Kids

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• Kids Today eWeekly

  Kids Today Online - Kids Today

  24 Jan 2012 | 2:36 pm

• Pink Dinosaurs

  Art Projects for Kids

  Kathy Barbro

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:39 am

  I chose dinosaurs as my after school oil pastel project today, wondering if I would get any objections from my female students. Well, not only did they make some of the prettiest and pinkest stegosauruses you ever saw, one girl proceeded to rattle off more dino facts than I have ever heard before.1. Students followed my drawing, starting with the back, then belly and legs. The triangle plates were added last, starting with small ones at the end and large in the middle.2. All the pencil lines were traced with a black Sharpie marker.3. All the shapes were colored in with Portfolio® Oil…

• Many-Colored Hands

  Art Projects for Kids

  Kathy Barbro

  25 Jan 2012 | 2:43 pm

  I’ve found that students new to oil pastels often need to be guided to use them to their full potential, namely layering them. This project can be a good practice as they will be able to see that brown pastel colored over gold, for example, makes a completely different color than gold colored over brown. 1. Students are to trace their hand as many times as the they can on a piece of paper, all of them just touching each other to create lots of closed spaces. No overlapping!2. After the hands are traced in pencil, the lines are traced with a fat black Sharpie marker.3. The hands are colored…

• Seven Tips for Making Your Wedding Reception Kid Friendly

  Party Planning Professor

  Elizabeth_N

  21 Jan 2012 | 11:45 pm

  You love kids! You enjoy them so much that you can’t imagine not having them around on your Big Day, right? But how much are they really going to dig being at your wedding? Well, that depends largely on you. With just a little foresight and some thoughtful planning, you can make your wedding reception a fun day for even the littlest wedding guest – and keep the grumpies and meltdowns to a minimum. Time of Day For Your Wedding Reception This is a biggie. If you know that kids will play a part in your special day, then you should most likely forgo the wedding reception that doesn’t even…

• What Bird are you? Make the test

  www.hellokids.com

  12 Jan 2012 | 3:23 am

  THE BIG YEAR. Comedic Icons Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson Star in the Hilarious Outdoor Adventure Coming to Blu-ray and DVD January 31!WHEN IT COMES TO COMEDY… NO GAME NO FOWL THE BIG YEAR spreads its wings on Blu-ray and DVD January 31.Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson portray three men from very different walks of life, facing a mid-life crisis, a work-life crisis and a ...

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  www.hellokids.com

• What Bird are you? Make the test

  12 Jan 2012 | 3:23 am

  THE BIG YEAR. Comedic Icons Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson Star in the Hilarious Outdoor Adventure Coming to Blu-ray and DVD January 31!WHEN IT COMES TO COMEDY… NO GAME NO FOWL THE BIG YEAR spreads its wings on Blu-ray and DVD January 31.Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson portray three men from very different walks of life, facing a mid-life crisis, a work-life crisis and a ...

• Happy New Year to all Children

  29 Dec 2011 | 8:24 pm

• THE LORAX movie release July 2012

  28 Nov 2011 | 9:44 pm

  To celebrate the release of Zac Efron and Taylor Swift's new 3D animated adventure film ‘The Lorax' next year, we're pleased to offer you a sneak peek behind the film. Enjoy! The 3D-CGI feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is anadaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic tale of a forest creature who shares theenduring power of hope.  The animatedadventure follows the journey of a boy as he ...

• We love them! Favorite Human/Animal Duos in Movies

  17 Nov 2011 | 4:35 am

  In many films, the closest bond between man and animals is not just with a typical pet, but also with unlikely creatures, like Mr. Popper’s unbreakable bond with his penguins. Here we will explore other unlikely human/animal duos in famous movies. Not only do these humans and their animals form a special friendship, but they also have fun and hilarious interactions, including dancing, ...

• Do you think your dad is weird?

  16 Nov 2011 | 7:13 pm

  ... There is always a good reason.In this feature, we'll examine dads in movies that do strange things and go to extreme lengths to be better dads, leading them to have a better relationship with their children. We'll include dads such as Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in The Tooth Fairy, and Tim Allen in The Santa Clause. Enjoy this funny note! and don't forget ...

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  About.com Children's Books

• Winner of 2012 YALSA Young Adult Nonfiction Award

  26 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pm

  The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery by Steve Sheinkin is the 2012 winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, ...Read Full Post

• Chris Raschka Wins Caldecott Medal!

  24 Jan 2012 | 6:24 pm

  The talented Chris Raschka is the 2012 Randolph Caldecott Medal winner for picture book illustration for A Ball for Daisy. This is Raschka's second Caldecott Medal. He won ...Read Full Post

• Wow! Oscars For Movie Version of Hugo Cabret?

  24 Jan 2012 | 5:49 am

  Wow! Hugo, the movie version of Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret, has been nominated for 11 Oscars, including Best Picture! The other nominations for Hugo announced by ...Read Full Post

• Celebrate Chinese New Year With Kids' Books

  22 Jan 2012 | 6:01 pm

  Happy Chinese New Year! I've added still another picture book to my list of recommended ...Read Full Post

• Top Teen Nonfiction of 2011

  21 Jan 2012 | 5:03 pm

  Teen librarian Jennifer Kendal has created a Top Teen Nonfiction of the Year: 2011 list of five books that have been nominated for, or have already won, a major award. ...Read Full Post

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  Yahoo! Education: Word of the Day

• audacious - January 28, 2012

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:00 am

  (adjective) bold, daring, adventurous.

