The Biggest Story ~ Review and Giveaway

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I was recently sent The Biggest Story DVD and CD to review. The Biggest Story is a book written by Kevin DeYoung that was published in August of 2015. Recently, the story was brought to life through an animated short film and an audio cd.

About the animated short film:
The DVD is narrated by Kevin DeYoung and is about 30 minutes long. It brings the pictures from the book to life. The story is about God's plan for us from creation until His return. It also features beautifully animated illustrations adapted from the book, The Biggest Story: The Animated Short Film will captivate children and parents alike as they see how all the classic stories in the Bible connect to Scripture’s overarching message about God’s glorious plan to redeem his rebellious people.




About the audio book:
This audio book of The Biggest Story—written and narrated also by the best-selling author Kevin DeYoung—leads kids and parents alike on an exciting journey through the Bible, connecting the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ's death on the cross to the new heaven and new earth.

My kids and I enjoyed listening to and watching this story come to life. We had not heard of this story before the review, but now we are interested in also reading through the book. Both the cd and DVD come with a two-sided colorful poster. We highly recommend the DVD and CD.

Enter below for the giveaway:

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"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

I received sample copies in exchange for an honest review. No further compensation was received.  

Captive DVD ~ Review and Giveaway

Captive is a true story about Ashley Smith, a newly widowed mom and Brian Nichols, on the run from police. This incident took place in early 2005. To be honest, I don't remember hearing about this when this took place back in 2005. I had no clue what the story was about until I finished the movie.

About the movie:

Based on a miraculous story about the power of faith, Captive is an "amazing, inspiring" drama about the spiritual collision of two lost souls, Brian Nichols (Golden Globe Nominee David Oyelowo), on the run from police and desperate to make contact with his newborn son, takes recently widowed mother Ashley Smith (Kata Mara) hostage in her own apartment.  Fearing for her life and desperately hoping to see her daughter again she turns to Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life for guidance.  Ashley and her captor face a crossroads where they discover hope and light in the midst of despair in the moving film that Dick Rolfe, CEO, Dove Foundation hailed as "powerful." 

My thoughts:
I watched this movie alone, since it is rated PG-13. I thought this movie was a great portrayal of how we each have our own problems that we need to turn to God to help us through. The actors did a fantastic job of portraying what each of the people went through. This was a great movie that everyone older teen and above should watch.

Enter the giveaway through the rafflecopter below:


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"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Confessions of a Prodigal Son ~ Review

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this DVD by Family Christian in exchange for an honest review. This post may also contain affiliate links.

Growing up, I always loved hearing the story of the prodigal son. So, when I first heard that there was a movie being made about the prodigal son, I started checking it out. It looked like it was going to be a great movie, so I added it to my to buy list. Also, I found out that this was written by a homeschooled young man whose mother just happened to be Sally Clarkson. I love Sally Clarkson!

About the movie:
Confessions of a Prodigal Son is about a son who wants to leave his parents and live life on his own. His parents agree and give him some money. He then has to prove he can manage on his own for two years before receiving the rest of his money from his parents. He runs around with the wrong crowd. He friends a beautiful girl who is on her own journey to find answers.

My Review:
I loved this movie! Although the acting is sometimes not great and some parts may have moved a little slow, this movie was great overall. I really wish they would have shown more at the end when the prodigal son returns to his family because I feel that is the most important part of the story. This movie was great at portraying a modern day prodigal and would be great to show to high school students or above. I was hoping it would be more family friendly, but I am going to wait to show this to my children until they are a little older. Overall I give this movie 4 stars!

Watch the trailer below and go buy yourself a copy from Family Christian:

Noah's Ark Veggie Tales ~ Review

*Disclaimer: I received a free screener copy of Veggie Tales ~ Noah's Ark from Family Christian in exchange for an honest review. This post may also contain affiliate links.*

I have been a Veggie Tales fan since I was in college. I love them and when my first son was born, I made sure to introduce him to Veggie Tales at a young age. Now all four of my children love Veggie Tales and have seen them all multiple times. When I had the chance to review the newest Veggie Tale, Noah's Ark, I was so excited.

