kid stuff Archives - Don't Mind the Mess

Distract Your Preschooler With PBS Kids Apps

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Jess • 10 Comments

Disclosure: I was invited to an event put on by PBS Kids and WGBH Boston. I did receive a gift bag, though I’m going to giveaway some of the contents to a lucky reader…

Maybe there are people out there who have never given their phone to their child to keep them quiet. I applaud you all. But for the rest of us, well, it happens. And we want to have a “safe” source for games and apps to keep them from wandering through the Wild West that is Youtube.

We need technology for our kids. Our kids want to have fun. And thank goodness PBS Kids means I have programs I can give them where I don’t worry about frying their brains.

Graham and I went to an event by PBS Kids to talk about some of their new apps and games. They want to tie in the shows and characters kids enjoy to appropriate learning content for their age group. In particular they want to boost math performance by helping parents at home.

I’m not trained in child development. I have no idea what my kid is supposed to be learning about at particular ages and how best to teach it to them. An app designed by people who have studied the way kids learn best is exactly what I need.

So obviously you have your tv guides and your app stores to find stuff for your kids. What you may not know about is the PBS Kids Lab, funded by an educational grant to help teach kids. The lab has resources you can use on a computer or mobile device. (I recommend hitting the “All Games” link and searching by age.)

These really are age-appropriate games. Graham tried out one of the offerings for younger kids: Bubble Pop with Curious George. This is a counting game that uses your microphone so a child can clap or speak to pop a bubble.

C75A0999 e1366817973255 Distract Your Preschooler With PBS Kids Apps

Photo provided by event photographer

Another one Graham enjoyed is Meerkat Jubilee from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! It’s a path-building game that wasn’t too advanced for little kiddos. It gives them choices for which piece to use along the way in a trail from start to finish. Good for kids who aren’t quite ready for mazes yet.

A Mobile app Graham enjoyed was Classic in the Jurassic from Dinosaur Train. It had bridges. Graham loves bridges. I had a hard time getting him away from it.

My personal favorite for the little ones is the Play and Learn app, which is free. And it’s really for PARENTS as much as for kids. (Some apps are paid, others are free. Everything in the lab is free.) What I love about this is that it’s an app that you can use for no-screen activities for those of you who may try to avoid passing off the tech to entertain the littles. It’s also based around places you normally go. So say you’re waiting in line at the grocery store. You pull up the app on your phone, hit grocery store, and there you have a short game your child can play plus a list of activities divided by your child’s age. From everything to how to talk to your baby about what they see around them to having your toddler learn words at the checkout to rhyming and measuring games for preschoolers.

If you’re one of those parents who tries to avoid the screen for your kid if at all possible, this app is a great way for you to keep your kid engaged when you are feeling a little low on creativity. (Or patience.)

Definitely take a look at what’s available in the lab and search PBS Kids in the app store to find more for your tablet or phone. I am definitely going to be recommending some of these apps to my son’s teacher. I think these are the kinds of apps they’d love for the pre-K kids that can also tie in to at-home learning.

And don’t worry, there are also plenty of games and apps for kids age 6-8 with shows like Wild Kratts and Martha Speaks.

PBS Kids was generous enough to give us redemption codes for some of their paid apps and I couldn’t keep them all to myself. (Though Graham insisted on the Dinosaur Train All Aboard app. Sorry.)

I’m giving away redemption codes for the following apps:

Receive one entry by leaving 1 comment about your child’s favorite PBS Kids show or character.

Official Rules: No purchase necessary. By leaving a comment you agree to the rules of this giveaway. Up to one entry per household according to the directions set out in this post. Limited to entrants over 18 in the United States. Contest begins as of the time of this post and ends on Wednesday, May 1st at 6 pm Eastern Time. One winner will be chosen. The winner will receive the aforementioned app codes. Prize has value of approximately $10. The number of eligible entries received will determine the odds of winning. The winner will be selected using the “And the Winner Is” plugin. Winner will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours to receive their prize. If a winner does not respond within that time, a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be provided by Don’t Mind the Mess, codes will be distributed via email. This contest is governed by the rules of Massachusetts, void where prohibited.

Good luck!

Tags: giveaway, kid stuff, parenting, reviews • 10 Comments

Rocking and Playing at Kidville

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Jess • 0 Comments

We went to two complimentary classes at Kidville to facilitate this review.

It’s little kids that can be the hardest to entertain. It seems like the playgrounds are monopolized by bigger kids who run too fast and push too hard. And the tiny babies and toddlers don’t have many spaces to make their own outside of their own babyproofed homes. Even indoor playspaces designed for younger children are chaotic.