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  Write4Kids!

• Tweets Become New Currency for E-Products

  Laura

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:14 am

  You know it's essential these days that authors market their books, and social media is often the most cost-effective way of doing that. Now, Pay with a Tweet lets you utilize the value of your readers' social networks to spread the word about your new books. You create a button for your website or blog  that leads to a free download (say, the first chapter of your new book) that readers get after they Tweet about you or mention you on their Facebook page. So instead of hoping your giveaways create a buzz, now it's guaranteed!

• 105 Books Later, R.L. Stine Still Gives Readers Goosebumps

  Laura

  23 Jan 2012 | 3:48 am

  Back in the early 1990s I worked part-time at a book package called Parachute Press, which was creating a new horror series called Goosebumps. The series' author, R.L. Stine, had begun his career as a humor writer, then found a wider audience with his YA horror series Fear Street. But no one had ever done a horror series for the middle grade crowd, so Parachute decides to give Stine's series a try. The rest is publishing history. Goosebumps made Stine the best-selling author of all time for many years. He now occupies the Number 2 spot, right behind J.K. Rowling. There's a…

• Check Out the New CBI Clubhouse!

  Laura

  18 Jan 2012 | 5:25 pm

  Those of you who are Fightin' Bookworms (members of our CBI Clubhouse online community) know that in the two years since we've launched the site, we've amassed a huge amount of information on writing and publishing children's books. So much information, in fact, that it was getting unwieldy. So Jon's spent the last two months (days, evenings, weekends, even in his sleep) completely redesigning and improving the site. And as of this week…. The *NEW* CBI Clubhouse is now live at http://cbiclubhouse.com !    The CBI 1-2-3 System is up and running, bringing you…

• It’s Your Job to Write to Your Audience

  Laura

  12 Jan 2012 | 3:06 am

  Seth Godin, easily the smartest man in publishing today, has once again nailed it with his post Reading Isn't Dead, But It's Changing on his Domino Project blog. His point (and he's talking primarily of young adult books, but this really applies to all ages) is that the job of authors is to write what people want to read, and then they'll read it. It seems obvious, but I can't count how many times I've heard writers bemoan that they'll never get published because kids just aren't reading the kind of books they're writing, the books they should be reading.

• The Appeal of Fantasy’s Secret World

  Laura

  10 Jan 2012 | 3:56 am

  When I critique middle grade and young adult fantasy manuscripts, I often find myself jotting notes like "Why is this character the one called to this adventure?" and "What's at stake here of monumental consequence?" A cornerstone of successful fantasy is seemingly ordinary teen and tween protagonists who save the world. Without that, you're just writing a novel with quirky characters. Another hallmark is that this usually happens without (or in spite of) any help from adults. Teen heroes, impending doom, absentee parents. What's not to love? Author Cassandra…

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  Animal Jr.

• Chinese New Year Printable Craft: Dragon Animal Masks

  Wendy Piersall

  3 Jan 2012 | 10:39 pm

  This paper dragon mask is one of the most popular posts on Animal Jr. It’s also one of my favorite posts, too! It goes well with these Chinese New Year coloring pages or our Dragon Coloring Pages. Just click on the images below to bring up the full size printable masks. Use our special “Click to Print” button to block the rest of the page and only send the image to your printer. Printable Dragon Mask Printable Dragon Mask Coloring Page Chinese Dragon Mask Chinese Dragon Mask Coloring Page You might also like our brand new printable dragon paper craft on Craft Jr.! More…

• New Years Coloring Pages: Funny Animals

  Wendy Piersall

  27 Dec 2011 | 9:59 am

  Wind down from the holidays with our New Years Coloring pages. These printable animals celebrating the new year are sure to keep your kids entertained and busy over Christmas break. You may also like our Chinese New Year coloring pages and printables, too! Rhino New Years Coloring Page Monkey New Years Coloring Page Lion New Years Coloring Page

• Christmas Printables: Cartoon Reindeer Coloring Pages

  Wendy Piersall

  21 Dec 2011 | 12:26 pm

  Grab these coloring pages of the perfect Christmas animal: Reindeer! We also have a whole bunch of other Christmas animal coloring pages. Print them out and keep the kids busy this December! Reindeer Wreath Coloring Page Beautiful Reindeer Coloring Page Baby Reindeer Coloring Page Silly Reindeer Coloring Page Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Coloring Page Santa and Rudolph Coloring Page Plus, check out these personalized Santa letters, or all of the Christmas coloring pages, crafts and activities from Woo! Jr. Network sites!

