Category: goodies

Curious George Swings into Spring on PBS Kids on Earth Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Everyone’s favorite monkey is helping us to usher in spring today, just in time for Earth Day. Curious George, like most of us, has spring fever after a long winter.


As usual, George finds himself in quite the predicament in the new PBS Kids movie, “Curious George Swings into Spring.” As he finds his way, George is able to enjoy and learn about the beauty of spring firsthand.

To prepare for Curious George’s “Swing into Spring” hour-long movie that coincides with Earth Day celebrations, we did some fun outdoor activities. After all, the best way to learn for the little guys is to do it hands-on, especially if it involves getting dirty!


We’re getting the groove of this suburban thing, which includes a new-found appreciation for gardening. The whole family gets into planting flowers, working on the lawn and cultivating a garden.


As part of this fun Curious George promo, our friends at PBS Kids sent us a fantastic spring care package, that included materials for planting tomato, as well as instructions for a fun bird feeder that incorporates recycled materials.


Together with our other plants, we planted our tomatoes last week. As we were working on the garden and seedlings today, we noticed the tiniest sprout! We’ve been careful to plant and keep our pots in sunlight and out of harm’s way. We’re looking forward to see the wonderful fruit it will bear!


We enjoyed today’s beautiful sunshine by building a bird feeder from a recycled soda bottle. After cleaning out the bottle, punching several holes for the twine at the top and holes to position the chopstick to act as a perch, we then filled the bottle with seeds. After closing the bottle and flipping it over, we found a perfect spot to hang our new feeder right outside our window. We’ll be watching for birds to come visit!


As our buddy Curious George reminds us, it’s important to embrace spring and to enjoy nature as often as we can! After checking out Curious George’s Swing into Spring, make sure you make time to go for a walk or find a special way enjoy the outdoors on Earth Day and every day.


Tune into PBS Kids on April 22nd to catch the hour-long special, “Curious George Swings into Spring.”

As a PBS Kids VIP, it’s a privilege to share the latest PBS Kids news. I was not compensated, and as always, all opinions are my own.

Welcoming the Season with Spring-inspired Crafts

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Spring is well underway, and it’s finally starting to get warmer here in NJ. I just noticed my tulips and peonies are starting to emerge. It’s been a long, cold winter, so we’re all excited to see the landscape and outdoor color scheme transition from gray to lush, green and bold.

With that in mind, my boy and I have been crafting every chance we get during Spring Break. When we weren’t out playing or visiting family, we’ve been busy cutting, ModPodging and thinking of spring-inspired crafts. So, I thought I’d share a few that we found and enjoyed, much thanks to Pinterest.

First of all, a few weeks ago I scored a crafter’s delight at our local TJ Maxx. I scooped up a few containers of Mod Podge, a variety of baker’s twine and a cool date stamper—all for under $20. Not bad, considering a large container of Mod Podge can run you close to $10. I’ve had my large container of Mod Podge for 5 years, and I craft with the kid a lot! So, be on the look out at TJ Maxx and HomeGoods for crafting supplies.

Biggie has been inspired by the timely activities they do at school. So, to build on this conversation at home, I let him go to town with construction paper, crayons and scissors. From that, he created these imaginative spring objects. I especially love the bee and tree—they’re crazy-looking, but so fun.

The tree he created, we actually spotted on Pinterest. The craft originally found on

CrazyMommy’s site was intended to be a flower with hand cutouts as the petals. J made it a tree and made his handprints into the leaves. It originally had 4 handprints, but it looks like we lost one along the way. I love the way he decorated the trunk; I had a hand with the heart :)

This morning, we did a spring-colored decoupaged jar this morning, which I’ll share the results later.

And here’s our current work in progress:

As this guy dries, we’re off to enjoy this amazing day at the zoo!

World Autism Awareness Day and Looking Ahead to the BRAIN Initiative

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

According to the CDC’s latest reports, 1 in 50 school children have autism, up from last year’s estimate of 1 in 88.  With those numbers getting higher, we’re all likely to know and love someone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD.)

