Tag: videos

Mail from YouTube: Stampy Cat’s WonderQuest Launch

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As we returned home from DisneySMMC a few weeks ago, we were treated to a surprise package from our friends at YouTube.  I love the smirk on Biggie’s face as he revealed contents:

It was a signed poster from none other than Stampy Cat! It’s not every day that you get snail mail from your favorite YouTube super cat!

If your kid plays Minecraft as much as everyone else’s, there’s a chance that he or she also knows about StampyCat. In fact, at my house, I swear, my kid watches more StampyCat than he actually plays Minecraft. Don’t get me wrong, if my kid is going to be staring at a screen, I’m glad he’s watching content that I’ve approved and encourages imagination. 

If you’re not on the up and up about Stampy, then you must know that this YouTube channel stars a cat, and overviews the countless ways that Minecraft can be played. According to The Guardian, Stampy’s channel on YouTube has upwards to 5.6 million subscribers and nearly 3.4bn video views. The main audience of this channel are, not surprisingly, children.

The kids are drawn to the funny banter and easy-to-follow gameplay. As if he’s a big brother paving the way through the mines, Stampy is the kid’s virtual buddy and a bonified pop cultural phenomenon.

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With this wild success comes other great ideas. The creator of Stampy Cat, Joseph Garrett, has launched a new second channel called Wonder Quest. Guardian reported that it’s a 12-episode show of the same name that aims to blend education, entertainment and – while still shot within Minecraft – higher production values. Wonder Quest is a partnership with Maker Studios and YouTube is the official distributor.

Tube Filter reported that there will be a supplement animated series to Wonder Quest called I Wonder. The show will feature  Stampy and his friend Wizard Keen further explore the educational topics presented in the flagship series. Both shows will be hosted on the new Wonder Quest channel.

Finally, Garrett’s Side Quest series contains eight episodes of Let’s Play-style videos where Stampy and his friends play games in maps featured in Wonder Quest. Side Quest will be hosted on Garrett’s original Stampylonghead channel, which boasts over 5.6 million subscribers.

After watching an episode or two, I think Stampy is here to stay. I love that this show is scripted and set in the same Minecraft World, and keeps the same funny vibe that kids love. That lovable, fun tone is what keeps the kids engaged, and if that’s what it takes to mesh education with screen time seamlessly, I’m all for it.

 

 

TTPM Spring Showcase Gifting Suite Haul

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

A few weeks ago, I attended TTPM’s Spring Showcase, where the latest and greatest for spring and summer toys were revealed. It’s always great to hear the experts’ opinions on the hot toys of the season.

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And this time around, hot toys range from outdoor toys, to ride on toys from Razor, to movie-inspired gear and goodies. Be sure to check out TTPM’s full lineup of this season’s hot toys.

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Like their other showcases, TTPM hosted a gifting suite where press and influencers receive samples of toys that might be relevant for their outlets. I met with all of the exhibitors, but typically only grab samples that are a fit for us. I let the boys do a haul of the samples I brought home with my usual sidebar comments! Be sure to head to our YouTube channel to check out the video!

 

Toy Story 3 Hits Theaters Today

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Well, the day has finally arrived!  After years of preparation and months of anticipation, Toy Story 3 officially hits the big screen today.

As Andy heads to college, Buzz, Woody and the gang find themselves in a precarious predicament after mom mixes up the trash and the “keep” pile.  The toys find themselves at a daycare where they befriend new pals in an eclectic lineup of other toys from the daycare.

The third film in the wildly popular Toy Story series, TS3, like the earlier installments, is expected to break the bank, and be one of the biggest tickets of the summer.  The original Toy Story earned $191 million with its original release and $363 million worldwide.  As evidenced by the plethora of licenses for towels, shoes, cereal bowls, Pull Up diapers, bread and more, TS3 is quite the hot commodity in children’s gear.  And I’ll be the first to admit that our toy box has been filling up with our own respective gear in anticipation of the film!


Why is this flick so popular?  Well, for many reasons.  In part, what started 15 years ago as a collaboration between Disney and Pixar, has turned into a fleeting success.  Since their initial partnership, the studio has gone on to develop a laundry list of computer animated classics, with the original Toy Story as its springboard.  The story, cast of characters, exceptional graphics and more have kept audiences engaged for well over a decade.  Now, the original audience’s kids, nieces, nephews and perhaps grandkids, are just as excited for the toys’ shenanigans as we were 15 years ago.

 

Fifteen years ago, I was still in school.  [Let’s just leave it at that ;)]  Today, I’m planning to take my 2 year old who has been harping on Buzz and ‘Wooly’ for months now!  It’s incredible to think how much has changed for me between now and then; but what’s even more incredible is how these characters are still touching lives, even after all these years!

After all of the movie’s clever marketing, the film’s early reviews are looking quite bright!  I can’t wait to share my thoughts, and maybe even a some of our favorite kid gear to boot.  For now, take a look at this pretty cool behind the scenes clip with interviews from some of the voices.  If you go to see Toy Story, be sure to tell me what you thought!

 

 

Check it!

Speaking of how much things have changed in 15 years, did you know Disney Pixar has a Facebook app where you can buy Toy Story 3 tickets via Facebook? You FB-obsessed people (like me) don’t even have to leave the site to secure your own movie tickets!  Just head to Disney Together to get the app and click, click and you’re done!

Give Your Heart a Valentine

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The PBS Kids web property, Fizzy’s Lunch Lab, has launched a fun music video, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Give Your Heart a Valentine” is an ode to your actual heart, as in the organ that thumps in your chest. Just like all the interesting concepts that come from Fizzy’s Lunch Lab, the music video combines education and a little bit of fun. This new music video provokes kids to learn the significance of the heart and the benefit of healthy eating decisions.