About Noah's Ark:
Noah and his family together with a zoo full of animals take an adventure aboard an orange slice ark. After 40 days and nights of rain, everyone's faith has been tested, and they're ready to jump ship. Will they chart a new course, or will they remember to trust God's promises?

My (and my kids) Review:
Noah's Ark is the first video to introduce the new look of the veggies. My boys, who are now almost 13 and 11, said that they liked the story, but didn't like the new look of the veggies.
My girls, ages 9 and almost 4, loved this new Veggie Tales story. My almost 4 year old watched it one time and had some of the songs memorized. She loves Veggie Tales and has now watched this one at least 4 times.
I enjoyed Noah's Ark very much. They were able to tell this story in a fun and vivid way. The songs are catchy and even though the story was not the exact story from the Bible, it still told the truths children need to know. We all enjoyed watching the video and learning to trust God at all times.

Hero DVD Review And Giveaway

*DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL PROVIDED: I received a copy of this DVD from the Family Christian for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review, nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. This post may contain affiliate links.*

I was recently given the chance to review Hero (DVD) from Family Christian. This movie is 94 minutes long and is best suited for children ages 10 and up. It is available at the Family Christian website for $19.99. You can also check out the Hero website to learn more about the movie.

Synopsis:
A man who left his town and his family behind returns to a town full of broken relationships, and is determined to make things right. In attempt to win back his son through the game they both love, he forms a little league baseball team designed to involve both fathers and sons in a common effort. In addition to mending his own relationship, he begins to turn the heart of a father in prison, and transform a town.



My Review:
This story is about Joe Finn who, seven years earlier, left his wife and son to try to get rich and make a name for himself. While he is gone, his wife passes away. Joe now has decided to try to reconnect with his son. He decides to reconnect with his son through their love of baseball. Joe Finn forms his own baseball league  and tries to get more father involvement in the league.

I enjoyed watching this movie. I love watching Dove Family Friendly approved movies. I don't have to worry about bad language or violence. This is a great movie for fathers and sons to watch together. I give this movie 5 stars. If you are looking for a great movie to watch with your whole movie, this is the one.

"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." Malachi 4:6 (KJV)

You have a chance to win your own copy! Enter using the rafflecopter below.

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Susie's Hope DVD ~ Review and Giveaway

I was recently given the chance to review a movie, Susie's Hope.

About Susie's Hope:

Based on the true story that successfully passed Susie’s Law in North Carolina, which seeks stricter punishment for animal abusers, Susie’s Hope brings to life the inspirational relationship between pit bull attack survivor Donna Lawrence and Susie, a pit bull-mix puppy found beaten, burned and left for dead. Recognizing reflect and abuse were to blame for the tragic attack that nearly claimed her life 10 months earlier, Donna resumes the battered animal and accepts her as family. Together, they learn to heal, love and forgive as they lead a historic effort to seek justice and protection, not only for Susie, but all animals.

My Review:

Living in North Carolina, I was surprised to learn this movie was a true story based on an event that happened in North Carolina. I had not heard of this story or this law even though I have lived here for 16 years. This movie was a little slow to start with, but once it got to the main story line, It was great. I watched this by myself, because I wasn't sure how graphic it would be. While it is graphic, you can tell that the burned dog is not a real dog, but a robotic dog. I think my boys, who are 12 and 11, would like this movie. They love animals. I give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars!

To learn more about Susie, visit the website.



Now for the giveaway. USA and Canada only. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.

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"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

What's In The Bible? Volume 10 ~ Review and Giveaway

I had heard of the Buck Denver Asks...What's in the Bible? DVD series, but have never had an opportunity to watch one. I recently was given the chance to review Volume 10 in the series. Volumes 1 - 9 cover the Old Testament. Volume 10 starts with the New Testament.

What's in the Bible? Volume 10: Jesus is the Good News covers the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Volume 10 includes two 25 minute episodes: God's Perfect Timing and The Messiah Has Come. In God's Perfect Timing, Buck Denver and children learn about the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments and how Jesus arrives at just the right time. In The Messiah Has Come, we learn about the life and ministry of Jesus, how he died, and rose again.

