Product Review: Homeschool Programming Inc.'s KidCoder Beginning Web Design

Product at a glance:

• Product Received: Homeschool Programming KidCoder Beginning Web Design Course
• Publisher: Homeschool Programming, Inc.
• Price: $70.00 for the course alone, $85.00 for the course and instructional videos, or $20.00 with video only. In October, they will off the KidCoder Year Pack which includes KidCoder Beginning Web Design and KidCoder Advanced Web Design together (a full-year of technology curriculum) for $120.00 for the courses along, $145.00 for the courses and instructional videos, or $30.00 for videos only.

• Web-site: Homeschool Programming, Inc.
• Facebook Page: Homeschool Programming on Facebook
• Twitter: Homeschool Programming on Twitter
• Ages/grades suggested for: Grade 4 through 12. Younger kids with motivation can possibly handle it. Adults and college age people can use the information to self teach.
• Who can use it? This program is excellent for homeschoolers. Siblings can reuse the same content without charge because the company supports homeschooling families. From what I have seen of the courses, they would also be fantastic for parents who want to do computer programming as a summer enrichment activity or after schooling activity. I could easily see it being used in co-ops, private schools, or even public schools though teachers of groups would need to purchase a separate course for each student. They do offer group discounts according to their web-site and conditions of use statement.
• Products by this publisher (paraphrased descriptions from their web-site): 

• KidCoder Beginning Web Design is the first semester course in the KidCoder Series. Kids in grades 4-12 will learn to create their own web pages using HTML. 

• KidCoder Windows Programming is the first semester course in the KidCoder Visual Basic Series. Kids in grades 6-12 will learn to write graphical Windows programs using the Visual Basic programming language.  

•  KidCoder Game Programming is the second semester course in the KidCoder Visual Basic Series. It takes your programming to the next level.

• TeenCoder Java Programming is the first semester course in the TeenCoder Java Series. It introduces 9-12th grade students to the Java Programming Language. Students learn to create graphical and console applications using object-oriented design concepts.
• TeenCoder Android Programming is the second semester course in the TeenCoder Java Series. Students use their Java knowledge and free Android Developer Tools for Eclipse to write their own mobile applications. 

• TeenCoder Windows Programming is the first course in the TeenCoder C# series. It introduces 9th-12th grade students to the C# programming language. Students will learn to create graphical Windows applications using object-oriented design concepts. 

•  TeenCoder Game Programming is the second semester course in the TeenCoder C# series. It pairs the C# programming language with Microsoft's XNA Game Studio to provide a modern, easy to use game-creation framework. Students will be thrilled to learn how to write their own Windows games from scratch.

What problem does this product solve (from their web-site): 

Homeschool Programming, Inc. was founded by homeschooling parents who have a B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. They have a combined 17+ years of experience in the software industry. A love of computers starts early. Many computer programmers write their first programs in middle school. The courses from Homeschool Programming, Inc. let kids and teens take that important first step towards what could become a lifelong hobby, career, and passion!

It all started when a homeschooled family member wanted to learn computer programming, REAL computer programming and her mom had no idea how to teach her. When their searches for material to teach their relative came up empty, they started writing their own curriculum. They wanted to teach professional programming languages in a fun way that students could understand and non-technical parents could teach.

 _________________________________________________________

The Product Test:

Our family received a digital version of KidCoder Beginning Web Design Course to try out for several weeks in order to write a fair and honest review. I have a fledgling knowledge of web design having taken an intro to web design class in college about 9 years ago. Although I have not endeavored to write my own page since that class, I understand the fundamentals that are involved in page creation. Looking over the material in KidCoder, it has a very similar feel to the college level class I took. The pacing is even similar. The material parallels that class. While it is written in a tone that kids can relate to with illustrations that kids can enjoy, the material is code line for code line what I studied in that sophomore level college class. What am I trying to say? There is a depth of material covered in this course that you don't usually see in elementary and middle school technology programs. I would venture to say that even in high school level technology classes you may not see this much material. 

Dad letting them work on their web page project.

