Playroom July 30 2012

BonBon Break

CHOOSING QUALITY CHILDREN’S MEDIA :::  Angela’s Clues

BlogHer '12
I’ve made it my mission to create “hit” shows for children that are truly high quality and educational. In all of my shows, I’ve researched and created them with a vision and a curriculum to teach…kindergarten readiness skills for Blue’s Clues, reading skills for Super Why and socio emotional skills for the new Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.  Now, I’m happy that it’s important to parents that they know how to navigate the slew of content that’s out there and what it is that they should look for.

The truth is that just because a show or an app says it is “educational” doesn’t mean that it is.

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About Angela: Angela has been changing the way children watch TV for over 15 years. She is a Founding Partner & Chief Creative Officer of Out of the Blue Enterprises LLC, overseeing all creative development with the vision to bring educational entertainment to a whole new level.

Angela Santomero is the Lead Creator, Executive Producer and Head Writer for Nick Jr.’s landmark preschool show Blue’s Clues. Malcolm Gladwell referred to it as “One of the stickiest TV shows EVER made” in his book, The Tipping Point. Her ability to integrate education, entertainment & active participation helped make Blue’s Clues a breakthrough program. Currently, Angela is the Creator, Executive Producer & Head Writer of the emmy-nominated and #1 ranked preschool show, Super Why!, which helps build literacy skills through fractured fairytales & interactive games. She will be unveiling her latest, (the Mister Rogers’ spin off) Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood in Sept 2012. She presently hosts PBS’ The Parent Show at PBSparents.org.

Angela is a Peabody Award Winner for Outstanding Children’s Programming, a Gold & Silver Parents Choice Awards recipient & has been nominated for over 35 Emmy Awards. Her blog, AngelasClues.com, approaches Parenting from her vantage point as a successful childrens’ media creator, to assist parents with the most important job of all!

For more information on parenting, kids & media, join Angela over on her blog at or via TwitterFacebook or Pinterest.

 5 ALTERNATIVES TO “TIME OUT” ::: Carrots are Orange 

We’ve all been “there”. Our child is spiraling out of our control. Then we must discipline. My husband and I want to be positive but I find constantly seeking the “yes” challenging. So I have to practice every day. I started to make lists of tips for myself as gentle reminders. One such list includes “alternatives to the ‘time out’. You see, before I had children, I witnessed the brilliance of my friends who executed the “time out”. Force the child to sit alone, think about his misdeed, calm down, and join us again. Easy. Then I had children. I tried time outs. My gut told me there had to be a better way.

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About Marnie: Marnie writes Carrots Are Orange, a blog she started in 2010 after the birth of her first son. She hails from Maine, a wonderfully down to earth place to grow up. Marnie moved to the west coast in 1999, currently living in Seattle with her husband and two young boys. She is pursuing Montessori certification. Marnie can be found on Facebook , Twitter, Pinterest,  and Google +.

THE ART OF WORK: MAKING WORK INTO PLAY: 5 IDEAS ::: WordPlayHouse

Left to themselves, children will find ways on their own to engage their creative minds. They do not really need instruction books with project ideas or patterns. Young ones can figure out creative fun on their own. Even while doing work. Making Work Into Play shares 5 ideas how you can encourage independent creative play in children—free ideas that may just have you finding yourself with an eager helper at chore time, while you encourage your child’s creative self-reliance in occupying themselves at play. Yes, making work into play will bring so much joy to your child—and to you.

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About Heather: Heather Cahoon is a mother of more than a few children, and a bestselling children’s book illustrator and author, who treasures slow, under-scheduled days. Each week she shares creative, natural play inspiration, outdoor family activities, and wholesome recipes for children on wordplayhouse.com . And, you can find her handmade designs at you-make-do-shop.com.

Follow Heather on Facebook,  Pinterest or subscribe to her site.

DEEP BLUE SEA BIN ::: Happy  Hooligans

When temperatures are on the rise, one of my favourite activities to set up is a water bin. Putting together something as simple and beautiful as our Ocean Bin is as easy as collecting a few items from around your home and garden, and placing them in a clear storage bin filled with coloured water. You can make your bin as basic or as ornate as you like. Either way, it’s such an easy activity to pull together. The Hooligans played with this one for hours, and we switched up the contents every day, adding different toys and items found around our home. A water bin is a wonderful way to keep your children cool while encouraging imaginative play. And I have to admit, I enjoy creating these bins as much as the children enjoy playing with them.

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About Jackie: I’m a Mom of two boys, and a Home Daycare Provider to an amazing bunch of little people I lovingly refer to as the Hooligans. At my daycare we’re all about simple but creative play, and spending time in the great-outdoors. My passion is dreaming up crafts and activities that will keep the Hooligans learning, laughing and exploring their world through good, old-fashioned play.

Follow Jackie on FacebookRSS and Pinterest.

THE CARROT SEED – A SEED FOR LEARNING ::: Mamma Pea Pod

Books are wonderful tools for learning, don’t you think? It’s truly amazing how much learning can come from reading a book! In this post, my daughter and I read The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss. From that ‘seed’ grew learning of all kinds – we learned about the parts of a plant and about how food grows and is harvested and prepared; we learned some kitchen skills and early literacy skills; and we engaged in some dramatic play and developed problem-solving skills on a treasure hunt!

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About Jane: My name is Jane, and I am mother to Princess Pea, age 5, and Sweet Pea, age 2. I am a mother, a teacher, and an endorser of play time! Children grow up so quickly, so I’m trying to savour these precious moments with my little peas by playing, creating, and getting outdoors with them – while they’re still small enough to want to spend this time with me. We invite you to come join us in our creative play times, and to share your own outdoor playtimes at our Outdoor Play Parties! You can find us at Mama Pea Pod , or follow along on Facebook, on Twitter, on Pinterest, or on Google+.