GeekGirlCon in Seattle, WA, sold out again this year! GeekGirlCon might have a reputation as one of the year’s most relaxed and family-friendly conventions, but that doesn’t mean that cosplayers don’t bring their A game.
Here’s a gallery of some of the best costumes on display on Saturday, October 10, at GeekGirlCon 2015.
Click to view slideshow.
All Photos: Kelly Knox
Having your friends over to play video games isn’t a new idea. If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, you probably had some buddies over to check out the rad new Super Mario World or Sonic the Hedgehog. But “playing games together” back then was more your friends staring at the screen while you play, instead of playing together.
Thanks to the attention spent to co-op play in games like the upcoming Wii U title Yoshi’s Woolly World, video games now are more social than ever! Plan a perfect video game playdate for rainy day fun with the help of these six tips and Yoshi’s Woolly World.
Choose a game that emphasizes cooperation over competition. Of course you know your kids the best, so if you know they can have a drama-free afternoon of Super Smash Bros. with their pals, there’s nothing at all wrong with that. But if you’re inviting over new friends or kids who don’t play a lot of games, co-op games like Super Mario 3D World or Yoshi’s Woolly World are both good choices.
Yoshi’s Woolly World is a platformer in one of the most adorable settings ever in a video game. (Have you ever wanted to snuggle a video game? You will when you see Woolly World.) Don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s an easy game, though. In co-op mode, players have to work together to make it through the level.
Play the game before the kids arrive in case they need some tips. For example, the controls for Yoshi’s Woolly World are similar to other Yoshi games, but anyone who takes a turn might need a refresher on what button does what.
Set up time limits for the GamePad and taking turns before starting the game. It might just be my daughter and her friends, but the GamePad is a hot commodity around here. Be clear about how long a turn will last, and who gets to hold the prized GamePad for their turn.
Yoshi’s Woolly World is compatible with several different types of Nintendo controllers, though, so there shouldn’t be too much demand for the GamePad for this particular game.
Have some other activities ready for when it’s not their turn. Two players can play Yoshi’s Woolly World at the same time. Other guests of course can watch or backseat play, but having some other things to do might stave off the cries of “my turn!” for at least a little while.
Keep some Yoshi coloring pages stashed nearby, and let them be as creative as they’d like. With the tap of an amiibo, Yoshi’s appearance in Woolly World changes to match the figure, so they might be inspired to make a Mario Yoshi or Splatoon Yoshi of their own.
There’s nothing wrong with easy mode. Put Yoshi’s Woolly World on Mellow Mode to make it fun for players of all levels. If your kids are around the ages of 6-8, like my daughter and her friends, Mellow Mode can keep the game going longer by giving Yoshi wings. And his flying sound effect is pretty darn cute to boot.
Play with the kids! Don’t just shuffle the kids off upstairs—consider joining them for a level or two! Yoshi’s Woolly World is engaging for all ages and makes great use of teamwork, so you don’t have to worry about being bored if you want to sneak in a few minutes of family time into the playdate.
Yoshi’s Woolly World is available for the Wii U on October 16, 2015, with a retail price of $49.99.
GeekMom received promotional items for the playdate and review purposes.
Top image courtesy © Nintendo.
Conventions are one of the best ways to discover independent and creative small businesses sharing their love of all things geeky. Last year I brought you my choices for just some of the amazing booths featured at GeekGirlCon.
This year, I picked five more with online storefronts so that you too can pick up some of their amazing and unique creations.
These adorable tiny dragons immediately caught my eye on the show floor. The colorful, handmade dragons will look right at home on your desk or bookshelf. LittleCLUUs also offers a large variety of dice and jewelry.
No room in your house is safe from being geekified—not even the bathroom, thanks to these amazing hand towels from Seams Geeky. With designs inspired by Sailor Moon, Nintendo, Doctor Who, Tron, and more, you’re certain to find just the right towel. Seams Geeky also offers hats and patches to show off when you’re outside the house.
Any food inspired by geeky passions immediately has my interest. Nom*ables is a pastry vendor from Portland that made a stop by GeekGirlCon this year. Offering Veronica S’Mars, Furiosa Fudge, and a Buffy-inspired pastry called Mr. Pointy, everything on their table looked delicious. You can order your own goodies through their online store.
It’s so FLUFFY! Everything in NancyM4’s booth just begged to be snuggled. Plushes and pillows inspired by Studio Ghibli and Nintendo, badge reels, wallets, and more are available for anyone looking to add some cuteness to their life.
Sock Dreams offers an incredible variety of socks with sweet or snarky designs that any geek girl would love. Whether you’re on the lookout for knee highs or tights, leg warmers, or even toe socks, Sock Dreams has just the thing you need to keep those feet warm on cool autumn days.
Top image: Photo by Kelly Knox, Nancy4M’s booth at GeekGirlCon 2015.
It’s usually difficult to find the elusive Natasha Romanoff, but not today: You can now find Black Widow starring her own young adult title, Forever Red, in bookstores everywhere.
