Crew Review: Say Anything Family

Last year we had the chance to review Wits & Wagers Family edition (see my review here), so when the notice came that another product from North Star Games was up for review I didn't have to ask my family if they were ready to review another game!

Say Anything family edition is a fun family game "with personality". Each game will be unique because the people playing provide the different answers each time you play. It's perfect for ages 8 and up - lots of fun for kids and adults alike. The first time we played (5 people), ages ranged from 10 to 40 and all of us had such a fun time playing!

What's in the box:

• 60 question cards (each with six different questions)
• SELECT-O-MATIC 6000 (a small cardboard selection tool)
• 6 dry-erase markers
• 6 dry-erase boards
• 12 player tokens
• score-keeping card
• instructions

How to play: At the beginning of the game each player needs a dry-erase marker, answer board, and the 2 player tokens that match their board. One person will need to keep score with the enclosed reusable score card. Choose a player to start and give them the SELECT-O-MATIC 6000.

The first player draws a question card and reads it aloud. The question could be "What's the best breakfast cereal?" or "Which superhero outfit looks the most uncomfortable?" All the other players write an answer as quickly as possible and place it face up on the table.

After all the players (except the judge - the person who read the question) have put their answer on the table the judge picks his favorite response and secretly moves the dial to the matching color on the SELECT-O-MATIC 6000. All the players then use their two tokens to guess the answer that the judge chose.

Scoring is then done with 1 point for each token placed on the selected answer, 1 point for the person who wrote the selected answer, and 1 point goes to the judge for each token that was placed on the answer she/he selected (with a maximum of 3 points for any player).

The judge then hands off the SELECT-O-MATIC 6000 to the next person and they become the judge for that round. Play continues until everyone has asked 2 questions.

Our thoughts: We had so much fun with this game! Our friends came over and we pulled it out and just had a blast. The age on the box is accurate - the second time we played a 10 year old girl won the game, so this is not a game where you'll have to "play dumb" so the younger members of the family have a chance to win. This game will certainly be on the shelf with the games that are played the most often in our house.

Say Anything family edition ($19.99) can be found on Amazon or at many retail locations like Target, Borders, or specialty toy stores. Lots of my Crew mates loved this game too - check out their reviews at the Crew blog!


Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Homeschooling Review

In my life this (past) week…(I know... I'm way behind on this weekly report!) another pajama week for us. I knew there was a reason I loved cold, autumn days. Just another reason to stay home in my pjs.

In our homeschool this week…another week's goals accomplished. Four math lessons (mostly about telling time - TJ is learning to tell time to the minute). Language arts - another week of writing with Writing with Ease, two steps in All About Spelling, three grammar lessons, and a few pages of cursive handwriting practice. We worked a bit with our language programs and half a chapter in A Child's Geography.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…we had our history/art co-op this week. We learned about Japan and how it closed it's borders to the outside world during the early middle ages. Our art project focused on Katsushika Hokusai and his painting, Great Wave off Kanagawa (project idea from The Usborne Art Treasury).

A resource to share…The Usborne Art Treasury. This is really a great book with some fun ideas for art projects inspired by various artists throughout history. Highly recommended.

Things I’m working on…my Christmas baking list. I know it's early, but I like to stock up on ingredients over the next month or so before I start baking.

I’m reading…Oliver Twist (for me) and reading aloud Pollyanna to TJ. She's reading more fairy books (I think she's finally reached the last of them). I need to find her a new series.

I’m cooking…chocolate biscotti. A healthy recipe that ended up tasting like hard cardboard. That recipe ended up in the recycle bin.

Crew Review: Always Icecream

Always Icecream is an online community specifically for girls, ages 7-12. This "girls-only" environment is filled with lots of fun things that girls will love - homes to decorate, virtual pets to care for, and a mini-world to explore. Parents will love it too because their girls will be practicing valuable educational material.

Girls earn $coops by practicing their skills in math, typing, geography, and many other subjects. They can save up their $coops and use them to decorate their houses, feed their pets, or play other fun games. There is a very wide range of educational games at all levels - math, history, geography, typing and language arts, to name a few. And the games aren't simply for the girls on the younger end of the age range - there are lots of educational opportunities for older girls as well. After completing any of the games the $coops are added to their account. If you'd like to give the program a try, you can play a free geography game to get an idea of the types of things offered.

Parents have their own place in the program as well. After setting up an account, you will receive weekly progress reports that detail how your child is progressing through the various educational games. From the parent's account you can also control the online community aspect of the program. You have full control on the decision to allow your child to participate in the online chat or not. You can also award your girls $coops for things they do in "the real world" like chores or music practice. 

Our thoughts: I'm not a huge fan of online learning programs but this one is pretty nice and TJ really enjoys it, which is the most important thing. Her favorite part is shopping and decorating her house, of course. I don't think she's discovered the virtual pets yet or she'd be spending most of her time with that!

