BUTTERBEANS CAFE GIVEAWAY

Show children that cooking can be a fun adventure by enjoying the hit Nick Jr. animated television series Butterbean's Café with them then making some delicious recipes together in the kitchen. Produced by Jonny Belt and Robert Scull, the creators of the popular Bubble Guppies show, Butterbean's Café shares the adventures of a fairy who runs a neighborhood café with her friends. The first season of Butterbean’s Café has had the highest rated launch of a preschool tv series on Nickelodeon's cable network since the debut of ratings giant Paw Patrol and the fairy cooking show is currently one of the top 5 shows among girls ages 2-5.



This dad blogger is sharing some of this show's magic with you through a special ageekdaddy.com giveaway courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment. One lucky winner will receive a Butterbean Fairy Kit that includes a Butterbean Café: Let's Get Cooking DVD, fairy wings and an assortment of other goodies. The DVD includes eight delicious episodes from Season 1 of the animated series and four family-friendly recipes inspired by the show. Butterbean’s Café: Let’s Get Cooking DVD can help you share the magic of cooking with the little ones in your life!

To toss your name in the hat for a chance to win this prize pack just complete the rafflecopter entries below before 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, March 15, 2020. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to participate. Only one prize pack per residence allowed in this Paramount Home Entertainment promotion. The contest sponsor will be responsible for delivery of the prize to the randomly selected winner. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Butterbeans' Café: Let's Get Cooking is available now on DVD from Best Buy. If you purchase the DVD through a link in this post ageekdaddy.com receives a small commission at no additional charge to you. Thank you for supporting ageekdaddy.com!



In Butterbean’s Café: Let’s Get Cooking kids can help Butterbean outdo Ms. Marmalady with her yummy parfaits and tasty quiche; assist Cricket with her first menu as she learns to pipe icing on cupcakes; see Dazzle run the café herself and switch jobs with Poppy; and bake a little magic with Jasper and help the Bean Team find Cookie the cat!

SUNNY DAY: A Brand New Nickelodeon Animated Series

Nickelodeon always sends the most creative media kits.  One of the best ones yet arrived the other day promoting the cable network's newest animated series, SUNNY DAY.  A few of the series' first episodes along with information about its cast and production team were wrapped inside a sweet cardboard replica of the gadget-filled Glam Van featured in the show.  My eight year old daughter enthusiastically watched the episodes provided to us then confiscated the Glam Van for herself which I've noticed she's been playing with in her room.

This new television show revolves around Sunny (Lilla Crawford), a 10-year-old master hairstylist, creative problem-solver, and entrepreneur who runs her own hair salon in the seaside town of Friendly Falls.  When adventure calls,  Sunny sets out to save the day with her can-do attitude, tricked out Glam Van and best friends Rox (Elan Luz Rivera) and Blair (Taylor Louderman), and her dog Doodle (Rob Morrison) by her side.  The characters featured in Sunny Day celebrate individuality and self-expression while the show, developed and produced by Silvergate Media (Peter Rabbit), focuses on social-emotional curriculum promoting leadership, innovative-thinking and teamwork.  Each episode of Sunny Day also features a unique digital extension on Nickjr.com and the Nick Jr. App where kids and their parents can watch fun, live-action hairstyle tutorials that are tied directly to each storyline and narrated by Sunny.  The first season will also include celebrity guest star appearances including Ashley Parker Angel (O-Town), Lance Bass (NSYNC), Kether Donohue (Grease Live, Pitch Perfect), Christopher Fitzgerald (Waitress), Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) and Shanice Williams (The Wiz Live!).
 

The show is for preschool audiences so I asked my daughter if Sunny Day was too babyish for her.  She told me that the show was actually really fun to watch and would recommend it to the other girls in her second grade class.  That surprised me because she and her twin brother have aged out of a lot of Nickelodeon's cartoon style programming --> though they still love The Loud House.  I think though that the characters being identified as around her own age and the show having a fashion style theme appealed to her.  Though she told me her favorite part of Sunny Day was Doodle.  My daughter beamed me a smile and said the dog was both adorable and funny and she'd want to watch more episodes to see more of the character's exploits.

Sunny Day will be debuting during the preschool programming blocks on Nickelodeon as well as on Nick Jr. beginning Monday, August 21, 2017.  Leading up to the series' cable premiere, NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App will be rolling out some of the show's full-length episodes plus short-form content online beginning June 5th.  Additionally, a new online game "Smiling and Styling with Sunny" will be debuting on Friday, August 4 on NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App that will let players style and color hair plus paint and decorate nails for the residents in Friendly Falls.

Barbara Eden, Television's Most Iconic Genie, Gets Animated in Nickelodeon's "Shimmer & Shine"

Tune in to Nickelodeon on Friday, November 18 at 11am (ET/PT) to see Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie) revisits her genie roots and gets animated in a brand-new episode of the television series Shimmer and Shine. In “The Crystal Queen,” Eden plays Empress Caliana, a quirky genie empress and mentor to Samira, the genie princess. When power-hungry sorceress Zeta traps Samira in a magical crystal cave, Shimmer, Shine and Leah team up with Empress Caliana to save the day.  

