It’s been a little over two weeks since the personalized rooms launched at JumpStart.com. We hope that your kids have selected the perfect furniture, decided on the best gizmos, and placed everything just the way they like in their room. We know that with all the available pieces, the possible room arrangements are endless, and we’d love to see what your kids have done with their place!

If you’d like to give your kids a chance to win 300 JumpStart coins (wow!), just stop by our Facebook page and post a picture of their JumpStart room. Not sure how to do that? No problem! You’ll find step by step instructions here. Remember, we are choosing a winner on Monday, March 15^th; do be sure to send pictures of your kids’ rooms before then.

Share this Contest with your Friends!

*To learn more about Johnny Appleseed, visit Answers.com here. That’s where we got our info!*

Today is Johnny Appleseed Day, a day to celebrate Chapman’s growing accomplishments and have some fun with apples! You can make an apple tree, too – and, unlike a real apple tree, you won’t need to wait five years to enjoy it!

Materials:

• Large piece of white paper
• Brown construction paper (or a brown paper bag)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Red and green paint
• Paint palette or paper plate
• Play clothes that you’re willing to get paint on
• Fingers!

Get painting!

1. Cut out a tree trunk shape from the brown construction paper and glue it onto the white paper.
2. Put some green paint on your palette and dip one of your hands in. (This is where those play clothes will come in handy!)
3. Use your hand to stamp handprints at the top of the tree trunk. The green handprints should look like branches.
4. Put some red paint on your palette and dip in a finger or two.
5. Use your finger to stamp fingerprints in the branches of your tree. The fingerprints should look like apples.

There you have it – your very own apple tree, ready to be displayed! Now all that’s left to do is sit down with a Red Delicious or Granny Smith and enjoy your beautiful artwork!

Celebrate with your friends!

Did you know that there is a scavenger hunt going on at JumpStart.com right now? That’s right! The leprechauns have hidden 32 St. Patrick’s Day-themed items throughout JumpStart.com for Jumpeez to find.  Sixteen are stashed in DownTown, and sixteen are stashed on MainStreet.  These tricky green treasures may be tough to find, so we’ve been offering tips from our expert Jumpee explorers.   Last time, we revealed the locations of the MainStreet hunt items here.  This post will reveal the locations of the second batch of 16 hunt items…all hidden in the DownTown area of JumpStart.com.

Now that you’re ready to discover the DownTown item locations, let us introduce your guide from our JumpStart Academy of Expedition, Shoshana.

Meet your guide, Shoshana.

As one of JumpStart’s most talented explorers, she’s offered to share the notes and photos she took while exploring JumpStart’s DownTown on a quest for those tricky hunt items! All of Shoshana’s directions begin in front of the MainStreet entrance, facing towards the sunflower. Good luck, explorers!

1. Bag – Between the entrance to MainStreet and JS Threadz.  From the starting position, make a hard left and check the corner.
2. Teddy Bear – Behind JS Threadz on the side, favoring the Ridez Store.
3. Balloons – Behind the brick wall, behind the Ridez Store.
4. Hat – On top of the rock on the beach.  .  Head to the left and towards the beach. Run to the left, past the sandstone pillar to approach a large rock.  Find the hat on top of it.
5. Pot of Gold – Near jump pad on little island.  Head to the left and towards the beach.  Swim or hop from island to island to end up on the largest of the small islands with the jump pad and pot of gold.
6. Plant – On rock near beach next to tunnel opening.  Head to the left, towards the beach.  Head towards the black tunnel entrance ahead, but, before entering the cave, check the rocks to the entrance’s left to find the shamrocks.
7. Balloons – Behind the wall behind Petz Shop.  Run past Petz and to the left once beyond the brick wall.  Find the balloons in the corner where the brick wall meets the cliffside.
8. Teddy Bear -Next to bridge near waterfall.  Run past Petz and to the left once beyond the brick wall.  Run up the slight slope and jump up onto the elevated plateau to the right that is flush with the slope.  Head to the right and find the toy sitting next to the wooden bridge’s post.
9. Bag – On Beach near water.  Head to the left, towards the beach, past the back of Threadz.  Head into the black tunnel ahead, diving into the mountainside.  Follow its winding path, past the bright, watchful eyes in the dark.  Exit the tunnel and turn left to find the bag near the shore.
10. Pot of Gold – Under archway near stairs / under slides.  Run past Petz and to the right, once beyond the brick wall.  Go beyond the slide foundations and look to the right of the stairs to find the stone arch with the hunt item.
11. Plant – On top of roof of House Hut.  Run past the sunflower to the left and jump onto the House Hut’s roof’s left-back side to collect the item.
12. Bag – Behind Tree next to the Petz Pen.  Run past the sunflower to the left and inspect the tree near the coin pile and jump pad.
13. Hat – Near entrance to slides.  Run past the sunflower to the left and take the jump pad near the Petz Pen to be launched to the slide entrances’ plateau, to find the hat nearby.
14. Balloons – Behind launch pad in between tree and billboard.  Run to the right of the sunflower, beyond the Brain Training Arcade to approach the balloons.
15. Teddy Bear – In Tunnel behind the JS Amphitheater.  Run to the right, beyond the right brick wall towards the new venue; enter the tunnel entrance to the left and follow the path around to find the bear.
16. Pot of Gold – Behind Tree to the right of JS Amphitheater.  Run to the right, beyond the right brick wall towards the new venue; approach the tree before it to find the pot of gold behind it.

