Classic Holiday Tradition Gets Modern Update With Help From Beloved Furry Friends, The Care Bears (NAPSA)—It’s a familiar scene in homes around the globe this time of year: The anticipation of the season is building and family traditions are coming alive. Children are on their best behavior waiting for Santa to arrive, mantels are decorated with monogrammed stockings, Christmas trees are filled with meaningful ornaments and decorations, parents are wrapping and hiding gifts, and lights are twinkling both inside and out. For many, these family preparations andtraditions also include unveiling an Advent Calendar, a special calendar used to count down to Christmas with 25 doors or windows that house special little surprises when opened each day leading to Christmas. This year, American Greetings, the U.S.-based greeting card company, is taking this long-standing family tradition and updating it for 2014 with a self-published app developed for children. The Care Bears Advent Calendar app stars the lovable and friendly Care Bears and invites children to count down to Christmas withall the sights, sounds and anticipation of the holiday. With wholesome themes and fun activities, the app is a great way for parents and grandparents to connect with children during the season. The Care Bears live in Care-aLot, a magical place where love, caring and sharing flourish. They are counting down to Christmas and need a lot of help to get their home ready. In the app, which begins on December 1, children can start the countdown by “unlocking” activities like holidaythemed puzzles, videos, coloring pages and more, returning each day to unlock another activity to @TCFC A new Advent Calendar app stars the lovable and friendly Care Bears. get them closer to December 25. Kids can color with Tenderheart Bear, do a puzzle with Share Bear, wrap a gift with Cheer Bear and much more. And just like the tra- ditional Advent Calendars, on December 25, the app gives users a sweet surprise with a full-length Care Bears video episode. When not visiting the Care Bears each day, the app also provides activities for kids. Children can design hundreds of snowflakes and create their own white Christmas with the Care-a-Lot Snowflake Maker, decorate the Care Bears Christmas tree with special ornaments found within the app and enjoy other wintry fun activities. This is the first holiday-themed app from American Greetings, which owns the beloved, classic children’s brands Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake. The app is available now for download on iPad and can be found on iTunes for $2.99. There is also an app for PC and Mac desktops that can be found on the American Greetings website, www.americangreetings. com/care-bears-advent-calendar.