I sat down with my 3 year old daughter to watch this video. When it first started, she asked, "Is this about Jesus?" She loves Jesus and loves going to church, so I knew she would loving watching the DVD. She sat through the entire video without moving or talking after that. I asked her at the end if she enjoyed it and she said, "YES!" I enjoyed watching this video with her. I liked that this is a Christian video and I don't have to preview it to make sure it is okay for my 3 year old to watch.

You can watch the trailer here (or below):



Now for the giveaway ~ Enter using the form below. Open to USA & Canada only.

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"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Finding Hope Now DVD ~ Review and Giveaway

*This post may contain affiliate links.*

Finding Hope Now is a movie based on a true story. Reverend Roger Minassian had a heart for the gang youth in Fresno, California. In 1993, Rev. Minassian left his church and started the ministry Hope Now for Youth. While dealing with gangs, Roger meets Santos Delgado. Santos is a 16 year old who has left his home and now survives on the street. Santos joins one of the gangs and his life starts spiraling out of control. Roger keeps on Santos and eventually Santos life starts turning around the right way. Rev. Minassian learns to become a father to the fatherless.

Since it's beginning, Hope Now for Youth has placed over 1800 gang members with criminal records in jobs with Fresno businesses. Hope Now has given them a chance at a new life and have taught men how to be loving husbands and fathers.

Finding Hope Now is available at Family Christian for $19.99. It is recommended for ages 12 and up because of gang related violence.

This is not a movie I would normally choose to watch, but I am glad I was chosen to review this movie. It was such an inspiring movie and had me in tears by the end. Reverend Minassian has such a big heart and loves youth and wants them to do right. It inspired me to want to help the youth in my city. I live near a city that has a gang problem and my mayor has a heart like Roger and wants to get them off the street and into jobs. This movie will not disappoint.

Now for the giveaway: Family Christian has let me give one of my readers a chance at winning the DVD. USA and Canada only. Please enter using the rafflecopter below.

Check out Family Christian on Facebook.
Also, I would love for you to check out Our Life ~ Home and School on Facebook to keep up with my reviews and giveaways.

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I received a free copy of this product from Family Christian in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Warriors of Honor ~ Review

I love the Civil War time period. I love studying it and learning as much as I can about it. When I was a senior in college, I was able to write my final paper for my Bachelor’s degree on the Civil War. When Warriors of Honor (DVD) was offered as a review, I was happy to be picked to review it. Warriors of Honor is produced by New Liberty Videos.

About New Liberty Videos:
Brian Barkley has been in the motion picture industry for over 40 years. He has worked on several television series before becoming a Christian. After receiving Christ, he became involved in producing Christian movies and still does today.

About Warriors of Honor:
Warriors of Honor follows the lives of two men from the Civil War time period, Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson and Robert E. Lee. This video  is in documentary form. The video takes you through some of the major battles of the Civil War and, at the same time, gives you insight to the lives of these two men from the South.

This documentary DVD is geared for the general audience. It is available for $19.95. The approximate run time is 80 minutes with three bonus segments.

This documentary offers the viewer many actual photos of Jackson and Lee. There are also several photos of the actual battlefield as well as re-enactments.  See some screen shots below:

        


There are so many facts given in this documentary, but the main focus is on Jackson and Lee and their love for God. Some of the battles discussed in the video are Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. It also tells the stories of both Jackson’s and Lee’s deaths.

How We Used Warriors of Honor:
I watched this documentary first by myself to see if my children would be interested. My boys, who also love history, did want to watch this and I let them. After watching the video, my boys and I discussed what we watched. I asked them questions about the two men to see what they comprehended. We discussed how God worked in and through their lives.

