Keep Learning Fun AFTER School with ThinkFun Educational Games

I'm not sure about you, but we are knee-deep in Back-to-School chaos. It's been a few weeks, and we are finally settling into our routine. We're catching buses, doing homework and still trying to find plenty of room for fun each day.

Unlike when I was a kid, kids have so much pressure: pressure to learn, pressure to perform on the sports field, pressure to test well, pressure to have a wall of accolades to prep them for a successful college career - even in early elementary school. Standardized testing is at an all-time high, and we're demanding more of our kids in schools educationally at the expense of recess and subjects like art, physical education and music.

We're asking kids to stop being, well, kids.

Kids need time to run, to imagine, to play, to explore. It's amazing how much they learn when you give them an opportunity to have fun. So when I can put learning AND playing together, I consider it a total win!

The folks at ThinkFun knows that education doesn't have to be boring - and that kids can have fun while still giving them a chance to learn. Last year during the holidays, I shared my Gifts for Kids Who Love to Code - a wealth of educational toys that keeps learning fun. One of the featured items was ThinkFun game that my girls LOVE called Robot Turtles. Chica and Bug don't even realize they are learning valuable lessons while they play!

Here are a few more ThinkFun games to add to your collection. It's the perfect way to relax and have fun as a family, while still sneaking in some subliminal education:

Code Master

In Code Master, your Avatar will travel to an exotic world in search of power Crystals. Kids learn how to step through code and understand the logic and sequence behind a computer’s actions. Kids will be entertained while developing an understanding of computer programming principles. For all 60 levels, you’ll have to use programming logic to help your Avatar collect the Crystals and land at the Portal. Think carefully, in each level, only one specific sequence of actions will lead to success. Available exclusively at Target . (Ages 8+)

Compose Yourself

Created by maestro cellist and composer Philip Sheppard – who recently scored the Star Wars trailer!), Compose Yourself is a set of musical “building bricks” that encourages anyone with any musical ability to “play with” music just as they would with a construction kit. The digital music game features a deck of transparent cards and access to an exclusive website to compose, share with friends and family, or download/print your own custom sheet music – featuring more than a billion melody combinations. Available exclusively at Amazon. (Ages 6+).

Laser Maze Jr.

Your mission: Expertly transport the laser beam to the rockets so that it can safely return to earth! Younger players can now experience the fun of the award-winning game Laser Maze with an age-appropriate design and challenge for grade school children with real lasers. Available on Amazon and neighborhood toy stores. (Ages 6+).


Find more learning fun at ThinkFun.com!