Shimmer and Shine follows the adventures of twin genies-in-training, Shimmer and Shine. The animated series is meant for preschool audiences and features a social-emotional curriculum highlighting the importance of teamwork, resilience and overcoming obstacles.  While the Barbara Eden episode will debut on Nickelodeon, Shimmer and Shine is broadcast on both the Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. cable channels.  Check each channel's schedules for specific times the series is shown. For more information about the series, please visit nickjr.com/shimmer-and-shine
 

H.R. Pufnstuf Returns To Television

It's been a long time but I still can remember watching some of the popular kids programs of my youth like Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Dressup, The Friendly Giant, and of course H.R. Pufnstuf.  I really liked H.R. Pufnstuf as a youngster because it featured life-sized puppets in fantasy adventures on a live-action television show which really brought characters like Cling and Clang, Dr. Blinky, the friendly dragon H.R. Pufnstuf and the villainous Withchiepoo to life.   This gang's high jinks on Living Island made for a cutting edge show at the time and have made the television series a cult classic. I have fond memories of the show but don't recall seeing much about H.R. Pufnstuf and its cast of characters since I was about 6 or 7 years old so when I noticed Nickelodeon was bringing its characters back to television that news caught my attention.

Sid and Marty Krofft who in addition to creating H.R. Pufnstuf are known for other popular 1970s era television shows such as the Donnie & Marie variety show, Land of the Lost, Sigmund & The Sea Monsters, Doctor Shrinker and Wonderbug have recently embarked on a new venture with Nickelodeon producing a new live-action preschool series called Mutt & Stuff.  Set in a unique school for dogs, Mutt and Stuff stars Calvin Millan and his dad Cesar (the original star of Dog Whisperer), interacting with a cast of both real dogs and puppets.  Based upon the popularity of the new series this year, Nickelodeon is expanding its first season by an additional 20 episodes.  In celebration of this expanded season, one of the new episodes will pay tribute to Sid and Marty Kroft's beloved characters from H.R. Pufenstuff bringing them back for their first new television show appearance since the 1980s.  Featuring H.R. Pufnstuf, Cling and Clang, Freddy the Flute, and the Rescue Racer, H.R. PUFNSTUF COMES TO MUTT & STUFF is currently being filmed and will have a premiere date in early 2016.

In "H.R. Pufnstuf Comes to Mutt & Stuff," Stuff, the over-the-top canine companion of Calvin, is paid a special visit at the canine school by his favorite uncle H.R. Pufnstuf.  When H.R. Pufnstuf arrives with his friends from Living Island, Stuff goes overboard in an attempt to impress him and make sure everything is perfect.  This episode promises to be a nostalgic moment for fans of the original H.R. Pufnstuff and an opportunity to introduce these characters to a new generation of both parents and children who may not be familiar with this cast of characters because of their long hiatus from television.

"H.R. Pufnstuf was the first TV show my brother and I created, so it has always held a special place in our hearts," said Marty Krofft in a press release provided to A Geek Daddy.  "Our fans constantly ask us to bring pack Pufnstuf and we feel the vibrant world of Mutt & Stuff is the perfect setting to revitalize these colorful characters and build excitement for new fans."

"H.R. Pufnstuf's wildly imaginative characters made an indelible impression on an entire generation, and now preschoolers and parents will see the two fantasy worlds of Sid and Marty Kroft come together on Mutt & Stuff through the same creative storytelling that defines both series," noted Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon Group.

"It has been an amazing experience to be part of Mutt & Stuff with my son Calvin," added Cesar Millan.  "The show is an amazing platform to educate kids on the responsibilities of being a dog owner and we are excited to be bringing it back for another 20 episodes."

Mutt & Stuff follows Calvin Millan and his best friend Stuff, a larger-than-life dog with the personality to match, as they take preschoolers inside the doors of Mutt & Stuff, a school for dogs, to explore the daily lives of these canine companions.  Each episode features incredible tricks, training lessons and high-spirited humor.  With the help of 15 playful puppies and charismatic puppets, Calvin educates preschoolers on how to train and guide their dogs, as well as showcase the friendship and loyalty that puppies can provide.  The series has a social-emotional curriculum that helps preschoolers identify and manage emotions, build interpersonal awareness and develop social skills.  Mutt & Stuff also carries a message of pet adoption and responsible pet care based upon Cesar Millan's philosophies.

If you want to check out re-runs  H.R. Pufnstuff they are broadcast on the Me-TV television network and streamed at metv.com.  We've also included an episode of the show you can watch below:

Nickelodeon brings popular international show to USA

BEN AND HOLLY'S LITTLE KINGDOM PREMIERES 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH ON NICK JR.

Beginning October 5, 2015, preschoolers watching Nick Jr. will be transported to an enchanted land filled with fairies, elves, and magical mishaps when the animated series Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom joins the cable channel's program lineup airing at 6:30pm (ET/PT).  The October 5th launch of the show on Nick Jr. marks the U.S. broadcast debut for Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, an International Emmy Kids Award-winning series created by Astley Baker Davies, the acclaimed British animation studio behind the popular Peppa Pig.

Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom follows the adventures of Holly, a young fairy princess whose magic often goes awry and her best friend Ben Elf, who lacks magical powers but is extremely handy.  They live in the " Little Kingdom", a tiny land where flowers and grass rise above the tallest towers.  Together, Ben and Holly go on exciting adventures with their friends and work together to fix magical mistakes.

Nick Jr. has acquired seasons one and two (52 episodes) of Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom and will roll out these episodes throughout the fall.  The series currently airs in over 130 countries worldwide, including being really popular in the United Kingdom, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Russia, Mexico and Brazil. The show is a good fit for Nick Jr., a 24-hour television network dedicated to programming for preschoolers which reaches 75 million US households via cable, internet and satellite TV.  The series' premiere episode will also be available to view online following the broadcast debut via NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App beginning October 6, 2015.

Nickelodeon is going to the dogs with premiere of new series Mutt & Stuff

Programming on Nickelodeon is going to the dogs, and I'm not talking about the Pups of PAW Patrol which my kids adore, with the addition of a brand new television series in which will feature Cesar Millan, star of Nat Geo WILD's Cesar 911 and former star of Dog Whisperer, and his son Calvin interacting with a cast of real dogs and puppets at a canine school called Mutt & Stuff.  This series, also called Mutt & Stuff, will balance teaching puppies to behave and perform tricks with lessons for children to help with identifying and managing their emotions, building interpersonal awareness, and developing social skills.  Additionally the show will carry a message promoting pet adoptions and responsible pet ownership based upon Cesar Millan's philosophies.

Mutt & Stuff will premiere on Friday, July 10, 2015 at 10 am (ET/PT), joining Nickelodeon's regular weekly morning preschool lineup of content that includes the popular shows PAW Patrol and Blaze and the Monster Machines.  Sid and Marty Krofft, the creators of two of my favorite TV shows when I was a youngster H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost, are serving as executive producers along with Cesar Millan on bringing this show to life on Nickelodeon.

The focus of the show will be on following 16 year old Calvin Millan and his best friend Stuff, a larger-than-life dog with a personality to match as they take viewers inside the doors of Mutt & Stuff.  Each episode will feature fun tricks, training lessons, and some doggy humor with the help of 15 playful puppies and some charismatic puppets.  Cesar will join in on showing Calvin and Stuff how dogs should be guided and highlighting the benefits that the friendship and loyalty of puppies can bring to a family.

Calvin began working with his father at the age of eight when he appeared on the Dog Whisperer helping to train small dogs.  In 2012, he toured Asia and Canada with his dad appearing in the show CESAR MILLAN LIVE.  Cesar of course is well known for his time as the host of the Dog Whisperer television series and more recently as the star of Nat Geo WILD's Cesar 911.  He is also a best-selling author, frequent public speaker, and a pet care product designer.

In addition to Mutt & Stuff being broadcast on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr cable networks, NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App will feature Mutt & Stuff content and clips.  The series premiere episode will also be available to view via NickJr.com, the Nick Jr. App and on Nick Video On Demand beginning July 11.

CLICK HERE for more information about this new Nickelodeon television series.

Nickelodeon Blazes Into May With Monster Machines Mayhem

Based upon the success of its television series BLAZE & THE MONSTER MACHINES which had ratings that placed it as best preschool show on television and number one for its time slot in the first quarter of 2015, Nickelodeon is launching a month of monster truck mayhem in May.  Blaze and the Monster Machines features the amazing monster truck Blaze and his eight year old driver AJ having adventures that explore the physics of how things move; tackle problems through scientific inquiry and mathematics; and discover the parts needed to make everyday technologies work.  The series which airs weekdays at 1:30 pm (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon is filled with monster trucks, humorous situations, and upbeat original songs with lyrics that highlight a designated STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) topic  for each show such as friction, trajectory, and magnetism.  Nickelodeon will be launching a brand new toy line, a special new episode titled "Dragon Island Duel", a companion game to Dragon Island Duel on the Nick Jr.website, and an update to the Blaze app.

Nickelodeon provided us an advance opportunity to watch "Dragon Island Duel" which my son really enjoyed.  As soon as the episode concluded my son jumped up and asked if he could watch it again.  When asked what his favorite part of the show is, he remarked he likes the songs which was reinforced by his humming one of them throughout the rest of the day.  While the show is aimed for 3 to 5 year olds, my 6 year old kindergartener had fun watching it and many of the educational points of the show were relevant to things he is learning about now in school.  He really got into interacting with the show yelling out answers to answers and problems involving STEM concepts that were addressed in its story.  The show will probably be too elementary for most kids though as they reach first grade and on, but the show is rated and marketed for a preschool audience and I believe most kids in that age range will appreciate and learn some nifty lessons from it.

"Dragon Island Duel" will premiere at 11 am (ET/PT) on May 25, 2015.  The episode features Blaze and his nemesis Crusher going up against one another in a one-on-one race to the top of Mount Dragon.  Although it is one of the toughest races their team has ever faced, best friends Blaze and AJ know they have what it takes to beat Crusher.  Despite Crusher's attempt to cheat and trap Blaze in a cave far off the course before the race begins, AJ manages to free his monster truck while overcoming larger-than-life obstacles along the way.  Crusher tries to cheat one last time along the route, but Blaze and AJ prove no one can beat best friends by winning the race in a thrilling finale.  Throughout the half-hour special, children will be introduced to the STEM concept of investigation.

