National Children's Month: Holiday 2019 gift ideas for kids
MANILA, Philippines — With Christmas just around the corner, stores are entering holiday mode with markdowns and special offers on a whole range of products marketed by companies towards kids.
Doctor Anthony Calibo from the Department of Health, however, said in an October forum organized by UNICEF that advertising can become “harmful marketing” to children and parents, especially with food made to look like toys and which deemphasize nutritional value.
The problem posed to discerning parents isn’t so much the quantity of gift choices, but the lack of quality products that would benefit children in the long run. Such products do exist, but the bad news is they are lost in a maze of toys, video games, and not-so-goods.
Fortunately, we’ve done the heavy lifting for parents in tribute to National Children’s Month. Sifted from different industries to cull the cream of the consumer crop, here’s a list of gifts that kids would actually need to face a plethora of challenges today.
Shop wisely!
'Frozen' fever
Mini Melissa inspired by the hit Disney movie "Frozen" - Photo release
Brazilian footwear brand Melissa celebrates its 40th anniversary with the launch of new collections, which includes "Color Me,” which features punchy primary brights, pale shades and pastels, and stark monochromes that serve as a salient introduction to color theory for teenagers.
According to Mensa for Kids, color forms the foundation of art and design, so familiarization with color theory would help children and young adults develop their aesthetic sense early.
For younger children, there are Melissa’s Ultragirl and Frozen flats. Made entirely of recycle PVC, the signature peep-toe silhouette is fashioned with glitter, snowflake prints, and bow details that would psych them up for the much-awaited sequel of family blockbuster "Frozen."
Betty and Veronica return
New Betty and Veronica designs - Photo release
American footwear brand Keds’ ode to "OG BFFs" Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge from the Archie comics would be a particular hit to sisters.
Betty and Veronica have also been reimagined on the television hit "Riverdale," becoming symbols of women empowerment among younger audiences on and off the screen. Lili Reinhart (Betty) and Camila Mendes (Veronica) made the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine and are known for speaking out against problematic social standards, especially for young women.
Keds’ Betty and Veronica shoes immortalize the iconic figures, drawn in imagery from their 1950s era comic books, offering a walking fashion symbol of girl power. The brands' new Betty and Veronica pairs showcase new colors and patterns, including another comeback, animal prints.
Teaching games and proper nutrition
What was your favorite game to play when you were young? Was it the ones you enjoy the most with large groups of kids like tagu-taguan and patintero? Or was it the ones that allow you to show your competitive spirit? Games like jump rope, Chinese garter, luksong baka and piko definitely let you do this!
Regardless of the nature of the games you enjoyed most as a kid, they gave you one heck of a childhood. Remember all the laughs you had and all the friendships you made? Let’s not forget the heartbreaks too! However petty they may seem to you now, they all worked together to give you the kind of childhood you wish your kids would have. And all these moments—sweet and bittersweet—happened because of the times you spent outdoors and the games you played.
Did you know that playing outside provides kids more than just fun? According to an article released by Harvard Health Publishing last year, they also help improve the chance of a child’s health and success.
Active play provides kids the exercise they need to stay healthy, grow up strong, and able to properly perform daily activities. It also helps children get more sunshine, which assists the body in producing Vitamin D—a hormone that plays an essential role in the development of bones and the immune system.
But that’s not all. Physical benefits aside, did you know that outdoor fun also helps a child develop executive function, the skills that help an individual to entertain himself using imagination, solve problems, plan, prioritize, troubleshoot, negotiate, and multitask? For executive function to develop, a kid needs unstructured time to practice these abilities; and the best time for this is when they are outdoors with friends.
Another important lesson playing outside can teach our kids is socializing. Think about it. Aside from your family, the people that really helped shape your social skills are those you grew up playing with. Whoever you are now is greatly affected by your interaction with your peers as a child.
Finally, there’s learning about culture and life lessons. Similar to neighboring countries, traditional Filipino games can teach your kids about the kind of life lived by generations past and how a simple childhood can be very fulfilling if only one is able to make the most out of what he or she possesses.
In summary, playing outdoors really does so much good for kids. This is a fact that Alaska Milk supports, and that is why it’s encouraging all parents to teach their kids the traditional Filipino games they grew up with. To help parents become assured that their kids have enough energy and bone and muscle strength to do all these fun activities, Alaska Milk released two new drinks—Alaska Choco and Alaska Milky, available in all supermarkets and groceries nationwide.
