#2023top50

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NEW ⬆️ Exoplanets: A Guide to the Worlds Outside Our Solar System is a fantastic addition to the wave of smart picture books that demystify real world science for kids—in this case, breakthrough discoveries in astronomy and astrophysics.

What is an exoplanet? And how did we already find 5,000 of them? Exoplanets distills the 5 main discovery methods, shares some of the newly found planets, and answers key questions for kids and grown ups alike.

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🔥POPULAR 🔥 “A Colorfully Cutthroat Card Game of Rainbows and Revenge...” "The simplicity of UNO and the depth of Gin Rummy...” and it’s a family game for ages 7+ from the makers of Exploding Kittens? Yes, please.

Mantis is easy to learn and play, and though it's simple, it's also fun and surprising because you can't predict how the scoring and stealing will pan out. The 5-star reviews agree.

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NEW ⬆️ What are cells? Why are there so many of them in our bodies? What’s the inside of cell look like? And how do they help us move, breathe, feed, feel, see, hear, grow, and reproduce? Thirty Trillion Cells shares these answers with fascinating illustrations by Dawn Cooper and easy-to-understand captions by Isabel Thomas.

I love when picture books bring this level of information to elementary age readers. To quote my teen: “It makes it so much easier to understand in high school.” 

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⭐️ AWARD-WINNER ⭐️ Proof: The Fast-Paced Game of Mental Math Magic is an award-winner (the 2019 Teacher's Choice Awards) and I saw why within one minute: My kids started playing the card game’s similar online challenges and were immediately hooked. An amazing tool for the classroom. But like doing a crossword puzzle or sudoku, Proof is also a legit game for adults—fun and challenging with kids or without.

Lay 9 cards out in a grid and race to find the hidden equations using addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and square roots. Prove the equation? Take the card. The player with the most cards wins.

I love finding fun math games that keep my kids connected with numbers. This is absolutely going under our tree this year.

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🔥POPULAR 🔥 Year after year, this little paper penguin continues to be one of our favorite gifts. It’s a Kamikara Penguin POP! Action Paper Craft kit by famed paper toy creator Haruki Nakamura. When we first got it, my then-7 and 10-year-olds assembled it with very little help, and when the penguin popped that very first time: DELIGHT. Smart paper engineering with a sturdy build and a satisfying pop. Bonus: It looks charming on our bookshelf. Get it while you can! They appear to be almost sold out.

Related best-sellers: Karakuri and Japanese Paper Toys Kit.

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⭐️ AWARD-WINNER ⭐️ If Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, or Sherlock Holmes started solving one-minute science or math-themed mysteries, this smart series of books would be the result. Each book is full of bite-sized brainteasers that use science or math information to solve problems and strengthen critical thinking skills. The answers are on the backside of each page.

Solve one a night before bed, read them to learn new facts, or use them in classrooms as brain breaks. One-Minute Mysteries is an award-winning sleuthing series that we’re having a lot of fun learning with. UPDATE: My kids are ravenous for these. We're halfway through the first book and they're already asking for the second.

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⭐️ AWARD-WINNER ⭐️ Tiny Polka Dot is a wonderful game—it’s really 16 games—that can help families incorporate math and logic into playtime. We started playing it with our then-7-year-old, but it has short games for kiddos as young as three! The sturdy cards are covered with brightly colored dots and numerals that lead them into thinking about numbers in different ways... arranging, adding, matching, and more. 

I love this little box of games because it helps little kids feel capable and eager about math. No flashcards. No pressure. Just game time. It’s another excellent tool from the team at Math For Love (makers of Prime Climb) who are transforming how math is taught and learned. Wonderful for classrooms, too.

Another reason why I love Math For Love: You can buy a pdf of the game for $5 on their site. Print your own cards for class or at home. Or find the packaged version at your local game or toy shop.

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