Tryazons’ Play with Pai Party

I was very excited to be chosen as a hostess for the Play with Pai Technology Parties. I did not know what I was receiving when I was chosen, which kept up the anticipation in my household. My youngest who is eleven is homeschooled. He loves technology and couldn’t wait to get his hands on the box. I was overjoyed, as was he, to see a variety of Pai items in the unboxing. In my box, I received:
–Cube-Tastic!
–Ocean Pets
–TJ’s Fairytale Adventure, TJ & the Beanstalk
–Circuit Conductor
-2 AAA batteries
– 2 Spiral Note Sized Notebooks
-5 Coloring Cards to hand out
-1 Flyer
I was excited to read in the flyer, that Staples has Pai Technology Products on sale, 15% off, until August 3! That’s a great way to save on toys that are both fun while helping you learn. Steam toys are definitely the new must have for parents and kids nowadays. They even have a contest going until August 3, 2018. You need to follow them on Instagram @PaiTechnology. Find and like their giveaway photo. Comment on the giveaway photo with which product you are most excited about using #PlaywithPai in the sentence. Then, just tag two friends. They have 5 prizes that they are giving away, so go and check that out!
What is Steam technology? I could ramble on, so I thought that everyone would prefer that I posted a general definition instead. The following is from Sciencecloset.com: “STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.” They are able to wrap up the principals that children equate as homework, school, and work, into fun, bright, and interactive toys. They are learning and are happy doing so. I love our new technological age we live in now.
We love the Rubics Cube in our household, so that is the first product we tore into. The Cube-Tastic! By Pai is rightly named. First off, if your pad , for example were to break, the cube itseld is very well made. It is a much better quality than any Rubics Cube we have ever owned. Secondly, once you get a hang of the app, it is pretty amazing, and I am not sugar coating it. The box it comes in has little, to no directions, really. It pretty much says to go to your Playstore for your operating system and look for and download the Cube-Tastic! App. That is exactly how’s it spelled. It is free to download on Android. That is what I have. The minimal requirements are: IPhone 4 or newer, Ipad 2 or newer, Ipad min or newer, IPad Pro, or Android Smart Phone 4.0.3 or newer. Once you download the app, and agree to their terms, you are off and running. You need to scan the cube, as it tells you. Then you mix up the cube, scan it again, and it gives you the moves to solve it. It actually times you, too. You do the moves in view of the camera, so it can follow you and give you the next move, up until you are done. Then you scan it again, and it verifies it, and gives you the results. It’s pretty magical, especially if you have ever struggled with the cube!

The next product we delved into is the sweet interactive book, TJ’s Fairytale Adventure, TJ & the Beanstalk. There is something so magical about bringing a book to life like this. I may be an adult, but wow do I love this technology. They need to bring it into more books, that’s for sure. Now, the directions for the book are actually located in the back of the book. There is a little flap, open it up, and you will see the little book, labeled Handbook. There are interactive cards for the book, behind it as well. You will need your pad or phone to download the app. The requirements to use the app are: IOS 6.0 and above, Android 4.0 and above. I have an Android based Tablet. The app is free, search Pai Storybooks. Once the app opens, it gives you a clear tutorial on how to use it with the books. Then it will ask you to register and put in a code. For the life of me, it kept counting down to send me a code via email, but I didn’t get it. Then I remembered to check my spam folder, and there it was, lol. So check there before becoming flustered, like me. Then you take out the card from the back of the book, and scan it. Now it can read your book. In the corner of some of the pages, there are two letters printed, AR. You line up the tablet with that corner, and then it brings that page to life and reads you that page. The images are 3D, and act like an interactive video. It is so impressive! The cards that are in the back of the book do the same thing. It is really fun, and truly brings the story to life. Nothing but positives here! We love it.

