History of the Pinata

Party pinatas are very popular games at children’s birthday parties. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors so that they can match the theme of the child’s birthday party. Every kid looks forward to hitting the pinata, and they all want to be the one who knocks it open. When it does break open, they can hardly wait to rush in and grab the treats. What kids probably don’t think about is where the pinata comes from. Where did it originate, and how did it become the popular party game it is today?

Where Does the Pinata Come From?

Party piñatas originated in China when Marco Polo discovered how to make figures of cows, oxen, and buffalo. He would cover the figures in colorful paper. To welcome in the New Year, people would fill piñatas with seeds and knock the figures with colorful sticks. Traditionally, collecting the seeds and burning them would bring people good luck.

A Fun and Healthy Activity for Kids – Making Smoothies

Top Five Reasons to Make Smoothies with Your Kids

Unfortunately, today's society is one that relies on fast food drive thru establishments and pizza delivery for food and snacks. Not only is this contributing to the rise of obesity in adults but children as well. In fact, it is suggested by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry that 16 to 33 percent of children in America are obese. This of course leads to long-term health issues like diabetes, heart disease and breathing difficulties.

Rather than going to grab milkshakes or sundaes for your kids, why not make them something healthy that they'll love and that you can feel good about them consuming? Making smoothies is fun for the children and they're packed full of essential vitamins and minerals that kids need in their daily diet.

LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game

Why Every Child Should Have a LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game

Voted the best toy ever by children and parents, the LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game is a must have for teaching essentials in phonics, math, spelling, music, art and a whole lot more. In a world where toys seem to consist of items that lose their appeal within a few days, it is refreshing to find a toy that is stimulating enough that boredom won't set in.

The LeapFrog Leapster Learning Game is a hand-held gaming system that features video game templates but your child is actually learning while playing it, unlike other video game consoles. Children are so intrigued with the dynamics of this device that they don't even realize that they're learning and you're probably better off not telling them either!

Free 1 year Subscription to MightybookJr

MightybookJr.com is offering a Free 1 year Subscription to their website. MightyBookJr is an online library of over 850 books In English and Spanish...And Growing!!! They have interactive books that inspire early childhood literacy grades K-6.



About MightybookJr: "MightyBookJr is an online publisher of award-winning children's animated read-aloud books, story songs, lesson plans, games and puzzles that promote early childhood literacy. For the past 12 years we've been providing educators and parents with a safe and nurturing environment where young children learn to read. Over 8,000 schools in the U.S. and 11 foreign countries subscribe to our interactive books.

Joovy Cocoon Stroller

Love at First Sight Could Start With the Joovy Caboose

If you're looking for the perfect accessory to your day that allows you to spend quality time with your children, the Joovy Caboose is it! Here is a manufacturer that you're probably already pretty familiar with so you know that this is a product you can trust. In today’s busy lifestyle, it's not always easy to squeeze in your daily dose of exercise, especially when you have a baby but the Joovy Caboose offers up new possibilities of adventure.

The Joovy Caboose is a jogger-stroller-bicycle trailer all combined in one very attractive package. Of course, as you would expect, this product is equipped with a lot of the same thoughtful features found on the Caboose, a top-picked stroller for parents with more than one child. The Joovy Caboose is available both in single or double varieties, folding up really compact so you can store it anywhere, even in the trunk of the smallest car.

Gummibär: I Am A Gummy Bear DVD

What started as just a little music clip on YouTube has quickly became an Internet sensation with over 200 million views to date. Kids and adults alike can’t get enough of a funny green little bear named Gummibär, who loves to dance and sing.

Now, I must admit, I had seen a short YouTube clip of Gummibär before but didn't realize how huge his popularity has become (I'm probably the only one). When I was contacted to do a product view of the Gummibär: I Am A Gummy Bear DVD, I jumped at the chance to see what all the raves were about.

Free Mark Trail Coloring and Activity Book

From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service comes a Free Mark Trail Coloring and Activity Book for you to print out on your computer printer.


Mark Trail is a comic strip character and adventurer created by Ed Dodd. "For more than 50 years, soft-spoken comic-strip star and veteran outdoorsman Mark Trail has been teaching people to preserve our natural resources — woods, water and wildlife — for future generations."

Penguin Coloring Pages

January 20 is Penguin Awareness Day, offering an opportunity to celebrate penguins around the world by learning or do something relating to penguins, our little tuxedo-clad friends.



It's easy to take part in the celebration of Penguin Awareness Day and share it with those you love. Here are some ways to celebrate:

Free Polly Pride Activity and Coloring Book

Continuing with our Milk Day celebration we've listed a Free Polly Pride Activity and Coloring Book that you can download and print out on your computer.

The thirty four page activity and coloring book was designed for children grade K through 6 and provides a fun filled introduction to life on a dairy farm..

Inside the Free Polly Pride Activity and Coloring Book, you will find amusing and interesting facts about cows and dairy products through drawing, connect the dots, crossword puzzles, coloring, maze, secret messages and so much more.

How We Get Our Milk - Free Coloring Book

On January 11th in 1878, milk was delivered in bottles for the first time. Glass bottles allowed milk to be delivered in sanitary conditions to customers.

To celebrate Milk Day, you can download a Free How We Get Our Milk coloring book, from the Washington Dairy Council.

The How We Get Our Milk coloring book is twelve pages and follows Geraldine the cow as it explains to your children, how milk is made and then delivered to the store.

Free Funnix Reading Program

During the month of January, get a Free Reading Program from Funnix.com.

Information about the Free Funnix Reading Program:

"The program is designed by the world's most successful creator of instructional materials, Siegfried (Zig) Enge0lmann, a maverick professor of Education who has authored many books, including Give Your Child a Superior Mind, and highly successful reading programs like Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

Engelmann says of Funnix,"Teaching the lessons requires a lot less effort, and the lessons are more entertaining. Also, the program consists of 220 daily lessons, so it takes kids farther than most beginning-reading programs-- from being non readers to reading on the third-grade level."

How to Make Play Dough

Whip up a batch of fun in the kitchen and keep your kids entertained for hours with homemade play dough.

In this step by step video, Monica and Alice teach you how to make homemade play dough through a few easy steps. Each ingredient is a common household product.

OMG! What Is Your Child Saying

ROTFL. TAW. FOAF. CD9. PAW.

Do you understand what I'm talking about? Maybe you need to GAC (Get a Clue).

ROTFL - rolling on the floor laughing

TAW - teachers are watching

FOAF - friend of a friend

CD9 – parents are around