Parenting Cocoa Corner

Love Bug Valentine’s Day Sensory Tubes

Learning Resources Posted On Jan 4, 2023 | Social-Emotional Learning

Love is in the air this Valentine's Day, and what better way to celebrate than by creating these fun (and simple) love bug sensory tubes with your child! What child doesn’t love sensory play or bugs?

Before you learn how to make this sensory tube, let’s talk about why sensory tubes are beneficial! Sensory tubes are a great tool for children of all ages. They provide the calming element of sensory play, as they help with grounding. Sensory tubes also present various learning opportunities including language learning, math skills, science knowledge, and more!

What You Need to Create a Love Bugs Sensory Tube:

How to Create a Love Bug Sensory Tube:

You’ll be happy to learn that there are not too many supplies you will need to create these love bug sensory tubes. In fact, you may already have many of them right in your house!

First, you need a sturdy clear bottle or tube to create your sensory tube. The Primary Science Sensory Tubes from Learning Resources is our favorite because they are large, sturdy, and seal easily. They also come with eight sets of solid lids, perfect for creating fun liquid sensory tubes, and four vented lids. Another great thing about these tubes? You can change them up frequently, or keep them filled up for days on end.

To make your love bug sensory tube, you’re also going to need something with viscosity. What’s viscosity? A thick, sticky, semi-fluid consistency. Think liquid hand soap, clear liquid glue, baby oil, or corn syrup. I told you, you might already have this at home! All you need to do is fill 1/4th of the tube with whatever viscous liquid you choose.

Next, add some fun manipulatives like these Backyard Bug Counters make your sensory tube extra fun! For these specific tubes, we added about 5-7 bugs per tube. Not only will your child love adding in something unique, but manipulatives like these also provide language learning opportunities. For example, you can work on developing your child’s vocabulary of bugs or colors by labeling what you see or work on prepositions while putting the bugs in the tubes! Looking for other manipulative ideas? Pom poms are one of our favorite additions!

After adding your manipulatives, you’re going to want to fill up the rest of your love bug sensory tube with warm water.

Food coloring and glitter are the next steps. These are of course optional, but they do add some excitement to your sensory tube. Two-three drops of your favorite food coloring will fill the entire tube with color, and just a sprinkle of glitter will create a fun contrast. For these specific love bug sensory tubes, we chose to use red, white, and heart glitter to follow our Valentine’s Day theme.

Whew, you made it to the last step! Seal up that tube and watch in wonder! Let’s be honest, this one isn’t just for the kids, even adults are mesmerized to watch the bugs and glitter float up and down the colorful tubes!

Ways to Work on Language Development While Creating Sensory Tubes:

Not only are these sensory tubes fun to look at, but there are several ways to build in language learning opportunities while creating these love bug sensory tubes. Here are a few ideas:

Following directions: Have your child help you create the sensory tube, and direct them on how they can help you. Examples: “put the red bug in the tube” or “pick up the caterpillar and put it in the tube.”
Building Vocabulary: Label all of the items you are using as you are using them...the tube, the water, the glue, all of it! Making a love bugs sensory tube with the Backyard Bug Counters is also a great way to work on colors and introduce specific insect names.

Learning Prepositions: Sensory tubes are a fun way to practice prepositions. Talk about putting the bugs in the tube, putting the top on the tube, or watching the bugs float up and down the tube!

Social Skills: If you have more than one child, this is the perfect opportunity to work on turn-taking! Chances are, they are likely going to want the same sensory tube at the same time. Have them take turns putting the bugs in, and after your sensory tube is created have them take turns holding the tube!

Now you know how to make a fun love bug sensory tube, and how to build your child’s language skills while doing it! Going to try this at home? Please share it with us! We’d love to see your creations!

Love Bug Valentine’s Day Sensory Tubes

What You Need to Create a Love Bugs Sensory Tube:

How to Create a Love Bug Sensory Tube:

You’ll be happy to learn that there are not too many supplies you will need to create these love bug sensory tubes. In fact, you may already have many of them right in your house!

After adding your manipulatives, you’re going to want to fill up the rest of your love bug sensory tube with warm water.

