The Nintendo 2DS Game System & Tomodachi Life at Best Buy {GIVEAWAY}

This is a sponsored post.

In today's technological world, I suppose it is inevitable that our kids will one day ask for some sort of gaming system. Mine have. And rather than deny them the opportunity to play games until they are older, I'm trying to help them develop healthy habits when it comes to technology and digital games.

For me, this means helping them learn that playing games and apps for pure entertainment is okay, so long as they show self-control and make wise decisions. In other words, they aren't allowed to just sit and play games mindlessly for hours. They can play for a reasonable amount of time (30-45 minutes) and then they must go read a book, play outside, or do some other sort of activity. But FIRST, they have to make sure that all of their school work is done. I don't mind them playing hard so long as they work hard, too.

I have to admit that they don't have very many games or apps that are simply for pure entertainment. I have an unspoken rule that most of the apps on my tablet are educational in nature. I've downloaded a couple of games before, but I'd really rather keep those separate from that device.

Enter the new Nintendo 2DS Game System. 

It's a good choice for anyone (including children) buying their first portable gaming device. It plays over 2,100 Nintendo DS, 3DS, and eShop games in 2D. The 2DS is lightweight and easy to slip into a purse or backpack. (I would, however, recommend getting a screen protector.) It comes with a built in camera, too.

Personally, I don't like playing 3D games (or watching 3D movies!) and neither do my children, so I really appreciate that you can play 3DS games on this system without those 3D effects.

And guess what? This Labor Day weekend only, you can get the 2DS for only $99 online at Best Buy.com!

If you don't really like your child playing games such as Animal Crossing: New Leaf, New Super Mario Bros. 2 or The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, then you might like to know that he can also use it to learn art techniques with Art Academy.

If you ARE looking for games, then I must tell you that when I was growing up, I desperately wanted the board game, LIFE. I played it at my cousins' house and had a blast then drove my mother crazy asking for my own game.

Well, Tomodachi Life is similar. The game takes you to an island where you can create your own Mii cast of characters using your family and friends, or even your favorite celebrities. Your characters can meet each other, get married, move, go shopping, have kids...you know, live LIFE! You and your kids can be surprised at the crazy things that happen and have fun while playing this game.

THE GIVEAWAY

I'm giving away one Nintendo 2DS Game System and a Tomodachi Life to one MommyMaestra reader!

To enter this giveaway, just use the Rafflecopter below.

Good luck!

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PetraLingua Online Language Courses for Kids {Giveaway}

A few weeks ago I had a fantastic giveaway of a Complete Multimedia Spanish Learning Set from PetraLingua. Three lucky readers won a set.

Well, the generous owner of PetraLingua has offered another giveaway - to another three MommyMaestra readers! This giveaway is for their online courses.

PetraLingua Online Language Courses for Kids:

English, Spanish, French, German, Russian or Chinese

PetraLingua® online multimedia language courses are designed for children between the ages of 3 and 10 years.

The courses include:

• 20 everyday topics
• 11 songs 
• 80 animated videos 
• 140 interactive exercises 
• 500 basic words
• talking picture dictionary
• Activity books and flashcards to download

The Lesson Structure

Language Learning Videos

 

In each lesson new vocabulary is introduced through an introductory video sequence. You can see the list of the lessons here.

Each introductory video is followed by a revision version. After the beep, the children repeat the words and sentences spoken by a native speaker in the video to practice language structures and develop their speaking skills.

Language Learning Songs

A large number of lessons include songs composed to repeat and practice the vocabulary from the lesson. Each song is followed by an instrumental version, so the children can sing alone to the known melody and proudly show what they have learned.

Online Interactive English Exercises

  

Each lesson ends with a set of various interactive exercises, designed to practice the words that have been introduced in the lesson and expand the vocabulary. The exercises are never the same, because every time you refresh the page, you get a different set of words to practice!

Talking Picture Dictionary For Each Lesson

     

Within each lesson kids jave access to the talking picture dictionary.

Downloadable materials

A complete course activity book and flashcard set for each topic covered by the course can be downloaded from the Downloads page.

The activity book gives your children a great opportunity to practice their reading and writing skills. Furthermore, to focus on their listening skills as well, the activity book includes a large number of listening exercises, also available to download.

1 preview lesson is available for free for each language. Registration is required.

