Bake with Duff! If you’re a fan of celebrity baker Duff Goldman, you’ll love these new kits from Baketivity. They’re designed with kids in mind, with pre-mixed ingredients and simple instructions.
Try your hand at a S’mores Sandwich Cookie for a delicious campfire-inspired dessert. It’s two fresh baked cookies dipped in chocolate that smoosh a gooey marshmallow filling. All you’ll need to do is add the butter, milk and your kids, of course!
Or for a real treat, whip up the adorable Fuzzy Monster Cake and Cupcakes, inspired by Sesame Street. It levels up the fun with a piping bag to add blue “fur” to your monster. If your kids need a little extra help, a tutorial video is included.
Both recipes are straight from Duff Goldman himself and super simplified for less mess and more enjoyment. Baketivity is a baking subscription box brand that features all sorts of treats for the little chefs in your life. Add one to your cart and get ready to bond over baking!
Happy World Ocean Day! In honor of this special day, the creators behind Baby Shark have curated a new playlist for little listeners.
The 40 minute playlist has 27 songs that feature Baby Shark and other sea animals. Designed to education kids on the importance of reducing plastic waste and saving the ocean and sea animals, the fun lineup of songs is just as addicting as the OG ear worm that Baby Shark is known for.
photo: Courtesy of Pinkfong
If your kiddos are looking for more ways to positively impact that ocean, head over to YouTube to see Pinkfong’s World Environment Day Special, Baby Shark vs Waste Monster and ‘No More Single-Use Plastic!, a video that raises awareness about plastic pollution.
Bedtime is about to get a whole lot easier with a new project by Headspace, a leader in mindfulness and meditation, and Sesame Workshop. The duo just announced a new podcast that is all about helping your littles wind down during their bedtime routines!
Goodnight, World! episodes will include a story read by your fave Sesame Street friends, a “sleep journey” led by one of Headspace’s sleepcast readers and a soundtrack of relaxing music and sounds. The first episode launches Jun. 13, followed by 11 episodes launching every Sunday through Aug. 29.
The project was developed by both the organizations and a team of early childhood and meditation experts. Gabriela Arenas, Sesame Workshop’s Vice President of Licensing, North America “Even beyond bedtime and naptime, mindfulness is a powerful tool to help kids calm their bodies and regulate their emotions, skills that set them up for success in school and in life. We’re thrilled to work with Headspace to make the practice accessible to families everywhere!”
Goodnight, World! addresses many of the common bedtime issues families encounter. Kids will hear how Sesame Street sometimes don’t want to get to bed either, but learn how mindfulness strategies and things like belly breathing can help them prepare for dreamland.
Headspace and Sesame Workshop are also bringing their series of animated shorts, Sesame Street Monster Meditation to a bookshop near you! Together with Random House Children’s Books, the six-volume series of board books will bring the characters and themes to print for kids ages two to five.
It’s hard to beat Sesame Street when it comes to classic kid’s entertainment. From Big Bird to Bert and Ernie, these characters are a reliable hit with the smallest members of the household.
Now there’s another way to learn and play, thanks to a partnership with toy companies Little Kids Inc and CreateOn! They’ve launched a number of new products just in time for summer fun.
Sesame Street Splash & Play Water Mat
Little Kids Inc.
The Sesame Street Splash & Play water mat looks perfect for beating the heat. It's designed for ages 18 months and up, with inflatable Elmo characters and a gentle water mist. For tactile play opportunities, the mat includes a push & play water pillow and floating foam characters. You can buy it for $24.99 on Amazon.`
The Monster at the End of This Story Magna-Tiles
CreateOn
Add a Sesame twist to standard Magna-tiles with three new sets! The Monster at the End of This Story set features lovable Grover and a structure set. The interactive toy shows kids Grover has nothing to be afraid of, with help from his friend Elmo. It's available now on Amazon for $39.95, for ages three and up.
