Advisory Board Selected for Kids Educational & Entertainment Site

ZiggityZoom Advisory Board Includes More than 30 Specialists in Education, Health, Nutrition,

Child Development, Parenting, Literacy, Language and Safety



Virginia Beach, VA – The ZiggityZoom.com Advisory Board was announced today by Kristin Fitch, CEO, Ziggity Zoom LLC. Created to provide developmental direction and consultation regarding creative, educational and literary content, childhood health and parent education, the board is composed of experts from around the country that share a commitment to children’s development and well-being. The Advisory Board member list is attached to this release.

“This group of experts share our commitment and passion for helping children excel in areas of creativity, literacy and education, well being and regardless of their economic status,” said Fitch. “Their contribution and feedback will be invaluable in helping ZiggityZoom.com achieve an even greater positive effect on families with young children.” To be instituted in the next few months is a new area in the parenting section, What Parents Need to Know Now, where member experts will contribute updated posts in their given specialties.



Ziggity Zoom LLC maintains a network of family-oriented websites and is the parent company of ZiggityZoom.com, a Fun & Educational website devoted to pre and school-age children and their parents. It is also a resource for teachers and parents with a concentration in Kindergarten Readiness and Preschool Development. The site is free with educational worksheets, online coloring, online games and online stories with audio. The site also features easy family crafts, activities and free printables. A parenting section deals with informative articles on parenting, nutrition, preschool and elementary education, kids health and social development.

ZiggityZoom Advisory Board Members

Amy Baxter MD
Pediatric Emergency Medicine

Penny L Cohen
Speech & Language Pathology

Melissa Chapman

Parenting Editor / Features Writer

Sangeeta Dey, Psy.D.
Pediatric Neuropsychologist

Kathleen DesMaisons, PhD

Addictive Nutrition / Author

Joanna Dolgoff, MD

Pediatrician/Child Obesity

Mitzi Dulan

Nutrition/ Fitness

Natalie Robinson Garfield

Infant / Toddler Development

Paul Scott Gilbertson

Literacy/ Reach a Child

Karyn Hodgens

Money Management Educator

Dianne de Las Casas

Storytelling / Literacy

Carole Lieberman, MD
Psychiatry /Clinical Faculty UCLA

Candace Lindemann

Educational Consultant

Dr. John Mayer
Parenting Psychology/ Author

Alexandra Mayzler

Education / Homework Skills

Monika Mira

Baby Sign Language

Deborah McNelis
Early Brain Development

Brenda Nixon, MA

Parenting Expert



Lee-Ann O'Neill

Literacy



Erin Palinski
Childhood Nutrition/ Pediatric Obesity



Jodie Randisi
Positive Parenting



Julie Rebboah

Reading Intervention



Julie Watson Smith

Character Education



Dr. Felicia D. Stoler, DCN, MS, RD, FACSM

Nutritionist & Exercise Physiologist



Susan Davis Swanson, LCSW, BCD

StepFamily Education


Mary Talalay, MS, MPH

Public Health & Children’s Nutrition

Debbie Mancini-Wilson
Nurturing Creativity

Joseph W. Wojcik

Bullying & Parental Nuturing

Time-Out Timers for Kids' Timeouts

So cute and maybe the kids won't balk so much at having a time-out with these little guys! Although we don't like to put any child in "time-out", there are occasions when it is warranted. Add a little whimsey to the situation and try these cute Time-Out Timers. Several designs but our favorite is the Pirate.

And even if you don't have any kids, wouldn't a collection of these be cute up on a shelf? Visiting children would love them!

These adorable timers let you know it is time by moving their head and humming a samba tune. Perfect for letting your child know their "time-out" is over. Designs for both boys and girls. From France and available from NYCity Limit $36.

Kids Creativity Evident When Making Fun Sock Puppets

Ziggity Zoom staff recently presented a fun Sock Puppet workshop with kids at the Virginia Beach Library in celebration of the national Summer reading program "Be Creative at Your Library".

Each and every sock puppet, created by the kids 3-7 years old,  was entirely different and had a personality all their own.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed making their own characters, embellishing the socks with felt, feathers, pipe cleaners and wiggly eyes.  This is such a fun project and we even heard from some parents that their children played with the puppets all day long.

