My website, MommyMaestra.com, is an educational website for Latino families and educators. I am a Latina homeschooling mami who believes every child deserves a great education and that parental involvement is critical for our children’s success. The MommyMaestra 2013 Holiday Gift Guide features hand-picked products for your familia. I’ve chosen products to help your children learn and strengthen their academic skills through fun - but educational - games, toys, books, and other entertainment. Keeping in mind bilingual families, I’ve marked bilingual or Spanish items with this symbol: Children who have fun learning are more likely to remember and master skills that are important for academic success. Let’s make learning fun! Let’s make fun educational! Un abrazo, Monica Olivera
Children 4 and younger
Children 4 and younger
Roadwork/Construir una carretera Amazon, $5.59 - $6.29
$89.95
This fun little board book describes the process of building a road from start to finish. The illustrations are colorful and full of action, complementing the text perfectly. Each double page focuses on a different aspect of building the road - and most of them feature big trucks and tractors, such as dump trucks and bulldozers. Available in English & Spanish.
Wooden Block Set For Small Hands, 21.95 I love this 50-piece wood block set that is nicely finished with smooth edges. Pieces come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The set comes in a storage bucket with a removable plastic lid and a convenient carrying handle. Blocks range in size from 1" to 3½".
Sounds Amazing SmartPlay.us, $19.99 A fun way to help your child discover 100 everyday sounds that come to life when barcodes are scanned by using the Smart Pen. Crystal clear technology teaches animals, musical instruments, vehicles, machinery and nature sounds. The sounds are recorded in high fidelity and are very realistic. 50 double sided learning cards are included for hours of learning fun.
Reversible Play Mat and Cars Hearthsong, $8.98 - $34.98 Designed to encourage open-ended play, this double-sided Play Mat features engaging art from both the bustling city and the idyllic country. There's a lot to see and do no matter which side kids choose! Parents will especially like that the rug is water-resistant and nontoxic, and wipes clean. Made in the USA from recycled plastic milk containers, the palm-size roadster is BPA, PVC, and phthalate free.
= Bilingual/Spanish products
MommyMaestra’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide
Children 4 and younger BABYBUG en español Magazine Cricket Magazines, $19.95/1-year subscription
$89.95
The poetry and traditional Latin American songs remind parents and grandparents of their childhood years. The new “Guía para padres” offers suggestions and ideas for caregivers to make the most of every issue with the children. Written entirely in Spanish, the new Babybug en español encourages young children to love reading and listening in Spanish. Save with this limited time Holiday offer! Subscription includes both digital and print. For babies 6 months to 3 years.
Color Resemblance Sorting Task Kid Advance, $49.99 What a great way to develop skills in visual perception and colour discrimination with this matching and sorting game using shades of colour. The Colour Task provides an excellent opportunity to introduce vocabulary so that your child may learn the names for each of the colours and the associated descriptive terms.
Peacock Curves Wood Puzzle For Small Hands, $19.95 Part puzzle, part stacker, this toy teaches the youngest child about building, stacking, size discrimination, and color recognition. Made of wood with a water-based finish, it has six pieces; the largest measures 4½” x 9”.
Smart Play Ingenio Alphabet Blocks Amazon, $11.99 Develop your child’s letter and number recognition skills with these bilingual blocks from Ingenio. With both English and Spanish letters, these blocks have attractive illustrations. The colorful design on these blocks can help kids remember letters easily. Apart from learning, they can even build word towers, sort letters and do a lot more. It also teaches numbers 1 to 9.
= Bilingual/Spanish products
MommyMaestra’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide
Kids 5 to 12 years old
Kids 5 to 12 years old
LeapPad Ultra Learning Tablet Best Buy, $149.99 I’ve been careful to limit my children’s intake of technology, preferring the slow approach and closely monitoring content. The LeapPad Ultra includes 11 apps and features a 7" touch screen for simple operation and built-in WiFi for on-the-go Internet connectivity. Part of the selling point is the frontand rear-facing camera, as well as the parental controls to the internet to keep their online experience a safe one.
Maya: Amazing Inventions You Can
Make Your Own Chocolate Kit
Build Yourself/ Inventos increíbles que puedes construír tú mismo
Glee Gum, $13.95
Nomad Press, $15.95 This books is a treasure trove of information and activities for studying the Maya culture. Available in English or Spanish, this book is best suited for older kids ages 9 - 12 and grades 4 to 6.
6-in-1 Educational Solar Kit
Explore the amazing cacao bean and its Central American roots! This kit comes with all the ingredients you need to make your own chocolate candies. It also includes a short history of chocolate, but you can find an educator's guide and sample lesson plan on their site, too.
$15.95
Mindware, $22.95 Nurture your child’s interest in STEAM fields with this fun do-it-yourself solar kit. Your child can build six different models: Solar Revolving Plane, Solar Windmill, Solar Plane, Solar Airboat, Solar Puppy, Solar Car. Great for discussions on clean energy and power resources. Created by RobotiKits.
= Bilingual/Spanish products
MommyMaestra’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide
Kids 5 to 12 years old
Microscope Kit and Book
Liberty Kids, The Complete Series
Mindware, $89.95
Amazon, $6.99
This kid-friendly, professional- quality science lab comes with a 50-piece accessory kit containing 5 glass slides and a 144-page, fullcolor Ultimate Guide to Your Microscope with over 40 illustrated experiments.
Your child will really love learning about the Revolutionary War and American history with this animated educational historical fiction television series produced by DIC Entertainment. *Find additional learning resources at LibertysKids.com.
