Category:

Catapults and Chess

10/22/2014

One of the very best reviews we ever did was for Chess House. My son takes that chess game all over the place. To Gramma's, Oma's, cadets, friends house, on vacation. It's become a part of our lives. (good thing we like playing it too). :)

Anyways, the other day he set out to build himself a catapult. Well what does one do with a catapult when it's all set up? You hit the wall a few times, you chase the cat (as long as it's not set hard), and then you go huh.. built a catapult.

NOT my lad. :)

He now plays catapult chess. :)

It's a wee bit complicated at times...he normally plays with a team (usually white) and it means his side always wins, but sometimes the teams gang up on the catapult..and then WATCH OUT! It's all out war! :)

Players will fly....that's all I'm saying. :)

What games do your children make up?

2 Comments

Essentials in Schooling at Home: Reviews

8/13/2014

I was going to say that this aspect of homeschooling might not be essential to everyone, but I guess it is. Whether you review or not, reviews are helpful in planning out your curriculum isn't it? :)

I am part of the TOS homeschool crew. Been doing it now for 2 years. I find it at times terribly hectic, sometimes immensely disappointing when I don't get a review I want due to location, not needed, not enough time or whatever, I overall find it hugely helpful in our homeschool journey.

BUT.. It's also helpful to you my readers. (and to just homeschoolers in general as they research products for use in their own homes).

So as I think about reviews, I thought I'd take some time to talk about the pros and cons of doing reviews, and show you some of our favourites.

Doing reviews, the pros and cons

The positives of doing reviews:

access to products I might not have otherwise considered
teamwork
sharing my opinion with others when I like a product
being able to show another angle to using a product that others might not have considered
being pushed to be a better reviewer/writer/designer
delight from student involved
not having to pay for good quality materials

The negatives of doing reviews:

being tied down to a specific product whether it works for you or not for a four to six weeks.
sharing opinions that are less than positive
working hard to write things well
resistance from the student involved
missing out on reviews you'd like to do based on location
getting picked for reviews you'd rather not do

I have been so blessed by the crew. I've met some crazy nice people. Had some lovely on-line chats, and been introduced to possibilities I hadn't considered before. It's a great part of my life.    Though at times it is hectic like when I have four reviews due in a week and half and I'm like ACK!!!   How I am going to do this...but God is good and he always makes a way. :)

Reviews that have been a blessing to us.

My son's favourite reviews

Chess. Hands down. Chess is it. He loves it and frequently takes his board with him.   In fact he's even downloaded a chess game on to his tablet so he can play with friends in the car. :) Makes my heart smile.
His second favourite?   Veritas Press.   I frequently hear.. "MOM! Can I do my history now?"

Mom's favourites

I have to agree with my son, I enjoy Veritas Press. I think I'm learning as much as he is, though I can't sit with him or he wants my help, so I just make sure I'm in the area. :)

Then comes let's see.. the helpful learning ones... Reading Kingdom. My son SO enjoyed this program and he learned to read better so it's a double win.

Birdcage Press was just fun for us. Playing games and learning about history. Being inspired to look things up when we wanted to know more.

Maestro Classics. Good music and a story.. need I say more?

Bible study Guide for all ages. We still use this. Good product. My son learns more and this is a good thing.

Science4Us.com was a good fit in teaching my lad some more independence in choices. He was disappointed when he finally made it through the program. "MOM! Why can't they have more for me???"

Gryphon House inspired a co-op class that eight children enjoyed. We made a variety of products and it worked well for us.

It's good to explore new mediums and ways of going art as you learn about peoples around the world.

Being part of the crew has definitely been of benefit to this household. If you have a blog and would like to increase the opportunities within your household, perhaps it's something you would like to do as well. Think on it anyways. :) Opportunities open up i the fall.

LOTS of us are taking part in a five day blog hop on "back to school" check us out won't you? Perhaps this list will get you started.

Amy @ Counting Change... Again (your decision)
Shawna @ Tenacity Divine
Adena @ AdenaF (give some credit)
Jenn @ Simblissity Cottage
Emilee @ Pea of Sweetness (keeping children on task)
Kathy @ Kathys Cluttered Mind
Sara @ Embracing Destiny

Other posts in this series

BOOKS.
The three P's.

Review: The Chess House

10/9/2013

Hey Lad.... "what do you think of this review idea? It's called The Chess House".
"Chess?" was the query. "Chess? Oh.. Chess!"
"YES MOM PLEASE... Can we try to get this review? I want to learn how to play chess. Please mom, please?"
For the next week I heard "mom... did we get the chess review yet mom? Did we?"
And then when we learned we did get the Chess Review it was a constant, "has it come yet mom, has it?"

Product Information

Vendor: Chess House
Product: Starter Chess Learning Kit
Price: Retail Price is $49.95, price from Chess House is $39.95
Age Range: all ages but ideally suited to children in the 6-12 year old range.

My son's excitement is evident here. :) The kit even came with a chocolate bar. How cool is that?

How we used it.

We (as in the whole family) immediately sat down to watch the DVD when it arrived.
Hubby's response was: "Oh.. that's interesting. I didn't know that. Well done video".
The lad's response: "OH!   Mom, they all move differently. When can we play?"
My response: "Well done video. It's good to touch up on the rules."

Then we sat down to play.    Dad played with the lad (lost). Mom played with the lad (won).   The lad (who doesn't have a competitive body in his body - SNORT) was immediately spurred on. "Mom, can we play again? I want to beat you".   And thus the addiction was born...

The Chess Set - which comes in a handy carry bag goes with us almost everywhere. He has played Chess with so many different children it boggles the mind.   It is a well crafted set. I love that the playing mat is rolled up and not made of stiff cardboard. Means it can easily travel. The playing pieces are of a good size and don't feel or look cheaply made.

It comes with a handy booklet as well with different challenges to help you fine tune your skills in playing.   I plan to use these with children from our homeschool group when we start our Chess Club in three weeks. :)   The lad is hyped.   We have played individually as well as with each other many of the challenges. It is just as fun to work through the challenges as it is to play a full game AND you learn how to move your pieces more thoroughly. :)

The DVD is very clear, easy to view, with excellent images. The speaker is articulate.

Mom! I'm setting up the board. Can we play Chess now???

Sunny afternoons, rainy afternoons, mornings at the Library, afternoons at friends house, visiting with Gramma... the constant refrain (when not caught up with bugs and crayfish) is "I have the board set up, can we play chess?"

I have to admit to being fairly competitive myself and I don't like to lose...even against my boy child...but HE HAS MANAGED to beat me... much to my chagrin. HE is simply delighted by that. :) TWICE! I love playing Chess and have been absolutely delighted to pass on this love to my boy. To read of the delight or not delight of other reviewers, please click on the link below. Thanks for stopping by. :)