BACK-TO-SCHOOL PRODUCT REVIEWS

By Elena Epstein, Director of the National Parenting Product Awards

YOU GOT A PHONE! (NOW READ THIS BOOK)

TROOMI—SAFE SMARTPHONES FOR KIDS

Provide kids with guardrails as they head back to school. Powered by KidSmart OS, an Androidbased operating system that empowers parents with an easy, powerful and flexible set of parental controls—all while eliminating social media, addictive games and pornography. $189.95, ages 6+, tweens and teens, shop.Troomi.com

Features a humorous yet supportive tone and hilarious illustrations that draw readers in and keep them engaged. Provides important information on cyberbullying and the hazards of too much screen time. $10.99, tweens, FreeSpirit.com

BEBI TODDLERS— EDUCATIONAL GAMES & PUZZLES

Mixes logical thinking and fine motor skills with fun games. Combines 500+ toddler games focusing on colors, shapes, letters, phonics, number tracing, healthy eating and much more in one app. $6.99/monthly, ages 2-5, Bebi.family

Scenties

Colorful accessories with a fun twist. The hair ties, headbands and scrunchies are fragranced with playful scents like cotton candy and vanilla cupcake. Stretch ’em, sniff ’em, wear ’em and share ’em. $8, ages 4-12 years, Scenties.com

Fluffyweight

A therapeutically weighted stuffed animal designed to ease anxiety, soothe meltdowns and help with sleep. Its cozy body and big fluffy paws embrace your child with a calming, comforting hug. $78, ages 3+, FluffyWeight.com

PACKIE DAYCARE | GO FISH U.S. HISTORY

Takes everyone’s favorite childhood card game and combines it with U.S. history. No longer do you ask, “Any 4s?” Now you ask, “Any presidents?” Instead of face cards, you ask for any scientists, authors, sports legends or women in history. $11.99. ages 7+, KosoGames.com

Bekids Coding

A story-based coding adventure that keeps kids engaged and motivated. A drag-and-drop, tilebased coding approach that helps kids develop logical thinking and problem solving through creative, visual play. Free, ages 5-8 years, BeKids.com

THE GET MOVIN’ ACTIVITY DECK FOR KIDS: 48 CREATIVE MOVEMENT IDEAS FOR LITTLE BODIES

A unique children’s movement and play deck with practices and activities for all ability levels. Through fun images and simple directions, kids will try different movements and challenge themselves in different categories. $19.95, ages 4–8 years, Shambhala.com

LOLLIPOST PEN PAL KIT FOR GRANDKIDS ( and Their Grandparents )

Writing prompts give kids and adults clever topic suggestions, and a tracking postcard keeps the pen pal momentum going. An embossed folder and wax seal add fun finishing touches. $29.99, ages 5+, LolliPost.com

Science Unlocked

An all-inclusive curriculum. Each kit contains everything you need to easily provide immersive science experiences to leverage natural curiosity. Kits can be purchased a la carte or in bundles. For homeschoolers and K-12 education. $29.99$499.99, ages 5-18 years, HomeScienceTools.com

Big Feelings Nesting Fruit Friends

Earth Rangers

NUMBERBLOCKS: FRIENDS ONE TO FIVE

From the friendly TV series, this crew brings math learning to life with a mission to make discovering and exploring numbers a great big adventure. Kids can count and recount with these adorable friends as they learn the fundamentals of numbers. $19.99, ages 3+, Hand2Mind.com

Naturepedic Pla Pillow

Ensure a good night’s sleep with this luxurious fiberbased pillow that provides comfort in its simplest form. Derived entirely from sugarcane. Outer cover is 100% certified organic cotton. $79 (standard), for all ages, Naturepedic.com

Help kids build essential social-emotional learning (SEL). Compare and contrast emotions with five double-sided fruit faces, learning 10 different emotions and their opposites. Each friend comes with fun, grabbable textures that help kids strengthen fine motor and sensory skills. $16.99, ages 18 months+, LearningResources.com

Learn about wildlife and conservation with this app. Kids can create and customize their own avatars and then participate in dozens of missions that help make a real impact— from planting pollinator gardens to reducing energy consumption and food waste. Free, ages 6+, EarthRangers.com

Epic

Kanoodle Pyramid

This brainteaser is a perfect collaborative game for kids and adults to enjoy together. Features a multiplayer, tabletop board and unique, geometric pieces that fit together to solve 200 2D and 3D puzzles. $24.99, ages 7+, EducationalInsights.com

Features unlimited access to 40,000 highquality books and videos, including classic favorites and contemporary original content. Features tracking for parents and allows kids to boost their skills with a full set of readto-me books, buddies, badges and more. $6.67/ month, $79.99/annually, ages 2-12, GetEpic.com