Our family counts down to Halloween every year. We like to decorate the house, carve pumpkins, plan out our costumes and even think carefully through our trick or treat route to maximize our candy collection.

My children always spend a great deal of time selecting their Halloween costumes. We start searching early in the fall and visit many stores before making the big purchase. I wish I could say I was one of those moms that make her children’s costumes but I am not that talented. I can barely sew on a button.

I love Halloween. I also love to dress up and have looked at the adult costumes. I haven’t had success finding one I like because the female costumes tend to be a bit risqué for my taste and I don’t really want to be a sumo wrestler or a cow with huge exposed udders.

We started a tradition in my home a few years ago that my kids look forward to more than just about anything. A few days before Halloween we head down to our basement and pull out our countless dress up bins which are filled with old funny clothes, cheerleading and dance uniforms from my past, the kids dress up clothes, my grandma’s old scarves and funny accessories galore. Then my children carefully select a variety of pieces from these buckets that will make up my totally hysterical Halloween costume. I proudly wear the costume they select for me and you can say that I stand out slightly from my other mommy friends who have on cute brown and orange autumn outfits.

I am not sure how many more years my children will trick or treat with me. At some point the fun tradition of dressing me like a nut will surely embarrass them. However, for now they love it and there are few moments that bring our family this many full belly laughs.

It always amazes me what truly makes my children happy. I know my kids love this tradition because they think it makes me feel silly and maybe a little embarrassed, but I also think they just love the quality time we spend together creating the ultimate costume.

Holidays are great because we get to enjoy both traditions we have inherited from times past as well as create our own traditions to enjoy moving forward.

I’d like to hear from you about special traditions your family has created.

Happy Halloween!!!

Play Categories: Experiences

The latest installment in the ongoing Tomb Raider series, Tomb Raider: Underworld, isn’t due in stores until the middle of November, however, Xbox 360 and PC gamers can enjoy an early look at the game this week. A playable demo is available now for download via the Xbox Live application and a PC demo is scheduled for release on Friday (October 13). As of now, there are no plans for previews on other game systems.

Tomb Raider: Underworld will find Lara Croft in an all new expedition to uncover the mythical hammer of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. The full version game will be released on November 18th for the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PS2 and PC platforms. This game is rated T (Teen).

Play Categories: Video Games

Halloween has always been one of my favorites holidays with respect to spending time with my kids. The choosing of the costume (always a long hard decision), trick or treating, and Halloween parties have made Halloween a huge event. (In recent years, the trend has continued to grow as more and more adults look to the holiday as one just for themselves and their families.)

However, I’ve always had one problem with Halloween: When Halloween falls on a Monday through Friday, trick or treating is difficult to monitor because most homes have one or two parents working. The sun sets in most parts of the country by 5:30 pm, which means a parent needs to leave work early (often not an option), or take their kids trick or treating in the dark (not the safest option).

Small towns across are now taking matters in their own hands. They are establishing daytime trick or treat hours on the Saturday or Sunday nearest Halloween for their residents. While I agree with traditionalists that you should not try to change the date of Halloween is celebrated, I am a big advocate of allowing parents to be part of the “trick or treat” activity, not only making it fun for the whole family, but also safer for our children.

What’s your opinion? I’d like to hear from you.

Play Categories: Opinions

From TheToyGuy!

The day has finally arrived! High School Musical 3: Senior Year opens in theaters across America today. It’s hard to believe but the tween juggernaut that is High School Musicalonly premiered two years ago as a Disney Channel original movie. The first HSM was a huge and fast hit with Disney’s audience and propelled it’s then, relatively unknown cast including Zac Effron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale into tweeny-bopper stardom. 

The original was followed up the following year on the Disney Channel with High School Musical 2, which reunited the cast in a summer vacation plot. Once again singing, dancing, and working together took center stage as the kids focused on the summer talent show. 

Today marks the first theatrical release for the HSM franchise with HSM 3: Senior Year premiering to stellar advanced sales around the world. It’s the final year of High School for the gang and the latest movie will show the kids dealing with issues such as college, saying good bye, and, of course, the prom!

High School Musical 3: Senior Year opens today (October 24) in theaters everywhere.

Play Categories: Industry News

Chances are pretty good that if you have kids, especially tween girls, you are very familiar with High School Musical. Hopefully you already have your pre-sale tickets for this Friday’s theatrical release of High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

In anticipation of Friday’s big release, Disney Interactive Studios has released High School Musical 3: Senior Year DANCE! and I’ve got some great news for parents and adults. This game will be fun for you as well as the kids. HSM3: Senior Year DANCE! is, as the title may imply, a dancing game, which means players will be up off the couch and dancing as they progress through the game–think Dance Dance Revolution with the music and characters from HSM. Kids will love interacting with their favorite characters in familiar settings as they dance to music from all three High School Musical movies. Adults might not be as excited as the kids to see Troy, Gabriella, and Sharpay but they will have a great time getting active and trying to keep up with the dance moves.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year DANCE! is in stores now for Nintendo’s Wii. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation2 versions will be available the first week of November.