We have featured a collage of the puppets to show how fun and creative the kids got with their sock puppets.  To see how to make a fun project making these puppets featured in our activities section ziggityzoom.com/activities.php

 

Give A Mother's Day Gift that Pampers Mom

On Mother's Day, we love gifts from our kids. Hand made art and breakfast in bed, but what most moms want is a little TLC. We want the day or weekend off from cleaning, cooking, and every day demands.


We want to relax, enjoy a little peace and quiet and be given a little extra attention. We want someone (hint, hint hubbies) to show us that 'Tender Loving Care' we show our loved ones and those around us every day. So for Mother's Day we want to be Pampered, and not worry about Dinner. Of course, a gift to tell us just how special we are is always appreciated!

Our favorite gift idea for your spouse on Mother's Day are these great Couples Pillowcases by Bold Loft. Why not use these pillows to inspire more romance in your bedroom!

We also think getting gifts delivered to us on 2 different days would be a great surprise. Send us a pampering set like the one from Red Envelope and show us some real TLC.


A beautiful, simple and organic pair of pajamas are always a great gift because the pjs are luxurious and feminine without screaming sexy. These everyday pjs will make going to bed and waking up a calming time.

Consider pairing these decadent, special occasion chocolates with another small gift to tell your wife or mom you care. These are no run of the mill chocolates from the Grocery Store, these are Top Notch Decadence from Recchiuti Confections!


Link 2 Love Pillowcases by Bold Loft $36

2 Days of Gifts- Lavendar Relaxation $80

Organic Cotton Tank Pajamas $49

Recchiuti Confections- Mother's Day Burnt Carmel Chocolates- 8 pieces- $19

Easter Activities to Do with Your Kids on Easter Day - Easter Eggs, Easter Bunnies & Easter Games

Kids' Easter Activities and Games for Your Easter Gathering

1. Egg Hunt

An egg hunt is an easy game to play outside or if it is too cold or wet you can do inside your house. Fill plastic eggs with a candy, snack or small, inexpensive item.

2. Egg, Duck or Rabbit Guessing Game

Fill a Large Basket with eater grass and fill the surface with plastic eggs. Some eggs should have a mark or sticker on the bottom of the egg and some should be blank. The kids get a small prize if the egg they select has a dot or sticker on the bottom.

3. Scoop the Eggs

Get a Large Round Plastic or Metal Container and fill it with water. Find a Scoop, Laddle or Toy Net and let kids dip for eggs. You can either give each kid 30 seconds to scoop as many eggs as they can. give little prizes or a piece of candy for the number of eggs they scoop up.

4. Egg Shell Game

Just like the Original Shell Game you will need 3 Colorful Cups or Tins and an Easter Egg. One person will hide the egg under 1 of the cups and then someone will guess where the egg is hiding. Each child will take a turn guessing where the egg is hidden. Even Adults can get in on the fun. You can always award a piece of candy or a small item if they guess correctly.

5. Egg-Cellent Thanks

Give Everyone at Your Easter Celebration an Egg and a strip of paper. Ask each person to write something they are Thankful for and write it down and put it in the egg. Put all of the eggs in a basket and during your meal pass around the basket and ask everyone to take an egg. Then go around the room and let everyone read out the Thankful message in the egg they are holding.

6. Egg Decorating Contest

Let everyone decorate and enter an egg into the Egg Decorating Contest and Let everyone vote on which 3 eggs they like. The one with the most votes wins!

Other game ideas for an Easter Party-

For Warm Weather Areas:

Croquet

If you have a kids croquet set or another outdoor game, Easter is the perfect time to set it up and let kids play outside with a planned activity.

Holiday Crafts

	April Horse Print for Easter
	Here comes the Easter Horse! Print this art image on heavyweight printer paper for a fun art print suitable for framing. This funny horse is all ready for Easter with his own Easter basket. » Click for details

	Bunnies Placemat
	What a cute placemat to print for Easter fun for the Kids. Three Bunnies holding Easter Eggs can also be printed for a fun decorative print. » Click for details

	Bunny Mask to Make
	A cute and funny Bunny mask to make. Kids love to act like bunnies so now here is their chance to make a cute bunny mask and hop all around. Great halloween mask for little ones. » Click for details