What we thought about Warriors of Honor:
I enjoyed watching this documentary and learning more about these two men than what I already knew. Even though I am a Civil War buff, there were some things I didn’t know about Jackson and Lee that I learned from the documentary. My boys enjoyed watching and learning about these two great men. We have a Civil War re-enactment coming up in our state that we are planning to attend. I think this documentary helped my boys to realize how many people were affected during the war. They can’t wait to see the re-enactment. I also loved how well this documentary showed the lives of both of these men in a positive light. It was a nice change to watch a documentary that puts God as the focus. This documentary will definitely be re-watched when the Civil War time period comes up in our history curriculum.

The Current DVD ~ Review

*This post may contain affiliate links*

Have you ever been camping as a child? I have and I loved going camping. My family and I stayed at various campgrounds while I was growing up. I would have loved for my family to own or be caretakers of a campground. I've only been camping once as an adult, but to see the excitement on my children's faces was priceless. They loved it just as much as I did when I was a child. When I saw that the movie, The Current, was based on a family taking care of a campground, I was hoping to be picked for the review.

I received a copy of The Current DVD from Family Christian for this review. I am always looking for good wholesome movies for my family to watch. I am thankful that there are those in the movie industry who are still making wholesome Christian movies for families.

About The Current:

When thirteen year old Jake is uprooted from his life in Chicago when his parents decide that city life is getting too violent, he comes across a friendship that will change his life. They buy a campground in rural Minnesota to raise their children in a better environment. At the campground, a rebellious young Jake meets Peter the boy across the river. The two form a fast friendship that God uses to transform Jake's life in ways that Jake never could have imagined.

This film is geared for ages 12 and up and is available for $19.99 at Family Christian.

My Review:

When I first started the film, I thought it was going to be boring and predictable because it started out kind of slow. I was wrong. This film is not boring at all. Some scenes are predictable, but there are some that I did not know what was going to happen next. One of the scenes caught me off guard, because I was not expecting it all. I liked that the gospel was presented throughout the film. I was encouraged that this film focused on the spiritual and normal life of a 13 year old boy. This film has both happy and sad scenes. Since this film was recommended for ages 12+, I did screen it first. After watching it, I decided that my three older children (12, 11, 9) could handle the scenes. Overall, I would give this film 4 out 5 stars. It is a great family movie, especially if you have teen boys.

Check out the trailer:




I received a complimentary copy of this DVD from Family Christian, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review.

Go Science (Series 2) DVD’s ~ Review

We recently were given two Go Science (Series 2) DVD’s from Library and Educational Services to review.  Library and Educational Services is a wholesale distributor that sells products to homeschools, churches, missionaries, schools, and some others. They have been in business for 35 years. They offer material that is wholesome and Christian related.



About Go Science DVD’s:

The Go Science Series 2 DVD’s are a collection of segments that were originally shown on a Christian television broadcast. They are hosted by Ben Roy. He has an audience of children where he picks out a few to be his volunteers. There are approximately 10-15 segments (of experiments) on each DVD. Each segment lasts approximately 3-10 minutes. Each DVD has about one hour of science experiments on them. Ben Roy tells the children which experiments are safe to do at home and which are probably not safe (fire tornado). He also talks about the Bible and God throughout the experiments.

These DVD’s are recommended for ages 4-12 and are available for $8.97 each or $59.82 for the set of seven.



Our DVD’s:

We picked out Volume 2 and Volume 6 to review.

Volume 2 is about Life Science and Weather and has the following experiments on the DVD:

Life Science:

• Flashlight-Animal Eyes
• Animal Skulls
• Bobby Pins
• What Are You Looking At?
• How Much Do Your Lungs Hold?
• Eating Nails for Breakfast
• Naked Eggs

Weather:

• Fire Tornado
• Ping Pong Cannon
• Liquid Nitrogen Cloud
• Cloud in a Bottle
• Garbage Can Vortex

Volume 6 is about Chemistry and has the following experiments:

Chemistry 1:

• Milk and Food Coloring
• Elephant's Toothpaste
• Stains
• Staying Dry-Diapers
• Lava Lamp

Chemistry 2:

• Instant Snow
• Silly Slime
• Hydrogen Bubbles
• Grain Elevator
• HHO Generator
• Mentos Fountain

 

How we used the DVD’s:

My boys (the science lovers in the house) wanted to watch the Life Science/ Weather (Volume 2) DVD first. Since these DVD’s are an hour long, I had them watch 3-4 segments at a time. Even though you are able to choose which segment you want to watch from the main menu, we watched them in order so I could remember where we left off. My boys favorite experiments from the volume 2 DVD were naked eggs and fire tornado. My 8 year old daughter said her favorite one was the garbage can vortex. My 3 year old also enjoyed watching the segments.

