Free Online Caillou Games

Posted on February 9, 2012 by KidZui

Although the television series Caillou came to an end in October 2010 after 15 years, the show still lives on in reruns and, of course, online games.

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If kids can remember a simple symbol each time they play, the Caillou site will track their achievements in each game.

Kidzui makes it easy to find and play these online Caillou Games with their free, kid-safe web browser.  By simply typing “Caillou” into the search box, your kids will find lots of free Caillou games to explore.

The ultimate online Caillou experience is the same at both Caillou.com and the PBS Kids site.  There’s an immersive online world that offers kids a chance to seemingly play alongside Caillou in games that are at first accessible for even the youngest computer users, but progress in difficulty to challenge older kids.

This online world is designed to provide an enjoyable and replayable experience for preschoolers.  Through the use of cookies the site will remember players who have come based on the symbol they chose.  This is important because completing each game lets kids earn different virtual Caillou figures based on the games they’ve played.

Each Caillou game starts out very easy, and then progresses in difficulty as kids play through.  This is great for kindergarteners, but could lead to frustration for younger kids.  The game offers a multi-colored star system, encouraging kids to try and complete each level in order to earn all three different-colored stars.

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Posted in Kids Online Games | Tagged caillou games, caillou games on nick jr, caillou games on pbs kids, caillou online games, free caillou games online, free caillou online games, free online caillou games, online caillou games, play caillou games | Leave a comment

Has Motherhood Stolen My Femininity?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by KidZui

So I’m at a birthday party for one of my son’s friends, and as we enter the room and I take a look around, I immediately want to go back home. Most of the other moms have actually made an effort to look nice. They’ve dressed a little fancier, they’ve styled their hair, and almost all of them have put on makeup. MAKEUP! What a concept! Foundation! Eye shadow! Mascara!

Why didn’t I think of doing this?

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Posted in Anecdotes | Tagged art of femininity, be more feminine, feminine blogs, feminine cultures, feminine fashion, feminine gestures, feminine issues, feminine posting, feminine posture, feminine spotting, feminineness, femininity, femininization, looking more feminine, pretty feminine clothes, traditional femininity | 3 Comments

Care Bears Free Online Games

Posted on February 3, 2012 by KidZui

The Care Bears, which started in the 80s as drawings meant for greeting cards, enjoyed a huge surge of popularity in the 80s, with a Saturday morning television show, collectible stuffed animals and even a feature film.  After more than a decade and half, they’ve re-emerged and can now be found once again starring in DVD movies, TV shows and more.

On the official Care Bears site, there are quite a few Care Bear free online games that are great choices for kindergartners and early-elementary aged kids.  The controls are simple, often requiring nothing more than a mouse click.  But even though it’s easy to control, the game play is challenging and fun, making Care Bear online games a great choice for kids looking for some easy fun online.

KidZui makes it easy to find Care Bears games, though, via KidZui’s free, kid-safe web browser by typing “Care Bears.”  A number of options will come up, any one of which will take you to the official Care Bears site.

Here, there are 11 different games to go along with other activities and videos.  One of the things that’s great about the games is that the rules are clearly laid out next to game play, with an icon that shows whether the mouse or buttons need to be used, and clear directions and hints.

Here’s a look at what you’ll find when you go to play Care Bears games online.

Follow Funshine

Jumping is all you’ll need to do to help Funshine run through each level to try and get all her Care Bear friends to follow along.  Each level is sort of like a puzzle, as kids will need to figure when to jump to be able to get to higher parts of the level.  We like this one as it’s got very easy controls but also offers a bit of a challenge.

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Each level requires a bit of strategy in order to collect all your Care Bear friends and items.

Cheer Bear’s Sweet Ride

Click the mouse or press the up arrow to help Cheer Bear jump on the skateboard to collect candy and other sweet prizes.  There’s one level and it takes about a minute, but kids are encouraged to play over and over to try and beat their high score.

