All About Miranda iCarly Star

 

By Gopa Praturi
Sept. 20, 2009

 

At the age of 16, Miranda Cosgrove has been in the acting business for 13 years. This week an entire special issue of People magazine is devoted to the young star and her number one hit TV show iCarly.

Hundreds of fans lined up at the Bridgewater Commons Mall in New Jersey on Saturday to see her. They clutched copies of the magazine, titled “All About iCarly,” while waiting for an autograph.

“I feel really excited that I’m meeting the star of my favorite show,” said Natasha, a fan from Chatham, New Jersey. “I watch iCarly every day, and I used to watch Drake and Josh a lot, too.” Cosgrove starred as the precocious (and sometimes irritating) little sister on Drake and Josh before landing her own Nickelodeon hit.

In an interview with this Scholastic Kid Reporter, Cosgrove shared some of her secrets of success.

“I think acting is something that you would just naturally like,” she said. “When I was little, I loved to be in plays and I loved getting up in front of people. I always thought about how to make people laugh.”

Like the old joke about how to get to Carnegie Hall, Cosgrove says the way to a career in acting is practice, practice, practice.

“It helps you kind of get into it,” she said. “You can do it with your friends too.”

It may also help to have been born in the movie capital of the world, Los Angeles, California.

Cosgrove got her start at the age of three. Like the legends of Hollywood starlets of old, she was “discovered.” An agent saw her singing and dancing around a table in a restaurant and signed her to act in commercials.

Since then she has starred in TV shows like Smallville and Zoey 101 and in movies like Keeping Up With the Steins and School of Rock.

Of all of her gigs, Cosgrove thinks School of Rock was the most fun. \

“I really liked School of Rock because I was in a movie for the first time, and I got to stay in a hotel for five months…I really liked it,” she said.

Acting is not her only talent. Cosgrove is also a rising young pop singer. In fact, the song “Raining Sunshine” is featured in a new movie to be released this Friday: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Cosgrove is also about to release her first solo CD this fall, with all new music based on her personal life.

She shared her song writing technique with the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

“I have a journal at my house, and if anything exciting happens, I’ll write it down,” she said. “And then when I go through writing sessions, I’ll pull it out and look through it.”

Her list of successes is long. She was recently nominated for a 2009 Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actress. Her show, iCarly, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program. The show also won a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Show in 2009. Also at this year’s Kid Choice Awards, Cosgrove won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series (comedy or drama).

Despite what looks like an incredibly busy professional life, Cosgrove still has to contend with school. In many respects, she’s no different than any other 16-year-old with a job: she does homework and likes to read.

“I really like To Kill a Mockingbird—it’s my favorite,” Cosgrove said. “I also like Romeo and Juliet. I’m reading Harry Potter right now. Oh, and don’t forget Twilight! Twilight is awesome!”

Wearing a bright blue shiny pullover shirt with a giant yellow smiley face, Cosgrove seemed like any other teen-ager at the mall on a weekend—except for one thing: the hundreds of squealing fans lined up waiting not-so-patiently to meet her.

 

Source: Scholastic News Online

 

Editor’s Note: Gopa Praturi is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.  Actress/singer Miranda Cosgrove with Scholastic Kid Reporter Gopa Praturi at Bridgewater Commons Mall in New Jersey on Saturday, September 12. (Photo Courtesy Brian Killan/Wire Image.com/Getty Images)

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Why Should Girls Play Sports?

 

by: Mary L. Gavin, MD 
Sept. 20, 2009

Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you’d be right. To have fun? That’s true, too. But there’s more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

 

Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don’t. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

 

Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teaches valuable life skills. When you working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you’re learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

Sports are good for a girl’s health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis.

Playing sports boosts self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.

Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can lessen stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person’s mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It’s good to know your teammates will support you — both on and off the field!

Source: Kids Health

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Movie Reviews: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

 
by Kerry Bennett
September 18, 2009

It has long been the ambition of Flint Lockwood (voice of Bill Hader) to leave his mark on the world by inventing something that will improve life for mankind. When his experiments result in food falling from the sky, he also catches the attention of Sam Sparks (voice of Anna Faris), an aspiring television news reporter who has flown in to cover the event..

 

In-Depth Review

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs is rated PG: for brief mild language.

You’ll never look at lunch or the weather forecast the same way after watching Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Personally, the idea of meals just blowing in and raining down appears to be a good one. No stewing over what to make for dinner and no more lengthy trips to the grocery store. However, the best laid plans don’t always pan out.

Flint Lockwood’s (voice by Bill Hader) intentions are good. He’s always been the nerd, the weirdo, the freak with a head full of big ideas. But nothing has ever turned out to be as successful in reality as it looked on paper. Now the small town where Flint lives with his father Tim (voice by James Caan) is in serious trouble. The sardine factory has closed and the citizens on the tiny island are the only ones left to eat the salty seafood. Unfortunately a steady diet of sardines is becoming pretty unappetizing.

Squirreled away in his lab, Flint comes up with a tasty solution to their dilemma. He creates a food-making machine that will turn simple water molecules into yummy entrees. Unfortunately a power surge sends the machine hurtling into the stratosphere. Instead of serving dinner from the safety of his lab, the scrumptious meals begin falling from the sky.