After delving into storyland, we moved on over to electricity. My husband is an electrician, so I am surprised we didn’t jump into this one first, lol. We already own a competitors’ set up, so I was very curious about this one. Have a butter knife handy. You need one, or a coin, to access the battery compartment of the main unit. It requires 2 AAA batteries to operate. They included them for me to test, but none were in the actual box itself, so I cannot state for sure whether or not they are included. There is an app for this as well. Thus, the saying, There’s an App for that! It is free. Just do a search for Circuit Conductor and download it. The minimum requirements are: IOS 7.0 and above and Android 4.3 and above. You will need 2 GB of memory as well. You can just connect and explore on your own. The app is interactive though and is a quick study of how to set up about 4 different scenarios. The wires are magnetic, so simple for little hands to use and apply. This set is easy to set up and use. You can make sounds, and turn on and off, and dim the lights. There are switches as well. Overall, a fun and interactive beginner set up in circuit electricity.

Last but not least, Ocean Pets. I love this one. We always try and visit the aquarium near us at least once a year, so this particular product really called to us. You will need to download the Ocean Pets App from the Playstore, and it is also free. You need a minimum Iphone 4 and newer, or an Android 4.0.3. I have a Samsung 2 tablet and have had no issues with these apps I have mentioned throughout the blog. There are a lot of parts to this set up. The box really is not user friendly to use as storage, so I suggest getting a container or large Ziploc bag handy, to store the parts in. In this set you get:
1 Cushion (more like a small cutting mat)
2 Putty Tools
8 Sea Creature Templates
8 Putty Colors in Containers
(Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Black, and White)
No parental code is need to use this app. Just accept the terms and you are set to go. It takes you step by step through making your fish out of the dough. Then you scan it with the app, and it comes to life in the screen. I opened up each dough pack, and I only had one that had dried out. The green was the unfortunate casualty. I find this very common wit any brand of modeling clay/dough. If this happens to you, you can just go and exchange your purchase. The dough has a great feel to it. It is soft, but dry. Not sticky at all to the touch, and leaves no residue behind. There is no odor to the dough either. I am very sensitive, and I have had no issues at all. The app is so cute and fun to do. It’s amazing how fast it scans your fish, and brings it to life in the app. The fish are cute to look at and fun to watch. You move the pad around to make it swim. You can even change the view so it looks like the fish is swimming through your actual room. That was a pretty fun feature. You take care of the fish too. You need to name them when you create them, play with the fish, feed them, let them sleep. When you go back in, the directions aren’t written out, but there are not that many areas to click on, so it is easy to figure out. Your fish will be there, so even when you run out of putty, you will still have your aquarium of fish.

Once you click on the fish to play with, it may be hiding in the ocean and you have to find it. Let me tell you what, it is strict on it’s sleeping time. We turned off the tablet, and hours later went back on. It started back at the same time for the sleeping count down. It’s 10 minutes, and it had over 5 minutes left, lol. When you pet, clean, and feed the fish, and let them rest, they grow. There is some educational information in the program as well, which is great. There are even puzzles to solve, as you search in the ocean for the pieces. Overall, this is a pretty fun, and very interactive program. It can be more hands on with new fish creating, or more laid back, where you just play with your current creations.
Everyone had fun watching videos of the products in action, and also being able to actually experience them hands on. The older kids and even adults couldn’t believe the Cube-Tastic app, and how easy it made it to solve the infamous cube. I’ve been having fun talking to people about the items. We had an emergency roof repair which made our party spread out and more personal at times. I honestly think it was more fun and easier this way. It takes time to explain and help people discover the items. We passed on the incredible interactive book to a precious young boy. Bringing stories to life for little kids is a magical experience to see. I wish every young child could experience these stories!
Overall, this has been nothing but a positive and fun experience. I am new to Pai products, and I am thoroughly impressed. The products inspire, teach, entertain, and teach all at the same time.

Pai Technology Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paitechnology/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paitechnology/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaiTechnology
Website: https://www.pai.technology/home

I received these Pai products to experience and share my thoughts, through Tryazon. All opinions are honest and my own. I do not and have not received any money for my posts. I do not make any money off of any sales through Pai either.

#PlayWithPai #Tryazon #ad #Steamlearning #Family #Education #learningthroughplay #toys #kids

My Tryazon Ozobot Evo Party!

