Clued In Kids - Review

I LOVE a good treasure hunt.  I mean, who doesn't?

Clued In Kids let's you have the fun of putting on a treasure hunt for your kids without having to do all the thinking and work for clever clues.



We got to try out a few version of the treasure hunts for "kids of all ages".

First we got a series of ones that help kids with their multiplication tables.  It has 5 treasure hunts and each one focuses on a different number.  2x,3x,4x,5x, and 6x.  They are called Multiplication Dragons.



The other fun one we got to try is the Gluten Free Treasure Hunt. 



I asked to try this one specifically, because someone special in our lives.....




.....has Celiac Disease and we are still trying to figure out what things we can feed her that doesn't have gluten. 

But, we still aren't sure what we can feed her, so, having some things on hand that she can actually consume will be a good thing.  Having a greater understanding, by my littles, of what things they can offer her is good too.  I am sure she is getting tired of them saying, "Do you want ____________?  Wait!  Does it have gluten?" 

And, now, if she turns them down, they will understand the "why" behind her answer and not just have their feelings hurt.  So, this fun little 12 clue treasure hunt even taught me a little bit about gluten and why some people's bodies respond the way they do when they eat it.

One of the clues in the Gluten Free treasure hunt said:

The wheat we eat today is not the wheat our grandparents ate.  Through cross-breeding and genetic engineering, since the 1950's scientists have been changing wheat to make it hardier.  It is estimated that 5 percent of the proteins found in wheat today are new to the human body.  This may be another reason why more people than ever are having trouble digesting gluten. 

Interesting fact, isn't it?

You can read a little bit about the creator (Helen Bertelli) very personal reasons for creating her Gluten Free treasure hunt and the Happy Tummy treasure hunt.

Now, for the treasure hunts themselves.  

It is super easy to start.  All you do is download your hunt and print it.  There are 2 clues per page, so you just cut the page in half.  Then, you read where you need to hide them.  Hide the clues...including their treasure.  Keep the cheat sheet for yourself.  Hand the kids the first clue and off they go.

They are awesome for numerous reasons. 

 (Ready for their first clue)

The first being.....seriously.....who doesn't like a treasure hunt? 

Right. 

Nobody. 

Second, as a mom, I love having treasure hunts for the kids, but I don't always like the mental work required to create clues and figure out the best place to hide them. 

Third, even if I do get to that point in my treasure hunts, I don't think I have ever "taught" my kids anything (I do come up with a pretty clever rhyme here and there, though!). 

Fourth, the prep time for a Clued In Kids treasure hunt is minimal.  Minimal, I said.  Because not only do they have all the clues ready for you, but they also tell you exactly where to hide them.  They are even smart enough to know that you might even forget where you hide a clue and provides you with a little cheat sheet as a reminder for yourself, in case the kids get stuck and need help finding the clue. (And, for the record, yes, this happened once for me....so the cheat sheet came in very handy!)

 (Big brother explaining to V-girl how to spot the pattern in the jewels)

They advertise the set up time as being 8 minutes.  I would agree with that for your first treasure hunt, but the time decreases once you get the hang of it, and aren't as nervous about screwing it up!  So, we are down to about a 5 minute prep time here at our house! 

I also really appreciated the "Tips" section.  The one that came in the most handy was writing a kid's name on top of different clues, so there wasn't squabbling about who got "to do" the clue when they found it.  In my case, I was afraid A-man would beat everyone to the clue and have it figured out before S-girl and V-girl caught up.  So, I went through and put his name on the harder clues and the girls' names on the easier ones.

It worked great.  There were almost no fights.  The biggest fight was  one time when there was a hidden picture and they were all trying to figure out what it was....which meant that they all wanted to be the one holding it.  They ended up ripping the picture.....which resulted in a lecture from me on working together.  We pieced the picture back together and moved on.

 (They were still cooperating at this point.....)

One day, I had a treasure hunt set up, and when they were about 3 clues in, our neighbor boys showed up and wanted to do the treasure hunt too.  I explained to them that they could certainly join in, but since I didn't know that they were coming, I didn't have enough "treasure" (treats) hidden at the end.  They said they didn't care and joined in on the excitement.  They had a blast helping figure out the clues, running from place to place looking for the next clue.  But, even though I had warned them, they were sorely disappointed that they didn't get any of the bounty!  I have promised them that the next treasure hunt I do, I will plan ahead and make sure I have enough treats for them too.

 (The final clue that had the "treasure")

I cannot describe to you the joy and excitement that being on the hunt caused for all the kids.  The big kids and I were also smiling as we watched them tear from place to place.  They had a blast.  They ran from clue to clue...stopping only when they needed to really think or figure something out.  I loved how my older kids took the time to teach/explain to the younger ones how to figure out the answer.  Because, I mean, obviously, V-girl has not studied multiplication yet.  It was interesting to hear them repeat some of the tips and tricks that Rainman and I have used in teaching them multiplication.  Sneaky learning is the best, isn't it?