Tied to this new episode, beginning May 8, kids can play a free "Dragons Island Race" game on the Nick Jr. web site.  Players must help Blaze get past all of the obstacles in his path as he races Crusher to the top of Mount Dragon.  The web site will also provide an exclusive five minute first look at the "Dragon Island Duel" episode from May 18 - 25.

Also as of May 8th, the Blaze and the Monster Machines app will offer users the ability to help Blaze and AJ compete on all-new jungle tracks when with parental approval kids purchase the Dragon Island location.  The new features allow kids to race against Stripes and has them contend with new obstacles like coconut and banana launchers on Crusher when they race against him.  The app, like the television show, introduces its users to STEM concepts as they race along preset courses or build their own race tracks.

Additionally, Nickelodeon and Fisher-Price, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc., is launching an all-new toy line based on Blaze and the Monster Machines at select retailers starting in May with a full nationwide rollout in August.  The toys will include a die cast collection of the monster trucks, talking and transforming vehicles, playsets, and plush of the show's characters.

Blaze and the Monster Machines gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval for being entertaining and educational for girls and boys alike encouraging them to explore the science and technology behind vehicles and race car driving.

New Mobile App from Nickelodeon provides Streaming Media to help Preschoolers develop their Noggin

Starting March 5, 2015 Nickelodeon will begin streaming unique content meant to help preschoolers develop their noggins through a new app called "Noggin." Available through the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, Noggin's content for preschoolers will be available by parents buying a monthly subscription to access the content via the app.  The paid service will be ad free and cost $5.99 per month.

When Noggin launches on March 5th it content will include episodes of Blue's Clues, Allegra's Window, Franklin & Friends, Gullah Gullah Island, Little Bear, Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends, Ni Hao Kai-lan, Oswald, Pocoyo, Robot and Monster, and The Upside Down Show; music videos featuring Nickelodeon characters; and the return of the retired characters Moose and Zee to host educational videos that will help children learn letters, shapes, matching and other important skills to get ready for kindergarten.  Over time new content, games, and activities will be added to the app.  The Noogin library of videos, games, and activities will be separate and distinct from the televised and online preschool content available through Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon's other distribution platforms.

Nickelodeon's Noggin will provide content specifically targeted for preschooler's educational and entertainment needs and appears aimed to appeal to the growing number of households that have cut cable television services and to active on the go parents who would like a mobile option accessible for their children when the family is out and about.  Of course, not wanting to compete with their own successful cable network brands, subscribers won't find Nick's most popular preschool focused characters like Dora, PAW Patrol and Wallykazam! on Noggin.

Do you have preschoolers at home and if so does Noggin peek your interest?  If you decide to subscribe to Noggin send us a message to share your experience with the app.  Share your thoughts with A Geek Daddy Blog via email thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com , Facebook, Twitter, or the comment section below.

Are Your Preschoolers Ready For Kindergarten? Don't Wait Til They Get There To Find Out!

Wow! Kindergarten sure isn't the same thing as it was when I was a kid!  The half day sessions that oriented children to going to school filled with snack time, nap time and play time mixed in with some time spent on learning letters and numbers are a thing of the past.  My 6 year old twins are in Kindergarten this year at a local public elementary school which is now a full day filled with learning about reading, doing math, and completing science projects combined with art, music, gym and Spanish classes.  If your child doesn't know their ABCs and 123s they are starting out behind the curve.  It is a good thing the day care and preschool programs our kids were enrolled in alerted us about how Kindergarten has changed and assisted our children in becoming prepared or we probably would have been caught off guard; but fortunately when the time came our family was all set to go.  Are your preschoolers ready for Kindergarten? Don't wait til they get there to find out!

Nickelodeon has an online quiz you can take to see where your child ranks in being ready for Kindergarten and provides a customized learning plan, educational games, interactive video and printable activities to help get preschoolers ready for school.  The learning plan provided to parents will help ensure their preschoolers have the appropriate development skills necessary to be successful in school and its interactive and skill building activities will help kids meet necessary milestones.

CLICK HERE to TAKE THE QUIZ

The preparedness quiz is part of the 2015 Nick Jr. Beyond the Backpack campaign which is geared to help parents and caregivers prepare preschoolers for academic success.  The campaign's spokesperson is Tia Mowry-Hardrict, from the television show Instant Mom, who alongside popular Nickelodeon characters Dora, Wally and Blaze will be appearing in a PSA series airing across Nickelodeon's TV and digital platforms.  Beyond the preparedness quiz and PSAs, Beyond the Backpack features an advisory committee comprised of leaders in children's education who are lending their expertise to the program, a dedicated website, bilingual (English/Spanish) educational materials, and a parent-targeted mobile program providing weekly tips and information.  Nick Jr's Beyond the Backpack focuses on five key areas deemed critical to educational achievement: family engagement, health and wellness, early literacy, social and emotional development and fundamental STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills.  If you would like to opt-in to receive a weekly text message with tips to make learning more fun for your preschooler, text BACKPACK to 91757.