But we had a great time at our two trips to the new Kidville location in Wellesley. Designed just for kids 6 and under, they have a variety of classes and playtimes available for kids. I love that they’re divided by age so I can bring my 14-month-old in for playtime without worried that she’ll be trampled by a running child. There are also classes that work for a range of ages so you can bring all your kids at once to enjoy it.

Rockin’ Railroad

Graham is enjoying music more and more. When he was little I wouldn’t dream of taking him to a music class but now it’s something he loves, even if he has to warm up a bit.

Rocking and Playing at Kidville

At first Graham was quiet, not unusual when he’s in a new situation. He was really into the picture of a train on the base drum. I don’t know that he’s ever seen a live band before, so he had to get used to it.

The railroad theme definitely helped. This kid is a train lover down to his toes. He still had his ticket clutched in his little hand when we got home.

The songs at Rockin’ Railroad are generally ones your kids won’t be familiar with, but they still find ways to involve them through play. That really helped Graham break through his shyness. Once the scarves and bubbles and drums came on the scene he was on his feet and ready to jump in.

The show changes every week, which really impressed me. And I think the pictures speak for themselves. He had a great time.

This isn’t a perfect class for every kid. If your kid would rather sit on your lap while in a group, they’re not a great candidate. And if they have trouble with transitions (especially with toys) you may have trouble since the scarves not only come out but are put away a few minutes later. But if your child enjoys music and play this should be a great choice, especially if you have more than one child in the age group.

Kidville Open Gym & Big Muscle Playtime

Kidville has a great gym space for the kiddos. They have sessions for open gym but they also hold sessions based on age in the gym. I took Miss Tesser to the Big Muscle Playtime for babies 12 to 18 months.

I really liked the setup of the program. I’ve sat through my share of “toddler” classes that are so regimented that it’s hard to keep the kiddos still and engaged. They’re still little. They’re distracted by everything. They need freedom to move, they need to try different activities. They can’t really sit through 10 minutes of singing. The Big Muscle Playtime class went back and forth between a short circle activity that lasted a couple of minutes to open play to specific activities like swinging and bubbles.

It was pretty much the best class I’ve ever taken a toddler to, really built around what they can handle and their interests. The gym equipment also works well for older kids. Though I’d probably keep a non-walking kiddo out of open gym and go to their gym sessions. They also have a class for 6-12 month-olds.

Classes go in “semesters” that last a few weeks. I’d consider a membership rather than a class-by-class fee so you have more access to the playspace and other facilities. This is the kind of resource that’s a big deal for a heated area in the winter and a cooled area in the summer.

You can see more info about the Wellesley location here and find other Kidvilles here. (There are locations in Canada, too.)

Tags: Boston, kid stuff, outings, reviews • 0 Comments

Kid-Friendly Recipe: Rainbow Rice

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Jess • 0 Comments

So technically this is Jambalaya, but since we wanted Graham to eat it we called it “Rainbow Rice.”

Remember all those peppers we used for his rainbow lunches this week? It was a pretty big success so we tried to see if we could expand his dinnertime repertoire by tying in the rainbow peppers. (And if you haven’t entered my Rainbow Giveaway, you need to head on over there right now!)

We normally use a spicy Jalapeno sausage but this time we tapped down the spice and kept the recipe really simple so I could throw it together quickly. (I MADE DINNER. SHOCKING.)

I was hoping that I could call the sausage “hot dogs” and get Graham on board, but his skepticism of meat continues. But he did eat his entire bowl of sausage-free Rainbow Rice.

Rainbow Rice

2013-04-12 07:03:51

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Ingredients

4 sweet peppers in a rainbow of colors, chopped into bite size pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

1 can low-sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 c. rice

1 lb smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except sausage in a nonstick saucepan. Heat on medium-high until boiling. Add sausage, reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed during cooking.

Notes

You can add celery and onion, too for extra veggie power.

We like using pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage. The hotter the spices on the sausage, the hotter the rice.

For adults, feel free to add cajun seasoning for flavor.

Adapted from Turkey Jambalaya

Don't Mind the Mess http://theseversons.net/

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This was a pretty successful dinner in our house. Graham was reluctant but eventually ate all of his and there was some leftovers for the next day. You have a lot of room to wiggle in this recipe when it comes to spice so adjust accordingly.

Tags: food, kid stuff, recipes • 0 Comments

Run the Rainbow, Eat the Rainbow

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Jess • 126 Comments

This post is in conjunction with New Balance & Chop Chop Magazine, who are giving away some super awesome stuff so keep reading!

We’ve just had a little streak of warm weather and it’s life-changing. Last year I was happy to hole up in the winter since I started it hugely pregnant and ended it with a tiny baby. But this year it seemed like winter lasted forever and I’m looking for some brightness in my life.

