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Smart Farmer Game: Learn Problem Solving and Flexible Thinking

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

As a parent, you know how important imaginative and problem-solving play is for your child to learn and develop. You want your children to succeed in life, and this type of play gives them an advantage in school and beyond. Smart Farmer is one of the latest games by Smart Games to help your child learn the basics of reasoning and logic and so much more. 

At the center of the Smart Farmer game are cognitive skills that are essential for success. The game features one of most children's favourite things...animals. It gives your child the chance to imagine what farm life is like. They get the chance to make decisions to make life easier for the animals and play 60 different challenges of varying skill level to succeed and feel better about themselves.

Goals of Smart Farmer

The Smart Farmer game opens with the animals in charge of the farm roaming free and mingling together. It's up to your child to set some boundaries and restore order and happiness to their farm. The catch is that there are only three pieces of fencing to corral four different types of animals. Working alone or with a friend or sibling, your child must figure out how to give the cows, pigs, sheep, and horses their own space.

Using problem-solving and spatial awareness, your child slowly figures out how to give each farm animal his own space. Once each animal has its own area, it's time to provide them with access to water. The game pieces are made with bright colours to keep your child's attention. Each piece is large enough for your child to easily grasp it and place it where they want it to go.

The Smart Farmer game comes with a booklet that has 60 different goals to keep the game fresh each time your child plays. If your child gets stuck and can't come up with a solution, the answers are included in the booklet so you can provide them with a hint or guidance.

While playing the Smart Farmer game, you'll see your child's imagination kick in and take the game to the next level. Your child might assign each animal a name and history. They might even use the animals to create plays or build them houses with other playsets. All of this type of play improves their learning and helps them do better in school and life.

Included in Smart Farmer

This board game has everything your child needs to get started and finish several iterations of the game. The various iterations of the game provide hours of fun for your child and help them build skills that will help them achieve more in life. Here's a look at what's included in the box:

Benefits of Playing Smart Farmer

So why should you buy this game and not one of the others on the market? The Smart Farmer game was developed to help your child learn and hone specific skills to help them learn and thrive in life in school, university, and career. The skills are mostly cognitive which is considered a core skills that affect a child's ability to learn, read, focus, and remember. 

Smart Farmer encourages the following cognitive skills:

If you have children over the age of five, buy Smart Farmer today to help your child develop essential cognitive skills. The best part? They don't know what they're learning, because, to them, they're just having a good time.

You can purchase Smart Farmer by clicking here.

Posted in Educational Games, Smart Farmer Australia, Smart Games Australia, Smart Games Smart Farmer

Hacker: A Game From ThinkFun to Build Your Child's Coding and STEM Skills

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

You want your child to play and have fun but you know it's essential that their play is more than just a game; it should teach them life skills while they have a good time. Of course, you keep hearing about the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills to get jobs in those fields when they get older. STEM jobs are abundant and pay more than other fields. Hacker Cybersecurity Logic Coding Game is a great way to get your child interested in STEM without pushing them.

How to Play Hacker Cybersecurity Logic Coding Game

Hacker Cybersecurity Logic Coding Game is designed for play by children 10 years old and older, and your child can play by himself or with others. In this game, hackers have been up to their dirty tricks, and it's up to your little one to save the day as he joins the white hat hacker team, Oblivion. To catch criminals, your child needs the same skills as the bad guys.

Throughout the game, your child must avoid alarms and viruses as he codes and uses that code to collect data chips. The bad guys are constantly trying to damage your child's network, and by learning how the hackers do it, your child creates ways to protect his network from those threats and more. This gives your child a chance to learn more about cause and effect and then use reasoning and logic to foil the bad guys.

The game has 40 challenges to face with three phases in each one for a total of 120 chances to practice and master coding and cybersecurity. These goals range from super easy for children who are new to coding to very difficult for the kid who plays regularly and understands coding. If your child is just learning, you'll get to watch him gain confidence as he masters each new challenge and builds on the information learned from each goal. The STEM skills learned while playing Hacker can help your child build basic logic and reasoning skills that they can put to work in the classroom and life.

What's in the Box?

Hacker isn't your traditional board game but it does come with pieces to track your child's progress. The pieces feature bright colors to keep your kid's attention. There are grids for your child to track his progress on each quest. Here's a look at what's in the box:

Featuring separate booklets for the challenges and their solutions makes it easier for your child to concentrate on finding a solution versus looking up the answer. This is a game your child can tackle by himself or play with friends and siblings.