We hope you enjoyed hunting throughout JumpStart.com for all those green, St. Patrick’s Day-themed items and that these spoilers have helped your child complete their search. Well, we must say goodbye for now; have a fun Saint Patrick’s Day!

Clue Your Friends into These Clues

Want to check out the new venue? Look for the gate just to the left of the Brain Training Arcade. When you see the giant spotlights, you’ll know you’ve arrived.

Keep an eye on the clocks outside to find out when the next performance is scheduled to begin. Then, head on in and grab a seat in the front row.

Or bound up to the stands for a view of the whole scene.

The JumpStart Amphitheater is the perfect spot to make friends with some fellow music-loving Jumpeez, so be sure to say hello and show off your dance moves while you are there!

This exciting new venue is here to stay, so tell us, what performances would you like to see? Perhaps Kisha singing one of our favorite JumpStart tunes, Echolocation? Or maybe a bit of classical music? Comment below to let us know!

Share this New Feature with Friends!

Our first leprechaun craft is great for older kids, so they can have their own leprechaun cup to place coins in, as if the leprechaun is protecting his pot of gold!  The second, simple craft places a pot-of-gold at the end of a rainbow as a door handle decoration and is probably best for your younger children, but even older ones might find it fun!

The Crafty Leprechaun

The Crafty Leprechaun

What You’ll Need:

• 12. oz paper cup (like those used for coffee)
• 2 Green and 2 orange pipe cleaners
• Green, peach, yellow, and black construction paper (one small sheet each)
• Green paint
• One pair of googly eyes
• A black pen, black marker, and red marker (or pen)
• Glue

Here’s what do do:

1. Paint the paper cup green and let it dry.
2. Cut out a circle from the peach construction paper. Make sure it’s big enough to hide the cup’s rim when looking at it straight on.
3. Cut out a hat from the green construction paper and make sure the brim is a little bit wider than the peach circle that will create the head.
4. Use a black marker to make a band on the hat, but leave room in the middle for a buckle!
5. Cut out 3 small squares from the yellow construction paper and then cut out their middles for the hat’s and shoes’ buckles!
6. Glue a buckle onto the center of the hat and then glue the hat onto the top third of the peach circle.
7. Glue the googly eyes a little under the brim of the hat.
8. Draw a nose in black pen and a mouth in red marker (or pen) and then set the face aside.
9. Coil an entire orange pipe cleaner around a pencil or pen and slip it off.
10. Glue the ends of the coil onto the peach circle, making a beard.
11. Cut two small, straight pieces from another orange pipe cleaner and glue these above the googly eyes for eyebrows.
12. Glue the head onto the cup to cover near a third of the cup in length.
13. Take one green pipe cleaner and make a small loop at one end (secure it by wrapping a small part around).  Make a loop in the pipe cleaner right next to the one you just made and twist it so it stays in place. It should now resemble a flower stem with leaves. Take the straight edge and make a third loop that meets the other two in the center, making a clover shape!
14. Repeat the previous step again for the other hand.
15. Attach one on each side of the cup using tape or glue.
16. Cut out two small shoe-shaped pieces from the black paper and glue one yellow buckle to each shoe before gluing them to the bottom of the cup.

The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

What You’ll Need

• Paper plate
• Scissors
• 1 sheet of yellow and 1 sheet of green construction paper
• Black marker
• Markers for each color of the rainbow
• Gold and green glitter (optional)
• Glue or tape

Here’s what to do

1. Cut a half-circle into the bottom of the plate.
2. Cut out two pie-shaped pieces on the edge of the plate where the half-circle’s corners line up.
3. Have your child color a rainbow that follows the arch of the half-circle
4. Color the rest of the plate with black marker and be sure to color in a pot rim at the corners of the half-circle
5. Take the yellow construction paper and cut out a shape that resembles a pile of coins, making it as long as the diameter of the half-circle.
6. Run a clear glue stick over the “pile of coins” and sprinkle gold glitter over the construction paper to make it look real!
7. Glue or tape this to the back of the paper plate with the glittery side facing frontward
8. Cut out the shape of a shamrock from the green construction paper and glue it to the center of the pot. Optionally glue green glitter to it.
9. Hang it on any door knob in the house!