 (Photo bomb courtesy of J-boy, our neighbor, with his "It Wasn't Me!" t-shirt)

You can try out some of Clued In Kids awesome treasure hunts for yourself.   The Gluten Free treasure hunt is $5.99 and the Multiplication Dragon series is $19.99.  If you sign up for their newsletter, you get a copy of their Homework Reward Treasure Hunt, for free!

We loved, loved, loved the Clued In Kids Treasure Hunts.  Plain and simple.  That is all.

The TOS Review Crew got to try out some of their other treasure hunts, so go take a look at those and what they thought.  There are seasonal ones, holiday ones, sports ones, plus all the educational ones.

UberSmart Software - Review

Who wouldn't want to be considered "uber" smart?  You will have a better chance at that if you use some UberSmart software.



We got a chance to use of their products, called UberSmart Math Facts. 

This is a simple little product.  It is a downloadable program that simply helps you work on your basic math facts.  You can use it for up to 8 people/students....so, for most of us, our whole family can have their own account and practice at their own level and speed.  The UberSmart program is built with grades K-6 in mind, but, it definitely can extend well beyond the 6th grade.

So, your younger ones can use the Dot Cards - which basically look like dominoes.  Then, the older students can use the number/flash cards.

The addition and subtraction cards go up through the 9s and the multiplication and division can even go up through the 20s.

 

UberSmart is a basic math facts program.  No bells.  No whistles.  No games.  No colorful characters.  Although there is applause thrown in after tests, when you do a good job.

Just good, old fashioned math fact practice....with the goal of mastery.

I like that no nonsense approach.....although I realize that probably isn't everyone's favorite way to deal with math facts.  

Honestly, I even used Uber Smart myself to challenge myself.  Because, (and I hate to admit it) some of my multiplication facts have gotten a little rusty.....and I have to stop and think a bit before blurting the answers out.....sometimes.   I enjoyed challenging myself to work faster.


Dot Cards (like adding domino faces)
Keyboard Entry (Ten-Key Numbers)
Flash Cards (add, subtract, multiplication, division)

For beginners, they can use the dot cards that look like dominoes.  You can use them with just dots, or have the numbers also showing through....sort of like a watermark....in the background.

 

There are different "modes" that you can use.  The Learning Mode is where you don't type in your answer...you can think it in your head or say it aloud and the screen will show you the correct answer.

 

In Practice Mode, you put in the answers....you can choose to be timed or not.  Honestly, using this mode brought me back to Mrs. Toll's 4th grade class and her sitting there in front of the class with her flashcards and all of us repeating the answers outloud.....but secretly trying to beat everyone else in the class by saying the correct answer a millisecond before they did.

Yes, it was a little boring, but it was effective.  That is how I feel about UberSmart Software.  It is a little boring, but it is effective.

No, the kids were never too excited about spending time working on their basic math facts, but did their speed and accuracy with those math facts improve?  Yes.

I do strive to have a pretty fun and relaxed homeschool environment.  However, school....and life....are not always fun.  Somethings you just have to do.  Somethings you just need to know.  Math facts are one of those things that you just have to know.

UberSmart Software gives you a chance to work on those facts without an impatient parent awaiting the correct answer.  Like their website says, computers are infinitely patient if your child gets the same answer wrong over and over again.  I, unfortunately, am not infinitely patient....and I do tend to get a little "snappy" if we have just covered this material and they get it wrong....again.

I will say that even though this is a plain, simple, straightforward way to practice math facts, I didn't see a tutorial or how to use this section.  I figured things out through trial and error and just clicking on things to see what happened.  It was effective.  I figured it out.  Honestly, the hardest area for me to figure out was the "Dot Cards" areas.    But, I would have preferred a "start here" page to run through those kinds of little details with me. 

If you want your kids to step away from the computer and do some real old fashioned worksheets, UberSmart has those available for free on their site also.

If you are a Mac user, you are out of luck on this one though, because UberSmart Math Facts only works on Windows systems....specifically, 7, 8, Vista or XP. 

The software has software requirements and will only work on Windows 7, 8, Vista or XP. - See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/ubersmart-math-facts-review/#sthash.VNHmQXme.dpuf

The software has software requirements and will only work on Windows 7, 8, Vista or XP. - See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/ubersmart-math-facts-review/#sthash.VNHmQXme.dpuf

You can get access to UberSmart Math facts for $24.95.  And, the good news is that this isn't a subscription price.  It is yours for life....or as long as you want to use it.



Still not sure?  You can get a 30 day trial version to see what you think and if it will be a good fit for you and your family.  In my opinion, this is a great supplement to any math curriculum.....whether homeschooled or not.

Take a look and see what other TOS Reviewers thought of their time with UberSmart math.