Disney Playmation Gets Kids Moving

One common complaint that parents have about video games is that requires the player to sit down, indoors, for the entire time they are playing the game. That can be frustrating for parents who wish their kids would get some exercise. Disney Playmation can provide a solution. It is a video game that gets kids moving! Playmation combines the best elements of video games and imaginative play. To use it, a kid must have a special high-tech toy that has motion-sensor technology, Bluetooth, and cloud connectivity. The wearable device is key, and can be enhanced with the use of a … Continue reading

Things to Consider About Toddlers and Tablets

Do you let your toddler play with your tablet? It is easy to see why toddlers are attracted to them. They make sounds, and have colors, and stuff moves around when you poke at it. Some have started to wonder if the combination of toddlers and tablets is a good idea. How much screen time is too much? There are both positives and negatives to allowing your toddler to play with your iPad (or other tablet). That’s exactly what makes it so difficult for parents. If there were only good results, or only negative results, the choice would be simple! … Continue reading

Fun Items for Frugal Dress Up Play

There is a quick and easy way to entertain your preschooler for at least half an hour or so. Let him or her play dress up! Preschoolers tend to love this activity because it lets them “become” someone else for a while. Dress up is a great opportunity for using one’s imagination. Here are some frugal ideas for dress up play. Frugal Dress Up Ideas for Preschoolers Old Costumes Previously worn Halloween costumes are great for playing dress up in. Your child can become a princess, a superhero, or both in the same day. Reuse the Halloween costumes that your … Continue reading

Playing the Numbers Game

It’s dinnertime and you’re frantically scrambling to get your three kids under six years old fed before you have to get the oldest to his soccer game and the middle one to the barber.  You swing into McDonald’s, order, squeeze into a booth, divvy up a 20-piece McNuggets amongst your offspring, and then quickly shove the first meal of your day down your gullet. What’s the last thing you’re thinking about during this manic mealtime? Well, other than wondering if Kate Middleton is breastfeeding Prince George. That’s right; calories. Those numbers, which are now posted on many restaurant menus in … Continue reading

Using Play Doh to Teach Preschool Lessons

Play Doh is one of my favorite preschool activity toys and art mediums. Mashing the dough can creating people, ice cream cones, pizza, and animals, is as much fun for me as the kids.  I am not sure what came first, the lessons I developed using Play Doh or my desire to play and the need to make it count as part of my lesson plan.  Nonetheless, I have come up with a way to play and learn.  Now, when my husband comes home and finds Play Doh mashed in the carpet its all good. In all seriousness, using a … Continue reading

Let There Be Light

If it were a crime to be eating leftover Halloween candy in late November, I’d be in jail right now. There’s something not quite right about stuffing your face with Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins while stringing up Christmas lights. Which is why I did the former rather than the latter today. Apparently, I was the only one. It seems all my neighbors were on the same page this weekend: “Let’s add some holiday twinkle to our homes while Michele polishes off her kid’s Halloween treats.” Mission accomplished. On both fronts. Listen, I’m all about decking the halls, but my family … Continue reading

Discipline: Playing the Guessing Game

One of the toughest challenges of parenting is disciplining kids. And as if knowing, when, where, and how much to dole out weren’t tough enough, there are times when you are also forced to figure out who is responsible when more than one child is involved in an altercation, so that you are disciplining the right kid. For example, say you are making dinner in the kitchen while your kids are “playing” in the basement. Suddenly, your peaceful salad-making routine is shattered by your son screaming, “Moooooooom, she pushed me into the TV!” This is immediately followed by your daughter … Continue reading

Vegetarian Athletes

Athletes are normally very particular about their bodies and what they put in them. After all, without healthy bodies, it is hard to do what they do. But, I realized there are quite a few athletes that eat a strictly vegetarian diet. Some people wonder if a no meat diet is good for you. It certainly hasn’t done these athletes any harm: Bill Pearl Pearl is a four-time Mr. Universe. He didn’t become a vegetarian until he was 39, but guess what? He won his final Mr. Universe two years later, at age 41. Bode Miller Skiier Miller not only … Continue reading

Green Athletes

I have blogged about green celebrities, green musicians, and green models, but there are also plenty of green athletes in the world. First, since the London Olympics are still fresh on everyone’s mind, let’s take a look at a few green Olympians. No doubt you heard the name Usain Bolt a few million times during the London Olympics. Okay, maybe not quite that much, but the self-proclaimed Fastest Man of Earth’s name was certainly mentioned a lot. Bolt took home gold in the 100 m, 200 m, and 2×100 m relay. But, he also serves at the ambassador of culture/sport … Continue reading

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Expands to Tabletop Game

I haven’t reported on Disney World’s live action role-playing game Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom since its debut in February. The game was out, it seemed well-received, so there didn’t seem to be much else to say about it. While I was focusing on other Disney news, however, the game’s done more than just be a success. It’s a total smash. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (SMK) is so popular at Disney World that there just aren’t enough portals available for all of the guests that want to play. Because I haven’t talked about SMK for a while, here’s a … Continue reading