Have fun making these crafts with your children! They are a pot-of-fun!

Share These Great St. Patrick’s Day Crafts with Friends!

A new holiday brings another great theme and another great scavenger hunt here at JumpStart! In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, your child is invited to participate in a green-themed scavenger hunt.  Leprechauns have hidden 32 St. Patrick’s Day-themed items throughout JumpStart.com for Jumpeez to find! Sixteen are stashed on MainStreet, and sixteen are stashed in DownTown.

The items are small and well-hidden, so your smaller explorer might need a few hints to find them all! This post will reveal the locations of the first 16 hunt items…all hidden in the MainStreet area of JumpStart.com.

Now that you’re ready to discover the MainStreet item locations, let us introduce your lucky guide from our JumpStart Academy of Expedition, Francis.

Meet your guide, Francis.

As one of JumpStart’s most talented explorers, he’s offered to share the notes and photos he took while exploring MainStreet on his quest for those tricky hunt items! All of Francis’s directions begin in front of the DownTown entrance, facing towards the Blarney Stone. Good luck, explorers!

1. Pot of Gold – Behind Parties billboard. Head to the left, beyond the Jumpee Creator and look behind the billboard.
2. Teddy Bear – Behind billboard in between the gate to DownTown and movie theater.
3. Plant – Behind billboard in between the movie theater and MarineLand portal. By the movie theater’s front-left corner, behind the art billboard, at ground-level.
4. Balloons – In between the tree and bush to the right of the ramp. By the tree on the right, from your very starting position near the stone ramp, at ground-level.
5. Pot of Gold – Underneath dock by the MarineLand portal. Run on the right boardwalk, and jump down towards the AdventureLand submarine. Make a hard right, and the pot of gold will be underneath the boardwalk overhang.
6. Balloons – On cliffs behind the light house. Run on the right boardwalk, and jump down towards the AdventureLand submarine. Swim out to the beach, off to the right by the Prize Cannon prize wheel. Step onto the beach and jump onto the lip of the rock the lighthouse sits atop. Jump again to reach the lighthouse level. Head past the lighthouse and drop down to the edge of the other side of the cliff to find the balloons.
7. Pot of Gold – Beside dock in AdventureLand and StoryLand portals. Run on the right boardwalk, look in the northern corner of the boardwalk, favoring the pier.
8. Plant – In the waterfall fountain pool, in between StoryLand and FutureLand portals.
9. Hat – Behind the portal to FutureLand. Run to the right side of the Blarney Stone and past the wooden bridge. Go just to the left of FutureLand’s mouth to find the hat.
10. Teddy Bear – Behind the tree of Knowledge, behind the tree root. Run past the right side of the Blarney Stone and past the wooden bridge. Follow the river around towards the backside of the Hall of Fame to find the teddy bear up on a slope to the left of the riverbank with the cattails.
11. Balloons – Next to the Hall of Fame. Run past the Blarney Stone and up the stairs to the Hall of Fame entrance.
12. Bag – On top of the large tree root in between the Hall of Fame and GhostTown Grab. Run past the left side of the Blarney Stone and towards the Hall of Fame. Leap on the giant root ahead and climb up to find the clover leaf bag.
13. Bag – On top of the Hotel Roof part of the GhostTown Grab portal. Run past the left side of the Blarney Stone and towards GhostTown Grab. Run up the sandstone, just to the left of the hotel, and then leap onto the hotel’s awning to collect the item.
14. Bag – On top of the tooth pillar in the waterfall. Run down to the grassy plain and to the left of the Blarney Stone. Head to Tiki Falls with the stone aqueduct and head up the right stone steps or use the jump pad at the foot of the waterfall to reach the waterfall’s top drop. The bag is on one of the face’s stone teeth.
15. Teddy Bear – On top of the rock in between Hidden Treasure Hollow and Speed Drome. Run down to the grassy plain and to the left of the Blarney Stone. Run to the rocks to the left of the wooden bridge ahead. Hop on top of the rocks on the left side of the river to find the hunt item.
16. Hat – Behind Buddy Booth. Head to the left, beyond the Jumpee Creator and look behind the Buddy Booth, in between it and the Arcade.

Expect spoiler locations for DownTown to be revealed on Wednesday!

Clue Your Friends into These Clues

Take Nicole Sillybolt for example – she’s looking great in all green. The centered shamrock totally complements her green shoes and skirt!

Nice skirt!

