It’s that time of year (even if this Fall is unlike any other)! So we partnered with some of our favorite brands to equip your kids for school whether they are in the classroom, at home, or a hybrid.
WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
- Lit League — Two Box Book Bundle of the winner’s choice with a Sibling Add On
- Faber-Castell USA/Creativity for Kids — Big Gem Diamond Painting Magical, Young Artist Smock, World Colors 27ct, Beeswax Crayons, and Magical Pom Pom Key Chains
- Educational Insights — GeoSafari Jr. Talking Globe
- Miniland — Emotiblocks, Pre-Writing Basics Patters, Mosaic Art 3D & ABC Monster
- Kane Miller — Bear Grylls Adventure Book Set (10 titles)
- Little Navy — $100 credit
- Piccolina — $50 credit
- Pediped — Shoes of Choice
- GoSili — $50 Package Assorted goSili items
ENTERING IS SIMPLE…
- To enter, head to our original Instagram post at: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDzgw7bn9wY/
- Follow the instructions
- Like the photo, follow Family Entourage and all the amazing brands listed
- Comment with your favorite school subject
- Tag a friend, one per line, no limit
(Giveaway runs from 8/12 – 8/26 11:59PM PST. Open to US residents. No purchase necessary. The giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Instagram.)
BOOK CLUB WITH FRIENDS THANKS TO LIT LEAGUE
Our kids are definitely missing their friends. One way for them to connect is doing a book club. Lit League has the cutest book subscription box for kids. You can pick out your subscription based on your child’s reading level – picture books, early reader or chapter books. Each month’s themed kit is curated by seasoned educators and delivered with one book a vocabulary bookmark, fun activities, discussion questions & answers. You can do the kit as a family or organize a book club with friends. We love that we don’t have to think about the activities and we always love anything that inspires our children to read more.
SPARK CREATIVITY WITH FABER-CASTELL
Art can be a great break in the regular school day and even more so if kids are doing online schooling. Creative expression is not only fun but can also be therapeutic. It is important during this time to take time to create. It can tie into the lesson they are doing for school or can just be something fun that the family saw online and wants to try. FaberCastell has some great inspiration for activities to do at home in addition to their art supplies and craft kits. From crayons and colored pencils to watercolors and calligraphy pens, there are supplies for every artist-level. We love their Beeswax Crayons. They come in a durable storage case great if they get “thrown in” a backpack. We have been taking a coloring book to a park to break up our learning time. The crayons are the perfect size for little hands learning how to color.
Growing up we didn’t have very many choices when it came to coloring faces that is why we love The World Colors How to Draw Faces Kit. It not only helps children learn how to draw faces but it also comes with blendable skin tone colored pencils. It was so fun watching the kids color pictures that looked like them. We also love their Creativity for Kids line which are boxed sets with all of the supplies you need to do an art project. As working parents balancing teaching our kids, this is a great option to be able to do art but not have to think about a supply list. Big Gem Diamond painting and Magical Pom Pom Key chains are fun sets. Kids can make stickers to decorate notebooks with the Big Gem set and fun key chains with the Magical Pom Pom Key chain set. Whether kids are headed back to the classroom or you are doing art at home, we think wearing a smock, like the Young Artist’s Smock is always a good idea. It allows the kids to be able to create with freedom and you don’t have to worry about their clothes getting dirty.
EXPLORE WITH EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS
America is big, the world is huge, the and the solar system is ginormous, but thanks to Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr series, our kids can explore all right from our homes! Since oftentimes we have to multitask with a conference call, or a zoom interview, we love the “talking” toys. From a high-tech, hands-on, interactive introduction to geography with the GeoSafari Jr. Talking globe to the GeoSafari Jr. Talking Telescope that not only has images of planets, stars and space, but it also has a fact mode and a quiz mode, no detail is left undone.
We also cherish family time, and game night is big in our house. Educational Insights has great games like Bunny Hop and Word on the Street Jr. that promote memory, vocabulary and of course, bring plenty of good old-fashioned family fun!
PLAY-BASED LEARNING WITH MINILAND
As we talk with our educator friends and moms who homeschool, they keep emphasizing to us the importance of play-based learning. It can be so easy to get caught up in what they “need to learn,” but play-based learning often brings those lessons to life and makes connections that go beyond a worksheet. Our families love using Miniland. From learning how to spell to discovering their emotions, they have lots of resources to help aid your learning journey.
Whether your child is returning to the classroom or learning from home, this fall brings up a range of emotions and it can be challenging to find a way to talk about it. Miniland’s Emotiblocks is a helpful tool for kids to express their feelings. There are a handful of ways to play. From frustrated to scared and happy, the kids liked looking at the cards and matching what mood the characters are in. I then asked them if they had similar feelings and we could talk about that as a family.
