<em>Hi! This post has been sponsored by <a href=" http://www.babbaco.com/?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_medium=review&amp;utm_campaign=frogandsnail">BabbaCo</a> -- a company that was new to us, and now my boys and I are fans! Read on, and you'll see why! Plus, be sure to enter for a chance to win your very own BabbaBox (or get <strong>50% off</strong> your first Babbabox with a subscription!)</em>

Yesterday was the first day of summer vacation, which, yay! but now I have a house full of boys with nothing do. It's enough to send me into panic mode!

We spend a lot of time outside, but because I'm not the craftiest of mothers I'm afraid our indoor time tends to be a little boring for the kids. And then our house gets absolutely trashed.

So we've been working on the <a href=" http://www.babbaco.com/?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_medium=review&amp;utm_campaign=frogandsnail">BabbaBox</a> we received a week ago, and you guys -- it has been a lifesaver!

So what's a BabbaBox, you ask? It's a box full of activities that arrives on your doorstep, almost like magic, and comes with everything you need for a month of fun. It's almost like Mary Poppins' magical bag, except it's real.

When our box arrived, the boys couldn't wait to dig in. I really appreciate the presentation -- it totally adds to the specialness of the box. One of the kids thought there was a mistake, since it wasn't any of their birthdays.

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/PackagingBabba.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1816" title="PackagingBabba" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/PackagingBabba.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

When I finally let them tear into it, the consensus was "whoah!"

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cool.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1825" title="Cool" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cool.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

I loved that everything was included -- down to the child-safe scissors and the coloring pencils. (Our safety scissors have a way of disappearing for some reason.)

Then I saw that the theme for our box is "The Way I Feel" and I won't lie, I kinda rolled my eyes a little. I don't know about your boys, but mine aren't exactly the best at exploring their feelings.

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/BabbaTheme.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1817" title="BabbaTheme" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/BabbaTheme.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

But then I read the materials -- there is a lot of information for parents on the lessons behind each activity -- and I was even more impressed. This box is full of fun things but they all are educational as well, and the explanations are friendly and simple enough for a someone like me, who isn't on a mission to become an early childhood educator, to understand. It has given me a few ideas for ways to integrate the theme into our month.

So, what have the boys done so far?

First off, we made Feelings Magnets. The packet included everything, even the magnetic tape.

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/TodayIFeel.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1818" title="TodayIFeel" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/TodayIFeel.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

I learned that one of my sons needs more work on his scissors skills, but he was so excited that his brothers let him have the "Happy" magnet that he totally applied himself:

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Scissors.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1812" title="Scissors" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Scissors.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

And now, my fridge looks like this:

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Fridge.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1811" title="Fridge" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Fridge.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="747" /></a>

The boys love moving the magnets around, and they tell me how their moods change throughout the day. Apparently they were very apprehensive and confused this morning, but it worked! They're talking <em>feeeeelings</em>.

The next activity was super fun -- they got to play spy games!

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/FeelingsFinders.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1810" title="FeelingsFinders" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/FeelingsFinders.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

This kit brought a set of super cool spy glasses -- they have mirrors on the side, so you can see what's going on behind you. (I always wanted a pair when I was a kid.)

Of course, the boys had a lot of fun with this. I'm not sure what this feeling is, but the result was lots of giggles.

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Brothers.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1809" title="Brothers" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Brothers.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

My oldest loved the feelings journal that came complete with stickers to track all the feelings he saw in others. It's a lot like birdwatching, except more fun because he got to go around sneakily recording the feelings of the people around him. What a cute way to encourage the boys to recognize other people's feelings, don't you think?

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/journal.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1808" title="journal" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/journal.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

Those are just two of the activities in our box -- we've had a lot of fun so far this week, but we still have sock puppets to make (socks are included, of course), books to read, apps to download ... yup, I'd say the fun lasts a whole month.

But my favorite touch is that BabbaCo didn't forget the parents. They even included a little gift for us, with a nice little note and everything:

<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/BabbaParent.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1813" title="BabbaParent" src="http://frogandsnail.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/BabbaParent.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="335" /></a>

Overall, I'm very impressed with the <a href=" http://www.babbaco.com/?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_medium=review&amp;utm_campaign=frogandsnail">BabbaBox</a>, and I'm very excited that BabbaCo has so graciously offered Frog &amp; Snail readers an awesome deal -- 50% off your first box when <a href="http://www.babbaco.com/join/monthly-membership.html/?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_medium=review&amp;utm_campaign=frogandsnail">you sign up for a BabbaBox subscription!</a> Just use the code <strong>FNS50OFF</strong>

And now, for the giveaway!
<h2><strong>One lucky reader will win a BabbaBox of their very own! There are two steps to enter:</strong></h2>
<em><strong>1. Go to <a href=" http://www.babbaco.com/?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_medium=review&amp;utm_campaign=frogandsnail">BabbaCo.com</a> and sign up for the newsletter (the link is on their header) and then</strong></em>

<em><strong>2. Leave a comment on this post (this is important) telling me you've signed up. I'd love it if you told me something about what you like about the BabbaBox, or what you would like to see in one!</strong></em>

<strong>For additional entries, “like” the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BabbaCo">BabbaCo Facebook page </a>and follow <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/BabbaCo">BabbaCo on twitter</a>. <em>Be sure to let me know by leaving a comment on this post if you'd like additional entries as well.</em></strong>
<h2><strong>The contest closes at noon on June 28, and I will announce the randomly chosen winner then.</strong></h2>
<strong>Best of luck!</strong>

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