In time for Christmas, the brand recently released a holiday commercial to raise awareness about dementia. Titled “Paalala," the video gives everyone a glimpse of the emotional struggles of those whose loved ones suffer from dementia; of struggling to come into terms with the fact that someone you care about is slowly unraveling along with his or her memories.
A jolly party
Scarlet Snow Belo
In celebration of Children’s Month, Jollibee recently treated thousands of kids to an exciting National Jolly Kids Day.
Kids and their families trooped to the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City for an entire day of fun-filled activities as Jollibee transformed the venue into a full-scale Jollitown Theme Park.
Kids of all ages were energized for the day’s festivities as they were welcomed to the event. They also had a wonderful time going through activities such as arts and crafts sessions, musical plays, and on-stage games where they got to take home exciting giveaways and prizes.
The park featured inflatable playgrounds, interactive booths, and a Jollitown Express that offered a panoramic view of all the amazing sights. At the event, kids enjoyed playing with their newfound friends inside a colorful inflatable house brimming with exciting features. They also played hide-and-seek with Twirlie at the Twirling Maze, going through a series of fun and exciting twists and turns.
Jolly Kids had an amazing time at the Ding Dang Dong booth where they jumped as high as they can to stick themselves onto a velcro wall. They also had fun playing at the giant inflatable Rainbow Slide, where they bonded and glided with Hetty and their playmates at the Jollitown’s most colorful park.
Brand ambassador Scarlet Snow Belo also made a special appearance at the event to play and interact with her fellow Jolly Kids. Scarlet sang and danced together with Jollibee and her newfound friends, encouraging them to experience the countless jolly moments.
“When we think about how many Filipino families spend quality bonding time in Jollibee, we came up with an idea to have an annual celebration for our Jolly Kids. This Children’s Month, we have the National Jolly Kids Day event to provide a venue for families to experience more joy-filled moments with their kids, and at the same time our Jolly Kids get to make new friends in a fun environment,” said the brand's Senior Marketing Manager and Head for Channels and Kids Marketing Charisse Sumulong.
80 years of Marvel
Kid in Iron Man costume. SM/Released
For the past 80 years, Marvel has told stories beyond imagination, pulling in comic book readers, moviegoers, gamers, television viewers, toy collectors, and many different forms of fandom into the fantastic realm of Super Heroes.
From Marvel Comics #1’s first publication in 1939 to the release of Marvel Studios Avengers: Endgame in 2019, this year marks a significant milestone for Marvel as it celebrates eight decades of epic storytelling.
With some of Marvel’s biggest fans in Southeast Asia, Marvel and SM celebrate this legacy nationwide through Marvel 80 Years at SM, bringing thrilling new activations for Filipino fans to share their passion for Marvel’s characters and stories.
This collaboration will look back at 80 years of Marvel across comics, gaming, toys, apparel, footwear, accessories, and many other consumer products at different SM Supermalls starting at The Block Atrium in SM North EDSA.
“The Marvel Universe is about epic storytelling with a human spirit, and that’s exactly what we are celebrating here with our Filipino Marvel fans at the Marvel 80 Years at SM. We believe in celebrating with the fan community and look forward to connecting with thousands of Marvel fans in the Philippines through this series of activations and retail promotions,” said Yaracel Macalindong, Director for Disney Consumer Products Philippines.
“Over the years, the SM Group and The Walt Disney Company have worked together in bringing larger than life experiences for Filipinos nationwide. Our partnership gets bigger this 2019 as we join the worldwide celebration for Marvel’s 80th year, and bring this immersive new experience to all Marvel fans in the Philippines.
Integrating efforts among key business units within the SM group, and augmenting synergies between experiences and retail, with activations and a range of Marvel products in support of this signature campaign; Marvel 80 years at SM will be another well-celebrated milestone that Marvel fans and families will love. We are thrilled to be the exclusive partner for the Marvel 80th year campaign,” said Myra Moñozca, Vice President for Licensing & Partnerships - SM Lifestyle Inc.
New fun way to eat fruits
Say Alonzo and son. Photo release
Certified made with fruit and fun, Welch’s Fruit Snacks aims to not only delivers delicious taste. One serving of this chewy snack arguably contains 100 percent Vitamin C and 25 percent Vitamin A and E. In the alphabet of vitamins, these three stand out as critical for growing kids. Apart from these, these are reportedly free from preservatives, fat and gluten. Too much consumption of those three are usually associated with headache and nausea. Children and kids are more susceptible to these.
