Knot So Fast: Knot Tying Dexterity Game

Knot So Fast is a game for the individual to figure out and practice different knots. In the box, you are given a rope, a ring and booklet of 40 different knot challenges ranging in difficulty. Since there are no step-by-step instructions on how to make the knot, that is most of the challenge... to figure out how the knot is made. Some of the knots really need a lot of concentration to figure out how to maneuver the rope to make the actual knot.
I wish there was more information about how each knot is used in real life though. However, there are interesting facts or tips about the knot on the cards.

Knot So Fast is included in the 10th Grade Curriculum Kit from Timberdoodle but it is nice for almost any age. I love to practice the knots to see how quickly I can get them completed and my 8-year-old likes to take Knot So Fast in the car. It is a great game for the individual that is on-the-go or as a quiet time activity.

This knot below took a little bit of thinking and laying out of the rope to figure out. Note: the rope has a foam core and sometimes twists up or gets tangled on itself making maneuvering the rope a little difficult.

 Mr A says that this is his favorite knot: Bowline on a Bight.

We love this individual game and you never know when you'll need to use a knot for something.

Colorku: A different kind of Sudoku

If you are one that loves puzzles, Colorku is one to try. It's exactly like Sudoku, but uses colors instead of numbers. This particular version that we received from Timberdoodle is made of wood. It's large and sturdy. I love it.
Included in the box are cards ranging in difficulty to set-up your initial gameboard. So, you set up your board with the colored balls according to the card. Then, you play as normal; get one ball of each in every row, column and 9-square.

My 8-year-old loves this game. I love this game, probably more than him. Puzzles are such a great way to exercise your brain and my brain certainly needs help. Colorku was a bit of a challenge at first since I was used to playing with numbers like in Sudoku. My brain had trouble locating the colors in the columns and rows and I messed up quite a bit. (If you notice in the photo above, I have two light green balls in the same 9-square. I had to restart this board.) There is a sheet of answers for all of the puzzles to check your board too, just in case you need a little help. After a few puzzles, my brain did adjust and located the colors missing more quickly.
Sometimes my 8-year-old and I will play together to solve a puzzle, but its usually played individually when we need to take a break or need some quiet/ alone time. I'd love for this game to just hang out on the coffee table so that it gets more use, but with wooden balls about the size of a large marble, the game lives in the closet most of the time. But, seriously... this game is fun and I am glad that it lives with us now.

This Colorku game is included in the 2018 4th Grade Curriculum Kit Elite from Timberdoodle.
We do recommend it to anyone that enjoys logic games. It would make a great present too.

Solitaire Chess... A New Favorite Game

Timberdoodle has amazing products and games. We love so many of their things and are super excited that we get to review some of them. Timberdoodle provides curriculum and games for all ages and when we received a box of goodies my 8-year old went crazy. He was happy about everything, especially this Brain Fitness Solitaire Chess game.
Mr A has been wanting to learn how to play chess for years. I am no good at it and don't really understand the game. I've never taken the time to learn so I could teach it to someone else. So, when Mr A saw this tiny version of chess he immediately opened it to figure out how to play.
Solitaire Chess is a single player game with 80 challenges to strengthen mental speed and focus. You are given 10 pieces with a challenge booklet and solutions pages. Challenges range from Beginner to Expert. Mr A has begun with the Beginner levels to get used to how the pieces move around on the board. He is doing a great job at these early levels. The Movement Rules page shows how each piece can move and has helped him become familiar with what each one does.

Basically, with this game, you are playing against yourself. You are trying to eliminate one piece with every move. I love watching and listening to Mr A play this game. He talks himself through the plays and resets when he doesn't get it right. It's a process of elimination with one last piece standing. Some challenges take one try and others take over 10 until he gets it right.

I love things that can be taken on-the-go. This is probably one of our new games to take in the car or to the restaurant. Small, individual games are great for road trips or just quiet time.

Mr A is happy to finally be learning a little bit more about chess. This Solitaire Chess game is great for strategic skill building and becoming familiar with the game before moving to a real board. It would also be good for individuals who just love chess and want to play more frequently.
We are happy to have this game in our cupboard now. Mr A loves the progressive play and working his mind through the challenge until he gets it right.
Solitaire Chess is included in the 2018 6th Grade Curriculum Kit from Timberdoodle, but would also be great for any chess lover or a simple gift idea.
Have fun with this single player game... because we are.

