Oct 25, 2017

A Step By Step Guide - What Are STEM Toys For Young Kids & STEM Toy Recommendations



STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. STEM toys encourage kids to learn more about these different subjects by applying each to the real world. They make education exciting for kids and help to develop key skills. STEM toys focus on creativity and problem solving skills and present clear goals which help kids to learn while having fun. If you are wondering which STEM toys to present to your toddler, preschooler or kindergartner, here are some awesome Science, Engineering & Maths toy recommendations for the little scientists. 


What Are STEM Toys?

STEM is not just about learning Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths, it is about a combination of any of these four areas that when combined, produces more logical thinkers and creates adults who can be ahead in their lives, not just in jobs that are related to science and technology, but in other domains too. In other words, it helps in creating innovators and doers, rather then just followers.

STEM learning actually starts at the age of 7 but the foundations are laid in the very early years of a child's life. Playing with STEM toys from an early age, whether it’s science toys, engineering toys, math toys or technology toys, can have a lasting impact on a child’s thought process and approach to problem-solving and creative thinking, no matter what vocation they land up in.

I do not want to say that STEM toys will make kids into future inventors, programmers, or poets. Boiled down to the basics, STEM toys tend to emphasize creativity, logic, problem solving, and experimentation. Great STEM toys don’t instruct kids, but engage them. These toys are open-ended, adaptive, flexible, provocative, and, most importantly, fun.

The Rise Of STEM Toys

STEM education in schools is now as much a part of the curriculum as English or social studies. There have been some variations like STEAM (“A” for art because creativity is a must in life to excel) and STREAM (“R” for reading because it is one of the foundations in child's learning). This STEM movement is also picking up with parents at home as they try to give exposure of STEM toys to their kids to teach these critical concepts during early years.

STEM toys are fun & facilitate real play. And that is what a child needs at the end of the day - PLAY. Play is the work of the child & it is through play, children explore & figure out the world around them. Play is also very important for their skills like gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, social & emotional. STEM toys help support this philosophy.


What To Look For In STEM Toys & Awesome Skola Toys Recommendations 

STEM toys need not be fancy all the time. According to child development experts, you should look for these qualities while buying STEM toys -

Interactive - It could be a toy to assemble body parts to form an animal figure like this Nesting Hen toy or a simple car set up like Cascade Car toy. The process of building or creating something, taking it apart and rebuilding it in a new way, can facilitate deeper learning and brain development.

Nesting Hen - To balance unevenly sized and weighted eggs in creative ways on the hen. Children get a chance to think of creative ways to balance eggs on the back of the hen. This augments fine motor skills and improves dimension awareness, thus developing their concentration levels. By balancing the eggs, children achieve greater dexterity. Nesting the pieces in this toy helps in developing fine motor skills. It is a simple activity that helps children focus on sizes and dimensions of objects leading to effective spatial analysis. Stacking uneven and distinct objects helps children understand the correlation between sizes and weights. Pairing, size gradation and name games enhance children's awareness of shapes as a property of objects. One can do nesting, name games, gradation, patterns, balancing, abstract pairing & lot more with this toy.




Cascade Cars - To track the movement of the cars as they cascade down the stepped slopes. By letting one or more cars roll down from one slope to another, children learn to focus on moving objects and track the movement. Following the movement of the car improves visual tracking among children, which is essential for improving their reading skills and abilities while playing any physical sport. This toy also leads to awareness of motion and movement as children watch and analyse the movements of the cars as they roll down the slopes. As they push the cars further or hold them back, they understand the impact of their actions on the speed, motion and time factors of the cars. As children begin to develop their visual tracking skills, they get ready to understand the cause and effect phenomenon.






You might also like THIS article on 6 things to consider while choosing a toy for your child & what is wrong with today's toys.


Age Appropriate - A parent should resist the urge to buy STEM toys meant for older children. To help a parent choose age appropriate STEM toys, Skola has designed "Learning Journeys Designed As Play" (read more HERE), and it is very easy to choose the right toy for the child for a given age by the age recommendations that are given by experts in this field.

Child-Led -  Even the greatest STEM toys in the world won’t be of much value to your child if he has not interest in that particular area of learning at that point in time. One should observe the child & understand their sensitive period of learning & see what types of toys and activities your child gravitates to and follow their lead. For example, if your child loves blocks, stock up on basic wooden building blocks or construction toys like Mosaic Nuts & Bolts, which teach basic engineering concepts.