Normally, if you order the program from Homeschool Programming, Inc. from their web-site, you receive a physical printed textbook and a CD with the set up programs. To enable the reviewers to have a longer review period, we received a pdf of the book and downloadable set up programs. We also were given web access to the instruction videos that are usually sent out on DVD's and supplement the text book. For the first week or two's lessons, we didn't take advantage of the instructional videos. My husband would read the lessons to the kids (a fourth grade 9-year-old and a seventh grade 12-year-old) and then he would walk them through the activities. In the last couple of weeks (once we took the time to check out the videos), the kids quite honestly don't need our help. They watch the videos while flipping through the book and then will work through much of the activity on their own. Dad really only gets called in when their page doesn't "work" like they expect. For those of you who have done any basic web design, that means Dad just gets called in to proofread.

The beginning to the instructional video.

With the instructional videos, I really think that ANY parent could use this program to teach their children. A motivated child could easily teach themselves if the parents aren't technologically inclined. The videos are also great for students who need audio or visual aids to learn. My oldest daughter is an audio learner and even though we never homeschooled her, I often had difficulty relating to her learning style as I have always been a visual learner. It was difficult for me to understand that reading the chapter and writing notes wasn't how she needed to study.

A shot from Chapter 1 Lesson 4 explaining
HTML tools and their benefits and downsides.

The class is broken into chapters which are broken into lessons, it would be easy to do 4 days a week and complete the class in a semester. It would also be easy to do 2-3 days a week and stretch the class out for the entire school year. This will probably be how we continue after the review is submitted. We have so much material we are going over this year. Aside from Math and History, everything will probably only be done 2-3 times per week. The lessons are quick and engaging enough that my kids did not mind going over 2 or even 3 per day as well.

I knew when signing up for this review, it would inspire and excite my 12 year old. I was right, he was over the moon at the prospect of gathering enough knowledge to put together his own web-site. What I hadn't counted on was the enthusiasm I have gotten from my 9 year old daughter. She is at least as excited as my son and has already started saving for her web-site domain. She's very worried that someone will steal her "Emma's Fashion" domain before she scrapes together enough to buy it. They took the first few lessons and sketched out a site map of how their pages will link up and spread out. Planning not just the front page but also layers and layers of pages that link to buttons on their homepage.


Here are some great positive points to think about:

• A great aspect of this product are the tools used for web design. All of the software mentioned is either included or a free download or software that generally comes with most computers (text edit, notepad, web browsers, etc). 
• The material in the classes are in depth enough to be used for high school credits. Each level of the class is two semesters which equal a full credit of technology if you live in an area where that is required.
• There are chapter tests in case you are in a state where you are required to submit scores.
• As a parent, you need absolutely no experience to teach this class. There are some great tools that help you get started. Make sure you read the instructions and watch the video tutorials. Overall it is simple and easy to use.
• KidCoder is able to be used on Windows or Mac Computers.
• It is something that you could absolutely hand over to an 8th or 9th grade student and expect them to run themselves through the entire program with minimal help. 
• The price is good especially when you consider the material involved. I paid $210 for the textbook (plus tuition, plus gas, plus technology fees) in my college class and I would venture to say that it didn't cover as much as these kids will cover in the full year course that runs $120-$145. 
• They offer some great resources on their web-site that show you what you're getting yourself into. Demo Videos and Sample Pages will show you how easy the system can be.

What would I change about it?

I honestly can't name a single thing that I would change at the moment. We are 4 chapters in and I've been pleased with the program completely so far. I mean, it's easy to say, "Well, it's pricey!" but in reality, it is not. I paid $700 or more for a very similar class in college and it was less interactive and explanatory. With the videos, it could easily be as pricey as those distance schools that charge $400 or more per year for electives. I think at $120-$145, it's well priced and a good value. 

What did Mom think?

I liked the pacing of the class. Even my flighty 9 year old stuck with it throughout the entire lesson (and that was with dad reading aloud to them). Once we tried out the videos, she was definitely on board fully. On an average day, I would guess the material would take about 20-40 minutes per lesson. Some shorter, some longer as the kids build their web-sites. There is a bit of a learning curve in getting everything set up and going. I'm sure it has more to do with my bull-in-a-china-shop method of charging in without reading the FAQ or Getting Started Guide more than the program. My husband came in, gave the Getting Started page a quick once over and had everything humming along in the time it took me to let the bulldogs outside and back in.