• English Course: Breakfast
• Spanish Course: Toys
• French Course: Fruits and Vegetables
• German Course: What’s This?
• Russian Course: Clothing
• Chinese Course: Colors

PetraLingua is offering ALL MommyMaestra readers a 25% discount on any of their language courses. Just use the promo code PL_MM25 when you check out. 

THE GIVEAWAY

THREE MommyMaestra readers will win a 12-month subscription to PetraLingua's Online Language Course for the language of their choice.

Just use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win.

¡Buena suerte!

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Get 20 FREE Books for Your Classroom from SunnyD Book Spree!

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and SunnyD. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

English:

If you've been following this blog for any amount of time at all, then you know I am a huge literacy advocate. It bothers me so much that Latino children consistently rank the lowest when it comes to reading and writing proficiently. As one of the creators of the L4LL Latino Children's Summer Reading Program, raising awareness of Latino children's literature and getting books into the hands of our children is important to me.

So this is why I was delighted to learn about the SunnyD Book Spree and am eager to share it with you. Did you know that by simply collecting the SunnyD labels you can earn books for your classroom? And it doesn't take a lot of work or complicated steps - 20 labels equals 20 books!

It's easy to participate! All you have to do is:

1. Clip and collect eligible SunnyD UPC labels.
   (View eligible products here.)
2. Parents: send UPC labels with your child to a participating teacher.
   (Tell your child's teacher about this opportunity.) 
3. Teachers: collect UPCs, fill out the entry form, and mail both to SunnyD. 
4. Wait for your books! SunnyD sends books to participating classroom.

*There is a limit of 20 books per classroom and only one submission per teacher is allowed.

Since the program began in 2009, SunnyD has donated over $6 million worth of books to schools across the country. Grades K - 7th are eligible to participate. And guess what? HOMESCHOOLERS ARE ELIGIBLE, too! How cool is that?

This year's SunnyD Book Spree ends on November 30th, so talk with your child's teacher today! 

Spanish:

Si ha estado siguiendo este blog por cualquier cantidad de tiempo, entonces sabe que soy una defensora del alfabetismo. Me molesta mucho que los niños latinos tienen los índices de alfabetización más bajas en cuanto a la lectura y escritura. Como uno de los creadores del Programa de Lectura del Verano de Niños Latinos, propagar más literatura infantil latina y la adquisición de libros en las manos de nuestros hijos son importantes para mí.

Por tanto esto es por qué me encantó enterarme del SunnyD Book Spree y deseo compartirla con usted. ¿Sabía que coleccionando simplemente las etiquetas de SunnyD puede ganar libros para su aula? ¡Y no se necesita mucho trabajo o pasos complicados - 20 etiquetas igualan 20 libros!

¡Es fácil participar! Todo lo que tiene que hacer es:

1. Recortar y recolectar etiquetas UPC elegibles de SunnyD. (Aquí puedes ver cuáles son los productos elegibles.)
2. Padres: enviar las etiquetas UPC con sus hijos al maestro o maestra  participante. (Díselo al maestro.)
3. Maestros: recolectarlas etiquetas UPCs, llene el formulario de participación y envíelos ambos a SunnyD por correo postal.
4. ¡Espere a sus libros! SunnyD les envía libros al aula participante.

* Hay un límite de 20 libros por clase y sólo una sumisión por maestra/o es permitido.

Desde que comenzó el programa en 2009, SunnyD ha donado más de $6 millones de libros a las escuelas por todo el país. Los grados K - 7o son elegibles para participar. Y ¿adivinen qué? EDUCADORES EN CASA son elegibles, también!

Este año, el SunnyD Book Spree se finaliza el día 30 de noviembre, así que hable con el maestro de su niño hoy!

Este post es parte de una campaña pagada de SunnyD y Latina Mom Bloggers Sin embargo, todas las opiniones expresadas son solamente mias y este post no ha sido editado por terceros.

Teaching Art to Preschool and Early Elementary Age Children

The following is a guest post by art educator Sharon Jeffus, the founder of Visual Manna. 

Teaching Art to Preschool and Early Elementary Age Children

by Sharon Jeffus

Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

Art is very important for the preschool child. When I think of art for preschool and early elementary, I think of fun and adventure. I also remember that this age has a short attention span, and you don't want to bore them or they will turn you off. So lessons need to be varied with lots of action. Simplicity is the key to success in toddler and preschool art. As children get older, you can expect a longer attention span. It is also very important that preschool children learn to appreciate and verbalize about master art, which can enhance their reading skills. I love to hear parents say how amazed they were when they went to the art museum and their first grader could recognize master art.

