Life is like a fruit salad…

…you never know what you’re going to get!  Haha!  Just a little healthy joke there. Anyway, we are cookin’ up some super fab stuff at the Playnormous studio.

It’s big!

It’s amazing!

It’s super fun!

And it’s all new!!

Want to know more?  Well I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait and see. Something new is coming to Playnormous…and it’s HUGE!

Win with Nickelodeon and Playnormous.

Our first CD-ROM ever “Playnormous: Fun For A Change Health Video Games” has been selected as a feature item in the Nickelodeon Parents Connect Back-to-School event!

On Thursday August 19, 2010 from 9 AM to 10:45 PM CST (that’s tomorrow), thousands of moms will gather together for one of Nickelodeon’s highly acclaimed Parents Connect online parties.  During the event, members get to know each other by playing games, chatting about the latest parenting topics and winning prizes.

Playnormous will be a featured partner for the annual Back-to-School Party tomorrow and will give away a Playnormous CD-ROM to one lucky participant!  You can also enter to win dozens of other amazing back-to-school prizes.

Not only that but our party is being hosted by the National PTA and actress/mom Tichina Arnold.  You probably know Tichina as the matriarch character Rochelle on the TV show Everybody Hates Chris or the Fox sitcom Martin.

Party with us!

You can join this amazing online party with Nickelodeon and Parents Connect by simply visiting their RSVP page.  It’s free to enter!  You could win a bus load of amazing free PRIZES to start you and your child off the right way this school year!  We hope to see you there!

About Parents Connect

Parents Connect is a member of the Nickelodeon media network and is designed specifically to meet the needs of parents.  To support their motto “We’re not perfect, we’re parents,” ParentsConnect.com provides moms and dads with daily tips, recipes, activities, product recommendations and other family-friendly resources alongside opportunities to socialize about raising children in all stages of life.

Take 2010…action!

They say you’re not official until you’re on YouTube.  I’m not quite sure who “they” are, but regardless, we’ve been lucky to get some pretty amazing Playnormous-related videos over the last two years.  A little press here, a little iMac contest celebration there.  Yep, all in all we’ve very pleased with our video coverage.  The only thing we’ve been missing is a place to put them all.

So, without further ado…I am pleased to announce the launch our very own Playnormous Channel on YouTube!  Take a gander (or a goose) around and let us know what you think.  Want your own Playnormous video added?  Just send us an email at info [at] playnormous [dot] com.  You could be our next Playnormous Channel star!

Rock the vote!

Back in June we told you about our super cool Pyramid Pile Up Plus game (that’s Pyramid Pile Up with some major extras) that was entered into the Apps for Healthy Kids Competition, sponsored by Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign and the USDA in an effort to fight childhood obesity.  The day has finally arrived for you to VOTE for Playnormous!

Only one of the 98 games can win the People’s Choice Award so we need YOUR help by VOTING for us!

Plus means more cool stuff.

Why should you vote for OUR health game?  Well that’s because it’s the only Playnormous game in the competition of course!  Ok, ok, I’ll be a little more specific.  Here’s a little bit about the game and the top ten reasons you should vote for us.

1. Pyramid Pile Up Plus is available in both English AND Spanish!
2. You now get Food Labels to help you decide which foods should go in which spaces!
3. You still get to play against those cute yet pesky Chompies–flying squirrel monsters that fall from the sky to munch on your work as you fill in an empty pyramid with food tiles.
4. You’ll actually learn something like what discretionary calories are and the difference between whole grains and refined.
5. Pyramid Pile Up Plus is loaded with secret bonus point opportunities such as adding a variety of fruits and dark green veggies to your pyramid.
6. You can show your friends how amazing you are by getting a top spot on our high score list.
7. Pyramid Pile Up Plus is teacher-friendly and comes complete with classroom materials like a teacher guide, classroom activities, and student assessments.
8. There’s a super cool poster you can print with information about MyPyramid.
9. The game is fun and addicting!
10. Votes for Pyramid Pile Up Plus means we may actually win…which means more notoriety for Playnormous and a cash prize…which means funding for more games!!  Yaaaaay for more games!!

About apps for healthy kids.

Apps for Healthy Kids challenges software developers, game designers, students, and other innovators to develop fun and engaging software tools and games that drive children, especially “tweens” (ages 9-12) – directly or through their parents – to eat better and be more physically active.  Winners of the competition will receive a monetary prize and will be featured in the national campaign.  The public can vote on their favorite game and tool by visiting the competition website: www.appsforhealthykids.com. Public voting ends August 14, 2010 at 12:00 pm EDT.

Vote for Pyramid Pile Up Plus today!!

Playnormous in the suburbs.

Earlier this year we had the honor of becoming a part of the Children’s Museum of Houston family with the addition of Playnormous health games in their PowerPlay exhibit.  We’ve taken it one step further this summer.  Starting July 10, 2010, Playnormous will be a permanent exhibit at The Woodlands Children’s Museum.  That’s right, walk in and be prepared to be amazed with a custom Playnormous-illustrated iMac health game kiosk, posters, and much more!

The grand (and free) re-opening!

Playnormous staff will be at the museum’s official re-opening in Panther Creek on Saturday July 10, 2010 with an innovative fruit and vegetable “petting zoo.” Children will be able to play nutrition and exercise education video games with their families, and players will walk away with a Playnormous balloon.

We donated a hand-illustrated iMac computer as part of the permanent exhibit at the museum. Families can play from a suite of Playnormous health video games about fruit and vegetables, portion size, food groups and aerobic activity.  The award-winning CD-ROM version of the video games is available for purchase by parents wanting to continue the experience at home without using the Internet.

The Woodlands Children’s Museum will reopen on July 10, 2010 at 4774 W. Panther Creek Drive, located at the intersection of Woodlands Parkway and Gosling Road, in The Woodlands, Texas.  Free Admission Open House will take place from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, July 10.

Hope to see you there!