Tag: apps

Enter to Win #FlippforMom SpaFinder Gift Card

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As someone who is constantly losing things and digging through my bag for store discount cards and such, I’m so glad to know there’s an app for that. The free app, Flipp, is a very cool shopping all-in-one list, coupon and store card hub. The app allows users to save and look up store circulars, discount cards and other information that streamlines shopping and saving.

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Because it’s location-based, it pinpoints your favorite stores’ locations so you can personalize the deals you save. I love that the shopping list shows what deals are out there, every time you add an item to your list. As a deal hunter, this app is so helpful and super convenient.

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Because Flipp is all about making moms’ life easier by connecting stores and specials and lists in one place, they’re celebrating moms throughout the month of May. Flip has kicked off a special #FlippforMom campaign. Throughout May, on their official Facebook and Twitter accounts, Flipp will be hosting a different giveaway for every week. Be sure to check out Flipp’s Facebook page for more details.

And because we’re all about awesome apps that help make our lives as parents easier, Flipp is offering a very generous $100 SpaFinder gift card to one of you! Please enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions on NKT are my own. Thank you for supporting Nextkidthing.com

Read Across America Day: Tips for Reading with Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy Read Across America Day and Dr. Suess Day! Today marks what would have been Dr. Suess’ 112th birthday.

In honor of his birthday, many families, schools and libraries across the nation are celebrating by reading, and doing lots of it. In fact, in a few, I’m off to the kids’ school to read to the kids’ class.

There’s so many wonderful ways to engage with kids to help them develop a love for reading, books and literature. Here are just a few helpful tips that have help me and my guys along the way.

1. Let them see you read

Kids model behavior, whether it’s good or bad. If they see you reading, even if it’s a few minutes a day, this model behavior will undoubtedly provide a foundation for a love of reading. Because I have a print background, I still love magazines and newspapers. Admittedly, I don’t read the physical paper as much as I’d like, but I read the New York Times daily and various magazines. We’ve become a society that thrives on fragmented, viral news. Why not help the kids embrace a well-crafted story in kids’ magazine of their choice. J’s learning the basics of writing and we’re big on pointing out descriptive words in feature stories. Ranger Rick and Sports Illustrated for Kids are popular picks for my guys.

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2. Read together

I know a lot of families who love reading together. After a long day of school and work, it’s often the only way that some kids get to bond with parents on weekdays, before starting the cycle again. Our board books are tattered from all the love they’ve received, but man, are those always the best books! If your kids are older, pick a few chapter series that get them excited and take turns reading aloud every night. The Magic Tree House series is my older guy’s favorite series right now. Next up is the Harry Potter series!

 

3. Enjoy the Library

One of our absolute favorite weekly dates is our trip to the library. I feel as though we’re on a first name basis with librarians these days, not just because of our hyperlocal site, but also because the library is our happy place.

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With Little’s significant speech delay, he’s in therapy 5 days a week. He gets to play a lot at school, but there’s still so much structure in his rigorous special ed preschool schedule. Weekly story time at the library is a way for us to engage with other young readers. Our librarians are so enthusiastic and encourage imagination with their varied stories and fun crafts.

  

4. There’s an app for that!

If you know me, then you must know that I love technology and the way it helps make our lives as parents easier. While I will always choose a physical book or magazine first, apps for reading are an excellent way to encourage reading. With intuitive reading apps such as ABC Mouse, Speakaboos and MeeGenius, my preschooler is able to enjoy books at his pace, and in a fun kid-friendly format. For my 8 year old, we’ve been using the Kids’ Kindle Fire and enjoying books on the Amazon platform. With the Kindle Fire, it’s helpful when my son needs to look up words or wants to search for a new title. His classroom uses an app called Raz-Kids, which is an interesting app that tracks activity and encourages comprehension and reading aloud.

 

However you choose to read with your kids, make it fun!

Smart Toys and Fun Gifts from PBS Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

My friends at PBS Kids always have fun things happening. Between fantastic programming that consistently wins awards and accolades to aligning really great collaborations, PBS Kids undoubtedly has a wonderful presence in our lives.

And since it’s gift giving season, I thought I’d share a few fun gifts that are part of PBS Kids’ Collaborations.