Black Widow: Forever Red not only gives us a much-needed insight into the history of Natasha Romanoff, but also introduces a new teenaged character, Ava Orlova, who made her debut in September in the Mockingbird comic book one-shot. How do their paths intersect?
“Being able to tell a canon story—the definitive story of Natasha Romanoff’s past—that was both the carrot and the stick,” says author Margaret Stohl. “But the book is both an origin story and a legacy story—with our Black Widow and our Red Widow—so in many ways it becomes a very powerful female narrative about friendship and really sisterhood between two pretty amazing women.”
Stohl, a mother to three daughters in their teen years and beyond, didn’t have to look far for inspiration for the character of Ava. “[My daughters are] smart and strong and they are ready to be their own heroes, much like our new teen Red Widow, Ava Orlova, who also has that kind of resilience and independence,” Stohl says. “The book is dedicated to my fourteen-year-old, who is truly a Romanoff in spirit.
“Natasha would be proud.”
It’s not just the teen Red Widow that YA readers can relate to; Stohl knows her audience and how they can connect with Natasha as well. “Ava and Natasha have both been thrust in these situations where they have no choice but to save the world, and I see that in kids all around me,” says Stohl. “I think our teens today confront massive political, humanitarian, and social issues much earlier than we used to, thanks to the internet.
“Kids have access to global narratives and issues, and they want to know what’s going on. They want better from the world. Tumblr is a hotbed of middle school idealism and aspiration.
“I’m actually not worried about their future in that aspect—I think we are raising our children to take a stand and be leaders, and in some ways they’re raising us.”
Tackling an established character like Black Widow might seem daunting to any author, but Stohl had her own allies that had her back the entire time: the team at Marvel. “Natasha Romanoff has been around for fifty years, and had more than fifty creators and collaborators, and not for a minute did I forget that,” Stohl says. “It was a huge honor and a tremendous challenge, and I loved every minute of it.
“I had tons of support from Disney and Marvel, and worked really closely with my team, so at least I wasn’t in it alone! And the Women of Marvel, who have supported me every step of the way, have been celebrating the fact of this book from the start.”
Forever Red is the story of Black Widow’s past, and in typical Romanoff fashion, there’s lots of action to go along with the narrative that will appeal to readers of all ages and stripes. “It’s full of explosions and spycraft and intelligence operations and all the high tech gear S.H.I.E.L.D. can offer to go with it, so I think we’re really collapsing the notion of a girl or boy book,” says Stohl. “This is a spy book and a superhero book with powerful male and female characters, teens and adults alike.”
Black Widow: Forever Red is now available from Disney and Marvel. A sequel, Black Widow II, was announced last weekend at New York City Comic Con.
I’m always on the lookout for picture books with characters my daughter can really identify with. As she’s someone who has a big interest in science, I was on the hunt to find books featuring girls who also love science and experiments.
Here are three great picture book finds with science superstars who know how to have fun while learning about the scientific method and participating in the science fair. (Didn’t think that was possible, did you?)
11 Experiments That Failed by Jenny Offill, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
If you’re looking for a book that shows how fun science can be, look no further! The nameless scientist shows that experiments don’t have to be limited to a laboratory. The backyard, a closet, even the car on the way to school can be a place to run an experiment.
What I love even more is that it shows not every hypothesis is correct and not every experiment is a success. Does that deter our plucky experimenter? Never! She does make some bad choices with her behavior (flinging bologna at school is obviously not a good idea), but you can use the chance to start a conversation about what the right choice could have been.
Mad Margaret Experiments With the Scientific Method by Eric Braun, illustrated by Robin Boyden
Jasper recruits his friend Margaret for her help in solving a mystery using the scientific method. The colorful book walks the reader through each step of the scientific method, from the question to testing the hypothesis, in terms kids can understand.
Margaret is a bright, bold character who’s likely to capture the interest of any young kid who also has an interest in science.
Oh No! Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Dan Santat
This picture book is more mad science than science, telling the wacky tale of a young genius’s science fair project on the loose. It feels like an homage to Japanese monster movies, complete with the giant robot rampaging through the city, so this is a tongue-in-cheek, entertaining read (with no nonfiction elements focusing on the scientific method itself). Pick this one up if you or your kids are fans of Godzilla or other mad scientist flicks.
Have you ever looked at a stark stormtrooper and thought, “That guy could use a splash of color!” If so, this is your chance to put your own spin on a stormtrooper with this creative watercolor painting perfect for you and the kids.
Begin by drawing a First Order stormtrooper with the Black Sharpie marker, or by printing this stormtrooper template to trace. (The original drawing is a Captain Phasma coloring page from the fantastic Star Wars Reads Day activity kit.)
If you print the template, you may want to hold it against the window to see the lines under the thick watercolor paper. Trace the stormtrooper with the black Sharpie marker.
Add two lines on the bottom of the stormtrooper helmet to add even more color to the painting. Color in the eyes completely with the black marker.
You’re ready to begin painting! There’s no wrong way to paint the helmet, but painting in every section makes a very colorful trooper.
Finish the painting, including the background, and let it dry completely.
Everyone in the family can paint their own unique stormtrooper, and you can group the paintings together on the wall for a geeky art project that pops!