Ways to Work on Language Development While Creating Sensory Tubes:

Not only are these sensory tubes fun to look at, but there are several ways to build in language learning opportunities while creating these love bug sensory tubes. Here are a few ideas:

Following directions: Have your child help you create the sensory tube, and direct them on how they can help you. Examples: “put the red bug in the tube” or “pick up the caterpillar and put it in the tube.”
Building Vocabulary: Label all of the items you are using as you are using them...the tube, the water, the glue, all of it! Making a love bugs sensory tube with the Backyard Bug Counters is also a great way to work on colors and introduce specific insect names.

Learning Prepositions: Sensory tubes are a fun way to practice prepositions. Talk about putting the bugs in the tube, putting the top on the tube, or watching the bugs float up and down the tube!

Social Skills: If you have more than one child, this is the perfect opportunity to work on turn-taking! Chances are, they are likely going to want the same sensory tube at the same time. Have them take turns putting the bugs in, and after your sensory tube is created have them take turns holding the tube!

Valentine's Post Cards

Learning Resources Posted On Jan 4, 2023 | Printables

Valentine's Post Cards

Valentine's Day Cards

Learning Resources Posted On Jan 4, 2023 | Social-Emotional Learning

Cut out and give to friends and loved ones this Valentine's Day!

Print the Activity

Interested in purchasing the Avocados or Pineapple in the cards?

Shop now on Amazon:

Valentine's Day Cards

Cut out and give to friends and loved ones this Valentine's Day!

Print the Activity

Interested in purchasing the Avocados or Pineapple in the cards?

Shop now on Amazon:

Valentine's Day Candy Experiments

Learning Resources Posted On Jan 3, 2023 | STEM

As a mom at home, hosting my son’s class party, and as a teacher, I LOVE weaving elements of STEM into holiday activities and parties. Valentine’s day is the perfect opportunity to engage your kiddos in sweet and simple hands-on science activities disguised as seasonal fun. Keep reading for easy-to-do, engaging activities that are sure to please even Cupid himself!
The key to each of these suggested activities is that they are super simple and most likely can be created with materials you already have in your home or classroom, or can be purchased at any discount or dollar store. Also, these activities are super flexible. You’ll see in the examples below that most of the activities have alternative ingredients or process steps. This is your FREE PASS because basically, you can’t mess these up, and you and your kids will love every minute!

LOVE POTION #9

Experiment with and observe buoyancy and states of matter by seeing how different types of Valentine’s Day candy react with carbonated liquids! This love potion will leave heads spinning and hearts pounding! Love Potion Ingredients

MATERIALS:

Alka-Seltzer original and water, clear soda (i.e. Sprite), or club soda (plain)
Clear cups
Valentine’s Day candy (Conversation Hearts, heart-shaped Red Hots, sprinkles, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

Set out one clear cup.
Drop candy pieces into the cup (one type of candy per each cup.)
If you are using Alka Seltzer and water, fill the cup with water and drop it into a tablet. If you are using soda of some sort, fill the cup with the soda.
Watch to see if/when candy pieces float, bounce, and dance inside the cup.
You may need to add more carbonated liquid to see if that changes activity inside of the cup.
Make notes, write observations, and draw conclusions.

NOTES: Keep extra Alka-Seltzer tablets and/or soda on hand to add if candies do not bounce/float. If using Alka-Seltzer, use minimal water at first and add water as necessary.

CANDY COATED CRUSH

Candy is a fabulous ingredient for science experiments, and we all know Valentine’s Day has candy a plenty. Try some of these instant options for Valentine’s Day candy light refraction and solubility experiments that are crowd-pleasers, but simple to set up and execute. Candy Experiment

MATERIALS:

Assorted Valentine’s Day candy (Suggested: clear red heart suckers, Conversation Hearts, heart-shaped Red Hots)
Clear cups
Water
Flashlight (optional)
THAT’S IT!

ACTIVITY #1 (LIGHT REFRACTION) DIRECTIONS:

Place a sucker in an EMPTY clear cup.
Draw how the sucker looks in the empty cup.
Place a sucker in a half-full clear glass of water.
Draw how the sucker looks in the water-filled cup.
You may want to also try shining a flashlight through and around the candy in the water to test and document the changes (if any) in light refraction with the addition of the flashlight.
Make notes, write observations, and draw conclusions.