• Christmas Math Worksheets – Addition and First-Then Logic

  Wendy Piersall

  13 Dec 2011 | 8:51 am

  Our Christmas Math Worksheets have been incredibly popular this month, so we decided to squeeze two more in before winter break arrives! The first math worksheet is addition up to 20 with no regrouping, great for first or second graders. The second math worksheet is a combination of addition, multiplication and division with math problems in parenthesis that requires students to use ‘First – Then’ logic to solve the equations. This worksheet is appropriate for third and fourth graders. Be sure to check our other Christmas math worksheets: addition and subtraction, or pattern…

• Thanksgiving Printable Craft: Turkey Animal Masks

  Wendy Piersall

  21 Nov 2011 | 3:47 pm

  Grab our Thanksgiving Turkey Mask and have some fun this holiday. You can choose one to color yourself, or print the full color printable mask on your color printer. We have more printable Thanksgiving masks on Craft Jr., too! Thanksgiving Printable Craft - Full Color Turkey Mask Thanksgiving Printable Craft - Turkey Mask Coloring Page More Printable Animal Masks More Thanksgiving Activities

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  School Kids Healthcare Blog

• School Kids Healthcare Has a New Catalog Out

  SKHC Editor

  9 Jan 2012 | 3:36 pm

  School Kids Healthcare is happy to announce the new 2012 catalog is hot off the press. It’s been a long time coming and well worth the wait. The new 176-page School Kids Healthcare catalog is filled with all the must haves including first aid supplies, diagnostic equipment, pharmacy items, health room supplies and so much more. Check out some of the newest products including finger cots, cotton terry towels and washcloths, the Nonin Onyx Vantage 9590 Finger Pulse Oximeter, and the VeraTemp+™ Non-Contact Thermometer, just to name a few. Peruse the online interactive School Kids Healthcare…

• Dos and Don’ts of Safe Needles and Sharps Disposal

  SKHC Editor

  6 Dec 2011 | 9:18 am

  The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that more than 3 billion needles and other sharps are used in homes across the United States every year. Yet after being used, many sharps end up in home or public trash cans, or flushed down toilets, instead of being disposed of properly. Here’s a list of the dos and don’ts of proper sharps disposal: Do: Immediately place used sharps in a sharps disposal container to reduce the risk of needle-sticks, cuts or punctures from loose sharps. If a sharps disposal container is not available an alternative would be to use a heavy-duty plastic…

• 36th Great American Smokeout

  SKHC Editor

  17 Nov 2011 | 11:02 am

  Today, November 17, marks the American Cancer Society’s 36th Great American Smokeout.  Take a moment to encourage a smoker to make a plan to quit, or even go for the gusto and make a pact to quit today. Quitting smoking is an important step towards a healthier life.  Tobacco use is the largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S.  It makes you wonder why more than 46 million Americans are still smoking.  It may not be easy to quit smoking, but with the proper help and support system you can successfully do it. To learn about the available tools to quit, call the…

• Lock Up Your Meds

  SKHC Editor

  8 Nov 2011 | 4:26 pm

  Year after year thousands of children are hospitalized, or even die, from taking medicine that is not intended for them. To a toddler those colorful pills may resemble candy. To a teen prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs could be the big hit at a party. Prescription and OTC medicine can be as harmful as using illegal drugs. Take a preventative measure and lock up your prescription and OTC drugs. Check out this Consumer Update video from FDA pharmacist Connie Jung for more info: Source: fda.gov, youtube.com

• 5 Hurricane Safety Tips

  SKHC Editor

  26 Aug 2011 | 3:08 pm

  It’s only the start of the 2011 hurricane season, and while we hope for the best, it’s wise to prepare for the worst. Here are five hurricane safety tips to help you prepare in the event of a hurricane. 1. Stock up – should you become trapped or stranded you’ll want to have the necessities handy. The National Hurricane Center has a suggested list of supplies which includes a first aid kit, food, water, and comfort items to pass the time. 2. Watch the weather – the most dangerous storm is the one that’s unexpected. If you’re tracking the weather you’ll know when and where (or…

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  Art Projects for Kids

• Over 300 Sundresses Delivered to Haiti

  Kathy Barbro

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:09 pm

  If you’ve been following HOPE Art’s Dress Drive, then you’ll love seeing these beautiful Haitian girls wearing their new homemade sundresses. Melissa, Jenni, Stefanie and Jacq traveled back to Port-Au-Prince just a couple of weeks ago and not only delivered dozens of dresses to Nadine’s orphanage (OJFA), but to many other schools as well. Over were 300 delivered on this trip, and almost 80 more are ready to go out in April. The girls are all dressed up for a party for Phara, the eldest. All she wanted for her 15th birthday was some American pizza and the HOPE Art ladies made it…

• Pink Dinosaurs

  Kathy Barbro

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:39 am

  I chose dinosaurs as my after school oil pastel project today, wondering if I would get any objections from my female students. Well, not only did they make some of the prettiest and pinkest stegosauruses you ever saw, one girl proceeded to rattle off more dino facts than I have ever heard before.1. Students followed my drawing, starting with the back, then belly and legs. The triangle plates were added last, starting with small ones at the end and large in the middle.2. All the pencil lines were traced with a black Sharpie marker.3. All the shapes were colored in with Portfolio® Oil…

