I don’t know about everyone else, but both of my kiddos love Expo markers. It is so fun to create masterpieces, take a picture, erase and repeat. My children also use Expo markers for more academic pursuits – my youngest loves to write letters and my oldest likes to do math equations on marker boards. Gee, writing that makes it sound like we have a bunch of geeks living here. So other kids don’t do math for fun? Shhh, don’t tell my son.
Have you ever heard of the Kids In Need Foundation? It is an organization that provides free school supplies to students in the most need. Expo and many other companies donate products to help ensure these children have school supplies. Individuals can also make cash donations which allows more products to be given to needy students. According the the Kids in Need Foundation website, for every $500 donated, they are able to obtain $12,500 in school supplies. Please visit the “Ways you can help” page of their site for more information about donating.
The Kids in Need Foundation has Resource Centers in select cities in the United States. In Missouri there is one in St. Louis. The center services more than seventy St. Louis area schools with over 90,000 students eligible for services. While centers like this only service public school students, I still feel that it is a worthwhile cause to support. Giving to others is a trait that I hope will always be in the hearts of my children.
I received an email before Christmas about using Expo products as homeschool tools. I was asked if I would like to try out a few Expo products. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance. After all, I really should have stock in the markers as many as my kids go through in a year.
If you missed the weather report I sent earlier today via Twitter (you really should be following me if you missed it) it is really cold here in Missouri. We were stuck inside today due to the weather. While Heathen Dad braved the cold (and shoveled snow) to bbq some turkey burgers, I decided to break out the box of Expo items we were sent.
The kids were so excited to open the box. Please tell me that my kids aren’t the only ones out there to get excited about new markers. My daughter grabbed the sixteen pack because of “all the pretty colors”. She made a couple of drawings that she just had to see on my blog. When she saw the pack of click retractable markers she was even more excited. Using those took away the one thing she doesn’t like about markers – putting the lid back on. Her only request is that we find a retractable set with more colors. My son had to draw with the fluorescent markers. We decided to use our black marker board to write about my blog 
Snowy day + Expo markers = FUN evening of drawing
I would like to thank Garfield Group for sending the Heathen family three sets of Expo markers and a cleaning cloth to try out. I am glad that they contacted me with information about the Kids in Need Foundation. It is always nice to find another way to help others.
I *still* get excited to open a new box of markers! Crayons, too! In fact (this may sound stupid), but a newly sharpened pencil is pretty cool in my book, too.
I think that I get more excited by what the marker/crayon/pencil can create, than the actual item.. But it’s fun to doodle with brand new stuff.
Or maybe I’m just letting my inner child take over. =)