#2020top30

NEW ⬆️ Girls Garage in Berkeley is one of the biggest reasons that I was bummed to leave the East Bay. Their building classes for girl-identifying kids, ages 9-18, are empowering and fun, and our carpenter was almost old enough to join when we moved. At least now we can get their new book, Girls Garage: How to Use Any Tool, Tackle Any Project, and Build the World You Want to See. It shares 11 how-to projects, 21 essential skills, 15 real-world stories, and more than 175 illustrated tool guides, an inspiring and useful resource that will be under our tree this year.

Get it directly from Girls Garage, at Bookshop, Amazon, or from Chronicle. And if you’re in the Bay Area, definitely click through to learn more about this wonderful nonprofit workspace.

NEW ⬆️ Genius Square is both a puzzle and a game. It has over 60,000 solutions yet it’s really simple and easy to learn. Roll the coordinate dice, place the round blockers on the grid, and then figure out how the Tetris-style wood pieces fit. THEY ALWAYS FIT. It just might be a challenge to figure out how.

Race each other or play solo. A problem-solving skill-builder for all ages. Look for it in your local game shop.

NEW ⬆️ Brains On! is one of those podcasts for kids that I listen to even when my kids aren't around. Molly, Sanden, Marc, and their team have created a smart, entertaining, and informative science show for all ages.And now they’re bringing that award-winning combo to a brand new book: Brains On! Presents...It's Alive: From Neurons and Narwhals to the Fungus Among Us. 🎉

“Did you ever wonder why jellyfish sting? Or if trees communicate with each other? How about why you can't tickle yourself?“ YES. As usual, the Brains On! team is busy answering our questions about deep sea creatures, carnivorous plants, all kinds of poop, and a whole lot more. Grab it at Bookshop, Amazon, or find it at your local indie bookshop.

Why are some people mean? What’s fair? Why do I keep procrastinating? How do I know what I really want? This book is useful, thoughtful, and peppered with illustrations and prompts that keep things accessible. Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy, a children's book for ages 8-12 from The School of Life, dives into these questions and more with eye-opening “philosophical concepts from 25 famous thinkers, contextualized in relatable everyday scenarios.”

We’ve started reading one big idea at bedtime each evening, and in discussing it afterward, we've shared a few extra memories, points of view, and reflections with our kids that we wouldn't have otherwise. And we're hearing from them, too. A helpful prompt for introspection and conversation.

I'm really glad that we picked this one up. Find it at your neighborhood book store, or Amazon or Bookshop.org if you can't find it locally.

⭐️ AWARD-WINNER ⭐️ Proof: The Fast-Paced Game of Mental Math Magic is an award-winner (the 2019 Teacher's Choice Awards) and I saw why within one minute: My kids started playing the card game’s similar online challenges and were immediately hooked. An amazing tool for the classroom. But like doing a crossword puzzle or sudoku, Proof is also a legit game for adults—fun and challenging with kids or without.

Lay 9 cards out in a grid and race to find the hidden equations using addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square roots. Prove the equation? Take the card. The player with the most cards wins.

I love finding fun math games that keep my kids connected with numbers. This is absolutely going under our tree this year.

Learning through play while growing an appreciation for nature: The Match A Leaf tree memory game is a total win. It includes common trees from the United Kingdom and the U.S., plus interesting trees from all around the world. I love this one.

🔥POPULAR 🔥 This is one of those books that I bought within a minute or two of perusing its pages. Another gem from Wide Eyed Books, The School of Numbers presents key math concepts through the lens of an intergalactic journey. Shapes, fractions, percentages, graphs and charts, temperatures, statistics, time, speed, maps, prime numbers, and more are covered in 40 engaging lessons. A bit of history, practical (space-themed) applications, and activities are mixed in, too.

Clear, smart, and full of play for ages 7+. Also: Sneaky shortcuts, number tricks, and robots. Math = fun. Yes, yes, yes.

🔥POPULAR 🔥 Kinderfeet’s wobble board is a beautiful balancing toy that can hold up to 220kg/485lbs. Impressive! And fun for all ages. Made with sturdy Beech plywood. Balance, rock, make a bridge or a little stool... kids will have lots of ideas, perfect for rainy days and sunny days alike. We all want this.

It sold out on their site during the pandemic but it's back on their site and on Amazon. You can also ask for it at your local toy shop!