Go! Go! Cory Carson Car Themed Kids Party

By Alison McKown of Just Add Confetti

Go! Go! It’s a party in Bumperton Hills! If your little ones love watching the popular children’s show Go! Go! Cory Carson on Netflix, then this is the party theme for you. Featuring Cory Carson and his pals, this celebration is full of easy and creative car-themed food and décor ideas that you will be able to recreate in a breeze.

My sons love watching the show and following their favorite little orange

car, Cory Carson. Cory navigates the ups and downs of childhood on the winding roads of Bumperton Hills as he goes to school, makes new friends and explores with his family.

The Backdrop

Creating a party backdrop, to be displayed behind the main party table, creates an eye-catching and exciting focal point for the entire party. All of your little party guests will be thrilled to see Cory and his pals larger than life on the backdrop.

In watching episodes of the show with my sons, I’m always inspired by the visuals and whimsical styling of the series. I love the bright colors and tactile textures of the illustrations and artwork. When it came time to create the backdrop for this party, I knew I wanted to recreate the hills and winding roads of Bumperton Hills! First, I started by taping two pieces of white foam board together and covered them with blue sky bulletin board paper. Next, I added large hills made out of green poster board. Then, I created roads out of construction paper and trees out of felt and pom poms. Last but not least, I added printed VTech® product graphics of the stars of the show—Cory and his pals!

After the backdrop was complete, I centered it behind the table. I next placed a photography backdrop stand around the sign. This created the framework that would be needed for hanging the balloon garland and additional signs. I also designed a large “Go! Go! It’s a party in Bumperton Hills!” sign, as well as several car-themed party décor signs, to be used throughout the party to further enhance the theme. With the photo backdrop stand in place, I was able to easily display the balloon garland and these additional signs to complete the look of the backdrop.

The Food

It’s time to fuel up and talk about all the fun foods we had at our Go! Go! Cory Carson party. Creative themed foods don’t have to be difficult to make and they add so much fun to any party! At our celebration we had Cory Carson cakes with mini cookie tires, fruit kabob traffic lights, spare tire donuts, motor oil chocolate milk, a windshield wiper fluid sport drink, and candy traffic lights.

The Place Settings

Each place setting was colorful and vibrant just like the show. I created a long road table runner out of black and yellow paper. Then I layered the place settings on top of the road and added the adorable toys from VTech’s Go! Go! Cory Carson® collection. Adding these toys to both the place settings, as well as the main food table, allowed the collection to double as party décor and really brought the car theme to life!

I created printable bottle labels and plate graphics to match the theme as well. I love printables because they are such a simple way to easily and inexpensively enhance a party theme. I layered each plate printable, of one of the collection’s characters, under a clear plastic plate to instantly transform the place setting.

At each place setting I also added a sweet party favor. Who doesn’t love some cookies for the road?! To create this party favor, I printed a VTech product graphic of Cory and then slid it into a clear treat bag. Then I added two chocolate cookies to represent the tires. So simple and sweet!

VTech’s Go! Go! Cory Carson Collection

Adding toys from VTech®’s Go! Go! Cory Carson® collection to the main food table, as well as the place settings, made them perfectly in-reach for play! After enjoying the party food and clearing the plates, the table runner road became the perfect setting for imaginative play with Cory and his friends—Freddie the firetruck, Halle the helicopter, Frannie the talent agent, Timmy the bulldozer, Kimmy the demolition crane and Cory’s little sister, Chrissy. My sons loved pushing Cory and his friends around on the paper road as the toys trigger fun sound effects. Also, you can press the light-up windshields to hear Cory and his friends talk about their specific color as well as to play four sing-along songs and six melodies. My sons also had a blast playing with the adorable Freddie’s Firehouse™ and DJ Train Trax & the Roll Train™ playsets. They thought it was so fun to recreate helping Freddie and Chrissy rescue Phil just like in the episode of the show that they watched. They couldn’t get enough of dancing and playing mixmaster with Roll Train host, DJ Train Trax. They got such a kick out of placing Cory and Chrissy on stage and watching them light up and do “The Chrissy”.

