144 Square Feet ( 36 tiles + borders) 'We Sell Mats' Blue 2' x 2' x 3/8" Anti-Fatigue Interlocking EVA Foam Exercise Gym Flooring

Product Details

This item by "We Sell Mats" is designed by our product engineers with quality, durability and value in mind. Because all "We Sell Mats" branded items are sold specifically be "We Sell Mats", you can always be confident that you will receive a quality product at a great price. Comes with thirty-six new blue tiles. Each measuring 2' x 2' for a total of 144 square feet. Each tile measures 3/8" thick. Borders are included. Perfect for ages 3+. Provides a cushion to hard floor surfaces in gyms, exercise rooms, trade shows, playrooms, etc.

• Comes with thirty-six new blue tiles. Each measuring 2' x 2' for a total of 144 sq.ft.
• Each tile measures 3/8" thick. Borders are included. Perfect for ages 3+.
• Provides a cushion to hard floor surfaces in gyms, exercise rooms, trade shows, playrooms, etc.
• "We Sell Mats" branded items are sold specifically by "We Sell Mats"
• This item will interlock with all 24"x24"x3/8" EVA foam "We Sell Mats" tiles.

Reading Isn't Cool? Three Ways to Encourage Reluctant Readers

Do your kids avoid reading because it isn't cool? Maybe you're more in tune than I am, but I was startled when my grandson informed me that reading isn't cool.

Discovering Reading Isn't Cool

It first started when he got home from school one day without the book he was supposed to read. I figured it was yet another way to get out of the requisite 15-minute evening reading requirement. I cut him off at the pass right away: "Well, Caleb, guess you'll have to read one of my books like Harry Potter." But he's not reading Harry Potter, even the 1st volume is a whopping 309 pages. And why on earth would you read something that's also on a DVD that you've already seen?

Not to be deterred, I mention I have a few other books from my childhood. But no way is he reading girl books or books that are THAT old. I find a book for kids that will help with ADHD with lots of pictures and bullet points. He finally agrees to read this for 15 minutes but hates it.

The next day he dutifully brings his book home from school--hidden under his hoodie--so at least he can read a book he's chosen. "Caleb, why is your book under your hoodie instead of in your back pack." He looks at me like I've just lost my mind and patiently explains that reading isn't cool. That he would NEVER want another kid to see him taking a book home.

I check this out with his teachers. Sure enough, part of the struggle they have getting kids to read is the "cool factor."

Try the Library

Still thinking that eventually I'll just give up, he comes home again without a book. I say "Fine. You don't want to read what I have. We'll go to the library and you can choose a book." He argues that going to library is out of the question because someone might see him at the library. Now there's a certain amount of logic here: If reading isn't cool, libraries obviously represent the height of un-cool-ness.

But "someone might see me" isn't as logical. I remind him that if someone sees him at the library, they might be getting a book too. He and his friend can now be uncool together.

Go to a Bookstore

In addition to the library, you can take your reluctant reader to a large bookstore. It's your second option. Choose one that has a kids' area, things to do, even a coffee shop. And don't forget bribes. Something like "After you choose a book--not a game, a puzzle, sticker book or toy--we'll get hot chocolate and a goodie in the cafe."

Have Books at Home

A third option is having lots of books your child has chosen at home. If you're at home, your friends can't see you reading. When friends come over, just put the books away--or choose friends who think reading IS cool. You can't change peer pressure but you certainly can side-step it. And you'll find more ways to sabotage peer pressure and help reluctant readers who think reading isn't cool at http://www.smartkidssmartparents.com/read/.

Jewish Holidays - Giant Floor Puzzle

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Colorful 24 piece floor puzzle depicting the various Jewish holidays. Holidays include Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Passover and Shavuot. Large durable puzzle pieces are perfect for little hands.Great for classroom use as well as home.Ages 3 and up

• Finished size: 18" x 24"

60 Years Later and Lego Toys Still Rock!

Lego toys were originally made of wood, but ever since the Danish company began producing multi-colored, interlocking plastic bricks back in 1949, Lego has been beguiling and delighting generation after generation of kids (and adults) in many countries in the world.

Which of us doesn't look back with nostalgia on the endless fascination of putting together plastic houses, tearing them apart, rebuilding them, adding new stories, new walls, new roofs and so forth.

There is a reason Lego has withstood the test of time.

Other toys are much more restrictive in their play possibilities and kids quickly bore of them.

Lego's strength is its simplicity. Lego bricks hold children's interest and attention for years and years. There are elaborate Lego sets where you get instructions for putting together a complex pirate ship, or lunar lander, amongst other things, but the most fun, to my mind, is derived from the good old-fashioned set of basic multi-purpose bricks which can be used over and over again to build pretty much anything you fancy.

Yes, Lego isn't the cheapest toy available. But in the long term it's probably the best investment in toys you can make. The bricks are practically indestructible. They will last a long, long time and will hold your child's interest for years.

