Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns
April 10, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under entertainment, kids, product reviews
Peter Pan is back––but his shadow is missing! When Peter loses his shadow while playing a game of Catch-Me-If-You-Can, he returns to Never Land to seek help from his kid pirate friend Jake. Embarking on one of his most daring and exciting adventures ever, Jake and his kid pirate pals, Izzy and Cubby, along with lookout parrot Skully, must use teamwork to find Peter’s shadow and return it to its rightful owner. However, their mission is nearly thwarted by the fiendish Captain Hook, and his bumbling first mate Mr. Smee. But bravery and justice win the day and Jake and his Never Land pirate crew once again reveal what it takes to become heroes, in Disney’s “Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns.”
courtesy of Disney Junior
My kids really enjoy watching Jake and the Never Land Pirates on Disney Junior but they have inquired several times about where Peter Pan was. Well, with this new DVD release my kids can now get their fill of the lovable flying character. In Peter Pan Returns, we see the icon return to Never Land in search of his shadow. He needs everyone’s help and cooperation if he’s going to get it back before Captain Hook captures him. There are some great messages shared like teamwork and not to steal but also that you should stop and think before you act. Rushing into action can sometimes get you into trouble. And of course, there’s the usual counting lesson as the kids add up their gold doubloons.
In the end, Peter Pan finds his shadow and carries on his way to seek new adventures. The pirate kids are sad but they know that he’ll be back again one day. My girls are hoping he’ll bring Tinker Bell with him next time!
This DVD includes 5 more episodes:
- The Elephant Surprise!/Jake’s Jungle Groove
- The Pirate Pup!/Pirate Rock!
- The Sword and the Stone/Jake’s Home Run
- The Pirate Princess/The Rainbow Wand
- Mama Hook Knows Best/Pixie Dust Away (Never-Before-Seen Episode)
What we really like about Jake and the Never Land Pirates is that even though Captain Hook is considered the villain he’s still pretty likable in his own way. And even though the pirate kids are always wary of Hook’s actions they are quick to forgive him. The message of acceptance is something that I hope to instill in my kids.
Purchase your copy of Jake & the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns 
This post was written for Disney Junior who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for our honest review.
LeapFrog’s LeapPad Explorer & Disney Ultra eBooks
April 8, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under educational, electronics, entertainment, games & toys, kids, product reviews
Our family loves LeapFrog. We have pretty much all of their educational toys . . . Leapster Explorer, My Own Storytime Pad, Tag Reading System, and now the LeapPad. The LeapPad looks like a kid-friendly version of the iPad where you can purchase and/or download tons of games, books, videos, and apps. There’s also a built-in camera so your little photographer can take pictures and videos to their heart’s content.
To use the LeapPad, you’ll first need to install the LeapFrog Connect Application using the included CD. Follow the easy step-by-step instructions to create a parent account as well as accounts for each of your children. This account will keep track of all the various LeapFrog toys you have registered and makes it super easy to add on more. It also keeps track of your child’s progress as they move through the various game levels.
Once you have your LeapFrog Connect Application and your LeapPad synced up, just create a user profile for your child on the Leap Pad by entering their name, grade, background, and profile picture. The profile picture can be a pre-installed generic image, one that you’ve downloaded, or you can take a picture using the LeapPad’s camera. Now you’re all set to go!
Our LeapPad came with pre-installed apps like camera, Pet Pad, My Stuff, and My Books. All these apps can be viewed on the home screen for easy access. You can purchase more game cartridges at the store or purchase apps from the LeapFrog Connect site.
We also received 2 Disney Ultra eBooks – Cinderalla & Cars 2. Both of these ebooks came on cartridges which is placed into the card slot on the top of the LeapPad. When the unit is turned on, you’ll see the coordinating app on the home screen. Just touch that app with the stylus and you’re on your way. These cartridges can also be used in the LeapFrog Leapster unit.
Cinderella Ultra eBook (Pre-K to 1st grade) Cinderella and friends set off on an adventure. See the story animate and touch words to hear them sounded out. Play games and learning activities to help Cinderella get ready for the ball. Teaches: Listening & reading comprehension, vocabulary skills, phonics skills and word recognition.
