PBS Kids: A Creature Christmas and Nature Cat to Debut

As we’re getting ready to feast on turkey, our friends over on PBS Kids are getting us into the holiday spirit with some great Christmas content featuring the Wild Kratts.

On November 25th, PBS is premiering “A Creature Christmas,” which is the first hour-long holiday Wild Kratts special. In this fun special, the Kratts take a break from their fearless questing for creatures to celebrate Christmas. But when they receive an alert that their favorite critters are disappearing around the globe, their holiday celebration quickly turns into a rescue mission. Wild Kratts: A Creature Christmas premieres November 25 with encore presentations on November 26, 27, 28 and 29; December 7, 18, 20, 24 and 25.

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Then, following the debut of “Creature Christmas,” be sure to check out the brand-new action-adventure series, Nature Cat. The show stars an ordinary housecat named Fred who becomes his alter-ego, “Nature Cat,” – backyard nature explorer – when his family leaves for the day. We’re already loving the energy and spunk from Nature Cat. Check out the site!

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As longtime Wild Kratts fans, I’m looking forward to this cool holiday special. We can’t wait to see what kind of adventure the Kratt brothers are up to for the holidays. Nature Cat sounds like so much fun! I totally envision our crazy cat having his own alter-ego every time he escapes the house! 

Odd-tober and Halloween Shows on PBS

We’ve been busy getting ready for Halloween over here. As we finish carving pumpkins and all the usual fun stuff, I wanted to share some cool stuff that’s been going on at PBS.


Earlier in the month, in honor of Odd Squad, PBS kicked the spooky season with a one-hour special and the return of Halloween-themed family favorites from various series! The premiere featured “Odd Squad: Against the Odds,” which will included five 11-minute stories with Olive, Otto and the rest of the gang as they solve the community’s strange problems.

 

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“Odd-tober” will continue on PBS KIDS this week with the return of family Halloween favorites, including “Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest.” Favorite episodes from series such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, PEG + CAT and Dinosaur Train will also air throughout the week. Don’t forget to check out games and stream the Halloween-themed episodes free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video App.

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We’re all about that crazy Curious George and his silly shenanigans. What are your favorite Halloween shows on PBS?  

Summer Reading Fun with PBS Kids

Like so many of you, our summer has been an endless list of outdoor fun. Between summer sports and fun at the lake, we’ve rarely had time to sit in and veg in front of the tv. Before we start our day, however, I tend to do some work and let Biggie enjoy some unstructured play and reading time. Before any screen time, he has to read or create something for at least 30 minutes. So far, we’ve read a Ronald Dahl book and worked on the latest Wimpy Kid book.

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Our friends at PBS Kids are always encouraging educational fun. In fact, for this summer’s reading initiative, they sent us a kit to have a little reading party with friends. Since we’re all about integrating reading in our day, we happily obliged, and had some friends over for a dessert reading party!

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In addition to our desserts, we all hung out and shared our love of books. The older kids had fun reading to the younger kids and the younger kids loved telling fun stories to the older kids. We chatted about what makes reading so fun, and also what kinds of books catch our eyes.

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In honor of the reading party, PBS Kids sent us fun goodies to share with our guests. We loved sharing bookmarks, reading charts, badges, booklets, and yes, even books! Harper Collins sent over a selection of I Can Read books, which were perfect for my soon-to-be 2nd grader and our young reading friends. I loved that so many favorite books were included, such as Fancy Nancy and Amelia Bedelia!

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Beyond the party, our friends have been loving keeping track of their reading time and sharing what books they’ve loved. We’re well on our way to finishing our new I Can Read favorites and reading aloud to little bro!

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A big thank you to PBS Kids for sending us supplies to host our Summer Reading Party. We loved sharing the reading fun with our friends! For more information about PBS Reading programs, be sure to check them out online.

 

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Full disclosure: As a PBS Kids VIP, I was sent supplies to host a summer reading party.  As always, all opinions on NKT are our own.

