Looking for some family movie night ideas for flicks you can watch at home with the tweens and teens in your life? Here are some new selections coming to Netflix as of June 1 that parents and children should equally enjoy watching for a fun night in together:
Nickelodeon's MONSTER HIGH 2 is being released on DVD to add to your home entertainment library. It will be available at retailers starting August 13, 2024. Follow best friends Clawdeen Wolf, Draculaura
, and Frankie Stein into
their sophomore year at Monster High in this brand new live
-
action movie
musical. Upping the ante on each
character’s commitment to individuality and self
-
expression this flick features more original songs, new
characters, and adventures that will take you into the halls of Monster High and beyond!
To help hype the DVD release of Nickelodeon's MONSTER HIGH 2, Paramount Home Entertainment has provided this Geek Daddy with one to giveaway. If you want to toss your name in the hat to be the randomly selected person to get it just complete the Rafflecopter entries below by 11:59 pm ET on August 12, 2024. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to participate in this promotion. Good luck!
Sophomore year brews lots of changes for Monster High. The power of three is put to the test as
Clawdeen, Draculaura, and Frankie face monstorous
challenges this year
–
new students, new powers,
evolving friendships, and a mysterious threat that could not only tear their friendship apart, but also
change the world forever.
Oh wow! Holiday gift shopping for TWEENS can be tricky! They are getting too old for toys yet still expect something AWESOME to unwrap. What do you give them that they'll be geeked about getting?
VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSETS
Take gaming to the next level with a virtual reality headset. VR headsets immerse players into gameplay so it feels as if they've stepped into the action. Already have a PlayStation gaming console? Then expand upon it with PlayStation VR.
Want to focus on a device that was created just for providing virtual reality applications and games? Check out an Oculus VR Headset. Watch an NBA game with a court side seat experience or explore a galaxy far, far away in the Star Wars: Tales from Galaxy's Edge game.
Some developers like Survios are making games for both devices like Puzzle Bobble: Vacation Odyssey. Aim, shoot, and pop bubbles with your trusty bubble cannon using VR movement-based gameplay to match 3 or more bubbles of the same color and clear every stage. Follow Bub and Bob through exotic locations, like a desert oasis or a tropical island, as they solve puzzles along the way.
NINTENDO SWITCH LITE
We drove out to Yellowstone National Park for a family summer vacation and if my kids didn't each have their own Nintendo Switch Lite I don't know if we would have kept our sanity during the long car ride. Tweens love video games and there is a great selection to choose from for this portable gaming device from Nintendo.
Just released was Mario Party Superstars which Nintendo recently sent for my kids to review. They get to play games some classic games introduced for the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube bundled together in Mario Party Superstars that have levels and challenges they've never competed against before. My kids LOVE online multiplayer games and this video game lets them play along with their friends. I appreciate the family-friendly content of Nintendo Mario Party Superstars so my son and daughter can have fun online with their friends without parents worrying they are getting into trouble.
MOVIES
Because of the pandemic we haven't been going to see films at the movie theater. There are a bunch of films my Tweens have been wanting to see we haven't gotten around the viewing yet. One of those my video game loving kids want to see is FREE GUY starring Ryan Reynolds. This comedy tells the story of a bank teller who discovers he is actually a non-player character in an open world video game. Upon coming to that realization he decides to become the hero of his own story. Movies like Free Guy can be something to unwrap that are sure to bring a smile to a tween's face when opening.
TABLETOP GAMING
Wanting to step away from electronics that have kids focused on television and video game screens? Tabletop gaming is growing in popularity and can be a great way for tweens to have fun with friends and family. Not only entertaining these games can assist kids with cognitive thinking and social skills.
My kids have had some exciting adventures with their friends plus we've had some fantastic family game nights playing Marvel United from Spin Master Games. This is a cooperative team game where players work together to defeat the master plan of a villainous foe. Each player picks a hero from Marvel's Avengers to choose to be and they use those characters skills and abilities to defeat villains that include Ultron, Red Skull and Taskmaster. Marvel United combines elements of board game and card deck building games that promote using strategy and teamwork to win the game.
