Encourage Students to "Bee" Brilliant in the National Geographic Bee

How well does your child know the planet we live on?  The National Geographic Bee provides students in fourth through eighth grade the chance to "bee" brilliant and win up to $50,000 in scholarship money.  Is your child's school participating in the 2016 Nat Geo Bee?


Schools have until January 18, 2016 to register to hold local competitions.  The winners at local schools than take a qualifying test for the chance to compete at the State Bees which are held in every state and Washington D.C during the month of April.  The winners from each of these contests than face off in the National Championship in May which provides more than $85,000 in prizes to contestants.  The top 10 contestants from the preliminary rounds of this Bee conclude the competition in a final round face off televised on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild.

Don't think your child would have a chance to win? You never know unless you try.  Last year's second-place winner who took home a $25,000 college scholarship was 11-year old Shriya Yarlagadda who lives just a half hour's drive from our house in the city of Grand Blanc, Michigan.  The third-place winner, Sojas Wagle, is from Springdale, Arkansas, and the $50,000 first place winner of the 2015 National Geographic Bee winner Karan Menon was a fourteen year old eighth graders at John Adams Middle School in Edison, New Jersey. Other finalists included twelve year old Nicholas Monahan from McCall, Idaho, Patrick Taylor a seventh grader from Coralville, Iowa, and Lucy Chae, a thirteen year old seventh grader from Newton Centre, Massachusetts.  You never know where the finalists each year will come from.  Maybe this year it could be one of your neighbors or even better yet your child, grandchild, niece or nephew?

While earning prizes and scholarships is great, the National Geographic Bee also provides all of the children that participate a fun and entertaining way to learn some important lesson about the world we live on.  Does your local school participate?  It is just $100 dollars to register a whole school's eligible grades to participate in its own qualifying competition if they register before December 18, 2015 ($120 afterward prior to January 18, 2016).   Since this is such an incredible event that we'd like to see all our readers' students participating in A Geek Daddy has a little extra incentive to help schools participate.  Schools can use our special code BEE10 when registering for the National Geographic Bee to get 10% off their cost to participate in the event.  Use BEE10 by December 18th and a school's registration fee is only $90.

It is really easy to sign a school up for the National Geographic Bee.  Designate a teacher as the event coordinator than visit NatGeoBee.com.  Just follow these 5 simple steps:

1. Find your school by zip code;
2. Sign up as the School Bee Coordinator;
3. Pay by credit card or check;
4. Use the BEE10 discount code to save 10% on your registration fee;
5. Download the event materials and let the Bee begin!

So do you think you have what it takes to be a Nat Geo Bee Champ!? Try out these 6 sample questions to test your mettle:

1. It takes 65 tons of paint to cover the Eiffel Tower.  It's weird but it's true!  This landmark is located in Paris, France, on which continent?
2. In which ocean are the South Sandwich Islands, which are important breeding grounds for chinstrap penguins?
3. The world's tallest waterfall, called Angel Falls, is taller than five Washington Monuments stacked up.  This waterfall is located in Venezuela on which continent?
4. The Inuit and other First Nation peoples practice subsistence hunting, gathering, and fishing in settlements in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which are located in the far north of what country?
5. The Dry Tortugas, named by Ponce de Leon after the numerous found there, is now a national park in which state -- Florida or Oregon?
6. Singer Carrie Underwood, recently named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, performed in Sydney on the Tasman Sea in which country?

Don't peek until you've answered all the questions!
ANSWERS: (6) Australia; (5) Florida; (4) Canada; (3) South America; (2) Atlantic; (1) Europe.

Think your student might need a bit of help studying up for the Bee?  Pick up the book, How to Ace the National Geographic Bee which aims to help kids in grades four through eight prepare for the Society's annual competition.  Featuring maps, photos, graphs, a variety of questions actually used in past bees, plus an extensive resources section, this guide not only reviews geographic facts but also helps readers recognize themes, identify relationships, and understand how geographers think.  it is a 128 soft cover book featuring 200 black-and-white photographs that is available for $9.95 on the National Geographic Society website.

