Enjoy story time at home. Build-A-Bear Radio today announced a story time program featuring a few HarperCollins Children’s Books authors. Grab your little one’s favorite furry friend and tune in for some new adventures.
New York Times Bestselling Margaret Peterson Haddix, Soman Chainani, and more children’s authors will be reading excerpts from their biggest releases all summer long exclusively on Build-A-Bear Radio.
Build-A-Bear Radio is available to stream for free through iHeart Radio and iHeart Radio Family apps and enabled devices with Story Time airing weekdays at 2 p.m. CT/12 p.m. PT beginning Jul. 20. New authors and books will be featured each week.
Visit www.buildabear.com/radio to download a free reading list to follow along all and track your progress.
In the 90s virtual pets were all the rage. We could never imagine how these types of toys would foreshadow our future in the digital age. Now GigaPets is making a comeback in a big way.
This summer, GigaPets is proud to announce three new releases: GigaPetsAR, GigaPets Trolls and GigaPets Pixie. These new styles include all the features from their 90’s predecessors with tons of fun and exciting upgrades like augmented reality, more advanced game play and evolutions and fun additions to the housings like wings, limbs and hair.
Choose between a Puppy, Unicorn, or a T-Rex. Experience full pet responsibilities including feeding, putting it to sleep, cleaning and bathing, taking it to the doctor, teaching it tricks, and discipline. Includes retro themed tinted transparent shells, better graphics and game play than in the 90’s, upgraded hardware, and an extended battery life.
The free augmented reality app lets you experience your pet in 3D augmented reality. Complete activities on your GigaPets device to unlock screens which can be scanned to reveal special animations on your phone.The app also includes all the classic GigaPets features like feeding, cleaning, playing games and more so that you get two games for the price of one.
Go on fun adventures with your new virtual friend, but whatever you do, try and avoid the barber. Every day the Troll’s hair will grow longer, but if you neglect it, those crazy locks will be cut and you will drop back down to day one. Don’t worry though your friend will always bounce back because Trolls never die.
Two of the games (avoid the barber and jump the hurdles) can be accessed at any time. Keep your Troll happy and healthy to unlock 3 additional games (skateboarding, surfing, and mountain climbing) which get harder as you progress. Each device also comes with a set of possible limbs to help them stand up on their own and a full set of hair for added play value.
GigaPets Pixie
This is the most advanced GigaPets ever with 8 different evolutions to experience. In this game magic and the choices you make help determine your outcome. Additionally, each Pixie also includes a set of rubber wings and antenna for a more tactile experience.
Choose from 4 different games that get harder as you progress. Collect elements such as clovers dew, seeds and fireflies by successfully casting spells and playing games. Use those elements to brew potions which will help your Pixie grow and determine their evolution path.
GigaPets will be available on Amazon and launching Summer 2020 at Target Stores nationwide.
Potterheads have a new way to connect with their fandom. A trailer for Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells, a new Harry Potter mobile game by Zynga Inc. and Portkey Games (from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment), has been released. A new website for the game has also been launched allowing those anticipating the game’s release to sign up for updates.
The trailer visits many familiar locales from the Harry Potter series including Diagon Alley, Platform Nine and Three Quarters and the Hogwarts Express. The website promises that many notable characters will appear in the game as players progress through levels.
The game will feature match-3 style puzzles and daily event challenges needed to level up the customizable in-game characters. Players will be able to unlock and upgrade spells in the game by removing hazards and obstacles within the game. Players will gain collectible cards after each puzzle that is solved, with a magical creature earned once collections are complete, to assist players with solving puzzles.
The game will also feature spell upgrades themed around lessons at Hogwarts, such as Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts and more. Players will be able to team up, join clubs take part in exclusive club events and share Hogwarts house pride.
A worldwide release date has not been announced yet. Updates are available on Zynga’s social media platforms and the official Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells website.
Extended school closures means most, if not all, kids will not return to the classroom until the fall. To continue to support literacy during the coming months Scholastic has launched Scholastic Read-a-Palooza. This free program is designed to increase book access and ensure engaging experiences to keep kids reading this summer.
“With the unprecedented closing of U.S. schools, for many through to summer break, supporting literacy at home has never been more important. We know the power of reading and access to books is irreplaceable, and a critical component of combating the summer slide under normal circumstances. With the prospect of a greater slide due to the impact of COVID-19 and a nation of families and educators feeling emotional exhaustion, Scholastic is more dedicated than ever to partner together in inspiring and illuminating joyful, purposeful student learning. Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza can serve as a an easy-to-use, engaging bridge for kids to connect with books, both digitally and through book donations this summer, in partnership with United Way Worldwide,” said Pam Allyn, SVP, Innovation & Development, Scholastic.
