New Year’s Challenge: Blast Away Your High Score!

Greetings, Blasters! A NEW YEAR has arrived! You know what that means?It’s time for New Year’s resolutions! New Year’s resolutions are goals that you plan on setting and accomplishing during the year. Choosing your goals can get tough, so Max is here to help! Your first challenge? Play one of your favorite games in the Math Academy and beat your highest score! Here are some of our ideas on what YOU can make as your Math Blaster’s New Year’s Challenge:
plugin-container2015-01-0815-19-49-83_zpsf8595540Have multiples of 3 and 4 become TOO easy in B-Force Blaster? Let’s try blasting some multiples of 7!

plugin-container2015-01-0815-04-48-75_zpsa027dcf5Play Angle Attack and become the BEST angle degree expert in space while blasting away those evil aliens… before they get YOU!

plugin-container2015-01-0815-01-07-56_zpsb69a195dUse your subtraction knowledge to tame that wild alien in Alien Wrangler. Try getting 133600 points so you can unlock the special PURPLE alien!

Which game will YOU plan on playing to beat Max’s New Year Challenge? Let us know in the comments with your high score goals!

Success in the New Year: Time Management

Photo by Dafne Cholet, ©2011. Some rights reserved. Licensed by Creative Commons Public Works License

Photo by Dafne Cholet, ©2011. Some rights reserved. Licensed by Creative Commons Public Works License

With New Year’s Resolutions abounding, the JumpStart and Math Blaster blogs are working together to help you put your 2015 goals in focus. Between the two, we cover everything from eating right and getting active to time management for work and school. Check out our Time Management tips below and then head over to the JumpStart blog to see our recommendations for living a healthy lifestyle!

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Tips for Making New Year’s Resolutions Stick

Photo by mt23, ©2009 Some rights reserved. Licensed by Creative Commons Public Works License

Photo by mt23, ©2009 Some rights reserved. Licensed by Creative Commons Public Works License

The New Year brings many things, one of which is New Year’s Resolutions. Often times, we set lofty goals for our future selves and by February or March, we’ve abandoned our resolutions for one reason or another. There isn’t a science to New Years Resolutions, but we’ve got a few tips that may help you with yours! Check them out below.

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DIY Gift Exchange Ideas

The holidays often provide ample opportunities for you and your Blasters to celebrate with friends and exchange gifts as tokens of appreciate and a means of marking this very special time of year. And while the act of exchanging gifts can have all kinds of different meanings to each person involved, have you ever thought to explore the role of learning and the development of new skills through DIY holiday gift exchanges? Start by cutting the costs and looking for how you might create a homemade present instead!

DIY Holiday
Not sure where to start? Head to our DIY Holiday Gift page on Pinterest for a number of exciting craft ideas that not only promote learning and developmental skills but that also make for memorable and cherished holiday presents. From edible treats to holiday décor and so much more, the possibilities are seemingly endless when it comes to creating unique holiday gifts that your friends and family will love.

And the best part is that no matter the project that you choose these are tools for learning in almost all crafts. Remember to highlight the following elements of crafting with your kids if they’re lending a helping hand this holiday season -

  • Counting / Measuring Quantities - How many gifts will you be making? How much of each material will you need to complete your crafting project?
  • Developmental Skills - Crafts can help children approach problem solving, motor skills, creative thinking and more.

Family Health and Fitness Day is Coming!

Photo by: Evil Erin

Photo Strawberry Smoothie by: Evil Erin, ©2010 Some rights reserved. Licensed by Creative Commons Public Works License.

The last Saturday in September is designated as Family Health and Fitness Day by the Health Information Resource Center (HIRC) and the U.S. Surgeon General. Local organizations organize fun, health-related events at parks, schools, and communities across the nation to teach the whole family health and fitness basics. Whether you choose to participate in the organized events or want to go it alone, we’ve got some great fitness tips to get your family moving.


Get Everyone Involved

With children of different ages and at different skill levels, it can sometimes be tough to find an activity that everyone can participate in. One way to even out an imbalance is to pair younger children with older siblings and cousins or an adult. For example, try a three-legged race where pairs are comprised of one younger player and one older player. You can also play traditional games like hide and seek- your young ones might actually have an advantage here! Alternatively, take the family out for a walk or bike ride that everyone can enjoy!

Start With Basics

You don’t have to organize a full on basketball tournament or host the ultimate soccer showdown- help your children build their basic sports skills by practicing dribbling the ball down the court or having a goal kicking contest. Your older children can help their younger siblings improve by sharing their experiences and teaching them firsthand!

Keep Cool

September temperatures can be warm, so remember to stay hydrated and keep cool! Have plenty of water on hand and incorporate fun water activities into your day! Surprise the kids with a new water slide or bust out the squirt guns to start an all-out family showdown!

Most of all, have fun! Fitness is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and this is a great chance to show your kids that working out and being active is fun for the whole family! Whether you hit the park, the beach, the gym or the backyard, there’s family fun to be had for all this weekend! Now that you’ve read our fitness tips, head on over to the JumpStart blog for our post on how to celebrate the health aspect of this event!

Linking Icequakes and Earthquakes

How much do you know about icequakes? The terminology is not nearly as common to hear as ‘earthquakes,’ but in fact the two have some undeniable links. In its most basic form, icequakes or frost quakes are the breaking up on large frozen masses like ice sheets, glaciers and the like. So what does this all mean and how are these things linked? Read on to learn more!

Recent studies have linked the high impact 2010 Chilean earthquakes to noticeable changes in Antarctica in the form of these ice quakes. What makes the link between this case of earthquakes and subsequent icequakes is the 3,000 mile between the two areas. Not Studies since the 8.8 earthquake in 2010 have revealed that the ice in Antarctica is vulnerable to seismic waves even originating from remote locations.

This ripple effect can be explained to young learners through basic cause and affect principles. Learning about links like these can help them understand how science and the environment work through interlocking systems. Ultimately when one major even like high magnitude earth quakes occur, they can still have repercussions thousands of miles away.

Share this bit of knowledge with your kids to spark their interest in science!

Cosmically Cool Crafts for Dad!

Call your Blasters back from the space station to put together an out-of-this-world Father’s Day craft! If you and the kids are not looking to break the bank, visit Math Blaster’s official Pinterest page for ideas on how to surprise dad with something special yet affordable. Best of all, crafting can be a great opportunity to practice basic educational and developmental skills with early learners like your Blasters!

mbfathersdaycrafts

How are you celebrating dad around your home? Do you have any special traditions that you enjoy doing each year? Share some of your favorite craft and activity ideas with us now or start following us for a world of amazing online resources!

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