Braincandy Senses Series Review and Giveaway
Written by valmg on July 30, 2008 – 5:07 pm
I was thrilled to recently have an opportunity to review the Braincandy 5 Senses series of DVDs. The DVDs are stated to be for children ages 6 months to 4 years old. I have a 9 year old son with Down Syndrome who has developmental delays. After reading the philosophy behind the DVDs, which is that all children learn differently and should be encouraged to learn naturally, I was very eager to see how he liked it.
What makes Braincandy DVDs great is that they show real children doing real things. The DVDs encourage children to have fun observing, exploring and experiencing the world around them. I suspect many children just enjoy these videos without ever realizing they’re learning things. Braincandy is about children doing simple things that come naturally. You and I might not think putting our hands in a bowl of spaghetti is fun (or clean), but how else DO you learn what spaghetti and sauce feels like? You don’t. You can’t just teach what the senses are because without experiencing the senses, verbalizing them doesn’t make as much sense. I’d actually consider these DVDs to be in the “edutainment” category. Braincandy shows children learning and having fun. Because children watching will also want to have fun in the way they’ve just seen, they’ll be learning too.
There are five titles available in the series – Hear My World, See My World, Smell My world, Taste My World and Touch My World. Along with real children doing real things, each of the DVDs also includes members of The Sense Gang – Bruce Brain, Ivy Eyes, Ana Ear, Nusi Nose, Mojo Mouth and Harry Hand. Activities and questions are sprinkled throughout each DVD for your child to try and answer. My son’s favorite DVD is See My World, followed closely by Touch My World. Don’t get me wrong, he enjoyed them all enough that he was glued to the spot on the couch while they were on. We got a kick out of the way he kept yelling out random things while watching. After watching each of these DVDs we noticed CJ doing some of the activities he’d seen shown. I liked all of the DVDs, but I found myself sort of favoring Smell My World. I definitely recommend these DVDs.
Braincandy Senses DVDs are available for purchase on the Braincandy website as well as on Amazon.com. It is available nationwide in Borders bookstores and select specialty stores. The Braincandy 5 Senses series has won 25 awards. Parents and children are raving about this series and it’s easy to understand why. If you’d like to see for yourself, just click Sample on the Braincandy website.
Braincandy has been generous enough to offer an entire set of Braincandy Senses DVDs to one winner for this giveaway. That’s a $75 value people! To enter you’ll need to go check out the Braincandy website and go to the Braincandy online store. Take a look at each of the 5 DVDs in the series and leave a comment on this post telling me which DVD you’d like most to share with your child and why. For one bonus entry write about this giveaway on your blog, linking to the Braincandy website and this post. For an additional bonus entry either subscribe to my rss feed or place my button on your blog. Please leave all entries in one comment.
Only comments containing this information will be entered into the drawing. Giveaway ends at 11:59pm est on Sunday 08/03/08. Winners will be chosen at random. The winner must contact me within 72 hours of being notified by me to confirm they wish to receive the prize. US addresses only please.
THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
reeva
July 31st, 2008 at 5:17 am
i’d love ’see my world’ because it would help him relate a physical item to a word.
Great giveaway! I hope i’m the lucky winner
GrnMtnGirl
July 31st, 2008 at 6:16 am
Honestly, the descriptions weren’t very descriptive. I’m most interested in how “taste my world” and “smell my world” are going to work and whether children will be more interested in trying new foods after watching them.
Thanks!
Kristi
July 31st, 2008 at 7:29 am
I think if I had the choice, I would pick hear the world for my son. He still has speech issues even though he’s almost four. the issues are related to not being able to hear for the first two years of his life.
Millicent
July 31st, 2008 at 7:46 am
Taste. I think my boys would like this one the best because they love trying new foods. (strange I know esp. from kids) Thanks for a chance to win!
Tish
July 31st, 2008 at 8:31 am
Yummy or yucky? Bruce Brain, Mojo Mouth and the Sense Gang taste their way through this delicious adventure! Every taste bud on your little thinker’s toungue explodes with lessons about the world. Trying new foods even becomes fun! Country vibes get children up and dancing. From lemons to lollypops, these lessons are definitely sweet fun!
