{Product Review} Q’s Race to the Top Bundle: Boardgame, On the Go Pack, Read-Along Storybook & CD, Coloring & Activity Book, and Q-Time Buddy weighted plush doll

Posted on April 30, 2016 by OMazing Kids

I am SUPER excited to have these amazing products to use in OMazing Kids speech-language therapy and kids yoga classes! EQtainment generously sent me the Q Toys Bundle to try out and review. They have been a HUGE hit with my patients. The bundle includes the Q’s Race to the Top Boardgame, Q’s Race on the Go Pack, Q’s Wild Ride Read-Along Storybook & CD, Q’s Coloring & Activity Book, and the Q-Time Buddy weighted plush doll. [price: $59.99 (an $8.00 savings over purchasing all of the items separately): http://shop.eqtainment.com/products/q-toys-bundle].

Here’s what I LOVE about these amazing products:

The Q’s Race to the Top Boardgame has an oversized dice and game pieces (both nice for younger kids or for those with fine motor challenges) and a sturdy colorful game board that is easy to understand and short enough to get to the end within a typical speech-language therapy session.
The cards in the game have a wide degree of difficulty and social skills targeted. The game was designed and tested with kids ages 3-12 years old. Younger kids or those with special needs may need the therapist or parent to preselect cards before the start of the game to best suit their kids needs. The adult could also simplify the wording as they read the cards. The “Do” cards contain a mix of physical actions ranging from simple to pretty challenging. Some also incorporate emotions and facial expressions. Again I would suggest preselecting the ones that will best suit your kids physical abilities and developmental level. The adult may need to simplify these activities or modify them for kids with special needs. For kids that need a visual support to help them understand what the motion would look like, I will incorporate video modeling and pictures. The selfie camera mode on my iPad will also come in handy.
The Q’s Wild Ride book included with the game is fun to read to introduce kids to the loveable yet quirky character Q before playing the game. (Q is “a dusky leaf monkey”…. thanks for including the specifics! The first question my patient with ASD asked was “what kind of monkey is that?”). The Read-Along Storybook & CD is exactly the same story but in a larger book format and includes a CD with two tracks (with and without page turn signals). The narration and sound effects are very well done in the CD and the illustrations in the book depict emotions well through exaggerated facial expressions and body language. I took a couple of pics of interior pages since none seemed to be available online and this will help folks make purchasing decisions.
The Q’s Race to the Top – On the Go Pack are the same cards as contained in the board game but are sized a little smaller and are in a durable metal tin.
The Q-Time Buddy weighted plush doll is super soft, is wearing a cute green hoodie and is the perfect weight and size to be used in belly breathing. I had several patients who immediately relaxed, closed their eyes and began belly breathing when laying on their back with the Q-Time Buddy on their belly. The instructions are printed on the back of the box. My only suggestion for improvement would be to include a separate card with the belly breathing instructions since most folks usually don’t keep the box when they get a stuffed animal. I am including some pics below that I found on the Kohl’s website so I will be able to share the instructions with parents later.
The Q’s Coloring & Activity Book is filled with great tie-ins to the book & game. It also includes several pages that are unique to just the coloring book and also includes fun activity pages (dot-to-dot, finish the picture, maze, find the same, drawing emotions on faces, etc…). I scanned a couple of interior pages since none seemed to be available online and this will help folks make purchasing decisions.
All of the products are very well designed and of high quality materials. Is is very obvious that a lot of thought went into the design of these products. I love that they offer them as individual items so parents and therapists can pick and choose the ones to best fit their needs or get the entire set as bundle.

These are definitely destined to become “faves” in OMazing Kids speech-language therapy and my kids yoga classes!

See this video for more info about this relaxation technique.

Interior page samples from the storybook:

Interior page samples from the coloring book:

See this video for info about the game:

Where can I purchase these amazing products? (plus a discount code!)

All of the products are available for purchase on their website at: http://shop.eqtainment.com/ & they are offering a 20% off discount for OMazing Kids fans (the discount is only available only when purchasing directly through their website. Enter “QFRIEND20” when you checkout on their website. This discount code is set to expire one month from this post. Please contact the company directly with any questions you may have about the discount code: http://eqtainment.com/contact-us/ or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/eqtainment/)

A few additional purchasing options:

I’m including links from Amazon.com for those who like to take advantage of free shipping through their Amazon Prime membership and for Kohl’s for those who may have some Kohl’s cash they’d like to spend…..

