G-Force: Can Guinea Pigs Help Kids Get Active? Humana Hopes So!

June 12, 2009 Just finished a phone interview with some of the Humana Games for Health team to see if their new free game called OPS (Operation Planet Savers) passed the sniff test of 'goodwashing' in their Disney dealings to promote the upcoming G-Force movie coming out next month as a Jerry Bruckheimer first in the 3D big screen. “OPS” is aimed at launching kids into … [Read more...]

Graduation: From What To What? Media Moments Of Expectation

June 10, 2009 Yesterday my daughter ‘graduated’ from eighth grade, and I found myself marveling at the whole commencement falderal as being a bit surreal... It was lovely, in a 'life event' kind of way, but with a rented performing arts center stage, anxious kids wanting things to be 'perfect,' parents whooping and hollering and fist-pumping as junior walked across stage and … [Read more...]

Nature Rocks: Reconnecting Families With Nature

June 5, 2009 It's World Environment Day...where you can Twitter for Trees, and 'green your routine' and engage in all kinds of green media pursuits and still miss the meaning of getting kids OUTSIDE... As one of my heroes, Last Child in the Woods author Richard Louv said, “We have an entire generation of ecokids that can “click for a cause” but still not know what poison ivy … [Read more...]

SmartyCard: Summer Screen Time For The Quiz Whiz

June 2, 2009 Been at Ypulse all day with updates to come, so here's part two in the SmartyCard series! Message for summer study time? Save a tree, ditch the workbooks! Without fail, every year I tossed one of those hefty 'grade level' workbooks into my Costco cart for home-study hopes...And every year I shake my head as I tear out the few used pages in order to gift it to … [Read more...]

SmartyCard’s Summer Challenge With Scholastic: Heads Up for Fall!

May 28, 2009 I was just about to post an in-depth review and analysis of the merits and watch-worthy aspects of the new SmartyCard.com "learn and earn" kids' program for 3rd-6th graders,  when I received this sidewinder about their brand new alliance with Scholastic’s Summer reading challenge. I know, I know, this news is supposed to be a GOOD thing from a "halo effect" mass … [Read more...]