When I wrote my review for Ralph Breaks the Internet , one of the points I highlighted was "Ralph and Vanellope have completely differe...

When I wrote my review for Ralph Breaks the Internet, one of the points I highlighted was "Ralph and Vanellope have completely different points of view when it came to the internet". I can say the same for parents and children. I know it is for me and my son.

Note: This post is in partnership with Walt Disney Animation Studios and Google’s Be Internet Awesome program. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

While my son is like Vanellope and has a "do all the things" type of view while being online, I tend to be Ralph-like and more "selective" with my internet usage. Why? Because while the internet of things is wonderful, if not used responsibly, it can quickly become an unsafe environment.

As a parent who's trying to manage how my son uses the internet, the news that Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Ralph Breaks the Internet is collaborating with Google’s Be Internet Awesome program to encourage the fundamentals of digital citizenship and online safety for kids is exciting.

Ralph Breaks the Internet | "We Are In The Internet" Clip



Like Ralph and Vanellope in Ralph Breaks the Internet, kids can find themselves in tricky situations when navigating the Web. So parents needs ways to help their children learn how to explore the online world with confidence....and safety.


To help me open a "internet safety" conversation with my son, I downloaded and printed the "Be Internet Brave and Strong" activity sheets. Being a tween, he's starting to use the internet as a social tool, so these two printable will guide him to keep his info safe and know what to do when something online is "inappropriate"

While I used these with my son, you can use any of these "Be Internet Awesome and Ralph Breaks the Internet" themed resources, including internet safety tips, downloadable activity sheets, and more.

To learn more, visit - www.beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/families



About Be Internet Awesome

Be Internet Awesome is Google’s multifaceted program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence. The free program is available in English and Spanish and consists of an ISTE standards aligned curriculum, ready-made Pear Decks for each lesson, Interland - an adventure-packed online game about digital safety and citizenship, and a family guide for families to continue the conversation at home.



About Ralph Breaks The Internet

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes the 2019 Oscar®-nominated, action-packed adventure Ralph Breaks the Internet.

In the hilarious, high speed sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, besties Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope risk it all by traveling to the expansive, fast-paced world of the internet in an attempt to save Vanellope’s game Sugar Rush. They’re in way over their heads, so they must rely on the citizens of the internet—including Yesss, the head algorithm and heart and soul of the trend-making site BuzzzTube, and Shank, a tough-as-nails driver from the gritty online auto-racing game, Slaughter Race—to help them navigate their way.

Ralph Breaks the Internet is now available instantly on Digital 4K Ultra HD/HD/SD and Movies Anywhere and physically on Blu-ray and DVD.

See more from Wreck-It Ralph:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/WreckItRalph
Twitter: www.twitter.com/wreckitralph
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wreckitralph

When you think of superheroes, a certain standard comes to mind. But really superheros can be anyone. Which is how it should be, and why I t...

When you think of superheroes, a certain standard comes to mind. But really superheros can be anyone. Which is how it should be, and why I took my son to see Jeffrey Veregge exhibit 'Of Gods and Heroes' at National Museum of the American Indian (NYC).

Besides being wonderfully colorful and featuring some of our favorite Marvel Superheroes (wakanda forever!), 'Of Gods and Heroes' introduces the viewers to American Indian themes and cultural graphics. Which I always think more people should know about.

The 'Of Gods and Heroes' exhibition features a new narrative creation by the Salish artist known for his bold blend of Northwest Coast formline and pop-culture figures. This site-specific work will include an epic battle between Marvel characters and aliens invading the streets of New York City.

The heroes are portrayed using traditional tribal motifs and phrases from the S’Klallam language.

“For thousands of years, Native and non-Native storytellers have used art as a means to share the tales of their people,” Veregge said. “For me, I am simply carrying on a tradition that started with my ancestors by using the means of today, and all its modern conveniences, to share the tales that I love. Art evolves, artist tools advance, but the essence of what I do is the same as those who created with the canvases nature provided to tell the stories of gods and heroes long, long ago.”

“Jeffrey Veregge: Of Gods and Heroes” opens Friday, Oct. 6, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center in New York. It will be on view through Oct. 13, 2019.

