Posted on November 20, 2009 by JumpStart
Posted on November 20, 2009 by JumpStart
Posted on November 19, 2009 by JumpStart
We hold the key to unlock all those Thanksgiving myths…the turKEY that is! We’ve done our research, we’ve examined the bird, and we’ve collected some gobblin’ good data! From the turkey gobble to turkey speeds, we’ve covered it all! Now ask yourself… how much do you really know about our favorite Thanksgiving bird?
- Could you imagine pledging allegiance to our proud national bird, the turkey? Our good old friend Benjamin Franklin actually wanted the turkey to be the national bird.
- A turkey’s field of vision is 270 degrees – one of the main reasons they’re able to elude some hunters.
- Wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour over short distances, but their domesticated cousins cannot fly at all.
- Gobble, Gobble, Gobble! Everyone knows that turkeys gobble, but did you know that only male turkeys gobble to woo their mates. Female turkeys actually make a clicking noise.
- A turkey’s head changes color when it becomes excited.
- The red fleshy growth under a turkey’s throat is called a wattle. Turkeys also have a long, red, fleshy area that grows out of the forehead over the beak, called a snood.
- Turkeys can actually have heart attacks. When the U.S. Air Force was conducting test flights to break the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.
- The heaviest turkey ever recorded came from our British friends across the Atlantic. This gobbler weighed in at a massive 86 pounds and looked about the size of a large German Shepherd!
- Turkeys aren’t always turkeys. In fact, a turkey under 16 weeks of age is called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a roaster.
- The Turkey Trot, a ballroom dance in the 1900s, was named for the short, jerky steps of the turkey. It became popular mainly because it was denounced by the Vatican as suggestive.
- Turkeys can actually drown if they look up when it’s raining!
- Turkeys are known to spend the night in trees! (Maybe to escape the Thanksgiving table?)
Get your friends to get with the turkey trivia!
Filed under: Just for Fun! | Tagged: Fall, fighting boredom, learning, Thanksgiving | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 18, 2009 by JumpStart
Thanksgiving is soon approaching, and with the Thanksgiving holiday comes the remembrance of the shared feast between Plymouth Pilgrims and a group of Native Americans. Native Americans played a key role in the Pilgrims’ survival! It’s no surprise that children enjoy recreating the feast scene, playing as Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing together. To help their imaginations flow, we have a craft in the image of a Native American vest to help them feel more the part.
We made our Native American vest JumpStart-themed! From left to right: Kisha, Hopps.
Native American Vest
What you’ll need:
- 1 Brown grocery bag
- Pencil
- Paint or markers
- Scissors
Click here for vest directions
Filed under: Just for Fun! | Tagged: crafts, Fall, history, Thanksgiving | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 17, 2009 by JumpStart
November has really been a busy month for us here at JumpStart, and we’re only halfway in! Yesterday concluded our Time to Escape! Sweepstakes. Between the Tweets and the story responses on the contest’s page, we received nearly 600 entries, and many of those were simply amazing stories of family adventure and imagination. If you entered, be sure to check your email inbox and/or Twitter account to find out if you are a winner. All winners will be receiving a notification by tomorrow! Thank you, entrants!
In other news, we’re releasing some new rides, including the popular magic carpets!
These well sought-after vehicles will be available for purchase tomorrow for 125 JS coins. You’ll really be soaring along in style on these mobile home furnishings.
Given their powers, magic carpets come pretty cheap at 125 JS coins.
Hovering is always a thrilling way to be.
Also coming to the JumpStart online world will be new pets! Some old favorites, such as the Robot Cyclops, will become available in new colors, and some pets will be appearing in the Petz Store for the very first time!
Look who's up to bat!
As always, pets and rides do not come cheap, and JS coins aren’t super easy to collect. Those learning games still are the ticket to bags of coins, so have your kids stay active in their learning through JumpStart, and they’ll be soaring along on their magic carpet in no time.
