After a stressful day at work or a rough morning at home with the kids, sometimes all a parent wants to do is sit down, relax and regroup. PopCap games provide the perfect stress reliever. Whether you have a Mac or PC or prefer to play games on your iPhone, iPad or Android phone, you are likely to find a game to suit your relaxation and entertainment needs.

Work your way through the 55 challenging levels of Peggle as you bounce balls off different pegs within the courses. With each level you pass in Peggle, you’ll feel an ounce of stress from the day melt away. You can even make Peggle a way to interact with your kids by playing in Duel Mode and gloating when you outscore them.
Availability: PC, Mac, Android, iPad, iPhone / iPod Touch, Mobile, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Network, PlayStation Portable, Xbox Live, Online

PopCap™ Games: Not Just For Kids! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Can you imagine.. Candy Land, cupcakes, face painting, pottery painting, bead bracelet craft, and hair-do’s.. all in an hour and a half?
Oh my gosh I can’t tell you how exhausted I was around 12:30 today.  I was pooped and ready for a nap, which is very unlike me.  All for good reason though.   Thanks to Hasbro and My Blog Spark, I hosted a Candy Land party for about 18 3-5 year old’s this morning.  I was thrilled to have Desiree from BottlesToBritches.com, Stacie from TheDivineMissMommy.com, and Amanda from OhAmanda.com at the party.  Check out their blogs!  You’ll love them.

Candy Land was recently redesigned, bringing the excitement that is Candy Land back to our kitchen table.  Forget the dinner, let’s play Candy Land!  My daughter is 4 and Candy Land is the “go to” board game when she has friends over.  Don’t even try to offer another game.. Candy Land is “IT!” and that’s the way it is.

Candy Land is a classic ‘first game for children’, takes about 15 minutes to play, and because there is no need to read to play Candy Land, even 3 year olds can play it!

You too can travel down the rainbow path on a journey of discovery through enchanted lands filled with sweet surprises around every corner. Create delicious treats at the Cupcake Commons to deliver along the way, participate in a thrilling snowboard race down the Ice Cream Slopes with the Duke of Swirl, take a relaxing train ride through Gummy Hills and climb to the top of Chocolate Mountain. Be sure to make friends with Gramma Gooey, Lord Licorice, Princess Frostine and Princess Lolly of Lollypop Woods throughout your adventure, as you race to meet King Kandy at the grand entrance to the Candy Castle.

Here’s a short video of our Candy Land fun at Farmhouse in the City in Roswell, GA:

A special thanks to Hasbro who provided us with the Candy Land board games to play and give away through MyBlogSpark!

You can buy Candy Land at your local Target, Wal-Mart, or Toys R’ Us, or online from Hasbro.

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving a lucky reader a Candy Land board game!   To enter leave a comment below telling us one what your favorite memory of playing Candy Land is (with your kids or from when you were young).
Earn extra entries by sharing this giveaway with your Twitter friends (Tweet: “I entered to win Candy Land from TheMommyInsider.com!  You can enter too:  @mommyinsider”).  Be sure to follow us on Twitter and leave a separate comment below telling us that you Tweeted and what your Twitter address is.  ‘Like’ us on Facebook and tell your Facebook friends about The Mommy Insider and/or our Candy Land giveaway. You can post about our giveaway on Twitter and Facebook up to once per day – just make sure to let us know in the comments, that you did!
Entries accepeted through November 30th.

Have fun with Candy Land!

Our super sweet Candy Land party and a giveaway! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I’ve known the brand JumpStart since my 10 year old was about 4.   At about 4 years old I thought Sebastian was ready to play computer games so I went out to buy some and didn’t have much luck finding a game that he could navigate and play without having to use a mouse.. until I found JumpStart at Target.  I loved that Sebastian didn’t have to use the mouse to play JumpStart games.   I’ve been a fan of JumpStart games ever since.

JumpStart 3d virtual world

My 4 year old daughter recently started playing in the JumpStart.com 3d virtual world and has a blast.  She loves the character we created for her and is very proud of herself for using the keyboard to move through JumpStart’s virtual world.  Sebastian’s playing in the JumpStart online virtual world, next to me while I’m writing this and is saying things including “that was awesome”, “this is so cool”, and “mom you’ve got to look at this”.  Yes, those three things over and over.  Oh, and he just found another way to fly in the virtual world.  It doesn’t get more exciting than that!