After we finished volume 2, we watched volume 6, chemistry. We again only watched 3-4 segments at a time on this DVD. My favorite experiment on this DVD was the instant snow. My boys  and older daughter liked the silly slime experiment best.

What we thought:
My boys and girls did like watching the videos, but my oldest who is 12, thought they were a little “babyish” for his age level. He did say he liked watching all of the experiments, but wanted something more mature. He also told me, “Since I want to be a Creationist, I liked how Mr. Roy talked about how the Bible fits in with the experiments.”

My 10 year old son said he enjoyed the experiments and “we should watch them again during the school year.” My 8 year old said she liked them and would watch it again during science time.

My thoughts: I enjoyed watching these with my kids. Mr. Roy is very energetic and loves to get the children in the audience involved. He explains the experiments well. We will definitely use these videos during our science time in the fall, especially if the segment pertains to what we are learning. I really liked how Mr. Roy tied in the Bible and God with each experiment and always ended each segment with the same quote ~ “Every time we learn something about science, we learn something about our Creator...God!"

I liked that when you put the DVD in, there was a main menu to choose which segment you want to watch. That will help in the future when trying to find a specific segment. I do wish the experiments were listed on the DVD case, though. But that is such a minor thing. I am giving these DVD’s 5 stars.

Curiosity Quest DVD ~ Review

Do you have curious children? Are they always asking you how things are grown and harvested? Are they curious about animals and want to learn more about them? Curiosity Quest has several DVD’s available for curious kids. The DVD’s we reviewed are DVD Combo Pack- Swimmers of the Sea (Sea Turtle Rescue, Penguins, Salmon) and DVD Combo Pack-Produce (Mushrooms, Cranberries, Orange Packing).












 About the DVD’s:
Each of these combo DVD’s has 3 episodes on it. Each episode is about 30 minutes long. These DVD’s are geared for children ages 7-14. Each DVD cost $24.95.



Both of my boys love to watch programs that teach them something. When we received these DVD’s, they were excited and wanted to watch them right away. I know I mention this regularly, but my 12 year old wants to be a scientist, so I feel it is important for him to learn as much as he can about different things. He chose to watch the Swimmers of the Sea DVD first.

What is on the Swimmers of the Sea DVD?
The first episode we watched was about penguins. The host, Joel Greene, has a question from a viewer. He then takes us on an educational trip to answer the question. In the penguin episode, we learn what penguins like to eat and where they live.

The next episode was about sea turtles. The host takes us on an adventure to a sea turtle hospital. We learned how the turtles are treated during their time at the hospital and how the goal is to release them back into the ocean.

The final episode on this DVD is about salmon. We learned how salmon are able to remember where they were “born” and are able to find that spot each year. We also learned about the five different types of salmon that are found in Alaska.



What is on the Produce DVD?
My kids are not as curious about food as they are animals, but they did find this DVD interesting.

The episode about mushrooms gave us a closer look at how mushrooms are grown and shipped all over the world.

The orange packing episode was interesting since the kids learned how to carefully pick oranges and how they are packaged to ship all over the world as well.

I found the cranberry episode the most interesting. I guess it was interesting to me because I have visited a cranberry bog in Massachusetts when I was a teenager. My kids enjoyed learning how the cranberries are harvested.

Did we enjoy these DVD’s?
Yes! All of my children enjoyed these DVD’s. My youngest is three and she sat through each episode. I’m not sure how much she learned, but I did catch her walking really slow after watching the turtle episode and saying “Slow like a turtle.”  My other children, ages 8, 10, and 12, enjoyed learning more about the animals and foods than what they already knew. One thing my boys liked was the “Fun Facts” in each episode. I also enjoyed watching these episodes with my children. I would like to have more episodes in our homeschool library.