Cars 2 Ultra eBook (Pre-K to 1st grade) The wheel-blazing adventures of Mater and Lightning McQueen come to life on every page. See the story animate and touch words to hear them sounded out. Play learning games to help Cars 2 friends get caught up in a top-secret spy mission. Teaches: Listening & reading comprehension, vocabulary skills, phonics skills and word recognition.
courtesy of LeapFrog
The Disney Ultra eBooks were a big hit with both Kiana and Kaila. And since you can select the story’s reading difficulty (3 levels) the same story was appropriate for both of them. For example:
Level 2: Cinderella was nice and kind.
Level 3: Cinderella was sweet.
Level 4: Cinderella was sweet and kind. She cared for the animals around her.
But there’s more. What I really liked about the Ultra eBooks is that they’re more than just a story. Your child can get a real understanding of the words used as well as the proper way to pronounce each one. When you touch an image, you’ll hear the corresponding word. In addition, when you touch a word the matching image will light-up as well. There are also specific words in the story (underlined) that when they’re touched will bring up a pop-up screen explaining what that word means.
And when you get to the end of the story, you’ll find a glossary of the story’s more complicated words. Here your child can listen to the way the letters are pronounced to form the word as well as the word’s definition.
There’s also a game at the end of each story which allows your child to earn fun badges. These badges are used as points to customize games and make them more personal and interactive.
Some of the other features of the Ultra eBooks are:
- Reading Mode – Have the entire book read to your child with the pages turning automatically, have the book read page by page, or have your child read the book on their own.
- Story Map – Select a specific page you’d like to read
- Games – Each eBook comes with 3 games for your kids to play and enjoy
- Record – Record yourself reading the book
We found these Disney Ultra eBooks to be not only fun but very educational as well. And since the kids already love the characters they don’t even realize that they’re learning something in the process. I love the LeapFrog LeapPad because it means I can finally get my iPad back from the kids. They think it’s so cool that they have their own unit that looks like Mommy’s one and fits in their tiny hands. And with a wide variety of apps available online for immediate download, our LeapPad will always be our #1 source of entertainment and education.
Connect with LeapFrog:
This post was written for LeapFrog who provided the complimentary product in exchange for our honest review.
HOP into Easter
April 6, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under entertainment, kids, product reviews
When HOP first made it’s way into the theaters we couldn’t wait to see it! Now that it’s on DVD, my kids have been watching it again and again. I have to admit that even I enjoyed reliving some of the hilarious moments of this fun family movie.
From the makers of Despicable Me comes an all-new comedy about candy, chicks and rock n roll! He was destined to be the Easter Bunny, but all he wanted to do was rock! When teenage E.B. (voiced by Russell Brand) leaves for Hollywood in pursuit of his dream to become a rockstar drummer, he meets Fred (James Marsden), an out-of-work slacker with his own lofty goals. Together the two encounter a series of hilarious mishaps and misadventures and in the end help each other recognize the importance of family.
The movie starts on Easter Island where an underground candy operation is in full-swing for the upcoming Easter holiday. Mr. Bunny and a crew of adorable chicks are busy making jelly beans, licorice, and chocolate bunnies while E.B. sits in his room dreaming of becoming a famous musician one day. He finally decides to secretly leave Easter Island to pursue his dreams.
In the human world, Fred O’Hare is feeling the same pressure from his father to become someone he’s not. As he’s driving one night he comes across E.B. who pretends that Fred has hit him with the car. Feeling guilty, Fred takes in E.B. until he’s feeling better. The two become unlikely friends and find that their lives are more similar than they realize and end up helping each other achieve their goals.
The plot is pretty predictable but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment. We loved the characters whose small parts actually steal the show. The Pink Berets, a trio of sweet-looking but deadly female bunnies whose mission is to bring E.B. safely home. Carlos and Phil, a couple of Easter chicks who are plotting to take over the candy operation. And David Hasselhoff who plays himself as a game show host.
The kids really liked the candy factory ala Willy Wonka style. We sat there and drooled over all that wonderfully colorful looking candy and dreamed about Easter baskets and egg hunts.
However, the best part of the movie was the message to be true to yourself. Every parent has high hopes for their children and only want the best for them. But sometimes we need to take a step back and let our kids make decisions for themselves. Being happy with their career choice can sometimes be success in itself.
With Easter upon us, why not get the family together and watch a truly enjoyable movie . . . HOP.