Mail from YouTube: Stampy Cat’s WonderQuest Launch

As we returned home from DisneySMMC a few weeks ago, we were treated to a surprise package from our friends at YouTube.  I love the smirk on Biggie’s face as he revealed contents:

It was a signed poster from none other than Stampy Cat! It’s not every day that you get snail mail from your favorite YouTube super cat!

If your kid plays Minecraft as much as everyone else’s, there’s a chance that he or she also knows about StampyCat. In fact, at my house, I swear, my kid watches more StampyCat than he actually plays Minecraft. Don’t get me wrong, if my kid is going to be staring at a screen, I’m glad he’s watching content that I’ve approved and encourages imagination. 

If you’re not on the up and up about Stampy, then you must know that this YouTube channel stars a cat, and overviews the countless ways that Minecraft can be played. According to The Guardian, Stampy’s channel on YouTube has upwards to 5.6 million subscribers and nearly 3.4bn video views. The main audience of this channel are, not surprisingly, children.

The kids are drawn to the funny banter and easy-to-follow gameplay. As if he’s a big brother paving the way through the mines, Stampy is the kid’s virtual buddy and a bonified pop cultural phenomenon.

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With this wild success comes other great ideas. The creator of Stampy Cat, Joseph Garrett, has launched a new second channel called Wonder Quest. Guardian reported that it’s a 12-episode show of the same name that aims to blend education, entertainment and – while still shot within Minecraft – higher production values. Wonder Quest is a partnership with Maker Studios and YouTube is the official distributor.

Tube Filter reported that there will be a supplement animated series to Wonder Quest called I Wonder. The show will feature  Stampy and his friend Wizard Keen further explore the educational topics presented in the flagship series. Both shows will be hosted on the new Wonder Quest channel.

Finally, Garrett’s Side Quest series contains eight episodes of Let’s Play-style videos where Stampy and his friends play games in maps featured in Wonder QuestSide Quest will be hosted on Garrett’s original Stampylonghead channel, which boasts over 5.6 million subscribers.

After watching an episode or two, I think Stampy is here to stay. I love that this show is scripted and set in the same Minecraft World, and keeps the same funny vibe that kids love. That lovable, fun tone is what keeps the kids engaged, and if that’s what it takes to mesh education with screen time seamlessly, I’m all for it.

 

 

Power Rangers Parents: Dino Charge Set for Saturday

As another installment of the Power Rangers Parents program, I have some cool insider details and goodies to share. With the Power Rangers Dino Charge final new episode before the mid-season hiatus coming up on April 4 at noon, I wanted to share all of these exciting Power Rangers goodies, too.

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Dino Charge is all about dino-fueled action and adventure this season with an action-packed storyline and new team of Rangers. After this Saturday’s new episode at noon, Power Rangers fans can continue to tune in to Nickelodeon at 12 pm and Sunday at 8 am for repeat episodes.

To help spread the Dino Charge news, we received a box of rad Power Rangers goodies including:

Raptor Zord with Charger from Bandai
Dino Charge Megazord from Bandai
GUM Power Rangers Timer Light Toothbrush
GUM Power Rangers Power Toothbrush
Power Rangers T-shirts
Power Rangers Dino Charge underwear
Power Rangers coloring books
worksheets, tattoos and stickers

Here’s a fun vlog that we created to share our Power Rangers Parents box:

Thank you to our friends at Saban and Power Rangers for sending these products to facilitate this review and help share this news. As always opinions on NKT are my own. 

 

The Cookie Thief Debuts on PBS Kids on Monday February 16

Cookie Monster is up to his regular shenanigans, except this time, he’s starring in The Cookie Thief on Monday, February 16 on PBS Kids. The all-new one-hour special follows Cookie’s adventure at a cookie art museum. When art goes missing, questions arise as to whether or not Cookie had something to do with it.

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And in Sesame Street fashion, this special focuses on important emotions and offers teaching moments. As Cookie Monster hopes to clear his name, kids learn about self-regulation concepts including impulse control, following directions and managing emotions.

