Is There Anything Better Than Candy? Find Out Below! A Homeschool Review Crew Review!

Like many Christians I have a difficult time with what to do on Halloween. When I was younger it was just a fun day to dress up. There were no terrible masks or dressing up like hideous or satanic looking characters. There was also no talk or even rumors of demonic worship. Unfortunately the days of innocence at Halloween are long gone. So, I have struggled with what to do. Thankfully many churches have trunk-or-treat events or other fall celebrations and that is what we usually took our kids to. Now that most of my kids are older, though, what do I do now? Do I lock my doors and turn out the lights and ignore the kids to make a point. Or, do I try to use this day for God’s glory knowing that what man meant for evil God can use for good (Genesis 50:20). When I was invited to review the Is There Anything Better Than Candy? Box-Tract from Let the Little Children Come I had my answer.

Let the Little Children Come is an awesome company that provides innovative and unique evangelistic tools for children. I used some of them, including the Is There Anything Better Than Candy? Box-Tract recently at a camp that I taught Bible at and the kids were really amazed. I’ll write more about the other amazing tools later, but first lets talk about this great product.

I love the idea of a small box to put the candy in and pass out to the kids. However, this box is much more than a carrying case for candy, it’s much more! It’s a complete salvation tract on the inside! Take a look at the picture below.

As the child unfolds the pumpkin to get to the candy, a simple and concise but very accurate and Biblical salvation message appears explaining that a relationship with God is much better than candy! It explains the plan of salvation step by step in much the same way that I would explain it to a child or group of children. You can read the six “pumpkin slices” above to see what I mean. It is really neat!

It’s very easy to put together. The pumpkin tract comes ready to punched out and put together. The easy to assemble illustrations are printed on the part of the “punch out” that’s not used.

I can’t wait to use this with my Bible Club kids as it gets close to Halloween, but you can also use it for Sunday School classes, special parties, fall festivals, to use when children come to your door, or just as a special gift. There was a counselor at camp that had a birthday the week that I was there and I put some candy inside of one of the Pumpkin Tracts and gave it to him at lunch. He loved it! There are infinite ways that the Is There Anything Better Than Candy? Box-Tract can be used. Use your imagination!

To find out more about Is There Anything Better Than Candy? Box-Tract and the other evangelistic tools from Let the Little Children Come just click on any one of the highlighted links above. You can also check what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew had to say by clicking on the banner below! And, of course, stay tuned for my other review coming up in a few weeks. Have Fun!

What is Going On With the Tinkels This Christmas Eve?

So, why am I up at 2am on Christmas morning finishing wrapping gifts and just now setting up our tree? And why is the tree so small this year with just a few store bought ornaments on it? And what is really going on with the Tinkels?
You’ll find out soon! Maybe even tomorrow!

Summertime and the Livin’ is Easy!

 

Yesterday I wrote about my dislike for winter. Today I decided to look ahead to my favorite season, summer. A lot of bloggers post a “Photo Friday” post with pictures. My regular readers know that I never do things on the days that I should. You can find my Scripture Sunday posts on any day of the week. So, I thought I would go ahead and put up a Photo Friday post today, on Monday! So, have fun looking at some pictures of the things I love to do in Summer and then enjoy the special treat I put at the end.

Summer Kid’s Bible Clubs

 

Adult Bible Studies

 

Mill Stream Bible Club Camp

 

Family Time

 

Seeing Exciting Places

 

Are You Photobombing Christmas?

 

Have you ever been photobombed? This picture was taken last year around Christmas time. Joshua was playing with one of his new gifts, a tablet, so I decided to take a picture. Little did I know that our dog, Jojo, had climbed on to the arm of the couch in the background and decided to photobomb the moment.

Sometimes photobombs can be fun, but sometimes they can be irritating – especially if you are trying to take a picture of something important. You don’t want someone or something to steal the moment from the special person. That isn’t fair to the person who has worked hard on an accomplishment or is celebrating a special day.

Have you ever thought that we do the same thing all of the time though. We may not purposefully get into someone’s picture, but we can ruin the special time for someone by thinking only of ourselves.

Take Christmas for example. We photobomb it all of the time. You may be thinking that there is no way I can be talking about you. After all, you don’t ask for much at Christmas. You’re the one that is buying for everyone else in your family and even for some other people as well. You help out at the church plays and parties. You ring the bell for the local charities at the grocery store. You volunteer at the holiday meals. You are very giving at Christmas and not thinking about yourself! How could that be you?

