@Disney

Minnie Mouse is a very well recognized household Disney character. Based on a popular episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, a new series of shorts entitled Minnie’s Bow-Toons  features Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck running Minnie’s Bow-Tique. The speciaty shop sells only bowties and bows.  In conjunction with this show, a whole series of toys that were developed by Disney Consumer Products debuted at Toy Fair in New York City. Little girls will enjoy new role play toys and accessorizing with one of the most recognized and well loved Disney characters.

Here’s a video from Toy Fair, highlighting some of the new toys from Disney’s Bow-Toons.

Video Transcription:

Announcer: You’ve got to watch. You don’t want to miss this.

Keri: Well, thank you.

©Disney

When Disney’s Beauty and the Beast first hit the big screen in the 1991, I was a freshman in high school. Even though you would think kids that age wouldn’t be interested in Disney animated movies, having a younger sister who is 12 years younger and whose birthday party theme always coincided with the release of the latest Disney movie (Lion King, Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Beauty & The Beast), there was no escaping it anyway. Honestly, I secretly loved being whisked away into these lands of far away tales, animation or not.

Since then, Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Belle from Beauty and the Beast have been two of my long time favorite Princesses. I brought the soundtrack tapes from the movie with me to college, learned how to play the theme song from Beauty on the Beast on the piano and saw Beauty in the Beast on Broadway during that time in my life, twice. To me the reason why these movies are so memorable is that Disney had begun to not only embark on some really unbelievable animation with even more enchanting story lines, the musical scores on the soundtracks were what allowed these movies to burn a permanent place into my long term memory.

Last week we were invited to a screening of the new Beauty and the Beast 3D. The little girl in me couldn’t wait to see it, but now, as the mother of a 2-year-old, I worried that my son might be a little to young for the story. I thought about not bringing him, but my husband and I decided that if it were scary he’d take him out of the movie theater, so I then directed my attention on how I might get a 2-year-old to wear 3D glasses.

The Tangled animated short prior to the movie was fast moving and very funny. We missed the first few minutes of it, but once we put the glasses on Gavin’s eyes for this, he was MESMERIZED. No joke, I was checking to see if he was breathing, he did not move for a second. The trailer for this short is embedded below.

Despite actually being a really sweet and cute movie, this was the first movie that my family got to see together, so just because of this sentimental fact, it will always hold a special place in my heart.  Yes, we were the crazy ones who decided that we’d try to take a 20 month old toddler to the movies at 7:00 p.m. at night, for the first time. Could have been a disaster, but thankfully it wasn’t and to any of you who were there, Gavin was one of the many little voices chirping throughout the theater, who could also be heard clapping and yelling “Yeah” and “Bear” after some of the adorably silly scenes and musical scores.

The movie itself was short, only 68 minutes, and with a toddler in tow, it was still a bit long for him. He was great for the first 30 minutes, but the moment that there was even the hint of a pause, he was trying to engage the kids in front of him and behind him in a game of peek-a-boo. Though I can’t remember the last time I actually watched Winnie the Pooh, it had a nice pace, with several great, but not overpowering musical sound effects that thankfully kept drawing Gavin’s attention and interest back to the big screen. In case you might be bored at the thought of attending this movie with your kids, there was plenty of adult humor to go around. I found myself laughing out-loud on several occasions, especially when Winnie the Pooh’s tumbly gets all rumbly.

Winnie the Pooh and his friends, Christopher Robin, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Tigger, Kanga and Roo all work together to help find Eeyore’s lost tail, all for the reward of a one, gigantic, sweet pot of honey. There is also a lot of drama that ensues as the crew worries that Christopher Robin has been taken by a monster, called a “Backson.”

Overall, I really enjoyed the soothing sound of the character’s voices and accents throughout the movie and it was definitely one, “sweet” and memorable performance, our family enjoyed together.

Here’s a little clip of all of the cute ideas that were suggested to replace Eeyore’s old tail:

Here’s the official movie trailer:

Will you and your family see the Winnie the Pooh movie?