Board game with book:

http://www.amazon.com/Race-Educational-Board-Game-Book/dp/B00NH9E4LW

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2465260/qs-race-to-the-top-board-game.jsp

Q-time weighted plush buddy:

http://www.amazon.com/Q-Time-developing-attention-emotional-control/dp/B00ZQ2J9M2

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2466048/q-time-buddy-plush-monkey.jsp

Coloring book:

http://www.amazon.com/Qs-Coloring-Activity-Book-behavior/dp/B00ZPYAK3S

For more ideas for fostering emotional intelligence and teaching social skills, be sure to check out their social media sites:

Website: http://eqtainment.com/

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product to facilitate my review. Opinions expressed are my own.

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Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness & educational activities for kids of all abilities
Home E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with over 26 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.
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{please ignore any ads that may appear below. This is a free blog and I don’t have any control over ads nor do I profit from them}

Review & Mobile-Friendly Giveaway: Upside Down Games

Posted on September 7, 2013 by OMazing Kids

New mobile-friendly giveaway on OMazing Kids! Enter to win your choice of a kids yoga game from Upside Down Games ……

Product Description:

Upside Down Games are yoga-based educational games that help children establish life-long healthy habits based on physical exercise, intellectual activity, and social commitment. Their products provide opportunities for positive social interactions and build self-esteem & confidence. In addition, their games are designed to fortify the muscles and improve body posture, enhance balance, coordination, core strength, and focus. And of course, there are plenty of opportunities for laughter!

benefits

Here’s what I love about the games:

they are yoga-based games….. there are very few out there that are so it’s great to see more!

they go beyond just “poses” (LOVE the “quiz cards” in The Magic Path of Yoga that provide multiple-choice quiz questions relating to basic yoga history, nutrition, body knowledge, the environment & eco-friendly choices; LOVE how the “Mission Cards” in the Yogi Card game get kids to analyze the components of poses; LOVE that the instruction booklet in both versions of The Magic Path of Yoga includes basic anatomy info & how the booklet fans out in the travel version with the pose illustrations on one side & instructions on the back )

they are well constructed (LOVE how thick the cards are in the Memo Yoga game & how easy the “spinner” is to spin once the cards are taken out the Yoga Spinner game……. many of the kids I work with have difficulty with fine motor skills so these details matter in making a game accessible)

they are colorful (important for sustaining the attention of younger kids or those with special needs)

the instructions for the different levels of play are fairly easy to follow and are printed on the box as well as on an insert in each game.

the company has put thought into responsible manufacturing & materials (see their website for details)

they made an effort to include illustrations of kids reflecting racial diversity

their website has info for parents: http://upsidedowngames.us/parents/

the company donates 10% of the proceeds to help economically disadvantaged children stay in school

Just a few suggestions for improvements:

I wish they were “cooperative” games (where all the players work together to win the game) vs. “competitive” games…… or if alternative rule suggestions were provided for that method of play. I naturally adapt almost any game I use in speech-language therapy or kids yoga to be played in that fashion but folks who are not familiar with the concept of “cooperative” games may need some ideas for doing this. For example, in the Yoga Spinner game the “sad face” & “happy face” cause a player to lose a card by the another player taking a card from them….. rather than using these rules, I will be incorporating empathy & emotions activities for those spots. I have lots of social skill materials to pull from in my work as a SLP to be able to do this.

Many of the games have OM symbols of varying sizes and prominence on them. This could be viewed as having “religious” connotations and could pose questions/concerns in certain settings. I am particularly sensitive to this working in a state agency & public schools.

Some of the rules involve holding a pose for 10 seconds. It would be nice to see suggestions for modifying this for younger kids or those with special needs (ex: holding a pose for 2-3 breaths; or deciding as a team what the pose challenge length will be. I work with a lot of kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders that take written rules very literally)

Games to choose from in the giveaway. There are things that are unique & that I love about each one….. I encourage you to spend a little time looking at their website before choosing which one you want if you win the giveaway. Just because one is the most expensive doesn’t mean it will be best suited for the kids you work with.

