Top 10 Gifts for 8 Year Old Boys

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I’m not sure if it’s just me or it my friends are also having this same problem but as the kids get older I’m finding that it’s harder and harder to find out exactly what they want for Christmas. Or, as I’m experiencing with my son, things change from week to week so the one thing you thought was at the top of their list is now just eh. Frustrating, right? 

Well this year I did a bit of research and if you’re like me and have an 8 year old boy, I’ve got you covered! Different price points, different types of toys, and all perfect 8 year old gifts. 

stickbot-zanimation-studio

Stikbot Studio

Create , Animate and Share! Stikbot Studio Pro is the perfect way to get kids interested in stop motion video. This set include 1 tripod , 2 stikbots (solid red and solid orange color, 2in1 stage green and blue screen. With green screen , you can capture the best photo and video and save time editing. Easily cut and edit footage to create the sequence you need by using green screen. You can digitally recreate the background of your scene

Buy here on Amazon (Prime available): http://amzn.to/2guca5u

LEGO Sets

What 8 year old doesn’t love LEGO sets? From Minecraft to LEGO City to Superheros, LEGO sets come in all themes, sizes, and price points. Perfect for boys or girls. 

Video Games

My son is obsessed with video games. But of course he loves the ones that aren’t actually available to purchase easily. Top of his list? The Isle, Subnautica, and Terraria.

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IDo3D Vertical

IDO3D uses a cool blue LED light and soft, squeezable 3D pens that enable you to easily draw 3D objects! The IDO3D Vertical light attaches to each pen by clicking firmly into place. The light can easily be removed from one pen, and placed on another by simply pulling it off, and popping it onto another. It’s a snap!

With IDO3D Vertical, you can draw vertically, straight into the air. To do so, turn on your light, and simply draw upward by squeezing your pen and moving the tip vertically, away from your drawing surface. You can also make solid sheets of material by drawing on flat or curved surfaces, first with the light off, and curing afterward by shining the light on your art. Draw on non-sticky textured materials or objects like coins or buttons, and then remove for very cool effects. 

Buy here on Amazon (Prime available): http://amzn.to/2hjPMeN

Osmo

Osmo is an award-winning hands-on game system, fosters creativity & problem solving skills. The starter kit incldues 4 games – Words: puzzle form spelling, Newton: creative problem solving, Tangram: expand your visual thinking, and Masterpiece: supercharged drawing and is designed for kids 5-12. So siblings can play along as well!

From coding to tangrams to everything in between, my kids are obsessed with Osmo. Their current favorites are the Osmo Coding and Osmo Pizza Co

Cosmo

Now this is one of those gifts my husband checked out before the holiday season and purchased as a joint gift for himself AND the two older kids. Yeah, you read that right. A gift for him and the kids. But boy were his instincts right! Cozmo is a real-life robot like you’ve only seen in movies, with a one-of-a-kind personality that evolves the more you hang out.

Cozmo expresses real emotions in response to your actions. He requires a free app and the processing power of your compatible mobile phone/tablet to access high level robotics functions that brings Cozmo to life. New games and upgrades are unlocked the more you play.

Cosmo may be hard to get now but keep an eye on when he comes back in stock: http://amzn.to/2gqt3sY

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Dart Zone Magnum Superdrum Blaster

One way to get my kid out of the house (and off his video games) is to start a fun game of war. And this Dart Zone Magnum Superdrum Blaster is the perfect accessory for a friendly competition. 

Grab yours here: http://amzn.to/2hjHEKY

Minecraft anything

What kid doesn’t love Minecraft, right? My son is still just as obsessed with Minecraft now as he was last year. And while he has the game, he still wants all of the toys, t-shirts, and stuffed animals out there. So many options for a Minecraft lover! 

Magic Treehouse Box Sets

One thing I love finding for each kid is a good book for them for the new year and the Magic Treehouse series is one my son enjoys reading with us and by himself. Anything that will get him to read is a win-win in my book! 

