My kids and I loved this game… we played it again and again all week long. Sure, it made our brains twist a little, but who doesn’t love challenging their loved ones in a friendly setting?
Mastermind is like the new-age Battleship. A codemaker will set any code of four colored pegs and hide it behind a pop-up shield. The codebreaker’s mission is to crack the code in 10 moves or less. After each guess, the codemaker will use red and white pegs to offer clues as to whether the codebreaker is getting warmer or cooler. With six different colored pegs and an ability to double the color in a code, no one game can be the same; the kids can never get bored!
Not only is this game conveniently packaged with a storage spot for all the pieces, it is rather quiet. My kids went back and forth switching roles as codemaker, the person who creates the pattern, and codebreaker, the player who tries to solve the pattern, for hours.
I also loved the educational piece to this game. It really stimulated my kids to come up with different problem-solving methods. Mastermind is great for honing logic and deductive reasoning skills, as it teaches the children to think outside the box, assess situations and try different approaches.
I would definitely recommend Mastermind as you plan your next family game night! It is available at Target, Toys R Us, Walmart, Kohl’s and Amazon for an affordable price of $15.99.
Insideout is a movie for the whole family. “This one has all the feels” as Marc walked out of the theater saying. Literally each character is a feeling and emotionally they do their job making you feel happy, sad, fear and anger throughout the movie. Also fun is the initial sighting of the secret character who is originally a silly drawing on the wall that almost goes unnoticed until half way through when he comes to life as Riley’s imaginary friend Bing Bong. Best of all the ah-ha moment where the golden lesson is taught to kids. This film teaches that life has some hard times and sadness is ok. Better still that sadness helps you find your happiness. Definitely take your little ones to see it and the 3D is worth it with the great colors and characters really popping out at you!
The world is turned upside down when one of the world’s greatest super heroes – Batman – finds himself under attack by his own son in the newest DC Universe Original Movie – Batman vs. Robin. This all-new original film arrives April 14, 2015 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-Ray™ Deluxe Edition, Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. The brand-new product offering, Blu-ray™ Deluxe Edition, will include the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack, along with a Batman figurine in a gift set.
Batman vs. Robin will be available on Blu-rayTM Deluxe Edition for $29.96, Blu-rayTM Combo Pack for $24.98 SRP and on DVD for $19.98 SRP. The Blu-rayTM Combo Pack includes a digital version of the movie on Digital HD with UltraViolet.* Fans can also own Batman vs. Robin in Digital HD on April 14 via purchase from digital retailers.
The shadows of Gotham City are no place for a child but Damian Wayne is no ordinary child. Now bearing the mantle of Robin, he blazes a headstrong and sometimes reckless trail alongside his father, Batman. While investigating a crime scene, Robin encounters a mysterious figure, Talon, who leads him on a life-altering course through the depths of Gotham’s secret society, known as The Court of Owls. It’s a dangerous journey that will force Batman and Robin to face their most dangerous adversary, each other! Based on the #1 best-selling graphic novel, Batman: The Court of Owls, this action-packed caper is one that fans won’t want to miss!
Television stars Jason O’Mara (Terra Nova) and Stuart Allan (Son of Batman) reprise their roles as the voices of Batman/Bruce Wayne and Robin/Damian, respectively. Adding to the celebrity-laden voice cast is Jeremy Sisto (Law & Order) as Talon, Sean Maher (Serenity) as Nightwing, and Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Thomas Wayne.
BLU-RAY AND DVD BONUS CONTENT
Batman vs. Robin Blu-rayTM and Blu-rayTM Deluxe Edition contain the following special features:
Gotham’s City Secret: The Mythic Court of Owls – The Court of Owls is the secret society that directly connects the past of Gotham to the current city. Are they silent guardians that are the noble benefactors or are they the malevolent force that manipulates a city toward their grand design?
Talons of the Owl – If the Owls are the masterminds, their instruments of destruction are their assassins. Appropriately called The Talons, these warriors are designed to carry out the will of the Owls.
Batman Vs. Robin Audio Commentary
A Sneak Peak at Justice League: Gods & Monsters – An advance look at the next DC Universe Original Movie with the creators and cast.
Bonus cartoons from the DC Comics Vault
Batman vs. Robin DVD contains the following special features:
A Sneak Peak at Justice League: Gods & Monsters – An advance look at the next DC Universe Original Movie with the creators.
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
Batman vs. Robin will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Target Ticket, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting April 14, Batman vs. Robinwill also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
For the better part of least the last 35 years my family has been venturing to the theme parks of Central Florida. As the father of two Lego-obsessed boys ages 3 and soon to be 7 who loved the Yonkers New York LEGOLAND Discovery Center we were excited to check out LEGOLAND Florida Resort for the first time for Dada Rocks.