Let me introduce this article by telling a story. I remember reading an article about a mom taking credit for her daughter's award winning and amazing success as an art teacher with challenged children. The mother told the story of her proud ownership of a large book about Leonardo da Vinci that held a special place on her living room coffee table. Her three-year-old daughter took an orange crayon and colored on the pages. The mom tells the story that she was devastated and gave the child the book for her toy box. The mom went on to say that surprisingly, it became her daughter's favorite book. She would ask her mother to look at the pictures and read it to her. The mother, very tongue in cheek, claimed that she was responsible for her daughter’s great success because she had given her child her first art book. That being said, showing great master art to little ones is an excellent thing to do. There are several things that art does for your preschooler. Here are the most important things to remember when teaching your preschooler art:

1. Practicing fine muscle control and strengthening eye-hand motor coordination is important in each art lesson. Learning how to control paint, crayons, scissors, and other art tools, helps children gain the skills necessary for later writing activities. 
2. Developing perceptual abilities is very important; help children to notice and verbalize about what they see. While looking at master artwork children can become aware of the elements and principles of art such as line, shape, texture, and color. They also can talk about what is happening in the picture.
3. Making decisions and solving problems is a primary benefit of a good art lesson. Ask them what color should I use? How big should I make the person? Do I want to make a border? 
4. Becoming acquainted with the art of the past in master art, children become involved in learning something of their origins and themselves; it is a beginning history lesson.
5. Experiencing success is a wonderful benefit of each art lesson. Because art leaves the end open to the creator, all children experience a measure of success. Just as in the idea that no three architects come up with the same idea for a certain building, originality and creativity allow children to succeed. There is no one right answer. This is why art activities are appropriate for children with special needs. Regardless of the physical or mental need of the child, there is some art media and activity through which he or she can experience success. Sincere encouragement by the teacher is important. Even if you only remark on how lovely it is the way they used the color green, that is wonderful! I always tell the story of how Edison failed over 1000 times before inventing the lightbulb. Failure in art leads to a new way to succeed. 
6. At a young age, you can teach all of the core subjects in art lessons. 

• Math is taught as children learn basic shapes and lines. Even as you break a candy bar in two pieces, math can be taught. Breaking apart simple sculpture is also math. Telling time and counting money are both math.
• Science is observing God's wonderful creations. Looking at and doing simple animal pictures is science. Colors change when mixed. Textures feel and look different.
• Reading and language can be taught as children verbalize about their work and the master art at which they observe. Writing began as pictures so children learn letters as they do art. I always teach saying let's make a “Y” tree, or we can make a lighthouse that is an “11” that wobbles in. See sample S lesson. 
• Nursery rhymes are considered children's literature. Combining stories and art is always a good idea. In the sample lesson about the swan, you could read a simple story of “The Ugly Duckling” as an introduction to the art lesson. 

Looking at master art with children needs to be a simple observation time with question and answer followed by a simple art project. In the picture of the children on the beach by master artist Mary Cassatt, you can talk about the painting by asking the children what they see, how many children are in the picture, what they are doing, what color is the ribbon on the hat, and how many boats they see. You can also talk about foreground and background.

After reading “The Ugly Duckling,” do the simple lesson below about the swan. You may need to make the S shape or guide their hand as they make it. Most toddlers and younger children begin by only making a straight line. It may be difficult for some little ones, but it will be a fun exercise and they will have some success. After the lesson, look at Audubon's swan below. Here are some questions to stimulate discussion about the picture of the swan:

"406 Trumpeter Swan" by John James Audubon - University of Pittsburgh. 

You can explain that this is a swan. A swan is a bird that can fly. A swan can also swim. How many swans are in the picture? How many flowers do you see? What color are the flowers? Do you see the swan's legs? What color are they? How many can you see? Would you like to be in the water with the swan?

You can get several colors of blue paper and tear the paper into long strips together. The child can paste them on for the water. This is a fine motor skill activity. Getting the child to verbalize during the lessons is always a good idea. You can work on word syntax and pronunciation in a fun and unassuming way.

Another lesson example would be:

Show your children this picture by George Caleb Bingham.

"George Caleb Bingham 001" by George Caleb Bingham - The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. 

George Caleb Bingham was an artist who did pictures about life on the river. How many men do you see in the picture? Do you think the animal is a cat or a fox? Do you see something floating in the water? What do you think it is? What color shirt is the man in the center wearing? Do you think these men are going to try to catch a fish? Do you like the picture? Do you like the hat the man is wearing?