Another game my kids have really gotten into, also from Spin Master Games, is Disney Sidekicks, which involves players teaming up to battle classic movie villains like Captain Hook, Scar, Bastion, Maleficent and Jafar. Here's the catch though, the villains have captured your favorite Disney heroes and it is up to sidekicks such as Abu, Lumiere and Tinker Bell to save the day!
Great for traveling is Pressman 6-in-1 Magnetic Games. It features Checkers, Chess, Chinese Checkers, Pahrchessi, Backgammon, and Snakes & Ladders. Turn a knob on this sturdy game case and the various boards will rotate for you to choose from. It comes with all the pieces you need to play each game which are all magnetized so they won't fall off the board. Plus, there is a handy storage drawer to hold all the game pieces. A great way to play classic board games that is easy to stash in a backpack or car to enjoy during down time when out and about.
CUSTOM ARTWORK
Create a custom piece of hand drawn artwork that illustrates your tween as a Star Trek caricature or Hogwarts student. Great for decorating a room or as a social media profile picture. Artist Matt Farra will create a custom portrait that will embrace your tween's fandom and delight them. Go to fanarti.com for a fan-tastic experience!
HEXMODS
Build and customize a remote control race car wth HEXMODS. Not only are HEXMODS cool looking but it is equipped with a hobby-grade RC tuner car chassis that lets you race it at speeds reaching 18mph. Even tweens who say they are too old for toys will want to play with this one! This car guy dad is even geeked about this toy from the robot building / toy making folks at HEXBUG. One of my favorite products from this brand that I already was a big fan of before the release of Hexmods.
BEANIE BABIES
Ty has made an extra special effort to fly in rather than ship by sea their Christmas edition Beanie Babies to make sure they are in stock for the holiday shopping season. From Howlidays Dog to Fudge the Reindeer these dolls are adorable and full of holiday spirit. My tween aged daughter likes to think she is all grown up but I still catch her snuggling Beanie Babies all the time. But who doesn't love hugging a Ty Beanie Baby?
REPLICA MOVIE PROPS
Know a tween who is a Harry Potter fan? Immerse them in their fandom with a replica of a prop from The Noble Collection. From jewelry that Hermione Granger wore in the Harry Potter films to wands the characters battled with during the movie's action scenes these are some items that fans are sure to relish.
Replica movie props can be so much fun whether for imaginative play or as interesting room decor. Planning ahead for next year? Hasbro is wrapping up a crowd funding campaign for a prop replica of the Ghostbusters proton pack. What kid,or kid at heart, wouldn't want that?! It is scheduled for delivery during the holiday season of 2022 from hasbropulse.com.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HANUKKAH
Good luck with your holiday gift shopping! Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season! I hope the tweens in your life are geeked about whatever presents they receive and this time of year is full of memorable family moments.
Some of the products featured in this post ageekdaddy.com may have been received for promotional consideration. Buy a product through a Geek Daddy link in this post and this blog might receive a small commission at no additional expense to your purchase. Thanks for reading and supporting ageekdaddy.com!
Lions in the wild live within family groups called prides. And in the urban jungle fans of Detroit's NFL team consider themselves part of a pride when it comes to cheering on the Lions. So in the midst of this terrible pandemic knowing that we are all one pride in this public health crisis together, the Lions hosted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at their downtown Detroit stadium to help beat this virus.
We were able to get appointments for my son and daughter on the first day my twelve year old twins were able eligible to get vaccinated. The whole family drove over to Ford Field so that the kids could join my wife and me in getting protected from this terrible coronavirus. Once arriving at the stadium we were in and out within 30 minutes. It was a quick, hassle free experience.
Why did we get our middle school aged kids vaccinated against COVID? Because I respect the doctors at St. Jude Children's Hospital. They put out an announcement as soon as the vaccine was approved for 12 to 15 year olds encouraging parents to have their kids get the shots. St. Jude Children's Hospital has been saving the lives of sick youth for decades and its doctors have earned my trust.