Originally founded in 2010 as part of the 10th anniversary of the curriculum-driven Dora the Explorer, the 2015 Beyond the Backpack campaign has expanded to include a broad range of educational and socio-emotional topics using a variety of the Nickelodeon's programs and characters, including Wallykazam! (literacy), Team Umizommi (math), Bubble Guppies (socio-emotional development), Peter Rabbit (problem-solving), PAW Patrol (social skills), and Blaze and the Monster Machines (STEM).

Are your preschoolers ready for Kindergarten?!  That time in life arrives much sooner than many of us parents realize it so don't get caught unprepared.  For more information, visit www.beyondthebackpack.com

Nickelodeon Goes Dark to Encourage Kids: Get Out & Play

You'd think that a multimedia company that makes its money by providing children focused television programing and online services would be the last ones to pull the plug on their content to encourage kids to get outside and play; but Nickelodeon is doing just that!  In an effort to promote that children's television viewing, video game playing and online use should be balanced with outdoor active play time, Nickelodeon is going dark on September 20, 2014 in recognition of Worldwide Day of Play.

Beginning at 9 a.m. through Noon on September 20th, Nickelodeon will air special messages featuring stars from some of its most popular live-action series, including  Sydney Park and Tylen Jacob Williams (Instant Mom), Curtis Harris and Breanna Yde (The Haunted Hathaways) and Paola Andino and Nick Merico (Every Witch Way), that will encourage children and teens to take time to be more physically active.  Than at Noon, Nickelodeon will sign-off, not just the main Nick cable channel but all of is television and online outlets Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nick.com, NickJr.com, Nicktoons.com, TeenNick.com, and the Nick App for mobile devices, until 3pm.  While the network is turned off a message encouraging TV viewers and online visitors to go out and play will appear.  When Nickelodeon's channels, websites and app resume normal operations at 3pm, messages promoting getting outside and playing featuring highlights from "Road to Worldwide Day of Play" events that Nickelodeon sponsored in my hometown of DETROIT, MICHIGAN, San Diego, California and Virginia Beach, Virginia over the summer will continue for the remainder of the day.

If you didn't make it to one of the three summer kickoff events to Worldwide Day of Play, there will be thousands of events across the country taking place on September 20th hosted by Nickeldeon's national partners, including Afterschool Alliance, the Association of Children's Museums, the Boys and Girls Club of America, Girls on the Run, the Girl Scouts of the USA, Key Club/Kiwanis, the National Environment Education Foundation, NFL PLAY 60, Playworks, Right to Play (USA Gymnastics), Roller Skating International, Save the Children, the United States Tennis Association, Up2Us, USA BMX and the YMCA, to encourage kids to get off the couch and out of the house to spend some time playing.  Click here for a list of links to all of these national Worldwide Day of Play partners to check and see if they are hosting any events in your area.

The United States Tennis Association is probably one of the most active partners this year in holding and promoting events tied to Worldwide Day of Play.  Visit their website and you can enter your zip code to find an event near you.  I found one of their events going on 5 miles from our house.  You may also want to keep an eye out for other local tie-in events being promoted in your own community by various organizations.

What are some of the reasons why it is important to get kids outside playing?  Playing outdoors helps build up immune systems, provides exercise, stimulates imagination, promotes problem solving, and provides Vitamin D.  Check out a nice article from Mommies Magazine on this topic.  Add to this list that our family likes to get outside and take a few trips to our local zoo throughout the year to get a good dose of Vitamin Z too!

So how are you going to get out and play for the Worldwide Day of Play?  I know that we'll be out playing soccer that day.

The Fresh Beat Band Hits the Road

 Live National Concert Series & New Animated Television Series in works for

Nickelodeon's The Fresh Beat Band

Normally the though of going to a concert with kids isn't an appealing idea because the show may be too much of an adult oriented atmosphere (The Dave Matthews Band concert where we were enveloped in a haze of marijuana smoke or the Toby Keith show where drunk guys were fighting in the aisles around us come to mind) or even worse catering to a teen audience (Oh the unspeakable horror of having to chaperone your children to see Justin Bieber, Mylie Cyrus, or New Direction).  That being said, one concert that sounds like a fun time to go to with your children to enjoy is THE FRESH BEAT BAND (whose performances are aimed at entertaining preschoolers and their parents) when they go on tour.  The Fresh Beat Band, Nickelodeon's preschool music group and stars of the Emmy Award winning TV series of the same name are hitting the road for a brand-new nationwide concert tour running from November 5th through February 15th to 40 cities including DETROIT, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles. Atlanta and Dallas.

Tickets are on sale now for these live family-oriented shows that will feature Kika (Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer), Marina (Tara Perry), Twist (Jon Beavers), and Shout (Thomas Hobson) performing songs that most people who have watched Nickelodeon or Nick Jr. will be familiar with such as "Bananas", "Here We Go" and "Great Day."   According to Doug Cohn, SVP Music - Nickelodeon, "The Fresh Beat Band is back on the road to give kids a chance to see their favorite rock stars live in concert. This re-imagined high energy production features the band's biggest hits, bever-before-performed songs, and fun surprises that will deliver an unforgettable experience for families."

