Archive for December, 2008

I renewed my love of Yahtzee a few months ago, in a little cottage in Hawaii when my husband and I discovered it was the only board game in the place. We were trapped inside at 7pm every night with our three month old baby and spent many hours playing this fun and competitive game. Yahtzee is fast paced, has the chance elements of winning big but also requires strategy. During the long days and nights with an infant it was also perfect because the game plays pretty quickly and can be renewed at any time

All of us at DreamBox Learning sincerely wish all of you a happy holiday season and the very best in the new year!

Kids are simply more receptive to learning when they’re having fun. And lots of experts say that play not only fosters learning but it’s also an essential part of a child’s overall well-being. Play enhances kids' cognitive capacity when it gives them opportunities for trial and error, problem solving, and decision making while encouraging their participation in a fun, rewarding environment—that's what makes play both intellectually stimulating and emotionally gratifying.

When we conceived the idea for DreamBox Learning online math games, we knew that homeschoolers would be people we understand and relate to. After all, we have a lot in common. Homeschoolers believe in taking no chances with their kids' education. DreamBox agrees. Homeschoolers believe that hands-on, individualized learning is crucial. DreamBox agrees. While these bloggers represent a range of views and approaches, they share a passion for education, they believe each child deserves a quality learning experience, and they are willing to invest their time and effort to making that happen. That's also the mission that DreamBox Learning is founded on.

Since the best gifts come from the heart, we’re wrapping up our holiday gift guide with Sampa. Using Sampa, families can create their own private webpage for free. Ok, so Sampa isn’t exactly educational (unless you’re tech phobic). But DreamBox Learning believes the heart is every bit as important as the brain, which is why we picked Sampa for a coveted spot in our countdown.

In the spirit of sharing fun at-home math activities with parents, here's a suggestion for a great game that gives kids an opportunity to practice mental math without the boring worksheets! At the suggestion of Alexandria Jones in her Lets Play Math blog, my family recently played Contig.

I’ve had variations of the following conversation with relatives a couple of times in recent months. Has something similar happened to you? “She loves playing DreamBox and was doing fine. But now the questions are too hard and she’s getting frustrated.” “Hmm… Have you perhaps been helping her with her answers?”

ItzaBitza: A Learning Game Filled with Artistic Adventure for Ages 4 and Up

Edu-tainment was initially envisioned to be the perfect hybrid between education and entertainment. In the abstract, the idea that educational software could be equally effective and engaging remains a good one. Most edu-tainment companies, however, got the mixture wrong and thus never fully realized this promise.

Discovery boxes make excellent first learning toys for toddlers. They teach children motor skills and stimulate tactile senses with colored beads and dials. Read on and find out why we picked the My First Discovery Box for number 6 in our educational toys countdown.

DreamBox Learning’s holiday gift-giving guide continues with what is believed to be one of the oldest games in the world: Mancala! Read on and find out which version we chose and why we picked it for the number 5 slot.

I took my two young boys, ages 5 and 3, to the Seattle Children's Museum on Sunday and was quite impressed with their new exhibit "Go Figure!". Here, in one of our very own museums, is a great exhibit that has a dozen or more engaging ways for kids to think about math!