Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Pink Power Mom Program Looking for Nominating Submissions



In 2006, Kids II® , the developers of such leading infant product brands including Bright Starts, Taggies and Disney Baby Einstein created, The Pink Power Mom Program, to help join the fight against breast cancer through spotlighting and supporting eight women annually across the nation who have fought back against the disease and are now working to give back to others through charitable work in their local communities.  These Pink Power Moms are selected due to the inspiration that they give their families, friends and others battling breast cancer as well as for their resilient spirits and perseverance in the face of adversity.
      Each of the eight women selected as a Pink Power Mom receives $5,000 towards the breast cancer charity of her choice, as well as a weekend that will include an educational forum to bond and learn  how to enhance their community efforts.  Each winner also receives a legacy donation of $1,000 each year for the next four years.  Submissions are currently open and will be accepted through Sunday, June 30, 2013.  To nominate a deserving Pink Power Mom, please visit the following website:  www.pinkpowermom.com

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Hello Sunshine! by Thinkfun

     From early infancy to the toddler stage, physical growth and motor development are occurring at their most rapid pace.  Between walking, running, climbing and jumping, the toddler years are a time of major development of gross motor skills.  While watching our children develop these vital skills is an exciting experience, it also provides us with an important signal that they are on the right track developmentally.  But, to master these movement skills, notes pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, author of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) book, The Wonder Years:  Helping Your Baby and Young Child Successfully Negotiate the Major Developmental Milestones (Bantam Dell, 2006), children require lots of practice.  Both Altmann and other pediatric experts agree that toddlers can be helped along the way with a variety of gross motor-specific activities and games.
     Thinkfun, the creators of the Roll & Play (please take a peek at my 2012 review of this lovely, first game for toddlers:  http://amodestmommasmusings.blogspot.com/2012/05/thinkfun-roll-play.html) have taken these developmental milestones to heart yet again, and have created a simple, yet amusingly fun game called Hello Sunshine.  The game is ideally played with two or more players, and it contains a stuffed, soft plush sun-shaped toy called Sunshine; 18 double-sided cards with different hiding spots printed on each side (there are a total of 36 hiding spots) and a parents guide.
      To play Hello Sunshine!™, each person reads one of the cards, for example, one card may state, "On top of my head."  Player must then hide the sun on the top of their head, and then, they will have to ask, "Where is Sunshine?  Sunshine's on top of my head!", and so forth.  While playing this game with our neighbors children (ages two and four) during a recent play date, I discovered that the more focused the children are, the longer you can make this game last (which was most definitely the case with these children, as they are huge fans of similar games like, "Hide and Seek" and many of those made up, spur-of-the-moment types of scavenger hunts.  The early childhood educator in me appreciates the fact that just as with other Thinkfun products that I have had the pleasure and privilege of playing with my own child over the years, Hello Sunshine! playfully introduces little ones to those important positional words that help to promote movement. 
     The cards are well made, and extremely durable for little hands to grip and hold on to.  The little Velcro pouch located on the bottom of the sun provides you with a handy storage area to keep the cards all together.  This charming game will most assuredly have you and your little ones laughing and learning for a long time!
     Hello Sunshine! is suitable for children ages 18 months and up, and retails for $19.99.  For further information about Thinkfun's line of educational toy products, please visit their website at: www.thinkfun.com

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

American Academy of Pediatrics Announces Annual Art Contest for Children in Grades 3 through 12




 Calling all young artists everywhere!  Although school may be out for summer for many children across our nation, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is putting out a call for little ones to pick up their crayons, colored pencils and brushes to submit creations for their annual art contest.  The theme for this year's contest is, "A World Free from Tobacco and Secondhand Smoke" and children in grades 3 through 12 are invited to send in their original artwork for submission.  First-place winners in several age categories will receive a $500 cash prize and up to $1,000 in travel expenses for a trip to Orlando, Florida.  Entries must be postmarked by July 31, 2013.  For more information, please visit http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Launches-Childrens-Art-Contest.aspx