Well, remember what I said - photobombing can sometimes be frustrating because someone takes away a special moment from someone else who deserved it.

Are we getting so wrapped up into the gifts (pun intented), giving, and volunteering at Christmas that we are forgetting who the special person is who deserves to be feted?

The person who we should be celebrating at Christmas is Jesus. He is the special person that is deserving of the attention but is so often “photobombed” by people thinking they are doing good things and having fun, when they are really ruining His special time.

Don’t get me wrong. Volunteering and helping others at Christmas is not a bad thing. However, if you are just doing those things and forgetting to celebrate Christ’s birth then you are forgetting who should really be the center of attention.

So, this year, have fun, volunteer, help others and do all of the other things that one does, Just don’t photobomb Christmas! Do all of those things in Jesus’ name. Think about how you can honor Him and not yourself while you are doing them.  In everything you do remember that He is the reason for the season.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)

Is Keeping a Clean House and Organization at the Top of Your New Year’s Goal List? Check out this Post from a Few Years Ago.–Throwback Thursday

 

It has been a super long day today, so I thought that, instead of writing a brand new post, I would do one of my Throwback Thursday posts. However, as I was searching through some old blog writings to pick out something to bring back I came upon this old but very timely review. In fact, I had even kind of forgotten about this product, but after finding it I thought what a great season to bring this back. I’m probably going to even rebuy this since my old copy was either a download that was lost many, many computers ago (that’s why I should back up everything) or it is in storage which I am thinking about calling the black whole because I will never find it again. Anyway, with all of us thinking about New Year’s goals and things like that, teaching our kids and ourselves about how to keep a clean and organized house is often at the top of our list. So, here it is. If I recall, this really worked for our family and I am hoping it will work again!

 

 





I know...I know...Clint Eastwood has been in the news lately. However, when I was thinking about a theme for this review, I happened to think about what I thought was just a phrase - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I guess maybe in the far reaches of my mind I knew that it was a movie, but that had been forgotten years ago. I was, remember, only five years old when it came out! And, since I didn't even remember that it was a movie, I didn't know that Clint Eastwood was involved in it.

All of that, however, doesn't matter because this blog post isn't about a movie and isn't about Clint Eastwood, it's about a great book called The Everyday Family Chore System - part of The Everyday Homemaking series. When I was thinking over The Everyday Family Chore System this phrase "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly came to mind. Only, it came to mind in a turned around way - The Ugly, The Bad and The Good - so that's how I'm going to write this review. Under each heading, I'm going to have a bullet point list on why I thought this saying was perfect for this post. You'll notice that "The Good" has many more bullet points than the rest because it talks about this really neat book. So, here goes:

The Ugly -

• Me before I've had my first cup of coffee in the morning, but we really don't want to go there.
• The way our house looks with two autistic children and a teen-age boy living in it. Not to mention two parents who absolutely hate to clean. But, don't we all?
• Me or Sarah when we get frustrated with our children because of the way the house looks.

The Bad -

• Autism and the way it effects two of our sons. You see, both of them, but especially our middle child Joshua, have a hard time processing information and following directions. It's a common thing with many autism spectrum kids. They tend to be very literal thinkers. They are also creatures of habit. They don't take change well. They are very smart, but they have a very difficult time thinking through things and thinking logically. You would think that a simple task like going and brushing their teeth would be easy, but it can actually be very difficult. They can't remember the steps to accomplish the task and they can't think logically and figure them out. To top it all off, Joshua gets frustrated easily and becomes very angry with himself which then tends to lead to him lashing out at those around him. Needless to say, if it's a chore to just brush his teeth, then how in the world can I teach him how to properly clean his room or perform other everyday tasks that are critical tasks so that he can someday live independently? Enter The Everyday Family Chore System which brings me to "The Good".