I hope you enjoyed our Go! Go! Cory Carson car themed kids’ party. I hope this party has inspired you to create your own Cory Carson celebration with your children, family and friends!

About the Author:

Alison McKown is a content creator, professional graphic designer and the founder of Just Add Confetti– a blog focused on creative and attainable party ideas, unique and easy gift ideas, recipes, and graphic designed printables. Just Add Confetti is based on the belief that every day should be celebrated. Alison believes that everyone (yes, everyone!) can be creative and can craft beautiful celebrations and memories with their children, families and friends. Alison is an advertising agency art director turned party blogger based in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and two very active little boys. Follow along with Alison’s latest projects and ideas from Just Add Confetti on Instagram and Pinterest.

‘Tis the Season to be Organized with the KidiZoom® Smartwatch DX2!

Although the holiday season this year will sure look different, it’s important to keep your spirits up, especially for the kids. This means planning tons of crafts and activities as part of your countdown to Christmas to get the kids excited for the big day!

Hi, my name is Betty and I am the blogger behind Mombrite. With tons of holiday activities already on our list, I can’t wait to tell you more about how the KidiZoom® Smartwatch DX2 is going to help keep us on schedule!

1. Teach the kids about time.

My daughter is a preschooler who is new to the concept of time. Sure, she knows when she has to wait “forever” in line, but she doesn’t really understand yet what a second, a minute, or an hour means.

The KidiZoom® Smartwatch DX2 comes with a big screen so that kids can see the time clearly. For the analog watch, the big hand is marked by a red circle and the small hand is marked by a blue circle, which makes it easier for kids to distinguish between the minute and hour hands.

After your kid gets more familiar with how to tell time, then he or she can keep track of what is coming up next in his or her day.

2. Skip the tantrums.

The alarm function is very useful to keep all activities on track. For example, you can set a time limit on each activity, and program the alarm so that the kids get a 5-minute warning when time is about to be up, and then another alarm for when it’s time to move on to the next thing.

I recommend always giving your kids a 5-minute warning before the end of an activity. Imagine if someone tells you to stop what you are doing “right now!” while you are in the middle of a fun task. You would probably throw an adult tantrum too. Your kids need a little time to disengage so that they can transition to the next activity on the schedule.

And the alarm on the KidiZoom® Smartwatch DX2 is perfect for that! If your kid has trouble transitioning, you may want to consider setting a 15-minute alarm, a 10-minute alarm, and a 5-minute alarm.

Because we all know, there is nothing that ruins the schedule more than a good ol’ rolling on the ground and screaming tantrum!

3. Allow your kids to know what’s coming.

The KidiZoom® Smartwatch DX2 has an easy to access calendar. You can mark important events in the calendar so that kids know what exciting things are coming up instead of asking you a million times a day. With the calendar, kids will feel more independent and more in control of their schedule during a busy time like the holidays.

Review the calendar with your kid daily so he or she knows what to expect for the day and for the weeks ahead. Kids do well when they know what is coming in the future, especially when there is so much going on.

4. Allow kids to plan visually.

If your kids are too young to write, the camera is a great option for them to keep organized. Sit down with your kid and go through potential activities that you can do together for the holidays. Then he or she can use the camera feature on the KidiZoom® Smartwatch DX2 to take pictures of the activities he or she wants to do to keep track of all the fun ideas.

Then you can sit with your kid to go through the pictures he or she has taken. Plan to do a couple of activities a day and put them in the calendar mentioned above. Now your kid has a visual plan of all the things that your family can do in the days leading to Christmas.

5. Keep the kids active.

With all the holiday preparation, it’s easy to forget to exercise. Especially with limited places to go these days, it’s important to make sure your kids stay active throughout the holidays.

The KidiZoom® Smartwatch DX2 includes a pedometer to track steps. Your kids will be surprised at how many steps they will take in a game of tag or a quick game of basketball.