I appreciate the fact that it is advertisement free. It's nice not having to block inappropriate advertisements that occasionally pop up on websites geared to children. I also like the fact that the social community part of the website is optional. TJ is not ready to navigate online communities - I'd rather save that for when she's older. So it's nice that she can still get a lot of use from the website without that feature.

You can purchase Always Icecream at a few different price points - $4.99 per month, $29.99 per year, or $99.99 for a lifetime membership. Many members of the Crew had the opportunity to play with this program - you can find their reviews linked to the Crew blog.



Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Review

In our homeschool this week…Math  - more review, this time it's mental math review. TJ's doing fairly well with adding 2-digit numbers in her head (most of the time she's quicker than I am!). Language arts - two pages of handwriting, another week of lessons in writing, a step in spelling, and two lessons of grammar completed.

We've worked through another lesson in French (practicing words - in, on, under) and a few pages of Greek. TJ's memorized the Greek alphabet now and is working on blending skills and the rough & smooth breathing marks.

We read through chapter 2 in A Child's Geography and learned about the lower atmosphere. We are both finding the book very interesting. TJ completed a notebook page showing the layers of the lower atmosphere and a narration.

My favorite thing this week was…lounging in our pjs and doing school in bed.

Things I’m working on…looking at history books to go along with Story of the World 3 (for next year).

I’m reading…Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It's my first read-through of the series and I'm enjoying them! I just finished Lark Rise to Candleford. TJ read a pile of Rainbow Magic books and a library book about the northern lights.

I’m cooking…lots of chicken. It's on sale this week so I'll be stocking the freezer.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Crew Review: Visual Latin

When I began this homeschooling journey with my daughter I happened across a copy of The Well-Trained Mind at the library. The plan really resonated with me and I've implemented many of the ideas and programs recommended by Susan W. Bauer and Jessie Wise. I knew at some point I would introduce Latin into our curriculum, but wasn't really sure where to start since I don't know anything about teaching or learning Latin. The Visual Latin series takes that teaching burden from my shoulders with it's self-paced DVD/video download series and entertaining instructor.

Visual Latin combines the Natural and Traditional methods of learning a foreign language, with instructor Dwane Thomas taking students through the fundamentals of Latin grammar, sentences, and reading. He believes "it's better to make students laugh than yawn" and that philosophy is very evident in the videos. Once your student has a basic knowledge of beginning grammar (around 3rd-4th grade) they can start learning Latin.

Here's a quick peek at the program:


What's included: Latin 1 includes 30 lessons - each divided into 3 short videos with corresponding worksheets. (You can see the first lesson here.) The 3 parts of each lesson are divided into topics – grammar, sentences, and reading. The videos are short (less than 10 minutes each) but jam-packed with information. Your child (and you!) will have your own personal Latin instructor when using this program!

The first video of each lesson focuses on one or two grammar concepts. After the video, the student is then directed to do the worksheet. The next segment of the lesson focuses on using that grammatical concept in sentences – grammar in action – followed by another worksheet. The final video focuses on translation work. Instructor Dwane reads a passage in Latin (from the Latin Vulgate Bible). He reads it a second time, more slowly, so the student has time to repeat the phrases. The student is then directed to his worksheet where he will have the chance to translate the passage. By the end of the lesson, the student will have used a variety of learning methods – aural, visual, and verbal – to learn Latin!

 

Our thoughts: My plan for teaching Latin was to get a head start before I had to start teaching TJ and this program fits the bill for my needs. The videos are short but jam-packed with information. It's very easy to fit in a short lesson even if my days are busy. Dwane is a great teacher - he holds your attention with his humor while tackling the difficulties of learning another language. I am definitely planning to use this program with TJ when she's a little older and has a better grasp of basic grammar concepts. I think she'll love having such an interesting and entertaining teacher.

Visual Latin is available on DVD or as a download so you can take it with you on any compatible device. The Latin 1 DVD set is $80 (you can also purchase the 3 DVDs separately for $30 each) while the downloadable version is $75 (separated into 3 sets - $25 each). If you've thought about adding Latin to your school day, I'd encourage you to look into this program. He offers the first two lessons as free downloads so you can try it out before you purchase the program. If you'd like to read more Crew Mates experiences with this program check out the Crew blog.


Now for the fine print… I received this product free of charge in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.

Weekly Review: Week 5

In my life this week…it's Thanksgiving here in Canada. Our celebration has been very laid back - but it's certainly nice to have a three day weekend!

In our homeschool this week…we fit in a full five days this week. We decided to break up the routine and took our work to Tim Hortons one morning. TJ loved sitting at the counter and nibbling on timbits while we worked.

