Boxcar Children in Surprise Island Hits The Big Screen May 8, 2018 ONLY in US | Shout! Kids

The beloved Boxcar Children are headed to the silver screen! The new animated feature film The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island hits theaters in the Unites States for a special one-day event on May 8.

This exciting after-school event is a partnership between Fathom Events, Shout! Kids, and Legacy Classics, and it will also offer moviegoers an exclusive introduction with actor Griffin Gluck and Director Dan Chuba explaining the process of adapting the book to film, and the process of animating. Moviegoers will be able to enjoy the film in approximately 700 select U.S. movie theaters. A complete list of theater locations will be available at Fathomevents.com. Tickets for The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island are available for purchase online or at participating theater box offices.


The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island, the highly-anticipated movie adaption of the popular children’s book of the same name, stars Golden Globe®-winning actor Martin Sheen (The West Wing) as James Alden, Oscar®-winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) as Dr. Moore, Dane DeHaan (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets) as the mysterious Joe, Joey King (Independence Day: Resurgence) as Jesse Alden, Carter Sand (Frozen) as Benny Alden, Gil Birmingham (Twilight) as Lonan Browning, Griffin Gluck (Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life) as Henry Alden, Stephen Stanton (Star Wars Rebels) as Capt. Daniel and Talitha Bateman (The 5th Wave) as Violet.

The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island follows the adventures of the orphaned Boxcar Children as they spend an entire summer living on their Grandfather’s small, nearly uninhabited island. There they meet Joe, who is friendly and helpful, and inexplicably living on their island. Does their new friend have a secret?

The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island is fun for the whole family, and is Dove approved for all ages. It is directed by Dan Chuba and Mark Dippé, and is produced by Legacy Classics and co-produced by Shout! Factory, Albert Whitman & Company and Blueberry Pictures. THE BOXCAR CHILDREN - SURPRISE ISLAND is the first of three new animated features to be adapted from the "The Boxcar Children" book series, as part of a partnership between Shout! Kids and Legacy Classics.

"The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude Chandler Warner is one of the best-selling children’s book series of all time. Having just marked its 75th anniversary, over 70 million books have sold world-wide. There are 150 books in the series, and over 1 million kids read the books in schools across North America every year.

Do not miss an opportunity to watch famous stories about Boxcar Children on the big screen, only one day, May 8, 2018! Check if there is a theatre near you to get the tickets here.


To celebrate the release of The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island movie we are happy to giveaway a three book set from The Boxcar Children world: Guide to Adventure, Gertrude Chandler Warner and The Boxcar Children and the novel Surprise Island, on which the film is based. The giveaway is open to US readers only and ends April 27, 2018!

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Earth Day Tips for Families from Ranger Rob | Treehouse TV

April 22, Earth Day, marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Earth Day gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide, raising awareness of protecting nature, wildlife and supporting endangered animals.

Since Earth Day is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate it then with the help of Ranger Rob! Ranger Rob is a show about the adventures of an enthusiastic park ranger who LOVES going outside to PLAY, EXPLORE and DISCOVER in Big Sky Park! Every day he embarks on a journey throughout the outdoor-adventure park where he lives. Big Sky Park is a one-of-a-kind destination with multiple climates and terrains. Each region of the park has unique natural wonders and animals to discover!

Here's Ranger Rob’s Top 5 Earth Day Tips you can follow with kids every day:


The show teaches kids and preschoolers the importance of taking care of the environment, recycling, conserving and preserving the beautiful world we call HOME. It also teaches them the importance of teamwork and friendship. 

You can join Ranger Rob on Earth Day here:

Sprout (US): April 22 – Earth Day Special at 9am, repeating at 3:30pm EST
Treehouse (Canada): April 22- Ranger Rob Marathon 3:15pm-6:30pm ET

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Nutribar Bars For Healthy and Busy Lifestyle Giveaway | #Nutribar2Go

If you are too busy to cook and still want to eat clean, then you need to get those little helpers in your pantry. We know that keeping up a healthy lifestyle in today’s fast-paced world is not easy. And trying to lose weight with your hectic, jam-packed schedule can feel like it will never happen.

While we know how to eat properly, there are so much information on web and TV, so many books are written on healthy eating habits. After a day worth of meetings, errands, and a final stop to watch your kid’s hockey game, it takes efforts to be on track, full of energy and stay an efficient problem-solver not only at the office but at home too.

That’s where Nutribar meal replacement bars come in, they are designed for weight maintenance or loss and clinically proven to satisfy hunger and cravings for up to five hours,eliminating the desire to snack between meals.


No one can deny that eating a healthy, balanced natural diet of whole foods is the best option, but who has the time to consistently prepare proper meals three times a day, every day single day. There are some situations when we have to focus on other tasks other than preparing healthy food and need to rely on quick, easy to reach and satisfying options.

As opposed to protein bars that are intended as a snack to manage hunger between meals and may not have an optimal nutritional breakdown, Nutribar meal replacement bars provide “Nutrition on the Go” – delivering all the essential vitamins and minerals, protein, carbs and fat found in a completely balanced whole foods meal without the required time and energy to prepare it. Nutribar products are regulated under Canadian government guidelines and approved by Health Canada.


Nutribar meal replacement bars are available in two formats: Original and High Protein for those with a more active lifestyle. Original flavors include Belgian Chocolate, Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Creamy Caramel, Deep Brownie Delight, Hazelnut Vanilla, Mocha Almond and Oatmeal Raisin. High Protein flavors include Caramel Nougat Chocolate Temptation, Chocolate Truffle, Double Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Peanut and Peanut Delight.


I had an opportunity to try some of Nutribar bars, my favorites are High Protein version Chocolate Temptation and Chocolate Truffle. Since I exercise every day these bars give me essential fibre, Omega-3 and other nutrients and help to survive throughout the day. These bars are also very convenient when we travel, on business trips or spend days outdoor in the parks and playgrounds. Each bar is individually wrapped so you can take it everywhere from lunch at work to outdoor hiking trip. Bars are easily fit any bag or even a pocket and for the whole day you are full of energy and ready to dedicate your time to important tasks.

Retail price is approximately $3 per bar. For a list of retailers, visit www.nutribar.com.

As of April, Nutribar meal replacement bars re available for purchase online at new e-Nutribar own web site www.nutribar.com.

To celebrate the launch of the Nutribar e-commerce site, by high demand, Nutribar is offering a buy one box—get one box free promotion until April 22 – for online purchases only using the coupon code BOGO.

Along with Original and High Protein Nutribars additional Nutribar products, including Nutribar Shakes, Nutribar Type 2 Brand for diabetes management and all-natural, gluten-free Nutribar Health bars are available for  for online purchases. Nutribar Health Brand offering sugar free, gluten-free and Non-GMO snack bars.


Thanks to the generosity of Nutribar, we are excited to bring an opportunity to win five boxes of Nutribar meal replacement bars (CAD$75) to three our readers. We hope these prizes and information will help you follow healthy lifestyle and fit your busy schedule.

The giveaway is open to Canadian residents only (excluding Quebec) and ends May 10, 2018! Good Luck!

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Gear up Like Your Favorite Mysticon Hero | YTV

Mysticons series were launched last year on YTV in Canada and already gained lots of fans. The adventures of four girls whom fate brought together to become legendary warriors. Mysticons is a combination of action, mythology and urban fantasy. There are episodes when real feelings mix with superpower and mythic creatures.

Arkayna Goodfey is a smart, determined, and idealistic princess. Zarya Moonwolf is a street orphan who has survived by her wits and nimble fingers. She's tough, smart and fiercely protective of other street kids, especially Piper. Piper Willowbrook is an optimistic, bubbly, young elf who is in constant motion. Emerald "Em" Goldenbraid is a wise and courageous dwarf with a big heart. Each girl as a Mysticon gets own power and weapon to fight dark forces. Though girls are so different from each other and even lived in different worlds in the past, their diversity is what unites them and make them stronger. It looks like their skills, power, past experience complement each others. Arkayna, Zarya, Piper and Em show how they can work together as a team besides being so different.


Besides being great warriors, each girl has own style for everything from weapons to clothes, accessories and hair. Mysticons celebrates not only every girls' strength, confidence and character but also diversity and respect!

With new episodes which returned to YTV in April, we are also excited to share that the Mysticons toys are now available at Toys R Us locations in Canada. I think Mysticons toy line successfully reflects the true girl-power.


We had a chance to take a look at new toys and even got a few for ourselves to play. There are 7-inch action figures representing Arkayna, Zarya, Piper and Em. As well as Battle Gear Sets for each Mysticons warrior, which include child-sized mask, weapon and bracer girls will be happy to play with.

We are looking forward to new episodes airing on YTV every Sunday at 10:30 am. New interesting stories, unexpected twists and battles await us every week.

Plus check our interview with Evany Rosen and Ana Sani, voices behind Em and Piper respectively. They tell us what it takes to work as Mysticons team and how the series changed their real life.

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Build or BOOM - Be First & Have Smashing Fun | Goliath Games

Build or BOOM is a two player challenge game to bring fun and test speed and balance. Designed for kids ages 4 and up the game helps to develop analytical thinking through block building, shapes, colors and balance structures. Build or BOOM is easy to play and do not require any batteries or digital devices.


Two players have the game area set which can be on a table, floor or other flat surface. They put all the game blocks available like barrels, arches and triangles in the middle of the area. Each player has a building pad for structures and it is connected to another player using air hoses. There is a pack of blueprints cards, every turn players put one card in the middle of the playing area in a card holder. They have to follow the instruction drawn on a card and build the structure shown. The first player who builds the structure, smashes opponent's construction site using a boomer. The winner has not only to be fast to build the structure, the building blocks have to be stable and set as shown on the blueprint card. The person who wins 10 times becomes the final winner of the game.



We had really fun time playing Build or BOOM. The game has four difficulty levels of  building structures. While at level one it was simple to build everything, trying level three was quite challenging. Balancing the whole structure was not very easy especially when you have to build it high using many blocks and tricky sets. Teddy once had a hard time balancing two arcs on one block and the structure kept falling until he figured out that it should have come with extra block on top altogether to balance his structure. Players have to be fast to win, and do not forget to smash your boomer so that opponent's structure tumbles down. The BOOM part is the funniest when blocks are flying through the air and the room is filled with laughter. I think this game is perfect for both kids and adults. Teddy played with his uncles and cousins, it was totally fun!


Build or BOOM game is available at Walmart, Amazon, ToysRUs, Mastermind Toys and other toy retailers across North America. There are extra blueprint card sets sold separately. They offer more difficult levels to build as well as the opportunity to create own card creations using special stickers.

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SMATH Learn Math Though Fun Game | GoliathGames

We know about the importance of STEM education and how it is important for children. When it is introduced at early age, STEM proficient students become effective communicators and creative thinkers, they face challenges and develop fast solutions based on the combination of knowledge in technology, math and science.

While math seems a boring subject, when it is presented as a game it is much fun to learn. Recently we had a chance to try one of those games, I am sure every child would love to play.

SMATH is crossword-puzzle type board game that helps children to learn math in a fun way. Designed for ages 6 and up the game is perfect for 2-4 players. SMATH comes with 184 playing pieces, Game Board, 4 game racks, Storage Bag and Complete Instructions. Players use number and symbol tiles in their racks and the ones already on the board to make math equations crossword puzzle style. The player who scores the most points making math equations wins the game.


With every equation players move on in math game, they reinforce math facts and score points. You can start with basic math statements, just addition and subtraction equations and then move to more complex ones which includes multiplication and division. The game has numbers from 0 to 12, so players may not pace two tiles together to make a larger number. While it seems a limitation at first, we realized that it gives more brain work to find the right math equation. Adding parentheses gives more opportunities to create an extended equation. I like that the game always make you think, search and analyze what is the best way to use the numbers.


We had a really great time playing the game. It gives you resources to play and you have to find a solution within those limits. There are 10 tiles on your rack and what is on the board. Players have to use their math skills and create combinations to make an equation. And always remember about the order of operations, it helps a lot in this game! The challenge of creating the longest and most complex statement is accepted, because more tiles you use, more points you get. Overall, I find this SMATH is great math game to develop basic math skills and learn the order of operations. Teddy even stopped playing his computer games to join SMATH. It makes your brain work really hard and I feel hungry after playing the game.

SMATH is very affordable game, you can get it on Amazon and other large toy and educational stores across North America for about $20!

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Kid Food Nation Inspire Canadian Children To Healthy Living

Kid Food Nation is a national initiative designed for kids aged 7-13 to teach them cooking skills, get excited about healthy food, and give them the tools to live a healthier and happier life.

Aimed at children at Boys and Girls Clubs across the country, and written in consultation with Clubs and Dietitians of Canada, the Kid Food Nation program sponsored by Corus Entertainment and President Choice© Children’s Charity:

• Teaches children the skills to cook a variety of meals 
• Encourages healthy choices about the food they eat 
• Fosters healthy habits for life 
• Empowers parents and families to plan, prepare, and cook healthy meals and snacks

Your little ones can enter the Kid Food Nation recipe competition, which asks kids across the country to share original, healthy recipes that highlight their culture or their Canadian pride. With the help of their parent/guardian, kids can submit their recipe at www.kidfoodnation.com up until April 1. Winners and their families will attend a gala this fall at the Château Laurier in Ottawa, where they’ll rub shoulders with famous Canadians and have their recipes featured on the gala menu, and they will be published in the Kid Food Nation cookbook!


The 26 winning recipes from the 2018 National Recipe Challenge will be featured in a cookbook that will include food preparation and cooking techniques, information on healthy eating, and a biography and photo of each winner. A printed edition will be published, and an online version will be available for free download.


We checked last year the Kid Food Nation cookbook, and I find it is amazing. The recipes are great, easy to follow and every child can follow them and re-create to learn something new about food, cooking and serving. 

Teddy decided to participate in the competition and has his own recipe to try. There is still time to enter the Kid Food Nation recipe competition before April 1st!

The Kid Food Nation online hub (www.kidfoodnation.com) provides access to a variety of content, including games, videos, tips about healthy eating, fun cooking facts, recipes, and more.

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