Entertainment

Disney War Horse Movie in Theaters Christmas Day

@Disney Dreamworks Epic film, War Horse, directed by Steven Spielberg will be in theaters Christmas Day, December 25th. Wow, this movie looks just amazing and is a must-see if ever there was one.

War Horse is a story of a boy named Joey who lived in Devon and had a horse named Joey. World War I saw his beloved horse sold to the cavalry and shipped overseas to use in the war effort. Albert cannot forget Joey, and, still not old enough to enlist in the army, he embarks on a dangerous mission to find and bring Joey home.

Watch the trailer for Disney’s War Horse below and see what I mean.

The War Horse Movie War Horse Soundtrack is available for $12.99 and the Paperback book for $8.99 on Amazon.

Please also note that WAR HORSE is rated PG-13 and not meant for young children.

The dramatic countryside of Dartmoor has inspired John Williams to compose a score of such beauty and quiet majesty that one might think the earth was speaking through him, much as the heavens have done for nearly five decades. When I first heard John s sketches of the four central themes for War Horse, I didn’t need my memories of the film to underscore the feelings I was having. The music was a stand-alone experience and it affected me deeply, as have so many of John s scores during our nearly 40-year collaboration. I feel that John has made a special gift to me of this music, which was inspired not only by my film but also by many of the picturesque settings of the poet William Wordsworth, whose vivid descriptions of the British landscape inspired much of what you are going to hear.

The cast includes David Thewlis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston and Peter Mullan.The film is produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, and executive produced by Frank Marshall and Revel Guest. Long term Spielberg collaborators Janusz Kamiński, Michael Kahn and John Williams have all worked on the film.

Largest National Family Game Day Coming November 12th

Join FamilyandPartyGames.com for the ALA National Gaming Day @ your library on November 12th to promote game play across thousands of American communities.

Communities across the United States are coming together in the spirit of play for the American Library Association’s Fourth Annual National Gaming Day @ your library, Nov. 12. This year’s event expects to draw more than 20,000 people, young and old, and will feature popular board games like Loaded Questions, Awkward Family Photos, The Greatest Day Ever Game and many classic board games as well.

Today, libraries are about more than just books. The goal of National Gaming Day is to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational and social value of all types of games.

“Playing games of all kinds at the library encourages patrons to interact socially with diverse peers, share expertise with others and develop new strategies for gaming and learning all while surrounded by a real world of knowledge,” said ALA president Molly Raphael.

Often video games are played at home, but playing them at the library makes it a more social experience that can be shared with their family and friends.

But, game play is much more than simply a means for families to connect and socialize. There are educational benefits for children who play casual games. When so many families are struggling and overwhelmed financially, games are a great alternative for families to play without much pay.

We look forward to a lot of laughter and memorable experiences on National Gaming Day.

To find gaming events in your community or for more information about National Gaming Day @ your library, please visit ilovelibraries.org/gaming.

Check out some of the gaming action from last year’s National Gaming Day event

National Gaming Day @ your library is an annual initiative supported by the American Library Association and 2011 Sponsor, FamilyandPartyGames.com, who has donated 3,000 copies of its bestselling titles, including Loaded Questions, Awkward Family Photos, The Greatest Day Ever Game and Loaded Questions Junior.

Source: The American Library Association

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 60,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. For more information on the American Library Association please visit ala.org.

Glee “Give a Note” Campaign Will Donate $1 Million to School Arts Programs

The GLEE Give a Note campaign will donate $1 million to school arts programs across the country. Eligible high schools are invited to submit videos about why their school deserves a grant at GleeGiveANote.com. In December 2011, after two rounds of voting, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will name the 73 schools that will receive grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.

High school students everywhere are encouraged to harmonize, boogie or conduct their submission in video form – the more creative, the better. On October 4, eligible entries will be posted on GleeGiveANote.com and put up for public vote for 30 days. A panel composed of NAfME members will conduct a final vote and the 73 winning schools will be notified in December. There will be three grand prizes of $50,000 each; 10 first prizes of $25,000 each; and 60 second prizes of $10,000 each.

“Millions of kids are attending schools where music programs have been cut. Each week, GLEE is sticking up for school music, giving a voice to students and teachers who understand that music is essential to a complete education,” said Michael A. Butera, executive director, National Association for Music Education. “Our organization is fighting every day to keep music in our schools so that every kid has the chance to experience it. With GLEE’s support of music education programs, millions of students won’t have to stop believing!”

“We are thrilled about the extraordinary success of Glee on DVD, as it is a true reflection of the fans appetite for this phenomenal series,” said Mary Daily, executive vice president for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. “One dollar for every Blu-ray and DVD sold with a $1 million dollar guaranteed donation will go towards saving music and arts programs in public schools through the Glee Give a Note Project.”