ACTIVITY #2 (SOLUBILITY) DIRECTIONS:

Set out one cup for each type of candy you’re using.
Fill each cup ½ to ¾ full with water.
Place one type of candy in each cup.
Check on the status of each cup/candy each 30-60 minutes.
Make notes, write observations, and draw conclusions.

POP ROCKS PUPPY LOVE

These crazy little candies are as great for science experiments as they are for eating! You can use the Pop Rocks and soda as substitutes for baking soda and vinegar in the experiment listed above, or try something totally new using the directions below, courtesy of Steve Spangler Science! Pop Rocks Experiment

MATERIALS:

Pop Rocks (try to find multiple flavors; Valentine’s Day versions are available)
Balloons (I’m going to use HEART-SHAPED balloons for Valentine’s Day flair!)
Funnel
2 16 oz. bottles of soda (the greater soda variety, the better)

DIRECTIONS:

For a full demonstration of this amazing experiment in chemical reactions from Steve Spangler Science, click the image below to watch an informational video.

I can’t wait to see how much my Cupid Kiddos love these sweetheart STEM Valentine’s Day challenges! Try them out at home or in the classroom and comment to let us know sweet and simple Valentine’s Day STEM activity was your favorite! Valentine's Day Candy Experiments

Valentine's Day Candy Experiments

LOVE POTION #9

MATERIALS:

Alka-Seltzer original and water, clear soda (i.e. Sprite), or club soda (plain)
Clear cups
Valentine’s Day candy (Conversation Hearts, heart-shaped Red Hots, sprinkles, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

Set out one clear cup.
Drop candy pieces into the cup (one type of candy per each cup.)
If you are using Alka Seltzer and water, fill the cup with water and drop it into a tablet. If you are using soda of some sort, fill the cup with the soda.
Watch to see if/when candy pieces float, bounce, and dance inside the cup.
You may need to add more carbonated liquid to see if that changes activity inside of the cup.
Make notes, write observations, and draw conclusions.

NOTES: Keep extra Alka-Seltzer tablets and/or soda on hand to add if candies do not bounce/float. If using Alka-Seltzer, use minimal water at first and add water as necessary.

CANDY COATED CRUSH

MATERIALS:

Assorted Valentine’s Day candy (Suggested: clear red heart suckers, Conversation Hearts, heart-shaped Red Hots)
Clear cups
Water
Flashlight (optional)
THAT’S IT!

ACTIVITY #1 (LIGHT REFRACTION) DIRECTIONS:

Place a sucker in an EMPTY clear cup.
Draw how the sucker looks in the empty cup.
Place a sucker in a half-full clear glass of water.
Draw how the sucker looks in the water-filled cup.
You may want to also try shining a flashlight through and around the candy in the water to test and document the changes (if any) in light refraction with the addition of the flashlight.
Make notes, write observations, and draw conclusions.

ACTIVITY #2 (SOLUBILITY) DIRECTIONS:

Set out one cup for each type of candy you’re using.
Fill each cup ½ to ¾ full with water.
Place one type of candy in each cup.
Check on the status of each cup/candy each 30-60 minutes.
Make notes, write observations, and draw conclusions.

POP ROCKS PUPPY LOVE

MATERIALS:

Pop Rocks (try to find multiple flavors; Valentine’s Day versions are available)
Balloons (I’m going to use HEART-SHAPED balloons for Valentine’s Day flair!)
Funnel
2 16 oz. bottles of soda (the greater soda variety, the better)

DIRECTIONS:

For a full demonstration of this amazing experiment in chemical reactions from Steve Spangler Science, click the image below to watch an informational video.

Learn to Love Math - 10 Tasty Valentine’s Day Activities

Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Jan 3, 2023 | Math

There are so many things to love on Valentine’s Day…including math! Turn all those tasty Valentine’s treats into a fun math lesson and help your kids practice sorting, matching, adding, subtracting, graphing, and more!

Candy Heart Estimation

Dump a box of candy hearts into a bowl. Ask your mini mathematician to guess how many hearts they think are there.

2. Candy Heart Count Out Loud

Count the hearts out together, one by one, and see how close your child’s guess was.

