Tryazon’s USAopoly Blank Slate Board Game Review

Being able to relax with family and friends, or just family, is such cherished time nowadays. Everyone works so hard, it’s just so hard to find that time. USAopoly is a company that makes a multitude of games. So, I was so excited to be able to be part of Tryazons’ USAopoly Blank Slate Board Party event. Unfortunately, mother nature thought we would enjoy Hurricane Florence much more. So, we evacuated, and were not able to come home for a couple of weeks. With clean up, work, and the effects we are currently feeling from Hurricane Michael, we ended up just enjoying family time. This game, Blank Slate, is the type of game that allows you to be silly, to relax, to not have to think too much, enabling you to just enjoy each other’s’ company.
In the box you will get:
1 Score Board
1 Directional Pamphlet
8 Dry-Erase Slates
250 Double-Sided Word Cue Cards with Box
8 Dry-Erase Markers with Erasers

The directions included are easy and quick to read. It took my husband only a couple minutes to read them, and then another minute to give us the directions, right before we played the first time. You need a minimum of three people to play, and can play with up to 8 people. My youngest was our third player. He was a reluctant participant since he prefers video games/computer games over anything else. As soon as we started playing, he started smiling, and laughing. My husband and I had a great time that night. Being able to interact in a game with our youngest, without electronics, was and is so amazing.

This game is so simple to play. Give everyone at the table a little whiteboard card and dry erase marker, included with the game. One person keeps ahold of the scorecard, to be the official scorekeeper. I seem to always get that job, but I do not mind. It is so easy to do. To play, everyone takes turns pulling out a card. You place the card either white side up, or grey side up. We have done games with white side up only, and the next game, grey side up only. The card states a word on it, with either a line before the word, or after the word. Then, everyone writes on their little whiteboard card a word that correlates to the word on the card. You need to think about what you think the others would write down. When everyone is done writing, then the person to the left of the person who drew the card, shows what their word guess is.

Then everyone else in a row, one by one. If everyone wrote the same word down, then everyone earns a point on the scoreboard, if no ones’ words match up, then no score is given that turn. Now, if multiple people guess the same word, then each person gets 3 points. The person to earn 25 points first, wins the game! See, so easy!

A game example:
Word drawn is: Ice_________
Example word guesses: cubes, cream, skating…..

This game is not only fun, but really allows you to have and enjoy a social experience at the same time. My youngest loved this game so much, he made us play another round as soon as we were done with the first game. This is now a family game, and I love it. I also love this game, because you can play it over and over. There are so many word options, that no game will ever be the same, and you can play it again and again! This really is the perfect game for game night, be it with your kids, or friends, or both at the same time.

As time goes by, and our town heals, and life gets back to normal, we will be able to have friends over for really fun game nights. We were so blessed to be introduced to this game. It really is a winner in our eyes!

Awards this game has won so far (Not Surprising):
2018 Parents’ Choice Award
2018 Family Choice Award
2018 Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award

You can see what this great company has to offer here: USAopoly: http://www.usaopoly.com/ . They have a vast array of fun games to experience.
Here are some of the ways you can check out this game, as well as follow them on social media:
Blank Slate
Facebook Link
Instagram Link
Pinterest Link
Twitter Link

I received this to test via Tryazon and USAopoly. I was in no way monetarily compensated for this review. All opinions are honest and my own. I will not and do not earn any money from any of the sales of USAopoly.