The enterprising mayor (voice by Bruce Campbell) of Swallow Falls sees this new weather phenomenon as a way to rejuvenate business in the faltering town. He, without any input from the rest of the citizens, creates a food-based amusement park and begins promoting it to tourists around the world. But as the demands increase on the food processor, the gentle mealtime showers develop into severe storm patterns. With reporter Sam Sparks (voice by Anna Faris) broadcasting on location, the world watches as the town of Swallow Falls is caught up in the center of some nasty squalls.

This film’s delectable script, a cast of delicious characters and a hearty dash of topical jokes for the adults in the audience make this film entertaining for almost everyone. Very young viewers, however, may be frightened by some moments of peril, especially when a grown-up ‘Baby’ Brent (voice by Andy Samberg) is chased and eaten by a headless roasted turkey. Another man is electrocuted after sneaking into a power sub station. He also has to deal with constant bullying from his peers.

Still these characters discover that everyone has something to offer, particularly when they stay true to who they are. And while too much of any good thing can be bad, the forecast for this family film is sunny with a chance of laughs.

Studio: 2009 Columbia Pictures. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details: Beyond the Movie Ratings…

From the time he is a child, Flint is bullied and teased by his peers in school and even adults on the street. He also deals with his father’s disappointment. After one science experiment goes wrong, Flint is seen hitting his feet, trying to cut something off of them and banging them against the floor. One character is electrocuted in a power substation. An accident causes the total destruction of an amusement park. A man runs with scissors in his hand. An animal appears to be eating excrement. A character throws snowballs at others. A father and son have a disagreement. Characters experience severe weather including tornados. A dam threatens to break and flood the people who live below it. Characters are chased by a flock of headless, roasted turkeys. One man is eaten by one of the turkeys. A girl suffers from the effects of anaphylactic shock after being exposed to peanuts. Characters lie to one another. They also experience moments of peril, including being attacked by giant gummy bears. The script contains some name-calling and brief mild language.

Discussion Ideas: Talk About the Movie…

Video alternatives

Food also plays a starring role in the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where a young boy finds a golden ticket that allows him access into a magical candy-making plant. In The Absent-minded Professor, a teacher at a small town university discovers a new substance known as flubber. Another young inventor with great ambitions is introduced in Meet The Robinsons.

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for nearly 10 years. She serves as Vice President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. She and her husband Garry have four sons.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Teddy Bear Jigsaw Puzzle

Source: Jig Zone

Behind Scenes: U.S. Open’s Arthur Ashe Kids Day Event.

byJacqueline Minogue
Sept. 10, 2009

 

“Rain, rain go away…” that is all I could think about as I arrived at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, on Saturday. I was there to cover Arthur Ashe Kids Day. The morning activities had already been already canceled. I did not want the stadium concert to be canceled also. Kids Day is the official kick off of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. 

As I walked in the drizzling rain to the press gate, I also realized I did not look my best. All my worries disappeared though once I entered the media center. The place was packed, hectic, and buzzing with excitement.

Press officials explained to reporters that once we entered the dining room where the celebrities were waiting, we would only have a few minutes to get our interviews and photos. In other words: HURRY!

As soon as it was my turn, I raced over to American Idol Jordin Sparks. She recognized my red Scholastic Kids Press Corps shirt. “I used to love reading Scholastic Books!” she said. I literally only had a few seconds with her before the handlers told me to finish up. It was like “speed interviewing”!

Despite the rush, I managed to talk to rising musical stars Justin Bieber and the members of Honor Society. But I missed a lot of the others, like Will Ferrell and the tennis pros, because they had to leave to get ready for their big performances.

I went out to the stadium to see the show and discovered that the rain had stopped! Almost the entire stadium was filled with kids and their families. Everyone danced and sang along with the concert and enjoyed seeing the favorite tennis stars goofing around on the court.

As I was walking out of the stadium after the show, I asked some of the kids what they thought of the day. They loved it!

Then I spotted #3 seed Rafael Nadal walking into the stadium. I ran over to see if I could ask him some questions. He just took my notepad and signed it! I realized he was wearing headphones and couldn’t hear me. He didn’t realize I was a reporter and he was gone before I could explain.

Next, I saw retired tennis great Jimmy Connors. He was in a hurry and wouldn’t talk, but was nice enough to pose for a picture.

Even though the day was gloomy, the stars shined brighter than ever! It was a great day to be a Scholastic Kid Reporter.

 

Editor’s Note: PHOTOS: (TOP) Kid Reporter Jacqueline Minogue with members of the singing group Honor Society; (MIDDLE) Jacqueline with rising singing sensation Justin Bieber; (BOTTOM) Rafael Nadal signs an authograph. (Photos courtesy Jacqueline Minogue)

We would like to know what you think?dan@youngchronicle.com

 

Source:  Scholastic News Online

Nick Jonas Inspiring to Others with Diabetes

By Linda von Wartburg
Sept. 5, 2009

 

Editor’s Note: This story was first published April 27, 2009 in Diabetes Health. We feel it is worth repeating. We would also love to hear your story if you or someone you know has it. And how this story has affected you dan@youngchronicle.com

Nick Jonas is a personable boy of fourteen who happens to be a member of the Jonas Brothers Band, a group of three brothers with a devoted following of very passionate young fans. In November 2005, Nick Jonas found out that he had type 1 diabetes.

