Take Aways for Parents from SXSWedu

I am spending the week attending SXSWedu in Austin, Texas. There are so many amazing things happening in the world of education that are exciting for parents because you are your child’s first and best teacher.

SXSWedu Report

I want to share with you some of the engaging, educational toys I have seen and experienced this week that I think you’ll love as a parent. Here we go:

LightUp

LightUp is a hands-on kit to learn about electronics. As I interacted with the kits, I liked their simplicity and how they naturally invited discovery through play. LightUp says:

“We created LightUp to empower every kid to understand and create their own electronic projects. LightUp combines an electronics construction kit with an interactive augmented-reality tutor app, helping kids understand the fundamentals of technology.”

I was able to get a sneek-peak at their app and talk to the creators, I’m definitely staying tuned, to see where LightUp is going, and getting my children’s hands on these kits. Way to go LightUp!

Play from Scratch

I was immediately drawn to Play from Scratch. The design is brilliant and takes an activity that all kids naturally engage in, building, and inspires even more creativity. At my house, the cardboard boxes, toilet paper tubes, and paper towel rolls are never immediately thrown away. They are repurposed for play. Play from Scratch integrates their toy into this kind of play. Visit their websitefor even more creative play ideas. I can’t wait to create myself with Play from Scratch.

Numbers Alive!

There is something for everyone at Numbers Alive! Learn about numbers with hands on materials and discover music and culture all integrated together into Numbers Alive! Their mission is to:

“Improve numerical literacy and encourage creativity by visualizing world patterns through fun and friendly number characters.”

As I met “The Numbers Lady,” I could feel her passion for early learning and creativity. She has developed a long line of products around her number friends for children ages 2-6. She is also soon releasing an app for kids, and I look forward to reviewing it once it hits iTunes.

I hope to discover new things here tomorrow to pass along to you!