There is a poem and song about rowing a boat. Read the poem below. If you know the tune you can sing it. It is a very well known nursery rhyme.

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

In this lesson we will talk about vertical (a line standing straight and tall) and horizontal (a line that looks like it is sleeping) lines. We can also talk about basic shapes. Just as in our swan picture, lines that come out from the center are radial lines. Radial lines can come out from the sun and they can come out from the center of a wheel. We are going to draw a riverboat. You can use torn blue paper for the water. I suggest using oil pastels or crayons for the drawing.

In my opinion, cardstock paper is the best for younger children. A heavier pound paper will have less chance of tearing. I have saved a picture that my son did at the age of three of a bear. It only vaguely resembles a bear, but that is part of the treasure of the picture. I remember his pride in drawing it all by himself. Children become better artists with encouragement. I don't ever recommend coloring books with younger children because I feel as though it hampers creativity and originality.

I will never forget walking into my doctor's office and seeing an exhibit of brightly colored art. I immediately thought “abstract.” I was delighted to find out it was the art of his three-year-old daughter. Art is very important to the education of the whole child.

I now have my first book of these lessons for younger children in alphabetical order that incorporate the ideas in this article. Each lesson has a master artist that the children can look at, and a simple activity focused around a letter of the alphabet. You can email me at visualmanna@gmail.com for more information!!! 

If you're looking for more art resources, check out these on MommyMaestra:

• Art for Kids Hub - free online drawing videos for kids of all ages
• Aula Creativa 5 - an art workbook in Spanish for upper elementary and middle school
• Home Art Instruction with Heron Books - a curriculum review for tweens and teens
• 20 Multicultural Children’s Books about Female Artists

--------------------------------------

Sharon Jeffus graduated from John Brown University with a B.S.E. in Art Education and is the founder of Visual Manna. She has written over 22 books and has created the Visual Manna Teaching method which incorporates the elements and principles of art, art history and a variety of techniques in media along with each lesson. You can go to visualmanna.com for more information. Her books and materials are carried by Rainbow Resources.
You can email her at visualmanna@gmail.com.

Spanish Classroom Poster Set from Monarca Language {GIVEAWAY}

One of the best things you can do to raise literate children, is to create a print-rich environment for them. By now, you know how much emphasis we place on pre-literacy and literacy skills for our children. So you can imagine our delight when one of our blog sponsors - Monarca Language - agreed to giveaway a set of their Spanish classroom posters to one MommyMaestra reader!

We know a lot of Spanish & bilingual education teachers follow along, but this giveaway is also for parents who are eager to nurture their child's biliteracy skills. Are you teaching your child to speak or read in Spanish? These wonderful posters are a great tool for both Spanish learners and beginning readers. They are a lovely way to decorate your child's bedroom, the refrigerator, your home library or classroom (ahem - homeschoolers!), or any spot in your home.

You can use the posters in conjunction with your Monarca Language subscription, or to supplement any curriculum.

Teachers, wouldn't these posters be a wonderful addition to your classroom decor? The set comes with more than two dozen posters - 29 to be exact - covering a range of topics, including the seasons, numbers, shapes, and classroom rules & activities.

I love how they are colorful and adorable, perfect for attracting your child's attention. Parents, in addition to hanging them up around the house, be sure to take the time to point them out and talk about what they represent.

The winner will receive a downloadable file from Monarca Language so that you can print up however many you need. You might prefer to print just a few at a time and switch them out over the course of the year. This helps to keep your child engaged and learning.

To enter the giveaway, just use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!



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8 Questions to Ask Your Child After School

I have three boys who love my attention! It is difficult to always make one-on-one time with each one, but I really try. Now that school is about to start, I know I will genuinely want to know about my soon to be second grader's day (even back when he was in preschool)! I might not always be able to take him out alone but I make sure to have a lengthy conversation at some point after he gets home from school.

We have learned that Diego likes to unwind right when he gets home from his busy day. He usually spends 30 minutes watching a show, or spends time at soccer practice. Like most moms, I am usually very eager to learn about what happened at school, but I remind myself to give him a little time to just relax. I have also learned not to ask him any open-ended questions that will make him reply with a simple "yes" or "no." When I was teaching in the classroom, I guided parents on how to ask questions after school and would say: You know your child best so strike up a conversation when everyone is relaxed. Another tip: Make sure your questions are very specific!

