Who else enjoys playing ZOO GUARDIANS? This game for Apple and Android mobile devices lets players build their own zoos with some guidance from the Smithsonian National Zoo. Become a Zoo Guardian of endangered animals as you learn about conservation and fun facts about the creatures you are carrying for. My kids and I love visiting zoos and our whole family has been geeked about this game that lets us design our own zoological parks.
During Howl-oween you can be a BOO Guardian. Enjoy this exclusive promo code Boo2021 which will let you unlock some cool Zoo animals. The code is only valid until November 7, 2021 so don't wait around to take advantage of it.
For more information or to download the game, head over to zooguardians.com
Join us on Friday, September 8, 2017 from 11 am - Noon EST as A GEEK DADDY co-hosts the #RecoilWORLD Twitter Party with The Toy Insider. RSVP to participate in a fun chat filled with interesting banter and trivia and be eligible for some great giveaways. During the party we'll be discussing a new adrenaline pumping game from Skyrocket Toys called RECOIL.
RECOIL is a location-based game powered by GPS with real-time player tracking for up to 16 participants. It's augmented reality capabilities transform any location into a digitally-enhanced battlefield. RECOIL also features real-time voice chat between players and live stats through the mobile app that powers the game. CLICK HERE to read The Toy Insider's review of Skyrocket Toys' RECOIL.
Four lucky winners selected during the Twitter party will win a RECOIL Multiplayer Starter Set, and one
grand prize winner will win a RECOIL Multiplayer Starter Set AND a
RECOIL SR-12 Rogue! To be eligible to win RSVP in advance of the party. Also follow @RecoilWorld, @thetoyinsider and @Geekdad248 while engaging in the party's conversation using #RecoilWORLD in your tweets. Hope to see you there! It will be a blast!
I took my eight year old twins to one of Randy Kaplan's local performances promoting his new children's album Trippin' Round the Mitten and have to say we really enjoyed ourselves. While Kaplan's songs are written primarily for an audience between 5 and 12 years old, he prides himself in performing music that is not-JUST-for-kids and entertaining to audiences of all ages. He does this be incorporating witty references and educational references into songs with familiar beats from a variety of musical genres. Mixing in comedic interludes to the songs he provided a family-friendly experience filled with intelligent retrospect, humorous moments and toe-tapping tunes.
The twins favorite song from his live performance was "You Can't Always Get What You Want." This song, which is actually is from a previous album Five Cent Piece, tells the story of a young boy being reprimanded for trying to get out of taking a bath to the tune of The Rolling Stones' classic song. My kids were all smiles during the performance!
As a huge sports fan myself, "Balls" was one of my favorite songs performed during the concert. A R.E.M. "It's the End of the World" style ballad that provides an inventory of all the different types of balls used in sports. This song put a smile on my face just like my son's. Kaplan did a great job interacting with the kids in the audience during this number pretending to do a psychic reading of their minds and taunting them with the question does a hockey puck fit into the list.
"Mr. Spaceman" from Kaplan's new album, Trippin' Round the Mitten, was another song my daughter, who loves astronomy and includes among her career aspirations the job of astronaut, specifically appreciated. It takes inspiration from the Holy Modal Rounders' parody of Johnny Cymbal's "Mr. Bassman" changing the lyrics to a tongue-in-cheek lament from a father expressing reservations about his son's plan to join Elon Musk's mission to colonize Mars. Kaplan, a certified high school English teacher, shows the educator side of his personality mixing in some science class lessons along with the quirky story of the song.
Other songs from Trippin' Round the Mitten include "Beach Song" (a spoof of The Dead Milkmen's song that protests going on beach vacations), "Super Nude" (describes Kaplan's son's superhero alter ego), "Cat & Mice" (a jazzy song about a dad and son bonding while mom is away), "Every Second Counts" (the true-to-life rendition of a typical chaotic morning in the artist's house), "Trippin Round the Mitten" (a song about the uniqueness of the State of Michigan) and "On the Phone on the Toilet" (which addresses the disconnection that can occur from being too connected to smart phones and the Internet). "On the Phone on the Toilet" was released in advance of the album and rose to #2 on the SiriusXM Kids Place Live "13 Under 13" chart. It really provides an impressive perspective of today's social media society.
