Educational Gift Awards 2004

Board Games

Alien Adventure Game & Deep Worlds Game by Cogno

This multiple award winning alien adventure game is sure to be an educational delight in your home. See if your alien can survive different planets as you move across the game board. You will need to collect gear to help you survive, and along the way, you will also have to answer questions, which will allow you to gain fuel cells. If you gain enough fuel cells, you will be able to make it back home. The first one home, WINS! This product has won a Dr. Toy award, an iParenting Media Award, and also has the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval. This product received a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com, and is recommended for ages 7 to adult.

-“I like this game. It’s sorta’ challenging but I learned a lot. It’s a fun board game and educational too.” – Crystal, age 9

-“I like all the questions you have to answer because I got most of them right. Next time I want to play with my brother because I know he will like it too.” Tommy, age 13
 

Anagramania by Karmel Games

This intelligent board game is for people who love word games. These word jumbles are great for kids and adults alike. And even a great gift for Christmas. In this wonderful game, you will see the letters in the word in BOLD, and you will have to rearrange these letters to spell another word. The rearranged word is described in the clue that is given. Example: “You’ll find this joint a few inches below the shoulder.” Answer: elbow. Be the one to arrive in the center, and WIN. One fun aspect of this game, is that the timer doesn’t start until one player announces that he or she has the answer. The rest of the players then have one minute to find the solution. It makes sure that everyone in the game can play. A great way to spend quality time with your kids while learning, and having fun. This product was given a 5-star rating by Homeschool.com and is recommended for ages 8+.

-“This game is totally fun and very challenging. You have to rearrange the word, like a word jumble. I love word games so this was really fun for me, and I enjoyed playing it with other kids my age.”-Jennifer, age 15

-“I had a blast with this game. It was hard to guess some of the words that were jumbled, but it got easier as I went along. It was a lot of fun, and I would recommend it to any other homeschoolers who like word games.” – Mike, age 16
 

Electronic Snap Circuits Jr.

This incredible product is for your future engineer! With snap circuits Jr., you can build 100 exciting projects ranging from a dual speed fan to a periodic doorbell, and even a photo sensor police siren. The snap circuit kit uses “building blocks” with snaps 
to build different electrical and electronic circuits outlined in the manual. With over 100 exciting experiments to try, your kids are bound to have fun with this product. Requires 2 “AA” batteries. This product received a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com, and is recommended for ages 8+. 

-“It’s so cool! It’s fun to see what sounds it makes when you put it together.” – Katherine, age 10

-“ I like building stuff so this is fun! It’s easy because you can snap everything together. I really like the fan one. It’s awesome!” – Chris, age 13
 

SOFTWARE & COMPUTER GAMES

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Music Game by Music Games Int.

This wonderful game will keep your kids busy for hours and help them learn about the famous Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker musical. With musical games for them to play, and stories to read, they will find this interactive game a delight. Winner of three awards already, this game is sure to be a hit with your kids. This product was given a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com and is recommended for ages 4-104.

-“I loved all the music in the game. There was a lot of information in the game, and I liked the games and puzzles.” – Annie, age 9

-“The music was fun to listen to and the games were fun too. I like the nutcracker, so I really liked the game!”  – Samantha, age 10
 

Lexia Cross-Trainer Visual-Spatial

This great software will keep your kids busy for hours. With five different games to choose from, your kids can play these games and improve their visual-spatial coordination. This software is currently used in more than 10,000 schools, and satisfies the requirements of No Child Left Behind. This software enables children to develop their thinking, memory, and problem solving abilities, and also improve their overall academic performance. The comprehensive assessment tools included help parents pinpoint reading and cognitive weaknesses that affect their children’s ability to read and learn. Your children will have fun with these games and you can assess their skills at the same time. This product was given a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com, and is recommended for ages 7+.

-“It was like an educational video game. It was fun to play and my mom liked it too.”- Micah, age 11

-“We really enjoyed having our children use this product. It helped them develop more skills and they enjoyed learning. I would definitely recommend this product to other homeschooling parents.” – Monica, age 38
 

Let’s Go Learn Assessment Program

Many Homeschooling parents ask about assessment programs for their children. Well, Here’s a great one! This amazing reading assessment program will show you a detailed assessment report on how your child is doing. The results of this assessment program will help you restructure your emphasis on reading, and help your child succeed. Many homeschoolers have used this program and had fantastic results. You also have the option to purchase the Unique Reader account, which includes the LGL Reading Assessment to provide direct online reading instruction for your child. This program was given a 5-star rating by Homeschool.com.

-“I liked the monkey in the game and it was fun to complete each lesson. It’s a fun way to do my reading exercises.” Samantha, age 8
 

EDUCATIONAL

Elementary Microscope

This elementary microscope is a great gift for any child. Includes everything a young scientist needs to experiment. There are four prepared slides with real samples of nature, and it also includes slides to make your own experiments. The manual, which is included, suggests eleven experiments for your child to try. It also gives you information about what you’re seeing on every slide. A fantastic first microscope for anyone! Young & Old! This product received a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com.

-“I got to look at a bee’s mouth! It was so interesting. This microscope makes science a lot more fun.” – Kayla, age 12

-“The slides were fun to see and very interesting. I had a lot of fun collecting new samples outside and looking at them through the microscope.” – Jessica, age 15
 

Goofy Glowing Gel Experiment Kit

Now you can be a chemist & a magician. With fifteen experiments, you can learn all about science and have fun too! Your kids won’t even know their learning! The small booklet that is included gives you information about how the experiment worked, and why. A fun product for your science lesson, or just for your kids to experiment with. This product was given a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com, and is recommended for ages 9+. 

