educational – BurritoBuzz

Grippies: STEM Toys for Toddlers

Published on December 10, 2016December 10, 2016 by Katie Kuceyeski1 Comment

BurritoBuzz has talked about STEM teaching before, so elaborating on STEM, we’re bringing you a review on Guidecraft Grippies. I had not heard of Grippies prior to being introduced to them, but I was fascinated by the concept.

The toddler STEM building toy, Grippies® Builders, combines tactile exploration, magnetic play and an introduction to the basic principles of engineering and geometry. Grippies® use a unique, magnetic rod and ball configuration to provide a secure, frustration-free set of construction option as children first discover the joy of building. Unique in concept and design, Grippies® provide a fun, safe, and exploratory experience for toddlers. The 30 piece set features 4 soft matte textures in exciting bright colors. Suggested age: 18 months+

Open-ended magnetic STEM building toy for toddlers
Combines tactile exploration with magnetic play
Provides introduction to engineering
30 piece set in exciting bright colors for $59.99 or a 20 piece for $39.99
Over-sized ABS Plastic rod encapsulates magnets
Accompanying metal balls are overmolded with soft plastic, with seamless texture for secure construction
Exterior features 4 soft matte textures
Winner of the Tillywig Brain Child Award, the National Parenting Center’s Seal of –Approval, Parents’ Choice Awards Silver Honor, and the Oppenheim Gold and Special Needs Adaptable Product (SNAP) Awards

My son is 22 months old and really fine-tuning his motor skills at this point. Upon opening up Grippies, not only was my son fully engaged, but my husband and I were enthralled with building all kinds of structures with him. He quickly caught on to the concept of magnetism, so much so that he discovered that he could stick them to the fridge, dishwasher, and cold air return grates. And while the structures he’s building now are fairly basic, I have no doubt that he’ll be engaged with Grippies for years to come and build much more advanced structures!

I was concerned about the magnets in these products, because magnets can cause serious damage (and death) if swallowed. I’ve been cautious throughout my son’s infancy and toddler years to ensure that small magnets are always out of his reach. Thankfully, the magnets in the Grippies are firmly stuck on the rods. While I tell my son to not chew on toys, he still does at times. Thankfully, the Grippies’ magnets have not budged. He is still always supervised when playing with them, thanks to my momma paranoia.

Grippies have proven to be a fun, educational activity for my tiny human. They keep him busy for decent lengths of time. My only true complaint is the price; they are overpriced for what you get. I’d love to see them have a lower price-point so all families could afford them. Check out all of Guidecraft’s awesome and educational toys here and Guidecraft’s STEM toys here! They will make great holiday and birthday gifts for any little one in your life!

Don’t forget to follow Guidecraft on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest to stay up to date on all thing Guidecraft!

– Katie

**Burrito Buzz received this product at low or no cost for the purpose of review or testing. No compensation for a positive review was provided. All product reviews are based 100% off of our personal experiences with a product and we never guarantee a positive review.**

Bluebee Pals {Review + Giveaway}

Published on November 12, 2016November 12, 2016 by Casey SehmLeave a comment

Technology is everywhere and sadly unavoidable for the most part. With cell phones, tablets, computers, TV, and game systems at easily available at home and tablets and computers now apart of the curriculum at most schools, screens seem to always be in children’s’ faces. But what if a product that can be used with said technology can help help educate our little ones? I was recently given the opportunity to review an amazing product called Bluebee Pals from Kayle Concepts that combines state of the art technology and traditional plush toys.

Bluebee Pals come in 6 animal styles; Riley the Zebra, Leo the Lion, Hudson the Puppy, Lily the Lamb, Sammy the Bear, and Parker the Monkey so kids can pick their favorite animal to adopt. They are geared for children 3-8 years old but can of course be a lifetime pal to your child! Bluebee Pals use Bluetooth Technology to sync to any iOS and Android device. They can even be used a a hands-free phone with a built in microphone and speaker! Each of the plush stuffed animals has a mesmerizing feature – lip synchronization – that allows the pal’s lips to move as it sings or reads from various apps.

