There’s a change in the weather – and we’re ready, are you?

March is a perfect time to learn about Spring winds, warmer temperatures, clouds, and more. Check out our Featured Products this month and march into Spring!

Click March into Spring to get started!

Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

Here is a sample of this month’s Featured Products:

• Learn About the Weather, Savings Set – This collection is perfect for learning how to track weather, learn about the climate, and conduct experiments on the greenhouse effect.
• Weather Kit – This boxed set includes a complete curriculum for a weather unit! Topics include solar energy, temperature recordings, air pressure, wind, fronts and masses, humidity, precipitation, clouds, and weather maps.
• Wind Power Construction Set – Build your own quality wind turbine and harness the power of the wind. Not only is this a fun kit to build, it’s offers many experiments and scientific explanations for fun learning.
• WeatherCycler – This unique slide chart dynamically displays three-dimensional models of highs, lows, and fronts while teaching you how to watch changing weather for forecasting.
• 6-Way Weather Meter – This handy weather meter is perfect for every backyard forecaster! Measure rain, wind direction and speed, wind chill and temperature and more!
• Weather Projects for Young Scientists – This educational book is full of projects that you can do with your kids to help them learn about weather, weather forecasting, and more!
• Gayla Delta Rip Stop Nylon Kite – Perfect for backyard flying! This kite is simple to use and very efficient. Even flys great in light winds!
• The Handy Weather Answer Book – This excellent resource makes weather exciting! In a question and answer format, you can find out everything you need to know about the weather!
• Fridge Forecast and Weather Magnets – Use the interactive national map with dry-erase markers and magnets to track the weather.
• All About the Weather Color Book – This isn’t your typical coloring book – it’s full of accurate and detailed diagrams to help kids learn about weather and weather forecasting. Highly recommended!
• A Drop Around the World – From steam to snow and everything inbetween, follow Drop around the world to learn about our water cycle.
• Rainbow Silk Streamer – Not only is this a fun toy, it’s also a great way to play with the wind! Bring it outside on a windy day and watch it flutter!
• Professor Noggin’s Earth Science – This trivia card game is perfect for learning about Earth science!

Click March into Spring! to see the complete list of products featured this month – just for you!

Looking for more ideas of things to do this month? Check out our FREE printables! Just click the links, download, print, and share with your kids!

• Monthly Calendars – Print a blank monthly calendar that your kids can customize and make their own.


• Sketch and Tell – Print our March Sketch and Tell and let your kids express themselves in writing and with drawings. An Escapade Direct exclusive!
  

In many places within the United States, Winter has been long and harsh, causing kids to feel “cooped up” inside the house. Now is a great time to let loose and find ways to stay active indoors!

Check out our Featured Products this month and be kind to your heart. Stay active! Have fun!

Click Get Fit in February to get started!

Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

Here is a sample of this month’s Featured Products:

• Gymnic Classic Plus Ball – This super-strong ball is so much fun and has so many uses! It’s great to sit on while studying, perfect for exercise, and fun for games!
• 24′ Parachute – Perfect for active team play, indoors or out! Not only is this cool parachute fun to play games with, it also makes incredible tents indoors!
• The Top – Show your kids you think they are “tops” with this super-cool product! Our kids have had The Top for about 10 years now, and it STILL gets used! Fun for kids to play in, on, under, around, over – so many creative ways to play. This quality product is built to last!
• Mountain Balance Board – Climb on the mountain and practice your balance skills. Fun for kids of all ages!
• Hilltops Balance Play – Place this set of quality Hilltops indoors or out and let your kids practice balance while having fun! Great for party games, too!
• River Balancing Boards – Connect all the pieces in this set and form a River! Kids love to walk along the River while balancing. Great for hopping, too! This set can be set up indoors or out, so it can be used throughout the year.
• Scooter Board – Scooter Boards are just so much fun! You can play games on them – such as Scooter Board Hockey, or have races with them. These babies are built to last! We even have companies buy them to use for furniture moving – now that’s thinking outside the box!
• EzyRoller Riding Machine – This thing flies down the driveway! The EzyRoller grows with your child, and can even be used by adults. Get those legs in gear and try an EzyRoller!
• Fitness Dice – One of our best sellers, this pair of dice is great for group exercises! Make a game out of exercise, and kids won’t want to stop!
• Double Dutch Jump Ropes – Annie, Annie, Over! Play fun games with this jump rope set and see how many chants you can remember from your childhood!
• Marker Squares – When playing active games, either indoors or out, use this set of Marker Squares to define the boundries of play. You could even invent new games played by jumping from marker to marker – be creative!

