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

• Paper
• Black paint
• Orange paint
• Gray or silver paint
• Paintbrushes

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.

Just one look at this stunning game and its charming lead character is enough to capture the imagination of gamers of all ages.

Unravel from EA and ColdWood Interactive is a gorgeous puzzle platformer now available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Here are 5 things you should know before you bring Yarny home to the family.

The game stars Yarny, a character made of yarn. There’s no dialogue or a single spoken word in the game, but Yarny will charm you from the get-go. Who knew a little ball of yarn could be so expressive? Along his journey to mend a broken heart, you’ll be able to tell when Yarny is tired, frustrated, or even gentle and caring. It’s magical.

Unravel is a puzzle platformer. Yarny uses his yarn to hop from platform to platform and to remove obstacles in his path. You’ll throw and tie yarn to get up tree branches, over rocks, and more. You have to reach balls of yarn placed throughout the level to keep going, otherwise poor Yarny will unravel before your eyes.

Some of the puzzles are so challenging, you and your kids might be tempted to simply Google the solution. But keep at it! This is one of those rare games where every puzzle you solve makes you feel like you’ve actually accomplished something.

Kids might be surprised by the challenge. If “puzzle platformer” makes you think of gaming in days gone by, you’d be right. “This is hard!” declared my 7-year-old. “So this is what it was like playing Super Mario when you were a kid?”

Actually, yes. You’ll miss jumps and fall to your doom and not be able to immediately figure out how to get past a certain point. But thanks to well-placed checkpoints, it’s easy to try, try again.

The music is soothing and haunting. You won’t hear cute little ditties that will be stuck in your head or pop music with a unending beat. The violins and piano are more than beautiful—according to the developer, the soundtrack is the “voice” of the game.

This isn’t your typical adventure game. Tinged with nostalgia and melancholy, this is more of a quiet, thought-provoking experience than you might be used to with a family adventure game. But that’s what makes Unravel special. And have I mentioned it’s gorgeous?

Unravel is available on February 9 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One for a retail price of $19.99.

GeekMom received a promotional code for review purposes.

Top Image © EA / ColdWood Interactive

This week, Disney XD announced a new animated LEGO Star Wars series coming this summer. While I’m always excited that a new entry in the Star Wars universe is coming, complete with classic character cameos and the humor we’ve come to expect from LEGO, this is the part that really caught my eye:

When their youngest discovers a natural connection with the Force through an ancient artifact – the Kyber Saber – his world is turned upside down, and he and his family are thrown into an epic struggle against the Empire to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy.

Does this mean that LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures will introduce the first MOTHER with an active part in the Star Wars universe?

Wait a minute, you’re probably saying, there have been plenty of moms in the Star Wars universe. Let’s take a quick tally.

Shmi Skywalker? We have one film with her alive before the Tuskens kill her. Padmé? A mom for about two minutes before she “dies of sadness.” (Ugh.) Aunt Beru? Toast. Breha Organa, Leia’s adoptive mom? Kaboom. Plus, I’d bet you didn’t even know her name.

Shara Bey, Poe Dameron’s mother who played a key role in the comic series Shattered Empire? She almost made it. She made a huge difference in the years immediately following the Battle of Endor, but we find out in Before the Awakening that she died when Poe was just eight years old.

Norra Wexley, one of the main characters of Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath? Okay, we are diving a little deep here to find a mom who’s still alive in the Star Wars universe. She and her son are estranged because she chose to leave him to join the Rebellion, so her role in his life was limited. (Fun fact: Her son, Temmin, is known as Snap Wexley when he grows up, and he’s the bearded X-wing pilot we see in The Force Awakens.)

And finally, General Leia Organa. Her status as a mother in The Force Awakens gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, she obviously cares for her son, but seemingly gave up on trying to get him back years ago.

So we don’t quite see her as a mom, as she doesn’t have any scenes with him, and we don’t know how her life as a parent looked. (We did in the now defunct Expanded Universe novels, to be fair, but those children no longer exist in canon.) I wish we were given the chance to see the family together before the dark times. In a future novel or comic, perhaps?

