Before kids, I didn’t mind being the subject of a photo or video clip. Now that I’m a mum, I am definitely more comfortable behind a camera, than in front of it. There’s nothing more humbling that seeing photos and video clips of yourself taken by your kids… while you are ungraciously eating, sleeping or breastfeeding in front of the TV. (Goodness me, is that how they see me?! Such an unflattering angle. Just look at my chins!)

I am ever, ever so grateful that the world has not seen any of those photos or video clips. My mind screams in horror at the potential of such sharing – especially via my public social media profiles!

Are there other parents who share my underlying fears of the potential mistakes kids could make when using technology? How do you set rules and limits so that so that they can use technology safely and within reasonable boundaries? I’m still figuring this out. I now have a password lock on my phone – but that’s useless when I unlock it for them so they can use my phone.

Imagine my utter delight (and relief) when I first switched on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 Kids and was greeted by the Kids Mode. This very special tablet has been designed, so that on top of the standard mode for adults, there is an intuitive Kids Mode built in and designed for kids aged 3-6. The very clever parental settings help parents stay in control of which apps kids use (and purchase!), and the amount of tablet usage each day.

What I would give for such great parental settings across all types of technology!

Smart Apps for Kids 3-6 Farm 123 from Pauline LessonsLearntJournal on Vimeo.

Safety and reasonable boundaries aside, the Kids Mode on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 Kids also comes preloaded with some of the best smart apps for kids that I have seen to date. Yep, preloaded. You don’t have to purchase or download these best selling kids apps. They come, set up ready to go, out of the box. No fussing about with this and that, looking and loading, waiting and telling kids… just a minute … one more minute… okay… look over there while I figure this thing out.. (grr!!).

Here are some of our favourite smart apps for kids aged 3-6 years old, that are FREE on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 Kids. All come preloaded, ready to go, out of the box, (except for Learn to Write English which is free from the app store).

A very special mention about this particular app, because it is simply brilliant. Pettson’s Inventions (1 and 2) is all about building inventions to solve a problem and make something happen. It’s utterly engaging – (*cough* and not just for kids).

Smart Apps for Kids 3-6 Inventions from Pauline LessonsLearntJournal on Vimeo.

Now for the icing on the cake, the GALAXY Tab 3 Kids comes with a unique protective and colourful rubber bumper to keep the edges of the tablet protected. That’s one less thing to shop for.

Hand on heart readers, I am a Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 Kids convert. I love it. Right now, there’s a special cash back promotion on offer. If you purchase a Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 kids tablet between 27 February and 30 April, you can get $50 cash back^.

$100 Google Play Voucher Giveaway!

To share the excitement of my new found love, we will be giving away a $100(AUD) Google Play voucher*. For your chance to win, leave a comment on this post sharing:

“How would the GALAXY Tab 3 for Kids fit into your life?”.

^ Terms and Conditions apply. Please visit www.samsung.com/au/promotions for full T&Cs
* This is a game of skill and entries will be judged based on creativity and originality. Open to Australian residents only. Entries open 9:01am AEDT on Monday 14 April 2014 and close 5:00pm AEDT on Friday 25 April, 2014. Terms and Conditions apply. Please click here for full Terms and Conditions.

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The post Smart Apps for Kids: 3-6 years old by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

Can you believe it? We’re officially heading towards Christmas and the end of 2013! What an amazing year it’s been. I’m thrilled to bits to have been a Fisher-Price Play Ambassador this year. I am so grateful that there are companies who believe in the power of play, people who understand that play matters.

For the little bubbas amongst us, who are no doubt, itching to play, we’re hosting a very special Fisher-Price Christmas giveaway. Enter this super easy and fun giveaway to win a Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends Jumperoo and a Laugh & Learn Story Surprise Puppy.

Miss K test drove both these toys and simply loves them.

The Rainforest Friends Jumperoo is a jumper packed with fun, bright toys, lights and music. Babies can rotate full circle to explore all the different toys, and jump around safely – so much fun for active babies. It’s also adjustable – very handy as babies grow so quickly.

Once I had assembled the Jumperoo, (which was surprisingly easy), Miss K couldn’t wait to get in for a play. She then refused to get out of the Jumperoo for quite some time, which was a problem because we had to go to our swimming lesson. (She was not a happy little chook in the car on the way to the pool).

The Laugh & Learn Story Surprise Puppy sings songs, tells stories & has chatty phrases. I kid you not, Miss K was laughing, dancing and singing with this toy.

When she first saw how the puppy rocked around, sometimes coming close to falling over flat on his back or on his face, she could not stop laughing. She thought it was the most hilarious toy ever.

