Disclosure: I received the following products free for review. All opinions are my own. All posts may contain affiliate links.

Educational Insights Hot Dots Jr Pete the Cat Kindergarten Rocks!

Hurray for Pete the Cat! If you’ve got a little one in your life, you probably know who Pete the Cat is! If you don’t, you’re missing out. Pete the Cat is a cool cat who sings and dances and is just all and out groovy. Kids love him, and they’ll love learning with him too.

Get ready: Pete the Cat® is going to get kids rockin’ and schoolin’ with Kindergarten Rocks!, level 2 of the two all-new Hot Dots® Jr. Pete the Cat® Kindergarten sets. Inspired by the beloved Pete the Cat® children’s book series. This set provides 200+ lessons on a variety of subjects such as reading, math, science, social studies, and more! It includes two spiral-bound activity card sets, an all-new Pete the Cat®–Your Groovin’ Schoolin’ Friend pen, reward stickers, and an an award certificate for little learners who are ready to advance to the next level. Perfect for independent learning—simply press the pen on an answer for immediate audio and visual feedback.

Product Features + Benefits:

• Promotes rockin’, interactive learning and offers ample practice time
• Develops early learning skills necessary for school success
• Provides confidence-building feedback
• Encourages independent, self-paced learning
• Includes 2 spiral-bound interactive card sets with 200+ activities, a Hot Dots® Jr. Pete the Cat®–Your Groovin’ Schoolin’ Friend pen, an award certificate, and reward stickers
• Helps develop preschool skills in reading, math, science, social studies, and more
• Compatible with any Hot Dots or Hot Dots Jr. card sets or activity sets
• Pen requires 2 AAA batteries (not included)

Purchase Kindergarten Rocks!

Oogie the Bear’s Rainy Day Adventure

Perseverance is a necessary life skill that every child should understand. But teaching your children this valuable skill is not always so easy. How can parents start the conversation about the value of taking risks and never giving up in order to achieve their goals now, and to set them up for future success?

Enter Oogie the Bear, the star of the #1 Amazon Bestseller in the children’s book category, Oogie the Bear’s Rainy Day Adventure. Written by award-winning author Michael Weinberger, and featuring colorful artwork by commercial illustrator and fine artist Steve Bonham, this unique story teaches children and their adult reading companions the value and rewards of perseverance. It tells the story of Oogie, a little bear who, despite all the obstacles set in front of him, doesn’t give up on achieving his goals.

Providing silly fun both parents and children will find pleasure in reading together, Oogie the Bear’s Rainy Day Adventure is the perfect way to start talking about perseverance.

My Review of Oogie the Bear’s Rainy Day Adventure

I think we could all use a lesson on perseverance. It seems like so many of our “projects” get started but never end! My mom got me a little plaque that says, “I can’t clean, I keep getting distracted by all the cool stuff I find!” Can I get an amen? Did you know that the average adult has an attention span less than a goldfish?! It’s true. How many tabs do you have open right now? Mmhmm. I thought so. Well, Oogie the Bear might be meant for your kids, but when you’re reading this to them, listen to the lesson!

Oogie’s favorite food is peanut butter on crackers, but one morning he wakes up and is out of crackers….those crazy little mice ate them all! Well, it is pouring down rain, but does that stop Oogie from going to the store? Nope! Would it stop me? Probably! When Oogie gets to the store, they are out of crackers! He doesn’t let them stop him. He goes from place to place until he can get what everyone needs to bake, deliver, and sell his crackers. He never gives up.

Never giving up is a quality that children will have to learn. We all know it doesn’t come naturally. We expect things to be instant since pretty much everything in our lives is instant these days. Reading this book with the children in your lives can show them that not giving up easily is the way to go. They’ll love seeing Oogie and his friends persist despite the rain and obstacles they face. The illustrations are very cute…I love the mice! This book is a must read!

Purchase Oogie Bear’s Rainy Day Adventure

Puzzle Globe from Learning Resources

This NEW Puzzle Globe from Learning Resources helps kids investigate the continents, the oceans, famous landmarks, different kinds of animals, and so much more. The big chunky pieces are designed to match up to holes on the Globe, so it’s easier for children to put continents in place. Includes a tough and durable base (with oceans labeled), rotatable Globe, 6 continent puzzle pieces, 6 plastic continent labels, and blank label stickers. For ages 3 years+. 

This puzzle globe is really fun, and it can be enjoyed by multiple ages. Little ones can learn to match colors and shapes while older children can match the continents to their names. I love that the names of the continents are removable, so you can “test” your child to see if they know which continent is which.

Purchase Learning Resources Puzzle Globe

Which of these do you think your child would most enjoy? Keep them in mind for the upcoming holidays too!