	Bunny Napkin Rings to Make for Easter
	Easy Easter napkin rings to make from recycled tubes and foam. These little Bunnies, with pom-pom tails will make any table look great on Easter and the kids will love helping to make them. » Click for details

	Bunny Salad
	Make this cute Bunny Salad a part of any kids meal or just serve it for a healthy snack. The little chef can even help to make this salad. » Click for details

	Bunny Sock Puppet
	This is a fun and easy little puppet to make. Few materials required for this little Bunny puppet and it can be fun to play with any time of the year. Great Easter activity. » Click for details

	Easter Basket to Make from Recycled Container
	Make fun Easter baskets with the kids ... all from recycled containers and foam or construction paper. Make a cute centerpiece for Easter. » Click for details

	Easter Bunnies & Chicks Stickers to Print
	Print these cute Easter stickers on printable sticker paper for a fun Easter activity. Kids love the bunnies, chicks and ducks for Easter. Or kids can just cut and paste if printed on plain paper. » Click for details

	Easter Coloring Page Painting Eggs
	Bunny & Chcik are painting the Big Easter Egg. Color this fun Easter coloring page for your room. » Click for details

	Easter Egg Counting Activity
	Print this sheet for your preschoolers to practice their counting and write their numbers. A fun Easter activity sheet. » Click for details

	Easter Egg Napkin Rings to Make for Easter
	How Cute! Make these colorful little Easter egg napkin rings to dress up your Easter table. The kids can help make these for their Easter activity. » Click for details

	Easter Rabbit Tracing Worksheet for Easter Activity
	Print this Easter activity sheet for preschoolers to trace the Easter Bunny. Then let them color their bunny for Easter. » Click for details

	Hoppy Easter Cut & Match Activity
	Print this fun Easter activity page for some preschool Easter fun! Cut out and Match the bunnies and chicks. » Click for details

	Make a Bunny T-shirt
	Make this fun Ziggity Zoom bunny t-shirt. Just print and press. Free printable transfer design. » Click for details

	Paper Bunny Easy Easter Craft
	Printable bunny to make into a fun decoration or place setting for each person at your dinner table on Easter. Easy and inexpensive Bunny craft made from paper and recycled container. » Click for details

Easter Egg Dyeing the Natural Way

Dyeing Easter Eggs is a tradition that actually dates back several centuries. Many of the traditions revolving around Easter eggs relate to Christianity and are a symbol of "new life."

This year, rather than buying an egg dyeing kit, that most people purchase to make brightly colored eggs, consider the method people originally used and choose natural foods and materials to color your eggs. In today's economy, this is a sensible decision as well as a health-oriented decision. Many egg dyeing kits contain coloring additives that can possibly cause health problems.

Naturally dyed eggs take a little longer to absorb colors but the results are beautiful and the colors softer. There are two methods for dyeing hard-boiled eggs. The Hot method is done by coloring the eggs while they are boiled into hard-boiled eggs. The Cold method employs the use of already "boiled" solutions that you have allowed to cool for use when dyeing eggs with children.

How to get Colors when Dyeing Natuarally:

• Red - Red onion skins, Cherries
• Orange - Yellow onion skins, Chili powder
• Green - Spinach, Grass (lt. green)
• Blue - Blueberries
• Yellow - Lemon peel, Carrot tops, Cumin, Tumeric
• Pink - Beets, Cranberry juice, Raspberries, Grape juice
• Purple - Red onion skins
• Brown - Coffee, Tea

Obviously, you will have to experiment a little and, sometimes, it is a surprise. Add white vinegar to each solution to ensure good absorption of colors.

For more Easter Activities go to our parent site at ZiggityZoom.

Fun Things to Do During the Easter Holiday Vacation

Easter break is fast approaching and with many children having an entire week off for Easter now is the time to plan some fun activities. We don't want to take away from the religious significance of Easter but, as parents, we all know that it is best to have some activities planned when the kids have off for a length of time.

Considering the current economy, trying to find activities that are inexpensive or free are on most parents minds this Easter. But we all want to have fun and enjoy family time whenever possible.

We have some fun suggestions that you might want to try this year and maybe even incorporate some of these activities into a new Easter holiday tradition.

1. Decorate Eggs to give to the neighbors. We all usually have little gifts to give neighbors at Christmas, but why not at Easter? Sharing a little basket of hand-decorated eggs is a great way to spread good cheer.

