Discovery Kids Puterbugs Game

Geared for children's ages 8 and under Discovery Kids Puterbugs is designed to take kids beyond apps and playing games.  This new website teaches kids how to use technology as a tool in a healthy way. 

It works like this- there is a virtual, cowboy hat wearing teacher, "Mr. Scott",  (my daughter thinks he is hilarious) and a set of little bugs called,  'Puterbugs' for each letter on the keyboard.  It's that simple but watching my child play it showed a whole lot more.  Mr. Scott takes her on a self-guided tour of games, activities and missions on the Puterbugs site that goes with only her level of knowledge.  Everything unfolds in various ways and avenues based on her level of competency.  Games like "Frozen Pizza Pops" have her using the mouse, space bar and learning all the letters on the keyboard in no time.  While she normally plays games on other television websites it usually results in her watching videos or designing cakes and dresses.  Not collecting microchips, driving with a mouse or using learning to spell, add and work all the components at one time.  Words like 'luau' are now part of her vocabulary and list of words she can spell.  Call me happy and impressed.  I love that the site keeps her focused while building concentration. It is beyond anything I have seen her do on other websites. 

Imagine Tomorrow along with the experts at Discovery Kids (Discovery Channel) identified the 'Top 100 Tech Skills' that children should learn.  Concepts like typing, texting, swiping and more are definitely involved and used frequently in Puterbugs.  While I am still limiting her time this game is now at the top of hers and my 'favorite' list. 

MPR Rating:  Five Stars. 

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post.  Products received are for review purposes only.  Opinions are MPR's only.



Elmo's Travel Songs & Games DVD

New this week from the world of Sesame Street is Elmo's Travel Songs & Games. The DVD ($14.98) is great for little ones when you travel as it features popular Sesame Street characters Elmo, Abby and Elmo's dad Louie on a road trip. Elmo feels like it is taking a very long, long time to get their destination making it the perfect opportunity for Elmo's dad to show them there are lots of fun games to play, stories to tell and songs they can sing to pass the time.

The DVD is full of activities that will engage your child when you are traveling including the new songs "Go Before You Go" and "Are We There Yet?", along with clips about buckling up and different types of transportation. It's a great find! It will be a staple in your travel bag from here on out.

*Image from valsviews.com

Fun Find- The Body Rocks CD

Get ready to get your kids moving, grooving and learning. The Body Rocks CD features musical greats like Liz Phair, Minnie Driver, Pete Yorn and Guster. Unlike other CDs ($9.99) for kids The Body Rocks clearly teaches kids about the workings of their body without being cutesy or talking down to them. The music is fun, refreshing and talented too. Songs like ‘The Heart Beats Lub Dub’ and ‘Food Gives Energy to Me and You’ grab your child’s attention while educating them. You won’t be sick of listening to The Body Rocks tunes either.


The Body Rocks is a great find. Kids get their body curiosity questions answered and fun songs to sing along with while listening to contemporary music that doesn’t jar your adult ears.

Available at Amazon.com

Rock 'N' Learn Educational DVD

For over 23 years Rock 'N' Learn has been creating great musical and educational videos and DVDs for kids.  Their latest creation is Phonics volume I & II ($19.99 each).  Here's a little bit about the two volumes (Volume I deals with short vowel sounds, consonants and phonic awareness while Volume II sets the scene for long vowels, syllables, rule breakers and combining consonants.)

"Rock ‘N Learn Phonics DVD and audio CD programs provide an easy and fun way to learn the phonics skills that lead to reading and spelling success. Catchy songs and rhymes help students remember basic phonics rules, vowels, consonants, blends, digraphs, silent e, and much more. Delayed answers and the on-screen mouth (Phonics videos) allow learners to check their progress and use these programs independently. Our new Phonics Volume 1 and Phonics Volume 2 DVDs have been improved in two ways: much better animation and a lot more content to help students become confident readers. Students practice reading sentences and stories to apply the rules they have learned. These phonics video programs now have fun characters, sentence practice, read-along stories, and exercises to boost fluency."

As soon as I popped in the first DVD, Phonics Volume I, my four year-old daughter came running over to see what the music was all about.  She is in her last year of preschool and even though the year has just begun I want to start getting her ready for kindergarten.  This DVD brings phonics to life for her.  Learning phonics is the backbone to reading and spelling.  I remember it was also my favorite class when I was in school.  The animation is bright, lively and fun. The music grabs a kids attention and holds on to it as it continuously changes and flows from one sound structure to the next.  Geared for ages six and up and 70 minutes long it was advanced for my child but she enjoyed watching it and held onto some of the information quickly.  It is a start and one that we will keep practicing in addition to the workbooks we already have on hand Rock 'N' Learn Phonics gives us a balanced start that I highly recommend.



