kids

Funovation Panel is Looking for New Members!

Abby H.

The Funovation Panel is a community of families that provide their feedback about new toys, videos, images, and much more.

They are looking for new members to help them understand what families want from toys today.

Members are invited to participate in projects such as in-home toy tests, early screening of TV shows, trend identification, and providing input on toys and ideas in the early stages of development. Help shape what will appear in stores and on screens across the world to better suit your family!

Also, to show our appreciation, for every Funovation survey you complete, you will be entered into a draw for one of three $50 Amazon gift cards. That starts with this one, so click here!

 

 

School’s Out… for 4-8 Weeks!

Abby H.
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For us, school has been canceled for the next two weeks, and then we are having our regularly scheduled 2-week spring break.

Big kids school sent home a big ol’ packet of worksheets (about 50 pages), which would be most of the work they would do in the classroom. Little kids preschool has been cancelled, so I did a quick google search for free preschool printables so she can do “homework” alongside Big Brother. But I’m not stressing too much about worksheets.

There have been a lot of schedules and ideas posted on social media.

I changed up one of the super colorful schedules going around, included stuff that we like to do, and more relevant activities, and posted it here on my google pages. You can copy it and change it as needed for you.  And I made it black and white to save your printer some ink.

There are tons of free educational activities online for kids to do. Here is a Google Doc with tons of links that has been making the rounds.

Scholastic set up a ‘Learn From Home’ website with four categories: PreK and Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6+. Each section is already equipped with one week of content for students with 15 additional days on the way.

I’m not too worried about keeping the kids busy. Big dude brought home his school iPad and has access to his math and reading stuff, plus we have craft supplies and toys to play with.

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Photo by John Cahil Rom on Pexels.com

And failing all that- Frozen 2 is on Disney+, and we’ve got Minecraft. If you don’t have Disney+, you can score Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN for a pretty low monthly price.

And sooo many bubbles. I’m not sure why, but kids love bubbles.

Don’t forget that March is National Craft Month! There are kinds of freebies and deals here.

Talk Back- What are you doing to keep yourself and your family from going stir crazy?

Looking for fun for your littles? Check Out Uptown Tot!

Abby H.

I’m taking the littlest one this week for Upotwn Tot!

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When the older kids are away, the little ones will play! Visit Uptown Jungle for a discounted playtime event where the little ones get the entire park to themselves!
Exclusive Toddler Playtime
Ages: 5 & Under Only
When: Wed 10am-1pm (Excludes holidays & school breaks)
Admission: $10. Additional sibling: $5. All parents play free!

And don’t forget- If your kiddos love Uptown Jungle and you visit frequently, consider checking out their memberships! Ifor and a discount code can be found here.

6 Days of Free Crafts at Michael’s 3/8-3/13/2020!

Abby H.1 Comment

Michael’s is hosting 6 days of Free Kids Crafts 3/8/2020-3/13/2020!

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  • Sunday 3/8/2020: Craft Stick Bee 2-4pm
  • Monday 3/9/2020: Pom Pom Caterpillar 4-6pm
  • Tuesday 3/10/2020: Stained Glass Kite 4-6pm
  • Wednesday 3/11/2020: Beaded Butterfly 4-6pm
  • Thursday 3/12/2020: Friendship Bracelets 4-6pm
  • Friday 3/13/2020: Clothespin Birds 4-6pm

Parents/guardians must remain on-site. Each craft is free, including supplies!

Kids Club! Saturday 10am - noon

If this doesn’t work for your schedule, check out Kids Club! Each Saturday 10am-noon, your kiddos (ages 3+) can choose from 2 30-minute projects. Most projects are free or have a low cost.

Put the FUN in Fundraising with Uptown Jungle!

Abby H.

86723436_2767364806686857_2639936442016464896_o.jpgWhen you’ve got kids, fundraising is part of life. Wrapping paper, candy, cookie dough are just a few of the things that kids have to peddle these days.

If you are looking for a new fundraiser, check out Uptown Jungle!

Uptown Jungle provides a fast and easy way for groups, schools, churches, teams, and nonprofit organizations to raise some serious cash, just for playing around and having fun.

You keep 35% of your group’s admissions! Having done a lot of fundraising in my time, that is a great return.

There are two ways to fundraise:

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Uptown Jungle is a great place for kids of all ages to play! With a special tots area for littler kiddos, you can rest assured that your littles will be safe and have fun. Bigger kids can bounce, run, climb and explore safely. And parents who don’t want to play can chill in the parents lounge. Oh yeah, there is free WiFi.

President’s Day 2/17/2020 Free Admission to your Local YMCA!

Abby H.

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Celebrate President’s Day with a fun and healthy Freebie! All YMCAs are free and open to everyone during regular hours, Monday, February 17, 2020. You can enjoy a healthy time at the Y on the holiday, and invite your friends to come along with you!