Sandwiched between trips to Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios Florida we packed up the grandparents and our kids into our rental minivan and headed Southwest from Orlando to Winter Haven, Florida home to LEGOLAND Florida Resort, which was built beside the old Cypress Gardens Botanical Gardens site. After meeting friends with a 10 month-old daughter and super hero and Lego loving 4-year boy old we ventured into the park past the soon to open LEGOLAND Hotel Opening Summer 2015.
When you enter the park you are soon met with some cool Lego retail spaces one aptly named the BIG Store, a theater and some go to eating spots the highlighted by the cafeteria style Market Restaurant. From the park’s entrance you enter Fun Town which is highlighted by a double decker carousel fun for younger kids called The Grand Carousel. Once past the Grand Carousel you enter the newly opened Duplo Valley. The four year olds in our group particularly loved the DUPLO Tractor ride, the DUPLO Train and the DUPLO Tot Spot. This area of the park seemed especially fun if it was a warmer day. The day we visited was overcast and in the 70s with monsoon like rains forecasted for the afternoon, but we’ll get to that later.
From Duplo Valley we headed into the World of Chima. Amidst the World of Chima you’ll find an absolute can’t miss water ride called the Quest for CHI that allows you to fire water cannons from a moving boat and at sometimes unsuspecting patrons walking by the ride. This ride is especially a blast for Parents and kids looking for an excuse to shoot their kids or parents with a water cannon. My Friend Mark and I both in our latter 30s particularly had a blast spraying water at my almost 70 year old dad and kids with Mark’s four year old son Alex. Had it been a warmer day I personally could have spent hours on this ride. For parents this is also a great source of fun payback should your kids misbehave on the ride down to Orlando.
From this “area of parental awesome” you enter a medieval section of the park called Lego Kingdoms that features some very fun rides for kids including the Royal Joust ride that simulates riding a horse in a joust. The cute factor on this ride is out of control and a must photograph moment. Lego Kingdoms also features the first of four roller coasters called the Dragon ideal for older kids and adults.
From Lego Kingdoms you enter the Land of Adventure where you encounter a very, very cool looking dinosaur themed wooden roller coaster called Coastersaurus. However just as we were pondering a ride on The Dragon or Coastersaurus the heavens opened up and we chose lunch instead.
For lunch we doubled back to the cafeteria-like Marketplace Restaurant. We found the food in the park to be relatively healthy and reasonably priced, featuring some different food options like Asian stir fry, roasted chicken and build your own milkshake bar. Marketplace was also a great place to ride out the rain because it featured a play area where the kids played Legos as the adults enjoyed dessert and a coffee.
Freshly refreshed and caffeinated we ventured out into the monsoon like conditions into Miniland, which is the absolute can’t miss part of the park. In Miniland you and your family you can check out Lego Star Wars worlds and figures, and an interactive Kennedy Space Center, Daytona Speedway, the Las Vegas Strip, Manhattan skyline, Washington DC, South Beach, San Francisco Bay Area, Hollywood and more, all made out of Legos. The artistry and imagination in this part of the park is on par or better than with just about anything else you’ll see in a theme park in Central Florida.
From Miniland you enter our favorite part of the park: Lego City. In Lego City you can take in theme park shows like the NFPA Big Test live show, the very cool Boating School boat ride, and the junior and regular Ford Driving School which allows younger kids the experience of driving a small car and allows older kids to get a kids drivers license equipped with a photo. The Ford Driving School turned out to be my 7 year old son’s favorite part of our 10 day Florida vacation.
Also in Lego City you can check out a very cool family friendly NFPA Rescue Academy fire truck ride where two family members pump a lever first to move the fire truck and then to pump water while the kids get to work a hose and put a fire out. This ride gives even the most physically fit parents a work out and it is highly competitive even in a driving rainstorm.
From Lego City the natural progression of the park takes you to either two more roller coasters: Project X and Flying School, two cool looking water rides, the old Cypress Gardens Botanical Gardens or a Pirate Cove themed water skiing show that looks straight out of Jaws 3. However due to the monsoon like conditions we chose about an hour’s worth of indoor Imagination Zone time where we created and raced our own Lego race car and built an earthquake proof Lego building. In particular the Imagination Zone employees were especially happy and helpful and the Imagination Zone is very similar to some of the experiences our kids loved about the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Yonkers, New York.
Some other tips and highlights for parents:
Our friend was nursing and she noted that the nursing facilities were on par or better than some of the larger parks.
