Android Tablet Designed Especially for Kids!

Tired of the kids grabbing your iPad, tablet or smart phone?  Do you wish you could afford to buy them their own device?  You are not alone!  In the very near future, you will be able to buy the new Nabi Tablet, the first, full-featured Android tablet designed especially for kids!

The Nabi has a Duo Core 1.1GHz processor and a high-resolution, 7-inch display that allows the kids to easily read books, watch movies and TV shows, listen to music, play games and otherwise have fun.  It comes pre-loaded with games, music, apps and books and will run over 500 applications and games catered to kids found in the Nabi App Store.   The tablet includes:

• Its a University: The award-winning Fooz Kids University is a Nabi exclusive with over 22,000 state standardized math skills covering grades Pre-K through 5th.
• Its a Design Studio: 30+ apps from drawing and painting to creating professional quality books allow for creative exploration that can be shared with friends and family.
• Its a Movie Theater: A 7-inch brilliant 1080p display lets children watch their favorite TV shows and movies at home or on-the-go.
• Its a Library: 30 pre-loaded e-Books make stories come to life and encourage children of all ages to read.
• It’s a Game Console: Tilt-sensor controls and a Multi-Touch display puts children in control of their favorite games such as Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja and Need for Speed.

A  Toys “R” Us exclusive, the Nabi is compact and lightweight, easy for small hands to hold.  It will be available on December 1, 2011, but you can pre-order one now!  Compared to the adult alternatives, it is very reasonably priced at $199.99.

Plus, it has a “Mommy Mode” which allows adults (Dad’s included) to tap a button, enter a password and you can enjoy a full-featured Android tablet to browse the Web and use favorite apps and games.  Now we might be grabbing our kid’s tablet!

Keeping Military Families Connected

On November 5, Sesame Street and The Electric Company unveiled a new collection of resources for military families.  Produced by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street and The Electric Company, these innovative resources are designed to military families stay connected and communicate during times of tremendous change and uncertainty.

Provided in cooperation with the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, these new resources include:

• FamiliesNearAndFar.org – a free bilingual website designed for military families
• Feel Electric! – a free mobile app, available on the App Store, that encourages children to explore and express their emotions
• The Electric Company Magazine Special Edition for Military Families
• The Electric Company Extended Learning Program – afterschool tools for educators, filled with literacy and math-based lesson plans, games, activities and tips.

While Sesame Street is generally associated with toddlers and preschool age children, there are also resources designed for school-age children.  They recognize that school-age kids need support in handling the challenges of being part of a military family, especially the added stress of having a parent deployed.  The Electric Company  is giving these older kids a way to express themselves.  Using the website, children (young and old) can create art, make a video, record an audio message, create a greeting card and customize a family page, including adding Sesame Street characters as friends.

Content will be distributed through multiple military channels, including Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA), Boys and Girls Club of America and other programs that support military families.  CompuChild will also promote the initiative to its centers, parents and students.

Extra Thank You to Veterans

In honor of Veterans Day, CompuChild is thanking veterans by offering an additional incentive to  to all honorably-discharged veterans and reservists.  CompuChild honors military veterans all year round by offering service members a discount of 20% off the initial franchise fee, allowing veterans to use their training and operational skills in a new civilian career.  To celebrate Veterans Day 2011, CompuChild is also offering a special upgraded equipment package at no charge to the next three veterans to sign a franchise agreement before March 31^st, 2012.

Because of CompuChild’s commitment to veterans, CompuChild has been ranked in the top 10 percent of all franchises nationwide and named a 2011 Military Friendly Franchise^® by G.I. Jobs Magazine. CompuChild also recognizes the importance of family, especially critical for military personnel.  Therefore, CompuChild extends its Military Benefit Program to the spouses of all honorably-discharge veterans, reservists and active duty service personnel.  “We have several military spouses operating a CompuChild franchise. ” said Julie Standish, President of CompuChild.   “Additionally, our Corporate Trainer is married to a Marine who is currently serving in Afghanistan.  We greatly respect the sacrifices of our nation’s veterans and their families.”