He’s about to check out the Dragon Sanctuary, a place where kids can hatch, raise, train, then release their dragons.  Update: It’s the 2nd day Sebastian’s been playing JumpStart.com online virtual world games and he’s very excited that his dragon hatched.

Sebastian playing JumpStart online 3d virtual world game

JumpStart.com has online games for preschoolers to upper elementary grade kids.  JumpStart’s StoryLand is aimed at 3-5 year olds and for children in kindergarten to 2^nd grade, there is AdventureLand and MarineLand, an underwater adventure.   FutureLand is for kids from 3rd to 5th grade.  Both of my kids have fun on JumpStart.com and best of all, I can keep up with what they are doing and how they are progressing.  I don’t have to keep up with much for my 4 year old but Sebastian, 10, will play games for hours if I let him and it’s nice to see how and what he’s doing via a progress report area on JumpStart.

JumpStart Math Blaster CD game

JumpStart Mathblaster CD

Sebastian loves JumpStart’s Math Blaster CD game which is geared for kids ages 6 to 12.  Math Blaster: Master the Basics is a fast-action, futuristic adventure that adds up to total math success. From addition and subtraction to multiplication and division, children will build confidence, speed and accuracy in basic math skills that will stay with them long after their mission is complete.  Math Blaster: Master the Basics combines exciting, fast-action game play and state-standard math content, making it a fun game for kids but educational at the same time.  Who knew learning math could be fun? Sebastian learned a lot from Math Blaster last school year.  He was in need of some help with math during 4th grade and Math Blaster’s fun and entertaining games made learning math fun for him.. when I couldn’t.  I was having a hard time trying to figure out how to get him to learn more complicated math facts that he needed to learn and wasn’t picking up on but Math Blaster did the job.

JumpStart online games can be played on PC’s and Mac’s!

Where to find JumpStart

JumpStart.com website

JumpStart on Facebook

Follow JumpStart on Twitter

JumpStart is offering a lucky reader a 3-month JumpStart membership!  To enter to win, leave a comment below telling us why you want to win.

Entries accepted through August 26th, 2010

Open to U.S. residents over 18 years old.

You can also fill out this form to enter to win a 3 month membership for JumpStart

JumpStart Online 3D Virtual World + 3-Month Membership Giveaway! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I’m having a blast trying out new iPhone apps and what’s even better is that I get to watch my kids enjoy them too! Yes, I try apps for organizing, apps for recipes, apps for travel, but apps for the kids are the most fun because my kids are involved and I love to see their reaction and desire to play or watch them over and over again.  My kids are on iPhone time limits.  I don’t recommend handing your iPhone over to your kids and letting them have at it for hours. I think about 10 minutes at a time is plenty.

Animal Fun Time (iTunes link), brought to us by people operating technology, provides interactive musical on-screen flashcards featuring the animals as the stars. Promoting interactive see, touch & recognition skills, with bright colors and great sound effects, it’s the perfect app for a busy toddler AND for a busy parent who needs a busy toddler!

So what is Animal Fun Time? It is an app that teaches toddlers ages 3+ animal recognition as well as hand-eye coordination.  There are 5 animals on the screen at a time and your child must ‘press’ on the correct animal to move to the next screen. Kids are awarded with realistic (if not real) animal sounds and enthusiastic praise when he/she presses on the correct animal.

Madelyn, 3 years old, has a great time with Animal Fun Time. She loves to hear the noise each animal makes when she chooses the correct animal. The game is randomized so the game is never the same and thus your kids won’t get bored with it. Oh, and don’t worry, there’s no need for instructions so you can count on handing your iPhone over to your toddler to play Animal Fun Time and she’ll be on her way to a super fun time!

GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to people operating technology, we are giving 5 lucky readers their own free copy of Animal Fun Time!
1 entry: Just leave a comment below telling me why you want to win Animal Fun Time and/or tell us a funny story about your child and your iPhone.  Did something crazy happen when your kid had your iPhone?  Let us know!
2 extra entries: Click the green ‘retweet’ button to share this post with your Twitter friends then leave a comment below with your Twitter ID.
Entries accepted until August 25th, 2009.