Grab books 1-4 here (more available if you’ve already read these!): http://amzn.to/2hk2DuC

Little Live Pets

I don’t know what it is about these little guys but both my 6 year old and 8 year old are obsessed with them. There are turtles, frogs, and mice available and each has their own little habitat they come in (or you can purchase them separately. 

Check em out here: http://amzn.to/2htBjxg

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What are your kids asking for under the tree? 

How to Make Reading Fun: Learning to Love Reading Early On


How to Make Reading Fun Learning to Love Reading Early On

Igniting a love for reading in children is important, and the earlier you do so the better! Children who learn to love reading at a young age master sight words quickly, develop larger vocabularies, and tend to read above grade level later in life. And the early years of development between 0-5 years of age are crucial for setting a foundation for a lifelong love of reading and learning. 

I remember the love I had for reading. How I could get lost in a book and transform my world around me into the place I was reading about. It was an amazing way to escape real life and immerse myself into an adventure. The magic that comes from reading a book continued with me and still to this day I can become absolutely consumed with the book I am reading. That passion and love of reading is something I’ve always wanted to pass on to my children. And as my oldest begins his reading journey, I hope to share that love with him. 

If you want to inspire a love for reading in your own child, take a look below at 5 helpful tips on how to make reading fun, and ignite a love for reading early on. These tips can help you inspire their own love for reading and make them readers for life!

 Shared Bedroom Ideas for Brother and Sister - bookshelf

Tips on How to Make Reading Fun

1. Model reading.

Can you recall your own parents being readers? Let your children see you enjoy reading. Keep your own books on hand and next to your bed or on the coffee table. Let them see you enjoying your books, and you can even tell them what your favorite parts where about the book. If you aren’t into novels, even modeling reading the newspaper or magazines is a great start! If they see you reading for pleasure, they are more likely to do the same. You can even do a book club together, and meet over snacks to talk about the book!

2. Let them choose their own texts.

When you explore the library together, let them gravitate towards texts that interest them. Even if the book is above their reading level, let them have practice handling it and exploring it. If they seem to enjoy magazines, short stories, or even online reads, let them lead in navigating. While it is wise to choose skill appropriate texts, giving them some freedom helps keep the experience a more positive one and gives you an idea of what interests them.

3. Find words all around you.

We are surrounded by words, and it is fun and important to point this out to children. Show them words on cereal boxes, billboards, candy wrappers, and anywhere else you may seem them. Invite them to point out words they recognize, and help them with words they don’t or they are curious about. Go on a word hunt and see all of the places in the house you can find words to read. To make your environment really rich in text, make flash cards using the sight words you want to work on. Hang these up all over the house so your child can practice and identify the word as they walk by.

4. Read nightly, and read enthusiastically.

Do you have fond memories of being read to at night? Set aside time each night before bed for at least one book. You can read it, or they can along with you. Don’t let this appear to be a chore but something you enjoy doing. Do the best you can to show enthusiasm, using the voices and any hand motions or props that may make the story better. Make it a wonderful and enjoyable experience that you look forward to each night.

5. Make reading interactive.

Give children sticky notes that they can use in their books to mark pages they enjoy, have questions about, or want to remember to show you. You can also use highlighting tape to highlight words they know or don’t know as they read, or to mark the page number they left off on. You can give them puppets or stuffed animals to read to or act out the stories with, or let them draw about what they read when done. This makes the reading experience interactive, fun, and continues the learning process.

Kids Reading Nook Idea - Access to Books

Reading is such an amazing part of life, and one that you don’t want your child to miss out or get behind on so starting young is important! By talking, reading, & singing with our children, we help them learn and grow in the world around them. The importance of recent brain science in child development cannot be overstated. More than 80% of a child’s brain is developed by age 3, so it’s no wonder that the first three years of a child’s life are referred to as the “Golden Years” for brain development and strengthening. Give these tips a try and see how you can help them find a love for reading that is sure to stay with them throughout their lives.