Doctor Miguela Caniza MD, Director of the St. Jude Global Infectious Diseases Program at St. Jude Children’s Hospital has been outspoken about vaccines for this novel coronavirus being safe and effective. She has emphasized three key points about why it is important to get kids vaccinated against COVID-19:
1. Children and teenagers can also become infected and some of them with serious disease. Young patients aren't immune to serious complications resulting from a COVID infection just because in general their sickness from virus infections seems to be less severe than older people.
2. Children and teenagers are highly mobile attending schools, sports, and intersecting more often with various age groups including with their caretakers and older family members. Even if they don't get very sick from the virus they can spread it to others who may not be as lucky if infected.
3. Because of the high percent of children and teenagers being asymptomatic or with minimal symptoms, most likely they will be effectively spreading during a very contagious period, and even more so, if they don’t follow the standard precautions (distancing, using masks and practicing hand hygiene).
We're doing our part to safeguard our own family's health as well as being sensitive to helping stop the spread of the virus as a benefit to our whole community. No one wants to get a shot, but I was really proud about how my kids rolled up their sleeves and did what needed to be done. No fuss and now a lot less stress about COVID for them.
After seven years of ballet, my daughter wanted to try something new that she said would be more fun to do. So for the last three months she has been learning Irish Dance via Zoom. No easy task with the pandemic preventing her class from practicing together in a dance studio but she has made the best of the situation.
Her beginner class had a performance today at a local park as part of the dance troupe's Spring recital. Have to give my daughter a lot of credit because she is starting off in an all-ages class full of little kids. I bet a lot of people her age would have been embarrassed to perform in this situation but she stuck with the class and led them all through their recital routine. The girl wanted to get involved in Irish Dance and if this is what it took she was all onboard to participate. I love the lack of ego she demonstrated!
After 7 years of ballet my daughter wanted to be involved with a dance that was more fun to do. So for last 3 months she has been learning #irishdance via Zoom. Today was her first public performance with the beginner class during dance troupe's Spring recital #motorcity#girldadpic.twitter.com/2alAPOCcLt
Proud of her for giving it her all during their first non-Zoom performance together as a group and for being a great team player at the Motor City Irish Dance Spring Recital. Hopefully by the end of the year she will be graduating to a level in the troupe where she is engaged with kids who are more her age and overall level of dance experience. You have to start somewhere though and she is very excited about her Irish Dance experience.
** A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free to review **
My eight year old twins are at an age where they've moved beyond early reader books but aren't yet ready for adult novels yet. They are reading at what is called the Middle-Grade level. These books are aimed at children 8 - 12 years old (Grades 2 - 5), often referred to as tweens, and include lots of illustrations to enhance the reading experience plus the subject matter is specifically written to cater to this age group. Middle-Grade publications tend to be shorter than normal books, no more than 50,000 words (compared to 75,000+) and are not permitted to contain profanity, graphic violence or sexual situations. Our family is always on the look out for Middle-Grade Reads that will capture my kids attention.
HarperCollins kindly sent my kids complimentary editions of two recently published Middle-Grade books, OLGA AND THE SMELLY THING FROM NOWHERE by Elise Gravel and STICK CAT: A TAIL OF TWO KITTIES by Tom Watson, to check out. My daughter and son haven't put these books down since we got them in the mail. At the age when parents start get some friction from children about spending time reading, it has been great to see my kids immersing themselves in these middle-grade reads.
To share my kids enthusiasm for these books, A Geek Daddy has an OODLES OF DOODLES prize pack courtesy of HarperCollins to giveaway. It includes copies of Stick Cat: A Tail of Two Kitties and Olga and the Smelly Thing from Nowhere, art prints from each of these book's creators, a notebook to doodle in, and a colored pencil set.
To be eligible to win complete the entries below before May 12, 2017 at 11:59pm. Must be a U.S. resident over 18 years old to participate in this giveaway. One winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.
My daughter LOVES this book! She says it is hilarious. I am excited as a parent by this book because its been awhile since I've seen her as enamored with reading as she has been since getting her hands on OLGA AND THE SMELLY THINGS FROM NOWHERE.
In the story, Olga finds a creature in her garbage can one day and all it says is "MEH!" It won't eat, it won't sleep, it snores, it stinks and Olga studies it like mad. She adores it and eventually names it after herself --> an OLGAMUS. A trip to the library reveals little, while a trip to the local grocery store proves successful when Olga discovers Meh's favorite food is olives!
