Our Favorite Educational Podcasts

     As a homeschool mom, I'm constantly looking for ways to add educational value to our days without adding a ton of extra worksheets and schoolbooks.  Don't get me wrong, we have some great curricula that we really enjoy.  But as homeschoolers, we often learn best when we're engaged in some way other than a textbook. (And I say "we" because I consider myself less of a "teacher" and more of a "lead learner."  I've thoroughly enjoyed learning right along with my kids!)

Trekking the National Parks and Trekking the World Review

 As I'm sure you're already aware, I'm a HUGE fan of using games for educational purposes.  And while I firmly believe that ALL games have educational value of some sort, there are definitely games that are more educational than others.  And Underdog Games definitely fall in the "more educational" category. The fabulous folks at Underdog Games were kind enough to send me two of their games for review, and let me tell you, I am BLOWN AWAY!

5er Finden Game Review

 Well, its a new year!  Let's all hope its a better year than the last two!  But one thing you know you can count on in this new year is more game reviews from me!  So I'm thrilled to start out with one of my favorite companies - Haba USA!  The wonderful folks at Haba USA were kind enough to send me a fantastic little game called 5er Finden. Keep reading and find out what I think!

5er Finden (1-4 players, for ages 7+, plays in approximately 20 minutes) is a simple game - 5 dice, 5 shapes, 5 rounds.  In each round, roll all 5 dice, then search your board for the shapes on the dice arranged in any of the 5 shapes provided on the tiles. Earn points based on the shapes you find.  The person with the most points after 5 rounds wins!

Wingspan Board Game Review

As you may have noticed, I review a LOT of games. And I thoroughly enjoy it! I rarely come across a game that I don’t like at all. In fact, I can’t think of a single game that I’ve reviewed that I absolutely hated. They all have their positives. Or maybe I’m just a “glass half full” kinda gal?  But I definitely have my favorites. And I have a few favorite companies as well. And Stonemaier Games is definitely one of my favs! Why? Well, simply put, I haven’t reviewed a game for them that I didn’t love. It all started with my review of My Little Scythe. And from that moment on I knew I was hooked. Their production quality is top notch. Their games are beautiful. And my family always has fun playing them! So I was thrilled with the opportunity to review Wingspan. Again, I’d heard great things, so I wanted to try it for myself. And I was NOT DISAPPOINTED! This game is beautiful, well made, and fun to play! And as a homeschool/gameschool family, I was THRILLED with its educational value as well! 

So, let’s get to that review, shall we? 

Tapestry Board Game Review

Have I mentioned how much I love Stonemaier Games? Why, yes. Yes I have! So I’ll say it again! Stonemaier Games are always a hit at my house! And today’s review game is no exception! Tapestry is quite the game! 

Board Games with Hidden Educational Value

 One of the things I get asked the most is, "Can you recommend a game with educational value?" This question involves a complicated answer.  You see, I firmly believe that ALL games have educational value.  Even the simplest game involves turn taking, which can be of value to younger kids.  And most games involve end game scoring, which can be great math practice!  So I try not to sound sarcastic when I answer the, "can you recommend a game with educational value" question with the answer: ALL OF THEM! But I get it.  Sometimes folks are looking for a specific educational skill or benefit from a game.  And it can be difficult to find a game that's both educational AND fun. (Although I have reviewed some straight forward educational games that are, in fact, lots of FUN!)  

Roll On with 12 Great, Unique Roll & Write Games

 As you've probably already guessed by reading my blog or following my Instagram or Facebook pages, I love games!  But what you may not know is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE roll & write games!  I often say that roll & writes are my love language!  Haha!  But seriously, I'm a HUGE FAN of the roll & write game mechanic.  

If you're not familiar with the term "roll & write," it refers to any game where you roll dice and then use the results to write or draw onto a sheet.  This could include writing numbers, drawing lines (to represent roads or railroad tracks), drawing pictures, or even coloring in blocks.  These games are usually fairly simple to learn, easy to play, and finish in less than 30 minutes (although a few are more complicated and longer).  This makes them great games for family game time or a fun starter for a game night!  Most roll & writes also play well with 2 players.  This makes them great for an evening game with hubby!

An offshoot of the roll & write genre is the "flip and write."  These games follow the same format, but instead of rolling dice you flip over cards.  Because these games are so similar - and I include them as part of my roll & write "love language," I've included them in this review.

2 Minute Dino Deal

 I have a dino-obsessed ten year old, so I was really excited at the prospect of reviewing 2 Minute Dino Deal by Petersen Games! This is a cute, fun, compact game that, as its name suggests, plays in TWO MINUTES! So let's check it out!

2 Minute Dino Deal is a game for 2-5 players ages 8+.  It plays in.. you guessed it... 2 minutes!  Use the "Time Scoop" and go back in time to capture dinosaurs and bring them back to sell to theme parks and zoos! 

Honey Buzz Board Game Review

May 20th is World Bee Day!  Yippee!  Do you know what that means?  A great GAMESCHOOLING opportunity!  What should we play?  Well, Honey Buzz, by Elf Creek Games, of course!  This is a BEAUTIFUL, fun, strategic game about bee accountants!  That's right!  I said bee accountants!  Haha!  In Honey Buzz, each player is one of Her Majesty the Queen Bee's accountants. Manage your portion of the hive and worker bees, store nectar, make honey, and sell your honey at the bear market. Whoever makes the most money wins the game!

