Media | The Parent Bloggers Network

Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse and Skill Building Buddies DVDs for Kids on the Autistic Spectrum - Campaign Launch

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

New parents are showered with gifts such as alphabet blocks and activity mats with bright colors and alphanumeric graphics. Simple puzzles to learn shapes and colors abound, as do every product imaginable with letters and numbers. Television shows, DVDs, electronic toys, and activity cubes aimed at infants through preschoolers all center around the “basics:” ABC’s, 123’s, colors, and shapes.

But what about social skills?

Until recently, most people assumed that social skills were naturally learned, whereas the more “academic” subjects had to be taught. But with the increasing number of diagnoses of autistic spectrum disorders and similar conditions where effective communication and coping strategies can be challenged, tutoring for social skills has become more prevalent. Fortunately, this need has propagated into the at-home market.

Five of our bloggers had the opportunity to try two DVDs aimed at kids on the autistic spectrum:

Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse from NoteAbilities is a series developed by parents and experts in speech and music therapy. Our Bloggers reviewed Volume One: Expressing Yourself. This DVD covers common greetings, eye-contact, and appropriate physical contact.

Skill-Building Buddies: Handling Transitions and Change from Mazzarella Media focuses on unexpected schedule changes, handling disappointment, and the introduction of an unfamiliar activity. Project consultants for this DVD include psychologists, educational professionals, and speech & language pathologists.

~~Leave a comment on this post or on the round-up post (4/28) and you will be entered to win – one lucky winner will receive both DVDs!~~ <strong>Congratulations to Jen G, winner of the DVDs!

In the meantime, find out what the parents thought:

Mon 4/21 - Mom to the Screaming Masses (Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse)
Mon 4/21 - Karianna (Skill Building Buddies)
Tues 4/22 - Little Bird Reviews (Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse)
Tues 4/22 - A Gaggle of Girls (Skill Building Buddies)
Wed 4/23 - Mommy’s Must Haves (Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse)
Wed 4/23 - Mom to the Screaming Masses (Skill Building Buddies)
Thurs 4/24 - A Gaggle of Girls (Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse)
Thurs 4/24 - Little Bird Reviews (Skill Building Buddies)
Fri 4/25 - Karianna (Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse)
Fri 4/25 - Mommy’s Must Haves (Skill Building Buddies)

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Posted in Autism, Elementary School, Kids, Media, Pre-school, Pre-teen | 11 Comments »

Thomas and Friends: Engines and Escapades - Final Round-Up

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

“There’s a reason why the Thomas the Tank Engine series has been around for so long - kids just love it!”

They certainly do. One mother described her sons’ reactions to the arrival of this latest Thomas and Friends DVD - Engines and Escapades: “…you would have thought we won the lottery from the excitement and dancing of my two boys.”

As before, the introduction of Madge was a hit: “She is a strong female character which is always nice to see!”

Another blogger made a new observation about the show: “The pacing of this series feels very different from other children’s TV shows. It’s slower, with the story unfolding with a lot more narration and a lot less action than your typical children’s show.” She went on to note that this feature made the DVD that much more appealing for her younger daughter: “With the low amount of action, yet bright colors and interesting faces on the engines, this was the perfect DVD for her.”

While one mother advised, “Make sure your child knows before watching that they won’t be seeing much of Thomas in this one,” another mother countered that, “Although this DVD did not feature Thomas as much as some of the other DVDs, the other trains had an opportunity to learn the importance of finishing their own responsibilities, listening to the advice of others, and generally respecting each other.”

But what really stands out about Thomas and Friends are the lessons. “Each episode features a fairly standard script, where one engine finds himself in in a situation that seems promising at first, but then a problem develops. This leads to a solution that involves teaching a lesson about seeing a job through, conquering your fears, helping others, etc.”

The bloggers appreciated this opportunity to discuss these everyday lessons with their kids. One mother commented: “Working together is something we are diligently learning in our household with a know-it-all 5 year old and slightly Napoleonic 3 year old, and Thomas gave some good examples to talk through on the importance of working together.” Another lauded this DVD for “the same great lessons that Thomas has always taught - that whether you or big or small, be brave, be confident about who you are, be supportive of your friends, say you are sorry when it’s necessary, work together as a team.”

Thomas and Friends: Engines and Escapades is the latest in a series that has stood the test of time. If you’ve got a toddler train fanatic at home, pick up a copy for yourself!

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Posted in Kids, Media, Pre-school, Toddler | No Comments »

Hip Hop Harry: Move Those Feet - This Bear’s Got Bling!

Monday, April 14th, 2008

Remember the good old days when our parents would shoo us out of the house, and we’d play outside for hours? Even in bad weather, we’d put on our boots and raincoats (or forget about them altogether) and head out anyway.

With all of the indoor distractions now, it’s difficult to get those little couch potatoes of ours up and about. That’s one big reason “Hip Hop Harry: Move Those Feet” was a hit with our parent bloggers and their kids.

Led by “a blinged out Teddy Bear who will rock the house with you“, Hip Hop Harry “helps bring home the importance of movement to keep healthy.“ As one mother aptly put it: “…any time you move your body, you are exercising, and exercising can be a lot of fun!“ She went on to note that, “…it’s great to reinforce early that exercise doesn’t equal something distasteful.”

While that’s probably the greatest lesson imparted by Hip Hop Harry, the episodes include other tidbits like “being open to trying new things” and “positive competition - [that] it is okay to compete and not everyone will win!“ One blogger commented: “I really appreciated the way each of the episodes reinforced lessons that my husband and I are dealing with, here at home.”

One mother gave the same feedback that another reviewer in the first set did - that the episodes could be re-ordered to stimulate greater interest right away:

“There were lessons on hydration, competition, and on the importance of warming up before exercise. There didn’t seem to be that much dancing. To me, that’s too many lessons. I felt the writers were trying too hard to be all things in this episode.

But by the third episode, I felt like Hip Hop Harry was beginning to find his stride. By that point, there was more of a focus on dance moves.”

And as that blogger reported, it was during that third and final episode that: “…my son did get off his butt and try some of the moves with me. When [my son] finally gave it a try? He had fun. We BOTH had fun.”

Finally, another blogger - who laments how quickly her children are growing up, despite her efforts - lauded Hip Hop Harry for being wholesome without being saccharine: “I can’t slow down this rapid rate of growing up. My oldest is almost ten and I did my best to limit her exposure to pop culture but it managed to seep in wherever it could. This is why I am so pleased with shows like Hip Hop Harry.”

Congratulations to Jen, winner of her own copy of “Hip Hop Harry: Move Those Feet”! To purchase your own copy from Amazon, click here!

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Archive for the ‘Media’ Category

Kibbles Rockin’ Clubhouse and Skill Building Buddies DVDs for Kids on the Autistic Spectrum - Campaign Launch

Thomas and Friends: Engines and Escapades - Final Round-Up

Hip Hop Harry: Move Those Feet - This Bear’s Got Bling!