Healthy eyes and vision are an important part of your child’s development. In this video, WatchMojo.com speak with Dr. Langis Michaud from the Canadian Association of Optometrists on ways to make sure your children eyes are at their best. Learn more Here.
In most cases your teen can sleep all day-literally! There are cases where normal body changes, late-night activities, and sometimes depression can cause some serious sleep issues for your teen.
As a parent you need to figure out if your teen is tired because of insomnia or just has bad sleeping habits.
Continue reading to find out if your teen is suffering from insomnia and what you can do to help.
Dora is all grown up!
Like many of Dora’s fans, she too is getting older.
“For nearly ten years, Dora the Explorer has had such a strong following among preschoolers, catapulting it into the number one preschool show on commercial television,” says Gina Sirard, vice president of marketing for Mattel. “Girls really identify with Dora and we knew that girls would love to have their friend Dora grow up with them, and experience the new things that they were going through themselves. The brand captures girls’ existing love of Dora and marries it with the fashion doll play and online experiences older girls enjoy.”
Research shows that the average American child watches three to four hours of television on a daily basis.
With this much time spent in front of the t.v., people may wonder just how great an influence the television set has become, when comparing values expressed on TV with those children oftentimes express.
Researchers and parents alike speculate that the increase of violence among children is a direct effect of a desensitization to the blood and guts that are commonly seen on television.
Popular T.V. series often make the super hero also the one that shoots and fights the most, giving our youngsters a misinformed view of how to correctly deal with problem.
Manchester, UK (PRWEB) May 16, 2008 — Childhood obesity is becoming a growing problem throughout the UK. More and more children are spending their play time in front of their televisions and games consoles, and experts agree that a lack of outdoor play has contributed to the issue. To combat the obesity epidemic, Jo Nicholson of Little Nut Tree Toys has started the “Get Kids Active” campaign.
Treats, sweets, quantity, not quality, and little or no outdoor play have all contributed to a trend of kids getting fatter and less able to be what kids are born to be - free spirits enjoying themselves in the great outdoors, generally burning lots of calories.
The nation has sat back and watched what Professor Paul Gately has called an epidemic creep up on us - kids becoming obese, let alone the adults. An epidemic of obese kids! It seems utterly absurd, but the figures seem to stack up.
With convenience foods stacked full of sugars, fats and salts to ’save us time’, our time saving is costing ours and our kids life span.
If it wasn’t for experts like Gillian McKeith and Professor Gately who are willing to step up to the mark and open our eyes to what is happening then as a nation we would slip further into obesity.
Life for a lot of people seems to be spiralling out of control, getting faster and faster as we try and keep up with society as it develops - something has to give and in many households, convenience food does just that - it provides a way of easing time pressures.
As a mother of two Jo Nicholson, founder of online children’s toys store Little Nut Tree Toys, knows all about living life in the fast lane. With two children, a husband who runs two businesses and her own business to run, she admits that corners do get cut. Jo comments ‘I used to be so fit, cycling to work and then swimming in my lunch hour… I was fit, but that was before kids and starting my business. Life seems to run so fast these days that we are always looking for ways to cut corners - I’m a victim of it myself, but when I see programmes like “Too Fat to Toddle” it really does bring you up short and makes you think about what you’re doing to yourself and your kids health and that both things are under your control.’
But keeping kids healthy is not just about the food that they eat, it’s also about the exercise. Quite often public amenities like parks and swimming pools are not locally available so it leaves parents with little choice of where to get their kids to play, often having to decide between the front streets or the confines of their back garden (if they’re lucky enough to have one).
Jo continues, ‘As a modern society we seem to have forgotten that kids are the great imaginers of our world - they dream, invent and create like no adult can. J M Barrie had it nailed when he created Peter Pan, the eternal fun, mischievous and life-loving child. But we seem to have got ourselves entrenched in the idea that children need entertaining and need expensive props. Look at all the soft play centres that have sprung up. It may sound a bit naïve but I really would like to see a return to basic outdoor play and that’s why Little Nut Tree Toys is launching our Get Kids Active appeal for parents to send in their childhood game memories. You don’t have to have a park, play frames and soft play centres - just a bit of imagination.’
