I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Influence Central for Dunkin’ Brands. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation, but after using the Dunkin Donuts app and signing up the program I really like the program and the app. It really provides the convenience we need as a busy family.   Now the DD Perks program is celebrating one year anniversary and have good giveaways. If you are a member already, make sure to use… Read more

Teaching kids creative writing is a complex process. It involves many elements, such as idea generation, plot structure, vocabulary, character development, review and revision, … and many more. We are trying to put some learning tools we discovered over time that are helpful in our writing learning journey. Hope this is helpful to you as well. I’d also like to hear from you what tools do you use while teaching kids writing. This is part of our Best Learning Tools for… Read more

Is your child learning a music instrument or singing? Do you know how to play the instrument yourself? I have a child studying piano, but I had no knowledge of music. It is very hard for him to practice listening exercises at home as there is no one can tell him if his answers are correct or not. Practice like this is still helpful, but it is just not as effective as if you can get immediate feedback. A while… Read more

Critical thinking and problem solving skills are very important for a child’s academic and future career, or even life success. How do you teach a child critical thinking skills? How do kids get better at it? There are many elements in critical thinking, assesse, analyze, compare, question, create, … I find the best way to help kids improve the critical thinking skills is to present age appropriate challenging problems and encourage them to solve the problems in their own ways. Today… Read more

Do you like donuts? I try to eat healthy and not eat as many donuts. Recently we had a new Dunkin Donuts open within walking distance, and I am pleasantly surprised that they are offering many healthier food and beverage choices. Last week, I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Dunkin’ Brands. I found out they have an app and a loyalty DDPerks Reward Program. For this post, I received a promotional item to thank me… Read more

Things for iPad and Things (for iPhone iPod) are great productivity apps that help you manage the tasks, or things you have to do. They are chosen as apps of the week on App Store, and are free now, from the respective price of $20 and $10. I just downloaded the apps on both my iPhone and iPad and really like what I see so far. If you are looking for a task management app, don’t miss this opportunity. What… Read more

It is always good to start a 2nd language early, as kids are in the natural stage of grasping a new language. iGameMom has reviewed some good learning tools for kids to learn a new language other than English. As part of our best learning tools for kids on iPad series, today we have Best Learning Tools for Kids to Learn a Languages Other Than English. This is part of our Best Learning Tools for Kids on iPad series. For… Read more

I like storytelling activities and storytelling learning tools. Storytelling helps kids develop oral language skills, boost thinking skills, creativity, and imagination. While learning to put a story together, kids in fact gain skills in better listening and reading. Also storytelling helps kids express their emotions and feelings that many times are hard to do. Today we share top storytelling learning tools for kids on iPad, many are also available on other devices. This is part of our Best Learning Tools… Read more

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf for Virgin Mobile. I received a sample device to facilitate my review and a thank you item for participating. Do your kids have cell phones? No matter when do you feel comfortable to give a cell phone to your child, the first several months when they carry the phone with them will always be a critical time for them to learn how to take care of the device, and how to use… Read more

With the weather getting colder, we start looking for more ideas to stay active inside. I was excited to see the app Go Dance is free today and gave it a little try. I like it! It is a great way to get kids moving in the house when it is too cold to play outside. The app is not perfect, but as long as you are not using it competitively, ie. not trying to get the highest score, it… Read more

Are you on Facebook? How about Twitter? How many email accounts do you have? Personally I don’t use as much social network, at least I believed so. But when I started pulling all my accounts together, I realized that I am in fact have quite a few accounts on several different platforms. It is hard to keep up with all the messages! That is why I am thrilled to find out about MessageHub. It is a free app that pulls… Read more

Plants is an interactive diorama about plants in different biomes. Via open ended play, kids learn the eco systems and how plants grow and live in the real world. It is designed by Tinybop, whose first app Human Body was a great success. I love the guided exploratory approach of teaching. There is no lessons to go through and there is no talking in the app. Opening the app is like walking into this amazing world of nature, and it is… Read more

I always wanted to check out Duolingo. I have read about their free language learning programs and apps, but I have not got a chance to actually use it till recently. After I used it for a while, I really like it, not just because it is free, but also how good it is at helping you learn. If you are considering picking up a new language, I highly recommend Duolingo. At least you should give it a try. Currently… Read more

I have not paid much attention to news apps except News-O-Matic. Because I felt many news include contents that are not child safe. Recently I heard from a homeschool mom that they use Yahoo News for kids in their homeschool. I was quite surprised and checked it out. I am really surprised by the quality of the news it provides. Things I like the most about Yahoo News Digest: First it is not overwhelming. It curate news in just a… Read more