Category: preschooler

Toys ‘R’ Us Great Big Christmas Book: There’s an App for That

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Halloween’s over and you know what that means?  That’s right, the Holiday shopping season cranks up a notch.  While the shelves might have been touting dancing Santas and singing reindeers for a few weeks now, marketers and retailers have been working overtime for months in preparation for the upcoming Holiday season.

As mentioned before, many of us bloggers were attending holiday previews way back in May, so, be prepared to see an influx of holiday coverage on blogs this year, NKT included.

We can’t cover holiday shopping without highlighting the thrill of the hunt—for kids, that is!  While many of us plan to scour the malls, websites and shops for the best deals, in many cases, it all starts with that carefully-crafted Christmas list.  And guess what?

Of course, there’s an app for that.

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Time for Kids Releases Two New Titles for Curious Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

While strolling Costco this weekend, my three-year old looked up at me and innocently asked, “Do donkeys go to church?”

And before I could answer the first question, he then asked, “What do donkeys do?”

The past few weeks, the kid has done his best to stump us with his curiosity and long list of questions, impossible questions included.  We do our best to answer them, but sometimes, truly, I have no answer because I really don’t know!  As every parent knows, kids are innately curious and they love to ask questions, which why I totally appreciate these new releases from Time for Kids.

Just in time for Halloween, the editors of Time for Kids released two new books for our inquisitive and answer-starved kid: That’s Awesome and The BIG Book of Why.

Geared to school-aged kids to read on their own, Time for Kid’s new books aim to answer many questions that even the littler ones might ask.

The Big Book of Why features 1,001 facts, including the science or history to further explain the answer in a straightforward and kid-friendly way.


And with Halloween in mind, here are some fun excerpts from The Big Book of Why:

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Snack Nation: Package Your Own Healthy Snacks

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In case you haven’t heard, apparently, we’re raising a generation of constant snackers.

As Wendy Sachs recently wrote in the Huffington Post, “From cleverly packaged organic cookies to crisp 100 Calorie chips, we offer snacks as distraction and entertainment.”

Those prepackaged snacks are so easy to grab and just throw in a bag when you’re on the go…or to alleviate meltdowns. I’m guilty of it, too.  No judgments here!  But on a different note,  just because it’s organic doesn’t necessarily mean it’s that great of a snack for the kid, especially if they’re having tons of it, all day long.

A lot of kids are devouring those prepackaged snack foods, which are high in calories and low in nutrients, as pointed out in a MayoClinic.com article.

So, why don’t we nip these bad habits in the bud, and go for a healthier, old-fashioned route: snacks that we package ourselves?

Grapes, cheese and crackers

Instead of grabbing for cutesy prepackaged and highly processed “fruit” snacks, why not put together fresh fruit and add a little protein like low-fat cheddar cheese?

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Happy 90 Years, Scholastic!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I can still remember those awesome days, sitting in a circle, indian-style at the library, listening to my grade school librarian read a silly story about Amelia Bedelia aloud during story time.  Or, how about those days when the latest Scholastic book club flyers went out?  I can still remember circling every awesome book on every page.  Or what about those awesome book fairs? Or how about collecting every single Babysitter’s Club book and re-reading them five times over.

These days, I practically squeal with excitement when we head to Soho, because that usually means a gratuitous trip to the Scholastic store—a trip that I wholeheartedly enjoy as a lifelong book lover grooming the next generation of book nerds. My boy embraces his Clifford classics.  And hello, a specific Pirate potty training book made life a little easier during these trying months.

Perhaps you have similar memories, or maybe more current ones of how Scholastic has impacted your life?

Today, Scholastic celebrates quite a monumental anniversary.  Ninety years ago, Robbie Robinson created the first issue of a magazine called The Western Pennsylvania Scholastic. Today, Scholastic is now the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books.

Based on the awesome microsite to celebrate this anniversary, Scholastic has had a fabulous 90 years thus far!