I used to spend hours playing with a tennis ball stuffed down one of my mum’s stockings and whacking it against a wall - but for the life of me I can’t remember the rhymes, rules or how it worked. I’d love to find out how to play it again so I can teach my daughter - it would be so much fun. So if anyone knows… I’m really keen for us to engage kids in games that are simple, fun, can be played individually or in groups. I for one would love to see kids playing together in social groups again. Not just hanging around on corners using their mobiles. That’s why we’re starting our campaign to bring back traditional outdoor toys and games like the one I used to play.’
To join the campaign to get kids active again, you can contact Jo at enquiries @ littlenuttreetoys.co.uk.
About Little Nut Tree Toys
Little Nut Tree Toys was launched in 2005 as a result of Jo Nicholson wanting to buy good quality, wooden and educational toys for her one year old daughter. The company philosophy has always been to promote toys that encourage kids to discover toys for themselves (without batteries and jarring electronic voices) and also wanted to focus on getting kids playing outside again which she sees as an integral part of childhood.
The company has grown from selling 50 toys in offices over lunch times, craft and Christmas fairs, to now selling over 700 products via its website. Since the re-launch the website, www.littlenuttreetoys.co.uk, now offers its customers a variety of features including recycled packaging, gift wrapping and gift vouchers.
NEW YORK, April 14 /PRNewswire/ — Nicktoons Network, the fastest growing kids’ network, is set to premiere Speed Racer: The Next Generation, a new animated series that builds on the legendary adventures of the iconic original series, on Friday, May 2, at 7:00 p.m. (ET). The 90-minute premiere will launch the Speed Racer: The Next Generation television series just prior to the Lionsgate DVD release on Tuesday, May 6, and the live-action Warner Bros. feature film, directed by The Wachowski Brothers, on Friday, May 9. The 26- episode, half-hour series will air regularly Fridays at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Nicktoons Network.
“Nicktoons Network is thrilled to add a completely new version of this iconic property to our brand,” said Keith Dawkins, Nicktoons Network General Manager, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Programming Partnerships. “Speed Racer has global appeal as a comic book, television series and feature film. It’s a great way to grow our brand and bring something new and exciting to our audience.”
Speed Racer: The Next Generation, executive produced by John and Jim Rocknowski, principals of Speed Racer Enterprises Inc., and Larry Schwarz, CEO of Animation Collective, is based on the classic series which originally debuted in 1967 in the U.S. The series follows Speed after he arrives at The Racing Academy only to find himself intimidated by his fast-paced classmates. Armed with his new friends Conor, Lucy and Conor’s robot monkey, Chim Chim, Speed quickly lives up to his name and becomes the one to beat in the driver’s seat. Throughout the series, Speed must balance studying and racing, all while avoiding the evil schemes of oil tycoon and school board member Zile Zazic and his racer daughter Annalise. Along with action-packed adventure on the racetrack, Speed and his pals work together to solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance and build the ultimate racing machine, the Mach 6.
In the 90-minute premiere, “The Beginning,” Speed, a teenager who had been orphaned as a baby, arrives at the prestigious Racing Academy and tries to get acclimated as the new kid. He meets friends and enemies, finds out he is the son of the famous driver Speed Racer and begins to deal with his new brother, X, and uncle, Headmaster Spritle (voiced by Peter Fernandez, original voice of Speed Racer in the original U.S. version). After finding parts of Speed Racer’s car — the Mach-5 — in a junk yard, Speed, with help from his new friends Conor and Lucy, rebuilds the legendary vehicle, but wrecks it during an intense race. Dejected and in need of a new car, Speed discovers his father’s schematics for a revolutionary gasless engine and builds the Mach 6.
In April, Speed Racer: The Next Generation will stream on Video-on-Demand. Plus select video content from the series will be available on the network’s video player at www.nicktoonsnetwork.com.
