ABC Mouse – Review and Giveaway

 When I found out ABC Mouse was going to let a blogger try out their site I jumped at the chance.

What is ABC Mouse you ask? 

• ABCmouse is an Early Learning Academy with a full online curriculum for preschool through Kindergarten. 

My youngest is in kindergarten and learning to read. I know they do a lot at school, but there’s 27 kids in his kindergarten class and it’s just too many. So, we’ve been trying to supplement at home which is not always easy.

We’ve actually tried another computer program and he hated it, so I wasn’t sure if he would even try ABC Mouse. I have two of their free phone apps on my cell and he plays those, so when I said ABC Mouse he already seemed to have a positive attitude towards it.

Much to my delight he immediately got right into it. I set him up on the learning path and he did 5 activities in one sitting. (If you have a high energy little guy like mine then you will know why that’s a huge deal.) He enjoyed it so much he discussed it with me and played again later that day. Since then he has play every single day. Sometimes he does the learning path that was customized for his age and sometimes he just does free choice. I love listening to him sing a long with the songs.

 
Another great things is the parents section. Here I can watch his progress and adjust his levels if I want. There’s also explanations of the various lessons. They’ve got hundred of lessons.

Win a one year subscription to ABCMouse.com

Here's your chance to win your children a one year subscription to ABC Mouse. You can also check out their Facebook page for more info http://www.facebook.com/ABCmouse 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This was a sponsored post by thebloggerconnection.com. All opinions shared are my own.

Ski Bowl - Mt. Hood

Have you been out skiing yet this year? We just got back from another day trip up to Ski Bowl on Mt. Hood in Government Camp. We decided to get season passes there this year. They offer military members and their families half off tickets and half off season passes. 
The best thing about Ski Bowl is the price. Skiing on Mt. Hood can be expensive, but Ski Bowl is cheaper than most of the others. The second best thing is the location. Located right off the highway as you get into Government Camp. Ski Bowl West is right before you actually go into Government Camp. This make it the closest ski resort to Portland, Oregon. Ski Bowl East is almost as close only a few more minutes away. One ticket gets you into their West and East sides.
The down side to Ski Bowl is their lifts. They only have two person lifts without the rail that comes down to rest your feet on. This can be challenging with kids. If your kid needs help make sure to put them on the side where the lift operator can help you get them on the lift. There are multiple lifts. They also have three tow ropes. (I hate tow ropes.)

Experiment with Water

Another fun  and easy science experiment for kids is this paper towel absorption experiment. You will need two paper towel, three clear cups, water, and food coloring. We went with blue water in one cup and yellow in another. In the middle you add no water. Wind up a paper towel and place it with one end in the water and one in the empty cup. Do the same with the other glass.
Kid's can observe how the paper towel soaks up the water, eventually moving it into the middle cup. This also helps teach colors to young children. My five year old now knows that blue and yellow mix together makes green.