2. Plan an Easter play. Let the kids have an Easter play and they can decide how it plays out. Maybe it will be a bunny theme or a duck theme or even a religious theme. Let them pick a convenient time and the family can plan to "attend."

3. Visit a Petting Zoo. Most areas have a petting zoo close by and this is a fun time of the year to go see Easter lambs and Easter bunnies.

4. Have an Easter Parade. Are their kids in your neighborhood or some cousins that visit at Easter? Plan a parade that the kids can dress up with fancy hats they make or as a bunny or duck, etc. Serve some punch and cookies after the parade.

5. Organize an Easter Egg Hunt. Kids love to hide and find anything and they especially like to look for eggs hidden in the yard or park. Use large plastic eggs. You can just hide the eggs or put a small piece of candy or treat inside for extra fun. Let the kids hide and rehide the eggs.

Celebrate With Shamrocks & Irish Leprechauns on St. Patrick's Day

March 17th is traditionally a day for the Irish to celebrate but people of all heritages celebrate this "Luck o' the Irish" day with a wee bit o green in most things imaginable.

It's a day to celebrate eating green cake, drinking green beer and dressing in green. To help you have fun for this St. Patrick's day, there are some great ideas and links at ZiggityZoom parents section.

Traditional Irish recipes, including Irish Soda Bread, Corned beef & Cabbage and Oatmeal Lace Cookies & Cream


St. Patrick's day Crafts

Shamrock Printables & Crafts

St. Patrick's Day History

St. Patrick's Day Songs & Poems

St. Patrick's Day Parades

Printable Monster Maker Activity & Monster game

Little boys love monsters and that's not a secret. At Ziggity Zoom there are a number of fun Monster activities that are cute and non-scary for the preschool kids.

A favorite online game is the Feed the Monster game. Kids feed the little monster and watch him eat all the food ... whole watermelon, cake, pizza ... while he goes "yum-yum-yum" then does a little dance at the end begging for 'more food"!

Another cute monster activity is the printable Monster Maker. Just print the monster parts on magnetic printer pages and cut out for hours of fun.

St. Patrick's Day Crafts & Activities for Kids

It's getting to be that really Green time of the year again, with the Luck o' the Irish. To help celebrate, Ziggity Zoom is featuring some fun coloring pages and crafts along with free St. Patrick's Day printables.

Print a cute Leprechaun coloring page or a big Shamrock coloring page. Maybe you want to make fun Shamrock Monkey placemats like the one pictured here. Other fun crafts will be added soon, so check back on ZiggityZoom.

Have Fun with Bubble Wrap - Wiggle, Giggle - Create Bubble Wrap Art

Honestly, what kid does not love to pop the bubbles on the bubble wrap? Ok, maybe a few that do not like loud noises, but most kids love jumping on it and hearing all the pops.

After receiving a package the other day and after my kids enjoyed jumping, running, and bouncing about on the bubble wrap until the sound was no more, I realized bubble wrap would make a perfect surface to paint on.


3 Options to Paint on Bubble Wrap.



Option 1:

1. Cut Out Shapes and Animals or Scenes with the Bubble Wrap.

2. Let you Kids Paint the Animals and Shapes on Scrap Paper or Newsprint.

3. Once the Bubble Wrap Paintings are Dry, let Kids help Glue them to the Heavy Weight Paper with a Glue Stick.

Option 2:
1. Cut out Bubble Wrap Shapes

2. Glue the Shapes and Animals
to the Heavy Weight Paper

3. Let Kids Paint the Bubble Wrap Shapes on the Paper.




Option 3.
1. Attach Bubble Wrap to Heavy Weight Paper by gluing the paper and smoothing down the Bubble Wrap to the Paper.

2. Trim the excess Bubble Wrap so the Bubble Wrap is even with the Paper.

3. Let kids Paint a Picture onto the Bubble Wrap.

Let Art Dry and Then Let Your Kids Proudly Display it!

Copyright 2008-2009 Mommie911.com & ZiggityZoom.com

Kids Fun Craft Projects Out of Recycled Household Materials

Here are some great kids' craft projects, and activities that are easy to make, use household materials, and are fun and colorful! If you are not already doing so- you should find a corner in the garage where you keep used plastic bottles, paper towel or TP cardboard cylinders, old pillowcases or fabric and anyother neat things that could be considered trash, but are perfect for creative, fun art and craft projects with your kids.