Why does it matter if we see mothers in an active role in Star Wars? For one, it shows that adventures—even galactic ones—don’t end with parenthood. And, personally, it’s always nice to see a little bit of yourself reflected in what you love. General Leia and Rey are big parts of that in the Star Wars universe. Seeing a functional family in The Freemaker Adventures, something of a novel concept in Star Wars, would add even more for us parent-fans to enjoy.

It’s too soon to know what LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures will bring to the Star Wars universe, and if there will even be both parents involved in the adventures. But my fingers are crossed that kids will get their first look at a family sticking together in a galaxy far, far away.

Disclaimer: I have not yet made it through all of The Clone Wars. If there is a mother/family featured in the series, let me know in the comments!

Top image © Disney / LEGO Group

Thanks to Twitch and YouTube, the world is suddenly a much smaller place. We can watch people go on vacation, open up boxes of toys, and give their reviews on just about anything you can think of. And yes, of course, play games.

But YouTube and Twitch aren’t just for video games: We can also get a look at some incredible tabletop games being played every week by a dedicated group of friends.

If you’ve ever wondered what Dungeons & Dragons is actually all about, or always wanted to play but you’re too shy to ever try in real life, these D&D groups are just for you. You’ll feel like you know the characters and people who play them as you gasp and laugh along with these entertaining groups.

Note: Young kids should probably not watch these D&D sessions along with you; many players tend to unleash profanity when things start to get hairy. Watch with kids at your own discretion.

D&Diesel With Vin Diesel

If you don’t want to commit to a video series, this 30 minute video with Vin Diesel (yes, Vin Diesel) playing with a group of voice actors is for you.

This is probably the highest-quality game of Dungeons & Dragons you can see played, with a group of seasoned voice actors and arguably one of the best Dungeon Masters out there, Matt Mercer.

Titansgrave

A talented cast of actors join Game Master Wil Wheaton in this intriguing game of Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana. Ten episodes follow the party’s first adventure in this campaign created by Wheaton. The gorgeous artwork and fleshed-out characters can easily make Titansgrave your next obsession.

D20 Babes

D20 Babes is probably the most like “real life” of the D&D shows on this list, although with Rat Queens author Kurtis J. Wiebe as the Dungeon Master, you know this game is something special. Only a few episodes have debuted so far, so it won’t take you too long to catch up on their adventures. New episodes stream Monday nights on Twitch.

Critical Role

The D&D group that you will measure all future D&D groups against: The immensely entertaining adventurers who have dubbed themselves “Vox Machina.” Every Thursday night, the group embarks on a four-hour adventure for thousands of fans on Twitch.

This is one of Geek & Sundry‘s most popular shows, as the group of self-professed “nerdy-ass voice actors” play one of the best games of Dungeons & Dragons out there.

Disclaimer: I’m a contributing writer to Geek & Sundry, but started watching the shows in this list long before I started writing for the site. Opinions are my own.

Top image credit: Geek & Sundry

The list of apps and games to teach kids coding is long and ever-growing. The new card game Littlecodr is joining their ranks as another option that’s fun for the whole family.

Rather than directing game pieces around the board, Littlecodr turns kids ages 4-8 into programmers, and their parents or fellow players into the pieces to be moved. The chance to make me or her father walk straight into a piece of furniture has made my daughter dub this game the “walk into the sofa game.” And she loves being in charge.

Littlecodr is an active, hands-on option for teaching young kids simple programming concepts that, unlike most programming games, is quick to learn and easy to bring along anywhere you and the kids may go.

Littlecodr got its start thanks to crowdfunding, but is now available online to everyone for $19.99. The game consists of cards with an eye-catching, simple design that suggest game play and missions, along with directional cards like “step forward” and “turn left.”

One player is the programmer, laying down the cards to get the other player (usually the parent) from point A to point B. If the person moving runs into an obstacle, the programmer stops and “debugs” the cards to get them on the right track again.

My daughter’s favorite mission has been to program a dance party, turning the directional cards into choreography. (The “wildcard” card comes in handy for this one!) The ingenuity and variety of missions, with new ideas available on the Littlecodr web site, give the game long life and keep things interesting for all players.