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes knows it’s dangerous to go alone, so the game invites your friends and family to go along with you.
The new Nintendo 3DS release takes place in the kingdom of Hytopia, where a witch has replaced the princess’s stylish clothes with a drab unitard that she can’t remove. (The horror!) It’s up to the heroes of the land to save the princess…’s awesome fashion style.
This lighthearted take on Zelda is a one-of-a-kind co-op title that takes teamwork between friends and family to save the day. Here are six things you should know before you pick up the game.
This isn’t your typical The Legend of Zelda game. The text is full of whimsy and slang (I never thought I’d see “adorbs” in a Zelda game), and most of your gameplay takes place online with two other players. Also unique to Tri Force Heroes, Link’s outfits can grant special abilities, so you might find yourself wearing a certain Legendary dress or a Goron-themed outfit.
Teamwork can make or break your dungeon crawl. When you enter a dungeon with two other heroes, you have to work together to defeat enemies and solve puzzles. Unless you and your kids are playing together in the same room, chat between teammates is limited to just the icons you select with your stylus, which makes for unique and safe online play. (And if you are in the same room, be prepared to hear a lot of, “Mom! Totem! MOM! Come on!”)
Your friends don’t need to buy the game to play with you. Thanks to the new Download Play feature on the 3DS, local players can join you without having to pick up the game if you’re the team leader.
Don’t worry about playing too far ahead—your friends can jump in any time. The story isn’t completely linear, so your friends can join you in a beginner dungeon even if you’ve already completed it. You’ll get more collectibles to buy more costumes, which give Link special abilities, so it’s a win-win.
Nintendo provides safeguards against team members who might be trolls. The absence of a chat system beyond the adorable icons means you and your kids won’t be reading anything untoward, but there are still ways that other players can troll you (like throwing you into a pit). You can add these “false heroes” to a blacklist so they won’t be in your team again.
You can play solo. Even with the blacklist in place, if the idea of you or your kids playing with strangers online makes your heart race, there’s an option for solo play so you can complete the game without connecting to the Internet. It’s not as enjoyable of an experience, as Z on GeekDad will tell you, but it’s nice to have a choice.
If you’re looking for a new, well-designed co-op game to play with the kids, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is a fantastic option—especially for Zelda fans. The game is now available for a retail price of $39.99.
GeekMom received a promotional copy for review purposes.
Today’s kid celebrities aren’t just found acting on TV or movies anymore—they’re being themselves on YouTube. You might not know who EvanTubeHD, kittiesmama, or Kid President are, but chances are your kids do, thanks to how easy the YouTube Kids app has made it to find kid-friendly content with the tap of a finger.
Do your kids dream of being the next big YouTube sensation? There’s no one right way to do it, but Jillian and Addie of the channel babyteeth4 have made it happen with the hard work and support of their parents Bob and Tommie. Bob turned his family’s home movie hobby into his profession, and his unique story might even inspire you and your kids to do the same.
Bob and the kids’ adventures in YouTube began in 2006. “My wife Tommie suggested I make a video birthday invitation which we could burn on DVDs and mail out to our family and friends, so I ran with that idea,” says Bob. “I’ve been a huge fan of movies all my life, so I jumped right in with big cinematic ideas.”
Those ideas changed home videos of first birthdays and family picnics into entertaining mini-movies that his friends and family wanted to watch again and again, so Bob uploaded his first videos to his wife’s YouTube channel: babyteeth4. “So for our next big project, I envisioned making a video specifically with a YouTube audience in mind,” he says.
Bob wrote and filmed “Fast Cars, Bad Kids” and uploaded the video to YouTube in 2010. “‘Fast Cars, Bad Kids’ never went viral in the traditional sense,” he says. “It didn’t become an overnight sensation. But it kept getting views, and more views every day, and still does.
“People respond strongly to it—they either love it or hate it, but they always talk about it in the comments, so it has great engagement. It is still our most viewed video with over 130 million views, one of the most viewed non-music videos on YouTube, and it gets about 200,000 more views every day.”
The success of “Fast Cars, Bad Kids” showed Bob the potential of babyteeth4, but revenue from the videos wasn’t a real possibility until YouTube changed their monetization policies. “When YouTube Analytics came out, I started calculating how much money I could have made on my popular videos,” says Bob. Removing any copyrighted film snippets or music to meet the policy terms was simple enough, but he also needed to be able to upload videos quickly—and that meant no labor-intensive editing and special effects.
Bob brainstormed ideas for easy-to-film content. Toy reviews were an obvious choice for kids’ videos, but YouTube had plenty of those. “Tommie came to the rescue,” Bob says. “She said we could have the girls review ‘anything, even candy.’ That made me jump and say, ‘That’s it!'”
“I wrote a catchy theme song using an online music program, and made an energetic video montage intro to let viewers know what they could expect,” says Bob. “After an awkward practice shoot, I realized we needed more structure, so I came up with the idea of having the girls introduce the show … [then] display, unwrap, eat, and rate the candy by ‘fun factor’ and flavor.”
