Teddy bears are everywhere you look, here are a few board games with teddy bears you may want to get for your child. Teddy bear memory game comes in its own wooden crate to keep the pieces safe until the next time. Each teddy bear has the same backside and a different front. There might be one wearing a red shirt and another one wearing a green shirt. Kids will get a kick out of finding which ones match, and you’ll be happy knowing the teddy bears are helping her with her memory.

Now your little one can get online and play the “Teddy Bear Factory” game. This game allows them to build their very own virtual teddy bear. I’m sorry these teddy bears can’t leave the screen, the only way they are walking away with this bear is if you print him off. The Teddy bear factory games as 45 different levels for them to enjoy.

Children will love this collection of puzzles from jigsaw puzzles to the wooden ones with the pegs. Teachers buy puzzles all the time for their classroom, especially those that are cute like teddy bears. There are teddy bear jigsaw puzzles that the children will love trying to put the pieces back together.

There are many preschool computer games for your child to learn, from counting, the alphabet to learning a new language. These bears want to help your child succeed and you will be happy with the results.

My course load generally consists of large lecture courses and labs.  Its the reality of being a science major.  Its structured, grueling, and usually involves lots of studying and taking exams.  Taking a class like this honors course was a whole new experience.  For once I got to learn through experience rather than my performance on a test.  In a way this was far more enriching for me.

The USF Interdisciplinary Science Building: Photo Courtesy of The University of South Florida

Instead of listening to lectures we had open conversations, we got to ask questions and give each other feedback as a group.  I loved being able to have control and to learn that I had the ability to make the effort for change myself.  I won’t lie it was stressful at times and overwhelming but more often then not my efforts worthwhile and many of the people I recruited to help collect school supplies more than rose to the occasion.

I found amazing support from a variety of sources including friends, family and family of friends.  I was amazed how my actions inspired others to help and I was especially impressed by how the Sister’s United Muslim Association (SUMA) was completely committed to this cause.  At the end of the semester my collections combined with those of my classmates combined to make up a total of 133 boxes.

Afghan Girls with Donated Beanie Babies: Photo Courtesy of Rex Temple

I’ve learned a lot and I feel like we’ve accomplished some incredible things.  I cannot wait to hear about the schools that receive our donations and to see the excitement on the children’s faces.  If you are interested in continuing to follow the progress of our charity, check out our Facebook.

Wheels may not look like this anymore, but the old saying still rings true today... (Photo from tikpress.wordpress.com)

The squeaky wheel gets the grease…. Coincidentally enough, I feel like this a lesson that I have learned throughout this semester. For those of you unfamiliar with the saying, it basically refers to the phenomenon that when you speak up about something you get attention, or even sometimes the response you want.  This semester I wanted to fill at least 10 boxes full of school supplies to ship to Afghanistan. I wanted to pass along a small piece of what I have had since birth here in America; guaranteed education.

At first, I was unsure and apprehensive of how I was going to achieve this. I was having an especially hard time with the process because a large aim of the class was to use social media as a way to promote raising school supplies. Unlike the typical person, before this class I did not have a Facebook or a Twitter account. Honestly, I personally dislike social network sites. In my opinion, Facebook and Twitter provide the perfect platform to nurture narcissistic, self-absorbed, over-dramatic, nosy, and attention-deficit tendencies in all of us. How could they possibly be utilized to help make a positive social change?

Well, it seems that I got carried away with my cynical views. Facebook could be harboring some unflattering traits in us, but it also provides a wonderful medium and opportunity to catch people’s attention. Through the use of blogs, links, and weekly Facebook/Twitter statuses I was able to grab the attention of my friends and coworkers. After that, persistently keeping up with these networks and talking about the cause led to large donations (over 10 boxes worth). Furthermore, my classmates must have similar successes with social networking, because we collected more than 133 boxes of school supplies all together.

68 of the boxes in Professor Temple's car -- congratulations to our class for such a successful semester! (Photo by Jenna Cummings)

Summing it up, my squeaky wheel got the grease and social networking really helped to increase the span that the squeak reached. So, I have one last squeak for you: It is never too late to help – click here to be a part of the very special cause I was a part of this semester.