NEW YORK, April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Nickelodeon’s 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards (KCAs) set a big, slime-induced ratings record on Saturday, March 29 (8-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), by becoming the biggest KCAs to date for kids 2-11 and total viewers (P2+), outranking last year’s record-breaking show. The 2008 KCAs earned the number-one spot on all of television for the week with kids and tweens as well as the top spot on cable with total viewers. Hosted by Jack Black, the 2008 Awards also set a record online by leading Nick.com to its most trafficked day and bringing in an unprecedented 89.3 million votes across various Nick digital platforms.
With kids 2-11, the show earned a 10.9/3.8 million K2-11, a +6% increase over last year’s telecast which was hosted by Justin Timberlake and had previously ranked as the highest-rated Kids’ Choice Awards in the show’s history. The show has steadily increased in ratings and delivery each year since 2003.
This year’s telecast also garnered a 13.7/2.9 million kids 6-11 and a 12.5/2.7 million tweens 9-14. A record 7.4 million total viewers (P2+) tuned into the show, a +22% increase over last year and the show’s biggest overall audience ever. In addition, the telecast was the most-watched ever among all core demos including kids 2-11 (+11% over 2007), kids 6-11 (+2%), and tweens 9-14 (+4%).
More kids voted this year than ever for this year’s KCAs, with 89.3 million votes cast, which is +119% over 2007 and more than double last year’s record. The March 29 event boosted Nick.com to its highest trafficked day ever, with 1.7 million unique visitors, 40 minutes spent on the site per visitor for the day, and more than 27.1 million page views. Votes were cast in a total of 18 categories on Nick.com (http://www.nick.com), Nicktropolis (http://www.nicktropolis.com) and through Nick’s mobile website (wap.nick.com), from March 3 to March 29.
Nick.com’s KCA-themed Game of the Week, “KCA Amped,” launched on March 20 and generated nearly 900,000 game plays in just over a week. In addition, TurboNick, Nickelodeon’s broadband video player on Nick.com, served as the fully interactive home of KCAs, giving kids an insider’s look at the orange carpet arrivals, backstage, the show and after party. The TurboNick telecast, which also aired within Nicktropolis, garnered 289,000 streams, a +81% increase over last year.
Nickelodeon’s 2008 Kids’ Choice Awards, featured stars of TV, movies, music and sports and returning host Jack Black. The star-studded telecast featured celebrity participants including: Cameron Diaz, winner of this year’s “Wanna Be” award; Harrison Ford; Shia LaBeouf; Steve Carell; Hayden Panettiere; Chris Brown; Miranda Cosgrove; Queen Latifah; Heidi Klum; Drake Bell; Ashlee Simpson; America Ferrara; Amy Poehler and Ryan Seacrest, along with musical performances by Mylie Ray Cyrus and Nickelodeon’s own The Naked Brothers Band.
Marin, CA (PRWEB) March 20, 2008 — IAGmedia, Inc introduces today ‘Into the Great Outdoors’, the first DVD activity set in its Let’s Go Chipper!™ series. ‘Into the Great Outdoors’ is a 35-minute animated and live action adventure, featuring Chipper, a suburban-squirrel, and focuses on exciting and educating young children about the wonders of nature.
‘Into the Great Outdoors’ is as story full of music, mishap, and valuable lessons that touch on the very anxieties that keep parents from exploring the national and state parks, as well as local parks with their children. “Our goal is to excite and empower a young child with the knowledge of the great outdoors through easy-to-remember lessons,” says creator Stephanie Rach-Wilson.
A 52-page book featuring story, activity pages, and songs, as well as a sing-a-long CD, accompanies the DVD. The entire production and manufacturing took place in the US and the book is printed with soy-based ink by a Bay Area “Green Business” and has less than a 1/8th inch paper waste. The DVD, Story & Activity book, and CD retails for $29.95.
Ms. Rach-Wilson began writing and building the series after sensing that today’s parents had lost their “get out and play” spirit. “Research is telling us we’ve isolated ourselves and our children from the very elements which help us thrive,” she states. “Kids take care of what they love so let them smell, touch, listen, and see their environment–backyard or park.”
IAGmedia is based in Marin, Calif. and supports its launch with a “Less Packaging, More Fun” initiative, encouraging children’s product manufactures to use a “shrink-to-fit” mindset when designing product packaging.
