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Did you know you can create over 10,000 words from the element symbols on the periodic table?

FReNeTiC is a new board game suitable for ages 8+ and can be played as couples, teams or individuals. The idea of the game is to make words from the symbols on the Periodic Table you then score points based on the atomic number of the element used.


My eldest daughter and I sat down play together, with her younger sister taking charge of the timer. She went first and drew the first 8 tiles out of the bag. A tricky couple of letters lay before us and before we knew it her sister shouted that the timer had stopped.


The only word we could make was Vac, and my daughter picked up the points. It was my turn now to draw 4 tiles out of the bag and place on to the board.


The first few rounds were fairly tricky due to the limited letters. We seemed to draw all the Rb, Pb type elements, which are not too easy for making words from. It did however get us thinking and talking about the different letters that lay in front of us. 


I do like the periodic table element of this game as it has got my daughter asking questions about elements and the periodic table. I think it is good to encourage science at a young age and in such a fun and varied way. 

The game is very face paced, 45 seconds seem to go rather quickly. I think when we play again it also might work better in teams as the first few rounds can be quite tricky given the limited number of tiles. I like the extra challenge of trying to create the atomic elements themselves. FReNeTiC is a really fun, fast paced game and I cannot wait to play it with the whole family at Christmas.

We were sent the game in exchange for a review, all words are my own opinion 
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Little Tikes have recently launched a brand new STEM range of products. The STEM range takes the core educational principles of Science, Technology, Engineering and maths and turns them into hours of creative fun. Hoping to inspire the next generation of scientists and ignite a child's imagination, we were certainly keen to put the Wonder Lab to the test.


The Wonder Lab has a RRP of £99.99 and features a brightly coloured lab, where you can complete one of the 20 included experiments or one of your own choosing, a circuit centre and a ball maze. The maze can be made in 16 different combinations.

The girls, aged 6 and 8, were eager to put together their Wonder Lab and insisted on wearing their lab coats to do so. The wonder lab has two hooks on the side where they hang their lab coats when they have finished their experiments, which I find rather sweet. Lab coats were not included they had these already.


The lab requires a cross head screw driver and 3 AA batteries. The girls assembled the lab themselves apart from the screws, and we had fully assembled within a few minutes. The most difficult part was choosing which experiment to do first. The girls looked through the cards and chose slime, but I was unfortunately missing one of the ingredients, saline eye solution. They then choose vampire blood!

The instructions on the card are really simple to follow. My 6 year old daughter can follow them with ease. Colourful and clear pictures and simple steps, everything has been thought out. The majority of the experiments need house hold ingredients and those I did not have in I found in my local Asda today, so nothing obscure. 

Vampire blood was a huge success. There was mixing, measuring and pouring. Both girls said it was amazing and they felt like real scientists. It is the first time as well that both of them cleared up after themselves. In fact clean up is really easy as you simply lift the purple tray out and wash in the sink.


I have lost track of the number of experiments the girls have now done with their wonder lab, but they have made me film every one they have done. Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel to see their experiments. 


Whilst the girls love the experiments, Little Man at 2 years old has took a shine to the Wonder lab for the lights, sounds and of course the ball maze! He likes to sort the pieces into different colours, build mazes on the board for the ball to follow and his favourite is turning the dial in the circuit centre to change the colour of the lights! It would appear I now have three budding scientists thanks to the wonder lab for inspiring them and making science fun!

The wonder lab was sent for review, all words are my own opinion 

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This week it is British science week.  I am very passionate about getting my children involved in both science and maths and look for fun ways to encourage them to take part in experiments.  Having some one on one time with my eldest recently we decided to make lava lamps.

We used a wild science Lava Lamp kit to create our lava lamps.  My eldest was incredibly excited that she could conduct science experiments and more excited that she could wear gloves to do them in!


At 6 years old she was able to follow the instructions in her Wild science kit all herself.  She measured everything out carefully and followed every instruction.  She showed so much concentration as she did so, and asked questions about what would happen.


The Wild Science kit came with everything she needed to complete her experiments and enough to do other experiments on later dates.  The great thing about each experiment is that they were safe to do, and that my daughter became incredibly engrossed in what she was doing.  


As she worked through the experiments she asked lots of questions about why things happened.  She was incredibly curious as to why the oil sat on the water.  It was lovely spending time with her and watching how excited she got as she completed each step in the instructions.  Her face lit up when she dropped the tablet she had made into the lava lamp and it started to fizz, causing bubbles in the water and a true lava lamp!

In fact she started to show everyone who came to the house her lava lamp and made more tablets to drop in.


Spending one on one time with my eldest is really rare.  She had so much fun creating her Wild Science lava lamp and is currently taking great pride in explaining to everyone why oil will sit on water.

