Learning Fun with Draw Write Now (+ a G!veaway)

The Lil Divas love to draw. They each have their own special drawing pads/books where they doodle, draw, write and create to their hearts content. I love sitting and looking through these books every now and then. It is amazing to peek at the things they sit and write or draw. Keeping everything contained in a special notebook like this is also a great way to see how their drawings or art evolve over time.

The Littlest Diva is all about flowers, rainbows, butterflies, trees, grass, peaceful scenery and the words she can spell by heart a few of her favorites being mom, dad and love. Don't you just love it when they are that age where they want to write and they are sounding things out on their own? Creative spelling is my favorite - so fun to decipher what they are writing. The only problem we often have is that the Littlest Diva gets super frustrated when she can't draw things well enough to match the elaborate picture/vision she has in her head.

The Oldest Diva is definitely our resident artist. She takes her drawings, or "pictures" as she calls them,  very seriously.  It's not uncommon to find her bent over her book for long periods of time as she draws picture after picture of girls in various dresses (future fashion artist or clothing designer, perhaps?), places we have been, things se sees, etc. I love how she finds inspiration in everything.

When I was contacted by Barker Creek regarding their award winning Draw Write Now series of books, I knew it was something the Lil Divas would want to try.

Barker Creek generously sent us their amazing Draw Write Now boxed set. They are geared for children in K-3rd grade (ages 5-9 years old). The boxed set includes all 8 books in the Draw Write Now series. Each full color book is 64 pages and contains 21 drawing and writing lessons. Each drawing lesson has step-by-step instructions, with the newest steps being in red. This makes them very easy to follow, since they stand out against the black drawings. 

There is a wide range of topics which are covered by the 8 books in the series. Book One covers the farm, kids & critters and storybook characters. It is also the easiest of the series and a great place for beginners to start. I am looking forward to using Book 2 & 3 this month as we discuss fall and Thanksgiving. Book Two deals with Christopher Columbus, autumn harvest and the weather. Book Three introduces Native Americans, North America and the Pilgrims. 

Book Four is my personal favorite as it deals with the polar regions, the Arctic and the Antarctic (I love polar bears!). I will be using it when we discuss polar animals in winter. Book Five, the most difficult of the series, deals with the United States, from sea to sea and moving forward - this was the Oldest Divas favorite book so far. The Littlest Diva was drawn to Book Six which deals with animal habitats. Book Seven introduces animals of the world from forests. Book Eight introduces animals of the world from the Savannah, Grasslands, Mountains and Deserts. These books would be great in the classroom. How wonderful would it be to enrich science and social studies lessons with art? 

The Oldest Diva (6.5+ years) is really into historical facts about the United States, our US Presidents and of course famous landmarks.  It was not a surprise to me that she was instantly drawn to Book Five which deals with the United States, even though it is the most challenging book of the series. She was determined to learn how to draw the Statue of Liberty - her absolute favorite US landmark. 

The Oldest Diva followed the step-by-step instructions and did a great job of recreating the Statue of Liberty on her own. She added some personal touches to make the picture her own and was so proud of her finished product. I have to admit I was pretty amazed by how good it looked myself and I liked that she used the book as a guide but she didn't let it keep her from doing things the way she liked as far as her own artwork.

The Littlest Diva (age 5) who loves all things nature opted to draw a bird from Book Seven. She was so excited to finally be able to make something that really looked like a bird - she always draws those little m's flying in the sky that we all know as birds, hehe. She too added details to her picture to make it her own, including grass, the sun, butterflies, an apple tree, a rainbow and a nice fat worm for her bird to eat.  

Both girls spent a great deal of time creating their drawings with these books as a guide and making them their own. Aren't they fantastic?

Over time, they have worked on quite a few of the lessons in the series. They have been drawing elephants, giraffes and pilgrims to name a few. I am not ashamed to admit that even this mama has gotten in on the fun and used the books to draw my favorite animals - a polar bear and a giraffe. I felt like quite the artist myself . 

 I can honestly say that these books are super easy to follow (my 5 year old is able to use them independently), the series has a wide variety of topics covered and as a teacher i love that each drawing lesson includes 4 sentences/facts about what is being drawn further extending the drawing into a writing lesson.   

The boxed set we reviewed would make a fabulous Christmas or birthday gift for a child, don't you think? I know a few kids who would love this. Just look at everything that is included:

Barker Creek also offers a wide range of additional products as well. To learn more about them and their products visit their website or become a fan of their Facebook page.

Now, I am super excited to announce that you can WIN your very own Draw Write NOW boxed set like the one featured above! How awesome is that? The fab people over at Barker Creek are providing one of these boxed sets ( a $99.99 value!) to one lucky Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas (US only) reader.

Click on the Rafflecopter form below for all the how to's and please read our official sweepstakes/giveaway rules & info before entering.

Good Luck,

Bern

Disclosure- I received promotional products to facilitate this review and giveaway. The experiences and opinions shared are my own. Please keep in mind that your experiences may differ.

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