Today, April 2nd, is World Autism Awareness Day, and the whole month of April you’re encouraged to light it up blue, too.

As a mother of a baby with special needs, helping to spread autism awareness hits home more than ever.  To be truthful, because of the baby’s medicine regimen and their effects, I don’t even know if our baby will be in that above stat.  Whether he is or isn’t you better believe I’ll be on the frontlines helping to spread awareness to better understand ASD.

The president had some uplifting words in regard to Autism Awareness and how his administration is addressing them.

And looking ahead, my Administration is investing in medical research that can help unlock tomorrow’s breakthroughs in autism detection, intervention, and education. Leveling the playing field for Americans on the autism spectrum also takes commitment in our schools. That is why we are advancing initiatives to help students with ASDs get a good education free from discrimination and undue hardship.

To read the presidential proclamation go here

And speaking of Obama, I actually found this article quite interesting:

Obama brain intiative announced on World Autism Day

BRAIN — which stands for Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies — is a $100 million project that is focused on mapping the brain to better understand its function, and hopefully one day understand the causes and treatments for certain diseases. Autism advocates and organizations like Autism Speaks hope that this push will help reveal the mysteries behind the disorder.

This is a very big deal. Very big.

Here’s more information on this BRAIN Initiative.  Politics aside, this initiative affects a lot of people, and in a good way.

Today at the White House, President Obama unveiled the “BRAIN” Initiative—a bold new research effort to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and uncover new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

I will update this post later with some great articles I’ve read on spreading autism awareness and how you can help, but in the meantime, please visit LightItUpBlue.org and AutismSpeaks.com .

Parent Advocate: Stealth Sugars Shakedown and the Sometimes Treat

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I have a classic penny candy jar sitting on my kitchen counter. It’s where I collect and store most of Biggie’s candy from parties, school, holidays, etc. Many days go by and the candy is left untouched, but then there are other days when a piece of candy is a reward or dessert or just because. This, for us, allows us to moderate that slippery slope of candy possession and have frequent conversations on “sometimes treats.”


Treats, for me, have always been associated with sugar. When I was a kid, I would hoard and hide candy because that’s what I did. I’d hide it because I knew it was bad and I’d indulge when no one was looking. And by indulge, I mean, OVERindulge.

This relationship with sugar is how I see stealth sugarin our food today, especially the food that’s marketed to our children. Just because it’s hidden or disguised doesn’t mean it’s healthy. The food that’s marketed to our kids is big business—to the tune of $10 billion a year. I see the trends in marketing to food to kids, I talk about said trends, and hey, I even fall for said tactics, often because it’s convenient or it’s on sale, or my friend recommended it.

What we need to see are food companies more accountable and transparent about the stuff they’re putting on our shelves and advertising to our kids.

I bring this up because I am attending a media event discussing a popular smoothie marketed to kids. They’ll be sharing a “secret” that they say moms will want to know, and believe me, I do want to know…but what I want to know may be a little different than what they’re telling me.

I’ll be up front: I’ve bought these “sometime treats” for my kid before. I took advantage of coupons and was duped by the clever placement (eye level for my 5 year old) in the dairy aisle. I haven’t bought these smoothies in awhile because, quite frankly, I haven’t had to: I won a year’s supply of our favorite organic yogurt at BlogHer last year.

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This is a photo of some of the sugary treats and yogurts from my fridge right now. While some may be good, the sugar content of most of these items are through the roof, hence sometimes treat.

While researching for today’s event, I had to refer to this AHA abstract to read up on the suggested sugar intake for kids.

Like most kids his age, Biggie gets sucked into the commercials that are geared to him and his peers. If C.C. and Rocky from Shake it Up are selling pickled herring, I’m sure he’ll spot it in Target the next time we go. It’s a well proven fact that marketing foods to kids with well known characters works. Hello? The partnership with Shrek and onions was awesome, but seriously, I need to see the Disney juggernaut market more wholesome food to our kids. Throw Mickey and Minnie on some apples and oranges, put Goofy on a banana and give Donald some broccoli to peddle: I hope to see a bigger shift in the food marketing paradigm to embrace produce and more unprocessed goods. See: Kids love Cuties.