A month or two before he was diagnosed, he began to notice “the usual symptoms: losing weight, the bad attitude, being thirsty, going to the bathroom all the time.” He lost about fifteen pounds in two to three weeks, and “it was just insane.  I had a terrible attitude, which was totally odd for me because I’m actually a nice person.  Especially being on the road around people all the time, you have to keep that positive energy going. And it was hard.”

Nick took some time off from the band’s tour to see a doctor, who packed him off to the hospital immediately when she heard his symptoms.  His blood sugar was over 700.  “For someone who had no bad medical history ever,” he says, “to suddenly have the shock of diabetes was a bit overwhelming in itself, and then I had to learn all about it, learn all these things in such a short period of time.  All of it was crazy.  I also wondered if I could continue making music…but I had the support of my friends and the band to be there with me.  My dad was back at home with my three other brothers, but my mom stayed at the hospital with me every night.”

The day after Nick left the hospital, he performed in a concert and jumped right back into the flow of doing shows and touring.  He started out taking multiple daily injections of NovoLog with Lantus, checking his blood sugar about twelve times a day.  He says, “When we were on the road, I’d be in the back of the band trying to give insulin shots and manage my diabetes, and it was just too hard.  I was getting frustrated with it. I knew that I needed something different, a solution to the problem, which in fact was the OmniPod [by Insulet].  It’s really changed my life in a big way.  I started using it in about April and absolutely loved it.  And all my friends think that it’s a really cool device.”  He says he was shown other pumps, but he adamantly refused them all because he wanted an OmniPod.  He says, “Before I got the OmniPod, I heard about the other ones and they showed me examples and prototypes, but I was like, no, I want this.”

In his OmniPod, Nick uses NovoLog insulin. When he was touring and performing outside at up to 100 degrees last summer, he could set the basal down a little bit so he wouldn’t go low.  He reports that he hasn’t had too many episodes of low blood sugar.  “The past couple months have been awesome for managing my diabetes, and I’m doing well.  My A1c has come down a lot.  It is in about the 7% to 8% range, and it was 11% to 12% when I first was diagnosed.”

“What’s awesome about the OmniPod,” Nick says, “is that it works as a FreeStyle meter, so I just put the FreeStyle test strip in it. He tries to check about nine to ten times a day, and his blood sugar is usually 150 to 175 mg/dl.  He acknowledges this is high, but because he is so fit and active and has a tendency to go low, this is what he has been advised should be his normal range. His friends are very supportive.  “I’ll check my sugar and they’re all concerned, what’s it at right now?”  He’s thought about using a continuous monitor and may be using one soon.

Nick doesn’t follow any special diet. He can pretty much eat whatever he wants as long as he makes sure to take the right amount of insulin for it.  He is a huge steak eater: “I could eat all the steak in the world,” he says, but “I’ll eat pretty much anything.”  He notes that with the OmniPod, he can enter the carbs and it’ll give him a suggested amount of insulin.  It also has a food database, in case he ever has a question about how many carbs are in something. When he gets low, he prefers to drink orange juice or some other liquid because they work so quickly.

In March 2007, about a year and a half after his diagnosis, Nick publicly announced that he has diabetes at Carnival For a Cure, in an appearance sponsored by Insulet. He had known from the get-go that he knew he wanted to go public with his diabetes; it was simply a matter of when.  He notes that he’s still new to diabetes and feels “like a freshman coming into a senior’s class.”  He waited until he felt comfortable with managing his diabetes before telling everyone about it. Of course, he didn’t test in public until after his announcement, but now he tests wherever he is.

As an example of the intense scrutiny to which he is subjected by his fans, there is now a game on line called “Spot the OmniPod, ” in which fans examine old photos of him, trying to spot his pump.  Some of them write his name on their arm where he wears it. Everyone in his whole family has a fansite, even his father and his little six-year-old brother.

After Nick announced that he had diabetes, he says, “I found it amazing just how many people know somebody with diabetes or have diabetes themselves. We’d get these stories about how some of the kids were really afraid to tell their friends and how my situation gave them courage to do that. The fact that I’m able to have somewhat of a spotlight to share my story, I just feel blessed.” He carries a supply of guitar picks in his pocket, and “whenever I meet another diabetic buddy as I call them, I give them a pick, a cool little thing.”

Nick appreciates the fact that “I have a platform to be able to share my story.  I have this passion to be able to share with young people my age and be a positive light in a situation that might not be so positive.  I’ve heard stories about kids who were in depression because after they got diagnosed they were just so upset about what was going on.  That just touched my heart, and I wanted to be able to do something about it. I hope that I can be that positive light.”

Asked to describe the biggest hassle of diabetes, Nick tells about the times when it’s been a long day, and he has to go back and deal with some of the annoying things about diabetes.  When he gets a low blood sugar, “it’s like, oh, what do I do, and you just get kind of overwhelmed. That’s one of the biggest things for me.  And also when people don’t understand too much about diabetes and you have to explain.  I try to make it work.  I say, well, it’s a little bit different than you might have heard.”

Being on tour adds a dimension of difficulty to managing his diabetes because the schedule is “kind of insane.” It’s getting easier now because he’s been doing it a little bit longer.  “It’s a team effort and it’s all good,” he says. His mom travels on tour with him. His mom “is awesome.” She helps him with everything he does, especially in managing his diabetes. He takes supplements and vitamins because his mom favors them.  He describes his parents as his biggest influence, totally amazing people whom he’s blessed to have in his life.