Her adventures with Meh take place over a few days and during that time Olga's life is never dull. Readers progress through Olga's journal as she reveals a great deal of information not only about herself, but also concerning everything from the scientific method to Jane Goodall. She also documents her favorite odd creatures along with things like the ins and outs of friendships with entries that seem to have my daughter constantly chuckling.
The author, Elise Gravel, is an award winning author/illustrator from Quebec who is well known in Canada for her wacky picture books. Having studied graphic design in college, Gravel has carried over a tendency to incorporate text here and there within her drawings in her career as a literary illustrator. She is inspired by social causes and you should be prepared to find a good dose of eccentricity within her work.
My son gravitated to STICK CAT: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES when these books arrived in the mail from HarperCollins. He loves to draw and has been tirelessly working on sketches that replicate the artwork found in the book. This book is heavily illustrated with young readers in mind making it a perfect fit for him.
In this story it's a big day in the big city for Stick Cat and his best friend Edith. There are treasures to hunt, songs to sing, pigeons to catch, and naps to take. But way up on the 23rd floor, danger lurks just around the corner. Terrible noises and violent crashes trap a desperate man in the building across the alley. Stick Cat will need to navigate his way across the alley -- an around Edith's peculiar ways -- to attempt a rescue.
The author,Tom Watson, lives in Chicago with his wife, daughter, and son. He is the
author of the Stick Dog series and now is starting a Stick Cat series. This is the first
book in that series. Tom does not have a cat. So his ideas for the Stick Cat
series come from a whole different place. He’s not sure where that place is
exactly, but he knows it’s kind of strange there. While he has your
attention, Tom would like to make one thing perfectly clear: There are not
going to be any other stick animal books. There won’t be a Stick Monkey, for
instance. Or Stick Chicken (even though that’s fun to say) or even Stick
Giraffe (even though that would be fun to draw). He’s having plenty of fun
just with dogs and cats.
OLGA AND THE SMELLY THINGS FROM NOWHERE and STICK CAT: A TAIL OF TWO KITTIES are available to purchase at retailers now. For additional suggestions of Middle-Grade reading selections available from HarperCollins, please CLICK HERE.
HarperCollins Publishers is the second-largest consumer book publisher in the world. Headquartered in New York City, it has publishing operations in
18 countries. This two hundred year old company publishes approximately
10,000 new books every year in 17 languages, and has a print and
digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles.
Disclaimer & Contest Rules: A Geek Daddy has not been
financially compensated for this endorsement or hosting the giveaway but
was provided the same items being provided as a prize for personal use.
The prize is provided by HarperCollins and A Geek
Daddy is hosting the promotion as a benefit to our readers. Must be a US
resident over the age of 18 to participate. One entry per mailing
address and winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.
If you have already won this prize through another blog participating
in this promotion, your entry will be disqualified if that prize has
already been awarded by HarperCollins. By
participating in this promotion you waive any liability of any kind
against the publisher of this blog. Winner is subject to eligibility
verification. No P.O. Boxes allowed for delivery of the prize. Must
reply to notification email within 48 hours by providing requested
contact information or else the prize will be forfeited and a new winner
randomly selected. HarperCollins will be responsible
for shipping the prize to the selected winner.
For most family's with school-aged children a summer break filled with fun activities has begun. Unfortunately, one fun activity that is often neglected over the summer months is reading which often leads to kids regressing in their literary capabilities which were developed over the previous school year. I've discovered a nice resource that supports parents in helping their children avoid the "summer slide" with a variety of online articles, tips, and resources. BRIGHTLY (www.readbrightly.com) provides free downloadable SUMMER READING FUN PACKS specifically designed for Preschoolers (3-5 years old), Growing Readers (6-8 years old) and Tweens (9-12 years old). A resource of Penguin Random House, BRIGHTLY also offers summer reading book suggestions for every age group from Preschool through High School with a few ideas that mom and dad might enjoy themselves too.