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We love how the controls and hints are clearly visible next to the gameplay on the Care Bears games.

Summer Daze Maze

Help the Care Bears wander through the garden to collect hearts in order to regain their belly badge.  Each level features a different care bear, but similar game play – kids will need to use the arrow keys to avoid the clouds and collect hears.  When they collect all the hearts, their Belly Badges appear.  Think of this one as the Care Bear version of Pac-Man.

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Those clouds are actually on the move, and can be tough to avoid as you work through the maze.

Three For All

If Summer Daze Maze is like Pac-Man, then Three for All is the Care Bears version of Bejeweled.  Switch icons to try and get at least three in a row, but this version also features a Caring Meter that, when full, let’s players shift an entire row to try and align matches.  Each level is also a unique shape, too, which adds some nice variety to the game play.

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Three For All is a cute, easy, colorful puzzle game that’s great for kids.

Oopsy’s Bubble Bumpers

This simple game is super-easy to control, and is sort of like pinball.  Oopsy the Care Bear is in a bubble, and with a simple mouse click players can send her bouncing on the screen collecting points by gathering stars, rainbows and more.  As Oopsy falls and bounces downward, more bubble stations appear in which she can be re-launched in any direction.  At the bottom of the screen, different slots worth different point amounts are available.  The goal is to get the highest score possible after three levels.  Oopsy’s Bubble Bumpers is great, time-consuming fun that mixes simple controls with a dash of skill.

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Launch Oopsy like a pinball to gather as many items as possible.

Wingnut’s Metal Mix-up

This drag and drop puzzle in which players must put Wingnut the Robot back together is actually pretty difficult.  A 60 second time limit requires players to quickly be able to put each piece in the right place, and even though there are a few big ones, there are also quite a few tricky small ones.  Younger kids will get frustrated with this, but older kids will love racing against the clock trying to beat their best time.

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The one-minute time limit actually makes this puzzle game quite a challenge.

Belly Ball

In this cute game, players must catch a ball and throw it through a cloud hoop.  Kids will take turns with a computer opponent and the first to make three baskets wins.  Mouse movements help control where the shot starts, and a meter and directional arrow must be set in order to complete a shot.  It’s a sequence of controls that’s a bit advanced, and is better suited for kindergartners or early-elementary aged kids.

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Time your throw to make three hoops before your opponent.

In addition to these games, there’s also Puzzle Party, Care Bears Click & Color, and Road Trip Match Game, which provide kids with a chance to play a concentration-style memory game, print out coloring pages and put together online puzzles, respectively.

Did you play with Care Bears growing up and are now sharing the experiences with your kids?  Are there other things from your childhood you’d like to see make a comeback (where are the Shirt Tales animals, I wonder?).  Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you’re thinking.

Johner
Zui Gamer

Family Game Guy” Johner Riehl is the founder and editorial director of FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com and FamilyFriendlyApps.com, sites dedicated to offering families easy-to-understand information about family-friendly games and apps.  He lives in San Diego with his wife Christina and three sons.

Posted in Kids Online Games | Tagged care bears belly ball, care bears cheer bear's sweet ride, care bears click & color, care bears cooring games, care bears dress up games, care bears follow funshine, care bears free online games, care bears game, care bears games, care bears games for kids, care bears games online, care bears journey games, care bears journey games online, care bears online games, care bears oopsy's bubble bumpers, care bears puzzle party, care bears road trip match game, care bears summer daze maze, care bears three for all, care bears wingnut's metal mix-up, care-bears.com, carebears game, carebears online games, free care bears games, free online care bears games, free online games care bears, online care bears games | Leave a comment

Kids Valentines Day Snacks

Posted on February 1, 2012 by KidZui

spacer My kids come home every day from school starving.  Unlike most days though, I want to give them an extra special treat for Valentines Day, so I plan on having a special tray with these kids Valentines Day snacks ready for them.  With a few dollars and a couple hours of preparation, you can surprise your kids with these tasty Valentines day treats.