Disney provided our family with a free showing for Winnie the Pooh. All opinions are my own.

Here are some great features of the new LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer which is available for pre-order, now!

- The device has different applications that will encourage children to read interactive books, play games and learn to write letters

- The device is geared for children ages 4 to 9, and it can be customized for up to three different children

- By the end of the year, there will be over 100 learning experiences available for use on the device through online downloads, or cartridges available for purchase at big box retail stores

- There is a magnetic stylus that nicely stores on the side of the device

- A microphone, camera and video camera will allow children the ability to take pictures and movies

- Similar to the Leapster Explorer, if using the stylus, kids can draw pictures and stamp directly onto photos that they take

- Kids can hold the Leap Pad and move it from side to side for motion based game play

- I got a sneak peek at an exciting new Disney illustration program where children can learn to draw different Disney characters step by step. It can be then be colored in using the stylus and when it’s all finished the drawing comes to life!

If you are wondering what other toys were highlighted, stay tuned, for an upcoming post!

I attended an event by LeapFrog and was provided with a demonstration of the device. Any opinions are my own

Ready for a sneak peek at the new Cars 2 trailer! The race is on! Check out MSN for the exclusive worldwide premiere of the trailer debut from CARS 2 — Disney•Pixar’s follow-up to the Academy Award®-winning box-office hit TOY STORY 3. Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is back, along with the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) and the rest of the gang from Radiator Springs. This time, they’re heading overseas for the first-ever World Grand Prix, where Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Introducing hilarious new characters and red-hot racing, CARS 2 is a global extravaganza! Cars 2 hits the theater’s June 24, 2011!

Disney’s Toy Story 3 on Ice will be at the TD Garden in Boston and we have been given a special code for you to purchase discounted tickets for your family on select showings – Feb. 18th 7:00 p.m, Feb. 19th 7:00 p.m, Feb 20th 12:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m., and Feb 21st 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Family  Fun Pack includes 4 tickets for $60 (offer valid on $20 and $25 tickets)

(Excludes Rinkside, VIP and Club seats. No double discounts. Cannot be used for prior purchases or group sales orders. Service charges, handling and facility fees may apply. Please note that prices reflected on Ticketmaster.com INCLUDE service charges and facility fees. Select “Price Details” on the purchase page to confirm discount price.) Share the discount with all of your friends!

3 Easy Steps To Purchase!

CLICK HERE

Step 1: Choose your performance

Step 2: Under Advance or Promotion Ticket Selection, choose either $25 or $20 price level

Step 3: Enter code MOMTOY

But that’s not all….

You heard me right BOSTON! We are giving away 4 free tickets to Disney’s Toy Story 3 on Ice courtesy of Disney and BSM Media!

Date: Friday February 18th, 2011

Where: TD Garden, Boston MA

Time: 7 p.m.

How: Comment under this blog post who your favorite Toy Story character of all time is by Thursday February 9th 11:59 p.m. EST. You must respond by February 10th at 10:00 a.m if you are chosen!

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Make sure to comment on the post any additional entries completed. If you already do the additional entries, just let us know that you do!

A winner will randomly be chosen. Transportation and parking are NOT included. Must be 18 years of age or older to win.

My family has received 4 tickets to the show for the courtesy of this post.

Grooving to six different songs with styles including, disco, Latin techno, and the Moonwalk, Dance Star Mickey is also packed with interactive games that will have children and parents laughing and dancing along.

Video Transcription:

Keri: Hi, this is Keri from ToyQueen.com. We’re here with Christie from
Mattel, and she’s going to show us Dance Star Mickey.

Christie: Yes. We’re really excited about Dance Star Mickey for 2010. It
really combines the strength of the Disney brand with the
success that Fisher-Price has had with their feature plushes
throughout history, including Tickle Me Elmo, Bounce Around
Tigger, and now we have the most life-like action ever with the
world’s most popular character. So, introducing Dance Star
Mickey.

So Dance Star Mickey has been dancing his little tail off all
morning. Mickey, I’m impressed, you’ve been doing great.