Rock 'N' Learn Phonics Volume I & II and other R'n'L DVDs are available online and at Barnes & Noble's nationwide.  Math skills, science, language and more are also available in this fine collection.

SciGirls Debuts on PBS Kids!

Want to channel your tween girls energies into something new, educational and incredibly fun?  Turn them on to PBS Kids newest series SciGirls!  On SciGirls, the lead character Izzie and her best friend Jake set off to investigate topics in science, technology, engineering and math (S.T.E.M).  Sound like snooze fest for your tween? It's so not!  SciGirls are imited only by their imaginations. The show films real girls and their mentors in reality style TV as they learn about topics such as dolphin behavior, how to engineer a giant mechanical puppet, unearth archaeological secrets of now extinct Native American cultures, create an eco-friendly turtle habitat or design fierce fashions with a high-tech twist.  I could go on but you and your daughter will just have to watch the show to learn more. 

With the goal of getting girls to view S.T.E.M differently and funded by the National Science Foundation, SciGirls combines TV and the Web in a totally new way. Each episode starts with Izzie on the site’s homepage.  Each time she finds herself in predicaments that only the topics of S.T.E.M can fix. Watch Izzie as she joins the real-life SciGirls in learning and exploring their adventures.

What I really love about SciGirls, beyond its basic message, is that the website and its social network are completely safe.  Their girls can create personal pages with their own avatars, upload cool projects, and make friends with similar interests. It combines all the things that they are into today with TV, iPods, laptops and more.  It really reaches out to girls and gives them a space to explore the S.T.E.M world or just dive into it further. 

Want to know more about SciGirls?  Check out the website online and check your local listings to see when the show debuts in your area. 

Think your girl is a SciGirl or would like to be?  Enter to win a SciGirl prize pack here.  I'll choose one winner at random on March 23, 2010.  Inside the prize pack is a SciGirls button, bracelet, magnet picture frame, pencil and plastic egg with a fun at-home experiment!

Fun Find-Joanie Leeds-I'm a Rock Star CD

Singer and songwriter Joanie Leeds doesn't just perform kids music, she educates them with her songs.  Easy-going in her approach to music and her rock'n'roll style she touches on subjects like eating healthy, the digital world, being green and socializing with others. 

What I liked about Leeds and her style of music is that it is sophisticated in its lyrics and yet still reaches kids. My four year-old loves it, especially the 'Being Green' song.  I enjoy listening to it too as it isn't sappy sweet or overly repetetive.  It is catchy, authentic and fun.  Her voice is soft, sweet and reachable.  This CD has been played over and over again in our house since we received it. 

You can listen to many of the songs here.  It debuts March 23 and makes a great gift for the preschool set on up. 

MPR Rating:  Four Stars. 

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this posting. Products were received and kept for testing purposes. The opinions in this review are solely my own.

Visit my other blog, The Mummy Chronicles, for more.

FamilyTimeFun Dinner Games

Five years ago, John Pandiscio, founder of FamilyTimeFun and his wife discovered that the simple question, "What's the best and worst part of your day?" could start rounds of dinner time fun. Even better was that by the time they had finished playing games and talking the kids had also finished all their food. It gave John the idea to create Dinner Games. I count us lucky and blessed to have been given this game. It has been a dinnertime sanity-saver ever since we obtained it.



FamilyTimeFun has four different games for varying ages-

-Beginner Dinner Games -- 51 wholesome dinner games for young kids ages 3-6.

-Original Dinner Games -- 51 educational games for kids ages 6-12.

-Gather 'Round Dinner Game -- 132 engaging dinnertime activities with push-button action for ages 5 and up.

-Gather 'Round Restaurant Game -- A great travel game with 96 games to play at restaurants and 36 games for car rides. Ages five +.

Naturally, Beginner Dinner Games ($15.95) was the best fit for us. The small metal box that holds the cards is practical and easy to store. It is also light so it will not take up space or add much weight if you want to bring it with you to a restaurant or on a trip. The first night we played this card game, we had success. Not only did we have fun as a family, but also our three-year-old ate all her dinner without huffing, puffing or tears. The next day and every day after that she continued to request the Dinner Game. While we don't play it every night it has certainly been a blessing and loads of fun. The games are educational, inspiring and they create simple mealtime conversation that would not always occur with the preschool set. It is a chance for us to be silly as a family and show our children that dinnertime is a fun, relaxing, enjoyable time and not a form of torture. In fact, I love this product so much that while writing this review I purchased a set for another family with small children.

