GeekDad

Dealing With Darth Vader Fears

May 25, 2017Rebecca Angel

Seeing Star Wars on the big screen didn’t traumatize four year old Rebecca Angel. Playing through it helped make Darth Vader ok.

Is Spielgaben Worth the Splurge?

May 2, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

Spielgaben set is a beautifully designed educational set that offers countless learning opportunities for your children… but is it worth the splurge?

10+1 Outdoor Activities for Kids to Do Before Summer

February 20, 2017Jenny Bristol9

Need some ideas for creative outdoor play before summer? GeekDad’s got you covered.

Gameschooling: Play More in the New Year

December 31, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley4

Game-based learning can be such a blast. With a new year on the horizon, resolve to add more play to your day with a 31-Day #GameschoolChallenge.

Using Games in your Homeschool Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley, GeekMom, homeschooler, play, educational games, board games, homeschooling

Games in Your Homeschool: Learning Through Play

September 6, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley7

Among the biggest of homeschooling perks in my world is the fact that our family is able to play games frequently. We don’t have to try to squeeze in a family game night on an already jam-packed weekend, but rather we can play daily and sometimes multiple times daily if we desire.

Making Friends Is the Business of Childhood

August 25, 2016Amy Weir2

You meet the eyes of another kid at a grownup party, someone you’ve never met before and might never meet again, and your eyes say, “The kid that is me recognizes and acknowledges the kid that is you: let’s play.”

Harry Potter & The Cursed Child, Image: J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros.

10 Things Parents Should Know About ‘Harry Potter & The Cursed Child’

July 20, 2016Sophie Brown

‘Harry Potter & the Cursed Child’ is a play that forms the latest installment of the Harry Potter series & follows on from the events of the ‘Deathly Hallows.’

Stealth Summer Learning

July 17, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

I am a big fan of stealth learning. When children are engaged in fun, hands-on activities, they are often unaware that they are practicing important skills. So much learning can happen through fantastic books, play, and games!

Lincoln Logs: 100 Years of Play

July 14, 2016Mordechai Luchins3

It’s rare that I get to review a toy that’s been around longer than every living member of my family. After a few months, the longevity of Lincoln Logs is now mystery. Click to find out more.

Practice Math Through Play

May 11, 2016Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

I have one of those kids who understands higher-order math concepts but stumbles over the rote memorization piece of it. He makes careless errors because he’s always flying at full speed, and he hates back-tracking to remedy the situation. We are homeschoolers and, initially, this tendency resulted in heaps of power struggles. And tears. I want my children to love math, and to see the value in it. I want them to grow into adults who feel confident in math. How can we practice those skills without the never-ending battles? Is it possible to make it fun?

educational games, strategy, logic, reasoning, board games, family games, homeschool, parenting, play

Stratos Spheres: A 3-Dimensional 4-In-A-Row Game

March 22, 2016December 16, 2017Caitlin Fitzpatrick Curley

What if I told you that you could take your Connect Four love to the next level with an updated game that you can hold in the palm of your hand?

Get Outside for Some ‘Recess’ With Your Kids!

March 6, 2016Jenny Bristol

Recess at school isn’t what it used to be. There is less of it, and there are fewer structures on playgrounds. But sometimes all you need is some blacktop and a few tools: a rope, a stick of chalk, a ball. Sometimes not even that. But you don’t even need to be in school to enjoy some recess time.

Engage in Counter-Tourism

August 17, 2014Laura Grace Weldon

Visit a shopping mall as if it were a post-apocalyptic artifact. Kiss a statues, Use a dream symbolism book to interpret a heritage site. Try these and other Counter-Tourism tactics.

Minecraft Essentials and Redstone Handbook Image: Dakster Sullivan

Making a Reader Out of My Son With The Minecraft Essential Handbook and The Redstone Handbook

July 17, 2014December 13, 2017Dakster Sullivan

Minecraft used to just be an obsession for my son. Now it’s a learning experience thanks to the new Minecraft Guides by Scholastic Books.

Russian Caravan Fantasy

November 23, 2013Rebecca Angel

My nephew is an adult, and one of my favorite people to hang out with. One day, the smell of smokey tea took us to another dimension.

Confessions of a Loser

June 27, 2013Rebecca Angel15

I learned early on not to play games of chance. My name was never picked from the hat, the dice never rolled in my favor, I rarely picked the good cards. I wasn’t oddly unlucky; I didn’t have random horrible things happen to me, but I was not a winner.

Screen Free Week: The Wrong Conversation

April 29, 2013Amy Kraft14

As someone who makes games for kids to play on screens, I’m not a fan of the Center for a Commercial Free Childhood’s Screen-Free Week, which begins today. I’m all for kids getting more unstructured play, more time outdoors, more time reading, and other good stuff, but the label “Screen-Free Week” forces the wrong conversation that lasts all year long.

Games We Play

August 23, 2012Anton Olsen

Step on cracks, jump to touch, the floor is lava, what imaginary games do you play?

Outdoor Summer Fun: 30 Ideas for Your Geeklets

June 7, 2012Laura Grace Weldon

30 ideas for active summer fun.

Chronic Pain And Toddler Play

October 25, 2011GeekMom5

For nearly a decade, I have suffered from daily chronic headaches. Basically I have had the same headache for that whole time so I am in constant pain. But usually the pain level is low enough that I can ignore it. There are times that the pain gets as bad as a migraine. I made […]

Education Week: Educating Too Early

September 8, 2011Laura Grace Weldon14

Look at promotional material for preschool and daycare in your area. Chances are, there’s an emphasis on math, pre-reading, and other academics. And why not? We’ve been told for years that our little ones should play with educational toys and attend enrichment programs designed to boost learning. Well-intentioned parents follow this advice. We do this […]

GeekMom’s Education Week: Reading Readiness Has to Do With the Body

September 7, 2011Admin

Today’s children sit more than ever. Babies spend hours confined in car seats and carriers rather than crawling, toddling or being carried. As they get older their days are often heavily scheduled between educational activities and organized events. Children have …

Education Week: Reading Readiness Has To Do With The Body

September 7, 2011Laura Grace Weldon12

Change the Subject – I Dare You!

May 12, 2011GeekMom12

Many of our daily conversations are dominated by some combination of these four topics: Our homes, our partners, our children, and our appearance. This is particularly true for women, as social pressures drive us to focus on these things above all else. However, habit can become stifling, and it’s probably not healthy to fulfill any […]

“Wind and Mr. Ug” Get Non-Euclidean

February 17, 2011December 13, 2017GeekMom1

Gather up the kiddies because it’s storytime! Meet Wind, a lonely triangle living on a flat, yet mysterious world. Watch as curiosity compels her to unravel those mysteries and change her world forever… (Warning: Spoilers below the clip!) “Wind and Mr. Ug ” is a shining example of education by stealth. It makes Möbius strips […]

Road Construction Ahead

February 10, 2011GeekMom1

My kids are beyond the age of playing with toy cars, but wow. If I had had some of this roadway tape when they were little, it would have kept them busy for days. Simply unroll the tape, stick it to your floor, and viola! You’re all set to race. It’s available in the USA […]

Geek School: Smarter by Design

November 1, 2010GeekMom

I’ve been a geek all my life, but I hated school. Until college, I learned more watching PBS and maxing out my youth library card every week than I ever did in a classroom. I’m worried that my son will have the same experience – he’s only four years old, but he already loves science […]

Tag: play