Signing Time on Nick Jr.

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Nick Jr. watchers, perhaps you’ve noticed, but over the past few weeks, there have been some cool new music videos in between shows, particularly videos that feature sign language?  In early December, Nick Jr. introduced Signing Time, an interstitial music series dedicated to teaching sign language to preschoolers.

Rachel Coleman from Nick Jr.'s "Signing Time"

There are three Signing Time videos which feature Emmy-nominated Rachel Coleman, will be in regular rotation on Nick Jr. airing 1-2 times per day in between commercials and regular shows.

The videos that can be seen on Nick Jr. include, “In a House,” which introduces the signs for different family members; “Feelings,” which teaches signs for feelings and “Groove with Me,” which offers signs for activities such as jumping and dancing.

For those who want to catch more Signing Times, there are two additional videos that are exclusive to www.nickjr.com.  “Leah’s Farm,” which presents the signs for animals and “A is for Alex and Alligator,” which teaches kids how to sign the entire alphabet can be accessed any time online.

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EnviroBLOX: Green and Crafty

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

When the cold and rainy weather keeps us indoors, finding new activities and games to occupy the kids can sometimes be a chore.  Crafts are always a surefire way to keep everyone entertained, yet the mess leaves much to be desired…if only there was a “cleaner” craft.  Oh, but there is!

Out for a year or two, EnviroBLOX from Cadaco is a construction toy that has the consistency of styrofoam peanuts, but is much more versatile and sustainable.  EnviroBLOX instantly stick together after being moistened with water, so it doesn’t need any glue, staples or tape.  Though the sets come with suggested building designs, there’s a wide assortment of colors, so kids can construct almost anything they can imagine.

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CES Roundup: Mom Tech, Kidos and Sesame Street USB

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just a few short weeks ago, thousands of techy types convened in Vegas for The Consumer Electronics Show.  This year, more than ever, Moms had a presence at CES.  The industry trade show even had a summit focused on mom consumers called Mommy Tech.  As cringe-inducing as the name may be, it’s true Moms, we are yet again a demographic that companies hope to woo.

If you’re reading this, or perhaps if you tweeted, texted or Facebooked at some point in the day.  YOU are the market that Mommy Tech encompasses.  In a report released by BabyCenter.com, they found that Moms want tech, not toys.  The report, called The 21st Century Mom, Tech Mom is a 36-pg report that essentially divulges the stats that we all confirm, what with our arsenal of gadgets, social media prowess and the role the internet plays in our daily life.

Technology, especially in regards to managing our home life, is hot.  And because I focus primarily on kid products, I wanted to mention a few findings from CES.

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New Tour Dates for Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last year’s sold out live shows had the nation’s kids and their parents chanting, “There’s a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy”

This year, our friends over at W!ldbrain just announced that even more cities will get to break it down with Lance and the Yo Gabba Gabba crew.

Over the past few days, there’s been a countdown on YoGabbaGabbaLive.com in anticipation of today’s 10 a.m. announcement of the latest leg of the Yo Gabba Gabba Live tour dates.  Well, the day’s finally here!

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! is dancey dancing its way to the midwest and Canada with additional performances in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Toronto, Fort Wayne, Cincinnati and St. Louis for March 2010.

DJ Lance, Brobee, Toodee, Muno, Foofa and Plex are expected to rock out to various tunes, including some that are heard regularly on the show.  The YGG crew knows how to keep their friends on their toes, so be sure to expect some surprises and some special guests at the shows.

The Yo Gabba Gabba Live! There’s a Party in my City was one of our most memorable events of 2009.  We danced, we laughed, we sang and had the most amazing time.  The amount of fun we had at the show solidified our YGG love and proved why shows sell out so quickly.  Word of advice, if you plan to get tickets, don’t delay!  These will sell out!

 

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! U.S. Tour Dates

 

Minneapolis:

Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 3PM
U.S. Bank Theater at Target Center
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-29 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 30 – 10AM

Milwaukee:

Sunday, March 14, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Riverside Theater
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 12PM

Fort Wayne:

Friday, March 19, 2010 – 11AM & 4PM
Embassy Theatre
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

Cincinnati:

Saturday, March 20, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Aronoff Center for the Arts
American Express Pre-Sale –January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

 

St. Louis:

Sunday, March 21, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Fox Theatre
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-29 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

 

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! Canadian Tour Dates

 

Toronto:

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 – 11AM & 3PM
Wednesday, March 17 – 11AM & 3PM
Elgin Theatre
Public On-Sale –January 30 – 10AM

Tickets and VIP packages for Yo Gabba Gabba Live There’s a Party in My City are available at www.Yogabbagabbalive.com. Children under one year of age will be admitted free to sit on a parent’s lap.