Wooden Building Blocks - 50 wooden coloured blocks of different shapes and sizes to build fascinating structures. This toy happens to be one of the most creative toys that children of all ages can enjoy. These colorful, wooden blocks grab their attention, making children imaginative as well as logical while building different shapes and objects. Constructing with different shapes to form new shapes, sorting, classifying and pairing enhances children's understanding of geometry and creativity. Constructing with wooden blocks of varying geometric shapes, is fantastic for developing fine motor skills. By applying their knowledge of shapes, children get a better understanding of how shapes can have multiple dimensions and numeral values associated with them.




Mosaic Nuts & Bolts - It is a smart toy that combines high dexterity with creativity. The fact that it uses equilateral triangles & rhombuses to create patterns inherently increases the understanding of geometric construction. There is no "prescribed outcomes". The child is free to innovate and create patterns. A practical life toy that uses nut and bolt mechanisms to create a whole range of designs.



Open-Ended - Whether a simple set of building blocks or a multipurpose step tower for stacking, counting, sorting & gradation, or a rainbow stacker, the list of open-ended toys is endless. Toys that can be played with, disassembled, reassembled, and interacted with in a variety of ways are enjoyed by kids of all ages because they work with such toys differently. All this help kids to enhance thrier creativity, exploration, and a deeper understanding of rules, patterns, logic, and how things work.

Rainbow Roofs (Stack & Nest) - Stack, nest and arrange rainbow coloured roof shapes in various ways.Children explore the magic of creating different forms with this toy - a train, a sofa or a building! Nesting the pieces in this toy helps in developing fine motor skills at a very young age. Stacking the individual pieces makes children dexterous and hones balancing skills. Playing with the toy enhances their awareness of colours in a concrete manner and various name games hone children's memory skills. Children also gain knowledge about the rainbow in the form of VIBGYOR.



Step Tower - Stack the step tower to learn ordinal numbers through quantity, dimensions & colours. The toy is a beautiful stacking tower that uses colours, width and height to form different steps ranging from numbers 1 to 10. Stacking these steps help children connect dimensions with quantity. This toy also enhances thinking ability and encourages creative exploration. Step Tower helps children develop ordinal counting skills. It also assists the child in getting a deeper understanding of the correlation between dimensions and sizes of objects and quantities. This toy hence successfully fuses the understanding of sensorial properties of colour and size with numbers.



Toys With Direct STEM Aim - Some STEM toys have a direct aim such as Maths concepts but the key here is toys are supposed to be played. So make sure you choose a toy that teaches the concepts in a playful,creative & engaging manner and not in the rote way.

Peg & Add - Add numbers between 0 and 10 using coloured pegs on wooden decagons. A self-correcting toy, Peg and Add, forms the perfect link between numerals, object counting and addition. Children can add numbers between 0 and 10 using pegs and no matter what combinations they try, they will always find the right answer. It also helps them read addition problems in an equation format. Using pegs makes the abstract arithmetic procedure of addition very concrete, making children enjoy it as they soak it in completely.



Skip Counting Tshirts - Skip count miniature t-shirts sequentially by hanging them to dry on a pole. As children begin playing with this toy, they build a strong foundation of number patterns and sequences, thanks to the numbered T-shirts. Children associate better with an everyday task of drying clothes and enjoy hanging T-shirts with certain fixed patterns on the rod. The geometric symbols help them learn how numbers can be skipped in a pattern, setting a firm base for multiplication.


Scroll & Multiply - Scroll perpendicular mats to slot pegs in rows and columns for multiplication. Children uncover more arithmetic secrets with this toy. As they scroll away the screens based on the rows and columns, they learn to count and add values based on the pegs fitted in the empty slots, which in turn helps them learn multiplication. The toy also exposes them to the numerous multiplication combinations that can be created and helps build logical reasoning. Multiplication is an abstract concept that most children do not visualize but learn by rote. Multiplication by counting and adding gives the child a clear understanding that multiplication is repeat addition. Using pegs for counting and to learn multiplication involves fine motor skills and ensures higher accuracy of results, simultaneously enhancing their writing skills and pincer grip. Children can also use the toy to learn division with the help of physical cues. Performing multiplication and division with this toy helps them understand that the arithmetic processes are the opposite of each other.