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Posted in Cooking & Recipes, Holidays | Tagged cute valentines day treats, easy valentines day treats, kids valenetines day snacks, kids valentine's day snacks, kids valentine's day treats, valentine desserts, valentine snack, valentine snack ideas, valentine snacks for kids, valentine sweets, valentines day desserts, valentines day recipes for kids, valentines day snack, valentines day snack ideas, valentines day snacks, valentines day sweets, valentines day treats, valentines day treats for kids, valentines desserts, valentines snacks, valentines sweets, valentines treats | 5 Comments

Sesame Street Online Toddler Games

Posted on January 30, 2012 by KidZui

Looking to play some Sesame Street online toddler games that are both fun and educational? Not surprisingly, Sesame Street’s official website is perhaps the best destination on the web for this.

spacer Finding the way to get to Sesame Street games is easy with KidZui’s free, kid-safe web browser.  Simply type “www.sesamestreet.org” or “Sesame Street” in the search bar to visit the official Sesame Street site at SesameStreet.org.

Here at the main Sesame Street website, you’ll find a place that was designed with preschoolers in mind.  A wonderful video introduction not only welcomes families to the site but also points out which colored buttons do which different thing.  This integration of video and real Sesame Street characters makes the experience seem like an extension of the television show.

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Posted in Kids Online Games | Tagged elmo sesame street games, free sesame street computer games for kids, free sesame street games, kids games sesame street, preschool games sesame street, sesame playlists, sesame street elmo guessing games, sesame street elmo live games for kids, sesame street english games, sesame street free games, sesame street games, sesame street games for preschoolers, sesame street games free online, sesame street games online, sesame street games preschool, sesame street internet games, sesame street online games, sesame street online toddler games, sesame street play along games and songs, sesame street sesame street games, sesame street toddler games, sesame street video games | Leave a comment

What to do with Broken Crayons

Posted on January 27, 2012 by KidZui
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They might look like a pile of unloved bits, but a new life awaits these misfits, and it only takes a few minutes.

I don’t think the sight of broken crayons bothers my kindergartener in the least bit. In fact, I think he’s just as happy to color with a linty stub as he is with a brand new pointy Crayola. He’s an equal-opportunity artist that way.

No, this project was more for me, while searching for an answer for what to do with broken crayons. Before I discovered the magic of recycling crayons, whenever I came across a broken piece, I’d toss it in the trash, trying to ignore the “tsk-tsk” of my conscience. Now, when I’m faced with a motley pile of crayon tips, middles, and ends, I see a rainbow of possibilities. What sort of orange will I get if I blend these reds with those yellows? Or, what a wonderful teal I could make with these here blues and those greens! It’s addicting! And best of all, it’s Green.

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Posted in Arts & Crafts | Tagged broken crayons, crayon crafts, crayon melting, crayon molds, crayon recycling, homemade crayons, how to make crayons, how to melt crayons, how to recycle broken crayons into new crayons, make crayons, making crayons, melted crayons, melting crayons, melting crayons to make new ones, recycle crayons, recycle old crayons, recycled crayons, recycling broken crayons, recycling crayons, recycling old crayons, uses for broken crayons, uses for old crayons, what to do with broken crayons | 2 Comments

What’s in a Name? KidZui Becomes Zui.com

Posted on January 25, 2012 by KidZui

spacer We’re excited to announce that KidZui has changed its name to Zui.com following the successful launch and continued growth of our kid-driven community.  We’ve been blown away by how quickly Zui.com has grown, and the Zui Team (formerly the KidZui Team!) has agreed that adopting the site’s name as our own will help our users better relate to us.  The Zui Team also sends its congratulations to our own Ryan Bettencourt, who has been promoted to President of Zui.com!

The KidZui browser remains near and dear to our hearts, and we are committed to continuing to offer the browser to families everywhere free of charge.  For more information on our name change, please read our official announcement below.

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Posted in KidZui | Tagged KidZui, Zui.com | 1 Comment