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6/4/14

Things to Do - Two Fantastic Ways to Merge Family Time with Screen Time

kids

1. I try to limit TV watching on weekdays (partially because we already have enough going on and partially because of my complete hatred for the Disney channel and its endless stream of sarcasm filled one-liners). But some nights the girls need semi-mindless downtime (don't we all?). Our solution - "The Kid Should See This" blog.

I discovered The Kid Should See This a few months ago and since then our whole family has become somewhat obsessed. The blog is curated by a mother and her two children and every weekday she posts 2-3 new educational videos found on the web. Some of her choices are somewhat random, but the variety assures someone will find something to love.

For example, T's made me watch the Reading Rainbow video on recycling about 50 times now. Whereas P loves the post about the world's craziest intersection and F can't get enough of the flying ducklings. Personally, I'm a little awed by the paper made from elephant poop and popsicle stick chain reactions.

Anyways, on nights when we're tired, this is our go to site. And, since the videos are all pretty short, we can watch a few (or more) before bed without staying up too late.

headsup

2. Last week we vacationed in the Outer Banks (more on this Friday), and one of my friends introduced the girls to the "Heads Up" app. F quickly decided it was "the best thing ever." Basically, the app is a really easy (and electronic) way of playing charades. To start the game someone places the phone on his/her forehead and everyone tries to act out the words that appear on the screen. It's similar to the game Headbands (which is also a family favorite), but Heads Up requires less stuff.

When someone guesses correctly he/she flicks the phone down to receive another word. When a pass is desired one needs only to flick the phone up. Easy peasy. The game also records the actions, if you want to see video of your friends looking silly. Heads Up comes with several categories - in particular we liked "Animals Gone Wild" and "Just for Kids." It costs a mere $.99 on I-Tunes.

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What about everyone else? Any new games, blogs, or shows you've enjoyed lately?

2 comments:

  1. AWESOME!!!!!! thank you!!! this sounds like something Julia would adore. Ok, we don't have cable, but somehow she got wind that a few Disney sitcoms were on Netflix. She's become hooked totally on 'Jessie' have you see that show? about the young nanny in NYC? it's actually......not bad at all, and Julia loves it like she has never loved any show ever in her LIFE. she literally squeals with laughter......i've seen a few of the other Disney sitcoms and they seem pretty lame, but 'Jessie' gets pretty much thumbs up with us :)

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  2. Ok, The Kids Should See This is brilliant! I've been watching some of the videos for 1/2 an hour and my kids have been asleep for a long time. It should be called Adults Should See This Too! Thanks so much for sharing it.

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