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Brain Training 101: A Clever Way to Entertain Kiddos

September 24, 2013 By Lena

‘Tis the season for back to school, and thus, ’tis the season for gadget reviews! Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of testing out some brand new electronic toys; specifically, a phone, an ultrabook and a brand new Mobile All-in-One Desktop PC. (Yes, I’m feeling très geek chic.) The truth is, even though I’m not a tech writer, I have a pretty good handle on what works well for my family, and hence, am enthused to share some of our favourite gadgets for the new school year. Let’s begin with the All-in-One.

Courtesy of HP, we received the new HP ENVY Rove 20 Mobile All-in-One Desktop PC. Touted as “the desktop with a built-in battery that leaves the desk behind”, your family can enjoy an all-in-one that moves with you. Stand the touchscreen upright to watch movies, then move it to the living room and lay it flat for group games and creative projects. Think of it as the king of tablets. And when I say king, I mean King Kong, because the 20-inch HD display is downright massive.

So, Ryder has been at school for just over 3 weeks now. And even though I feared he may have an awkward, fearful transition – he had been just fine. More than fine, actually; while he still shows signs of anxiety, he also shows excitement for going to class because he loves to learn. Reading, writing, math and art – you name it – he is utterly obsessed with gaining knowledge. And so we try to tailor the activities at home to keep the Brain Training alive; you’ll often find Ryder’s head buried in a primary reader, assembling 100-piece puzzles on the floor and always, always colouring. (And shouting at little Reid to colour between the lines.)

Last month, HP issued a Brain Training Challenge aimed at helping parents and teachers give young learners the creative edge in a competitive world. I was asked to perform a series of challenges with my boys in the first few weeks of school – a “kick start” of sorts to get their creative and analytic juices flowing from the beginning. Of course, I had the perfect tester!

Before I chat about the visually-striking, family friendly educational apps we tried, I really should point something out. See the HP ENVY Rove 20 Mobile All-in-One Desktop PC on my coffee table? Did you notice anything that’s missing? Oh, just the EXTENSION CORD – that’s right, with a built-in battery, my entire “home office” is now completely mobile! So when I’m not pounding away on the keyboard drumming up blog posts, the kiddos are watching movies online, playing games and fighting over taking turns with the apps I’ve downloaded from the Windows store.

Our family favourite is the Fresh Paint app. With two young boys who adore colouring, it’s easy to see why they’d be drawn (no pun intended) to an app that allows them to express themselves creatively! The app is free to download but there are a few inexpensive add-ons that you may want to purchase – like this Finding Nemo colouring book with 22 sheets. For just $2.99, I bought myself hours and hours of freedom. The whine-free kind of freedom.

The touchscreen is completely intuitive, very responsive and perfectly suited for tiny little fingertips. But here’s why it receives an A+ chez Lena… see below. The boys are playing their favourite puzzle game, JIG WARS. (It’s also MY favourite puzzle game, because we don’t have to deal with stray pieces under our couch.) You’ll notice that we’ve flattened the hinged stand (very awesome feature, BTW) so that the boys can play together. That’s right – together.

The 10-point touchscreen responds to multiple gestures at once! So the boys can tap, swipe, and type away at the same time, allowing them to play games, draw pictures or make beautiful music – in harmony. No more arguing over who gets the to play with the tablet! With the HP ENVY Rove 20 Mobile All-in-One Desktop PC, they’re sharing the screen time. And that translates to 50% less scream time for me!

Of course, every successful puzzle collaboration deserves a celebration. GO BOYS!

App-tually speaking, we’re also huge fans of Puzzle Touch, Animal Sound Box, Zoo Train and Star Chart, all available for download at the Windows Store.

Ryder has been getting his learn-on at home thanks to the wonderful myriad of creative apps available to Windows 8 users. At any given time, I can see him participate in art, biology, science or math-related activities which truly do help stimulate his learning and creativity. I’m ecstatic to take on the other Brain Training Challenges, and will be back later this week with an update. In the meantime, check out the HP ENVY Rove 20 Mobile All-in-One Desktop PC; it’s perfectly suited to families and is one of my favourite new gadgets for back-to-school 2013.

The HP products mentioned in this blog post were supplied by HP Canada.