• Many-Colored Hands

  Kathy Barbro

  25 Jan 2012 | 2:43 pm

  I’ve found that students new to oil pastels often need to be guided to use them to their full potential, namely layering them. This project can be a good practice as they will be able to see that brown pastel colored over gold, for example, makes a completely different color than gold colored over brown. 1. Students are to trace their hand as many times as the they can on a piece of paper, all of them just touching each other to create lots of closed spaces. No overlapping!2. After the hands are traced in pencil, the lines are traced with a fat black Sharpie marker.3. The hands are colored…

• Bernard Hoyes-Inspired Dancing Lady

  Kathy Barbro

  25 Jan 2012 | 1:09 am

  Jamaican-born artist Bernard Hoyes is a Caribbean national who has served his country well. Now residing in California, Hoyes is among the most widely collected and exhibited of contemporary artists. Through his art, many have been able to connect with Jamaica’s colorful traditions and culture.1. Past experience has proven that students almost always draw images too small, so requiring art to touch all four sides of the paper helps to eliminate this tendency. Give each student an 8.5"x11" piece of paper and ask them to draw two hands as indicated in diagram #1.2. A simple dress is drawn…

• Recycled Paper Heart Valentine

  Kathy Barbro

  24 Jan 2012 | 1:02 am

  This heart is made from just newspaper, white glue, string and some pretty sparkle paint. 1. Tear about 8 sheets of newspaper (lengthwise will be the easiest direction) into 1" strips. Cut those strips into little 1/2" bits and place in a large bowl. Cover with hot water and let soak for 24 hours.2. The paper will start to look like a pulp. Work it through your fingers, tearing up any large lumps so that it looks like gray oatmeal. When the lumps are gone, take a large handful of pulp and squeeze out all the extra water.3. Working the pulp in your hands, add white glue to the mixture at about…

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  Party Planning Professor

• Seven Tips for Making Your Wedding Reception Kid Friendly

  Elizabeth_N

  21 Jan 2012 | 11:45 pm

  You love kids! You enjoy them so much that you can’t imagine not having them around on your Big Day, right? But how much are they really going to dig being at your wedding? Well, that depends largely on you. With just a little foresight and some thoughtful planning, you can make your wedding reception a fun day for even the littlest wedding guest – and keep the grumpies and meltdowns to a minimum. Time of Day For Your Wedding Reception This is a biggie. If you know that kids will play a part in your special day, then you should most likely forgo the wedding reception that doesn’t even…

• About Elizabeth Norton

  Elizabeth_N

  11 Dec 2011 | 12:38 am

  Elizabeth knows the social media space, enjoys it, and has a passion to help promote people and products she believes in. She has worked with numerous companies and celebrities to help brand their products and make their services known. Below is just a limited amount of work she has accomplish over the last year. If you would like a copy of her resume or would like to know how you can work more in depth with Elizabeth Norton feel free to email her at info@ElizabethNorton.com. High Impact Action with Social Media   TV Promotion Today Show: Real Housewives of DC   Al Rocker in the…

• How to Throw a Wizard of Oz Birthday Party

  Elizabeth_N

  9 Nov 2011 | 6:53 pm

  About the author: Annie Shultz, a blogger, lives in Kansas with her 3 kids, 4 years old and under. She blogs at MamaDweeb.com about parenting, family products and blogging basics. She loves to chat on Twitter (@mamadweeb) and on her Facebook fan page (facebook.com/mamadweeb) about her daily, crazy life! This is her story on how she threw a Wizard of Oz Birthday Party. WIZARD OF OZ BIRTHDAY PARTY: Living in Kansas, a very popular birthday party theme is the Wizard of Oz. I prefer parties to be simple, and this can lead to some very fun and easy ideas! MENU IDEAS: To keep the theme obvious you…

• Boy Birthday Party Ideas

  Elizabeth_N

  2 Nov 2011 | 3:20 pm

• Girl Birthday Ideas

  Elizabeth_N

  2 Nov 2011 | 3:04 pm

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  Kids Today Online - Kids Today

• "China Ready Limited"

  26 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am

  In modern China, the culture, business practices, media and everything else you can think of are different from anything to which westerners are used. It is for that reason that I have set up a...

• Kids Today eWeekly

  24 Jan 2012 | 2:36 pm

• CPSC to host small business presentations

  24 Jan 2012 | 10:21 am

  Washington — The Consumer Product Safety Commission will host several presentations, both in...

• JPMA to help promote new juvenile show in Dallas

  24 Jan 2012 | 10:09 am

  Dallas — The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Assn. will be helping to promote Dallas Market...

• WallCandy Arts, French Bull partner for wall decal collections

  24 Jan 2012 | 9:30 am

  East Hampton, N.Y. — Modern wall décor producer WallCandy Arts has teamed with lifestyle...

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  KIDS NEWS - Google News

• Heidi Klum and Seal console kids post split - Times of India

  Google Inc.

