by Lori Cunningham

I recently spent two days at the Digital Kids Conference in Pasadena, CA.  Last year, I attended this conference when it was called Engage and attached to the Toy Fair in New York.  I was happy to see I didn’t have to travel so far to attend this time.

Although the conference focuses more on business to business (B2B), it’s always a good place to identify emerging upstarts that could really be interesting in the digital kids space.  I talked to the founders of several of these companies and although there is not a lot of public information about some of them yet, they are worth mentioning.  I also found a few new apps that my kids have been thoroughly enjoying this past week and wanted to share them with you.

Emerging Websites

KidzVuz.com - KidzVuz.com is a video review and sharing site for kids aged 7-12.  Tweens visit KidzVuz to watch and leave video reviews of books, movies, TV shows, toys, technology, travel, fashion and more.  In a safe, COPPA-compliant space, kids create community, content, and connections with other kids and build authentic bonds with a nationwide tween audience.

What kid wouldn’t want to see themselves on video and gather a following?  KidzVuz.com just launched in October and they personally review every uploaded video to ensure a child does not say their real name, city, or school to ensure privacy.  It’s a great site for kids to have a voice and share what they have to say.  Kids earn badges by commenting on other videos, uploading different categories of videos, and more.  KidzVuz.com is an excellent place for kids to grow in poise and confidence as they become better speakers and reporters on their favorite subjects.

ToonGoggles.com (& App for iPad/iPhone & Android) – ToonGoggles is a parent-friendly kids portal that aggregates hundreds of animated children’s’ shows from around the world, many of which have never been viewed in America. All shows have been professionally produced.  Their cartoons are geared for kids ages 4-12.

Have your kids ever wanted to watch TV but there were no good kids programs on, due to the time of day?  The Disney Channel is great until the older kid shows start coming on.  Now, you have a safe place to send them, and better yet, they can “change” the channel all they want without needing you.  My kids have watched YouTube cartoons before, but have been uncomfortable sitting at the desk.  With the tablet version of ToonGoggles they can be more comfortable and discover a whole new world of cartoons out there just for them.  Phew, we avoided Cartoon Network, I’m happy.

There are two types of Apps available:  Free with Child Appropriate Advertising and Paid Subscription without Advertising (though this model will not be available until late Summer).  There are over 500 hours of cartoons to choose from, from Preschool to Girls, Boys, Action, Comedy, and Educational.  One of the cartoon series, called Adventurers Masters of Time, takes the characters back in time to historical moments like Pompeii, Paul Revere’s Heroic Ride, The Pharaoh’s Return, and more.  Love it.

PixyKids.com - PixyKids.com is an emerging social platform for kids ages 6-12 that combines the best features of social media sites communicating with friends, sharing personalized content, and playing with engaging apps.  Kids can upload photos and videos, create their own content through interactive tools and apps, connect and share with family and friends, and build and publish a curated digital portfolio, all within a safe COPPA-compliant environment.

Though PixyKids is not yet available, I had the opportunity to see the “world” PixyKids is creating…kids are going to love it.  They start by creating their own 3D Avatar and customizing their own space.  They can then make friends and invite family members into their community.  PixyKids offers a safe environment for kids to video chat and send e-mails with other friends within the community or even grandparents, aunts, etc., within their safe environment.  There are some great apps available within PixyKids that allow them to create and publish pictures and content.  PixyKids.com launches in July.

Play-Werks.com - This is another online community with interactive media and entertainment built for kids to connect and “have their own space,” on the Internet in a safe manner.  The founder of this community started as a teacher, than began working for Mattel in research in their Girls Division.  Later she worked for MGA Entertainment as a brand manager for their Bratz girls line.  Play-Werks.com is in development and not yet available, however you can visit Play-Werks.com to sign up with your interest.

KickinKitchen.TV -  KickinKitchen.TV, an innovative live-action comedy that takes the format of a sitcom, the utility of a cooking show, and the connectivity of digital and social media, and smashes it together into a groundbreaking show that entertains and engages tweenagers and their families. Viewers communicate with the characters on the show and with each other by uploading videos, entering national contests, playing games, exchanging recipes, engaging in social media, and downloading mobile apps. The website features tween-friendly recipes and nutrition facts, all designed to empower tweens to become proactively involved in their own food choices and health.

KickinKitchen.TV is a great educational series that teaches kids how to cook, know more about nutrition, and interact with the series via uploading pictures, videos, and comments.  It’s energetic, fun, and has a great dance element to some of the shows that makes them very entertaining.  My kids, ages 6 & 9, have recently begun cooking in the kitchen, they made some great fruit and green salads last night for dinner…all on their own.  They have been inspired by the Iron Chef series.  KickinKitchen.TV is a great way for them to learn about nutrition, safety, and cooking to further inspire their new skills.

Fun New Apps

Where’s My Water?  (website/iPad/iPhone App) – This is our new fave game.  Where’s My Water really makes you put your thinking cap on!  Swampy the Alligator lives in the sewers under the city.  He is a little different from the other alligators - he’s curious, friendly, and loves taking a shower after a hard day at work.  The other alligators have damaged his plumbing and disrupted the water flow.  Your job is to guide the water to his shower.