Most food being marketed to kids have crazy sugar content, or dyes, or artificial everything. You and I know that, but does everyone else? According to AHA, sugar content in yogurt and dairy products hasn’t shown much adverse effects, but it’s the amount of sugar intake. Too much of anything is never any good.
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I researched a bit about yogurt and added sugars, but will save my opinions on this after I learn more today. In the meantime, here are two important articles that I will be using as references for today’s media event this one from Marion Nestleand this one from Fooducate. Btw, I just downloaded Fooducate’s app—it’s brilliant!

Thought provoking quote from Marion Nestle’s post:

As I wrote of the competition between Dannon and Yoplait (owned by General Mills) in the yogurt chapter of What to Eat,

The chief weapon in the yogurt battles is sugar. Both brands are desserts. Sugars constitute 55 percent of the 80 calories in Go-GURT, 67 percent of the 90 calories in Danimals Drinkable, and 68 of the 170 calories in Danimals XL. Even in Stonyfield’s YoBaby organic yogurts…53% of the 120 calories come from added sugars. Some of Stonyfield’s yogurts for older kids appear berry-flavored, but they have no fruit at all….

Back to the issue at hand: I have a list of questions I am hoping to ask the executives at today’s media event. I am attending this event as an advocate for my children and someone who has a voice in the parenting space. I’m not shilling or here for coupons, but instead, seeking answers. I will be sure to share the takeaways and everything in between.

Labels of the above yogurts from my fridge:


I report about “sometime treats” here on NKT as I learn about them, hoping that you take that information and make decisions that work best for your family. Reminder: I’m upfront when posts are sponsored and today, I’m being hosted, but am not being compensated.

Here are just a few more articles I was up late reading:

http://business.highbeam.com/435361/article-1G1-172907906/youth-analysts-gaze-into-their-magic-eight-balls-predict

www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/food_marketing_to_children.pdf

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ftc-reports-food-marketing-children-down-195-146169

The Uses of Yogurt

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp

http://business.highbeam.com/435361/article-1G1-172907906/youth-analysts-gaze-into-their-magic-eight-balls-predict

www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/food_marketing_to_children.pdf

The total amount spent on food marketing to children is about $10 billion a year.1

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ftc-reports-food-marketing-children-down-195-146169

The Uses of Yogurt

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/120/11/1011.full.pdf

The Next Kid Thing or Next Big Flop?

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s that time of year! If you check the calendar, then you must know what today means. If you’re gullible like me, you’ll believe almost every “new” product everyone’s shilling today. Here’s a collection of just some of the funniest Next Kid Things floating around the interwebs:

Crib Dribbler

The Crib Dribbler sounds like the perfect answer for exhausted parents. Better yet, this automatic feeding system, fashioned like a water bottle hung in a rodent’s cage, would be a must have for the lazy parenting types. You know the kind.

Thank goodness this system is just a gag box from Prank Pack. The back of the box, though, is the best! Ha!

Munchkin Naughty Mouth Soap

The Munchkin Naughty Mouth Soap actually sounds like it would have some weight in the tough love aisle. According to the spoof press release: Parents of little children who are prone to potty mouth now have a valuable tool in their parenting arsenal. The Naughty Mouth Soap is non-toxic but foul-tasting deterrent to stop the future use of inappropriate language. As a sushi fan, my favorite is Whining Wasabi. Other flavors include: Lying Liver, Spoiled Child Spoiled Milk, Vulgarity Vomit and Extra-Strength Sour Pout Face. Well played, Munchkin!

I’m actually a big fan of Munchkin products (I swear by the White Hot Safety Duck Tub!), so I got a big kick out of this funny April Fool’s Day joke!

Skip Hop Sippy Helmet

This Sippy Helmet would’ve been perfect on our whirlwind road trip. For a sippy cup wielding baby having to ride in the car for 12 hours in one weekend, this gag would actually come in handy for the trip. Too funny, Skip Hop! Haha!

