Tot Talk Placemat – review and GIVEAWAY

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My son Jake is a pretty smart kid. He reads and writes and seems to know way more than his almost 5 years. He has talked a lot about Indiana and Illinois ever since we moved to Indiana and is fascinated when we drive from one state to another. Also, ever since learning that Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492 (or 1942 depending upon the day) he is curious about the United States as well.

When the opportunity arose for me to review a U.S.A. & World Eat, Speak, Explore & Draw Map/Placemat! from Tot Talk, I couldn’t turn it down because I knew Jake would love it.

The front of the placemat:

The front of the placemat is a vividly colored map of the United States. Each state is easy to identify and includes images and words that identify what each state is known for. It also labels the state capitals and shows their locations in the state.

Jake was entranced with the placemat. I asked him to locate Illinois and Indiana and then began asking him to locate certain states based upon things like “the potato state” or the “oranges state.” He really liked that game and kept saying, “ok, ask me one more.” He was truly fascinated with it.

The back of the placemat:

The back of the placemat is a black and white world map that shows the Seven Continents and the Five World Oceans. It also has activities all the way around the placemat to help really encourage and and entertain. This is where the washable marker really gets some great use! From matching animals to their appropriate continent to coloring the location where their grandparents are born, there are numerous activities for kids and plenty of room for drawing and making up their own.

Jake liked this side just as much as the front, especially because of the marker. He enjoyed writing “America,” locating the oceans and continents, and learning about which animals were associated with which continents. I was very impressed that he kept wanting to learn more!

Summary:
The U.S.A. & World Eat, Speak, Explore & Draw Map/Placemat! from Tot Talk is a versatile and entertaining activity for kids. It is made in the USA and is appropriate for all ages. The placemat is very thick and durable. It is washable and kids can even write on it with washable markers (ours came with a Crayola Washable Marker)! It provides parents with a way to teach their kids geography in an interactive way that is fun and interesting and I’m willing to bet you will learn something along the way too. And on top of all that, you can use it as a placemat to help keep your table clean!

This product is one I am glad to have around the house because it provides me with a framework to teach Jake about Geography and even more. Teaching does not come naturally to me, and this placemat allowed me to help him interact with it because of the activity suggestions it provides. We both enjoyed it and I really enjoyed watching him get so excited about something educational.

If you would like to purchase a U.S.A. & World Eat, Speak, Explore & Draw Map/Placemat or any of the other great Tot Talk products, visit their website. Tot Talk has a special offer for What’s That Smell? readers! You can receive FREE SHIPPING on your order with the code: AccidentalMommies08 in the coupon field at checkout.

Win a U.S.A. & World Eat, Speak, Explore & Draw Map/Placemat:
To enter:
Simply visit Tot Talk and leave a comment with your favorite product from their website BESIDES the U.S.A. & World Eat, Speak, Explore & Draw Map/Placemat.

For extra entries:
*For one extra entry, leave a comment and tell us who you would like to win this placemat for.

*For unlimited additional extra entries, leave a comment with the name of a US state or a Country of the World. You can enter as many times this way as long as you complete the main entry and the first extra entry activity.

Obviously, leave separate comments for each extra entry.

Giveaway is open until Noon Central time on Tuesday November 4, 2008 and is open to the USA.

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