Play Categories: Video Games

Video games are everywhere. You’d think with all of this distraction and hype that parents would want to learn more about what was going on in these virtual worlds consuming their kids, but alas, the fact that they’re everywhere seems to have the opposite effect.

Increasingly parents trust their kids to make appropriate gaming choices and find a comfort in the moments of silence these video games afford them. I, however, refuse to be left in the cyberdust of my tech-savvy kids. Through my work in the toy industry and research on the topic of gaming, I’ve learned that some video games can actually help kids learn important skills and, when balanced with other types of play, gaming can provide great family time. Here are my tips for breaking into the gaming space without turning your kids off entirely.

• Passwords are public domain. Especially when it comes to online gaming, make sure you have access to all of the gaming sites your kids frequent. Don’t abuse the access and cramp your kid’s online style, but familiarize yourself with their virtual gaming world so that fear of the unknown doesn’t breed gaming anxiety.
• Get playing. No game, no matter how silly or complex, is beyond your grasp. Your kid’s semi-explanation about their game play is no substitute for powering up or logging on yourself to experience it first-hand. For younger kids this can be a great “teaching” moment wherein they teach you all the cool stuff they know – and a great many things you don’t. For older kids it may require a more covert approach – perhaps best executed when they’re out of the house.
• Keep on top of trends. The internet is your friend. Go online. Find game and game system reviews, and then have a conversation about gaming with your kids that won’t send eyes fluttering into the back of their heads. Check out this site for gaming reviews (TTP link to gaming page) and visit www.commonsensemedia.org to learn what all of those labels really mean.

• Games they love about stuff they can use. Believe it or not, many video games have potential to boost kids’ brain power. Parents can get more bang for their buck by investing in games that combine the action-packed play kids love with educational content you want. Success equals picking games that feature characters they know with age-appropriate content that challenges and entertains them for more than thirty seconds.
• Game time as a sugar-free bribe/reward. Video game time can be a powerful motivator in trying to enforce homework or household chore rules. It works, with fewer cavities.
• Limiting game time. Every family is going to have different rules, but have some. Whether it’s a certain amount of hours a week, or not till homework is done, or whatever you feel is appropriate, clear rules let your kids know you mean business and that as much fun as these games are, there are other activities to balance game time.
• Games/computers in common space. You may want the kids out of sight, but keeping the computer or gaming system in shared areas and not in bedrooms helps keep kids part of the family, even if they’re immersed in a fantastical game world.
• Get Brave with a Family Game Night. Not for the faint of heart, try designating one night a week as “game night” to give those multiplayer games a run for the their money. It’s also a good idea to “power off” at a set time every day – parents and kids. 

Play Categories: Advice

One afternoon not very long ago, I got a frantic call from a mom who reached me through a series of mutual friends.

“You’ve got to help me,” she said.

“I will if I can,” I replied.

“My son is in the living room, playing ‘Grand Theft Auto,’ and I’m worried about the violence in the game.”

“How did he get it?

“I bought it for him.”

“What??””

“Well, he said he wanted it, and so I got it for him, but I didn’t realize that there was so much violence in it. Now, he thinks he’s the coolest kid on the block, and his friends are coming over to play, and I’m afraid to take it away from him.”

Okay.

Let’s look at all the problems in this.

First, what are you doing giving your kids games that you haven’t vetted? I mean, “Grand Theft Auto” is one of the hottest video games of all times, but it’s clearly rated “M,” which means that at most stores these days you can’t even buy it if you’re under 18.

Of course your kids want this game. It’s getting a lot of hype, and it’s “forbidden fruit.” It’s like getting in to see an “R” rated movie or sneaking a look at adult magazines or web sites.

But come one, people. Let’s use a little common sense. At least with the video games. The Entertainment Software Review Board is very careful about what they review. So, even if you don’t know the game, check that rating first. It’s on every video game package. When a game says “M,” it usually means it. And maybe your kid is sophisticated and can handle it all, but why would you want him to?

It’s your house, and you get to control what comes into it. Sorry. Those are the rules.

As for taking it away, that’s a little tougher. But sometimes you have to admit you made a mistake. This can be an opening for conversation, and if you’re honest about your feelings about something, you can usually communicate. Sometimes, saying “I made a mistake,” can be very powerful and earn the respect of your kids.

The result, my caller did take the game away and said that she had made a mistake. She and her son then had a long conversation about violence and what it means. They then went together and bought another game that they both agreed on.

“You’ve just got watch every second,” she said to me after the whole event was over.