Starting Monday, May 4, kids can join the Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza in the newly created summer zone on Scholastic Home Base, a free and safe digital destination, where they will be encouraged to explore free resources, read select ebooks, engage with fellow readers and favorite authors, and keep Reading Streaks, which also help unlock a donation of 100,000 print books from Scholastic, distributed by United Way Worldwide.
“United Way is proud to partner with Scholastic once again for a dynamic summer program that will encourage children everywhere to develop strong reading skills while improving the quality of learning environments in communities everywhere,” said Suzanne McCormick, U.S. President, United Way Worldwide. “United Way is dedicated to building more resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities and we believe it’s critical all children, especially during this era of distance learning, have the ability to develop essential literacy skills through access to quality books.”
Every child with a free Home Base account can create an avatar and experience the Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza by:
Reading free digital books. Exclusive to the summer zone, kids will have access to select full ebooks in their entirety.
Unlocking book donations for home libraries: For every two consecutive days a child checks into the zone they will create a Reading Streak which will unlock a new free print book for a child with limited or no access to books. Reading Streaks are earned when kids check in to the Read-a-Palooza zone to confirm they have read that day. With the goal of unlocking all 100,000 books by July, United Way Worldwide, the world’s largest privately funded nonprofit, will distribute the books across the country to locations where access to more high-quality books is needed most.
Sharing reading progress. Kids will be able to create and print individualized reading reports summarizing their reading progress. These easy-to-download and printable reports can be shared with teachers or parents to show reading accomplishments.
Earning personal reading milestones. Kids will be able to earn accolades ranging from bronze, silver, gold and diamond levels for their reading streak progress while collecting summer-specific accessories to dress up their avatar.
Joining a community of readers. The summer zone offers kids a safe social platform to interact with friends and make new companions along the way. Through this summer reading community kids will share and discover the joy of stories and help provide books to their peers with limited or no access.
To learn more about Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza and access free summer reading resources, visit: http://www.scholastic.com/summer.
The stretch of winter between Christmas and spring break is traditionally a challenging time in the classroom. It’s a long time without a day off, all the kids have runny noses, invariably get three different colds, and are typically classroom-bound, longing for the sunshine that spring brings.
Is there a way to make that time go faster and be more productive? I wonder if setting some goals would help keep students focused and motivated? I’m not talking about the New Year’s resolutions kind of goal setting where you write aspirations down and then promptly lose the paper. I’m talking about achievement-oriented, meaningful, hard-to-accomplish individual and classroom goals.
Goal setting is an important skill for kids to have. If they are actually motivated by a goal, that internal self-commitment is a key element in self-regulation, giving them real-world practice at monitoring, controlling, and changing their own behaviors. Over time, the satisfaction of meeting a goal can become, all by itself, a reinforcer (Ever make a list after you do stuff, just so you can check things off it?).
It has a huge effect on performance. The simple act of setting an ambitious goal makes you achieve more. In fact, the harder the goal, the higher the achievement is. Assuming you have the desire and the skills to achieve it, of course.
We also know that the more specific your goal is, the more you regulate your own behavior. This makes perfect sense—if you want to go from a C-average to a B-average on your English homework, there are many different ways you could do that. But if your goal is to turn in 90% of your English homework without any grammatical or spelling errors, that’s a much different task.
Imagine the effect a handful of goals could have not only on student progress but also on classroom management.
If I were launching classroom and student goals as a get-us-through-the-winter goal program, here’s what I would do. I’d start by talking about goals with my class. Do we want to achieve something as a group? What things are important for us to work on as individuals? And I’d make sure that I had a handful of teacher-centric goals for myself ready to go. Something like grading quickly, or being on time, or whatever the kids might recognize as something I could improve on.
We’d also have to discuss how to measure. No vague goals for us. If we’re going to try and accomplish something, we need to be able to measure it frequently. As a student, just knowing where you stand can improve achievement up to 43%.
Next comes reinforcers. They can’t be too far away in time—no end of the semester stuff, or even the end of the week. What do the kids want to earn (besides the joy of completing the task, of course)? Five minutes of free time? Praise? A sticker? With kids, external motivators come first. I’d also want to make sure we have some big reinforcers in there because we’re going to use the small ones as stepping stones to some bigger ones.
