A News Program Designed for Parents and Children to Watch Together #channelonenews

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Channel One News. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Before we switched to strictly streaming media, I recall the countless number of times when a feeling of panic would come over me whenever one or more of our children would walk into the room while my husband and I were watching the news on television.  Although there were some feel-good news stories, more often than not we were watching a story about something tragic and horrific.  The news and current events turned into something that was on a need-to-know basis for our children, which is unfortunate because some news stories are reporting about history in the making.  Our children could learn quite a bit about the world from watching the news and that's where Channel One News comes in.

The Channel One News website is designed for parents and educators to use as a way to teach their children about current events and other newsworthy topics in a way that children can comprehend.  Channel One News stories and videos often open the door for children to ask questions and to have an open discussion about real world topics.  It could become part of your family's daily routine to talk about the news over breakfast or at the dinner table.

Parents can register at ChannelOne.com by filling out a short form.  Be sure to select 'Parent' in the drop down menu, so you will be directed to the correct page.  Once registered, you can access new programming daily, as well as recent news stories and a video library.  I think the Channel One News website would be a wonderful resource for students working on current event projects for school.  Parents can also download the beta version of the Family Daily Mobile App, which not only provides access to the daily news programming, but also suggests questions you can use to discuss the topic at hand with your children.

To learn more about Channel One News, visit Channel One News on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.

The DVD "Doc McStuffins: Friendship Is The Best Medicine" Teaches Children How to Be Happy and Well

Now that we have switched from cable television to strictly streaming media, DVDs of the latest programs from Disney Junior are great to have so that our children do not miss out on their favorite shows (or any new ones for that matter).  One of the new shows that has debuted on Disney Junior since our switch is Doc McStuffins.  All three of our children, ages 5.5, 5.5, and 8.5 enjoyed the charming characters and stories in the DVD Doc McStuffins: Friendship is the Best Medicine.

Doc McStuffins is a 6 year old doctor who takes of sick toys.  She not only cares for these toys when they are in need of help physically, she often helps them understand and adjust to new situations.  This DVD brings up the topics of keeping oneself hydrated, asking for help, washing one's hands, getting stitches, being afraid of the dark, having a loved one stay overnight in the hospital, and more.  These are all life experiences that most children will need to deal with at one time or another and it is truly wonderful that they can be a little more prepared by seeing how Doc McStuffins and these little toys handle each situation.


This DVD is approximately 120 minutes long and comes with a digital copy.  It retails for $19.99, but is currently selling on Amazon.com for $13.86 with Free Super Saver Shipping.


Thank you to Click Communications for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Dinosaur Train's "Dinosaurs A to Z Countdown"

As I’ve said before, Dinosaur Train is one of our favorite shows on PBS Kids. We have participated in a couple Dinosaur Train-themed reviews before, so we were happy to let you all know about Dinosaur Train’s Dinosaurs A to Z Countdown, which began on April 18. Beginning with the letter A, you and your little paleontologist-in-training can help by answering fun and educational questions on Twitter and on Facebook with a chance to win a prize each day for a whole month. Prizes include Dinosaur Train collectible gifts and a one-of-a-kind Dinosaur cartoon art by Craig Bartlett, the artist and creator of Dinosaur Train. Your little dino lover will enjoy learning the 26 facts about dinosaurs and will be sure to open up conversations and opportunities for learning that will also be tons of fun.

Don’t forget, the new episodes of Dinosaur Train start May 14 on PBS Kids and will be kicking off with a one-hour special episode "Dinosaurs A to Z". Check local listings for times.


I received a copy of the book Dinosaurs A to Z as a thank you for sharing this information with our readers.

New Episodes of Dinosaur Train Are Headed Your Way

Dinosaur Train is an Emmy-nominated educational show on PBS Kids about a family of dinosaurs who encourage preschoolers to get off their couches and explore the world. Created by The Jim Henson Company, Dinosaur Train has been entertaining millions of children since its debut in 2009. Its mission is to introduce children to paleontology and discovery.

The kids here and I really love watching Dinosaur Train on PBS and can’t wait for the new season, beginning Monday, November 14th. We can’t wait to see what adventures lay ahead for Buddy, Shiny, Tiny, and Don. We will also be joining the Nature Trackers Club to get free activities and receive a free Dinosaur Train surprise. If you love Dinosaur Train, check out their website to get that information and make sure to tune in to the new season of Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids beginning this week.

Giveaway & Review: Sid the Science Kid Party [CLOSED]

“Hey, Sid, what do you say? Whatcha want to learn today? I want to know why things happen and how and I want to know everything now. How does this thing work? Why did that thing change? How did that do what it just did? What’s up with the sky? Do you think I could fly? The world is spinning and I want to know why. I‘ve got a lot of questions and big ideas. I’m Sid the Science Kid.”

If you have young children, chances are that you’ve watched Sid the Science Kid. It’s an adorable show on PBS about a young boy, Sid, who loves science. Children are captivated by his cute personality, inquisitive nature, and the bright colors that make him up. I know that all the children in my daycare and my own two kids really, really love Sid. They look forward to it every day.

To celebrate the new season of Sid the Science Kid, we held a “screening party”. First we watched the season premiere of Sid the Science Kid, which the kids just loved and felt so special being one of the first to preview it. Next we introduced our new toy, the Sid the Science Kid Gotta Know Microphone that sings, magnifies your voice, gives applause, and more. The kids absolutely love this toy! It’s a bit noisy, but you know how kids love noise. Next we ate dinner and specially made Sid cupcakes. If you would like to take it a step further, you could make microphone cupcakes.