I think my favorite part of the program is just the enthusiasm I have seen in the kids as we worked on the material. They are so excited to decorate their little corner of the World Wide Web with their thoughts and dreams and hobbies. 

Their one disappointment was that the exercises in the book define what the page you are writing does. They didn't want to create a page about Raptors, they wanted more excitement than that. After assuring them that they can apply what they are learning to their own page eventually, they perked back up and have been more self motivated working on this than I have seen them motivated about anything else ever! As an adult, I understand you have to practice before you can soar.

What did Dad think?

It was amazing rereading the history of the internet and the basic terminology of the web, including how to design a web page, KidCoder makes all the steps clear and concise and accounts for numerous operating systems and web browsers.  And I got to relive it, with the my children's fresh sets of eyes, my own initial journey onto the web to see how it works.  KidCoder provided more help and details then I could have on my own and my kids were cheering at each new lesson and marveling at the progression on their web site devoted to Raptors. They completely forgot they were in class.

What did the Kids Think?

Matthew (age 12): 

"I think the KidCoder Web Design class is good because it tells you step by step how to write the code for a web-site. Plus, it is teaching you how to plan and design your own web-site and I think it's fantastic. I want to keep studying it so that by the end of the school year, I have my own functioning web-site where I talk about all my hobbies!"

Emma (age 9): 

"I think it's really cool that kids can learn how to design their own web-sites. I can't wait to keep going in the class and get to the point where I'm actually designing my OWN web-site instead of the practice sites the class teaches. I've even picked out the name for my site and I'm saving my allowance to buy the domain name!"

Find other reviews and opinions of this product and several of their other products at Mosaic Reviews

#MosaicReviews

#FilledwithCrazy

#HomeschoolProgramming, Inc.

#KidCoder

#KidCoderBeginningWebDesign

#WebDesignForKids

#Homeschool

Product Review: Ancient History Go Fish Game by The Classical Historian

Product at a glance:

• Product received for this review: The Classical Historian's Ancient History Go Fish Game
• Publisher: The Classical Historian
• Price: $11.95
• Web-site: http://www.classicalhistorian.com
• Facebook Page: Classical Historian
• Ages/grades suggested for: Ages 6 and older (some reading required)
• Who can use it? This is a great product for homeschoolers. It is also useful in the classroom setting for teachers covering Ancient History and want a fun way to reinforce the concepts that have been covered. 
• Other Products made by Classical Historian: Complete curriculum from a Socratic perspective, several other games, California History studies, flashcards, and history textbooks. Some very interesting stuff, take a look!

What problem does this product solve: 

I know as a homeschool mom, I'm always looking for new ways to engage my kids with the materials and subjects that we are covering for school. I am constantly asking myself, "How can I clarify this topic?" or "How can I stuff more understanding into their heads?" Games are always their favorite way of reviewing a subject.

So far, in our 2+ years of schooling at home, we have covered mostly American History. We received for review the Ancient History Go Fish Game. We all thought that was pretty cool since we had not formally covered any of the topics in our deck. The topics included:

1. Prehistory
2. Ancient Asia
3. Mesopotamia
4. Ancient Hebrews
5. Ancient Egypt
6. Ancient Greece
7. Roman Republic
8. Roman Empire
9. Native American Homes
10. Political Leaders
11. Seven Continents
12. Rivers of Early Civilizations

Out of those, we had only covered Native American Homes and the Seven Continents.

Emma and Dad take the early lead.

The box had 4 cards for each of those topics as well as rules for 4 different games. The games are:

1. Go Fish
2. Chronology
3. Geography
4. Collect the Cards

We have played the Go Fish game and worked on Collect the Cards. Since we don't know the material very well (at least the kids do not), it really amounted to taking turns reading the hints and then giving each other the answer. However, after the first time, each of the kids were claiming cards every couple turns. They were retaining the information just from playing the game! We haven't studied or read books or even filled out worksheets and timelines. They were learning from JUST playing the game. 