Even though these fun products are just gags for April Fool’s Day, it’s fun to chuckle at all of crazy possibilities for the next big thing for kids. What crazy things have you seen today?

Happy April Fool’s Day. Be careful and have fun!

Last Minute Easter Basket Gift Ideas

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Easter may be tomorrow, but in case you’re still looking for basket-filling ideas, we have some fun suggestions. Since we’ve been busy checking out Spring toys and new releases, we haven’t had a chance to fully complete our reviews. I thought we’d highlight just a few cool things that would be a perfect addition to your baskets.

While Easter remains a religious holiday for many families, those with young kids know it’s fun to indulge in Bunny stuff. To me, beyond jelly beans and chocolate bunnies, Easter basket stuffers are meant to be small trinkets that fit in the basket, as opposed to another excuse to go toy-crazy. So, lucky us, there are tons of non-candy goodies that will make every ‘bunny’ happy.

Games
Card games, travel games, video games and apps are a given when thinking of gift ideas for older kids. A few games that we’re currently loving: Skylanders Giants, Brave Digital Book app, Super Animal Genius for LeapPad and Twister Rave Ringz.
Skylanders Giants continues to dominate our house. I’ll have more details on these guys soon, but Crusher and Stump Smash are my guys’ favorites right now.
Brave Storybook Deluxe app from Disney Digital is one of our favorite apps at the moment. This app lets Merida fans read or play along with a variety of Brave-inspired games. I love Merida’s Challenge which give us a chance to sharpen archery skills in between practicing our reading skills. The option that allows you to record your own voice reading, makes this app a must for new readers and Merida fans alike.
Super Animal Genius for LeapPad is another fun game appropriate for grade schoolers. This game challenges kids to learn fun facts about animals while keeping it light. This game from Scholastic allows kids to explore different regions and the animals that live there. I love the way this game engages kids through playing eye-catching games as it educates.
Twister Rave Ringz is a new take on movement and clapping games. With these light up rings, players can change colors of the rings by clapping, moving and twisting. You can play solo or with friends, at home or on the go. We actually brought these along for our nighttime roadtrip, which made things quite interesting. Perfect for tweens, but also for grade schoolers with coordination, Twister Rave Ringz is a fun and almost addictive!

Baby
For baby, I books, especially the ones found in the Target Dollar Spot, are my favorite stuffers. Baby can never have enough board books, especially for the most voracious, slobbery reader.
Annie’s Bunnies always find their way into our
Buycostumes.com has a slew of fun costumes that are available all year, but we actually had the chance to check out this fun bunny costume for baby. I’ll be sure to share pictures of our baby bunny, but in case you need ideas for spring baby photos, be sure to check out Buycostumes.com. Baby bunny will be in our guy’s Easter basket tomorrow! He has no idea what’s coming.

Rollin’ with The TODAY Show and FamilyFun Magazine

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Like my morning cup of coffee, I always start my day with The Today Show. Day in, day out, I rely on Matt, Savannah, Natalie and Al to get me going. And then, there’s Kathie Lee and Hoda. While the baby naps, these two hilarious ladies keep me company as I work at home.

Their segments are often lighter and sometimes wine-driven, but every now and then, there’s a topical subject for me, specifically something kid-related. In the past, Biggie has made appearances on the fourth hour to help KLG and Hoda with kid-friendly segments.  Yesterday, in fact, marked J’s third trip to the show to help with another timely FamilyFun Magazine segment.

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FamilyFun’s Deputy Editor Mary Giles shared several Easter activities and games to keep the kids entertained while mom and dad gorge on Honey Baked Ham and wine. Wait…

The activities overviewed on the segment included glitter, feathers, jelly beans and egg rolling with “Chinese sticks,” as J calls them.  I will definitely list which activities were highlighted after the segment airs, but in the meantime, for fun, I thought I’d share J’s outfit that he picked out.

What Did he Wear

If you know me, then you must know I have a sickness that involves buying cool clothes for my boys.  Way too many clothes. The outfit we agreed upon for his Today Show appearance was comprised of some fun pieces that I bought at a few of my favorite stores: a mix of big box, discount and boutique stores.  Here’s J’s best Zoolander montage:

Jack is geeky cool

I knew I wanted him to look playful, yet somewhat dressy since it was for an Easter segment.  I’m so glad we settled on the very Springy yellow button down and accessorized with a striped bowtie to assuage his current accessory obsession.  Can 5-year olds have signature pieces?

1. PD&C yellow button-down

In a sea of black and gray t-shirts found at my local TJ Maxx’s boys’ section, I spotted this super cool Paper Denim and Cloth shirt.  It was hard to miss this soft yellow and textured cotton shirt.  I almost put it back, but I’m so glad I ended up picking this one up.  It’s actually one of my favorite shirts of his right now.  The details on this shirt have an Americana/Cowboy vibe without being too Woody from Toy Story.  The color yellow is a total departure for us.  The shirt included in this Polyvore set obviously isn’t the same one, but I grabbed it as a visual.  I can’t find much information on PD&C, but I did read that this line just recently relaunched.  At $15 at TJ Maxx, you can’t beat this boutique-worthy and very versatile PD&C cotton shirt.

2. Levi’s Slim Fit Jeans

I’m one of those parents who puts my kids in skinny jeans and don’t think twice.  As long as it’s comfortable, durable and looks good on them, I’m all for it.  I found this specific pair of Levi’s at a new favorite boutique in Nolita in the City.  First turned on to Piccolini from my friend Brianne of Stroller in the City, I stumbled upon the store myself while taking my niece around downtown NYC during a recent visit.  There’s so much to love about this great shop, but beyond baby friendly baubles and onesies, Piccolini also sells must-have staples like this find.
The wash on these jeans are quite different than what we usually buy, but I’m definitely digging the brownish-orangish tint.  I have a feeling we’ll get a lot of use out of these jeans this Spring. (p.s. Brianne has a coupon on her blog for Piccolini!)

Today Show: Easter segment

3. The Children’s Place bowtie

When one of the producers told me that style guru and Today Show Style Editor, Bobbie Thomas, loved J’s bowtie, I sort of gushed, not because I dressed him, but because the bowtie is all him.  He looked sort of geeky-cool with his contrasting bowtie, but it definitely suits his quirky style. This Children’s Place bowtie is all of $5 right now.  If you haven’t picked up the kids’ Easter outfits yet, be sure to take advantage of their ongoing sale, including many of their Spring styles.  The gingham tie isn’t the same exact style that Jack picked out, but it’s quite similar.

Jack on the Today Show 3/28

4. Old Skool two-toned Vans

My children have more shoes than I do, and that’s not just because they’re growing out of their shoes almost daily, but also because boys have some super cool shoes (see: shopping problem above.)  We get new Vans almost every Spring, mainly because they’re inexpensive but they’re also practical for street-wear in the Spring and Summer months.  Growing up at the beach, I remember always wearing Vans with shorts, except back then, we did the checkered slip-ons.  But these Old Skools are a perfect complement for the warmer weather that is finally arriving!  I loved the contrast of this bright green and navy style, and would actually love the checkered pair for myself.

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It was another fun day visiting Studio 1A to roll some eggs with KLG and Hoda.  What made it even more special was that J got to bring along his friend, and so they experienced something so fun together.  A special thanks to FamilyFun Magazine and to my friends at 360 for inviting us to “roll” out.

Breakfast (or Dinner) on the go with Aunt Jemima Lil’ Griddles

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Thank you to Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast for sponsoring this post. “Like” Aunt Jemima frozen breakfast on Facebook.

Breakfast is a big deal in our house.


BIG.

Because of late commutes and crazy schedules, it’s tough to pin down the entire family for dinner during the week—forget about breakfast. However, on the weekends, breakfast is a totally different story. Hot, crisp bacon normally complements a batch of pancakes or waffles made from scratch, making Saturday and Sunday mornings well worth the week-long wait.

