The Wiggles are big on getting children up and moving, so Wiggletime has  a “take a break” feature that encourages children to get up an wiggle every twenty minutes.

“We wanted to take our Wiggles Fan Club to another level. We just needed to make sure we were going to be able to provide children with an environment that was exciting, fun, educational and safe. WiggleTime.com certainly has all of the right ingredients to provide children with a fantastic Wiggles experience”

- Anthony Field (BlueWiggle).

Your children can visit some of their favorite Wiggle destinations including Wigglehouse, Dorothy’s House, Wag’s Kennel, Captain Feathersword’s SS Feathersword, or Henry’s Underwater World, while they’re learning and having fun.

Wiggletime.com has different levels of membership from free, to monthly and yearly subscriptions, visit the website to sign up and for membership details.

Images Wiggletime.com

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The games have can be adapted to your child’s skill level, then grow more challenging as your child learns, a personalized chart shows your child their learning progress with the games.

The PBS Kids Play Software includes:

• Three months of the online service
• 25 printable “Do Together” projects
• Healthy Computing Guide for Kids
• Personal progress chart with 90+ PBS KIDS character stickers
• PBS Parents Guide shows how and what children are learning
• Bonus DVD featuring SteveSongs, Super WHY!, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and more!

You can find PBS Kids Play at the PBS Kids website.

Image: PBS Kids

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Now there’s a set of homework help books from Reader’s Digest just for parents. There are 3 different books available to give parents  a little memory nudge when they’re trying to help their children with homework.

The three books help you cover the bases. The titles include: I Used To Know That, Stuff You Forgot From School by Caroline Taggart, My Grammar and I … Or should That Be Me? How to Speak, by Caroline Taggart and J. A. Wines, and Write It Right, and i Before e Except After c Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff by Judy Parkinson.

I had the chance to check out these three school refreshers over the last few days, and it’s brought back tons of memories, and aha moments. If you struggle with grammar, or just can’t remember some of the formulas from Algebra class these books are a great refresher.

Do you remember these?

In Einstein’s Theories of Relativity, E = MC2 what does C stand for again?
C is the velocity of light

What are the seven wonders of the world?
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Lighthouse of Alexandria, The Colossus of Rhodes, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Status of Zeus at Olympia, The Great Pyramid of Giza (of the seven, only the Great Pyramid is still in existence)

What is onomatopoeia?
A word or phrase that sounds (a bit) like the sounds it is meant to convey: buzz, purr, or Tennyson’s the murmuring of innumerable bees.

My favorite book of the set is i before e (except after c), Old School Ways to Remember Stuff. I love coming up with ways to remember and learn things, little sayings or jingles. I’ve been trying to teach my son this method of learning, but he’s skeptical. Maybe this will help.

Check out these handy little reference guides for yourself. You can find all three titles at the Reader’s Digest bookstore.

Image (c) L Gerlach

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While ebeanstalk picks great toys, they like to get some help from the real experts – moms and kids, to help them select great learning toys. The toy we received was the Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle from Melissa & Doug who specialize in wooden toys.

Image (c) L Gerlach

My son is a little older, so I dropped by and let my nephew, who is not quite two, give the puzzle test run. He had a blast putting the shapes in the correct spot on the puzzle. He had a hard time at first, but after a while he started to get the hang of it.

The Melissa and Doug wooden shapes puzzle is a great learning toy for young children. The puzzle helps children learn their shapes, while they’re working on their hand-eye coordination, and learning to compare the shape to the hole in the puzzle to find the correct fit. The puzzle was definitely a hit with my nephew!

The puzzle is very tough and durable, so I think it would withstand the tests that a toddler can put it through and still hold up.

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The program begins on Earth Day, and continues through the end of the school year. Teachers, parents or a classroom volunteer can take their boxes collected of empty glue containers to their nearest Walmart store and drop them off to the stores greeter at the front door.

The Elmer’s Glue Crew website also has learning resources for teachers to use when teaching children about recycling, and a contest where your school can submit their plans, projects, and photos to win prizes. Check out the official Elmer’s Glue Crew website for all the official details, and to find out how your school can enter to win.

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My son enjoys science and space, so getting him to do activities like the ones listed below is easy, and it’s a bonus that he’s learning something at the same time.

• Learn more about the moon with a skywatchers guide to the moon.
• A printable maze to help the astronaut get to the moon.
• Sun, moon and stars fun recipes and activities.
• Planets coloring pages
• Kids can play space games, blast off to Mars, or play space trivia, at the official NASA website.
• Make a flying saucer out of paper plates.