Oscar's Garbage Truck Magna-Tiles
CreateOn
Learn eco-friendly tips with The Sesame Street Garbage truck, featuring Oscar and Elmo. Take the truck for a ride and find out ways to help planet earth. Kids can build Oscar's garbage can to put in trash, or set up a conservation scene. It's $49.95 on Amazon for ages three and up.
Hooper's Store Magna-Tiles
CreateOn
Finally, kids can take part in another favorite activity, shopping, with the Hooper's Store set. Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby are ready to shop and there's plenty of food to find in the store. Plus there's a lesson on the food pyramid as they build a shopping cart. This one's also $39.95 on Amazon for ages three and up.
Did your kiddos find themselves reading during the pandemic? A new survey says they’re not alone.
Epic, in partnership with Morning Consult has just released a report on the habits and reading preferences in kids taken from a survey of parents. The report, titled Read All About It: A Report on the State of Kids’ Reading Habits and Interests During the Pandemic, combines the result of the survey on the activities and feelings kids had during the pandemic with date taken from Epic’s data team. What did it find?
photo: iStock
The report found that children of all ages increased their reading, resulting in improvement of their wellbeing. 2020 found that kids read an extra hour each month, read for fun four or more times per week and that they read for 20 minutes each day.
Most importantly, parents reported they felt that 69 percent of kids were happier after they read and close to 75 percent said their children were more creative, curious and willing to try something new.
Kevin Donahue, co-founder of Epic shares “It’s a dream for us to see that the data reflects one of the founding principles of Epic: to inspire curiosity in children and fuel their innate love of learning. Discovering that 82% of parents said their kids were eager to discuss what they read after putting down the book made us proud of what Epic has accomplished; not only in its ability to effectively engage kids in reading, but to spark family conversation and continue the learning beyond the platform.”
What else did the study find?
86 percent of finished books were fiction of the books kids finished in 2020 were fiction
Kids read more Monday through Friday and in June and July
The 10 most popular search terms were animals, friendship, funny, pet, cat, bedtime, strange, monster, family and dog
In the land of kids and monsters, Sleep Monster wouldn’t let anyone sleep a wink. Although Sleep Monster said it was fun not to sleep, he was telling a lie. Kids and monsters alike were tired and cranky, but no one knew what to do.
And so begins the saga of the Sleep Monster who discourages sleep and well-being for everyone around him. Sleep Monster is related to the Worry Monster who appears in the author’s popular book on children’s anxiety. Now the author addresses ways to tame the sleep monster as another important health focus for families.
The Importance of Sleep in Children
Sleep is an essential building block for your child’s mental and physical health. Scientists know that a child who consistently gets a good night’s sleep is more creative, can concentrate longer, can solve problems better, is able to remember new things, has more energy, has a more robust immune system, and can create and maintain good relations with others.
But, according to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, almost half of American children do not get enough sleep. The risk factors for sleep-deprived children are great. Many of these children show signs of increased irritability, stress, forgetfulness, problems learning, low motivation, and high levels of anxiety. Often sleep-deprived children’s behaviors will mimic ADHD leading to incorrect diagnoses and treatment. As if these issues weren’t enough, prolonged sleep deprivation can worsen existing behavior problems and contribute to depression and anxiety.
Physically, kids who do not get enough sleep are at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, smaller stature, weakened immune system, and obesity. According to sleep experts, the link between obesity and weight gain is related. Along with fast food and insufficient exercise, lack of sleep is a factor in weight gain.
How Much Sleep Does Your Child Need?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following guidelines for the amount of sleep needed per day (naps included):
Toddlers: 11-14 hours
Pre-schoolers: 10 -13 hours
Children 6-13 years: 9 -11 hours
Teenagers 14-17 years: 8 -10 hours
What Interferes with a Good Night’s Sleep?