Some would be best suited for those who work with the same group of kids over a period of time where you can start with foundational skills and build upon them from class to class or for kids who already have some experience with yoga. Although I LOVED all of the games & really wanted to keep all of them, I knew in my heart of hearts that four of them be too complex for the kids I work with at the J.D. McCarty Center. So I blessed two local kids yoga teachers who work in settings where I knew would put them to great use. Look forward to hearing how Katie Windom‘s & Rachel White‘s yogis enjoy them <3.

http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/the-magic-path-of-yoga/ (Retail: $29.95).

(I was also sent the travel version of this game to review. It’s not part of the giveaway but is cool if you need an on-the-go version. I love how the booklet fans out in this version with the pose illustrations on one side & instructions on the back: http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/the-magic-path-of-yoga-soft-version/ – Retail: $49.95.)

http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/yogi-finders/ (Retail: $19.95)

http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/yogi-cards/ (Retail: $8.95)

Two of the games, Yoga Spinner & Memo Yoga, have received ratings by AblePlay. These are the two that I kept to use with the kids at JDMC. They are simpler so would be appropriate for even the younger yogis or those at a younger developmental level (obviously still using judgement for any contraindications for poses based on a particular child’s special needs or ability level).

Memo Yoga and Yoga Spinner Able Play ratings

http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/memo-yoga/ (Retail: $9.95)

http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/yoga-spinner/ (Retail: $15.95)

They also sent me a couple of their cute yogi keychains (not part of the giveaway….. but take a look at them here: http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/magic-yogis-keychains/

Have a yoga studio or online boutique? Then you may be interested in their cool introductory promo package: http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/introductory-package/ (this is not part of the giveaway but was too cool not to share)

Purchase: Available on Amazon.com & on the company’s website: http://upsidedowngames.us/shop/.

Be sure to “like” their page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Upside-Down-Games/144730338926645 for product updates & info about other giveaways. Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/upsidedowngames. View previews of a few of their games on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/upsidedowngamestv

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Disclaimer: I received a free sample of this product to facilitate my review. Opinions expressed are my own.Starting in 2013, a new component of reviews & giveaways hosted on OMazing Kids is that a review will be added on Amazon.com (for products sold on that site). See my Amazon profile at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1JKVLELLSX7FD?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_aya_bb_pdp.

Giveaway (chevron)

New Mobile-Friendly Entry: http://bit.ly/17Tut4T

You may also enter via the Giveaway tab on either of my FB pages (look for the new “chevron” tab) (the entries all go to the same place so you only need to enter via one method). These will work on a computer and might work on mobile devices: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga/app_228910107186452 or https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsContestsandGiveaways/app_228910107186452

Only entries with all required information will be valid. See the Rafflecopter entry form for details.

Helpful Info & Tips: To access the tab via Facebook or to use any of the FB entry options, you have to be logged in as yourself (not a fan page). This is my 2nd time to try out Rafflecopter. Folks had requested a simpler mobile-friendly entry option. After researching all the “free” options I could find, I’ve decided to try this out. I tried it out on my iPhone and it appears to work. In the event that you experience difficulties with the Rafflecopter entry tab, please e-mail me specific details so I can attempt to fix it. E-mail to: amoorad1@juno.com . The entry deadline may be extended at the sole discretion of OMazing Kids in the event of prolonged entry tab problems

Each “giveaway” is handled separately on OMazing Kids. So there are no rules prohibiting previous winners from entering this or future giveaways. I really do read every entry in every giveaway carefully to insure that the products end up in the best hands to impact kids lives.

In order to simplify the entry process, I have eliminated the “A Way to Give” portion….. unfortunately few folks were interested in going through the extra steps to do so.

Entry Deadline: 11:59pm CST on September 9, 2013.

Rules of Participation:

Must be 18 years or older with a valid e-mail address.
Only USA entries are allowed for this particular giveaway.
Employees or family members of OMazing Kids, LLC or the product’s company are not eligible.
No purchase required.
Comments submitted via entries may be copied & pasted into the blog post.
Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
The winner will be chosen from valid entries on September 10, 2013. NOTE: Even though I am using Rafflecopter, I will still be hand selecting winners to insure products end up in the hands of folks who will put them to the best use. Briefly tell me how winning this would help you & the kids. I take the time to read each entry so details count. It doesn’t have to be lengthy…. just heart-felt.

