Taking Legos to the Next Level at FIRST Robotics

September 29, 2015 by

Books, building blocks, musical toys, board games, and sports equipment – these are the only things my children are allowed to play with during weekdays.  Call me old-fashioned but I’d rather my kids play with the games I used to play than spend all their spare time with their faces plastered on digital screens. Among those I’ve mentioned, books and building blocks are their most favorite.  They can spend hours reading a book or building whatever their imagination wills them to.

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4-year-old Jakei fascinated with the pulley we built together. 🙂

This is also why I signed up for the FIRST Robotics event organized by the Mommy Bloggers of the Philippines last August (yes, this is a superduper late post! wondermama was not so wonder-y the past weeks).  What better way to spend the weekend than learning how to build robots!  So cool!

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Upon arriving, we were ushered to the waiting area for kids.  In here, kids can play with LEGOs while waiting for their classes to start.  There’s a separate waiting area for parents in the lobby but since we were there to learn more about FIRST Robotics, we were allowed to stay inside the rooms.

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Before the trial classes began, we were given a short presentation about what First Robotics has to offer. Read all about it at FIRST Robotics: Raising Visionaries and Innovators. After the briefing, we were led to the different rooms.  Each age group has its own room where age-appropriate materials are provided. Those age 4 – 6 use LEGO Duplo to develop their fine motor skills. Age 7 – 8 kids learn how to use basic visual programming using LEGO WeDo. Those who are age 9 and older are taught how to create their own functional robots using LEGO MindStorm.

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Although they were only one year apart, my two kids belonged to different age brackets and had to stay in different rooms. I chose to stay with Jakei knowing that Jade would be able to manage on her own. So off Jade went to the World of Science and Technology room while Jakei and I went to the World of Adventures and Inventions.

Jakei’s FIRST Moving Lego Robot

Since Jakei has been very adept at building LEGO models on his own at home, I didn’t assist him that much during his class.  Their lesson started with a short story about two friends who were playing hockey and who needed another player for their team.  Building this players became the task of Jakei and the other kids. They had to build a hockey player that had a movable arm for hitting the puck into the goal.

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After successfully building their robots, the kids tested them out through a fun competitive game of hockey.

My Jakei had fun during the game and, thankfully, did not throw a fit when he lost. I think having been able to build a robot with moving parts made him a winner already.

Jade’s FIRST Shot at Programming

After Jakei’s game, I checked on Jade in the 7-8 class.  They were almost finished with their robots when I came.  I was amazed that the kids were able to build their robots with minimal supervision. They were using the LEGO WeDo software that provided step-by-step instructions.  What was even more amazing was that they were able to program their robots using basic visual programming.

Watching my daughter’s eyes sparkle with excitement when her crocodile moved and made a sound was such a sight to behold.

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Free Trial Classes at FIRST Robotics

Lego + Robots + Kids = FUN FUN FUN!  

We definitely loved our experience at FIRST Robotics!  What’s not to love with learning being so much fun?! If you have kids age 4 to 16, I encourage you to enrol them in one of the programs at FIRST Robotics. Call (02)696-3333 to schedule a free trial class or visit their website at http://www.firstrobotics.ph/ for more information.

In FIRST Robotics, children become leaders not followers, problem solvers not whiners, and builders not daydreamers. And what parent wouldn’t want their children to become those. 😉

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To know more about First Robotics, read FIRST Robotics: Raising Visionaries and Innovators.

 

Filed Under: Busy Bees, for the KIDS, Kids At Work Tagged With: , ,

Learning Fabumousely with Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks

September 12, 2015 by

Alright! I admit it. I’m guilty! – Guilty of raising would-be hoarders. At their young age of six and seven, my two kids are now budding book collectors (it’s in their blood, you know).  They’ve already started their collections of Roald Dahl, EB White, CS Lewis, and their favorite writer to-date, Geronimo Stilton.  Oh yes! I’ve got two mouse-ter-ful readers at home.

More Geronimo Stilton books from the Scholastic Sizzling Summer Sale!

More Geronimo Stilton books from the Scholastic Sizzling Summer Sale!

On our trip to the bookstore last July, my daughter Jade saw the Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks on display and asked if we could buy one (Of course, she would ask – what would you expect from a Stilton fan?!). However, we had already paid for the books she had chosen.  I promised her I’d get her one on our next trip to the bookstore.  By some piece of cheese luck, she got all six Pawbooks (and a whole set of Geronimo Stilton books!) during the Scholastic Trade Launch we attended last August.

