The Magic of Hands-on Play
Hey mama, let’s be real: screen time happens. It happens a lot over here, and I’m totally cool with it. Now, more than ever, as our kids have been thrown into e-learning, homeschooling or a hybrid education, most families need to adjust to the different ways our kids receive their education. I know we all want our kids to sit and play with wooden blocks and felt play food, but the truth is, our world today actually requires them to learn through technology at an early age. However, the way we incorporate those tech devices into learning is what makes the difference. What if I told you that there was an educational gaming system that would not only let your kiddos be on their tablets to learn, but also use their hands and imagination at the same time? Well, then keep reading.
Check out our long-time favorite learning tool: Osmo.
Osmo is an interactive learning system of 13+ games and kits for kids from three to ten years old. The games even provide different levels of difficulty and grow with your kiddos. The magic of Osmo is that it fuses digital and physical play, unlike any other play system. Your kids won’t be little zombies staring into a screen tapping and dragging. Osmo is real play and real learning with tangible pieces and a screen. I know my kids learn and retain information the best through play, so when we discovered Osmo four years ago, we were immediately (and still are), hooked. At just two years old, Oliver started out with the Genius Starter Kit. I always sat with and guided him in learning about letters, numbers, puzzles and more. As he got older, he was able to sit by himself and navigate through his favorite games.
Osmo’s newest game, Math Wizard and the Secrets of the Dragons,* is part of a self-paced, curriculum-inspired series that combines hands-on learning with digital adventure, helping children build math confidence and understanding. He loves the magical story that goes along with the game, and using the rulers and foods to measure the dragons. I love how he’s learning different units of measurement, how to estimate and add lengths, and especially how all the little pieces stay nicely organized in the box!
With six different ways to learn and play, the Little Genius Starter Kit is going to keep us busy for awhile. Games build on letter and number recognition, creative, social and emotional skills, spacial reasoning and problem solving. Seriously, all the things! The silicone shapes and costume pieces are fun, bright colors that are boosting Luca’s fine motor skills, and I love the easy-stack storage boxes that keep them contained (for a little while, at least).
Ok mama, trust me on this: head over to Osmo’s website, Target or Amazon to grab an Osmo kit (or two). Whether your kids are homeschooling, e-learning or going to school in-person, you can feel good about giving them the screen time they crave because they’ll be learning valuable skills with a smile on their face. I promise, you’ll love the magic of it all just as much as they do.
