This New Candy Department Store is Like a Willy Wonka Dream Come True

by Shahrzad WarkentinAugust 20, 2019

The world’s first candy department store is opening in New Jersey and get ready for a major sugar rush.

IT’SUGAR, the first department store dedicated entirely to candy, will have it’s home in the American Dream Mall in New Jersey, which is set to open this October. IT’SUGAR already has more than 100 locations across the country, but with three levels and 22,000 square feet this will be the largest location by far, leaving you feeling as if you’ve walked into Willy Wonka’s factory.

@ITSUGAR to open 3-story #candy store in New Jersey https://t.co/Ag1JOitcvD pic.twitter.com/zwUKORLsuJ

— Candy Industry (@CandyIndustry) August 14, 2019

According to ChainStoreAge, IT’SUGAR will feature every candy you love plus so many more you’ve never even heard of. With that much space, over 10,000 choices of every variety from chocolates and truffles to gummies and lollipops will line the store shelves. Greeting guests at the front door will be a massive 60-foot-tall Statue of Liberty made entirely of candy.

“This concept has been a dream of mine for over 25 years and our IT’SUGAR team is thrilled to partner with American Dream to finally make it a reality,” said Jeff Rubin, founder and CEO, IT’SUGAR. “There is nowhere else like American Dream and we look forward to immersing the property’s millions of guests into the world of IT’SUGAR.”

No word yet on when the candy department store will officially open, but it will be located next to the DreamWorks Water Park entrance and near Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park and the property’s NHL-size ice rink.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: IT’SUGAR via Instagram

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Roku Channel Debuts a Kids & Family Section, But There’s a Catch

by Shahrzad WarkentinAugust 19, 2019

Free-streaming service The Roku Channel has just expanded its popular platform to include kids and family-friendly content, but you’ll have to sit through ads.

The Roku Channel is one of the most popular streaming services thanks to the fact that it doesn’t cost viewers a dime to watch shows. Instead, like broadcast television you have to sit through a handful of ads to enjoy free programming.

photo: Courtesy of Roku

Now Roku has added new offerings with the addition of a section called Kids & Family. Roku is also rolling out Parental Control features for The Roku Channel giving parents tools to control what kids have access to on the platform.

The new category includes over 7,000 movies and episodes from more than 20 partners including All Spark, A Hasbro Company, Mattel, Nelvana and Happy Kids TV, with shows and characters like Bob the Builder, Care Bears, Leapfrog, Little Baby Bum, Super Mario Bros., My Little Pony and Thomas & Friends.

Like the rest of The Roku Channel, young viewers will need to sit through ads to watch. However, the platform promises that compared to network television, the ads will be fewer and they will only be age-appropriate. The Kids & Family category isn’t on a separate app and can be accessed from the main landing page.

Subscribers who use The Roku Channel to access paid premium content, like Nickelodeon and HBO will be able to see the kids content offered by those providers under the Kids & Family section. The new category is available as of now on Roku Streamers and Roku TVs, but for the moment it will not be available via the digital app, which means it can’t be viewed on smartphones or tablets.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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Nickelodeon Slime Is Headed Into Outer Space for Science

by Shahrzad WarkentinJuly 29, 2019

The SpaceX Dragon capsule successfully took off from Cape Canaveral this week with a massive load of supplies headed for the International Space Station. Among the scientific instruments, food and other important supplies for the astronauts, the 5,500 pound load also contained Nickelodeon Slime.

That’s right, the same neon green slime that has been splashing kids and celebs for years is headed to outer space for educational purposes. Scientists aboard the ISS will be conducting experiments to see how Double Dare’s famous green goo performs in microgravity, but the real purpose of the special slime promotion is to get kids excited about STEM research and education.

We're sending slime where it's never gone before, to the International Space Station! But first… 🚀 @ISS_CASIS pic.twitter.com/Ya7uNPwbGV

— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) July 19, 2019

“We’re going to slime a couple of astronauts and put it through a couple demonstrations,” said Andrew Machles, a vice president of public affairs at Viacom, which owns Nickelodeon.

In addition to the Nickelodeon slime, the supply load also contained an Adidas soccer ball. “Observing and measuring the motion of soccer balls in microgravity improves understanding of the general behavior of free-flying objects,” NASA explained. “This could contribute to better design and use of free-flying objects such as small robots in spacecraft.”

Sounds like the six astronauts aboard the ISS will be having a pretty fun time for the next few weeks!