Kid Candy Review made its YouTube debut in 2014. “Our second video featuring the bait-and-switch flavored jellybeans, ‘Beanboozled,’ quickly became a hit,” Bob says. “We kept doing one new video every other week, eventually moving to one per week. Within 6 months, the channel was making far more than my salary. We signed with Maker Studios in September of 2014, and by mid-October I quit my day job to concentrate on YouTube full time.”
To get started creating videos and getting your kids on YouTube, Bob has some simple advice: Be yourself—and let your kids be themselves, too. “It may sound like a cliché, but it’s true: Do what you enjoy most,” says Bob. “Just find something you feel strongly about, or that is most fun for you, and do that. Even if no one watches your videos, you’ll still be having fun, and that’s what matters the most.
“Another thing, use your kids’ unique strengths. Don’t try to make them do something that they can’t do. All kids have their own aptitudes. Use those rather than trying to make them conform into what you think needs to happen.”
Even their bloopers can make for engaging videos. “Kids love seeing other kids making mistakes. It makes them more relatable,” says Bob.
And finally, don’t forget that you don’t have to have a closet full of filming equipment to make interesting content for kids. “So many people who want to start a channel think they have to buy all this expensive and complicated equipment and editing software, then quickly feel overwhelmed and lose their original vision. My philosophy is you should only buy a new tool if you need it to get the job done,” advises Bob. “Our first few candy reviews were made using a mobile phone camera. I still use a consumer grade editing program (PowerDirector) that gives me everything I need.
“Keep it simple so you can concentrate on making your videos fun and spontaneous.”
As much as YouTube is a part of his family’s life, Bob values his time with his kids much more than subscription numbers and views. “[Jillian and Addie] are kids, so they don’t always feel like sitting still behind a desk with a camera pointed at them, even if they are eating candy or opening toys. But for the most part they love doing this, and realize that it has made a better life for all of us, given us more time as a family together.”
Top image © babyteeth4, photo by Christina Montemurro
My six-year-old and I recently attended an event at Nintendo to get a firsthand look at some of their best offerings for the holiday season. Not only did my daughter make her own Nintendo-themed holiday wish list, we are ecstatic to share an incredible prize back with Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival and her other top picks with one lucky reader!
Nintendo invited a small group of kids from across the country to their Redmond office for a tour, meet and greet with staff and famous faces, and hands-on time with their products coming out this holiday season.
After we walked through the halls and tried to peek into the Treehouse, a door opened to a winter wonderland of Nintendo’s latest games. The delighted kids ran inside to get their hands on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS consoles arranged around the wonderfully decorated room.
My daughter made an immediate beeline to amiibo Festival, the latest Animal Crossing game.
Animal Crossing meets Mario Party in this Wii U title, packed with a board game and mini-games that can be played with amiibo figures and the amiibo cards you picked up for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. Isabelle and Digby are included with the game along with three cards, and both cards and figures are used to play and collect Happy Points.
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is the cutest game you can pick up for your next family game night. (Now available, $59.99)
Yo-kai Watch seems destined to be the next big hit for the gotta-catch-em-all crowd. Players use a special watch to find Yo-kai, spirits responsible for causing mischief and silliness, hidden around town. Along the way you’ll collect your own team of Yo-kai, including the adorable Jibanyan, who was greeted by squeals at the holiday event. (Now available, $39.99)
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is a game that’s easy to pick up and play with friends. Up to four kids can grab a controller and mash the X button to start swinging the racket wildly (which is how I play tennis in real life). Online matches and amiibo support update the Nintendo franchise for this generation of games. (November 20, 2015, $49.99)
At the end of the day, my daughter chose her top items to be on her holiday wish list: Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, the pink yarn Yoshi amiibo, Super Mario Maker, and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash.
This is your chance to win her top holiday picks, thanks to the generosity of Nintendo! Enter the contest below to win the games and amiibo figure in the picture above.
Entry is open to U.S. residents 18 or older only. To enter our giveaway, just log into Rafflecopter with your Facebook account or email address (please use a valid email, so we can let you know if you win) by November 18, 2015.
Winners will be chosen randomly using Rafflecopter and notified by email. If there is no response in two days, then a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!
Travel expenses, promotional items, and prizes were provided by Nintendo for this post.
The Hello Kitty craze is global, from breathtaking fashion statements to almost any piece of merchandise you can think of. And it all started in March 1975 with a simple coin purse that cost less than a dollar.
At the new Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty now at the EMP Museum in Seattle, you can get a look at one of those rare coin purses, along with more than 500 unique pieces from Sanrio on display. The traveling exhibit is fascinating for anyone who has ever owned their own piece of Hello Kitty merchandise or been intrigued by her rise to pop culture stardom over the past 40 years.
Fashion inspired by Hello Kitty has been in spotlight by several celebrities, including Katy Perry and Paris Hilton. Their one-of-a-kind outfits are on display in the halls of the EMP, like glittery beacons showing you the way to the biggest treasure trove of Hello Kitty merchandise you’ll ever see in one place.
