Coast 2 Coast Mom

Double Fine Happy Action Theater Launches in Xbox LIVE Arcade

Double Fine Happy Action Theater just launched in Xbox LIVE Arcade and is great for playdates or families with multiple kids because everyone can interact with the video game download on their own simultaneously. So you can totally avoid getting annoyed by the sibling or friend who runs in front of the Kinect sensor while others are playing mid-game ;-) Double Fine Happy Action Theater is a fun interactive experience with no instructions or required gestures, and no way to "win" or "lose" the game, making it great for preschoolers and up.

The game includes 18 different environments where up to six people can immerse themselves in some ridiculous scenes. The Kinect sensor captures you and your surroundings to actually put you "in" the scenes of the game for augmented reality interaction. For instance, there's a scene where pigeons are flying about, and they land on your arms, your head, and any furniture behind you. In another, you're standing knee deep, splashing in a living room full of lava or throwing snowballs.

Some of the scenes are just psychedelic, but others, like what we refer to as the "Godzilla" scene, was pretty funny. We were giggling as we knocked down buildings and swatted circling biplanes that explode when you hit them - all in black and white. A couple of times during the scene a camera man pops up to take your picture (placed into the front page of a newspaper "Monster attacks city.")

The more people you have, the more fun you can have, although clearly some games lend themselves better to multiple players than others - like the wizard scene when you shoot fireballs and other things at monsters and your friends on the screen. Others, like the "space invaders" experience seem crowded with more than two people.

Double Fine Happy Action Theater is rated E for Everyone and costs 800 points or $9.99

 

 

How Do You Regulate Your Family Tech Use on a Family Vacation?

Because I write about technology and see a lot of tech devices before they're available on the market, I'm often asked which device/laptop/game console/phone, etc someone should buy, whether they should wait for the next upgrade, and which apps they should install for their kids. The next most popular question is how we set rules for using electronic devices in our family . . . which always makes me happy to discover that others are being mindful of screentime, but I also feel a little uncomfortable answering because what works for us may not work for them.

Basically, we use the moderation is key approach at home as we guide him through using the technology. Just because we happen to have a lot of electronics in the home, doesn't mean the Kiddo gets to spend a disproportionate amount of time online. While on the road for family travel, though, we actually have situational rules for using electronics on vacation.

The reason we take a vacation or go on a trip is for the experience, the opportunity to connect and make family memories, and lastly, to relax, rejuvenate and just get away! I grew up in a small rural Midwestern town and often marvel at the places I've visted and the things I've seen that are so completely unlike my environment growing up. So it's important to us that we expose the Kiddo to these things and underscore an appreciation and respect for them as well - by being present, engaging the senses and taking mental snapshots (or having him take real snapshots or video!).

Along our coast-to-coast roadtrip last summer, we shared some of the documentation duties with him, and he was thrilled. He loved using the FlipCam to record portions of our trip with his own narration. As you can tell above, he loved watching the video back too. ;-)

Did he watch movies in the car along the roadtrip and play games on the iPad, Nintendo DS and LeapPad? You bet! Although not while we were curving through the Rocky Mountains, or cruising by Joshua Tree National Park. Definitely not while we were on the lookout for each state's welcome sign! Certainly not while we visited the hotel pool, walked around the cities, or waited for our table at an authentic restaurant. We were sure to clear the devices away as we crossed the Mississippi River and watched people rafting along the Colorado River.

Of course, the real reason we wouldn't want to completely curtail using tech devices on our trips is that @c2cDad and I would be hurt the most. We plan our trips on the fly using our phones and laptops to look up recommendations, ratings, directions and such. We're usually so busy working up until the last second before we leave for vacation that much our trip is left unplanned awaiting our full attention. We also document our trips with our cameras, cell phones, social media check-ins and video cameras. We're capturing and sharing our adventures with family and friends who may never have the opportunity to do what we're doing.

However, once we've gotten the shot we want, the recording devices go away until the next share-worthy moment crops up. Then it's back to singing along to the radio, playing the alphabet game, looking for more state license plates to flip over on the Melissa & Doug game board, and our own entertainment.

How do you regulate using electronics on vacation as a family with being present and enjoying your travels? You can join a TravelingMom.com Twitter party tonight to chat about just such a topic with other traveling families, and here's how another blogger, Kim Orlando from TravelingMom, incentivized her kids on a recent trip to Aruba:

  

 

Brisk Iced Tea Launches BriskSaber App with Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in 3-D

Brisk Iced Tea is launching a new mobile app called Brisksaber, in conjunction with the theater release of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in 3-D. When I first read about it, I had a huge grin on my face because I couldn't wait to share it with the Kiddo and @c2cDad.

The Brisk app, Brisksaber, brings iconic Star Wars lightsaber battles to smartphones, and makes players choose to play for The Light Side or The Dark Side right off the bat. If you choose The Light Side, you'll battle evil characters like Darth Maul, Jabba the Hutt, Darth Sidious and Darth Vader. If playing for The Dark Side, you'll be up against Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jar Jar Binks, Luke Skywalker and Mace Windu. The app includes a progression of content allowing players to unlock new characters and objects based on the redemption of codes found on specially marked packages of one-liter Brisk Iced Tea.

 

They've even created some fun commercial spots with Yoda and Darth Maul to promote the app, which will air on January 15, 2012 be featured in movie theaters and online. . .