The Good -

• The Everyday Family Chore System!
• The Everyday Family Chore System is turning out to be a Godsend to our family. So, why do I say "turning out to be"? Well, remember, our two kids that are on the autism spectrum don't like change. Even the oldest one, John Allen, who is not on the autism spectrum, doesn't like change if it requires more work. This system is going to require change. It even has made me look at things in my life that I need to change. We have been able to slowly implement one part of this plan, but haven't even touched another part. I'll explain in a minute what the two parts are, but, I'm going to tell you now that I want you to read some of the other reviews for The Everyday Family Chore System, because some of them have been able to implement a lot more than we have been able to. I'm not going to give you the link to the other reviews yet, though, for selfish, reasons. I want you to read my review first! 
• This book, written by a homeschooling mom who also had foster children is divided in to three sections. Part One: Laying the Foundation, Part Two: Implementing the Plan, and Part Three: The Actual Chore System. Let me briefly tell you about all three and then I'll tell you how it's worked with our family.
• Part One: Laying a Foundation. I really enjoy the author, Vicky Bently's, heart. The very first thing that she writes is The purpose for implementing a family chore system are (1) to train your children to be responsible members of a family and to diligently serve one another, and (2) to disciple or apprentice them in living skills. I very rarely quote from books or websites when writing my reviews, because they are supposed to be my reviews and not just a bunch of copies and pastes. I felt that this quote was important, though, because it really struck me as something that I wanted for my children. With our two asperger's syndrome kids, it's going to be a challenge for them to assimilate into society. Well, what is a family? It's a little society, and the family is a first step into a bigger society. If I can train them to be responsible members of the family, then it is going to be much easier to train them to be responsible members of the world. The author then lists four basic principles for doing this: (1) Have realistic and age-appropriate expectations. (2) Establish rules or standards. (3) Have a working knowledge of family discipline. (4) Tie strings to their hearts. And she goes on to explain each principle before venturing into part 2.
• Part Two: Implementing the Plan. OH MY! What a packed section! I am not going to be able to nearly get into everything that this section has to offer but let me give you the basics and a few other little tidbits. Before I do, though, let me tell you that this section is excellent and gives many ideas for putting the principles listed above into action. The first fantastic tidbit is the "Life Skills Checklist" where the author has a very comprehensive list of what life skills should be taught at different ages and when they should be mastered. For example, a three year old child could start being taught how to wipe up a spill but may not master it until the age of nine. Although comprehensive, this list is also flexible because no child is the same. There is then a section on how to decide what around your home needs to be done on a daily basis and what needs to be done on a weekly or even monthly basis. She then goes on to tell you how to make really cool charts and systems to help you accomplish those things. Don't worry, it all sounds complicated but it really isn't. It is step by step and easy to follow. We haven't moved to the chart making stage yet because we are still teaching our kids to follow the third section which, I think, is the neatest section which is...
• Part Three: The Actual Chore System. I think this is really neat because it contains step by step cards for about any chore that you can think of. From dusting to vacuuming to loading and unloading a dishwasher to setting the table to cleaning cupboards to...well, I could go on and on. Anyway, this is just what we needed. All I have to do is hand my kids a card and they just need to follow it step by step to be able to complete the task! For my aspies, who tend to get overwhelmed, I might just have them complete the first two steps and then we will take a breather before going back to complete the rest, but, I'm getting into the next part:
• How is it going with my family: Well, it has taken some getting used to - both on my part and on the part of my children - but it is beginning to work. We are still introducing how to use the cards at this point (remember I said that it is slow going with us) but we will, hopefully, soon begin to implement the whole plan soon and I will try to blog about it when we do. I can really see this working with my children. Again, I am so excited because this is the perfect plan for our family. And, if The Everyday Family Chore System can work with our family, I know it can work with yours!

 

I definitely recommend this book! And, what's even more encouraging is the price! You can purchase a spiral bound glossy cover version for $19.99 by clicking here or on any one of the hi-lighted links above. That link also tells you about a way where you can purchase The Everyday Family Chore System in an immediate download fashion for just $17.99. You'll also find all of the other titles in The Everyday Homemaking series there so click through and check it out.

Other members of the TOS Review Crew reviewed this product and other titles in The Everyday Homemaking series and, finally, here is the link. Happy Homeschooling and...err...Happy Cleaning!

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Review Crew I was sent a free ebook version of "The Everyday Family Chore System" in order to use and give my honest review on this blog.



5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew–Day 5 - Magnificent Miscellaneous Gift Ideas For Family and Friends

Over the years, we have reviewed a lot of interesting and unique things both on and off of the Homeschool Review Crew. Many of the unique things, as you will see below, are items that are used up and you have to buy them anew. We have reviewed soaps, foods, and other consumable objects that we have loved so much that we have bought over and over again. Two of the great gift ideas that I am writing about today are items that eventually will be depleted but I know you will want to order more. The third item isn’t an item that will be used up, but you will want to order more and more of them as gifts anyway. You’ll see what I mean. Let’s get started!

