Speakaboos Blog » 2009

Happy Holidays! New stories, songs and activities from Speakaboos

Andrew — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:42:46 +0000

“A Christmas Carol” read by James Eckhouse“The Story of Hanukkah” read by Peter Jacobson”The Fir Tree” ready by Phil Brock“Jingle Bells”“Rock of Ages”“Deck the Halls”“The Dreidel Song”and more holiday songs Holiday e-cards Arts and Crafts Activities

VIDEO: Childhood 2.0

Andrew — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:28:48 +0000

Allison Louie-Garcia posted a video titled “The decade according to 9-year olds.” For these kids, born in the year 2000, Selena Gomez and the Jonas Brothers are bigger celebs than Britney Spears, and dial-up internet is a long-lost relic. Since Speakaboos is a children’s website, we’re definitely looking out for interesting insights about technology from these kids:

The decade according to 9-year-olds from allison louie-garcia on Vimeo.

Study: Toddlers more likely to eat food from pictures

Andrew — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:58:20 +0000

A study from Reading University in the UK says that toddlers are more likely to try unfamiliar foods if they’ve seen pictures of them already. Definitely an interesting hypothesis–if you’re having trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies, picture books could be the solution. Has someone told the publishing companies about this yet?For details on the study check out the story at Telegraph.co.uk

RECALL: Drop-side Cribs from Stork Craft and Fisher-Price

Andrew — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:21:06 +0000

I hate to be a Debbie Downer and post two recall notices in a row–but this one is apparently one of the largest crib recalls of all time, and seems very important.Drop-side cribs branded Stork Craft (sold Jan. 1993 – Oct. 2009) Fisher-Price (sold Oct. 1997 – Dec. 2004) have been voluntarily recalled due to the possibility of the drop-side become detached and the infant entrapped.Please check the recall notice to see if your crib is affected (cribs with fixed sides are not included in the recall), and contact Stork Craft for a repair kit.

RECALL: Maclaren umbrella strollers

Andrew — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:47:10 +0000

Just a quick reminder to keep little hands and fingers away from any folding product or hinge (doors, cabinets, playpens, etc.).Maclaren is voluntarily recalling strollers after 12 reports of kids getting their fingers caught in the folding mechanism while the stroller is being unfolded. If you own a Maclaren, contact the company at their website here to obtain a free repair kit to fix the problem. See the full recall notice here.

Behind the Scenes at the General Hospital/Speakaboos recording

Andrew — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:46:47 +0000

We’re really excited here about the release of our new album featuring six great stories read by stars from General Hospital.Visit our friends at Soap Central for some great behind-the-scenes footage from the recording, then watch the stories here at Speakaboos:”Billy and the Brown Out” read by Greg Vaughan”Bluebeard” read by Rebecca Herbst”Frankenstein” read by Greg Vaughan”The Frog Prince” read by Kelly Monaco and Jason Thompson”The Little Mermaid” read by Kelly Monaco and Jason Thompson”The Wise Little Girl” read by Rebecca Herbst

Halloween stories and activities at Speakaboos

Andrew — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:37:25 +0000

When you’re not out tricking or treating this Halloween, there’s plenty to do at Speakaboos:Watch one of our spooky stories, like our brand-new storybook video Frankenstein, or the now-classic Billy and the Witch.Then, scare your brain silly with the online Halloween Word Search Game, and print-out instructions for some creepy arts and crafts: make your own Witch Hat and Monster Ooze (PDF printouts).Happy haunting!

Aspiring teen forensic scientist cracks the case, CSI-style

Andrew — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:02:06 +0000

This story is great not only because a mystery was solved by a teen-aged CSI-fan, but also because there is a very CSI-like twist at the end:Tiana Rapp, 17, and her friend had lost over $200 from repeated thefts from her locker, while the school pretty much said there was nothing they could do about it–despite employing an adult hall monitor. So Tiana and her friend took matters into their own hands, and set up a secret video camera that revealed the criminal was none other than the hall monitor herself, who had been using a master key to get into students’ lockers. It all makes so much sense in the end!For the full story, see the article at Newsday.

4 year old dancer Miles”Baby Boogaloo”Brown breaks it down!

Andrew — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:16:16 +0000

So what’s the deal with the ridiculously low expectations on kid dancing videos? Every kid can dance, but this little guy shows the rest how it’s really done:

Miles also tore it up on the Ellen DeGeneres Show earlier this week, and is fast on his way to becoming an internet sensation. Glad to see a kid and parent taking serious pride in his talent, putting some real work into the production of this video, and raising the bar for home videotapers everywhere.

Blind child”sees”with ears

Andrew — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:40:12 +0000

Seven-year-old Lucas Murray is blind, but has learned to sense his surroundings by making a clicking noise with his tongue and observing how it sounds. Based on what he hears, Lucas can determine the distance, shape, and even movement of surrounding objects. This technique, known as “echolation,” is similar to sonar used by bats and dolphins.Echolation is not a new story, but Lucas, who was taught the technique by Californian Daniel Kish, founder of the World Access for the Blind charity, is believed to be the first person in Britain to learn it. For a video of Lucas using echolation to shoot a basketball and navigate his surroundings, visit The Sun’s website.