Give Your Children a Gift They Will Use for a Lifetime: Manners, Respect, Acceptance and Teamwork

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) November 1, 2007 -- Who knew that building your own Cardboard Train, Making your own Play Dough and Creating an Animal Mask could not only be fun but help lay the foundation for valuable life lessons? Tot-a-Doodle-Do! "Crafty Kids" Craft Kits come packaged with a fun, simple-to-do Craft Project and a 30-minute live-action DVD released by Children's Creative Programming Partnership, LLC. The Kits contain materials to follow-along with Crafty Kids, one of six segments designed to aid parents and caregivers in teaching children life hallmarks including manners, social interaction, sharing, healthy eating, respect, acceptance and teamwork.

The three new Tot-a-Doodle-Do! "Crafty Kids" Craft Kits are Animals, Transportation and School. Designed to enhance the viewing of the Tot-a-Doodle-Do! DVDs, each craft kit is created to boost the fine motor skills of children age 3-7. Craft Kits retail for suggested retail price of $19.95 and include all the art materials needed to make the crafts. Also included in the Craft Kits is a corresponding Tot-a-Doodle-Do! DVD, which includes six segments to entertain and educate.

Transportation:

In Crafty Kids, we make a cardboard train, pretend to drive different vehicles, meet an airline pilot, sing and dance, make Sailboat Snacks, learn how to use your manners while traveling.

Animals:

Design an animal mask, go on a "Lion Hunt", meet an assistance service dog, sing and dance, make Monkey Munchies, learn how to behave around animals.

School:

Make your own play dough, look in the Magic Box, meet a teacher, sing and dance, make pinwheel sandwiches for your lunchbox, learn to listen at school.

In each Tot-a-Doodle-Do! DVD hosts Alia, Penny and Molly Manners and The Tot Crew -- a diverse group of children comprised of typical and special needs children-- introduce young viewers to six fun, easy-to-follow, do-it-yourself-at-home segments. The Tot Crew includes special needs children and incorporates Picture Communication Symbols, which encourages non-verbal and special needs children to participate in their own way.

Tot-a-Doodle-Do! products directly target key developmental skills of children ages 3-7 through its attention to the problems, challenges and realities facing parents today", said Heidi Heller Niehart, creator and co-producer of Tot-a-Doodle-Do! "The key objectives of Tot-a-Doodle-Do! include engaging the child and caregiver/parent, assisting children with the acquisition of appropriate developmental skills through the integration of music, arts and other creativity exercises, teaching children new vocabulary, sequencing skills, listening skills and manners, as well as nurturing the imagination and memory, and encouraging exercise and movement."

The programs six segments reflect the increasing problem of child obesity, growing concerns about children's manners, the recent increase in cases of autism among children, technological innovations that allow for increased integration and participation of children with physical and mental disabilities, and the increasing number of home-schooled children in the United States.

· Crafty Kids - the Tot Crew Kids teach viewers at home how to make a simple, fun craft.

· Imagination Station -Creativity takes over and kids improve their attention and memory skills.

· On Our Block - Meet people who affect children's lives.

· Molly Manners - Our puppet teaches children manners through interactive role-playing.

· Hop N Bop - nurtures children's physical development with toe-tapping songs.

· Super Snack encourages healthy eating habits as children learn to make nutritional snacks

"Tot-a-Doodle-Do! is a great educational opportunity for children of all ages. It helps with strengthening gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, cognitive skills, and sense of self-esteem. The "Crafty Kids" section is great at helping children to recognize parts of their body as well as left/right discrimination. It also allows each child to be more creative, utilize a variety of sensory crafts in imaginative ways and it also allows children to feel more confident about fine motor tasks involving drawing or writing. . Tot-a-Doodle-Do! is one of the most innovative DVDs I have seen on the market, providing children with the opportunity to develop their motor skills, socialization skills, cognitive skills and overall creativity. I would highly recommend this product for children of all walks of life." Danielle Shulman, Occupational Therapist

The series has also garnered positive reviews from a variety of national press including the American Library Association's Booklist and School Library Journal as well as endorsements from Kids First (Coalition for Quality Children's Media) and the Dove Foundation.

Tot-a-Doodle-Do! has received excellent reviews from parents, educators, child psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and pediatricians. Additional titles include "Family & Friends," "The Body" and "Music." For more information, store locations or to order, call toll-free (866) 816-4997. Or visit: http://www.totadoodledo.com

About Tot-a-Doodle-Do!

Creator and Producer, Heidi Heller Niehart founded Tot-a-Doodle-Do! after envisioning a television program that would incorporate follow-along activities for children and their parents or caregivers. As founder and principal of For Immediate Release, Inc., a promotional marketing and events staffing agency, Heidi has over 15 years of experience in public relations, marketing and event planning. She has developed marketing campaigns for Body Glove and Gold's Gym Licensees, Cox Communications, Starbucks (Passage Events), Hershey's (Field Source), and worked with many other marketing agencies throughout the country. With her industry connections and solid track record, Heidi has combined her passion for educational children's programs with her marketing expertise to launch a series of television programs for children to develop important fine and gross motor skills, communication, cognitive skills and socialization. In addition to being a business owner and mother of three, Heidi is a published author and former syndicated columnist. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California Santa Barbara, a certificate from the George Washington University, Washington Representative Program, and was a G.E. Foundation Scholar at the American Women's Economic Development Center, Washington, D.C.

Co-Producer Penny L. Cohen, a licensed and certified speech and language pathologist, brings her knowledge of child development and love of music to the creation of each Tot-a-Doodle-Do television program. Working in her private practice in La Jolla, Penny has specialized in treating children and adults with articulation, voice, stuttering, tongue thrust, accent reduction, language and social communication disorders for over 20 years. She utilizes music, arts and crafts and creative dramatics in her therapy sessions. Born in Montreal, Canada, Penny began acting and singing at a very young age. While still in high school at the age of 15, she took the responsibility of running music and drama programs for various summer camps as well as after school theatre programs at private schools. Playing the guitar and singing, Penny has entertained children of all ages for over 30 years.

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