Kyra Sundance's Pocket Guide to Dog Tricks (affiliate link) might be too big to fit in an ordinary pocket, especially if you're a woman and all you get is those FAKE pockets!), but it's a handy size nonetheless. It's also much less intimidating than some of the thicker, standard-sized training books we've read since adopting Tesla almost six years ago. Admittedly, at nearly six years old, my brilliant dog has mastered a good number of the 101 ... [ Read More ]
New Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of joining Nintendo's PR team for a sneak peek at the newest Nintendo Labo extension: the Vehicle Kit. First, a quick refresher. The Nintendo Labo adds an exciting Maker element and a new level of interaction to Nintendo Switch games. The Nintendo Switch can be used with Joy-Con controllers and special new kits, like this one, to create what they call an interactive Toy-Con. This post contains affiliate ... [ Read More ]
Back to School Gifted Education Quiz
This was first published in 2009 on a dusty old blog of mine. Oh, yes; it's that time of year. One wrought with anxiety and maybe a few tears--and not just for us parents of highly gifted children. When I said to one of my boys with the best of intentions, "Who knows maybe this will be an exciting year?" we looked at each other and started laughing. But we're all off to a decent start. My 11-year-old came home excited on two occasions: one ... [ Read More ]
STEAM Lab for Kids by Liz Heinecke
The Maker Mom's favorite dad-daughter review team is back with their review of Liz Heinecke's latest book, STEAM Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Hands-On Projects for Exploring Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (affiliate link). Our readers are fans of Liz's earlier books, Outdoor Science Lab for Kids and Kitchen Science Lab for Kids, so we had a feeling this one would win us over as well. Let's see what they had to say. STEAM Lab for ... [ Read More ]
Future City STEM Competition 2019 Topic
Future City is an engaging engineering competition for middle school students. It's one of the most affordable STEM team competitions around and has a low barrier to entry. I attended the Future City finals in Washington, D.C. a couple of years ago to provide social media coverage. I was impressed by what I learned and the people I met--students, teachers and engineers. It's a powerful STEM learning opportunity, especially this year! Yes, the ... [ Read More ]
Congressional App Challenge for Students
The US House of Representatives is sponsoring another Congressional App Challenge! Sound vague? Let's flip that around and call it open-ended. Think BIG! Congressional App Challenge Did I say this was for all students across the country? No, though it might have been implied. A congressperson must opt into the program in order for their constituents to compete. Here's what you need to know. The 2018 Congressional App Challenge ... [ Read More ]
STEM Birthday Parties and More in Chicago – Spring/Summer 2018
Sometimes the content on our companion site is too good not to share here. Plus, we know that The Maker Mom is a hit with Chicagoans, too. STEM Kids Chicago partnered with several Chicago and suburban venues to create this directory of opportunities for loads of birthday party fun that stimulates young minds! Do you want your kids to make something cool with code? Create with something more tangible, like fabric? Do you want an adventure in ... [ Read More ]