The kit we used to make our lava lamp was from wild science.  The Wild Science global science challenge is giving families [2 adults and 2 children] the chance to win:

- A trip to Florida
- Entry to Disney World
- Accommodation for 7 days
- 7 day car hire
- Full set of wild science products
- Entry to Kennedy Space Centre to meet a real astronaut

For full details on how to enter, including terms and conditions please visit  http://www.wildscience.net/wildact.asp 

This is such an amazing competition and entry is incredibly simple.  My daughter has already begun designing her own science kit and has asked for several more Wild Science kits as she had so much fun with the lava lamp.  I cannot wait to see the kit she designs!

Wild Science kits are available at Smyths 

The Wild Science kit mentioned was provided in exchange for this review. 
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My husband and I both have backgrounds in engineering.  Having studied engineering and worked in the field for a brief period I feel very passionately about encouraging females to take an interest in the field.  I love understanding why things work, taking them to pieces to reassemble them and I find it much easier to work logically and with numbers than anything else.  When a TV show is developed to encourage children, in particular girls, to take an interested in engineering and science I am very intrigued to watch and find out more.
The girls love to watch Project MC 2.  For those who have not seen Project MC 2, it is a team of six super-smart and seriously cool girls who use their love of science and spy skills to undertake missions for top-secret organisation, NOV8™ (pronounced 'innovate').  


Project MC 2 is a Netflix original and was launched in August 2015.  In addition it launched its own geek-chic fashion doll line and accessories based on S.T.E.A.M,with an aim to encourage girls that science and technology can be fun.


This Valentine's day Netflix released Part 4 of Project MC 2, all new episodes ready for us to watch over half term.  The girls are really excited and cannot wait to watch the new episode, they are certain it will be as good as the others.  If the trailer is anything to go by they are not wrong.

In addition to the new release, Project MC 2 also are releasing a new range of dolls.  Based on the characters from the show the dolls also each come with science experiments to do at home.  Ranging from glowing ear rings to glitter tattoos!  The girls cannot wait to see what experiment their doll will have.



I love how excited both girls are to watch the new episodes and to have a try at a science experiment!  I shall keep you updated on twitter as to how we get on!

I am waiting on the mentioned doll in exchange for this post.
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Having recently returned from a trip to Portugal for which we flew into and left from Faro airport, however we had never really ventured into the city.  Faro is such a vibrant place with plenty to do for families.  As a family we decided to spend 24 hours in Faro, and for the vast majority of our time there it rain.  In addition to these places featured there were plenty of parks for the kids to play in, a playground near the marina and of course many shops to visit.

Capela dos Ossos  - Chapel of Bones

The chapel of bones is located to the rear of the Carmo church and as a result is only accessible when the church is not in use for mass or service.  The church is beautiful in its own right and is certainly worth a visit.



The walls and ceilings are lined with gold that glistens in the Portuguese sun.  My children stood mesmerised by the statues and figures, trying to take it all in.  In order to reach the chapel of bones you walk the aisle up towards the altar before turning to the right to go towards the back of the church.  


As you stand in the chapel of bones it is hard to comprehend what you are looking at.  The walls, ceiling and archways are all made from human bones including skulls.  each skull perfectly aligned to the one above and below and there is a real symmetry about the design.  In a strange way it is captivating, and strangely beautiful.  The girls were fascinated about what they were looking at.


Cidade Velha - Old Town

Faro Old town is surrounded by the old city walls, upon entering through the giant gate archway you feel transported back into a traditional city.  Narrow cobbled streets, with stunning architecture on the buildings.  The streets have shops selling traditional goods, houses, and cafes.  A trip to old town is worth it alone just to have a walk around and immerse yourself in history or simply stop at one of the cafe to watch the world go past.  If you do visit Old town there is one place which has to be visited, Faro Cathedral and look out tower


The cathedral, museum and grounds were perfect for taking a lazy walk around.  Looking at the different artifacts and discussing the history of old town with the girls, but it was the look out tower that made the visit.  The steps are steep and winding but both girls managed it, we did take our time, and the views from the top are breath taking. 





We had a pretty rainy day, and you can see in the photo above the rain coming into shore, but we still had fantastic views over Faro and old town.




Centro de Ciência Viva do Algarve - Science Museum

Our day in Faro rained, pretty much the whole time, so we looked for things we could do whatever the weather.  The majority of the science museum is indoors, there is a garden outside but we chose to stay in the main building.  The girls were simply blown away.


The museum is very hands on, encouraging children to learn by exploring.  Upon entering the museum the girls were greeted with a large aquarium, and of course they needed to take time to find Nemo!