1 winner will receive one copy of the game they chose via the Rafflecopter entry.

The winner will be notified via e-mail, will be posted on the blog post & will be posted on the OMazing Kids Facebook page. The company offering the prize may also post the winner’s name on their website, blog, Facebook page and/or other social media sites at their discretion.
The winner’s address will be forwarded to the company and they will be mailing the prizes directly to the winners. Any questions about the prize should be directed to that company. After I e-mail the winner’s info to the company, it is their responsibility to mail out prizes. Please contact them first if you are concerned about not receiving a prize. If that does not resolve the problem, then feel free to e-mail me and I will glad to assist in whatever way I can.
Prize Value: depends on game chosen (ranges from $29.95 to $8.95)

Other Legal Stuff: I know it’s just a kids yoga game but just to be safe here is all the legal stuff…

This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You are providing your information to OMazing Kids, LLC and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for our internal purposes in relation to the administration of the giveaway. Your information will NOT be sold to any outside parties.

Indemnification/Hold Harmless: By participating, entrants agree: (a) to the decisions of OMazing Kids, LLC, which shall be final in all respects; (b) to release, discharge, and hold harmless OMazing Kids, LLC and its respective representatives and agents from all liability, injuries, losses or damages of any kind to persons or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, misuse or use of a prize, or from participation in and/or entry into the Contest or any Contest-related activity and for acceptance, delivery, or use of any prize; (c) that the foregoing parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation or guaranty, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relating to any prize.

grass-green-divider-bar

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC – inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities

Radiant Child Yoga Certified – Levels 1 & 2

E-Mail: amoorad1@juno.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga

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Blog: http://omazingkidsllc.com

OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.

NOTE: Please ignore any ads that appear below the crayons divider bar or any ads or unusual hyperlinks that may appear above. This is a free blog site & I have no control over ads appearing here. I have attempted to remove the CouponDropDown but no luck so far…. DO NOT click on any hyperlinks unless you hover above them first to insure they are valid. Ones I included should appear in blue font.

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Review & Giveaway: Yoga-Yingo Games

Posted on March 31, 2012 by OMazing Kids

Looking for fun games to use in your kids yoga classes, therapy sessions or on family game night? Then check out the Yoga-Yingo games……. yoga+bingo = Yoga-Yingo!

Yoga-Yingo games are a fun way to introduce yoga poses and “play” yoga with the children in your life. Designed for play at home, children’s yoga classes, schools, daycares, and therapy sessions. They’re played like bingo except everyone’s “a winner” at the same time!

Game Contents: 12 game cards, 8 pose cards, 120 colored square markers, game instructions and a yoga pose instruction sheet. Games are packaged in Ziploc plastic bags.

How to Play: All players start by covering the center square “Breathe” with a colored square marker. Breathe in Mountain Pose to start the game. The pose cards can either be shuffled and done in a random sequence or arranged in a specific sequence (ex: easier to harder, a yoga flow of poses, etc…). All players do the poses together at their own pace and ability level. The game ends when all the poses have been completed & covered by markers on the game board. End the game by coming back to the center square and breathing in Child Pose.

There are three different Yoga-Yingo game sets available:

Classic Set: Consists of traditional yoga poses: bridge, cat-cow, cobra, downward facing dog, forward fold, tree, spinal twist & warrior II. Has the “breathe” – mountain/child poses in the center. Recommended for ages 4 and up.
Farm Set: Consists of farm-themed poses: cat-cow, downward facing dog, egg-to-chicken, duck, horse, pig, plow & rabbit. Has the “breathe” – mountain/child poses in the center. Recommended for ages 3 and up.
Nature Set: Consists of nature-themed poses: butterfly, crooked branch, frog, half moon, rainbow, star, sunflower & tree. Has the “breathe” – mountain/child poses in the center. Recommended for ages 6 and up since some poses are a little more challenging.

Here’s what I love about the Yoga-Yingo games:

Most children & adults have played “bingo” before so this is a fun way to infuse yoga into an activity they are familiar with.

Love the cooperative, non-competitive nature of the game.

Love that the game starts & ends by “centering” in the center of the board with breathing! Mountain pose is a great pose to begin the game and it would be easy to add a “sun stretch & breath” as a warm-up from this position. Child Pose is a wonderful calming pose that almost every child can easily do and is a great way to relax at the end of the game.

Love the use of real photos of the poses on the game board & pose cards. Photos tend to be more concrete & easier to understand than line drawings or illustrations so this should help younger kids and those with special needs.

Love that each set includes a sheet with step-by-step simple instructions & modifications for each pose. This makes it user-friendly for families or therapists who may not be familiar with yoga.

Love the variety of ways these games could be used. These games could easily be used in an individual or group setting. It would be fun to incorporate the Farm Set & Nature Set into larger themed activities by adding music/songs, a book, crafts, etc. It would also be fun to make picture cards of the animals & nature items to use as non-identical matching with the pose cards in therapy sessions. Another idea would be to hide the yoga pose cards and find them in a Yoga-Yingo scavenger hunt…. Doing poses on the go 🙂

Available for purchase on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=yoga-yingo&x=16&y=17

Price (as of the date of this post): $17.99 per set.

Info about the creator of Yoga-Yingo: Jeanette Runnings is a pediatric Occupational Therapist with over 20 years of experience. She has been trained in children’s yoga through Karma Kids Yoga and the Radiant Child yoga programs (2005). She received her 200 hr. Yoga Teacher training at Gilbert Yoga (2011). She is a Certified Laughter Leader through the World Laughter Tour (2012). She created the Yoga-Yingo game series in 2005 to help families learn yoga in a fun way.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeanette.runnings

Website: www.yoga-yingo.com

E-Mail: jeanette@yoga-yingo.com

Product Swap: Jeanette is interested in doing “product swaps” with other folks who have kids yoga products. If you are interested in doing a “product swap” with Jeanette, you can contact her directly via e-mail: jeanette@yoga-yingo.com.

How to enter the giveaway:

Enter via the “Giveaways” tab on the OMazing Kids Yoga FB page (http://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsYoga?v=app_197602066931325) & mention how you would be using this game with your child or the children you work with. (comments must be in English; must include full first & last name; 1 entry per Facebook account).
For one additional entry, leave a comment on this blog post. Must mention how you would be using this game with your child or the children you work with. (comments must be in English; 1 entry per person; must have a valid e-mail address)
Tips: You increase your odds of winning by entering via both methods. Entering via the “Giveaways” tab will save me the step of having to obtain your mailing address – the info you complete on the tab comes directly to me via an e-mail.

Entry Deadline: Enter by any of the methods listed above by 11:59pm CST on April 2, 2012.

Rules of Participation:

Must be 18 years or older with a valid e-mail address.
Only USA & Canada entries are being allowed for this particular giveaway.
Employees or family members of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC or the product’s company are not eligible.
No purchase required.
Comments submitted via the Enter Giveaways Here…. tab on Facebook may be copied & pasted into the blog post.
Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
Three (3) winners will be chosen via a random drawing of valid entries on April 3, 2012.
The winners will each get one (1) Yoga-Yingo game set. Yoga-Yingo will decide which set to send each winner.
The winners will be notified via e-mail and will be posted on the blog post.
If a winner only entered via blog post, their mailing address will be obtained via e-mail.
In the event that a winner does not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be selected via a random drawing.
The winner’s address will be forwarded to the company and they will be mailing the product directly to the winner.
Prize Value: retail price $17.99.

Other Legal Stuff: I know it’s just a yoga game but just to be safe here is all the legal stuff…

This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You are providing your information to OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for our internal purposes in relation to the administration of the giveaway. Your information will NOT be sold to any outside parties.

Indemnification/Hold Harmless: By participating, entrants agree: (a) to the decisions of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC, which shall be final in all respects; (b) to release, discharge, and hold harmless OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC and its respective representatives and agents from all liability, injuries, losses or damages of any kind to persons or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the acceptance, possession, misuse or use of a prize, or from participation in and/or entry into the Contest or any Contest-related activity and for acceptance, delivery, or use of any prize; (c) that the foregoing parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation or guaranty, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relating to any prize.

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, IAYT, RCYP-2

Speech-Language Pathologist

Founder of OMazing Kids Yoga, LLC – inclusive yoga for kids & teens of all abilities in Norman, Oklahoma