Universal Studios Hollywood Announces Reopening Plan

by Erica LoopApril 3, 2021

Universal Studios Hollywood is ready to reopen! You can purchase tickets for the theme park online, starting Apr. 8. The California theme park recently announced it will welcome guests back starting Apr. 16—but with some restrictions.

With Universal Studios Hollywood’s latest news, your fam may finally get the chance to check out the Studio Tour, see the awesomeness of the Indominus rex on “Jurassic World-The Ride,” or catch a glimpse of the new “The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash” attraction.

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Before you book your trip, take a moment to review the park’s current set of rules and restrictions. To start with, Universal Studios Hollywood theme park visits are only open to California residents—for the time being.

The visitor party size is limited to a maximum of three households and a total of 10 people. All guests must follow state and park safety protocols. This means guests must wear face coverings at all times and practice physical distancing. Temperatures are checked at park entry and visitors with a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher may not enter the park.

photo: Nauris Pukis via Unsplash

If you purchased one of the park’s 3 Visit Ticket passes prior to the pandemic closure and still have remaining visits left, you must register on Universal Studios Hollywood’s website by Monday, Apr. 5, 2021. Guests who scheduled a visit during the closure are credited via their Universal account with a visit to use at a future valid date.

If you used your 3 Visit Ticket and the ticket was set to expire Mar. 14, 2020 or after, the 12-month expiration date is extended by the total number of days of the park closure. The deadline for unused 3 Visit Ticket first visits is extended to Dec. 16, 2021. Blackout dates will include Dec. 26 through Dec. 31, 2021.

For more information on park re-opening procedures and how to use your 3 Visit Ticket, visit the Universal Studios Hollywood website here.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo:

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Theme Park Attractions Your Kids Can Ride Virtually

by Jennifer SwartvagherMarch 26, 2021

Theme parks are gradually starting to reopen, but if you’re not comfortable heading to one just yet, that doesn’t mean your kids can’t get the same experience at home.

Courageous fans have uploaded ride experiences on YouTube so your kids can virtually ride their favorites from Disney, Universal and Busch Gardens to name a few!

photo: Disney

Break up your day with a virtual ride on some of these crazy coasters:

Incredicoaster- Disney

Frozen Ever After- Disney

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway- Disney

Pirates of the Caribbean- Disney

Journey to Atlantis- Sea World

Space Mountain- Disney

Cheetah Hunt- Busch Gardens

The Seas with Nemo and Friends- Disney

Peter Pan’s Flight- Disney

Solar Vortex- Adventure Island

Slinky Dog Dash- Disney

It’s a Small World- Disney

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Sharp Productions via YouTube

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“Shrek” Is Coming to a Theater Near You!

by Erica LoopMarch 12, 2021

Shrek is turning 20! In celebration of the big green ogre’s movie debut anniversary, Shrek is returning to the big screen for a very special event.

Universal Pictures, Dreamworks Animation and Fathom Events recently announced the theatrical re-release of the original animated Shrek film. Whether your now-young adult wants to re-live their youth, you’re a fan of the flick, or you want to introduce your younger kiddo to the ogre, the Shrek 20th Anniversary event is can’t-miss movie magic.

photo courtesy of Fathom Events

The 20th anniversary big screen ogre-tastic adventure is only in theaters for a limited time—Apr. 25, 28 and 29, 2021. Along with Shrek, the theatrical event also includes DreamWorks Animation’s short film To: Gerard and a trailer for the new animated feature Spirit Untamed.

Tom Lucas, VP of Studio Relations at Fathom Events, said in a press release, “We are delighted to partner with Universal and DreamWorks Animation to bring Shrek back to the big screen for its 20^th anniversary.” Lucas added, “This treasured animated feature has enduring multi-generational appeal and makes for a great day at the cinema for the whole family.”

To get your fam’s tickets to Shrek 20th Anniversary, visit Fathom Events online here. Tickets go on sale Mar. 12 for participating locations. Some on-sale dates for theaters may vary, depending on the re-openings. Participating theaters are subject to change.

—Erica Loop

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Do You Have a Creative Kid? LEGO Wants to Hire Them

by Karly WoodMarch 12, 2021

Do you have a little LEGO enthusiast at home? Then start prepping that resume because the LEGO Group is conducting a search for its first-ever Kid Creative Director to join the Kids Creative Studio!

Inspired by the launch of LEGO VIDIYO, Kids Creative Studio is a team of uber-creative kids that is focused on highlighting the imaginations of youth today. The future Kid Creative Director will onboard to a team of well-known kid creators, creative professionals from the LEGO Group and Universal Music Group.

photo: LEGO

So what exactly do the duties entail? Together with the team of other creators, the director will use LEGO VIDIYO and other creative tools to produce music videos, engaging content and a commercial that will launch this summer. Did we mention they will also receive $10,000 to put towards education and potting their creative endeavors to good use?

