It’s the time of year where the kids are shifting away from “vacation mode” and gearing up to head back to school. But that doesn’t mean the fun goes away! You can still help your little ones get ready for the year ahead, and have a good time doing it! So here’s a few ideas to help you get the kids exploring, discovering and using their noggin in fun ways.

1. Focus on Engaging, Interactive Activities

This is a wonderful find from VTech- it’s called The Touch & Learn Activity Desk Deluxe. It’s a three-in-one desk with interactive activity cards that’s expandable for more fun and discovery.

The desk features an interactive desktop and five pages to explore that are filled with engaging content including letters, numbers, music, colors and more. And you can keep switching it up for variety! Choose from eight expansion packs that each focus on a specific curriculum like reading skills, animals and numbers. For even more fun, kids can play with the toy telephone or listen to fun tunes on the music player.

2. Unleash the Artist

Let them express themselves through art! Drawing, writing, painting, coloring… they’re all super fun ways to let your child enjoy a little unstructured play and tap into their creative sides. In fact, The Touch & Learn Activity Desk Deluxe also transforms from a desk into an easel and chalkboard with plenty of storage space for art supplies to encourage play and discovery. And the LED display illustrates letter and number stroke order and how to draw basic shapes.

3. Teacher Appreciation Gift

Have your child use their newfound artistic skills to create a “back to school” card for their new teacher! The beginning of the school year takes so much preparation for everyone involved and a fun card that says “I’m excited to have you as a teacher!” would mean so much and kick off the year on a positive note. It’s the little things in life and making a teacher smile will also show your child the value in thinking of others.

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