Everything is awesome! #LegoKidsfest

I can not believe how much fun we had at LEGO® KidsFest in Indianapolis! Yes, Joey loves LEGOs and could design and build for days on end. But, I wondered how LEGO® KidsFest was any different than playing with LEGO® bricks at home or at a friend's house? I guess I wasn't as hip to this amazing LEGO® world as my seven year-old son.

When we walked into the convention center and were immediately met a life-size Emmet (from Lego Movie) made entirely of LEGO® bricks - then I understood. It was almost unreal to see something so large made of LEGO® bricks. Savannah and Joey were in complete amazement as we walked from one creation to the next. I think I was most impressed with the giant Green Hulk and from Lightning McQueen from Cars. Oh, and Lord Business from Lego Movie was also surreal. He was about three times taller than I am!

After we ooh'ed and aaah'ed at the masterpieces that greet you at the door - Joey spent twenty minutes playing in the over-whemingly large pile of LEGO® bricks. It was difficult to pull him away from all that fun. After we convinced him there were many more activities he would enjoy we finally had the chance to wander between the different sections.

LEGO® KidsFest Activities

Some activities are subject to change.

• LEGO Model Gallery: dozens of life-sized models made entirely from LEGO bricks
• LEGO Master Builders: live demonstrations and activities from the crew who get paid to play
• Race Ramps: build a custom car, then race it down the ramp against friends and family
• LEGO Chima: choose a tribe and test battling skills with the whole family
• LEGO Star Wars: build and display a Star Wars model
• Creation Nation: build your own creation to add to a custom map of the U.S.
• LEGO DUPLO: younger visitors can explore imagination through building
• LEGO Retail: purchase LEGO merchandise and official KidsFest tour goods
• Brick Pile: a gigantic pile full of LEGO bricks for creative play and enjoyment
• Monochromatic Builds: bricks of a single color to foster group creativity
• LEGO Friends: build for the five empowered friends from Heartlake City
• LEGO Mindstorms: build and program robots and snakes
• LEGO Ninjago: spin the way to being a Spinjitzu member
• LEGO City: using the imagination to create buildings and vehicles to the urban diorama

Every activity we chose ended with the kids receiving a small packet of LEGO® bricks. They were ecstatic to walk away with new additions to their collection. Joey has spent most of today playing with his LEGO® Legends of CHIMA Spider Crawler.



If your kiddo loves LEGO® and you have the chance to attend a LEGO® KidsFest - I recommend going and grabbing your tickets early. Tickets are limited and do not last long! You'll have a fun time and learn a lot about LEGO® that you never knew existed!

Did you know?

• More than 400 billion LEGO® bricks have been produced since 1949.
• The LEGO® minifigure represents the world's largest population of people! More than four billion minifigures have been produced in the last 30 years. This is almost 12 times the population of the United States!
• LEGO® minifigures are out of this world, literally. The two Mars Rovers have an image of the LEGO® minifigure etched into their front grill.
• Approximately seven LEGO® sets are sold each second.
• There are about 62 LEGO® bricks for every one of the world's six billion inhabitants.
• Laid end to end, the number of LEGO® bricks sold in a year would reach more than five times around the world.
• There are 915 million ways to combine six eight-stud LEGO® bricks.
• Children around the world spend five billion hours a year playing with LEGO® bricks.
• With a production of about 306 million tires produced a year, the LEGO® group is the largest producer of tires in the world.
• LEGO® is the contraction of two Danish words, "leg godt" which means "play well".
• There are about 62 LEGO® bricks for every one of the world's six billion inhabitants.
• 19 billion LEGO® elements are produced every year. 2.16 million LEGO® elements are molded every hour, or 36,000 per minute.

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SpyX Roll-In Spy Bug and Long Range Walkie Talkies

Joey believes that he is crafty, clever and sneaky. At the age of 7, he hasn't mastered being crafty enough to fool mom and dad but he enjoys it. As sneaky as he is, or believes himself to be, I wasn't sure if he would fully enjoy a set of SpyX toys. They were something that I would have loved as a kid but I didn't know if kids these days were really into walkie talkies and spying on their parents. Oh was I wrong. So wrong.