Now that we have goals and some external rewards, we’ll set up a process. There are a few specific things we can do to make success more likely. First, we’re going to write our goals down. Studies show that can improve your odds by 33%. Next, we’re going to figure out how to achieve them, step by step. And we’re going to write that down, too. Something like, “During the next week, I will [engage in target behavior] on [day] at [time] in/at [place].”
Finally, we’re going to figure out how to get some reinforcement as close to the target behavior as possible. Meeting a goal almost inevitably means changing a habitual behavior, and the best way to do that is to have immediate positive results. This goes for adults, too. For example, if you have a personal goal of exercising 20 minutes three times per week, it’s far less likely you’ll maintain that behavior if you’re waiting for the scale to change as your reinforcement. If you can figure out how to give yourself a little treat right away, you’ll be much more likely to carry on. Tie the behavior to something else. Love competitive cooking shows? Decide you can only watch them on the treadmill.
Once you get started, you benefit from the actual experience of working toward the goal. Predicting our own achievement, looking at our data, talking about our progress, putting in the effort, and deliberately practicing are all classroom strategies that can double or triple student progress. I can imagine that this process, focusing on specific goals and celebrating successes, could keep us engaged and provide opportunities to build skills that aren’t explicitly part of our goals. It might even distract me from all the runny noses.
Today, girls feel the pressures to be pretty, popular, and talented. They are striving to fit in, keep up, and be all things to all people. Yet, girls are more stressed and anxious than ever before and consistently report feeling “not good enough.”
As girls grow up, they change from strong, secure, and gutsy little girls to uncertain, afraid, and worried teen girls who hold back their voice, their opinion, and their adventurous spirits. They lose their true self and begin curating the “ideal” self—one who is helpful, amenable, and accomplished. Her “perfect” self, whether on her social media feeds or in real-time, strives for perfection at all costs. Essentially, girls become “super girls”.
Yet, as much as they are accomplishing, they may also be struggling with “Super Girl Syndrome” —stressed out, exhausted, and empty. You may be noticing the signs: girls who are taking on more roles and responsibilities, putting in extra time on assignments for the perfect grades, staying up late, and saying, “Yes” to every opportunity and every invitation that comes her way.
Girls have endless possibilities and infinite choices. The world tells her: “Be anything” she hears: “Be everything.” Girls know the “girl power” movement is on the rise and they have some pretty big shoes to fill (think Ariana Grande, Malala Yousafsai, Emma Watson, and Greta Thunberg). They may not know that the push for more is taking its toll on their mental health. As her “to-do list” grows longer, you may wonder how to help support your daughter.
My work with girls has taught me, they want and they need our help. Here are 4 superpower options for you to teach her:
Superpower 1: Help her to be self-compassionate. Since supergirls push themselves beyond their own boundaries, they are going to need to learn how to be kind, with their words and their actions. This could mean, using gentle self-talk such as, “I am so proud of myself today” or “I need a moment to consider how I feel I did” or showing herself some latitude when things don’t go her way. At the same time, girls need to practice self-care and give themselves permission to relax. This could mean time to journal, a bubble bath, a funny sitcom or Netflix, or preparing her favorite meal. Being hard on themselves and harsh with their words and actions doesn’t help them to achieve any more and leaves them feeling bad. Kindness and self-compassion, meeting themselves in a moment, is the anecdote for any possibility of self-punishment.
Superpower 2: Suggest she chooses progress over perfection. Girls aim for “perfect” —a non-existent entity they have come to equate with happiness. They strive for an impossibly high standard and when they don’t meet these unrealistic demands, they can feel deflated, and promise themselves one thing: to try harder and to push for more. When I work with perfectionists, I always affirm their hustle. Simultaneously, I deconstruct perfectionism, explaining there is no such thing and they will never get there. Then, I shift their focus to progress, asking her to take a moment to look back at how far she’s come, how she got here (discipline, hard work, commitment, and time), and ask her not to compare her journey with anyone else’s. When she can see her progress, I ask her what is required for her to keep going (more time, support, motivation, and learning). Letting go of perfection can mean, she can enjoy the ride of progress, as well as making mistakes, or being mediocre or average, albeit temporarily. She can be her worth, not try to prove her worth.