Cart full of Boxes (photo by Archana Reddy)

Excitement buzzed through the classroom this morning. I had arrived late because I had to go pick up school supplies from a family friend who had taken a box to her office. I collected a box full of paper, pens, and pencils from her; I greatly appreciate her involvement in the project and her willingness to help me with the class. With her help I filled 11 boxes, exceeding my own individual goal. As I walked into class I was taken aback by how many boxes were sitting around; so many of my fellow classmates collected more than just 10 boxes on their own, and we were all surprised by our own success.

Although we had become discouraged along the way and many of us lost confidence in our own abilities, we were able to reach our goals. We surprised each other by how hard we worked, and in the end it didn’t matter who brought in what box because we were all working together for a single cause. As we loaded the boxes into Professor Temple’s car I imagined them travelling far across the ocean and desert. I imagined the pencils we packed in the hand of a little boy or girl as they sat in a small classroom. I also imagined the smiles on the faces of the little boys and girls as they would receive their supplies, and how it would bring them a little bit of hope.

68 Boxes loaded into the car (photo by Archana Reddy)

I packed my heart into those boxes, packed my hopes and dreams of this war ending. Each of us did; we packed a semester of hard work, taped up all the letters we wrote, events we held, and everything we have learned in the class. We sent those boxes far away to a distant place none of us have seen, to the hands that belong to small beating hearts that grasp onto hope.

This is me! I am so spiffy that I even get my photo taken! (Photo by Jenna Cummings)

Rolling, rolling, and rolling away…. I found myself going through what I felt like was a maze to my destination. Down the hallway, turn, down the hallway, turn, through the double doors, down the elevator, along a long sidewalk, another elevator, and then we were in the basement of some garage. Although the journey was a bit longer than I am used to, I could feel it was an important journey. Finally, we arrived at the destination: a blue Toyota Corolla.

The woman opened the trunk, the car side door, and the car front door. Finally, I was aware of my mission. I was transporting school supplies and mailing boxes. Suddenly, I had many questions: Who were these school supplies going to go to? Where were these boxes going to? Before I could get answers, I was being wheeled back towards where I came from.

I could tell the load I was carrying was a worthy one (and not to brag, but I have to say I am pretty strong for being able to carry this all in one trip). (Photo by Phoebe Chang)

Just as I was about to head back into my room, I was pulled into a new room. All around me there were more mailing boxes (filled with more school supplies I assumed). There had to be at least thirty mailing boxes in total. There also was a poster lying on the table in the middle of the room, and this poster helped me to answer my questions from earlier. These school supplies were going to underprivileged children. These underprivileged children live in Afghanistan, so the boxes were going there. Right then, I felt even more accomplished!

Later, it was back to my room, lights off. Back to the dust growing on me, but with your help I might be able to be utilized again. Donate supplies today to School Supplies for  Afghan Children! Click here and make me feel like a useful cart!!!

— Cart          Cart is an object at the University of South Florida.

You know that game where you try to guess how many marbles, or gumballs, or small round objects are in a glass jar? You almost always end up underestimating. It seems when the items are counted off, they keep multiplying. That’s how I felt this past week. In regards to my school supplies fundraising. But this time, instead of being disappointed that the marbles kept counting up, making me that further away from winning the prize, I was ecstatic that the school supplies I had received just never seemed to end.

This past Friday I received a text from my friend to meet him at Wal-Mart. Kind of cryptic I know. But it turns out there was a rather nice surprise waiting for me when I arrived. He let me wander the aisles of Wally World and pick out anything I wanted, in the category of school supplies of course, for my fundraiser. He was willing to spend up to $50. I was floored. He and I had tons of fun browsing the aisles and picking out the most colorful notebooks or pens we could find. And let me tell you, $50 goes a long way.

This weekend I went home to celebrate Easter with my family. Monday morning, before I was to head home for class later that afternoon, as I was getting my last few things together my mom informed me that she wanted to take me to Target and let me spend $50 on school supplies for my fundraising. Again! Wow. And once again, $50 goes a long way.