3. Candy Heart Color Sort

Ask your little one to sort the hearts out into piles by color. Have them estimate how many pink hearts there are, then count them out together. Try another color, keeping the last correct number in mind, and see if your little one can get closer. Note each correct answer on a sheet of paper.

4. Candy Heart Bar Graph

Now that your hearts are sorted by color and each pile is counted, create an easy bar graph! List the colors on the bottom and the numbers along the side and have your kiddo color each bar to match the number you counted.

5. Candy Hearts Greater Than

Looking at your sorted colors, totals, and bar graph, ask your little one which pile is the biggest. Then ask which is the smallest. Now try asking whether you have more of one color than another.

6. Skittles Shapes

Draw a circle, square, and triangle on a sheet of paper. Then have your candy-loving kiddo place Skittles or colored M & Ms along the lines to trace the shapes. Next, see if your little one can create the shapes on their own, without your drawings to trace.

7. Skittles Patterns

Create a simple pattern out of differently colored Skittles, then see if your child can copy the pattern on their own. Start with a simple alternating pattern, then try something trickier.

8. Skittles Addition

Create your own mouth-watering worksheet by drawing five large circles on a sheet of paper and adding small squares at the bottom of each. Write the name of a Skittle color in each, then place a few of each color in the appropriate circle. Have your kiddo count them up and write the total in each box. Next, challenge them to add one color to another, recounting as a total if need be.

9. Skittles Fair Shares

Count your pile of Skittles, then write down the total. Introduce simple division by asking your child to divvy up their pile of Skittles among the two of you, handing one to you, then one to themselves, until the pile is gone (if you have any uneven leftovers, eat them!). Then count your piles. That total is the total number of Skittles, divided by two! Gather them all up again, then divvy them again, among a few stuffed animals.

10. Candy Construction

Keep the candy learning going all year long, with Learning Resources’ Candy Construction! Kids use candy-shaped pieces to build everything from a Sweet Swing to a Candy Cottage and more, practicing important math and STEM skills along the way! Making math fun by incorporating it into everyday activities (and including tasty treats) is a great way to build your kids’ math confidence, which will serve them well at school. These activities are also a wonderful way to build the foundational math skills kids will need to succeed. Explore more ways to count numbers with Learning resources numbers and counting toys!

Learn to Love Math - 10 Tasty Valentine’s Day Activities

Candy Heart Estimation

Dump a box of candy hearts into a bowl. Ask your mini mathematician to guess how many hearts they think are there.

2. Candy Heart Count Out Loud

Count the hearts out together, one by one, and see how close your child’s guess was.

3. Candy Heart Color Sort

4. Candy Heart Bar Graph

5. Candy Hearts Greater Than

Looking at your sorted colors, totals, and bar graph, ask your little one which pile is the biggest. Then ask which is the smallest. Now try asking whether you have more of one color than another.

6. Skittles Shapes

7. Skittles Patterns

Create a simple pattern out of differently colored Skittles, then see if your child can copy the pattern on their own. Start with a simple alternating pattern, then try something trickier.

8. Skittles Addition

9. Skittles Fair Shares

10. Candy Construction

14-Day Kindness Challenge Printable

Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Jan 3, 2023 | Printables

Match the challenge to the numbers and fill in the picture! This challenge can be completed during any month but is especially perfect for a Valentine's Day countdown. Start February 1st, and by Valentine's Day, you will have completed the 14-Day Kindness Challenge!

Print the Activity

14-Day Kindness Challenge Printable

Print the Activity

5 Things you might not know about Martin Luther King Jr.

Learning Resources Posted On Jan 3, 2023 | Winter

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this January, you may have spent a bit of time reflecting on this courageous American’s contributions to civil rights and the difference his work made – and continues to make even today. But we’ve gathered a few fun facts that you might not know about this hero, just in time for the holiday!

name tags

What’s in a Name? Martin Luther King Jr. was actually born Michael King Jr., named after his father, Michael King Sr. However, when MLK Jr. was just two years old, his father changed his own name to Martin Luther King in tribute to the German theologian Martin Luther, and decided to change his son’s name, too.