#ad #Tryazon #blankslate #USAopoly

Tryazons’ Codenames Marvel Game Night with USAopoly

I love game nights. Whether it’s just family, or spending time with friends, it creates great memories while having a great time. I was so pleased to be able to both try and share my opinions about this new game from USAopoly through Tryazon.
Some quick specs on the game:
For ages 9+
2 – 8 players
Currently for sale in the US and Canada only

Codenames Marvel is a game for Marvel fanatics. My household is the perfect fit, that’s for sure. My husband loves all that is Marvel. This game is easy to play, but there are a lot of instructions to read. Fortunately, the instruction pamphlet is both easy to read and follow. My husband was in charge of reading the instructions to our friends to see if they could easily grasp it, and they could. Even with frequent distractions from their little one running around.
The game is pretty simple. You have to lay out 25 cards in a grid pattern. Then you choose a card, which secretly lays out your particular grid. You work in teams and ask questions accordingly. One team is SHIELD and the other is HYDRA. Shield of course are the good guys! Mwahahaha for those on the Hydra Team. (You can be a one person team.) The goal is to build your team, but you have to guess clues from the director to find out who your fellow assets are. Each team will ask questions. For example, the director has to give a one word clue and a number. So the word could be scales, for example, and then number of cards that fit that description. If the number is 2 or more and the guessing side, “the agent” guesses correctly, they can either continue to try and find the others with that clue or request another clue. As long as they guess correctly, their turn continues. A wrong guess either uncovers a natural card or the opposing teams card. If they guess the wrong one, you place either a Hydra card or Shield card on top of it, depending on which side you are on. So, if you guess wrong, you are actually helping the other team win! You can choose the loser card though, and you automatically lose! There is a slot slated as the Thanos Assassin.

It’s the landmine of the board game, pretty much. Those with the most matches win. So, you can chat, eat, and be silly during the game. I will say that some of the cards are darker, and very detailed, which makes them a little hard to see if you have any vision difficulties. But, no worries, your partner can help you out.

Now, you can switch it up, and add variety to it. I think adding a timer to it would be hilarious. For example, only allowing 10 seconds, or less, to choose your card would be fun! Also, you can have couples take turns on the teams, if people were too busy chatting, chasing kids, and eating.

We served simple finger foods like cheese and crackers and pigs in a blanket to our guests. Our drinks were a variety of craft beers and Not Your Daddys Root Beer, lol. But, no drinks or food are required. The only thing required is some floor or table space to set out your game, that’s it.

Overall, it’s a fun, simple game to play with friends and family. We really enjoyed it. One lucky couple received a free game for themselves to take home. They have a older kids at home who they said will love it, and were very excited to take it home.

USAopoly has their own website, and sell numerous different games. That was another great experience for me. With Toys R Us closing, it was great to be able to see so many different genre of games in one place to look at and share with my son. Everything is so electronic nowadays, it’s important to connect without electronics. These games really help with that.

You can check out USAopoly and follow their social media at these following links:
http://usaopoly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/usaopoly/
Tweets by USAopoly
https://www.instagram.com/usaopoly/

I received this as part of a promotion from USAopoly through Tryazon. All opinions are my own, and I do not earn any money from any sales generating through this blog. I was also not paid to write to this blog or share my experience.

Let’s Get Our Wizard Roll On!!!!!! Contest inside, too!!!!!!

The Winner has been chosen: Clink on the link to find out who won!

The Wizard Roll T-Shirt Giveaway!

I have become a fan of Roosterfin Games. They are not the typical games on the market. I’ve only experienced a few, but I have noticed that, not only are they well made, but they are imaginative, and fun to play. With our rampant electronics usage, the day of the board game is fading. Unfortunately, that also diminishes family time, togetherness, and actual human interaction with each other. I have two grown boys, now men. So, watching my youngest, whom is now 10, age, is heart wrenching. Time is flying by too fast, and I don’t want to spend that just watching him in front of a computer screen, or gaming system. Board game time, allows us to talk, laugh, and build memories. You may not even realize that, that is what is happening, too.