All the supplies collected from the 42North drive (Photo Taken By: Lori Hussen)

When I arrived back to my apartment Monday afternoon I had the joy of packing up all the supplies I had. The drive through my apartment had also ended, so I collected the large plastic bucket full of supplies that I had received. It was much more than I expected. That bucket fooled me. I didn’t think there was that much in it, but it kept multiplying.

I filled one box. It barely looked like I made a dent in the supplies I had. Then another box was filled, then another. I had three boxes filled to the brim with supplies. I thought that would be the most I would get. But just like those marbles in the glass jar that full you, those school supplies were full of surprises, good surprises of course. Fix heavy boxes later the supplies were packed tightly away. I sat back looking at my work, no, at the generosity of other people. I simply asked them for help. They, out of the kindness of their hearts, gave to this wonderful cause. I couldn’t be happier. I felt so blessed to have gotten this far.

The total amount of supplies-five boxes worth! (Photo Taken By: Me)

That makes a total of six and a half boxes, and a $100 check towards school supplies for Afghan children! Woo hoo.

SUMA Members: Photo Courtesy of SUMA Facebook Page

I wanted to reflect on some of the things I’ve learned during this semester working to collect donations for School Supplies for Afghan Children.  The semester started with awareness.  I began the semester ignorant and unaware of the issues faced by children living in the war torn villages of Afghanistan.   As an American college student attending one of the finest Universities in my country I did not ever stop to think how my life would be different if I had not been given these opportunities.  By virtue of where I was born I was able to go to school. SMSgt. Rex Temple and his wife Liisa opened my eyes.  They showed us what it was like to  have all the desire in the world to learn but not to have even the paper to practice math problems on.  They showed us how kids whose families were struggling just to feed them and survive were willing to give up a lamb, their livelihood, as an act of kindness to a strange American who gave them a gift (obviously SMSgt. Rex Temple did not accept the gift).

SMSgt. Rex Temple holding a lamb given to him by Afghan children: Photo Courtesy of Rex Temple

The semester began with awareness but it has ended in action.  I’ve learned so much from reaching out to others to help collect donations and spread my knowledge.  While it hasn’t always been easy to get others to listen, when they do the feeling of accomplishment and amazement I get from inspiring others is worth every moment of frustration.  In some cases I’ve received very warm regards from many people including my friends, my family, and some of the organizations I’ve worked with. This semester I found SUMA, an organization willing to commit to helping me in addition to the other numerous projects I was doing.  I saw my friends and family rally to support me and this charity.  I saw tremendous support and commitment to the project from others even when they had other stressors in their life.  I found people willing to commitment to helping strange children living on the other side of the globe despite it involving them taking time out of their own lives to do so. Overall, this has been a great journey and I am enthusiastic about continuing it as the semester comes to a close.  If you are interested in learning more about School Supplies for Afghan Children, check out our Facebook page, Afghanistan My Last Tour.

6 boxes ready to go! (photo by Archana Reddy)

It is a humbling feeling to imagine that the pencils I pack with my own hands today will reach the small hands of the children in Afghanistan, and each one will make an impact in their lives. Papers will be distributed, markers handed out to eager hands and smiling faces. It was the spirit of a child that started this charity, and it is the spirit of children and soldiers in Afghanistan and us here in America that will keep the charity going. It took a very brave couple to start it, and each person involved seems to have caught a little bit of courage from them too.

Erin and I will be working on an event for school supplies during finals week in which we hope to collect more donations during a study session at USF. Hopefully all students attending will empty out their desks of pens, pencils, paper, and notebooks they haven’t used and bring them to donate! Hopefully we will be successful then!

Some school supplies I packed into a box (photo by Archana Reddy)

Education conquers all; it can help end a war we haven’t been able to for a long time. Our love for one another as human beings is what ties us to the children and soldiers in Afghanistan. Yet it’s more than just love that gets these supplies there: it’s care, patience, perseverance. It is the beat of our hearts and fire inside of ourselves that motivates us to do something amazing. What binds us to Afghanistan, to the children there is very simple…

…it’s hope.

30 boxes and one roll of tape later.. These boxes are ready to be filled to the max! Photo Credit: Phoebe Chang 2012

On the positive, I ended up forming this fortress of boxes around me but was able to share with a few people who wondered what I was going to do with these boxes. However, this mound of folded boxes did make it quite a task to bring them on to campus and continue filling them with the items we received from Ms. Karen. As we were going through the things today I was again taken aback by how much we have collected so far.