The exhibit itself isn't very large. It's just along two walls but I think it offers so much to look at, think about and discuss. My son enjoyed seeing the exhibit along with checking out the rest of the exhibits and activities inside the museum.

The National Museum of the American Indian has lots of family friends exhibits and programs including


Programs

Native Sounds Downtown! Garifuna Concert with James Lovell- Diker Pavilion

Thursday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m.

Cultural advocate and Garifuna historian James Lovell celebrates his Afro-Indigenous heritage in concert. Joined by dynamic percussionists and dancers, Lovell offers his knowledge and talent through music and conversation in honor of Black History Month. This concert is presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Latino Center


The Art of Storytelling with Darren Thompson - Rotunda

Thursday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23, 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Storyteller Darren Thompson (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe) shares the traditions and culture of his Ojibwe community through stories and flute music.

Exploring Art + Technology Labs: - imagiNATIONS Activity Center Classroom

Exploring Art + Technology Labs are hands-on workshops focused on Indigenous innovations. Join us in the imagiNATIONS Activity Center every first and third Saturday of the month to tinker, make, learn, and create! Recommended for ages 9 and up. Themes and projects change every month. Please check our website for updates.


imagiNATIONS Activity Center - First Floor
Open daily 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

In this family-friendly, interactive space, visitors of all ages can explore Native scientific discoveries and inventions so ingenious many continue to affect the modern world. This exploration is made even more fun by solving puzzles, performing experiments, and playing computer simulations.

Culture Connections - Second floor galleries
Monday–Friday, 2–4 p.m.

Touch, investigate, inquire and learn. Objects and images tell profound stories. Join Cultural Interpreters as they share objects and narratives in our galleries. Gain a deeper understanding of history, culture and art from hundreds of Indigenous nations in North, Central and South America

Tours

Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House Tour - Second Floor; meet at the Information Desk.
Mondays through Thursdays, Sundays 2 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, noon

A museum ambassador provides visitors a tour of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, home of the George Gustav Heye Center—the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. Tour highlights include a discussion of the history of the site, information about architect Cass Gilbert and viewings of the Collectors Office with its Tiffany woodwork, Reginald Marsh murals and the 140-ton rotunda dome, designed and built by Rafael Gustavino.


Infinity of Nations Tour - Second Floor; meet in the Great Hall. Tour takes place in the South Gallery.
Mondays, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Wednesdays and Saturdays, 1 p.m.
Sundays, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.

A 45-minute tour of Infinity of Nations: Art and History in the Collections of the National Museum of the American Indian. This permanent exhibition of some 700 works of Native art from throughout North, Central and South America demonstrates the breadth of the museum's renowned collection and highlights the importance of many of these iconic objects.

To learn more about National Museum of the American Indian New York, visit - www.americanindian.si.edu

Facebook - www.facebook.com/NationalMuseumoftheAmericanIndian
Twitter - www.twitter.com/AmerIndianNYC
Instagram - www.instagram.com/smithsoniannmai

The upcoming "T. Rex: The Ultimate Predator" exhibit will introduce visitors to the entire tyrannosaur family and reveal the amazi...

The upcoming "T. Rex: The Ultimate Predator" exhibit will introduce visitors to the entire tyrannosaur family and reveal the amazing story of the most iconic dinosaur in the world through fossils and casts, life-sized models, engaging interactives, and a virtual reality experience.

In collaboration with HTC VIVE, the Museum will present its first interactive, multi-player virtual reality experience. Visitors will team up to build a T. rex skeleton bone by bone and then watch as it comes to life in what is now Montana, as it was 66 million years ago.

The full tyrannosaur story includes dozens of different species and spans over 100 million years of evolution, with T. Rex appearing only at the very end of that period. Early species were small and fast, likely avoiding confrontations with larger dinosaurs.

So how did mega-predators like T. rex evolve from such humble origins? How did T. rex grow so quickly in adolescence, ballooning from the size of a chicken to the size of a truck in just 21 years? And what kind of super sensory skills and traits did it use to become such an efficient killer?

T. rex: The Ultimate Predator addresses these questions with life-sized reconstructions of tyrannosaurs at various life stages, large-scale video projections, and more.


