Do your kids watch PAW Patrol? Any parent of a preschooler can tell you that there is time when their kid has become totally obsessed with something, more often than not, a popular television show like PAW patrol. Keira Knightley called it ‘toddler crack’ and Ryan Reynolds threatened to sell his kids after an 11 episode binge.
Armed with the knowledge that preschoolers are totally PAW-obsessed, and parents are along for the ride whether they like it or not, Spin Master, the creators of PAW Patrol, enlisted the help of honorary PAW Patrol club member Dax Shepard to welcome parents to The PAW Patrol Years. Currently in the thick of it with two children in The PAW Patrol Years, Dax is hopeful it is just a phase. PAW Patrol, as he describes it, is a show about ‘an emancipated minor who hangs out with some talking dogs and together they put out fires, rescue chickens and do other cool stuff’.
Filmed while under quarantine and shot entirely on an iPhone in Dax’s home with Spin Master’s creative team joining virtually, he shares a series of hilarious warnings, tongue in cheek references, sage advice and product reviews in 15, 60 and 90 second clips for a fall targeted social campaign.
Created by Spin Master Entertainment and airing on Nickelodeon, PAW Patrol, is currently in its 7th season. The powerhouse franchise is heading to the big screen with an animated feature film slated for theatres in August 2021 (a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, distributed by Paramount Pictures).
—Jennifer Swartvagher
Featured photo: PAW Patrol Official & Friends via YouTube
The Wiggles have been putting out new content during the pandemic. Now they are taking it to the next level. The Wiggles are getting ready to debut a new broadcast series and studio album this week.
Simply called The Wiggles’ World!, this latest series from The Wiggles will debut on their YouTube channel starting Thurs., Jun. 25. The Wiggles’ World! will feature many exciting surprises and Wiggles firsts, including Award-winning Broadway star, James Harkness (Ain’t Too Proud), who is the proprietor of Le James Café. When The Wiggles visit Le James Café each day it’s musical mayhem mixed with a serving of dynamic dancing.
For the first time ever, viewers will be introduced to The Cartoon Wiggles with six animated music videos. Shirley Shawn the Unicorn, featured in last year’s Wiggles North American tour will make her first ever appearance in a TV series. Some of Australia’s most talented ballet dancers, including Paul Knobloch who performs as a dancing waiter at Le James Café , and self-professed “first hijab ballerina” Stephanie Kurlow will also be featured.
The Wiggles’ World! allows viewers to visit exciting new places such as Lachy’s Curly World and Emma’s Bow Room. Clips of The Wiggles live in concert will also be shown.
The Wiggles brand new studio album, Choo Choo Trains, Propeller Planes and Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car launches on Fri. Jun. 26. The album features songs about all forms of travel, including riding in the Big Red Car.
Emma Wiggle said, “Today, more than ever, children need a release for all their creative energy, and we hope this album will have the young listener dancing, singing and using their imagination to go travelling!”
Choo Choo Trains, Propeller Planes and Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car will also feature the audio debut of The Wiggles’ two smash pandemic songs, “Social Distancing” and the “Handwashing Song.”
Olaf has a new song to share with kids around the world. In a new song released online by Diney, Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad, send a special message to his friends amid the coronavirus pandemic while he is staying at his home, Arendelle Castle. As he looks down at the empty streets, he writes a new song, “I Am With You.”
“I am with you with this letter / I am with you with this song / I am with you when you laugh at something silly I did wrong / Who cares about our whereabouts / I’m here and you are there/ But I’m with you / And I care,” he sings.
Clips from classic Disney movies flash on the screen as Olaf sings.
“I wish there was a looking glass that we could see each other through / Maybe one day they’ll discover it / And you’ll see me and I’ll see you,” Olaf sings. “But ’till they do / I am with you with this music / I am with you with this rhyme / I am with you if you need me / Any moment / Any time / I am with you / And you’re with me.”
After Olaf signs the letter, Olaf asks Gale, the elemental spirit of wind that dwells within the Enchanted Forest, “Would you please deliver this to me?” adding, “I’ll see you soon.”
