YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES

A new animated show aimed at introducing preschoolers to a galaxy far, far away is debuting May the Fourth on the Disney Junior cable network and Disney Plus streaming service. STAR WARS: YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES has Jedi Master Yoda guiding younglings as they study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need, and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi along the way. The stories in this series' episodes take place during the High Republic era of Star Wars' canon long before the immergence of the Empire and Clone Wars' Order 66 which wiped out the Jedi. 

Disney has released a series of shorts that are available to view for FREE now on YouTube and can be streamed on Disney+ beginning April 26 to promote the animated series before its May 4, 2023 premiere:

Meet the Young Jedi -- Kai, Lys, and Nubs work together to battle a training droid at the Jedi Temple on Tenoo.

Lys’ Creature Caper -- Lys follows the clues to retrieve an adorable creature running amok through the Jedi Temple.

Kai’s Daring Droid Rescue -- When her droid RJ-83 is in trouble, Nash calls on Kai to help rescue him.

STAR WARS: YOUNG JEDI ADVENTURES stars Jamaal Avery, Jr. as Kai Brightstar, Juliet Donenfeld as Lys Solay, Dee Bradley Baker as Nubs, Emma Berman as Nash Durango, Jonathan Lipow as RJ-83, and Piotr Michael as Master Yoda. This new show is sure to be a fun way to make Star Wars Day stand out. I'm sure a lot of kids and their Star Wars fan parents will be geeked to see it. May the Fourth be with You! 

STAR WARS BAD BATCH ANIMATED SERIES ON DISNEY PLUS STREAMING SERVICE

My whole family is a bunch of Star Wars geeks. My fanship began watching the original trilogy of theatrical movie releases and playing with Kenner Star Wars toys as a kid. While my love of Star Wars is nostalgic to those original movies my wife and children are more tied to the animated series that we've watched together as a family throughout my son and daughter growing up.

My kids associate the character Obi Wan Kenobi more with James Arnold Taylor who voiced the character in the Lucasfilm animated television series than Sir Alec Guinness or Ewan McGregor who played the Jedi Master in the movies (we'll see if this changes when McGregor comes back to play the role in the upcoming Disney Plus live action series).  They've grown up cheering for a cast of animated characters just as remarkable as those in any Star Wars film ranging from Anakin Skywalker's padawan Ahsoka Tano in Clone Wars to a boy being trained to be a Jedi by a former padawan who escaped Darth Vader's purge in Ezra Bridger during Rebels. This new generation of Star Wars fans is more fond of these animated series than the prequel and sequel movie trilogies and I appreciate these television shows for having been able to enjoy them together with my wife and kids over the last decade.

So it is really exciting that for Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) that as a treat for fans, Disney Plus will begin streaming the 70-minute premiere of a new animated series that expands upon the stories from the Dave Filoni produced Clone Wars and Rebels shows. Dave's done an excellent job of masterfully expanding upon the Star Wars galaxy in a way that honors the aspects of Star Wars which long-term fans delight in while adding details keeping the stories new and exciting. Filoni contributed to the vibe of The Mandalorian which has quickly become another one of my family's favorite tv shows and it makes us sad that he wasn't involved in the production of the Disney Star Wars movie.

On Tuesday, May 4, 2001 Star Wars: The Bad Batch will debut. The animated series takes place during the dark times between the end of the Clone Wars and the height of the rebellion in the original trilogy. After the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire, a group of clone troopers known as the Bad Batch must navigate their way through a galaxy experiencing drastic and violent change.

The show's stories follow an elite and experimental group of clones that were first introduced in the final season of The Clone Wars as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army—each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew. The Bad Batch will incorporate characters from both Clone Wars and Rebels into its stories as well as some from The Mandalorian including assassin Fennec Shand.

We're so geeked for The Bad Batch to arrive on Disney Plus! With this show being released on Star Wars Day the Force will definitely be with us this year!

SOLO STAR WARS STORY ACTIVITY SHEETS

May the Fourth be with you! In honor of Star Wars Fan Day, May the 4th, Walt Disney Studios has provided A Geek Daddy with some free SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY themed activity sheets and coloring pages to share with you. Just download the embedded images, print them out, and have some fun. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY opens at theaters across the United States on May 25, 2018.

Directed by Ron Howard, the film shows a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld where Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga's most unlikely heroes. The movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.



My family is going to be flying to the movie theater faster then the Millenium Falcon made the Kessel Run when the release date for SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY arrives.  Who else is excited to see this Han Solo origin story?! While you are counting down the days for the film's theatrical debut, enjoy these activity sheets and coloring pages to pass the time:

ACTIVITY SHEETS

COLORING PAGES

For more information about the film, head over to starwars.com/solo

TOPPS COUNTDOWN TO HAN SOLO MOVIE

Who is excited about SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY coming to movie theaters soon?! Counting down to this new Star Wars movie's theatrical debut, TOPPS will be showing a new scene from the movie every weekday now through the film's May 25th opening on their website.  Each of these images will be available to purchase as a limited edition TOPPS trading card that is only available for one day only.  Once a new scene is revealed you'll have missed out on your chance to get your hands on the previous day's card.