First 5 California as a great, free resource for information. From activities to use with your children, to PDFs of books and videos that help parents learn how to teach their children in a variety of ways. Plus, there are so many articles to download and use for later.

How do you inspire your children to Talk.Read.Sing.®?

The Importance Of Bedtime Stories

This post is sponsored by First 5 California but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.


The Importance Of Bedtime Stories

Ever since my kids were babies there’s one thing we always do. And that’s bedtime stories. From the time they could crawl into our lap for some last minute snuggles before bedtime, they’ve soaked in the time we spend right before shut eye exploring a new book or story. From simple baby board books pointing out different animals or places to go, to us reading them classic Dr. Seuss or Robert Munsch books, to them reading us their first books, this time with our children is cherished.

Books are important. And reading to our kids are just as important. Did you know that, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, simply reading to your child every day will give them a higher success rate in school? And by simply having books in the home that are easily accessible, you can encourage your child to read more. We believe in this so much that we have a bookcase in just about every room in the house… including the kitchen!

The Importance Of Bedtime Stories - promoting early reading

The Importance Of Bedtime Stories

By not only having books in the house but reading every day to your child (even just 10-20 minutes a day!) you can encourage literacy in your child and set them up for success. Even if they aren’t reading yet, having the love of hearing a good story from you, and bonding with them in the process, will help them in the long run. Here are a few great stats to prove the importance of bedtime stories:

1. Practice! 

According to the National Education Association, having kids read a lot is one of the crucial components of becoming a good reader. Young readers need to become practiced at recognizing letters and sounds. The only way to get good at it is to practice. Twenty-six percent of children who were read to three or four times in the last week by a family member recognized all letters of the alphabet. This is compared to 14 percent of children who were read to less frequently. By practicing at home with those who love them, they can have a safe area to practice reading without feeling like they’ll be judged for not knowing a word or a letter.

2. A Partner In Education

As a parent, I want to play an active role in tehir education. By starting to read to them young and creating a a time for us to read as a family during our bedtime routine, we’re sharing our love of reading and learning with our kids. The substantial relationship between parent involvement for the school and reading comprehension levels of fourth-grade classrooms is obvious, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Where parental involvement is high, classrooms score 28 points above the national average!

3. Finding A Love For Reading

I remember when I first started to love books. The feeling of starting to read a good book that whisks you away into another world, another time, another universe. It’s an amazing feeling. And I cannot wait for my kids to jump in as well and experience that love. The U.S. Department of Education found that, generally, the more students read for fun on their own time, the higher their reading scores. Finding that love of reading can impact their future education.

The Importance Of Bedtime Stories - preparing for new situations

Great Bedtime Story Books (4-8 Years Old)

Adventures

Freddy & Frito And The Clubhouse Rules – Introducing the adorable pair – Freddy, a fox, and Frito, a rart – in a story about the joys and struggles of friendship. In her exuberant debut as author/illustrator, Alison Friend illuminates a truth about friendship: showing that best friends stay together both in fun times and in frustrating ones, too.

The Big Ideas Of Buster Bickles – No one appreciates Buster Bickles’ big ideas until his uncle invents a machine that turns his imagination into reality! Robot dinosaurs and ice cream mountains are only the beginning in Emmy-award winning animator Dave Wasson’s debut picture book – with a “What-If” machine, anything is possible!

School Time

Just a Teacher’s Pet – Join Mercer Mayer’s classic and loveable character, Little Critter, as he learns a special lesson about being a teacher’s pet in this I Can Read story!

Goose Goes To School – Goose is back in an all new school adventure! In this heart-warming follow up to GOOSE, readers will delight in Sophie and Goose’s next fun-filled adventure.

Eva and Sadie And The Best Classroom Ever – Sadie teaches Eva all about school in this adorable follow up to EVA AND SADIE AND THE WORST HAIRCUT EVER! Sadie learns that even though she’s a great teacher, it’s okay for Eva not to know everything before she starts school. After all, that’s what Kindergarten is for.

