Video of the Week: Swiper the Explorer

“Swiper the Explorer” clip from NickPress on Vimeo.

These days my daughter has grown a sweet spot for Swiper, the sneaky fox Dora and Boots are always watching out for.  She was jumping up and down when I put in a preview copy we got of the new primetime special “Swiper the Explorer”, because, this time, Swiper is the star.  Dora and Boots are on a mission to find a baby fox´s mom and Swiper, showing his soft spot, enlisted himself to help. Along the way, he will learn how to take care of babies and the power of the magical phrase “Thank You”.

This fun special is the first of four primetime specials Nickelodeon is planning to roll out this year as part of the massive 10-year anniversary celebration for our muy querida, Dora the Explorer.  Yes, she’s turning 10!  That is definitely a huge reason to celebrate, and, joining the fiesta, is another adored and respected Latina: Salma Hayek Pinault.  Salma has joined Nickelodeon in Dora’s fiesta which consists of a unique pro-social campaign titled “Beyond the Backpack” that champions overall school readiness for preschoolers.  The two Latinas will appear together on a PSA campaign and Salma, along with more celebrity friends, will design limited-edition Dora backpacks to be auctioned off.  Part of the plans also include financial grants; an original documentary chronicling Dora’s story; a dedicated web site with downloadable toolkits for parents and educators; and local community activities across the country. Continue reading more about Dora's anniversary celebration

We all know we are constantly looking for original activities to engage our little one´s in.  Have you ever thought about yoga?  And how about if you can add some Spanish into the mix? That´s exactly what Lina Navía, former telenovela star, turned yoga instructor has so beautifully created with her Ümbral Yoga con Lina Navía DVD.

Lina has set out to educate the Hispanic community about the health and wellness benefits of yoga as an integral part of our lives through classes and now this completely-in-Spanish DVD .  Children as young as three years old can reap many of the benefits of yoga, while having fun at it and never realizing it´s actually good for them.

The DVD includes a 45-minute session for adults at a beginner´s level.  I went immediately for the 25-minute children´s session because I´ve always wanted my girl to learn yoga poses as soon as she was old enough to focus and participate.  Lina manages to captivate you by the first couple of scenes with her charming and, at the same time, calming personality. {Click here to read more + enter giveaway}