When it came time to type out this review, I couldn't find the game. I searched in a panic looking high and low all over the tables and shelves in the room where we had played just the night before. Here's where it was: 

Yes, that is a backpack shaped like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Shell. It is indeed stuffed to the brim with Bionicles, Battle Beasts, a pair of epipens, and twelve pounds of action figures and there, on top of it all, Matthew pulls out the Ancient History Go Fish Game. "Oh yeah, I took it to work with us today, Mom. I thought we might get a chance to play it if we finished our regular school stuff."

{{A little background, A.) The kids go to work with us 2-3 days a week and B.) They haven't finished all of their class work from this school year, so they are still working at least 3 days a week until it is complete.}}

Matthew starts to catch some matches.

 _________________________________________________________

What did Mom think?

I liked the content of the games. I liked the ease of game play and the quick rule cards. Each game only has a single card front of rules. The game is fantastic for reviewing the topics you have already covered and touching on the topics you have not hit yet. It also makes a great year in review game.

What would I change? 

I might narrow the time period to specifics. For instance, we are studying American Colonization. I would love a set just for that. Other narrower topics that come to mind: Explorers, The Civil War, Reconstruction, The Industrial Revolution, World War I & II, etc. The games they currently make are great for a year in review type game time, but I think it would be a great help to have a smaller chunk of time covered in a game. 

What did Matthew think?

I won! I loved it! It was a very neat game but I think I will like it even better after we have studied more Ancient History.

Emma is working on her grace when
things do not go her way.

What did Emma think?

I want to play it more times so that I can beat Matthew! He just got lucky at the end of the game and caught all those matches!  {{Like I said, we're working on grace.}}

For other perspectives and reviews of other great history games by Classical Historian, go to Mosaic Reviews and read to your hearts content. Also, we're having a Facebook party on Friday, June 28th, 2013 at Mosaic Reviews Facebook page! I'm sure there will be some great giveaways and some great advice! Go check it out!

#MosaicReviews

#FilledwithCrazy

#Classicalhistorian

#Historyforkids

#Homeschool

#Games

Product Review: How Do We Know God is Really There? by Melissa Cain Travis and illustrated by Christopher Voss

Product at a glance:

• Product: How Do We Know God Is Really There? by Melissa Cain Travis and illustrated by Christopher Voss
• Publisher: Apologia Educational Ministries
• Price: $16.00
• Web-site: Apologia Educational Ministries
• Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/apologiaworld
• Ages/grades suggested for: Any age. If you have a pre-reader or emergent reader it's a great read aloud. If you have a 2nd-3rd grade reader, they can handle it with help.
• Who can use it? This book is Christian based but is great for everyone. Homeschooler, public schooler, Sunday School teachers, anyone who wants to strengthen their child's belief in God.

What problem does this product solve: 

• As parents, we fight a constant battle against the world for our children's hearts and souls. They have friends who spread falsehood, they hear beliefs at school that conflict with what they have been taught at home, maybe they even hear it at family members houses. This book can give parents a way to open a dialog with their children about their belief in God and their concerns or doubts. 

 _________________________________________________________

I know as an adult, I've questioned my faith and my belief in God on occasion. I don't remember doing so as a child, but if I had, I had a strong Christian grandma that would have had the exact answer to my disbelief. She knew the bible and was unwavering in her faith. I completely believe in God but I don't have that encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible that my Grandma did. I also have trouble starting that conversation with the kids. This little book gave me that opening with the kids. It's funny, my twelve-year-old has a very solid belief in God and rarely questions that belief. My nine-year-old is a little like her mother and does have questions and hears the negative things people say when they are non-believers. She really needed to have those conversations and this book helped us get them started. 

Thomas and his dad

What do I like about this book?

How Do We Know God Is Really There? by Melissa Cain Travis and illustrated by Christopher Voss is a sweet little picture book for kids and parents to share. The illustrations are simple and colorful and make the book very approachable. The story is about a dad and his son sharing a conversation about God in the context of studying the universe through a telescope. It's a sweet story and as I said before, it can really start a very important conversation between you and your kids. 

Some of the beautiful art from later in the book.

What would I change? 

I don't think I would change a thing. The book is well-written, beautifully illustrated, and well paced to keep the kids interested without getting them too excited (like at bed time). 

What did Mom and the kids think?