GREEMU – We have reviewed and loved many of items from Korunaturals, the company that distributes GREEMY, and we have loved every one of them. Have you ever wondered about the great things that are said about emu oil, but the thought of using an oil from an emu kind of deterred you from looking into it? Well, GREEMU has the same effects as emu oil, but is completely and naturally plant based. We absolutely loved it! Check it our by clicking on the link to my review or by clicking on the name above and going to their website.

Kwik Stix 12 pk – I remember when I was younger I loved working with tempera paints. However, when I became a parent, the thought of the mess scared me away from using them. Kwik Stix is simply tempera paint in a tube with a roller as the tip so that the tempera paint just rolls write on to posterboard, paper or whatever you want to draw on. It is no fuss and no mess and dries in 90 seconds! To find out more just click on the link to my review.

CrossTimber – I absolutely cannot say enough about this company. From the selection of products, to the costumer service, to the product itself – all is excellent! The main focus of CrossTimber is producing quality items with your name and meaning on them such as posters, cups and more. They meticulously look up each name to make sure of the correct meaning and always try to pick a Christian meaning. They also have names of God posters, mugs and more as well as other gift ideas. Let me repeat again, the completed product is beautiful. Please check them out! Click here for the link to my review.

Well, there you have it folks! My 5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew. I hope you enjoyed the series. Everything that I mentioned in all five days we absolutely loved. As I mentioned in my introductory post I wouldn’t recommend them if I didn’t think they were great. Again, if you want to go to my main 5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew page where you will find links to all of the 5 Days, just click on the banner below. Merry Christmas!

5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew–Day 4 - Movie Making Resources for your Budding Directors

I am telling you, this has been a great year for the Schoolhouse Review Crew as far as reviewing things that encourage kids to be creative. In fact, we actually got to review two different things that taught kids how to make movies! Now, I’m not talking simple little youtube movies that you make with your phone, I’m talking real movies. However, although both products involved movie making, both are completely different. I know that your kids would absolutely love either one. Let me describe each one briefly to you and if you want more information you can go to their websites by clicking on the title or you can click on the link and read my full review.

 

Stopmotion Explosion – This was definitely one of our more fun reviews this past year. I had always been curious about how stopmotion films were made. You know, like the old Gumby programs or that animated “claymation” show called Davey and Goliath that was shown on Sunday mornings. I loved those but never thought that I could create something like that myself, much less my kids could create something. However, I did! And below is the outcome! Stopmotion Explosion is so easy to use. The short video below is just the tip of the iceberg. The kit comes with everything you need, even the camera! Your kids will absolutely love it, and they’ll be learning and being creative all along without them even realizing it. This is a wonderful product. Here’s a link to my full review if you are interested in more details.

 

 

Online Christian Filmmakers Academy – While Stopmotion Explosion is for all ages, I would say that the Online Christian Filmmakers Academy is more for high school ages on up – perhaps a middle school child could handle it as well. This is an actual online course with tests and everything. I wouldn’t say that it is very difficult, but there is a lot of information to be processed. They cover everything from the different cameras to scriptwriting to directing to acting to everything. It is excellent and very well done by a father and son team who have been teaching folks how to make quality movies for years. More and more people are getting into moviemaking and a lot of independent films are really making it big.  Making movies is just simply fun and the course teaches you how you can do it in an inexpensive way. Your budding film makers will love this. Click on the link to my review or you can just click on the title to go to the website.

I loved these two things that we reviewed this year. I had seen the Stopmotion Explosion kit a few years ago and really wanted it for myself so I was thrilled when we were selected to review it. It was a lot of fun as was the Online Christian Filmmakers Academy. I love that it gets kids out from in front of the computer or T.V. screen and instead of watching movies they are being creative and making movies. It also teaches good writing skills when you are creating the scripts. It is all so much fun that your kids won’t even know they are learning while using them. Check them out right away. Christmas is coming quickly!

To check out all of my posts in my 5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew, click on the banner below. Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow to find out about some fun miscellaneous but great gifts that don’t fit into any of the other categories. There are some good ones! Merry Christmas!

5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew–Day 3–Entertaining Audio and Visual Productions!

 

My kids watch a lot of TV and play far too many video games. That’s why I am so excited when an audio production or video production comes around to review on the crew. I have fond memories of listening to audio books or audio dramas or watching a great video with the boys. This year we reviewed five great audio and/or video items and all were a great hit with my family so I really think they will be a big hit for your family as well. All of them are absolutely fantastic.

