Learning the Alphabet and Numbers with Interactive Games

Many kids grasp educational concepts easier with hands-on learning activities. I was one of those kids. Nothing bored me more than sitting at a desk staring at a piece of paper that tried to explain a concept to me. Especially if it had anything to do with math, my nemesis. Lucky for me, I was homeschooled by a very patient and loving mom who took the time to try to find different ways of teaching me the things I needed to know. She did the same successfully for my sister, who absolutely hated reading when she started out learning. And my mom didnt even have the resources we have today!

Im planning on homeschooling my daughter, and although were still at the preschool stage, Im already making plans and teaching her foundational basics in preparation for the future. She has grasped the alphabet, shapes, colors, and numbers pretty quickly thanks to online learning games and songs, but its always good to reinforce those things and expand her knowledge through daily play and activity. The products Ive found at Learning Resources have been a great help with that!

Ill be featuring (and giving away!) two learning games in this post. Both include large, colorful play mats and pieces and are games that get children moving, interacting, and laughing.

Alphabet Toss n Play Activity Set:

The Alphabet Toss n Play Activity Set is really two games in one: Hopscotch and a Beanbag Toss ABCs game. The large 4 x 5-foot vinyl play mat is two-sided and it also includes four canvas bean bags. The information booklet that comes with it shows us how to play eleven different types of games with the best age ranges for that age clearly stated next to each game. Its meant for children ages 3 and up, and many of the games can be played with up to 4-5 players, making it a great party or preschool game to have around. 🙂

Examples of games:

– An I Spy game in which one person gives clues to the second person about a picture on the mat. There are lots of cute pictures, so this is really fun!

– In the A is for Apple game, one player throws a bean bag into the center of the mat and calls out the letter it lands on or the letter closest to it. All of the players try to find the picture that starts with that letter and stand on it first.

Emma enjoyed playing with this mat and the beanbags so much that shes asked often to play again. And I love it, too it has my approval since its educational and Emma has so much fun with it. We havent had a chance to play with it with multiple (preschooler) players yet but I look forward to it! I think itll be a hit. 🙂

Crocodile Hop Floor Game:

The second interactive floor mat game we were able to try is called Crocodile Hop. It focuses on numbers and shapes and the mat is long and rectangular instead of square. Its pieces are cardboard circles (game markers) with animal characters on them and two blow-up dice. As with the alphabet floor game, there are a few different ways to play and theyre all outlined in the instructions. But basically you roll the dice, use the markers to mark your progress, and try to make it across the logs to the end (without getting snapped up by the alligator!). Because Emmas attention span isnt quite long enough for an entire game yet (she IS 3), we used some of the suggested activities in the instruction manual including Spot the Shape and Name That Color. She really got into it! And even my 7-month-old son liked it well, okay, he really liked the giant blow-up dice. 😉

The vivid coloring of the mat is something I really appreciate. Its also very nice quality and holds up well to excitable (i.e. destructive) preschoolers. The games are great for reinforcing recognition of shapes and numbers in a fun, positive atmosphere. Recommended!

Want to Buy?

You can buy Crocodile Hop for $21.59 and Alphabet Toss n Play games at Amazon.com for great prices!

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This giveaway is going to have two (2) winners, one person will receive the Crocodile Hop game and the other will receive the Alphabet Toss n Play Activity Set!

Giveaway closed Congrats to Leah and Trung!

{Prize} Crocodile Hop Floor Game and Alphabet Toss n Play Activity Set (two winners, one game to each)
{Eligibility}
Open to the US only. One person per household may enter this giveaway. By entering this giveaway you indicate you have read and agreed to the contest rules found here.


{Mandatory Main Entry do this before moving on to extra entries}

Do the following, leaving one comment for each:
1. Visit Learning Resources and tell me what other product you think your child would like.
2. Tell me which game you would like to win (Crocodile Hop or Alphabet Toss n Play) and why!

Optional Extra Entries Get 1 extra entry for each unless otherwise noted: (Leave a separate comment for each extra entry!)

  • Do anything under Connect With Learning Resources above. (+1 extra entry each)
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Giveaway will be closed on September 24, 2011 at midnight PST and winner notified by email. Winner will then have 48 hours to reply to my email or I will have to re-draw another winner. Good luck, everyone!

I received the products reviewed in this post courtesy of Learning Resources so that I could share our thoughts and experiences with it. This post is 100% my own opinion, thoughts, and experiences, and was not edited or reviewed by anyone. I do not feel obligated to write a positive review Ill always share my honest thoughts on products! 🙂