We loved sharing this book. It was sweet and thought provoking. I think that many of us feel like our kids share our belief in God because that is what we have always taught them. We live in denial about the impact that people from outside our family can have on those convictions that we feel are so completely ingrained. How Do We Know God is Really There? helped us to open the dialog about other things our kids have heard about God and his existence so that we can reinforce our values and our faith. It is a great tool to combat the Godlessness of the world that we are all confronted with every day.

#MosaicReviews

#FilledwithCrazy

#Howdoweknowgodisreallythere?

#MelissaCainTravis

#Homeschool

Product Review: My Home School Grades

Product at a glance:

• Product received for review: 

• My Home School Grades Lifetime Membership

• Price: Lifetime membership for all the kids in your family only $49.99. Try it free for 14 days to make sure it's a good fit for your family here (no credit card required). The Lifetime membership includes any improvements and upgrades. This is for ANY number of kids. It can be very economical, especially for a big family!
• Web-site: http://myhomeschoolgrades.com/
• Facebook page: My Home School Grades
• Ages/grades suggested for: This is a tool for mom or dad. A competent upper class man could handle the responsibility if they were a motivated student. 
• Who can use it? Mainly a tool for homeschoolers. I could possibly see other parents using it to keep track of a busy public/private school students activities and awards outside of school.

________________________________________________________

What problem does this product solve?: 

• What problem does this product solve?

• There is a need for a simple to use, multi-platform grade tracking system for homeschoolers. It should include the ability to track grades, extra-curricular activities, and awards as well as which subjects and classes each student has completed. At the end of it all, hopefully it will generate a transcript that can help your student apply to colleges and universities.

• "Founded in 2012, My Home School Grades was born out of the need to gather in one place all the information about your family’s home school experience and to help manage and then export that content in a relevant, user friendly way." ~Publisher's website
 

• How will this product help solve that problem? 

• John Echols and Jordan Shute have developed a system of tracking grades and creating transcripts. John homeschools his kids and Jordan is a homeschool graduate who taught himself how to create web-pages. With their backgrounds, they have an innate knowledge of what homeschoolers need in a grade recording/transcript creating application.
• With a clean and simple interface and clear, understandable directions, it cuts through the complicated side of things and just lets you get started with your grade tracking.

 ________________________________________________________

I consider myself a novice in homeschooling. I've only been doing this for two years and I quite honestly have no idea what I'm doing some days. Worse still, I have no idea what my kids are doing some days and that is where the stress begins. I have a third grader (ok, no problem, she's got 9 more years to learn it all, 6 more years before stuff "gets real" if you know what I mean). Then I have this sixth grader...ugh, he'll be in seventh grade before long! And all of a sudden stuff is real! Within 4-5 years, I'm going to be helping him send high school transcripts to colleges to apply! I'm going to need to keep up with what his grades were, which subjects he's completed and when and what subjects he still needs to cover. Planning, grading, transcript crafting! Ugh! I don't have my teaching certification, I'm not a guidance counselor, HOW am I going to make this work? 

Over my two years of homeschooling, I have tried out and bought probably 5 different lesson planning/grade tracking/transcript making programs. In these programs and apps, I don't believe I have ever gotten past the create a subject section before. I can usually (not always) create a student and enter our school name information. Then it comes to the 14 pages of creating a subject and entering the materials and the lesson names and...whew! I'm out. I can't get any farther! Something crashes or there is some indecipherable jargon that only makes sense if you have your Masters in education and I'm done. I ask my husband to look at it and he promises he will, but not tonight and it's over. I never get past that point. 

My Home School Grades is different. No really! It is. I watched a couple short videos here and I figured it out. Honestly, I didn't watch the videos until I started working on the review post, just to make sure I didn't miss anything. It's simple to use, easy to figure out (NO SERIOUSLY, I figured it out) and it works very well. 

Step 1: Add Students. Input their names, grade levels and even upload photos.

Step 2: Open one of the students and click the "Add Class" button. Enter the information you'd like to identify the class. Note the "Choose Publisher" menu. Some publishers' share their lesson plans with My Home School Grades so that the lessons are pre-entered for your subject. 