And bring your kids along to enjoy the fun of Kids Club or Child Watch! There are tons of fun games and activities for kids to enjoy, and the staff is engaged and spends time with the kids. It’s not just glorified babysitting, it’s a fun time for the kids. My littlest begs to go to the Y daily to see her friends and play.

Remember, any time you refer a new member, you can get a month free!

We’ll be there bright and early! Monday is yoga day for me!

Uptown Jungle: Monthly Memberships Available (and a $15 off deal)!

Abby H.

84129633_2726225264134145_3004108003239526400_o.jpgBoth kids love Uptown Jungle, and I do too. It’s Clean, they have free WiFi, and there is an awesome parents area so I can get work done while the kids play. BUT- I do enjoy pelting the little monkeys with foam dodgeballs on the trampoline too.

For us frequent visitors of Uptown Jungle, the monthly membership is a great bargain. Check it out:

If you’ve got 2+ kids, the family membership is the way to go! For the price of four kids 2-hour admissions, you can take the kids to Uptown Jungle as much as you want all month long!

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The parents lounge

And parents play for free! WOO HOO! If you’ve got a friend or family member who has never been to Uptown Jungle, have them utilize the FREE Buddy Pass!

Oh, but check this out- I know y’all love a deal! I’ve partnered with Uptown Jungle, and they are offering my readers a discount! When you buy a membership here, use discount code HEWES15 for $15 off the first month of membership.

We’ve got our membership, and I plan on taking the kids AT LEAST once a week to get the wiggles out. We hope to see some of you there to bounce and play!

 

 

Educational Programs on Sale this weekend with Age of Learning!

Abby H.

Age of Learning is a great company for parents to know about: They are the people who brought you ABC Mouse! But for those of us with older kids, Age of Learning also has Adventure Academy (For kids 8-11), and Reading IQ- which has tons of great books for kids to read online.

This weekend, through 2/17/2020, Age of Learning is offering 60%+ off on all 3 of their programs for Presidents’ Day!

I’ve already signed up for Adventure Academy and the big kid is loving it!

Receive over 60% OFF on Annual Subscription to ABCmouse.com.  Get 12 months for just $45 total.

(Fine Print: Your payment information on file will be charged now at the price selected above (1 payment of $45.00 or 3 monthly installments of $15.00). Your subscription will renew automatically every year at the same price until canceled.)


Receive over 60% OFF on Annual Subscription to Adventure Academy.

Get 12 months for just $45 total.

(Fine Print: Your payment information on file will be charged now at $45.00. Your subscription will renew automatically every year at the same price until canceled.)

Receive over 68% OFF on Annual Subscription to ReadingIQ.

Get 12 months for just $29.99 total.
(Fine Print: Your subscription will renew automatically at $29.99 and be charged on an annual basis to the above payment information until canceled within the Parent Section.)

San Diego Family Fun Fest 2/9/2020!

Abby H.

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Are you looking for a free, fun outing for your family this weekend? Check out the San Diego Family FunFest brought to you by San Diego Family Magazine.

 

Sunday, (Feb 9), 10 am-1 pm at the Salvation Army Kroc Center (in the Corner Zone), 6845 University Ave., San Diego 92115.

Have a blast with more than 30 Family Fun Activities & Resource Booths!

  • 2 Bounce Houses
  • 40” Inflatable Obstacle
  • Zipline
  • Swings
  • Double Shot Basketball
  • Angry Birds Slingshot
  • Imagination Playground Blocks (life-sized foam tinker toys)
  • Giant Connect 4 & more!

Dance along with the DJ, win cool raffle prizes, explore family resources and take playtime to a whole new level!

You can find out more on their Facebook Event page. Barring weather concerns, we’ll be there! I’m excited about the Imagination Playground Blocks.

Winter Sports Fun with The San Diego Sockers!

Abby H.

EGHG5285.JPGDid you know that San Diego has a Soccer Team? We Do! The Sockers are our MASL Team! They’ve been here since 2009.

The Big Kid and I got to experience our first Socker’s game yesterday!

BOIP0331.JPGBefore the game, we got a chance the run around the field and kick the ball.  After 20 minutes, the big kid was panting and ready for a water break.

Sockers tickets start at $15, the club pays for parking! They have special rates for groups and a special military discount!

The Sockers pride themselves on being the family-friendly affordable winter sport in San Diego. Fans are welcome on the field after the game to meet the team, get autographs or a high five. The big kid and I had a great time! Soccer is a very fast-moving game, and there are lots of opportunities for audience participation, which he LOVED!!

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If you were wondering about the noise level? Not too loud, and just in case, I had his noise-blocking earphones in the car.

I would recommend a Sockers game for any family, especially those with kids on the spectrum. It’s a chance to enjoy time together, make noise, and watch a fun game.

And Pechanga Arena has a great variety of food and snacks. We had caramel apples, and frozen chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick.

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**The Sockers provided free tickets to the game- However, we were not obligated to blog or post on Social media about the event. We had such an amazing time that I had to share with y’all.