Crayola Lights, Camera, Color: Turn Pics Into Coloring Pages

At the Time to Play holiday showcase in October, one product stood out in the crowd. Now that I’ve had the chance to test it out personally, I can verify Crayola’s Lights, Camera, Color which turns your photos into coloring pages is about as cool as it gets. You may have already seen the moniker on specially marked packages of Crayola Crayons which offers a free one day pass to create as many coloring pages as you’d like. Log onto Crayola Kids Zone with your code and turn your last vacation or family members into coloring pages for the kids. With the ability to add graphics and more to the page in the form of body parts or “gizmos,” your creation will be a truly one of a kind coloring page. We turned my sister, mother and other family members into hours of fun which you’ll have a blast with too…I guarantee it.

Thank you My Blog Spark for providing a Crayola Crayon Tower for the purposes of reviewing Lights, Camera, Color.

Cool Baby Kid exclusive code alert. Use a special one day code PRT77F3S to try out Lights, Camera, Action and look for specially marked packages for your own access code once you’re addicted!





Castle Knights by HABA: Construction Game Fit for a King

We had so much fun playing Castle Knights and are excited to share this find with you. This is such a great game for kids (over 3) through adults. The concept of the game is to work together to build a castle before the king arrives using teamwork and team spirit to make it happen. This game also builds coordination of the eyes and hands and the ability to visualize in three dimensions. Castle Knights is beautifully constructed of wooden blocks, cards and a strong gameboard and definitely passed the test in our house. A great gift for the holidays for those gamers in your life or if you you are looking for some fun in your own home. Pick it up; you won’t be disappointed.

Written by Tina, Cool Baby Kid Contributor

Cool Giveaway: Enter to win a Castle Knights game by visiting Maukilo.com and commenting back here with your favorite HABA item.

Extra Entries: Find out how to earn an unlimited number of entries and read the contest rules and disclaimer including how to subscribe for winner notification. Ends 12/16/09.

Looking for even more giveaways? We’ve got you covered…


Go Play City Sports for Wii: Back to Basics Baby

Our kids like the Wii…mom and dad love it. The game of the month is Go Play City Sports for Wii by Majesco which lets users compete to be the best. Among fire hydrants, cars and other street hazards, you’re customizable kid can accept invitations to play virtual classic street games such as kickball, street hockey, handball, stickball, soccer, or jump rope. Not feeling in the mood? You can pass and go along your merry way until someone sparks you’re interest. Choose head-to-head or play as a team with up to four other players in games which evoke childhood memories for those of us who remember what is was like to play on the street without worry. Oh…the kids think the game is great too. We hosted a dinner party and our friends’ 8 and 11 year old got as much a kick out of Go Play City Sports as we did.


ESRB Rating: Everyone CBK Rating: Awesome

Cool Tip: There are two other Go Play games from Majesco Entertainment in the Go Play line, Go Play Lumberjacks and Go Play Circus Star.



ResponsiBuilders: Teach Kids Responsiblity {Giveaway}

ResponsiBuilders chore game may be the best $25 you’ll spend on your kids. For the cost of a few movie tickets or one DVD you can easily teach your youngsters and even toddlers how to be responsible. As an 8th grade teacher our team motto is “Respect & Responsibility.” We feel these are two important values for young adolescents to learn. Teaching responsibility is extremely difficult, however, unless it has been fostered much earlier than13 years of age. And the best method for teaching kids responsibility is by making it fun. Luckily an inventive mom created a unique way to meet the challenge of making a 3three year old understand his or her role in the household with a game called ResponsiBuilders. A cost-effective, brightly illustrated set of cards are at the cornerstone of the game. Some examples of chores in the 50 card deck are:
  • “The rugs are full of dirt and crumbs. Please take them out and shake them some.”
  • “Oh I wish, wish, wish to help with the dishes, dishes, dishes!”
  • “Oh my! Oh dear! The trash must go out and the garbage disappear!”
Depending on the age level, the game can be played as intended by having kids choose cards and place them in an optional fabric organizer making it a visual depiction that the chore is either on the “To Do” list or “Done” category. With a one and a half year old who enjoys plucking the cards from any column and tossing them on the floor, we modified the game by giving her a choice of two cards, placing it on the refrigerator as a reminder and then putting it away when the task is complete. The pictures are an easy, fun way to explain the duty to young children: “See the plant. We have a plant just like it over here. Your job today is to water the plant.” The best part of ResponsiBuilders…it works! The game has become an integral part of our routine and before long we hope our younger son will be in one the action and helping with chores rather than creating new ones.

Cool Giveaway: Enter to win one of two sets of ResponsiBuilders by visiting their site and commenting back here with one thing you learned not mentioned in this post.

Extra Entries: Earn extra entries and read the contest rules including how to subscribe for winner notification. US Only. Ends 11/3/09.






