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.

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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.

4DBlocks helps your children’s imagination grow.

After raising three boys, I have gone through my share of toys. One thing that was common to all of them, was their enjoyment for building things. Be it building things from sticks outside to Lincoln Logs, Legos, and more, we have used them. My youngest is the only one that has been able to experience the world of Magnet type block building. He has the original brand that came out a few years ago, and now there are other companies making them as well. This particular set of 40 pieces is from 4DBlocks.

The set consists of different shapes, and bright, fun colored pieces. It encourages creativity, which helps strengthen the mind. All kids have a fascination with magnets as well, so it really is a well-rounded toy. They get to learn about magnets, in regards to both positive and negative polarities, and how they work together. They get to build and create, and have fun while doing it. The majority of the shapes included are triangular, and square. There are hexagons too, as well as a set of wheel bases and solid plates. So, not only can you build buildings, and creations, but you can also build vehicles with this set as well. Although, it’s hard to push a magnet car, lol. No matter what brand you use. It is easy for the car to fall apart, so you need to pull out your top engineering skills for this, lol. They also include an instruction booklet that gives some great building ideas. My son really never looked at it though. He likes to create on his own. Overall, this is a well-made, engaging building set. If your child enjoys building things, they will enjoy his set.

I received this set, at a discount, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – 4DBlocks – Play it , Love it! – Magnetic Building Block Set.

If you would like to purchase this set, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HXYXKMU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

#GotADiscount #KarmasReviews

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

It’s so fluffy! – Really Stuffed™ Volleyball Pillow.

My youngest has a freaky allergy to bugs. Not sure which ones. He severely reacts at times, and at other times, really welts up and feels very sick. He is not an outdoor type of kid because of this. So, I was happy to see this ball. It’s bright, and fun looking. It can be thrown in the house, and he can run around and be all “kid” with it. I don’t have to worry too much, about him breaking anything. This is a super plush, 8”, volleyball. The bright blue and yellow are reminiscent to me of volleyballs. It is also so vibrant and easy to see where it landed. It is so super plush, you could actually lay on it, like a pillow. This over stuffed ball, is even close to the size of a real volleyball. Depending on the size of your indoor basketball hoop, if you have one, you may be able to use this ball with it. It should swish right through. Since it is easy to grasp, because it is stuffed, it is even good for little ones, when experiencing their first ball play. All of the stitching was well done on this ball. Mine arrived in perfect condition. It has no holes, stains, tears, or odors on it and to it. It’s really well made. I love how all ages can play with this together, in home. Just because you are inside, doesn’t mean you can’t play around and have some fun together as a family. My son can even throw this around to himself to burn off that energy that all our young ones have. He always has to be busy, and this ball fits the bill. He can just hold onto it, and fling it around. He can roll it around with his feet, under his desk, when he’s at his computer, and so much more. It’s the perfect toy for indoors.

I received this, at a discount, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – Really Stuffed™ Volleyball Pillow 8″ Round Plush Gift.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E1Q2YZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ping Pong!!!!!!!!! – Virginia Table Tennis Products’ Vigilante War Scythe Table Tennis Paddle.

We love ping pong in our home. We do need a new table though. My husband is a ping pong nut, and my Father, back in the day, was a ping pong champion, according to my mom. When I received this to review, it never crossed my mind, that my husband would be so excited about it. He absolutely loves it, as does one of my older sons. It is definitely not your average store bought paddle. This is nothing like it whatsoever. I love the name they gave it, Vigilante. How intense is that. You may feel like that too, when using this paddle. It will definitely give you an upper edge over your opponent, unless they have the same paddle, lol. It has premium sticky rubber sides to it. One side is red, and the other black. This helps give you a tighter spin, and more accurate hits. I guess they call that a padded paddle, lol. That’s a tongue twister. This paddle is used by professionals around the world, and is ITTF approved. The ITTF is the International Table Tennis Federation. Ping Pong is a pretty big deal worldwide. I find the paddle to be much lighter than regular beginner paddles. The handle is a little on the shorter side, and that is something I need to get used to. I’ve only used regular beginner paddles before. This is my first time using anything different. I also love that this paddle comes with a protective case. It fully zips around the paddle, just like a regular tennis racket cover. This will help keep the paddle nice and clean, and undamaged, the sticky sides can be washed off easily, if it gets too linty or dirty. The cover has some padding to it, as well as an attached wrist strap. It was made really well. There was no odor to it. The zipper is of good quality, and the stitching was all done tight and on point. Overall, I am really impressed with the whole set up. It’s very professional.

I received this for free, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – Virginia Table Tennis Products’ Vigilante War Scythe Table Tennis Paddle + Case 2015 ELITE Series.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O9K7ZUA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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

A parent’s dream. -Kriss Imports’ BLOKPOD The Modern 2 in 1 Toy Box and Storage Solution.

My son loves Lego’s, but then, don’t most kids. I even love building the kits. The one downside to Legos is sorting, and storing all of the pieces. This container is amazing. It is so large, and see thru. You can see everything you need. And the container sorts them down by size; so awesome! This Blokpod should have come into my life years ago, lol. It is such a great size at 17 ¼ inches tall, and 10 inches in diameter. You get three rows of very durable, plastic containers, divided by a mesh barrier. The mesh barrier’s holes’ decrease in size on the way down to the bottom layer/ Now. They are all hooked up together but can be opened by a twist and pull movement. At first, they can be difficult to do. I had trouble removing the lid upon arrival. After you do it a few times, it gets easier. The top of the container has two large hand holes in it, which makes it easy to grab and hold. The mesh layers are also different colors. Red has the largest holes, yellow the second largest, and the blue has the smallest holes in it. They state that this container is compatible with: “LEGO, Mega Bloks, K’Nex, Rokenbok, Best-Lock”. I do not have all of those, but I have Legos and Megablocks, as well as some generic blocks. They are working well with my awesome Blokpod. This is really a great way to get a lot of storage space in a singular unit. They even offer a 15 year warranty on the parts of this product. That actually blows my mind.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Kriss Imports’ BLOKPOD The Modern 2 in 1 Toy Box and Storage Solution, at a reduced cost, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. This product arrives as shown.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0179SW8XC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage