LitWits Kits {Review}
Reading is one of my favorite things to do and I've tried to instill a love for books in my boys, so I was delighted when we were offered the chance to review LitWits Kits! LitWits combines my love of books with the effectiveness and joy of hands-on learning.
My oldest loves Jules Verne, so I had to snag the kits for Journey to the Center of the Earth & Around the World in 80 Days. He's read both books & we've watched Journey to the Center of the Earth (the 2008 version with Brenden Fraser and Josh Hutcherson) a dozen times.
We also picked out A Wrinkle in Time, because we own the movie and I wanted to read the book. I love the characters in the story, the power of love, and the importance of being true to yourself.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was the last one we picked. We own both the original movie and the Johnny Depp remake and love both of them.
What's Included in LitWits Kits?
Once you purchase your LitWits Kit, you can log in to your dashboard and view all of them. We checked out the books we don't own from the library and then spent 2 weeks fighting off nasty cold and sinus issues.
The dashboard gives ways to use your kit, a link to the reviews page (only 1 of our kits had reviews posted), and the link to access your kit. You can view the kit online or print it off.
I printed off the first one & then realized I prefer to have it on the computer and only print the handouts. Saves me paper, ink, and the kits are always accessible!
The Ways to Use provides some ideas on how to carry the conversation outside class/reading time to continue learning and communicating. I'm a big believer in encouraging learning outside of traditional settings, so I really enjoyed having these suggestions.
What are some of the features of LitWits Kits?
Each kit contains the same welcome, an overview, and then gets into the meat of the kit. Prop ideas are awesome. One of my favourite teachers growing up used props a lot and I still remember some of them, along with the lessons she taught using them…and that was over 15 years years ago!
Bookbites are recipes/food-based activities. Takeaways are additional talking points that generally go with one of the hands-on fun activities. Handouts are a pdf with every worksheet and printable you need for the kit. There are also pdfs for Common Core State Standards if you are trying to align your curriculum with them.
Hands-on fun is one of my favourite way parts of these kits. Our kits had 2-6 activities and projects. Some have worksheets or printables that go with them and others use items you would find around the house or at a craft store.
They also have Learning Links full of resources to continue exploring subjects mentioned in the book. A Wrinkle in Time was full of science links, including one about the difference between Hot Cocoa and Hot Chocolate…learn something new every day!
After we read A Wrinkle in Time and worked through the activities, the boys wanted to rewatch the movie for our Family Movie Date. I think we'll do that with Charlie & the Chocolate Factory too.
How did our family like LitWits Kits?
I really like the kits and the kids like the activities! You can customize it and do the activities that you know will appeal to your children, adjust based on age levels, and the ideas they provide sparked a bunch of other things in my brain.
We were sick the first couple weeks after we got our kits so haven't been able to work through all four yet, but I'm really looking forward to Charlie & the Chocolate factory. The bookbites for it is going to be a shocker for the kids, who are expecting loads of candy I'm sure!
Overall Thoughts on LitWits Kits
LitWits Kits are a great way to keep the experience going after you finish the last page of a book. They are primarily recommended for 8-12 year olds, but my 14yo enjoyed reading along with us and some of the activities. Some of the activities would be a lot of fun for younger siblings and the books are all great for family reading.
Connect with LitWits
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LitWits/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LitWits4Kids
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litwits4kids/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LitWits/
Snag a Free LitWits Kit
The gals from LitWits Kit were so nice to offer our readers a free kit! Just head over & pick out your kit. Enter coupon code 44READ4FUN to get your free kit!
Hi Savanah! Thanks for this great review of our LitWits Kits! We’re bummed that you’ve been sick – hopefully everyone is feeling better by now and can have fun getting ready for the holidays. That’s the nice thing about books .. they will wait patiently for you when you don’t feel well and help you pass the time until you do. :D. We really really loved the pictures of your boys working on Garrett’s passport. How did it turn out? Did he make it back to the Reform Club in time with all his stamps?? It makes us so happy to hear about our LitWitters’ adventures and see pictures of their journeys – please continue to share. Happy Reading! — Becky and Jenny, LitWits