Kwik Stix ... The Best Paint Ever

Timberdoodle sent us a set of Kwik Stix, a pack of 12 solid tempura paints. I have to say that these are the best paints in the world. My kids like painting, but I hate the mess. These are a fantastic alternative to wet paints with a brush. It's paint in a solid state that looks like a glue-stick and feels like a smooth crayon while drawing. It only takes about a minute to dry too.

Little Miss loved them and of course, only wanted to use pink.

Mr Z wanted to join in the painting fun too. He immediately started saying things like, "This is paint!? ... How do they get the paint in there?... It looks like a glue-stick... Wow, this is paint!?"

Mr Z was busy filling his entire paper with Kwik Stix paint.

The two of them also painted together on the same sheet and I was surprised that the paint didn't smudge or transfer.

I had to try them too and made a simple picture. I was amazed at how quickly the paint dried. No paint smears or any left on my finger about a minute after I had finished.

Kwik Stix can be found in the 2018 Preschool Curriculum Kit from Timberdoodle as well.
These Kwik Stix will be a go-to favorite for gifts and I can definitely see them being completely used up very quickly. I love that I was completely stress-free from start to finish during their painting time.
These Kwik Stix are my favorite craft/art item now. I love them... and my kids do too. I totally recommend these to anyone that wants stress-free and limited mess for any project.

The Greatest Dot to Dot Books review... The Super Challenge pack

We were so excited to recieve more of The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Books to review recently. We were given the Super Challenge pack which includes Books 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the whole series.
My 8 year old, Mr A was a bit protective of the books and didn't want to share them with us. But, he had too even though he tried hoarding all of them. I love these books too and grabbed Book 8.
There are 17 different puzzle types (here). I couldn't believe how many different ways there were to do dot-to-dots. I always thought it was just a dot and a number, but nope! It was awesome to have a variety of puzzles to challenge the brain.
Here are some of the different puzzles that I worked on while I was having a stressful week recently.
I worked on one puzzle called Crazy Dots from Book 8. There are no numbers, just different graphics. The key to connecting lines had 2 pictures; one to start your line and the other to connect too.

When I had gotten to this point in my lines, below, my 5 year old blurted out, "Mom, Its a train!" I wasn't really paying attention to what the picture was turning out to be and was excited that he could tell what it was.

My 5 year old wanted in on the Dot-to-Dot action and grabbed Book 5 and found a page he wanted to attempt to complete. Since Mr Z is young and doesn't really know how to count above 20, I helped him find the numbers in sequential order. His lines were squiggly and all over the place, but he loves trying to do them. Mr Z recently figured out he likes the puzzles called Crazy Dots also instead of the numbered dots puzzles.

Some of the other puzzles that I really liked to do were the ones called:

Field of Dots

 You have a key with coordinates to connect and a grid.

Compass

I had the most trouble with the Compass dot-to-dots. I kept skipping compass directions around the mouth area and the tip of the ponytail of the girl. I erased quite a bit and had to back track to find my spot. I highly suggest crossing off the compass direction after completing it.

Numbers: I liked the Numbers puzzles because there are no dots to connect. You just aim for the middle of the next number. Lines were able to flow together better and curve more easily.

Mr A likes to have alone time or quiet time with these books. He does them before bed, in the play tent or in the playhouse fort in the yard.

"I just love these books so much. I want all of these books." Mr A says.

The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Books are awesome for anyone really: the mom who needs to relieve stress (like me), the puzzler, the schooler who needs a little something extra to stay focused or as a reward, the senior who needs a bit more mental exercise or hand & eye coordination.

They are great for so many different things too: activities in the car while on trips (if you don't get car sick), while waiting in the waiting room for appointments, gifts for birthdays or stocking stuffers or quiet time activities.

I always liked dot-to-dot puzzles, but they are redundant after awhile. The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Books offers brain stimulation and activity that make me want to do more. They aren't boring and are a great exercisefor the brain. We will recommend these to anyone. The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Books are such a great way to unwind or relax and have a simple, yet challenging activity.

Use this discount code DTD30AAL at the Dot Store for 30% off Dot to Dot books of your own. Valid for US addresses only. Code does expire.

Head on over the Dot Store for some of your own books. You or your children will love them... because we do. There are so many to choose from also! Some have over 3,000 dots to connect!

Mr A wants everyone to know, "There are so many ways to do the dot-to-dots. There's lots of numbers and some with pictures that you have to connect. Some are so super crazy. They're just so super crazy."