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Nickelodeon via Twitter

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You Can Now Watch “Dora the Explorer” 24/7 On This Free Streaming Service

by Shahrzad WarkentinJuly 22, 2019

The new live-action Dora and the Lost City of Gold film hits theaters later this summer, but if your pint-sized fans prefer the original or you just want to get your kids caught up on the show before the movie, you can now stream the entire Dora the Explorer series for free on Pluto TV.

The free streaming service platform Pluto TV has just launched a pop-up Dora TV channel. Every episode of the long-running preschool series will be available to watch 24/7. It’s been almost 20 years since the groundbreaking show debuted on Nickelodeon, forever changing the style and content of preschool programming and introducing generations of kids to the benefits of being bilingual.

photo: Courtesy of Pluto TV

If you’re unfamiliar with Pluto TV, it’s a free streaming platform which is part of Viacom, featuring over 150 channels of programming as well as thousands of on-demand movies. The line-up includes other Nickelodeon and NickJr. series, like SpongeBob Squarepants and Teletubbies, as well as classic cartoons and family films.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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These Kids Taking on the Bottle Cap Challenge Will Blow You Away

by Shahrzad WarkentinJuly 12, 2019

If you haven’t heard of the bottle cap challenge yet, then you might be living under a social media rock. But just in case, #bottlecapchallenge, which brings up millions of videos on Twitter and Instagram is a very straight forward viral internet challenge that has people trying to remove the cap from the top of a bottle using nothing more than a Karate Kid-style, roundhouse kick.

It’s not just adults getting in on this viral challenge, however. There are plenty of kids with some awesome bottle cap moves of their own and we’ve rounded up a few of the best.

Little Cyclist

Hi everyone, I have seen loads of people doing the #bottlecapchallange so I thought I would give it a go for Roller Trick Tuesday….. stay awesome everyone….. Ruby X pic.twitter.com/5BdLc8ubyc

— Ruby Isaac (@RubyWIsaac) July 9, 2019

Slow-Mo

https://twitter.com/mr__bsf/status/1147169974781272065?s=21

Take Two

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzym94TnNmQ/?igshid=jj0n7z5ykjet

Soccer Style

light switch-up of the #bottlecapchallenge 👟😬#sctop10 pic.twitter.com/3NaPZXgzjn

— Korbin Jackson (@korbin_jackson) July 2, 2019

Taekwondo-init

My lad doing the #bottlecapchallange 🥋💪👊@UKTCtaekwondo pic.twitter.com/y0EWJmWrp5

— I am Barticus (@muckerbro) July 3, 2019

Spongebob Style

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A post shared by Nickelodeon (@nickelodeonla)

In the Womb

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A post shared by Quem (@quem)

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Fotoblend via Pixabay

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Welcome to Good Burger: The Pop-Up!

by Shahrzad WarkentinJune 13, 2019

If you ever dreamed of hearing the words, “Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger, can I take your order?” in person, your wish is about to be granted. A Good Burger pop-up is happening and here’s how you can finally bite into your very own Good Burger.

Nickelodeon has just revealed plans to open a Good Burger pop-up in Los Angeles, California. The restaurant will be a recreation of the same burger joint featured in the popular sketch Good Burger on Nickelodeon’s long-running kid answer to SNL, All That. The pop-up is celebrating the the return of All That, which premieres on Nickelodeon Jun. 15.

Coming on the heels of the recent Saved By the Bell-themed pop-up, the Good Burger pop-up will be serving up patrons real-life versions of the fictional Good Burgers, Good Shakes and Good Chunks.

The temporary eatery will open on Jul. 10 in West Hollywood. Reservations for the experience, which will include photo-ops, merchandise for sale and the “special sauce,” will begin Jun. 17 at 10 a.m. here.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Nickelodeon via YouTube

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This New SpongeBob Spin-Off Show Is Perfect for Summer Campers

by Shahrzad WarkentinJune 12, 2019

It can be hard to imagine that SpongeBob was ever anymore childlike than he already is, but now fans can get a look at what their favorite square, yellow sponge was like as a 10-year-old. Nickelodeon has just announced a new SpongeBob spin-off Kamp Koral.

According to Variety, new SpongeBob series will follow the adventures of a young SpongeBob and a Patrick as they attend summer sleepaway camp “building underwater campfires, catching wild jellyfish, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck at the craziest camp in the kelp forest.”