Here are eight excellent questions to ask your child after school:

1. What was the best thing you did at school today?

2. What was the hardest thing you had to do at school today?

3. Can you name three friends who sat the closest to you on the bus today? During lunch?

4. Did your teacher share any funny stories?

5. Was there anything you needed at school that you didn't have today?

6. What was the best game you played at recess today?

7. What did your friends eat at lunch? What did you have for a snack?

8. What did you read at school today?

These eight simple questions can reveal a whole lot of information for you. As parents, we need to know if a subject is too hard, in order to find ways to help our student as soon as possible. It's also important to see if our children are experiencing positive relationships with teachers and peers. Even the amount of food and water consumed play a huge factor on academic success! Remember that you don't have to ask any questions the minute you see your child...let the day just sink in with your child for a bit.

Good luck! Enjoy the upcoming school year!

top image: CR Photography

Betty Galvan, is writing "for smart and stylish moms" over

at MyFriendBettySays.com

Classroom Labeling with Kid World Citizen {GIVEAWAY}

This post contains affiliate links.

Are you familiar with the blog, Kid World Citizen? If not, you should be! My friend Becky Morales is the beautiful mami behind it. Her site is centered around activities that help young minds go global. From geography to literature to world cultures, you'll find tons of tips and creative ideas for raising a world citizen.

Recently, she teamed up with fellow blogger and author Homa Sabet Tavangar to publish The Global Education Toolkit for Elementary Learners (aff) a remarkable resource for teaching your child about the world. Inside you'll find hundreds of activities including a 12-month timeline, backmapping tips, 50+ ready-to-start projects, and online links.

In addition to her site, Becky celebrates cultural diversity through engaging printables for parents and educators that are available from her TpT store.

THE GIVEAWAY

Becky has awesomely offered copies of her Bilingual Classroom Labels for two lucky MommyMaestra readers!

This set features world flags as the background for each label and comes with over 275 printable classroom labels, covering: 

- Subjects
- Table numbers
- Classroom objects
- 11x17 Class rules poster (inspired by Whole Brain Teaching)
- Birthday certificates
- Activity center titles
- Calendar terms
- Weather chart
- Seasons
- Math terms
- Number cards
- Science terms
- Blank name plates
- ELA terms
- Art terms
- Lots of blank labels of different sizes!

Classroom labeling is an important part of a language-rich learning environment. Print them on cardstock and laminate them for durability.

To enter the giveaway, simply use the Rafflecopter below.

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A Simple Plan Homeschool Planner Giveaway

To be a successful homeschooling family the number one thing you must be is organized. It's my job to keep our lessons on track so that we don't fall behind and so that I know what in the world we're supposed to be focused on each day.

Last April, as part of my Mami Time Saver series, I shared with you my favorite lesson planner. I was surprised when so many messaged me saying how much they love the planner.

That is why I'm so pleased to be able to giveaway one of the 2014-2015 A Simple Plan Homeschool Planners! Mardel has generously offered one planner to a lucky MommyMaestra reader.

You can read my review to learn more about the planner, but it does feature:

• Sample pages
• Weekly schedule forms for each student
• Curriculum and semester goal pages
• Yearly overview pages
• To-do lists
• Special activities section
• Reading lists
• Attendance keeper
• Space for notes, prayer requests, and supply lists
• Heavy-duty interior pockets on both the front and back covers
• Curriculum tracker
• Grading chart
• Extracurricular activities tracker
• Encouraging Scriptures at the beginning of each new month

I used my planner to organize and plan out my curriculum and schedule my lessons for this year. So far things are going very smoothly, and I expect to stay on track.

If you are looking for a wonderful tool to help you stay organized and on schedule, then this giveaway is for you! To enter, just use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

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A Dinosaur Train Giveaway!

This coming Monday is an active one on PBS KIDS. In addition to Baby Margaret's debut on Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, PBS KIDS will premiere “Classic in the Jurassic,” an all-new, one-hour special from The Jim Henson Company’s hit series DINOSAUR TRAIN.

Do your kids love dinosaurs? Mine do. There is a drawer full of the plasic extinct animals in my son's room. Ever since he first saw the series, my son has talked about becoming a paleontologist. I've nurtured his interest in science with books and toys, crafts and activities. As with most 8 year olds, his career goals change almost every day, but dinosaurs remain one of his favorites.