My daughter chose Riley the Zebra and she loves her! She’s incredibly soft, even though she has a rechargeable battery stuffed inside. Hooking Riley up to our iPad was quick and easy. I downloaded several learning and singing apps, but the ones that read stories are my daughter’s favorite. Riley’s mouth moves and “reads” to her, she thinks it’s so cool! Simply prop a phone, laptop, or tablet on the pal’s lap and tuck it into their plush arms. Pal’s work with any app that has sound, including foreign language apps! Check out this video to see one in action!

Bluebee Pals are so fun and innovative, that’s why thousands have been adopted into households, schools, and therapy sessions. Pals offer so many benefits, including auditory attention and processing, cause and effect, pre-literacy skills, and more. To date, the toy industry has given Bluebee Pals 6 awards, including Mom’s Choice, National Parenting Publications, Parent’s Choice, Creative Child Award, Academic Choice, and Tillywig, they were just listed as #1 on the list of products that impressed STEM Education at International Society for Technology in Education Conference 2016. I also think Bluebee Pals would be beneficial for children on the Autism spectrum, to help with language and communication. Get your little one his or her own award-winning Bluebee Pal here, at Target, or on Amazon for $64.99!

Here are a few links to recommended educational apps from the Bluebee Pals website, but be sure to visit their site to see all of the recommended apps:

Would you like to win a Bluebee pal of your own? You’re in luck! One winner will get to adopt a Bluebee Pal of his or her choice! Just follow these easy steps to enter:

Like @burritobuzz and @bluebeepals on Instagram
Like the giveaway post.
Tag friends (one per comment) that you think would like to win, too!
That’s it!

The giveaway will start Saturday, November 12th at 12pm and end Monday, November 14th at 12pm. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced within 24 hours. Goodluck! **This giveaway is no way sponsored or endorsed by Instagram.**

Don’t forget to follow Bluebee Pals on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest for updates, new products, and sales!

– Casey

JollyB Tree Building Blocks {Review}

Published on June 13, 2016June 13, 2016 by Casey Sehm1 Comment

I love finding new and unique educational toys for my three year old preschooler. Toys that keep her engaged and that gets her excited are winners in my book. Anything to keep her away from the TV and iPad, am I right? So when we connected with JollyB Toys on Instagram, I fell in love with their beautiful wooden educational toys. JollyB was kind enough to send one of their toys, Tree Building Blocks, for us to try. When it came, my daughter could not wait to get it open and start building.

It’s a really neat concept that helps with hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill development geared towards toddlers two years old and up. I just love wooden toys. They have an heirloom factor to me (so I can save them and pass it down to my children’s children). The set comes with a brown wooden base and a trunk, which is what you build from. It comes with 18 wooden branches, 40 beautifully colored leaves and 10 red grains that kids can build their tree with. Kids can play around with the branches and leaves to build various tree pattern and learn their colors when sorting the leaves. They also learn how about balance; if you put too many leaves and branches on one side, the tree can tip over. Their imagination can really run wild as there is no right or wrong way to build their trees. The possibilities are endless!

Pros:

Engaging and educational
Endless play, as there are unlimited ways to build
Multiple children can play at one time
Learn balance and grows interest of how to build things
Leaves can be sorted by color, another learning aspect
Fun for parents and children alike
Doubles as a cute decoration when not being played with

Cons:

Some holes in the branches don’t fit the leaves and grains
Leaves are heavy compared to the lightweight branches
Several leaves were stuck together (I was able to them pull apart but the paint is now messed up)

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I give this toy a 4 out of 5 stars, only because some of the holes don’t fit the leaves and grains. But overall, it’s super cute and fun. My toddler really enjoys it and has been asking to play with it multiple times a day. If you’re looking for a unique, educational and engaging toy for your toddler, consider the Tree Building blocks toy for JollyB. It was also make a great birthday or Christmas present (it’s coming fast!) for the little builder in your life! J0llyB makes so many fantastic wooden educational toys, be sure to check them all out on their website here!

Follow JollyB on Instagram, too, @JollyBforKids and on Facebook at Jolly B Toddler.

– Casey