Sleep is a complex, yet imperative biological function. For children, there are many factors that interfere with sleeping well, with one of the biggest problems being screen time. According to the National Sleep Foundation, using electronic devices before bed (especially small screens held close to the face) interferes with the release of melatonin—the hormone that helps us sleep. This is mainly due to the blue light emitted from the screen, which can be the equivalent of drinking a cup of coffee. Parents wouldn’t say, “Why don’t you have a cup of coffee and go to bed.” Yet when screens are allowed in the evening, the effect can be similar.
Other risk factors include living below the poverty line, lack of caregiver information about the importance of sleep, adverse home life, and mental health issues. One of the biggest mental health issues is anxiety—the number one referring problem to mental health providers in the world.
Anxiety is like a constantly dripping faucet. Worrying thoughts come into the brain like water from a leaky faucet and it seems impossible to stop them. Soon the thoughts get to a very high level and will cause real damage if not controlled. The anxious dripping thoughts are often worse at night. The anxious child lays awake in bed, unable to shut off the worries and unable to sleep. Then he worries that he is not sleeping. It is a vicious cycle. The book, Shrinking the Worry Monster, A Kid’s Guide for Saying Goodbye to Worries, addresses the topic of kids’ anxiety and offers many concrete solutions to lower worry.
Ways to Tame the Sleep Monster
It is important to carry out good sleep hygiene, which refers to healthy sleep habits. The behaviors and choices your child makes during the day and especially at night affect how well he or she sleeps. Seattle Children’s offers an excellent handout on tips to help children sleep well. Some of their tips plus other ideas are described below.
1. Keep consistent bedtimes and wake times every day of the week. Changing times on the weekend can throw a sleep schedule off.
2. Keep your child’s bedroom cool, quiet, and comfortable. Make sure the mattress and pillow are of good quality.
3. Keep your child’s bed for sleeping only. Discourage the use of electronic devices or reading in bed, so the bed won’t become associated with wakefulness.
4. Limit electronic devices and anything with high stimulation to within an hour of bedtime.
5. Bedtime should include a predictable sequence of events like bath, brush teeth, quiet talk, story, and lights out.
6. Relaxation techniques have become more popular and effective. Try deep, slow abdominal breathing or remembering positive scenes from past events. There are a number of apps that offer mediation for children’s sleep.
7. Turn the clock away from view. Clock watching at night only increases anxiety about not sleeping.
8. Physical exercise and being outside are important every day, but don’t exercise within 2 hours of sleep time.
9. Security objects at bedtime can be helpful.
10. Limit caffeine and soda after 2 p.m. Caffeine can fragment sleep.
11. Worry time should not be at bedtime. There are a number of wonderful techniques for handling worries in children. In addition to the author’s book, her blogs include articles on how to build a Worry Box and how to use Worry Time. Do not let anxiety interfere with your child’s sleep. Anxiety is controllable.
Good sleep is essential for all kids (and adults). It’s imperative to discuss why sleep is important, how sleep deprivation hurts kids, sleep requirements, and offers concrete tips on ways to tame the sleep monster. Just like the Worry Monster, the Sleep Monster can be managed. Hopefully, the end of our story could be—In the land of kids and monsters, everyone sleeps well.
I am a child psychologist who specializes in children's anxiety. I just published a top seller children's book titled Shrinking the Worry Monster, A Kid's Guide for Saying Goodbye to Worries. I love sharing ideas about decreasing worry in children, especially now. I also love to hike and bike in beautiful Pacific NW.
Disney and Pixar recently released the trailer for the new soon-to-be summer blockbuster Luca! Like other top feature flicks of 2020/2021, you don’t need to head out to the movie theater to catch the animated awesomeness—because this new film will stream exclusively on Disney+.
Luca may look like an average boy. Even though he has two legs, two arms and all the other aesthetics of a human, he’s really a sea monster from another world that lies just below the surface of the ocean.