In Monday's special, our kids travel through time with the Pteranodon family to an Olympic-type competition in which dinosaur teams representing three Mesozoic time periods compete in contests. Following the special, new episodes of Dinosaur Train will air on PBS KIDS throughout the week! Your kids will learn about carnivores and herbivores, deserts and more.

Clips and full segments from “Classic in the Jurassic” will be available on pbskids.org, the PBS KIDS Video App, and on Roku and Apple TV starting on August 18. And on August 26, “Classic in the Jurassic” will be available on DVD through PBS Distribution.

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky MommyMaestra reader will receive a Dinosaur Train Prize Pack that includes the Classic in the Jurassic DVD and other fun goodies!

To enter to win, simply use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

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Tips from Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood on Preparing your Preschooler for a New Sibling

One of the biggest changes in a child's life involves the birth of a sibling. For many families, a second baby is often born when the first child is under five years old. This was our situation. My daughter turned 2 a month before my son was born. I worried so much about how she would adjust and whether she would feel left out or less special. While things did change, my love for her never did.

Is your family expecting another child soon? Do you already have a preschooler or kindergartner? How are you preparing your firstborn? Do you worry about how a new baby will affect him or her? Are you wondering how to tell your oldest child or how to help him or her adjust to a new sibling?

Well, help is on the way with PBS KIDS! This Monday, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is welcoming a new character: Baby Margaret. The one-hour special will give children some of the tools they need to cope with the arrival of a new baby brother or sister. It explores the feelings a preschooler might feel when they find out a new baby is on the way.

Angela C. Santomero, the creator of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, also offers this advice to help parents share the news with their children.

• Don’t Spill the Beans too Soon – While it’s always helpful to prepare your preschooler about what to expect and talk with them about new experiences, young children don’t understand time the way adults do. Since it can be difficult for them to wait for events happening many months in the future, try to wait as long as possible to tell your child about the new baby.
• Discuss What to Expect When You’re Expecting – Talk with your child about what to expect from newborns – they sleep a lot, cry, and can’t play games or talk (at least not the same way as your preschooler can)! If you know a family or friend with a new baby, make a brief visit so your child can see firsthand what an infant can and can’t yet do.
• Crown Your New “Big Helper” – Involve your child in caring for their new sibling right from the start. Encourage them to pick out items for the baby’s room, get the diapers when it’s changing time, and sing or talk to the baby. Giving them specific ways to lend a hand helps preschoolers feel needed and more grownup.
• Make “Mommy/Daddy & Me Time” – When the baby arrives, set aside “just you and me” times with your older child. Whether it’s a trip to the library or simply reading a story together before bed, it’s important to make sure your older child doesn’t feel left out.
• Let Them Know How Proud You Are – Help your child to feel proud about being the older brother or sister by showing your appreciation for all the things they can do that the new baby can’t yet accomplish such as using their words. Reinforce your older child’s role in the family as the big brother or sister to the new baby.

In addition to the episode and addition of a new character to the show, they've also released a new app!

Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings is geared towards kids ages 2-5 and is available on iPad. The app is designed to empower kids to identify and express their wide and complex range of emotions. The four socio-emotional activities in the app offer kids a variety of interactive ways to accomplish this.

Inside the app you'll find:

• Trolley Game – Drive the trolley to discover more than a dozen mini-games about feelings.
• Sing-Along – Choose from 18 of your favorite Daniel Tiger songs, each one fully animated.
• Drawing Easel – Use paints, crayons, stickers, and more to express yourself.
• Feelings Photo Booth – Take pictures of yourself that show lots of different feelings. Daniel will help you pose!

Lakeshore's Launch & Match Counting Game {GIVEAWAY}

Time for another great giveaway! This one is for those of you with elementary students. Our friends at Lakeshore have made counting more fun than ever with their lively Launch & Match Counting Game. It is perfect for children in preschool through 2nd grade. If you're looking for a game that strengthens number recognition and counting skills, this would be a wonderful addition to your collection.

To play, kids launch wooden tiles from the dispenser and place them on the blank spaces on their game mats…matching numbers to quantities as they go! The game includes a tile dispenser, 8 double-sided game mats and 40 wooden game tiles. Up to 4 kids can play.

THE GIVEAWAY

One lucky MommyMaestra reader will win a Launch & Match Counting Game!

To enter the giveaway, simply use the rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!
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New Spanish Website for Children Teaches Traffic Safety

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

There is so much to think about when it comes to your kids going back to school, but perhaps one of the most important lessons we as parents must teach our children has to do with safety. We all want our children to remain safe not just at school, but on their way to school as well. Car crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for children ages 2 to 6 years old. Our kids can get hurt in other situations, too, such as riding their bikes or walking to school and even as a bus passenger. 