school classroom

A 15 year old College Student? In addition to being passionate and extremely articulate, Martin Luther King Jr. was also incredibly intelligent. In fact, he skipped the 9^th and 12^th grades, beginning college at age 15 and graduating at 19. King Jr. attended Morehouse college as a legacy – both his father and grandfather attended the school.

martin luther king jr church Ebenezer Baptist Church was the pastoral home of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Like Father Like Sons! The family tradition doesn’t end there. You probably know that Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister. But did you know that he was at least the fourth in his family to serve the church? His great grandfather was an “old slavery time preacher” and his grandfather was a Baptist minister. Martin Luther King Sr. took over his father’s ministry when he passed away, and MLK Jr. followed in his footsteps, eventually becoming a Baptist minister himself.

grammy award

And the Grammy Goes to… Many honors and awards were bestowed upon King Jr., including being names Valedictorian of his college class. He won the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35; in fact, he was the youngest recipient until Malala Yousef recently won the award at the age of 17. Upwards of 1,000 streets are named after him in the U.S., and even a few in other countries like Italy and Israel. And he’s one of only two Americans to have his birthday celebrated as a national holiday (President Washington is the other). But we bet you might not know that Martin Luther King Jr. actually won a Grammy Award! His “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam” won Best Spoken Word Album in 1971.

mlk I have a dream speech

Last, But Not Least. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech is one of the most memorable and meaningful presentations given in recent history. He was the last to speak at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, attended by more than 250,000 people. No one else wanted the last slot, as they thought the crowd would be dwindling and the media would be gone, but MLK Jr.’s 16-minute plea (it was only supposed to be four minutes long!) will be forever remembered as game changer in U.S. politics and the civil rights movement.

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day this month, we remember one of King’s most important messages:

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

5 Things you might not know about Martin Luther King Jr.

name tags

What’s in a Name? Martin Luther King Jr. was actually born Michael King Jr., named after his father, Michael King Sr. However, when MLK Jr. was just two years old, his father changed his own name to Martin Luther King in tribute to the German theologian Martin Luther, and decided to change his son’s name, too.

school classroom

A 15 year old College Student? In addition to being passionate and extremely articulate, Martin Luther King Jr. was also incredibly intelligent. In fact, he skipped the 9^th and 12^th grades, beginning college at age 15 and graduating at 19. King Jr. attended Morehouse college as a legacy – both his father and grandfather attended the school.

martin luther king jr church Ebenezer Baptist Church was the pastoral home of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Like Father Like Sons! The family tradition doesn’t end there. You probably know that Martin Luther King Jr. was a minister. But did you know that he was at least the fourth in his family to serve the church? His great grandfather was an “old slavery time preacher” and his grandfather was a Baptist minister. Martin Luther King Sr. took over his father’s ministry when he passed away, and MLK Jr. followed in his footsteps, eventually becoming a Baptist minister himself.

grammy award

And the Grammy Goes to… Many honors and awards were bestowed upon King Jr., including being names Valedictorian of his college class. He won the Nobel Peace Prize at age 35; in fact, he was the youngest recipient until Malala Yousef recently won the award at the age of 17. Upwards of 1,000 streets are named after him in the U.S., and even a few in other countries like Italy and Israel. And he’s one of only two Americans to have his birthday celebrated as a national holiday (President Washington is the other). But we bet you might not know that Martin Luther King Jr. actually won a Grammy Award! His “Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam” won Best Spoken Word Album in 1971.

mlk I have a dream speech

Last, But Not Least. Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech is one of the most memorable and meaningful presentations given in recent history. He was the last to speak at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, attended by more than 250,000 people. No one else wanted the last slot, as they thought the crowd would be dwindling and the media would be gone, but MLK Jr.’s 16-minute plea (it was only supposed to be four minutes long!) will be forever remembered as game changer in U.S. politics and the civil rights movement.

As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day this month, we remember one of King’s most important messages:

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

Winter Sensory Exploration

Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Dec 14, 2022 | STEM

Winter Sensory Exploration

STEM Lovers Holiday Gift Guide

Gabrielle Fischer Posted On Dec 14, 2022 | STEM

The holidays are just around the corner so the time is ticking on getting all your holiday shopping done! It can be a little overwhelming to think of and find the latest holiday gifts and gadgets for kids. That’s why we’ve wrapped up, quite literally, some of the best holiday finds for your little loved ones! These gifts are STEM inspired and are for our little science, technology, engineering, and math lovers. New to STEM? These are also perfect for peaking interests!