He knows that diabetes “is a huge part of my life and I can’t just forget about it, obviously. I have to keep taking care of it and managing it, and learning more things about it.  Hopefully one day they’ll come up with some type of cure, and I hope I’ll be one of the first to know about it.

Nick comes across as extremely well-spoken and mature for his age. He describes himself as “more the quiet guy in the bunch,” not the kind of person who will just go up to somebody and start a conversation.  But “I consider myself somewhat of a leader, hopefully.” He is planning to be very involved with the diabetes community.  “This is just the beginning of what’s to come with all this.”

To newly diagnosed kids with diabetes, Nick would say, “Don’t let it slow you down at all.  I made a promise to myself on the way to the hospital that I wouldn’t let this thing slow me down and I’d just keep moving forward, and that’s what I did. Just keep a positive attitude and keep moving forward with it. Don’t be discouraged.”

Nick Jonas and his two older brothers, Kevin and Joe, form the Jonas Brothers Band.  They hail from New Jersey, where their parents were both musicians. Nick sings, plays guitar and drums.  The band is very popular with young girls, who have numerous fansites in which they declare their love for Nick and his brothers. Their first album, “It’s About Time,” was released in August 2006.  Their newest record comes out August 7, 2007, full of new songs.

Source: Diabetes Health,Children with Diabetes

Proper Diet, Keeps Energy

By Micah Simon
Sept. 3, 2009

Proper fluid intake and a healthy pre-game diet can help youth athletes perform at their best on the football field.

As football season begins for youth athletes, it’s important for them to take care of their bodies before, during and after physical activity. Drinking the right fluids and eating the right foods is the best way for athletes to stay energized and hydrated. Oftentimes, however, kids and their parents aren’t aware of what’s really best to eat and drink during football season.

Kim Schwabenbauer is the Corporate Dietitian for Super Bakery and a member of USA Football’s Health and Safety Committee. She said an important thing for parents of athletes ages 7 to 14 to be mindful of is proper fluid intake.

“I would say my first tip would be to drink two cups or 16 ounces of water about two hours prior to practice or prior to a game,” Schwabenbauer said. “You do need to have water within your system because you are going to be sweating quite profusely whenever it’s this hot in the fall.”

Schwabenbauer also mentioned drinking sports drinks such as Gatorade for physical activity lasting longer than one hour.

“In practices or games that are lasting over an hour, they do want to consider consuming an electrolyte beverage – meaning something that has sodium and potassium,” she said. “The kids don’t necessarily need them in the first hour, but they do need them from an hour on.”

Youth athletes should also have a different diet from youths not involved in sports. Given their higher level of physical activity, youth athletes should also have a slightly higher calorie intake to stay energized.

“They are expending energy and therefore calories are being burned through activity, so their activity rate is higher so they need higher calories,” Schwabenbauer said. “At the same time, the makeup of the diet would also be different in that the carbohydrate portion of the diet needs to be a higher proportion.”

Schwabenbauer said 60 to 65 percent of the child’s diet should be complex carbohydrates, meaning those that contain fiber and whole grains. Carbohydrates are the main fuel source during activity, making it important for kids to eat carbohydrates at every meal.

Two or three hours before a game, Schwabenbauer suggests kids eat a snack or small meal. Kids don’t need to eat anything during a game as much as they need to take proper fluids.

“All they really have to consume during the actual game would be water for the first hour and then an electrolyte beverage after that,” she said. “In excessive heat, I would say an electrolyte beverage for the first hour.”

Schwabenbauer also emphasized the importance of not diluting electrolyte beverages. She said kids do this a lot because it helps the drink taste better, but it actually takes away from the nutritional benefits of the drink.

“This practice I see quite a bit when they dilute the Gatorade with a lot of water, and something they need to know is that it doesn’t perform in the same way that it’s actually supposed to,” Schwabenbauer said. “It doesn’t give them as many electrolytes, calories, energy and things like that when they dilute it.”

Within 30 minutes after a game, youth athletes should have at least a snack that has both carbohydrates and protein. Within two hours after practice or a game, Schwabenbauer said kids need to have an actual meal.

“That meal should contain all the components of a regular meal they would be eating, such as a high quality protein source like turkey, baked chicken breast or tacos with vegetables on it,” she said. “They’re also going to need a carbohydrate so they’re going to need a pasta or bread component.”

Schwabenbauer said the after-activity meal doesn’t have to be dinner food. It could also be breakfast food such as omelets with meat and veggies and whole wheat bread as long as the meal contains a protein and carbohydrate.

For parents, planning ahead is an easier and healthier choice to make for their kids. They can grab food for practice when they need it and make sure they have healthy choices easily accessible.

“You save that time,” Schwabenbauer said. “Portioning out snacks for the week, such as grapes and carrots, and it’s all set and ready to go. It’s just easy to whip out the snack from the refrigerator and not have to think a thing of it.”

Proper nutrition is a key part of success for youth athletes on and off the field. Throughout the season, the right nutritious choices can help make the best of a young athlete’s performance on the football field, while instilling healthful habits for life.