The bite-sized snack comes in a variety of packaging options that suit the needs of those at home or on the go. Kids love that it is easy to eat with flavors punctuated with a delightfully sweet and tart taste. Perfectly soft and squishy, it comes in strawberry, white grape raspberry, orange, white grape peach, and Welch’s concord grape that you won’t feel guilty stocking up in your candy bowl or giving away to trick and tricksters.
A total departure to sugary and caloric candies, the snacks are available in all leading supermarkets nationwide and on Lazada. It is available in multiple varieties and a range of packaging options.
Toddler-safe skincare solution
Cetaphil moms Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla and Andi Manzano. Photo release
Skincare brand Cetaphil now caters to toddlers with their new Baby Gentle Cleansing Bar, the new addition to the brand's liquid bath soap, shampoo and lotion.
The dermatologist-approved and mom-certified product aims to provide a healthy skin solution that is toddler-safe and convenient, designed for daily bath time regimen.
Stackable treats
The brand boasts of a new stackable packaging.
Candy-coated chocolate milk drops Nips recently unveiled its stackable packaging, which kids and kids at heart can play with after snacking on the colorful nibbles.
Empower kids to make a difference
Dwine Enriquez
Kids may be young but when given the chance to prove themselves, kids have shown that they can step up and help create a difference. After all, there are no limits to a kid’s imagination and what they can aspire to do when given the opportunity
Truly, kids can get things done and Tang believes in this. Tang knows that kids can accomplish big things if only they would be given the chance. To bring this idea to life, Tang launched a campaign meant to inspire kids to aspire for change because #KidsGetItDone. Tang wants to empower kids by providing them with nutritious fruity goodness so they can make a change in the world and be the change they want to see.
Nicolei Garcia, nine years old, is a young eco bricker. She makes use of the fact that her family owns a sari sari store and collects all the plastic left behind by customers to make eco bricks. She is already on her 2nd year of donating the eco bricks to schools and communities to be used as replacement for hollow blocks.
Another kid who is making a difference is Anika Miles Macasieb, 12 years old. She came up with a Life Protecting Gadget, which is an ingenious gas leak detector made of simple materials. This is a true life changer because it helps minimize fire caused by LPG gas leaks.
Just like these kids, Tang wants to inspire more kids to do the same by organizing a school ideation to give the kids of Cuayan Elementary School the power to raise one million glasses of clean drinking water through the Tang Kids for Water Campaign. There were 100 students who came up with different ideas on how to provide clean drinking water but it was Jethro Bajas who came up with the winning piece. The water filtration system will provide clean drinking water to 100 Aeta families in Sitio Pidpid.
Jethro, a Grade 6 student from Cuayan Elementary School, designed a water filtration system that utilized nature. He thought that a raincatcher would be the perfect structure because rainwater can be collected and filtered. Should there be no rain, they can also get water from the creek to use for water consumption. The water filtration system will cater to 100 Aeta families in Sitio Pidpid and will help them provide access to clean drinking water. Jethro believes that he and the other kids can help their community.
According to Princess Landicho, Brand Manager of Tang Philippilines, “An advocacy that has been very close to the heart of Mondelez Philippines, the makers of Tang, has always been about taking care of the environment and helping provide basic nutrition needs” This is the reason why this campaign was born.
Last October 9, kids from Cauayan Elementary School in Pampanga and the Tang Brand team led by Ms. Princess Landicho, turned over the Tang Water Filtration System to the community of Sitio Pidpid and its Chairman, Paramay-Sibal.
In a short documentary about the project, they showed the Aeta families struggling to find clean water and how a group of kids managed to come up with a project that changed the lives of 100 families.
Tang is always looking for opportunities to help and through the “Kids For Water” project, the brand is very grateful to help communities in need. The juice label has not just been able to help the environment, but it has also provided clean drinking water to communities who do not have it. Tang has been able to not just help the environment, we have been able to provide clean, accessible, and reliable water to communities who do not have it.
The brand's goal is that through this campaign, we can give kids the power to raise 1 million glasses of clean drinking water because we strongly believe that kids can make a difference and this has been proven by the students of Cuayan Elementary School. Though they are still young, these kids realize that they can be part of creating a solution for the people of Sitio Pidpid.”
