THIS GIVEAWAY WAS FOR THE NOVEMBER 2010 SHOW AND IS NOW CLOSED

Where are my Yo Gabba Gabba mamas and daddies out there? The Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! There’s A Party In My City! tour is coming to Colorado on November 7th, 2010 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield – and the show is sold out! Fear not, Brobee lovers. Who’s got two thumbs and a Family 4-Pack of tickets for you to see the show for free? THIS GUY! I’ll draw a winner on Halloween, so you still have lots of time to get entries in. Just leave a comment on this post.

Fresh off a triumphant sold-out tour debut, a headlining performance at The White House, a critically-acclaimed, chart-topping album, and an appearance at Coachella that garnered rave reviews from spectators and media alike, DJ Lance Rock and the cast of YO GABBA GABBA! are heading back on the road with YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE!: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY! to play to enthusiastic fans on a 60-city tour across North America. Today’s hottest live show for families will make stops at top theaters, arenas and amphitheaters throughout North America, starting August 27 in Bethel, NY and ending in Dallas, TX on December 12.

I can’t WAIT to see the live show. Haven’t seen them? Check out the Yo Gabba Gabba Official YouTube Channel.

THIS GIVEAWAY WAS FOR THE NOVEMBER 2010 SHOW AND IS NOW CLOSED

As Nickelodeon enters its landmark 30th anniversary year, the number-one kids’ network will unify the TV channels (Noggin, The N, Nicktoons Network) and web sites (Nick.com, Neopets.com, AddictingGames.com, among others) from its top-ranked portfolio under the single, globally recognized brand “Nickelodeon”—beginning 4Q 2009. This philosophy of ‘one brand’ signals Nickelodeon’s continued move toward serving the whole family through TV, online, consumer products, recreation and theatricals, as well as heightening its ability to seamlessly navigate audiences across its targeted entertainment platforms for everything from Dora, SpongeBob, AddictingGames and iCarly, to George Lopez, Degrassi and ParentsConnect.com.

Bringing together the entire multiplatform portfolio under the single Nickelodeon umbrella will reinforce Nick’s leadership in the marketplace as a global brand serving the whole family, with kids always at the center. A ‘one brand’ philosophy also allows audiences to easily find the content they want across multiple screens, and it anticipates the platform agnostic media environment and single currency that the audience and industry are moving toward.

Noggin will be renamed Nick Jr., retaining its quality schedule of commercial-free, preschool-focused programming. The N assumes the name TEENick and will further develop and deliver on its mission of serving teens and tweens through programming reflecting the breadth and depth of ‘teen-dom’. Nicktoons Network retains its name while continuing to organically grow its boy 6-11 audience through hit, action-oriented animated programming like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Marvel’s Wolverine and the X-Men and the forthcoming Iron Man series. Also, Nick.com will expand to become a hub for Nickelodeon’s entire digital network of properties and brands, and will continue to serve as the leading content destination for kids.

Guess we’ve got a few more months to love on Moose A. Moose and Zee!

Yay! Fall is here! And, it’s almost time for Halloween! All this month, you can get in the Halloween spirit with all your favorite shows on Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Noggin! During the week of October 27th, you can catch Halloween-themed episodes of Go, Diego, Go!, Ni Hao, Kai-lan, and Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! On Friday, October 31st, Nick Jr. will air a Halloween marathon from 9:00 a.m – 2:00 p.m. (ET/PT) with spooky episodes of preschool favorites including: The Backyardigans, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, Max & Ruby, Yo Gabba Gabba!, and The Wonder Pets! And on Sunday, October 26th at 3 pm (ET), you can see a brand new episode of Pinky Dinky Doo on Noggin.

Do your kids like to play games online? Log onto NickJr.com! They have brand new games for Halloween, including the “Backyardigans Trick or Treat Game” where kids can dress-up the Backyardigans in spooky and silly costumes. You can find lots of other great things on the site too, like step-by-step instructions for making Nick Jr. Halloween costumes and Jack-o’-lanterns, plus dozens of Halloween-themed kids activities, kids coloring pages, crafts and more.