Want to relay these announcements to a buddy?
Filed under: Behind the Scenes | Tagged: Escape from Adventure Island, game design, JumpStart, pets, rides, what's new | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 16, 2009 by JumpStart
Click here and here for other road trip games that we have recommended in the past!
While the entire family looks forward to celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday and eating delicious food, there is one thing that most people do not look forward to: the long car drive to and from a relative’s home! Boredom is really almost a guarantee. However, with a few fun car game suggestions, you and your family can enjoy the hours of driving together.
Alphabet Race. The goal of this game is to find each letter of the alphabet, in alphabetical order, on the road signs you see throughout your journey. This game may seem easy, but just wait till you get to letters such as “Q” or “X”! See how fast you can accomplish this feat.
Hug Bug. You might have played this game a little differently when you were growing up, but we are making it much less…painful. If you see a Volkswagen Beetle or “Bug” you get to give one other person in the car a hug or blow them a kiss!
The Frankie Game. In this game, the word “Frankie”, as in our lovable mascot, is substituted for a verb. To play, one person picks a secret verb like “swim”. Then everyone else asks questions using “Frankie” in place of the verb. “Can you Frankie in the ocean?” “Can you Frankie in the house?” The person who correctly guesses the secret verb gets to choose the next one.
Click here for more travel game ideas
Filed under: Just for Fun!, Learning Tips | Tagged: Fall, family activities, fighting boredom, games, learning, Thanksgiving | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 13, 2009 by JumpStart
Posted on November 12, 2009 by JumpStart
It’s certainly Thanksgiving when the family is cooking, the game is on, and the kids are scrambling around. Why not reel in the children and have them help you make dinner with this entertaining science experiment!
Make Your Own Butter
All you need is:
- ½ pint of heavy cream
- 1 clean pint jar or other similarly-sized container with a tight cover or lid, preferably plastic
- 1 clean marble
Directions:
- Take your jar and place the marble inside
- Pour the cream into the jar and screw the cover on tightly.
Three Materials and You're in Business
Click here to complete this delectable experiment!
Filed under: Just for Fun! | Tagged: experiments, Fall, food, holidays, learning, science, Thanksgiving | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 11, 2009 by JumpStart
Following the popularity of our spooky scavenger hunt for Halloween, your child will now be invited to participate in a Thanksgiving-themed scavenger hunt starting today, in the online world at JumpStart.com.
We’ve placed 20 Thanksgiving items throughout the world. 10 of which will be located on MainStreet, and the other 10 will be found in the Downtown district. This post will unveil the secret locations of all the hunt items, but Shhhh! Keep this revelation quiet, unless your explorers are really having a tough time.
Some items will be easy to find.
Others will be more challenging, such as this set of Pilgrim clothing off a Downtown beach.
Our designers did a good job hiding the items, so don’t be surprised if your smaller explorer might need some extra direction. If that sounds like your child, dive into these spoilers.
Click here for full access to Spoilers!
Filed under: Behind the Scenes | Tagged: advice, Fall, game, game design, JumpStart, Thanksgiving, what's new | Leave a Comment »
Posted on November 9, 2009 by JumpStart
Thanksgiving can be a particularly hectic holiday for the family. There are plenty of things to keep an eye on, including, but not limited to, preheated ovens and the kids running around with their cousins. However, Thanksgiving is a holiday meant to take us beyond our everyday pleases and thank yous and to draw up in our minds those things that have such positive impacts in our lives. This fun craft is a great catalyst for having the family gather around and reflect on all that they have to be thankful for.
A Tree Full of Thanks.
The Giving Thanks Tree
Materials:
- Large, brown cardboard box
- Construction paper in yellow, green, red, and orange.
- Scissors
- Tape
- Pencil
- Sharpie
See How to Make Your Own Giving Thanks Tree
Filed under: Just for Fun! | Tagged: crafts, Fall, family activities, holidays, Thanksgiving | 8 Comments »