With no official backstory for the character, Hello Kitty “can be anything to anyone,” says David Marchi, Sr. Director of Brand Management and Marketing at Sanrio. This leaves the character open to interpretation and expression, inspiring artists to craft their own versions of the little girl, several of which are on display in the exhibit. (That’s right—Hello Kitty is a girl, not a cat.)
“She has a unique look and feel that draws people to her,” says Marchi. While at first the character stuck to red and blue as her primary colors, over the past 20 years Hello Kitty has explored all sorts of colors and designs through artist and brand collaborations. Through it all, her signature yellow nose and accessory over the left ear keeps her essence true, says Marchi.
Sanrio has created just about any item you can think of with Hello Kitty on it, including kendo equipment, motor oil, blow dryers, rotary phones, toothpicks, and more. “We make everything,” says Marchi. These items and hundreds more from the past 40 years are on display in the traveling exhibit, highlighting how her look has changed over time.
In recent years Hello Kitty has started to explore her cultural roots with Japanese-inspired products and designs; the case housing the bento products is one of the most adorable in the exhibit (and that’s saying a lot when there is so much CUTE in one place).
Hello Kitty’s fans are age “4 to forever,” says Marchi with a smile, and the exhibit makes it clear that those fans hail from all over the globe. If you’re a Hello Kitty fan yourself and you have the chance to catch the touring exhibit when it’s in town, you’re certain to leave with a smile—and probably with the urge to buy yet another item featuring the enduring pop culture icon.
Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty is now at the EMP Museum and is included with the price of admission.
Top image: Kelly Knox
GeekMom attended a media preview of the exhibit.
Not only will your coding Padawan have the opportunity to learn programming concepts with the help of Star Wars, this morning Microsoft released a new Minecraft coding tutorial for the Hour of Code.
The Hour of Code Minecraft tutorial, aimed at kids ages 6 and up, encourages young Minecraft fans to learn to code with Blockly, a simple drag-and-drop interface.
The hour kicks off with a video tutorial starring the lead Minecraft developer, Jens, who walks your kids through the interface and how to get started programming.
The mini-programmer chooses Steve or Alex, and then embarks on a coding adventure by tackling 14 mini-challenges to learn about creating a simple program. According to the Microsoft press release:
Designed for ages 6 and up, the “Minecraft” tutorial introduces players to basic coding skills, encouraging them to navigate, mine, craft and explore in a 2-D “Minecraft” world by plugging together blocks to complete all actions and generate computer code. Players are offered a set of 14 challenges, including free play time, to explore coding concepts they’ve learned through the tutorial.
The Minecraft Hour of Code is now available on Code.org.
Of course you read books aloud to your kids often, but have you ever thought about setting aside time to cuddle and solve math problems together?
Leslie Gilbert, a math teacher and creator of MathKit, has created a collection of games to show kids that math can be a fun way to spend family time—and give them the confidence to keep trying and learning, even when they get a problem wrong.
MathKit is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to get the kits in the hands of kids from kindergarten to third grade. My first grader and I recently had the chance to check out the games ourselves.
After a rainy day playing together, my daughter declared, “This does make math fun!”
The simple designs and muted colors make the components of MathKit appealing to the eye with a soothing feel. The full kit, which includes pieces for both kindergarten through third grade, comes with a board game, flash cards, chalk, bean bag, beach ball, linking cubes, and much more, all designed for special math games for you to play with your kids.
All of the pieces are high-quality, sturdy tools chosen to demonstrate to kids that there’s more than one way to solve a math problem.
The included Game Guide also tells you in clear instructions how to play each game—you don’t have to worry about devising rules or math problems on the fly. Each of the 10 games is explained succinctly and none are complicated, so you and your kids will get the hang of them in no time.
My daughter’s favorite is a math-themed scavenger hunt that has her search around the house for a math problem and the matching token with the solution. Like the other games, we play it together, and have a blast talking about math.
You read that right: We had fun talking about MATH.
MathKit has time left in the Kickstarter campaign, and I highly recommend checking it out if you want to make math as much as a family activity as you do reading books at bedtime. While the full kit might go above your budget at $85, there are several levels and rewards to consider. I never imagined my daughter and I giggling and cheering over a math-based game, but MathKit made it happen.
GeekMom received a sample of MathKit for review purposes.
Here at GeekMom we definitely love STEM toys, but when you add art into the mix to make STEAM, the result is a well-rounded toy built for imaginative, unending play. Laurie Peterson of Build & Imagine had this idea in mind when creating the StoryWalls dollhouses.
The vibrant playsets combine construction pieces with magnetic dolls that can be dressed up and accessorized. With bright colors—but very little pink!—and detailed, lively illustrations, the Build & Imagine sets encourage girls ages 4+ to be both builders and storytellers.
Malia’s Beach House (retail $59.99) is a large set that includes 16 double-sided building panels, two dolls, and over 40 accessories. My six-year-old spent a rainy afternoon playing with the set, and I foresee many more hours of playtime in her future.
My daughter reconfigured the walls and floors several times, and the magnets work very well to hold the structure together, although there is a slight learning curve to how forcefully they can be placed without knocking the entire house down.