I was so excited to be a part of Tryazon’s Ozobot Home Party. I homeschool my youngest, so I am always eager to get my hands on new tech. The Ozobot is a very simple and fun way to experience the world of coding hands on. The thought of coding for most people, equals boredom and the feeling of being defeated, before you even try it. My youngest is a computer attic. He loves everything that has to do with computers, and gaming. Since this is a hands-on method to inspire and teach, it is perfect for him. This little robot has been tested for ages 8+.

The Ozobot is part of the Stem Learning Practice, which is a big part of today’s education. What is Stem? Stem is: “STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach.” It’s a feel-good moment for a parent to introduce this to their child. It definitely was for me. I feel that this is also great for older people, that are newer to computers. It’s a fun way to keep the brain stimulated, as well as keeping your motor dexterity up. It will also be a great generation gap filler for some grandparents to interact with their grandchildren. A win, win overall, for everyone.

You can get Ozobot Evo in a starter package. It includes the Ozobot Evo, a 9 piece playing field which is double sided, 1 micro USB cord, 1 carrying pouch, and 4 colored markers. The playing field has a green banded side and a blue banded side. There is a Quick Start Guide in the kit as well. You can go to http://ozobot.com/manuals to download the actual manual. That is what I did. You can check out their website for all the information you will need. (http://ozobot.com/) They even have all the different codes this little guy knows, clearly displayed there. Ozobot can remember up to 500 codes at one time. The website also teaches you how to draw lines, and add code. You can print games for your Ozobot, as well as print out the codes, too. There is a free app to download. “The Ozobot app is designed for tablets with 9 inch screens or larger, camera availability and iOS 6.0 and Android 2.3 (or newer).” I only have Android products, so I was only able to test out the app for Android. I downloaded one app: Ozobot Evo. Other Ozobot apps will come up in the search, but this is the newest version of the Ozobot, and only this app will work for it. There are sections on the app that state coming soon: Ozo Tunes and Maze Runner. We can’t wait for them to be ready. The app is free to download. There is an Ozoblockly section on the app. This is the website for that: http://ozoblockly.com/. Unfortunately, “the Ozobot Evo video tutorial is coming soon”. More to look forward too, lol. I printed out multiple pages of each printable game, and code sheet. That way, I have a folder ready to go for playtime. Now, there are online games on the www.ozobot.com website as well. There are three main sections on the website: Products, Play, and Education. So, it is pretty quick and simple to find what you are looking for.

The Quick Start Guide has you set up the playing mat, green side up. The pieces are a thick laminated cardboard, and fit together like a puzzle. Then you press and hold the button on the Evo, until it flashes white, then release and place it on the starting spot. It takes over from there. It’s a great way to get started hands on with it. It will keep going on the board until you hold and press the button and it turns off. The Evo makes the cutest little sounds and flashes multiple colors. My son love it. The app can be finicky, and sometimes the Ozobot doesn’t want to pay attention, lol. In other words, it’s just like a child, lol. They do state that it is important to calibrate your Evo each time, before you play with it. You can draw a black circle on a piece of paper, or white board. I drew some on paper , and then laminated it, for future uses. Then press and hold the power button on the Evo for approx.. 2 seconds. It will start to flash white. Quickly place it on the black dot, until it flashes green. It is now calibrated. Now, on the video it flashes white for a good bit, as well as green. My Evo barely flashes white or green, but it does calibrate, so don’t panic if yours is like mine. I had emailed support, and they were fantastic at getting back to me and answering my questions. That was a huge relief for me. I hate companies that refuse to help out.

The Education section is packed full of information to use as a family, or as a classroom set up. There are many sections to go through: Teacher’s Guide, Ozobot Tips, OzoCode Reference, OzoBlockly Getting Started, Calibration Tips, Log Sheet, and so much more. The amount that you can do and learn from this little guy, is really up to you, and how much you plan to follow and learn from this website. It is definitely worth delving into. Even though I laminated everything, it did not interfere at all with the Ozobot Evo being able to pick up the lines and codes.

They describe it as a three-tier system. First you need to draw the lines for the Ozobot to follow. Second, you drag and drop blocks of code (their OzoBlocky System) within the lines. The third thing is to take what you have learned, and create your own actions, and “world” to play in. To add another twist to the Ozobot, on their webpage, they even offer Marvel skins, that take on lights on sounds of the characters. For a reluctant learner, this might really help to inspire them.