 



You might also like a bunch of toys & books recommendations for kids HERE.


How Skola Toys Help In Pre-STEM Learning 

Skola toys helps in preparing a child for STEM learning. Skola’s ultimate aim is to improve fine motor skills which certainly helps in engineering, but more importantly using fingers helps children think clearly and enhances concentration and cognitive ability which is a direct STEM requirement.

As discussed above, cascade cars toy helps a child to understand cause and effect. This is where a child is exposed to science. It helps a child to register concepts, process and comprehend them.

Colour Wheels toy encourages children to use fingers to rotate wheels and then find the matching colours which involves examination, observation analysis and discovery. You can watch the unboxing & review of Color wheels toy in this video below.



To summarize, these common principles of exploration, open-ended play, analysis, discovery, examination, and most importantly the presence of the PLAY element is true for all Skola Toys and hence creates thinkers, innovators & doers in the long run!

Disclaimer : This is a sponsored post but the views shared are honest and solely mine. I believe in using the products myself before putting up the review or opinion about them here. 


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


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Oct 11, 2017

This Diwali Gift Learning - Diwali Gift Ideas For Children - Open Ended Learning Experiences

Are you looking for Diwali gift ideas for children this year? Are you bored of buying the same old sweets or crackers or clothes as gifts & looking for better gift options that kids will remember in the years to come? Then do something different this year & gift learning, memories & experiences to kids! Read on to know more.


Diwali, the most important and widely celebrated festival for Hindus, commemorates the victory of good over evil. It is the festive time when families get together, everyone indulges on sweets, lit up diyas, illuminate homes, children burst fire crackers and everyone has a great time.

I just love Diwali! It is my favorite time of the year because of the positivity, cheerfulness & festival fervor in the air! It is customary to gift sweets, crackers, clothes etc to kids in our friends & family members. Why not do something different this year? Let us gift learning to kids. Sounds different? Let me tell you how this can be done in so many ways. I am listing some learning gift ideas for kids because at the end of the day, kids remember experiences & memories and that gives them learning for life. They do not remember that they got chocolates & sweets as gifts!


Excursions

Kids love outdoors, be it a simple visit to a nearby park. This Diwali let us keep them away from screens by gifting them our time & take them out for excursions. Depending upon the age & interest of your child, you can take him/her to a green farm, plant nursery, dam, boating, camping, fort, trek, adventure sports trip, amusement park or even just a long drive in the outskirts of the city. Nature is the best teacher & kids learn the best when they are amidst nature.

Field Trips

Did you know even a simple trip to a post office or a super market can be a learning experience for a child? You can even take your child to a temple over a hill, a fire station, museum or any such place. My toddler loves visiting new places. It gives us a new dimension to our never-ending conversations. And a holistic learning is already going on during such outings.


Books, Books & More Books


Nothing beats the smell & sight of books for me. They are never enough for me, just the space is less to store them at home. I have hundreds of books for myself & my toddler too & I still do not stop buying! Gift your child a bundle of books this Diwali. Let us raise readers! If you are confused which books to buy for your child, I have put up an exhaustive list of Diwali themed books HERE that you can choose from. Apart from this I have a bunch of book reviews & recommendations too on various topics. So go ahead & take a pick yourself!


DIY & Diwali Activities & Crafts


It is holiday time for the kids & what better than bonding with them over DIY fun Diwali activities. There so many more activities that I am going to do with my son this year. Also, pinterest is full of Diwali activity & craft ideas that you can browse through. If you are working or do not have enough ideas or motivation, you can send your child in Diwali camps happening at many places these days. Let your child soak into the festivities and learn a lot of things too.

Open-Ended & Free Play Learning Experiences
I cannot stress much upon the importance of open-ended & free play. It boosts creativity, confidence, self esteem of the child & the learning that follows organically is incomparable. We have a lot of open-ended toys & a brand that we personally love for its quality, designing & precision is Skola Toys. Toys are the best friends & the best teachers, so it is very important to make an informed choice of what kind of toys you buy for a child.

You might want to read this article - 6 things to consider when choosing toys & what is wrong with today's toys.