Click Get Fit in February! to see the complete list of products featured this month – just for you!


Looking for more ideas of things to do this month? Check out our FREE printables! Just click the links, download, print, and share with your kids!

• Monthly Calendars – Print a monthly calendar that your kids can customize.


• Sketch and Tell – Print our February Love Sketch and Tell and let your kids express themselves in writing and with drawings. An Escapade Direct exclusive!

Spend time with your family this Fall.
Play games.
Read.
Learn together.

Click Family Fun in November to get started!

Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

Here is a sample of this month’s Featured Products:

• Crafty Leaves, Leaf Animals Collage Pack – Create works of art with these high-quality leaves! Collages, leaf animals, and even leaf identification guides are all possible with this set. Several different sized sets available.
• Scramble Squares – Fall Festival – Put your brain to work with this incredible puzzle! It’s challenging, yet fun – and perfect for Fall!
• Banana Split Card Game – This is a fun game that can be played and enjoyed by the entire family! Two scoops or three?
• Family Fluxx – This game of ever-changing rules is sure to have your family laughing! Perfect for Fall family game nights!
• Flinch – This classic game is loved by all! It’s a great way for families to play together! Don’t forget to serve treats!
• Jelly Belly BeanBoozled Spinner Game Gift Box – Some are sweet, some are not. Who will spin and get Diaper Wipe flavor? A game you can eat!
• Mille Bornes Collector’s Edition Card Game – This fun game of racing and milestones is sure to be a family favorite! Invite your neighbors and have a blast!
• Telepathy – A Strategy Game Combining Logic, Deduction and More – Once you start playing this game, it’s hard to stop! Kids of all ages can play with adults and everyone has fun!
• WASGIJ? High Tide – Setting puzzles together as a family is a relaxing way to spend the evening together. This puzzle isn’t what you think – it’s what you don’t see that forms the picture. Challenging and fun!
• PitchCar – This is one of the best family games around! Family members of all ages can play together. Because you create the race track, the game is different every time you play. Get ready to race!
• The American Song Treasury – Have a bonfire and sing songs from this book. You’ll find all the campfire favorites, complete with lyrics and notes if you want to play along!
• You Gotta Be Kidding! The Crazy Book of Would You Rather Questions – This is a fun book to read during dinner! It’s also a great way to get to know your family better!

Click Family Fun in November to see the complete list of products featured this month – just for you!

October is National Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Month! To inspire your children to be inventive and creative, and to “do it themselves”, click October DIY to see all our featured products for this month.

Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

Here is a sample of this month’s Featured Products:

• MOOV Street Kit – This incredible wooden construction set allows kids ages 5 through 13 the opportunity to be inventive! Kids can create vehicles that they can actually ride on!
• Kapla 1000 Piece Building Set – Build outside the box with Kapla planks! Use your imagination and create countless structures and designs. A fun hands-on experience!
• Airplane Studio – For good old-fashioned building fun, let your imagination soar while you design and then fly your own airplanes!
• Blank DIY Game Board Kit – Invent and create your own board game with this complete kit! Contains everything you need to make a game that you can share with family and friends. Inspires creative thinking!
• Artist Trading Cards – These cards may seem small, but the artwork that you can create shows no bounds! Explore your imagination and create artist trading cards that you can trade with other artists! A fun activity!
• Blank White Craft Box – Sure, right now it’s just a plain white box with a hinged lid… but with a little imagination it can become a treasure chest, a memory box, a place to store special letters and cards – whatever you can dream up!
• DIY Blank Puzzle with Frame Set – Create your own puzzles! This is a fun activity for kids and adults.
• PolyShrink Film – Create works of art on the shrink film, shrink your designs, and make buttons, zipper pulls, gift tags, and so much more! Be creative!
• Professional Hollywood Costume Designer Kit – Turn your ideas into beautiful costumes! This kit contains everything you need to get started!
• Stretchable Iron-On Image Transfer Paper – This transfer paper is really incredible! You can create images using paint, crayons, markers, or colored pencils. When your designs are done, transfer them onto a t-shirt, sweatshirt, shopping bag, and more! Fun for kids of all ages.
• Candy Factory – Make your own candy and learn about the science that goes into candy making! Sweet!

For all these products and many more, visit October DIY for more information about these featured products, and for even more cool things to play with!

Water toys, and games in the grass… perfect for a Summer day!

