I'm constantly being surprised by what people are making with Scratch, a kid's programming language that lets you make games, cartoons, and other programs by connecting different color-coded blocks together. Code Your Own Games!, by Max Wainewright, is an excellent tutorial that shows you how to write fun games, including breakout and snake. Kids will learn about sound effects, collision detection, animation, and more from using this book, and come away with a better understanding of computer programming.
Code Your Own Games! 20 Games to Create with Scratch
Python Humble Bundle – a bunch of ebooks for $1
Humble Bundle has a good sale on Python books right now. For $1 or more, you get three No Starch Python ebooks. There are more books offered at the $8 and $15 level. READ THE REST
Kano – a Raspberry Pi computer kit now has a screen
My daughter and I have been having fun with the latest Kano computer and coding kit, which comes with a screen. It's powered by a Raspberry Pi, a small Linux computer, and was created to allow kids to make games, music, and art through coding. The operating system is already installed and comes with a… READ THE REST
Cubetto is a programmable robot for pre-schoolers
I had a chance to play with a Cubetto recently. It's a little, wooden, happy face robot on two wheels. You can control which way it goes by inserting colorful plastic chips on programming board (which also has a wood top). There are four kinds of chips: turn clockwise, turn counterclockwise, move forward, and call… READ THE REST
Get your wine on this summer with 15 bottles from Splash Wines for $50
There's nothing quite like sipping on a chilled glass of wine on a hot summer day to take the edge off and wind down. This summer, instead of spending $10 to $20 per bottle, you can get an assortment of 15 good-tasting wines from Splash Wines for only $50. An amazing way to prepare and stock up… READ THE REST
Turn any room into a far-off galaxy with this epic projector
Even if you've spent hours scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram looking for interior decor ideas to no avail, perhaps something a little "otherworldly" would give your space that something special. Whether it's your kid's room or your living room, a quick transformation doesn't have to be as complicated as you think. Before you start painting… READ THE REST
The ultimate gift for any 'Star Wars' fan is here
You know how some movie lines are so iconic, you have to actually imitate the actor's voice when you quote them? Think "I'll be back" from "Terminator" or "My precious" from "The Lord Of The Rings." That's how we feel about "Luke, I am your father" from "Star Wars" (and basically every other phrase Darth… READ THE REST