Below you’ll find six of the most well (teacher) recommended and kid approved STEM toys. An age suggestion and description will help you find just the right one and the price is listed to ensure it fits within your budget!

1. Botley® 2.0 the Coding Robot (ages 5-10)- $64.99 and Botley® the Crashin' Construction Accessory Set (ages 5-10)- $16.99

Botley 2.0 the Coding Robot is perfect for introducing littles to future careers, supporting imaginative play and boosting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Botley helps kids as young as 5 learn to code. Kids can code Botley to move in six directions, play music, and even put on a light show! You can even test your memory with the lights and sounds of a game of Botley Says. Your little coders can build coding sequences of up to 150 steps, and go on adventures with a built-in sensor that lights up Botley in the dark!

Nothing says engaging kids better than a crashin', bashin' set of STEM challenges! The worlds of coding and construction collide in the Botley Crashin' Construction Challenge. The world of construction comes alive as little builders can turn Botley into a wrecking ball or tow truck with the moveable crane attachment, or snap on the adjustable plow arms and send Botley on bulldozer adventures! This set includes six STEM challenges to get kids started—build up block structures, then code Botley to knock them down, clean up the mess, or tow them with the hook and cable!

2. Gears! Gears! Gears!® CastleGears™ (ages 4-9)- $14.99

Bring the magic of castle making alive and the perfect twist on building critical thinking skills using the Gears! Gears! Gears! Castle Gears set. This building kit includes 38 pieces and an activity guide. It allows little engineers to create an almost endless combination of castles that actually move for their imaginative play. The gear pieces snap together easily so it’s perfect for little hands and developing fine motor skills. Let your little budding engineer’s imagination soar!

3. City Engineering & Design Building Set (ages 5-8)- $24.99

The City Engineering & Design Building Set brings STEM learning to new heights! Your little engineers can create their own skyscrapers, cranes, bridges and more with 89 easy-to-assemble pieces. Use the included activity cards to complete design challenges, or create your own city. It's a unique way to challenge logic, problem solving, and engineering skills.

4. Botley® the Coding Robot Action Challenge Accessory Set (ages 5-10) $19.99

Explore the world of force and motion by helping Botley set off some crashing chain reactions with Botley the Coding Robot Action Challenge Accessory Set from Learning Resources. This interactive 41-piece accessory setcontains everything kids need to set up STEM-inspired obstacle challenges for Botley to navigate. Kids can either choose to use the instructions inside the set to create 9 obstacle challenges filled with falling dominos, rolling balls, and swinging hammers, or design their own courses using critical thinking skills. Once everything's in place, kids simply code Botley with the desired steps, press transmit on the remote programmer, and watch him get things moving!

5. 1-2-3 Build It!™ Robot Factory (ages 2-6)- $14.99

Foster critical thinking and early engineering skills with the 1-2-3 Build It! Robot Factory. Kids can build their own twisting, turning STEM creations with the mix-and-match pieces of the 1-2-3 Build It! Robot Factory. Sized just right for little hands, this build-it-yourself toy's chunky plastic pieces are ready to help kids design, build, and tinker with their own robot squad. Use the design guide to practice following directions or bring your own creations to real life!

6. Code & Go® Robot Mouse Activity Set (ages 4-9)-$59.99

Kids will absolutely LOVE this activity set! They can build their own maze, and then use the coding cards to create a step-by-step path for Colby, the Programmable Robot Mouse. Program the sequence of steps, and then watch Colby race to find the cheese! This set includes 30 double-sided coding cards, 10 double-sided activity cards, cheese wedge, and Activity Guide to provide the perfect hands-on introduction to coding concepts. Create your path with 16 maze grids to create a 20' x 20' maze board, 22 maze walls, and 3 tunnels for endless possibilities. Colby lights-up, makes sounds, and features 2 speeds along with colorful buttons to match coding cards for easy programming and sequencing. I suggest if you have multiple children, you consider adding additional players with Jack, the Programmable Robot Mouse, sold separately.