Littlecodr may be a tabletop game, but it’s a fantastic way to get everyone moving, laughing, and using their brains. “It’s like a puzzle,” my  7-year-old says. “And I get to tell you what to do, which is awesome.”

GeekMom received a promotional copy for review purposes.

Top image courtesy © Littlecodr

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a classic Wii title (and one of the best), but thanks to Nintendo, we now have Link’s adventures in the Twilight Realm in glorious HD. If you haven’t already introduced the kids to Wolf Link and Midna, this is the perfect chance to do so—and here are 5 things to know before you do.

Twilight Princess looks gorgeous in HD. This is probably a no-brainer, but it’s worth saying anyway. The graphics update has made Hyrule and the Twilight Realm look ethereal with an atmosphere so thick you feel like you can reach out and feel the cool mist. If you played this game 10 years ago and already know you love the gameplay, just stop reading now and pick up the HD release.

That being said, you may find yourself wishing some of the weirder creatures in the game had stayed in SD.

Your Super Smash Bros. amiibo add a surprising amount of functionality. If you’ve been collecting amiibo, the Legend of Zelda figures you picked up a while ago can be used in Twilight Princess HD. The Smash Bros. versions of Link, Zelda, Sheik, and Toon Link can be used to replenish hearts or arrows once a day. Dour old Ganondorf can also be tapped on the GamePad if you’re looking for an extra challenge, causing Link to take bonus damage.

The Wolf Link amiibo is also worth picking up. Not only is the hand-painted figure of Wolf Link and Midna a desirable collector’s item, it unlocks new, bonus content: the Cave of Shadows. (And you’ll be able to use it in the all-new Zelda game coming later this year.)

The GamePad can be used as a motion controller. If you remember playing with the Wiimote in the original version of Twilight Princess, using the GamePad to aim should feel familiar. But if you find yourself twisting and struggling to get it pointed just right (like my 7-year-old did), you can easily turn the gyroscopic motion off.

The GamePad also gives you an improved gameplay experience. Managing your map, inventory, and Link’s arsenal is much easier thanks to the updated GamePad display.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is the perfect introduction to Link if you or the kids have never picked up a Zelda game before. And with this year as the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, there’s no better time to set foot in Hyrule.

GeekMom received a promotional copy of the game for review purposes.

Top image courtesy © Nintendo

DC Super Hero Girls continues its path to superhero-stardom with the release of a new middle grade book series. Wonder Woman at Super Hero High, written by Lisa Yee, is out today for readers ages 8-12 years.

The novel is a look at a high school with an all-star lineup of superhero students, but the characters are so relatable that readers of any age don’t need superpowers themselves to identify with them.

As you can guess from the title, Wonder Woman is the star of the novel, even though she’s a character that many might not consider easy to identify with. After all, she’s a warrior princess, originally formed out of clay, who grew up on the untouched-by-man utopia of Paradise Island.

But Yee does a great job of throwing obstacles at the inexperienced Amazon that young readers can identify with: Unwanted attention on social media, bullying, and parental pressure to succeed in school.

This is the book’s greatest strength; even though Wonder Woman is a superhero, she uses conventional methods to deal with these stresses. Parents and mentors are talked to when needed, and Wonder Woman learns important lessons for her own well-being (like never read the comments).

If your kids are already fans of the DC Super Hero Girls web series, much of the novel will feel familiar. The short plots from the quick episodes are pieced together into one complete story of Wonder Woman’s first year, making it easy for young readers to picture characters they’re already familiar with in their imaginations.

For those who have watched the online episodes, this novel answers a few questions they (or you) probably had, like, where are the villains? Where are Supergirl and Batgirl? And Superman, for that matter? And, without spoiling too much, we do get a few scenes with someone who I know many comic fans would love to see in Super Hero Girl form: Lois Lane.

Wonder Woman at Super Hero High is a fantastic way to get tween readers acquainted with the heroes and villains of the DC universe. Pick it up today if they’re already fans of the web series.

GeekMom received a promotional copy for review purposes.

Top image courtesy © Random House Kids / DC Comics

When the team behind Li’l Gotham is back for a unique take on DC’s Big Three in a book for kids, it’s almost a no-brainer for any Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman fan to pick it up. You know, for the kids. (If you want to share it, I mean.)