“We’re thrilled to be able to empower kids to keep doing what they’ve been doing the last year and truly honor this creativity,” said Amanda Madore, senior brand relations manager at LEGO Systems, Inc. “We’ve seen the ways kids are reimagining play and the innovative ways they interact with their peers. We believe now is the perfect time to celebrate this creativity by turning over the creative reins to them, recognizing and rewarding kids for being the true creative superstars they are.”

The opportunity is open for kids ages seven to 17 beginning Mar. 12 at 8 a.m. EST through Apr. 19. Kids can submit a parent-approved video that shows off their creative skills by heading here.

Want to learn more about Kids Creative Studio and the talent search? Just click here.

––Karly Wood

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Bill Nye’s New Science Series Is Coming to Peacock

by Erica LoopMarch 7, 2021

The end is Nye! No, you did’t misread that. The end is not near—it’s Nye. That is, Bill Nye.

Iconic science educator Bill Nye is coming to Peacock with an all-new series that focuses on some of the most epic natural and unnatural global disasters. Nye won’t just detail the disasters. He’ll also demystify them using science (of course).

photo courtesy of Peacock

Produced by Universal Television Alternative Studio, UCP and The Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door, Nye’s new series will cover subjects ranging from viruses (as if we haven’t heard enough about these disasters lately) to volcanoes. Show topics will also cover other disasters catastrophes such as asteroids and climate change.

If your fam is into all things science, look for The End Is Nye on the Peacock streaming service soon! While this disaster-packed series isn’t exactly preschooler-friendly, your tweens and teens will enjoy the educational adventure.

—Erica Loop

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New Research Finds This Is the Best Place in the World to Raise a Child

by Erica LoopMarch 1, 2021

Nestlé recently released the results of the brand’s new Parenting Index—and the United States ranks fifth globally in the best places to raise children. The top countries to raise a child based on The Parenting Index are Sweden, Chile, Germany, and Mexico.

The beloved brand’s Index looked at parenting views from more than 8,000 moms and dads of children zero to 12-months in 16 different countries. After analyzing the responses, researchers were able to identify eight universal factors universally impacting parenting practices.

photo: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

Pressure ranked as the top factor impacting U.S. parents. Not only did American moms and dads feel pressure for their kids to “have it all,” but they also reported high levels of pressure from others. Other issues U.S. parents reported were social shaming (46 percent of parents), loneliness (30 percent), the baby blues (45 percent) and the desire for greater sharing of parenting responsibilities (51 percent).

Dr. Ming Cui, Professor of Family and Child Sciences at Florida State University and M.S. in Statistics and Ph.D. in Sociology, Fulbright U.S. Scholar, reviewed The Parenting Index methodology and findings. Of the result, Dr. Cui said, in a press release, “Today’s parents are increasingly parenting in a state of anxiety, which can be reflected from findings in this report, such as the external/internal pressure, lack of confidence and financial demands they say they are experiencing.”

Cui added, “Influenced by popular media along with technology advances, many parents from different cultures and socio-economic classes feel pressured to do it all.”

Even though the findings may highlight some of the not-so-great parts of parenting, the results weren’t entirely negative. American parents did report feeling positive in general. They also felt they have access to the health and well-being resources they need.

To learn more about the study’s findings, view The Parenting Index here.

—Erica Loop

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Holy Macanoli! The First Full Length “Punky Brewster” Trailer Is Finally Here

by Karly WoodFebruary 3, 2021

It’s been more than 30 years since we’ve seen new episodes of Punky Brewster, but the wait is finally over. Peacock, NBCUniversal’s steaming platform, just dropped the first full-length trailer for the rebooted show.

As seen in the trailer, Punky is all grown up and still close with her bestie Cherie. The show will follow her in her newly divorced life (with ex-husband Travis, played by Freddie Prince Jr.) and her three kids.

The mis-matched shoe-wearing mama will also be taking in a local foster child in the show, an homage to Punky’s early years. The 10-episode series will drop on Feb. 25 only on Peacock.

If you can’t wait until then to find your Punky Power, you can stream all the OG episodes of the 80’s classic on the streaming platform.

––Karly Wood

Feature photo: NBC Universal Media Village

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The Universal Gesture of Parenthood

By Catherine Myman Kaplan

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

February 1, 2021

Photo: Catherine Myman Kaplan

There are times when parenthood can seem terribly isolating. Moments where you feel all alone, hoping for a sign or gesture from other parents that you are not by yourself in this, that someone else understands.