Mickey: Hiya pal. My new dance moves are going to knock your socks off.
I sure hope their clean, your socks that is.

Christie: Well, you seem pretty confident there Mickey. Maybe you should
show us one of your dances.

Mickey: [sings and dances]

Christie: All right. Well, Mickey you have a little soul in your step
there, a little groove going on. Now, Dance Star Mickey is just
like Dancing With the Stars. He has different moves for
different grooves. We knows six different genres of dance. That
was our soul. Let’s see if he’ll do a little Latin mambo for us.

Mickey: [sings and dances]

Christie: All right. Who knew Mickey was the Mambo king? So in addition
to his Latin and his soul, he also has techno, he has disco, he
does a throwback to an old favorite. He has a special dance move
that he’s been practicing. All right, Mickey, let’s show them.

Mickey: Are you ready?

Christie: We’re ready, Mickey. The Moon Dance.

Mickey: [sings and dances]

Christie: One more time Mickey.

Mickey: [sings and dances]

Christie: Mickey that was amazing. So in addition to his great new
dances, he also has interactive games he plays with the kids. He
plays Mickey says in an interactive free stance game. He has
tons of phrases and lots of ways to get the kids involved. He
won’t be remote controlled. He’ll be activated by buttons on his
feet and on his body. He hits shelves in October. He’ll be TV
advertised, and we’re also hoping for a spot on Dancing With the
Stars.

Keri: Thanks a lot. This Keri Wilmot from ToyQueen.com showing you
practical ways to play every day.

TANGLED opens in theatres everywhere in Disney Digital 3D on Wednesday, November 24th.

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When the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) is taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a feisty teen with 70 feet of golden hair who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, the unlikely duo sets off on a hilarious, hair-raising escapade filled with adventure, heart, humor and hair—lots of hair.

The Create Your Own Enchanted Storybook by Creativity for Kids will allow children to work on those skills, why allowing their imagination to work alongside their fine motor skills.

Thanks to Disney, we live in the world of princess and fairies, this is a perfect gift for the princess in your house. This book is designed for little girls ages 5 and up. It includes a cardboard castle book that includes markers, stickers, several open pages for drawing and wide ruled lines for writing. I thought the instruction book was also well organized with excellent ideas on the mechanics of a story, how to create a rough draft and ways to use a word bank.

Here are some ways to promote your child’s writing with this book:

1. Why not use this story book as a way to journal a trip to a place like Walt Disney World in the plane, train or car while in route, and as a way to remember their trip and a place to collect autographs from their favorite princesses. It’s a great size and will fit very easily in a backpack or carry on.

2. For young children who are not yet able to make representational drawings, have them use the stickers provided to make their story while you write it down for them. If they can draw pictures themselves, encourage them to draw the pictures and verbally express their story, again while you write down the story on the lines for them.

3. Have your child draw the pictures and then on another piece of paper you write the words to the story. They can then copy over their story onto the lined paper at a later time to help them write it more neatly. If your child is in Kindergarten or First Grade, you may want to consider adding some dotted lines between the wide ruled lines to modify the paper similar to what they use at school.

4. For older children we live in such a technologically advanced world and many children are working on the skills for typing. Have them type their story on the computer, print it out and then cut and paste it onto the pages.

Creativity for Kids is allowing ToyQueen.com to giveaway 2 Enchanted Storybooks to 2 different readers! Contest ends Monday November 29th at 11:59 p.m. EST

Mandatory Entry: Comment under this post what other types of arts and crafts your child would like from the Creativity for Kids website.

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Creativity for Kids provided this product, free for the purpose of a review. The opinions expressed in this entry are purely the bloggers own.

Photo credits to Derek Wilmot who has captured my own Buzz Lightyear loving his Spud Lightyear!

Hasbro provided this Spud Lightyear free for the purpose of a review. Disguise.com provided the Buzz Lightyear costume for Gavin free for the purpose of review. The opinions in this entry are purely the bloggers own.