 

The Brisksaber can be downloaded via UncaptheApp.com, Facebook.com/Brisk, or in the iTunes Store and Android Market now. The "Uncap the App" promotion and limited-time Darth Maul Brisk Tea packaging will be available until April 30, 2012.

Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace in 3-D arrives in theaters February 10, 2012.

 

 

 

Curious George Holiday Spectacular Premieres Tonight on PBS Kids

That loveable monkey, Curious George is back just in time for the holidays. He'll be "monkeying around" with not one, but three movies that will broadcast starting tonight on PBS Kids, with what could be the start of a new family holiday tradition.

First, is the broadcast premiere of the original Curious George movie starring the voices of Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore and Dick Van Dyke followed by Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey and Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas. The Holiday Spectacular will air on PBS KIDS throughout Thanksgiving weekend, so if you miss it today, you can still check it out!

Family Fun Experiments on The TODAY Show

Last week the Kiddo was invited to a special segment taping of the fourth hour of The TODAY Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb about clever science experiments for kids, as featured in Disney's Family Fun Magazine. It's airing today between the :20 minute and :40 minute mark of the hour when the show airs by you (here, it's from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.).

We totally enjoyed the excitement of waiting in the green room. The Kiddo joined Jen from The Next Kid Thing's son, and together they passed the time away watching Rio on her iPad, singing Justin Beiber songs and playing Angry Birds. They even got their hair styled in hair and make-up! They loved sitting in the chair and getting fussed over like the real rock stars. (Shaggy was there with his entourage.)

The segment features several fun and cool experiments that you can do at home. The Kiddo was doing a bubble experiment where you take a cone made of paper, dip it into bubble solution, blow a bubble and then take a straw, dip that into the bubble solution, then poke the straw through the big bubble and the bubble won't pop!

Although their time on camera will be a few fleeting seconds, what a cool experience for him hangin' like a rock star at The TODAY Show and 30 Rock. Thanks to Familly Fun for the terrific experiment ideas and for inviting the Kiddo to join for the taping!

Summer Fun with Martha Speaks on PBS

Last week I attended a behind-the-scenes PBS KIDS webinar with Martha Speaks childrens book series author Susan Meddaugh, and Carol Greenwald, the senior executive producer for the show. The pair were passionate and delightful as they spilled some secrets of the series, objectives for the show, and gave a sneak peek at two new Martha Speaks episodes this week.

Capturing T-Ball Highlights with Windows Live Movie Maker

Father's Day brought a close to the Kiddo's first season of little league tee ball and as eager first time parents, we of course took lots of photos and video. We wanted to capture all of the memories from opening day to the final high five and all of those game playing firsts in between . We turned to Windows Live Movie Maker to create a highlight reel from this first season of t-ball in three minutes or less (we came in at 2:20).

This is how we preserved the Kiddo's t-ball memories in a montage using Windows Live Movie Maker:

Here's some tips from our experience to quickly and easily put together your own video using Windows Live Movie Maker:

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Queen Anne's Revenge Photos

We substituted family game night these past few weeks to work on putting together the LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides Queen Anne's Revenge pirate ship. Although it was created for 9-16 year olds, we put it together as a family with the Kiddo: me sorting out the pieces needed for the next step, the Kiddo putting it together looking back and forth from the instruction manual, and c2cDad guiding and double-checking the Kiddo along the way. 

 

 

Dora and Diego's 4-D Adventure at the Central Park Zoo

We visited Central Park last weekend to check out the premiere of Dora & Diego's 4-D Adventure at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Central Park Zoo, and loved the 15-minute family-friendly movie. The short film features something for all of your senses: cool water mistings, simulated winds, vibrating seats, the scent of bananas, and 3D images that had the kids reaching out to try to touch the seemingly multidimensional images on screen. Nickelodeon's lovable Dora and Diego were a delight rescuing rainforest animals in 4D.

 

The Dora and Diego characters were at the zoo for the premiere of the 4D movie where they, along with Boots, take the audience on an adventure to save the rainforest animals from a rogue robotic butterfly who's stealing all of their habitats. The Kiddo was happily entertained by the sensory surprises throughout the show, and they truly did add another dimension to the experience.

The movie was followed by a guided zoo tour where we had the opportunity to see the real live animals that were featured in the film, including the macaw, python,and others. We will definitely see Dora and Diego's 4D adventure the next time we visit the zoo.

You can find the show at The Central Park Zoo 4-D Theater located near Fifth Ave at 64th Street. Tickets are $5 per person, but free for WCS members.

 

 

50% off Headchefs Cooking Tools for Kids Deal on Gaggle of Chicks

Today's Gaggle of Chicks deal for 50% off Headchefs cooking tools for kids is a great opportunity to pick up a birthday gift for a child or tween (or even me!). Headchefs kitchen utensils are made of silicone, dishwasher safe, and just too cute to pass up.

 

For $15 on Gaggle of Chicks, you can get $30 worth of the kid-friendly cooking supplies to make cooking and baking together fun. You can even purchase more than one deal to use toward one of the higher-priced sets.

I'm privy to the child's bowl with suction feet, and like most of their products, is recommended for kids age 3+.

The deal goes live today at 12:30 p.m. ET on www.gaggleofchicks.com