Purchase your copy of Hop
This post was written for Universal Pictures who provided the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.
Doc McStuffins Premieres March 23!
March 21, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under educational, entertainment, kids, product reviews
Emmy Award-winning Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”) guest stars in Disney Junior’s “Doc McStuffins,” an animated series that models good health, hygiene, compassion and nurturing for kids age 2-7. The series premieres FRIDAY, MARCH 23 on the popular Disney Junior block on Disney Channel (10:00-11:00 a.m., ET/PT) and the new 24-hour Disney Junior channel (4:00-5:00 p.m., ET/PT).
The heartwarming stories, each featuring an original song, introduce a little girl named Doc who can talk to the stuffed animal and toy world — and they talk to her too, especially when they need her help repairing a stitch or bandaging a boo-boo. Along the way, Doc and her friends Stuffy, Lambie, Hallie and Chilly impart helpful tips about self care and care for others, and chase away the worries over visiting the doctor.
The idea for this series stems from creator/executive producer Chris Nee’s own experience as a mom to her 5-year-old son, Theo, who at age two, developed severe asthma. After spending a lot of time in and out of doctor’s offices, hospitals and even ambulances and witnessing her son’s anxiety around doctors, she came up with the concept for “Doc McStuffins.” Her hope is that the show will help make everything from doctor’s visits to removing a band-aid less scary for kids.
courtesy of Disney Junior
We had the opportunity to view a DVD screener with the following episodes:
Knight Time – Sir Kirby is suffering from Filthy Icky Sticky Disease (grape jelly & pizza cheese) and can’t perform his knightly duties. Every time he touches something he gets stuck to it. Diagnosis? Take a bath and get clean! One he’s clean he feels so much better and can perform to his true potential.
The Bad Case of the Pricklethorns – In this episode, Doc’s dad pricks his finger on a rose thorn and it’s up to Doc to clean and wrap his cut. Her next patient is a inflatable blue dog (you know, the kind that won’t stay down) who’s plastic got punctured and is losing air by the second. Once he’s fixed, Doc conducts a check-up to make sure he’s in perfect health.
We found Doc McStuffins to be very different from any other animated series we’ve seen before. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one that’s solely dedicated to good hygiene and taking care of oneself. I think it’s going to be a great way to get my kids to stay healthy without my nagging.
In addition to “Doc McStuffins,” the 24-hour Disney Junior channel will feature new editions of the acclaimed short-form series “A Poem Is . . .” with celebrity narrators Laura Linney, Viola Davis, John Leguizamo, Jessica Alba, Owen Wilson, and Liev Schreiber reciting poetry set to classic Disney animation, as well as the premiere of the new short-form series “Quiet Is . . . ,” a tender animated series that delves into the idea of what “quiet is”.
We also received a sampling of some of the “Quiet Is” features and found this amazing DVD to be a collection of short music videos set to relaxing music and soothing animation. It’s perfect for winding down before nap time or whenever you just need a little “quiet time”. It set such a peaceful tone that we watched each featurette twice!
The 24-hour channel will also bring the premiere of two new series into the Disney Junior programming line-up – “Guess How Much I Love You” and “Gaspard and Lisa.” Both based on children’s storybooks, “Gaspard and Lisa” will air on both the new 24-hour Disney Junior Channel, as well as the popular Disney Junior daily programming block on Disney Channel, while “Guess How Much I Love You,” will air exclusively on the 24-hour Disney Junior Channel.
And finally, the new channel will also be home to “Magical World of Disney Junior,” a weekend movie block featuring telecasts of Disney’s vast array of classic and contemporary movies, including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Bambi,” “Dumbo,” The Princess and the Frog,” “Cars,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Aladdin,” among others.
As diehard Disney fans, we are so excited about all the new Disney Junior programming on the horizon. I love that there are not only things for the kids to enjoy but for parents as well. I can’t wait to view more “Quiet Is . . .” features as well as “A Poem Is . . .” I think it’s pretty cool to be able to expose my kids to poetry at a young age.
Stay tuned for more exciting announcements from Disney Junior!
This post was written for Disney Junior who provided various branded merchandise to familiarize my family with the new series. I was not required to post anything but wanted to anyway because we’re just so excited about all the new shows!
