Brainy Easter Basket Fillers from our Think Shop

 

Think creativity, imagination, enriching education and family fun this spring while shopping for Easter baskets. Below is a list of great brainy games and activities from ThinkingIQ broken into age categories.  Enter the code EASTER15 at checkout for 15% off your total order and free shipping on all order over $25.  Code expires Sunday, March 25, 2012.

Happy Easter from ThinkingIQ!
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Ages 4+

Buck Buck Moose

Brain Food

Duck Duck Bruce

Create Your Own Books

Ages 6+

Chomp

Rat a Tat Cat

Chomp

Slamwich

Create Own Book

Brain Food

Banana Split

Find It Games

Sleeping Queens

Workbooks

Ages 7 or 8+

Crazy Cheese Puzzle

Go Nuts

Flip Six

Kabam

Kanoodle

Rhyme Out!

Tell Tale

Think-ets

Trigger

Tri Words

Yamslam

You’ve Gotta Be Kidding Book

Rory’s Story Cubes

Frog Juice

Zeus on the Loose

Sleeping Queens

Sumoku

Create Your Own Book

Create your Own Game

Find It Games

Ages 10+

Gubs

TriTective

Visual Brainstorms

Star Ball

Y Ball

X Ball

Sci or Fi Files

In a Pickle

Loot

Workbooks

Create Your Own Comic Book

Create Your Own Book

Create Your Own Game

You’ve Gotta Be Kidding Book

Trigger

Tell Tale

Rory’s Story Cubes

Crazy Cheese Puzzle

Find It Games

Brain Food    

Upside Down Snowman

Yes, it’s finally springtime!  In Colorado springtime means lots of beautiful days with a few spring snow days still to come.  If you are headed to the mountains for spring skiing or we get a spring snow blizzard, try building an Upside Down Snowman with your kids. 

To spark creativity sometimes you just need to look at something from a different perspective.  My kids have built dozens of snowmen over the last several winters and each one was different, creative and fun but all had the basic style of a traditional storybook snowman.  Earlier this season, I saw a picture of an upside down snowman on Pinterest and showed it to the kids.  They immediately decided we should build one this winter. 

Last weekend in the mountains the kids decided to build an upside down snowman.  It was fun to watch how they processed building something that is so standard in shape and structure in a different or reverse way.  Building a snowman encourages teamwork and creativity and flipping it upside down also challenges their visualization skills.

It doesn’t matter where your inspiration comes from whether it’s books, music, pictures or just being inquisitive.  In this case, a simple picture captured the energy and excitement of my children and their desire to do something different.  Building an upside down snowman challenges their normal thinking, teaches kids to ask questions and consider a wider realm of possibilities. 

Enjoy the rest of winter creating fun memories in the snow!  Check out my Pinterest boards for other fun and creative ideas. 

Think Stones

Positive messages have the ability to inspire, brighten you day and enact change. Similar Inspirational stones have been all over Pinterest lately and I wanted to create some with my family.  Think Stones combine inspirational words or phrases with the therapeutic benefits of river rocks.

I made a list of all the positive sayings and inspirational words that make me smile, purchased some black river rocks, a silver sharpie and created my own Think Stones.  

When my children saw them, they could not stop touching, reading and playing with them. That evening at dinner we brainstormed more words and sayings they would like on the rocks.  Attached is a list to share. 

My children had a blast making their own stones some with sayings special to them and others just with drawings.  The brainstorming and creative process allowed them to explore and show their passions, silliness and uniqueness.  Providing such outlets is important for mental release while at the same time teaching the importance of having a positive outlook on like.  Perfect Combination!

Kids Making Think Stones

Ideas for Use:

• Place your Think Stones in a bowl or on a tray on the coffee table.
• Place a Think Stone at each family member’s place setting for breakfast or dinner.
• Place them around the yard, garden or in planters.
• Place them around the house for family members to find randomly.
• Take them to work and share in a meeting room or in a bowl on your desk. 
• Place a few in a pretty bag and give as a gift.
• Place a few in your child’s lunchbox or backpack.  They make great worry stones.

Supplies:

River rocks can be purchased at Target or Michael’s arts and crafts in the floral and vase area. 

We hope you are inspired to make Think Stones for your family or classroom. 

Check out my Pinterest Boards for links to other Inspirational Stone ideas.

Be Creative, Be Inspired and most importantly….Have Fun!

Think Green St. Patrick's Day Celebration

     My childhood memories of St. Patrick’s Day are mostly wearing green to make sure I did not get pinched.  With my kids, each year I try to expand on our St. Patrick’s Day celebration.  The kids have always worn green shirts, had treats such as Shamrock cookies, made a craft and read a few St. Patrick’s Day stories. 

     The last couple of years they have designed, created and set up traps to try to catch Leprechauns.  Even though they haven’t caught one, the leprechauns have played tricks on them such as switching their beds while they slept, placing green kisses on their foreheads, turning over chairs and making other messes around the house.  Although their traps have yet to be successful, each time they discuss how to make their trap better the next year. 

     In our home, we strive to create contagious enthusiasm and long-lasting memories.  Our children’s excitement for St. Patrick’s Day is the positive feedback that shows us these types of activities create a fun, inspiring environment and leaves lasting impressions.

     This year I am inspired to make St. Patrick’s Day even more festive with all the ideas I have found on Pinterest.

Our Family Celebration will include activities such as:

• Conversation Starter Questions
• St. Patrick's Day Think Book
• St. Patrick’s Day Jokes
• Would You Rather Questions
• Scavenger Hunt
• St. Patrick’s Day Bingo
• Leprechaun Games
• Draw or paint a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
• Design a leprechaun trap
• Shamrock Crafts
• Read St. Patrick’s Day Stories

Check out my Pinterest St. Patrick’s Day board  for links to amazing ideas from other bloggers including:

• Would You Rather St. Patrick’s Day Questions
• Scavenger Hunt Ideas
• Menu and Party Ideas
• Leprechaun Trap Ideas
• March Brain Benders
• St. Patrick’s Day Jokes
• Writing Activities

Activity Cards

St. Patrick's Day Conversation Cards

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  

Best of luck to your family catching a Leprechaun!