Okay, I am going to introduce the first three together because they are from the same company, Heirloom Audio Productions. We first received one of their audio productions a couple of years ago and listened to it on our way to Canada. I was shocked! I never thought that my kids would be so enthralled with an audio drama but they were. So much so that we ordered another one to be delivered to us while on our trip so that we could listen to it on the way home. These are more than just “audio dramas” however, these are really audio productions! They are so well made with award winning actors and actresses voicing the parts and a grammy award winning composer writing the score. I have said it before and I will say it again. If you closed your eyes while listening to these, you could see the action in your mind. It is like being in a movie theater with your eyes closed but better! And, what is even more excellent is that all of their audio dramas are based on books by G. A. Henty. G. A. Henty writes fantastic adventure books based on actual things that happened in history. Let me tell you a little about the three that we reviewed this year and that I think would be absolutely wonderful gifts for your kids.

The Dragon and the Raven – This excellent audio production talks about when the Danes attacked England and defeated every kingdom until the got to Wessex which was ruled by King Alfred the great. KIng Alfred was able to withstand the attacks of the Danes and eventually was able to negotiate a peace treaty with them. Click on the link to my review to find out what famous actresses and actors were featured in this production. You won’t be disappointed!

Beric The Briton – Is likewise as great! Beric the Briton is about a young man that ruled during the occupation of England by the Roman Empire. He leads his people against the mighty Roman forces and, along the way, learns about a man named Christ. I won’t mention what famous actors participated in this production that my kids were thrilled about! They are from some movies that I’m pretty sure your kids have seen and absolutely lived. Click on the link to my review to find out.

The Cat of Bubastes – Okay, this has got to be our favorite yet. Probably because it was the first G. A, Henty book that my oldest son read and really intrigued his interest in the author. All of these audio productions are from history but also show how God worked in history. This one is excellent and takes place in ancient Rome. It his so many twists and turns in its plot but is absolutely spellbinding. Your kids will love it! Check out my review to find out more.

The Familyman’s Christmas Treasury – Audio Collection – Now on to a little bit different audio production but one that is equally as excellent. I first heard about “The Familyman” a few years ago and was intrigued by his products and message. When I first heard we were going to review his Christmas Treasury I was thrilled. These are old fashioned great “Hallmark” type stories that were written by Todd Wilson (The Familyman) and excellently told by master storyteller Jim Hodges. These stories will make you laugh and cry and leave you with a great feeling when it’s over. Peak over at my review and you’ll read about an experience I had when I played a couple of these great audios to group of folks at a Bible Study I lead. Then click on the link to order them because not only will your kids love them but you will too.

Theo Vol. 1: God’s Love – This is my one visual production that I am including on this list, but it is a great one. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this video but quickly found out that it taught Biblical values in a way that my kids loved. Theo, an old retired professor, teaches Biblical principals to a couple of his mice friends using a mixture of real life lessons and stories from the Bible. This volume that focuses on God’s love is excellently made and my kids begged for more when they completed the three plus one bonus video included on this DVD. Check out the link to my review to find out more about this series.

We love audio and visual productions at our house, especially when travelling. I know if they can keep my kids entertained they can keep yours entertained as well.

Don’t forget that this is a five part series. Click on the banner below to get to the main page of my series that includes links to all five parts. Have a very blessed Christmas!

5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew Day 2 - Fantastic Christian Books and Resources!

 

 

I was very blessed to be raised in a Christian home by parents that loved the Lord and also loved to read. I mention the reading part because with me my relationship with the Lord has a lot to do with reading. Reading the Bible of course, but also good Christian books. I just wish that I had some of the fantastic resources that we have today back when I was younger. However, I am so glad that we have them now for my children. They, and I, have loved these four books and resources from this past Homeschool Review Crew year. I really think that your family will love it as well. I’ll give a brief description but there is also a link to my longer review if you want to know more.

Heroes of History – Meriwether Lewis – We have read other books from YWAM before so when I heard that we were going to be able to review one of their Heroes of History titles – Meriwether Lewis. We love reading biographies and this one is a great biography written with a Christian perspective. It goes from his childhood all the way through the Lewis and Clark expedition and up to his untimely death. The authors are excellent and write so that the readers are always kept excited and intrigued. They have a lot of books in their Heroes of History Series and the other series of books that they produce. You can find them all by clicking here on link to my review.