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Mouseterful readers make fantabumouse spellers! We won the great word hunt coz of our great teamwork – I cut the letters, she pasted them. 🙂 Jade won one whole set of Geronimo Stilton books but swapped them (except for two books) with Kuya Jed who won a set of Thea Stilton books. Thank you, Kuya Jed!!!

Scholastic Trade Launch

Although the trade launch was held in far far away Powerbooks Greenbelt 4, my Jade and I endured more than an hour’s drive through metro traffic and bravely faced the monsoon rains just to see Geronimo and Thea.  We wouldn’t have missed the event for the world!

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We arrived at Powerbooks an hour early but boredom was not a problem.  We were surrounded by BOOKS!  And Jade could spend hours reading transported into her own world of imagination.

After buying a Rainbow Fairies book (also a Scholastic book!), Jade joined me in the event area and saw the Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks in my bag.  Oh yeah, I’m sure you know what happened next!

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While Jade was busy working on two of the GSA Pawbooks, I browsed the other books. I couldn’t help wishing we had such books when we were young.  My sisters and I would have greatly enjoyed working on them.  (I’ll let you in on a little secret – I answer some of the pages in the Pawbooks, too! tee-hee!)

Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks

With Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks, mouse-ter-ful readers can became fabu-mouse writers as well – just like Geronimo!

Geronimo Stilton Academy

The Vocabulary Pawbooks contain fun puzzles and activities that help readers understand word formation, build their vocabulary, and engage them in using new words they learn.

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The Comprehension Pawbooks help develop reading skills such as predicting outcomes, inferring, sequencing, recalling details, and drawing conclusions.  Fun activities in the Pawbooks engage children and motivate them to read. Structured activities develop their comprehension skills.

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This October, a new set of Grammar Pawbooks will be released. Now, that’s something to watch out for!

Fun, Entertaining, and Engaging.  This is what sets the Pawbooks apart from other workbooks.  Admit it, most English workbooks are booooring.  You just have pages and pages filled with words and nothing else.  Well, Pawbooks have the same quirky illustrations and witty humor as Geronimo and Thea Stilton books.  These make learning English a lot more fun.

Learning English will become as enjoyable as chewing off a large chunk of cheese!

When Jade first saw the Pawbooks, she just wanted to see what was inside. As she was browsing through the pages, she saw an excerpt from The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid – one of the books we brought with us for the book signing.  Her eyes lit up as she exclaimed “Ohhh! I know this. It’s from the Cheese Pyramid!” After this discovery, she asked for a pencil and started working on that Pawbook.

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Geronimo Stilton Academy Pawbooks are targeted for kids age 8 to 13 who want to develop their literacy skills.  Although my kids are just age 6 & 7, they still love working on the Pawbooks.  When I asked Jakei, my 6-year-old son, if the Pawbooks were easy to answer, he said they were not easy BUT he still likes answering the exercises.

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A few days after the launch, Jade had to stay at home for a few days due to colds and cough. The GSA Pawbooks kept her busy. She even worked on them while nebulizing. 😉

Geronimo Stilton Pawbooks are very affordable at only P299 each (that’s the price in NBS).  Really a small amount to pay for learning. Oh and if you want pawsome online games and activities, check out the Geronimo Stilton page in Scholastic.com where you – oh, okay, your kids – can create your their own Geronimo Stilton comic book.

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So, she received two sets of GSA Pawbooks, won a set of new Stilton books, and won GCs to Mind Museum. BUT, this has got to be the highlight of her day – MEETING THEA STILTON!!!

One final thing, Geronimo and Thea Stilton will be at the Manila International Book Fair on September 20. You can have your Stilton books stamped by the siblings on that day. Yey! 🙂

geronimo stilton at mibf

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For more information on the Geronimo Stilton Academy: Pawbooks, visit Scholastic’s website at www.scholastic.asia or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ScholasticAsia

Filed Under: BookWorms, for the KIDS, Kids At Work, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,

Singapore Math Enrichment at Galileo

July 13, 2015 by

A few years ago, I was able to attend a seminar on Unlocking the Secrets of Singapore Math.  Although I have heard of Singapore Math before, I was not inclined to learn more about it as my kids were still babies then.  On that day, however, I was amazed at how easy it was to understand and to solve complex Math problems using the Singapore Math method. Of course, one seminar isn’t enough to fully grasp this method. Thankfully, Galileo regularly holds seminars and workshops for parents and teachers and has enrichment programs all year-round for students.

Why Enrol Your Kids in A Singapore Math Enrichment Program?

Our generation grew up learning Math using a different method which is why a lot of parents find the Singapore Math method confusing.  Believe me, I’ve heard one too many parents complain about this method because they have a hard time helping their kids with their homework. How can you teach something you don’t know? Of course, the task of teaching Math should actually fall on the teachers’ shoulders; but, with a class population of 30 – 45 kids, not all kids are able to keep up with the lessons.