Whilst the majority of the instructions are in Portuguese, this simply added to the fun.  Not only trying to work out what each exhibit did and how it worked, but also learning about the exhibit itself!  The girls favourite part was the earthquake bridge which shook to replicate an earthquake, Little Man loved the giant bubbles and for me I loved the attention to detail.  The bright colours, the decorations and how all the exhibits worked with each other.  


In addition to the outside area the main building is on two floors.  The attraction upstairs is insects and reptiles with a focus on scorpions and spiders.  I am usually OK with house spiders, and the bigger spiders if I know where they are but I have never seen spiders this big before.  Following with the rest of the museum this area is also very hands on, although the girls were not too keen on this prospect despite it just the skin of the spider and not a live spider they could interact with.  [If you are scared of spiders please scroll quickly past the next photo]


Marina

I always feel at peace next to water.  The marina in Faro is such a beautiful place that is very family friendly.  As well as a flat walk that is great for pushchairs, there is also an outdoor park for the older children to play in.  We had dinner in a pizza restaurant right on the marina front, and I have to say the food was delicious and came with a fantastic view.




The beach is also accessible from here which was a wonderful place to sit and watch the planes take off and the gorgeous sunset!  Do be aware that there is an active train line to cross to get to the beach, and our pushchair wheels got stuck so take care.



Land train

As the heavy rain poured down we sort shelter in the Land train.  The train picks up outside the marina by the playground, I would give you a time but as the tourist information point said it should be here but they seem to be a bit random times today.  The land train took us on a tour of Faro and lasted around 30 minutes.  Whilst the tour was in English the points the narrator was mentioning was not in the location we currently were, so for example it was talking about the marina whilst we were at the top of a hill looking at a statue!  Not that it made any difference to the children, they simply loved the fact were were taking a ride on a train!


There was so much to see and do in Faro, fantastic shops and restaurants and plenty for the whole family whatever the weather.  We spent a full 24 hours in Faro in the rain and could have easily spent longer!  Faro really is a great family friendly city to visit.

This post is part of  travelcast.tv, an exciting new video platform. 

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My husband and I both have degrees in engineering, which means we both have a love and passion for maths and science.  Our minds seem to work in a logical fashion and we enjoy the challenge that numbers bring.  Our eldest daughter seems to also have an analytical mind and can spot patterns and sequences very quickly. 

When I received an email from Numberbundle I actually got incredibly excited.  Numberbundle are mathematical activity boxes which support both the Early years foundations stage and National Curriculum for children 3 -7.  The boxes cost £21 for a single box or can be a monthly subscription and cost £16.99 per month.  Each month the boxes take on a different topic from the national curriculum and cover a range of activities.  The activities include cookery, arts, crafts, games, puzzles, cross stitch, outdoor play, science and story.  I was very keen to see the boxes and see what the girls thought of them

Numberbundle box

First impressions on the boxes were great, both girls wanted to open the boxes up straight away and have a look inside.  Inside the boxes there is a card explaining the activities and the topic they are supporting.  Then cards for each of the activities, including full instructions and finally some of the materials you may need for each activity.  Although not all materials are included those that are not are easy to source, such as glue, water and newspaper.

Inside Numberbundle box

The girls had different boxes each suited to their specific age group, my youngest is Early years and my eldest is Year 1.  Inside my youngest Numberbundle box the topic was big and small, the topic for my eldest was money.  The girls looked through the enclosed activities and we picked one to do.

Selecting numberbundle activity

The great thing about the cards is that they not only contain full, clear instructions of the activity and how to do it, but they also contain discussion points.  This gives me as a parent an idea of the topic that is taught at school and ways in which I can incorporate this into daily life.  For the girls, they did not realise they were doing maths based activities, and instead simply had fun with the activities they had chosen.

My eldest wanted to make a papermache money box pig.  We used this to discuss tearing paper into halves and quarters, used the legs to count and work out how many legs we would need.  Calculate how many more money boxes we could make with the material we had left and calculate the fraction of water to glue for our mixture. 

Making pig

My youngest chose to do the playdough mat activity.  We had already made some playdough, but there was a recipe to make playdough included.  We used the playdough mats to make ears, tails and wings and discuss which animal had the bigger ears, the elephant or the mouse?  Did my youngest have bigger or smaller ears?  Whilst she could do some of the activity independently, making the ears for example, we discussed bigger and smaller together as she played.

which is bigger?

I really love how Numberbundle encourages discussion around each activity in a fun way, so the girls did not feel like they were learning but instead just playing.  It has helped me as a parent gain a better understanding of the activities the girls do at school, which means I can support their learning at home.  Numberbundle are also a great way to engage with your children as they do each activity so you can do things together, as well as supporting independent learning also.

I am giving away a Numberbundle box worth £21 to one reader, giveaway is via the Gleam widget below and ends on the 12th March 2016 at midnight GMT. Full terms and conditions are on the widget.