In appreciation of the Randy Kaplan performance we attended, A Geek Daddy wants to share our experience with you by providing one lucky winner with his album Trippin' Round the Mitten. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to participate. Just complete the entries below before 11:59 pm ET on Friday, August 18, 2017 for a chance to win:
Randy Kaplan is a three-time recipient of the ASCAP Plus Award, has released six family albums of children's music along with eight albums for adults. His work has been awarded top honors by NAPPA (National Parenting Publication Awards, now National Parenting Product Awards), been voted a Top Five CD in the Nickelodeon Parents' Pick Awards, and has appeared on the Top Ten lists of NPR, and People Magazine. His music has been in the rotation of songs played on SiriusXM's Kids Place Live for more than a decade.
Tunes like the "Donut Song" clearly demonstrate why Kaplan has earned these accolades. For his wacky originality that is a great source of entertainment that families can enjoy together, Randy Kaplan has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval. If you have young kids in your household check this musical artist out!
Marvel superhero fans aren't going to want to miss out on this Amazing Spider-Man Giveaway for a Sideshow Collectibles Premium Format Figure featuring the Web Slinger in an incredible pose. Just click on the link above for a chance to throw your name in the hat to win this great prize! Oh yeah one more thing ... please refer ageekdaddy.com as who you found out about the contest from. If A Geek Daddy get the most contest referrals among the bloggers promoting this giveaway then I win one of these amazing statues too!
There’s never a dull moment for Peter Parker when he puts on his iconic
red and blue costume to become the Amazing Spider-Man! Everyone’s
favorite high-flying, wise-cracking web-head is at it again – out to
save the day in this fantastically sculpted gravity-defying composition.
Captured just moments away from certain doom, the acrobatic hero
effortlessly launches himself above Green Goblin’s explosive pumpkin
bombs and out of harm’s way. Marvel The Amazing Spider-Man Marvel Premium Format(TM) Figure is a stunning tribute to his action-packed
comic book legacy, this is the ultimate must-have for fans of
Spider-Man!
Don't miss out on this spectacular giveaway! Submit your FREE entry here --> Amazing Spider-Man Giveaway. Get your entries in before July 24 and 11:59 pm PT! Sideshow Collectibles is responsible for selecting a winner, notifying them and delivering the prize. Spider-Man, Spider-Man, this friendly neighborhood Spider-Man Premium Format Figure will make a great decoration for a kids bedroom, family game room, home theater, office, or man cave. Good luck everyone!
Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards are releasing a brand new album of children's music titled SWING SET and A Geek Daddy is giving it away to one lucky winner. The album is a snapshot of the music created by African-American
children, adults, and musicians from the mid-1800s to the early jazz
era. You'll hear a fresh take on sassy playground clapping songs,
soulful lullabies and classic New Orleans melodies, all presented in
style by Jazzy Ash and her band. Each of the 16 songs featured are more than 100 years old but today's kids will still have a swingin' good time listening to them.
Jazzy Ash grew up with a mother from New Orleans and father from Trinidad. Music
infused her home life every day, from jazz to Caribbean rhythms to the
lively children’s music which was playing all the time for the kids in
her mother’s home day care. Later, after becoming a mother herself to two sons, Jazzy earned a degree in early childhood development, began a music education program, and started performing for a children's audience with her band The Leaping Lizards. Their songs have topped the children's music charts and SWING SET is Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards' fourth album.
A Geek Daddy will randomly select one winner who submits entries via the
rafflecopter form below. Must be over 18 years old and have a United
States mailing address (No P.O. Boxes) to be eligible to win. Entries must be received by received by 11:59pm ET Sunday, July 30, 2017. The
selected winner must respond to their winner notification email within
48 hours or a new person will be selected to receive the prize. Sugar Mountain PR will be responsible for delivery of the
album to the winner. Good luck!
Courtesy of our friends at ILLUMINATION ENTERTAINMENT and UNIVERSAL PICTURES, A Geek Daddy has some free Despicable Me 3 themed activity sheets to share with you. Just download and print them out. Enjoy!
Despicable Me 3 arrives at movie theaters across the United States on Friday, June 30, 2017. In the movie, the mischievous Minions hope that Gru will return to a life of
crime after the new boss of the Anti-Villain League fires him. Instead,
Gru decides to remain retired and travel to Freedonia to meet his
long-lost twin brother for the first time. The reunited siblings soon
find themselves in an uneasy alliance to take down the elusive Balthazar Bratt, a former 1980s child star who seeks revenge against the world. For more information about the movie, visit www.despicable.me
Ella Jenkins, know as The First Lady of Children's Music because she's devoted her life to instilling a love of music in kids, is turning 93 in August. She's not letting her age preclude her from continuing to entertain and educate audiences of all ages though. The artist, who received a Lifetime Achievement GRAMMY from the Recording Academy in 2004 and is celebrating 60 years as a Smithsonian Folkways artist this year, just released a new album titled Camp Songs with Ella Jenkins & Friends.