Looks like Friday night is movie night! Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the whole Mystery Inc. Gang are bringing the party to your house this weekend. Starting on May 15 SCOOB! will be available for a 48-hour rental via Premium Video On Demand for $19.99, or premium digital ownership for $24.99.
Families are invited to join the #ScoobMovieNight premiere event on Twitter starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Follow along on Twitter for the #ScoobMovieNight Premiere Event featuring cast, musical performances and exclusive clips.
Get your kids ready for the big night with this fun Party Pack and Activity Guide. You’ll find printouts, games, recipes and more. Plus, learn the #ScoobDance on TikTok from celebrity dancer, Jalaiah Harmon.
In an ongoing effort to keep kids learning and experiencing a little culture, the Metropolitan Opera has launched Free Student Streams! The new program is a slew of free opera streams for both teachers and students all over the globe.
The Met website will release free resource materials on Mondays at 10 a.m. EDT, which will include activities, coloring pages, audio clips and tons of background information for the opera streaming that week. On Wednesdays at 5 p.m. EDT, the opera will begin streaming and will remain active for 48 hours on the Met website.
photo: Courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera
Even more exciting, students can tune into a Zoom call an hour before each performance to interact with an opera singer or a member of the creative team for a virtual conversation! To access the streams, listeners can head to the Free Student Streams page or view the Met Opera on Demand apps.
The next three weeks of free student streams include:
Fulfill your child’s physical education requirements just got easier. Disney Family has made a collection of fun exercise videos based on your favorite Disney films such as Peter Pan, Moana, The Incredibles and Mulan. The videos are each around 10 minutes long and feature iconic clips from the films.
These videos are easy for your little ones to follow along with. All of the stretches and moves were developed with kids in mind. Check out all of the fun Disney Family videos below.
Mulan Family Workout Video
Train just like Mulan did at Captain Li Shang’s training camp.
Moana Family Workout Video
Make way and learn moves inspired by Moana, Maui, Hei Hei, and more,
The Incredibles Family Workout Video
Spring into action like the Incredibles, break a sweat, and defeat the bad guys
The Lion King Family Workout Video
Move like Simba, Rafiki, Zazu, and more of your favorites from The Lion King.
Peter Pan Family Workout Video
Move like Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, and more of your favorites from Peter Pan.
The Jungle Book Family Workout Video
Move like Mowgli, Baloo, King Louie, and more of your favorites from The Jungle Book.
Lin-Manuel Miranda just announced an extension of the Hamilton Education Program, a classroom initiative that walks through Miranda’s Hamilton creation process and ends with students making and performing their own musical theatre pieces. #EduHam at Home is an extension of the program. While schools are closed, the #EduHam allows students to be creative theater artists while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Hamilton and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History launched #EduHam, a free digital program for students and their families to explore the world of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical and America’s founding era.
Upon registering, students receive a welcome video from Miranda as well as access to mentorships that will help them create their own performance in the form of a song, rap or monologue which they are then encouraged to submit for consideration. Ten performances will be selected to be shared on the Hamilton website with one selected by the Hamilton team to be tweeted out.
Additional resources include videos clips from Hamilton and interviews with Lin-Manuel Miranda, selected cast members, and Ron Chernow, whose biography of Alexander Hamilton inspired the musical. #EduHam at Home also provides an American history curriculum, introducing students to the people, events, and documents of the founding era. The program is recommended for students in 6th through 12th grades but open to all ages.
“Out of everything that has come from Hamilton, I am most proud of #EduHam and of the students who have created their own incredible work from primary sources,” said Miranda. “I’m thrilled that we can make Hamilton learning a family experience, led by the students at home during this unprecedented time.”
Homeschooling can be challenging and even comical at times. Max Greenfield is chronicling his adventures in homeschooling his daughter Lilly. Let’s just say, it isn’t going as smoothly as planned.
“God bless the teachers (the real ones),” Greenfield captioned one of the videos.
Check out some of these hilarious clips of Greenfield and Lilly.