I would love for my 2 year old godson to have these DVD’s. Especially the taste one… we always try to encourage him to take a “polite bite” when it comes to trying something new, maybe this will help him.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Barbara Baker
July 31st, 2008 at 8:44 am
Aside from all the DVD’s being perfect for my kids, the one I like most is the see my world…this is just a great way to expore with our eyes which we all tend to take for granted. I think these DVDs are excellent for children older than the age implimented…my girls went goo-goo when I showed these to them and they loved the brain puppet too.
Great giveaway, I would so love to win for my girls!!!
Sheryl
July 31st, 2008 at 8:54 am
I would love to show my boys Taste my World - I think we overlook the joy of taste and it would be fun to hear/see more about it. Thank you kindly!
Janet F
July 31st, 2008 at 8:57 am
I would like to share taste because my little grandson is learning about the different flavor of food.
LUCINDA H
July 31st, 2008 at 9:02 am
I would love to win Touch my world, my DD has some speech issues and we are learning sign language and I think she would love it.Thanks!!
Sandra
July 31st, 2008 at 10:38 am
I would like to try taste my world as my son has always been reluctant to try new foods…Perhaps this will help him normalize things a bit.
owatz (AT) telus (DOT) net
Marina John
July 31st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Wud def go for taste my world as Im trying to get my little one to explore tastes….she’s not very experimentive!
Susan Taylor
July 31st, 2008 at 10:39 am
I subscribe already to your site so I receieved an email about this. Thanks for letting me know and thanks for the giveaway.
I like See My World. It has things kids love
butterfiles, bubbles, and boats as well as games like peekaboo and a scavenger hunt. This would be used at my house when little ones come to visit.
tiffany lane
July 31st, 2008 at 10:40 am
My daughter would love See my World. She loves interactiong with tv and seeing new animals. THanks for the genorous giveaway.
Jenny
July 31st, 2008 at 10:46 am
I would want the “Hear My World” one for my daughter. She loves music (and so do I) and I think she’d enjoy it.
the_other_alice_ (at) yahoo.com
Amy
July 31st, 2008 at 11:00 am
I like the ‘hear’ DVD. I have boys, and for some reason they think that some sounds are hilarious!
tami lewis
July 31st, 2008 at 12:33 pm
i choose hear my world becuz i think we don’t listen well enuf in this world and this could maybe help us to tune in a bit more.
Trisha
July 31st, 2008 at 12:42 pm
This series sounds amazing! My 1 year old has recently started watching shows on TV, and this would be great for her. I think our favorite would be “Touch my World,” since my daughter LOVES to touch things. She is such a textile person. Thank you for such a great giveaway!
Stephanie V
July 31st, 2008 at 1:32 pm
See my world because I always explain what we are seeing when we take our daily walks. Want to train my little boy to not miss details.
Suzanne
July 31st, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Hear my world because she loves music!
Melissa
July 31st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I’d like to get the Touch My World for my nephew. He had brain surgery 2 years ago (he barely turned 3) and as a result he doesn’t have full range of motion. He tends to baby his left side as a result but I think he would start using that side without realizing it given something fun that encourages him to touch everything!
Sarah B
July 31st, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I would like most to introduce my son to the ‘taste’ movie. He is starting to eat new foods now and his daddy is a very picky eater. I will need all the help I can get to encourage my son to taste fun flavors from all over the world.
Kristie
July 31st, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I would love for my daughter to see “Taste my World”! She started off liking all sorts of food and has now become very picky. I even have a hard time feeding her Mac & Cheese and I thought all kids loved that! I think the DVD might get her interested in trying different foods again
Fedora
July 31st, 2008 at 2:16 pm
What a cute series! Thanks for bringing them to our attention–I’d most like to share Hear My World with my youngest. I think he already enjoys music and listening, and this would be right up his alley!
Thanks for the contest!