Here's a picture showing some of the publishers:

For instance, we use Math U See for math this year. Here's an example of choosing them as the company and Gamma as the level. I've also entered some grades for show:

All of the lesson information was pre-loaded and ready to fill in. All I needed to enter were the grades. Those I can enter in nearly any format: 15/16 or 96 or A-. In my account preferences I can choose how I'd like the information to be shown whether it's numerical values, letter grade or 4.0 or 5.0 scale. 

My Home School Grades also let's you keep track of extracurricular activities and awards. Here is a sample of those screens:

The Creation Screen

The Finished Product

As you can see, there is a section for awards. So in the case of Taekwondo, I can note each time she earns her belt or wins a tournament. By the time she is in high school, it will be an impressive list of accomplishments. 

While I am homeschooling two, my third child is 23 and in college. I can remember in her junior and senior year, we scrambled to remember what awards she had won and which years she had won them in for various college and scholarship applications. It added more stress to an already stressful time. I don't know about you guys, but when I look at a blank college app, I panic and my mind goes blank. All that goes through my head is my voice screaming how inadequate I am for this school. When #2 starts to fill those out, we'll have this covered! No memory lapse, no panic attack, you queue up My Home School Grades, click generate transcript and BOOM! There it is!

The web-site has a great example with more detail than my third grader's example here. Check it out by clicking this link to page. This is a direct link to just the sample. The page has some great information, so definitely look at it as well as the sample.

The creators of My Home School Grades have been fantastic. They answer their phones. They answer their email. They have a curriculum suggestion box. If you use something they don't already have lesson plans detailed in the system, they will contact the publisher and try to arrange adding it to the system. I don't want to mislead you, many publishers consider that information as proprietary, but there are many that do not. We were lucky on a few of the pieces of our curriculum (Math and LA) less lucky on our history program and science. While I was a little sad, I was more excited because that meant I only had to enter half as much stuff as I would have had to enter on the other programs. You know, those programs that I couldn't make work. When the publisher does cooperate, it takes just a day or two for it to pop up in the system!

They are responsive to requests for new functionality and have literally added dozens of little things that we (the reviewers) have suggested to them. 

What did mom think about My Homeschool Grades?

In the two years that we have been traveling this path, we have learned a lot through trial and error. I am really thankful that Mosaic Reviews gave me the chance to learn about this product. After the last failed attempt at using lesson planning and transcript producing software, I had kind of given up the search for something that would work for us. While I haven't undertaken entering the entire school year, the information I have started with has been amazingly easy to enter and manipulate within the system. I really think that this is a solution that will continue to work for our family. Through elementary, middle, and high school, I can see that this will be an indispensable tool for getting our kids to the future they dream of, whether that is college, apprenticeship, or trade school. It might even keep my life from being even more Filled With Crazy!

I almost forgot, it works great on mobile devices, phones, ipads, tablets, you name it, if it can browse the web on it, you can run this software on it! It's so easy. Any platform too: Mac, PC, Linux, whatever can run a web-browser, can run this software. So when you're waiting for music lessons to be over, you can enter math grades for the week or add in field trips for the month.

What do the kids think about My Homeschool Grades?

Admittedly, the kids didn't have much access or opinion on this one. The little one likes not having "grades" yet and the sixth grader thought I might let him make up his own grades. 

Emma:  "I don't like it. Grades are gross!"

Matthew: "Huh? What's it do? Can I put my own grades in? I'M REALLY SMART MOM!"

Check out what my fellow reviewers thought about this product here. They will post on Friday, May 24th. See dozens of different opinions of the product to help you create a clear picture of how this product may work in your family.

I received a life-time subscription to My Home School Grades for review purposes. I received no other compensation and a positive review was not guaranteed. 

#My Home School Grades

#Mosaicreviews

#Filledwithcrazy

Product Review: Waterproof Bible from Bardin & Marsee Publishing

Product at a glance:

• Product received for review: 

• ESV Waterproof Bible New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs

• Publisher: Bardin & Marsee Publishing
• Price: $24.95 for the New Testament with Psalms & Proverbs and the full Bible is $44.95
• Web-site: www.bardinmarsee.com/
• Other Products: Full Bibles and Extended New Testament Bibles all in their great waterproof versions, accessories for highlighting your Bible, and even index page markers, all weather journals, dry highlighters. 
• Ages/grades suggested for: All ages.
• Who can use it? Anyone who wants a more durable Bible; one that can take a camping trip or pool-side afternoon. Great for kids who are active and tough on their Bibles.

