Busby Puppet

That leaves us with one more question: how do we make sure our girls are learning when they’re at home? That part can be tricky, especially for us; finding toys and games that are fun and educational and appealing to each girl’s own passions and personality is often a real balancing act. 

Our biggest successes come when we can find easy, engaging skill-building activities that overlap with the girls’ interests. For instance, Hazel loves activities that let her focus, like coloring and sorting, while Ava is really interested in matching and memory games, so sets of flashcards are perfect for helping them learn together. Other times, we focus on each individual girl; Olivia is our little dancer, so games that get her up and moving are always great, even when her sisters are off doing something else.

It’s pretty rare that we find one toy that appeals to all five quints. That’s why we’re so excited about Coding Critters. Since the Coding Critters came to our house, each of the girls has found something to love. Hazel loves dinosaurs and Parker loves dogs, so Bumble and Ranger were instant hits. Ava is in charge of laying out the coding cards, while Olivia can’t wait to dance along to the critters music and moves. The girls love the critters like real pets, while also building early coding skills every time they play.