Kids love making things so why not collect items they can go through when you are ready to do a project and let their imaginations go wild. In our house my kids often make robots and monsters out of recycled items and glue.

Here are a few of our Art and Craft Projects that use Recycled Household Items. We also try and think of things that will encourage kids to move their bodies or allow them to use their imagination or creativity. Use these ideas or make up your own.



Monkey Bank out of Used Plastic Bottles

Make this great bank for kids to keep their change by using recycled parts, stick on foam and paint. Great project that is super cute!



Fun Bowling Set from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Get your kids up and moving by making a mini-bowling set out of small plastic bottles. Paint them fun, bright colors and get bowling!!!



Monster Stompers using Recycled Coffee Containers

Every child likes to jump, and stomp their feet. Make these monster stompers or elephant stompers out of recycled containers and after paint and adding the toes and rope- let them stomp away and get out some energy!




Gem Jewelry Box.

What Child does not enjoy having a place to put their special things? Make this Cute box Gem Covered for a girl or use outdoor items like rocks for a box for boys. Use buttons, or other household items and a box that would otherwise get thrown away. You can also make a box for a gift or to put a gift inside of it.




Make a Mini Purse.

Why buy a purse when you can make one with left over felt and cord? Use fabric you already have and save money and let your kids be proud of making something themselves.




Sock Puppet

We love to encourage kids to be imaginative and what better way than with puppets. Instead of buying puppets- find a few old socks and cut our fabric, felt and yarn to decorate a few and transform the socks into puppets your child will love- make a dog, monkey, tiger, princess, pirate or anything else you can thing of.




Twig Pencil or Crayon Holder

Are you or your kids into the outdoors? Well make this great pencil or crayon holder for the desk out of recycled and found items. It looks great on a grown-up or kids desk!



Straw Necklace

Every Little Girl likes jewelry- so why not use those left over straws to make a fun necklace craft with your kids.



Leap Frog Fun

Kids have unlimited energy. So make a game they can play outside or even inside on a cold or rainy day- Leap Frog Fun. Use Foam sheets or If you have old Yoga Mats or Rubber Floor from when your kids were younger you can use that too.



Hula Girl Dress Up out of Recycled Pillowcase

Kids love to dress up and play pretend. Rummage throw your closets and find a few old pillowcases. Add a little felt or fabric and make a few cuts and you have an instant costume for your child- what a fun way to recycle something old.



Make a Knight Outfit out of a Recycled Pillowcase

Every boy likes to pretend to be a pirate or policeman. Find an old pillowcase and recycle it to make a pillowcase costume for your child. What a great way to rescue a wasted pillowcase that is no longer being used.

2008-2009 Copyright- Ziggity Zoom, LLC

Check back often for new Green ideas, recycling and reusing ideas for you, your kids and your family.

Make Life Easier with Ittybits Bite Size Info

If you're looking for quick-read info on Kids products, parenting tips and healthy nutrition ... the place to go is Ittybits.com Explore new fun places, foods and products.

This is a wonderful place for parents to find out about the most recent health alert or a fun new toy. Readers can sign up for a daily email, Monday thru Friday, that alerts them to new content written in bite-sized posts. With the hectic lives we all seem to lead, this is the short & sweet version we can fit into our schedules. We have already found some great kids toys and sweet footwear for the kids and the Ittybits staff have a discerning eye, so what you find there will be special.

We are adding the Ittybits newsletter to our must-have list and we are highly recommending that you check it out.

Best Kids Websites & Their Links

There are many, many websites for kids, both Fun and Educational and on ZiggityZoom.com we have compiled a wonderful list of places to check out with your Kids.

Best Websites for Kids

Kids websites are a great way for teaching children many different things. Not only do children learn good hand to eye coordination by using a mouse and computer screen, but they can also learn many preschool skills that are essential before starting kindergarten. Be sure to take advantage of all the materials at your fingertips.

NY ToyFair 2009 - Full of Fun Toys & Tons of Energy

We just returned from a whirlwind trip to the NY International ToyFair ... a business pilgrimage we have been making for many, many years. As always, we were delighted with the new toys and games that both the big companies and small companies presented.