The name Lego was coined by the company's founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund in Denmark, in 1934 when he was still making wooden toys. In 1940 he started producing plastic toys, and in 1949 brought out the famous interlocking bricks the whole world knows and loves as Lego. The name derives from the Danish phrase leg godt, meaning 'play well'. An appropriate name!

Early Lego bricks were not very versatile, and their locking ability was limited. In 1958 the brick was extensively redesigned, and this is the form of Lego we have all come to know and love. Bricks from 1958 will still interlock and work with bricks from 2010. There is actually a very fine balance in the Lego system - bricks must hold together until pulled apart, but be easy to pull apart when required. They are manufactured to a very fine tolerance.

Some of the bricks are quite small, and you have to be sure your child won't swallow them - for this reason the smaller Lego bricks aren't suitable for children under the age of three.

Surely you will want to find out more about how Lego toys have evolved in the last 60 years.

Jigsaw Puzzle Teaches Your Child Valuable Lessons

Trying to complete the missing pieces of a jigsaw puzzle is both challenging and entertaining. The challenge of looking for the perfect piece to complete the picture can be frustrating but fulfilling at the same. But connecting the different pieces is not only a past time, it is a training as well. This is best for young children who are just starting to learn how to coordinate their eyes and hands. Aside from this, there are also a lot of educational enhancements that it offers. It helps make a good foundation for your child. It is an effective way of preparing him for formal education.

Completing a jigsaw puzzle helps in the development of many brain functions. Your child's ability to reason is one. As he starts to put several pieces together, he'd think of a figure that would best make sense. Even if the part fits but the image it creates is not logical, then your child will try another piece. This activity will also help develop your child's analytical capability. As he is in the process of completing the puzzle, he would be imagining of a possible images for its output. By figuring out a possible image, it will be easier for your child to solve the puzzle.

A jigsaw puzzle will also help your child develop his organizational skills. This will help your child create a flow that he can follow systematically. Although he may not able to develop it the first time he attempts to finish a puzzle, he will be able to develop one as he plays along. By being able to create a logical flow to follow, your child will learn about the importance of order in finishing the game easily. Although he may just be solving a puzzle, this will help develop his ability to solve problems by using different approaches to finish the game.

Playing the jigsaw puzzle will also teach your child important values. He will learn to be patient because figuring out how the several pieces fit takes time. A child will learn that before he can get all the pieces together, he has to go through the sorting of the parts, trying to fit them together and redo the whole thing if it doesn't make sense. He will also learn about determination and fulfillment. He will know that if he works hard, he will be proud of himself because he has accomplished something. At an early age, he will know how fun it is to have completed something that he has really worked hard for.

Jigsaw puzzles are great toys to give your child because of the many educational values he can get from it. He will not only enjoy but will learn at the same time. It will not only prepare him for formal education but will also help develop his well being. It is a good way of teaching him about the different values that are essential in facing the different challenges he might encounter in the future.

Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles

Any mention of Christmas can turn the mind immediately to scrumptiously delicious treats. After having had your fill of them you can relax your body and exercise your mind with a few food-related jigsaw puzzles. Christmas cookies, candy canes, fruitcakes, and gingerbread houses are examples of food themes related to Christmas. This type of Christmas jigsaw puzzles are a hit with children as they really look forward to Christmas treats. These puzzles are in keeping with the flavor of the season.

When Christmas beckons everyone gets busy bringing down decorations from their attics. Christmas jigsaw puzzles with decoration as the underlying theme appeals to everybody and goes with the mood of the day. Christmas candles, Christmas centerpiece, Christmas lights, Christmas ornaments, Christmas tree, etc., are themes used in jigsaw puzzles related to Christmas decorations.

Warm family feelings come to the fore during Christmas season. Happy fun filled family times are the order of the day. Jigsaw puzzles make for great family fun times. Themes like Christmas at home, Christmas greetings, Christmas kitten, holiday greetings, and home for Christmas are jigsaw themes that suit the occasion well.

The true spirit of Christmas is driven home by the use of several symbols. These symbols are available in jigsaw puzzle form, as well. Some examples are holly, the meaning of Christmas, mistletoe, pinecone, angel, church, carolers and wreath. These typical Christmas symbols make great pictures for jigsaw puzzles. Solving these puzzles familiarizes children with these symbols. Conversation about these symbols goes a long way in introducing the concept of the true spirit of Christmas.

Santa, his entourage and his sack of gifts are also very popularly used themes in jigsaw puzzles. All toy shops carry a wide range of Santa jigsaw puzzles.

Jigsaw puzzles are great for exercising the brain in a fun way. And by integrating the theme of Christmas with them they play a dual role of exercising the brain as well as familiarizing Christmas and the related symbols and values.

Blue's Clues 46 Piece My Size Puzzle

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