Category: goodies

Mouth off with the Moshi Monster MouthOff App

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With Halloween this weekend, I’m sure many of you, like us, have monsters on the brain.  And you guessed it—there’s an app for that.

The Moshi Monsters MouthApp app is a spinoff of the children’s online game, Moshi Monsters from Mind Candy. The Moshi Monster MouthOff App, which is available for the iPhone and iPod touch, is a whimsical, animated app where monsters’ mouths animate and mimic your voice.  You and the kids can choose from the six different Moshi Monsters to mouth off.

We had a riot playing around with the MouthOff App, with Poppet and Zommer being the kid’s favorites.  At $1.99, this app is a silly way to pass time, have a laugh or add some color to trick or treating, like my boy hopes to do!

 

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Are you a Ben 10 fan like us?  There’s a free Ben 10 MouthOff Lite app, which is developed by ustwo, the same creative people who developed the Moshi Monster MouthOff App.

 

Tackling Carbohydrate Stains with Wisk

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just in time for football and tailgating season, we had the chance to test how Wisk did with carbohydrate stains.  Carbohydrate stains include condiments like ketchup that we love to slather on our burgers and dogs.

The kid and I made burgers for this experiment and to see how Wisk could tackle the carbohydrate stain, I let him wipe some ketchup on his white t-shirt.

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Check out the vlog to see how Wisk handled the carbohydrate stain.

 

 

Not bad, right?  I’ll be honest, I was completely anxious about the ketchup on a white shirt, but seeing is believing.

 

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Full disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the Wisk Beta Blogger campaign, but as always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

DIY: Animal Pumpkin Stencils from WWF

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Ever wonder how people carve such intricate Jack-o-lanterns and pumpkins?  Me too!  I’m a classic pumpkin carver myself, but have always wanted to be adventurous and do a cool design.

Good news, you don’t have to be an artist to carve super-cool pumpkins.  You can be the envy of the neighborhood with these fun and easy to follow stencils from the World Wildlife Fund.  You can download these free PDF stencils of interesting animal-inspired designs like a tiger, butterfly, a rhino and more.  Show your support for WWF while turning heads for Halloween.

Carving pumpkins is always a fun family activity, albeit a messy one, but the end result is so worth it!  If you carve any of these designs, be sure to share!

As always kids, take care when handling sharp objects!

 

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!

 

 

ImagiPlay Dinosaur Puzzle Play Merges Puzzles, Activity Fun

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Puzzles are well known activities that involve cognitive development, problem solving and hand-eye coordination for children of all ages.  Better yet, puzzles are awesome activities that can engage the whole family.  Who doesn’t love an activity that promotes brain power and team work?

 

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ImagiPlay, a toy company that creates sustainable toys and games, has found a way to combine an activity set and a puzzle with their Dinosaur Puzzle Play.  The Dinosaur Puzzle Play is comprised of 13 puzzle pieces that are made of rubberwood.  When not being used as a puzzle, the pieces double as wooden dinosaur play pieces.

 

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My dinosaur-loving preschooler recently acquired an interest in puzzles, so ImagiPlay’s Dinosaur Puzzle Play is such a fitting new activity.  The kid had a fun time with dad, putting the puzzle together over and over, and then going on to exercise their imagination to play a little Jurassic Park on their own terms, with a little help of some colorful dinos.  I appreciate the quality wood pieces, colorful and imaginative design, and the very reasonable price point.  ImagiPlay toys, always a perfect addition to our toy box, has great lineup of toys that would make great holiday gifts.  Don’t be surprised if you see more ImagiPlay on the NKT holiday gift guide.

 

Giveaway

Speaking of gifts, want a Dinosaur Puzzle Play for your kids?  Please comment below and tell me which ImagiPlay product you’d love to check out.

 

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Want to do some early holiday shopping?  ImagiPlay has kindly offered NKT readers a 20% discount from their website.  Just enter Play420 to receive a 20% discount from their website.  The coupon code is valid for 30 days and is only available in the U.S.

 

Full disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

 

The Hub Debuts; Fraggle Rock Toys Live On

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In case you haven’t heard all the hubbub (pun intended), The Hub, a new kid’s channel debuted on 10/10/10.  If you’re a longtime NKT reader, you may remember that I posted last year about the then-yet-to-be-named Hub, which is a collaborative effort between Hasbro and The Discovery Communications.

So far, from what I’ve seen, reviews of the this new channel have been positive, especially with the emphasis on co-viewing.  Although the shows are a collection of familiar brands that our kids love, there are also a few shows that may make you nostalgic for your own childhood.  I’m talking about Fraggle Rock!  It’s so awesome to see them back on tv again, even if they are reruns.  I’m digging The Hub’s programming choices and appreciate their tactics for integrating family viewership.

If there’s a show, as you know, toys will follow.  Manhattan Toys is helping reignite the Fraggle Rock love with their line of plush toys and puppets.  While at the Time to Play Holiday Showcase, I literally stopped in my tracks when I spotted Red on the Jim Henson Company’s table.

Manhattan Toys has a line of Fraggle Rock plush and puppets, ranging from Red to Wembley to Traveling Matt.  No word yet if the Garbage Heap will make an appearance.

Like a lovesick school girl, I think I rambled on way too long to the Jim Henson Company’s publicist about my love for Fraggle Rock.  Here’s to hoping my kid loves these sing-songy creatures as much as I do.  Manhattan Toys’ Fraggle Rock plush can be found on their site, as well as at The Fraggle Rock Store.

 

Read for the Record Today

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Readers unite: today, parents, teachers and children are being encouraged to take part in Jumpstart’s Read for the Record, which is a nationwide campaign that aims to set a new world record for the largest shared reading experience on a single day.

This morning, The Today Show interviewed spokesperson, Amanda Peete, about her involvement with Read for the Record.  According to Jumpstart,  Read for the Record encourages record-breakers to spread the word that reading with a child before he or she enters kindergarten can improve his or her chances of graduating from high school by as much as 30%. Today, more than 2.5 million children are expected to take part by reading The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. In the process, Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation aim to draw attention to the growing crisis for disadvantaged young children whose literacy experience is limited and to Jumpstart’s role in addressing this issue.

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Experimenting with Wisk

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s time for our next installment of the Wisk Beta Blogger program. This time around, Wisk sent us a kit to conduct an experiment of our own which involved testing out the Stain Spectrum Technology firsthand.

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With a lab coat, goggles and beaker in hand, the kid and I did a quick test to see how Wisk would handle a protein stain. Check after the jump to see how our video to see how our experiment went.

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