With the downturn of the economy we weren't sure if there would be much show traffic but the energy was great and the traffic was good. Hopefully, the manufacturers are experiencing some solid sales, as the show continues until tomorrow, February 17th.

Some of the most memorable things we saw this year were:

Exciting new Water & Sand" tables by Step 2. One actually has a faucet that draws water from the "sink" area. Kids will love this one.

A really fun game from Gamewright got our attention and we're looking forward to playing it with the kids. It's called Ring-O Flamingo and it is a new spin on a tabletop ring toss game.


We also loved some of the new items featured by Anatex, especially their Roller Coaster Rocket Table and the Submarine Wall Play Panel.

Of course, we would always like to bring home everything from the HABA display ... such great European toy design. And there were many, many exciting construction toys with different types of connecting systems ... lots of fun toys that will soon be in stores. It appeared that the Kids market is alive and well and much excitement still surrounds this fun venue.

We will be featuring new Toy reviews and updates soon on both Mommie911 and ZiggityZoom so stay tuned.

Free Valentine Horse Print at Ziggity Zoom Kids Website

Every month, ZiggityZoom.com offers visitors to this fun & educational kids website a free Art Print. Each print is offered as a pdf that can be printed on home computers on Heavyweight printer paper. There is a 12 month series of horse prints titled "Horses for All Seasons" that is being provided with a new horse art print each month. Each horse represents a particular month and is a fun piece of art for a child on their birthday.

These fun and whimsical prints are suitable for framing and especially striking when all 12 are displayed as a group. The original artwork was executed with prismacolor pencils by artist Sharon Pierce McCullough, a well-known and nationally recognized artist. Original art is also available from McCullough on her website www.sharonpiercemccullough.com For more original art and characters be sure to check out http://www.ziggityzoom.com

Valentine Books for Kids

Here are a few of our Favorite Valentine's Day books for kids.

Lilly's Chocolate Heart
by Kevin Henkes

This is a boardbook, best suited for the preschool crowd. Lilly has one red, foil-wrapped chocolate heart and she is trying to find the perfect hiding place. Guess where that is?


Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink
by Diane De Groat

Gilbert writes nice little verses on the Valentines he is giving to his friends ... and some not-so-nice verses to f few that have hurt his feelings. A cute story with a cute ending. For kids 4-8.


Snuggle Puppy
by Sandra Boynton

This is a year-round type of book that's perfect for a bedtime story. Boardbook for preschoolers.

For more great Kids books, check out Book Reviews http://www.ziggityzoom.com

Enter the Mommie911 MomBloggers "Cold Cash Contest"

What a Giveaway! You can win $100 or $50 ... maybe even both ... just by doing a guest blog on www.Mommie911.com It's the "Cold Cash" contest for Mom bloggers and it is going on now until February 12th.

Talk about a Freebie! Just do a guest post on Mommie 911 and get readers to leave comments for your post. The most commented post gets the $100 Cold Cash. The $50 prize goes to the very best blog post featured during the contest on Mommie 911.

Don't miss out on this blogging contest ... enter today. Email Kristin@mommie911.com for contest rules and guidelines. Good luck! http://www.mommie911.com/category/category/freebies-coupons

Make a Valentine Bag for Your Child's Valentine's Cards

Does Your Child need a bag to collect all of his Valentines and Goodies on Valentine's Day for school or a party? Let the kids help you make this super cute and easy Valentine's Bag in a snap.

Need:
• Paper Bag- Colored or Brown Bag
• Colored Foam or Construction Paper
• Scissors
• Glue Stick
• Markers
• Ribbon or String (Approx. 8-12 inches)
• Hole Punch



What to Do:
• Take the Top of the Bag and fold the 2 corners in to make a point at top
(while bag is flat and laying down)
• Now Fold Over the Top of the Bag, to make an envelope-type flap.
• Cut a 1.5 inch Slit in center of front of bag, to accommodate the Point of the flap and keep bag closed.
To strengthen this cut, you can attach a piece of foam or paper to the front or inside of bag, making a slit in this attachment also.
• Make a Hole with punch on the back side edges of the bag.
• Thread String through holes on both sides and tie off, removing excess string.
• Decorate the Bag with foam or paper, attaching pieces with glue stick.

For more Valentine Crafts & Activities go to www.ZiggityZoom.com