Dinosaur Train- Dinosaurs in the Snow DVD

By now you know we love PBS Kids and the wonderfully entertaining shows they have. One of our newer favorites is Dinosaur Train----Dinos+Trains=Happy Toddler!!!! Add in there the fact that the show is created by Jim Henson, you now have happy parents!

Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs in the Snow follows Buddy and his dino family on a trip to the North Pole.  Your children will love riding along with Buddy as he learns all about the North Pole.  The show presents Life Science in an age-appropriate manner so children can understand and not feel confused or overwhelmed and I love that!

The DVD runs 120 minutes long and includes several other episodes such as Night Train and Fossil Fred- 8 total episodes.  The DVD also has an interactive game, coloring pages, a Dinosaur Reference Guide, and information for parents.

PBS graciously provided us with a copy of this DVD to help facilitate this review.  All opinions are our own.

Mickey Mote + DVD Play Set

 
By now, I thought I had seen it all until the "Mickey Mote" arrived at my door----the hottest new Disney toy for Preschoolers! The Mickey Mote is a child-sized remote control that allows children to interact with their favorite characters!!!

Our Mickey Mote came with Handy Manny: Big Construction Job - DVD with Mickey Mote
and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Numbers Roundup - DVD with Mickey Mote.  The remote itself is really cool- chunky and colorful.

There are three modes- Level 1, 2, and 3.  Level 1 allows children to answer simple questions about the show--like colors, shapes and sizes. Level 2 presents children with more challenging higher level questions. Level 3 allows children to sit back and relax, it's an auto-play mode.

I tried this out on my preschool aged cousin while my daughter "tried" to help.  I have to say, both girls loved it! It was easy to figure out after a quick read of the instructions and the girls had a lot of fun answering the questions (my daughter yells YELLOW and TWO for everything though hahahah)!

The Disney shows we know and love are entertaining and educational, but for us, this took it to the next level. As a mom and a teacher, I approve!

Thanks so much to Disney who provided us with a Mickey  Mote and two DVDs to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own.

Disney's The Search for Santa Paws

It's here, it's really here! The 2010 Christmas Season is upon us!!!!! What better way to get in the spirit than to snuggle up with family and watch Christmas movies old and new? My daughter is finally old enough that we can sit and watch some of my favorites from when I was a child, AND we can discover new favorites to be enjoyed year after year! Today, I want to tell you about a new movie, a fresh release, hot off the press!

Disney's The Search for Santa Paws!!!!

I know what you're thinking- Disney + Christmas and you cannot get much better than that, and I whole-heartedly agree! This is a truly endearing film that is available on DVD and Blu-Ray (we love the Blu-Ray option!) and runs about 88 minutes.

As stated in the movie:

“Someone once told me that the spirit of Christmas is embodied in the hearts of children, untouched as of yet by the doubts, fears and disappointments of the adult world.”

--Santa Claus in “The Search for Santa Paws”

 How true, how true. This movie does address some very real issues (Santa gets into an accident in the beginning, and the orphans in the story are going through some very hard times), but if you watch it with your children, you will be able to answer any questions or concerns that arise from them.  

The movie reminds me of one of my favorite childhood films, Annie (maybe it's the orphan angle?).  

Anyway, in the begining, Santa gets into an accident and suffers from amnesia.  From there a whole story unfolds that ultimately tells us the story of Paws and how he became such a huge part of the North Pole!  The movie is the prequal to the  2009 movie Santa Buddies.  

How I loved re-living the wonderment of the Christmas Season through my daughter's eyes, and let's face it, any movie that stars Santa and a gorgeous fluffy dog----I'm there!

Guess what? I have a special coupon for you---$10 off the Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack!

Thank you to Disney for allowing us to preview this film to help facilitate this review!  All opinions are our own.