  28 Jan 2012 | 4:15 am

  Us MagazineHeidi Klum and Seal console kids post splitTimes of IndiaHeidi Klum and Seal have had to break the news of their divorce to their kids very delicately, assuring them "a lot of things won't change". Klum and Seal announced recently that they are ending their seven-year marriage. The couple have three children Seal and Heidi tell kids about divorceRTE.ieHow Heidi Klum and Seal Told Their Kids About SeparationUs MagazineWhy Did Seal's "Volcanic Temper" Flare Up Around His Kids?E! OnlineAceShowbiz -People Magazine -Hollywood Lifeall 202 news…

• Consider mentoring — contact Whiz Kids - NewsOK.com

  Google Inc.

  28 Jan 2012 | 12:06 am

  Consider mentoring — contact Whiz KidsNewsOK.comWhiz Kids is blessed to partner with nearly 60 Oklahoma City-area churches to provide mentors for 850 at-risk elementary students, with a special focus on improving reading. Amazing things have occurred through the relationships built by Whiz Kids: and more »

• Michael Jackson's kids celebrate dad in cement - CBS News

  Google Inc.

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:36 am

  CBS LocalMichael Jackson's kids celebrate dad in cementCBS NewsMichael Jackson never got to leave his hand and footprints at Hollywood's famous Chinese theater, so more than two years after his death, his children did it for him. And some very famous fans were there to see it, including Justin Bieber.Jackson kids honour late fatherToronto SunMichael Jackson's Kids Cement Dad's LegacyCBS LocalJackson kids honour their dadSheKnows.comUSA TODAY -CNNall 430 news articles »

• Kids can enter contest to ride on Mardi Gras float - Daily News - Galveston County

  Google Inc.

  28 Jan 2012 | 1:07 am

  Kids can enter contest to ride on Mardi Gras floatDaily News - Galveston CountyBy Rosenberg Library GALVESTON — Children ages 6 to 14 can enter a drawing for a chance to win a ride on the Rosenberg Library's Mardi Gras Float at the Firefighters Children's Parade at 2 pm Feb. 19. This year's theme is “Salute to Children's and more »

• Kids in need can thrive in Limelight - Vancouver Sun

  Google Inc.

  28 Jan 2012 | 4:34 am

  Kids in need can thrive in LimelightVancouver SunThe 30 or so lucky kids, aged 8 to 15, who will be part of the program starting in early February will get instruction from veteran educators and other notables from the Vancouver arts community. The children will also receive free meals thanks to a and more »

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  Kids News

• St. Paul man accused of driving drunk with kids in car

  28 Jan 2012 | 1:53 am

  ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Christian Stoner of St. Paul appeared in court Friday for the first time since his arrest on January 3rd.

• Rodeo parents face criminal charges over their kids' truancy

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:39 pm

  Two parents of students attending Rodeo Hills Elementary School must appear in criminal court next month because their kids were absent from too many classes this year.

• DC program reconnects dads with kids after jail

  27 Jan 2012 | 5:29 pm

  A D.C. courts program aims to help men returning to the community after incarceration reconnect with their children and pay child support.

• GOP Seeks Limits On New Colorado Child-Care Rules

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:20 pm

  Talk about red tape: Colorado's Department of Human Services last year proposed regulating child care businesses down to the number of crayons per box and the color of dolls kids can play with.

• The No. 1 drawback of bicycling with kids

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:15 pm

  The Eugene blogger known as Mamafiets - who writes nicely about life as an essentially car-free mom of two young children - has started a series of posts entitled: She has written about such things as splashing in puddles and the joys of keeping your beloved little ones warm .

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  Kids Blog

• New books in for the holidays.

  Pam

  24 Jan 2012 | 6:17 pm

  Check out our great new range of non-fiction books to hit the shelves these holidays. One small island : the story of Macquarie Island / Alison Lester and Coral Tulloch. A non-fiction picture book about the life and times of Macquarie Island, a sub-Antarctic Island and World Heritage Site. This book traces the history of the island and the story of  its precious ecosystem.  It’s a story of hope and renewal and includes a list of websites to check out for further information about the restoration of this amazing island. At the edge : daring acts in desperate times / Larry Verstraete.

• A Second Dose of Origami Yoda

  veronica

  18 Jan 2012 | 3:11 pm

  If you had enjoyed The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger, then you’ll surely like its sequel Darth Paper Strikes Back. It carries the same interesting illustrations inserted cleverly among the pages plus a villain in the person of Darth Paper that Origami Yoda must overcome. Join Tommy as he tries to save Dwight as they battle it out with Harvey, the Darth Paper creator. This time grave times are at hand as Tommy tries to save Dwight from getting kicked out of school. As expected there is the bonus at end of the book in the form of origami instructions for an Emergency…

• Bigfoot is out there!

  debbie

  11 Jan 2012 | 6:48 pm

  So you want to catch Bigfoot? Well then this is the book for you. You can become a Bigfoot researcher or be known as a Bigfooter and learn all there is to know about this mysterious creature. What is Bigfoot? How and where does it live? Does it eat humans? You don’t have to have a fancy degree to study Bigfoot you just need courage, a high tolerance to offensive odors, and a rock-solid belief in the creature’s existence. So do you believe? Do you have Bigfoot fever? Then lets go Bigfooting!

• Happy New Year!

