The Giant Evolution
Timeline Play Mat by Charlie's Playhouse is an illustrated play mat that
is intended to allow kids to skip, jump and play through the history of
life, accompanied by "Charlie" Darwin. The mat contains 67
creatures from the fossil record and expands to 18 feet.
On the reverse side of
the play mat, an Activity Guide is included with multiple ideas for a
variety of age ranges and number of participants. Also included
are bits of information labeled "Kids might ask...", "Adults might
ask..." and "Educators might ask..."
The walk-on play mat
is screen printed on 100% polypropylene synthetic paper with non-toxic,
love VOC ink. The inserts are made of 100% recycled chipboard.
The play mat is stain-resistant and wipes clean with a damp cloth.
INDIVIDUAL CATEGORY RATINGS
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Hand over the Giant Evolution
Timeline Play Mat to a group of children, or one child
alone, and clear some space! In no time it'll be
stretched looooong across the floor! And that's
just part of the fun! The mat can be flipped
through or spread out for a learning adventure that
takes kids from the beginnings of evolution forward.
There is more than enough to look at and explore on the
front of the mat. But just wait until your kids
turn it over! There are games, activities and
adventures just waiting on the back. Now - the
games are all kid friendly, but depending on the age
there will definitely need to be some parent
involvement. That isn't necessarily a bad thing,
but in most cases adults will want to be involved in the
learning fun, to help read, and to help explain how some
of the games should be played. |
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Not a single durability issue here.
The mat itself is made extremely well. It is stain
resistant and wipes clean easily. The inserts are
sturdy as well. With proper care this mat won't
last quite as long as the period it covers, but there
should be no problems with it keeping nicely while your
kids learn and grow! |
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Five stars may not be enough!
First of all, our parents all noted how excited their
kids were to realize that this mat unfolds to a whopping
18 feet! Then once the kids settled in and started
exploring the map they were all super-excited at the
awesome, colorful illustrations and fun facts all over!
Well done for sure! |
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There is functionality packed
throughout all 18 feet of the Giant Evolution Timeline
Play Mat! With creatures, names and pronunciation
guides, a time ruler, storybook narrative and more
waiting for your kids to enjoy, it would be hard to ask
for more! Whether it is just reading and learning
about evolution, or working through any number of
activities, this mat has a lot going on! |
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As usual, our parents were a bit
tough when it came to pricing. In a blind survey
they estimated the price to be right around $30 - which
they noted was expensive for a "board-type" game.
With an actual retail price of just under $50, a lot of
our parents were priced right out of their range.
All were quick to comment how well the game was made,
and that there were plenty of activities, but it just
seemed more than many would be willing to spend.
The common feeling was simply - if you can afford it -
go for it, but it is expensive. |
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Five stars may not be enough here
either! Not a single member of our review team,
parents or kids, had ever encountered any game teaching
evolution, let a lone a game as cool and fun as this
one! Absolutely original - no one on our team has
played with anything like it! |
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All of the kids on our review
team really enjoyed playing with he Giant Evolution
Timeline Play Mat. It is absolutely original,
colorful and fun. And oh by the way - it's a
learning tool too - but don't tell the kids!
It is durable, well made and full of great
activities to help children learn and play!
Yes, parents will be involved in playing with this
with younger kids (but we think parents should be
involved in learning all the time!) and yes it is
priced a bit higher than many of our parents would
have liked. If you can afford the price, you
won't be disappointed with the fun and learning
you'll be bringing to your family with this awesome
play mat! |