 Tour dates and locations are as follows:

2014 The Fresh Beat Greatest Hits Live Tour Dates:

Date                 City                             Theater

November 5      Melbourne, FL             King Center for the Performing Arts

November 6      Clearwater, FL              Ruth Eckerd Hall

November 7      Boca Raton, FL            Mizner Park Amphitheatre

November 8      Orlando, FL                  Hard Rock Live

November 9      Atlanta, GA                  Fox Theatre

November 11    North Charleston, SC    North Charleston Performing Arts Center

November 13    Columbus, OH             Palace Theatre

November 14    Akron, OH                   Akron Civic Theatre

November 15    Detroit, MI                   Fox Theatre

November 16    Milwaukee, WI             Riverside Theater

November 18    Minneapolis, MN          Orpheum Theatre

November 19    Kansas City, MO          Midland Theatre

November 20    Park City, KS               Hartman Arena

November 21    Grand Prairie, TX         Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie

November 22    Baton Rouge, LA          Baton Rouge River Center

November 23    Houston, TX                Bayou Music Center (2 shows)

November 25    San Antonio, TX          Majestic Theatre

November 26    Austin, TX                   Austin City Limits Live

November 28    St. Louis, MO               Peabody Opera House

November 29    Rosemont, IL               Rosemont Theatre (2 shows)

November 30    Indianapolis, IN            Murat Theatre

December 2      Binghamton, NY          Broome County Arena

December 3      Worcester, MA             Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts

December 4      Providence, RI              Providence Performing Arts Center

December 6      Wallingford, CT            Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre

December 7      Upper Darby, PA          Tower Theatre (2 shows)

December 10    Pittsburgh, PA              Benedum Center

December 11    Albany, NY                  Palace Theatre

December 12    Syracuse, NY                Landmark Theater

December 13    Toms River, NJ             Pine Belt Arena (2 shows)

December 14    Westbury, NY              Theatre at Westbury (2 shows)

December 16    Erie, PA                       Warner Theatre

December 19    Baltimore, MD             Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

December 20    Columbia, SC               Township Auditorium

January 17-18   New York, NY              Theater at Madison Square Garden (4 shows)

February 15      Los Angeles, CA           Shrine Auditorium & Expo Center (2 shows)

For those of you who haven't seen The Fresh Beat Band  television show it is a child focused live action sitcom on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.  Each episode encourages preschoolers to sing and dance along as they help The Fresh Beat Band solve everyday challenges.  Themes of the show include teaching the fundamentals of music (such as melody, rhythm, tempo and performance styles), the importance of friendship, working together, and respecting each other's differences.  Based upon the popularity and ratings of The Fresh Beat Band, a new spin-off animated series will be debuting in 2015.

Fresh Beat Band of Spies will have the bandmates working as undercover spies.  Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout will use their individual talents and the coolest transforming spy gadgets to outwit a goofy cast of bad guys and solve wild and wacky mysteries.  The new series will focus on teaching problem-solving skills to preschoolers.

For more information about The Fresh Beat Band visit freshbeatbandlive.com or NickJr.com   

A Wave of the Wand in Salute to Wallykazam!

I've been fairly critical recently to Nickelodeon's efforts to revamp its Dora franchise with a tween modeled version of the show aimed at preschoolers, so I did want to give the network a positive nod for a new show that I believe they are doing right called Wallykazam!  This new series that debuted at the beginning of this year is a perfect fit for children ages 3 - 7 years old.  Wallykazam! promotes literacy with its viewers through weaving educational lessons into comedy-driven stories filled with funny characters and adventures.  One of my parenting mottoes is strive to make education entertaining so that children will embrace learning as fun challenges rather than dread it as required tasks.  Wallykazam! does a great job of getting children engaged into learning letters and phonics through participating in the show's adventures.

Wallykazam! follows the adventures of a troll named Wally and his pet dragon, Norville, who live in a mystical forest filled with giants, goblins, ogres, sprites, and other mythical creatures.  Wally has a magic wand, well actually it's a stick that he picked up off the ground but it works as well as a wand from a Harry Potter movie when it comes to hocusing and pocusing, that he uses to make words come to life in each episode's adventure.  Each show begins with Wally selecting a specific letter and than using words that begin with that selected letter to magically create things with the wave of his wand (oops I meant stick) to help him get out of a predicament.

In addition to helping children identify letters, the show takes things a step further working on sounds associated with letters, rhyming, vocabulary development and reading comprehension strategies.  Beyond just  talking about letters and words and showing items that Wally kazams into existence, the show also captions on the screen the letter and words being spotlighted to assist with reading development.  Using this phonics approach helps develop key reading skills by connecting sounds with letters or groups of letters. My 5 year old twins really get into sounding out, and yelling out, the words as they are being conjured up on the screen and it is nice to see them enthused about learning about words and vocabulary through their interactions with this show.