I think you'll agree with me, though, that teaching a 4 year old about passenger safety, probably isn't the easiest thing to do. But teaching them practical tips can save their lives. Lucky for us, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recognized that young children need training in this area and have created a most fabulous bilingual campaign to help us teach our kids traffic safety. The best part is that it is in English... and Spanish!

"¡Piensa seguro, viaja seguro, mantente seguro!” ("Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!") provides parents with some of the tools they need to help their child walk and ride more safely.

The NHTSA has teamed up with Ludorum, the producers of the Chuggington™ television series, to create an interactive site for children in preschool through 1st grade. This amazing tool makes learning traffic safety fun for children through games, printables, and videos - all of them hosted by the popular characters from Chuggington™: the "trainees" Wilson, Koko and Brewster. (The link here is for the Spanish website, but there is also an English version.)

When your child gets on the site, he or she starts by taking the safety pledge. Afterward, she can explore the site and play the safety game where she advances her train across the game board by correctly answering traffic safety questions. 

The site includes a section where you can download and print posters with safety tips for bikes, walking, bus and car rides. (There are tips for parents, too.) And you can also find a page with printable coloring pages and mazes for your child to enjoy. And lastly, there are fun videos to watch that feature the Chuggington™ characters. 

Don't forget to check out the Parent's section for additional resources!

You can also follow the NHTSA on Facebook and Twitter for additional back-to-school traffic safety tips.

Free Download: Describing with Colors Spanish Mini Lesson... Plus Audio

Have you been following along with our Spanish-learning freebies from our sponsor Spanish for You!? If your child is learning how to speak Spanish, then you know how invaluable their materials are! To celebrate my Back-to-School Fiesta, we have another great free download from them for all of you.

The Describing with Colors Mini Lesson includes five pages of activities plus an audio file to help your student learn the right pronunciation for the vocabulary in this lesson.

Click here to download this file

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some great downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy.

And to supplement this activity, here are some great bilingual and Spanish-language books centered around colors: (These are affiliate links.)

• Spicy Hot Colors: Colores Picantes by Sherry Shahan
• Colores Everywhere!: Colors in English and Spanish by San Antonio Museum of Art
• My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo by Maya Christina Gonzalez
• Colors! ¡Colores! by Jorge Luján

The Philips Airfryer & a Croquetas de Pollo Recipe

Since we're on the topic of planning healthy back-to-school lunches for your kids, I thought now would be a great time to share with you my current favorite kitchen gadget. If you follow my Instagram account, you know that a few weeks ago I got a Philips Airfryer. I've been wanting one ever since I happened to see a tweet from Best Buy. I was interested because I read that it fried food with at most two tablespoons of oil. It's the healthy way to fry!

Now you should probably know that against my will, we eat a lot of fried food in this house. Soft tacos, salmon patties, fried okra, chimichangas, fried potatoes...they all make their way to our table on a regular basis. So when I heard there was a new fryer on the market that fries food without you having to immerse it in hot oil, I was almost sold on the idea.

Then I actually got my hands on it.

My daughter and I have been experimenting with it and we are thrilled with the outcome. For the first time ever, I decided to try and make chicken croquetas using a very old family recipe from Spain. My Tía Visi gave it to me when I lived there for a short time after I graduated from college. The idea suddenly popped into my head after I was inspired by looking through the included cookbook and saw recipes for various croquettes. So I asked my daughter if she wanted to learn a family recipe and try out the new airfryer at the same time.  Always a willing assistant in the kitchen, she grabbed her apron and chef's hat and happily helped me with my little experiment to take that old recipe and merge it with a modern appliance.

We were all thrilled with the results!

I'm going to share my recipe below, but don't be passing it all around or I'll get in trouble for sharing it! But first, I want to tell you about the airfryer.

The Philips Airfryer

The most important thing that you know is that you don't add ANY oil to the fryer AT ALL. It uses something called Rapid Air Technology to move the air around your food quickly and precisely for faster cooking and perfect results. The starfish design on the bottom of the drawer circulates the air in some secret, magical way that makes it cook just right. In fact, it cooks so well, the little timer on the front of the model that I bought only goes up to 30 minutes because that's all you'll need to cook anything in this thing. An adjustable temperature control up to 390 degrees lets you fry, bake, roast and grill all sorts of foods.