 

Plan Toys PBS Kids

As a long time fan of Plan Toys, I absolutely LOVE this collaboration with PBS Kids. Like all PlayToys, the line of PBS Kids toys are sustainable, educational and safe. The toys range from play cameras, play boats, a pull alligator, music instruments and toy banks. I’ll share a video of my kids playing with some of the toys. I can’t tell you how much we love this line. Everything in this line is under $30, making them an ideal gift for babies and kids on your list. 

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One-hundred percent of net proceeds from the purchase of the toys in this holiday partnership will support PBS KIDS’ mission to empower children to succeed in school and in life. Additionally, Whole Foods Market will donate 1 percent of total sales, up to $25,000, to Whole Kids Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving children’s wellness and nutrition. The toys are available at Whole Foods nationwide and vary in price.

 

PBS Kids Party App + Moff Bands

No stranger to technology, PBS Kids has tapped into the wearable technology space by collaborating with Moff Bands. Moff is the maker of the award-winning Moff Band, the world’s first wearable smart toy.

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The Moff Band enables kids to play sounds and games through movement. Powering the Moff Band is a cloud-based motion and position recognition platform that analyzes and learns users’ real-time behaviors and patterns. PBS Kids partnered with Moff Bands to release the new, free PBS KIDS Party App. The app can be played with a mobile or tablet device, and is enhanced with a Moff Band. Be on the lookout for a video on our YouTube Channel!

 

PBS Kids Scratch JR.

We are so into coding, so PBS KIDS ScratchJr is really exciting. With Scratch Jr., kids can create their own interactive stories and games featuring their favorite characters from Wild Kratts, Nature Cat, WordGirl and Peg + Cat! Designed for kids ages 5-8.

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By combining programming blocks, kids can make characters move, jump, dance and sing. In the process, kids will learn to solve problems, design projects and express themselves creatively. PBS KIDS ScratchJr allows kids to not only learn to code, but also code to learn. If you love STEM and coding as much as we do, be sure to check out this app! You can download the app for free on the App Store and Google Play.

 

Full disclosure: As a PBS Kids VIP, I received this information and samples to help promote the brand and the properties. As always, opinions on NKT are my own.

Unique Gifts at Target for the Holidays

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Several weeks ago, I had the chance to get a preview of holiday gifts at Target. As usual, Target’s gifts and exclusive collaborations don’t disappoint, so I thought I’d highlight just a few of my favorite finds for this holiday season.

 

1. Tapas Entertaining Set

This very cool Tapas Kit would make a great hostess gift or a delicious alternative for friends who are foodies. 

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2. Wing Sauce Set

In our home, we are geeks about a lot of things, and that includes Buffalo wings. Almost every Friday night, we head to a local restaurant and indulge in this fried bar staple. It’s hard to find a sauce and consistency that appeals to all of us, so I especially loved this wing sauce set. How fun would this be for fellow wing aficionados or friends who love spices and sauces! And for about $12, you can’t go wrong!

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3. Archer Farms Turtle Snack Bites

Okay, so I should totally keep quiet because I may just want these truffles all to myself. Archer Farms always has a great selection of delicious treats, and these Turtle Pecan Snack Bites are no exception. They combine the melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness with the taste of a rich pecan Turtle confection. At under $5, you should definitely buy a few of these for stockings or stash them away for the winter. Whichever works.

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4. Project MC2 Ultimate Lab Kit

When I first learned the premise behind this cool lab kit, I was immediately smitten. The Project MC2 Ultimate Lab Kit is inspired by Project MC2 which is a show on Netflix about 4 smart girls who love science and use their spy skills to go on missions for a secret organization. This kit includes a working microscope, 30 pieces, such as a funnel, beaker, safety goggles and more. At $45, this science kit would be great for any budding scientist spy!

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5. Unicef Kid Powerbands
This was, perhaps, one of my absolute favorite gadgets at the Target Holiday Preview. A fitness tracker for kids, the Powerband is described as one of the first wearables-for-good. The more active kids are, the more power points they earn, which, in turn, becomes a charitable donation of food for less fortunate kids around the world. There’s an app that pairs with the Powerbands where you can track your fitness activities, as well as navigate the different global missions and learn about different countries. For every band sold, Target donates $10 to the United States Fund for Unicef. The bands are available on Target.com for $39.99.