Wizard Roll won the 2017 Preferred Choice Award by Creative Child Magazine. How impressive is that! In this game, you use die matching, and pattern matching skills. Your goal is to be able to complete your spell card. There are 24 Spell Cards, 27 Rune Tiles, 18 Element Chips, 2 Cubes, 1 Reference Card, and an Instruction Sheet in the package. There is no board to set up, so this game is easy to play, almost anywhere. The cards are all pretty thick. They are much thicker than a deck of cards, and should last a long time. The instruction sheet, is a pretty sturdy piece of paper, but if your kids have trouble remembering instructions, and the sheet will be frequently handled. I recommend laminating it, as I did. The Reference Card looks just like one of the Spell Cards. You have to remove it from the pile, before starting the game. The Reference Card is so cute. It breaks down what everything is, and gives you the correct way to say everything, like in a real spell. For example, the words on the Reference Card spell out Sha-Ruk-Wa-Ack-Fa. You even get to zap people during the game, lol. That is, when you are lucky enough to roll the Wand Cube. (Insert evil laugh here). The Wizard who racks up 7 points first, is the winner of the game. You earn points, if you are able to complete one of your spell cards. Each spell card is allotted their own points, and they are clearly labeled next to the name of the spell, on the card.

I was the lucky one to roll the first wand die. I used it too lol, on my don. He wasn’t laughing. You should have seen his reaction; priceless! I think I’m going to add one our our Halloween want props to this game, so we can go through the zapping motion, and make it even more hilarious. My son ended up winning that game, so he did get the last laugh.

Overall, this game is a lot of fun. My 10 year will quickly tell me when something is a dud, or something we should keep. He really likes this game, and called it a keeper. You can laugh, and zap each other, and talk all at the same time. This is a fun game, that allows socialization, which is great for family time, and bonding. We are very happy with it.
The Wizard Roll T-Shirt Giveaway! (Press this link to enter)

Here is some information on the T-Shirt that is the prize of our fun contest:

-Solid colors: 100% Cotton; Heather Grey: 90% Cotton, 10% Polyester; All Other Heathers: 58% Cotton, 42% Polyester

-Imported

-Machine wash cold with like colors, dry low heat

-Official RoosterFin T-Shirt

-Fit: Slim (consider ordering a larger size for a looser fit)

-Features Wizard Roll Game Logo

-This premium t-shirt is made of lightweight fine jersey fabric

https://roosterfin.com/

https://roosterfin.com/products/wizard-roll

Disclosure: Cpsierdowis’ Product Reviews receives products in order to conduct reviews. No monetary compensation was provided unless noted otherwise. All opinions are 100% my own. In the event of a giveaway, the sponsor is responsible for delivery of the prize, unless otherwise noted in the posting. I only recommend products or services I personally use and try. T

his in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 225: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Shark Week Giveaway Contest!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is Shark Week! We love shark week in our home. We look forward to it every year, it’s a big part of our summer break. One thing I have noticed though is that it’s not all kid-friendly. My 8-year-old always wants to be involved but can’t watch all of the Shark Week shows so I like to add in some fun activities and things that she will love. It gives me a chance to add in some education as well. We love the ocean in our home so it’s always fun when we can teach our kids about sharks and the ocean. I have put together the Ultimate Kid-Friendly Shark Week Guide with some fun books, movies, games, gear, and recipes. Hope you enjoy it. Make sure to scroll to through we have a great giveaway with some really awesome prizes.

Shark Week Schedule:

Shark week is on the Discovery channel and runs from July 23rd-3oth. They will be featuring 18 shark filled programs throughout the week! (All time are ET)

Sunday July 23rd:

7pm-Great White Shark Serial Killer Lives

8pm-Phelps Vs. Shark: Great Gold Vs. Great White

9pm-Shark-Croc Showdown

10pm-Great Hammerhead Invasion

Monday July 24th:

8pm-Shark Vortex

9pm-Return to the Isle of Jaws

10pm-Alien Sharks: Stranger Fins

Tuesday July 25th:

9pm-Sharks and the City: LA

10pm-Sharks and the City: New York

Wednesday July 26th:

9pm-The Lost Cage

10pm-Devil Sharks

Thursday July 27th:

9pm-Shark Exile

10pm-Shark Storm

Friday July 28th:

9pm-African Shark Safari

10pm-Lair of the Sawfish

Saturday July 29th:

9pm-Sharkmania

Throughout the day there are also great shark related episodes and shows. We love watching it and learning all about the sharks. Check the Discovery page for show details and ratings to determine age-appropriateness.

