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The Vtech - V.Motion Active Learning System arrived on our doorstep a few weeks ago thanks to Vtech and the Parent Bloggers Network. You should have heard the commotion when I opened the box – squeals of delight, crazed jumping up and down, and lots of “thank you mommy” from Nathan and Lucie.

The V.Motion Active Learning System is an educational video game for children ages three to seven years. Basically, it’s like an educational Wii system for little kids. It incorporates learning about basic math, reading, science, and spelling with motion-activated gaming.

Features

The console plugs directly into your TV, DVD or VCR and while it can run on AA batteries, you should spend an additional $10 and get a 9-volt Vtech - V.Smile Adapter adapter to plug it into an outlet. (The adapter also works with Vtech - V.Smile Pocket Learning System, the LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game System, and a variety of other electronics.)

The V-Motion game console is also 100 percent compatible with the entire V.Smile Smartridge library. So if you already have a Vtech - V.Smile Pocket Learning System, you have games compatible with the V.Motion Active Learning System. (We’re a Leapster family so we don’t.)

It’s more expensive than most gaming systems for kids as it retails for $69.99 with the games going for around $24.99, online from Amazon as well as retail outlets like Target and Wal-Mart. However, it’s way cheaper than getting a Wii, which is around $250 if you can find one.

The V.Motion Active Learning System also includes a VTech V.Link™ that connects kids to VTech’s secure online site for kids to track their scores and unlock bonus gameplay.

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With the election coming up, it’s wonderful to see all book publishers releasing new books for families and children on the election process and American history. Here are a few more to add to the list:

• Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, for children ages nine to 12, was created by the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and featured by the National Endowment for the Humanities. This collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, poetry and art looks at America’s history through stories about the White House. Our White House takes in everything from the amusing antics of presidents’ children and pets to the drama of the White House ablaze during wartime, to the role of immigrants, African Americans, and Native Americans. 
• First Kids: The True Stories of All the Presidents’ Children. This book was written by young man in my area, Noah McCullough, now 13. You can read about him at Local teen author has plans to make his run for White House, featured in the Daily Times-Call, 9/22/08. He’s also written The Essential Book of Presidential Trivia. What an amazing young man! 
• Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story for children ages four to eight. We hear so much rhetoric about freedom in political speeches. Here’s an example of someone who fought for his and his family’s freedom. Robert Smalls was a slave steamboat wheelman who became one of the Civil War’s greatest heroes. After his daring escape to freedom (I’m not going to spoil the story for you here. You’ll have to read it) Robert helped convince President Lincoln to left African-Americans enlist in the Union Army. 
• AMERICA: The Making of a Nation, this book is the form of an anonymous journal that takes readers through a chronological journey through important moments in American History. This is a gorgeous book and your whole family will enjoy paging through it and discovering hidden gems including lift-the-flap postcards, removable song lyrics, and even a foldout replica of the Declaration of Independence.

There are a few more book suggestions at my post Join me at the DNC: children’s books on politics, presidents, and elections. And if you’re more into videos than books, check out Election 2008: Schoolhouse Rock! The Election Collection.

Help children explore the political process

Here are some online resources for you to help your children learn more about democracy and the election:

• Duck for President
• Scholastic News Online’s Countdown to Election 2008
• Rock the Vote: Involving Kids in the Election Process at Parents.com
• Kids Voting USA
• Kids Turn Central
• The Democracy Project at PBS Kids Go!
• Take Your Kids to Vote

Yesterday, Disney released Schoolhouse Rock: The Election Collection, a special limited edition DVD collection of the ABC three-minute animated shorts we used to watch on Saturday mornings back in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Schoolhouse Rock: The Election Collection features classic election-themed tunes including “I’m Just a Bill,” “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” and “I’m Gonna Send Your Vote to College.” The DVD also features a new-to-DVD song called “Presidential Minute” with two surprise endings and an Election Tracking Kit with stickers to help you keep track of the actual voting results in all 50 states with your children on election night.

Not only will this collection bring back memories for all you Gen X and Gen Y parents out there, this is a great way to share the political process with your children.

Here’s a sample:

(Thanks to Click-comm.com for the review copy.)

Horizon Organic sent me samples of their single serve milk, which is available in reduced fat plain, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Immediately got the cooperation of two test subjects – my children. Nathan tried the plain and the vanilla for two school lunches. And Lucie got the chocolate and strawberry.

Our review

Both children LOVED the flavored milks. And enjoyed the expandable straws that come with the milk even more. (Both children kept the straws and insisted that I wash and save them.)

They’ve had Horizon flavored Single Serve Milks before at Starbucks and have always enjoyed drinking them. However, Nathan did not like the plain reduced fat. He thought it tasted weird. I’m not surprised after having a flavored drink. Plus, ultra-pasteurized milk does taste odd when you’re used to fresh milk.

Is the expense worth it?

If I was to buy the milks for my children, I’d stick with the flavors. However, while I love the idea that Horizon Organic Single Serve Milks are safe to drink at room temperature, they’re very expensive. This week they were on sale at my local grocery for $1. They’re usually $1.25. That’s a lot of money for the convenience of organic milk.

But what are your options? Either you buy the 25 cents milk at school that isn’t organic, send them in with a thermos of milk from the organic milk that you have at home, or better yet, let them drink water during lunch. After all, water doesn’t sour, it’s free, and is probably the healthiest option of all.