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My preschooler, who is learning all about self-regulation concepts himself, absolutely loved The Cookie Thief. Not only did the 3 year old love it, but my 7 year old probably loved it even more. There was action, mystery and culture, what more could we want in a Sesame Street special? Cookie Monster’s starring role in the Cookie Thief is a fun and engaging movie for preschoolers, and one that is perfect to watch while the kids are home for school this president’s day!

Creative Galaxy Inspires a World of Imagination + Glow in the Dark Rocket Ship Craft


If the world is our oyster, then the galaxy is most certainly our canvas.

As a creative person who’s constantly creating, whether plotting projects in my head or in real time, I appreciate it when books and shows encourage the same thing for my boys.  The new original animated series, Creative Galaxy, featured on Amazon Prime Instant Video is an example of a show that gets our artistic juices flowing.

 

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In a galaxy far away, aliens co-exist and create art every day and solve problems by harnessing their imagination and creativity. The main character, Arty, is an inquisitive young alien who often asks questions to his audience. Creative Galaxy may have a familiar format and feel because it’s the product of children’s programming veteran Angela Santomero, the brains behind PBS Kids’ Daniel Tiger, Emmy-nominated Super Why and the classic kid’s favorite, Blue’s Clues. 

Each episode of Creative Galaxy begins with a problem that must be fixed with art.  To fix the problem at hand, Arty makes his way around Creative Galaxy and gathers items for his idea box. Arty tackles problems with his shape-shifting sidekick, Epiphany and friends along the way like Jackson, Shift, Seraphina and Gallaria. 

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Jason Priestly and Angela Santomero at the Creative Galaxy Launch. Source: Zimbio

Creative Galaxy boasts colorful imagery and fun, yet relatable story lines. Familiar voices lend their talent to round out the show: Cloris Leachman is Galleria, Brooke Shields is Seraphina and Jason Priestly is Sketch. 90210 fans will appreciate Sketch’s coy greeting: what brings you to my zip code? 

The show encourages art with a variety of mediums covered throughout: painting, crayon, drawing, paper—even glitter.  According to Amazon, this series is designed to support a child’s natural inclination to use their imaginations, make and create. Art is everywhere, as examined by Creative Galaxy; we are always surrounded by art, and ultimately, art is an important resource is our day to day life.

Geared to preschoolers, this show really struck a chord with my 2.5 year old, as well as my seven year old. Already a super fan of Amazon Studio’s Tumble Leaf, it took my two year old a few episodes to really appreciate Arty’s adventures.  Once he did though, he was really engaged into Arty’s projects.

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Though my older son is beyond these types of shows, I did find him getting into Arty’s adventures just as well as the two year old. Creative Galaxy makes kids feel as though they’re making art alongside of Arty and the kids featured on the show. As for my seven year old, he appreciates the real kids doing craft projects in between, which prompted us to do our own. More on that below!  I love the true educational content throughout the show. Creative Galaxy has a knack for implementing real artists such as Kandinsky and parlaying it into a relatable activity within the show, gives art appreciation a new meaning as a parent. I appreciate the different dimensions of this show. From the fresh-faced characters to the artwork created by real kids in between segments to the fun songs wrapping up story lines… “shapes and lines make everything,” Creative Galaxy is undoubtedly another intergalactic hit for Amazon Kids and Angela Santomero.

 

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As a diehard Amazon Prime Instant Video fan, I absolutely love the depth of kid’ shows that are now available on this streaming service.  Amazon made a smart move by tapping the best in the business when creating children’s programming.  Dr. Alice Wilder, another one of my idols, is the Educational Advisor for Amazon Studios and is also one of the executive producers for Creative Galaxy.  Dr. Wilder is responsible for developing the Amazon Originals curriculum for kids and is helping implement Amazon’s educational point of view into the development of new series. If my kids are going to be watching kid shows, I love knowing that educational professionals like Dr. Wilder are at the helm, helping to craft Amazon Originals’ curriculum for kids.

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It Iooks like I’m not alone in loving Amazon Prime Instant Video’s Creative Galaxy. Common Sense Media gives this new show four out of five stars. “The stories incorporate valuable prereading skills such as patterns, color identification, and counting in fun ways, and its interactive format encourages kids to consider how they might handle challenges such as the ones that Arty faces.”

