Do you often find yourself chatting with your kids about “mythies,” “quests,” “petz,” or “Jumpeez?” Then you must be a JumpStart fan! And we have some great news for you, parents. JumpStart.com has been nominated for a SheKnows Parenting Award!

Vote for JumpStart.com in the Entertainment Category’s Favorite “Website for Kids”

Every year, the SheKnows Parenting Awards program selects the leading products available to parents in a multitude of categories—from baby gear to eco-friendly gadgets, and everything in between. This year JumpStart.com has been honored as a nominee for the top “Website for Kids” in their entertainment category!

We are beyond thrilled to have received the nomination, but now we need the help of JumpStart fans like you! So spread the word and help support JumpStart by voting on the official 2011 SheKnows Parenting Awards page. Voting is open to everyone so please let SheKnows know how much you and your kids love JumpStart’s virtual world of ridez, charms, and endless activity! The voting results will be announced on October 31, 2011!

A little background on the SheKnows Parenting Awards: “The goal of the awards is to give SheKnows readers all the information they need to make educated decisions in their everyday lives—particularly when it comes to their kids! Nominated products are reviewed by the SheKnows team of editors and hand-picked for quality, functionality, convenience and more.” –SheKnows

Vote for JumpStart.com now!

To support SheKnows’ nomination of JumpStart.com for best “Website for Kids” please don’t forget to vote! Take this opportunity to share your love of JumpStart with parents around the nation! We here at JumpStart would really appreciate it!

S.P.L.A.T. has informed us that Jumpeez everywhere are doing a great job of following clues and locating missing pieces of the map to the rare dragon eggs!  Keep up the great work and you just might find the eggs and save JumpStart!

For those of you who haven’t found the first five pieces yet, S.P.L.A.T. has recently received the following intel that may make your quest a little easier:

1. Head for the music inside DownTown’s gates. Then take a dirt path to where the next clue awaits!
2. A mine full of treasure is the place you want to go. Jump in a cart to find what you want to know!
3. Search JumpStart’s fastest land to solve the next clue! When you look up at the cliffs, the map piece will be in view!
4. Near each Jumpee’s home lies a garden of flowers. If you don’t go there, Sorcerer Tangorra may just steal your power!
5. There’s only one spot where spooks can be guests.  Check the haunted porch to discover the rest!

Be on the lookout for a new clue each day!  If you’re having trouble finding pieces of the map, talk to your friends to see what they’ve found. Or, post a comment here and see if a fellow Jumpee might be able to help!

Helpful hint: If you’re sure that your child is in the correct location and still cannot locate the map piece, clear out your web browser’s cache.  This will solve the problem of the missing map piece!

Something is rotten in the world of JumpStart: Sorcerer Tangorra! Over the next two weeks, we will need the help of every Jumpee to defeat this mischievous mastermind!

The next time your children visit JumpStart, a new communication device will appear, and they will hear this story:

HELP!  The Sorcerer Tangorra is brewing a magical potion to remove all the energy from JumpStart!  All he needs is to add rare dragon eggs, which are hidden in a secret location within JumpStart.  The Secret Protection League Against Troublemakers (S.P.L.A.T.) has revealed there are hidden map pieces around JumpStart that lead to the nest.  Sorcerer Tangorra is casting spells that create clues where to find these valuable map pieces.  S.P.L.A.T infiltrated the Sorcerer’s plan and will be sending intel via S.P.L.A.T.T.E.R so you can solve the clues, put together the map, get to the nest before Sorcerer Tangorra, and save all of JumpStart!  We need everyone’s help to retrieve the eggs, so bring all your friends!  We mustn’t leave a single egg behind or disaster will strike!  Good luck!  We are counting on you, Jumpeez!”

Each day your child visits JumpStart, a new clue will appear to help your Jumpee discover another map piece.  Collect all the pieces and find the nest of rare eggs- before it’s too late!

Make sure your child knows that it will take patience, dedication and brain power to complete this mission!  We’ll be back with more info as the hunt continues!

What a pretty shirt!

If figure skating is your sport of choice, try this stylish top on for size. The bear on the front is wearing an awfully cute tutu! This isn’t your only option, though…

I hope his “bear” feet aren’t cold on the slopes!

Just in case snow sports are more your thing, you can also show off this trendy shirt to all your buddies. But wait! There’s more…

Wow! He won gold!

If you can’t wait to celebrate your favorite country’s successes at the Games, then this shirt is the one for you. Our Winter competition bear tops the medals podium on this chic top. Check out the Threadz store for more of these contest-inspired offerings.

If you’d like to add some of your own creativity to the mix, try different combinations of clothes to make your own championship outfits. For example, you can be a figure skater…

Nice outfit!

Or you can dress up to emulate your favorite hockey player!