In addition to all the sweet and lovey fun this week for Valentine’s Day, be sure to check out this video and give a little love to your heart!

Where the Wild Things Are Video Game

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

There’s been so much hype for the opening day of one of my most awaited movies, and rightly so!  The movie, Where the Wild Things Are, which is set to release this Friday, is directed by Spike Jones and adapted by Dave Eggers–two of my favorite creative minds. I planned on talking more about this exciting movie later in the week, but in the meantime, I thought I’d mention that the video game is already out.

wildthingsvideogameIn The Where the Wild Things Are video game, players take on Max’s perspective and explore the island, dangerous terrain and battle fierce, er, lovable creatures. The video game follows the same premise as the beloved book, but with a modern twist. The graphics are mysterious, exciting and absolutely incredible. Based on the trailer below, this game looks like something big kids and parents will enjoy.

This video game is rated E10+ and is available for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS.

New video site Kideos.com launches

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

kideosAre you ever in need of something new, something fresh, something FREE to entertain the kids for a few minutes at a time? Thank goodness for videos, or shall I say, Kideos? Kideos, a web property of Earlier Media, is a recently-launched site for kids to safely watch videos online. Kideos features kid’s videos, from Yo Gabba Gabba to Dora, with a kid-friendly interface.

What’s interesting about Kideos is that unlike similar sites, they tout a Video Advisory Council, which is a group of parents and educators who screen content before it appears on the site. The site also gives parents their own personalization tools to limit videos shown to their children by selecting the appropriate age-based category.

Kideos has a colorful interface that will have kids navigating through videos on their own, just after a few tries.  New content, which includes tv shows, movies, educational shows, music videos and more, is added to the site daily after it is reviewed by the Council.

What I like about this site is that the videos are categorized into age groups—up to age 10. It has a simplistic interface with no frills, no ads and it’s free!

Safety 1st launches Air Protect

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s no surprise that car seat innovation and car seat safety will always elicit a lot of attention from parents.  In our case, even though we rarely drive day-to-day, we do, however, drive 6-8 hour stretches quite regularly.  (With our next trip slated for tomorrow evening.)  Car seat safety, of course, is always paramount, as is comfort for driving long distances.  That said, all families have different needs when it comes to the big ticket kid gear such as car seats.

What’s great about the juvenile products market is that it’s always evolving, especially to meet all those different needs while maintaining the highest safety standards.  Dorel, the parent company of Safety 1st products, proves just that with its latest innovation.

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Earlier this week, Dorel announced the launch of Air Protect, a new safety feature that was developed to protect children in the event of side impact collisions.  Dorel brought in the big guns for their latest innovation:  the company worked together with Kettering University’s Crash Safety Center to develop Air Protect, which, essentially puts a layer of air protection around the child’s head.

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Jack Black on Yo Gabba Gabba

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

jbToday’s the day we’ve been waiting for…at least in our house!  Funny guy Jack Black visits DJ Lance, Muno, Brobee, Muno, Plex and Foofa in Gabbaland in today’s new episode of  Yo Gabba Gabba.  The all-new episode called “New Friends”, premieres on Nick Jr. today, April 3rd at 1:30pm!

Seriously, what other kiddie shows teach you how to beatbox and tout guitar solos AND have awesome guest stars like Mark Mothersbaugh, Biz Markie, Mates of State, The Shins, The Aquabats and the Ting Tings?

In case you can’t get over YGG’s obscure-looking monsters, check it out:  Yo Gabba Gabba has a cult-like following because of its eccleticism, music choices and especially its appeal to cool parents and their kids.  Hmmmm…post-punk musicians or the Wiggles?  It’s definitely a show that we’ve grown to love!
Break it down!

Goodies:
Yobloggablogga– Yo Gabba Gabba Blog
Yo Gabba Gabba friends, crafts and more!
Yo Gabba Gabba video

Big Love for Tiny Love

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With the many toy recalls abound, I wanted to share an anecdote about a toy company and customer service.

Like most bajack and the mobilebies, Jack has more toys than he knows what to with. Back when I was pregnant, I mentioned that like with everything I do, I researched baby stuff. Jeff and I always said that we wanted to be minimalists as much as possible in the baby stuff department, which includes the toys. So, I researched the development baby toys and checked out the toys that won awards. In the end, I registered for a variety of things that I thought would be fun and of course received much more than we could have ever asked for.

We have two favorite toys in the house right now: the Mobile and the Gymini Playmat. Any mom who has these toys or something similar knows how entertaining it is for the tots! As we know from his love for the ceiling fan, we weren’t surprised about his excitement for the mobile. He can spend an hour just staring at the animals rotate to the tunes of Bach and Mozart. The kid huffs and puffs and runs in place as if he’s chasing these stuffed animals dangling in front of him. Now, he’s talking to them regularly.

With his playmat, even though the toys dangling above him don’t move, they squeak and jingle every time he swats his chubby paws at them. He even has this kicking device that goes off like a farm alarm whenever he kicks it. This thing lights up and a chicken and jingle go off very loudly every 3 seconds with the slightest touch of his foot. It’s fun. With his new scooting skills, he’s all over that thing!

Even though Jack’s enjoying these toys for hours on end, it wasn’t like that just a few weeks ago. Actually, neither of these toys were really working. The mobile’s music worked but it stopped turning when Jack was like 3 weeks old. The playmat’s foot peice thing stopped working after the second day. We replaced the batteries several times, made sure everything was connected and still nothing.

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