BRIGHTLY sent A Geek Daddy a complimentary care pack to help my kids avoid the summer slide consisting of a nice tote bag filled with a GROWING READER - SUMMER READING FUN PACK and some age appropriate books for my 7 year old twins to enjoy. Summer reading is going to be an important focus for my kids over the next few months and I hope our readers will make it a priority for the children in their lives too. To help one lucky A Geek Daddy blog reader or social media follower accomplish that goal, BRIGHTLY has also provided a Summer Reading Prize Pack for us to giveaway that will include an age appropriate Summer Reading Fun Pack and a Penguin Random House book selection based upon the gender and age of a child the winner selects.
To be eligible for this giveaway you must follow
@Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet embedded above before July 5, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST. Must be a US
resident over the age of 18 to participate. One entry per person and
we'll
randomly select a winner from all eligible entries.
BRIGHTLY can be a valuable resource for parents to help their children avoid learning loss over the summer, but it is also filled with great information on a wide variety of subjects that can be utilized throughout the year to help promote with kids a life-long interest in reading. As a fan of comic books who enjoys sharing my enjoyment of them with my son and daughter, I appreciated the site's article "8 Graphic Novels Tween Girls Can't Get Enough Of" encouraging female readers to check out the medium and "7 Graphic Novels Elementary Schoolers Love" to promote comics with young readers. I also appreciated the site's outreach to dad's with articles like "5 Things I Never Expected to Love About Being a Dad." BRIGHTLY is filled with author essays, informational articles, and more that are meant to be helpful for moms and dads in making their way through that grand adventure know as parenting. It is also full of activities that are educational and entertaining at the same time such as their Family Book Club and a variety of printable activity sheets to help parents get their children to embrace reading as an interesting and enjoyable activity that they want to do rather than be forced to.
The current BRIGHTLY Family Book Club selection is The BFG to commemorate 2016 being the 100th anniversary of the author's birth, Roald Dahl passed away in 1990, and to tie-in to the excitement of Disney's summer movie based upon the children's book about a Giant and the orphaned girl he befriends. This section of the BRIGHTLY site includes suggestions for activities, crafts, snacks, and games with a The BFG theme plus group discussion questions for parents to engage in with their kids after the whole family has read the book.
Check out readbrightly.com as it really is a brilliantly useful resource for moms and dads.
Disclaimer & Rules / FTC Notice: A Geek Daddy
Blog
will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Penguin Random House is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize. By
participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek
Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with
this promotion. A Geek Daddy Blog hosted this contest and blog post
based upon Penguin Random House providing the prize to the selected winner.
Only
one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. Must be a US resident over
18 years old. If you have won the same
prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again. Winner is
subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or
FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy
Blog is hosting this giveaway as a benefit to our readers. A Geek Daddy Blog did not
receive any financial compensation for publishing this post but did
receive one of the prizes for personal use.
A GEEK DADDY Blog has joined forces with our friends at Bloggin’ Mamasto support the Ad Council and The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with promoting the Seat Belt Safety campaign, which asks parents of children ages 8–14 to make sure their kids are consistently and properly wearing their seat belt every time they get in the car.
Parenting tweens often involves compromise. But here's one rule that should not be up for debate - the car doesn't move until everyone is wearing a seat belt. If you say it, and if parents buckle up themselves, your tween will buckle up. And if they don't, that's a fight worth having. It just might save your child's life.
Did you know that in the United States one child passenger age 8-14 is injured every 8 minutes in a car crash? From 2009 - 2013, 1,522 kids between the ages of 8 and 14 died in car and van crashes. Of those who died, almost half were unbelted. As children get older they're sometimes less likely to buckle up. The percentage of child passengers who die while riding unrestrained generally increases with age and is most pronounced among 13 and 14 year olds regardless of their seating positing within a vehicle.
Check out this Seat Belt Safety: Battlefield Mini-Van PSA:
Prize(s): 1 winner will receive one (1) $100 Amazon Giftcard.
Giveaway Starts: 4/23/15 at 12:01am EST
Giveaway Ends: 5/7/15 at 11:59pm EST
Eligible: United States Residents ages 18+.
Enter via rafflecopter below!
a Rafflecopter giveawayDisclosure: I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are my own. If you have any questions please email info@blogginmamas.com