Here's what I like:

Cosmic Colonies Board Game Review

 Last night my husband, 10 year old, and I all played Cosmic Colonies, by Floodgate Games for the first time.  I'll admit, we had this one for a while before we played it.  It sat on the shelf and I'd walk past and say, "I need to play test this one." But the number of components and the recommended age on the box (13+ years) had me worried that it would be overly complicated.  And its hard to get the fam - particularly hubby - to play a complicated game.  After a long day he just doesn't want to burn his brain learning something super heavy.  But Cosmic Colonies is the PERFECT EXAMPLE of a misjudged game!  I wish I'd pulled it out much sooner!  It was a joy to play and not overly complicated at all!  But it was lots of fun!

CrowD Games Review

 The wonderful folks at CrowD Games  very kindly sent me a few of their games to review.  I'll be honest.  I'd not heard of these games before, so I had absolutely ZERO preconceived notions about how they would play or what they'd be like.  But I was impressed!  So I'd love to share them with you!

Fabulous Roll & Write Games from Stronghold Games/Indie Boards and Cards

 As I mentioned in a previous post, the wonderful folks at Stronghold Games and Indie Boards and Cards were kind enough to send me several games to review!  I've split the games up in an effort to keep the reviews manageable and readable.  So in this review, I'd like to introduce you to some of their amazing roll and write games!

I'm a HUGE fan of roll and writes!  They're fun. They usually take 15-30 minutes. And they're smaller in size, so they're very portable.  My family loves roll & writes as well, so we were more than happy to check out these!

Stronghold Family Games Review

The amazingly generous folks at Stronghold Games were kind enough to send me a box full of games to review! After I did a little happy dance around my living room when I saw what they included, I decided that the best way to handle reviews would be to break it up into manageable chunks. So this weekend my family and I took 4 of the games and played them!  I have to say, I was sure at least one of them would be a dud.  I mean, in 4 new games, one of them is gonna be "just OK," right?  Man, was I wrong!  So I want introduce you to those first 4 games in this post!

To begin with, on Saturday I picked 3 games for us to play as a family.  Honestly, I wasn't sure we'd get to all of them on Saturday afternoon.  After all, each new game we play involves me reading the rules, setting up the game, and explaining the rules to my hubby and 3 kids. Then we often have a long, confusing play through as we learn the game.  Thankfully, these 3 games were simple to learn, simple to play, and lots of fun!

1.) To begin with, we played Fabled Fruit (2-5 players) 

Ice Cream Empire Game Review

 I'm always looking for fun games that will teach educational concepts.  Ice Cream Empire, by Uncorked Games is a cute game that teaches kids the basics of economics in building a business.  

Mad Scientist University Game Review

 Most games have very strict rules of play - quite necessarily.  But every once in a while you come across a game with more flexible rules and a larger capacity for invention and creativity.  And those games can be little gems!  Mad Scientist University, by Atlas Games is just such a game!

The Tooth Fairy Game Blog Review

With 3 little girls, some things tend to lose their "specialness" as time goes by.  When the first child loses a tooth, its a HUGE deal.  By the time number 3 begins losing teeth, you've seen a LOT of teeth come and go.  But I don't ever want my youngest to feel like her milestones aren't still milestones.  That's why I was so glad I discovered The Tooth Fairy Game, by Petersen Games! 

Sagrada Game Expansions Review

 One of my absolute favorite games is Sagrada, by Floodgate Games.  Its an absolute masterpiece!  First of all, it's INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL!  Secondly, it involves rolling dice.  Lots of dice!  And I love dice games! Lastly, its both simple and complex.  Its simple in the fact that it's an easy game to learn. It's not an overly complex game to learn to play.  But the strategy is fantastic.  Its also a game that my hubby enjoys playing.  He's not as "game obsessed" as I am, but he still really enjoys Sagrada!  So I knew I had to jump at the chance to review the expansions!

Saboteur: The Lost Mines and No Thanks Review

 I reviewed games for Amigo Games before and I've always loved them.  (You can check out my past Amigo Games reviews HERE and HERE.) So I was thrilled to try a couple more! The wonderful folks at Amigo were kind enough to send me two fantastic games to try!

First up is Saboteur: The Lost Mines -

Shady Pets Card Game Review

 I'm always looking for fun games to play with my family.  And with 3 kids, animal games are very popular in our household!  So I was thrilled to review Shady Pets!

Shady Pets is a game for 2 to 5 players, agers 7 and up!  In Shady Pets, you're trying to figure out which pets are "shady."  (It's similar to Clue.) 

Bosk Board Game Review

I'm just gonna say it.  I'm a total sucker for a pretty board game!  Colorful games ALWAYS draw me in - like a moth to a flame!  But sometimes they turn out to be pretty but not a lot of fun.  Boo!  Thankfully, Bosk, by Floodgate Games is both incredibly beautiful and tons of fun!  Woohoo!