News, Reviews, and Recommendations!

Feed your mind

Whenever someone comes into Brain Spice and asks how to teach a subject in their homeschooling program, I always recommend including as many games as possible.

…then I always follow it up with, “But don’t just get games because they say they teach that subject. Make sure the games are actually fun!”

Often, the games that teach a subject or skill best aren’t classified as “educational games”. They’re family games - and the learning is just a by-product of playing.

Those are my favourite kinds of homeschooling games.

Ecosystem: Coral Reef is a perfect example of this.

Do you think Cleopatra became Queen of Egypt before or after the invention of the toothbrush? 

That’s the sort of question you have to ask yourself when you play Timeline. 

…(I’ll include the answer below - I know you’re wondering now!)

I was doing a jigsaw puzzle with the kids this week, and had a random thought.

Who actually invented jigsaw puzzles? Was it accidental… or did someone come up with this on purpose? 

Can you create the best crew to sail the 7 seas and get you the most gold?
Captain Flip is a lightweight, family-friendly game for 2–5 players, aged 8 & up, with a typical playtime of around 20 minutes. 

Learning that genuinely feels like play!

If you’ve played Spot It! before and loved it, you’ll jump straight into these with no learning curve at all - because Super Genius uses the same gameplay. 

It’s fast-paced, fun, and perfect for kids who love a little competition… and all the while, it sneakily builds real learning while everyone’s too busy trying to win!

This week’s pick might not sound as exciting as some of the fun activities I usually recommend - but I genuinely love these books and suggest them to everyone!

Whether your child is struggling with maths or does it for fun, these workbooks can be a great little addition to your daily routine.

They’re simple, structured, and confidence-boosting - and actually kind of fun!

I believe that every child is beautifully and wonderfully unique - each with their own passions, strengths, and way of learning. 

But when a child starts to fall behind in reading, and everyone else around them seems to be picking it up easily, it’s heartbreaking how quickly their confidence in so many areas of life can start to fade.

At that point, it’s not just about reading anymore - it starts to affect how they see themselves.

I am occasionally asked why an “education store” would bother selling magic tricks.  It seems that not everybody feels positive about this entertainment art.  Some even see the hobby as a little immature or dishonest.

I have a few things to say...

Have you ever looked through a Where’s Wally book? Would it be as fun if there was a giant, bright yellow arrow pointing to Wally on every page? No. The challenge is what makes it fun!

It’s the same with all puzzles.

Puzzles are a great way to remind your brain that when you’re faced with a challenge, you don’t need to freeze. You don’t need to feel overwhelmed. You don’t need to give up.

Just think of it as a puzzle!

Maths is an entire subject devoted to solving puzzles. So why do so many students dread maths lessons? 

Well, it may not actually be the maths that they're not enjoying - it may just be the way it's being taught.

Here at Brain Spice, we believe that the brain loves learning. You just need to make it fun! And what better way to make maths fun than to practice maths skills through play!