Make it a Day of Service

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Before his untimely death, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made it his mission to make the world a better place.  Many years later, his legacy has gone on, as have the changes he put into motion.  On this day of rememberance, many people observe this day off as “MLK Day of Service.” On this MLK Day, with Dr. King’s efforts in mind, many of our hearts are heavy with the state the world is in, specifically in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti.  Many people, especially kids, want to put their best foot forward more than ever.

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Chuggington Arrives in the U.S.

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Chugga, Chugga, Chugga! Already a global hit, Chuggington, a Ludorum property, is a CGI children’s show that focuses on a trio of trainee Chuggers and is set to debut on Playhouse Disney on Monday, January 18. Playhouse Disney, home to kiddie favorites like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and one of our faves, the Imagination Movers, is known for introducing fun and playful shows—especially ones with theme songs that are sure to linger. (Hot Dog dance, anyone?)

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Chuggington, which is geared to the preschool crowd, follows three young trainees, Wilson, Brewster and Koko and their colorful adventures. Introduced in the U.K. in 2008, and then in France, Australia, Germany, Japan and Canada, Chuggington is poised to be the new favorite locomotive series stateside.

The show conveys life lessons and social-emotional values relevant to preschoolers, validating its global popularity with kids and their parents. Chuggington was developed by the same brains behind Bob the Builder (Sarah Ball, Director and Writer) and Thomas the Train (Don Toht who led the creation of the toys systems).
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P’kolino Introduces a Chalk Table

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

P’kolino, best known for their modern and innovative children’s furniture and toys, has added a Chalk Table to their product lineup. The Chalk Table, which has a cool pair of bench-style seats, features a reversible tabletop that hides a clever storage space underneath. Can this table be any more perfect for a budding Renoir or Matisse?
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Always a fan of clean aesthetic and functional design, P’kolino’s Chalk Table would complement any stylish preschooler’s room—boy or girl. I’ve been a longtime admirer of P’kolino’s Klick Desk and Little Reader, the Chalk Table is likely to find its way on to my shopping list, once we move to a bigger space. I’ve seen the great quality of a few P’kolino products in person, but I’ve yet to see this one, since it was just introduced. Once I have the chance to see the Chalk Table for myself, I’ll be sure to report back.

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The $90 P’kolino Chalk Table is available for pre-order now and starts shipping on January 20th…and it looks like they’re offering free shipping, too!

Best of 2009: Baby Genius Toys

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

At any given moment when a good song comes on in our home, it’s likely we’re having a mini jam session with the kid on the guitar, dad on the keyboard and me often playing the drums. The 2 year old band leader who “distributes” the instruments accordingly, has the rocking out routine down to a science.

Because music is such a big part of our lives, I appreciate toys that encourage musical value and Baby Genius does just that.

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Best of ’09: Polliwalks

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The first ‘Best of 2009’ and companies and products to watch in 2010 is Polliwalks.

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To be upfront, we are not a clog kind of family. Y’know, as in Crocs and the like…well, until we tried Polliwalks on for size.
Clogs, personally, are not my style, but for kids, I think they’re functional and they seem comfortable. True story: the summer when the kid started to cruise, I brought a pair of clogs home. The next day, I was asked to return them. That’s right, the clogs were vetoed.  And of course a few months later, at a family outing, we learned that the kid has a fondness for clog. (pastel pink ones to be exact!) They always want what they don’t have; funny how that works!

And so, this fall when Polliwalks approached me to check out their line of clogs, I happily obliged. Polliwalks has a wide variety of animals, bugs, creatures and character-themed clogs, so it was hard to choose which shoe to try. Since it was around the time of my trip to Sesame Street, the characters were even closer to our hearts, so we went with Cookie Monster.
Cookie Monster Polliwalks
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NKT’s Best of 2009

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Without a doubt, in 2009 I researched, tested and reviewed more baby and kid products than I could comprehend—truly.  Some of the products I wanted to share with you just didn’t make it on to the blog because of time, especially with the madness of the holidays and wrangling an active kid.  And because of this, I wanted to do my roundup of innovative gear, gadgets and goodies of 2009.  These are all products that I thought made an impression to me and certainly companies that I will watch in 2010.

I’ll post the products in the following days in no particular, with a few giveaways to boot.

First up:

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