  Wendy

  11 Jan 2012 | 4:19 pm

  We hope you are all enjoying your holidays and Santa brought you loads of goodies!  Will Solvit strikes again in five new fantastic adventures in the Will Solvit mystery series. Will Solvit is a regular ten year old – or so he thought. With the help of his dad’s crazy inventions, Will finds himself with loads of puzzles to solve and mysteries to unravel!   The whole series starts with Will Solvit and the T-rex terror!  Fans of mystery and adventure stories won’t want to miss out on this series.

• Kid’s review by Athena

  Wendy

  29 Dec 2011 | 6:49 pm

  Star style by Sienna Mercer – from the My sister the vampire series. I like the way she describes the characters as some of them are vampires.  It is fun and exciting to read. Review by Athena 5/5 stars

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  Global Kids' Online Leadership Program

• Emoti-Con! Youth Action Team Launches

  Daria

  24 Jan 2012 | 3:07 pm

  Last Friday we kicked off our first meeting for this year’s Emoti-Con! planning committee, called the Youth Action Team or A-Team. Emoti-Con! is an annual youth digital media and technology challenge, now in its third year. On June 2, 2012, over 150 New York City youth from programs throughout the five boroughs will gather to showcase digital media and technology projects designed for the betterment of the world, be inspired by their peers, and meet professionals in the field. Youth will compete for awards in multiple categories, including most innovative and best potential for social…

• Working on Badges in Atlanta

  Daria

  20 Jan 2012 | 8:34 am

  This week, GK spent a productive day visiting The Epstein Middle School School in Atlanta, where the school has implemented a badging system beginning with their sixth grade. Global Kids, along with staff at Epstein, custom designed a badging system to support the development of independent learning skills amongst the student body, funded by the Covenant Foundation. The system is based on the recognition that learning in the 21st Century takes place not just in classrooms, but after school and through informal uses of digital media. To develop life-long learning skills, youth need to…

• Playing 4 Keeps - 11th Session

  Daria

  18 Jan 2012 | 8:37 pm

  In this week's Playing 4 Keeps, youth blogged about their experience going to E-Line Media to go behind the scenes of Gamestar Mechanic last week. You can read their entries here. One entry to highlight is Kendell’s, who wrote: Our trip to E-Line Media taught me a lot about the complex process of creating a chapter for Gamestar Mechanic and also about the many different jobs there are at E-Line. I learned how each member of E-Line contributes something to the finished product, whether it be the dialogue or the expression on the characters’ faces, and that the process involves a great deal…

• Visiting E-Line Media

  AndyP4K

  17 Jan 2012 | 3:16 pm

  My experience visiting e-line media was a good thing and that reason is because I wanted to know more information about e-line media how they make the cartoons and were they get ideas from. I found it hard on how they put the codes in order to make the game work. I also found out they have cheats for the game so you could win faster but only e-line knows how to do it.

• Trip to E-line Media

  KendellP4K

  17 Jan 2012 | 3:15 pm

  Our trip to E-line Media taught me a lot about the complex process of creating a chapter for Gamestar Mechanic and also about the many different jobs there are at E-line. I learned how each member of E-line contributes something to the finished product, whether it be to the dialogue or the expressions on the characters' faces, and that the process involves a great deal of give and take. In the end, the team at E-line Media will have produced a chapter that along with conveying the right message to the player, is appealing to everyone.

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  Woo! Jr. Kids Activities Network

• Love Coloring Pages

  Wendy Piersall

  25 Jan 2012 | 10:42 pm

  Since June is the month for weddings, we figured we should add a collection of love coloring pages! But these would be great Valentine coloring pages, too. Related coloring pages: Animal Valentine Coloring Pages, Peace Sign Coloring Pages, Wedding Coloring Pages. Related posts: Printable Valentine Mazes, Valentine’s Day Math Worksheets, Valentine Crafts. Love Coloring Page Cartoon Hearts Coloring Page Hearts in Love Coloring Page Love Birds Coloring Page Broken Cartoon Heart Coloring Page L-O-V-E Coloring Page Love Shout Out Coloring Page Cartoon Heart Coloring Page Heart Stamp Coloring…

• Valentine Mad Libs

  Wendy Piersall

  25 Jan 2012 | 10:39 pm

  Since our printable mad libs have always been so popular in the past, I’ve been determined to put up a set for each of the major-ish holidays. Here’s the latest group of Valentine mad libs for kids – though you could probably even put a few of these into the hands of much older mad libs lovers! For more Valentine’s Day activities, check out these Valentine mailbox crafts, printable Valentine mazes, and these Valentine math worksheets! Valentines Mad Lib - Cupid's Delivery Valentines Mad Lib - Puppy Love Valentines Mad Lib - Be Mine Be sure to check out all of the…

• Healthy Kid Snack: Fruit and Cheese Kebabs

  Wendy Piersall

  19 Jan 2012 | 12:14 pm

  We’ve been going through a bit of a shift when it comes to kids’ snacks at our house.  We usually have a lot of cookies, cupcakes, and other sweets around; and the biggest reason is because I like making them with my little ones.  Really, though, there is absolutely no reason we should be eating that much sugar!  So, in the last week or two, I’ve been switching us over to healthier kids snacks.  So far, it’s going really well, too! Today we experimented with the idea of fruit and cheese kebabs (which I really, really want to spell as “kabob,” despite…