Skills Built by Hacker Cybersecurity Logic Coding Game

You want your child to have fun and play games while learning essential skills. This is a game that teaches skills without your child even noticing that they're learning. Here are a few must-have skills for success that Hacker Cybersecurity Logic Coding Game:

This game is designed for children aged 10 years old and up. It helps them develop skills for the game that transfers to their schoolwork and later in life, to jobs that they'll have. Of course, the best part is that they're just having a good time, which keeps them playing the game over and over again.

You can order the Hacker Cybersecurity Logic Coding Game for a gift or rainy day surprise. The sooner your child gets to play means the sooner they start developing these essential life skills.

Posted in Coding Games Australia, Hacker ThinkFun Games, ThinkFun Games

Create Your Own World With the Award-Winning Planet Board Game By Blue Orange Games

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

Ready for a game that's out of this world? The new PLANET board game by Blue Orange Games is like nothing you've ever seen before. This game of strategy allows players to create a world of their own design and compete for the greatest planet. From the best ecosystem to the largest animal population, players use STEM problem solving and math skills to design the winning planet. Winner of four awards, including 2019 Mensa Select, 2019 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids, 2019 Dice Tower Seal of Excellence, and Casual Game Revolution Recommendation, the PLANET board game is an innovative and unique adventure!

WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE?

The goal of PLANET is to create the perfect world to beat out your competitors. Players each start with a 12-sided 3-dimensional planet core for which they design the ideal habitat using various landscape tiles and then populate with animals. Players learn about habitats and ecosystems, as well as the animals that inhabit them. Utilizing math skills and problem-solving tactics, players compete for the perfect planet, while also learning valuable lessons about the planet on which they live.

HOW DO YOU PLAY?

Players begin with a 12-sided core and take 12 turns selecting landscape tiles for each side. They can choose from 50 continent tiles depicting oceans, deserts, mountains, and tundras to create the perfect ecosystem for wildlife to thrive. Using one of five Natural Habitat Objective Cards, and drawing from 45 Animal Cards, players win animals to fill their habitat, with the goal of developing the most populated planet. Critical thinking is involved in selecting the right ecosystems and populating the landscape with animals that can survive there. A mathematical strategy is engaged as well, as players seek to use their 12 tiles to their advantage.

WHO IS IT SUITED FOR?

Blue Orange Games recommends the PLANET board game for players age 8 and older. The level of strategy and problem solving is best suited for kids with some basic math skills mastered. But don't be surprised if the younger ones also enjoy playing with the game. Building the planets and arranging the tiles is fun for kids of any age. And teens and adults will also enjoy the challenge, as well as the lovely design. The striking images of sea creatures, land animals, oceans, and forests are captivating to the eye, and capture everyone's imagination. Who wouldn't love to design their own world, especially if winning is at stake?

WHAT DOES IT TEACH PLAYERS?

Counting, planning, strategizing, and problem-solving are tangible math skills that PLANET greatly enhances while kids think they are just having fun! PLANET also engages their scientific minds, teaching about habitat, survival, ecosystems, and population proliferation. The PLANET board game has a unique propensity to teach players skills while also informing them about their own world. Learning which animals thrive in which climates engages their awareness about survival and extinction and expands their STEM curiosity. While they're adding up Animal Cards to beat their opponent, they're learning math skills along the way.

WHY DOES MENSA SELECTION MATTER?

Every year, hundreds of Mensans gather to play and rate all of the new games of the year. Only 5 games receive the seal of Mensa Selection, making it quite a distinction. Games are chosen for an original concept, challenge level, and design, but must also be affordable, easy to understand and play, and above all else, lots of fun! So the Mensa Selection of the PLANET board game means you are making an excellent choice. The smartest minds in the world have chosen PLANET as a game with enduring concepts, educational value, and thrilling player experience. So pick up your PLANET board game today and start conquering the universe, one ecosystem at a time!

To purchase PLANET, please click on BUY NOW.

Posted in Blue Orange Games Australia, MENSA SELECTION BOARD GAME, Planet Board Game, Planet Board Game Australia

Little Genius Starter Kit by Osmo - the Best STEM Toy for Your Little Genius

Posted on August 06, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

From their wobbly first step, to their dimply first smile, to the first time they say your name, what parent hasn't considered their child a little genius? Our kids fascinate us with their knowledge absorption- spouting new phrases that make us laugh and mastering new skills every day. Preschoolers, in particular, are little sponges with super curious minds. They like to ask, "why," and take things apart and figure out how things work. They love to imagine and create and move quickly from one activity to another. This is the perfect age to introduce your little genius to the Little Genius Starter Kit by Osmo.