The National Geographic website also features a FREE study guide section online that can help teachers prepare lesson plans to help prepare students for the Bee plus provides tips, sample quizzes and other useful information to help contestants beef up their geography IQ.   The website also provides a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section and posts the official rules for the competition.

Nat Geo Bee is a renowned education program that challenges kids in grades 4-8 to learn about the world and how it works.  If your local schools aren't participating ask your principals and teachers why not?  Challenge your students to bee brilliant!

For more information, visit NatGeoBee.com

Photographs courtesy of National Geographic Society. All Rights Reserved.

FTC Disclosure: I am part of the National Geographic KIDS Insider blogger program. In partnership with the National Geographic Society, I receive free products and promotional information to review. I am not required to blog about them or write any positive reviews.

#‎NatGeoBee‬ ‪#‎BeeBrilliant‬ ‪#‎NGKInsider‬

Talk Like a Pirate Day: 5 Pirate Myths that are Actually True

Avast! my mateys today is that grand ole day of the year when all the land lubbers of the world stop to pay homage to the spectacular vocabulary skills of those scurvy band of corsairs we've come to know as Pirates. Talk Like A Pirate Day started off 22 years ago when syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry promoted the idea created by two wise-cracking buddies John Baur and Mark Summers. It's now become a globally recognized day of fun that takes place every September 19th where people across the world debate the usage og Arrr! versus Arrgh! What's the main message of this special day...life is short take a break and have some fun being silly from time to time.

In honor of Talk Like A Pirate Day, I'm going to share 5 Pirate Myths that are Actually True courtesy of our friends at the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY:


 #1  Pirates Flew the "Jolly Rogers" over their ships;

#2  Pirate ships were rowdy, boisterous vessels full of drunken rogues;

#3  Pirates had hooks and peg-legs;

#4  Pirates would maroon crew members on deserted islands;

#5 There was such a thing as a "Pirate's Code"

Take a moment to watch the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC video posted above, it is pretty good with lots of interesting information.  For example many ships' crews primarily drank rum because as they were traveling across salt water oceans and seas where they couldn't guarantee their supply of safe fresh water to drink so the drunken sailer image may not be too far off.  So yo ho ho is the Pirate Life for you?

 For myself next to trying to remember the proper usage of then verus than the next biggest the next biggest vocabulary challenge is the properly using Arrr versus Arrgh.  Fortunately the good crew over at TalkLikeAPirate.com have an answer for that within their official pirate language dictionary.  Arrgh is the sound you make when you get a poke in the eye or a kick in the butt.  Arrr means YES, I AGREE, I APPROVE , or SEND ANOTHER BEER MY WAY PLEASE.

So lift your grog you bilge rats on this occasion and give toast to those who made this day be.  Cheers to John, Mark and Davey!  Thank you for making sure we all know the proper use of Arrr versus Arrgh and creating a day that always provides smiles and amusement to us land lubbers one and all. 

 A Geek Daddy Blog is participating in the National Geographic Kids Insider brand ambassador program for the 2015-2016 school year. During this time, the “Insiders” will get a behind-the-scenes look at National Geographic’s resources, activities, content and projects for kids and families. National Geographic Kids Insiders review books, magazines television shows and toys, and will be offered interviews with authors, explorers and editors. 

World Lion Day - Cause an Uproar

Detroit has an affinity for big cats.  They're tied to the heart and soul of Motown as the mascots of two of the city's long time premiere sports franchises The Detroit Lions & Tigers.  The wild characteristics of these big cats portray the ferocity in which our sports teams strive to compete.  Will the meaning of these mascots remain the same for my kids and future generations though if these great animals no longer live in the wild or even worse become extinct?  Big cats in the wild are disappearing at an alarming rate! On World Lion Day ( August 10 ) please join my friends at National Geographic in creating an uproar about the plight of the planet's big cats in the wild.