We recently received a pair of SpyX Long Range Walkie Talkies and a SpyX Roll-In Spy Bug. The first day, Savannah and Joey played with the walkie talkies nonstop. They hid from each other and used them in the basement. They took them outside and pretended to be on a secret mission of some sort. At night, they took them to bed and chatted for a bit before mom and dad decided it was time to sleep.

I guess that with the use of cell phones, I hadn't imaged that kids would find walkie talkies so neat. The SpyX Long Range Walkie Talkies have become a prized toy. I like that it's something they can play with together, bond and create memories. I also like that it helps to expand their imaginative play.

It was also nice to bring them along when I run on a local track. It kept the kids busy as they ran around and tested the signal strength and began a new "mission". Unfortunately, the walkie talkies did not work from one end of our small town to the other end. They were disappointed in that - but hey, from one end of the neighborhood to the other was pretty good.

They also had a lot of fun with the SpyX Roll-In Spy Bug.  Oh how sneaky they thought they were when they'd slowly place it in the room where adults were and sliver out the door.  Their giggles and laughter were priceless.  The SpyX Roll-In Spy Bug was pretty interesting.  They could place or roll the bug in it's desired location and then, using the receiver, listen to conversation up to 50 feet away.

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Robot Turtles - Teaching Kids Coding Concepts

We've spent the past few days playing with and enjoying Robot Turtles™ by ThinkFun®.  Robot Turtles is the first board game to teach coding skills to kids as young as four!  Teaches coding skills to children?  Yes!

I was intrigued when Robot Turtles was first introduced to me because it is very important to me that I keep my kids up-to-date with technology and instill in them an entrepreneurial spirit. Not only do I want them to be able to use technology - but I want them to have an in-depth understanding of it. So, I was fascinated by the thought of using a board game to teach coding/programming concepts.

“Learning how to code is an essential 21st century skill and not just for designing apps and video games,” said Bill Ritchie, ThinkFun President and Co-Founder. “You learn how to break big problems into small steps, work backwards and visualize multiple solutions. You learn to persevere, to experiment and be patient. Robot Turtles teaches these life essentials to the youngest kids who stand to benefit the most.”

In programming - the programmer tells the computer what to do using code. The computer then follows the commands set forth by the programmer. In Robot Turtles, the child plays the role of programmer while a parent or older sibling acts as the computer and follows commands given by the programmer.

How to Play

• Your child chooses one of four colorful turtles and a corresponding jewel.
• Your child then places them in different spots on the game board.
• Your child then uses the playing cards to navigate you through the board in an effort to help the turtle reach the jewel. The cards direct you either left, right or forward.
• You then follow your child's command and move closer to the jewel.

Your child will sharpen their problem-solving skills when they encounter obstacles along the way that they must maneuver around to help their turtle reach the jewel.

Robot Turtles was awarded a “Best Toy for Kids” by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association.  Robot Turtles began as a Kickstarter sensation. The goal to raise $25,000 and produce 1,000 games turned into $631,000 and 25,000 games as passionate parents from 65 countries kicked in support to make Robot Turtles a reality, and the game sold out. Robot Turtles is now available at Target stores nationwide and on Amazon and Target.com.

Find Robot Turles using our affiliate Amazon or Target.

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Summer Must Have: Ziggle by Radio Flyer

Even though we are still experiencing a few chilly (yet very sunny) days - Spring is here and we are enjoying being outdoors! I think Joey was nearing the moment where he would begin bouncing off the walls if the never-ending days of Spring and Summer didn't arrive.



Now that those days have finally arrived - he's enjoying them outside and on his new Ziggle by Radio Flyer! Looking for a new item for the kiddos enjoyment while they play outside? You'll need to check out Radio Flyer's latest additions which include - the Ziggle!

This has been a great item to add to our afternoon playtime and our trips to the park! Having a van, it has been easy to place it in the back along with the kid's bikes and scooters!



I enjoy watching Joey move up and down the driveway and sidewalks on the Ziggle. In fact, I wish there was an adult version!

