News, Reviews, and Recommendations!

Feed your mind

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!

My educational pick of the week (coinciding with Homeschool Wednesday!) is a little book which we’ve used in our homeschooling program for years.

My Special Word Collection is great for kids who aren’t confident with spelling. Having their own, personalised list of frequently used words which they can access and look up any time they’re writing, can help build confidence as they don’t have to worry about drawing attention to their spelling abilities. Not having to ask for help, and not having to worry that they’re spelling a word incorrectly can give kids more confidence when putting their ideas down on paper.

This tends to help reluctant writers overcome a big hurdle, making writing much less intimidating.

It’s Wednesday! Which means if you’ve been wanting to learn more about homeschooling, today’s a great day to come visit Brain Spice! I thought I’d quickly also mention this cool new game which we’ve started stocking at Brain Spice. It’s such a clever way to help kids practice their reading. It’s great for homeschoolers, parents of school kids, teachers, and tutors!