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For the Love of George

Curious George sillies

When Madison was sick this week, the first show she asked to watch was Curious George. She wanted comfort and it was really sweet that she picked her favorite childhood show. As we near the stage when all three kids in our home will be interested in tv, Curious George is the first show I introduce my littlest one too. There is just something about that monkey that has withstood the test of time.

Vintage Curious George

The kids are playing with my Curious George. I got it when I was three years old and it’s one of the few stuffed animals that has made the move to a few different places in its lifetime. At bedtime, I still read some of my original CG books too, but often we read from our favorite Curious George Treasury.

I think my favorite part about watching Curious George (and all the PBS Kids shows) is the lack of commercials. The kids get to focus on the themes of the show, instead of getting distracted by commercials trying to sell them something. It a little aggravating as a parent when kids start bartering for a new pillow pet mid-way through a show.

Join us as we watch the new episodes of Curious George on PBS Kids this week. The fun starts on 3/30 with an hour long special: Curious George Swings Into Spring. Then there will be two more new episodes on 3/31 and 4/1.

Find more Curious George activities over at PBSKids.org. There’s games, printables show clips and more to enjoy with your kids.

Curious George love

p.s. I’m a PBS Kids VIP (Very Important Parent) Ambassador! This means I get a sneak peek at what’s coming up in the season ahead! All opinions shared are my own, or my kids. 

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Calling all Dinosaur Train Fans

Jurassic Dinosaur Train

We have a few Dinosaur Train fans in our house. It’s a favorite show that appeals to both our five and three year old. Even I have learned a thing or two about dinosaurs while watching the show. On Monday, August 18, PBS KIDS will premiere “Classic in the Jurassic,” an all-new one hour special from The Jim Henson Company’s hit series DINOSAUR TRAIN!

In the special, kids travel through time with the Pteranodon family to an Olympic-type competition in which dinosaur teams representing three Mesozoic time periods compete in contests. Following the special, new episodes of DINOSAUR TRAIN air on PBS KIDS throughout the week!

Get the kids excited about the upcoming show and print out a few of these cute coloring pages found here.

Clips and full segments from “Classic in the Jurassic” will be available on pbskids.org, the PBS KIDS Video App, and on Roku and Apple TV starting on August 18. And on August 26, “Classic in the Jurassic” will be available on DVD through PBS Distribution.

Want a copy of the “Classic in the Jurassic” DVD and other DINOSAUR TRAIN goodies? Just leave a comment on this blog post sharing who you would give the Dinosaur Train gift to.

{Contest will be open until Friday August 22nd, 2014. Winner must be a US resident and will be notified via email. I am a PBS Kids VIP Ambassador but I was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.}

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Summer Reading Challenge (and a PB Kids Giveaway!)

As summer vacation beckons, it’s a time for kids to let loose and just play. It’s also a good time to let them read books of their own choosing to foster their interests. In our family, we often plan a visit to a new library when we have a rainy summer day. We read as many books there as we can, then put them away and say goodbye till next time. Having a “new” place to read can help keep the fun in an educational activity, for both little kids and big kids.

Pottery Barn Kids partnered with PBS Kids to promote the Summer Reading Challenge. Read any 8 titles from their recommended list and receive a free book! PB Kids stores also have weekly story times where kids can help reach their goal. The challenge runs through July 17th.

Creating a summer reading nook is another way to encourage reading during the quiet times of the day. On a recent visit to Pottery Barn Kids, they shared their ideas for a successful reading nook.

create a reading nook

There are also some fun book plate DIY projects to make with the kids for their favorite books. I tried making a couple at the Pottery Barn Kids store and will do it again with my kids. The downloadable templates for the project is found on the Building Blocks blog, a fun collection of ideas from Pottery Barn Kids.

  DIY book plate

Here is the list of books included in the challenge:

·         Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

·         Big Brothers Don’t Take Naps by Louise Borden

·         Corduroy by Don Freeman

·         Curious Baby Counting by H.A. Rey

·         Good Night, Good Night Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld

·         Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise

·         Heads by Matthew Van Fleet

·         How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? By Mark Teague

·         How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?  by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

·         Ladybug Girl by David Samon and Jacky Davis

·         Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney

·         Madeline and the Old House in Paris by John Bemelmans Marciano

·         Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too by Anna Dewdney

·         Olivia by Ian Falconer

·         Paddington Bear by Michael Bond and R.W. Alley

·         Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin

·         Sniff by Matthew Van Fleet

·         Tallulah’s Toe Shoes by Marilyn Singer and Alexandra Boiger

·         The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

·         What Sisters Do Best/What Brothers Do Best by Laura Numeroff and Lynn Munsinger

 

Ready to create a new summer reading nook for your kids? To kick things off, Pottery Barn Kids is offering a $25 gift card to one lucky winner. Please leave a comment below naming your favorite childhood book. Contest is open until Saturday June 7th. Winner will be notified via email.

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Connecting Parents with Play via PBS Kids Super Vision App

Daniel Tiger pbs kids

Have you ever wanted to peek at what your kids are doing online at that very moment in time? Maybe you are at work or you are trying to give them some quiet alone time. Are they watching videos or still working on an educational game? PBS Kids recently came out with the Super Vision app (for iPhone) that allows parents to check in on their child’s activity on pbskids.org in real time.  It’s like you can be Super Mom with eyes in the back of your head.

The technology connecting your child’s activity on pbskids.org and the app on your iPhone is very new and very cool. After a one time sync, you can get a snapshot of what your kid is working on, plus a report card for the day or week’s activities. Maybe your kid loves Curious George but is ready for something new. The app will make suggestions for other PBS Kids shows they may enjoy.