Superpower 3: Encourage her to practice bravery. Many girls play it safe and girls are afraid to be brave. They don’t want to risk a reputation or any expectations. They don’t want to step out of a comfort zone and be uncomfortable or uncertain. Often girls feel they are not ready and as though they aren’t enough. Yet, taking risks and showing bravery is the very skill girls need to practice to grow. When girls are brave—either they take a chance, make a new choice, decide to change, or challenge themselves, being uncomfortable is inevitable. On the other side of discomfort is courage. The more brave girls can be—raising their hands in the classroom, setting a boundary, making new friends, or trying out new activities, the more likely they are to learn that they can do it, even if they are afraid. And, it feels pretty good.
Superpower 4: Remind her to play and have fun. Supergirls are focused and don’t have a lot of free time. This may sound counterintuitive but this is exactly why they need to play. They are so busy and often so stressed, suggesting having fun to them is laughable. All the while, downtime is necessary as is getting her to take a phone break. It is through play, being messy, and feeling wild and carefree, they can unburden and de-stress themselves. Moreover, play is an opportunity to take on some necessary “r’s”, namely: rest, release, restoration, and rejuvenation. Supergirls have the energy and drive to keep going. They will argue they don’t need breaks. Yet, they do. Try to convince her that it is through creative play, they may have new ideas, fresh perspectives, and renewed energy to keep going. Even supergirls need to recharge.
Supergirls are productive and work hard. They are driven, ambitious, responsible and respectable thought leaders. They are our future. As they push to achieve and accomplish, to reach their goals and to make their mark, they are going to need our help to explore the superpower alternatives so they can find a better balance and most importantly, their true identity.
For more resources to support your supergirl, check out: Growing Strong Girls: Practical Tools to Cultivate Connection in the Preteen Years andRooted, Resilient, and Ready now available on Amazon and Audible. She is also the founder and CEO of Bold New Girls, a website dedicated to “Empowering girls to feel happy, healthy, confident, & inspired through the integration of learning & social/emotional development.”
I am a girl advocate and girls champion; the founder of Bold New Girls, teaching and coaching for girls and their parents. As well, I am the author Growing Strong Girls and Rooted, Resilient, and Ready (available on Amazon and Audible). I am an international speaker and an instructor with Udemy.
We sat down with Raquel Nieves, MD, of Stanford Children’s Health and Bayside Medical Group to talk about special needs children in her practice, including those with Down syndrome. As a medical professional and mom to a special-needs child, Dr. Nieves has a unique perspective. Read on to hear her take on what to look for in a pediatrician, how her daughter has informed her practice and what parents of special needs kids can do to best advocate for their children.
From your experience, what different skills might a parent look for when choosing a pediatrician for his or her child with special needs?
Dr. Nieves: Essentially, a pediatrician who’s willing to listen, who’s open minded and who has an attitude to serve others. In addition, you need to find a doctor that fits your personality since this will hopefully be a long-term relationship. The doctor also should be knowledgeable about children with special needs or, more importantly, be willing to learn from others who are more experienced.
I know that you have a personal interest in special needs children. Can you tell us a little bit about your daughter Anna and her special needs?
Dr. Nieves: We knew when I was 14 weeks pregnant that she was going to have Down syndrome. The whole first year for me was a big blur since she had three surgeries and five hospitalizations all within the first year of life. I felt like I was living in the hospital, and it was a rough time because I also had two others to care for, her older sister and brother. Now, (at age 4), Anna continues to have multiple appointments and therapies that we manage five times a week to include speech, occupational and physical therapies. Additionally, she participates in extracurricular activities that build her core strength and balance such as swimming and horseback riding. It all keeps me very busy, however, seeing her progress brings me such joy and that is what keeps me motivated.
How do you feel raising Anna has changed how you practice medicine?
Dr. Nieves: It has definitely made me more patient in general and much more compassionate toward families with children with special needs. Now that I’ve been on the patient end of things, I feel like I can truly relate to parents. I can understand the frustrations. I want to know what each individual parent or caregiver is dealing with in regards to their special needs child. Being in the unique position of understanding the medical side as well, I look for opportunities to identify the barriers that our families face and try to fix them with the goal of making our medical system better equipped to help our families.
What lessons have you learned as a physician raising a child with special needs?
Dr. Nieves: What we say as doctors truly matters. Parents are listening and we need to be very careful with our communication. The other lesson that I learned is that the parent of a child with special needs should be an advocate for his or her child. As long as you advocate in a respectful manner, then everyone benefits and this is because the doctors who are delivering the care also care about your child. Ultimately, we all have the same goal in mind as the caregivers: to do what’s in the best interest of our children.
What has Anna taught the rest of the family?