As we get ready for kindergarten, we are practicing our writing and spelling. The ABC monster game is a great tool to practice words and have fun. You pick out on of the cards that has a picture and a word in six different languages. Kids throw chips into the monster’s mouth to spell the words. The kids enjoy hearing what the different words are in other languages too, which is a great way to introduce another language. We like using it alongside a book that we are reading and pick out different words to spell for the monster. Our little guy needed some extra practice learning how to write. The Pre-writing pattern stencils are a great aid to helping kids learn how to write. You can use crayons, markers and even paint with them.
ADVENTURE TIME: BEAR GRYLLS EQUIPS FAMILIES WITH KANE MILLER BOOKS
When we think of the wild, we think of Bear Grylls! He’s such an adventurer from his World’s Toughest Races to his Survival Camps and our kids love his Activity Books and of course the 10-book Bear Grylls Adventures book series from Kane Miller. Each book follows a different child at an outdoor activity camp. Once they are given the magical compass, they meet Bear in an amazing place and learn new skills and facts they can take back with them to their real life. There is so much information, and so much fun in these inspirational adventures. Plus survival tips and tricks from Bear himself.
Also be sure to check out the Books & Tools — Talk, Play, Teach section of the Kane Miller website for FREE games and coloring pages that go along with the Bear Grylls Adventure Book Series.
LET’S GET PERSONAL WITH LITTLE NAVY
Education and learning is personal, so let’s extend the personalization into masks, apparel and even cushion kids that match your child! Whether you’re in classroom, at home, or a hybrid, you’ll definitely need to mask up and we love that we can customize masks (and adorable apparel) at Little Navy. Since kids have to wear masks all day, we find having their name helps teachers and friends identify your child and kids always love seeing their name on things. Same goes for their comfy dresses, leggings, hoodies and more.
Taking it a step further, whether you only have one child or several, fill your “at home” classroom with comfortable (and familiar, see what we did there) playmates by designing your own Little Me Cushion Kid. From gender to hair color, outfits and accessories, you’ll have fun creating the perfect size friend to cuddle up with and to bring along on all of your adventures!
DREAM BIG WITH PICCOLINA
Studying and learning at home can even be reflected in your style! Whether it’s aviation, chemistry, geometry, or space exploration we love Piccolina for our daughters. The collection has the cutest applique detail from flutter sleeves and ruffled skirts, to dresses and leggings. Everything they make lets young girls know from the time they are toddlers that there is no limit on what is interesting, aspirational or achievable in life! They are dedicated to empowering today’s young girls to become tomorrow’s trailblazers and problem solvers while still being stylish. We encourage our girls to dream big and that science, technology, engineering or finance, these fields can be both rewarding and fun!
SPORTY AND STYLISH WITH PEDIPED FOOTWEAR
Picking out a pair of shoes has always been a fun memory of starting school. We love how shoes gives kids the ability to express a bit of their personality even if they have to wear a school uniform. From sneakers to sandals, and boots to dress shoes, pediped® footwearoffers more than 120 designs for boys and girls between its three lines, Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®ensuring a style for any child’s needs. The sizing starts at newborn and goes through youth (EU sizes 17 to 38 and US newborn to 6 Youth).
Our kids are constantly on the go! From riding their bikes and scooters to climbing a trail, we love Pediped Flex. They can take the rough and tumble of our kids and then be thrown in the wash. This can also be a good option for children returning to the classroom and parents being concerned with germs coming home. If you have a little fashionista, they have everything from animal print boots to shoes that shimmer. We love that whatever shoe they pick, pediped® footwear has been awarded the American Podiatric Medical Association Seal of Acceptance for the promotion of healthy foot development making it an excellent choice for parents who want their children’s feet to develop naturally and healthily.
CAN I HAVE A SNACK? GOSILI HAS YOU COVERED
It’s a phrase we hear all day, every day — Can I have a snack? or I’m hungry? In the case of my todder it’s Juice? Milk? They are always wanting some sort of fuel and thankfully GoSili has us covered. We love their silicone cups, straws, lids, storage and more.
Founded in 2006 with the mission of Waste Less! GoSili designs and manufactures silicone tableware products for the whole family. The excessive use and waste of disposable paper and plastic inspired the GoSili founders to create a modern line incorporating all the practical benefits that silicone has to offer. It’s so nice that the silicone is both dishwasher safe and microwave safe!! We love taking additional steps out when it comes to warming drinks or heating oatmeal.
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We were given items for review by Educational Insights, Faber Castell, GOSILI, Kane Miller, Lit League, Little Navy, Miniland, Pediped, and Piccolina. All of our thoughts and opinions are our own.