Play sample games here.  Dinner Games can be purchased online via the company's website or at stores near you. 


 
MPR Rating:  Five Stars.
 
Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this posting. Products were received and kept for testing purposes. The opinions in this review are solely my own.

Swinxs and a Giveaway too!

Swinxs, the computerized toy that allows for creativity and a lot of social interaction.  When I try to describe this toy, other parents look at me as if I'm talking about just another video or computer game.  The beauty of Swinxs ($150) is that while it is a computer there is no screen.  It's screen free. It talks, it listens and best of all- it keeps kids interested.

Right out of the box, my daughter was all about putting on one of the bands and dragging it outside to play with the other kids on the block.  What I love about Swinxs is that there are a variety of games to play- musical chairs, tag and more- and it is all physical.  The kids aren't glued to a screen or standing in one place.  They are actively using their imaginations, brains and friends to play all these games.  It's portable too.  Swinxs can go all over the place because it is small and lightweight.  It's great for parties, taking on trips and bringing to friends or grandparents homes. 

My preschool age daughter found it easy to use as she listened to the Swinxs voice, colors and sounds gives commands and interact with her.   And with my kids it is good that the console is also water-resistant.  It lasts up to four hours, is durable and has a single play mode.  As an only child I would have loved that, however up to ten kids can play as well.  The wristbands fit comfortably, come in an array of colors, start the game and help kids keep track of their progress and profiles. 

Overall, this toy is an ingenious idea.  It provides many hours of fun that is interactive, entertaining and educational.  I highly recommend it.

MPR Rating:  Four Stars.

GIVEAWAY-Want your own Swinxs?  Enter to win one today!  A $150 value!  All you have to do is head over here and tell me your favorite post from this week, then comment here. Want an additional chance to win? Then sign up to follow me on Twitter (veamason) and comment here.  One winner will be chosen at random on Monday, December 28. 

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this posting. Products were received and kept for testing purposes. The opinions in this review are solely my own.

Leapfrog's Tag - Learn to Read Gift Pack

Tag's Reading System by Leapfrog is one of the best educational toys that I have had the privilege to review. When we received the 'Learn to Read' series Gift Pack ($39.98) I was excited for my daughter and for me. We are just on the verge of her becoming a reader and this set came just in time.

The Gift Pack consists of two book sets- short vowels and long vowels, which includes silent 'E' and 'Y'. Each set has six books which "help children identify letter sounds and understand how the sounds come together to form words". Many times when we receive products like this I have high hopes and I will see tiny results that keep the hope alive. Then the toy is discarded rather quickly as my daughter grows bored with it and we are done. I think it is because so many of these 'learn to read' toys and systems are largely one dimensional.


That is not the case with the Tag Reading System. The easy to hold pen and small books are perfect for children ages 4-7 years. She loves all the stories and wants to read them repeatedly. They hold "secrets" on each page she says and finds them as the pen glides over the pages. She's proud of the fact that she can now "read" with the pen too. The more she uses it, and that pen plus books go everywhere the last few months (yes, I said months), the more strides I see in her actual reading skills. She has begun to sound out words, ask questions and go slow. Before we began working with the Reading System's gift pack set I had a hard time engaging her for long periods of time and explaining the fundamentals of reading. She just wanted to get it over with. For the first time I feel like we are making actual strides and seeing results and we are both having fun.

The Leapfrog Tag Reading System Gift Pack is available online (with free shipping!), at Amazon.com and toy stores nationwide.

MPR Rating: Five Stars.

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this posting. Products were received and kept for testing purposes. The opinions in this review are solely my own.

Fun Find- The Providence Effect

"THE PROVIDENCE EFFECT is the story of an individual man, the inner city Chicago school he founded, and the student lives the school has changed and saved. The school, Providence St. Mel, has a 30-year 100% college placement record; with an “old school” approach to learning --- “Do the work.” --- and a dedicated corps of teachers and administrators, Providence St. Mel can serve as a model for revamping all of American education.

To turn Providence St. Mel into a first rank college preparatory school, and its African-American student body into a corps of driven, disciplined, high achieving students. That was over 30 years ago. Since then, 100% of Providence St. Mel graduates have been accepted to college, half of them, during the last seven years, to first tier and Ivy League colleges and universities."