Still, if you want your kids to drink organic milk when they take their lunch to school, Horizon Organic Single Serve Milks are a practical – and delicious - option.

For more of my reviews of Horizon Organic products, go to:

• Horizon DHA Omega-3 milk: a review

For links to delicious recipes using Horizon Organic products, check out:

• The “Smart People Drink Milk” Contest
• The “Milk is Brain Food Contest”
• What Eddie can do with some Jack-O-Lantern Smoothies

Disney gives the The Little Mermaid, a prequel treatment with The Little Mermaid - Ariel’s Beginning. Following the death of Ariel’s (Jodi Benson) mother Queen Athena, King Triton (Jim Cummings) outlaws music because of the painful memories it evokes. (Side note: what is it about Disney movies and dead parents?) Only Ariel has the courage to confront the king and restore music to the underwater kingdom.

We see all the familiar characters from the first movie including Flounder (Parker Goris) and Sebastian (Samuel Wright). Sally Field plays the unfeeling governess Marina Del Ray. Of course, there’s (banned) music, too, though not as catchy as the tunes from the original movie.

Still, five-year-old daughter, Lucie, loved it and my eight-year-old son, Nathan, hated it, which leads me to believe that The Little Mermaid - Ariel’s Beginning is a girly-girl movie. And that’s O.K. since it’s girls who are ultimately drawn to mermaid tales.

Usborne’s wonderful world of mermaid books

• Stories of Mermaids –  For ages seven and up, dive into the undersea world of mermaids and join in their amazing adventures. Harmony braves the spooky Pirates’ Graveyard, Marina takes on her rivals in the Great Seahorse Race, and dance-crazy Coral makes a bargain with King Neptune.
• The Little Mermaid – This classic tale is beautifully retold, with lyrical text and enchanting illustrations by Alan Marks. For ages seven and up. They also carry a Little Mermaid picture book for younger children ages three and up.
• Mermaids is a luxury touchy-feely board book by Fiona Watt. This book is for ages nine months and up.
• That’s Not My Mermaid, a touchy-feely board book, is a favorite of my daughter’s even though she’s outgrown it. Like Mermaids, she doesn’t want to give these board books up because they’re so gorgeous.

Usborne also has mermaid activity books

• How to Draw Fairies and Mermaids for ages four and up. This craft book uses simple methods, easy-to-follow directions, and a wide variety of projects for cards, wrapping paper, decorations and presents, and more. It also comes with stickers. I love giving these type of Usborne activity books as birthday presents.
• Mermaid Things to Make & Do Kid Kit for ages six and up. This activity set gives simple steps to create lots of magical mermaid accessories like an octopus mobile and mermaids with sparkly tails. The Kid Kit includes Mermaid Things To Make & Do book (which you can buy separately), a multi-color tissue paper pack, scissors, all purpose white glue, glitter, silver glitter glue pen, sequins, white crayon for wax relief art project, paint, paint brushes, chenille stems, lots of white heavy art paper and construction paper, ribbon, and more. Usborne’s make and do kits are perfect to take on vacation or save in a closet for a rainy day project. They’re also something to give to your babysitter so she can make a craft with your child while you’re out. They make great presents, too.
• Mermaids Jigsaw Book for ages five and up contains five sparkling mermaid jigsaw puzzles for your mermaid fan.

Do you remember Liberty Mutual’s commercials based on the concept of “pay-it-forward” - someone who sees another person participating in an act of kindness and is inspired to do the same for a stranger? Not surprisingly, Liberty Mutual received an overwhelming reaction from viewers. In response they created an entire website called The Responsibility Project. It’s a wonderful resource for parents to help them talk with their kids about personal responsibility in a meaningful way.

It’s also a social networking site. You can create a profile, save your favorite films and blog posts in one place, and share your own responsibility story.

My responsibility story

Teaching children responsibility is tough especially when it doesn’t come naturally to your child.

I’ll never forget the time that Nathan came back visiting from the neighborhood school playground with his grandmother. He couldn’t wait to show me the treasure that he found. Was it a cool rock or a pretty wild flower? No, it was a three-ring binder filled with dozen of pages manga-style cartoons that some grade schooler had patiently drawn. Nathan brought it home thinking that he could keep it.

“Nathan, that belongs to someone else, someone who spent a lot of time drawing those cartoons,” I explained. “It’s not something to keep. It doesn’t belong to you. If you don’t return it, they’ll be very sad that they lost it.”

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Children’s book publisher, Kane/Miller recently released four World Box Sets:

• Explore the World
• Discover the World
• Travel the World
• Asia: Award Winning Picture Books

At $35-36, these boxed sets are half of the retail price of buying the books separately. They of limited quantity, so you may want to purchase one or all of them now and dole out the books over the course of the year, or save these for Christmas and birthday gifts.

After a trip to our local Benihana’s, courtesy of a gift card from Pierson Grant Public Relations, I’m especially intrigued with the Asia box set:

• From India: Kali And the Rat Snake
• From Japan: The Story of Cherry the Pig (previously reviewed here)
• From South Korea: While We Were Out
• From Japan: Singing Shijimi Clams

I think it would be fun to go on a trip to an ethnic restaurant while you reading through the box set. There’s nothing like experiencing the cuisine of other countries to teach your children about other cultures. It makes them adventurous diners, too.

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