The team & designers at Skola Toys believe that play leads to exploration, exploration leads to discovery and discovery leads to learning. Skola toys stimulate the child’s senses by opening up a fascinating world of colours, shapes, numbers, alphabets, science, geography and more. Children between 0 and 8 have an extremely high rate of brain development that constantly seeks information through activity. For these young Skolars, activity, work and play are all synonymous.

We love Skola toys because they are made of natural material (wood) which gives a rich sensory input to kids. They are self correcting in most cases, which means that there is no need for an adult intervention to decide whether the child is working with the material correctly or not. They are open-ended, interactive & facilitates imagination, which is very important during early years. Each toy is targeted very beautifully for a particular skill like fine motor or emotional intelligence or math or language or science (more on science in my next blog post) etc. Moreover, the concept of "learning journeys designed as play" by Skola Toys is amazing & it gives us a concrete path which we can follow to decide which toy/material to get for the child depending on where the child is in his learning journey. Read more about "learning journeys" HERE.

What more can I ask for to gift a child this Diwali? A wholesome sensory playing & learning experience, and in addition to this, their products are sustainable too. No plastics! Good for earth, less guilt for parents.

Here are some amazing open-ended Skola toys that you can consider for gifting kids this Diwali.



If you are unsure of what to gift to your family members' kids, then Skola has an option of GIFT CARD as well.

You might also want to check out more articles & reviews of mine on Skola Toys HERE.

So this Diwali, gift learning to kids! Let us change the trend and do something valuable for our kids, our future generation!

I hope this post gave you some unusual Diwali gift ideas for kids this year. If you have any more ideas, I would love to hear them!


Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


Read More »

Oct 10, 2017

The Ultimate List Of Indian Mythology Books For Diwali Festival For Kids

22 Indian Mythology story activity Books For diwali Festival For Children kids the k junction

Diwali often means lights, diyas, crackers, rangolis, gifts, sweets etc to kids. But I think it is equally important for us as parents to share the other aspect of Diwali with our kids - the story & history of Diwali, the customs, traditions etc. Books are one of the best ways to teach these things to kids! And now if you are looking for which books to read to your children, look no further, I have got you covered! I have a bunch of these & I also hunted the internet and put together a collection of 22 awesome Diwali books for children ranging from babies to toddlers to kindergartners to elder kids. So are you all set for Diwali this year with your kids?



iDiwali - An Interactive Diwali Story & Sticker Book


The Ramayana story summarized in 10 chapters, with hands on activity in each chapter. Additional Diwali experience activities - Rangoli, fireworks, sweets and more!!! 18 activities packed in one engaging book. You can check out the inside pages & review HERE.

Publisher - Your Learning Capsules
Age Group - 2.5 Years +
Price - 299 INR (FREE shipping anywhere in India)
Get 10% off till 19 Oct 2017. Use the discount code "kjunc10"
Story Of Diwali



The book is a fun, non-preachy, simple-to-read rhyming storybook which talks about how five days of Diwali are celebrated. The rhyming text and colorful illustrations appeal to toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. The 24-paged book also has some fun facts about Diwali and a special sloka in Sanskrit (along with its translation) at the end of the story. You can check out the inside pages & review HERE.

Reading level: 2 years +
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Tot Labs
Language: English
Price - 155 INR
Buy Links - Paperback | Ebook Version ONLY For People Outside India


Amma, Tell Me About Diwali



A part of the Amma, Tell me series, this book has rhyming text and covers many aspects of Diwali – the story of Ram, the story of Lakshmi as well as how it is celebrated. Read the review HERE.

Brilliant firecrackers lighting up the night,
Diyas twinkling like stars - what a sight!
This is Diwali, in all its glory,
As told to little Klaka - a magical story.

First the celebration of Prince Rama and his homecoming,
His victory over Ravana, the evil demon King.
Next a story of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth
Who rewards her true devotees with fortune and health.


Buy Here - Amazon | Mom & Kids Books | KU - Kids - Toys Books & More | The Bookmark | Changing Hands Bookshop



You might also like THESE Montessori inspired fun & educational activities that you can do with your kids this Diwali! 




Krishna and Narakasura (Amar Chitra Katha)



Indra was at his wit's end, the impertinent demon Narakasura had stolen his mother's earrings! Lord Krishna, always helpful, agreed to confront the enemy. But seated on Garuda, his trusty eagle and accompanied by the gentle Satyabhama, would Krishna be able to overcome Narakasura's formidable defences? Would his gleaming discus ever find its mark? This is the story of why the second day of Diwali - Naraka Chaturdashi, is named after Naraka!