Schedule a time to exercise every day in your kids’ calendar and set a daily target step goal. And make sure you get moving with your kids too.

I hope the tips above help you and your family plan for the holidays. Your kids will love capturing those special moments on the smartwatch’s camera! The watch is durable and comfortable so they can wear it every day.

Happy holidays!

Betty Boiron is a homeschooling mom of two. An educator at heart, she loves teaching her kids through hands-on activities, with a focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). She shares all the fun activities she does with her kids on Mombrite.com.

Toddler Toys for Holiday 2020

One of my favorite things about the holidays is gift hunting for my kids. There’s no feeling quite like finding the perfect gift and watching their faces light up when they unwrap it.

More than just giving a gift, I really love when I can find a toy that’s not only fun for the kids, but also helps them learn or develop. Before becoming a mom, I thought a toy was just a toy - something that was fun to play with but not much more. Now I realize just how great a toy can be for developing motor skills, practicing speech, and teaching soft skills like patience and sharing.

As a blogger who loves creating shopping and gift guides, I’ve come to realize that there are some truly great options out there for toys that are both entertaining and educational for the kids + that I don’t mind having around the house. Enter, VTech®!

Designed for Long-Time Play

One of the things that first caught my eye about VTech® is that the toys are designed to grow with the kids. Many of their interactive toys are appropriate for kids starting as young as six months and progressing well into toddlerhood. Not only does this mean that my kids can use their VTech® toys for a longer time, but it means that they can play + learn together. It also means my kids who are 2.5 years apart in age can both enjoy some of the same toys!

Another feature that I love is that the toys have a music component, which my kids also love. Music helps their minds develop and keeps them engaged with the toy. A win-win for me, especially when I need a minute or two to drink my tea or answer an email.

What I’m Eyeing + Buying

When it comes to toys, VTech® has a huge variety of options available but there are five that have really caught my attention.

- The VTech® Explore and Crawl ElephantTM // I’m really excited about this one for Luca (age 10 months). One of the features I love the most is that since the elephant crawls along, it will help encourage Luca to scoot and crawl. Plus, it will be beyond adorable to watch him follow this little elephant around the house.

- The VTech® Snug-a-Bug Musical Critter // This is another one that is great for Luca. It’s perfect for floor play, the car seat, or for chewing (hello, teething!). I love that it’s plush all over with no additional pieces, so I don’t have to worry about him swallowing any small bits.

- The VTech® Count and Win Sports CenterTM // When I saw this, I immediately thought of Brody (age 5) but honestly I think Isla (age 3) would have a ball with it, too (pun intended). Not only will this help with their motor skills - especially Isla’s fine motor skills - but it will also be a great tool to work on Brody’s math skills. I also love that it’s a toy that they can play with together and improve different skills at the same time.

- The VTech® Write & Learn Creative CenterTM // A toy that’s also super educational? Sign me up! This tablet will be the perfect way for Isla to practice her lines + will be a great companion for Brody’s penmanship exercises. I love that it also has a demo feature, and can show the kids how to write letters or even their whole name. This will also be great for car trips.

- The VTech® Jiggle & Giggle Fishing SetTM // This adorable fishing set is a great toy for multiple kiddos to play with at once, encouraging sharing and taking turns. I also love that all of the smaller pieces can be stored in the bucket when playtime is over. This is a huge hit in our house!

One | The VTech® Snug-a-Bug Musical Critter // Two | The VTech® Explore and Crawl ElephantTM // Three | The VTech® Jiggle & Giggle Fishing SetTM // Four | The VTech® Count and Win Sports CenterTM // Five | The VTech® Write & Learn Creative CenterTM

Which VTech® toys do you have on your shopping list this year?

Mandy Roberson is a certified childbirth educator, mom of 3 and founder of Momma Society--the community for modern moms. She loves holidays and making memories with her children. In her free time you will find her crafting and creating fun printables for Magic Playbook--a monthly digital subscription for moms.