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: #HPFamilyTime, back to school, HP ENVY Rove 20 Mobile All-in-One Desktop PC, review

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    September 24, 2013 at 10:56 am

    wow thats a huge screen! I wanna play!

    • Lena

      September 24, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      Hahaha come on over! Ryder is the reigning JIG WARS champion; you can challenge him!

    • larry

      November 13, 2013 at 11:19 pm

      Awesome.

  2. RubyRed67

    September 24, 2013 at 11:09 am

    This exact computer is on my wish list for Christmas! I had no idea that it folded down into an oversized tablet, so thank you for demonstrating that. Looks even better to me now!

    • Lena

      September 24, 2013 at 1:14 pm

      So awesome! Yes, it’s really handy when it folds down because then it becomes a tablet for entertainment!

  3. Jenny

    September 24, 2013 at 12:10 pm

    A battery backup on the computer is huge. Really like that it’s so portable. What is the battery life like, Lena?

    • Lena

      September 24, 2013 at 1:17 pm

      So far it’s given us at least 5 hours, but I honestly haven’t tested it to its full potential. I’ll let you know!

  4. Meghan

    September 24, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    OMG how cute are your boys? How old are they? Looks like they’re having a great time, it’s nice to see them playing together on a touchscreen, we usually have to take turns and that doesn’t always work out.

    • Lena

      September 24, 2013 at 1:30 pm

      Thanks Meghan! They’re 3 and 5 :) And I love that they can play together – makes for great family time!

  5. Tenille

    September 24, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    Oh I LOVE the Paint App, but haven’t downloaded any coloring books yet. I’m going to do that today, not because I’m looking for an hour of distraction for the kids but because I love them and want to enrich them and their creative side. Yeah, that’s it.

    • Lena

      September 24, 2013 at 1:33 pm

      Hahaha – of course! That’s exactly why I purchased the colouring book. Because it’s enriching.

  6. Brenda Penton

    September 24, 2013 at 12:58 pm

    I wasn’t expecting it to be that big! Looks like it would be a lot of fun and with screen that size, it is perfect for kids to both look on.

    • Lena

      September 24, 2013 at 1:34 pm

      It’s massive Brenda – and the perfect size for tag-team fun!

  7. Judy C (Cowan)

    September 24, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    Looks like a great system. Looks like your boys are having a blast with it.

    • Lena

      September 24, 2013 at 1:35 pm

      They are! And they do!

  8. Ira

    September 24, 2013 at 4:09 pm

    Oh, this is finally a tablet that appeals to me :) I have absolutely no use for those tiny ones…

    • Lena

      September 26, 2013 at 1:07 pm

      Hahaha it definitely has more than enough “screen” to do the job!

  9. Doris Calvert

    September 25, 2013 at 12:08 am

    This is on my wish list too! I think it’s such a cool program for kids, adults too!

    • Lena

      September 26, 2013 at 1:08 pm

      Absolutely! It’s great for the whole family!

  10. Todd Lovessweeps

    September 25, 2013 at 9:26 am

    Wow that is really big – I must have one of these. Looks like the boys enjoyed it.

    • Lena

      September 26, 2013 at 1:08 pm

      They continue to love it :)

  11. Tricha

    September 25, 2013 at 9:59 am

    Oh, drool envy, I want one Lena. How awesome is this, allowing both kids to play together. Unheard of in my household.

    • Lena

      September 26, 2013 at 1:09 pm

      I completely know what you mean, because until this baby came along, I was in the same boat! Definitely a great investment.

  12. Marissa

    September 25, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    Awesome! I love the huge screen and the boys are really having a blast playing together.

    • Lena

      September 26, 2013 at 1:09 pm

      Yup, not too many screams – for either of us!

  13. Flora M

    September 26, 2013 at 3:10 pm

    Looks amazing – I wonder how much it weighs (was looking at their site and it didn’t say). Glad your boys are able to play on it at the same time – something my 2 youngest granddaughters need (and leave “mommy’s” laptop alone then).

    • Lena

      October 7, 2013 at 3:46 am

      Flora, it’s much heavier than an average tablet, but definitely portable :)

  14. Anne Taylor

    September 28, 2013 at 12:51 pm

    This looks fantastic! Can’t beat learning and having fun at the same time! Your boys look like they’re having a great time!

    • Lena

      October 7, 2013 at 3:46 am

      Thanks Anne – we love it!

  15. Victoria Ess

    October 3, 2013 at 9:18 am

    You totally captured their enjoyment through the photos :)

    • Lena

      October 7, 2013 at 3:46 am

      Thank you Victoria :)

  16. Carrie F

    October 14, 2013 at 7:47 pm

    Looks amazing.

  17. Stephanie S.

    October 14, 2013 at 7:58 pm

    Thats one massiveeeeee screen LOL holy! that would be a blast for the childcare kids, my daughter & I. The kids look like they are having Soooooo much fun haha xx

  18. michelle

    October 14, 2013 at 7:59 pm

    Brilliant

  19. Sabrina T

    October 14, 2013 at 8:06 pm

    Great team work! I really like that there’s no cord to trip over as my toddler gets bigger and into more things I like the idea of having one less thing to plug in and I can place it higher and out of reach without cords to wrap or put away.

  20. Doris Calvert

    October 14, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    I read a lot about this and it’s so amazing! Wish it all was around when I was younger!

  21. LJ

    October 14, 2013 at 8:19 pm

    That is a big screen and love the artistic options!

  22. Jennifer C aka JusticeSadie

    October 14, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    WOW that is one Massive Screen. My boys would love this

  23. Lillian Brown

    October 14, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    wow thats a huge screen! grandchildren would love this

  24. Cheryl Allmas

    October 14, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    I would love an all in one pc and the screen is huge.

  25. ginette4

    October 14, 2013 at 10:37 pm

    Wow I wish they would of had that technology when my girls were young, they loved to colour and would have had a ball with this!

  26. Jenness M

    October 14, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    That screen is amazing! This is now on the Xmas list

  27. Tricha

    October 15, 2013 at 9:48 am

    I do like the Fresh Paint app. A neat way to paint and mommy doesn’t have to clean up.

  28. Debbie Bashford

    October 15, 2013 at 10:00 am

    that is some big tablet, love that fresh paint app

  29. Jennifer Hatton

    October 15, 2013 at 10:20 am

    Wow – that is so cool – I was reading this and didn’t realize my 7 and 12 years olds were looking over my shoulder! Now they both want one? Dual xmas gift? Nice Idea! Thanks!

  30. Teresa Claire

    October 15, 2013 at 12:41 pm

    The boys rock!! This looks like fabulous technology…bit of a computer geek, me. The boys are so great at sharing and compromise. Is it like this all of the time, Lena? Sara was very good at sharing with her cousin but her cousin not so much.

  31. Teresa Claire

    October 15, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    A 20″ display would be wonderful for me…vision isn’t so 20/20 anymore. I know that Sara would love a larger screen for viewing her movies.

  32. Andrea B.

    October 15, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    This looks like such an awesome app for kids. Going to check it out for my kidlets. Thanks!

  33. Debbie S.

    October 15, 2013 at 1:24 pm

    Fun and entertaining!

  34. caryn s

    October 15, 2013 at 2:55 pm

    Love the huge screen and the colouring app is awesome!

  35. Judy C (Cowan)

    October 15, 2013 at 5:03 pm

    Looks like an amazing tablet and I love the look of the Fresh Paint App! Looks like you boys were having a blast with it.

  36. Haylie Langwald

    October 15, 2013 at 7:43 pm

    Wow, that screen is way bigger than I imagined!

  37. Holly

    October 16, 2013 at 2:51 am

    The fresh paint app looks awesome. I love that they can play TOGETHER and not have to take turns!

  38. stacey dempsey

    October 16, 2013 at 4:03 am

    I love that they look so happy playing with it. I had 3 kids very close together so they often all wanted to play with the same thing at the same time , so this would have been great when they were that age

  39. Jason

    October 16, 2013 at 9:53 am

    I’ve only read this post so far and I want to run out and buy 1! I love the fact that companies are incorporating toddlers and young kids in the apps and products they make. We’re in an era where technology is important and having kids learning how to work them as well as learning educationally at the same time is brilliant :)

  40. angela m

    October 16, 2013 at 11:49 am

    Wow that is awesome, My kids would have so much fun with it. (and mommy and daddy) :-)

  41. Travelbuds

    October 16, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    that would be huge in my household as my two 2 fight over who gets to play on the ipad all the time. I love that the kids could play together.