The only oil I used was two tablespoons of EVOO that I mixed in with the breadcrumbs in which I rolled the chicken. And after only eight minutes in the airfryer, they were almost perfect!

Now, I don't claim to be a food blogger or even a good cook (as is evidenced by the picture above), but these croquetas de pollo were SO GOOD. The only mistake I made was in not tearing the chicken into small enough pieces. (Hey, it was my first time to make these.) We're making more this weekend and have already shredded our leftover chicken from some tacos we ate this evening into what I hope is the perfect-sized pieces.

Do you know what else it cooks? (Ahem. Practically everything.) It makes the BEST cheese sandwiches any of us have ever eaten! We just brush a little melted butter on the bread, then fill it with shredded cheddar, preheat the airfryer, and stick in the sandwich. Five minutes later - BING! It's done! And 5 minutes after that - Whoops! It's gone.

And do you know what the best part is? Clean up is a breeze because you can stick the food basket and the drawer directly into your dishwasher! Boom!

It also comes with a cookbook with recipes for different types of low-fat fried dishes things like potato croquettes, crispy fried spring rolls, bacon wrapped shrimp, cod nuggets, chicken tenders, french fries, and more. The recipes showcase the versatility of the appliance so that you can grill, bake and even roast food healthier, faster and more conveniently.

You can find a ton of videos on YouTube about cooking with the Philips Airfryer, but this one is my favorite. I'm dying to try and cook a steak in it!

Tía Visi's croquetas de pollo

And now! Just in case you'd like to try your hand at making my Tía Visi's croquetas de pollo from my family in Spain, here's a little recipe I modified to be used in our airfryer. They are so good, you will never look at croquetas the same again? Click on the picture below to download/print the file.

Abrazo!

Disclosure: I received product for the purposes of this review. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own. 

The Best Homemade Kids' Lunches on the Planet {GIVEAWAY}

Last year during my Back-to-School Fiesta, you may remember me giving away a subscription to MOMables, the first meal-planning service for healthy and fresh school lunches. Well, this year, I'm excited to share that Laura Fuentes, the creator of MOMables, has recently released her new book, The Best Homemade Kids' Lunches on the Planet.

If you are a parent, you need this book. (To be honest, you need it if you are just a human being who likes to eat.)

This amazing little book is full, full, FULL of more than 200 complete lunchbox recipes that aren't just healthy, but yummy, tambien!

Even as a homeschooling mom, I really struggle with what to make my kids for lunch. For the last year, our lunchtime staples include eggs, PB&J, pasta, and sometimes ramen noodles. Wuh. We needed a kick in the pants to get out of that rut and start putting together some healthy meals that boost our energy and ability to focus on afternoon lessons/projects.

When I got this book, my daughter and I started pouring through it to find new ideas for fun meals and snacks. Before I knew it, she was adding to my grocery list! So I figured, why not just have her help create the meals? My little chef loves working with food and creating delicious dishes. As with most kids, because she is involved in creating the meal, she's willing to be a little more adventurous and try new things. Win-Win for me! So I put her to work...

I see a lot of moms buying fancy lunch boxes with compartments in them, but the reality is, I'm not going to spend a bunch of money on one when I can just pick up some disposable storage containers that work just as well, are washable, and ultimately recyclable. I feel better knowing that if it gets chipped, bent up, or a hole, I can just chuck it into the recycling can without thinking about how much money it cost!

Does your child have a food allergy? No problem! You can use this little book to make entire meals that are gluten-, soy-, and/or nut-free.

The recipes themselves are kid-friendly and use wholesome products. On our list of favorites or "to try" are:

• Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oatmeal
• Avocado Bacon Melt (Sandwich - delicioso!)
• Blueberry Heaven
• Black Bean Quesadillas
• Strawberry Grilled Cheese
• Chicken Salad Sliders
• Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap
• Chocolate Flautas
• Baked Raviolis
• Mini Quiches
• Homemade Ramen (I really can't wait to try this. The store-bought stuff has SO much SODIUM! Booo!)

My list goes on and on, really, but these are just a few of the yummies we like or can't wait to give a go.

In addition to recipes, the book contains great tips from Laura for making meal prep go faster, as well as organization tips for stocking your pantry/freezer, and which kitchen tools make your life easier.

THE GIVEAWAY

Laura has graciously offered a copy of her new book to two MommyMaestra readers!

To enter the giveaway, just use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway