For Frankie, the Fourth of July was an action-packed day full of fun and adventure! The sun was shining, the bees were buzzing, and there was plenty of summer fun to be had in the virtual world!

He spent the morning hanging out and playing at the Adventure Island beach with some laid-back Jumpeez. Then, Frankie headed over to the cola slide and skate plate in MainStreet! When he was dizzy from all the sliding and skating, Frankie had a picnic with Kisha, Eleanor, Hops, and CJ. They ate hamburgers, carrots, watermelon, and cupcakes. What a treat!

When it finally grew dark, it was fireworks time! Frankie and all of his JumpStart friends looked up above to watch the sky fill with color! What a great day it was!

We hope all of you had a fun and safe Fourth of July too! We would love to hear how it went!

Stop by MainStreet to slide, skate and swim your way through a giant Fourth of July picnic!

Take a ride on the cola slide!

Roller skate a few laps around a yummy hamburger!

Swim through some gooey green Jell-O!

You might even catch a glimpse of some creepy crawly friends who escaped from Uncle Milton®’s Amazing ScienceLand!

Make friends with an ant!

See the sights on the back of a bumble bee!

If you haven’t told us already, how will you be celebrating the holiday?

There’s no better way to celebrate America’s independence than colorful fireworks lighting up the JumpStart sky!

Don’t forget to wear your red, white and blue!

Check out MainStreet every 15 minutes to see the sky grow dark and a spectacular fireworks display!

Do you have any plans for America’s birthday?  We want to know: how are you spending the fourth of July?!

Keep an eye out for a few other July 4^th surprises coming your way!

Today is the 40th Earth Day, and it’s a great chance to think about how you can make the world a better and cleaner place. To get you started, JumpStart is joining in on the festivities!

First, we’ve put together a special scavenger hunt. Litterbugs have left their trash all over JumpStart, and we need your help to clean it up! Look around for discarded newspapers, pizza boxes, soda cans and more. The Earth Day scavenger hunt will continue through this weekend, but you should get started as soon as possible to make sure JumpStart stays as clean and beautiful as ever!

Pick up trash, like this discarded newspaper!

The JumpStart Team has also worked hard to design some great Earth Day fashions for you. Show your environmental pride with an Earth Day shirt like the one Derek is modeling.

Derek

Diana is wearing a stylish take on Earth Day fashion.

Diana

Gabby’s cool green tank top looks great with a simple white skirt and some cute flats!

Gabby

Joe chose a simple Earth Day polo with brown pants and green sneakers. Great look, Joe!

Joe

Check out Bev’s delightful duds! She’s paired an Earth Day T-shirt with jeans and appropriately flowery flip-flop sandals.

If you’re looking for a more subtle Earth Day ensemble, try Roxy’s outfit on for size! She’s modeling a leafy brown and green top with matching green sneakers and a white skirt. How cute!

Roxy

When you log into JumpStart today, make sure to show your Earth Day pride by grabbing some green gear and cleaning up the world around you. Happy Earth Day from the JumpStart Team!

Make sure your friends don’t miss out on the festivities!

We have hidden 45 dyed eggs throughout JumpStart.com for Jumpeez to find.  Twenty are stashed in MainStreet, which we revealed here, and 25 are stashed in the Speed Drome.

The eggs are small and are well-hidden, so your smaller explorer might need a few hints to find them all.  This post will reveal the locations of the second set of 25 items…all hidden in the Speed Drome area of JumpStart.com.

Now that you’re ready to discover the Speed Drome egg locations, let us introduce your 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 JumpStart’s Speed Drome with his pet egg, Tieler, while on the quest for those tricky hunt eggs! All of Francis’s directions begin in front of the MainStreet entrance, facing towards the FreeFall Mountain building (FFM). Good luck, explorers!

1. Behind the billboard in front of Ridez Shop.  From the start position, just head to the left and check the corner created by the billboard and shop.
2. Down on ledge by water.  Turn around and walk on the other side of the left chain-linked fence, straight through the strip of grass and down towards the water; the egg rests on a slab of river shore.
3. On top of hay bail next to gas pump in front of Ridez garage to the left.
4. Behind Ridez Wash.  Head to the slight right, to the teal and gray wash building and head around to the back.
5. To the left of Buggy Racer entrance on wall.  Turn away from the FFM and run towards the MainStreet portal, making a hard left onto the highway road.  Approach the Buggy Racer entrance, and jump up onto the purple stone ledge just to the left of it to find the egg.
6. To the right of Buggy Racer entrance on wall.  Turn away from the FFM and run towards the MainStreet portal, making a hard left onto the highway road. Approach the Buggy Racer entrance, and jump up onto the purple stone ledge to the right to find the egg.
7. In Cave up path to the right of Buggy Racer.  Turn away from the FreeFall Mountain building and run towards the MainStreet portal, make a hard left onto the highway road.  Turn right onto the dirt road at Buggy Racer, cross over the wood bridge past the waterfall, and run just past the window-like opening in the tunnel rock wall to find the egg.
8. In cave on path down to the right.  Continue on the path from egg # 7 to the path on the lower-right.
9. Go up the dirt road farthest to the right; passing the waterfall and finding it just beyond the tunnel cave’s exit.
10. Continue on the path of #9 to the left, to discover the egg on the purple stone ledge.
11. On same path on wall next to U turn sign.  Go up the dirt road farthest to the right; passing the waterfall, follow the natural curve to the left and through the stone tunnel and hop onto the sign’s wall.
12. Run up the dirt on-ramp that sits nearest the car wash to the right.  At the first intersection, by the two waterfalls, make a left; when you pass the grassy bluff to your left, above you, make a sharp right to check the ledge’s corner to find the egg.
13. On same path near rock structure.  Run up the dirt on-ramp that sits nearest the car wash to the right.  At the first intersection, by the two waterfalls, make a left; when you pass the grassy bluff to your left, above you, make a slight left and drop down to the ground below you.  Find the egg near the rock ahead and to the left.
14. Run up the dirt on-ramp that sits nearest the car wash to the right.  At the first intersection, by the two waterfalls, make a left; when you pass the grassy bluff to your left, above you, make another left, and find the egg on the left wall of the rock arch.
15. Run up the dirt on-ramp that sits nearest the car wash to the right.  Find the egg at the first intersection, by the two waterfalls, to the left.
16. Head towards the Rides Wash, and check to the right between the purple wall and the start of the freeway wall.
17. Go up the freeway section, and it’s on the right side.  To collect the egg, run to the asphalt on-ramp in the distance just to the right of the car wash and follow it for a short distance.
18. Run forward, past the FFM and towards the shore ahead. Once on the beach, run past the sand cliff to the left and run up the hill towards the trio of left turn signs. Cut left to make a horseshoe turn about halfway up the hill to reach a lower path that leads to a slightly elevated plateau that hosts the hidden egg.
19. Run forward, past the FFM and towards the shore ahead. Once on the beach, run past the sand cliff to the left and run up the hill towards the trio of left turn signs. Follow the signs to a dark tunnel entrance.  The egg sits just before it.
20. In the grass area behind the bush.  Head to the left, past the Ridez shop/garage, and there will be four bushes in front of a cliff side.  Approach the left-most bush to find the egg tucked behind it.
21. On freeway where it splits into 2 directions.  Turn around and walk on the other side of the left chain-linked fence, heading up the off-ramp to the right to find the egg at the ramp’s departure from the main thoroughfare.
22. On grass near freeway (lower ramp).  Continue on to the main thoroughfare from # 21, following the natural curve to the right and continuing up it a short distance.  Spot the egg to the left, on a grassy ledge.
23. On top of rock, near waterfall.  Run towards the dirt on-ramp that sits nearest the car wash to the right.  Instead of heading up it, jump down, into the water at the base of the waterfalls ahead.  Wade towards the sand shore path to the right of the waterfall, but jump up, onto the sandstone pillar ahead to collect the egg.
24. In grass under buggy racer arrow sign.  Turn around to the right and walk on the other side of the chain-linked fence; the egg is on the patch of grass.
25. In grass near bottom of waterfall. Waterfall to the left of Buggy Racer entrance.  Approach the dirt road farthest to the right, but find the egg before stepping onto the dirt, in the shadows hanging over a patch of lawn.

That concludes our egg hunt!  We hope you enjoyed hunting throughout JumpStart.com for all those little dyed eggs and that these spoilers have helped your child complete their search. Enjoy a beautiful spring!

Clue Your Friends into These Clues

We have hidden 45 dyed eggs throughout JumpStart.com for Jumpeez to find.  Twenty are stashed in MainStreet, and 25 are stashed in the Speed Drome.

The eggs are small and are well-hidden, so your smaller explorer might need a few hints to find them all.  This post will reveal the locations of the first twenty 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 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 MainStreet with her pet egg, Shiela, while on the quest for those tricky hunt eggs! All of Shoshana’s directions begin in front of the DownTown entrance, facing towards the Skate-O-Rama. Good luck, explorers!

1. On very top of Jumpee Creator.  Jump up on its right side onto the overhang; then jump again to reach to top of the building.
2. Behind tree on right side of Jumpee Creator, near party board.  Head to the left, beyond the Jumpee Creator and look near the base of the potted tree, near the billboard.
3. On right side of arcade entrance.  Head to the left, beyond the Jumpee Creator and the Buddy Booth.  Once you pass the arcade entrance, look in the front corner that the entrance creates with the arcade window panes to find the egg.
4. Behind rotating Dune buggy to the left of speed drome entrance.  Run along the left boardwalk, past the arcade.  At the Speed Drome entrance, look behind the dune buggy on the left to find the egg.
5. Under bridge.  Run towards the left side of the Skate-O-Rama, looking under the bridge the goes over the river that flows through the middle of MainStreet.
6. On rocks near waterfall in between Speed Drome and Hidden Treasure Hollow.  Run down to the grassy plain and to the left of the Skate-O-Rama.  Run to the rocks to the left of the wooden bridge ahead.  Hop on top of the rocks on the right side of the river to find the egg.
7. On ruins by waterfall.  Run down to the grassy plain and to the left of the Skate-O-Rama.  Head to Tiki Falls and explore the stone aqueduct ruins at center of the pool at the base of the giant waterfall.
8. Near big tiki head.  Run down to the grassy plain and to the left of the Skate-O-Rama. Head to Tiki Falls with the stone aqueduct and head to the right, staying at ground-level.
9. Near bridge entrance and rock.  Run through the center of MainStreet, by going through the Skate-O-Rama towards the Hall of Fame.  Check the corner of the nearby bridge with the boulder.
10. On top of tree near Big Tree root.  Run through the center of MainStreet, by going through the Skate-O-Rama towards the Hall of Fame.  Jump on Big Tree’s rooton the Hall of Fame’s right side, nearest the billboard, and then jump onto the full branches of the small tree that has grown nearby.
11. On ground near gate to nowhere.  Run past the right side of the Skate-O-Rama and past the wooden bridge. Follow the river around towards the backside of the Hall of Fame to find the egg up on a slope to the right of the riverbank with the cattails, under a root arch.
12. Behind Rock near FutureLand entrance.  Run past the right side of the Skate-O-Rama towards FutureLand or take the jump pad that lands you in front of StoryLand for a shorter trek.  Find the egg on the rock near a small tree.
13. Between rock and bush.  Jump from the boardwalk and run down the right side of the grassy plain.
14. Near boardwalk on grass.  Jump from the boardwalk near the Name Change-O-Matic and turn around to face the boardwalk when you land on the grassy slope.  Find the egg in the corner.
15. Behind tree near tunnel.  Jump down to the grassy plain just past the jukebox on the left.  The egg is sitting next to a nearby tree.
16. On beach behind rock.  Run on the right boardwalk, and jump down, past the pelican to find the egg on the beach nearest the AdventureLand sub, with the patrolling crab.
17. On crate behind the MarineLand dive shop.  Run along the right boardwalk to the MarineLand diveshop, drop down near the slide entrance (without entering the slide itself into MarineLand) to fall under the overhanging boardwalk.  Jump up the cliffside near the overhang to reach the back of the dive shop with the crates.
18. On rock to the right of Marine Land slide.  Run along the right boardwalk to the MarineLand diveshop, jump to the right, near the slide entrance (without entering the slide itself into MarineLand) to land on the cliffside beyond the overhanging boardwalk.  Run on the cliffside, next to the slide, to reach the egg.
19. On beach behind rock.  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 head past the first couple of boulders and look to the right to find the egg.
20. On rock in front of lighthouse. 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’s front, skirting past the prize wheel to find the egg.

Expect spoiler locations for the Speed Drome to be released mid-next week!

Clue Your Friends into These Clues

The Eggvertible!

Expected Arrival Date: 31 March 2010

Cost: 120 JS coins

Most Likely to Be Spotted Near: Near the Petz shop

The Eggvertible is a special edition Ride for the spring season. Don’t let the bulky shape fool you – this egg is fast! The Eggvertible is built on a go-cart chassis, making it quick and agile. With four different designs available, you’ll be sure to find an Eggvertible that fits your own personal style! In addition to the patchwork model pictured above, the Eggvertible is also available in the following color combinations:

Blue

Pink

Rainbow

Because this is such a unique Ride, we also wanted to give you a rare peek behind the scenes. We put a lot of thought and time in the creation of pets and rides.  Here is a two-dimensional sketch our artists used to design the final product.So get into the spring spirit – make sure to stop by the Ridez store and pick up your very own Eggvertible today!

Make sure your friends don’t miss out!

• Chatty Critter: Does your child have a pet lizard, bunny, hamster or other critter that lives in a cage? If so, place one walkie talkie behind the cage and wait until your child is in the room. When everything is quiet, use the other walkie talkie and do your best impression of the pet’s voice. Your child will be amazed that their friend can suddenly speak!
• Mystery Milk: What is better than a big bowl of cereal for your child to start off his or her day? If your child loves pouring cereal and milk in the mornings, add a few drops of food coloring to the milk carton the night before (this is best for cardboard cartons of milk). Watch his or her face as the white milk they’re expecting comes out green or blue or whatever color you choose! It’s harmless and will surely start your day off with a laugh.
• Bug Bluff: Does your child despise insects, snakes, or other creepy-crawlers? If so, purchase a few realistic toy models of their most loathed creature and plant them around the house in places he or she will be most likely to see them! We suggest places like in the bed sheets, the shower, or in the car.
• Bouncing Blizzard: Stock up on ping pong balls at the store and carefully stack them in the kitchen cabinets after your child heads to bed. In the morning, ask your child to get something out of that cabinet and they will be shocked by a shower of bouncing balls!
• Trouble Trick: Is your son or daughter one of those students who rarely get calls home? If so, wait a little while after he or she has come home from school and then call your house phone with your cell phone. Go in another room to have a shocking “conversation” and come back out with a stern look on your face. Tell them that it was the principal and that you know all about the trouble they caused during lunch time. They will frantically try to defend themselves! Just make sure to let them in on the joke before the panic actually sets in.
• AM Alarm: After your family goes to bed, move all of the clocks in the house up one hour. Wake everyone up at the normal time, but insist that they are running horribly late! After everyone rushes to get ready, yell April Fools, then take advantage of the extra time to enjoy a leisurely family breakfast of pancakes and gummy worms or some other April Fools appropriate grub!

Need more ideas? Stop by our post from last year for even more family-friendly pranks.

Enjoy and Share!

We’re expecting the leprechauns to head home on Wednesday, so you still have a few more days to enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day decorations.
Make sure you check out all of these cool features before they’re gone:

1. Get leprechaun-ized in the Luck-O-Matic.
2. Visit Blarney Castle and the giant pot of gold in MainStreet.
3. Ride a clover-copter around Blarney Castle.
4. Kiss the Blarney Stone and gain the gift of gab.
5. Grow a sunflower by cooperating with your JumpStart friends.
6. Stop by the Ridez shop to pick up a Prizm pot of gold ride.

Make sure to check everything off your St. Patrick’s Day to-do list before the leprechauns haul the decorations and festivities back to the land of Eire. Once you’ve done that, get excited for the arrival of spring decorations next week!

Remind your friends about the St. Patrick’s Day fun!

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we wanted to find out what gives a leaf its signature green appearance.  The answer is complex, but most of it stems from its pigments, the tiny materials that give off color in paint, fur, and even our skin.  In this experiment, we will bring out the green pigments that give a leaf its color and see what other colors a leaf can hide!

What you’ll need:

• Coffee filters
• Small Drinking Glasses
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Tree leaves (preferably from trees that change colors with the seasons)
  

  Our example uses a maple leaf.

• Hot water
• Pencil or pen
• Tape
• Optional: Plastic wrap

What to do:

1. Collect several green leaves from a tree. Trees that really change color in the fall are the best, but you can use leaves from any “deciduous” tree, a tree that loses its leaves in the winter.
2. Tear the set of leaves into several pieces and place them in a small drinking glass.
3. Add just enough rubbing alcohol to barely cover all the leaf pieces.
4. Cover the container with foil or plastic wrap to keep the alcohol from evaporating into the air. (optional)
5. Put the container in a dish of hot tap water for about 30 minutes.
6. Watch for the alcohol to go from clear to green.
7. Cut a strip out of the middle of a coffee filter, about one inch wide and just long enough to dip into the alcohol from the rim of the glass, for the leaf sets that you want to test.
8. Tape one end of the filter to a pencil or stick, and suspend it across the container, with the other end just touching the alcohol and pigment mixture.
9. Allow some of the mixture to travel slowly up the filter slice.
10. Wait about 90 minutes.

Wow, a lot happened over those couple of hours! Let’s investigate…

First, why’d the rubbing alcohol turn St. Paddy’s Day-green?  Well, the alcohol turns green as the pigments from the leaves are absorbed into it; the heated water warms the alcohol, encouraging the pigments that color the leaf to rush out of the cut-up leaf pieces and spread out in the absorbing alcohol, giving it the leaf’s green color too!

After you placed the coffee filter into the resulting green mixture, did you see the green color break up into several different colors?  Out of our mixture, we saw the coffee filter slip pull out the different color pigments.  After they separated, we ended up with dark and light yellows and green pigments.  You can bet that those yellow pigments would have become more active with the arrival of fall later on, when the green pigments start to break down with the season.

The color pigments hidden in our leaf!

What kind of colors did your leaves reveal?  Apparently leaves can hide a lot of different colors, as well as leprechauns!

Enjoy this Green Experiment?  Share It!