What space and moon activities have you come up with to entertain your children, and teach them a little at the same time? If it’s something fun, please share it here.

Image via sxc.hu

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There are 10 different Kauzbots being released during 2009. Each of them has a different cause (kause). Some bots are making a difference in the environment, other Kauzbots are tackling issues of global poverty, and still others are helping to fund cancer research.

For each Kauzbot purchased, 10% of the retail price is donated to the kause that is close to that robot’s heart. So these little robots do more than just look cute, they help inspire change.

You can check out all the different Kauzbots, and their special causes at Kauzbots.com.

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Image (c) L Gerlach

My son and I have been checking out the Summer Bridge Activities book for 4th graders going into the 5th grade. The Summer Bridge activity books are to help children bridge the gap between grades. It’s a summer program that has two sections to review the grade your child just completed, and one section to preview the grade your child is going into.

Image via Summer Bridge Activities

My son has been working his way through the first section of the workbook. There are activities in reading, writing, math, and language. The book also lets you set your own rewards with your child for completing each section.

My son likes to go check out summer movies, so our rewards have centered around checking out the latest movie premieres. So checking out the movie of his choice is our reward for his Motivational Calendar.

The book also contains a summer reading list, so we trekked off to the library and checked out a couple of the books on the list for him to read.

The book list for the 4th-5th grade included, “Holes” by Louis Sachar, and “Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket, and several other books. They also have a summer reading club your child can join online.

The back of the book includes answer pages, fitness charts, flash cards, motivational, attitude exercises, and a certificate for completing the program.

I really like the workbook, and I think it’s a great program to help your child get past “summer brain drain.” My son is even enjoying the activities, since we usually sit down together when he’s ready to work on them. I have him work through them as much as he can on his own, and take a look at whatever he is having problems with.

You can find more information, and parent resources for Summer Bridge Activities at their website. The books are sold at Amazon.com, and at major book retailers nationwide.

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The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children offers parents ten safety tips to help keep their children safe this summer.

1. MAKE SURE children know their full names, address, telephone numbers and how to use the telephone.

2. BE SURE children know what to do in case of an emergency and how to reach you using a cell phone or pager number. Children should have a neighbor or trusted adult they may call if they’re scared or there’s an
emergency.

3. REVIEW the rules with your children about whose homes they may visit and discuss the boundaries of where they may and may not go in the neighborhood.

4. MAKE SURE children know to stay away from pools, creeks, or any body of water without adult supervision.

5. CAUTION children to keep the door locked and not to open the door or talk to anyone who comes to the door when they are home alone.

6. DON’T drop your children off at malls, movies, video arcades or parks.
These are not safe places for children to be alone. Make certain a responsible adult supervises your younger children at all times whenthey are outside and away from home.

7. TEACH your children in whose vehicle they may ride. Children should be cautioned to never approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless accompanied by a parent or other trusted adult.

8. BE SURE your children know their curfew and check in with you if they are going to be late. If children are playing outside after dark, make sure they wear reflective clothing and stay close to home.

9. CHOOSE babysitters with care. Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbors. Many states now have registries for public access to check criminal history or sex-offender status. Observe the babysitter’s interaction with your children, and ask your children how they feel about the babysitter.

10. CHECK out camp and other summer programs before enrolling your children. See if a background screening check is completed on the individuals working with the children. Make sure there will be adult supervision of your children at all times, and make sure you are made aware of all activities and field trips offered by the camp or program.

Don’t forget to have fun! Sometimes I get so caught up in worrying I forget that the main goal is to have fun.

Image via sxc.hu

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His message has made a big difference, from about 22 million acres burned in forest fires in 1944, to an average of 7 million today. Smokey Bear still works to get his message out. Many Americans believe lightning starts most wildfires. On average, 9 out of 10 wildfires across the nation are caused by people. Most are caused by campfires left unattended, people burning trash on windy days, arson, people carelessly discarding cigarettes, or operating equipment without spark arrestors.

I’m glad Smokey Bear is still around to teach children (and adults) the importance of preventing forest fires, and what they can do to help.

Smokey Bear’s gone social to keep up with the times. You can visit Smokey at his website SmokeyBear.com, while you’re there make sure you check out the kids section “Smokey Kids.” You can also find Smokey on Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube.

Image: Newscom

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