Then we watched the second episode of the show. After that, we did a coloring page, then our experiment about why wheels are round with the Sid the Science Kid: Why Are Wheels Round learning science kit, which was fun and the kids learned a lot by trying out the square and oval wheels before the round ones. We finished up the evening by watching the third episode of the new season. It was a great party and all the supplies just made the party that much more special. It was a great evening with a great theme.

Catch the new season of Sid the Science Kid starting this Monday, October 4 on PBS.

Thank you to The Rogers Group for sending us complimentary Sid the Science Kid party supplies, a screener DVD, and toys for our event and also for providing the prize for our contest.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a Sid the Science Kid Learning Science Kit.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Flip through the virtual Sid the Science Kid Funbook. Then leave a comment telling me which printable activity looks like the most fun to you. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Sid the Science Kid . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry, "Like" Sid the Science Kid on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, October 18th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Rock N Learn Phonics DVDs - Volumes 1 and 2 (2 Winners) [CLOSED]

Recently we were sent Rock 'N Learn Phonics volumes one and two to try out and review. These two from the series are learning DVDs that target children over six years old. Practice is the key to reading and spelling success, and these educational DVDs definitely give children practice by repetition and music. The Rock 'N Learn set turns learning to read into fun, catchy little songs that kids love. I tried these out on all my daycare kids, but only the kindergartner and my 3 ½ year old (who is oddly interested in educational stuff) were interested. They loved the songs and the kindergartner loved it as a learning tool instead of sitting at a desk learning the “conventional” way. My son wanted to know if we had any more, which I will be looking into for him.

As a parent, I thought the graphics were cheesy, but that didn’t seem to bother the kids. It wasn’t at all annoying, like some children’s educational DVDs are and I found myself singing the songs later. Over all, I enjoyed these DVDs and even more so because they taught the kids something.

You can find Rock 'N Learn Phonics Volume 1 and 2 on their website, www.rocknlearn.com, and see some of their other fine products for all age groups. These DVDs retails for $19.99 each or both DVDs for $34.99.

Thank you to Rock 'N Learn for sending us a set of sample DVDs free of charge to base this review upon and for providing two additional sets of DVDs for our contest prize.

What you can win:
TWO lucky readers will each receive both Rock 'N Learn Phonics DVDs Volumes 1 and 2.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. & Canadian entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of learning DVDs offered by Rock "N Learn. Then leave a comment telling me the name of one DVD you think would be worthwhile for a child in your life to own (aside from the ones reviewed in this article). You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND RockNLearn.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow Rock 'N Learn on Twitter and/or "Like" Rock 'N Learn on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, October 18th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Stocking Stuffers 2010 Giveaway: The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (DVD) [CLOSED]

My children have been longtime fans of The Cat in the Hat. So when they learned that PBS Kids recently added a new series to their line up called "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!" they were more than excited. This DVD The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That: Wings and Things, which was released on September 7th of this year, was a huge hit with my children, especially my 6 year old son.

This 60-minute DVD features five stories. Luckily, my children had only seen two of these episodes on television. This particular DVD houses the following:

"Show Me the Honey"

"Migration Vacation"

"I Love the Nightlife"

"Oh Give Me a Home"

"Many Ants Make Light Work"

Each episode lasts about ten minutes and is packed full of information. In this one hour, my children learned about bees and how honey is made, why birds migrate South for the winter, which animals are nocturnal and which of their senses are heightened, how hermit crabs outgrow their shells, and how ants use teamwork to get things done. There is even a little bonus at the end about problem-solving.

If your children are good listeners, they will definitely enjoy this DVD. The Cat in the Hat has a lot to teach them. As I previously mentioned, my 6 year old son watched intently from beginning to end, but our 3 year old twins got antsy about halfway through. Although they were still half-watching, they had to get up and take out some toys to play with.

Currently, you can purchase this Cat in the Hat DVD for $11.99 on NCircleEntertainment.com and from other major retailers of children's DVDs.

Thank you to NCircle Entertainment for sending us a sample DVD free of charge to base this review upon and for providing a second DVD for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That: Wings and Things on DVD.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of DVDs for Kids offered by NCircle Entertainment. Then leave a comment telling me the name of one DVD you would like to gift to a child this holiday (aside from the one reviewed in this article). You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND NCircleEntertainment.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow NCircle on Twitter and/or "Like" NCircle on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, October 11th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Sesame Street's "Abby in Wonderland" (DVD) [CLOSED]

On March 2nd, Warner Home Video and Sesame Street re-released the 2nd bestselling DVD of 2009 Abby in Wonderland with a bonus music CD. Whether your child is familiar with the original tale of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll or it is something that is brand new, I think he or she would enjoy this Sesame Street version of this classic.

This Sesame Street movie brings together many of our favorite characters, such as Rosita, The Count, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Grover, Zoe, Oscar the Grouch, and Bert and Ernie. They were each disguised as one of the figures of Alice in Wonderland. As always, Abby Cadabby makes it easy for our children to believe in magic, at least for a little while.

It would not be a Sesame Street production without some learning creatively rolled into the script. It turned out that the secret to Abby's being able to grow and shrink in size is tied in with her knowing how to rhyme. Also the famous tea party turned out to be a T-party revolving around the letter "T".

I think our 3yr old twins especially enjoyed this DVD because it took them to a new fantastical place. They very much liked being able to recognize the familiar Sesame Street characters, even though it seemed as if they were dress in costumes.

You can purchase this DVD from the Sesame Street Store and other retailers of children's DVDs. The Abby in Wonderland DVDs with the bonus music CDs are only available while supplies last.

Thank you to Warner Home Video and Sesame Workshop for sending us a sample DVD free of charge to base this review upon and for providing a second DVD for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a copy of the Sesame Street DVD "Abby in Wonderland".

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me the name of your (or your child's) favorite Sesame Street celebrity guest. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND SesameWorkshop.org . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Thursday, April 1st, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!