One thing parents often tell me is that once the day of Halloween arrives they don’t know what to do because some children absolutely refuse to wear their costume! Some costumes have different textures on them and others due to their design, just make it difficult for children to move in them.  Here are some ideas I have for your pre-Halloween preparations:

1. Allow ample opportunities for your children to wear their costumes, even if it’s for just a few minutes, working up to an hour or so each day so that on the big day of Halloween, they will know how it feels like and how to move in it.

2. Once the kids are dressed up, role play trick or treating within your home, encouraging your children to understand the concepts of how to just pick one piece of candy, say Trick or Treat when they get up to the door and how to follow it up with a “Please and Thank You!”

3. Reiterate safety rules of the road ahead of time, practice crossing the street by looking both ways, holding hands with a parent when necessary, and for older children a meeting place at the end of each sidewalk or driveway if they should become separated from you.

4. Talk about what you might see on the night of Halloween. Some children have silly costumes, some have scary costumes and that some houses may have lights and sounds that can be scary but to remember that this is all just for fun!

5. Practice scaring them by playing “Boo” and “Hide and Seek” in the dark inside the house using flashlights to try to prepare them for the unexpected!

Disguise, a Jakks Pacific company, provided the Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie costumes for the purpose of this review. All opinions provided in this post, are purely the bloggers own. Disguise costumes are commercially located in stores around the country including Target, K-Mart, Party City, Wal-Mart, etc.

Photo credits to Derek Wilmot because just in case you haven’t noticed, this picture is of me and my family!

Review of Toy Story 3 game called Woody’s Run Around Round-up. For ages 3 and up. Price: $34.95 at www.wildplanet.com .

When a game begins, the child uses the Zippity bopper and play mat to interact with the characters as they learn how to match colors, recognize letters and identify the concept of left and right. It’s also great for motor planning, which is a fancy way to describe a child’s ability to follow unfamiliar, multi-step directions.

When reviewing the product, I used the Zippity with two children, ages three and six, who both enjoyed the experience in different ways. There are 8 games provided in the original console, each game has two levels of play. There is also an ability to purchase different game cartridges with other Disney favorites such as Cars and Princesses.

The Level 1 games were perfect for the three year old. Whether she chose to play with Handy Manny or the Little Einsteins, because the directions to both games were similar, she could generalize a skill she had learned from one game to the next with almost immediate success.

As an adult, don’t get frustrated with the speed of the directions being slow, this is a great feature that makes it easier for children to understand the directions! For younger children I would encourage an adult to play along so that you can repeat the directions again if they have a hard time remembering them. Level 1 did include some directions such as using left and right, which can be difficult for children this age to understand, so you may want repeat the direction and encourage them to step on red for left or green for right instead.

The Level 2 games were easy for the six year old, but remember all children learn at different paces. He was able to feel successful immediately by quickly following the directions and operating the console completely by himself. We worked on the concept of turn taking, which worked out well and can be a good skill to promote amongst siblings and friends during playdates.

As is typical of many Leap Frog toys, you can use the Learning Path to experience in more detail other developmental skills your child is learning.

What I really like about the Zippity is that it provides dynamic learning in both the physical and mental sense. I personally love games that incorporate whole body movement and the Zippity is perfect for providing stimulation on a rainy day when children aren’t able to play outside. It’s a great game to buy for families with multiple siblings or children of different developmental levels.

The Zippity retails for $79.99, for more information visit www.leapfrog.com

Leap Frog provided the Zippity free for this review, but the opinions expressed in this review are purely the bloggers own.

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story toy soliders decsend from the ceiling at the Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010 John Lasseter holds a lego replica of himself

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Toy Story 3 event at Toy Fair 2010 John Lasseter poses next to lego replica of himself

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - John Ratzenberger poses with Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - John Lasseter poses with Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City

February 14, 2010 - New York, NY - Keri WIlmot from www.toyqueen.com at the Disney preview of Toy Story 3 in New York City gets shown some of the new toys for 2010 by one of the Disney executives