Hanna Goofyliger takes no chances that someone might come and pinch her in a lovely green blouse with emerald slip-ons to match!

Bailey Firefoot looks down-to-earth in a leafy top paired with a plaid shamrock skirt. She’s definitely hit the pot-of-gold with this look!

Wow!

All your little lads have their choice of a bunch of new green garb as well!

Jack Whiterhino stands out with this clover leaf print screen tee. The orange trim really makes it pop!

He looks handsome!

Devin Lumpygem, a little subtle yet spirited, rocks a cool forest-green top and completes the outfit with matching green shoes. There’s no way he’s going to get pinched!

Cool!

Josh Kreakerbear feels cool and comfortable in his neon green t-shirt. With his loose green bottoms, he’ll be able to catch a leprechaun with no trouble!

This comfy outfit is great for leprechaun chasing!

Last but not least, we have Patrick Squirrelstamp going all out in our special leprechaun suit! He just might just make his way to the end of the rainbow with this outfit on!

He's ready for St. Paddy's Day!

Remember to go buy something green with your green!

Tell your friends so they don’t get pinched!

Wattson, the enlightened firefly

Expected birth date:  4 March 2010

Cost:  150 JS coins

Favorite JumpStart Area: The riverbank cattails beneath the Hall of Fame

Favorite Move: Providing light in dark tunnels to help in scavenger hunts

No need to capture  Wattson and place him in a jar!  This smart firefly is an avid adventurer and learner; he is happy to be adopted by whichever Jumpee is willing to have him, because chances are they’ll have quite a bit in common.  Wattson is really quite useful at making those dark tunnels of the Speed Drome and the mine shafts of Hidden Treasure Hollow much more negotiable.

Green Thumb, the gleeful garden gnome

Expected arrival date:  4 March 2010

Cost:  80 JS coins

Favorite JumpStart Area: Your neighborhood’s potted plant garden.

Favorite Move: Hanging out with his leprechaun cousins in the clover patches

We’re happy to reintroduce you to Green Thumb, known throughout JumpStart for being in tune with nature. He is passionate about studying the clovers that have sprung up throughout JumpStart.com.  Most of all, Green Thumb enjoys making sure the lawns and diva daisies of Jumpeez’ neighborhoods stay nice and healthy while his Jumpee owner is busy inside moving things around his or her house.

Prizm, the rainbow-making pot of gold ride

Expected Arrival Date: 4 March 2010
Cost: 120 JS Coins
Most Likely to Be Spotted Near: Speeding around Blarney Castle on MainStreet

While most pots of leprechaun gold tend to stay put once they are hidden, this particular pot of gold goes 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye.   This pot of gold meets hot rod is a special St. Patrick’s Day delight called a Prizm.  The Ridez shop is expecting these speedy vehicles to sell like hotcakes, because Prizms are the first ride to ever leave a trail in their wake!  Prizms create a stunning rainbow trail, following them wherever their roaring exhaust pipes and spinning wheels take them.

Like this Shipment?  Share it!

First, you might notice that Blarney Castle has appeared in the center of JumpStart’s MainStreet. Blarney Castle is home to the legendary Blarney Stone, the Irish stone that is rumored to endow anyone who kisses it with the gift of gab. Just like Ireland’s Blarney Stone, the Blarney Stone at JumpStart.com requires some work to access. Start by locating the jump pad next to Blarney Castle.

She’s ready to start her journey!

And we’re off!

This jump pad will propel you to a tower that’s become detached from Blarney Castle over the years. Don’t despair, because you can take a four-leaf-clover-copter to the top of Blarney Castle!

A great way to travel

Once you get to the top of Blarney Castle, make sure to kiss the Blarney Stone. This will give you the ability to speak eloquently and persuasively!

She’s got the gift of gab!

After you’ve given the Blarney Stone a smooch, take the four-leaf-clover-copter down to the pot of gold, where your hops will take on some extra oomph.

Ready to hop on the pot of gold

As part of our spring celebration, we’re also introducing a sunflower in DownTown that you and your buddies can grow together. Just throw water balloons near the bottom of the stem and watch it flourish!

Direct hit!

Almost there!

We hope you enjoy our St. Patrick’s Day renovations. Before you know it, you’ll have a very eloquent Jumpee with a very green thumb!

Get Others in the Spirit!

Run through fields of shamrocks and rest in the shade of some big four-leaf clovers that were hand-sown by the leprechauns themselves!

Follow paths of clovers all over the floor and if you look at the trees, you’ll see even more! Admire the huge rainbow, and piles of gold, you can even access the big pot in a way yet to be told!

Expect to see this theme live on the 4th of March!

Share your Excitement for the Decorations with your Friends!