Reviewing Smart Kidz Radio

My family was given the opportunity to review Smart Kidz Radio which is a free online radio station geared towards children age 2 to 10 from Smart Kidz Media. "The Smart Kidz Radio Station is part of the network of free educational websites administered by the Smart Kidz Academy." Smart Kidz Radio Station is "committed to offering every child, no matter what their race, religion, or gender a membership...for no cost" (Smart Kidz Radio). The membership is offered free for the radio because they want children to grow up "healthy, happy, and engaged in positive pursuits." These are wonderful ideals! Something to look for in any company that produces children's programming.

There is also an upgraded On-Demand Membership. You can find pricing details on their page and more information on their FAQ page. With this On-Demand Membership Plan you receive access to the following:

Song Programming which includes:

• Early Learning Radio Program (ages 2-4)
• Good Behavior Skills Radio Program (ages 3-6)
• Bedtime Songs Radio Program (ages 2-8) 
• Survival Skills to Grow On Radio Program (ages 6-10) 
• And more! 

There is also story programming available via the On-Demand Membership Plan including: 

• Classic Fairy Tales
• Not Scary Tales 
• Best Loved Bible Stories 
• And other stories! 

While listening to the sample of Noah's Ark (ages 3-6), my two younger children came running. It started really loud (I had my laptop volume up to the max) and my son said, "Scary!" Yes, I guess the idea of God destroying the world is very scary. The voice acting was very good for the characters.

I also listened to the sample of Bedtime Songs (ages 2-8). The music is very pretty and relaxing.

In addition to the other samples, I also listened to the sample of Relaxation Songs (all ages). Children are asked to day dream while listening to the songs.

How We Used Smart Kidz Radio in Our House 

After checking out the dashboard, I played the free music available for a while.

Some of the topics addressed via the free songs include:

• Respect 
• Gender 
• Friendship 
• Making decisions
• Parents
• Disagreements and handling them 

These are all important topics to discuss with your family. I would advise you listen to the songs prior to sharing with your children to make sure they align with your values.

I decided to let Smart Kidz Radio play in the background while I work on my laptop and my children work at the table, either doing school work, eating lunch, or crafting. I was pleasantly surprised that while we could focus upon the songs and the lyrics to discuss the topics, if it was playing quietly it was not a distraction. That is often difficult to find in radio stations – for children and adults alike.

Our 3-year-old daughter was intrigued by the fairy tales that were available via the podcasts. She highly enjoyed Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Each of the fairy tales podcasts is between 15-20 minutes long. Perfect for lunchtime listening.

I am looking forward to seeing what new content Smart Kidz Radio introduces in the future.

I think this would be a fit for homeschooling families who enjoy listening to music while doing different daily activities. For example, they might be good to listen to while eating breakfast or lunch, during quite time or nap time, while working on arts and crafts projects, or while the children are working on homeschool assignments. Some of the songs would even be good to play during lessons to talk about the different topics that the songs present.

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You can also read more reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew: 

X Marks the Spot (Blogging through the Alphabet)

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 Going on a treasure hunt?

What items would children pack if they were seeking out lost treasure?

What would our kids put in their backpack? I asked our four-year-old son and two-year-old daughter for their list of must-haves for a treasure hunt.

• Magnifying glass 
• Protective gear – hat, boots, pants, green shirt 
• Map
• Papers & Pencil to make a map 
• Minnie Mouse plush & a cover to protect her 
• Apples - food to eat on the adventure 
• Present for the animals on the adventure (Could this be distraction tactics being planned by our children to get the treasure away from monkeys guarding the treasure?) 

What would I recommend to them?

• Water - preferably in a refillable container 
• Pen and pencil
• Paper 
• Compass
• Flashlight 
• Map
• Shovel, spade, and bucket 
• Food 

Would you like to go on your own adventure to learn more about SchoolhouseTeachers.com?

A SchoolhouseTeachers.com membership is one price for the entire family with courses for all ages. From Preschool through the last year of high school, SchoolhouseTeachers.com has it covered and the price is locked in for as long as you keep your membership! 

Some of my favorite content on SchoolhouseTeachers.com includes the video resources. It is fantastic to be able to go to the Video Library and find videos to share with the entire family from Easter-themed selections to the Torchlighters series to Drive Thru History: American History. 

I also love all the planning tools available such as the Homeschool Planner and the custom schedule builder. All these great tools are included with your membership along with printable charts that your children can include in their own planners and binders. 

I am so happy that through my hunting for homeschool treasures on the Internet, I was able to find SchoolhouseTeachers.com and join their team as a lesson designer and member of the Homeschool Review Crew. 

I linked up with the following blog(s):

Wordless Wednesday (Mostly Wordless) - Ice Hockey Championship

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My stepson when he was playing before his concussion. 

Smooth sheet of ice for the teams.

The teams lined up at center ice for the singing of the National Anthem.

My stepson wasn't playing because he was only recently given the okay after his concussion.

  

I linked up to the following blog(s):

Busy/Quiet Boxes - Felt Ribbon and Snake

In order to promote my toddler's imagination and quiet activities, after discovering the idea of busy or quiet boxes online, I scoured Pinterest for ideas that I could put into action.

If you are unfamiliar with busy or quiet boxes, they are quiet, simple and can be implemented in a number of ways. A box can be created for each day of the week (or just the weekdays), bags can be created for each separate activity so you can pick and choose when to share certain activities, or bags can be created that can be taken out to restaurants and shopping trips.

Ribbon Serpents

To assist our toddlers in developing their fine motor skills, I found several different activities that incorporated the idea of weaving and buttoning.  I choose two (button snake and chain) after reviewing several blogs that presented different ideas for using felt, buttons, and chains (Felt Button Chain Quiet Activity; Car Ride Activities (Felt Chain); and Button Snake).

For now, as children build their fine motor skills, they might only move the felt along the ribbon and not actually thread it. Or a child may be able to unbutton the separate pieces but not put them back together but children will quickly progress as they build the appropriate skills.