Buy Here - Amazon


Diwali

A picture book with only illustrations no story-line, describing the festival of Diwali .
Age - 1 year +

Buy Here - Changing Hands Bookshop


Titoo & The Fireworks


On Diwali night, Titoo, the mischievous baby parrot steps out of his nest to witness the spectacle. Lo! his wings get burnt.

Hurray For Diwali



Diwali is such a special and happy time. Beautiful lights, crackers, presents and lots of feasting! It is also a time to share, pray and think of others. Join Gittoo and gang as they learn the magical story behind Diwali - Lord Rama's victory over the demon Ravana and Goddess Lakshmi's visit to earth.

Buy Here Amazon | The Bookmark

 
For Diwali, you might also like couple of book titles explaining the Ramayana story from the Dussehra themed books for kids.


Celebrate Diwali



This book brings you a collection of exciting and heart-warming stories about Diwali with a colourful array of characters and settings. There is a very special Diwali boat ride, a Diwali rocket that turns out to be an alien spacecraft, a Diwali miracle, Lord Rama and Sita's journey back home, a spooky Diwali and much more.

Buy Here - Amazon


Diwali (Bright Baby Touch and Feel)



A touch-and-feel first word book celebrating Diwali. Each page features a familiar Diwali picture including oil lamps, fantastic fireworks and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. An ideal book for parents to share with their young children as a first step to discovering Diwali traditions.

Buy Here - Amazon


Happy Diwali Activity Book



This book brings to the kids some beautiful elements of diwali. Kids can decorate a rangoli, hang the lantern, play with stickers or read and learn the story behind diwali. The book has been beautifully illustrated and presented with colourful and attractive images for our young readers. It also contains a board game and a 3-D structure of Ravana to provide kids with better knowledge about the celebrations of diwali.

Buy Here - Amazon


Diwali : Square Book Series



A brief 16- page illustrated text on festivals will satisfy the cravings of the little kid for knowledge and also acquaint him with culture and rituals.

Buy Here - Amazon


Festivals Of India - Diwali



A lovely book with colored illustrations 24 pages which describe story, legends & traditions of each day of Diwali - a 5 days festival

Buy Here - Amazon | Explore Kids World


Lots of Lights: A Story about Diwali



Helping children understand Indian culture allows them to be better global citizens, and for Indian children in America, it allows them to learn about their culture in a fresh and relevant way. 

Buy Here - Amazon


The Diwali Coloring Book



Join Gittoo and his friends as they prepare to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights! Featuring characters and settings from Anita Raina Thapan's much-loved Hurray for Diwali!, this exciting book is packed with scenes to colour-in, as well as imaginative drawing activities! Bring out your colour pencils and celebrate all the special things that make Diwali the most beautiful festival of all!

Buy Here - Amazon



Ved And Friends Celebrate Dussehra And Diwali



'The Ved and Friends Series' gives voice to South Asian Culture in North America with fun short stories where Ved and his friends experience the rich and vibrant South Asian festivals. A tailor-made experience for both children and their parents. 'Ved and Friends Celebrate Dussehra and Diwali' is the first book of the series. In this book you will find fun short stories about: * Navratari * Golu * Durga Puja * Goddess Lakshmi * The Story of Ram, Sita and Ravan* * The Pandavs * Naraka Chaturdashi * King Mahabali * Kali Puja * * Goverdhan Puja * Bhai Dooj * Ashoka Vijaya Dashami in Buddhism * * Diwali in Jainism * Bandi Chhor Diwasin Sikhism *

Buy Here - Amazon


The Diwali Gift



Join the 3 Curious Monkeys Suno, Dekho and Jaano as they discover the most auspicious, wonderful Diwali Gift! When a mysterious package arrives just in time for Diwali, the three friends can hardly contain their excitement! Sparklers? Bangles? Diyas? Whatever could it be? Discover the most special gift of all... in this tale of tradition, curiosity, and fun!

Buy Here - Amazon


Let's Celebrate 5 Days of Diwali!