Shark Week Must-Haves:

Shark Week must have books:

We love to read so we added some fun Shark themed books to our Summer reading list for Shark Week. We picked up these great titles from Quarto Knows including:

Could a Shark Do Gymnastics and Other Questions

Spot the Shark in the Ocean

Would You Rather Have a Shark for a Sister or a Ray for a Brother

Read our full review here.

Shark Week Must-Have Movie:

If your kiddos are too young to watch the Shark Week on Discovery then check out this fun shark-themed move from NCircle Entertainment. We love Octonauts so we were super excited to check out their new title Calling All Sharks. It fit in great with our shark themed week!

Read our full review here!

Shark Week Must-Have Gear:

Janiebee will be keeping us comfy all week with their great shark week gear. They have a great shark themed 3 piece set that includes a nap mat, backpack, and luck sack. It’s the perfect accessories for Shark Week. Lay on your nap mat while reading your books and watching shark week. Pack your books, movies, and more away in your backpack. Pack all your fun shark week snacks in your lunch sack! So cute!!

Read our full review here!

Shark Week Must-Have Game:

If you read our blog then you know that we have a family game night every week. So we had to find us a shark game. We found this awesome fun-filled game from Pressman Toys called Shark Bite. See if you can evade the shark’s bite while having a fun family game night. The anticipation will keep you on the edge of your seat as you dive into fun with this great game.

Check out our Family Game Night here!

Shark Week Recipe:

What would Shark Week be without some fun shark themed snacks? We made these super fun shark attack cups and my kiddos loved them!

Get the recipe here!

The Giveaway:

Hosted by: Parenting In Progress

Co-Hosted by: Cspierdowis’ Product Review, Ms. Cat’s Honest World, & KidCongeniality

Sponsors: NCircle Entertainment, Pressman Toys, Janiebee, and Quarto Knows

Entrants must be 18 or older & US residents to eligible to win. Entries will be accepted until 8/25/17. Use the below form to enter. We will have 4 winners of one of four random prizes:

Prize 1: Octonauts Calling All Sharks sponsored by NCircle Entertainment

Prize 2: 3 Books from (listed above) sponsored by Quarto Knows

Prize 3: 3 Piece Set (includes nap mat, backpack, lunch sack-shark set) Sponsored by Janiebee

Prize 4: Shark Bite game Sponsored by Pressman Toys

Entry -Form

Disclosure: Cpsierdowis’ Product Reviews & Parenting In Progress receives products in order to conduct reviews. No monetary compensation was provided unless noted otherwise. All opinions are 100% my own. Some posts may contain affiliate links that I receive commission or payment from in exchange for referrals. In the event of a giveaway, the sponsor is responsible for delivery of the prize, unless otherwise noted in the posting. I only recommend products or services I personally use and believe will be a good fit for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 225: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

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Bouncing Bots by RoosterFin

Bouncing Bots – The Game of Wobbly Widget Warriors

Rooster Fin is a fun company. I mean, they sell games, after all. They major in fun 24/7. I was excited when I was approached to review their Bouncing Bots game. I had never heard of it before, and it really peaked my interest. The first thing I did was to check out their website. They broke the categories of their toys into: Family, Educational, Skill, Card, Strategy, and Party.

This is the description of their Bouncing Bots Game on their website:

“Bouncing Bots is the board game where players compete to get the best score by bouncing their bots on the highest valued numbers on the target boards. Score the most points to win!