He looks ready for action!

Whichever option you choose, your Jumpee is sure to look fantastic! What’s your favorite Winter Sport or outfit?

Share These Winter Games Fashions with your Friends

Who says dinosaurs can't be pirates?!

Here is what you will need:

• 3 sheets of newspaper
• Black Tempera paint
• White sheet of paper
• Scissors
• Glue

1. Take the 3 sheets of newspaper and lay it in front of you horizontally with the opening towards you and the crease away from you.
2. Make a triangle fold towards the center of the newspaper with both corners. You do not want the two folds to meet in the middle. Keep them about an inch and a half away from each other.


Making the folds to the center

3. From the bottom, take the first 3 layers of the newspaper and fold the layers up.


Folding first 3 layers at bottom upwards on each side

4. Do the same for the other side.
5. Use the Tempera paint to paint the triangular part of the hat black.
6. On the white piece of paper draw a skull and cross bones. Draw a light bulb shaped figure for the skull. Be sure to include eyes and teeth. Draw your two bones.


Drawing skull and bones. Get creative!

7. Cut out the shapes on the white paper.
8. Glue them onto the hat.
9. Now measure the hat on your child’s head and pinch the extra newspaper.
10. Lastly, staple the two sides to make sure the hat doesn’t slip off and tada you have a completed pirate hat!

Who said dinosaurs couldn't be pirates.....

Now your little sea dog is ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day! If you want to turn this day into a family activity, click here to learn how to create a pirate scavenger hunt!

Like this post? Please share it!

JumpStart has donated 3000 of our adventure-based games to boys and girls clubs around the Los Angeles area!

Check out the segment and let us know what you think:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=resources/lifestyle_community&id=6552250

Over the past few months, your kids likely saw and heard the presidential campaign ads that flooded the TV and radio, but may not know what all the fuss was about. Sure, foreign policy is probably not the most fascinating of topics for kids, but there are plenty of kid-friendly issues you can use to strike up a conversation about democracy. Does your child know that the subjects taught in public schools are chosen by elected officials, bills and voting? Or that city councils likely control the public playgrounds, skate parks and pools your family frequents?

By introducing your kids to the importance of democracy and speaking up when they are young, you’ll set your kids on the path to becoming community-conscious and involved citizens.

Bringing Democracy Home

First, take a deep breath – we are not suggesting that you turn every household decision into a democratic voting session. If you have multiple kids, you would quickly be outnumbered! Bedtime would soon be relocated to 2 a.m. and ice cream would become the nightly dinner. But, there are a few ways you can give your kids a little taste of the democracy at home. Last month you may have read our recipe for confidence and seen the importance of raising a child with a strong sense of self-worth. What better way to give your child a sense of purpose than to give him or her a voice at home?

For kids 3 and up
Institute a weekly game or movie night where family members nominate choices, campaign by giving a brief advertisement on their choice and complete ballots to select the winner.

For kids 5 and up
Talk to your child about how elected officials are chosen and what they do. Take your child along with you to the polls. Let him or her know that these officials are interested in hearing people’s suggestions and concerns. Then, you can help your child write a letter to a city or state official. Perhaps your child has a suggestion for improving schools or wants to thank an official for approving the new skate park.

For kids 7 and up
Bring your child with you to school board, city council, or town hall meetings, especially when there are issues being discussed that directly relate to your child’s interests. If your city is considering building on a public park your daughter is fond of, encourage her to speak up at the meeting with reasons the park should stay. Or if your son loves to swim, keep an eye out for motions regarding the city’s public pools.

If you’d prefer to start the democracy conversation with a good book, consider picking up one of the titles below!
Suggested books for younger children:

• Eleanor, by B. Cooney, B. (1996). New York: Viking.
• Peaceful Protest: The Life of Nelson Mandela, by Y.Z. McDonough (2002). New York: Walker and Company.
• The Story of Ruby Bridges, by R. Coles (1995). New York: Scholastic.

Suggested books for older children:

• Through My Eyes, by R. Bridges (1999). New York: Scholastic.
• You Want Women to Vote, Lizzie Stanton? By J. Fritz (1995). New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
• A Ripple of Hope: The Life of Robert F. Kennedy, by B. Harrison & D. Terris (1997). New York: Lodestar Books.
• Helen Keller: Out of a Dark and Silent World, by S. H. Shictman (2002). Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press, Inc.

Below are additional resources for finding and creating activities that teach democratic citizenship at home. May your days be democratic!

• “20 Ideas for Teaching Citizenship to Children,” by Leah Davies – Although this list was written for elementary school teachers, it can be easily modified for parents.
• KidSource Online lists activities for teaching history and democracy to children ages 4-11.
• PBS offers citizenship lesson plans and information on how the government affects kids.