Jenkins assembled a group a group of children, parents and teachers from Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music along with Tony and Kate Seeger from Camp Killooleet to provide an album full of beloved campfire sing-alongs that have been sung by generations of campers. She selected some of her favorite tunes from her own childhood camp experiences as well as from having worked at summer camps as an adult. Camp Songs with Ella Jenkins & Friends begins with a chorus of children singing the familiar "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" which was one of her favorite campfire songs as a child. She made sure to include selections on the album that reflect a broad array of traditions including African-American spirituals and European folk songs. One of the songs, "Everybody Loves Saturday Night" has lines in a dozen languages, including Mandarin, Hindi, Serbian, and Nigerian.
Although Jenkins only takes the lead singing one song on the album, "Sipping Cider Through a Straw," The First Lady of Children's Music is an engaging presence throughout it singing in the chorus, harmonica playing, and conversing about camp experiences and musical traditions with her assemble from the Old Town School of Folk Music. She selected all of the songs performed for the album and provides introductions for many of them explaining why she picked particular tunes. Wanting to promote the fun, bonding experience that people share when singing these camp songs together; the album's final give numbers, which include "Sloop John B" and "Goodnight Irene" are sequenced to resemble a campfire sing-along.
This 25-track collection is a great family-friendly way to entertain children during a vacation car ride, inside the house on a rainy day, or of course while sitting under the stars during a camping trip. Click here to stream a selection of songs from the album from SoundCloud. Camp Songs with Ella Jenkins and Friends is available to purchase through Smithsonian Folkway Recordings, Amazon, and iTunes.
Plus you know that I love to give stuff away, so A GEEK DADDY also has an album to giveaway to one lucky winner. See it pays off to read all the way through my posts doesn't it?! I will randomly select one winner who submits entries via the rafflecopter form below. Must be over 18 years old and have a United States mailing address (No P.O. Boxes) to be eligible to win. The selected winner must respond to their winner notification email within 48 hours or a new person will be selected to receive the prize. Smithsonian Folkway Recordings will be responsible for delivery of the album to the winner. Good luck!
Care Bears fans can show a dad in their life how much they care about him on Father Day with these fun gift ideas. The best gifts don't have to be bought and here are a few ways to make a hand-made present that will touch dad's heart. Celebrate #DadsWhoCare this Fathers Day!
Kids can show their Papa Bear how much they appreciate him with a printable Fathers Day card that lets them personalize it with their own comments and drawings. School's out for most children before Fathers Day arrives so if they didn't make a class project for Dad this free printout is cheaper than a $10 store bought card that is also a much more personal sentiment which kids can easily do at home.
As a dad myself, I can also assure you that moms and kids can never go wrong in giving a guy a sweet treat for Fathers Day. California Donuts have created awesome Care Bear donuts and they've kindly provided A Geek Daddy the info so you can do them yourselves. Baking up a batch is sure to put a smile on dad's face. Or if you're not a whiz in the kitchen you could also just buy some plain doughnuts and decorate them.
What you will need:
1 dozen donuts
2 cartons of white frosting
1-2 drops of blue, white, and black food coloring
1 small bag of candy melts, any color
2 quart zip-up plastic bags
Preparation:
Crush 2 donuts and stuff into the remaining donut's holes
Place one carton of frosting into one bowl, and split the other carton into two bowls
Add 1-2 drops of blue food coloring into the larger bowl of frosting and whisk
Add 1-2 drops of black food coloring into one of the two smaller bowls and whisk
Leave the other small bowl of frosting white
Dip donuts in blue frosting or brush with a small spatula
I
Insert two candy melts for the ears
Paint the ears with the same frosting covering the bear
Let dry for 30 minutes
Place white and black frosting in separate small zip-up bags
Zip both bags shut and cut a small hole in the bottom corner of each
Squeeze a small amount of white frosting in a circular/oval shape to create the mouth
Squeeze a small amount of black frosting in a circular/oval shape to create the eyes
Dip the toothpick in the colored frosting bowl to draw the nose, mouth and eyebrows
If you don't want to literally duplicate Grumpy Care Bear's appearance you can always reverse the smile for some added cheer
Take a photo and share on social media using #MyCareBearsDonuts
Who else is excited that CARS 3 will be racing into movie theaters soon?! My family is revving to go to see the next chapter in one of our favorite movie franchises. Can't wait for the green flag to drop and the new adventure to start. Thanks to our friends at Disney PIXAR we have a fun board game featuring Lightning McQueen and the cast of automobiles from Cars 3 to play with while we're idling for the film's debut weekend. A Geek Daddy is also happy to be able to share this free build it yourself board game called RACE TO THE FINISH with our fans.