There has never been a more fun way to ride than with the NEW Radio Flyer Ziggle. All you do is twist the front and wiggle the back and off you go. Advanced riders gain speed and can drift into 360⁰ spins. Four high performance caster wheels provide a smooth ride on any surface. The adjustable seat grows with your child and the padded hand grips, grip tape for feet and solid steel frame add comfort and control for years of fun.

This Ziggle has also been great for discussion during our homeschool science days! The 'why' and 'how' of its movement was very fascinating for Savannah and Joey.

Is the Ziggle right for your child? Check out the stats and features:

• Ages: 3-8 Years
• Body: 31.25" L x 21.7" H x 20" H
• Weight: 11.4 lbs.
• Weight Capacity: 81 lbs.
• Twist the front and wiggle the back, just get on and go
• Four caster wheels for a fun, fast ride
• 360⁰ degree spin out action
• Adjustable seat grows with your child
• Grip tape for feet provide added control
• Padded hand grips for comfort
• Solid steel frame

We were provided the use of a Ziggle for review purposes.  All opinions are my own.

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Why had I never been to Cedar Point?

The kids and I take each opportunity we have to visit the amusement park located nearest our home. A long drive doesn't deter us and we make it a part of our Summer routine. When we are not at the park, the kids pretend they are there and enjoying the various rides. Pulling each other through the yard in their wagon - they scream and throw their hands in the air just as they do on the roller coasters.

As much as we anticipate, dream of and plan out our trips - we had never decided to venture a bit to our North and visit Cedar Point.  Over the years, I have heard a lot about the many different types of rides and attractions they have but never had the chance to visit.

A few weeks ago, my family and I finally had the time and opportunity to find out what everyone was so excited about.  We found that it was a destination in and of itself.  An entire vacation could be planned around all that this park has to offer. 

I had absolutely no idea how much fun was awaiting us! As we pulled into the parking lot it began to rain. I was certain this would ruin the fun of exploring a new amusement park. The rain came and went throughout the day but it never seemed to dampen the wonderful adventure my children were on in this new place.



Cedar Point is located on a peninsula that makes its way onto Lake Erie in Northern Ohio. Before arriving, I knew that we would be close to Lake Erie - I hadn't realized that we would be on the lake.

• In September 2012, Cedar Point was named as the Best Amusement Park in the World for the 15th consecutive year in the prestigious Golden Ticket Awards, presented by Amusement Today, an international industry publication.
• New in 2013 will be GateKeeper, a record-breaking winged roller coaster located at the front of the park, which will take riders over the main entrance.

Information via CedarPoint.com

As we walked into the park and grabbed a few maps - I realized there was no way we would be able to explore everything.  Cedar Point is enormous!  It boasts 72 rides - 15 of which are roller coasters.

Confession:  I always, always take extra maps.  I never ever leave an amusement park without taking extra maps.  And make note - that if you tweet that out, they see that... and may ask if you got all the maps you needed.  The kids love to play with them and to keep the kids happy I always need to laminate one for each of them to get us through the long Winter months when no amusement parks around us are open.

There is such a large assortment of rides that anyone who enjoys amusements parks will find entertainment at every turn.  The choices between kids rides, family rides and thrill rides was a perfect mix for the ages in our party and the level of thrill seekers.  For the youngest amusement park goers - Cedar Point features Planet Snoopy and many more rides throughout the park where they can enjoy themselves and make memories. 

We had so much fun trying to squeeze in as many rides as we possibly could between rain showers.  Even if there had been no rain, it would have been difficult to get through the entire park and take it all in without spending several days there.  There are several hotel {and camping} options beside the park.  It seemed as though many of them came with great views of Lake Erie.

This is definitely a place to put on our vacation idea list - and yours too!  Between hotel options, fun on the beach, in the water, go-karts and the rides at Cedar Point - you could plan a very fun vacation for the family.  I do hope that we'll be able to work this into a family vacation in the near future! 




Disclosure: I was provided this opportunity to explore Cedar Point amusement park.  Opinions are my own.

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