Tag Archives: Science

Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst Kit Giveaway

My husband was so excited when he opened the package containing the Electric Motors Catalyst from Tinkering Labs. As a math and science teacher, he loves this kind of stuff, and so do our sons.

Catalyst Kit

This kit is filled with over 50 components including real motors, real hardware and real wood. In addition there is a pack of 10 Challenge Cards to inspire kids to design, build, test and share their own inventions.

Check out our video below to see this kit in action:

Tinkering Lab’s website is filled with great content like 16 Inventions in 1 Minute. You can also check out the creations of Young Inventors and The Electric Motors Catalyst Challenges.

We like the Tinkering Lab’s Electric Motors Catalyst so much we have added it to the 2018 Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings!

Giveaway:

Tinkering Labs is sponsoring a Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own Electric Motors Catalyst Kit! Thank you to Tinkering Labs for our review kit and for sponsoring this super charged giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US Residents.

Electric Motors Catalyst Kit by Tinkering Labs Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!

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How To Talk To Your Kids About Space Without Spacing Out – Book Giveaway

My kids love to talk about the universe, identify planets, use the telescope and identify the constellations. Luckily for them, my husband shares this passion with them. They can talk for hours about it all and love watching eclipses and meteor showers together. If you are less than savvy about all things in the universe but have kids with loads of questions, I want to share something that can help you.

Max Goes to Jupiter is an educational picture book written by an expert astrophysicist and educator whose books happen to be on board the International Space Station  and are being read aloud by astronauts!

Dr. Jeffrey Bennett opens a window into space in the half-fiction, half-science story Max Goes to Jupiter (Big Kid Science, June 2018, updated second edition with a special section for teachers and parents about how to use the book and “Story Time From Space”) which is also now available in Spanish: Max Viaja a Jupiter. Read about Story Time from Space in this Huffington Post article.

I really like that this book is filled with so much information about Jupiter. My kids just loved learning about all the interestings facts like the ones below:

  • How to find Jupiter in the night sky
  • The importance of Galileo’s discovery of moons around Jupiter
  • Why spaceships can’t land on Jupiter
  • The missions to Jupiter
  • The possibility of a future “space elevator”
  • What the ocean is like on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons and could there be life?

Giveaway:

PR By The Book is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of Max Goes to Jupiter! Thanks again to PR By The Book for the review copy and for sponsoring an out of this world giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US Readers.

Max Goes to Jupiter Hardcover Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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Barbra Streisand Cloned Her Dog Twice

It is so hard losing a beloved dog. They become such members of our families, who work their way deep in our hearts. When we lose our four-legged family member, the grief is real and raw. Some people need to wait a while before even considering getting another dog. Others feel that getting a new puppy helps them through the grieving process.

What if you could clone your dog? Would you do it?

Barbra Streisand did just that! Not only did she do it once, she did it twice! When her beloved Samantha, a Coton du Tulear died at age 14 in 2017, she had cells taken from the dog’s stomach and mouth. From those cells. she has two new puppies, Miss Violet and Miss Scarlett. Even though they are cloned from Samantha, they have different personalities. Streisand says she is waiting for them to get older, so she can see if they have Samantha’s brown eyes or seriousness. Besides the two cloned pooches, Streisand also has a third puppy who is a distant cousin of Samantha’s.

Photo Source; Instagram

A little research tells me that cloning your dog costs about $50,000, while cloning your cat is a bargain at only $25,000. Beyond cost, I have some concerns about cloning animals.

Dolly, the infamous cloned sheep, developed crippling knee arthritis at age five, and died at the age of 6 from lung disease and other health issues. Some speculated that it was because she was cloned from an animal that was nearly 7 years old,  that caused her to develop these conditions so early. The normal life expectancy of a Finn-Dorset sheep is about 11-12 years.

I personally would not do this, I don’t think it is worth the risk of bringing an animal into the world who may suffer and have a poor quality of life. There are so many dogs that need homes, and in this case, she already had a new puppy that was a distant cousin of her beloved Samantha. I imagine Babs could have bought 2 more puppies from that same breeder, if she wanted dogs that would be related to Samantha.

Coton du Tulear Puppy ( Not Barbara’s)

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.


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Filed under Pets

Watch Season 4 of ANNEDROIDS on Amazon Prime Video Now!

Are your kids fans of Annedroids? If they are, you probably know the brand new, sci-sational season just began on Friday, March 3rd! You can view the Emmy-nominated Amazon Original Kids adventure series on Prime Video.

It is a very interesting and fun show that I enjoy watching with my kids. I like that it is a show that is full of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts presented in an entertaining way. The show follows Anne, a young female scientist and her human friends, along with the android assistants she has created as they make amazing scientific discoveries while undertaking the biggest experiment of all: growing up!

