PLAYPER CURIOUS KINGDOM CASTLE

Does it bother you that a lot of the toys we get for our kids aren't very environmentally friendly based upon issues with the plastics they are made of and the amount of them that end up in landfills? With that in mind and today being EARTH DAY, I wanted to give a shout out to a fantastic new line of eco-friendly, sustainable toys for preschoolers and kindergartners from Playper that won this year's NAPPA [National Parenting Product Awards] Sustainability Award. Playper toys encourage children to explore a Curious Kingdom and engage in imaginative play both hands-on and through augmented reality. 

Playper Curious Kingdom Castle is a buildable DIY castle playset with moving parts that sparks imagination and creativity. It includes a multi-level castle with locking drawbridge and secret trap door, 6 colorful characters (featuring a royal family, knight in shining armor, galloping horse, and a goofy dragon) props & accessories and reusable “magic stickers." Aimed for children three to six years, Playper Curious Kingdom Castle is plastic free made from a durable, high quality recycled material decorated in vibrant colors with soy-based ink. 

I appreciate this toy has both a traditional physical play aspect as well as a tech angle to it too. Watch as characters like King Ketchup and Snuffles the Dragon come to life when scanned using AR-enhanced features via Playper's free app. This fun, whimsical playset is currently available on Amazon for $34.99.

Here are some nice pros for picking up a Playper Curious Kingdom Castle for a youngster in your life:

• Eco-Friendly Materials: Playper toys are made from recycled gray board and chipboard, ensuring that no new trees are cut down for production. Each toy holds an FSC certification, guaranteeing responsible forest management. 
• Biodegradable and Recyclable: After providing hours of creative play, these toys can be responsibly disposed of, reducing landfill waste and teaching children about environmental responsibility. 
• Non-Toxic Ink: The vibrant colors of PlayperBoard® playsets come from soy and vegetable-based inks, which are safe for children and the environment. These sustainable inks are a great alternative to petroleum-based inks. 
• Durable and Spill-proof: All pieces are coated with a water-based, spill-resistant finish, making the toys durable enough for rough play and multiple assemblies. Plus, it makes recycling easier!
• Tool-Free Building: Each Playset comes with picture-based instructions that require no reading, making them easy for young kids. The assembly is fun, colorful, and doesn't require scissors, glue, or tape.

For more information about Curious Kingdom toys, please visit playper.com

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Celebrate Earth Day with a Little Help from Ranger Rob

Spend Earth Day (April 22) with Ranger Rob learning some conservation tips while joining him on a fun adventure. RANGER ROB is an animated television show on Canada's Treehouse children's programming cable network that can also be seen on Sprout, which has recently been rebranded as NBCUniversal's cable kids channel UniversalKids, in the United States.  It shares the adventures of an enthusiastic park ranger who LOVES going outside to PLAY, EXPLORE, and DISCOVER in Big Sky Park.  The show provides an entertaining way to educate children about the importance of taking care of the environment, recycling, and preserving the place we call HOME.  RANGER ROB also incorporates teachable moments on topics such as teamwork and friendship.

Ranger Rob shared with A Geek Daddy his top 5 tips he wants kids to keep in mind for Earth Day:

Tune in to Treehouse TV and Sprout on April 22 for some special Ranger Rob programming. Universal Kids will be showing a RANGER ROB Earth Day special at 9am (EST) that will be repeating at 3:30pm.  Treehouse will be showing a RANGER ROB Marathon from 3:15pm - 6:60pm (ET).  Enjoy Earth Day with Ranger Rob on April 22!

ENJOY EARTH DAY AT THE MICHIGAN SCIENCE CENTER

Commemorate Earth Day at the Michigan Science Center (MiSci) during their “Make Way for Earth Day” celebration! The event features a special Science Parade at Noon throughout MiSci as well as other interactive Earth Day activities and programs that introduce children of all ages to the fields of Earth science, and allow them to get hands-on with Earth science concepts.

Plus thanks to support from Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coating, guests who dress as their favorite STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) professional or wear green will receive FREE general admission on Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 10 am - 6pm.

MiSci is located at 5020 John R Street in downtown Detroit, Michigan.  CLICK HERE for directions and parking information.

It's Panda-monium in April

If you know any children that go bonkers over pandas be prepared for panda-monium to ensue.  PBS Kids is releasing on April 11 a DVD featuring a 4 episode collection from the Wild Kratts animated television series which focus on animals from China and highlights pandas.  Then Disney's BORN IN CHINA is arriving at movie theaters across the United States on April 21.  This feature film follows three animal families (pandas, snow leopards, golden monkeys) as they live in the wild. Based upon opening week attendance (April 21 - 27, 2017), Disney will make a contribution to the World Wildlife Fund to help protect wild pandas and snow leopards in China.  Kids who love pandas are really going to be delighted this month.