Numberbundle
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Maverick books are set to have a very exciting year. They have recently launched their storytellers scheme and whilst I have not been asked to write about it, I think the scheme is fantastic and wanted to share. As you know we have a real passion for reading and a scheme which helps to promote the magical world that books can open up is one which needs to be shared. I may look into joining the scheme after Thing 3 arrives and more details can be found here.

January has also seen 3 books published.

Maverick January books

The first is Hopping Hot which is the third book in the Hedgehugs series. The girls are already familiar with this series and have loved all the Hedgehugs books to date, Thing 3 also has the hard book books ready for them to join in the fun. Hoppin hot follows the story of Hattie and Horace who are the best of friends and want to hop.  

Strictly no crocs is by debut author Heather Pindar. It sees the crocodiles not receiving an invite to the party. They come up with a clever plan but will they see it through? The illustrations in this book are by Susan Batori and remind me of Quentin Blake's style of illustrating. They are fun and quirky characters who add real humour to the story. The girls find the story rather funny and it is a nice quick easy read for those nights when you want an enjoyable fun story.

The third book is Professor McQuark and the Oojamaflip.  This is the girls favourite of the 3 books and one which has really inspired their imagination.  As a result they have both been busy building Oojamaflips out of random boxes and materials they can find.  I love books which inspire this amount of thinking in children and also ones which encourage them to be active or take an interest in a subject like science.  

Three really wonderful books and something for everyone.  Thank you for sending them Maverick books, we love them.  
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Cast your mind back to Christmas. As parents we hurried our children outside to glance up at the night sky as the international space station whizzed over head. Pretending of course that it was Father Christmas and his sleigh.

More recently we had our children making pin hole cameras to help them watch the eclipse. Children and adults alike watched in amazement and wonder. Last month even marked international astronomy month. It is safe to say that for the past 6 months at least we have had our eyes on the skies.

the eclipse

Perhaps it rather appropriate that my girls are starting to show more of an interest in science and technology. As a qualified engineer I love that they have this new found interest and feel more should be done to encourage women to become interested in science, technology engineering and maths (STEM)

Stargazer Lottie

A special edition gold collection stargazer lottie doll has recently been launched with an RRP of £19.99. She has been developed in collaboration with the European space agency and it is hoped she will help get more children interested in ( STEM) and astronomy. Stargazer lottie comes with:

·         Dark blue velvet bomber jacket
·         Cerise-coloured dungarees
·         A long sleeve t-shirt with pale blue arms
·         Spotty scarf
·         A brown hat
·         Sturdy brown boots
·         Telescope and tripod
·         Solar system collector cards
·         Notable women in astronomy additional sheet.

Stargazer lottie was the recipient of the esteemed little scientist award from space.com. If you have a little one interested in STEM you can also download some great ideas here.

For your chance to win your own Stargazer Lottie follow the instructions on the widget below.  The giveaway closes 19th June at Midnight GMT.


Stargazer
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Last Friday we took part in a Blaze and the machines twitter party.  This twitter party was unlike one we had done before.  Our party box arrived and it contained lots of scientific and engineering experiments.  I was really excited, the engineer in me wanted to play.

The girls were very excited too.

The girls and their friends sat down to do a blaze and the machine maze whilst I got the TV ready to watch the first episode.  

blaze maze

We of course needed some snacks to watch our first episode with so we made our very own chocolate cars.  The tongue of concentration came out for these.  They did not last very long

building chocolate carstongue of concentration

Just long enough for us to race them

chocolate car races

After watching Blaze and the machines on Nick Jr we were very excited to build our own cars.  It was such a fun activity.  We got to think about the build and design our cars.  It was a lot of fun and after we had built them we all began to race them

getting ready to build a carour finished car

As well as engineering activities we also had maths.  Counting and sorting.  We made activities for all the different ages at our party

lots of buttons

Science was the next order of the day, and we began to look at what objects float and which sink.  This was a favourite with my youngest, she loves water.  She took great pride it testing each object and even tried herself.

learning what floatsshe sinks

Our final activity came from Great Gizmos who provided us with some great 4M scientific experiments..  

4M science experiments

Everyone loved making the lemon clock.

Our Blaze and the machines twitter party was a lot of fun, all our guests had a great time.  We would like to say thank you to Ukmums.tv, Nick Jr and Great gizmos for hosting a great twitter party.
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About me

About Me

Welcome to This Day I love.

My name is Leyla, also known as Mum to my 3 humans and dog Mum to J. I have a passion for the outdoors and love to run. I can often be found off road exploring the trails and fells and covering distances all the way up to 50 miles. As a family we love travelling and discovering new adventures, as I try and run around the world!

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