Celebrate National Play-Doh Day with Miss Brittany

Did you know one of our most beloved childhood toys has its own holiday? Invented in 1955 in Ohio for a school teacher to use with her children, Play-Doh has since become a favorite among children. And to commemorate National Play-Doh Day we wanted to share one company who not only created a safe, organic Fun Dough product but also an adorable package which epitomizes “going green.” Miss Brittany’s Preschool Organic Fun Dough receives CBK “As Seen In” status for being featured on NBC as a safe, fun activity for kids. My 3 year old and I used the “Tips from the Teacher” in Miss Brittany’s site and played tea, filling cups with dough and making mini-cookies too. I also read a Play Doh tip online about making a snake and snake food, having it gobble up the bits of dough getting bigger and biggers as it goes along. That was fun too. Overall, as my daughter 1st experience with Play Doh, we had a blast and she didn’t even eat one bite. Though since Miss Brittany’s dough is non-toxic a little bit would have been OK to accidentally ingest. Packaged with a roller shape presses, it makes a perfect gift and has even been included in our multi-blog Double Duty Diva gift guide for the holidays!


Cool Tip: Follow Miss Brittany on Twitter and Facebook for more fun.


Webkinz Jr. Pets & Interactive Educational Website

Webkinz have always been a hit around our house with our daughter who’s almost 9. She loves the stuffed animals and loves to play on their website even more. As any mother of more than one child you know how the younger kids watch the big kids play and they get upset because they want to play too but they’re just too young. However, that’s all changed with the Webkinz Jr. Now your younger kids can have their own cuddly plush toy AND play on a safe website designed just for their age group. Their adorable animal plush comes to life online where they’ll be able to feed their animal, “cook” for them, help them brush their teeth, and play with them.

The Webkinz Jr. site is easy to navigate and the games are age-appropriate. Directions for the games are explained by happy and engaging characters so no reading skills are required. Something I really love is that the games, which teach math, shapes, colors, and more, allow extra chances to guess correctly until the right answer is chosen giving positive reinforcement along the way. Through playing the games your children can earn what’s called Kinz coins. Kinz coins are a fun “reward” allowing your children to “buy” online items for their Webkinz pet. My son likes to buy his purple monkey lots and lots of food and loves putting his monkey to bed. Like his sister he’s now a HUGE Webkinz Jr. fan and so am I.

Reviewed by Miranda, Keeper of the Cheerios


Smart Tip:
Purchase Webkinz Jr. with eStore points directly from Ganz.






Putumayo Kids Music: Our Daily Trip Around the World

As I head back to school this week to teach Language Arts to 8th graders, I’m excited to re-connect with Putumayo Kids, a Cool Baby Kid all-time favorite. While their new CD, Picnic Playground, is a perfect companion to daily dance parties with our 1.5 and 3 year old children, the Putumayo Kids teacher tools remind me of resources I can incorporate into the classroom as well. According to their site, “Putumayo Kids produces music that entertains, educates and inspires cultural curiosity,” and I could not agree more. Since discovering Putumayo Kids, it has become an almost daily part of our lives since we love to dance! Picnic Playground doesn’t disappoint. Taking us around the world, from the USA to Europe and beyond, songs like our favorites Ice Cream by Asheba (Trinidad) and Pomodoro by Bomba (Australia) offers upbeat tunes for dancing while expanding our cultural horizons at the same time.


Originally intended as designated pool music for the kids, we we ended up listening to Caribbean Playground, a CD celebrating Caribbean culture, at our “adult” pool parties too beacuse of its unique ability to appeal simultaneously to kids and parents alike. One of the only companies to be listed as a “What We Love Right Now” in addition to being a CBK *Top Pick* as well as an “Editor’s Top 10 Favorites.” Do we love Putumayo Kids? You bet.

Smart Tip: For a fun island sound listen to Jamaica Farewell (Jamaica) by Desmond Dekke fun island sound and Tambou Dan Tche Nou (Martinique)by Kali for a fast, hip shaking dance tune. Preview Putumayo Kids children’s music on their website.
Cool Giveaway: Enter to win one of two copies of Putumayo Kid’s Picnic Playground by visiting their site and commenting back here after previewing any song from the Picnic Playground CD. Click here to read the contest rules and find out how to increase your chances of winning. Ends 9/15/09.

Jump Start Pet Rescue: Wii Game for Preschoolers

I was first introduced to Jump Start when reviewing their interactive, educational website on Smart Baby Kid. And since “the kids” received a Wii for Christmas, we were able to try out the new Jump Start Rescue Wii game. Rated “Early Childhood” and designed for pre-schoolers, it is the first game our 3 year old could play herself. And while I did navigate for her at times, she pressed the buttons and helped make choices about what to wear, which roof to put on her house and other interactive decisions as we move through various worlds in search of lost pets. Bottom line? We love it! Earning storybooks which are read aloud, your character can ride on a submarine, slide down a water slide (her favorite activity) or care for their rescued pets. Videos of favorite songs such as “If You’re Happy and You Know It” are incorporated into the game making it truly interactive. You can see how this educational Wii game for preschoolers works by clicking on the play button on the Jump Start website.

For example, in one screen users can decorate their own house, choosing the fence, windows and doors (pictured). In the jungle scene the kids love traversing the zipline as well as canoeing and kayaking. Jump Start Pet Rescue is a new favorite interactive and education activity in our house earning it a *Top Pick* designation!


Purchase Jump Start Pet Rescue at any of these retailers listed.

Enter to win one of 25 copies of Pet Rescue by sharing a tip on how you get your kids to do what’s best on their site (not Cool Baby Kid).

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