MindWare: A hidden gem of games for little ones

It isn’t easy to stay home with kids. There are hours to fill, and I always want to feel like my daughter is getting equal to or more than she would get in daycare. It is tough to give structured school time when I feel like I don’t have the resources that I need to make a structured time.

A friend told me about MindWare, specifically about a game called SeekABoo, as a great activity to help teach words. When I researched it I was surprised to find that MindWare is owned by Oriental Trading. Who knew that the place where I got 144 bouncy balls for my 13th birthday party could help me teach my daughter?

Cut to a few months later: MindWare and Peaceable Kingdom have the COOLEST games for toddlers and young kids. My daughter LOVES every one that we have tried. She has learned a ton of words from playing them and actively asks to play them. Also, Peaceable Kingston gives great instructions on how to interact/use the games based on developmental ability. Here’s the run down of the ones we have tried by age:

SeekABoo: SeekABoo is so fun! Not only does it have a great name, it teaches matching, vocabulary, and motor skills. She calls this game “a boo” and asks to play it at least once a day. We started using the picture cues picture up and once she could match I flipped them down and she had to find the right one.

Acorn Soup: This counting and matching game is SO fun! My daughter loves using the spoon to scoop and stir the ingredients. She can count to three now easily after practicing with Acorn Soup.

Where’s Bear?: This game can be used as a stackable cube set, a seek and find game, and as a game. My daughter loves to flip each box until she finds bear.

Monkey Around: This game is a great way to teach one step directions, and it is fun to act out different things with the banana. I was so surprised when she totally understood how to hope backwards without me showing her!

Zoo on the Loose: For kids a little older, zoo on the loose is a great way to teach colors and spatial relations. The stuffed animals make this SO fun!

E-I-E-I-Go: This barnyard matching game is great for learning animal names, sounds, and how to match. I love the adorable pieces in this one too!

Overall thoughts: I’m obsessed with these games, and can’t wait to get more of them! MindWare and Peaceable Kingdom should be on every parent’s list of things to buy.