If you’re in the NYC area today, be on the lookout for the many ways Scholastic is celebrating their special day.  They’ll be in Times Square, Central Park, outside the American Museum of Natural History, at the Liberty/Ellis Island Ferry Terminal, and  outside Scholastic HQ at 557 Broadway and will even be ringing the closing NASDAQ bell.  A busy day celebrating in NYC will be capped off with the Empire State building glowing a bright red as a nod to Scholastic’s amazing 90 years.

To emphasize their impact on the importance in reading for kids of all ages, Scholastic also announced their latest global campaign, Read Every Day/ Lead a Better Life.  It’s so fitting, isn’t it?  Check it out and be sure to fill out the Reading Bill of Rights to take part.

Congrats, and here’s to 90 more years of awesomeness, Scholastic!

 

 

Deal Alert: 20 Percent off at 77Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Deal alert:  NKT fave, 77Kids by American Eagle, is having a 7 hour sale today.  Aside from all of the cute new arrivals, like this and this, it looks like a lot of their fall merchandise is on sale.  Already discounted gear, plus another 20% off? Who can say no to some inexpensive and stylish graphic tees, hoodies and then some?  Stash and stock up for next fall or spring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To save 20% online at 77Kids from noon-7pm (today only), use code 84678658.  Heading to a store? Just say ‘Happy Birday’ to grab your discount.

Though this post was inspired in part by my newly purchased, super-comfy aerie pj pants, this is not a sponsored post.

pediped Debuts Grip ‘n’ Go

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Children’s footwear designers, pediped, debuted the Grip ‘n’ Go, a shoe with active toddlers in mind.  The Grip ‘n’ Go is described as a mix between the pediped Originals and Flex lines.

pediped’s Grip ‘n’ Go is similar to the Originals but with thin, flexible rubber soles.  The rounded edges mimic the natural shape of a child’s foot and the heel stability and soft toe box allow toddlers to feel and grip the floor.

The introduction of the Grip ‘n’ Go rounds out pediped’s footwear line, which also includes the Original, couture and The Flex.

Time to Play Announces Holiday Must Haves

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s October, and fall is officially in full swing.  (How did that happen so quickly?)

Even though the season is just now starting to change, media and bloggers alike have had the holidays in mind for months now.  In fact, I think I went to my first holiday preview back in May?

Nevertheless, I’m excited once again to curate—what I consider—cool new kid gear that would make fun gift for the holidays.  But this week, to get the season started right, I had the chance to attend Time to Play magazines Holiday Showcase here in NYC.

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The pros, Chris Byrne, content director, and Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com unveiled Time to Play’s Most Wanted list, the 16 toys they predict will be the “must haves” for the upcoming holiday season.  And once again, NKT was onhand to check things out and tweet all about it.

And here they are, TimetoPlayMag.com’s Most Wanted List for the 2010 Holiday Season:

  • AIR HOGS MOTO FRENZY
    (Spin Master/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • DISNEY PRINCESS & ME DOLLS
    (JAKKS Pacific/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $49.99)
  • HOT WHEELS R/C STEALTH RIDES
    (Mattel/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • LEAPSTER EXPLORER
    (LeapFrog/Ages 4 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $69.99)
  • LEGO Games – LEGO Systems
    (LEGO/Ages 7 years & up/Approx. Retail Price $29.99)
  • LOOPZ
    (Mattel/Ages 7 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $29.99)
  • MONSTER HIGH Dolls
    (Mattel/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $16.99)
  • NERF N-STRIKE STAMPEDE ECS Blaster
    (Hasbro/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $49.99)
  • PAPER JAMZ
    (WowWee/Ages 5 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • REAL CONSTRUCTION
    (JAKKS Pacific/Ages 5 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • SCRABBLE FLASH
    (Hasbro/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $29.99)
  • SING-A-MA-JIGS
    (Mattel/Ages 3 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $12.99)
  • SQUINKIES
    (Blip Toys/Ages 4 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $6.99)
  • TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS CHUCK’S STUNT PARK Playset
    (Hasbro Playskool/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99)
  • V.READER
    (VTech/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99)
  • ZOOBLES
    (Spin Master/Ages 4 years & up/ Approx. Retail Price: $4.99)

They also highlighted three family-friendly video games, which include:

  • Kirby’s epicYarn
  • Epic Mickey
  • Dance Central

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Most of the toys at the showcase were toys that I’ve had the chance to check out at Toy Fair, at media previews or have even been dubbed NKT faves, so some of the “must haves” were no surprise.  They’re all great picks, but I have several more on my radar that I think should’ve made the mark.  I’ll be sure to share those in my holiday gift guide, which is coming soon.