Send a virtual high five to your friends and connections through social media on August 10th with the hashtag #5forBigCats with a message encouraging them to donate $5 to support National Geographic's Big Cat Initiative.  Donations can be made online via visiting donate.ngs.org/5forbigcats or by texting FIVE to 50555 to donate $5. Texting T&C: mgv.cc/t

The National Geographic Big Cats Initiative provides on-the-ground support to projects that preserve big cat populations worldwide.  Examples include building livestock enclosures to save snow leopards in Nepal and combating lion snaring and poaching in Zambia.  Build a Boma has been one of the Big Cats Initiative's most successful efforts at saving the lives of  Lions and other big cats in the wild.  Building and maintaining livestock enclosures called "bomas" in Kenya and Tanzania keeps the lions from preying on those animals which then protects the big cats from retaliatory killings by humans.  A boma costs $500 to build and $25 a year to maintain.  It's a proven way to decrease the killings of lions and your donation to National Geographic Big Cats Initiative can make sure these structures are being effectively built and utilized.  Examples like this show how even a small donation can help towards making a big difference.

Another way to contribute to the cause is to purchase the National Geographic Kids MISSION: LION RESCUE book which teaches children about these magnificent animals and its proceeds are used to support The National Geographic Big Cats Initiative. This softcover book is 128 pages and features 250 incredible color photographs of the kings and queens of beasts.   MISSION: LION RESCUE is meant to inspire young animal lovers to get up close to roaring lions and the real-life challenges they face. With fun and amazing adventure stories, gorgeous photography, hands-on activities, fascinating information, and more, this book taps into kids' interest in animals and hopefully will stir a passion for saving them. Meet real-life lions and learn about their habitats, challenges, and successes, plus learn how kids can take action and help save these amazing endangered creatures.

Please make a contribution on this World Lions Day to help restore their roar in the wild whether it is financially or by helping spread the word about #5forBigCats.  Hit Twitter, Facebook, Instagram in support of National Geographic's Big Cat Initiative! Let's go save the Lions!

#NGKinsider

National Geographic Kids Summer Boredom Busters

** As part of the National Geographic Kids Insiders, A Geek Daddy blog was provided a complimentary Kids Summer Boredom Buster Book Kit plus one to giveaway**

Do the words "I'm bored" grate on your nerves like finger nails being scratched down a chalkboard when your children start whining on a rainy summer day or when it may be to hot to go out and play? Or even worse hearing the pestering of "are we there yet" during the drive for a summer vacation road trip.  Our friends at National Geographic Kids have a solution to these annoyances with their Summer Boredom Buster Kit.

National Geographic Kids provided A Geek Daddy with a FREE downloadable Summer Fun Pack filled with animal stories, fun facts, crazy quizzes. recipes, jokes, puzzles and games to share with our readers.  Please download and print out the following Summer Fun Pack activity sheets courtesy of National Geographic Kids:


That's not it though! We've also been provided with some Summer Boredom Buster Book Kits featuring 5 great National Geographic Kids selections for both my children to enjoy and to giveaway to one lucky A Geek Daddy blog reader.  For a chance to win you  must be a U.S. or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 4 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday August 16, 2015.  All valid entries will be assigned a number in the order they are received and one number will be  selected to determine the winner using random.org.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

**UPDATE** Congrats to Jake from Toledo who won the National GEO Boredom Busters Prize Pack

EMAIL (1 Entry)  E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address.   Email subject line should be National GEO Boredom Busters. 

FACEBOOK COMMENT (3 Entries) Visit A GEEK DADDY on Facebook and leave a comment on our contest post sharing what your favorite family summer road trip is.

