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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Space Exploration & Giveaway

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THE WINNER IS #5!! Congrats to ibeeeg! Your winnings are on the way!
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If you have flown (har, har) over here from 5 Minutes for Books, then welcome! If not, then you've gotta go read my sister post on books about space exploration for kids when you get a chance.

Since I have a boy, I'm interested in finding things that encourage him to imagine things "outside the box". I don't want him to look around at his little world and be content in it. I want him to WANT to explore and push out to discover new things. What better way to encourage imagination than to explore space? It's filled with so many things that we don't know, maybe can't know (and probably won't) as much as it also posseses the capacity to satisfy a person who craves knowledge on the topic. There is so much to explore in space and I'd like to give him a head start. So, like I said, I've been looking up books on airplanes and rockets.

Why airplanes? They are much easier to know and they are easier to introduce the concept of human flight with. He's been on an airplane recently and can identify with that experience. I talked about space books over at 5 Minutes for Books so here I'll introduce you to a few things I found relating to airplanes.

Since he's two, he really, really loved Usborne's That's Not My Plane. We learned the basic parts of an airplane with this book, such as the propeller, the wings, the wheels, etc. Since this book is textured, it provided us the opportunity to explore with our fingers and not just our eyes. I can't stress to you how much he has enjoyed this book. (Hence my new desire to explore more of Usborne's That's Not My . . . series. Awesome books.)



Secondly, we looked at Barefoot Book's I Wish I Were a Pilot which not only gets kids thinking about flying planes, but also includes other methods of transportation such as hot air balloons, yellow submarines, horses, bicycles and more. The little guy is a tremendous fan of wheels and anything that "goes 'round and 'round" so this appeals to his tastes. The illustrations are beautifully done in typical Barefoot Book fashion making this an instant hit as well.



Lastly, we checked out Safari's Space Toob. I've mentioned our use of Safari Toob's before I'm not a big fan of little figures spread throughout the house, but I do like Safari's miniature replicas of "big people things" which allow kids to engage in imaginative play with things like space ships and satallites. This particular kid has the Apollo space craft in it as well as a chimp! (Times have changed.) It's a pretty cool little set and offers fun side play when studying about space travel. Best yet - Safari has graciously offered to give away a Space Toob to one of you readers.

I'm also giving a way a Night Flight set from the Big Bear Shoppe as I mentioned over at 5 Minutes for Books. To win the Night Flight set as well as the Space Toob, leave a comment in this post offering a recommendation for another space related book that I could read with my son. If you don't have a suggestion, that's ok. Let me know how you would use the Space Toob or Night Flight set and who with! U.S. Residents only place. The winner will be selected and announced on Monday, March 9th, 2009.


Enjoy! (We are.)

* I'll let you have two entries with a chance to win if you go poke around The Big Bear Shoppe and come back and leave a second comment telling me what other products of theirs you liked and found interesting. (You'll be happy to note that you can find their products on Amazon.com for easy ordering but peek on their site first!)

20 comments:

ibeeeg said...

My 5yos loves Space...he loves aircrafts and rockets.
One book that he loves is:
Hedgie, Blasts off! by Jan Brett
http://www.janbrett.com/bookstores/hedgie_blasts_off_book.htm

My 5yos would love the Space Toob and the Night Flight set. Both offer great pretend play... If we win, he would love either one of them.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway.

ibeeeg(at)gmail(dot)com

Alison said...

Oh, I would so love to win this for my newphew, Ezra, who turns two next month. Ezra's dad is in the Air Force and so both father and son LOVE airplanes. I think they get that love from my dad, who also loves airplanes and flew as a hobby when we were younger.

Angela C. said...

I don't have a son but I think my daughter would love those. I am not familiar with any space books.
Thanks for the giveaway.

accoupons at gmail dot com

Angela C. said...

My daughter is in to dinosaurs right now and loves puzzles so I think she would love the puzzle and puppet dinosaurs.

ibeeeg said...

After looking around Big Black Bear Shop, I found Christening Lamb Blanket. This will be perfect for a sweet little one I know that has her baptism a few weeks.

Anonymous said...

The Dr Seuss Book There's No Place Like Space might be interesting. We'll have to check and see if they have it at the library. Thanks for the chance to win those cool prizes.
scrappylori at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I went to Big Black Bear. They have so much cute stuff. DD likes Penguins so we thought the stuffed penguins were neat and the Activity Iceberg.
scrappylori at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

We've read spaceman sam over and over (one child is very pop-up book positive).

Thanks for the giveaway!

cjohnson2021 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

At the Big Black Bear Shop, I really like Farmer McPhee and Ducky Belly for Easter baskets.

cjohnson2021 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Marks of Faith said...

Here's an airplane/airport book that you may enjoy, Richard Scarry's A Day at the Airport. It is informative, colorful, though a little fantastic (as is all the world of Richard Scarry), but fun to look at because there is so much always happening on his pages. Yippy for your son's airplane ride, those are memories that will last a life time!

Maude Lynn said...

My daughter would adore the Space Toob!

Framed said...

The only children's book I've read that involved space was The Worst Band in the Universe by Graeme Base. Great illustrations but it was more about music than space. Still my grandson would love the Night Flight set. He loves seeing airplanes in the sky.

noreen said...

Nifty thrifty space crafts by Boekhoff, P. M.

noreen said...

love the cute HippoBelly at The Big Black Bear Shoppe, my youngest adores hippos

Anonymous said...

We'd use the Space Toob like we use our other Toobs -- we'd set up a realistic environment for them and then play away (outdoors or in)!

Thanks,
Megret
musesofmegret (at) gmail (dot) com

Beth said...

I dont have any book recommendations, but will be writing down the other suggestions! My son is just getting into everything that goes, and I would love a chance to win this! Thanks!

Beth said...

Oh, I love the big bear shop! I would love to have to sanitation builders truck from Melissa and doug, it looks so cool! My son loves pointing out different trucks while driving wit hme, garbage truck, snow truck,..

Annmarie Weeks said...

When my MIL visited NASA a few years back, they brought home for my daughter the Dr. Seuss book " There's No Place Like Space!" that talks about the various planets. My daughter has always loved that book...it's a good one!

Annmarie Weeks said...

I love the Big Bear Shoppe! All those great stuffed animals, especially the Raspberry Creamy Bunny Family! Perfect with Easter coming up!

ibeeeg said...

We received the Space Toob and Night Flight set. They are great. The 5yo will loves them.
Thanks!!!

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