Wiglington and Wenks is the World’s Most Massive Virtual World for Kids. It is geared for ages 7-14. My kids love sites like this, so I didn’t have to twist any arms to get them to try it out.

WW is an impressive site – very well done. You create a virtual character and travel to different geographic locations. You are on a quest to help historical figures regain their memories. WW is free to play,  but you can purchase a membership to become an Elite Quest Traveler and gain access to a wider range of choices. You can view all of the features HERE.

Some things to know:

~Even though my kids loved this game, I had to ban them from playing it. I don’t worry too much about them playing online – we have very strict rules and they are good about adhering to them. The problem came with the chat feature. There was no opt-out or safe chat option. WW has safety features, but kids these days are smart & know how to get around them. One daughter witnessed some very foul language. Thankfully, WW has acknowledged the problem and has launched a safe chat beta. I will definitely let my kids back on once everything is set in place.

~Some families might not approve of a few of the historical figures, like Darwin and characters from Mythology. We enjoy discussing these things, but thought you might wanna know.

~I would not classify this as an educational game, even though some learning does take place. The way I look at it is that my kids play these types of games anyway, so I’m glad they are excited about one where they might learn something.

The Nitty Gritty:

• basic member ship FREE
• paid membership $5.99 a month, discount for longer periods

Value: Free is good, and $5.99 a month is not too bad if your family is really into virtual worlds.

See what my TOS Crew Mates have to say about Wiglington and Wenks!

I received a one month Elite Quest membership for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Maybe you were like me and ventured out on your own without having a clue how to even open a bank account. Family Mint is a tool that can help your kids learn how to budget and manage money while they are still young.

Family Mint is a free online virtual savings plan. You, the Banker, set up an account for each child. There is junior interface and an advanced interface, depending on the age of the child. No real money is deposited or withdrawn. This is a tool to help them manage their money and set financial goals.

Here are some of the features:

• Automated Allowance
• Automated Interest
• Matching Deposits
• Transactions
• Goals
• Personalization

My husband has been between jobs during this review time, so allowances have been on hold (hope my kids don’t expect back pay!). His lab will be up & running soon, and allowances will be back on the table.  FYI – we do allowances at the end of each month according to age, 12 yr. old gets $12 a month, etc. Here is how I will use Family Mint:

• Automated Allowance – I am terrible at remembering to actually get cash and hand it out. I will set up the accounts to automatically add an allowance to a child’s account each month.
  
• Transactions – My kids usually don’t have money with them, so we buy things for them and they pay us back later. We are not going to give them cash anymore (unless needed). We will just transfer funds from their “account” to ours. We will be giving them cash for tithing – I think it is important to keep that hands-on & not virtual!
  

Family Mint is a great tool even if you don’t do allowances in your family. Print out  play bucks (down on the left) and try out some of these ideas that our Crew members thought up:

• earn bucks for video game/tv time
• buy refreshments at  a family movie night
• do extra chores to earn towards a special event/item
• print out play money & checks and play “bank teller”

The Nitty Gritty:

• FREE

Value: Can’t get much better than free!

See what my TOS Crew Mates have to say about Family Mint!

No compensation was given for my honest review.

The newest online math product up for review is Math Galaxy.  If your child needs practice, these programs have you covered! The Math Galaxy software offers a wide range of math tutoring and review topics:

• Whole Numbers Fun
• Fractions Fun
• Decimals, Proportions, % Fun
• Word Problems Fun
• Pre-Algebra Fun
• Algebra Fundamentals
• Whole Numbers Worksheet Generator
• Fractions Worksheet Generator
• Decimals, Proportions, % Worksheet Generator
• Algebra Worksheet Generator
• Whole Numbers Riddles eBook
• Fractions eBook

Things we like:

• the simple, but very colorful, graphics
• focuses on a specific concept
• you can see a problem worked out step-by-step
• the riddles add an extra level of fun to the problems
• older grades are included

One thing I didn’t like as much is the number of steps required to enter an answer on some of the games – lots of clicking.

You can take a tour of the Galaxy HERE.

Try out several of the games at the bottom of the home page.

The Nitty Gritty:

• CD Rom $29.95 each

Value: These are a good deal compared to many of the online subscription programs out there. They can be used for multiple students.

See what my TOS Crew Mates have to say about Math Galaxy!

I received free downloads of all of the programs for the purpose of writing an honest review. no other compensation was given.

I love to browse around Homeschool in the Woods. Their Time Travelers studies are just so neat! I was thrilled to review their new Olde World Style Maps.

The World Maps set comes in ancient and modern styles. The maps come with or without labels and borders.

This set comes with a BONUS of over 40 notebooking pages with reports, facts sheets, flags and graphics.

The United States Maps set contains maps of each state plus maps from American History. The maps come with labels, without labels, and outline form.

This set comes with a BONUS of facts sheets for each state and full-color state flags.

These maps are gorgeous. We are studying the 13 colonies in American History and I wanted the girls to label them on a map. I headed to Google Images like usual when I suddenly remembered that I had just received these sets. Sure enough, I found the perfect map in the ones from American History!

You can download free samples from the blue boxes on the left.

The Nitty Gritty:

• $18.95 each or both for $28.95

Value: Every homeschool should have a set of these!

See what my TOS Crew Mates have to say about Homeschool in the Woods!

I received free downloads for the purpose of writing an honest review. No other compensation was given.

Peek into most homeschoolers’ homes and you will find shelves full of book. The two go hand in hand. Homeschool Library Builder wants to “fill your bookshelves without emptying your wallet”.

Homeschool Library Builder is a good source for inexpensive new & used books. Sign up for a free membership and earn HSLB Book Points. Every 15 points earns you $1 off a future purchase.

In addition to the usual categories, you can search by curriculum: Ambleside, Beautiful Feet, Five In A Row, Heart of Dakota, Sonlight, Tapestry of Grace & Veritas Press. We used Heart of Dakota for a few years and I had a hard time finding used books. I wish I had known about HSLB!

Here are a few more helpful features:

• spotlight on the season
• search by country/region
• clearance

The Nitty Gritty:

• membership is free!

Value: This is a great resource for families who don’t have a good public library, or for those who just want to create their own library.

See what my TOS Crew Mates have to say about HSLB!

No compensation was given for my honest review.