Do you guys see any toys that you think might be the “it” toy this year?

Whatever you think might be hot, put it on your radar NOW.  Time to Play’s sage advice for consumers and industry insiders alike:  “If you see it early, grab it early.”

The Ultimate Block Party Set for Oct. 3 in NYC

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

“How you play is who you become,” is the convincing tagline for this weekend’s Ultimate Block Party in NYC.  With playful learning in mind, Play for Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to shedding light on the crucial role of play in children’s development and education, is hosting the Ultimate Block Party in Central Park this Sunday, October 3.

Described to be the first “play date” in a national education movement, the Ultimate Block Party is poised to transform the Bandshell area of Central Park on Sunday, October 3, into the world’s most innovative playground by demonstrating the power of fun and games for learning and helping to reinforce that how we play as children helps form who we become as adults.

As a champion of playtime and getting outdoors here at NKT, I was so thrilled to learn about this fun event from some of my colleagues. In fact, if our schedule permits, I’m hoping to bring our family out to the Ultimate Block Party on Sunday to take in some playtime of our own.

Play for Tomorrow, together with their partners, are inviting families with kids 12 and under to head to Central Park on Sunday to join in the fun.  The rain or shine event, which goes from 11am to 5 pm by the Naumburg Bandshell (Enter at 72nd Street and Fifth Ave), will have a myriad of playful activities and mini-master classes with leading architects, scientists, engineers, musicians, artists, inventors and business leaders from around the City.  Best of all, it’s free.

Free fun for the kids in NYC: it doesn’t get any better than that!

The sponsors and activities* that will be at this fantastic event include many NKT faves such as KaBoom!, Crayola, CMOM, Imagination Playground, Chicago Children’s Museum, Legos, Electric and many, many more.  If you’re in NYC, come join us!  If you’re not in the area, don’t worry, word is, there are already plans to launch the Ultimate Block Party in other U.S. cities and internationally.

Giveaway

One of the sponsors of the event and NKT fave, Lego, will have a LEGO imagination construction zone at the Ultimate Block Party.  And for those of you not in the area, LEGO isn’t forgetting you.  To encourage personal LEGO imagination construction zones at home, they are kindly offering one NKT reader a LEGO DUPLO Play with Numbers set.

Want to win the Duplo set? Just tell me what sort of things do you and your kids like to build with Legos.  Please comment below.

*Want to see small a sampling of the activities planned for The Ultimate Block Party?  Click after the jump.  I’m getting even more excited just reading about all the fun!  If you’re planning on going, let me know!

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Celebrate and Share: Tag.Give.Read with LeapFrog

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s my boy’s birthday today, and I’m happy to report that we enjoyed our mini-party this weekend.  Of course, a birthday party wouldn’t be complete without fun gifts, which is why I’m sharing about yet another NKT fave, LeapFrog.

Reading has been a huge, huge part of being 2.  LeapFrog’s Tag Jr. has been a staple in our reading routine since we were introduced to it last summer.  Tag Jr., which is geared to 2-5 year olds, has been such a hit for the kid, that for holidays like Easter and Valentine’s Day, in lieu of excess candy, I’ve made sure to gift the kid with Tag Jr. books to bolster our library.

Watching the boy’s chubby toddler arms plop the equally chubby Tag Jr. on the graphics of his little books are memories that I’ll always embrace.  And the quality time that dad gets to share with the kid while reading with Tag Jr. during the bedtime routine? Irreplaceable.

