Disclosure: A huge thank you to Silver Dolphin Books and their publishing partner, The Smithsonian Institute, for providing my kids with the Smithsonian interactive books pictured below.
Wow…August really snuck up on us, didn’t it? I mean, where did the summer go? Because, while August is technically a summer month, for me, it signals the beginning of school, with fall not far behind. In fact, just the other day, I found myself picking up school supplies for the girls as I was grocery shopping. Back to school time is officially here. And, although we struggled a bit when it came to finding time for reading earlier in the summer, we’ve been doing our very best to finish up Greenleigh’s recommended summer reading goal of 15 books before school starts with a little help from Smithsonian interactive books from Silver Dolphin Books.
These books bring the “WOW” factor of the world renowned Smithsonian museum right into your own home with crisp, clear pictures and tons of educational content. As a part of our Smithsonian interactive book bundle we received Smithsonian Sticker Creations: Dinosaurs, Smithsonian Sticker Creations: Under the Sea, the Smithsonian Everything You Need to Know Fact Cards: Grades K-1, the Smithsonian Everything You Need to Know Fact Cards: Grades 2-3, Smithsonian Young Explorers: 50 States and Smithsonian Discover: Earth.
The Smithsonian Sticker Creations books feature fun facts, 175 reusable stickers, 5 oversized 3-D stickers, and a pull-out framed play scene, which allows your child to create their own scene, whether it be a prehistoric dinosaur adventure or an underwater voyage. 
But don’t take this as any old sticker book, because it’s anything but that. This book guides your child through facts and has them fill in blank spaces with stickers, so they’re learning every step of the way.
The Smithsonian Everything You Need to Know Fact Cards are broken up into age groups – Kindergarten – 1st Grade and Second Grade – Third Grade. Each box is filled with 275 fact cards featuring categories that range from space to history to health, chosen to compliment the curricula for each grade level. And because the topics are clearly marked by category at the very top of the card, your child can pick and choose the topic they want to learn about by selecting only those cards, or go through all the cards at once.
Recommended for ages 6 years and up, the Smithsonian Young Explorers: 50 States packs a lot of fun in a sturdy little travel case. Inside kids will find an illustrated poster and a giant 130-piece floor puzzle of the United States. The alphabetically arranged fact book details state birds, animals, flowers, famous residents, and other fun trivia.
And although slightly out of her age range (recommended 8+) the eye catching pictures in Smithsonian Discover: Earth certainly caught my daughter’s attention. Because who doesn’t want to find their child curled up with a good book?
As a parent, I feel confident that the Smithsonian interactive books are helping my child prepare for going back to school, but, more importantly, these are books that she’s actually enjoying reading. And I’ve found her going through the Fact Cards on her own several times this week. I think we’re going to meet that suggested summer reading goal a little earlier than expected thanks to Smithsonian interactive books!
Want to win a set of Smithsonian interactive books (valued at $102!) for your children? Enter using the rafflecopter form below and they could be yours!
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And now that you’ve entered my giveaway, be sure to hop around to all the blogs participating in the Back to School Pre-K – College Event hosted by LeahSay’s Views & Planet Weidknecht! There should be lots of back to school goodies to be won!
My daughter would love the Dinosaurs and Under the Sea books because of the sticker feature. Really nice set of educational books!
We love Under the Sea creatures. We homeschool these would be wonderful
The 50 states because its fun.
under the sea because my kids enjoyed shark week alot
They are all fabulous but I’m most excited about Under the Sea because my daughter and I are very interested in Sea Life!
We are most excited about the Dinosaurs book because my grandsons are really into dinosaurs and would enjoy it!
my kids would love the discover earth book!! these would be great homeschool supplements!
I am most excited about the book of dinosaurs. My granddaughter loves dinosaurs and it will give her more information about them.
I am most excited about the 50 states because I am wanting to start teaching my son U.S. geography soon.
The under the sea book looks most exciting.
under the sea ,my kids love all water animals
My kids would love the under the sea book because they are totally into sea creatures!
Oh, I’m most excited about the cards. These would be great for keeping the kids engaged on the way to school! If I have to choose a book, I’d say the Under the Sea stickers.
It is hard for me to pick just one because one munchkin want the under the sea and the other will want to discover earth and the galaxy!