The puppy reacts to being rocked or pushed, as well as having its feet pressed. With some toys, you really have to dig around for those buttons and push them hard to get a reaction from the toy. This is not that sort of toy. It’s really easy for kids to play with and use.

For your chance to win a Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends Jumperoo and a Laugh & Learn Story Surprise Puppy, leave a comment on this post sharing:

What present has made your child overjoyed?

This is a game of skill and entries will be judged based on creativity and originality. Open to Australian residents only. Entries close Thursday 5th December, 2013.

The post Fisher-Price Christmas Giveaway by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

What do you do when brand new toys land in your living room? Miss K has learnt that she must jostle a bit with her three older brothers, or she’ll never get a turn. That said, her brothers are quite gentle with her when she makes herself heard, (although they aren’t quite so nice with each other!).

As part of our Fisher-Price Play Ambassadorship, we’re super, super excited to be hosting a special Fisher-Price giveaway for the recently released Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car and also a Laugh & Learn Apptivity Storybook Reader.

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car

The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car is such great fun.

There are interactive lights and sounds, complete with a car radio.

Then there are the doors; one side has a shape puzzle, the other a ball ramp, (now there’s an idea for family cars!). 

Such a fun toy to sit in and explore, pretend and play. So fun that Miss K brought her own cushion to make herself extra comfy during her play.

Not only did Miss K enjoy playing with it, her three older brothers wanted to play too, at the exact same time as each other, of course.

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Storybook Reader

The Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Storybook Reader fits an iPhone & iPod devices.

It opens and closes like a book and there are free interactive story apps, with adorable animations, music and audio prompts. A great way for babies and toddlers to be introduced to interactive stories on technological devices.

There are two reasons why I love it.

Firstly, it’s really sturdy, and keeps my phone clean. I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I have to clean my phone because there are loads of little (sticky) finger prints all over it. Now Miss K can play with it, and my phone screen stays clean.

The second thing I absolutely love about it, is the plastic covering over the home button when I place my iPhone or iPod in there. It means Miss K can’t keep pressing the home button and accessing other apps, or activating Siri. Instead, she can play apps like the Laugh & Learn Shapes & Colors Music Show for Baby App and engage with it longer, because she isn’t constantly bring brought back to my home screen, because she pressed the home button.

Fisher-Price Giveaway: 

For a chance to win a Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car and also a Laugh & Learn Apptivity Storybook Reader, leave a comment on this post sharing:

What do your kids do when they receive brand new toys?

This is a game of skill and entries will be judged based on creativity and originality. Open to Australian residents only. Entries close Thursday 14th November, 2013.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment; I’d love to hear from you. If you are new here, you might like to receive updates direct to your email. We have many fun ideas to share.

The post Fisher-Price Review & Giveaway by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

It may sound strange for a mummy blogger who blogs a lot about play, but I find it hard to play with my kids. Don’t get me wrong, I know and value playing with kids and getting down to their level, but it requires effort. The clean up can be a pain, but it’s the thinking of what to do and setting things up that makes me just want to reach for that cup of tea.

All that to say, boy do I have something to show you! Spielgaben is play and learn at home made easy. In a nutshell, it’s a huge collection of 13 different sets of toys, all made of natural materials.

Each set is such that you could use it for open-ended play or a myriad of structured learning activities.

I love how beautifully made each part is and that there are so many loose parts to work and play with.

I love how easy it is to set up an invitation to play and learn at home with Spielgaben. I can grab a Spielgaben set or a couple of sets, place them on the table, and start creating and playing with my kids.

Lately, Mr N and M can’t get enough of working with sticky tape. Oh the ways you can play with sticky tape and these sets! And, if you’re a bit funny like me about removing sticky stuff, I’m glad to report that the sticky tape comes off easily, and the toys are ready for another day.

What I absolutely adore about Spielgaben is that it’s so compact, and comes with it’s own beautifully made storage system. The complete set of 13 comes in a lovely wagon that neatly stores all the toys. Such a wonderful thing if you’re like us and live in a small space. (Our Spielgaben lives under my bedside table).

Spielgaben is a beautiful set of toys with endless possibilities. It is playing and learning at home, made easy.

Spielgaben are offering an exclusive discount code on the complete Spielgaben collection, as well as smaller collections of Spielgaben sets, to all Australian Lessons Learnt Journal readers. Prices now start at less than $100. For more details and your exclusive discount code, contact info@spielgaben.com.au and mention Lessons Learnt Journal.

For all UK and USA readers, there’s a one-off special deal. The first 100 people will get an amazing early bird special deal, 40% off from retail! Click HERE for more details and to register your interest.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment; I’d love to hear from you. If you are new here, you might like to receive updates direct to your email. We have many fun ideas to share.

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