Links related to this article:

Proper Hydration can Prevent Summertime Injuries
Summit Participants Undergo Hydration 101

Source: USA Football

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

US Brings Home Little League World Series

By Laura Leigh Davidson
Sept. 2, 2009

A team from California came from behind to win the 2009 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on Sunday. Chula Vista’s Little Leaguers beat the Chinese Taipei team from Taoyuan, Taiwan, by a score of 6-3. (Taiwan is an island nation off the coast of China.)

This is the fifth year in a row that a team from the United States has taken home the championship banner for Little League baseball.

The game was hard-fought. The two squads were deadlocked at 0 until Wen Hua Sung and Chin Ou hit back-to-back homers in the third inning to give Chinese Taipei a 3-0 lead.

Then relief pitcher Kiko Garcia took the mound for Chula Vista. After that, no more Chinese Taipei batters crossed home plate. Kiko didn’t give up a single run for the rest of the game.

Chula Vista broke its scoreless streak with one run in the third inning. The team brought three more runs home in the fourth to move ahead, 4-3. Two more runs in the fifth inning put the score at 6-3. Kiko pushed through some last-inning jitters and struck out Yu Chieh Kao to end the game.

“We knew we could come back,” 13-year-old Kiko told ESPN. “We always do.”

Celebrating the Big Win

The west-coasters threw their gloves into the air and piled on the winning pitcher in celebration. Then the Little League champs took a victory lap around the stadium. After that, they collected handfuls of dirt from the pitcher’s mound to help commemorate their special win.

“It’s just an amazing feeling,” 12-year-old third baseman Seth Godfrey said. “We went for it, and we did [it].”

Reporters were eager to know what the team wanted to do after the game. Shortstop Andy Rios said they were ready for a victory celebration at the team’s favorite restaurant back in Chula Vista. Seth agreed, and said he was hungry for some postgame fries.

Williamsport, Little League Capital of the World

This year’s World Series action drew more than 200,000 fans to Williamsport. The central Pennsylvania town is the only home the Little League World Series has ever known. The 10-day tournament featured some of the best 11- to 13-year-old baseball players from around the globe. In all, 16 teams competed for the championship: 8 U.S. squads and 8 from around the world.

Williamsport resident Carl Stotz founded Little League Baseball in 1939. The league’s original three teams played their first season in an empty lot. Today, approximately 2.7 million young boys and girls play little league baseball worldwide.

Source: Scholastic News Online

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Review of Six Flags America

By Our Kids
August 29, 2009

Baltimore/Washington, DC

13710 Central Ave
Upper Marlboro, MD
Google map

“Even if you’re a patient person, you can’t be patient for this!” – Senior OK Intern

Back before the internet and cellphones, when I was a teenager, I visited Six Flags (then known as Adventure World) and remember it primarily as a teen hangout. The OK Amusement Park Assessment Review Team (four staffers ages 7, 9, almost 37 and just 62), decided there was no better time than now to check out what was being billed as the new-and-improved Six Flags, and we were pleasantly surprised at the changes that have taken place since that long ago visit. Six Flags is located in Largo, Maryland about 30 minutes from Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. It includes two main areas — the waterpark, Hurricane Harbor and the main amusement park. It was a beautiful sunny morning, so we opted to start out in Hurricane Harbor.

The Waterpark
Hurricane Harbor is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It’s definitely a nice addition to the amusement park side of Six Flags, and admission is included in your ticket price. My biggest memory of the waterpark was how dirty things were – from the water to the bathrooms – so I must admit I was quite hesitant going into this review. To get to the waterpark you must first walk through an area flanked by games for kids to play and now “conveniently” they accept credit cards to play said games. We ended up bypassing these as the OK interns were very excited to get to the waterpark.

Our first stop was at the women’s locker room, and we are happy to report that it was clean and orderly. There are plenty of bathrooms, shower stalls and regular changing stalls, but it probably gets crowded on a weekend. The floors were clean, but as the day wore on you could start to see the wear and tear on the bathrooms. Nothing you wouldn’t expect from a big amusement park.

We opted to rent a locker in the waterpark for the duration of our stay (you can also rent lockers in other places throughout the park). It is well-worth the money to be able to store your things in one safe place and not have to lug everything around. We put on our lotion beforehand and carried our beach towels from place to place. Locker rental daily rates range in price from a small ($11) or large ($15) to family ($17). We rented a large locker and could fit two filled bags in it with some room to spare. When you rent the locker, you’ll receive a wristband that one person in your party wears. Cool bonus feature: when you hold the wristband up to an electronic sensor the locker opens, even if you don’t say something that sounds like a magic spell.

Onto the waterpark! We wanted to start out slow and opted to visit Crocodile Cal’s Caribbean Beach House. It’s a five-story interactive tree house that spurts water from every which way. There’s the standard bucket up top that will delight children with a huge downpour of water every so often. There are at least seven different water slides for all ages and stages. The water is pretty shallow in most parts and there is a beach entry for the littlest swimmers.

We were very impressed by the lifeguards throughout the entire waterpark. They were almost overly attentive in some areas, but it was a nice change from the usual slack-a-dasical attitude lifeguards have, and I’d rather be safe than sorry. They stopped kids from running, getting out of the water in the wrong place and from horseplay. We even saw lifeguards practicing safety drills throughout the park.