Summer is a time for kids to run in the sun and splash in the water. We’ve assembled our “surf and turf” collection of water toys and backyard games for your kids, to help them enjoy these last warm days of summer.

Click August Surf and Turf to see all our featured products for this month. Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products — an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

Here is a sample of this month’s Featured Products:

• Underwater Soccer Ball Pool Toy – This unique, water-filled soccer ball is a blast to kick around in the pool! A great workout, too!
• Scoobarang Underwater Boomerang – This bright yellow boomerang is fun for kids and adults, and it really does come right back to you!
• Girder and Panel Hydrodynamic Deluxe Set – Take water play to a whole new level with this dynamic building set! Kids love to watch the water flow through the pipes and valves, while they control where the water goes.
• Water Pump and Bucket Play Set with Color Tablets – This cool clear bucket and pump make water play exciting! Add the color tablets for even more fun!
• Aqua Launch Water Balloon Slingshot – What’s a summer without water balloons?! This deluxe slingshot set allows you to launch water balloons up to 50 feet! Now that’s backyard fun!
• Dip Stix Giant Bubble Maker – Made by the world record bubble blower, this incredible set is fun for all ages! Make sure to click this link to watch a video of all the bubble tricks you can do – they really are amazing!
• MOOV Street Kit – This high-quality wooden construction set allows kids from ages 5 through 12 to build their own vehicles that they can actually ride on! Ingenius!
• Ezy Roller Riding Machine – This super fun ride-on is great for kids and adults! Just get on, push the bar back and forth with your feet, and you’re off and rolling!
• Original Stomp Rocket – 3…2…1…. BLAST OFF! You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to set up this easy-to-use rocket kit! It’s a blast to see kids stomp their rockets up to 100 feet in the air!
• Original Djubi Set – This really is the ultimate game of catch! Just hook the djubi on the racket, pull back, and fling! The djubi balls are fun to catch, and fling back. A fun outdoor game for all ages! Click this link to watch a video of Djubi in action!
• Dirtbag Classic Footbag – This handy hacky-sack is a great way to exercise while having fun! Create your own tricks and play alone or with a friend.
• Backyard Play Pack – Ropes, Strings, and Twirly Things – We’ve put together this set of backyard fun for anyone who likes to jump rope, twirl, and play rope games. Classic fun!
• Backyard Play Pack – Rockets, Balloons, and Flying Things – Get ready to experience flight… in your backyard! Fly kites, airplanes, and rockets!
• Backyard Play Pack – Let’s Go Retro! – This classic set of retro toys is fun for kids of all ages! Blow colorful bubbles, play ball and backyard games, and create a game or two of marbles! Retro fun!

Visit August Surf and Turf for more information about these featured products, and for even more cool things to play with!

Learn about the sun and stars!

The bright summer days and the warm summer nights of July make this a perfect month to learn about the sun and stars.

Click July Sunny Days and Starry Nights to see all of our featured products for this month. Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

Here is a sample of this month’s Featured Products:”

• Physics Solar Workshop Set — It’s solar power technology in action! Expore solar energy by building 12 models and conducting 30 experiments with this quality kit!
• Sun Tracker Kit — Follow the arc of the sun as it travels across the sky, and learn how to make other fun solar projects.
• Solar Bottle Boats Kit — Experiment with the power of the sun! Recycle a plastic beverage bottle and build your own speed boat, air boat, and even a surface submarine – all powered by the sun!
• Solar Powered Aerial Cable Car Kit — Build a cable car that travels with energy from the sun! What a fun way to learn (and send notes across the room)!
• Green Science Solar Rover Kit — Recycle a soda can and turn it into a rover, powered by the sun!
• Green Science Solar Science — Use this handy science kit to cook in the sun! Get the hotdogs ready!
• Solar Print Paper — Create works of art with the help of the sun! Turn your artwork into greeting cards, gift tags, and more!
• Sun Paint and UV Beads Science Activity Kit — This kit contains everything you need to observe the power of the sun – perfect for young kids!
• Glow-in-the-Dark Star Finder — Take a trip outside at night and learn about the stars and constellations with this easy to use star finder!
• The Constellations, Stars and Stories — This engaging book is perfect for a night of stargazing! Read the stories behind the constellations, then see if you can locate them in the sky!
• The Stars: A New Way to See Them — This classic book helps kids identify the stars in the night sky and includes lots of great information!
• Jar of Stars — Bring the stars inside with these cool glow-in-the-dark stars! Use them in the bathtub, use them to decorate a bedroom, or use them for outdoor star parties. So many possibilities!
• Star Ice Lantern — No outdoor summer party is complete with star ice lanterns! Make a bunch to light up your outdoors!
• Astronomy Playing Cards — Learn about the stars and planets while playing your favorite card games!
• Laser Stars — This incredible laser light lets you bring the stars inside! The projector produces thousands of tiny stars on your ceiling. Works great for projecting stars on your house outside at night, too!