Season 4 sheds light on the concept of a modern-day family, where “family” isn’t necessarily defined by blood relation, but rather by the people closest to you. In this season, Anne, Nick and Shania band together and use scientific approaches to solve myriad problems, including getting lost in the wilderness, dealing with a friend moving out-of-town, building a robot for competition, and defending the junkyard from a hostile takeover – which leads to an epic, action-packed season finale!

This is a series that challenges kids to think and not just mindlessly sit in front of the TV. My kids don’t watch much TV but when they do, I want it to be something that enriches their mind, and this show does just that! I hope you check it out and let me know what you think.


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Fuel Your Child’s Imagination with Magformers! #HolidayGiftGuide #Giveaway

My kids love to build things and they love magnets! That is why we just love the Magformers line of products. My kids have been having fun with them for years! We recently received the 22 Piece Space Wow Set. As soon as they saw it, they were so into it that they would not even look up at the camera.

Build spaceships and rockets with Magformers Space WOW 22Pc Set. Beginner builders can blast into space with the new astronaut character! Add antenna and wheels to create space buggy or search for extra-terrestrial life by building a space station. Great for young minds to learn about constructing cube nets, patterns, shapes and colors!

The original Magformers WOW Set is perfect for beginner builders to create a wide variety of vehicles with the help of 39 activity cards! Lay your MAGFORMERS® on the cards and then pull them from 2D into 3D! Great for young minds to learn about constructing cube nets, patterns, shapes and colors!

 

Features

  • 2 geometric shapes.
  • 39 activity cards.
  • Compatible with all MAGFORMERS® shapes and accessories.
  • Neodymium Rare-Earth Magnets for guaranteed connectivity.
  • BPA Free HQABS Plastic.

As a parent I really like toys that allow kids to get creative. With this set they can follow one of the cards or build their own creation. I also appreciate how you can add other sets and increase the building options. My kids can spend hours with these sets.

Forget the latest toy fad that will be history come January 1st, get your child something they will play with for years and hand down to their own kids!

Would you like to enter our giveaway for a chance to win one of these sets? If so, just enter below. We love Magformers so much we are adding them to our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide at Mommy Ramblings!

Giveaway:

Magformers is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win a Magformers 22 Piece Space Wow Set! Thank you to Magformers for the review product and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Magformers 22 Piece Space Wow Set Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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Journey To Space Blu-ray #Giveaway-3 Winners

Last month the film Journey To Space that was so popular at IMAX theaters and science centers all over the country was released onto Blu-ray. This is such a great film, the footage is spectacular and the movie si family friendly. It is narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart.

Journey To Space blu ray

Journey to Space offers spectacular space footage and gorgeous views of Earth. This dazzling film shows the magnificent contributions made by daring space pioneers, and illustrates how exciting and ambitious NASA’s next era promises to be, including space travel to Mars and capturing asteroids.

You can view a clip of the History of the Shuttle Orbiter and Testing New Space Exploration , as well as the  trailer. If you want some hands on fun you can download Science Experiments HERE! These experiments are excellent if you are a homeschooling parent or teacher.

Giveaway-3 Winners!!!

Would you like to win Journey to Space on Blu-ray? I thought you would, we are not picking one winner but we will be drawing 3 winners! Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and thanks to Shout Factory for sponsoring this great giveaway. Open to US residents.

 

 

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Amazon Original Series, Tumble Leaf-All New Episodes Available May 6th!

Many shows made for kids are downright annoying for parents to watch with them. Most of you can probably list at least a handful of shows that are almost as bad as listening to fingernails scraping across a chalkboard. It is refreshing when a children’s series actually fosters lifelong creative learning for kids. It is doubly impressive when it is also enjoyable for parents to view alongside their child. Unfortunately, there are not too many preschool children series that can achieve one of those things let alone both. However, the Amazon Original Series, Tumble Leaf  is one that rises to and meets that challenge. This series is back for Season 2 and available for Prime members. All new episodes of this multi-Emmy award-winning series premiers on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, May 6th.

tumble leaf

This preschool series features Fig, a curious and endearing blue fox and his best friend Stick, a friendly caterpillar who is always on the move. Together Fig and Stick set out on  exciting adventures  filled with nature and science. The episodes start with a colorful crab who pulls in a fish trap that is filled with “treasure” from the sea. In one of the episodes I recently previewed he pulls in a camera and after snapping a quick photo of himself he tosses it into the magical Finding Place.  A curious Fig hurries off to the Finding Place to discover what new treasure has been added. The new discovery is utilized to bring about science through play lessons that are filled with a healthy dose of imagination.

The delightful characters created by Drew Hodges features voices from  Christopher Downs as Fig, Brooke Wolloff as Maple, Zac McDowell as Hedge, Addie Zintel as Pine, and Alex Trugman as Ginkgo.

