New Episodes of Curious George Start Monday! {GIVEAWAY}

My son loves all animals, but he has a special soft spot in his heart for Australian animals. I don't really know where this interest comes from, but we nurture it here at home when we can. For the last year or so, he's been saying that when he grows up he wants to be an Animal Rescuer...perhaps we spent a little too much time reading Diego books when he was little?

Or perhaps he comes by his love of animals honestly, seeing as how I am a former zookeeper, and my husband remains in the business as General Curator of the country's largest waterfowl park.

So when WGBH offered me the opportunity to take a sneak peek at the new season of Curious George, we immediately said Sí! George is also one of his favorite characters... probably because he can relate to the monito whose curiosity is always getting him in trouble! I'm happy with his love for Jorge because a recent study shows that Curious George boosts children's science and math skills.

This new season is especially exciting for us because in the season premiere, Curious George heads down under...to Australia where he meets animal conservationist, Bindi Irwin, daughter of the famous Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin.

WGBH wound up sending me a small Curious George-themed party kit that included fun activities centered around animals. It included worksheets for making Cootie Critter Catchers to a list of family science activities and even a stack of the book, Curious George Dinosaur Tracks. The book is a level 1 reader that includes educational nature-based activities inside.

What we decided to do was throw a little viewing party at our local library with our homeschool group in town. I asked the older kids to act as the hosts by setting up the table and room, and help the little kids cut out their activity sheets. Then three of the older kids volunteered to read a few Curious George books there in the library. I was so proud at how well they did! And we finished up the party by watching the preview of George's trip to Australia. They premiere this Monday on your local PBS KIDS station.

The party was a big success, due mainly in part to the theme. Curious George is irresistable. Children of all ages love him and the Man in the Yellow Hat. And it was so simple to throw this party that you could easily do it at home or at your local library, too! You can find printables and lesson plans in English and in Spanish here on PBS Teachers. You can also visit the Curious George official website for additional printables, games, and stories. And Amazon offers many Curious George books for a special discount (buy four for the cost of three) in English and Spanish, too! You can even go all out and buy your nene a Curious George doll (we borrowed the library's doll for pictures)!

THE GIVEAWAY

Stride Rite is a proud supporter of Curious George and the way that the show encourages childhood discovery through outdoor play. To celebrate the show's 7th season, they are offering a $50 Stride Rite gift card to one MommyMaestra reader.

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Saturday, December 8th. The winner will be chosen using Random.org. and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment! (If I have no way to contact you, I'll have to choose someone else!)

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1) Follow Stride Rite (@striderite) on Twitter.

2) Check out the Curious Geroge website and what you like best about it.

3) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following: Win a $50 Stride Rite gift card from @LatinMami & @StrideRite http://bit.ly/TxXUlN #giveaway

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post in collaboration with WGBH and Stride Rite.

This giveaway is now closed.