For more information on the man, the film, the trailer and information behind it all visit The Providence Effect website here.

The film opens Friday, September 25th, 2009.

The Power to Read with Super Why!

Over the summer TD and I have been performing a bit of an experiment. In May we went to PBS and while I learned all about the making of her favorite show Super Why, TD and her sister, The Comedian enjoyed some time with Clifford, arts and crafts and a healthy, fun lunch.

Once we got home and opened up the PBS backpack full of activities TD and I began to get down to work. If you don't know about Super Why then here's a bit of background on the show. Our challenge was to watch the same episode (The Three Little Pigs) over a series of five days in an at-home workshop. "Easy peasy!" We said. After all, it's TD's go-to show.

First let me say this- Repetition is the key to learning, which is why we watched the same episode repeatedly. Each time we viewed the The Three Little Pigs episode we watched it from a different characters point of view with TD donning a Super Why characters mask. She loved that. Each day, with each character TD and I did activties provided by PBS. Think of it as educational bonding.

Day 1: Lickety Letters! It's Alpha Pig! TD seems to have a love/hate relationship with this little pink guy. However, she sailed through the two worksheets that PBS provided. Activity 1 had her finding and circling letters that were hidden in a picture. Activity 2 was an alphabet worksheet that we used to spell her name. Each sheet was quick and simple. It was all the time I got out of TD. She clued in to what we were doing right away. I was impressed.

Day 2: Wonderrific Wonder Red! We viewed The Three Little Pigs again this morning. TD is supposed to be able to use auditory and/or visual discrimination to decipher between family words. TD was excited to don her Wonder Red mask and "transform" with her. She is really beginning to get into viewing the show interactively. She didn't really do that before even with my help. She runs to the screen and helps Wonder Red out each time. Even Alpha Pig. We race through the two activity sheets adding in missing letters and matching words with pictures (Wall, Fall, Ball, etc). That last one amazed me. TD matched them all perfectly. I feel bad for being amazed. She's smarter than I thought.

Day 3: Spectacular Spelling with Princess Presto! TD's undeniable favorite in the Super Why characters. She eagerly places the mask on her face and doesn't even want to watch The Three Little Pigs. She just wants to do the activity sheets. Today we are identifying pictures and selecting letters that make the sound that the pictures starts with. This is tough! She matches the correct letter at about the second time per picture. The next worksheet is a bit harder and it doesn't hold her attention quite as well. As we look at the letters from the episode we are to look around the room and find objects that begin with those letters. She gets three out of ten and she is tired. I don't care. The fact that she thought of 'ground' for G and 'table' for T blows my mind. Truthfully, I don't think we would have been there a week ago.

Day 4: Super Why Day! It's time for reading comprehension, reading words and the effect that different words can have in the meaning of sentence. I have an intake of breath because this one is going to be hard. She's three. Yes, she has watched this show four times now but finishing a sentence and reading comprehension? Yikes! TD is a trooper though. She knows her wolf picture and counting is her game. She blows me away with doing both worksheets correctly. I am so proud!

Day 5: The Three Little Pigs Final Assessment. TD has dragged her Three Little Pigs pop-up book from the dollar store off her book shelf and has read it to me. This proves she knows the story. She stumbles a bit when it comes to the spelling of words like "pig" and "big" but she knows the first letter for each word. She knows her opposites, can point to words when I ask her to and I see a glimmer of reading going on here. Five days and my kid can decipher words! I squeeze her hard each time she progresses further in the assessment. Her literacy skills have come a long way in just a week and if we keep this up she'll be reading in no time.

Throughout the summer TD and I watched Super Why, read stories and worked on other activity sheets. We visit the Super Why website and I have a feeling that if we keep this up she'll be full on reading by the middle of this school year. I stand amazed and so proud of my little girl. If PBS had not sent us home with this program I would have never known where to begin or that she was even capable of these types of activities at this point. Super Why is a great show and one that really teaches kids 'the power to read.'

A big THANK YOU to PBSKids and their great staff who not only took wonderful care of us that day and showed me and my child a great way to work together.

MPR Rating: Five Stars.

Fun Find- Ask the Planet CD

A 2009 iParenting Award winner, "Ask the Planet" is a wonderful children's CD that seeks to educate and reconnect kids to nature and the world around them.