 

 And because crafts and tactile activities go hand in hand with fabulous shows like Creative Galaxy, here’s a craft we had fun creating.

Glow in the Dark Rocket Ship Craft

From this creative show, we were inspired to do our own craft à la Arty and Creative Galaxy. Because my seven year old is much better at structured crafts than my 2 year old, he served as my crafting companion. But truly, this craft can be done with toddlers up to grade schoolers. 

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We used two pie tins, some glow sticks and Play Doh to create a simple Glow in the Dark Rocketship. 

IMG 1661IMG 1663We punched holes in the pie ties with hole punchers.  We used two different size hole punchers, and I’m sure you can use a variety of shapes. We did the sides, but we’ll probably do more on our next version.

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I then strung some baker’s twine between the two pans to create a way to suspend the flying saucer. Before sealing our rocket ship we ignited our glow sticks. You can use any lightweight illuminating device, as long as it’ll fit in the pie tins.

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Once the glow sticks are lit up, you can seal the tins with modge podge and pinch the lips of the two tins together. As the glue is drying, you can create your alien who will be flying the saucer. IMG 1689

 

Have your child envision the torso and head of the alien, which will sit atop of the flying saucer.  Once the alien is sculpted with the Play Doh, secure the figure onto of the tin. Ideally, wait until the glue dries before placing the figure on top. Modge Podge usually takes a few hours to dry. 

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Place the plastic cup over the alien, which will serve as the bubble for the flying saucer.  Love my technical terms? To secure the cup, use Modge Podge along the lip of the cup and then center it over the alien.  After everything is dry, decorate your flying saucer as you wish.

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The more colors, the better!  Since glow sticks only last a few hours, it’s fun to make this craft in the afternoon so you can use the Glow in the Dark Rocket Ship as a night light.  Use the twine to create a suspension device to hang from the ceiling!

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This craft hones in on fine motor skills and can serve as a conversation piece to bridge Creative Galaxy to some tactile play and creation. From this craft, parents can engage in conversation on stars, as well as light and dark.

 

As Arty and friends remind us: go and be amazing! That’s a pretty perfect catch phrase if I ever heard one!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Curious George Boo-Fest Returns for Halloween on PBS Kids

Fall and all of the fun that it brings is one of my favorite times of year. Lucky us, so many of our favorite shows underscore the fall fun, including our faves over at PBS Kids.

Later this month, be sure to check out new adventures with everyone’s favorite mischievous monkey, Curious George. New adventures of Curious George will debut on PBS KIDS October 28-30, including George testing his super spy skills and exploring an aviation museum. October 28 features the premiere of “Submonkey,” an underwater adventure that includes the song “Down, Down, Down,” performed by Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go’s.

 

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Be on the look out for more Halloween fun with episodes from other PBS KIDS shows, including Dinosaur Train, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Wild Kratts and more. 

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To find out more about the Curious George episodes read more after the jump:

Descriptions of the upcoming Curious George episodes via PBS Kids:

Read More

Marvel Universe Live Combines Superheroes, Technology and Live Entertainment

As a boy mom who also happens to write about trending kid products, shows and beyond, it’s safe to say, I’ve become well-versed in the realm of superheroes. It’s superheroes 24/7 up in here.

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A live action superhero show featuring our favorite characters piqued our interest when we first heard about it earlier this year; we’ve been anticipating Marvel Universe Live ever since.

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Feld Entertainment’s Marvel Universe Live, currently in East Rutherford, NJ’s Izod Center, commanded an arena of superhero-adoring children and equally bright-eyed parents.  The hour and a half live show featured choreographed stunts, motocross and non-stop action on a high-tech set, complemented by various aerial props and stunts.  Amidst an audience waving twinkling swords and slurping Spiderman Snocones, the actors/stunt people fulfilled heroic endeavors as they traveled across the globe.