This Montessori-based STEM toy is equipped to entertain and educate with four fun games to try. Both tactile and technological, the Little Genius Starter Kit will capture your child's imagination, hold their attention, and expand their mind, enhancing their scholastic aptitude.

WHAT IS THE LITTLE GENIUS STARTER KIT?

The Little Genius Starter Kit is a hands-on learning adventure that incorporates technology with imagination, via the use of 4 iPad apps and tactile objects like silicone sticks, costume pieces and play mats. Pre-schoolers use the apps to develop letter recognition, problem-solving, critical thinking, spatial reasoning, social and emotional development, fine motor skills, pre-drawing, pre-reading, phonics and more! But they won't even notice all the learning they're doing, because they'll be having too much fun! Let's take a look at the four games they can play with the Little Genius Starter Kit.

ABCs

Pre-schoolers will follow Mo the Monster on a learning adventure that teaches them 300 new words. They will build letters from squishy silicone shapes that are silly and fun, but also enhance letter recognition, phonics, vocabulary, and construction skills. Different pre-schoolers learn in different ways. This game teaches them visually, audibly, and with hands-on methods, increasing their ability to retain it. ABCs is so fun that preschoolers will want to play again and again, which promotes memorization. This game is fun to play with others, but also fun to play on their own. This will enhance their school readiness since being able to work autonomously to complete an assignment is an essential scholastic success. ABCs will have your pre-schoolers ready to read and identify all their letters.

SQUIGGLE MAGIC

In this game, preschoolers use silicone shapes to create anything they wish, then watch it come to life! This game encourages creativity and lets their imagination soar. Whatever the design by a child will be animated onscreen, for a hilarious and exciting adventure. Children get a sense of pride when they create something all by themselves. This is a no-rules, imagination exploration that will capture your child's attention. They will learn cognitive, emotional and social skills, along with creativity and pre-drawing abilities. But most of all, they will have a blast! Preschool involves lots of creative play, craft making, and drawing. Squiggle Magic prepares kids for these tasks and helps them learn to sit still and finish a project they started. Seeing their idea come to life, in reality, is exciting, and encourages them to keep creating. Fun to play with siblings or friends, expect lots of giggling with this one!

COSTUME PARTY

What preschooler doesn't like to play dress-up? From trying on Dad's shoes to donning a princess tiara, Pre-schoolers love to pretend! This game allows them to create party outfits for characters, then see how the characters react. They'll see how color and emotion are linked to expression, and learn spatial reasoning, creativity, and fine motor skills. Independence and autonomy are becoming important at this age and choosing outfits is a way to express that. A Little Genius Starter Kit character can wear anything they choose, regardless of practicality, weather, or color coordination. This allows their artistic minds to know no bounds, and their preferences to be explored. Identifying their preferences and expressing themselves is an important milestone for students. Encountering all different mindsets at school, having a strong sense of self and an ability to express that are important skills for all students. Let Costume Party spark that confidence!

STORIES

In this mix and match game, Mo the Monster guides them through obstacles and adventures, using costumes to find solutions. Problem-solving and critical thinking are enhanced through encouraging motivation. Preschoolers love to go where their mind takes them, and this adventure is perfect for that! Their curiosity is rewarded by instant feedback, so they're excited to keep exploring. This game eliminates the fear of "getting it wrong" and allows kids to expand their mind. With standardized tests and aptitude scores, a major focus of education, creativity, and exploration can often be stifled. But these skills are exactly what is needed for students to succeed in school and also in their careers. Whether writing a novel or designing a patent, thinking outside the lines is the key to success and standing out in the crowd. Stories is a game that nurtures that skill, leading to a bright future.

The Little Genius Starter Kit by Osmo enhances 15 child development skills, with an emphasis on STEM capabilities. This kit will give your preschooler an unprecedented advantage in scholastic environments, but will also be their new favorite toy. Don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to play along!

You can purchase the Little Genius Starter Kit by clicking here. 