10-Year-Old Spongebob Will Star In CG Spinoff Series ‘Kamp Koral’: The new series raises questions about how the network will use the characters following the death of show creator Stephen Hillenburg. https://t.co/vRWh9z3fGx

— cartoonbrew.com – Animation News (@cartoonbrew) June 6, 2019

“SpongeBob has an incredible universe to expand upon and the greenlight for Kamp Koral is a testament to the strength and longevity of these characters known and loved by generations of fans around the world,” said Ramsey Naito, EVP of animation production and development at Nickelodeon.

No word yet on when the new show will air, but it’s scheduled to start production at the studio this month.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Nickelodeon via YouTube

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Nickelodeon Is Relaunching “Are You Afraid of the Dark.” Are You Spooked Yet?

by Shahrzad WarkentinJune 10, 2019

If you spent many childhood nights wide-eyed after watching Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark?, you’ll be excited to learn the show is making a comeback.

Nickelodeon has just announced an Are You Afraid of the Dark? reboot. The new show will be a limited series of three one-hour episodes, sure to be as terrifyingly exciting as the original. The new Midnight Society kids will share the tale about the Carnival of Doom, which will of course come to life.

‘Are You Afraid Of The Dark?’: Nickelodeon Sets Cast For Limited Series Revival https://t.co/YpCHt0zhBA pic.twitter.com/f8IkgP7qXK

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 10, 2019

The series will feature a sprawling cast of young stars including Gavin Sam Ashe Arnold (Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever.), Miya Cech (Rim of the World), Tamara Smart (Artemis Fowl, The Worst Witch), Jeremy Taylor (It, Goosebumps 2:Haunted Halloween) and Lyliana Wray (Top Gun: Maverick, Black-ish).

The series is set to premiere on Nickelodeon in October. This was originally when Paramount planned to release the Are You Afraid of the Dark? movie in theaters, but the new premiere date is currently up in the air.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Nickelodeon via YouTube

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“Baby Shark” Is Coming to Nickelodeon As an Animated Series

by Erica LoopJune 5, 2019

The ear worm you wish you never heard is about to get stuck in your head all over again. The now-infamous “Baby Shark” song is going from a YouTube tune to the TV screen, and your kiddo is about to go wild!

Nickelodeon recently announced the addition of a new “Baby Shark” themed show to its already awesome lineup of programming for preschoolers. In a partnership with the company behind Pinkfong (the creators of “Baby Shark”), SmartStudy, Nick has plans to turn the song/video into a full-on animated series.

photo: Pinkfong via YouTube

Pam Kaufman, President, Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products, said in a press release, “Baby Shark is a multiplatform phenomenon, and appetite for more content and products is strong around the world.” Kaufman also added, “Our outstanding creative teams are moving fast to get more Baby Shark product across multiple categories to retailers, and our content team is excited to develop a terrific original animated series that will bring this property to new heights and even more fans.”

So what can you expect from Nick’s new show? Ramsey Naito, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Animation, said, “At the heart of any popular piece of content is a terrific character, and we have a great opportunity to further explore the world of Baby Shark and follow this family through some great animated adventures on Nickelodeon.”

As of now, there’s no concrete info on when the show will air on Nickelodeon’s networks.

—Erica Loop

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When Will the All-New “Blue’s Clues” Debut on Nickelodeon?

by Erica LoopMay 29, 2019

Decades after its 1996 debut, Blue’s Clues is back with a new name and a new host! Forget about the nostalgia factor, Blue’s Clues and You will entertain and educate your littles in a totally new way.

So what can your preschooler expect from Nickelodeon’s new show? In a world of so-so reboots, Blue’s newest adventures stand out with new CG-animation and so much more.

Along with the new name, Blue’s Clues and You comes with a host who (according to the show’s backstory) is former faves Steve and Joe’s cousin. Josh, who is played by Broadway actor Joshua Dela Cruz, brings the world of the playful pup to an entirely new audience.

Even though the look, the host, the name and the animation are different, fans of the Nick staple may notice some similarities between the various versions of Blue’s Clues. Look for beloved characters such as Tickety Tock, Slippery Soap, Shovel, Pail, Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, Cinnamon, Paprika, Magenta, Sidetable Drawer, Mailbox and the original Thinking Chair. Your preschooler will also meet an updated Handy Dandy Notebook and Josh’s new Handy Dandy Guitar.

Blue’s Clues and You debuts on Nick Jr. next November!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Nick Jr. via YouTube

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