The WILD KRATTS: PANDA-MONIUM DVD from PBS Kids provides four action-packed adventures where the Kratt brothers (Chris & Martin) save giant pandas from the evil Zach Varmitech, find an adorable little lost red panda and help to reunite her with her mother, save animals captured in China from the villain Donita Donata, and more!

Panda Power Up

While checking out the endangered giant panda, the Wild Kratts get stranded in the bamboo forests of China without having power for any of their vehicles or equipment. They must figure out how to ‘power up’ in time to help save the pandas, who are being turned into roboticized stuffed toys by the nefarious villain, Zach Varmitech. An ‘ancient panda secret’ just might lead to the creature power that will restart their engines and save the pandas.  

Red Panda Rescue


Chris finds a little lost Red panda, but before she can be reunited with her mother, Zach steals her as a birthday present for Donita Donata. It’s Wild Kratts to the rescue!

The Colors of China 

While hanging out with golden pheasants in China, Martin and Chris wonder how important color is for creatures. But when Donita Donata begins to steal animals and remove their color, they soon discover just how critical it is for survival. It’s a race to stop Donita and get color back into the creature world!

Snowy Owl Invasion

Martin and Chris are hanging out in China with their giant panda friend Stuffo when they receive reports of snowy owls showing up all over North America. Since these raptors live in the Arctic, it’s up to the Wild Kratts to solve the mystery of the snowy owl invasion! 

WILD KRATTS transforms the Kratt Brothers, creators of the award-winning “Kratts’ Creatures” and Emmy-winning “Zoboomafoo,” into animated versions of themselves, allowing the real-life zoologists to visit wild animals in their little-seen habitats and showcase key science concepts along the way. From elephants using physics to suck gallons of water with their trunks to a fleet of peregrine falcons that harness the force of gravity to speed through the air, each episode of WILD KRATTS presents age-appropriate science inspired by the natural abilities of the animals that the Kratt Brothers – and young viewers – meet. WILD KRATTS airs daily on PBS KIDS (check local listings). 

Disney's BORN IN CHINA explores the magic and mystery of China's exotic wildlife.  Narrated by John Krasinski ( NBC's "The Office"), this movie transports audiences to some of the world's most extreme environments to witness intimate moments in the lives of animals that are only found in the wild within China.  A panda bear guides her growing baby that is beginning to seek independence from the mother. A two-year old golden monkey who feels displaced by his new baby sister joins up with a group of free-spirited outcasts.  And a mother snow leopard -- an elusive animal rarely seen by human eyes -- raises two cubs in one of the harshest environments on Earth.

BORN IN CHINA features stunning, never-before-seen imagery and includes pandas in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in the Si Chuan province, golden snub-nosed monkeys in the Hubei Shennongjia Nature Reserve in the middle of the Yangtze River and the elusive snow leopards in the Qinghai Province which is on the northeast rim of the Tibetan plateau (5,000 meters above sea level).  The movie also shows the rarely filmed chiru, located in the Kekexili National Reserve, and red-crowned cranes filmed at the Heilongjiang Zhanglong National Nature Reserve and Jiangsu Yancheng National Nature Reserve for Coastal Rare Birds.

Learn more about pandas and the other animals BORN IN CHINA features be enjoying this entertaining and educational activity pack courtesy of The Walt Disney Studios:



Want to see a Panda up close?  These animals are rare and endangered but there are a few on display at a few zoos in the USA on loan from China to assist with conservation education and captive breeding programs.  The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC has 3 pandas you can meet during a visit, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and Bei Bei.  Can't make it to the nation's capital?  Visit the zoo's website to view a live webcam feed of these panda bears' exhibit for a real-time view of these animals.

The Atlanta Zoo is also home to a panda family.  In fact a set of panda cub twins were just born in September 2016 expanding the growing family of parents Lun Lun and Yang Yang.  Check them out on the zoo's pandacam.

When I think of Memphis it is Graceland and BBQ that come to mind, but this Tennessee city is also home to the pandas Le Le and Ya Ya.  They are on loan from China until 2023 and make a trip to the zoo well worth a visit if you are in town.



The final zoo you can find pandas at in the USA is on the West Coast.  The San Diego Zoo is considered one of the best zoos in the country and the panda display is one of the jewels in its crown.  They also have a Panda Cam if your family can't make it out to southern California and want to see Gao Gao, Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu. 

My daughter loves pandas so she's going to be thrilled as we watch the complimentary WILD KRATTS: PANDA-MONIUM DVD PBS Kids sent our way, celebrate Earth Day by going to see BORN IN CHINA and check out the web cams that provide a look at those animals that live in zoos.  April is going to be a month of panda-monium! 

San Diego Zoo Panda Cam