Posted in Osmo Game System Australia, Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit Australia, STEM Toys Australia, STEM Toys for Preschoolers

The Benefits of Tobbie II Coding Robot for Growing Brains

Posted on August 06, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

Introducing Tobbie ii: Although computer programming has been a critical part of our world for over half a century, it can still be difficult to introduce the concepts of programming to a new user. Children, especially, can have trouble grasping the somewhat-abstract concepts of programming until everything "clicks".

Tobbie II, the new coding robot from micro:bit, does an excellent job at building the bridge from programming ideas to action. And a Robot Kit that is unparalleled in using micro bit technology. 

Benefits for Growing Children

As everyone knows, programming skills are becoming critical for more and more careers. And coding is bringing about an exciting future for us all.  However, even if a child doesn't end up in the science or engineering fields, programming carries plenty of benefits that extend to any career path.

Building The Robot

While it's the last time Tobbie II will resemble a traditional toy, the building process itself is the first fun step. Just like putting any other toy together, you'll need to carefully follow the instructions and get everything in place. Once Tobbie II is constructed with its motor, moving parts, and IR sensor, it's ready to move on to testing out some programs and teaching you and your children to code!

No Installation Necessary

The Tobbie II robot allows you to program its instructions directly through the web app. With the choice between a simple Javascript Blocks Editor and more advanced Python, you can access the programming functions from your desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Being able to work completely in-browser removes one of the biggest hurdles to programming.

Immediate Feedback

As soon as a user finishes a set of commands and pushes them to Tobbie II, you'll see it immediately attempt to follow the instructions. If something doesn't work, Tobbie will provide feedback on what needs to be changed in the code to get everything running. Tobbie II arrives with 12 programs immediately available for testing (light tracker, rock paper scissors, bowling, and a notice board application). After a short amount of time, you'll be able to edit these programs into your own versions and immediately see results as Tobbie executes the commands.

It's Fun!

Perhaps most importantly, it's an absolute blast to play with Tobbie II. Whether you're just getting started and running the onboard programs or putting something together from scratch, working with the robot is fun at any age. Of course, there are dozens of benefits for growing children (even those outside the STEM field) but the foremost is that it's just fun!

To purchase the Tobbie II coding robot with micro:bit, please click here. 

Posted in CIC STEM Robotic Kits, coding toys for kids, STEM toys, Tobbie II Australia

Award-Winning Visual Challenge Q-Bitz Games by Mindware

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

KidzInc wants to assist parents in the development of their children's young minds. We know that helping your kids reach their fullest potential is vital. That's why we continue to select toys that offer educational and developmental stimulation, which we source from all corners of the world. Our focus is to provide the best STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) toys online.

Mindware-Q-Bitz Classic Visual Challenge Game

The Q-Bitz Classic is a game that:

In the game are 80 distinct puzzle cards used to compete with another player.  The game is played by 2 to 4 players of ages 8 and up. Included with the cards are four wooden trays and four sets of 16 cubes. The idea is to manipulate the cubes in the container to recreate the patterns on the game cards. The person who garners the most cards wins. Kids will keep coming back for more games since no two games are alike.

Mindware-Q-Bitz Junior Visual Learning Game

The difference between the Junior-Q-Bitz and the Classic-Q-Bitz Games by Mindware is the inclusion of a parent guide that allows parents to support supplemental learning and visual dexterity practices. The Junior game adds fun and excitement that will bring your child back to play, time after time.

The Junior version includes a set of four cubes, all in the same colour. There is also a sturdy wooden tray. When a pattern card is turned over, players attempt to match the pattern with their set of cubes, all at the same time. The player who finishes the design accurately and fastest shouts, "Q-Bitz" and is the winner of the card. Another take on the game can occur if the players roll the cubes like dice.

Designed to be played by young ones of the ages of 3 to 8, Junior Q-Bitz:

Mindware-Q-Bitz Extreme Visual Learning Game

Mindware's Extreme version of Q-Bitz includes several types of visual challenges played in different ways. Everyone will want to try out their skills. Each player gets his or her individual Q-Bitz Extreme-board and 16 cubes. The first person to replicate the curved pattern wins the card. The player who wins the most cards at the end of the game wins.

This Mindware game won both the Major Fun Award and the Teachers' Choice Award.