Players: 1-4

Ages: 7 to adult (On their box, it states 6 and up)

Skills: Motor Skills, Hand-eye Coordination

Contents:

8 Bot Characters

2 Platforms

Simple Instructions “

The game has one small sheet of instructions in the box. On one side, it mentions all of the characters names: Axel, Crank, Tracker, Rock’in, Plug, Spark, Flack, and Smash. There is even a tiny Bio next to each character. Kids really love this type of stuff. My, just turned 10 year old, son sure does. Each character even has a unique face on it. My son picked out Tracker as his favorite. The other side of the one piece of paper, offers the easy to read instructions. I love that this can be a one person game. My son is homeschooled, and that is an important feature for us. There are directions for multiplayer play, as well as two person play. The whole goal of the game, is to get to 9 points first. That may sound easy, but it really isn’t, lol. Omg, did we laugh. I can get the bots to bounce backwards, completely sideways, and sometimes, over the target, lol. But, we have the darndest time, getting the bot to land on top of the target. There are five different scored areas on the top of the target. When you play by yourself, you can time your games, ad try and beat your time. This game is great for eye – hand coordination, problem solving, since he you have to figure out the best way to bounce, depending on your playing surface. Carpet, well, that is a priceless surface to play on. Lots of laughter there. Fortunately, the targets can be turned over, to form a bowl target. The underside also has the same targets on it, with designated points on the spots. It is easier to get the bot into the bowl, versus, on top of the target. My son was so relieved, once he found out that he could turn the target over.

Here is some fun information about Joe Roosterfin:

“Joe, the owner of RoosterFin brings a unique skill to board games with his ability to create authentic game engines. His gift is in understanding how math applies to games. Joe’s background, coupled with his years teaching kids, enables him to create award-winning games that are continuously simple to learn and fun to play. Since Joe has left his life in the classroom behind, he has devoted his full attention to making great games.”

Fun picture of Joe as a kid: bouncing bots 11

Click Here to join their mailing this.

To purchase this fun game, visit here: http://amzn.to/2pU8a24

You can follow RoosterFin on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Overall, we are really happy with this game. It is fun, for all ages to play together, and well put together. We like everything from the bright colors, to the simple to read, instructions. This company offers a wonderful variety of games. Their website is definitely worth checking out.

I received this game as a sample. All opinions are honest and my own.

You can also follow me here on Instagram Pinterest YouTube Facebook

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.

A meeting of the minds with Tryazons’ SmartGamesUSA party.

I am so excited to be a part of the Tryazon SmartGames Party. I am 100% a family oriented person. My kids are my world, and will always be, no matter what the age. We have been playing games together, and with friends, for as long as I can remember. Everything has become so electronic oriented, though, and it is harder to stay connected because of that. That’s why I really love, we really love, board games, hands on games. These three games from Smart Games are not only fun, but they are also exercise for the brain. That is suggested for all ages now, too. No matter how old we get, we need to exercise our games, and the best way to do that is with games. The games that were sent to us to try out and experience are:

• 2 sets of IQ XOXO

• 2 sets of Busy Bugs

• 2 sets of Ghost Hunters

These games are slated for 1 player each, so it’s great to have more than one, so you can compete and challenge each other, if so desired. Games like this are great for large and small families. A child can keep themselves occupied by themselves this way too. Which is great for my youngest! We had a lot of laughs, and silliness throughout the party. It was a lot of fun. My favorite comment of them all, at the end is: “Wow, that was a lot more fun than I thought it would be.”

IQ XOXO is a game that entails challenges. You are given a booklet of challenges that you need to complete. There are 120 challenges too. Each board consists of 10 puzzle pieces that fit into a built-in grid on the game board. The pieces are solid plastic and highly durable, and everything is self-contained in a small plastic container, for storage. This is a 1 player games slated for children ages 6 through adulthood. My son really like this game. This one is pretty neat. The pieces are nice vibrant colors. You have to fit them into the matching sequence as shown in the puzzles. It’s actually very fun, and enjoyable to do. My son loved the pieces. Probably because they reminded him a lit bit of Legos, lol.

BUSY BUGS is a 1 player game for ages 7 through adulthood. It is also self-contained game, in a book like form, which snaps shut. There are 4 magnetic game pieces that you move around the magnetic board to solve/match up to the many, many challenges set up in this book. There are 48 to be exact. They can be redone, and redone, too. By the time you work your way through, the first one will again be a challenge. The further up you move in the numbers, the more challenging it becomes, too. This is a great one for traveling, and for sitting on the couch, because it can be done on your lap. It really doesn’t get more convenient than this one. There is even answer pages in the back of each puzzle section. Don’t look until you’re done, or you’ll just be cheating yourself.