These are the boxes that have been filled at the moment with supplies from Ms. Karen. Photo Credit: Hannah Wang 2012

Behind me are the boxes are the open boxes we have at the moment which are still waiting to house some supplies Photo Credit: Hannah Wang 2012

Last time I blogged I said that I would tell you how much fit in one box. Well, I realized it was a difficult task so here's a picture of a filled box. Photo Credit: Phoebe Chang 2012

Packing tip: loose items pack better than in the box. Photo Credit: Phoebe Chang 2012

So much has been collected in such little time and there are still collections that still have not yet been brought back. I know that Jenna and I still have 1 box from the sorority that we spoke with which is waiting for us to go pick up while I have 3 boxes at home that I still need to bring. It is all a bit surreal though because even though we all knew that the time was wrapping up soon for some reason it still felt a while before we were going to ship the boxes out. Now that our first shipment is leaving for Greg Para on Wednesday it feels a bit odd. It’s like our babies that we have worked so hard to obtain, fill up, and develop are now ready for the next phase of their life. They are ready to cross the Atlantic and go to school. :] I don’t know if I’m ready to say good bye to them yet, but I know that the kids are more than ready to take them in.

Blue's Clues made mail time exciting (along with making my six year old self think I was an amateur detective). (Photo from: sonic.net)

When I was in kindergarten, I loved Blue’s Clues. It was a brand new show at the time, and it made me feel like a detective. Each morning I would sit down and try to figure out what Blue, the dog on the show, was trying to tell her owner through clues. One of the portions of the show was about mail-time. There was a cute little song that went along with it, because getting mail is exciting!

In the age of email, physical letters are few and far between. I am definitely a culprit as much as the next person. Just look to last week, I dedicated an entire blog as a virtual thank-you note. While the sentiment of a blog dedication is nice, I know I’d much prefer something I can hold; something physical where I know someone took the time to write out their words and either send it to me via snail mail or hand it to me in person. With that thought in mind, I moved to the next portion of my project: Thank-You Notes.

The cute thank you cards I will be sending out (Photo by: Shelby Register 2012).

With the semester wrapping up, we had an independent workday for class. While others got together in groups to pack up more boxes, I don’t have enough supplies left for another box. So far this semester I’ve collected 11 total boxes, and while I think another box or two of supplies is coming in, I didn’t think packing would be productive for me today. So, in my class time, I headed to Wal-Mart to pick up thank you notes, and then back to my apartment to fill them out. As I sat there writing out these thank you cards, I remembered how thankful I was for my education: I have an incredible opportunity to get an education, and through everyone that I was writing thank you notes to, others would have that opportunity as well. I look forward to handing out and sending my thank you notes in the next few weeks. Thank you all for your help.

10 boxes for School Supplies for Afghanistan? Check! (Photo from forums.gametrailers.com)

Relieved; this is how you probably think I feel. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that on some level I feel very relieved about my status in raising supplies. However, something is unsettled inside of me. I am wondering if the children in Afghanistan feel relieved after they receive our supplies. Are their worries taken away? Do they feel like they can accomplish more? Do they feel like they can pave a pathway for their future?

Time to sigh, stretch, and scream, "Yes!" (Photo from ystheng.blogspot.com)

Quizzical; this is a feeling I have that has surprised me. When my job is technically ‘done,’ I find myself wondering whether a job is ever done. Sure, I could relax a bit for the end of the semester, graduate, and not really think about this cause ever again. Yet, is this what learning or my participation in this class is really about? Sometimes we get so caught up in making the A grade or finishing all assignments punctually, but education is about more than that. Education is about making change.

Each answer brings a new question.... (Photo from ezeedictionary.com)

Hopeful; this is a feeling I want you to help me keep. What I am truly beginning to understand is that I want to be an active person. I want to be involved and informed. I want to make a change. I want to keep caring even past deadlines and grading days. Want to help me? Click here to help me keep hopeful!

I am also hopeful that you will keep me feeling hopeful! (Photo from adarshthewonderboy.blogspot.com)