Parking is plentiful and easily accessible without a tram, boat ride or navigating a parking garage.
For the trip from Orlando to Winter Haven we’d recommend playing the Lego Movie for your kids. The trip from Orlando typically allows for you to watch half the movie going to the park and half the ride going home.
While I’d say LEGOLAND is a can’t miss for families with kids from 4 to 12, I was surprised at all the park had to offer for teenagers and adults.
Since LEGOLAND isn’t in Orlando the crowds tended to be smaller and the wait times less. This was a welcomed departure from Magic Kingdom and Universal where I spent most of the day monitoring our fast pass, checking wait times and looking at apps versus spending time with the family.
In conclusion, “Everything is Awesome” about LEGOLAND Resort Florida except the monsoon like rain we encountered and my family and I would strongly recommend making the trip down to Winter Haven, especially on a day where you could check out the Water Park or the new hotel. I would also go as far as to say it’s an absolute can’t miss if you have a Lego obsessed child under the age of 12. For my 4 and almost seven-year old boys it had more to offer than Universal and was on the same excitement as Magic Kingdom.
Looking for something to “Yabba-Dabba-Doo” together with your kids? Check out The Flintstones and WWE’s all-new animated film, The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown, co-produced by WWE® Studios and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Timed to debut leading into WrestleMania 31, this all-new original movie is available on DVD, Blu-ray Combo, and Digital HD for the first time tomorrow– March 10, 2015! Rated the #2 greatest cartoon of all time by TV Guide, the Flintstones’ return to the center ring will be sure to deliver high-octane action for fans of all ages, bringing parents who grew up with The Flintstones and kids who love WWE together like never before! The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown will be available on Blu-ray Combo, DVD and Digital HD.
Perfect for kids who have older siblings that love WWE, this all-new, original movie brings some of WWE’s toughest, wildest superstars to Bedrock for an awesome crossover with some of the most iconic and popular cartoon characters of all time– The Flintstones! When Fred loses his family’s vacation money, he hatches one of his hair-brained plans to get it back. It’s a sports entertainment spectacle that involves throwing his best bud, Barney into the wrestling ring with the likes of John Cenastone (John Cena), Marble Henry (Mark Henry) and even The Undertaker, with Fred himself as event promoter! The crowds roar, the “clams” are pouring in from ticket sales and even Mr. McMagma (Vince McMahon) is taking notice of all the hoopla. Can Fred keep serving up bigger and badder matches or is he in for the rocky ride of his life? Including all-star appearances from The Boulder Twins (Brie and Nikki Bella) and Daniel Bry-Rock (Daniel Bryan), it’s time to get the whole family together for a collection of hard-hitting, side-splitting laughs from the most epic event in all of prehistory!
The movie is a fun and exciting mashup of the classic Flintstones characters we all know and love with some of WWE’s biggest names– it’s a joy for kids and parents alike to see these worlds collide. The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown has become an instant classic in our house (Marc LOVED the movie and we can’t stop watching it!) and I’m sure it will in yours too, especially if you’re big fans of The Flinstones or WWE!
“The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown” will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Target Ticket, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting March 10, “The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown” will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
My six and half year old son loved the movie… sure at some point he leaned over to me and said “HEY you sing that cheesy song in the car!”. I don’t get who watches a kids movie and reviews it as if it needs to entertain a 40 year old. I certainly don’t… this movie was 100% for the kids!
Blending a catalog of over 400 songs that were recorded – this is a rock opera for kids. My son was grooving in his seat. Whats not to enjoy – there are princesses and sword fights and singing… YES its a musical.
As the credits rolled my son had really enjoyed the movie – so for kids its a must see… this was 15 years in the making this movie designed for 6-12 year olds I think that some of the concepts wont really be understood by the under 5 crowd but they’ll still enjoy it.
There are really great concepts in the plot like never judging a book by its cover, looks are only skin deep, and sometimes you need to be you instead of what everyone else expects you to be.
I really want to highlight the fact that my son loved this movie even though its totally about fairies and princesses… there is enough there that boys will enjoy the movie too.
Visually stunning this movie delivers exactly what you would expect from George Lucas.
The voice cast includes: Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Rudolph, Sam Palladio, Meredith Anne Bull, Alfred Molina, Elijah Kelley, Bob Einstein, Peter Stormare. Be sure to check out my Strange Magic Press Junket interviews here.
STAY IN YOUR SEATS AS THERE IS AN AFTER CREDIT SCENE! (well more during the middle of the credits but still theres a scene none the less)
Inside