What We Are Working On

I just wanted to give a little teaser post about all of the great reviews we are currently working on.

I have just about finished our review on Mango Homeschool Edition and will be posting the review over the weekend. 

Here is a list of other reviews we are working on that will be posted next month:

• Victus Study Skills System
• CTC Math
• Homeschool Adventure Company ~ Philippians in 28 weeks
• Curiosity Quest

I also have a couple more review items coming in the mail that will post late April.

One more review I need to try to find the time to write up is a pencil sharpener review. This pencil sharpener is great! We love it and it is easy to use.

Amazing Science DVD ~ Review

Have you ever wanted to do some science experiments with your child but don’t know where or how to get started? Do you want to do science experiments without the mess? Or do you want simple science experiments that use items from around the house? Then, Amazing Science, Volume 1 DVD from ScienceandMath.com may be for you.

I am going to admit that I really don’t like doing science experiments with my children because of the mess some of them can make. I also can’t explain the science behind some of the experiments that my children would want to do. I was interested in the Amazing Science DVD because it looked like something my children could benefit from.

 

 
What is Amazing Science?
Amazing Science, Volume 1 is a 2 disc DVD with twenty three experiments for your 1st through 3rd grader to watch. The experiments are demonstrated and explained by Jason Gibson who worked as a Rocket Scientist for NASA. Each experiment is shown step by step. The science behind the experiment is explained to the student after the experiment is shown. Each experiment is short and does not take a lot of time. Most of the experiments take under 10 minutes.

Many of the experiments use items from around the house such as milk, dish soap, empty glass, candle, string, paper, and batteries (just to name a few). A few items that you may not have around the house are copper pipe, dry ice, and a flat battery.

 
 
 
How We Used The DVD:
I put the DVD in for my 3rd grade daughter during our science time about three times a week. She (and her brothers who were also interested) watched the experiment on the DVD and, if we had the materials, did the experiment after watching the DVD. We did not do all of the experiments, just a handful. We only did the ones that the kids wanted to see in real life.
 
What We Thought:
My school age children are 12, 10, and 8 years old. Even though the recommended grades for this DVD are 1st through 3rd grade, my boys enjoyed watching these experiments and learning some new things.

Some of their favorite experiments that we did were color changing milk, egg in a bottle, ocean in a bottle, and soda can fizz. Some of the favorite experiments that we did not do were build a lemon battery, unburnable money, and dry ice bubbles.

My boys enjoyed this DVD more than my daughter. My boys are into science and love reading all that they can about science. In fact, my 12 year old wants to be a scientist when he grows up, so he really enjoyed watching and doing the experiments. My daughter said she liked watching the experiments, but the explanations were sometimes boring.

I enjoyed watching and doing the experiments with them. They are very easy to set up and only take a few minutes for us to do them.

This is just a small thing, but one con of the DVD is that the materials were listed right before each experiment. There is no main list anywhere on the DVD or website. I had to go through and watch the beginning of each experiment and write down the materials needed to make sure we had them on hand. It would be nice if a pdf list was either available on the DVD or on the website. 
 
Check out some sample science experiments, and follow ScienceandMath.com on Facebook.

Amazing Science, Volume 1 DVD is available on their website for $17.95. It is also available for download for $14.99.

Be sure to check out what the other Schoolhouse Crew members thought about this DVD and also some math  DVD’s.

See The Light Art Giveaway

Note ~ This post contains affiliate links.

We are super excited to announce that we are giving away (1) Art Class - 1 Year set, Volumes 1-9 to one fabulous family. We have never given away an entire set before, but Autumn is approaching and we want to celebrate the magnificent season of change.

This months special is 10% off the Art Class - 1 Year Set (Volumes 1-9).

Use Coupon Code: SEPTEMBER

Offer is good thru September 30, 2013. This would make a wonderful Christmas present for the whole family.

Now for the Giveaway!