[tweetmeme]

Animal Fun Time iPhone app review + 5 readers will get a free copy! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

KidZui is an Internet browser for kids that I recently installed on my laptop and my son’s laptop.  He totally LOVES KidZui.  He has access to his favorite games and virtual worlds like Club Penguin and is introduced to safe online games and educational websites that he might not have otherwise learned about and can even interact SAFELY with other KidZui members. No matter where a user is in KidZui, he/she can get back to the KidZui home screen, and lists of games, virtual worlds, educational sites, and more.  In other words, navigating KidZui is simple.

Great for kids ages 3-12, KidZui users (even non-members) can create their own Zui choosing a hairstyle, clothes, and even the shape of his eyes.  All of the options can make for a very interesting Zui!

KidZui is a stand alone Internet browser meaning that you do not have to have IE or Firefox open to access KidZui.

KidZui FEATURES FOR PARENTS:

• Parent Account access
• Find out what websites your child has been visiting
• E-mailed reports of your kid’s online activity
• Accounts include all the kids in your family – Sebastian and Madelyn have their own Zui’s
• Unlimited history of your kid’s activity – MEMBERS ONLY
• View your kid’s top interests by their online activity – MEMBERS ONLY
• Block individual websites – MEMBERS ONLY

KidZui FEATURES FOR KIDS

• Over a million pieces of content
• Express your style & create your own Zui
• Share your favorite content with friends
• Join the community & make parent approved friends
• Unlock over 100 new Zui clothes & accessories – MEMBERS ONLY
• Create your own channel with your favorite content – MEMBERS ONLY
• Unlock extra features by gaining levels – MEMBERS ONLY

GIVEAWAY!
We are giving 5 lucky readers a FREE KidZui Membership!
1 entry: Leave a comment below telling me why you want your own KidZui Membership and you are entered to win!
2 extra entries: Retweet this post using the green retweet button below then leave a comment below with your Twitter user name in the Twitter ID box so we know you ‘retweeted’ this post.  That’s it! [tweetmeme]

KidZui, the Internet for Kids + we are giving away 5 KidZui Memberships! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

ZulaWorld, a fun and educational online virtual world for kids ages 5 and up, is based on the PBS show The Zula Patrol.  In Zula World’s virtual world, kids can create their own avatar, fly their own spaceship, and discover for themselves that when it comes to science, exploring is never boring. Sebastian has found that there are endless possibilities when in Zula World and enjoys playing the games to earn Zlinkles to by stuff for his spaceship and pet Fweeble for example. Players can see other players and ask them pre-written questions such as “Want to play a game?”.  All ‘talking’ between members is via pre-written phrases so your kids are not at risk of reading anything inappropriate.

In ZulaWorld™, a user’s experience is full of discoveries and play that encourage and reward scientific thinking. They will play games, go on quests, and be assigned missions that reinforce and foster the development of their science, math, and critical thinking skills!

VIP Membership – As a Premium “Galactic” Member of ZulaWorld, you can:

• Create, accept and send Secret Handshakes to your friends
• Visit your friends inside their Spaceships
• Buy Premium items for your Alien and your Spaceship
• Fly your Spaceship to other worlds
• Buy a lot for your Spaceship in one of Zula’s Neighborhoods
• Wake up your Fweeeb from hibernation
• Play advanced games
• Accept and complete “missions

As a free member of ZulaWorld, you can:

• Create an Alien
• Build your own Spaceship
• Get your own communicator and stay in touch with your friends
• Accept Secret Handshakes from your friends
• Have Pet Fweebs to take care of
• Play entry level games and quests to earn Zlinkles(Ż)
• Buy upgrades to your spaceship (Sebastian has a moon patterned spaceship)

Learn more about and join ZulaWorld here.

GIVEAWAY!
We are giving away a VIP Membership to ZulaWorld.com to a lucky reader!  To enter, leave a comment below telling us why you want to win and the age of your child.  Contest ends August 15th, 2009.

ZulaWorld.com, an online virtual destination for kids ages 5+ is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!