One of the many fantastic aspects of LeapFrog is that they’ve done a genius job of developing an array of products that grow with kids, and I envision Tag being a huge part of the preschool phase.  While we haven’t officially graduated from Tag Jr., the kid has had a fun time exploring more titles with LeapFrog’s Tag Reading System, which is aimed to 4- 8 year olds.  Superheroes are the favorite phase du jour, so, reading about Spiderman with LeapFrog Tag has offered a great new perspective to Spidey’s adventures.

Tag’s library is constantly evolving, and titles such as Toy Story 3 is one of the new ones that will no doubt find its way into our home.  Oh yes, and how can I forget staples such Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, which came with our Tag Reader, and for good reason: it’s been one book that’s read endlessly for bedtime.

Check it

LeapFrog has certainly helped cultivate the joy of reading at a young age in our home, and they’re aiming to touch even more lives.  Announced last week, through a partnership with DonorsChoose.org, LeapFrog’s new Tag. Give. Read. program is aiming to help more U.S. children embrace the love of reading by donating $100,000 to match donations made to teachers requesting Tag School Reading systems.

To learn more about the Tag. Give. Read. program, logon to LeapFrog.com. All DonorsChoose.org projects that are eligible for the LeapFrog match are searchable by teacher name or geographic area. Once a teacher’s goal for Tag School systems is half-met by donors, LeapFrog provides the rest.  Awesome, no?

And Those who don’t have money to give can make a difference, by becoming a fan of LeapFrog on Facebook. For each new “like,” LeapFrog will give a Tag book to a Kindergarten teacher, up to 25,000 books.  As if we needed another reason to love LeapFrog!

Giveaway

And because we’re still in celebration mode over here on NKT, here’s another gift for you:  LeapFrog has offered to give one NKT reader a LeapFrog Tag Reading System.

Want a LeapFrog Tag for your kids?  Simply share about LeapFrog’s Tag.Give.Read program.  Leverage all social media outlets and share about this fantastic program. Tweet, Share on Facebook, email your friends and family…  Share: give more kids a chance to celebrate the love of reading.

(actual book in giveaway may vary from photo.  This photo was taken at the LeapFrog media preview)

Please comment below for each way that you share.  Multiple entries are encouraged, so please share away.

Interested in another extra entry?  Become an NKT fan on Facebook and/or “like” this post.  Who knows, maybe I’ll give away something else very soon.  *cough*tomorrow*cough

This giveaway will end October 11 at midnight. Winners will be chosen via random.org, and will be notified via Facebook fanpage and email.

NKT Fave: Chuggington Die-Cast Toys from Learning Curve

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Trains, trains and more trains. Thank goodness for trains and massive train tables! Toddlerhood possibly wouldn’t have been bearable without our trusty trains. I do believe I complained about the size of the giant train table the kid got for his birthday last year, but after endless hours of play, I’ll bite my tongue.  Good call, hubs!

During our summer of displacement, the kid constantly asked for his toys, but it was his trains and train table that he begged for on a daily basis.  And because of that, our trains and the bazillion pieces and accessories that go along with it will always be an NKT fave.

I love sharing the next big thing in kid products, and of course, toys! A few months ago, we shared the news that one of our favorite train shows, Chuggington, will be releasing toys here in the U.S.  Chuggington toys will be on the shelves in early October, in time for the holidays, but better yet, you can pre-order them now at Toysrus.com.

As a Chuggington Conductor, I’ve had the chance to get the latest Chuggington news as it breaks, so that I can share it with all of you.  This time around, we were able to get the new toys in our hands BEFORE they hit the shelves to be able to share a sneak peek with all of you.  In the spirit of the next kid thing, check out our video and review of the new Chuggington toys from Learning Curve.   Apologies for the shaky camera!

 

And because it’s my boy’s birthday next week, as promised, I want to give YOUR kids toys that my kid loves. Sooooo…

Giveaway

Want to win a Chuggington prize pack? The prize pack will include a Launch & Go Roundhouse, Straight & Curved Track Pack and a few Die-Cast Engines.  (Engines may vary from what is shown in my video.)

Comment below and tell me who your kids’ favorite Chuggington character is, and why.

The kid and I mutually love Koko because she’s feisty, strong-willed and fun.

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