I am guilty of not getting the kids out for exercise very much during the winter. But now that there’s nice weather on the way, we’re going to be making a lot more playground trips. I’ve even started taking the midday walks with the stroller that I’ve been talking about for months.

Do you remember the pink shoes? Well they’re not getting quite as much use this spring. There is a new favorite shoe in this house and it is the Rainbow Shoe.

When I showed Graham these shoes on the computer he instructed, “Buy them for me while I’m at school, okay?” His rainbow shoes are now the supreme shoes in the house. He also doesn’t complain so much about them not being tight enough, since the velcro attaches to a lace that tightens. (LOVE THAT. For bigger kids the shoes have just plain laces.)

When he got his shoes right before we left for Texas he put them on and declared them “snazzy.” I have no idea where he heard that word. The next morning at the airport, the woman behind the counter told him his shoes were “snazzy” and that settled the issue. They are some snazzy, awesome rainbow shoes. They’re also for-real athletic shoes, which is a good thing because they’re getting some good use.

new balance collage Run the Rainbow, Eat the Rainbow

The shoes get a workout on a warm day at the Zoo playground.

The rainbow shoes are part of a partnership with ChopChop Magazine, the food magazine for kids called Run the Rainbow, Eat the Rainbow. Even though Graham is only 3, we’re working to get him enjoying exercise and healthy food. (He’ll be starting soccer in a few weeks and we really need to have enough healthy foods to overcome his love of donuts.)

Encouraging different colors of fruits and veggies is a simple lesson in nutrition that’s easy for kids to catch on to. A rainbow plate has a variety of nutrients and flavors. Definitely better than the plates of beige our kids prefer so often. I am always impressed with how ChopChop finds ways to interest kids in food using all their senses.

ChopChop’s Eat the Rainbow recipe is for fruit skewers using grapes, blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, cantaloupe and raspberries. Very tasty. But for my Bug I decided to give him a rainbow lunch since one of his favorite foods comes in a variety of colors.

I’m lucky my kid is a veggie eater. He likes crunch and it’s been our saving grace to get him to try more things. I never really thought much about texture before but it’s a big deal for him. Once we got him on crunchy vegetables he’s now moved on to “leaves” (aka raw spinach or greens) and many others.

I try to pack him veggies with sauce (ranch dressing) almost every day for lunch and he’s usually pretty good about eating them. He was really pumped when I told him today he had a rainbow lunch.

As a bonus there were plenty of peppers left over, so I’ll be making rainbow jambalaya in the next couple days. I never would’ve thought to let my kid munch on peppers, but I highly recommend you give it a try. The bright colors are a great incentive.

Another way to do a rainbow veggie plate is to try red peppers, orange carrots, yellow cherub tomatoes (one of Graham’s favorites) and green broccoli. Serve that instead of your next veggie side dish and see if you get a few more bites than usual.

And now for some cool stuff! Not one but TWO giveaways!

New Balance and ChopChop are running a giveaway where you can win a subscription to ChopChop, a pair of the New Balance Rainbow 890v3 shoes and a $400 gift card for groceries. The contest runs through May and you can go here to enter.

Plus right here on the blog I’m giving away a pair of New Balance 890v3 Rainbow shoes and a ChopChop subscription to one lucky person! The shoes are available in infant, preschool and grade school sizes. Infant sizes have the velcro and go up to a size 10.

To enter simply leave a comment on this post.

You can earn a bonus entry by tweeting: “Win @newbalance shoes and a year of @chopchopmag in the Run the Rainbow Eat the Rainbow Giveaway with @jessicaesquire! http://ow.ly/jVBRH ” Make sure you leave a second comment with the address of your tweet. (To get that, go to your twitter profile and click the time stamp on the tweet.)

Official Rules: No purchase necessary. By leaving a comment you agree to the rules of this giveaway. Up to two entries per household according to the directions set out in the post. Limited to entrants over 18 in the United States. Contest begins as of the time of this post and ends on Tuesday, Aprl 16th at 6 pm Eastern Time. One winner will be chosen. The winner will receive a pair of New Balance Rainbow 890v3 shoes and a subscription to ChopChop Magazine. Prize has value of approximately $60. The number of eligible entries received will determine the odds of winning. The winner will be selected using the “And the Winner Is” plugin. Winner will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours to receive their prize. If a winner does not respond within that time, a new winner will be chosen. The prize will be provided by New Balance and Chop Chop Magazine. This contest is governed by the rules of Massachusetts, void where prohibited.

Disclosure: I received a pair of New Balance Rainbow 890v3 shoes in exchange for promoting the Run the Rainbow Eat the Rainbow contest.

Tags: food, giveaway, kid stuff, photography • 126 Comments

The Epic Playdate Weekend from Hyundai Santa Fe

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Jess • 0 Comments

The kids are getting older. Weekends at home are no longer cutting it. They get stir crazy, I get stir crazy, we have to get out into the world and do something.