There are many free levels in the free game, but there are 140 in the paid game, which is only $.99.  The game is also available for free online.  Where’s My Water teaches kids cause and effect and the importance of planning ahead to ensure the water gets through to Swampy.  Trust me, you’re gonna want to play this game too, it’s a fun one!

The LORAX Truffula Shuffula - help The Lorax create colorful clusters of 3 or more matching objects. The more clusters you create, the more points you earn!  It’s similar to other games, but this version is kid oriented.  My kids took to this game really fast and have enjoyed playing it.  Truffula Shuffula is free from the Apple iTunes Store.  It also features the movie trailer from The Lorax.  My kids are eager to see the movie now.

Definitely try out KidzVuz.com , ToonGoggles.com, KickinKitchen.TV, Where’s My Water?, and Truffula Shuffula now, as they are all available and all FREE.  PixyKids.com  and Play-Werks.com will be available later this year.  Kids entertainment continues to explode on the Internet, in Apps, on TV, in video games, and in toys.  As a parent, it is hard to keep up with it all.  Nonetheless, be engaged and look for the types of games and apps work well with your family and share them with your kids.  This way you can lead them to parent approved entertainment that you know is safe and fun to play with as a family.  Enjoy!

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by Debbie Tucker

Welcome Debbie Tucker!  Debbie Tucker is a homeschooling mom of two, ages 8 and 11.  Debbie is a dedicated mom and wife who loves to spend time with her active kids and techie junkie husband.

I recently had the opportunity to try Agloves Touchscreen Gloves and found they do exactly as they say. The gloves allow you to interact with touch
screen devices with ease. I used them with my Smartphone, Kindle, iPad, and GPS. I found that with the gloves on the devices worked better
than my fingers do. An added bonus is it leaves no finger prints on the screen. I was pleasantly surprised with how effective these gloves
actually work.

Why Ag?

I was instantly impressed with the look and feel of the gloves. They are knit with a thin silver thread woven in. This gives it an attractive look,

as well as the ability to use with touchscreen devices.  Silver, or Ag, as it’s known on the Periodic Table of Elements chart, is beneficial in these

gloves for two main reasons:

1.)  Resistive Properties – Ag, or Silver, provides  a consistent and flow of bioelectricity to your device.  Today’s touchscreens are capacitive, which means they can be controlled by reacting to the bioelectricity in your skins.  If you put on regular gloves, you cannot control your device because you skin is not exposed.  Because Silver is the most conductive element on the Periodic Element chart, it’s a natural fit  for touchscreen gloves.

2.)  Thermal Regulator – Silver reflects heat back to it source, so the heat your hands create will be reflected back to your hands, making them warmer than if wearing normal knitted gloves.

Agloves sell for $17.99 through Amazon.com and are eligible for Super Saver Shipping with a larger purchase.

A Mom’s Perspective

I did find that the sizes run a little small. I have small hands and found the S/M gloves to fit snug, but not uncomfortable. They do need to be washed by hand and air dried. I found them to wash nicely.

Although they are not the warmest gloves I found them to help keep the chill away. They are great to use while watching your kids sporting events, cool mornings, and chilly evening walks.

*  I was given a pair of  Agloves in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

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By Jamie Wiersma

Our family recently downloaded Oceanhouse Media’s omBook “Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping” by Eileen Christelow on our iPad2 (available for most devices). Mama takes her five little monkeys shopping the day before school. While they are in the store the monkeys keep wandering off. Will Mama ever have all of her monkeys together again?  If you are familiar with the Five Little Monkeys series, you already know that these are great books. But, the digital version is even more enjoyable for little kids because it is very interactive through fun monkey noises and words that zoom up and are spoken when pictures are touched.

There are three ways that this omBook can be read – Read to Me (listen to the narrated story with words highlighted as they are read), Read it Myself (read the book in its traditional form), and Auto Play (plays like a movie, automatically reading and turning pages.) The “Read to Me” version is great for my 5-year old.  He is able to follow along as the words are highlighted while the story is being read.

Things That Make this Digital Book Great:

• It incorporates early math by adding and subtracting the monkeys when they run off and then come back to Mama.
• The audio is great – the monkey noises and other surrounding sounds are very cute and add a lot to the story.
• The book encourages early reading through picture/word association. The words zoom up and are spoken when pictures are touched. Early readers can also follow along with the highlighted words while the book is being read.
• The pictures are bright and colorful.

 A Few Cons:

• It is not so great for my almost two-year old who likes to swipe at the iPad. His little fingers have figured out how to interrupt the story which then requires you to answer a prompt asking you if you want to continue or not. Then it starts that same page again. It’s probably an iPad thing, but it does get annoying. Especially on Auto Play it would be nice if the pages stayed locked.
• I think it could be even better if there was more touch interaction on the math side of things.

A Mom’s Perspective 

Overall, both my almost 2-year old and my 5-year old really enjoy “Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping.” The book is probably best suited for ages 3 – 6. I would definitely recommend the book to any parent that is looking for cute books to download for your child that also encourage additional learning skills in math and reading. The app is available at iTunes for $2.99. If you enjoy this book, Oceanhouse Media has a ton of other children’s digital books available such as Dr. Seuss, The Berenstain Bears, more Five Little Monkey books as well as many others.

* I was given a code to download “Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping” for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

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