What Did a Baby T. rex Look Like? Find out in T. rex: The Ultimate Predator (Opens 3/11)


Exhibit highlights include:

• Encounter a massive life-size model of a T. Rex with patches of feathers as well as reconstructions of a fluffy, helpless T. rex hatchling and a four-year-old juvenile T. rex.
• A “roar mixer” where visitors can imagine what T. rex might have sounded like by blending sounds from other animals. 
• A shadow theater where a floor projection of an adult T. rex skeleton will come to life.
• A magnetic wall where visitors will be tasked with placing various tyrannosaur family members in the correct time period. 
• They will also encounter a life-sized animation of T. Rex in the Cretaceous and explore real data from fossil specimens, CT scans, and microscope images at a tabletop Investigation Station.

T. rex: The Ultimate Predator will be open to the public starting Monday, March 11, 2019. Members will be able to preview the exhibition starting on Friday, March 8, through Sunday, March 10.

Admission to the Museum and the exhibition is $28 for adults, $22.50 for students and seniors, and $16.50 for children (ages 2–12).

For tickets, call 212-769-5200 or visit www.amnh.org

On Facebook - www.facebook.com/naturalhistory
On Twitter - www.twitter.com/AMNH
On Instagram - www.instagram.com/AMNH

Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) popular, interactive digital arts showcase TEKNOPOLIS returns on Feb 23 through Mar 10, with new programs ...

Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) popular, interactive digital arts showcase TEKNOPOLIS returns on Feb 23 through Mar 10, with new programs designed to inspire creativity, connect with the future, and embolden a renewed sense of play for all ages.

This year’s highlights offer the latest in technology-fueled art and participatory environments, featuring work by leading artists and technologists, including Zach Lieberman, Molmol Kuo, Gilles Jobin, Cabbibo, and Daily tous les jours.

The three-week-long digital arts playground will offer two different experiences: Teknopolis™ and Teknopolis™ + VR, allowing visitors to choose according to digital features and age-appropriate experences.

Teknopolis 2019 at BAM


The new Teknopolis™ + VR experience, allows visitors full access to the digital arts showcase throughout the entire BAM facility in two-hour timed-entry sessions.

In addition to the main and lower-lobby level installations, Teknopolis™ + VR participants will have exclusive access to try a selection of immersive VR and 360° films in small groups—open to ages 9+—located on the upper levels of the BAM Fisher.


The 90-minute experience commences in the Fishman Space with six motion-based and touch-based installations curated by Brooklyn artists Molmol Kuo and Zach Lieberman, co-founder of the creative software openFrameworks, and other collaborators.

Schedule and Ticket Infomation

Teknopolis™ 2019
BAM Fisher (321 Ashland Pl)
Sat, Feb 23 & Sun, Feb 24; Thu, Feb 28—Sun, Mar 3; Thu, Mar 7—Sun, Mar 10

Teknopolis
$16 for children (Ages 6—14)
$21 for adults

Teknopolis™ + VR
$35 for children (Ages 9—14)
$45 for adults

Each person must have a ticket to be admitted, regardless of age. Children under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information call 718.636.4100 or visit www.bam.org/kids

When I saw the package with the "Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch" Blu-ray/ DVD, I was so excited. We really enjoyed seeing the film in theat...

When I saw the package with the "Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch" Blu-ray/ DVD, I was so excited. We really enjoyed seeing the film in theaters and looked forward to seeing it home, now with all the behind the scenes bonus features.

Note: I received bluray/dvd for review purpose. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.


But since we had a few hours before family movie night, I thought we'd enjoy a few "Grinchy" activities, including learning how to draw a Grinch (and other characters), word puzzles and coloring sheet.

You can download the activities sheet here - https://we.tl/t-iepj6vS9IN

We learned lots of cool tricks while watching the video drawing tutorial on - www.anywhocandraw.com

I wasn't sure how easy the kids would be able to follow but they did well. The kids liked the side by side comparisons since it helped them with drawing their own Grinch.

By then, it was time for family movie night. So we all gathered around and watched The Grinch on Blu-ray/DVD. The kids enjoyed watching The Grinch try to take over the holidays and enjoyed the movies message of friendship and being kind.

"Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch" movie releases on 4K Ultra HD, 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on February 5, 2019.

From Illumination and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, the film is based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved tale about a cynical grouch who goes on a mission to steal Christmas from others, only to feel his own heart grow three sizes larger through unexpected friendships.

The new home entertainment edition contains more than 60 minutes of bonus content, including three mini-movies. It also includes stunning featurettes, a how-to-draw tutorial and much more.

Narrated by Grammy Award ® winner and Oscar ® nominee Pharrell Williams, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch stars Academy Award ® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange, “Sherlock”) as the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpit with only his loyal dog, Max, for company.

The incredible voice cast includes Rashida Jones (“Parks and Recreation,” The Muppets) as Donna Who, Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”) as Bricklebaum, Cameron Seely (The Greatest Showman) as Cindy-Lou Who, and featuring legendary actress Angela Lansbury (Anastasia, Beauty and the Beast) as the mayor of Whoville.


BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO 4K ULTRA HD, 3D BLU-RAY, BLU-RAY and DVD:

• Who's Who in Who-ville (interactive map) - There are so many interesting characters that call Who-ville home that it’s hard to keep track of them all. This “Who’s Who” pop-up book uses animation to create a virtual storybook that takes us from Who-ville to Mt. Crumpit.

• "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" Lyric Video – Tyler, The Creator puts a modern spin on the Seussian Christmas classic.

MINI-MOVIES ON 4K ULTRA HD, 3D BLU-RAY,  BLU-RAY, DVD & DIGITAL:

• Yellow is the New Black – Before they all make their big escape from prison in Despicable Me 3, a couple of lucky Minions get a taste of freedom as they break free with the help of one of their fellow human inmates.

• Dog Days of Winter – Max braves the harsh winter weather and an uncooperative Who to bring a sick Grinch his favorite hot tea.

• Santa's Little Helpers – Fan favorites – the Minions – are back for another adventure! Having been accidently dropped off at the North Pole, our Minion pals make the most of the situation by trying to become elves.

BONUS FEATURES ON 4K ULTRA HD, 3D BLU-RAYTM, BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL:

• The Making of the Mini-Movies - Mini in size but not in heart, these short films are fan favorites. From the Grinch and Max to the Minions – you’ll explore the themes of each of the mini-movies through the eyes of the filmmakers who made them.

• From Green to Screen - It takes a lot to bring grumpy green to your home screen. This inside look at the making of Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch features interviews and behind-the-scenes moments with the cast, filmmakers and artists whose hearts have all grown three sizes bringing this classic tale to life.

• Illuminating THE GRINCH - Using filmmaker and cast interviews, concept art and progression reels, we take a behind-the-scenes look at how the characters evolved from initial sketches to fully realized characters.

• My Earliest GRINCH Memories - The cast and filmmakers of Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch reveal their earliest memories of the grumpy green character and the enduring appeal of this Christmas curmudgeon’s journey to redemption.

• Grinchy Gadgets - From his body-size blow dryer to his moving mechanical chair, from his catapult to his dog drone-rig and more… you’ll get to explore the wondrous world of Grinch’s gadgets.

• "I Am The Grinch" Lyric Video - A stylized look at Tyler, The Creator’s original song created just for the film.

• Songs From His Little Heart - Take a deep dive into the toe tapping beats of Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch. From score to specialty songs, you’ll hear from the film’s A-list musicians on what it took to create the music behind the movie.

• X-mas Around the World - Every culture practices Christmas in a slightly different way. We’ll highlight some of the more fun permutations of the holiday around the globe.

• Cindy-Lou's Yule Log - Nothing says the holidays quite like an animated fireplace blasting fake heat from your living room television. Just in time for winter, we’ll recreate Cindy-Lou’s living room on Christmas Eve for all to enjoy.

• Production Babies - A celebration of the babies born to the filmmakers during the production of Illumination’s Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch.

• Any Who Can Draw - Hosted by an Illumination artist and head of story Mark O'Hare, you’ll see step-by-step how to draw some of your favorite characters from this beloved holiday classic; Grinch, Max and Fred!

To learn more, visit - www.uni.pictures/TheGrinch