Stress Ball Angry Putty and Buildings of the World Puzzle (A Timberdoodle Review)

Who says homeschooling has to be rigid? I know when I first started homeschooling I made sure to have desks and a flag hanging in the front of the classroom (yes, I had a classroom). My, so much has changed over the years and for that I am thankful. One of the joys of homeschooling is to be able to add in activities and materials that fit your family. Two materials that were part of the Timberdoodle ninth grade kit include a Stress Ball Angry Putty and Buildings of the World Puzzle.

A fun aspect of using the Timberdoodle curriculum is you can pencil in what you want your child to work on each day. Penciling in this putty was fun. My son was surprised but it actually came in handy. I would have him play with it during our family's read aloud each morning. As I would read, he would be able to keep his hands busy. His little brothers were jealous but it wasn't used as a toy as much as it was used to help keep him focused. Sometimes it is easy to think that your doodler or fidgeter isn't paying attention but oftentimes the doodling and fidgeting helps them to pay attention. 

If you have one of those in the mix, this putty is the perfect way to put their mind at ease while listening to read alouds. Of course they can have fun it it and make goofy creations like my son does from time to time but overall it is a tool and a very successful one. I would much rather my son fidget with angry putty than bite his nails or chew on pencil erasers. This is a great addition to our homeschool.

Additionally, having a puzzle as part of your homeschool is a big hit. It often calls for teamwork, patience, and diligence. My ninth grade son has never been a fan of puzzles and lost interest after a few hundred pieces of this but that is okay. One of his brothers and his sister are both into puzzles and had fun piecing the Buildings of the World puzzle together. This puzzle came at a great time for us because our kids were each studying a different country of the world. Each of my kids picked a different country and having this puzzle to help teach about different countries, was a huge help. 

Disclaimer: Many thanks to Timberdoodle for providing this product in exchange for an honest review.