I initially had a lot of trouble getting my Evo to connect to my app. There is a little trick to it. When you are loading your app, make sure you give it permission to use your Bluetooth. Then whenever you are accessing the app, turn on the Evo next to the device, at the same time. That way it is able to connect. Since I have started turning the app and the Evo on at the same time, I haven’t had an issue at all. This robot has become one of my son’s favorite “toys”. I hate calling it a toy since it is robotic based. It really is so much more than a toy.

We had so much fun at our Ozobot Tryazon Party. People were amazed at how interactive it was. They could not believe all the different ways you can interact with it too. We all had to agree that the lights and sounds that this little robot makes, is what really brings it alive to people. It gives it so much personality. I loved seeing all ages play with it. One is now giving one to her grandson for his birthday in June. She loves that he can learn with it, and she can interact with it, with him too. We had an older teacher there, that just fell in love with it, and everything the Evo can do. She was so impressed. This overall experience has been so much fun! I truly recommend the Ozobot Evo for all ages over 8.

You can follow Ozobot and be a party of their community on Facebook, here: https://www.facebook.com/ozobot/

There are even Ironman and Captain America Smart Skins available. We love that type of thing in my household, lol. This website has the packages available here: https://shop.ozobot.com/collections/all-new-ozobots. My son has officially put them on his wish list, since both Easter and his birthday are coming soon.

I received the Ozobots Evo to present the party, and share my experience. All opinions are solely my own and 100% honest.

Explore the world of science in your own home, with the Magic School Bus.

For All the Kids Who Love to Ask “Why?”

The Magic School Bus Science Club is a 12- month science kit subscription based on the award-winning series, The Magic School Bus. If you haven’t heard about the series before, each of the stories center on the antics of a frizzy-red haired fictional elementary school teacher, Ms. Frizzle, and her class, who board a “magic school bus” to take them on field trips to impossible locations, like the solar system, clouds, the past, and inside the human body. This story-based learning took the science scene by storm in the 90’s.

But it’s the 2000s!!

The kit subscription takes it to the next level with HANDS ON learning that all ties into the stories! It’s also HALF OFF FOR 10 MORE DAYS! This is a great choice for families with multiple children, kinesthetic, and visual learners – and just a fun, educational activity for a rainy day! The kits include experiments related to Volcanoes, Weather, Water, Fossils, Bacteria and Fungi, Star and Planets, and the weather, which, given recent events I want to brush up on, too.

One experiment I’ve been really excited to try is the Volcano Kit! The kit comes with a small volcanic rock, a pumice stone, sheets of paper, black paint, paint brush, a magnifying glass all to build a volcano. Check out the video below to see the fun experiment and explosive result (this one is from Educents so you don’t have to see my kitchen..)

For All the Kids Who Love to Ask “Why?”

But it’s the 2000s!!

And there are so many more experiments! Think of a sibling science club coming to life in your home – or friends bonding over making volcanoes explode, and learning all about how the human body works! Getting kids excited about STEM learning is exciting stuff. And it’s especially exciting because it’s HALF OFF FOR 10 MORE DAYS.

Here’s the run down:

The 12 Magic School Bus themed science experiments sent to your doorstep, monthly include:

Detailed, extensive 12-page colorful manual that is full of experiments and topic information
Each manual was based on the award winning Magic School Bus Book (and TV) series
A handy dandy cheat sheet for adults, so you can lead the way with no background in science (shhh.. I always preferred reading…)
Tools and instructions for a at least 7 interactive experiments per month
Online Clubhouse for further exploration on each package topic (take advantage of this!!)
Certificate of Completion – a great way to reinforce learning and accomplishments

The Price: Package is for $119.00 currently (50% off deal for only ten days). You do have to pay it at once, but it comes out to $10/month over the course of the year. For me, that’s a solid investment!

Discover and purchase here: http://www.educents.com/magic-school-bus-science-club-deal-june.html/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=MSBVolcano10.13.2016/#pelon3712002