It’s no mistake that we’ve asked for experience presents for the kids lately. We have a Zoo membership, we have an Aquarium membership, we won a membership to the Auto Museum in Graham’s school silent auction. We have to have places to go. We have to have things to do. As a family, it keeps us happy together. And that’s always better than being stuck at home getting sick of the sight of each other.

We’ve had some pretty successful playdates recently. My favorite was apple-picking. No bouncy castles necessary. Just us and the apple trees.

Imagining our perfect playdate weekend is pretty easy. I’m thinking the kids at the beach would be great. Sand, towels, buckets, shovels, the simple stuff. In my ideal world, we’d have a place to stay right on the beach so we could all retire inside for naps then head back out. My kids are little, we don’t spend a lot of time worrying about educational experiences. We just want to play together. Get out, have space to run, let things happen. It’s a time to make memories.

I know everyone’s ideal family playdate is a little different, but I bet you’d all be happy to take part in the Epic Playdate Weekend from Hyundai. It’s an all-day family fun fest in Santa Barbara, CA on April 27th. (Oh, Santa Barbara. I bet the weather’s lovely there right now…) Some fantastic bloggers like Dooce and MightyGirl and Girl Gone Child will be camping on the beach will tons of activities for kids of all ages. Think hula hooping. Think ice cream sundaes. Think PAINT FIGHT.

Not in Santa Barbara? Me neither. But you can win a four-pack of tickets!

All you need is a Pinterest account. (Even my mom has one, so I’m sure you do.) Make your own Hyundai’s Epic Playdate Weekend board, pin something from the Hyundai Santa Fe board to it and upload at least 4 pics of your own showing your ideal family playdate. Get all the details on the rules here.

It’s an invite-only event so you definitely want in. (I want in, too. I am so entering.) One rule: this post is coming from my friends at Clever Girls Collective so when the form asks “How did you hear about us?” please put Clever Girls as your source.

Good luck! And even if you don’t win, I wish you some lovely playdate weekends of your own!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Tags: events, kid stuff • 0 Comments

Grand Opening Fun at Kidville

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Jess • 0 Comments

Winter is giving me some serious cabin fever. And it’s not just me, it’s the kids, too. Every time I put Tessa’s jacket on to go outside she gets so excited, even though she isn’t a fan of her carseat or stroller. She’s just so happy to get out. I know the feeling.

We need places to go. We need things to do. Variety is a plus. So is climate control! (No zoo trip this weekend, thanks to the cold temps and wind.)

If you’re feeling as glum about being home as we are, if you’re in the Boston area there’s something to keep you and the kiddos busy this weekend: the grand opening of Kidville in Wellesley.

Kidville is a whole bunch of things in one: playspace, gym, dance studio, preschool, summer camp and birthday party destination. As a parent of young children it can be hard to find places to take little ones, but Kidville is for kids 6 and under, all the way down to babies. Usually these places are for older kids with maybe a small area for toddlers but Kidville has programs, classes and playspace for your tiny ones.

To celebrate their opening this weekend Kidville will be open with free, fun activities from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24. There will be open gym, arts and crafts and refreshments. Plus be sure to be there for the Rockin’ Railroad concerts at 10:30 and 1:30.

Rockin Railroad e1363701977136 Grand Opening Fun at Kidville

The Rockin’ Railroad Concert

At this weekend’s event, please bring new or lightly used children’s clothing from Newborn to 5T to donate to Room to Grow. (A donation will also get you 10% off at the Kidville Boutique.)

If you can’t make it to the grand opening, they’re offering free classes the week of March 25th plus discounts on class rates. Plus keep up with events on their Facebook page.

We’ll be taking a look and I’ll be back to post all about it. Tessa and I will hit Big Muscle Playtime, with all sorts of gym equipment just for 12-18 month-olds who are learning new ways to move. And for Graham I had to choose the Rockin’ Railroad. He’s getting a lot more into music and, well, you know this kid is obsessed with trains. The class is from newborn to 5-year-olds, which is great for him. It helps for him to see kids who are a little older since they participate and sing and dance.

You can see the full class listings, where you can search by age or by class.

Information provided by Kidville. We’ll be attending two classes at Kidville for no fee, review forthcoming.

Tags: Boston, events, kid stuff • 0 Comments

Tag Archives: kid stuff

Distract Your Preschooler With PBS Kids Apps

Rocking and Playing at Kidville

Rockin’ Railroad

Kidville Open Gym & Big Muscle Playtime

Kid-Friendly Recipe: Rainbow Rice

Run the Rainbow, Eat the Rainbow

The Epic Playdate Weekend from Hyundai Santa Fe

Grand Opening Fun at Kidville