We have all been there. You are in public, your child is fine, the day so far has been uneventful when suddenly a tantrum unlike any other erupts. It could be anything, a sibling breathed on them wrong, you won’t buy them something totally impractical and ridiculously expensive, but now you’ve got to cope with the aftermath.

Not only do you have to calm down a child who is yelling, crying, and doing that thing with their bodies that only toddlers can do where their bodies manage to be both stiff as a piece of cardboard and as limp as an overcooked noodle but you have to somehow pull off this challenging feat in the presence of strangers.

Strangers that undoubtedly are judging your parenting skills and finding you lacking, otherwise why would your child be screaming like a banshee? Of course, we’ve been in the flip position too, watching a parent struggle with a child. We know how she feels, and you wish you could let her know she isn’t being judged. That we know she loves her child, even when they are behaving like a crazy beast. That we consider her a good parent having a rough time.

Maybe we should all come up with some sort of worldwide hand signal that we can flash to other parents to show support and solidarity. Or maybe just give a sympathetic smile and offer a hand. And know that we’ve been there and will most likely be there again.

Catherine Myman Kaplan

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Catherine lives with her husband, two daughters, and rescue dog. She can usually be found reading, compulsively volunteering at her daughters' schools, or glaring at an ever growing mountain of laundry.

Want to Star in Your Own LEGO Music Video? Now You Can

by Karly WoodJanuary 28, 2021

Extra, extra––read all about it! The LEGO Group and Universal Music Group (UMG) have teamed up for their first collaboration and it’s bringing the brickmaker and global industry leader in music together in a special way.

Introducing LEGO VIDIYO, “a playful and innovative music video maker experience designed to celebrate and expand children’s creativity and passion for music.” The new app lets kids dream up, direct, produce, star and share their own music videos using tunes from UMG’s chart topping artists.

Perfect for kids ages seven to 10, LEGO VIDIYO offers a safe space for them to “travel” the world and experiment with music. The app brings new technology with the LEGO System in Play and pairs it with music from all over the world so kiddos can creatively express themselves.

LEGO VIDIYO requires verified parental consent and external moderation of all content shared to the App feed for ultimate parent confidence.

The new app is packed with music, augmented reality, minifigures and other iconic LEGO elements. Kids have tons of editing options which can be unlocked through “Beat Bits,” a special effect.

To get started, download the free app (which will be available for Android and Apple users starting Feb. 16) and then young creators will choose a song. Next, create a band from new minifigs which can be customized and brought to life using AR technology.

Let LEGO VIDIYO scan your location in just three seconds and you’ve got the perfect background. Next, get those “Beat Bits” going–– 2×2 square LEGO elements that unlock digital effects when scanned. Options for special effects include audio effects, confetti showers and even surfing on a shark!

Record up to a 60 second performance then trim down to your liking before uploading to the App feed. Kids videos will undergo moderation with the caveat that any content featuring personally-identifiable information won’t be approved for App feed upload. However, these videos can be stored in-App and shared with fam and friends.

To keep it fresh, LEGO VIDIYO will add new music, challenges, and inspirational content often. Keep an eye out––you can start getting your hands on the new products in most countries starting Mar. 1.

––Karly Wood

All photos: Courtesy of LEGO

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20 Compliments Anyone Needs to Hear

by Amber GuetebierNovember 24, 2020

While there is an official Something Nice Day, we think the idea of spreading kindness and compliments should happen every day of the year. Show your kids that a few kind words go a long way. Scroll down for a few compliments you can pay to the people in your life.

photo: Bessi via pixabay

Compliments for Kids

Experts agree that specific praise (What a nice job you did writing your name) boost self-esteem more than general compliments (You are so smart!). Here’s a few examples:
You did a great job putting your shoes on.

I like your singing voice. Please sing me another song.

Very nice writing skills.

Good job making your bed.

You are so good at making me laugh.

You have a beautiful smile. It makes me so happy to see it.

When you do a good job, it makes me feel proud.

I love your choice of colors.

Compliments at a Restaurant/Service

These compliments are pretty universal. Try one at the local coffee shop or even the person who put you on hold at the cable company (patience is a virtue!):

You did a great job listening to us. Thank you.

I appreciate how calm you are amidst chaos.

You were our favorite part of lunch.

Thank you for being so prompt!

You really are poised no matter how busy it gets. It’s impressive.

You made us feel welcome and that made my day.

Compliments to the chef!

Compliments for Teachers & Caregivers

Although they dole out the praise to your little ones, it’s not often enough we give it back to them.

I am always moved by how patient and kind you are.

I wanted you to know how much my kids admire you.

I love how attentive you are to every child here. It’s amazing.

You have really made a difference in my child’s life.

You are a source of inspiration for my kid.

What’s the best compliment you’ve received? Share it with us in the comments.

—Amber Guetebier

ML Interest Tag: universal

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