In this multicultural and educational series from Bollywood Groove, join Maya, Neel and their pet squirrel, Chintu, as they visit their Aunty Eesha in India to celebrate 5 Days of Diwali. Kids will learn about Dhanteras (day 1), Choti Diwali (day 2), Diwali (day 3), Saal Mubarak (day 4) and Bhai Dooj (day 5) through this fun and beautifully illustrated story.

Buy Here - Amazon


Lights For The Blue Prince



This is the story of Prince Rama, the Blue One, and the heroic effort to rescue his beautiful wife from the clutches of the evil ten-headed king, Ravana. It is one of the many legends associated with the celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. From simple shadows cast on a cave wall to elaborate shadow puppetry, man has tried to tame shadows to tell a tale. This book has been inspired by shadow puppet theatre.

Buy Here - Amazon


The Festival of Lights - A Diwali Book for Toddlers



This eBook introduces the Indian festival of Diwali to toddlers. The rhyming text and colorful illustrations appeal to the readers aged 1 to 2, although some older children may enjoy it too! Kids around the world will enjoy this ebook.

Buy Here - Amazon Kindle


Ultimate Diwali Sticker Book



From the festive fireworks to the lighting of lamps, discover the traditions and origins of the Diwali festival. Decorate your notepad, craft a Diwali card for your parents or simply create your own stories with the 60 fun, easy-to-peel, reusable stickers.

Buy Here - Amazon


Rama and the Demon King: An Ancient Tale from India




Banished by his jealous stepmother, the good and brave Prince Rama has lived in the forest for 14 years, along with his beautiful wife Sita and his loyal brother Lakshaman. Rama has triumphed over the demons that dwell there and the three live a simple, peaceful life among the forest animals. But it is not to last, for the ten-headed King of the Demons vows to take revenge. Eye-catching illustrations, based on the Indian tradition of shadow-puppetry, convey the exuberance of a millennia-old tale which is still very much alive today.

Buy Here - Amazon


Festivals Of India



The colourful festivals of India are an integral part of the life of its people. They are symbols of the rich cultural heritage of this diverse land. Each unique festival is a celebration of great significance, where India comes alive in its fascinating best. This beautifully illustrated book tells you all about festivals from the story behind why each festival is celebrated.

Buy Here - Amazon


Festivals are opportunities to bond with family members & extended family. These memories are etched into children's minds. I have personally started to associate festivals with book reading, storytelling & following some of the customs that we can manage along with bonding & cozying around. So which Diwali books have you picked up?

Hope you liked this collection of Diwali themed books for kids.

Have a friend who loves reading & would love this mythology books collection? Share this page with them & gain good karma!



Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


Read More »

Oct 7, 2017

Book Review & Giveaway - iDiwali - Interactive Diwali Story & Activity Book For Kids From Your Learning Capsules (VLOG)

diwali activity story book the k junction review discount

iDiwali is an interactive Diwali story and activity book for toddlers & kindergarteners with crafts, coloring, greeting cards, lanterns and sensational Diwali stickers. Watch the inside pages & review in the video below. Do not forget to avail the limited time discount of 10%.

About The Book
The Ramayana story summarized in 10 chapters, with hands on activity in each chapter. Additional Diwali experience activities - Rangoli, fireworks, sweets and more!!! 18 activities packed in one engaging book.



Publisher - Your Learning Capsules 
Age Group - 2.5 Years +
Price - Rs. 299 (FREE shipping anywhere in India)
Get 10% off till 19 Oct 2017. Use the discount code "kjunc10"


Try your luck & participate in the GIVEAWAY HERE where a lucky one can win this book for FREE! Giveaway will close on 11 Oct 2017 11.59pm.

You may like more of our featured products & discounts related to early learning for kids HERE.

The Author Talks
"Love interactive apps, but not the media time"
As a mother I am always trying to balance between the interactive and engaging experience of the digital world and just simple story telling, I present this experiment of mine to you - an interactive hands-on book!

Review
Watch the inside pages of the book & my opinions here in this video



What I Loved About The Book
  • Absolutely engaging
  • Designing is really nice
  • Entire story of Diwali is covered in the form of activities
  • Whole range of activities for different age group kids - coloring, tracing, stickers, numbers, writing, sequencing, storytelling etc





  • Extra stickers so that if few are lost by kids, the activity can still be completed




  • Good quality thick pages & stickers are easy to peel off & use without getting frustrated
  • Even after all the activities have been done by the kids, this book can still be used next year as a simple storybook, so this book is going to serve you for the next couple of years surely & you can combine it with other storytelling setups with blocks or figurines etc

You may also like this "Story Of Diwali" book, a fun, non-preachy, simple-to-read rhyming storybook which talks about how five days of Diwali are celebrated. Review & buy links of the book HERE.