“Yes, you do,” I said.

Play Categories: Advice

It’s like Fall 2005 all over again with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 generating some tantalizing headlines. First came the announcement that Microsoft was dropping the price on all 360s and last week the news got even better for anyone considering purchasing a 360 – free games!

The entry level 360, the Arcade version, which now retails for $199, will come with six games, including Pac-Man, SEGA Superstars Tennis, and Uno. Stepping up to either the Pro or Elite 360s ($299 and $399 respectively) will get you a free copy of Lego Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda.

Even at $200, this is still a pricey toy so should you run out and buy a 360? That depends. If you already own a 360 and it’s working fine then no, you don’t need another one. And all you PS3 owners (what were you thinking?) this could be a good opportunity to pick up the system you should have bought in the first place. Wii owners, if you’ve got the cash on hand then you should consider buying the 360. The 360 and Wii are two totally different systems and you’ll find that you’ll get a great deal of play out of both systems.

All three Xbox game systems with free games should be in stores later this month so make sure to double check that you are buying the one with the games included.

Play Categories: Video Games, gifts

My daughter is in first grade and has just started receiving homework. She is so excited about her homework and sits down quite diligently to complete the assignments. She calls all our relatives to report in on her status as a big first grader. I am not sure how long she will be loving homework time but I am grateful that we are able to get through the process battle and tear free for now. My daughter’s teacher is a genius and sends home loads of fun ways to complete each assignment. Last week my daughter and I practiced her spelling words by covering a cutting board in shaving cream and writing out the words with our fingers. This has been a great way for my daughter and her buddies to work on their letters and spelling words without having to focus on whether they have a proper tri-pod grip on their pencil. They also just love squishing their hands in the shaving cream. Fun!

My son is in fifth grade and is spending a great deal of time after school doing homework. I love to sit with him as he plows his way through history, English, math, science, Spanish and more. I have to admit that I am learning so much from my son’s fifth grade materials, and it’s embarrassing, but my son often trumps me with his knowledge of facts, dates, and places. My son doesn’t seem to mind his homework and actually seems like he is enjoying the learning process. However, after being in school from 8 A.M. to 3 P.M., I sure wish he could come home, go outside and just play ball with his buddies. I have the greatest memories of getting home from school and hearing my doorbell ring. I knew when I hear that bell ring that it was my next door neighbor Anne and she was asking if I could come out and play. We would play until it was time to come in and get cleaned up for dinner. Unfortunately times have changed and that just can’t happen anymore. My son has a great deal more homework than I did as a kid. Plus he has to get to soccer, cello and his other after school activities. We often have to continue doing homework when we return home from the after school activities.

Like many parents, I do question whether our children have too much, too little or the right amount of homework. I hear a lot about the homework dilemma in the news and on the various talk shows. My girlfriends and I spend hours discussing this issue. We want our children to learn as much as possible and hope we are giving them the right foundation they need to succeed in school but we also want them to have balance in their lives. We want our kids to be kids and have fun the way we did when we were their age.

In my home I look for ways to make learning fun. I find that my children learn more when they don’t realize they are learning. I love to make games out of their homework lessons when possible. We can get very silly during homework time. I also regularly use some of the great educational toys or products on the markets for kids to either help with homework or supplement what they are learning in a fun and exciting way.

My daughter, who is learning to read, lives for Tag by Leap Frog. Tag actually brings the pages of its books to life – or individual words in the book when my daughter gets stuck – by reading them out loud in fun character voices. She also enjoys the Smart Cycle by Fisher Price and V-Motion by V-Tech, which both plug into the TV and incorporate learning games and physical activity. The Smart Cycle and V-Motion help supplement and reinforce what my daughter is learning in school. My son has recently discovered the Crammer by Leap Frog which allows him to create his own digital flash cards, down load quiz questions from leading textbooks on subjects such as spelling, chemistry, math, geography, social studies and Spanish. He can now customize his learning electronically which is heaven for this generation. He also loves that the Crammer holds his music in it so he can listen to music as he studies.

We all love when homework time goes well, but can relate to the frustration our children have when trying to complete homework when there is a lot of it, it is difficult or they are tired. We have all been there ourselves. However, there are now so many ways to make learning fun and even active if we look for them. Teachers have come up with a variety of ways to make learning fun like the example I gave above of writing spelling words in shaving cream rather than with a pencil. We also now have a myriad of learning games, supplements, activities, and products that help tailor learning to our children’s specific needs. The Crammer is a great example of how a children’s learning aid can help in the homework process. Our children can enter the information they are learning and quiz themselves electronically making it more interesting and fun for them. We all know that a homework session that is productive and without tears is way more beneficial to everyone in the house and having fun while learning is the best way to reach that goal.

Play Categories: Advice, Experiences