Friday, August 22, 2014

TOS Review: Happy Kids Songs


My girls, ages 7 and 5, love music, whether they're singing and dancing along to a favorite character's theme song in our living room or a popular song on the radio, they are constantly singing.  It seems like once the lyrics go in, they are easily remembered and repeated.  So, I'm always monitoring their music and trying to find wholesome age-appropriate music for them to listen and sing along too.

This summer my girls have been enjoying the music from Happy Kids Songs.  Happy Kids Songs produces adult quality music that is entertaining and age-appropriate for younger children.

There are 8 different albums to download, each containing 5 songs.

Cost:  $4.95 per album or $0.99 per song

Recommended Age: 3-8 years old

  We received the following downloadable albums to review:

Friends & Sharing (Set 1)



The topics on the Friends & Sharing album includes, essential ingredients of friendships, tools for reaching out to others, making sure to include others, being happy with friends, and dealing with saying goodbye.  A sample of each song is available.


Happiness & Attitude (Set 5)



The Happiness & Attitude album has songs related to being thankful, positive thinking and giving compliments, paths to happiness, handling frustration and limitations, and being together and apart.  A sample of each song is available.  


Manners & Character (Set 6) 



The main topics on the Manners & Character album are the value of honestly, rudeness and manners, appreciating differences, consideration for others, and honoring other perspectives.


In addition, we received the physical book, Happy Kids Songs Workbook: Hands-On Activities to Build Character, Social and Emotional Skills.



The soft-bound workbook consists of 125-pages, including a lyrics page and a coloring or activity page for all 40 Happy Kids Songs.  In addition, there are numerous lessons, including activities, such as crafts, movement, drama, games, and discussion topics.

Cost: $12.56

Recommended Age: 3-8 years old

*Receive free downloadable pages of lyrics, coloring and activity pages for all 40 Happy Kids Songs by signing up on their mailing list via e-mail.*

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How did we incorporate Happy Kids Songs?

-After downloading the songs, I reviewed all songs and decided which ones were most appropriate for my girls.  Most of the songs had a catchy beat and had a good message for young children.  However, there were several songs that I did not find appropriate or beneficial for our home; therefore, my girls were unable to listen to those particular songs.  Once I decided which songs were a good fit for our family, I simply burned the songs on a CD.  

-After reviewing the songs, I wasn't sure how my girls were going to respond.  My girls love music, but they are very picky about their music.  They listened to the Happy Kids Songs, while free playing and while in the car.  They enjoyed many of the songs, but found some songs a little too childish.  

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What did I like about the albums from Happy Kids Songs?

-The songs were age-appropriate for younger children and the themes were directly related to common issues for the age group of 3-8 years old.  However, several topics were questionable with how they were presented.  I would highly recommend parents to preview the songs first and decide which songs are appropriate for your children.

-The variety of music was refreshing.  Each song had it's own style.  There were adult and child soloists, children's chorus, and a wide range of instruments and styles of music.

-You can create your own custom CD for your children by downloading and burning only the songs that you want.  This is extremely beneficial.

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happykidssongs

Twitter: @howsyourfam

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/4DrMacMusic



Be sure to sail over to see what other Crew Mates had to say about their experience with Happy Kids Songs.

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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

TOS Review: Wizzy Gizmo


Wizzy Gizmo is a series of Bible books, audio books, and flashcards that explain the Bible in a fun and engaging way.  During the summer, we spend a lot of time traveling, so I'm always trying to find purposeful movies and audio resources for my girls, ages 7 and 5.  Audio Drama One: Who Created Everything? has been a huge hit this summer! 


Price: $14.99

Recommended Ages: 4-12 

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What's included with Audio Drama One: Who Created Everything?

-There are a total of 22 tracks; 60 minutes in length.  The audio drama is based on Genesis chapter one and lasts for 36 minutes.  The remaining 24 minutes consists of bonus soundtrack content.  The tracks continuously flow from narration, retelling the days of creation, and entertaining songs.  

-The CD begins with a new child in town, Eli, who meets new friends that invite him to Wizzy Gizmo's workshop.  Wizzy Gizmo is a genius inventor, who loves God and loves to explore the Bible.  He recently completed his newest invention, the Gizmovision, which allows him to travel back in time.  They decide to travel back to the beginning of time and are able to observe what happened on each day of creation.  

-   The audio drama is followed by a short Giz Quiz about the days of creation. 

-There are 5 samples from the audio drama section of the CD to give you a glimpse of the awesomeness.

-The last 24 minutes consists of a bonus soundtrack, including 7 songs, 5 of the songs are instrumental.  My girls really enjoyed listening and singing along with the songs.  The instrumental songs were very soothing.

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What are my final thoughts on Audio Drama One: Who Created Everything? 

-My girls loved it!  There was a ton of giggling happening in the back seat each time they listened to the CD.  Not only were they entertained by the silliness, they were exploring the amazing wonders of creation. 

-I appreciate that the story was age-appropriate for younger children.  My girls didn't mind listening to the story, over and over, again.  Each time, they would catch a new detail or have a new question to ask.  It really encouraged family discussions regarding creation.  

-The narration and variety of voices kept my girls' attention.  The silliness helped too.  At first, I was concern that the silliness was going to be too much and it would take away from the Biblical story, but I was wrong. There was a nice balance between fiction and non-fiction within the story. 

-The songs were really good and very easy to sing along with.  We all enjoyed singing along with the songs!  

-I'm hoping that Book 2: In His Image will be available as an Audio Drama, as we would love to add to our audio collection.  

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In conclusion, I would highly recommend Audio Drama One: Who Created Everything?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wizzygizmo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wizzygizmo
Pinterst: http://www.pinterest.com/wizzygizmo/
Google+: http://www.plus.google.com/+wizzygizmo
Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/wizzygizmo


Wizzy Gizmo is currently offering a chance to save up to 10% off your purchase.  At check-out, each time you share, you will receive a 2% discount.  

Be sure to sail over to see what other Crew Mates had to say about their experience with Wizzy Gizmo.

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