Mindware-Q-Bitz Solo Visual Challenge Game

The Solo Visual Challenge Game is played individually against the time clock. The player must recreate the shape displayed on one of the 20 new pattern cards. There are 16 challenge cubes, and the entire game fits nicely into the added travel-friendly box. The game may also take place in groups with each member attempting to beat the time of the fastest player. This game teaches, as well as hones competition strengths at the same time. For this game, players will need:

Solo Visual Challenge is an 8-years and older set.

More from Mindware

More new Games by Mindware are available, such as:

Mindware-Marble Circuit Game

Mindware's single-player, multi-directional marble maze changes into 64 different puzzling challenges. Young people will improve their logical thinking skills, strategizing, and increase brain cells when playing the Marble Circuit Game. Designed for players eight years and older, the game also builds:

The player chooses a card and places the multi-directional tiles on the board that comes with the set. A marble is released, and the player observes the marble's run to see if it lands on the targets he or she has set up. If the balls do not hit the intended targets, the player moves the tiles until the circuits allow an on-target landing.

Mindware-Qwirkle Rummy Card Game

Players use the cards in the Qwirkle Rummy Card Game to match shapes and colors on the playing cards. Players can add to anyone's set or even switch cards in them. Once all the shapes and colors (6 in all) are completed, a player earns a Qwirkle. The person with the most Qwirkles wins. The card game:

Have fun as a family and support your children's STEM skills with a little help from Mindware and Kidzinc.

Your Baby Learns and Plays with the Oombee Ball by Fat Brain Toys Australia

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Lubica Misevski

Fat Brain Toys has a great product to help your baby play and learn, even at the tender age of six months. The colourful and carefully textured Oombee Ball will keep your baby engaged, help develop basic motor skills, and introduce her/him to colours, textures, and spaces.

Read on to find out how to entertain and teach your baby with the Oombee Ball by Fat Brain Toys.

What is the Oombee Ball by Fat Brain Toys? 

Fat Brain Toys took the concept of the traditional Matryoshka doll, which nestles one doll inside another, to a whole new level by redesigning it as a fun and educational baby toy. The Oombee Ball is a set of four brightly coloured, highly textured spheres that are just right for a baby to handle. All the balls open up (except the smallest one) so that one sphere can nestle perfectly inside another. In addition, the spheres are safely tethered together in a delightfully wobbly row so that your baby can safely play with them for hours. The spheres are made of the highest quality of materials, and they are constructed to last.

Oombee Balls and child development: Grasping the basics

Your baby will be busy exploring the world around her during the second half of her first year of life. She will be attracted by exciting new colours and textures, and she'll develop basic motor skills when picking up, placing, and replacing objects. She will build upon these initial movements later when she needs to grasp and manipulate everyday things such as household items, zippers and buttons, tools, paper and crayons, and so on. 

Vivid colors

Introduce and reinforce colours with the Oombee Ball. Each connected ball is brightly coloured to visually engage your baby, allowing you the opportunity to teach her the name of the current colour she holds in her hand. Motor skills and spatial abilities develop concurrently as she handles each coloured sphere, associates it with the sound of its colour name, and places it where it needs to go. 

Varied textures

Whether the ball she has in her hand has grooves in the shape of ripples, lines, swirls, or dots, your baby will spend hours of enjoyment exploring the unique texture of each sphere. In this way, giving your six-month-old an Oombee Ball is an ideal method for developing her sense of touch.

Spatial reasoning 

Inspired by the traditional Russian nesting dolls, Oombee Balls allow tiny hands the opportunity to place one ball easily within the other. By completing this important task, your baby develops a sense of spatial relationships as she figures out how each sphere fits into its home. She'll also get a visual on the uniquely shaped grooves on each sphere, which will help her recognize geometric shapes later on.

Object permanence: A growing awareness of things

Finally, much like the game of peek-a-boo, your child will learn to make the ball go away and come back as she puts it inside its containing sphere. In other words, your baby learns about object permanence -- a key concept for understanding that things exist in the real world regardless of whether they are out of sight, out of hearing, or out of reach.  

As a leading educational toy company, at Kidzinc we're dedicated to sourcing safe, engaging, and enjoyable toys for young minds. We're the experts on assisting parents with helping their kids develop the abilities and talents they will use for a lifetime through books, puzzles, games, toys, and interactive play.

For more information on the Oombee Ball by Fat Brain Toys and how it can help your baby learn during her/his first year of life, please contact us.

Or, you can simply purchase the Oombee Ball by clicking the link here. 

Posted in baby toys australia, Fat Brain Toys Australia, Fat Brain Toys Oombee Ball