Hurricane Harbor has lots of waterslides, so there is something for all levels and interests. Bahama Blast, a family raft ride (must be 42″ with an adult; 48″ without an adult) was our next stop. It turns out you have to lug a huge four-person “round” raft up several flights of stairs. This isn’t for the faint of heart. I run marathons and would call myself in decent shape; but was huffing and puffing by the time we reached the top with our raft in hand. Seconds after we hopped into the raft we were spiraling down a tube that was enclosed at times and not at others. It was awesome, belly-turning fun, but we’d recommend it only for those who love waterslides. I thought this slide would be a more gentle ride down for my 7-year old, more timid waterslide rider. Not so, Bahama Blast is just that — it blasts you down quickly and it is great fun!

The 7 year old and 62 year old headed back over to Crocodile Cal’s while the two other reviewers went on two other waterslides: Paradise Plunge and Reef Runner. These are two-person and single tubes that you carry up several flights of stairs before plunging down a tube slide. We went on the two-person tube and the slides were invigorating! The lifeguards were attentive both at the top and bottom.

Next we headed to Castaway Creek, a lazy river where kids 36″ and over can ride solo in a tube. It was nice and relaxing and the kids enjoyed splashing around while lollygagging around the river. Afterwards they played in the pool that was in the center of the lazy river and included the Vortex/Riptide waterslides; Calypso Cannonball tube slides and Bamboo Chutes kiddie slides.

We then went to Hurricane Bay, one of the largest wave pools in the country. Back in the day, Hurricane Bay was well-known for having hair nets, band-aids and other strange foreign objects, so we are happy to report there has been a successful makeover. The water was clean, the lifeguards were on top of things and the wave pool was not crowded. Waves are intermittent and can get up to 4 feet tall. Infants and weak swimmers are not allowed past a certain point and again the lifeguards were on hand to make sure that did not happen. The OK-interns rated Hurricane Bay as one of their favorite places. They could splash, bobble up and down and just have fun. In front of Hurricane Bay there is a large open area with dozens of lounge chairs. This lawn is a green carpet, which has definitely seen better days. It might bother some people, but it’s nothing you wouldn’t expect in an older park.

Our final stop in the waterpark was Buccaneer Beach. This area is great for the littlest kids and consists of two pools with loads of interactive features. The area is aimed at children 54″ and lower with an adult. There’s a pirate ship, water squirting out of the pool bottom and a huge octopus over a submarine in the center where kids can climb in and around.

There are several other waterslides in the park, including the Tornado (a six-story funnel of “fun”), Tony Hawk’s Halfpipe (a water ramp that can “skateboard” on), Hammerhead (a tube slide in the dark) and Mako (a tube slide that is half-open and half-enclosed). Note: on all waterslides you have to carry your tube up the stairs.

The Amusement Park

After a fun-filled morning we headed to the amusement park side of Six Flags. Map in hand, we let the kids decide where we should head first and they chose the Great Race, an antique car ride. The OK interns were thrilled that they would have the chance to drive their own car. The OK adults were excited that this was the only place they’d be driving for a long time! The Great Race features antique cars that seat 4-5 people (no lap children) that are driven around a track for about 5 minutes. There was no wait for a car but we were disappointed at this ride (the only one) because the attendants were less than helpful and more interested in texting or talking with each other. We took the experience for what it was and we were off to the Looney Tunes Movie Town, a section made just for the littlest of amusement park patrons.

Looney Tunes Movie Town offers rides geared mostly for kids ages 2 to 8 or 9 depending on their height. All of the rides are very mild and are a great introduction for children. The 9-year old OK intern went on the Great Chase first, a family-friendly roller coaster. It takes kids up a modest incline and brings them around the track to where they begin; the ride goes about three times around the loop. We tried to go onto Sylvester’s Pounce and Bounce where kids are taken 20 feet in the air before a short free fall; however one intern was too tall to ride. So instead we hit up several others to include the Tinsel Town Train, Pepe LePew’s Tea Party (kids spin around in tea cups) and Yosemite Sam’s Hollywood Flight School (kids take flight in mini-airplanes). Ride operators in the Looney Tunes Movie Town area were attentive to the children and appeared interested in what they were doing. The max height limit is generally between 52″ and 54″, so it depended on who was doing the measuring as to whether or not the 9-year old could ride.

Following the foray into Looney Tunes Movie Town, we took a ride on the Capital Railways, which is new for 2009. Capital Railways takes you on a relaxing ride around the park in a full-size locomotive. It was a great way to chill out for a few before we headed out to see some other attractions. The ride was slow and covered; so on a hot day, it would be a nice change of pace from being in the hot sun.

During our train ride we were able to peep all of the roller coasters in the park. Back when I was in leg warmers, I would have eagerly tried all
the roller coasters, but now that I have children and a minivan, my threshold for taking chances has definitely gone down. They are still fun to watch though! Experts tell me that Six Flags has some really awesome coasters. Here they are, in train view order:

• The Wild One is a classic wooden roller coaster. You must be at least 48″ to ride.
• Superman: Ride of Steel is a 20-story mega-coaster. You must be a minimum of 54″ to ride and a maximum of 76″. This ride was not running while we were at the park; there were operators working on fixing something with the ride.
• Batwing is a face-down coaster and you must be at least 54″ to ride.
• The Joker’s Jinx is probably the scariest and coolest looking roller coaster I have seen in a while. This coaster takes you from 0 to 60 mph in under 3 seconds. You’ll twist and turn like no other! You must be 54″ minimum to ride.
• Two other coasters that we saw were The Roar, a wooden coaster that criss-crosses itself 20 times and The Mind Eraser, a coaster that you ride with your feet dangling in the air.