These 5 National Geographic Kids books are really great for summer because they are jam-packed with interesting activities, jokes, and trivia that will keep a child's attention occupied yet are relatively small in size making them easy to pack for a trip or store around the house.  They also meet A Geek Daddy's philosophy of combining entertaining and educational elements together to help kids learn.  "Learning" and "Fun" shouldn't be considered polar opposites by children so books and products that can combine the too in a meaningful way like these National Geographic Kids books get A Geek Daddy nod of approval.  Here are the five books included in the National Geographic Summer Boredom Buster Book Kit:

FUNNY FILL-IN: MY AMUSEMENT PARK ADVENTURE

Combining National Geographic Kids’ photography and illustrations in colorful laugh-out-loud pages, this engaging, entertaining, and educational book takes you on a fun-filled adventure through the amusement park and invites you to imaginatively enter a new world by writing your own wild and wacky story.

FUNNY FILL-IN: MY RAINFOREST ADVENTURE

Sort fact from fiction in this fun and informative adventure. Filled with excitement and hilarity, this compositional challenge lets you tell your very own story starring…YOU!

QUIZ WHIZ 5

Discover 1,000 more fun, fascinating, and funny quiz questions in the fifth installment in this popular series, with all-new content. Packed with fantastic photos and a dynamic design, kids will have a blast quizzing themselves, friends, and family members on tons of fun trivia!

JUST JOKING ANIMAL RIDDLES

Authored former U.S. Children's Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis, this collection of animal-focused jokes and riddles will keep kids reading, rhyming, and laughing like a hyena.

SHARK STICKER ACTIVITY BOOK

This super engaging activity book is packed with mazes, spelling and pattern games, drawing activities, shark facts, and more. Shark-crazy kids are sure to love these pages loaded with fun, learning as the go!

We're taking a summer road trip to Toronto which will be a 5 hour drive each way and these National Geographic Kids books will definitely be along for the ride to help keep our kids amused while the miles go by.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but National Geographic is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive free products for the blog to review and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own.  #NGKINSIDER

Are your kids going to CAMP Google during the summer break from school?

Looking for a way to keep your kids productive and learning over the summer break from school?  CAMP Google is a FREE online opportunity for children to engage in interactive science activities and adventures that will run from mid-July through mid-August.  Each week will have a different theme: OCEAN Week, SPACE Week, NATURE Week & MUSIC Week.  Led by experts, the activities have been designed to encourage kids to ask questions, setting them on a lifelong journey of exploration and discovery.



Our friends at National Geographic Kids will be kicking off Ocean Week on CAMP Google with a one hour LIVE stream at 3pm on Monday, July 13 2015 featuring National Geographic Explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle as she goes on a dive in the Atlantic Ocean.  The even will be staged from inside Baseline Explorer's Submarine 'Nemo' where Earle will discuss marine biology, technology and then pilot an OpenROV pre-positioned several miles offshore through a wireless ethernet bridge.

CLICK HERE to tune in for the LIVE video stream featuring National Geographic Explorers and for more information about how to join in on CAMP Google activities and online events. If you missed the live stream you can still watch the presentation by clicking the link.

National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Sylvia A. Earle has a B.S. degree from Florida State University, M.S. and PhD. from Duke University, and 22 honorary degrees. Earle who in 2014 was named a "Glamour Woman of the Year",  has authored more than 190 scientific, technical, and popular publications; lectured in more than 80 countries; and appeared in hundreds of radio and television productions. She has led more than a hundred expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater, including leading the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project in 1970; participating in ten saturation dives, most recently in July 2012; and setting a record for solo diving in 1,000-meter depth.

Earle's research concerns marine ecosystems with special reference to exploration, conservation, and the development and use of new technologies for access and effective operations in the deep sea and other remote environments. Her special focus is on developing a global network of areas on the land and in the ocean to safeguard the living systems that provide the underpinnings of global processes, from maintaining biodiversity and yielding basic life support services to providing stability and resiliency in response to accelerating climate change.

Join in on the National Geographic Kids presentation at 3pm on Monday July 13th than participate in a variety of Ocean themed activities that CAMP Google will post on its website that kids can do around the house during the remainder of the week.