For more information, including official rules, visit GleeGiveANote.com. Glee: The Complete Second Season arrives on Blu-ray and DVD September 13, 2011

The Tuneables Educational Music DVD Set Review

Teaching the basics of music to children is important. The Tuneables CD/DVD set they will learn all about notes, beats, rhythm, and be introduced to classical music and instruments like the violin, clarinet, snare drum, cymbal, horn and piano to children ages 3 to 8. As children get older they are introduced to all kinds of music but often classical music is left out because it feels old, dull, and boring. The Tuneables DVD set changes all of that.

The DVD is a lot of fun. It is colorful and the music is fantastic. The main characters, Annie and Max, visit a music shop and are whisked away to Tuneville where they meet the characters – Mo, Gloria, Clara, Pete, Snare, and Sunny. The DVD is interactive and kids get to sing along and dance, march, clap, and move with the beat of the music.

The Tuneables teaches the “ABCs” of music learning to children in a fun and engaging way.

This focuses of The Tuneables is on four elements:

Tonal & Rhythm Patterns in Music
The Singing Voice
A Basic Repertoire of Music
Listening Skills

When you get to the main screen you can click Play and it will start at the beginning where the children visit the music shop and are introduced to the characters. Pick a Chapter to go from one section to another or click on individual Songs to skip around. Once your child goes through the entire storyline they will most likely have their favorites and want to jump right to it on the Songlist.

While the characters are singing they are also instructing the children to participate and occasionally real children join in so your child will feel like they are a part of a group. I really liked how they integrated animated characters with real children.

The companion has some of the music that is on the DVD but not all of the songs. It seems to have a little more classical music on it but it is a great companion CD that kids can take in the car and sing along or listen to. Because some of the songs are different they are getting even more to enjoy. All of the songs on the CD and DVD are original and a beautifully orchestrated. The quality is superb.

Visit thetuneables.com to joint The Tunies Club. On the Tuneables website kids can also be introduced to each character and print out a coloring page for each character.

If you have time and want to use the set to teach your child about music or you are homeschooling your children you can integrate the curriculum components including:

Moving to the beat (rhythm)
Learning two tonal patterns
Developing voice controls
Introducing tonal patterns within everyday sounds (raindrops)

Another goal of The Tuneables is to get kids to “hear it, do it, and name it”

I was really impressed with this set and think kids ages 3 to 8 will really enjoy it and learn a lot. I still remember when I was in 5th grade and an orchestra came to our school and taught us to listen to the different instruments within the musical piece and showed us how those instruments actually told a story. They painted a picture in my mind that has stayed with me all of these years. I think music is so important for children, for personal expression, enjoyment, and it nurtures our soul to lift our spirits. I was immediately impressed when I watched the Tuneables DVD and the music was a joy to listen to.

The Tuneables DVD/CD set is available for $29.99. The DVD is available alone for $19.99 and the Music Box CD is available for $14.99

The Tuneables is sponsored by the Music Intelligence Project

Check out one of the fun songs on the DVD.

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Disclosure: I am reviewing the The Tuneables DVD Set for Child’s Play/Team Mom. All opinions are my own and I was not paid for this review.

How to Save Money at Your Local Amusement Parks

Tickets for amusement and theme parks are pricey but here are some tips to help you cut costs, save money and time when visiting amusement and theme parks. There is always a way to not pay full price for tickets and have a fun day-trip in your local area.

Local Advertising: Look for discount codes on the side of soda cans, especially Coke, and on your fast food takeout bags. Also look in your local newspaper. If you don’t buy or subscribe to the newspaper go to the library and read the Sunday and mid week issues.

Local Grocery Store: Look for discount codes on the side of grocery store shopping bags. Many times local amusement parks will partner with the stores to give you discount throughout the Summer season.

Amusement Park Newsletters: Visit the amusement park website and look for discounts, special days of the week you can visit that have a discounted price, and also make sure to sign up for their newsletter. Many times they offer special discounts in their newsletter you won’t find on their website.

Buy Online: Buy your tickets online through the amusement park’s website. Many times the amusement park will have a discount if you make your purchase online.

AAA: Visit AAA.com and put in the zip code where the amusement park is located. AAA offers discounts to their card-holding members.

Local Library: Check your local library for discount passes. With just your library card you can check out the passes for the day and save big at the local amusement park.

Credit Card Companies: Check your credit card company’s website for discounts. Just like AAA, credit card companies offer discounts for amusement parks too.

Military Discounts: Are you a member of the military or even retired military? Amusement parks offer military discounts. All you have to do is ask.

Plan ahead. Most of these things take a few days to find so make sure you know when you are going so you can take a look around your local area for advertisements, grocery store savings, library savings, and other membership program savings.