Archive for July, 2010

One of our favorite games here at Coppin’s Gifts is Bananagrams.  It’s fun, educational, good for people of all ages… and the case is shaped like a banana!  We can’t really ask for more.  If you’re curious about Bananagrams, we’re here to tell you a thing or two about it.

Bananagrams, like all great things, wasn’t ever meant for public release.  A man named Abraham Nathanson created it with his family.  They wanted to make an “anagram game that would drive you bananas.”  Hence:  Bananagrams.  Released to the public in early 2006, the object of the game is to arrange your tiles faster than your opponents.  You need to be the first to use up all of your tiles.

It’s like a combination of the popular games Boggle and Scrabble.  It’s like Boggle because all of the players play at the same time— but it uses interlocking crossword-style puzzles like Scrabble.  It’s a great game for kids that are learning how to spell, so it’s both fun and educational.  It also fosters creativity because, unlike Scrabble, the goal here is to play all of your tiles.  And that means you might have to reconfigure your tiles to make it work.  Exercise that brain!

Summer brings sunshine and heat, but there are also some dreary and rainy days.  What do you do on one of those melancholy afternoons?  Don’t worry, Coppin’s Gifts has a few ideas for you!

• Go camping inside.  This is something your kids will love doing.  If you have a pop-up tent or something similar, you can set it up indoors.  If not, use sheets and drapes to make a makeshift tent.  Make it cozy inside!  Use blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, and My Pillow Pets.  Make fun little foods.  Mini sandwiches, hotdogs, and grilled cheese are perfect.

• Play dress up.  Let your kids raid your closet.  They can pretend to be whatever they want.  See if they can create characters using some of the clothing.  For even more fun, ask them to create a play with their characters.  Videotape it and let them watch their performance.

• Have a movie day.  But make it big!  Have your kids draw up posters for the movies you’ll be watching.  Hang them on the wall like a movie theater.  Make movie snacks like popcorn, hot dogs, and candy.  Shut the lights off and let your kids usher you to your seat.

You don’t have to let the rain stop you from having a fun day!  Remember, many of the movies from the Hallmark Hall of Fame series are available on DVD.  You could have an inspirational afternoon!

Here at CoppinsGifts.com, we’re proud to be a Hallmark Gold Crown Store.  Hallmark has been a great American institution for years now.  We also can’t help but love the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.  They’re all so heartwarming, and they’re probably the most honored program in the history of television.  (We’re a little biased, but it’s true!)  We’ve got some facts about the Hallmark Hall of Fame series.

• The President of Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions has said, “Our brand is one of our most valuable assets.  We can point to many factors that have gone into the strength of our brand— but Hallmark Hall of Fame and its role in reinforcing messages of quality and caring may be the single most important force in giving our brand the power it enjoys.”  We love the message Hallmark brings!

• It debuted on Christmas Eve 1951 with Amahl and the Night Visitors, an original opera by Gian Carlo Menotti.  The response was so great that there were encore presentations in April and December of the following year.

• The production of Hamlet aired on Hallmark Hall of Fame in April of 1953.  More people watched Hamlet that evening than had cumulatively seen it in the 350 years since it had been written.  Shakespeare would be so happy.

• To date, the series has earned 80 Emmys, 9 Golden Globes, 11 Peabody Awards, 25 Christopher Awards, and 4 Humanitas Prizes.

We’re proud to have the same name as such an amazingly positive force in television!

We love checking out what’s happening in the big world of blogging.  We came across Jacki, fabulous blog-mistress of Learn as You Go, and we liked her right away.  Her blog is pretty new, but we have a feeling she’s going to do some wonderful things with it.  After all, she’s already won an award!  (That’s right, one of her blogging buddies gave her the “Life is Good” award.)

Jacki is a “20-something Navy wife” and she’s “enjoying the adventures of life!”  She’s really on an adventure, too.  Since her hubby is in the military, she’s currently living in Japan— and they’ll be there for the next two years!  We’re looking forward to reading about all of her adventures.  She says she likes scrapbooking, reading, and seeing new sights.  If that doesn’t sound like a great start for a blog, we don’t know what does!

So if you’re looking for a little adventure, check out Jacki’s blog, Learn as You Go.

It doesn’t take much to make a child feel special.  In fact, it’s one of the easiest things a parent can do.  It’s also one of the most important things.  We’ve got a few tips for making your child feel special.  Most of them can be achieved with the You Are Special Red Plate from CoppinsGifts.com.

• Help your child recognize what makes him or her unique and special.  Just make a point of acknowledging positive personality traits.  Whether it’s honesty, integrity, kindness, or courage— whenever your child does something important (it doesn’t have to be big!), you can let them use the You Are Special Red Plate as a reward.  They’ll learn what’s important if you keep encouraging it.

• Be generous with your praise— but make sure it’s sincere.  For example, when you’re looking at a drawing they did, don’t just say, “It’s a masterpiece!”  Because, honestly, most kids aren’t Van Gogh!  So pick out something that you like and be specific.  “I love the colors you used,” or “You have a unique way of looking at things.”  Kids appreciate heartfelt compliments.

• Celebrate often!  You don’t have to hold out for major milestones or events.  Pull out the You Are Special Red Plate for the little things.  It could be the first goal of soccer season, a positive comment from a teacher, or an exceptionally clean room.  Your child is special for something all the time.