What Could Be Improved
  • I would have loved if the pages were of laminated quality so that the stickers could be reused couple of times & the book could be reused next year too. But with this competitive pricing, I would not mind the existing type.
All in all, a must have for little kids this Diwali season!

Buy Links

BUY NOW so that the book reaches you well before Diwali this year! This will certainly give your kids an enriching experience!


You might want to check out YourLearningCapsules.com for more such awesome stuff for your kids and some free printables of activities! 



Do not forget to follow "The K Junction" on Facebook page & closed Facebook group, Twitter and Instagram for day to day updates that might not always find a place on this blog. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to know more about our early learning journey, DIY & Montessori-inspired activities for kids, kids books & toys reviews and much more!


Hope to see you around. Happy Parenting!


Read More »

Oct 5, 2017

Book Review - Story Of Diwali Written By Amruta Ram From Mumma Diaries (VLOG)


the k junction book review story of diwali kids toddlers preschooler kindergartner mumma diaries

Some festivals bring with them immense joy, enthusiasm, warmth, positivity, colors, lights & love with them. Diwali is one of those festivals. No matter whether it's a child or an adult or even birds, all are soaked in happiness. That is how this lovely book about Diwali starts. "Story of Diwali" is a wonderful book written by Amruta Ram from Mumma Diaries. Read on for a complete review of this Diwali book for kids.


About The Book (By The Author)
“Story of Diwali” – this storybook introduces the beautiful Indian festival of Diwali to children. The book is a fun, non-preachy, simple-to-read rhyming storybook which talks about how five days of Diwali are celebrated. The rhyming text and colorful illustrations appeal to toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. The 24-paged book also has some fun facts about Diwali and a special sloka in Sanskrit (along with its translation) at the end of the story. The simple yet delightfully told story describes how each day of Diwali brings joy and festive spirit to our homes.

The five days of Diwali covered in the book are:

Day-1: Dhanteras
Day-2: Narak Chaturdasi
Day-3: Lakshmi Puja / Main Diwali
Day-4: Padwa / Govardhan Puja
Day-5: Bhai Dooj





Product Details -
Reading level: 2 years +
Paperback: 24 pages
Publisher: Tot Labs
Language: English
Price - 155 INR
What I Loved About The Book -
  • It has short & to the point text
  • It covers information about all five days of Diwali



  • It has beautiful rhyming text that gives it a differentiating edge from other Diwali books. Rhyming words are enjoyed by toddlers & adults equally
  • A non-preachy approach about any practices of Diwali
  • It depicts local cultures & practices, talks about chakli, laddoo, rangoli etc

  • An instant download pdf version is also available for those residing outside India. This pdf can be printed & used in the form of a book. 
  • It also has a Diwali Shloka in Sanskrit, written in English script to expose the child to the world of rich Sanskrit language. This sloka can be a conversation starter about Sanskrit & shlokas in general.

  • This book can be used as a part of your Diwali Montessori shelf / culture shelf
You might also love this interactive Diwali story & activity book that has the Ramayana story summarized in 10 chapters, with hands on activity in each chapter. 18 activities packed in one engaging book. . Review & buy links HERE.

What I Thought Could Be Improved -
  • More realistic illustrations would have complemented the awesome text even more, though I wouldn't say, it is less interesting for a toddler to look at the pages in this avtaar.

All in all, a wonderful book to have in your toddler's bookshelf. 

I am sure Amruta will come up with many more such gems in the future. Keep track of her work through her website Mumma Diaries and Facebook page.


Special Note From The Author - 
This is my first ever book in Tot Labs, and I am so so excited to present it before you all. I conceptualized and wrote it with the thought process of giving the children a simple guide to Diwali and its glorious five-day celebration. This is also my way of feeding the curiosity of my 4 year old son, who is always so inquisitive and curious about things around him – be it festivals, vehicles or anything in general! Hope you and your child love this book as much as I loved writing it for all of you.


Here are some more Diwali themed books specially meant for toddlers, have a look inside the books in this video!





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