Study Hall of Justice (DC Comics: Secret Hero Society #1) is a new middle-grade book series from Scholastic that is part journal, part graphic novel, and all DC Comics fun.

Young Bruce Wayne enrolls at Gotham’s prestigious Ducard Academy, where something feels a little off. The students are bullies and delinquents, often praised by the shady staff for their wrongdoings, and class topics are odd. Bruce finds two kindred spirits who also don’t fit in, Clark and Diana, and enlists their help for investigating what’s really going on at the school.

Bruce isn’t one to trust easily, though, so he often acts standoffish with the friendly pair. The three must learn to work together to solve the mystery of Ducard Academy… even if it means putting on a disguise or two.

Study Hall of Justice has a plot that’s a little complex for early readers, so kids ages 8 and up will likely get more out of the book. Kids who are fans of graphic novel hybrids like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Jedi Academy will love the variety of things to read in this book, from text exchanges between Clark, Bruce, and Diana to a page of comic panels to notes from Alfred in Bruce’s lunchbox.

Grownups who are fans of DC Comics and aren’t ashamed to steal their kids’ book (ahem) will love the multitude of DC Easter eggs, from villainous teachers to our heroes’ schoolmates at Ducard Academy. (“Kneel before Coach Zod!” made me laugh out loud.)

My only complaint is that I would love to see more of Diana, but as the book is told from Bruce Wayne’s point of view, it’s understandable that most of the focus is on him. Fingers crossed that upcoming books in the series are told through Clark and Diana’s journals and thoughts as well, so that kids are treated to all three of their personalities.

Study Hall of Justice (DC Comics: Secret Hero Society #1) can serve as a fantastic bridge to full-length DC Comics comic books and graphic novels. Pick it up to start their kids on their path to superhero super-fans.

Top image © Scholastic / Art by Dustin Nguyen

Nintendo has declared March 10 Mario Day to celebrate all things Super Mario Bros. This plucky plumber has been around for over 30 years, dashing and jumping his way into our hearts, and he’s not showing any signs of slowing down.

Take part in the MAR10 Day fun with this upcycled pencil cup craft for you and the kids.

What You Need

• Toilet paper roll
• Starbucks cup sleeve or long, flexible piece of cardboard
• Small piece of cardboard, approximately 2.5” by 2.5”
• Green cardstock paper
• Orange paint
• Mario template (link below)
• Thin, flexible wire
• Wire cutters
• Scissors
• Craft knife
• Ruler
• Black marker
• Glue
• Hot glue
• Clothespins

Get Started!

Begin by painting the cardboard piece orange. Set aside to dry.

Next, pull apart the ends of the cardboard Starbucks cup sleeve. (A thin piece of cardboard, if flexible, can also work.) Cut a strip approximately 1.5” wide and 5.625” long. Measurements don’t have to be precise.

Place the strip on the green cardstock paper and trace around it. Cut the paper slightly larger than the cardboard strip so that it will be covered completely.

Glue the cardboard to the green cardstock (logo side) and let dry.

Next, measure a piece of green cardstock (approximately 5″ by 7″) against the side of the toilet paper roll and cut the height to fit.

Wrap around and glue the green cardstock so that the roll is completely covered. If you’re using school glue, hold the edges in place while drying with clothespins.

Let the glue dry completely. While it’s drying, use the black marker to draw the ground pattern from Super Mario Bros. on the orange cardboard.

Next, glue the cardboard strip to the top of the tube to complete the green pipe. Use the clothespins to hold the strip in place while drying.

While you’re waiting for it to dry, print and cut the Mario template. You will need to use a craft knife to get the small squares cut carefully.

Once both Marios are cut from the template, use the wire cutters to cut a piece of thin wire approximately 7″ long.

Glue the Marios to the top of the wire so that the color is facing out on both sides.

Poke the wire into the middle of the cardboard, where the bricks meet in the middle. Add glue around the base of the wire to give it extra hold.

Remove the clothespins from the green pipe. Carefully place the pipe with Mario in the middle and glue it to the cardboard with the hot glue gun.

Your Super Mario pencil cup is complete. Happy MAR10 Day!