"Get Ready For Kindergarten Month" with Dinosaur Train - GIVEAWAY

We're nearly finished filling my daughter's backpack with all the supplies she'll need for kindergarten. (The last item we need to find is a pack of feathers. Wonder what they'll use that for?) For the most part, I'm confident she's prepared. She can write her name, knows all her letters and numbers, and is just starting to read on her own.

Choo! Choo! Chomp! Even though I coordinate our school's science fair, science is a subject that we haven't spent a lot of time on yet at home. However, my daughter has learned a few things through watching shows like The Jim Henson Company's Dinosaur Train on PBS. The show encourages basic scientific thinking and skills as well as discussing various dinosaurs, life science, natural history and paleontology. Both my kids like watching Buddy the Tyrannosaurus Rex travel on the dinosaur train with his adoptive Pteranodon family. Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous - I can barely say those words but thanks to the show my children can easily recite them along with spouting out other interesting dinosaur facts.

The PBS website also contains a lot of wonderful content useful in helping to prepare pre-schoolers for school. Several fun scientific activities can be found on the DINOSAUR TRAIN website for parents and teachers http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/activities/ or http://www.pbs.org/teachers/dinosaurtrain/lessonplans/. Here are a few but make sure to click on the links above for more:

• A Colorful Hypothesis: help your child understand and apply the term "hypothesis"
  
• Dinosaurs A to Z - learn the alphabet letters and memorize some dinosaur names from A to Z
  
• Dinosaurs of a Feather - all about bird feathers
  
• Make a Dragonfly - learn basic insect anatomy by creating a model of a dragonfly
  
• Homemade Fossils - learn what fossils are and create a model of a fossil
  

Several new DINOSAUR TRAIN themed products are hitting the shelves this fall, including a few children's books! Here is a preview of a few of the new items available for purchase at major retailers (product descriptions from publishers/manufacturers):

Books:

I Am a T. Rex! (DINOSAUR TRAIN) -
Buddy has spent his whole life in a pteranodon nest. He knows he's not a pteranodon, but he's not sure what he is. When his family decides to visit a new stop on the DINOSAUR TRAIN, Buddy finally learns the truth. He's a T-rex! This simple storybook is the perfect introduction to the world of DINOSAUR TRAIN! Ages 3 and up; Grosset & Dunlap

Triceratops for Lunch (DINOSAUR TRAIN) -
A Little Golden Book about DINOSAUR TRAIN! The Triceratops are coming over for lunch. Do you serve them plants or fish? That's what Buddy and his dinosaur siblings need to figure out before Tank and Trudie Triceratops arrive at the train station. This Little Golden Book retells an episode of the new PBS Kids animated series Dinosaur Train. It explains to young readers the difference between herbivores and carnivores—so that the next time you're dining with a dino, you'll know what to expect! Ages 2-5 ; Golden Books


Other Merchandise:

Take 'N' Play Anywhere™ Go Fishing™ Magnetic Activity (Patch Products) -
Now kids can help Buddy and his family catch fish, practice hand-eye coordination and matching skills. Take ‘N’ Play Anywhere activities feature big magnetic pieces that are easy for kids to use and hard for kids to lose! Ages 4 and up

Learning Curve Dinosaur Train Collectible 3-Packs -
These 3-packs feature three detailed DINOSAUR TRAIN character figures and a special collector card and are available in the following sets: Mrs. Pteranodon, Shiny & Derek; Mr. Pteranodon, Don & Velma; Boris, Annie & Pete; Dolores, Ollie & Oren. Ages 3 and up

Dinosaur Train™: All Aboard Game (Pressman Toy Corp) - Join Buddy and his friends on the DINOSAUR TRAIN! Choose a character – Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don, Cory, Tank or Mr. Conductor – and try to move the fastest along the tracks. Speed through the three dinosaur eras: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous along the beautiful scenery. The first player to reach the nest area in the center of the board wins. Ages 4 and up

Dino Train T-Rex Backpack from Accessories 22 -
The DINOSAUR TRAIN 16” backpack features Buddy the T-Rex, adjustable padded shoulder straps and 3 easy zippered compartments and side pockets for markers, pencils. The glossy Buddy appliqué makes Buddy virtually come alive on both the blue and brown styles. This is a definite back-to-school must have for any DINOSAUR TRAIN fan!

While we haven't had the chance to view these products personally, I'm excited about the opportunity to offer some of the products in a giveaway. One (1) Brimful Curiosities reader will win a DINOSAUR TRAIN themed backpack full of new DINOSAUR TRAIN products, just in time to celebrate back-to-school time and kindergarten month!

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• Contest ends on Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 11:59 PM CST.
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I did not receive any products or any other compensation in exchange for writing this blog post. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)