-“This experiment was a lot of fun, and was really weird, in a good way! We all had a lot of fun doing the experiments.” – Michael, age 10
 

Smithsonian Microchemistry Set

This chemistry set has 1,500 experiments and was developed for the Smithsonian Institute. It is among the safest to use, and the set includes everything your little chemist needs. It also includes a very extensive instruction booklet, and a storage case. Your little chemist will love all of the experiments, and it will satisfy any science curriculum you need. A great product, and highly recommended! This product received a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com. 

-“I had so much fun! There were so many experiments to do, I had to decide which one to do first, and that was hard! – Kamren, age 14

-“I didn’t know that science could be this fun. Usually I read out of a textbook my mom gives me, but this was so much more fun. I would like to use this for the rest of the year.” – Ian, age 12
 

Bubble Builder Experiment Kit

This experiment kit is sure to be a hit. Blow giant bubbles, mini bubbles, bubbles within bubbles, chains of bubbles, and bubble blankets. Discover how a bubbles color can reveal when it will pop. A full color 48-page experiment manual guides you through 35 fun experiments. Learn about the history of soap bubbles, mixing the perfect bubble recipe, soap, water, and surface tension, and geometric bubble constructions. With so many fun experiments, your kids will have a blast learning about the wonderful world of Bubbles. This product has been given a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com, and is recommended for ages 8+.

-“I have always liked playing with bubbles, but this was so much fun. We got to do bubble blankets and find out information on how bubbles work.” – Kimmie, age 9

-“ I liked all the fun experiments and had fun building the bubbles. I want to show all of my friends everything you can do with soap bubbles!” - Michelle, age 8
 

MISC. GIFTS

Magic Playground by Playhut

This portable playground can be taken ANYWHERE! So convenient and fun, you and your kids will be sure to enjoy it. Folds up and fits into a small tote bag, you can take it to the park, or to Grandma’s house. The great thing about this product is that you can add different Playhut products to make a HUGE play structure for your kids. It folds up in less than two minutes, so that you can put it back into the tote bag and take it with you. This product received a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com.

-“It has lots of games on it like basketball and soccer, and my little sister could crawl through the tunnels. She had lots of fun and so did I.” – Tyler, age 7

-“I liked the golf game with it. That was fun. I liked the tunnels and cubes too. You can crawl through them and hide.” – Tiffany, age 8
 

“Believe in Yourself”, and “Samantha & Starlight” by Joy Stories

These inspirational bedtime stories raise your children’s self esteem, and also ease your children into a deep restful sleep. These carefully written stories have been field tested with amazing results, and each C.D. comes with a finger puppet to match the story. Joy Stories are sure to be a delight in your home. These products were given a 5-star rating by Homeschool.com and are recommended for ages 3-9. 

-“I liked the story because I got to learn about sea turtles and how they lay their eggs in the sand. I liked the finger puppet too. I listen to the story before I go to bed.” – Kristin, age 5

“I liked the horse story, it was calm and I liked the stuffed animal that came with it. It was magic because I woke up very rested in the morning.” – Janelle, age 8
 

BOOKS

Slave, Brave, & Free by Loyal Publishing

This great historical fiction book contains awesome adventure with a Christian world-view. This book contains Historical framework, is geographically accurate, culturally honest, and offers a look into the 1700s, when times weren’t as they are today. Your children are sure to love this great educational book, and want to read it more than once. Use it for your homeschooling or give it as a gift. Either way, this book is a great pick! This book was given a 5-star rating by Homeschool.com. 

-“I loved this book. It was a great history lesson and also great reading material. My mom used it in our homeschooling curriculum and I enjoyed the change of pace.” – Adam, age 14

-“I really liked this book, I am going to read it again soon because it had lots of aspects I liked. It was historical and had lots of culture in it. I really appreciated this great book, and will read it again soon.” – Annette, 16
 

Timelines of World History by John B. Teeple

This wonderful educational book is one you don’t want to live without. All of the significant historical figures and key events are included in this fabulous book from 10,000 BCE to the year 2002! There is so much information that you could use it for your history curriculum until your child goes off to College. With over 660 pages, you are bound to find some of the most interesting information about the times before ours, and even in our lifetime. These fabulous timelines will help your child learn about History and get them more interested in the world around them. This book has received a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com.

-“We really enjoyed this book in our Homeschooling. My son was intrigued by all of the pictures and wanted to read about them. He has never really liked History, but this book has brought so much into our History Curriculum. An awesome book! –Mary, age 42
 

Illustrated Oxford Dictionary by DK Publishing

This wonderful illustrated dictionary is a must-have for any household. With 187,000 definitions and entries, and 4,500 illustrations this dictionary is sure to be the only one you will ever need. This dictionary is not your average dictionary, it also provides in-depth information on topics such as: technology, natural history, art and music. There are also hundreds of new words and phrases from voice mail to sport utility vehicle which gives an up-to-date appeal to this book. This book was given a 5-star rating from Homeschool.com!

-“What a tool! I would have given anything to own this when I was 12 years old. This is an excellent reference -- beautifully bound, loaded with color illustrations and diagrams, it just begs to be browsed and fondled.”-Lynn, age 32