HomeAbout Me & PoliciesBook Reviews by TitleAuthor Interview IndexProduct ReviewsAwards

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

GiantMicrobes: Making it Fun and Easy to Learn About Tiny Microbes

It is so hard to teach young kids about the things they can't see: germs, viruses, micro-organisms, etc, but GIANT Microbes takes the mystery out of these hard-to-see things and makes them squeezable, fun and educational.  Well, fun to learn about.  Somehow I don't think E-Coli will be fun any other way!

The kids and I have had some fun over the past week playing with our little Bioluminescent Sea Sparkle, which in short, is the micro-organism that serves as a tiny little night-light in the ocean.  Both boys love the stuffed toy, but our almost-six year old really loved hearing about the facts, which spurred some fun ocean-themed conversations and some reminiscing about our last trip to the Seattle Aquarium.

The label the the Sea Sparkle came with is invaluable.  It gives the common name, the scientific name (in this case: Noctiluca scintillans), a real image of the cell and shows the size of the cell (in this case, a little smaller than a pin-head).  When you open the card, it explains the facts of the little guy.


The inside label reads:  FACTS: When you go to the beach or bay at night and see tiny sparkles of light coming from the water, it isn't your imagination.  It's Noctiluca! From the Latin for "night light," Noctiluca are also known as Sea Sparkle.

These tiny dinoflagellates float beneath the surface of the ocean by the millions.  When they are disturbed, they glow and produce bright flashes of light.  This glow is called "bioluminescence," and in the ocean it is usually greenish or blue, as these colors travel well through the water.

[That is just a snippet from the first two paragraphs taken from the Sea Sparkle tag]

Our Sea Sparkle comes from the Aquatics line, which is made up of eleven different microbes.  Sea Sparkle can be bought as the original plush toy that we have, or a Petri Dish that contains three small Sea Sparkles.

As a parent, I love that this is a fun and educational toy that spurred questions and conversations surrounding Ocean Life.  I can also see these little stuffed toys being great tools for teachers, doctors and educational presenters (zoo presentations, aquarium presentations, etc).  These are a great way to take the mystery out of the common cold, little tiny creatures, and some of the other little things we just can't see.

In addition to these great educational toys, GIANT Microbes also has a line of ties, mugs and ornaments.

Bioluminescent Sea Sparkle  
by GIANT Microbes 

$8.95
Find them on: Website, Facebook, Twitter

Edition Reviewed: Sea Sparkle stuffed toy - Review sample received courtesy of GIANT Microbes in coordination with a review campaign through Karma Media Team!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Dreamworks How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular is HERE in Seattle THIS WEEK (Get 25% off Tickets Thurs/Fri)


The Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular is here at the Tacoma Dome tomorrow!!!!!  Haven't got your tickets yet but still want to go?  Read on and see how you can save 25% if you go tomorrow or Friday...  But don't wait too long, the show is only here from December 6th through December 9th!

The live show was inspired by the movie How To Train Your Dragon, which is a favorite here in our house (as well as the cartoon spin-off on the Cartoon Network).  The show brings to life your favorite dragons and characters, and includes 13 dragons (some of which fly and breathe fire).  

The other day I saw an interview one of our local news shows did with the characters, and I can't wait to see the show!!

Visit the Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon Live website special things like how the dragons were made, have a sneak peek at the show and get some behind the scenes information.



Description: (From Dreamworks)
Barely contained within the arena, the production utilizes the full venue, maximizing every dimension of performance space to transport audiences into a mythical world of fire-breathing dragons who soar overhead at great speeds. The state-of-the-art animatronic technology and large-scale cinematic projections interact seamlessly with the live actors to bring the story to life.

The show features 23 dragons, some with wingspans of up to 46 feet, Viking warriors and world-class circus artists and acrobats, to perform against a state-of-the-art, wall-to-floor immersive projection measuring more than 20,000 square feet.

Produced by DreamWorks Animation, RZO Dragon Productions and Global Creatures, the masterminds behind Walking with Dinosaurs, proudly presented by S2BN Entertainment.
Showtimes: 
Thursday Dec. 6th: 7:00 PM
Friday Dec. 7th: 7:00 PM
Saturday Dec. 8th: 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM
Sunday Dec. 9th: 1:00 PM, 5:00 PM

Tickets:
Tickets start at $21.50 on Thursday Dec. 6th and go up to $269 for the "Meet The Dragons" Experience, which includes a behind the scenes tour, special meet and greet, pictures in costume with a special How To Train Your Dragon backdrop, VIP parking, a VIP gift bag and more.  Use the special discount code MOM and save 25% on your tickets Thursday and Friday - hope to see you there!

Visit Ticketmaster to get your tickets.


Disclosure: I am excited to share the Dragons experience with you. I'm posting a series of posts in exchange for tickets to the show on opening night.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 

Web Site Hit Counter
Amazing Counters