Smithsonian Young Explorers: 50 States looks great for my oldest. He is very interested in the US facts.
My son would love the Dinosaur book!
The Discover Earth book looks great, my daughter would stay interested with so many different things to learn.
under the sea book… we’re big lovers of the ocean and want to educate our kids about its greatness! 🙂
I’m interested in The 50 states because its for my granddaughter.
I would love the dinosaur one. My 5 year old is obsessed with dinos.
Under The Sea! My daughter thinks that she is a mermaid. LOL!
My kids would like the 50 states because they like learning about other places.
I think my daughter would enjoy the Under the Sea book because she is really into sea creatures right now!
Under the Sea because my nephew loves learning more about ocean animals.
Under the Sea for projects would be cool!
I’m excited about the Everything You Need to Know Series Third Grade. Would be good for both my grandkids and they enjoy learning facts like this.
My nephew would love Under the Sea. He loves anything with water.
I’m most excited about the under the sea book! My oldest has a fascination with marine life and would really enjoy that book!
My niece would enjoy the dinosaurs book.
Under the Sea. My nephew is big into sea creatures right now (and cars. A book about sea creatures who drive cars – that would be perfect -ha!)
I most excited to see the Discover Earth book, to show my daughter, and explain all about Brazil
MM they are all interesting but I think Under the Sea would be the most popular in our house and would go great with our unit study this year. That would be followed by dinosaurs.
I think my niece would like the under the sea one. She loves animals.
I like the Under the Sea Sticker Creation book. My son loves sharks.
I think it would be the one on Dinosaurs because my son has a major “thing” about dinosaurs! He loves them and would have a ball with these books!
My nephew would love the dinosaur book he is in the dinosaur phase ever since he saw jurassic world
I’m most interested in the Under the Sea sticker book. My youngest is interested in sea life and I think this book would be both educational and engaging. Thanks.
partymix25(at)Hotmail(dot)com
My youngest would LOVE the Dinosaur Book, we have been reading and looking at a lot of Dinosaur info lately.
My kids love sea creatures so I would say the Sea Creatures sticker book they would love the most.
My grandson would love the 50 States book. He is very interested in learning all the State Capitals
I love the Discover Earth book the best. Awesome tool for my children this school year!
I think we’d love the ‘Under the Sea’ sticker interactive book!! Because we all love water creatures and also my kids go bonkers over stickers!! Lol 🙂
Would love to read the Under the Sea with my family! The little ones are in love with sea creatures right now, they’d love this!:)
My sons would love the DInosaurs and Under the Sea since they love fish and dinosaurs!
I don’t know if I could choose a favorite! My daughter loves to read and has a lot of interest in dinosaurs, the Solar System, geography, etc! I really love the dinosaurs book… I could stand to learn more about them myself! haha!
My kids would love the Under the Sea book because they are into sea creatures.
Both my granddaughter and my grandson would love the Dinosaurs and the Under the Sea sticker creations books.
I am most interested in the Under the Sea book.
The dinosaurs sticker book b/c everyone in the house loves dinosaurs!
The 50 States or Dinosaur book so we could learn along with the kids!
I would love all of the since I homeschool, but I’ll choose Discover Earth.
My great nephew would definitely like the Dinosaurs book 🙂 My great niece would like the Under the Sea book 🙂
The earth book, my daughter is really into geology
My grandson would love the Under The Sea book. He is fascinated with sharks.
I like the 50 states, I love reading about the different states
My son would love the dinosaur sticker book!
THe 50 States! I love history and geography (I’m a nerd like that), so that book would be fascinating to me!
The under the sea book.
My twins would love the Under the Sea book because they love all the animals/fish that swim!
I think my great-niece would enjoy reading Under the Sea.
I’m most interested in the dino sticker book. My nephew loves dinosaurs.
I would like the 50 states as it is always fun to learn more about our great country. thank you
I am excited about Discover Earth. It will do a great job of explaining so much about the planet
The under the sea book looks interesting
My son is all about the planets now so the Discover Earth book would be fantastic for him! Thanks.
Under the sea looks so cool!
I’d like the 50 states because it would be perfect for my classroom.
My kids would love the Discover Earth book!
I home school my son with severe special needs and the Everything You Need To Know would be great for learning . I love all the them and would love, love, this set.