Into the Great Outdoors is currently available at www.intothegreatoutdoors.com, www.parentcenter.com (beginning May), and specialty retailers. To learn more or request a copy, please call 415-271-9603 or email info @ iagmedia.net.
Los Angeles/New York (PRWEB) February 29, 2008 — Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Not to mention dogs and cows and hamsters and elephants and … well, a veritable hodgepodge of representatives from the animal kingdom are introduced in Barney Animal ABCs, the latest title featuring everyone’s favorite purple dinosaur, available March 4, 2008 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and HIT Entertainment.
CNews Imageelebrating an extraordinary 20th year entertaining children - making him a true Jurassic Classic - Barney is back along with Baby Bop and all their endearing playground friends to introduce a fun new way to practice the alphabet and learn interesting facts about different animals.
In Barney Animal ABCs, the gang has found building blocks featuring the alphabet. Wanting to play a game using the blocks, Barney suggests finding an animal to match each letter. As they move from ants to gophers, iguanas to whales - even finding matches for the ever-elusive Q, X and Z (quails, X-ray fish and zebras, in case you were stumped) - the two-fold lesson is both entertaining and educational as each animal is introduced with a description of its characteristics, physical attributes, habitats and more.
Featuring both classic ditties like “Old Macdonald, ” “The Ants Go Marching” and, of course, the “Alphabet Song,” along with original tunes, the live-action program takes viewers to a dog park, the zoo (petting and other) and even the circus to watch the animals in their simply natural but wondrous glory. Along the way young learners also learn the importance of taking care of beloved pets and what a veterinarian does. So pony up with Barney Animal ABCs and give kids a roaring good time, doggone it!
The DVD release coincides with the second leg of Barney’s 20 City Purple Bus Tour, which includes visits to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, appearances at Toys”R”Us stores and the launch of new toys from Play Along, a division of JAKKS Pacific.
Barney Animal ABCs Fast Facts:
* Street Date: March 4, 2008
* DVD SRP: $14.98 (U.S.), $18.98 (Canada)
* DVD Running Time: 55 minutes
Highlights:
* Bonus Episode: Fifi and the Flower tots “Stingo Gets Stuck”
* Auto Play
* Spanish Language Track
Barney 20th Birthday National Purple Bus Tour:
To coincide with the latest DVD release, Barney will continue his 20-city Big Purple Bus Tour, sponsored by JAKKS pacific and in partnership with Toys”R”Us and Children’s Miracle Network. At each three-day stop, Barney will visit children at local Children’s Miracle Network hospitals where he will perform a birthday Sing-Along, take pictures with children and donate toys and DVDs to the hospital.
On the second and third day of each local stop, Barney will host a meet-and-greet birthday party at Toys”R”Us stores. Children will have the opportunity to present Barney with a super-dee-duper birthday card that they design and create right at the Toys”R”Us store!
NEW YORK, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ — Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, announced today that it will develop its hit animated preschool series Dora the Explorer into a live-action, prime-time television movie. The announcement was made by Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon and MTV Networks Kids and Family Group. The TV movie will feature Dora as a ten-year-old live-action Latina heroine in an all-new adventure enhanced by CG special effects.
“We are thrilled for our viewers to see their favorite Latina heroine come to life in a new, vibrant live-action world,” said Johnson. “Dora will be a little older for her high stakes live-action adventure, which we think will be very exciting for our pre-school audience, as well as kids and their families who have grown up watching the show over the last 7 years.”
Dora the Explorer is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora, a Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. Dora explores her world just as preschoolers do everyday, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques.
In every episode of the animated series, Dora and Boots invite the audience to participate in an exciting adventure, where each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must think their way through in order to solve the next problem. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. In each episode, Dora teaches a Spanish word or phrase to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem and forge ahead. Ultimately, Dora and her best friend, Boots, triumph, and the story always ends with a “We Did It!” anthem. Dora the Explorer was created by Chris Gifford, Valeria Walsh and Eric Weiner. Gifford and Walsh serve as executive producers on the television series.
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