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Making Music with Monster Melody Mash

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

What do you get when you mix dancing monsters and fun beats?  Why, an app, of course!

 

 

We’ve been playing with another monster-centric app, or rather, jamming out.  This time, the kid and I have been playing DJ with the Monster Melody App.  Choosing between alien, volcano or classic monsters, players can create endless melodies by tapping the sychronizing monsters. Perfect for budding djs and even the littlest music aficionados, Monster Melody app harnesses music, playful animation and touch-screen technology to create musical goodness.

I know.  More monsters!  I’m on a monster kick lately…or should I say, developers and toy manufacturers are on a monster roll.

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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!

 

Check it

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.

 

PBS Kids Launches Photo Factory App

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Always a fan of fun, free apps, the kid and I are quite excited about PBS Kids’ recently launched Photo Factory App.

With the PBS Kids’ Photo Factory App, kids can customize their photos with various PBS characters and then email, save or share so the whole world can check out their creations.  Kids can choose characters from Arthur, Caillou, Clifford, Curious George, Dinosaur Train, Dragon Tales, Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman, Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid (my favorite!), Super Why! and Wordgirl to accent their photos; the choices are endless, really!

 

What I love about this app, other than it being free, is that it’s so user and kid friendly.  The graphics are fun, the pictures are colorful and it’s yet another way to keep my guy entertained on bus and train rides.  Oh, and we have even more ways to customize pictures to assign to my contacts in my phone!  Who wouldn’t smile at a picture of Grandpa adorned with a little Clifford?

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PBS, you guys think of everything, don’t you?

The PBS Photo Factory App is available absolutely free to download in the app store.  For more info. on all PBS apps, check out their mobile site.

 

Happy Birthday, Elmo! And a Review of the Monster Maker

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I’m not sure if you’re aware, but today is America’s favorite fuzzy red monster’s birthday.

Yup, Elmo turns 3 today (again, I know!) Happy Birthday, big guy!

In honor of Elmo’s birthday, I thought I’d mention this new app released by Sesame Workshop, which just so happens to feature the birthday boy himself.

Elmo’s Monster Maker App, which is now available on iTunes, is an app where kids of all ages can create their own monster. With all the different body parts, the choices are limitless as to how many unique monsters can be created. With this app, kids become more aware of several different body parts, with a little Sesame Street-style creativity.

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Connect the dots, la la la

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We recently booked our flights to attend my cousin’s destination wedding in Hawaii next month.  We’re extremely excited, but right now, the thought of flying 10+ hours with a very active toddler gives me the shakes.  Someone hold me.  Though used to road trips where you can pull over if needed, uh, there’s no pulling over on a direct flight that long.  I’m already plotting the activities, books and games that we’ll use to entertain him.  So, while perusing the latest iPhone Apps with our trip in mind, I came across Join the Dots Lite.

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Join the Dots Lite is an app that allows the user to connect the dots and then color the image, just like the olden days.  (Except instead of crayons and coloring books, it’s fingertips and iPods!)  It features 3 different lines to connect, as well as 8 kinds of colors to paint. Best of all, it’s a free!  Who doesn’t love to connect the dots?  The app is suggested for kids 4 and up, but I’m excited to download it so I can connect the dots and have the kid color it!  Teamwork!

Juicebox Software releases Animal Memory App

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Juicebox Software has recently released the app, Animal Memory.  The app does what its name implies:  it’s a memory game involving animal images, as well as music and sound effects.  This colorful app is targeted to kids ages 2-5 and encourages memory and fine motor skill development.  Parents can choose three levels: Easy (4 cards), Medium (8 cards) or Hard (16 cards). The images are organized into three categories: Farm, Jungle, Ocean and Insect.

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At only $1.99, Animal Memory sounds like an app to check out.  On our frequent roadtrips, we do all we can to keep the kid entertained for 6-7 hours at a time.  Our latest roadtrip, there was a lot of interactive play on the laptop and iPod, which included several educational apps featuring animals.  After all that repitition of the same apps and animal sounds, I’m looking forward to downloading this one to add more variety—and to keep us entertained (and sane) on roadtrips.