GHOST HUNTERS is also a 1 player game for ages for ages 6 through adulthood. I love the name of this game, and was drawn to it immediately. This one was my first choice. There are 60 challenges to this game. The challenges, or puzzles, are printed in a foldout pamphlet. I am going to cut the pages apart and laminate them, eventually, so they last longer. You need the puzzles to last, since they are integral to the game. The bottom half of the board opens up to reveal the other game boards, that rest on the top half of the unit. After you place your chosen game board on the platform, you have 6 hard plastic games pieces that cover the board. You will need to find the coordinating puzzle challenge that matches your chosen game board. You need to move them around to reveal the ghosts as shown in your current challenge. I love everything that is Halloween, so I love the game boards, lol.

These games are great to boost and strengthen your cognitive skills and abilities. It’s great for kids, because they don’t even know that they are doing this. It’s just fun for them. The colors, and designs are fun, and engaging. From what I have seen, this applies to all ages. Most brain games for adults are boring to look at, and it’s easy to lose interest. I have been enjoying this set as much as my son. His favorite is different from mine, and it’s fun to see who can do the challenges faster. Overall, these games are well thought out and put together. They most definitely can be used from child through adulthood. They can be used solely, or as entertainment in a group environment. You can create a game/event, where you have to complete a challenge to move on to the next event. That would be fun at birthday parties, rainy days, and more. These have really been an enjoyable set of games. I was very pleasantly surprised, and I am truly glad I was able to share them with you.

Check out their games here: http://www.smartgamesusa.com/

#tryazon #SmartGamesUSA #GotItFree

Trick or Treat time! – TGS Gems’ Halloween Candy Bags.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I really love everything about it. Trick or treating, of course, is one of my son’s favorite parts. We always look at all of the fun trick or treat bag options. I only got to use a pillowcase when I was little, so I have a lot of fun looking at the bags. This set from TGS Gems is so cute. You get two bags in this set. They are made out of a nice, thick canvas material, so they should last more than one season, depending on how tough your kids are on them, lol. One is the traditional bag style with handles. The handles are made out of a black canvas material, and are long enough so you can carry the bag on your shoulder. The other bag is a drawstring style bag. This can be used to store your trick or treat candy to pass out, or keep away from your kids while you are waiting for the day, lol. You can trick or treat with it, but it’s like carrying a pillowcase all over again, since there are no handles. There is, however, a drawstring, so if you dropped the bag, your candy will not fall out. And that is definitely an upgrade from a pillowcase. You can also use the drawstring bag year from year to dole out a Halloween gift. Some families give their kids little presents for Halloween. Grandma has always done that in our household. The bag with handles has the option to write your child’s name on the bag. At the very bottom of the bag it states: “Bag of Treats Belongs to”, and then there is blank space to write your name in. You can use a Sharpie marker, fabric paint, or fabric markers. This is a great for households with multiple kids. The bags are virtually the same size, and that is a generous size at that. The drawstring bag is 19” long and 14” wide, and the bag with handles is 19 ½” long and 14” wide. You can fit a lot of candy in these bags. Hopefully your kids won’t sneak toilet paper out in these bags, lol. No tricks, just treats with these bags.

My bags arrived in perfect condition. I had no strange odors or imperfections on mine at all. They were perfect and ready to go. My son was thrilled.

I received these for free, in exchange for an unbiased and hones review. – TGS Gems’ Halloween Candy Bags Durable Canvas Halloween Gift Bags or Halloween Treat Bags for Kids 2 PCs 1 Drawstring Trick-or-Treat Bag (19.2 x 14.4inch) & 1 Halloween Tote Bag (18.89 x 14.15inch)

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LYZRTOA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

#GotItFree #BloggersUnited

REV cars in action. – Avalanche Brands’ Rev (2 Cars Included).