The respect goes both ways.  According to Mark Fey, Air Force Veteran and CompuChild franchisee from West Des Moines, Iowa, “The support we receive from our corporate office is outstanding.  I couldn’t be happier with the organization.  The company is very attentive to our needs as franchise owners.  Julie (Standish) and her staff continually implement or revise new lesson plans, products, etc. that make our program stronger.  Although the company and other franchise owners are very supportive, I know that ultimately the success of my business rests on my shoulders.”

“The Military Friendly Franchises^® list was created three years ago out of demand from military veterans, many of whom want to start or own their own business but are unclear where to begin,” said Sean Collins, director for G.I. Jobs.  “Being selected as a Military Friendly Franchise places CompuChild in this elite group, and is testimony to CompuChild’s world class programs and policies that support military veterans interested franchise opportunities”.

Thank you veterans.  Wishing all of you a wonderful Veterans Day!

Online Halloween Happenings for Kids

Looking for some online activities for the kids this Halloween.  Learn about pumpkin patches, make Halloween crafts, play some games with a Halloween twist, or create an eCard using pictures of the kids.  Check out a few of our favorites through the links below.

1. Learn about Pumpkins
2. Halloween Crafts
3. PBS Halloween Online Games
4. More Online Games and Activities
5. Create a Halloween eCard

Keep your children safe and let the kids have fun!

Sesame Street 2.0

This week, Sesame Street, a perennial favorite of parents, children and their care givers, launched their 42nd season with a new twist.  Elmo, Grover, Big Bird and friends on Sesame Street will know be learning about 21st century skills.  The show will focus on a STEM curriculum.  STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.  It is buzz word that educators and even President Obama use in an effort to bring awareness to these specific subjects where  U.S. students are falling behind their peers in other countries. animations.  While much of the focus on STEM education has been directed at older children, Sesame Street is bringing awareness to younger children.

“Sesame Street’s curriculum fosters children’s natural inclinations to ask questions and encourages investigation and experimentation in order to make new discoveries,” adds Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Vice President of Education and Research, Sesame Workshop.  “By approaching STEM education as an integrated discipline through the process of scientific inquiry, rather than individual domains, the curriculum helps children develop a better understanding of how things work, and builds stronger cognitive reasoning, critical thinking and problem solving skills.”

According to the Sesame Street Workshop, producers of the the show, Season 42 of Sesame Street also introduces a new interstitial featuring the excitable, inquisitive and furry orange monster, Murray. In 11 new segments airing at the beginning of each STEM-related show, Murray poses a scientific question and sets up an experiment to find the best answer to his question. With help from some friends, Murray observes, investigates and discovers the answers to his questions! “Murray’s Science Experiments” furthers the season’s STEM curriculum focus and helps preschoolers say, “Let’s find out!”

With the focus on STEM education, the show will have a brand new segment “Murray’s Science Experiments;” new “Super Grover 2.0” stories and new “Abby’s Flying Fairy School.”  We are very excited to see more focus given to these disciplines.  Since 1994, CompuChild has been a supporter of technology education for young children and we are thrilled that others see the benefit as well.  What do you think of the changes to Sesame Street?

Websites to Visit with Your Child

Here are some more fun and educational websites for you to visit with your children.

http://funschool.kaboose.com/preschool The “Preschool” Arcade is full of fun games for kids.  Plus coloring pages to print.

www.learningplanet.com Wonderful education site helps children learn about numbers, colors, letters, clocks and more.

www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/tikkabilla/ We especially like the Emotion Theatre game that helps children identify emotions.

http://disney.go.com/disneyjunior A perennial favorite for parents and kids.  Enjoy your favorite Disney television characters while playing games, coloring, watching videos and listening to music.

www.abcya.com While the site is designed for elementary students, some preschoolers will enjoy the kindergarten games.

www.lil-fingers.com Lil’ Fingers is a storybook site for toddlers with educational games, storybooks and printable coloring pages.   Designed with bright colors & big buttons for little fingers.

Tell us your favorites!

