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.

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.

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.

U.S. Military Promoting Education in Afghanistan

As our nation celebrates Memorial Day, we remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country.  We are also reminded of the men and women currently serving.  While they are protecting us and promoting freedom around the globe, they are also improving lives through education.

In Afghanistan, three decades of war has left the Afghan people with huge gaps in education.  According to the Afghan Literacy Foundation, eighty five percent of the population has less than an elementary school education.  Many schools have either been inadequate or nonexistent.

Our nation recognizes the value of education and our military is working hard to promote education for Afghan boys and girls.  Service members from the U.S. Marine Corps, Danish Army, British Army and the Afghan National Army are assisting local Afghans by building schools.  The schools are being built in many districts throughout Afghanistan in hopes that many children will receive an education, especially teaching boys as well as girls to read.  Since Afghan culture forbids the boys and girls to attend school together, the boys attend during the morning while the girls attend in afternoons.

Besides a shared passion to promote education and the well-being of children, CompuChild (a 2011 Military Friendly Franchise) takes a special interest in this mission in Afghanistan.  While CompuChild has always strived to support our country’s military, one of our director’s husband has taken it a step beyond our borders.  David Lucero of South Carolina is currently deployed in Afghanistan with the US Marine Corps.  He is the CMO Effects & Education Officer, 2^nd Marine Division.   Basically, David is working with the Civil Affairs unit of the Marine Corps which is providing support to the Afghan people in efforts to improve Afghan quality of living.  The coalition is working to improve township infrastructure, training in small business, agriculture and the education of Afghan children.  The coalition meets with the leaders of the townships, assesses their needs in these areas and supports the people with direction as well as funding.

We applaud the work of our military in their efforts to improve the lives of young children and promote literacy in Afghanistan.  Special thanks to David and Beryl Lucero for their efforts as well as their assistance with this post.  Keep up the great work.

Click on link to learn more about CompuChild’s Military Benefit Program.  Click on link to see the full list of 2011 Military Friendly Franchises.

CompuChild Celebrates the Week of the Young Child

The Week of the Young Child is a time to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families.   Community groups and businesses throughout the country are celebrating in different ways from hosting events for children and parents to honoring those that work with young children.  This week CompuChild reaffirms our commitment to young children and all those who make a difference in children’s lives.  CompuChild is recognizing Ms. Deena Weitzel from Newtown, Pennsylvania, as Instructor of the Year.

Weitzel teaches technology enrichment classes to students in the Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  She currently works in four area day care centers and preschools.  Those close to Deena can see how much she loves working with children and wants to make sure that they have fun and learn at the same time.  She has a lot of patience and knows how to get them to focus on the lesson at hand.  In addition to her skills in the classroom, she is also a wonderful employee.  This combination makes her CompuChild’s 2011 Instructor of the Year.

In recognition of her achievement, CompuChild USA will make a donation to Shriners Hospitals for Children, a non-profit organization selected by Weitzel.  Shriners Hospitals for Children provides the high quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special healthcare needs.

The Week of the Young Child is about celebrating children and bringing awareness to children’s needs.  We are excited to recognize Weitzel’s commitment to children and glad she selected a children’s charity that has helped so many children in need.

Robotics Workshop Success in Muncie, Indiana

You could feel the excitement in the air as young children from Muncie attended a recent CompuChild robotics workshop at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts.  While the children “played” with LEGO bricks and programmed robots, they were actually learning about science, technology, engineering and math.

Sarah Anderson, Cornerstone’s education assistant, was impressed with creativity involved in the projects offered during the workshop.  She was also pleased with the community’s interest in CompuChild’s program.  Originally, there was only one workshop scheduled for the day, but adjustments were made after so many parents started enrolling their kids.  Due to the strong demand, two more sessions were added to the first weekend.

Ann Arwood, CompuChild franchisee for East Central Indiana, was pleased with success of the first workshop.  She will be holding another robotics workshop this Saturday at Cornerstone.  This workshop will focus on young children, ages 3 – kindergarten.  Visit Cornerstone’s website to enroll.

Kids will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize how much they are learning.