This coming-of-age tale features the voices of Jacob Tremblay as Luca Paguro, Jack Dylan Grazer as Alberto Scorfano, Emma Berman as Giulia Marcovaldo, Saverio Raimondo as town bully Ercole Visconti, Maya Rudolph as Luca’s mom Daniela, Marco Barricelli as Giulia’s dad Massimo, Jim Gaffigan as Luca’s dad Lorenzo, Sandy Martin as Luca’s grandma and Giacomo Gianniotti as a local fisherman.
Look for Luca and the Italian seaside adventure starting Jun. 18, 2021 on Disney+ and watch the trailer right now!
The weather is getting warmer and you’re looking for super-fun outdoor fam ideas! Don’t worry if the local pool is closed or you can’t get reservations at your fave water park.
This year it’s all about the backyard—and Target’s 25-foot-long water slide. The WOW Watersports Mega Slide has everything your kiddos need this summer and more.
photo: Target
With 25 feet of sliding fun, this monster backyard creation is like having a water park at home. The slide features a zig-zagged shaped sprinkler system, making sure every inch of the area is sufficiently soaked. As if that’s not enough, you can link up multiple slides using a customized connection at the ends of the sidewall pontoons.
Find this family fun-time adventure option online at Target.com for $241.99.
Adidas and Disney recently teamed up for a sweet sneaker theme that’s magnificently monstrous—and more!
The athletic apparel’s Disney x Stan Smith collection now features your kiddo’s fave Monsters Inc. character. Along with kid-sized kicks featuring the lovable monster Mike Wazowski, the Disney-fueled Adidas lines also includes plenty of popular picks such as Tinkerbell, Minnie Mouse, and Toy Story.
Photo: Adidas
The Monsters Inc. infant and toddler sneakers ($55) are more than just cute footwear. These Stan Smith shoes are made with Primegreen, high-performance recycled materials. The synthetic upper portion of the shoe is made with 50 percent recycled content.
Find the Mike-covered Stan Smith sneakers and plenty of other Disney picks on adidas.com. Along with these classic characters, check out the other Adidas lines, featuring Marvel and Star Wars family-friendly favorites!
I don’t know where normal worry begins or ends because the anxiety takes of over like an uncontrollable monster that steals every ounce of rational thought.
All parents worry and parents with special needs children, or medically complex children even more so.
Our children are so vulnerable and that makes us vulnerable too.
I worry about what will happen to my daughter if I die. If anyone will love her, understand her, and connect with her the way I do.
I know she will be cared for and I know she will be loved but she needs so much more.
I worry about her getting sick or hurt as she is unable to communicate this with us. When she is sick I have to fight the panic that can consume me.
I worry about someone mistreating her or worse—how will I know?
The worry can eat away at you.
I wonder why this happened to her and what she would be like if she wasn’t affected by this.
Would she be as happy, as sweet and lovable? Would she bring light and joy to everyone the way she does now?
I wonder why I was blessed with this beautiful soul to take care of, this sweet and sassy, smart and silly girl, who is full of innocence and love.
I wonder what kind of person I would be without her.
I wonder what she thinks, how she feels, what it’s like to be her—is she truly happy?
I wonder if she knows how much I love her, deep in my soul, a connection like no other.
I wonder if she knows how proud I am for every single accomplishment, no matter how small because I know how much work it is for her and how hard she had to dig for them. That my heart could burst with every new word that I thought I would never hear, every hug or kiss that I didn’t think I would ever receive.
I wonder if she knows I would take all her struggles, confusion, and pain as my own and carry them for her if I could.
I wonder what she will surprise me with next because she never ceases to amaze me. The worry as a special needs mom, a mom in general, and for me as a person will never stop. I have learned however to find happiness and peace in the here and now. To find the humor in every situation and to appreciate the beauty this life has bought me.
Kim McIsaac , is a blogger at autism adventures with Alyssa . She resides in Massachusetts with her husband and four children . She advocates and passionate about spreading autism awareness and educating and inspiring others . She likes to write , spend time with her family and loves the beach .