Season 1 of Wallykazam! premiered on Nickelodeon on February 3, 2014 and consists of 26 original episodes.  The show was created by producer/writer Adam Peltzman, who also was involved with creating the Emmy Award-winning The Backyardigans and Bubble Guppies television series.  Check your cable guide for when Wallykazam! is airing on Nickelodeon or Nick Jr or you can also download the episodes for a fee on iTunes or other digital download sites like Amazon.com.  As parents, I know it is important to limit our children's television exposure especially during the preschool years but I can vouch this is one of the good ones that if you are going to let them watch TV to tune into.

I've included a youtube video of the season's first episode below if you want to check out out the show.  In "Naptime for Borgelorp" Wally is persuaded to babysit his friend Ogre Doug's hyper and unpredictable pet Borgelorp.  Wally is given two instructions, kinda reminds me of Gremlins here, for Borgelorp's care.  First, get Borgelorp to take a nap.  Secondly, and most importantly make sure Borgelorp doesn't eat any purple flowers.  Wally tries to follow these rules but his nemesis, and the show's lead comedic element, BobGoblin the hobgoblin does his best to cause havoc.  Conjuring up magic words that start with the letter "S" are the only way to tire out the rambunctious pet and keep it away from those dreaded purple flowers.  Wally is very creative when it comes to creating magical words using somersault, sandwich, and symphony to get the job done.

In addition to the animated television series, Nickelodeon also recently introduced a FREE video game that features the characters from Wallykazam!  In this game BobGoblin drops by Wally's house and casts a spell causing all the fruit that Wally was planning on using for his lunch to hop around uncontrollably.  Game players need to help Wally gather up the runaway fruit in this platform style game by bouncing, hopping, leaping or jumping in order to save the day...and Wally's lunch.  The game uses a special letter to create magic words to help Wally get out of jams.  Each time you play the game the magic letter changes too keeping the game interesting through multiple plays.  When I played it with my son the letter was "H" and all the magic words conjured up started with the letter H, while when I played with my daughter the letter was "J" having Wally kazam things up like jumping jellybeans and jetting juice boxes.

 

There is also a FREE "Word Hunt" game where game players help Wally & Norville look for hidden words that start with the magic letter designated at the beginning of the game.  Not a bad game for preschoolers and parents to spend some time playing together.  It has some fun interactions with the characters from the television show and works on helping with connecting sounds to the letters they are associated with.

 

To play these games CLICK HERE.  You can also watch some episodes of Wallykazam! for FREE on this website and download some coloring pages and activity sheets for your kids off of it.

Nickelodeon misses the mark with new Dora reboot

I have to complement Nickelodeon for reaching out to me to discuss my recent post DORA GIVES BOOTS THE BOOT which was critical of the cable network's upcoming spinoff of Dora the Explorer. This new Dora & Friends television series will debut on Monday, August 18 @ 8pm on Nickelodeon. This new spin on the Dora character takes her away from the jungle and her animal friends to live in the fictional Latin American city of Playa Verde where she is now a tween going on urban adventures with a group of classmates.  In my previous post which was based upon Nickelodeon's marketing of the show,  I was critical of what appeared to be introducing themes to the program like fashion, make-overs, shopping and popularity that didn't seem appropriate to portray to an audience of preschoolers; but admitted that I hadn't seen the show yet to make any final judgments.  Nickelodeon graciously sent me several episodes of Dora & Friends to view in advance of the series' August 18th premiere.  After viewing the shows, I have to say that those issues mentioned in my original post aren't a concern to me now and really were not reflected in any of the episodes I viewed.  That being said, I still believe that Nickelodeon really missed the mark with this television series. In trying to cater to both a preschool audience and older elementary school kids the final product isn't really suitable for either.

When the episodes of Dora & Friends arrived my wife and I screened them first to make sure they were content appropriate for our 5 year old twins to watch and we felt they were fine. Than we let the kids watch them to get their reaction.  Our kids are at a unique age that for the last few years they have been enjoying the Dora the Explorer shows as preschoolers but are now entering kindergarten this fall and while they still enjoy Dora's adventures with Boots, Swiper and the gang I can foresee them getting a little old for those stories and characters soon.  My wife and I felt that the new Dora & Friends episodes were of decent entertainment value for our kids but really didn't provide the structured educational elements that are of value to preschoolers that Dora the Explorer presented.  Our kids aren't at the preschool age that the show is being marketed to but seem to be a better fit for the show than the audience it is target to.

Instead of educational programming, I'd categorize Dora & Friends as entertainment in the same category as the Disney Channel's popular shows Sophia the First and Doc McStuffins.  Parents can trust these shows to have content that isn't violent or crude and feel comfortable with their children spending some time in front of the television watching them.  They may include some life lessons but teaching isn't a principal element of the story telling.  Trying to match Disney's creations with a revamped Dora is a worthy goal; but by trying to maintain the preschool elements of the original Dora the Explorer and combine them with a tween focused story that is more entertainment value than substance misses the marks for both of these ambitious objectives.  In my opinion, Nickelodeon should have aimed the new Dora series for kindergarten and elementary school aged audiences as a step up from Dora the Explorer to maintain fan and parent loyalty with the brand as children aged out of the interest level for the original series.