The Pray-ers/Book One Troubles – This is a fascinating and well needed book. This is the first book in Mark Mirza’s series on prayer that is part fiction and part biographical. He uses great people of faith from history and weaves a story line that includes their prayer lives. This first book has to do with prayer about everyday troubles and struggles that everyone has in lives. The author uses Epaphras from the first century, Brother Alexander Rich from the 1800’s and a track coach from Georgia named Dan Riley to teach us how to pray in times of trouble. Boy do I need that sometimes as do all of us. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to come out. Click on the link to my review to read more about this great book.

The Faith Builders Bible from Zonderkidz – When I first saw this Bible I knew it would be a great one for my youngest son, Jacob. This Bible not only teaches the reader about faith in the Bible, but also has illustrations that any kid would love. All of the pictures are of Bible scenes depicted with Lego type building blocks! So, not only is a child’s faith being built by this easy to read New International Readers Version NIrV of the Bible, but they can also reinforce what they learn by replicating the scenes in the book with their own building blocks. This would make a fantastic and unique gift for any child. Check out the link to my full review.

The Spiritual Circle Journal for Kids and Teens – This has got to be one of the best things that we reviewed this year. Some of you may know about the Spiritual Circle Journal for adults. It’s where an adult can journal through the Bible by writing different things that they learned in nine circles that represent different things such as Confession, Lesson Learned, Prayer and Action just to name a few. Well, this journal is based on the same thing but geared toward kids and teens. It is really great and I even learned some things by reviewing it that have helped me with my daily Bible readings. You can read more about it by clicking on the link to my review.

So, there they are. Four fantastic Christian books and resources that are unique and different that I think any member of your family would appreciate as a gift! Let me know if you end up giving any of them as a present this year! I really think any one of them would be a hit!

Don’t forget to check in tomorrow for Day 3 of my 5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew series. Tomorrow I will be focusing on some very entertaining audio and visual productions that all members of your family will love. I know that tomorrow is going to be my favorite day so far because of three of the great things that I am going to suggest as gifts. Make sure you check in to find out.

To get to the main hub where their are links to all five days of this series just click on the banner below. Happy Gift Giving!

5 Days of Great Gift Ideas From the Crew Day 1–Great Games Your Family Will Love!

 

If your family is like my family then you really enjoy playing games. Many of the Tinkel Family favorites have been games that we have reviewed over the years with the Schoolhouse Review Crew. Most of them have been unusual and interesting games that are new or not widely known about. My family has had a blast playing these three games that we reviewed with the crew this past year. Check them out! I think they will be a hit with your family as well!

The Climbing Knights – We absolutely love this strategy game where you have to move your knight to the top of the tower. Be careful, though, there are guards that may catch you that you have to avoid. I can’t really say that you play on a game board because it is really a game “tower” that is enormous but easy to put together. It is recommended for kids ages 8 and up and can be played by 2-4 players. Here is a link to my review that tells you more great details about this really fun game.

Commissioned – Strategy games seem to be the big thing these days. If you like games such as Settlers of Catan and Seven Wonders then you will really enjoy this new game from Chara games. Chara games develops Christian based games that are fun to play for anyone even if they aren’t a person of faith. Instead of competing against each other, though, with Commissioned you have to work together to complete a scenario that takes place in the first century and has to do with the growth of the Christian church. This game is recommended for older kids, 14 years and up, and is for 2-6 players. However, I’m sure that players younger than 14 could play if they are used to playing strategy games. Click on this link to my review to find out more about this fun and unique game.

The Statue of Liberty FlipStir Puzzle – As I wrote in my review, FlipStir Puzzles are not your grandpa’s jigsaw puzzles. They are much more! These easy but challenging puzzles are portable and you have to use a little footed wand and gravity to arrange the 10 pieces in order to complete the puzzle. We absolutely love these vertical puzzles that kids and adults of all ages can enjoy. They are great to play in the car on a road trip or for when the kids need a time filler like waiting in the doctors office or something like that. Check out this link to my review and read about my FlipStir dilemma!  

We have had a lot of fun this year with these games that we were blessed with by being on the Schoolhouse Review Crew. I know that your family will have a great time as well with any of these unique games and puzzles.

Don’t forget to check in for the next four days to see more great gift ideas from fun things that the crew has reviewed this year. Click on the banner below to get to the main hub that will give a link to each day’s post as it is published. Tomorrow we are gong to talk about some fantastic Christian Books and Resource gift ideas that your family will love. Merry Christmas!