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Feld Entertainment has a penchant for live shows and engaging their audiences with original story lines, and Marvel Universe Live was no exception. This show brought 25 iconic Marvel characters together in one performance as they banded together (and against) for the quest of the Cosmic Cube. Because of the Cosmic Cube’s inherent power, it is a coveted treasure that was shattered by Thor to prevent it getting into the wrong hands.  Since all the pieces were scattered around the globe, Thor’s evil brother, Loki, cooked up a plan to clone its powers that would destroy our planet and crush the Universe.  Naturally, it was up to the superheroes to save the Universe.

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With the magic of 3-D projection and the incredible set design, the storyline was fluid as it hopped around the globe. Geographically, we watched superheroes scale snow-covered mountains, battle on top of the Statue of Liberty and conquer evil all on one stage.  The transitions from scene to scene were seamless and unobtrusive. The pyrotechnics, light effects and musical score complemented the set design, and of course the talent of the stars.

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Our superhero-loving family was engaged from start to finish—we didn’t want it to end!  We loved seeing all of the superheroes together defeating the evil forces, live and in person. Some of the superheroes featured included: Iron Man, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor and Wolverine who faced evil forces such as Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Red Skull, Madame Hydra, Aldrich Killian, Electro and more. I was sort of expecting to see Stan Lee show up somewhere on the set!  The excitement of watching a movie in a theater is always thrilling, but to experience a live show with so much detail and fanfare is extraordinary. 

Untitled Untitled This was not a Broadway production, but instead, a stellar live feature geared to its most enamored audience—kids who love and appreciate superheroes.

As guests of The Moms, we were treated to a lovely VIP reception and pre-show activities.  My kids got to sharpen their archery skills, perfect their jabs and uppercuts and earn their own superhero badge at the end.  A big thank you to The Moms for organizing such a fun experience.

 

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Now for the fine print:  this show is NOT for everyone.  If you have kids who can’t sit and focus for an hour and half show, I’d absolutely avoid this, and any show until they could sit still.  In my opinion, it’s hard for not only the parent and kid who can’t sit still, but also for those around them.  My two year old could not and would not sit still.  He likes superheroes, but he doesn’t understand the concept of sitting still.  After letting him run around for a few minutes in the food area, one of the seating attendants let our family sit in a vacant row. If you’re on the fence about your little one who may not sit for the show or be scared by the noise/lights, my recommendation would be to wait until they’re old enough to truly appreciate the show than to force them to sit through something they might hate.

This is a show where it’s dark almost the entire time and lights were constantly being projected.  Sometimes, light effects were strobing, sometimes they flashed more intermittently.  Laser-like lights were evident throughout, as well.  Coupled with loud music and pyrotechnics, I would not recommend the show for sensory sensitive audience members.

Overall, Marvel Universe Live truly did not disappoint with its non-stop action, original story and mesmerizing set design.  This is a concept show that utilizes well-loved characters, harnesses technology and talent to tell an original story before a live audience and a fickle fan base!  This was one of those shows that we can’t stop talking about and will tell anyone who will listen all about it—it was that good!

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Marvel Universe Live will be at Izod Center in NJ until August 10th and will then be at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn from August 13-17 and then LI later in August.  Not in the tri-state area?  Check to see if Marvel Universe Live will be in your town.

Full disclosure: We received complimentary tickets and a parking pass to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own. 

Wild Kratts on HuffPo Live Today

Any swamp animal and/or HuffPo fans out there? Today, some of our PBS Kids friends and animal experts, Chris and Martin Kratt of Wild Kratt fame, will be interviewed on HuffPo Live today.  

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They’ll be discussing their upcoming special on swamp animals, as well as sharing an upcoming clip. There will be a some kids video conferencing in for the interview, too!  If you tune in, be on the look out for my big guy, who will be asking a question or two!  Tune into HuffPo Live at 2 for the interview!

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The segment will be a quick one, so don’t blink!  If and when the video becomes available, I’ll be sure to share here!

 

You can catch Wild Kratts weekdays on PBS Kids or anytime on Apple Tv!  The PBS Kids Video App is now available on Android and Chromecast