PBS Kids Super Vision app has a timer to transition kids from online activity to meal time or bedtime.

Another wonderful feature is the timer. If you are making dinner and want to let the kids play online for a little while, you can set a timer to close out their show or activity. You can choose it to transition to meal time, snack time or bedtime. I love that I have a helping hand in transitioning the kids to the next activity of the day.

If you download the app and start thinking of other features you would like to see, there is a feedback button where you can submit your ideas. PBS Kids wants this app to be helpful and they appreciate hearing your comments which helps prioritize what new features will be added.

pbskids.org

My kids have been into tv shows a little more than I would like lately and I’m trying to offer up the pbskids.org site as an alternative. I think it’s cool to get a glimpse into the types of activities they are choosing, either math, science or literacy. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

PBS Kids Super Vision app

Learn a little more about the Super Vision app at a Twitter party Wed 5/21 9-10PM ET using the hashtag  #SuperVisionPBSKIDS .

Disclosure: I am a PBS Kids VIP blogger and my kids love Curious George, Peg + Cat and Wild Kratts. All opinions shared here are my own. 

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Weekly meal plan with a dose of PBS Kids Fun

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How can my week ahead not be fun when my itinerary includes Cookie Monster? What’s sillier is that my kids won’t even be with me. I’m off to San Francisco for the PBS annual meeting. As a PBS Kids blogger, I was lucky enough to be included.

In order to prep the household for my departure, I planned lots of the kids favorite dinners. Plus the prep is easy enough for Grandma, who thankfully is filling for me.

M- Hamburgers, corn and coleslaw
T- Honey Balsamic Drumsticks, steamed zucchini
W- Meatballs in crock pot, spaghetti and spinach salad with strawberries.
T- Chicken cutlets. Chef’s choice!
F- Playgroup pizza party!

Have a great week!

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Celebrating Dr. Seuss’s Birthday~Cat in the Hat Party

This is the week to break out your favorite Dr. Seuss stories and read to your favorite little people The Cat in the Hat. Dr. Seuss’s birthday is March 2nd and it gives us a moment to remember so many wonderful stories written to encourage a love of reading in children. Don’t miss the super fabulous GREEN EGGS AND HAM dessert!

We celebrated this week with a Cat-Ebration, a celebration with all things Dr. Seuss, including Thing 1 and Thing 2. Our party guests were treated to red fish, blue fish and some very sweet green eggs and ham. We were visited by a Cat in the Hat second grader who took the time to read to our little ones. What a great way to motivate our early readers to get excited about reading.

The kids also got a sneak peek at the new CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT episodes running this week on PBS Kids. Check your local listings for showtimes.

Dr Seuss party Dr Seuss party Dr Seuss party costume Dr Seuss party - decorate ice cream sandwiches with stickers Dr Seuss party Dr Seuss party Dr Seuss party Green Eggs with Ham chocolate pretzel snack Dr Seuss party Dr Seuss party Dr Seuss party- Goldfish for One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Dr Seuss party Dr Seuss Birthday Reading Dr Seuss party

 Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss…aka Theodore Geisel.

Those adorable Green Eggs and Ham dessert are made with candy melts found in the baking aisle. Look for white chocolate and the special green candies. Head over here for more ways to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with craft activities and more.

**After so many people asked for the recipe, I shared a new post detailing how the Green Eggs and Ham dessert is easily created. Enjoy.

 

Shopping sources

Wilton White Candy Melts
Sixlets Lime Green Candy
Chevron Paper Cups

I am a PBS Kids VIP {Very Involved Parent} and was provided party supplies to help us celebrate. All opinions shared here are my own. 

 

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PEG + CAT Inspires Preschool Math Activities

 

Preschool Math Activities

Do you remember thinking math was fun when you were a kid? Is it a struggle for you now? Math was never one of my favorite subjects, even though I generally did well in school. I want my kids, especially my daughter, to learn from a young age that math can be fun.  With the help of educational sites like PBSKids and Pinterest, I keep finding easy ways to integrate math into our daily life. Baking together lets me talk about fractions, restaurant play offers an opportunity to talk about money and snack time can become a counting activity.

In celebration of PEG + CAT, PBS KIDS’ newest series, Whole Foods partnered with PBS to create some fun ways to build math skills and encourage healthy eating habits. You can find activity sheets, grocery store bingo cards, recipes and more inspiration to get kids excited to make healthy choices. PEG + CAT focuses on preschool math and problem-solving skills and starts October 7. My kids got a sneak peek and keep asking to watch it again which is always a good sign!

Use a muffin tin to serve a variety of food

The red pears were the top choice in the muffin tin of fruit.

We created our own activity using a mini muffin tin and fresh fruits from Whole Foods. Using a muffin tin to serve food is a great way to ensure you are offering variety, both in options and in color. We cut up the fruit and then sorted it by 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, and so on. For early learners, you could also do this activity and have kids count how many pieces of fruit are in each cup. There is a fun pirate craft you can print out and make with your kids that encourages counting, plus you can work on learning colors too with a variety of fruits.

Peg + Cat Treasure Chest

 

How else do you incorporate math and problem-solving skills into your daily life?

For more ideas, visit the PBSKids.org/healthykids website. Check your local listings for the time of PEG + CAT starting on October 7th on your local PBS station! Thank you to Whole Foods who partnered with PBS Kids Ambassadors to bring you these tips and activities! All ideas and opinions shared here are my own.

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