During the week, though, no matter how hard we try to perfect our morning routine to defray the chaos and rushing around, it seems we never have enough time for a hot breakfast. No time for pancakes, no waffles, just cereal. Biggie begs and pleads for pancakes before school, but let’s face it, after making lunch and ironing uniforms, the last thing I want to do is whip up a batch of pancakes from scratch.


In our house, pre-packaged foods are usually reserved for Trader Joe’s goodies, but on rare occasion, we’ll come across staples that are worth trying out. In fact, Aunt Jemima’s Lil’ Griddles fit the bill. As far as packaged breakfast for the kids, Aunt Jemima’s Lil Griddles Pancakes surprised me. I was expecting something a little less appetizing.


Though it’s hard to botch pancakes, you’d be surprised at the things you’d find on our shelves today. One to study labels before buying, the ingredients in Aunt Jemima’s Lil’ Griddles are pretty close to homemade, minus the fact that I don’t have to measure and pour it all myself. I appreciated that Lil’ Griddles contain real ingredients—flour, eggs, sugar, milk—and there’s no sign of fructose corn syrup. Nothing will ever beat a homemade meal made with love, but I like that making breakfast can be as quick as popping the Lil’ Griddles in the microwave or warming up on the oven. 10 minutes flat, if you don’t include bacon prep time.


We were so excited to try out Lil’ Griddles that we had them for dinner. Breakfast for dinner is something I never usually do because I reserve that deliciousness for weekend breakfast. But with the convenience of Lil’ Griddles, not only could we treat ourselves for a mid-week hot breakfast on the go, but we could also enjoy breakfast for dinner.


Biggie asked me, “are these homemade? I didn’t see you mix them!” I’d say that he approves of Aunt Jemima Lil’ Griddles.

This is a sponsored post as part of a Clever Girls Collective #AJLilGriddlesCG campaign. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.


Best Kid-Centric Twitter Profiles

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy seven years to Twitter!  As a writer who has transitioned mainly from print to digital, I’ve found Twitter to be an invaluable resource. But more importantly, as a digital mom, Twitter is always there at 2am when my IRL network of family and friends are asleep and I have a bizarre question about one of my kids or some random thought that’s keeping me up at night.

Seriously, social media is my bff when it comes to researching ideas or stirring up inspiration. And in between the actual writing of articles, I appreciate tweeting with friends and kid-centric brands and organizations.

Always researching the latest in kid trends and relevant parenting topics, my Twitter Favorites list is a hotbed of profiles that (I think) are worth following.

1. @PBSKids

While yes, I may be a PBS Kids VIP, but I’ve been following every PBS Twitter profiles long before joining this fun ambassador program.  Specifically, @PBSKids does a great job with sharing great ideas for the kids, as well as relevant show and digital media information.  I’m big on continuing educational conversation at home, so even if it’s a 20 minute after school activity, I appreciate PBSKid’s helpful links, which often highlights their curriculum-based media with characters that my 5-year old knows and loves.

My most recent @PBSKids favorite links to some writing milestones for kindergartners from @pbsparents

I’m such a fan of Sara DeWitt, VP of PBS Kids’ Interactive.  I favorited her tweet that shared the link to her Podcast of her session at SXSW.

2. CBC Book

The Childrens Book Council dishes out the latest and greatest in children’s and young adult lit news. One of my most recent favorites from them was this one:

3. Kidscreen

Kidscreen tweets timely headlines about children’s entertainment industry.  And because they cover the global market, they share breaking news about toys, online media, tv shows and much more.

4. @Inhabitots

Inhabitots tweets interesting news that may be relevant for the eco-concious family.

5. @Playworks

I’m all about playtime and encouraging play and recess, which is why I appreciate following Playworks.  They not only share helpful stats and articles relating to play, but they also engage with like-minded advocates.

6. @HasbroNews

We’re all about toys and theHub as of late, so I love checking out @HasbroNews to keep abreast of all of their properties.

