Celebrate The Week of the Young Child & Pajanimals Boxed Set of Three DVDs Giveaway

Every year, the National Association for the Education of Young Children sponsors and celebrates the Week of the Young Child™ (April 14 – 20), which recognizes that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life. The theme this year is “Early Years Are Learning Years.” 

According to the NAEYC site:  “Today we know more than ever before about the importance of children's earliest years in shaping their learning and development. Yet, never before have the needs of young children and their families been more pressing. The Week of the Young Child™ is a time to recognize that children's opportunities are our responsibilities, and to recommit ourselves to ensuring that each and every child experiences the type of early environment—at home, at child care, at school, and in the community—that will promote their early learning.”

It's Giveaway Time!

To help celebrate The Week of the Young Child, The Jim Henson Company along with NCircle Entertainment are giving away a Pajanimals DVD Gift Set that includes all three Pajanimals DVDs, including:

Good Night Pajanimals

Meet the Pajanimals

Pajanimals Playdate!

Dinosaur Train Submarine Adventures DVD Review & Giveaway *5 Winners*

PBS Kids has just released a new feature from the popular Dinosaur Train series entitled "Submarine Adventures!" It is now available for purchase and is actually on sale on Amazon.com for $7.83.The video run time is about 50 minutes and includes some extra bonus features like dinosaur facts and coloring pages to print from your PC.

Since I'm already familiar with a lot of great programs on PBS Kids that support literacy, math and science, I was very eager to check out this new DVD in the Dinosaur Train series. The story line is very simple and appealing: Buddy and his family of fellow Pteranodons get a chance to visit their underwater friends and learn some fascinating facts about undersea creatures when they take a ride on the amazing Dinosaur Train Submarine. Four different stories highlight some of the most exciting creatures that roamed the seas during the "Age of Dinosaurs."

Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train characters are cute and likable and graphics are simply stunning. My little ones were literally riveted to the screen for the entire feature. As parents, my husband and I appreciated that there wasn't any loud or obnoxious rap or rock and roll music. The Dinosaur Train theme is catchy and upbeat; we were all singing along within minutes.

Although marketed for preschoolers and young children, I have to say that all my children loved this DVD. And after viewing it twice, I wanted to see if the older ones had learned anything. Turns out, the two oldest (ages 8 and 9) had some interesting facts to share with me. Catherine explained how turtles lay eggs on the beach and then leave them to hatch. The tiny babies crawl back to sea all on their own! Joseph told me how much bigger prehistoric animals were compared to modern-day creatures like turtles and lizards. He had especially enjoyed the bonus segment where a real paleontologist talks about some of his favorite prehistoric water creatures and compares them to modern animals.

If your children love dinosaurs or the sea or just colorful and engaging stories, they will truly enjoy this DVD! You can view full episodes and clips from Submarine Adventure using the PBS Kids Video Player and the PBS Kids Video App.

You can connect with PBS Kids on Facebook and Twitter.

Ready For a Giveaway? 

5 Lucky Winners Will Receive the Dinosaur Trail Submarine Adventures DVD!