I have a now, 9 year old son, who loves toys like this one. So, I was thrilled to be able to review this with him. He is a big critic too. If he does not like something, he points out all the things he hates, lol. I do have to say, these cars arrive very well packaged, and arrive with an easy to follow instruction booklet. They stress in this booklet to be gentle with the cars, and advise that they be used indoors only. Keep that in mind. They also require that you have a smart phone or tablet where you can download the necessary app to utilize them. There are two Rev cars in the set, and each car requires 4 AA batteries, which are not included. You will need a Philips Head screwdriver to access the battery compartments. I have Android devices, and you can find the REV app in your Google Play Store, for free. It comes up as REV Robotic Enhance Vehicles by WowWee Group. It even has 4.2 stars, which is pretty good for a toy app. The app let’s your smart phone or tablet connect to the cars. It connects fast too. I was very impressed with it. You have to have a tablet or smartphone, there is no separate controller to operate these cars. These cars are operating off our Galaxy Note 5 phones, and Samsung tablets perfectly. You can just drive it around or battle them. I love the shooting sounds. They sound more futuristic, and not like real active guns. I am amazed at how fast the card actually go. The controls to make the cars move are finger controlled from you screen. Your right hand does the direction, and the left hand does the acceleration. There is actually reverse with the car too. The screen on the app is easy to follow, and if you choose the wrong option, it’s easy to redo. My son loves the campaign mode. He was so excited once he beat it the first time. With the campaign mode the cars shoot lasers at each other, and score points, until one of them wins. He is such a computer kid, I am happy to see him up and at least playing with this toy. It’s great because he can play with someone else, as well as me or his dad. It’s fun for all ages. You don’t have to play with anyone either, My son even did the campaign mode as one person. So, this is a great set for an only child as well. I am very impressed at how responsive this toy is to the app. It’s really well done. And, the speed of the cars is so impressive. It’s a great set overall.

I received this product for free, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – Avalanche Brands’ Rev (2 Cars Included).

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wow-Wee-Rev-Cars-Included/dp/B00VVGIBX0/ref=sr_1_1?m=A2P5I4NW0QQAX1&s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1466715838&sr=1-1&keywords=rev

What a blast. – Prextex’s Fishing Game- Deluxe Fishing Game with Lights and Sound.

I remember playing the original fishing game with my 2 older children. Now, with my 3^rd, who is only 8, I get to play it again, but with the newer, updated version. We love this game. It’s a lot of fun. The new twist to the game is 2 levels. Not only is this a 2 level game, but the fish are different styles, and catching them is different as well. There are 5 fishing poles and baskets to this game. So, a large family can play together. Each fishing pole has a magnet on the end of it, but only the small fish have magnets in them. The larger fish are actually trickier to catch. They have larger mouths, obviously, and so, they have teeth. The trick is to catch the string between their teeth to catch them. That is a challenge, lol. When everyone is going after a fish, your magnets end up catching on the magnets of your opponents’ fishing pole, lol. It is really funny too. Both levels spin, and the fish go around and around. As they do their mouths open and close. On the walls of the second level, you get an aquarium affect, which is really pretty to watch actually. This game does play music while you are playing. There are several different songs that play. You cannot adjust the volume, or play without the music. This did not bother us at all. You get used to it fast, and forget that it’s playing. After all, you are too busy laughing and chasing fish. This game by Prextex needs three AAs to operate. You need to supply the batteries, and you will also need a smaller Phillips Head screwdriver to access the battery compartment. We are really having fun with this game. We can all play it together. Age really doesn’t matter. Obviously, it’s not toddler friendly with the little pieces. But for school aged children on up, it’s a blast.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Prextex’s Fishing Game- Deluxe Fishing Game with Lights and Sound, at a reduced cost, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to purchase this product, you can find it here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Prextex-Fishing-Game-Deluxe-Lights/dp/B019G6W9DY?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage