Summer is heating up and so is the entertainment news as we get closer and closer to all those summer blockbusters. And since schools are letting out for break, there are a lot of fun DVDs and apps for kids being announced right now, too. Here’s what I’ve found for you this week.
Oz the Great and Powerful
Also check out all the cool costumes of Oz, from concept sketches to the final on-screen versions. I love behind-the-scenes stuff like this, hope you enjoy the below slideshow, also.
Littlest Pet Shop: Sweetest Pets
The DVD of Littlest Pet Shop: Sweetest Pets released this week and it comes with a bonus coloring sheet (around here, Bubbles considers coloring sheets a very welcome addition). Episodes include:
- Topped with Buttercream
- Trading Places
- Sweet (Truck) Ride
- What’s in the Batter?
- Bakers and Fakers
Sophia the First: Ready to Be a Princess
Our personal favorite princess-in-training, Sophia, has a new DVD releasing in September. Disney Junior’s Sophia the First: Ready to Be a Princess will be available on September 17, 2013 and will come with an exclusive Sophia Dress Up Doll Kit. She’ll see an enchanted circus, meet a pet dragon, and learn about friendship in some high-flying adventures. Episodes include:
- A Royal Mess
- The Shy Princess
- Blue Ribbon Bunny
- The Princess Test
- Two To Tangu (Jasmine Episode)
Million Dollar Arm
Disney has announced a new film, Million Dollar Arm, slated for 2014.
Based on a true story, Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” follows JB Bernstein, a once-successful sports agent who now finds himself edged out by bigger, slicker competitors. He and his partner Aash (Aasif Mandvi) will have to close their business down for good if JB doesn’t come up with something fast. Late one night, while watching cricket being played in India on TV, JB comes up with an idea so radical it just might work. Why not go to there and find the next baseball pitching sensation? Setting off for Mumbai with nothing but a gifted but cantankerous scout (Alan Arkin) in tow, JB stages a televised, nationwide competition called “Million Dollar Arm” where 40,000 hopefuls compete before two 18-year-old finalists, Rinku and Dinesh (Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal), emerge as winners. JB brings them back to the United States to train with legendary pitching coach Tom House (Bill Paxton). The goal: get the boys signed to a major league team.
Not only is the game itself difficult to master, but life in the U.S. with a committed bachelor makes things even more complicated—for all of them. While Rinku and Dinesh learn the finer points of baseball and American culture, they in turn teach JB the true meaning of teamwork and commitment. Ultimately, what began as a purely commercial venture becomes something more and leads JB to find the one thing he was never looking for at all—a family.
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
The second installment of the hit Hunger Games franchise, Catching Fire, doesn’t arrive in theaters until November 22, 2013. However, the book is now available in paperback. So pick up a copy of Hunger Games: Catching Fire from Amazon and make it your summer beach read.
PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS has created a new portal to help parents keep their kids’ education on track during the summer. Head over to pbskids.org/read for free games, apps, and printables. Budding writers can even enter their writers contest for a chance at tablets, ereaders, and more. Also PBS KIDS has partnered with Education.com to encourage young readers in your life with a DIY Summer “Reading Camp”. There are tons of great resources including free printables, craft ideas, weekly themes and checklists, and more.
Which movie or activity above are you most excited about?
About Liza
Liza is a mom (5-year-old daughter, 20-year-old stepson, and 24-year-old stepdaughter) and wife living in Louisville. She loves spending time with her family, visiting the local zoo and parks, as well as planning travel adventures. Cooking and baking, DIY projects and crafts, and coffee - lots and lots of coffee - round out some of her other hobbies.