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!

Celebrate Spring With The New Pajanimals Games & Puzzles Giveaway (US & Canada)

We just recently hosted a review and giveaway for the newest Pajanimals DVD, Playdate, which the kids absolutely loved. Not only do they have a new DVD out, but they just released some awesome games and puzzles, too, and we want to tell you all about them!

·       My Growth Chart Puzzle: ($14.99 SRP): Build your own puzzle and measure away, marking your height as you grow.  The Growth Puzzle chart includes 17 sturdy self-correcting puzzle pieces and teaches numbers, counting and easy math principals.  Ages: 3+

·My First ABC Floor Puzzle” ($14.99 SRP): ABC Floor Puzzle includes 27 jumbo self-correcting puzzle pieces to form a 6 ft. long puzzle that teaches ABC’s, matching words and visual recognition. Ages: 3+

·My First Adventure Game ($14.99 SRP):  Follow the path by matching objects and reach finish in this “path” board game designed for toddlers. Featuring two play patterns for extended play, the game develops visual discrimination, sequencing, hand-eye coordination and language skills. Ages 3+

·My First Word Game ($14.99 SRP):  Match the picture tiles and find the objects in the illustration with this matching game for toddlers with two playing levels. The game, featuring 6 double-sides playing boards, 18 picture tiles and a parent guide,develops visual discrimination, early learning word skills and hand-eye coordination. Ages 3+

Don't all of these look fun? I love that they are not only fun for kids, but educational. I wish all products were like this.

How would you like to WIN one of these awesome items?

One Lucky Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Win One of The New Pajanimals Games or Puzzles!! 

Pajanimals Play Date DVD Review & Giveaway (US & Canada)

Finding a show that is interesting and fun for both Liam and Josiah is near impossible. However, we caught a few episodes of Jim Henson's  Pajanimals on Sprout® and it was an absolute hit! This is why I was so excited to receive the newest Pajanimals DVD, Play Date, to review with the kids.

Of course, as soon as we received the DVD, the kids had to watch it. If you haven't watched Pajanimals with your kids before, this is a must! The Pajanimals consist of the awesome puppet characters Cowbella, Apollo, Sweetpea Sue and Squacky. They use their imagination, go on adventures and sing songs as they go along.

Pajanimals Play Date DVD includes 5 stories:

• I'm Sorry, Really Sorry
• A Colorful Problem
• Game Day
• The Rocket Ride
• Share Day

Pajanimals Play Date DVD, for ages 0-6, is available from NCircle Entertainment and retail value is at $9.99. You can also purchase on Amazon.com for only $8.99.

Our Thoughts

We stumbled across Pajanimals within the past few months and we didn't come across it much on tv, so it's great to now have a DVD we can watch anytime. I popped it in when the boys were settling down for bedtime and they immediately snuggled into bed to watch. My oldest is 5 years old and he was thinking he was too big for such a show, but the next night he was asking to watch it again! Obviously, he loved the Play Date DVD and can't get enough of it. I never thought we would find a show that is actually appropriate for bedtime and helps kids wind down and get ready for sleep, but Panjanimals is the show! We've probably watched it five times since it came in the mail two weeks ago!

Watching the Pajanimals with the boys, I had to give the puppets some credit for being educational and fun. I love that the show is not only creative, but includes life lessons in a way children can understand and helps them understand how to deal with those situations. Sharing is something my boys are really working on, so Share Day was an episode I really enjoyed. It's great that the puppets present such lessons in a way that makes kids also want to share or apologize or say thank you. These are things even young children can grasp and, as they grow older, they can come to appreciate these ideas.

In addition to DVDs and episodes on television there are some great free activities and games available on the Sprout website. There is also a Pajanimals App, letting children "join in the fun with their favorite Pajanimals characters". The 3D app will extend the reach of the TV series onto iPhone, iPad and iPod touch! Be sure to check it all out! If your child is too grown up for the Play Date DVD or any others you may have, then help the environment by recycling them at musicMagpie.

Giveaway Time!

One Lucky Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Receive A Jim Henson's Pajanimals Play Date DVD! 

Just use the Giveaway Tools form below to enter! This giveaway is open to US & Canadian Residents, ages 18+ and ends on Wednesday, March 13th at 11:59pm. Good Luck!