So what’s a parent to do? You could attend seminars and workshops to equip you with skills and knowledge you can use to help your kids.  Or, you could enrol your kids in an enrichment program where qualified teachers can create an effective program that’s suited to your kids’ learning styles.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Kids At Work, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL, Resources Tagged With: ,

3 Skills Kids Learn Through Pretend Play

June 15, 2015 by

When we hear of the word “play”, we often associate it with engaging games of tag, sports activities, or physical exploration of environments. Physical play, though, is just one of many types of play that children engage in. There’s Constructive Play where kids learn to create things using blocks, clay, and other manipulatives. Competitive Play where they pit their skills with others and learn how to be true sportsmen. Then there’s also Pretend Play.

In Pretend Play, kids assign roles and act them out. They pretend to be someone, or even something, else. As their imaginations come to life, kids develop a myriad of skills. They become creative, insightful, and well-rounded individuals.

Skills Learned Through Pretend Play

During Pretend Play, kids learn how the world works and how adults interact. Their gross and fine motor skills are also developed. Aside from these, here are three more skills kids learn and develop through pretend play:

Language Skills. Pretend Play encourages expressive language. When playing with others, kids learn that words give them the power to re-enact stories or create entirely out-of-this-world ones. Oftentimes, they use the words they hear from the ones closest to them so don’t be surprised to hear your own words (might be even in a perfectly good impersonation of you!) during their play.

Thinking Skills. There’s really more to Pretend Play than “just playing pretend”. Kids learn to solve problems, organize and plan activities, retell familiar stories, and apply gained knowledge. Their imagination, which is an important building block for learning, is greatly enriched.

Social-Emotional Skills. While creating their make-believe scenario, kids learn to cooperate and to negotiate in their role playing. They learn to take turns and share. Sometimes, they also learn how to deal with disappointment. While they pretend to be someone else, they also develop a sense of self and individuality. As they discover themselves and their capabilities, their self-esteem then increases allowing them to confidently interact with others.

How To Nurture Their Imagination

Allow Them To Create Their Own Scenario. The best stories unfold when children are given a freehand on who they want to be and where they want the stories set. It’s perfectly fine to be Batman riding a horse with Sheriff Callie while exploring a new red moon in outer space. Their pretend world is as vast as their imagination, give them complete control over it and watch them develop story lines a thousand times more interesting than your favorite stories. Letting them use the backyard as a setting can help them to develop exploratory skills as well as giving them new inspiration for their imaginations. Chammy IRL explains how to make sure your backyard is safe so that you can give them free reign of this new, exciting environment.

Provide Props and Costumes. Dress up costumes from Smiffys would be wonderful but even old clothes would do. Kitchen sets, Doctor kits, Shop stands, and other toys help make pretend play more realistic. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg in props though. Even ordinary household items can be used in Pretend Play. In our home, a blanket becomes a tent, the stairs a mountain to climb, our chairs obstacles in a grand adventure. Empty boxes turn into airplanes, or boats, or cars, or rockets, or whatever else is needed for the kids’ imaginary kingdom.

Play With Them. Playing with your kids is a two-way learning process. From you, they learn how to communicate, interact, and rationalize. You, on the other hand, can learn to understand your kids more. You can even discover a few things about yourself too as kids are wont to mirror their parents’ behavior. So, next time your kids run to you asking you to be the High Queen in their kingdom, stop for awhile and play with them. Just a few minutes of your time is forever for them. Know that “play” for them is not just play – it’s a learning process.

Filed Under: Busy Bees, Kids At Work, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL, Resources Tagged With: ,

Kids Summer Camp 2015 at AMBAY Beach Resort

April 20, 2015 by

Summer’s never complete without a trip to the beach.  For most kids, the best trips are those where they get to  have fun with other kids, too.  Which is why we’re not missing this year’s Kids’ Camp in Ambay Beach Resort.

ambay kids camp 2015

Want to know what to expect?  Click here to check my post about the very first Ultimate Summer Camp at Ambay last year.  This year’s camp is bound to be so much more fun so do come join us. Leave your worries (and gadgets!) at home and just enjoy the beach!

For inquiries, send an email to [email protected], call 0920-902-0860, or visit the Ambay Beach Resort Facebook Page. Limited rooms are available for the Kids Camp so book your room now. 🙂

 

 

Click here to read about our first vacation at AMBAY.

Filed Under: Busy Bees, Explorations, Family Fun, Kids At Work Tagged With: , ,
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