Can you be the first to cross the finish line in this racing themed game? Pick from four of the Cars characters from the movie and compete to be the first across the finish line. Roll the dice with the lowest number getting the first turn. Roll the dice to see how many spaces your character can move during a turn. Or your roll may show "Draw a Card." Follow the instructions on the card you pull to see where you go.
Everything you need to build this game is embedded below. Just download the sheets and print them out. After a little bit of cutting and taping you'll have an entertaining game to play. Have a fun family night watching the previous movies and playing RACE TO THE FINISH in anticipation of going to see Cars 3.
Cars 3 promises to be full of
action, racing, funny moments and fun adventure scenes. The movie begins with
Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) blindsided by a new generation
of blazing-fast racers. Trying to get back to the front of the pack,
McQueen turns to an eager young race technician named Cruz Ramirez
(voiced by Cristela Alonzo) for help plus gets some inspiration from the
late Fabulous Hudson Hornet. Making his way through some unexpected
turns #95 shows that he isn't done yet. Can Lightning McQueen win
another Piston Cup and take another cruise through victory lane? We'll
have to see the movie to find out!
Learn more about Cars 3 at cars.disney.com which includes character profiles, craft ideas, games, videos and an online store of themed merchandise. Also check out their Twitter and Facebook accounts as we head into the final stretch to the opening weekend of Cars 3!
Kids grow up so fast! So whenever I see my daughter, who is getting ready to graduate second grade in a few weeks, still enjoying herself playing with her Strawberry Shortcake dolls it always gets me smiling. It is nice to hold on to her being my little girl for as long as I can.
If there is a young girl in your life who loves Strawberry Shortcake as much as my daughter does, A Geek Daddy has a great giveaway for you! Courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment, I'm giving away the animated tale STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE: DANCE BERRY DANCE on home video which is now available on Digital HD and DVD. For a chance to win follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet the embedded tweet below by
11:59 pm ET on June 4, 2017 for a chance to win. Must be a US resident
over 18 years old to participate and one winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE: DANCE BERRY DANCE
Dance along with Strawberry Shortcake and her friends' in this all new animated adventures! Apple causes “The Berry Bitty Dance Disaster” when she invents groove booties to keep up with her pals’ moves. Strawberry and Plum use the booties to teach puppies ballet, but one will become a “Doggie Dance No-Show.” And Cherry Jam must find a solution when she can’t escape the popularity of her “Dance Puppy Dance” song.
We have a tradition of popping up some popcorn and watching one of the Strawberry Shortcake DVDs from Fox Home Entertainment in our home video collection when my little girl want to spend some daddy-daughter time. DANCE BERRY DANCE is sure to make any Strawberry Shortcake fan very happy and whether your family has a shelf full of these DVDs or it is your very first one it will make a nice addition to any child's home video collection. Remember there are only so many years where your kids are going to want to spend time with you. Make the berry best of those opportunities while you can!
DISCLAIMER & GIVEAWAY RULESA Geek Daddy has not been financially compensated for this endorsement or hosting the giveaway. The prize is provided by Fox Home Entertainment. Must be a US resident over the age of 18 to participate. One entry per person and winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Winner when notified by DM to their Twitter account has 48 hours to reply by providing a valid mailing address within the United States to accept the prize. Fox Home Entertainment will be responsible for shipping the DVD to the randomly selected winner. By participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind against the publisher of this blog as we are facilitating this free opportunity as a benefit to our readers.
Who else is excited that CARS 3 will be racing into movie theaters soon?! My family is revving to go to see the next chapter in one of our favorite movie franchises. Can't wait for the green flag to drop and the new adventure to start. Thanks to our friends at Disney PIXAR we have a fun board game featuring Lightning McQueen and the cast of automobiles from Cars 3 to play with while we're idling for the film's debut weekend. A Geek Daddy is also happy to be able to share this free build it yourself board game called RACE TO THE FINISH with our fans.