If you can’t bear the thought of missing a single minute of Halloween-themed programming, here’s the run-down:

(All Times ET/PT)

Monday, Oct. 27, at 9:00 a.m. – Go, Diego, Go! “Freddie the Fruit Bat Saves Halloween!” (PREMIERE)

Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 9:00 a.m. – Ni Hao, Kai-lan “Ni Hao, Halloween”

Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 9:00 a.m. – Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! “The Ghost of Wuzzleburg”/“March of the Pumpkins”

Thursday, Oct. 30, at 9:00 a.m. – Max & Ruby: “Max’s Halloween”

Friday, Oct. 31 – Halloween Marathon
9:00 a.m The Backyardigans: “Scared of You”
9:30 a.m. Go, Diego, Go!: “Freddie the Fruit Bat Saves Halloween”
10:00 a.m. The Wonder Pets!: “Save the Black Kitten”
10:30 a.m. Dora the Explorer: “Boo!”
11:00 a.m. Ni Hao, Kai-lan: “Ni Hao, Halloween!”
11:30 a.m. Yo Gabba Gabba!: “Halloween”
12:00 p.m. Go, Diego, Go!: “Freddie the Fruit Bat Saves Halloween”
12:30 p.m. The Backyardigans: “Monster Detective”
1:00 p.m. Max & Ruby: “Max’s Halloween”
1:30 p.m. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: “The Ghost of Wuzzleburg”/“March of the Pumpkins”

Sunday, Oct. 26, at 3:00 p.m. Pinky Dinky Doo “Pinky Squeaks”/“Are You My Mummy?” (NOGGIN)

Linny, Tuck and Ming-Ming will have preschoolers shimmying and singing along in an exciting Bollywood-themed half-hour The Wonder Pets! primetime special, “Save The Bengal Tiger!,” premiering Monday, Sept. 8, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Capturing the passionate spirit of Hindi cinema, “Save The Bengal Tiger!” features critically acclaimed Indian actress Nandita Das as the voice of the Bengal Tiger and sibling duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant as composers of the musical score.

This is a really cute episode, and my kids were completely enthralled by the great music and costumes. You can get on Nick Jr.’s website right now and check out interactive games and activities to based on this episode. In The Bengal Tiger’s Bash game, the Wonder Pets are getting ready for a party hosted by the Bengal Tiger. Kids can dress Linny, Tuck and Ming-Ming, and then create a song and dance for them to perform for the Bengal Tiger. Besides the games, you can find Bollywood-themed printables, crafts, activities and more on the Nick Jr. site.

Mark your calendars for September 8th!

My own fuzzy memories of The Banana Splits revolve around an animated series, but evidently The Banana Splits started out as a hugely popular show featuring costumed characters performing in a rock band. The characters include Fleegle the Dog, Drooper the Lion, Bingo the Gorilla, and Snorky the Elephant. Here’s a sneak peak of what to expect on the show:

No word yet as to whether or not they’ll bring back these dope Halloween costumes, although I have no doubt they’d be huge!

Check out the official Banana Splits website at BananaSplits.com and you can check out music and video clips, play silly games, phone in your favorite silly joke, and even join the Banana Splits Club!

The titles in their 5 Senses DVD collection include:

• See My World
• Hear My World
• Taste My World
• Touch My World
• Smell My World

As the parent of an autistic child, I was really interested in checking out the Touch My World DVD, as I’m always looking for ways to interest my son in a new sensory experience. This DVD did not disappoint! Bruce Brain and Harry Hand guide children through various touch activities, including fingerpainting, feeling sand between toes, touching ice, and lots of other experiences. My kids were glued to the TV while this was playing – the music is great and the interactions between the puppets and the kids are a lot of fun. You can preview a clip of the DVD here, and you’ll see what I mean!

The entire series is full of great sensory examples, and would make a great gift for any child, but especially for a child with sensory issues. If you have a child with autism, this DVD set should be in your library right next to Spectrum Connections Bounce! You can check out more information on the Braincandy website.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is running a sweepstakes where fans can win a private screening of the new American Girl movie, which stars Academy Award® nominee Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) and Golden Globe® nominee Chris O’Donnell (Scent of a Woman.) The Grand Prize package includes a private screening of Kit Kittredge: An American Girl for the winner and 50 guests, including unlimited popcorn and soda. The Grand Prize winner will also receive Kit’s Complete Collection, including a Kit Kittredge American Girl doll and assorted accessories, clothing and furniture. In addition, 25 First Prize winners will receive a TCM ESSENTIALS JR. DVD pack featuring five classic movies.

Hurry and enter! The sweepstakes ends on June 30th – go here for more details on the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) site.