________________________________________________________

• What problem does this product solve?: 

• You're on the go and outside being active and you need a Bible that will hold up to your busy, messy, outdoor life.

• How will this product help solve that problem (quoted from the publisher's site): 

• "The Waterproof Bible and THE OUTDOOR BIBLE originate from our desire to take God's word into all of His creation, regardless of the weather or circumstances. That is why they are completely waterproof, dry quickly, are much stronger than paper, are usable with writing utensils (ball point pen, pencil, or dry highlighter), and adapt well to all extremes or reading environments (on a rainy campout, in a coffee shop, even in a hot tub!). Just as a frog lives on land and in water, the Waterproof Bible and THE OUTDOOR BIBLE thrive in any situation or climate."

 ________________________________________________________

Bardin & Marsee Publishing's Waterproof Bible is a great, durable tough little bible. Although we are not the camping, outdoorsy types that this Bible was intended for, I still love it. I have always felt like regular Bibles are delicate and fragile. I worry that I will tear pages and spill coffee on my Bible and I have torn pages in my Bible just by turning pages or the bible slipping out of my hand and trying to catch it.

I often don't take it with us when we travel because of worrying about it getting damaged. I would never throw my regular Bible in my purse and carry it around Disney World for fear that it would get destroyed by the stuff in my purse or the inevitable water rides that the kids drag me on. However, that's just what I did this week. It has survived 16 hour days at the bottom of a purse stuffed with water bottles, sunscreen, leaking Coke bottles and several kids' pin collections! It's done great! Not one ding, tear or scratched up pages AND the Coke rinsed right off! 

I often feel like my kids lose part of what we're reading when we read the Bible together because I'm trying to teach them to be gentle and careful with the pages and the book. I spend 1/3 of our time saying things like "Don't be so rough when you're flipping the pages!" "Don't lick your finger to flip the page!" "Watch out! Don't let that spilled juice get on the Bible!" The Waterproof Bible removes much of that worry and stress from our Bible lessons. If you look at the picture below, my husband is holding the weight of the bible with a single page. Now, this is the small version (just New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs) not the full Bible. I haven't ordered the full size version yet, but I plan on it soon. 

    

Here are some great features of this Bible:

• It floats.
• The pages are plastic, so they are very durable.
• Stain resistant
• Mud resistant
• Wipes off easily
• Holds up to being shoved in a messenger bag with suntan lotion, leaking Cokes and sweaty water bottles.
• Impervious to water based dyes and food coloring.

The Waterproof Bible is available in 5 different translations with 3 different cover choices in each. You can also choose between the full Bible or an extended New Testament version (includes Psalms and Proverbs).

Translations available include: 

• King James Version (KJV) 
• New King James Version (NKJV)
• English Standard Version (ESV)
• New Living Translation (NLT)
• New International Version (NIV) 2011 version

There are three available cover: blue, pink, or (tree bark) camo:

  

Bibles always seem pricey to me, but this one is much less expensive than many of the versions I've been debating on. Some of them were over $100. I would love to see them eventually add a Women's Study Bible or something similar but for now, I'll settle for the regular version.

Since I'm blogging from Disney World right now (yes, it is a rough life). I will post some pictures of our Bible's trip to the resort pool at Kidani Village in Animal Kingdom as soon as I get my little pin obsessed traders away from the "King Pin" trader in the lobby. 

What did mom think about the Waterproof Bible?

I love it. It's a great durable Bible that I can let my kids be kids with. I don't have to outlaw taking our Bible on our nature hikes and I don't have to worry about someone falling in a puddle or creek when we do go. This Bible can stand up to it all! I probably won't take it to the pool as a regular habit, but I love being able to carry it in my purse or bag.

What do the kids think about the Waterproof Bible?

Emma: "I think this is the greatest thing that was ever made!" 

Matthew: "It's pretty good. I don't have to listen to Mom growl at me to be gentle. I like that!"

I received a free copy of an ESV Waterproof Bible New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs in exchange for my honest review. I did not receive any other form of compensation. Your opinion of the product may differ from mine.