After our tame train ride and seeing the excitement of the roller coasters, we walked around and decided to try out two water rides, favorites from my years as a teen. Skull Mountain was the first and is a cruise through a pitch dark tunnel, high speed twists and turns where you are then dumped into a chute of water. 46″ minimum to ride and great fun! The second was Shipwreck Falls, a boat of sorts that takes you up an incline, around a curve (all in water) to plunge down and be engulfed by the water and then soaked. Warning: You will get completely soaked on these rides so do not bring anything that you do not want wet. For those who opt not to go on Shipwreck Falls, you can stand on the bridge that the boat goes under and get soaked by the spray. On a hot summer day these are great rides in addition to Renegade Rapids (a white water raft ride) and The Penguins Blizzard River.

We capped our visit with a ride on Around the World in 80 Days, a fun ferris wheel. You have to be 42″ to ride alone; under 42″ with a companion over 54″. There were several rides that we weren’t able to get to. Here are a few worth mentioning and hopefully you’ll have some braver folks in your group who will try them out and report back to Our Kids.

• Flying Carousel is a high-flying swing ride. Must be 48″ minimum to ride.
• Cyclone is a ride where spinning gondolas send riders back and forth.
• Tower of Doom is a high-speed free fall from 140 feet in the air. Make sure to leave those flip-flops at the bottom!
• Falling Star and High Seas are both giant rides where you rotate and swing around.
• The Octopus spins riders up and down on its tentacles. 51″ minimum to ride.

Six Flags America is a smallish, more compact park than others that are farther away, but even spending six hours at the park we weren’t able to get to all the rides or see any shows. Consult the Six Flags website for a current listing of shows at the park. Also worth noting is the 2009 Starburst Summer Concert Series which takes place weekly through August.

Upcoming special events:

• October 3 to 31: Fright Fest; Six Flags America will be totally transformed into a Halloween playground on weekends. There will be a special trick-or-treat trail just for kids.

All concerts are included with your 2009 Play Pass or daily admission. Get up close with preferred floor access for $10, park admission is additional.

The Food
Check out this awesome kids meal

Gourmet and healthy food it is not, so food is not a highlight of the park. No outside food is allowed inside Six Flags. You are however allowed one unopened bottle of water and we highly recommend that you take advantage of that option. As you would expect, food is pretty pricey.

During our adventure we stopped briefly to eat lunch. We dined at Papaya Pete’s Chicken Hut, which offers various chicken sandwiches, french fries, popcorn shrimp and a kids meal. The adults had a crispy chicken sandwich and grilled chicken sandwich both with fries. We paid $7.99 plus tax for the adult entries. The best deal by far is the kids meal. For $8.99 plus tax, kids get a souvenir bucket filled with applesauce, a cheese stick, fries and popcorn chicken. They also get their choice of drink in a souvenir cup.

Other choices for dining in the waterpark included Subway, Papa Johns, Beachside Burgers and Hurricane Hot Dog. There was a cute place called Calypso’s; which served ice cold beer, wine coolers and small appetizers. Caribbean music was piped in throughout the different dining areas. Deserts in the form of funnel cakes and Ben & Jerry’s were available as well.

Later in the afternoon we decided to have some ice cream. We first stopped in the Cold Stone Creamery on Main Street. They offer a pretty nice selection, but they only have waffle cones that were much too large for our party. We headed over to Ben & Jerry’s for a soft serve ice-cream cone. The food was yummy; however the prices were very high. It was $5.29 plus tax for a soft serve cone.

Dining options in the amusement park include a Johnny Rockets restaurant, Panda Express, Papa John’s, Subway and other grill type places. You can view a detailed list online. Note: peanut oil is used in the preparation of menu items, so if you have allergies in the family as is often the case these days, contact Park Security or Guest Relations when you arrive to bring in special dietary foods. If you don’t mind paying amusement park prices then you have wide selection. If you’re trying to save a little money, consider tail gaiting. You can get your hand stamped at the exit/re-entry gate; head to your car for a bite to eat and then go back for more fun at Six Flags.

Admission

• Expect to pay $15 for parking.
• General admission to the park is $49.99; Junior admission under 48″ is $24.99; and under 2 is free. If you purchase your tickets online, you can buy one for $49.99 and get one free. Or you can Become an Our Kids member and get access to discounted tickets.
• If before you visit you know you’ll want to go back more than once, purchase a 2009 Play Pass. You get unlimited visits on regular operating days during the 2009 season and access to Fright Fest.
• If you had a ton of fun and know you’ll be back to Six Flags in one season; consider turning in your one-day admission and purchase a 2009 season pass for $19.99 plus tax. Details are at Guest Relations.
• Purchase a flash pass for $15. The Flash Pass reduces your wait time on select rides. I would imagine this would be invaluable on busy weekdays or weekends.

