Just when you thought STEAM toys couldn't get any cooler, along comes the littleBits Droid™Inventor Kit. Last month, we received a free kit from littleBits to test out and now it's all I... er... my son and I want to play with. Using magnetic "Bits" that snap together, we were able to level-up on our inventor skills by creating our very own Droid, customizing it with stickers, controlling it with our device and programming it to complete fun missions.

After removing all the contents from the packaging and placing all the littleBits into the handy sorting tray, we downloaded the free Droid Inventor app onto our iPad and followed the instructions which helped us to put together our Droid. 

With this app, we were able to learn about the control hub, driving circuit and internal structure of our Droid. The final mission of the first level in this training program showed us how to put together the droid shell using step-by-step visual instructions. 

On Level 2, the app showed us where to place the stickers. You can choose from red, blue or blank stickers, which are included in the kit. Then you can add personality by changing the colour of the lights and adding sounds from 20+ authentic sounds bank or recoding a secret voice message using your device's microphone. 

Other missions include an obstacle course challenge, draw mode, self navigation mode, code master and more. The Force™ Mode mission is really fun because you can guide your Droid with your hand using the included proximity sensor. But my favourites  are the 6+ new block-based coding missions which give you the ability to program the Droid. We really enjoyed coding our Droid to navigate through a mini obstacle course, which involved a lot of trial and error, but was fun nonetheless! Here's a little sneak peak:

The littleBit Droid Inventor kit comes with everything kids need to create and customize their R2 Unit straight out of the box, including a 9V battery, and retails for $99.95. Please note that it requires a smart device. Either iPhone (iOS 10.0 or later) or Android (KitKat 4.4 or later with Bluetooth 4.0 or later and an accelerometer) is required to build and control your Droid. 

We give it two thumbs up for ease of initial setup, creativity, inventive fun, and overall cool factor. But don't just take our word for it. It is the recipient of the Toy Association’s 2018 Creative Toy of the Year award and six other toy awards. Here's hoping your family will find a littleBits Droid Inventor Kit under your tree this Christmas!

Disclosure: We received product to facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are our own. This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Now that I've got my craft groove back, I knew I just had to try creating my own scalable vector graphics using Google Drawings which I could then upload to Cricut Design Studio. For this particular project, I wanted to make a gift card holder in the shape of a coffee cup for my goddaughter's birthday. One of her wish list items was a gift card to Starbucks so I thought I'd create a removable lid to which I could attach the gift card.

To create the coffee cup design, I used two basic shapes: a round same side corner rectangle (in two different sizes) and a trapezoid (in two different sizes). Once I had the right proportions, all I had to do was download as a scalable vector graphic (.svg) file. Then I uploaded it to the Design Studio. The black outline of each shape was interpreted as a shadow layer so I just deleted them from the project. To make the pocket coffee cup, I duplicated the image, resized and rotated the shapes to create the backing and flaps, and then welded them altogether. 

I also decided to try designing a parody of the logo that included her name. I've seen so many of these fun designs on Pinterest that I wanted to challenge myself to create my own on Google Drawings. Unfortunately, word art features in G Suite, unlike in Microsoft Office, are very limited and there was no way to curve a word. This meant I had to create separate art for each letter and rotate them to varying degrees. Here is one I created with my profile pic in the centre, which I cropped using a circle. You can see how many different parts there are to it, each outlined in blue.

If I ever venture into cutting using vinyl, I could download the file as an SVG. For the small logo that I needed for the card, it makes more sense to download it as a PNG or JPG and upload it to the Design Studio as a print and cut image. (I have yet to calibrate my Cricut Explore Air 2 for cutting printed images so I took a shortcut and cut it by hand.) This way you only have to adhere a single circle and it still looks great. I'm so happy my goddaughter loved her card!

The summer is finally upon us and I can now rejoice in the luxury of two restful months off work. In theory, that is. Granted the kids are older and more independent than ever, it never ceases to amaze me how three simple words can still irritate me to no end: "Mom, I'm bored!" Luckily, my son has made friends with many of the neighbourhood boys and they are constantly playing together and running around outside. My daughter, however, isn't as fortunate. There is only one girl her age on our street with whom she enjoys playing but she travels a lot with her family, especially during the summer, leaving my daughter to own devices. Quite literally. She would spend the whole day watching YouTube videos or playing video games if we let her. 

Instead, we encourage her love of arts and crafts, especially given her creative flair. Drawing and dancing are her forte, and she has a growing collection of paints and brushes, and yet, what does she keep begging me to make? Slime. She is forever obsessed with SLIME! In the past, we've tried a couple of different recipes, despite my better judgement, and the outcome would rarely be pretty. But then, as if the slime gods had been watching over us, we received a kid-friendly slime kit from Elmer's to test out and suddenly my fear of messy disasters was appeased. 

Inside the kit, we found a 4 fl oz bottle of Elmer's White School Glue, a small jar of baking soda and a dropper bottle filled with blue food colouring. According to the Elmer's recipe for coloured slime, the fourth and final ingredient was contact lens solution, which I know many people already have lying around at home. I probably could have asked my friend for the mere tablespoon of lens solution required for the slime recipe but I knew this would the first of many slimey concoctions so I went out to the pharmacy and bought a small bottle. 

After pouring the entire bottle of Elmer's White School Glue, we added half a tablespoon of baking soda and mixed them together. Then we added several drops of food colouring, followed by a tablespoon of contact lens solution. We mixed all the ingredients together until it all started to stick together and became harder to mix. We removed the slime from the bowl and began to knead until it didn't feel sticky. Overall, it was super easy to make and the instructions were very straightforward. I was amazed to see the transformation of the glue and baking soda when mixed with the lens solution. It was like magic! 

If you would like to try making slime with your kids, check out Elmer's Recipe for Colored Slime. I also recommend you bookmark their Elmer's slime page for additional recipes, videos and handy tips and tricks. Keep in mind that, depending on the food colouring you use, you may notice that it may stain your hands. While we were able to wash it off afterwards, you may want to consider using gloves when kneading. Also, pull out some old newspapers to protect your tabletop while making and playing with your slime. And please be sure to read their disclaimer:

*Adult supervision is required; This project is not appropriate for children under the age of 3 years. Always wash your hands before and after making and playing with slime. Warning: If large quantities of contact lens solution are accidentally ingested (greater than a tablespoon), get medical attention immediately.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Elmer's Kid-Friendly Slime campaign and have received special perks. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Over the last few years, classrooms have evolved to accommodate project based learning opportunities in the area of STEAM - science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. As a result, there is a growing trend of toys and gadgets that aim to engage kids in educational play by introducing them to STEAM concepts. One such gadget is the 3D Magic ImagiPen.

The ImagiPen allows kids to create 3D drawings by using a special no-heat pen that has a built-in UV light, which allows kids to build creations in mid-air. The kit includes an ImagiPen, one blue gel cartridge, one green gel cartridge, an ImagiPen docking station, a cleaning tool, and two free-play stencils. Batteries are not included.

For our first project, my daughter and I decided to recreate the Eiffel Tower. Using a template we found online, we traced the designs by placing the free-play stencils on top of the template and tracing it. We placed the stencils on the window sill to cure for a couple of hours and once we had all the pieces we needed, we began to assemble our Eiffel Tower. 

It took us a while to get the hang of using the 3D ImagiPen, especially since my daughter, who loves to draw, would use it like a ball-point pen. When creating flat pieces of art, you need to let the gel fall into place and be wary that it will remain wet for a while. We had to redo some of the pieces and even still, they weren't perfect. As such, some parts were difficult to stick together during assembly since not all the edges were perfectly straight. We simply considered this a lesson in engineering and design!

For the very top of the tower, we used the ImagiPen with the UV light setting so it dried in mid-air. It was a little too tall but the neat part is that, once it has cured, you can trim it with a pair of scissors. What you want to keep in mind is, when creating flat pieces, it can get a little messy if you accidentally touch the design while it's wet. The gel ended up on our hands more often than I cared for which is why I prefer using the ImagiPen to create vertical designs with the UV light on so it dries instantly before I can get my clumsy fingers all messy. 

The 3D Magic ImagiPen, designed for kids age 8 and up, is available online at imagipen.ca for $29.99 plus $8.99 for shipping and handling. I've also seen the ImagiPen on Toysrus.ca for the same price but you can save on shipping by selecting the free in-store pickup option.

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.