Disclosure: A Geek Daddy is a member of the National Geographic Kids Insider blogger program.  Insiders get a behind-the-scenes look at National Geographic’s resources, activities, content and projects for kids and families. They also review copies of books, magazines and toys, and are offered interviews with authors, explorers and editors. 

National Geographic is a global nonprofit membership organization driven by a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. National Geographic Kids teaches kids about the world and how it works, empowering them to succeed and make it a better place. National Geographic Kids inspires young adventurers through award-winning magazines, books, apps, games, toys, videos, events and a website, and is the only kids brand with a world-class scientific organization at its core.

A Geek Daddy Blog Named Brand Ambassador For National Geographic Kids

National Geographic has announced that A Geek Daddy Blog will be one of the family bloggers who will participate in the National Geographic Kids Insider brand ambassador program for the 2015-2016 school year. During this time, the “Insiders” will get a behind-the-scenes look at National Geographic’s resources, activities, content and projects for kids and families. They will receive review copies of books, magazines and toys, and will be offered interviews with authors, explorers and editors.  All “Insiders” are also given a badge to display on their sites.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these passionate bloggers to join us in our mission of teaching kids about the planet and empowering them to succeed,” said National Geographic Chief Education Officer Melina Bellows. “This impressive group of bloggers comes from all across North America, and they are dedicated to raising the global citizens our planet so desperately needs.”

“Over the past few years, we have evolved our program through feedback to form deeper and more meaningful relationships with our bloggers, who we see as true partners,” said Anna Irwin, director of the National Geographic Kids Insider program. “We hope this year’s group is as excited as we are about all the cool projects, books and programs we have in store for kids and families.”

Joining A Geek Daddy Blog as 2015-2016 National Geographic Kids Insiders are:

• Alison McFadden, Shortcut Saver
• Allison Waken, All for the Boys
• Amanda Jones, Field Guide to Parenting Outside
• Amelia Mayer, Tales of a Mountain Mama
• Amy Bellgardt, Mom Spark
• Amy Mascott, Teach Mama
• Amy Thayer, Oh So Savvy Mom
• Annemarie LeBlanc, Tourist Meets Traveler
• Brandi Jeter Riley, Mama Knows It All
• Buzz Bishop, DadCAMP
• Carl Bainbridge, Living With Autism: A Parent’s Perspective
• Crystal Rapinchuk, Surviving a Teacher’s Salary
• Deborah Cruz, The TRUTH about Motherhood
• Estelle Erasmus, Musings on Motherhood & Midlife
• Fadra Nally, All Things Fadra
• Gina Vercesi, Kids Unplugged
• Janis Brett Elspas, Mommy Blog Expert
• Jessica Wellington, Family Fun Journal
• Jill Amery, UrbanMommies
• Kara Lewis, The Joys of Boys
• Kathy Balman, Kathy’s Cluttered Mind
• Kathy Dalton, Go Adventure Mom
• Leticia Barr, Tech Savvy Mama
• Lisa Collins, Mom on the Side
• Melissa Northway, Dandelion Moms
• Melissa Pezza, The Mommyhood Chronicles
• Natasha Nicholes, Houseful Of Nicholes
• Nirasha Kumar, Mommy Niri
• Pilar Clark, Dearest Geeks of Earth
• Robyn Good, Celeb Baby Laundry
• Sommer Poquette, Green & Clean Mom
• Stacie Connerty, Divine Lifestyle
• Thien-Kim Lam, I’m Not the Nanny
• Tina Seitzinger, Life Without Pink
• Trey Burley, Daddy Mojo
• Val Curtis, BonBon Break
• Vaneese Pattman, Mommy Works a Lot

The National Geographic Kids Insiders were selected because of their passion for raising the next generation of explorers. National Geographic is a global nonprofit membership organization driven by a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. National Geographic Kids teaches kids about the world and how it works, empowering them to succeed and make it a better place. National Geographic Kids inspires young adventurers through award-winning magazines, books, apps, games, toys, videos, events and a website, and is the only kids brand with a world-class scientific organization at its core.