Summer is a great time to relax and enjoy time together with friends and family, but you don’t want to let your mind turn to mush during that time. According to the Northwest Evaluation Association’s research, “summer learning loss was observed in math and reading across third to eighth grade, with students losing a greater proportion of their school year gains each year as they grow older – anywhere from 20 to 50 percent.” How do you keep your child from losing their learning or falling behind? Keep their minds active, keep them reading, and keep brains stimulated. No, Fortnight totally doesn’t count, sorry!
Got a little one? Start young and keep them active. There are some amazing books out there, and of course your local library will likely have summer reading programs you can do with your child no matter what age. There are also puzzles and educational games you can play with your child on technology and “real life” touchable options- we recommend a bit of both.
We recently tried out these fun and “edu-taining” science based apps aimed at preschoolers, and found them both adorable and fun. My child didn’t even realize they were learning, they honestly enjoyed them. Even my 12 year old liked them- except the dress up app, but that’s pretty good for an age range in my opinion.
I’m a teacher by trade, and I love that there are these apps that let kids have fun while learning. Since science is an area that is under-taught in many schools, the more ways a child can be exposed to it, the better. Cosmic Cubs (www.cosmiccubs.com) help kids pre-k and up learn about ecology, the solar system, and just for fun, a space dress up game as well.
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Say hello to Ertle (rhymes with turtle), Luna, Sunny, Neeto and Juno, some of the 10 Cosmic Cubs that kids will meet in one of three Apps available for Android and IOS platforms, now available from the App store or Google Play. Leader of the pack Ertle is a good-natured cub who loves life and families found on Earth. Luna has many phases and she connects best with the Moon. Juno is playful and confident and admittedly leans toward the biggest planet of all, Jupiter!
The engaging cubs teach children as young as three about the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle – in their Cosmic Cubs Eco Puzzle App (Free for some content and $1.99 for full access) for iPhone and iPad or Android phone or tablet. The App boasts 24 different puzzles.
Click on their website for a bundle of Cosmic Cubs Coloring pages to be downloaded and printed. These informative sheets are ideal for kitchen table or restaurant booth free time. On one 3Rs ecology page, Ertle shows youngsters how to save energy by turning down the heat in winter and donning a sweater.
Download Cosmic Cubs Space Puzzle (Free for some content and $1.99 full access) for a galactic game of planets. Children learn about the different planets and moons in the Milky Way as they complete jigsaw puzzles. They’ll quickly discover the ringed planet, the blue planet and the coldest planet. Asteroids, Meteors and Comets will become new vocabulary words!
Printable Cosmic Cubs Coloring pages (free on website) reinforce what youngsters discover on their Apps. Neptune has the strongest wind in the solar system while Uranus has 27 moons!
Cubs or kids can’t explore space without the proper outerwear! Cosmic Cubs Dress Up (free for some content and $1.99 for full access) is an engaging App for boys and girls to select a spacesuit, helmet and accessories for their next out-of-this-world adventure. Backgrounds, scenery and décor are equally important for a space exploration!
“Absolutely fantastic! My daughter loves the different bears,” writes one parent at the Apple Store. “The dress up is teaching her phenomenal hand/eye coordination. She’s learning so much with these apps! Colors, problem solving, everything 🙂 definitely worth it!” The review ends with a 5 (out of 5) star rating.
kidSafe Certified Each Cosmic Cubs App passed the kidSAFE Seal Program. This independent safety certification service and seal-of-approval program designed exclusively for children-friendly websites and technologies, including online game sites, educational services, virtual worlds, social networks, mobile apps, tablet devices, connected toys, and other similar online and interactive services.
Look for these Apps available now:
Cosmic Cubs Eco Puzzler • Ages 3+ • Free or $1.99 Join the Cosmic Cubs to learn about the 3 R’s — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle — while playing a slide puzzle. Kids quickly figure out which puzzle pieces move in position to recreate an image. This app helps raise awareness and offers suggestions for children to save the earth resources.
Cosmic Cubs Dress Up • Ages 3+ • Free or $1.99 Clothes make the man and the cub! Choose from hundreds of different items to dress the various Cosmic Cubs as they step out into space. Look for enchanting themes from Princess to Spy. Outerwear, helmets, scenery and more make this a delightful way to spend downtime with family or as solo play in the backseat of the car.
Cosmic Cubs Space Puzzles • Ages 3+ • Free or $1.99 The Cosmic Cubs are exploring the Solar System and you can travel along. Learn about the solar system, with NASA images and fun facts about the universe. Download the free version that provides access to 17 images of the inner solar system, from the Earth and the Moon inward to the Sun. You can also purchase all 54 of the puzzles of the outer planets and entire the Universe. Children will be exposed to beautiful images from NASA and can learn about Planets, stars and other fun fact about space.