Natalie
July 31st, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I’d like to share Taste My World with my 3 year old. She loves anything purple and she loves to eat! LOL! Thanks for the chance to win! (BTW…we have See My World and my daughter loves it and asks to watch it everyday. So if I won I’d give that one away to someone.)
Alice Hansen
July 31st, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I’d like to see the “See my world” dvd - I like how it does interactive things like has a scavenger hunt, and uses classical music as a soundtrack. Thanks!
Cristina
July 31st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Taste My World, because it shows kids that trying new foods is fun. I think it’s a great lesson.
sandy
July 31st, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Great review of some very interesting DVDs! I’m not sure why i haven’t even heard of these before. They sound wonderful and so different than then anything i’ve seen or heard before… plus they sound smart too. Will be getting these for my grandson and granddaughter for their upcomgin birthdays this August…perfect timing!
thank you,
Sandy
Kaycee
July 31st, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Well, what another cute giveaway!!
My daughter would love these. I think i’d choose the BrainCandy-See My World for her.
I’m also adding your button to my blog.
Paula H
July 31st, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I would pick Smell. My daughter has to smell everything. She has actually cried because something stunk
She would love knowing how her sense of smell works.
Jackie H
July 31st, 2008 at 4:23 pm
What a great giveaway! I think Smell My World would be the most interesting for my kiddies - they are really into smelling everything these days!
Gina Stratos
July 31st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Taste. Food is always a struggle w/my kids. this might be a great way to get them talking about it or even trying new things.
gkstratos@yahoo.com
misty
July 31st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I’d choose Taste because my daughter is such a picky eater. It’d be good for her to learn that not all things taste so bad. Thanks so much for the opportunity.
I am also a subscriber.
Ellie
July 31st, 2008 at 5:22 pm
My son would love “Hear my World”. I love that it teaches them some listening skills.
heather
July 31st, 2008 at 6:18 pm
I like the see the world! My daughter loves seeing new things. that would be fun!
Sara G
July 31st, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I love the SEE world one because it said “watch your child’s eyes light up” and I LOVE to see my girls beautiful eyes brighten with excitement! Thanks!
megan
July 31st, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I think any of these dvds would be a great prize but right now I think my daughter would be most into the See My World.
Suzie G
July 31st, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I like Touch My World the most. It would be great for my daughter because she’s always touching everything! I think she’s going to be a very hands-on child when she’s older!
Sabrina
July 31st, 2008 at 8:13 pm
This single mommy would love to give her daughter something like this!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kam A
July 31st, 2008 at 8:52 pm
I think Taste would be an interesting one- my sons love to eat and it would be fun to explore more about this sense through a DVD! Thank you for the giveaway!
Julie Donahue
July 31st, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I think I’d like the sound one. It just looks fun.
Reiza
July 31st, 2008 at 10:15 pm
I’d like the Hear My World one. We know a little girl who is deaf and I’d really like a way to help the kids better understand hearing and how it works.
Cindi
July 31st, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Hello, I would like to start with the “Listening” Sense Gang! One game I have always enjoyed in the listening game of telephone. You also take a delightful listening walk through the park. Please enter me in your delightful drawing. Thanks, Cindi
Kyra
August 1st, 2008 at 12:16 am
I’d love to win “Hear my world”! My son actually lost his hearing for about 2 months before he got tubes in his ears and now has a speech delay, I’d love to use this with him to help him focus on listening!
Sarah Berry
August 1st, 2008 at 1:32 am
Smell my World because it emphasizes a sense that many people take for granted been a long time since I stopped and smelled the roses
christene
August 1st, 2008 at 3:01 am
Right now we would be most interedted in the taste this world DVD..My four year old is very picky with food and anythin that might get him to explore other foods would be great
CanCan (Mom Most Traveled)
August 1st, 2008 at 3:49 am
I would like to watch Smell My World with my child. He always says, “That smells tasty!”. So I would like for him to have other words to describe smells.
onlycancan at hotmail dot com
Terra Heck
August 1st, 2008 at 5:32 am
My kids would like this. I think ‘See My World’ would be great because it would help the kids see the world through others.