While Greenfild is trying to recall everything he learned in school, Lilly chastises him, saying maybe if he hadn’t spent so much time “puff puff puff”and “glug glug glug” through his own high school and college years, he’d remember more.
Can what your child watches on TV affect their food choices? According to recent research, if your child watches a cooking program that features healthy foods, the answer is yes.
Research published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found a connection between watching healthy cooking shows and children’s food choices. The study, which included 125 children ages 10 through 12, may have found a way to get your kiddo to choose healthy snacks over chips, dip and cookies.
To better understand the impact cooking shows have on children and their food choices, the researchers asked some of the participants to watch clips of a Dutch cooking show (for kids) featuring healthy foods. The rest of the participants were asked to watch a a video featuring less healthy or unhealthy foods.
So how did the clips influence the kids’ food choices? Forty-one percent of the children in the healthy food clip group chose healthy foods when given a selection of snacks—but only 20 percent of the children who watched the unhealthy food video chose healthy snacks.
With all the challenges one has to face when they’re older, sometimes it’s best to focus on the good things. This could be in the form of experiences and wisdom you’ve gained or life’s greatest gifts—your grandchildren.
Unfortunately, for some grandparents, their biggest fear comes true as their grandkids grow and alienation starts dominating the once sweet relationship they once shared with them. But talking to your grandchildren shouldn’t have to be so tough as they enter their teen stage. In fact, if you have great communication skills, you can continue to be an integral part of their lives and enjoy the beautiful bond that you have with them.
How and What to Talk About with Your Grandchildren?
Some things to bear in mind when talking to your grandkids include being open and friendlier. Explore the interests of your grandkids and get to know them more by keeping an open mind. Only occasionally chime in to give advice, but don’t constantly pester them.
You can talk to your grandkids about the latest trends since those would be relevant to them and will give you a chance to know more about what’s happening in their lives as well. But what trends can you discuss with these teens? Let’s give you some ideas.
1. Talk about Popular Apps Like TikTok. Teenagers these days are so into making videos of themselves acting to clips from movies. Of course, we’re talking about the TikTok mania. This latest obsession has become so big that even marketers are seeing the potential in collaborating with young TikTok stars to promote their products. If your grandchildren are into this particular channel, talk to them about it. You could listen to their interest in it, watch their videos, and then even give them an idea of how they could use the platform to their benefit if they have lots of followers. Sure, the app may seem weird at first but you will grow to like it.
2. Talk about Fashion Trends. If your teen grandchild is anything like other kids these days, he or she is probably completely immersed in the fashion world. This means the teen in the hours cares way too much about looking ‘dope’ at all times by following celeb fashion or some popular fashion trends for teenagers these days.
This would be a great topic to open a conversation about with your grandkid. But don’t criticize. Listen to their opinions and ideas and support some of them before fulfilling your urge to tell them which clothes are suitable, and which are too scandalous.
3. Talk about Games Like Pokémon Go. Gaming is very popular among teenagers. Again, don’t start the conversation by chiding the child for being on their phone or device too much. Talk about their favorite games and see if they can even create a profile for you so you can play too.
4. Talk about Movies and TV Trends Like Stranger Things. Pop culture has always been of great interest to teenagers. If your teen grandchild is into movies, then they may be a big fan of the Avengers movies or DC films like Joker. One great way to connect with your grandkid is by talking about these movies. If you are interested, you could also watch movies with your grandchild and then talk about them. You could talk about what things you liked about characters and what you didn’t. If your kid is into the Netflix series, you could talk about shows like Stranger Things, and Money Heist. One show currently trending? You on Netflix.
5. Talk about Trending Celebrities. Teens are crazy about celebrities so that would definitely make a fun topic to discuss with your teen grandchild. Just so you are somewhat informed before opening the convo, know these days kids are into celebs including Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, Shawn Mendes, and Billie Eilish. You could chat about these known personalities and ask your grandchildren what they think about them, what they like and what they dislike.
A writer by day and a reader by night, Evelyn is a blogger and content marketer from Australia. She started her career as a junior writer in an Ad agency but with the passage of time her passion from food and travel grew so much.
