Divas & Dudes?

A group composed of various performance talents in Las Angeles, California that has a passion for teaching dance techniques to children. There is a wide variety of techniques that they have to share. They also offer party packages and after-school dance classes. Right now, with everything going on, they are currently doing everything virtually. As soon as restrictions are lifted, they will resume in-person events with safety measures taken to prevent the spread of sickness.

What do kids do?

All kinds of things! They warm up and practice dance routines first thing. There is a time for snacks, games, crafts, watching dance videos and talking about what they see, and on the last day (Friday) there is a talent show. On this last one, kids dress up as rock stars and perform the dance routine they have been practicing all week. They also show off a talent they have and share a comedic moment of a funny story or joke they know. Each session lasts for 3 hours. Each day a theme is chosen. Kids are encouraged to dress up for that theme with anything they have around the house. The final performance is recorded and a video is emailed to you. These sessions are geared for kids ages 4-11. Younger than 4 is hard to get on track, while kids over 11 tend to act like they are "too cool" to participate.

What do you need?

You need a free account with Zoom for the online meetings. Super simple to set up. Through them, you will get a reminder email every morning before the class starts. A printer is needed to print out some of the crafts or games they will be doing. My daughter made a fox and unicorn paper craft, a unicorn mask, played a bingo game (we used beans for the counters), and I printed the schedule to reference as needed.

How much is the camp?

Camp is $225 per week. It will be a Monday - Friday event, 3 hours a day. However, through the code below, you can get $25 off!

For $25 OFF use Coupon Code: CaliKidCamp
https://www.usfamilycoupons.com/coupon.php?regionid=75&bid=14515&dealid=4089 .@usfg

This camp is a great way to pass some of the summer. Especially with the Covid-19 pandemic keeping everyone indoors and isolated. This gives kids a chance to have fun, learn dance moves and interact with others.