Chelise Patterson
August 1st, 2008 at 8:40 am
I would want to show my 11-month old the Taste My World video, and hopefully it will help her understand what things are good to put in her mouth and what things are not!
I have never heard of these videos. They look right up my girl’s alley!
SDB
August 1st, 2008 at 10:17 am
Baby B has just started eating cereal so I think the tasting one is the best! Thank you!
Beth
August 1st, 2008 at 10:44 am
I think I’d like the hear my world one because he’s not a very good listener
Maybe this would help!! Thanks!
Shannon
August 1st, 2008 at 10:49 am
I would like the Taste dvd.
My son has really bad oral aversion and maybe these dvd’s would open him up to more foods.
palmersf(at)bellsouth(dot)net
kelli
August 1st, 2008 at 11:41 am
Smells look like fun! My sons are really into what’s growing in the garden and we’re talking about how things smell different (compost, soil, flowers, leaves, etc.)
Jill Rivera
August 1st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Thank you for the chance to win this.
Heather
August 1st, 2008 at 12:23 pm
It’s really hard to choose only one without having seen them before. I would probably start with “hear my world” because it would be easier to show that on a dvd! How do you communicate taste on dvd?
Karen
August 1st, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Taste My World because we saw this at a friends house and my kids were excited to taste new things!
Cherie J
August 1st, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I would love the Taste My World DVD for my daughter since I have been trying to encourage her to taste things and learning the importance of taste would reinforce this. Thanks for the contest!
Kim
August 1st, 2008 at 1:59 pm
What a great concept. I would LOVE HEar my world. My youngest is delayed in speech and hearing becasue of being born pre mature. He is catching up now (at 4 1/2) but this would help him tremendously! Thank you
Alexandra Hancock
August 1st, 2008 at 3:09 pm
i’d like hear my world best. both of us parents are musicians and we want to instill the love of sounds.
alexandra dot hancock at gmail dot com
Carlee
August 1st, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I’m a total foodie, so I think I would like to share “Taste my World” with my daughter. It would be interesting to see how they describe taste on DVD. How fun.
sandra
August 1st, 2008 at 7:02 pm
my daughter would love these!
Laura
August 2nd, 2008 at 12:10 am
I’d love to share the taste dvd. My little one is just fascinated with the kitchen and cooking lately - it would be a neat tie-in.
Kristie Noguera
August 2nd, 2008 at 1:16 am
I would pick hear the world because I like the idea of play telephone and I enjoy listening to music with my kids.
Lisa
August 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 am
I’d go with Smell My World. I already own Hear My World and my kids love it! They sing and dance with the video.
Melon
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:50 am
I like the taste my world, we have such strong ties to comfort food.
Dani’
August 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 am
Taste my world or see my world for my niece. She has had a few delays and these look fun for her. solta(at)hotmaildotcom
Pamela White
August 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Hear My World DVD would be my choice. With all the environmental noise in my life it would be fun to tune into sounds and help my child in later life discern different sounds from the din.
loki
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Hear my world would be great for my son! He is curious about sounds like sirens, trains, rain, planes, thunder, bird chirping etc!
Anne
August 2nd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
The Taste My World I would like to see with my son. Trying new foods is always a challenge and would love to see what he does after he see this. Thanks for the chance to win!
lorene
August 2nd, 2008 at 7:19 pm
“hear my world” interests me since I am a teacher of the Deaf
Julie B
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I think Taste My World would be good for my daughter, as she loves to eat!!! So I think she’d really like this.
Molly Capel
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:27 am
I’d like see your world. As my kids are very visual.
Audra Marie
August 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I think I’d like to sit down and watch Hear My World with my son. He is struggling with his speech and I think developing the habit of listening more closely would help a lot. These look great.
Sharon Jones
August 3rd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Taste My World for my granddaughter…eating is her favorite thing :O)
Thanks for great contest!
kathy pease
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:37 pm
the see my world would be great cause there are so many beautiful things to see in life
Jessica
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I would pick hear my world for my DD who has speech issues. Thanks!