ASK en español Magazine - Print & Digital Bundle Cricket Magazines, $19.95/1-year subscription How does ASK en español help bilingual children master science concepts? By introducing them to intriguing science topics and language at an early age! Each themed issue of ASK en español invites readers to explore the world of science with intriguing articles, short pieces and exciting science activities. Ask en español contains lively content and vivid graphics to encourage independent inquiry and foster the love of science. For kids ages 6 to 9.
$15.95
Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum Timberdoodle, $8.95 Kids learn to type on an exciting adventure on Typer Island. They learn all keyboard basics following an age-appropriate Typing Plan. Step-by-step lessons, challenges, tests, and games motivate kids to keep typing their way around the Island to reach the Castle, advance to the Lost City, and become touch-typists! Kids can learn in English or Spanish.
= Bilingual/Spanish products
MommyMaestra’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide
Kids 5 to 12 years old
Djeco Claire's Oil Pastel Workshop Timberdoodle, $26.99 A beautiful introductory art set that teaches children how to work with gel pastels. Featuring vivid, charming jungle animal images, Claire's Oil Pastel Workshop is designed by illustrator Claire Rebillard to show how to create colorful art with oil pastels, and yields four works of art. It includes four large, pre-printed templates on very thick cardstock; eight punch-out sheets; 10 smooth, soft, and blendable artist- quality oil pastels; a glue stick; and a detailed, wordless instruction booklet in a beautiful box.
Professor Noggin’s History Card Games Rainbow Resource Center, $7.75 What a great way to teach your children history! Professor Noggin’s trivia card games are available in many themes to help reinforce your child’s knowledge of different time periods.
Zoobmobile Car Designer Kit
Hispanic Heritage Reading Kits
Mindware, $34.95
Latinas4LatinoLit.org, $9.95-29.95
This sphere-and-rod construction kit comes with instructions for creating 12 different cars and enough parts to build any three models at the same time. From a Supersonic Stinger to a Lunar Rover, your young engineer will love this kit!
Created to celebrate the contributions of Hispanics to American culture, these reading kits are geared for children in kindergarten through 4th grade. Each reading kit comes with a book, activity booklet, folder, and pencil.
= Bilingual/Spanish products
MommyMaestra’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide
Teens Kids 713 toto 1218 years years old old
Kids 13 to 18 years old
Studio Designs Cascade Magnetic Drafting Station Overstock.com, $89.95
Library of Classics: 100 Audio Books Enjoy the Classics, $99
If you have an engineer, crafter, or artist at home, this draft table offers a spacious desk top and plentiful storage facilities for all of their supplies. The magnetic table top features six angle adjustments from 0 to 30 degrees. The desk also has a 2-inch deep pencil ledge and four removable art trays for supplies.
This Library of Classics Collection includes a personal MP3 player preloaded with 100 classics in audio format, headphones, adapter for listening in the car, A/C adapter, plus a bonus gift of 50 Greatest Classical Music Performances.
Kwizniac Trivia Game Uncommon Goods, $18 - $20 A fast-paced game that challenges the players to guess the correct answer as they are presented with 10 clues that get progressively easier to decipher. Timed to increase the difficulty, this game is great for players of any age.
Robotics: Discover the Science and Technology
$15.95
of the Future with 20 Projects Amazon, $54.99 A fun and educational introduction to the exciting field of designing, building, and operating robots. Along with background material and clear explanations of how robots work, Robotics features step-bystep instructions for building real robot models using ordinary craft materials and parts salvaged from recycled toys and other household devices. = Bilingual/Spanish products
MommyMaestra’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide
Kids 13 to 18 years old
USB Desktop Aquarium Fat Brain Toys, $39.95 Just add fish! This USB desktop aquarium is the perfect size for any desk. Water re-circulates, providing oxygen for your fish, while color changing LEDs provide a captivating display. Tranquil nature sounds in five varieties add to the soothing qualities of Desktop Aquarium. The multi-function clock and desk caddy make this unique aquarium practical and fun.
3D Home Kit Fat Brain Toys, $27.95 3D Home Kit - for aspiring builders & architects or visualizing real home remodels! Build a detailed, threedimensional scale model of your own home, addition or remodeling project the way architects do. Or dream up a design all your own and make a prototype that is impressive all the way around.
Hubman USB Port Uncommon Goods, $10 Does your child need extra USB ports to manage all of their school work and computer projects? Make it fun with Hubman! He comes with 4 USB 2.0 hispeed ports and is compatible with all USB devices.
= Bilingual/Spanish products
MommyMaestra’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide
Kids 13 to 18 years old
iPod Touch Best Buy, $229 - $299 If your child is begging for a smartphone to access apps and music, but you aren’t ready to commit to another phone line just yet, then perhaps an iPod Touch is the best way for you to go! The iPod Touch is like having an iPhone without the phone, but users can still use apps like Facetime and even text using iMessage.
My Life in Graphs Uncommon Goods, $16 This fun, interactive journal will have your child mapping out the details of his or her experiences, preferences, and belongings in ways you've never thought. Using the handy, tear-out ruler for perfectly straight lines, he'll soon be mapping his music collection on a pie chart, or illuminating the perfect roommate via bar chart. With 128 pages of infographics and surprising prompts, your daughter may learn some unexpected things about herself—and have all kinds of fun doing it!
$15.95
Royal 104 Piece All Media Artist Easel Set Amazon, $54.99 Perfect for the avid artist & student, this set comes with a quality constructed wooden case, hinged and latched, that holds all the essentials for sketching, drawing, and painting. Includes 12 oil paint tubes, 12 watercolor paint tubes, 12 acrylic paint tubes, 12 oil pastels, 12 watercolor pencils and much more. = Bilingual/Spanish products
MommyMaestra’s 2013 Holiday Gift Guide