Each panel features a room full of details to discover, from a sink in need of repair to cupcakes waiting to be frosted. The accessory magnets can also be used to decorate the “interior” walls, which are fantastic prompts for even the most reluctant storyteller. My daughter, who often feels self-conscious when playing pretend, happily launched into a scenario in which a karaoke machine caught on fire during Malia’s sleepover. Interesting, but I’ll take it.
Pet Portrait Studio (retail $49.99) is a set with fewer pieces if you’re looking to start smaller, with 10 building panels, two dolls, and four pets. Put together the local animal shelter and get the pets ready for adoption day by accessorizing and decorating. The silly pups and cats inspired some giggles as they got ready for their close-ups.
The dollhouses can easily be disassembled and placed back into the original packaging for storage when playtime is over. (In fact, you can even store all of the pieces of Malia’s Beach House in a gallon storage bag if you prefer to save even more space.)
The StoryWalls sets from Build & Imagine are innovative toys that put a STEM twist on dollhouses. Like most STEM toys, the sets can be pricey. If your daughter isn’t into building with LEGO quite yet, this might be the toy that sparks an interest in building and engineering.
GeekMom received sample sets for review purposes.
Top image courtesy © Build & Imagine.
Shopkins have invaded our home this year thanks to a multitude of unboxing videos on YouTube Kids. Just like baseball cards of years gone by, the excitement and suspense of discovering what’s inside the package has kids hooked—especially my daughter.
I never imagined she’d be excited to open a box and squeal upon finding a mini, glittery stapler inside, but here we are.
The tiny toys are adorable, but each time we open a new package, I ask, “But what are you going to do with them?”
“Keep them in my collection!” is the invariable answer. On the shelf the toys go.
This month Moose Toys and C3 Construction released brick sets to answer that question in a more hands-on way. The new Shopkins Kinstructions are build-it-yourself kits that make perfect playsets for the collectible figures.
The Kinstructions sets proved to be too difficult for my six-year-old—and challenging even for this mom—but once assembled, the hassle was worth seeing the Shopkins figures off the shelf and into my daughter’s hands.
Each set comes with buildable Shopkins figures that can’t be found anywhere else. My daughter, a diehard-collector-in-training, was at first dismayed that the sets didn’t come with the Season 3 figures currently in stores. However, the fun of mixing and matching the figures soon outweighed her disappointment, and she was creating and naming her own Shopkins in no time.
The Kinstructions sets, which contain bricks that are compatible with most other brands (including LEGO), come in different sizes and styles. We pieced together the Fruit & Veg Stand, Checkout Counter, and the Shopville Town Center.
I should begin by admitting that I rarely put LEGO sets together, so I’m not the most experienced builder. However, when armed with instructions, I don’t typically have trouble sussing out which piece goes where.
The smaller sets, the fruit stand and the checkout counter, were fast and easy to put together. (My daughter made some major headway on both before I took over.) Then we tackled the Shopville Town Center.
This large set contains 410 bricks and takes a couple of hours to put together. By the second page of the instructions, I was surprised to find myself stumped on a step, and so frustrated that I had to take a break. But a couple of YouTube videos and a lot of shrugging later, I figured it out and continued to build the Town Center. Once assembled, the Shopville Town Center is a high-quality, detailed set complete with decals and decorations.
All three building sets have proven to be durable, cute, detailed, and very pink playsets that couldn’t be better suited to playing with the Shopkins figures.
Combining the figures, building, and playsets into these construction sets make Kinstructions an obvious choice for fans of Shopkins. My six-year-old’s Shopkins are now off the shelf and happy in their new home that we put together ourselves. (And when I completed that Town Center, I felt like I had just accomplished something major myself!)
GeekMom received promotional items for review purposes.
Top image © Moose Toys / C3 Construction
If your kids are fans of Minecraft Let’s Play videos, chances are you’re already familiar with the enthusiastic Stampycat and his buoyant laugh. With over 6 million subscribers, Stampy and his Lovely World are fixtures of Minecraft Let’s Play on YouTube.
Young fans of Stampy, known in real life as Joseph Garrett, will be delighted to hear that Stampy’s Lovely Book has been released in the U.S. Penned by Garrett himself, this book is perfect for young readers looking to hear from Stampy himself about his friends, his favorite adventures in his Lovely World, and even some tips about getting started with their own Let’s Play videos. And with a price under $10, it’s practically a no-brainer to pick up for the Stampy fan in your life.
Stampy’s Lovely Book is part retrospective of Garrett’s favorite Minecraft adventures and part activity book. There’s a Who’s Who of friends Stampy has adventured with, and each offers their own favorites and memories, giving readers a good sense of just how many escapades the intrepid Stampy has shared on YouTube—hundreds of episodes, in fact.
For parents flipping through the book, it’s the behind the scenes tidbits that really stand out. Stampy reveals that most episodes are filmed weeks or months before they’re uploaded just in case he’s ill or otherwise unable to record. He also has a unique system for planning his adventures, and a map of his Lovely World shows you just how intricate of a world he’s built. So if your kids think a Let’s Play video is merely jumping into a game and hitting record, Stampy serves as a valuable lesson on how planning and creativity can make you a success.
