Daily Bible Jigsaw from Planet 316: A TOS Crew Review

Daily Bible Jigsaw from Planet 316

This one is just for fun... Bentz Test Laboratory has quickly gotten addicted to the Daily Bible Jigsaw from Planet 316!
This FREE app allows you to assemble jigsaw puzzles on your device.  It's available on Google Play, Apple App Store, Facebook and Facebook Gameroom. 

Each day a new puzzle is available.  Older puzzles can be purchased with in-app purchases of coins. Coins can also be used as tools to assist you as you complete the puzzle. Some tools sweep off pieces to the side, pull out the edge pieces, pull two pieces together or guide you with a picture of the completed puzzle.  
The tools come in handy when you are getting competitive (like the members of the Crew!) and trying to beat your time (or your friends time).  Each puzzle times you.
My testers and I found ourselves pulling this out to entertain ourselves while waiting.  We do a lot of waiting - at the doctor, at the orthodontist, at the practice..., anyone have an amen?
Each day you complete your puzzle, you add another piece to your monthly puzzle calendar.  Fill in the entire month, and you earn a free bonus puzzle. 
  If you finish the daily puzzle, and still have time to waste...invest, you can access 10 bonus puzzles anytime (for no additional coins).
This is a fun and addicting app - that's totally kid friendly! 
 Best of all, each completed puzzle features an inspirational scripture. 
My testers and I really like this app, and we get excited everytime we hear the little "zump" sound when the pieces go together :-)  We may have been overheard arguing over who gets to place the final piece as well.
You'll like this one!

Find Planet 316 onSocial Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Planet316/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/planet_316  @planet_316

Hashtags: #hsreviews #dailybiblejigsaw



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Stopmotion Explosion Animation Kit from Stopmotion Explosion:A TOS Crew Review

Stopmotion Explosion Animation Kit  from Stopmotion Explosion 

The Stopmotion Explosion Animation Kit includes:

•  Stopmotion Explosion Animate ANYTHING and Make MOVIES book
• 720p HD camera with built in microphone, manual focus and clip 
• Animation Software with everything you need 
•  sound effects 
•  sample movies
• a storyboard template
•  Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 & OS X 5.1+ compatible 

The Bentz Test Laboratory was chomping at the bit to get a chance to explore and create with Stopmotion Explosion Animation Kit  from Stopmotion Explosion!  After a brief wrestling match, my tester, who is 14, escaped with the prize.  

We got the complete kit which included everything he needed to get started.  I installed program, Stopmotion Explosion Animator, and an audio program called Audacity from the CD onto my laptop, and he was off.
In just a few minutes - he had created his first "movie" with his minifigures, right at the table.  It was that easy to use!  My tester has dozens of ideas, and plenty of mini-figures - so, I basically lost him while he explored all he could do with his new prize.



The process is very easy to get started by simply following the Quick Start Guide.  Very quickly, he wanted more...he wanted cool sound effects, lighting, etc.  So, he spent time with the book - Stopmotion Explosion Animate ANYTHING and Make MOVIES.  This is exactly the learning process I have found produces success every time - ignite their interest in something, point them in the right direction...then get out of the way and let them learn!  This Kit was just the right spark to get him going :-)  
The book covers topics like:

• How Movies Work
• Animation Actors
• Creating Stories
• Building Sets
• Cameras
• Lighting
• Composition
• Animating
• Flight
• The Art of War
• Sound
• Video Editing
• Files and Formats
• Frame Conversions
• Sharing Your Animations
• Animating with DSLRs
• What Next?

The book is easy to follow along with, with plenty of pictures, examples, and even links to video tutorials. From basic animation information to writing screenplays and publishing a completed movie - the book guides you along step-by-step.  It discusses lighting techniques,  special effects tricks, and much more.   He kept saying, "Oh - now I get it!"
We did need to download Windows Moviemaker to start adding the cool stuff to his video - it's easy and free.  My tester has used iMovie in the past, and told me to be sure to tell you... "Movie Maker" is easier.  The book is a valuable reference guide that he keeps going back to.  This is his first movie:

Nothing beats the type of hands-on learning that this Kit provides!  My tester hurried through his "schoolwork" so he could spend time "having fun" Shhh...don't tell him he was really learning. In fact, if you need some "mommy quiet time" - just give them this and you won't see them until dinnertime! I love that this Kit pulls together everything they need, except imagination.  This is a tool that they will use over and over.   Find Stopmotion Explosion  on Social Media:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Stopmotion-Explosion-104732269687187
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/stopmoexplosion @stopmoexplosion

Hashtags: #hsreviews #legoanimation #StopMotion #STEMLearning

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Snake Oil from Out of the Box Games: A TOS Crew Review

Snake Oil from Out of the Box Games Ages 10 and up, 3-10 players - $19.99
Do you need a good belly laugh?  You know the kind that starts way down low and literally spills out of you?  Then, you really need a family game night!  Snake Oil from Out of the Box Games had the Bentz Test Laboratory literally belly laughing and snorting - it was that much fun!
Out of the Box Games is an award winning company, and you will be impressed with the quality of their games - from strategy to learning games, they offer something for everyone.
 Snake Oil  is super easy to learn, so the entire tribe can play. You can learn how to play in just a few minutes.  Plus, it only takes about 20-30 minutes to complete a game, so it doesn't have to be an all night investment.  

The rules are simple...just be the best "Snake Oil" salesman.  (a.k.a. - used-car salesman, ppolitician or anyone who likes to stretch the truth a bit...)  You know, get your customer to buy something with outrageous promises.  Combine your cards to create your product  to "sell" the to the customer, the one with the most customer cards wins. 

Oh boy, in my family... we are blessed with more the the average amount of slick marketers!! 

 One player is designated as the customer. There are 28 different customer cards like: "beach bum", "teacher", "diva" and "pirate".

The rest of the players receive 6 word cards and must combine any two cards in their hand to create an product to sell to the customer. There are 336 word cards to choose from making combinations. Get ready to laugh - you will not believe the combinations they can come up with: "Flying Bathtub", "Fashion Beard" & "Nose Costume"...to name a few.

Once the products have been created - everyone gets to sell their best "pitch" to the customer in the 30 second time limit.  This is a riot in our crew!  Seriously...where did they all get this from?!  I loved listening in to them play this together,  after all - who doesn't need a "Slime toilet" from the 8 year old, all boy, snake oil salesman?  They all enjoyed playing, youngest to oldest, and everyone in between.  Not an easy task, in our larger than average family.
Once all of the "pitches" have been pitched, the customer picks their favorite and awards their customer card to the best salesman.  The person with the most customer cards in the end, is the winner.  You can use this game in other ways too.  In a large group, you can let the snake oil salesmen pitch to an "audience", who can vote by applause.  

You can create a tournament with 12-24 people with just this game.  Play on teams and in rounds until a winning team wins the championship.

This would make a fabulous "team building" game for adults too.  My husband plans to use it with his team at work (he's a sales manager, so it's perfect for his employees!)

Some things I really liked about this game: 

• It makes them think on their feet - the 30 second limit keeps it moving!
• It teaches them the art of persuasion... a smooth talker gets more customer cards!
• It forces some "audience" time for the salesman - great public speaking practice!
• It's just plain, old fashioned, non-electronic, family fun!
• Adults and children all love this game!

This has become THE favorite game at our house.  Invite the neighbors to join you...if you dare!


Find  Out of the Box Games   on Social Media 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OutoftheBoxGames
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OTBgames
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYAQiV5S9ZQ&feature=c4-overview&list=UUTEAg1uDVwq0LNxFAwM7N5Q

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