Cool Websites for Children in Preschool

I was recently asked for some of my favorite websites for preschool age children.  What are your favorites?  Here is just the start of mine.  Check back soon for a list of more websites.

www.pbskids.org A perennial favorite for parents and kids.  Enjoy your favorite television characters while playing games, coloring, videos and music.

www.sesamestreet.org Learn fun facts about Big Bird, Elmo and all the Sesame Street characters.  Play games, watch videos, and find crafts to do with your child.

www.activitytv.com Lots of great ideas for crafts, family gifts, jewelry, puppets, cooking and so much more.  Videos and written directions make learning easy for kids and parents.  Plus, different skill levels to choose from.

www.starfall.com This is a great educational site that kids enjoy too.  Comes highly recommended by educators and parents.

www.seussville.com Enjoy the writing and illustrations from these classic favorites.  This site includes interactive games, contests, and information on Dr. Seuss and his works.

www.thekidzpage.com Explore free printable & online kids games, activities, puzzles, clip art, coloring pages and online coloring.

www.fisher-price.com Online games and activities for preschoolers, toddlers and infants.  Plus find an Age-by-Age Playtime Guide, Play Tips, Parenting Help, and of course, you can check out their toys.

www.kidsholidaycrafts.com Find fun and easy craft projects, puzzles, coloring pages, etc. for many holidays or seasons.

www.professorgarfield.org Listen to music, learn to draw Garfield, read a book or build a cartoon.

www.nickjr.com Games, activities, videos, recipes and printables with all your Nick Jr. friends.

We would love to hear from you about your favorite sites for young children.  Post a comment below.

Do you dream of owning a business?

I work with entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs everyday.  While it is exciting to dream of owning your own business, most people never leave the dreaming stage.  To go from dreamer to owner, it takes time, resources and self-confidence.

To be successful with any business, you need to invest time in the beginning.  Even before you buy, the work begins.  Do your homework, complete your due diligence and be confident to move forward. To help you get started right, there are many great resources available to assist you.  Many are even FREE or low cost.  Here are a few of my favorites:

The U.S. Small Business Administration provides many great resources and checklists to help you start, finance and run your small business.

Another great resource that is often overlooked is Service Corps of Retired Executives, better known as SCORE.  It is a national, government funded program that provides free advice and support from thousands of experienced, successful businesspeople to aspiring and current small-business owners.

Supported by the SBA, Small Business Development Centers provide no-cost business consulting and low-cost training.  There are approximately 1,000 service centers throughout the U.S. to give you guidance on writing business plans, accessing capital, marketing, regulatory compliance, international trade and more.  There are also centers dedicating to helping women-owned businesses. One of our newer franchisees successfully worked with her local center.  After completion of a business plan and few meetings with the agency, she obtained a low-interest rate loan to start her CompuChild business.

You can either continue to dream about owning a business or you can own a business.  When you are serious about buying, take time to conduct your research and utilize the resources available to you.

Child Services Franchise Report

Are you interested in opening a business working with children?  Then you have to check out a recent report from Franchise Business Review.  They provide great insight into the industry and include a list of Top 10 Child-Related Franchises based on franchisee satisfaction.

Yes, you heard correct…franchisee satisfaction.  They actually surveyed 10,235 franchisees—752 from the child services sector—representing more than 300 brands.   Input from existing franchisees plays a significant role in FBR’s research.  What a great way to learn about the child services industry!

CompuChild is proud to be named to the Top 10 Child-Related Franchises list for 2011.  Check out the report and learn more about the industry.  If you are interested in a top rated child services franchise, give CompuChild a call.  1-800-619-KIDS

Technology Education Expanding in Oklahoma

We are pleased to announce Raylene and Dustin Hynes from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma have joined the CompuChild franchise system.  With their addition, CompuChild now provides age-appropriate computer instruction for young children in 29 states.

Both Raylene and Dustin have extensive backgrounds in education.  Dustin is a computer teacher and coach for the Broken Arrow Public Schools.  Raylene has also taught in the Broken Arrow Public Schools, as well as Union, Peckham and Skiatook school districts.

Raylene and Dustin are currently adding Tulsa area child care centers and schools to their schedule.  Affordable classes are conducted in childcare centers and preschools on a regular basis to provide children with a structured progressive curriculum in technology education while utilizing educational software.  In fun and fast-paced classes, children learn about computers in an environment that emphasizes collaboration and cooperation.

For more information about this educational and fun enrichment program, child care centers, school directors and parents in Tulsa County may call 918-251-9697 or send an email to rhynes@compuchild.com.