Personally I’m a fan of Garrett’s videos because of his good nature and compassion that come through, even in a Minecraft Let’s Play video. It’s evident in his book as well, with an activity about cheerful ways to encourage new game players. And, if your kids want to be YouTube stars, Garrett’s tips for getting started include “Ignore the meanies.” Not a bad tip for life, either.
Stampy’s Lovely Book is available now at a retail price of $9.99. Garrett’s personality shines through every page, and kids who love his videos will find lots to love in his book as well.
Top image © Random House Kids
The newest LEGO Marvel game is all about the Avengers of the Marvel cinematic universe. In the upcoming title you’ll play through some of the key moments of that universe, including the clash with Loki in the Battle of New York and fighting against Ultron in the sky over Sokovia.
And of course, since it’s a LEGO game, all of the fun and humor you’d expect are certain to be part of the experience. Even more exciting, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers boasts an open world, giving you all of the city of New York to explore.
But maybe the best part? Even fan favorite characters like the current incarnation of Thor, Ms. Marvel, Squirrel Girl, and many more are part of this Avengers team.
Marvel’s LEGO Avengers will be available on January 26, 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, and Microsoft Windows.
This is your chance to win a copy of LEGO Marvel’s Avengers for PlayStation 4!
Entry is open to U.S. residents 18 or older only. To enter our giveaway, just log into Rafflecopter with your Facebook account or email address (please use a valid email, so we can let you know if you win) by January 25, 2016.
Winners will be chosen randomly using Rafflecopter and notified by email. If there is no response in two days, then a new winner will be chosen. Good luck!
Each week during my volunteer time at the school library, students swarm around asking for help finding just the right book. “Do you have books about squids?” “Where are the books with Ninja Turtles?” “Where can I find the Titanic books?” (These are all actual requests by first graders.)
The Loch Ness monster, mermaids, and how to care for your pet hedgehog I can handle. But the most difficult request by far comes up every single week: “I want a book that’s funny!”
Librarian Jackie Reeve and I have teamed up to bring you a cheat sheet of books proven to fall into that category, a favorite for kids of any age. Get ready for some giggles!
Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
Bruce is a bear who loves just one thing: Eating eggs. When he picks up what he thinks is the perfect meal, he’s in for a lot more than he bargained for when the eggs hatch. The surly Bruce, the adorable baby geese, and jokes just for parents make Mother Bruce a funny, memorable read.
Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea
You can pick up any book by Bob Shea for laughs for parents and kids alike, but Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great is one of his best. Goat isn’t a fan of Unicorn, the new kid, and he’s not impressed by his dumb magic or rainbows. The bright, funny illustrations and the grumpy Goat are a combo that will appeal to girls and boys alike.
Chester by Mélanie Watt
Chester is a character who makes quite the impression on little readers. The title character isn’t about to let the author tell any ol’ story: He wants the story all about him! Chester is full of personality, humor, and a lot of attitude.
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
The creative and colorfully original The Day the Crayons Quit is one of the best books out there to read aloud to your kids. Not only are the crayons’ complaints funny and clever, I doubt there’s a kid out there who won’t laugh at poor peach crayon’s plight.
The Book With No Pictures by B. J. Novak
Speaking of best picture books to read aloud, at the top of the list has to be The Book With No Pictures. As advertised, there are no illustrations in the book, but the ingenious text will absolutely hold a listener’s attention. Hand this one to an unsuspecting grandparent to read aloud and hilarity really will ensue.
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
This is Not My Hat proves that a picture book doesn’t need to be complicated to be funny. Simple sentences encourage early readers, paired with striking and subtle illustrations that pack a lot of humor in the soft colors. This is one picture book that will be pulled off the shelf time and time again and deliver the laughs every time.
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown
Nothing about a bunny eating carrots could be silly or creepy, you might think, but Creepy Carrots is both! Not too creepy, of course, but just enough to make readers wonder what’s hiding in the shadowy corners of the pages. Jasper is certain that he’s being followed by carrots creeping along behind him, but there’s nothing there! Or is there…?
I Thought This Was A Bear Book by Tara Lazar, illustrated by Benji Davies
Three Bears, check. Goldilocks, check. An alien, check… Wait, what? The unexpected twists, bright colors, and imaginative text make this picture book one to read time and time again. The characters talk to the reader and ask for help in getting the alien back where he belongs. If you’re looking for a funny and interactive bedtime tale, pick this one up.
GeekMom received Mother Bruce for review purposes.
Top image © Disney / Hyperion
Mario and Luigi’s newest adventure is now available for the Nintendo 3DS! Mario & Luigi Paper Jam combines the action of a Mario & Luigi game with the adorable 2D characters of Paper Jam to make a fantastically fun title.
Here are a few things you should know about Mario & Luigi Paper Jam before you pick it up for that new 3DS you gave the kids for the holidays.
There’s more than one Mario in this game. That’s right, there are two Marios, two Toads (actually a lot more than two), and two Princesses who get kidnapped by TWO Bowsers. The 3D brothers of Mario & Luigi team up with the 2D Paper Mario in your party, using their special moves together for some creative and powerful moves on all the enemies you’d expect to see in a Mario game.