All About Pets 

Itty Bitty Kitty – Ava wants a pet, but Mom and Dad say she’s too little. So when she finds a kitty, Ava decides to name him Itty Bitty and keep him a secret. There’s just one tiny problem: Itty Bitty starts growing and growing and growing… until he’s neither itty nor bitty!

Who Wants Broccoli? – Meet Broccoli, a lovable but rambunctious dog who wants to find a home. Broccoli lives at Beezley’s Animal Shelter and dreams of playing in a yard with a boy. Will Broccoli find his perfect home? A story inspired by Val Jones’ own adopted labradoodle, Fergus!

Two Girls Want A Puppy – Cadence and Emi desperately want a puppy, but their dad isn’t quite sure they’re ready for all that responsibility. With a little determination and a brilliant plan, the girls show their dad that they are ready to adopt one. Based on a true story abou two sisters and their creative plan to adopt a puppy!

The Berenstain Bears

The Berenstain Bears: When I Grow Up – It’s Career Day at the Bear Country School, but Sister isn’t sure what she wants to be when she grows up. A friend of the Berenstains, Professor Actual Factual takes Sister and Brother Bear on a special Bear Country job tour. Whether it’s firefighter or artist, farmer or astronaut – there is sure to be a career to capture Sister’s imagination.

The Berenstain Bears Are Superbears! – When Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear pretend to be their favorite superhero characters, they use their imaginations to find adventure all around the house. But when a neighbor falls off his bike, the SuperBears discover the true power of lending a helping paw in this brand new I Can Read story!

The Berenstain Bears Get Ready For School – It’s a busy morning in the Bear family house. Brother and Sister are getting ready for school, and they need lots of help finding their backpack, books and pencils in time to catch the bus. Share in the hustle and bustle with this exciting new lift-the-flap storybook.

The Importance Of Bedtime Stories - finding new interests

Start Reading Early

Need more ideas on how to interest your child in reading OR to find great resources on the importance of reading to your little ones early? First 5 California is on a statewide mission to inform, educate and inspire parents and caregivers to talk, read and sing to their little ones starting from the day they are born.

Science tells us that 90% of the brain is formed by the age of 5, and recent research also reveals that more than 80% of a child’s brain is formed by age 3. As you know from being a parent, these early years are the most formative and life-impacting. You want your child to have a larger vocabulary not only do better in school, but are significantly less likely to make poor choices in the future.

The experts at First 5 California refer to the brain as a muscle that needs exercise – and that means “working out” through talking, reading and singing regularly. Talking can be as simple as narrating the day; reading doesn’t always need to be via books; recipes, newspapers and road signs are great (aim for 30 min/day total – can be broken up into 5-10 min increments throughout the day) and singing doesn’t require carrying a tune (First 5 California has a great children’s radio station on Pandora that can help!).

You can rely on First 5 California as a free trusted resource and partner to help give their children the best possible start to life. First5California.com/parents is full of informative tips and activities – everything from brain development facts/myths and brain-stimulating activities for ages 0-5 to healthy, easy-to-make recipes and general wellness information.

Need a comfy spot for your little ones to read in? Check out my Kids Reading Nook Ideas (and other great ways to encourage reading) by clicking on the photo below!

Kids Reading Nook Ideas

What’s your child’s favorite book? What’s yours?

Enjoying the Perfect Book Club with Gevalia Coffee

gevalia coffee enjoying book club

As anyone who knows me can tell you, I love my coffee. I have two cups a day every morning and love everything about it. From taste, to making meals even tastier, to perking me up and getting me going, coffee truly is a super food to me. And, in my opinion, Gevalia coffee is a top of the line, super premium super food.

When I first started drinking coffee I really didn’t know what I was doing. I’d just grab the cheapest grounds from the store and would go on my way. But I realized that what I was drinking wasn’t enjoyable. Then I remembered the coffee my mom had ordered my stepdad a few times and quickly checked it out myself.

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