Only TOPPS website is showing these exclusive previews of the movie. So head over to topps.com to check out their Countdown to Solo: A Star Wars Story event.  You can go to just check out the scenes from the movie without an obligation to buy anything.  Of course once you see these limited edition TOPPS cards you may want to pick some up for yourself. Priced at $9.99, they are bordered with an image of the Millenium Falcon along with a description of  each card's featured image. TOPPS has been listing the print run after the card is listed as sold out and most of the cards already issued have averaged a print run of under 300 cards providing a nice level of exclusivity for collectors.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU

Hope you enjoy Star Wars Day with someone special in your life!  May the 4th be with you!

Enjoy Star Wars all summer long with SwimWays pool toys

**A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free**

We received a great May the Fourth treat from the nice folks at SwimWays who sent us some samples of their pool toys to help celebrate Star Wars Day.  Unfortunately, May in Michigan is still a bit too cold for swimming but SwimWays gesture still helped make our May the Fourth a "water-full" day!  My kids can't wait for summer weather to arrive so we can go swimming and enjoy these wonderful Star Wars themed pool toys and floats that this leisure and recreational water products manufacturer sent our family to try out.

A Geek Daddy's box of goodies from SwimWays included noodle lightsabers, dive ships, pool floats and a light up Death Star beach ball:

STAR WARS MILLENNIUM FALCON RIDE-ON

Blast through the pool just like Millennium Falcon co-pilots Han Solo and Chewbacca on the Star Wars Millennium Falcon Ride-On. This durable vinyl ride-on features 2 heavy-duty grab handles.  Inflatable float is over 5 feet long! Actual inflated dimensions are 61 in. X 46 in. X 13 in. 

STAR WARS DIVE SHIPS

Star Wars Dive Ships from SwimWays are a collection of 3-D molded dive sticks featuring popular ships from the Star Wars movies! Great water toys for swim practice to encourage new swimmers or to play with out of the pool on a rainy day. This set of dive toys comes in the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Episode 7) packaging, making it a great gift for the Star Wars collector, too! Three ships in every pack, one each of Tie Fighter, Millennium Falcon and X-Wing Fighter.

STAR WARS SPRING FLOAT KIDS’ BOAT

The Star Wars Spring Float Kid's Boat from SwimWays is a float designed for the way kids really like to play! This durable pool float for kids has fabric-covered inflation, Star Wars graphics kids love on the comfortable mesh seat, and side handles that are easy to grip. They can ride the float on their belly, sit up in the float, or lay back and relax. The patented inner spring sewn into the outer edge of the float adds comfort and stability in the water, and makes folding and unfolding the float a snap. Folds flat and compact into the included carry tote, making this a great choice for travel, too! One float per pack.  

STAR WARS LIGHT-UP BEACH BALL

There's no escape from the Galactic Empire when the Star Wars Death Star Light-Up Beach Ball from SwimWays invades your pool! This inflatable beach ball looks like the infamous spacecraft from the Star Wars films. Impact-activated LED lights inside create a cool nighttime effect and show off the details of the Death Star graphics. Grab a few for your next Star Wars themed party - your guests will love it! Also makes a fun gift for the Star Wars collector. Includes (non-replaceable) button cell batteries. Sold individually. 

STAR WARS NOODLE LIGHTSABER

Wage an epic battle between good and evil with the SwimWays Star Wars Noodle Lightsaber! These pool noodle toys have lightsaber grips at the bottom and a foam noodle on top, so you can display your fighting skills in the water or on dry land. Choose from blue (Luke Skywalker), green (Yoda) or red (Darth Vader). Sold individually. 

CLICK HERE to check out all the Star Wars products available from SwimWays and for more information regarding pricing and availability of these really fun pool toys and floats. 

#MayTheFourthBeWithYou #StarWarsDay

Toys-R-Us MAY THE FOURTH Star Wars Weekend Event - Free LEGO Mini Wookiee Gunship Giveaway on May 3

Swing by your local Toys-R-Us on Sunday, May 3, 2015 to build and take home a FREE Mini Wookiee Gunship LEGO toy set as the retailer celebrates the Star Wars MAY THE FOURTH Weekend.  May the Fourth used as a pun of the May the Force lines scripted in the Star Wars movies has evolved into an unofficial "Star Wars Day" where both fans and brands have lots of fun celebrating the franchise.  Since May the Fourth falls on a Monday this year, Toys-R-Us is celebrating a day early when it is easier for parents to bring their children to stores on a weekend to enjoy an event.

From Noon - 2pm on Sunday May 3, children 5 years of age and older who visit a participating Toys-R-Us will have the opportunity to build a mini LEGO Star Wars space ship and take it home with them for FREE.  Supplies of the LEGO toy kits at each store are limited to about 100 people first come, first served and even though the event is promoted for two hours if you get there and they are out then you are out of luck.  Two years ago we went up to our local Toys R Us around 1pm and it wasn't very crowded allowing my kids to have a great time putting together a Star Wars space ship and taking it home with them.  So based upon the good time we had in 2013, we went back last year and it was a pretty miserable experience.  We arrived at 12:15 and got in a long line for the event eventually approaching the build table at 12:30.  We were next in line to start building when a store employee said they were all out and the event was over.  So we watched them start taking the event display down and left empty handed a half hour into what was billed as a 2 hour event.  Even though we had a bad experience last year, we're going to go back this year to try it again because my kids love LEGOs & Star Wars plus I'm sure they would like these Wookiee Gun Ships; and when someone is giving away something for free you only have so much room to complain.  This year we're going to go a half hour before the event starts to get in line.  So my tip to you is if you go - go early!