• Kids Winter Crafts

  Wendy Piersall

  19 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am

  Winter is the most difficult time of year to live in Chicago. It seems to stretch on for an eternity – we’ve even gotten snow in May! So for days with a house full of kids with cabin fever, I need to be especially creative to keep them busy (and not hitting each other with remote controls). I’ve been enamored lately with my son’s Tony Hawk skateboard video game as a great way to keep them active while indoors. But my girls are more into crafts, so here is a great group of them for kids of all ages. Related Pages: Snowflake crafts, winter coloring pages, winter kids…

• Kid-Friendly Recipe: Buckeyes (aka Peanut Butter Balls)

  Wendy Piersall

  5 Jan 2012 | 3:08 pm

  Editor’s Note: If you have a child with a peanut allergy (like my son), you can replace the peanut butter in this recipe with “speculoos spread”, which is very similar in consistency, but made with cookies instead. You can find it under the name “Biscoff Spread” and it should be by the peanut butter section at your regular grocery store. Just note that you will probably have to decrease the amount of sugar you add in this recipe, because speculoos spread is already quite sweet. I didn’t even know that some people called these candies peanut butter balls…

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  Toddler Activities from Familyeducation.com

• Painted Pasta Jewelry

  28 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Who knew pasta was good for painting?

• Object Matchup

  27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Challenge your toddler to match an object with its traced outline in this fun activity.

• Michelangelo's Bathroom

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  If your toddler hates getting water on her face when her hair is being washed, try this easy activity.

• Paper Plate Numbers

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Take paper plates and add some dots and numerals to represent numbers. Then use them for matching game or display them in your child, are used for display or as a game.

• Car Book

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Cut out car pictures from magazines, and make a car book with your toddler.

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  Pre-K Activities from Familyeducation.com

• Hospital

  28 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Help your child overcome his fear of doctors by setting up a hospital for his stuffed animals.

• Musical Glasses

  27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  When you tap glasses with your child, you make music!

• Setting the Table

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Your preschool child will love helping you set the table, but watch out for the breakables!

• Consequences

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  You can help to drive home the importance of cleaning up after an arts and crafts activity, by setting up an experiment using art supplies.

• Write a Story

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  In this activity, your preschool child is the star of the book that you write together.

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  K-5 Activities from Familyeducation.com

• Anagrams

  28 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  This vocabulary skill-builder contains several different fun activities that can be done with anagrams.

• Amazing Inflating Balloons

  27 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  This activity uses yeast to demonstrate the combination of chemistry and cooking.

• Clothing Designer

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Children can become designers for a day by making life-size paper dolls.

• Paper Lanterns

  25 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Celebrate the Chinese New Year by making these paper lanterns.

• Cereal Box Heads

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 am

  Banish boredom from breakfast by having children decorate the cereal boxes.

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  Blisstree » LIVE

• Afternoon Links: Prep A Quick And Healthy Dinner

  Emily Moorhouse

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:29 pm

  • Master the art of resilience. (HuffPost Fitness) • Ways to prep a quick, healthy dinner. (fitsugar) • A quick fix for feeling down in the dumps. (The Stir) • Can you make your husband change? (YourTango) • How to handle your debt. (HuffPost Women • How to handle difficult people. (YouBeauty) • Vegetable cocktails you should try. (Organic Authority) • Health and fitness books you should buy. (Well + Good) Post from: Blisstree

• 6 Reasons Why Your Period Might Be Irregular

  Hanna Brooks Olsen

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm

  Contrary to what you may be inclined to believe by the period-shaming media, your monthly flow is not embarrassing, not blue, not consistant, and often, not monthly at all. In fact, for most women, at some point in their lives, unusual menstruation is the norm–and that perfect, 28-day cycle is an illusive creature, like a hormonal unicorn leaping over rainbows of body-positive tampon ads off on the horizon. But even with that knowledge, when your period does something unpredicted, it can still be worrisome. I asked Heather Corinna, Founder and Executive Director  of…

• Why Snooki Should Promote Exercise And Diet Instead of Zantrex3

  Briana Rognlin

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:15 pm

  I’ve already written about how amazing it is that Snooki‘s new Zantrex commercial features the same music as Jessie Spano‘s caffeine pill breakdown. Now it’s time for me to have a serious talk about her new body and why I’m so bummed that she’s peddling diet drugs instead of focusing on all the other hard work she’s been doing to get healthy. Snooki has been showing off her newly toned (albeit badly photoshopped) body on Twitter since December, and she even appeared on Ellen reporting on her new—dare I say it?—healthy habits, like working out…

• Anti-Obesity Program Horrors: They May Cause Eating Disorders

  Deborah Dunham

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:40 am

  A new poll says 30% of parents have seen at least one worrisome behavior in their children that could be associated with an eating disorder—and they’re blaming it on school-based anti-obesity programs. Of course, lowering childhood obesity rates is a good thing, but it seems a lot of school programs are taking a dangerous approach: Instead of teaching kids how to life a happy, healthy lifestyle through positive role models, they teach them how not to be obese. The difference—inspiration vs. fear—makes all the difference between controlling obesity and, it appears, eating…