Visit July Sunny Days and Starry Nights for more information about these featured products, and for even more cool things to help you learn!

*Watch our blog and Facebook posts this month for lots of great ways to learn about the sun and stars with your kids!

“Children have a natural affinity towards nature. Dirt, water, plants, and small animals attract and hold children’s attention for hours, days, even a lifetime.” ~ Robin C. Moore and Herb H Wong

Explore your backyard and learn!

Click June Bugs, Birds, and Other Beasties to see all of our featured products for this month. Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

Here is a sample of this month’s featured products:

• TK2 Microscope – Observe bugs, bird feathers, snake skin and other backyard finds with this quality scope!
• Golden Guide Set – Identify bugs, birds, butterflies, moths, reptiles, amphibians, and other backyard creatures with this set of field guides.
• MiniBeast Pack – Use this set to catch bugs, observe them up close, and to identify them.
• LaQ Beetle Building Set – Design your own three-dimensional beetles with this unique building set!
• Scramble Squares Insects – Test your puzzle-solving skills with this unique puzzle! Available in many backyard creature themes!
• Insect X-Rays and Picture Cards – Get a real close-up look at bugs – the insides of bugs!
• BiO2 Inflatable Turtle Anatomy Model – This cool inflatable is a great way to learn more about turtles! We have an inflatable frog, bird, and perch model, too!
• Backyard Birds Educational Set – Attract birds to your backyard, then identify them. Test your knowledge of the birds, and even design your own!
• 1-1/2 Gallon Aquaria/Terraria Tank and Cover – This handy tank is perfect for keeping small critters in while you observe and learn about them! Sturdy enough to be used again and again and again.
• GreenBird EarthCraft Birdhouse – Design your own birdhouse and place it in your yard to attract your feathered friends.

Check out the articles below for lots of great ways to explore and learn in your backyard:

Backyard Bug Activities – The best way to learn about insects is to find one and watch it. What does it look like? How does it move? What does it do? What special features does it have? Our article is full of fun activities to help you observe and learn about the bugs in your backyard!

Backyard Bird Activities – Birds are fascinating to watch, and it’s a lot of fun to learn about how and why birds do the things birds do. Read our article for ideas to help you get started!

Backyard Beasties Activities – Bats, and frogs, and worms, oh my! Snails, slugs, and other backyard beasties! Backyards are just teeming with exciting beasties! Read our article for some great ideas and activities to help you explore and learn!

Visit June Bugs, Birds, and Other Beasties for more information on these featured products, and for even more cool things to help you explore!

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

Childhood is the perfect time for children to play in a garden. For centuries, children of all ages have amused themselves with the leaves, flowers, roots, stems, seeds, and the fruits of plants. All the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures of a garden remain in memory, long into adulthood.

Now is a perfect time to get outside and introduce your children to the many benefits of gardening. To help get your garden growing, we’ve gathered creative gardening products to help you create a fun learning experience and memories of times spent together in your garden.

Grow memories… grow gardens!

Click May Flowers to see some of our featured products for this month. Make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

• Wonder Soil Sprout House — The Wonder Soil Sprout House is a mini-greenhouse the size of an egg carton. It’s compact size makes it convenient for starting seedlings.
• Wonder Soil Gardening Kit — Our Wonder Soil Gardening Kit is perfect for home or classroom use. It’s a “no fuss, no muss” seed-starting project that is fun for children of all ages.
• TickleMe Plant Greenhouse Growing Kit — Tickle your kids with a TickleMe Plant! This sensitive plant loves to be tickled! It moves its leaves and branches when touched – a fascinating experience for children!
• Fairytale Garden Kit The Princess Pea, Fairytale Garden Kit Jack’s Magic Beans, and Fairytale Garden Kit Cinderella’s Magic Pumpkin — These fun activity based garden kits have all the ingredients that will get kids interested in gardening.
• Stone Soup Garden Kit — Kids and adults alike will enjoy growing each seed until they are ready to go into this amazing soup!
• Pumpkin Nyokki Plant Pet — Nyokki means grow in Japanese, and that’s exactly with this Grass Head pet does! Easy to grow and fun to watch!
• 101 Kid-Friendly Plants — This comprehensive guide to indoor and outdoor gardening using nontoxic flowers, vegetables, trees, and houseplants. Fun for kids of all ages!
• Gardening Wizardry for Kids — This book helps kids learn about plants through more than 300 experiments and projects. Also includes important history facts and fascinating folklore.
• The Garden Game — This is a joyful and inspiring board game about gardening for food and fun! Players feed the soil, plant seeds, nurture the plants, have harvest festivals, and help each other through natural disasters! Fun for all ages!
• The Gardener’s Color Wheel — Use this color wheel to plan a flower garden in colors that are in harmony or contrast.