Things to Know Before You Go:

• Consult the Six Flags website for hours of operation. Generally they start their season in April (weekends only) and open during the week starting in May. Weekdays continue through Labor Day and then the park stays open on weekends only through the end of October.
• In addition to the amusement park rides, waterpark and food; Six Flags also has arcade games and carnival games. There are also vendors scattered that do tattoos on kids. Our interns are Harry Potter fans and got a lightening bolt and snake on their arms. Tattoos last from 2 to 4 weeks, but a word of caution. You have to let them dry after they are applied or the tattoo will get messed up (as one of ours did). Tattoos start at $5.
• Six Flags has a guest code of conduct and from all appearances it seems to be enforced. There is a dress code, behavior and language rules that apply. Six Flags allows smoking in designated areas and pets are not permitted in the park with the exception of service animals.
• Don’t forget: your towels, a change of clothes (don’t forget the underwear), sunscreen, hats, sunglasses. Bring a camera; lots of fun photo opportunities are available.
• Appropriate bathing suits may only be worn inside Hurricane Harbor. Regular clothing must be worn in the amusement park.
• The park accepts American Express, MasterCard, VISA and Discover Card for park admission, at gift shops and many food locations. Personal checks are not accepted.
• There are plenty of gift shops throughout the park. We didn’t have enough time to check them out; but they offer everything from Six Flags apparel to Looney Tunes apparel, collector’s items; along with kids super heroes apparel.
• There are plenty of bathrooms, a first aid station, water fountains and ATMs throughout the park.
• You can bring your own stroller; but if you don’t feel like it you can rent one at the park. A limited number are available.
• Consider dressing your kids in the same color shirt for easy identification. And make sure that all children you bring to the park know their parents name, their phone number and address if possible.
• Before visiting Six Flags, consult the park FAQ for a full list of things to know.

Bottom Line:We visited Six Flags on a Monday, and I am convinced it saved us from a lot of waiting in line for rides, food and general activities. Head to Six Flags on a weekday; the earlier the better. No lines, clean facilities, lots of options = maximum fun.

Editor’s Note: This review was first down in Our Kids in July. Have you been to Six Flags America? What’s your opinion? Just drop us a note at www.ourkids.com and dan@goldcoastchronicle.com will add your comments to this review.

Source: Our Kids

Movie Review: G-Force

by Kerry Bennett
August 27, 2009

Guinea pigs finally get their chance to prove they are more than just laboratory test subjects in this live-action/animated tale. Sporting attitude and the latest high-tech equipment, these furry friends are an espionage force to be reckoned with!

In-Depth Review

G-Force is rated PG: for some mild action and rude humor.

Size doesn’t seem to matter to the guinea pigs that make up the covert government agency known as G-Force. Juarez (voice by Penélope Cruz), Darwin (voice by Sam Rockwell) and Blaster (voice by Tracy Morgan) may be small, but they’re still a power to be reckoned with when it comes to military operations.

However, like many other federally funded departments, their backing is about to be cut. Without it, they will be forced to shut down before uncovering the criminal activities behind Leonard Saber’s (Bill Nighy) household appliance empire. On the night prior to their project’s termination, they launch an unauthorized infiltration mission into Saber’s mansion and steal a computer file outlining his plans for world domination. They hope the information will help save their program. But when the guinea pigs’ boss Ben (Zach Galifianakis) tries to open the file for FBI Agents Killian (Will Arnett), Trigstad (Gabriel Casseus) and Carter (Jack Conley), they discover it has been infected with a computer virus.

Without any positive evidence against the suspicious industrialist, officers slap a closed sign on the animal experimentation operation and the rodents soon finds themselves incarcerated in a pet store cage with a hairy, flatulence-plagued pig (voice by Jon Favreau) and psychotic hamster (voice by Steve Buscemi). Refusing to burrow into the wood chips while Saber initiates his villainous plot, the furry agents and their mole friend Speckles (voice by Nicolas Cage) design an escape plan and arrange to rendezvous at Ben’s address.

Their adventures outside of the pet shop though are often too intense for young viewers. Along with scenes straight from an action flick (car chases, breaking plate glass windows and the threat of being crushed), these rodents are attacked by automated machines with whirling blades and other deadly appendages. They are also subjected to actions that could easily be imitated by children. Feigning interest in the pigs, a young customer in the pet store picks up one of the critters and then intentionally throws him into a cage with a hungry snake. Another is put behind the wheel of a remote control car and driven at high speeds through an obstacle course and over a jump. While children aren’t involved with the following depiction, a rodent finds himself locked inside a microwave oven where he is about to be cooked. During their undercover operations, the tiny squad also faces frequent moments of peril involving attack dogs, detonated explosives, exterminators and armed agents intent on hunting down the escapees.

Yet for children comfortable with these types of action-packed escapades, G-Force offers some more thoughtful moments, particularly after the guinea pig project is abandoned. Believing in the importance of their mission and trusting in one another, the beady-eyed critters stay the course despite some disappointing setbacks. And although the script may sometimes grow a little lame, this film’s special 3D effects prove to be engaging from the first frame to the final clip.

Studio: 2009 Walt Disney Pictures / Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details: Beyond the Movie Ratings…

Discussion Ideas: Talk About the Movie…

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for nearly 10 years. She serves as Vice President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. She and her husband Garry have four sons.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »