The Best Smart Phone Apps for Kids

As promised, we've searched the web and found some of the most colorful, active and cutest apps for you to share with your little ones.

Parenting's Birthday Party Play Time

Apple.com

Smack Talk

Parenting.com

Freshwater Aquarium

Apple.com

Mad Libs

Apple.com

iTot Toddler Flascards

Parenting.com

Pictureka!

Parenting.com

Lulu in Australia

Apple.com

Do you know of any more apps that toddlers or young children love to play? Please share with us in the comments below!

Kids and smart phone apps...what do you think?

How often do you see a toddler in a stroller on the metro or waiting in line at the grocery playing on his mother's smart phone? It may seem strange (or dangerous) for these little hands to be holding an expensive device, but what if he's actually learning or developing from this interaction?

A New York Times blog post entitled “Are Apps for 3-Year-Olds Really Educational?” started an online discussion on what apps mean for kids. The post stated almost 50% of families with incomes more than $75,000 had downloaded apps specifically for their young children to use.

And the winners are...

The 3 "Live like a Superstar" winners of our $100 Amazon gift cards are…

Brooke Allen: Plays lacrosse and field hockey and makes good choices.

Natalie Flanders: Started a Girl Talk chapter at her middle school so she could help other girls make good decisions, and is now on the Girl Talk national teen advisory board. She also started a club at her high school called 'Redefining Beautiful', where girls go without make up once a week to support inner beauty and self-esteem. Natalie also volunteers for the Special Olympics and always keeps up with her school work!

Carolyn Davison: Helps her kids live like Superstars by preparing a healthy family meal every night. They discuss school and current events at the dinner table to nourish their minds and bodies and never miss a chance to play outside!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered this drawing! Please stay tuned for future posts and contests, and keep up the great work of living a life like a Superstar!

New Year's Resolutions for the Family

According to this ABC News article, nearly 41 percent of Americans are making resolutions this year, and 35 percent will break them by the end of the month.

A lot of these resolutions revolve around working out, eating healthy or losing weight. But what if you're a parent of a child who needs to do these things as well? How can you help or encourage them to do what's best for their body without nagging their heads off?

Win a $100 Amazon gift card!

Being a member of the Ask, Listen, Learn team means you pledge to 'Say 'YES' to a healthy lifestyle and 'NO' to underage drinking,' as well as committing yourself to being active for at least 60 minutes a day.  Leading the Ask, Listen, Learn team are the Superstars.  Superstars set fabulous examples by staying healthy and active, excelling in academics, and/or helping out in their community.  Looking through our roster, we see that many of the Ask, Listen, Learn team members also excel in the three core areas of health and fitness, academics and/or their community.

Want a chance to win a $100 Amazon.com giftcard?!  We're giving 3 $100 giftcards away!  All you have to do is leave a comment below indicating why you are an academic, athletic, or community SuperStar with a link to your approved Ask, Listen, Learn Team member page, and you will be entered for a chance to win!  Go here to set up an Ask, Listen, Learn Team member page, and be sure to include your parent's email so they can be contacted to approve your page.

Mom and Dad, you can enter too!  Sit down with your kid and take the pledge and then together you may both enter. More details on entering when you click "more"...

Enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card tomorrow!

The Ask, Listen, Learn Team attracts kids that are active in their community, athletic and academic worlds.  By nature, you guys are goal driven!  We love that about you! 

Just recently, Mallory Weggemann joined the team of Superstars.  Mallory went in for a routine epidural, to relieve back pain, and came out of the procedure no longer being able to use her legs (FYI kids, an epidural involves placing drugs close to the spinal cord to help alleviate and block pain).  An avid swimmer since age seven, Mallory thought this was the end of her athletic career but has since broken a world record and is set to participate in the Paralympics this summer.

Mallory is driven by her goals and her motivation inspires us!  Check out our blog tomorrow to enter a drawing for a chance to win a $100 Amazon giftcard!

Hats off Mallory, we'll be watching this summer! 

Chirp Chirp!

Even when it's too cold to go outside and explore nature, you can still bring backyard birds of all kinds to your window to watch them enjoy a winter day's snack. You can make your very own bird feeder with just a few simple items from around the house.