Tumble Leaf 2

The episodes are packed with fun and learning and my sons loved watching along with me. The characters and voices are not annoying as can be the case with some other kid’s series that will remain nameless. It is a series that gets kids all excited to see what new discovery will end up in The Finding Place at the beginning of each episode. As the episode unwinds that discovery will be weaved into the story line seamlessly and when it ends Fig will tell the kids to get out and play! That is such a great message and one that is necessary for all kids today.

This series won 5 Daytime Emmys including the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Preschool Children’s Animated Program along with being the winner of the 2016 Parents Choice Award! Check out the Season 2 Trailer below!

 

Prime members can soon stream the second season of Tumble Leaf at no additional cost to their Prime membership with the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online HERE . Prime members can also download the series for offline viewing on iOS, Android and Fire devices at no additional cost. In addition to SD and HD, the series is also available in 4K Ultra HD on compatible smart TVs from Samsung, LG and Sony. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial HERE! There are also brand new clips you can download or view HERE!

I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think in the comments. If you watched the 1st Season, let me know that too along with how you liked it.

This is a sponsored post, I was compensated by the company I am working with on this but as always my views and words are 100% my own.


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Filed under Education, Entertainment, Family, kids, Review

Lakeshore Learning Beginner’s Science Lab Review & Giveaway!!! #HolidayGiftGuide

LakeShore 60 Year Logo

 

Are you looking for gifts for the kids on your holiday gift list that are as much fun as they are educational?  If so, you should check out Lakeshore Learning.  They have a full inventory of educational and fun toys for all ages and many are on sale.  You can view their Holiday Flyer and see for yourself the wide selection and great prices.  Click HERE for a coupon that will save you 20% on any regularly priced item.  There is also an additional coupon you can use in store and online on the back of the digital flyer!

We picked the Beginner’s Science Lab from the Holiday Flyer for our budding scientists.

Lakeshore Learning Science Lab

The boys were thrilled to see the huge box filled with all kinds of science equipment and materials.

 

Building a volcano was the first project.  It was very simple, there is a non-toxic paper mache mixture that you just add water to and mix with your hands.  Then on some wax paper you mold into a volcano shape and form the opening.  It must dry for a couple of days before you can have an eruption.  Ours is drying but we will take a video and update this post in a couple of days.

Science Lab

Science Lab 1

Science Lab 2

Science Lab 3

 

Science Lab 4

Sciene Lab 4

Science Lab 5

Science Lab 6

Another great experiment, is the liquid layers, using pancake syrup, cooking oil and colored water, the boys observed how the colored water formed a ball that actually passed through the oil layer into the water layer.  They thought that was really neat.  We have some more experiments lined up for today and they are really looking forward to it.

 

 

Science Lab

Science Lab 1

Science Lab 7

Science Lab 8

 

Science Lab 9

Science Lab 10

 

We love this Beginner’s Science Lab so much we are adding it to our 2014 Holiday Gift Guide.  Would you like a chance to win one?  Great!  Just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!  Open to US Residents.  Many thanks to Lakeshore Learning for the review kit and for this awesome giveaway!!!

Lakeshore Learning Beginner’s Science Lab Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings:

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Sentosphere, My Perfume Maker Holiday Gift Guide Pick & Giveaway!!! #HolidayGiftGuide

scentosphere logo

 

Sentosphere USA has been operating since 1995,
and has supplied hundreds of retailers throughout the US
with artistic and educational games, kits and toys.

myperflogo

my perfume maker site

 

My Perfume Maker is a classic among educational kits. Eight natural essences or fragrances from the world’s most beautiful sources allow children seven years or older to create more than 100 different “eau de toilette.”

My Perfume Maker uses the highest quality fragrances available on the market, and many have found that the resulting bouquets are also very enjoyable in the bath. The kit includes a perfume guide that makes creating perfumes a fun and educational activity.

If you are looking for a great gift idea for the little girls on your Holiday Gift List, you should check out My Perfume Maker by Sentosphere.  This kit will delight girls who are creative and let them mix their own signature scents of perfume.  It will bring out the scientist, inventor and of course please the princess in all of them.  The kit is colorful and fun, full of  natural essences and fragrances along with droppers that will allow them easily to add the right amount to the empty colorful bottles to create their own line of perfumes.

My Perfume Maker

Perfume Maker

Perfume Maker 1

Perfume Maker 2

perfume maker 3

Mommy Ramblings is adding the Sentosphere My Perfume Maker to our 2014 Holiday Gift Guide.

Sentosphere is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky winner will win their own My Perfume Maker!  Thank you to Sentosphere for the review kit and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Sentosphere, My Perfume Maker Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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