Coast 2 Coast Mom

Don't Let The Pigeon Run This App by Mo Willems Launches from Disney

On Friday we had the opportunity to lunch with Mo Willems and learn more about his darling new Pigeon app, "Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App!" from Disney Publishing Worldwide.

You may know Mo Willems as the Caldecott Honor-winning author of Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale,

LeapFrog Announces LeapPad Pre-Order Availability

Early learning device experts LeapFrog Enterprises announced they're taking pre-orders for their upcoming LeapPad. I had the Kiddo with me last week for a day of meetings and was grateful that of all days to have him with me, it was probably the best day to take him along. We visited the LeapFrog holiday product showcase together and he got the chance to play with the LeapPad before it will hit store shelves in a few months. I literally had to pry it out of his hands. You could say he loved it. You can also pre-order the LeapPad now for $99 on Amazon.

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.

PBS KIDS Toy Line and PBS KIDS Online Shop Launch Today

PBS is launching a PBS KIDS toy line and online PBSKIDSshop.com today and I couldn't be more excited! In an effort to reinforce learning through yet another avenue, PBS is introducing toys to extend preschool learning beyond TV, online and mobile - and into the creative hands, hearts and heads of kids anywhere.

 
The new PBS Kids toy line includes 20 wooden play sets:

• PBS KIDS Sounds of the World Rhythm Set, one of several musical toys designed to foster hand-eye coordination and children’s exploration of sound.
• PBS KIDS Puzzle Playsets, themed playsets that promote imaginative play and encourages children to explore new words. The playsets willbe offered in safari, beach and playground themes.
• Building and construction toys, like my FAVORITE above -  the PBS KIDS Exploration Blocks City.
• PBS KIDS 3-Layer Puzzles (in Barn, Camping and other themes) to promote problem-solving, letter recognition, number matching and other developing skills.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! The Cat In The Hat Knows A Lot About That!

On March 2nd, be sure to take a moment to silently wish Happy Birthday to Theodor Seuss Geisel, otherwise known as "Dr. Seuss." In honor of his birthday and all of his efforts to encourage and promote literacy, PBS is holding a two hour marathon event of The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!, including two brand new episodes: "Incredible Journey/Bamboozled," and "Teeny Weeny Adventure/I See Seeds."

Signs Your Kid Is Going To Be Smarter Than You (Maybe)

There have been several moments recently that caused me to pause and honestly consider the possibility that my son is well on his way to becoming smarter than me. Which says a lot, because I'm smart . . . and my husband's smart. So while I'm finding it a bit hard to fathom, I'm seeing the signs and getting the distinct impression that our son is going to surpass us in intelligence - perhaps sooner rather than later.

I'm not talking about the sneaking around or lying to us type of thinking he's smarter than us...I'm talking about him understanding concepts and things beyond what my husband and I may be capable of comprehending or solving ourselves.

I should be thrilled, right? Or beaming with pride. I am, but those emotions are mixed with anxiety. I want him to lead an ordinary fun life and remain happy at his age and I don't want him to grow up faster than other kids. How can we mentor and parent him successfully if he'll be a step - or two - ahead of us? Admittedly, the kiddo's five years old and beginning kindgergarten in the fall , so we have a long time before he'll surpass us (if he ends up doing so) academically.

Here's why I think our son's going to be smarter than us:

LeapFrog Leaps Ahead - From Reading to Writing

With the annual Toy Fair ramping up in NYC this week, I'm having fun checking out the upcoming products for the year. Last week I was privy to a sneak peek at LeapFrog's 2011 product lineup, set to debut on store shelves this fall. I was happy to see that they're staying true to their legacy of well-researched educational toys with the introduction of their new products - some of which I can't wait to pick up for birthday and holiday gifts at the end of the year.

Here's two of our near-term faves that you can pick up now:

1. Count and Scan Shopper - pretend grocery play for 6-36 month olds, with empasis on colors and numbers. It's important to note that kids can actually "scan" anything and anyone, which can often elicit rounds of giggles.
2. Tag World Map - interactive two-sided World map for 4-8 year olds, featuring geography, mapping and cultural skills. I can't say enough great things about LeapFrog's US or World Map. I love the focus on geography and social studies, and the care that went into respecting the differences and similarities of kids around the world without stereotyping kids of different cultures. Love it.

A few of my favorite new LeapFrog products to come later this year (sorry, I can't yet share photos):

1. Peek-A-Shoe Octopus - Coming this spring for 9-36 month olds. Drop a ball into the octopus's hat, and guess which leg the ball will spiral down through. This toy focuses on numbers 1-5 and colors, as well as the surprise and fun of peek-a-boo.
2. Tag Solar System Map - Coming October 2011 for 4-7 year olds. Similar to the World and US Map boards currently on the market for the Tag, but for the solar system. Very cool.
3. Tag Learn to Write and Draw - Coming August 2011 for 4-7 year olds. LeapFrog leaps from their focus on math skills and learning to read to learning to draw and correctly draw letters. The focus is on correctly forming each letter with the right number of strokes. I can't wait for it to come to market so we can try it out.

 

Sesame Street Gets Game

Two of the video games that I'm looking forward to checking out in the coming weeks are Sesame Street's Elmo's A-to-Zoo Adventure, and Cookie's Counting Carnival. The games are designed to encourage math and literacy in pre-schoolers, and what's really clever is that these games come with "helpers" to make the gameplay easier and more engaging for young kids.

The "helper" for the Wii, is a soft, fuzzy character cover (imagine a Cookie Monster wrap around the Wii Remote) which not only covers buttons that won't be used for the game but makes it easier for kids to hold. For the DS, there's a jumbo character-themed stylus that is designed to be easier to hold.

Getting Married at 9 - Similar to Getting Married at 4? Ridiculous, right?

This post is inspired by the Silicon Valley Moms Group book club choice, I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced. It tells the story of Nujood Ali's childhood marriage to a man three times her age, and her courage in becoming the first child bride in Yemen to win a divorce. . .she went on to become a Glamour Woman of the Year in 2008. I received a copy of the book as a participant in the book club.

The saga of Li'l Boo and his preschool girlfriend continues . . .

At dinner last night we were talking about this being Li'l Boo's last week of preschool this year. I told him that the bigger kids in his class were going on to kindergarten, and he would stay with his teacher and a couple of the other younger kids next year. I let him know that his "girlfriend" wouldn't be in his class next year. Li'l Boo surprised us by saying that he'll see her when they get married. It appears that they already have their wedding all planned out. Here's what he told us:

Literally Learning To Read in Celebration of Dr. Seuss's Birthday

This post is inspired by the Yahoo! Mother Board's monthly community topic, discussing how we celebrate reading in our families.

Two years ago we celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday at Marche in Chicago for their annual "Seussville" celebration. It was a family-friendly (yet gourmet) meal and we were amused by the menu items all inspired by his books, or taken from the Dr. Seuss cookbook. The Cat in the Hat was there, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 visited tables and worked the room too while the kids each received goodie bags of Dr. Seuss trinkets and coloring and activity pages. We ate it up, and it's one of my last memories of us living in Chicago. I'm not sure if Marche is still hosting this annual dinner, but we had a wonderful experience celebrating reading and eating as a family at a nice French restaurant.

I've searched for restaurants in NYC that celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday, but haven't come across any. (Fingers crossed that a local NYC restaurant sees this and makes plans to celebrate it next year - Marche was packed and you needed reservations to get in when we attended.)