"All of the songs on Ask the Planet were written with the hope of teaching kids about biomimicry, which is the process of learning from and then emulating Nature’s genius to create more sustainable designs. It’s studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell or studying an electric eel to make a better battery. “Biomimicry introduces an era based not on what we can extract from the natural world, but what we can learn from it.” Janine Benyus, author Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. "

Listening to this CD is wonderful. Using the talents of artists like Ani DiFranco, Bill Harley, Bruce Cockburn, Dar Williams, Brandi Carlile, Laura Love, Erin McKeown and Bill Sims, Jr. along with the song writing genius of Amy Martin your child will grow to love this multi-award winning CD.

To purchase visit the Ask the Planet website here.

Whistlefritz- Spanish Immersion DVD for Kids

Geared for children ages 2-7, Whistlefritz ($19.99) is a language immersion DVD that will enchant your children as it teaches them Spanish. Your child will love teacher Maria and the Whistlefritz kids as they search for the mischievous scamp of a mouse Fritzi. Through the use of live action, animation, puppets, and music children can explore their world, which includes the inside of a house and outdoors on the playground.

Whistlefritz takes everyday objects and teaches children the words in Spanish in a fun and concise manner. The character Fritzi is loads of fun and one that my daughter gravitated towards immediately. After viewing this DVD once she wanted to watch it again right away. This went on for a few weeks and it continues to be a DVD of choice. Each time she watches it she picks up a few more Spanish words. To be honest, my husband liked Whistlefritz better than I did. I found it a bit advanced for my three year-old and while she retained some of the information and enjoyed watching it I think more than thirty minutes a day is needed to be considered an immersion program for any language.

The Whistlefritz DVD does have a handy translation guide for parents and first time Spanish speakers which lists all the words in order of appearance on the DVD. It can be purchased at the Whistlefritz website.

MPR Rating: Three Stars.

'Heroes of Freedom' Available Today

Debuting today, February 5, is a new DVD series about people who helped change America, Heroes of Freedom: The Stories of Harriet Tubman & Rosa Parks. This DVD, geared for children ages 8-12 and running only 18 minutes, is great for the classroom or for home viewing.

Through this remarkable DVD young children can travel back in time to 1830 and see what life was really like for an enslaved person like Harriet Tubman and how she became the famous “conductor” of the Underground Railroad helping over 300 slaves find freedom. Your child will then embark on a journey to 1955. The scene is Montgomery, Alabama and a courageous Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on the bus making her a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movements.

This DVD ($14.95) has seven chapters, which the viewer can choose from on the menu. It is a great way to get kids interested and involved in history, Black History Month and to talk to them about the issues that still exist today. It is a well-done story of two remarkable women who lived for fair treatment and freedom. The colorful maps, photographs, historical reenactments and dramatizations will keep your child interested and wanting to know more.

For more information or to purchase this DVD visit here and here.

Kids Love Spanish! Volume I: Basic Words

‘Kids Love Spanish, Volume I, Basic Words’ DVD by the Brock sisters, Julie and Krisse, aims to teach your tyke the very basics of the Spanish language. Children exposed to a foreign language at an early age are often times more creative, learn faster, have self- confidence, and a competitive advantage later in life. This DVD has lots of singing, interaction between kids and adults, and heavy repetition for each basic word. It works too! In the first viewing my 18 month old daughter began saying ‘Gato’, which is Spanish for cat.

Each DVD in this seven disc series is about thirty minutes long and recommended for children ages 1-8+. I think for children older than 18 months it would work wonderfully if used on a regular basis, but it was too long to hold my daughters attention for more than half of it. The repetition of the words and examples shown in the DVD work well and gets the idea across to the viewer. Julie and Krisse use their own kids in the DVD’s and teach with such joy that it makes learning easy and fun for the whole family. While I didn’t love the sometimes hokey songs and continuous smiling, my daughter did, and I believe it enhanced her learning experience. She danced around during the song segments and pointed excitedly at the TV screen even saying hello when waved to. The songs were catchy enough to draw her back to the DVD even at the end which is something that not every edutainment DVD can do.

This is a useful DVD for teaching the basics of Spanish. Parents are encouraged during the lesson to join in and should as it only seeks to increase the learning process for their children. ‘Kids Love Spanish’ Volume I: Basic Words is not flashy, loud, and over the top. It strikes an easy going note that makes learning Spanish enjoyable.



**GIVEAWAY!!!! One lucky reader will win a copy of Kids Love Spanish, Vol. 1: Basic Words today! All you have to do is be the first one to email me!