See the Light will be giving away (1) Art Class - 1 Year set, Volumes 1-9 to one family. We will be picking a random winner September 15 at 11:59p. Winner will be contacted via email and must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen. All entries will be verified.

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Legacy Documentaries ~ Review

When I was a child, I loved to watch The Little House on the Prairie series. My mom bought me the books one year for Christmas and I read all of the books and re-read them again and again. I loved Little House so much that I introduced the books to my children. My younger son actually became more interested in them than my other children. I was thrilled when we were picked to review Almanzo Wilder: Life before Laura from Legacy Documentaries. 



This DVD tells about Almanzo Wilder’s life before he met Laura, as described in the book Farmer Boy. It takes place on the farm he grew up on in New York. This DVD is a 50 minute documentary that describes Almanzo’s life in the 1800’s. Dean Butler, who played Almanzo on the Television series, is also the narrator of the film. This documentary is filmed onsite at the homestead Almanzo grew up on. It also has colorful images used from the book.

Since my younger son had already read the book, Farmer Boy, I went ahead and let my children watch this DVD. We picked a day and all sat down and watched it together. My other children, 11 and 7, have not yet read Farmer Boy, but they really enjoyed this DVD. Some of my children’s favorite parts were learning about the weekly bath. My daughter also loved learning about the horses that the family raised. My 10 year son who had already read the book said he enjoyed actually seeing the places where Almanzo lived and played. His favorite part was when Almanzo was old enough to finally have his own horse. 

This is a great DVD to use during a history lesson of the 1800’s. If I had received this during the school year, I would have tied it into our history lessons for the day or week. In fact, my younger son did learn about American history last school year, so it went well with something he had just learned and read.

Here is the trailer for the DVD:

We really enjoyed watching this documentary together and learning more about Almanzo Wilder. I have re-watched the DVD already and I’m sure we will all watch it again sometime during the school year. We give this DVD 5 stars!

Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura is great for everyone of all ages and is $21.95. 

Be sure to check out what other crew members had to say about this DVD and also The Legacy of Laura Wilder DVD.

BrainFood Learning ~ Review

BrainFood Learning was started by parents who were looking for stimulating and interesting content that also educates. We were given the opportunity to review The Fascinating World of Mammals. My children love anything science, but especially are interested in mammals more than anything else.



They were so excited when we received the DVD. They wanted to watch it right away. When we first turned on the DVD, we were given the option on the menu of the DVD to play all the content, go to a specific mammal, or review the content. 

Since it was summer break, we just went ahead and picked a day to watch this DVD. Normally, I would try to tie it in with our science curriculum. Our first time watching the DVD, we chose to play all. My 2 year old was so excited while she was watching. When the bear segment came up, she growled like a bear. The animal segments were fairly short and were able to keep the attention of my 2 year old. My older kids (7, 10, and 11) also loved watching the DVD and learning some things about the animals they did not know.

The mammals that were covered on this DVD are as follows:

• Giraffe
• Moose
• Lion
• Dolphin
• Elephant
• Beaver
• Chimpanzee
• Bat
• Kangaroo
• Bear

In between each animal segment, a word and its meaning are introduced.  Words like ruminant, habitat, and migration. My sons, ages 10 and 11, said they knew what some of the words meant, but there were some they didn't know and were glad to have learned them.

When we finished watching the animal segments, we did a quick review. Some of the review are questions that the child has to answer. I would pause the DVD and allow my children to pick the answer. Then when I un-paused it, they could see if their answer was right.

The review section has the following:

• Mammal Flash Cards
• Review the Mammals
• Features of a Mammal
• Review Mammal Facts
• Review the Big Words

You can also find lesson plans for each DVD on the website.

Overall, my kids really loved this DVD, even my 2 year old. They have re-watched parts of this DVD and have done the review at the end again also. We all learned some new facts from this DVD.

The Fascinating World of Mammals from BrainFood Learning is geared for all ages and is available for $14.99.

Here is a sneak peek:

Don’t forget to check out what my fellow crew mates had to say about Mammals, Birds, and Insects.