Dora & Friends just doesn't seem to be a good fit for preschoolers but it has a number of preschool elements to detract from it being of interest to older children where it would probably be a better fit for their viewing.  Nickelodeon in trying to persuade me that Dora & Friends was a good fit for preschoolers noted that the show was "tested with preschoolers", I guess my question is was it tested with preschoolers' parents?  As I mentioned earlier, Dora & Friends is an entertaining show that I am sure preschoolers would be entertained by but it lacks the structured reinforced educational elements of Dora the Explorer that parents of preschoolers appreciate and that help preschoolers learn.

The following is a synopsis and some critiques of one of the episodes of Dora & Friends my family watched together titled "Doggie Day"

While trying to shoot a video to help her friend Alana promote the animal shelter's Doggie Adoption Day, Dora's video camera mysteriously becomes enchanted.  When she points her magic camera at one of the shelter's dogs, Cusco, he breaks out in a song about being separated from his brothers.  Dora and Pablo head out to help Cusco reunite with his family.

Once again I'll point out that this new show doesn't have the structure of the original Dora.  There is no map that the audience follows throughout the show to know exactly what is going on.  The show does incorporate a map app on Dora's smart phone but it isn't as detailed as in the Explorer series and I wonder how appropriate is it to be introducing the necessity of technology as an issue for preschoolers.  My wife and I go out of our way to balance our kids use of tech so they are also playing outdoors and reading books instead of playing on the ipad or watching tv all day.  I really don't want my 5 year olds asking for a smart phone because Dora has one...which has happened since they watched these episodes of Dora & Friends.

I appreciate Spanish language being included in this series, but it really isn't that helpful compared to the original Dora.  In Dora the Explorer she would say what a Spanish word meant in English and encourage the audience to use it in the right context along with her.  In Dora & Friends they just start talking or singing in Spanish with no explanation of what they are saying in English.  This is fine if your family speaks Spanish but if not this really leaves you in a lurch.  Since Dora is an ambassador of latino culture to many non-Spanish speaking families this really seems a detraction from that role.

While the show is lacking in the formal educational elements it also missed out on some informal teachable moments.  For example, the kids run across a city street without looking for cars before crossing.  It could have been a nice teachable moment for them to remind their audience that you always need to stop and look before crossing a street.  The show also featured a maze where the characters try to find their way out of a temple by identifying shapes as they progress and the audience helps them pick which way to go by answering questions.  This part of the show was too short not providing the repetition that is important for preschool students but another problem was that my kindergarten aged children found it too simplistic.

Now I know I've pointed out a few negatives but there were some positives to the "Doggie Day" episode as well.  It had a nice message regarding taking care of your pets and finding homes for strays and abandoned animals.  There was a funny scene where a pack of cats chased a puppy and Dora's friend around town that had my kids giggling.  The show had a very catchy song with a nice theme called "Together All For One." 

By having entertaining stories aimed at a kindergarten and elementary school aged audience with educational elements aimed at preschoolers that show just doesn't work for either age group.  My kids did seem to enjoy watching the show and told me they liked it when I asked them but when I offered to let them watch it again they responded no and asked if they could go play in the other room.  Not the most glowing of endorsements.

Dora the Explorer really was an endearing part of my children's preschool years.  We watched the shows on Nickelodeon together, took the DVDs on long vacation car rides, the kids have spent hours playing with the toy sets, and I've read numerous bed time stories from books featuring Dora, Swiper, Boots and the gang. In my opinion the original series contained numerous aspects that helped with the educational development of my children during their preschool years and entertained them while they learned. In regard to this new series, I would let my children at their current age watch Dora & Friends for its amusement or entertainment on a rainy day, when letting them watch tv as a treat, or if I need to distract them while getting some work or chores done around the house, but it wouldn't be for the educational value we felt the kids got from watching Dora the Explorer.  If my children were a few years younger and just starting their preschool years, I wouldn't have them watch Dora & Friends even though that is the targeted age group for the show.  That may be a little blunt but that is just my honest opinion.

Dora & Friends according to Nickelodeon will air 20 half-hour episodes in its first season featuring the iconic character Dora living in a city, attending school and at the center of a peer group that works together to give back to the community -- having both real life and magical adventures along the way.  Created by Chris Gifford and Valerie Walsh Valdes (Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego Go!) the series will regularly air weekdays during the preschool block on Nickelodeon.  The Dora the Explorer series, which after 14 years remains the most-watched preschool show on television, will continue to air as well. Nickelodeon has also teamed up with Fisher-Price to expand the Dora franchise with interactive dolls, playsets and accessories that will hit the market beginning in August.  Additionally, Nickelodeon has signed more than 130 new licensees across apparel, publishing, home goods, electronics, and specialty categories with products set to launch this fall and into early 2015.


Click here to visit the NickJr website for more information about Dora & Friends.  What are your thoughts on the new Dora television series and characters?  Leave a post, tweet with us at @Geeky_Dad or e-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com with your thoughts.