  42. Savanah Ozman

    October 16, 2013 at 4:50 pm

    This is awesome, its like an tablet on steroids seriously its huge and i like big screens:) I WANT it!!

  43. Heidi C.

    October 16, 2013 at 10:11 pm

    What a large, bright screen! My gang might actually share using it instead of fighting over it!

  44. Nell C.

    October 17, 2013 at 7:54 am

    I’m impressed that it folds down into a MASSIVE tablet, and the multi-touch is a great way to interact with your child and not having to isolate them while you “show them” how its done!

  45. Amanda

    October 17, 2013 at 11:51 am

    Wow, that thing is huge! I LOVE that more then one person can play on it at once. I think I may seriously have to consider this for my children!

  46. Marla

    October 18, 2013 at 6:16 am

    This is super cute! And I love how huge the screen is. I think my girls will love this!

  47. Lynn M

    October 18, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    Wow,my boys would love this!!

  48. SueSueper

    October 19, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    Gosh, that looks so much fun for the kiddos! I can’t believe how big that screen appears.

  49. Lisa H

    October 20, 2013 at 1:20 am

    The Fresh Paint app looks like a lot for fun for the kids. I think I’d also have some fun with it too!

  50. loriag

    October 20, 2013 at 10:11 am

    I am most definitely drooling over this one. Fun as well.

  51. Teresa K

    October 20, 2013 at 4:46 pm

    I want this gadget ! When I get my hands on it, I wouldn’t share with my family ! :)

  52. Jenny

    October 20, 2013 at 10:11 pm

    This item looks like so much fun!

  53. Amanda Neilson

    October 21, 2013 at 10:20 am

    This computer is on my Christmas list for Santa!

  54. Emily Smith // The Best of this Life

    October 21, 2013 at 6:23 pm

    Wow, what an awesome gizmo. Love that you can do drawing and painting right on the tablet – very neat!

  55. Florence C

    October 21, 2013 at 9:39 pm

    Love the big screen and the paint app.

  56. Soozle

    October 22, 2013 at 7:58 am

    I love how large the screen is.. Kids really need to stay on top of the tech world these days (as it’s the way of the world!) so anything to keep them up to speed while still learning is a bonus :)

  57. Crystal Englot

    October 22, 2013 at 3:27 pm

    This is fabulous! Brain training is something that you are never to young or too old to do! My son has fun with me as we do different fun brain training games and exercises

  58. MLV

    October 22, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    I never realized how big the screen was until I saw your kids playing! They both look like they are having so much fun! I know little one would love to play games on this. It’s harder to play puzzle games on my phone since it’s a smaller screen compared to this!

  59. Jenny

    October 23, 2013 at 11:54 am

    I have never thought that board games can now be played not on a board! It’s so exciting!

  60. Deana

    October 23, 2013 at 12:07 pm

    My daughter would love this!

  61. Valerie Godin

    October 24, 2013 at 11:54 am

    Oh my! Love this!

  62. heather

    October 25, 2013 at 10:17 am

    My son really loves playing with gadgets. Phones, computers, even my handheld GPS unit! This is great!

  63. Athena

    October 25, 2013 at 11:11 pm

    It’s pretty incredible how technology has advanced, and how young kids are getting the hang of it so easily.

  64. Carol Mccreery

    October 26, 2013 at 8:17 pm

    Great screen for sharing…my boys would love it

  65. Cathy C

    October 26, 2013 at 8:19 pm

    I love the size of the Rove 20 So amazing, and yet portable. Completely changes how a computer/tablet can and will be used in the family.

  66. Jeannie

    October 26, 2013 at 8:29 pm

    Wow! The size of that screen is awesome. The kids dont’ really need to fight to get a good view with that screen.

  67. Doreen Lamoureux

    October 27, 2013 at 9:28 am

    I swear. You are a tech queen. I really loved the Fresh Paint. Wow. An awesome array of things to do for the little ones. Very awesome programs. :)

  68. Erin W

    October 27, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    I love seeing games that two people can do at once on tablets, at least using media doesn’t have to be a solitary activity!

  69. joyce L

    October 27, 2013 at 5:36 pm

    this sounds awesome!

  70. Emilia

    October 27, 2013 at 9:54 pm

    fun bonding moments for families and the kids just love to show what they have learned

  71. Cindy (@cindylee137) Procter

    October 28, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    that is one sweeet screen, would be so fantastic to have

  72. angie smith

    October 29, 2013 at 8:17 am

    okay yup my kids would go crazy nuts excited lol

  73. Vickie Cheung

    October 30, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    Wow large screen, I def need a lighter tablet to replace my huge laptop when traveling

  74. Paula Huie

    October 31, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    Wow! That is a sexy computer! It’s so important to teach kids to use technology wisely. They can learn so much and it is the way of the future. There are many great apps out to tech children. My son loves counting and ABC apps!

  75. Darlene Schuller

    November 1, 2013 at 5:17 pm

    Wow, that’s sleek! Totally love it!! Lots of new electronics floating around your house Lena! Lovin’ this.

  76. Melinda L.

    November 2, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    a mobile desktop with a huge screen? wow! Sounds like it’s totally worth it to keep the kids entertained for some time. And yay for no wires!

  77. Tammi L

    November 3, 2013 at 2:48 am

    That is sooooo cool! Makes my old ipad look puny! LOL! Would give my eye teeth for one of those.

  78. Debbie W

    November 3, 2013 at 8:57 am

    I love the huge screen. Good for young eyes and I hate to admit it, my aging eyes.

  79. Kally Zwolak

    November 4, 2013 at 8:48 pm

    I agree with Debbie W. Loving the large screen.

  80. Lee-Ann

    November 5, 2013 at 11:21 am

    This is a fabulous product – my nephews would go nuts!

  81. Tammy Dalley

    November 6, 2013 at 8:34 am

    Oh wow my boys love these coloring apps on iPad, this one I have never heard of, will have to get them this one! Thanks for sharing

  82. Sara rai

    November 8, 2013 at 10:04 pm

    Your boys are cute. Love how they are using the desktop pc together. The large screen is a must for kids now a days. It’s better for the eyes.

  83. Lisa Neutel

    November 9, 2013 at 8:28 am

    That is one hue screen..love it and all the apps

  84. Roseline

    November 9, 2013 at 8:41 am

    WOW what a beautiful family. Love the all in one PC that is awesome and a great space saver too, with the tablet and pc wow i am so impressed. my girls are the same age as your boys so they would absolutly enjoy this to it’s full potential! they even teach me stuff on my electronics!

  85. DH

    November 12, 2013 at 4:37 pm

    I’ll have to look for that app for my tablet. My 4 year old is obsessed with trying to use it but I don’t have alot of experience with kid applications. Thanks, LEna!

  86. Clifford

    November 13, 2013 at 8:36 pm

    The All In One PC is awesome, I love that it folds into a tablet. The learning apps are great, anything that we parents can do to help our children get a leg up in this competitive world is a must.

  87. Christy Martin

    November 14, 2013 at 7:15 am

    I love that it has a built-in battery and the screen size! Talk about mobile entertainment.

  88. Alisha

    November 14, 2013 at 11:20 am

    FABULOUS!! I think my son would absolutely love this! He is so into electronics its crazy!

  89. Zara

    November 14, 2013 at 11:23 am

    Wow that is a huge screen. This is exactly what I need for my boys.

  90. Bons

    November 15, 2013 at 8:58 am

    i like the big screen and thanks for sharing a great app

  91. Eva Mitton-Urban

    November 15, 2013 at 11:38 am

    Think the Puzzle Touch would be a hit with my son. Is a computer whiz and love to put things together – especially Lego. Architect in the future ? Wow some great applications for kids to utilize here.

  92. Carol M (Lushka)

    November 15, 2013 at 1:24 pm

    Love the big screen!

  93. Olivia L

    November 15, 2013 at 11:20 pm

    Oh man, that thing is huge! That goes on my covet list! ;-)

  94. Tom Ds

    November 15, 2013 at 11:24 pm

    Who doesn’t like games? :)

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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