Overall, I’d love to see more organic conversation on Twitter, including these brands, I do like seeing them in my Twitter stream.  Everyone I know uses Twitter differently, but I really wish people didn’t use it as a surveillance channel or as an promotion machine.  I get it, people enjoy “watching” others online, but Twitter was actually created to stay in touch with friends.  As in, conversation.  Conversation, to me, is key when it comes to Twitter.  Sharing information and interacting with others first-hand is perhaps the coolest aspect of this social media channel.  I appreciate brands and organization who “get it” and follow through with dialogues that were created by “regular” followers and fans.  Better yet, I appreciate fellow Twitter users who still engage with one another!

And if you’re one of those who just funnel links to your work on Twitter, well, I’m just not a fan…and I know many others aren’t a fan either.

So, who are your must follow Twitter profiles?

Healing with Playtime

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I’ve made toys and playthings my niche, so was it any surprise that toys and games have doubled as tools to help my family heal? My husband moans that we have too many toys in this house. And, while yes, that may be the case, it’s also an indication that we take playtime seriously.

In my most recent post over at Time to Play, I shared how playtime is how we’ve been healing with our medical misfortunes. And since every day is a constant struggle (sickness or not) I thought I’d share more details about some of the games and toys I mentioned.

Starlight Foundation
First of all, Starlight Foundation. I had honestly never heard of Starlight Foundation until we stepped foot into St. Clare’s pediatric wing that fateful summer day. As opposed to the outdated toys normally found in doctor’s offices, the playroom at our hospital had a wide range of updated toys. Even though Josh doesn’t play with toys, or couldn’t even sit up on his own at that point, that play room was designed to not only provide comfort for its pediatric patients and their families.
In our case, that playroom brought solace to our big boy who was confused and not willing to separate from mom, dad and sick baby bro. Because our family spent an entire week there, Jack played for hours in that room. He befriended other pediatric patients, challenged them to fierce games of Candyland and never batted an eye at their EEG set up and the electrodes glued and bandaged to their heads.
From exercausers to train tables to Candyland to Legos, the Starlight Site at St. Claire’s had it all. And for that, we, and all of the other families who have to spend time there, are eternally grateful.
Perhaps it was the Starlight Foundation’s intention to provide a fun space for the young patients, but in our case, big brother shared smiles while meeting those young patients.

I applaud the Starlight Foundation for their ongoing endeavors to help kids and families smile despite their circumstances.

LeapPad2


The LeapPad2 which has garnered a bounty of awards for being a tech innovation for kids, has been our most portable and educational device on-the-go. Jack has dropped it, he’s lost it, he’s sat on it and he’s even slept on it, and yet, the LeapPad2 survives long enough for him to feed his pets and create art. Since we’ve had an ipad and multiple iphones and ipads, I’ve always been ambivalent about the LeapPad. As we’ve learned when we’re on the go, this thing is a life saver. He has fun educational games, including Toy Story, Scooby and a few other titles. Beyond the cool titles, the LeapPad2, on its own is a pretty innovative tech device for kids this young. It has a cool camera and video functionality that allows kids to create their own media, on their own terms. The photos I find of me in my best/worst are hysterical and priceless.

Wild Kratts Creature Power app

I’ll have to devote another post strictly for apps, but apps on our iphone and ipad have been invaluable while holed up in the hospital. Jack’s favorite app as of late, Wild Kratts Creature Power, has a few games and a cool camera and stickers feature. The games, Bee Game and Elephant Game, like their show, follows the adventures of the Wild Kratts while educating about animals. These games employ colorful graphics and ios technology that many kids already enjoy. The Bee Game is more straight forward where a bee (one of the brothers) must navigate to successfully pollinate a flower. The Raccoon Game helps the raccoon find food for her babies. In the elephant game, the player has to help the elephants with different kinds of baths. The Bee Game and Pictures and Stickers are definitely Jack’s favorite. Like the sneaky boy he is, he thinks it’s hilarious to snap pictures of us while we’re sleeping…but we won’t go there.

This app is exclusively available for iphone and ipod Touch. We are obsessed with this show, so we can’t get enough of it. There’s a new Wild Kratts math app that I’ll have to share more about once I check it out!