Math is still review - this week it's 2-digit mental math. On Friday we watched sections of Sonlight's Mathtacular video. TJ loved it. We finished week 3 of Writing with Ease, step 5 in spelling, two grammar lessons, and a few pages of handwriting. We didn't get to French this week but TJ worked through quite a few pages in her Greek book.

We didn't have history this week since one of our co-op members couldn't be there. We did some art, though, inspired by Piet Mondrian.

We finished up chapter 1 of A Child's Geography. I was planning to have TJ keep a record of vocabulary words but it's proving to be too much writing along with our other work so we've dropped it.

My favorite thing this week was…spending a morning at Tim Hortons sipping a hot chocolate. Nice way to spend a school day.

Things I’m working on…I'm reading through a pile of history books, trying to narrow down our list of readers and read alouds to go along with Story of the World 3 (and add in some extra US and Canadian history).

I’m reading…Lark Rise to Candleford. We finished our read aloud - Mr. Popper's Penguins and will start Pollyanna next. We also read Marguerite makes a Book and TJ read Day of the Dragon (from the Magic Treehouse series) and a bunch of Rainbow fairies books. She's read almost all the books in the series that our library has and I'm trying to find another series that she's interested in. I borrowed a few Cul-de-Sac kids books from a friend to see if  they interest her.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal

Well-Educated Mind: Oliver Twist

I'm currently reading Oliver Twist and really enjoying it. I remember reading Great Expectations in high school (an abridged version) and I'm very glad that I've attempted reading another Dickens' novel. I'm even making a list of others I'd like to read. Hopefully, I'll finish Oliver Twist this month and start the next novel.

I am failing in one department - I haven't even started going through The Well-Educated Mind questions for Pride & Prejudice, so that's on the agenda for the upcoming month.

I'm finding it difficult to find the time to get to my reading. When TJ and I finish school in the afternoon I am so ready for a break. But I think I'll have to institute a 1/2 hour reading time for both of us and use that time for reading through the WEM list.

Goals for October:

1. Complete The Well-Educated Mind list of questions for Pride & Prejudice.
2. Finish reading Oliver Twist.

Women of Faith Conference

Since joining the Thomas Nelson book review team, I've had the chance to review lots of books, videos, and CDs but one of the most exciting things is the upcoming Women of Faith conference. Thomas Nelson is graciously providing two free tickets to the conference in Rochester, NY (yay, road trip!) so I'm taking a friend along for the fun.




Special speakers include Lisa Harper, Luci Swindoll, Sheila Walsh, and Ken Davis. I've only ever heard Ken Davis so I'm looking forward to hearing him and the other speakers.

I'm so excited to go! Just can't wait! I'll be sharing about our trip when we're back!

Weekly Review: Week 4

In our homeschool this week…5 days of school this week, though 1 of them was a partial day because of a shopping trip. (I hate shopping on the weekends when the stores are crowded, so we try to fit it in during the weekday mornings instead.)

Math - 4 lessons completed, TJ learned about Roman numerals. She thought it was lots of fun - like learning a secret code.

Language Arts - 2 lessons in grammar, 4 pages in handwriting, 2 steps in spelling, and another week of writing completed.

Languages - we didn't get to Greek this week but fit in one day of French.

Science - we're starting earth science using A Child's Geography by Ann Voskamp. We're working on chapter 1 this week. I've been reading aloud sections from If the World were a Village and TJ is doing the mini-books that go along with the book (from Homeschoolshare.com).

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…co-op this week - history and art. We learned about dynasties in China during the Middle Ages (chapter 8 in The Story of the World, volume 2). The kids did their maps, coloring pages, and narrations. TJ decided that she wanted to write her own narration (usually she dictates it to me). Besides helping with her with the spelling, she did it herself! Very proud of my girl!

My favorite thing this week was…during our history co-op we had a very funny moment. We generally do a project or activity after our history lesson. While I was reading aloud to the kids, one of the sections of the story mentions that the Chinese invented gunpowder and made rockets from hollow bamboo. One of the boys in the group jumped up and said, "I know what our project is! We're building rockets with gunpowder!" He was disappointed to learn that we would not be building rockets from gunpowder. Instead we'd be making block prints with cardboard and yarn. Definitely not as impressive.

What’s not working for us…finding time for the extras - tea & poetry, music, geography, nature study. All those fun extras. I need to work on our schedule and find time to fit them in. Maybe I can make Fridays a light school day and just do all the extras. 

Things I’m working on…art and drawing lessons. I'll be doing art and drawing with 4 kids (our little co-op group) and I'm trying to coordinate a few resources. 

I’m reading…Mr. Popper's Penguins to TJ, Lark Rise to Candleford for myself.

I’m cooking…Mint Chocolate Cupcakes (I'm in the mood for something sweet).

I’m grateful for…quiet afternoons.

I'm linking to Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap-Up and The Homeschool Chick's Homeschool Mother's Journal