My son would LOVE Under the Sea cause he is fascinated by the ocean and its inhabitants
I am sure they all would be a hit, but to get them started my nephew is sure to love the sticker books, he is into the dino and underwater creatures. For my niece I am sure she would just love the did you know cards…..she is at that point where if it isn’t a statement of some fact she thinks only she knows….it is a question of something else…
I am interested in the Stickers Creations Under The Sea. I love sea animals, especially Sea Turtles and I think my nephew would be fascinated with the book.
I am most excited about Everything You Need to Know Fact Cards,because you learn about different things
They all look interesting, but I really excited about the Under the Sea book. Thanks for the review.
I am most excited about the Discover:Earth. My son loves learning facts about everything and I think he would enjoy it most.
I think my little niece would love under the sea. thankyou ken
I’m most excited about The Smithsonian Everything You Need to Know Fact Cards! My daughter is going into 3rd grade, so she’s at a great age for these.
I’m interested in Under the Sea. My daughter loves anything sea related
I am most interested in Dinosaurs and Under The Sea. I am teaching my kids preschool/kindergarten this year and those would work out well in our themes “Dinosaurs” and theme “Ocean”.
I’d like the Under the Sea- we’ve always loved beach vacations and snorkeling and this is a good learning tool for what we do
I’d love the 50 states set; my older daughter is going into 4th grade this year which is when they have to memorize states and capitals. This would be great help for her!
I am most interested in the dinosaur book because my niece is just plain nuts for dinosaurs.
Under the sea! My kids love fish so this would be fun!
50 States – looks like a great book for my niece
I love the Sticker Creations Under the Sea. My granddaughter is so interested in the ocean and ocean life and it would be lots of fun to teach and talk with her using this wonderful resource.
I’m most interested in The Smithsonian Everything You Need to Know Fact Cards because they allow kiddos to learn fun and interesting facts basted on their skill (or current grade)
It is a toss up between the 50th State and Sea creatures so I would say the Sea Creatures sticker book.
The Under the Sea and Dinosaurs interactive books would be very interesting for our family because we enjoy learning about animals. Thanks!
I think my daughter would like the 50 states book the best because that is what she is working on at school.
I think my daughter would like the 50 states book, we are traveling alot this year, be fun for her to take with her.
My Granddaughter would like the Under The Sea book because she loves dolphins.
My best friend is a elementary school teacher and these would be great for her classroom. Under the Sea looks really neat and I may have to sit in on her class to see them if I win!
My son would love the sticker creations Under The Sea book. He loves aquatic creatures.
discover earth looks like a good one
Grandson would love the Under the Sea Sticker Book, he loves anything to do with the ocean!
My nephew loves dinosaurs, so the sticker creations dinosaurs would be perfect for him
My grandson would love the Smithsonian Discover: Earth book. He is always looking at books about our planet.
I think I like the dinasaur book the best because I think it would be the first to catch my grandchild’s eyes.
My kids would like the discover the earth and the dinosaurs
My son would love the dinosaur book! He just loves his dinosaurs/
My son would love the Dinosaur Sticker Creations.
i am most interested in under the sea because my son loves all animals and has a huge interest in sea creatures right now.
The Discover Earth one looks awesome!
My son would absolutely LOVE the Dinosaur book!
My son would love the states book for his classroom.
I think the Discover Earth book looks fun. My son would like any of them.
I am excited about Under the Sea. My family loves the water and anything to do with it.
I’m most excited about Under the Sea because my son loves sea life.
I’m excited about the Dinosaurs book because my youngest son has recently taken a big interest in dinosaurs.
under the sea book
I like the Under The Sea. We love the aquarium and these would be a great learning experience.
I like the set Everything you need to know…. I am sure it is full of facinating things.
Since my daughter is learning about the states, I’m most interested in the 50 States.
Honestly, all of them look wonderful but the 50 States one would probably interest my 3rd grader the most.
I am most interested in the Under the Sea book because I have 1 child that is fascinated with sharks and another that wants to be a marine biologist.
My son loves dinosaurs so the sticker book would be his favorite
The dinosaur book! Because- my son is very “into” them , and i think we would have alot of fun reading it!!! thanks for the chance!
I think i am most looking forward to Smithsonian Discover: Earth, simple although i think my little girl will love them all, she is most likely going to favor that one for a while 😉