Dr. Nieves: Anna has taught our family so many lessons, to include love and compassion for all. Her friendly demeanor wherever we go spreads cheer and joy to all who are around her. She has taught our family about compassion in a way that is beyond learning it in a book. You can say, “be kind to people,” but it’s different when you have to live it day in and day out. My children, whether they wanted to or not, had to learn to give and sacrifice for another. They had to learn early on that life is not just about them, but about loving, helping, and serving others. They learn so much from Anna and they, too, teach so much to Anna.
How can parents advocate for their child with special needs, especially when it comes to health care?
Dr. Nieves: The best way to advocate is to speak up. If something bothers you, speak up about it. You are your child’s voice. Another thing that I feel very passionate about is to advocate for your child, not only in the medical setting, but in every setting, especially in an educational setting as well. I am a strong advocate for inclusion in schools. Done correctly, everyone, including the children without special needs, benefits with more cooperation, better behaviors, a sense of purpose, and higher test scores. I really feel that this is what humanity is all about. A final thought: we need to be expecting a lot out of our children, no matter what the disability is and no matter how severe. It doesn’t matter what IQ or what special needs a child has, all children have the ability to learn and progress, and it is our job as caregivers and medical providers to try to move them forward one step at a time.
Raquel Nieves, MD, is a board certified pediatrician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University and received her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Travis Air Force Base, and served our United States Air Force for eight years. In addition to her general pediatrics practice in the military, Dr. Nieves was the Medical Director at Dover Air Force Base as well as a certified allergy extender. She is fluent in Japanese and speaks basic Spanish. She holds a special interest in caring for children with Down syndrome. She is married with three children. Her goal is to deliver the highest quality care to children in the most compassionate way.
Due to social distancing guidelines you can’t bring your kids to participate in an escape room. That doesn’t mean they can’t experience one virtually. The Escape Game Field Trips are free, online games designed to take students on engaging and educational journeys through famous museums and historic landmarks, and even back to major moments in time.
Much like their actual escape rooms, players progress through games by uncovering clues and solving puzzles. To be successful, players must exercise their critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills. The first TEG Field Trip takes place in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
After watching a quick video explaining the mission, you’ll navigate a virtual tour and answer questions on your dashboard to progress through the game.Piece together clues and solve puzzles to complete your mission in time.
Also, while their locations are temporarily closed, they are running a massive sale on their gift cards. Order now and get a digital code emailed to your directly. Single-game gift cards are currently 30% off.
Where has the Sorting Hat placed you? Represent your favorite Hogwarts house in this new game from The Op. Players will become members of Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin to earn the most points and win the coveted House Cup.
This strategic game recreates the joy and house pride among Hogwarts students vying to stand out at the end of the school year. Send characters such as Harry Potter, Cedric Digory, Cho Chang, and Draco Malfoy out on the gameboard. Each player will be assigned three wizards-in-training as their student “workers” who will need to gain knowledge in classes such as Charms, Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts while competing in challenges to earn more points for your house. Deciding the best ways to increase your knowledge will unlock more possibilities and score the most points.
The unique scoring display allows players to track their progress and reward the most successful strategies with a victory.
If the name Nik Wallenda rings a bell, it’s because he just walked over an active volcano, live on ABC, as his latest high-wire stunt. And his next major event will be walking the plank at the grand opening of the all-new Pirate Island hotel at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort.
photo: LEGOLAND Florida Resort
In true pirate-fashion, Wallenda will “walk the plank” from inside the theme park to the new hotel to kick off the resort’s opening festivities on Thursday, April 16. LEGOLAND Florida Resort park and hotel guests are invited to take part in the fun and watch the nail-biting stunt safely from the ground.
Wallenda will walk across an over 500 ft. long high wire, using a 28-foot balance pole enhanced with LEGO bricks. Check out the video below of Wallenda’s invite and a sneak peek of the progress of the hotel!
If you can’t make it to LEGOLAND on April 16, don’t worry. The event will be covered on LEGOLAND’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Pirate Island Hotel will be connected to the existing LEGOLAND Hotel, becoming the third on-site hotel at the LEGOLAND Florida Resort. Located right outside the main gates of the park (130 steps, to be exact) the hotel will include 150 rooms, a heated pool and pool deck, a pirate ship in front of the hotel, a pirate-themed restaurant, nightly kid-friendly programming, LEGO character experiences, LEGO play pits and a lobby bar for the grown-ups.
Pirate Island Hotel will officially open to the public on Fri., April 17. Reservations are available at LEGOLAND.com/pirateisland
featured image: Chip Litherland for LEGOLAND Florida Resort