It’s an action game AND an RPG. Gather your Mario party, buy and equip items, use mushrooms in battle, and scroll through dialogue boxes—that’s right, all of your favorite RPG elements are there. But the game also puts Mario and Luigi’s jumping skills to the test in both combat and as you navigate the world. Timing is everything in battle, so you can score even bigger hits by actively taking part in a fight.
But it’s a light RPG. If you or the kids are hardcore role-playing game fans and you’re looking for something more substantial, wait for the new Fire Emblem game in February, or switch to the Wii U for the gorgeous Xenoblade Chronicles X.
You don’t need a New Nintendo 3DS to play it. Mario & Luigi Paper Jam is available for all systems in the 3DS family. If you’re looking to take advantage of its amiibo features, however, you’ll have to pick up a Nintendo NFC Reader/Writer. The amiibo benefits are completely optional, though, and you don’t need them to beat the game.
But it’s a great game to get for a new 3DS system. If Santa brought someone in the house a new 3DS or 2DS, this is a fun game to get a new player excited about. The easy-to-follow story is lighthearted and full of humor. And if younger players are having trouble with the timing in the battles, there’s an “assist” mode to help them out. If you’ve been looking for an RPG-style game to get your kids hooked on the genre, team up with Mario and Luigi.
Mario & Luigi Paper Jam is now available for the 3DS family of systems for a retail price of $39.99.
GeekMom received a promotional copy for review purposes.
Top image courtesy © Nintendo
We haven’t had much luck getting into LEGO video games at our house, even though we know they’re full of humor and brick-kicking. But the allure of an Avengers game featuring not just the Marvel cinematic universe but also some of our favorite characters (Squirrel Girl! Ms. Marvel!) was too hard to pass up—so my 7-year-old and I settled in to give the new LEGO Marvel’s Avengers a try.
And we’re having a blast.
While I’m mixed on pulling the audio directly from the films, my daughter is beside herself at finally getting to see the Avengers in action without worrying about seeing or hearing anything inappropriate. If you’re looking for a way to introduce the MCU to young kids without tuning into countless episodes of the animated series, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers is an experience your whole family can enjoy.
LEGO Marvel’s Avengers jumps from Marvel film to film to give players a taste of the entire Marvel cinematic universe. Fight the Red Skull with Bucky at your side, infiltrate Strucker’s fortress from Age of Ultron, battle Loki in Stuttgart… you get the idea. The game isn’t quite chronological, but barely manages to tie the scenes together to tell the overall story of the Avengers.
The scenes are supplemented by the audio and dialogue lifted straight from the films, so you’ll hear familiar quips from Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and the rest of the team. There’s a small but noticeable lower quality to the audio. The real treat is the additional dialogue recorded by Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), and Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter). In fact, for long-time Avengers fans, a few new bonus seconds of Coulson fanboying over Cap might be worth the price of the game alone.
If you have played a LEGO game before, this is all familiar territory. Smash things, build things, rinse, repeat. My daughter and I often find ourselves stuck for a few minutes until we find the next puzzle to solve, but it’s refreshing to not just mash buttons to get through the entire game.
My 7-year-old was most delighted by the open world of New York City and other locations. She enjoyed exploring, swimming, and smashing all at her own pace. The levels can get to be quite frenetic, full of flashing effects and jumping bricks, so the quiet open world was a welcome respite.
But perhaps best of all, some of the more scary parts of the Marvel films—like the various death and dismemberment—are given hilarious, kid-safe makeovers.
All in all, this is a worthy experience (to quote Thor) for Avengers fans and soon-to-be Avengers fans. LEGO Marvel’s Avengers is now available on all platforms for a retail price of $59.99.
GeekMom received a promotional copy (PlayStation 4) for review purposes.
Top image courtesy © Marvel / LEGO Group
This Star Wars: The Force Awakens painting is so quick and easy, you might end up with a BB-8 art gallery in mere minutes! Plus, it’s so fun that you don’t have to leave the painting just to the kids: Grab a paintbrush and make one yourself.
What You Need
Get Started!
Fold the paper in half lengthwise.
If you’re a stickler for accuracy, here’s a photo for reference as you get started.
Next, use the black paint to draw a small half-circle for BB-8’s head, and a larger half-circle for his body. Keep the paint thick—but remember that if it’s too thick it’s likely to make a big blob.
Make a small dot of black paint in the center of the page for BB-8’s camera eye.
Next, use the orange paint to make small lines on BB-8’s head and circles on his body.
Finally, use the silver paint for a small line above BB-8’s eye and the silver markings inside the orange circles.
Fold the paper in half again and press firmly on the paint.
Open the paper, and your BB-8 is complete!
It might take more than a few test runs to get the circles well-shaped and prevent any blobs from being too large. And you’ll have to paint quickly before the paint dries too much to press to the other page.
But remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect! Making mistakes not only makes the painting interesting but gives your kids a chance to get hands-on with symmetry.