We’ll be posting lots of unique gardening activities for families this month. Join or subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss out!

Visit May Flowers for more information on these featured products, and for even more gardening fun!

Did you know that April is National Earth Month?

Earth Day is April 22 this year. The Earth Day celebration began in 1970 as a way to call attention to how we must all care for our planet. Things like promoting a sustainable environment and educating the population on the effects of pollution, loss of wilderness, and the benefits of clean energy.

In addition to being Earth Month, Arbor Day is on April 30th this year. Arbor Day is a national holiday set aside for the planting of trees. A great way to provide for future generations.

In honor of these two celebrations, our featured products for this month are listed below – along with some fun ways to use them.

Click Celebrate Earth in April to see some of our featured products for this month, and enjoy your own celebrations! And, make sure to see the creative ideas and extra website links provided on each of these product pages for even more fun ways to use the products – an Escapade Direct exclusive feature!

• EarthBall — This inflatable ball accurately displays our planet as seen from outerspace! The images were taken from NASA satellites and provides the most authentic replica of our home planet available anywhere. Now you can hold the whole world in your hands!
• Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself — This book provides trivia, fun facts, and 25 captivating hands-on projects that kids can use to learn about the natural world and investigate ecology. Click this link to download two free sample activities from the book.
• Planet Earth – The Complete BBC Series — This DVD set presents the epic story of life on Earth. View scenes from the last wildernesses and see wildlife like you’ve never seen them before.
• EarthOpoly — This Monopoly-like board game makes players caretakers of wondrous locations around the planet. The game is made from recycled materials, too! A fun way to learn more about our precious planet!
• Clever Catch Green Earth — This fun game helps kids learn about energy conservation, recycling, and global warming. Just toss it around and learn!
• Professor Noggin’s Earth Science — Learn about the volcanoes, thunderstorms, and the crust of the earth as Professor Noggin tests your knowledge on Earth Science! A fun trivia card game for kids of all ages.
• Power House Set — This science kit provides an engaging introduction to regenerative energy sources while teaching basic concepts and principles in physical science. It focuses on heat and light energy from the sun, energy from the wind, as well as electrochemical and plant energy. Very hands-on!
• Wind Power — Build a working wind turbine to harness power out of thin air! This engaging, hands-on science kit is sure to be a favorite!
• Green Science Solar Science — This inexpensive kit allows you to build a miniature working solar oven and solar water heater. A great way to learn about thermal energy!
• Green Science Clean Water Science — Learn how water is filtered in a simple and pure way!
• Eco Fluxx — This unique game of ever-changing rules is a blast to play and learn about our world! Make sure to download the free teacher guides listed with this product!
• Worm-A-Way Vermicomposting Kit — Learn all about composting with worms! The natural way to recycle! This kit includes everything you need to set up your own vermicomposter – including the live worms!
• The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown Ups — This book is a wonderful way to learn more about the trees of North America! Includes beautifully illustrated diagrams and detailed information about each tree.
• Grow Your Own Apple Tree — This handy kit contains everything you need to begin growing your very own apple tree! A fun way for kids to learn more about the care and planting of trees.

Visit our store for even more great products and ideas for celebrating Earth!

Related Websites for More Information

Earth Day Network – This website provides additional information about Earth Day, including resources and programs that you can utilize.

Gaylord Nelson and Earth Day – This website explains the history of Earth Day and the founder.

Planet Pals – This website includes many activities, printables, and lesson plans for parents to do with their kids to celebrate Earth Day everyday!

Arbor Day Activities for Kids – This website provides games and activities for kids to help celebrate Arbor Day. Includes lesson plans and additional resources on how to care for trees.