• Obese Docs Less Likely To Diagnose Obese Patients

  Elizabeth Nolan Brown

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:50 am

  Whether a doctor’s weight interferes with his or her ability to diagnose patients is a question I would normally consider stupid and insulting. But new research shows this actually might be the case—at least when that diagnosis is obesity. According to a study published this month in the journal Obesity, doctors who were overweight or obese were far less likely to diagnose obesity than docs in the normal weight range. The study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, surveyed 500 doctors across the United States. Researchers found doctors with a ‘normal’…

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  Printables for Kids - free word search puzzles, coloring pages, and other activities

• Leap Year Coloring Page

  Char

  3 Jan 2012 | 3:25 am

    Leap Year happens once every four years so we have created this exclusive Hoppy Leap Year coloring page just in time for February 29. Click on the image above to view and print the Leap Year Coloring Page full size OR download the Leap Year Activity as a PDF file. Frogs make the perfect [...]

• Martin Luther King Jr Color By Number Printable

  Char

  3 Jan 2012 | 1:11 am

  Celebrate and teach children about the accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) using this free printable color by number worksheet as a supplemental activity. Click on the image to view and print full size. The Martin Luther King Jr. color by number activity was created by our friends at SchoolFamily.com and they invited us [...]

• Chinese New Year Printables

  Char

  2 Jan 2012 | 11:29 am

  Gung Hay Fat Choy! It’s the Year of the Dragon! Celebrate Chinese New Year with our exclusive Chinese New Year coloring pages and crafts. Get even more free Chinese New Year printables: Chinese New Year Dragon Coloring Pages Chinese Zodiac Printable Coloring Pages Chinese New Year Printable Masks (our Tiger coloring page above also can [...]

• Color, Cut and Build Your Own Snowman

  Char

  29 Dec 2011 | 9:59 pm

  Build a snowman no matter what the weather with our print, color, cut and build your own snowman activity. Encourage the kids to be creative – print on thicker paper, paste onto cardboard, add glitter, a real carrot for a nose, real buttons or any other special touches you can think of. Click on image [...]

• Happy New Years 4 in 1 Activity Sheet

  Char

  26 Dec 2011 | 6:49 am

  Perfect for keeping the kids busy while waiting for the clock to strike midnight, our New Years 4-in-1 activity worksheet contains a New Years wordsearch, New Years maze, tic-tac-toe boards and a make a word activity. Guaranteed fun for all ages! Click image to view and print full size or download the Happy New Year [...]

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  Doll Diaries

• Springfield Doll Furniture Giveaway

  Char

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:55 pm

  Pin itTo continue our month long Springfield Dolls giveaway extravaganza, this week we are highlighting the Springfield Collection Furniture for dolls and will be giving two winners the furniture piece of their choice from the Springfield Dolls online store. Personally, the vanity is one of my favorite pieces in the online store, however, all the furniture in the Springfield Collection is very affordable making it the perfect addition to your other doll furniture.   WHAT WE ARE GIVING AWAY: Two (2) lucky winners will receive the piece of furniture from the Springfield Dolls online store…

• Just a Few Things…

  Char

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:45 am

  Pin itHappy Friday! I hope everyone has had a great week and has some fun plans for the weekend. I will start my weekend off cheering on Natalie and her friends at their swim meet tomorrow morning but hope to have time to do some sewing or something else creative later in the weekend. I have a few things to share that don’t really go in another category… First, the girls on my desk right now say hi! The shelf above my computer is where I put various dolls from our collection on display – they all take turns and sometimes there is a theme and sometimes there is not. They keep…

• Doll Craft Turn Doll T-Shirts into Wall Art

  Char

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:34 am

  Pin it I am so thrilled to share with you today’s craft and show off my doll shirt collection at the same time. I began collecting the red store shirts from American Girl in 2010, on my first trip to an American Girl Store. I went to Dallas first, started my collection and with the help of friends and some of my blog readers I was able to collect all the currently open stores shirts. Here is how I made my T-Shirt Wall Art. You will need: a foam core board push pins ribbon (as long as your foam board) a pencil a ruler American Girl hangers and outfits *optional hot glue gun or eraser…

• Printable Coloring Pages and Worksheets for American Girl Dolls

  Char

  25 Jan 2012 | 10:23 pm

  Pin itI know how much a lot of you like to play school with your dolls! And I have had a few requests for doll sized worksheets and coloring pages, too.  I am happy to share with you my first set of 18″ doll sized worksheets you can print out, color or use in your doll play. Download the Doll Sized Printable Worksheets as a PDF file. I measured the page size of the worksheets that come in the folder of the American Girl School Desk set and created this first set of math worksheets, coloring pages, tic-tac-toe and word search for your American Girl, Maplelea, Springfield Dolls, or…

• Confirmed – There Will Be A New American Girl Historical Release in 2012

  Char

  25 Jan 2012 | 6:08 pm

  Pin itUpdated!! It’s official. There will be a new American Girl Historical character added in 2012. Like previous historical releases, the new doll looks like she will be debuting around September 1, 2012. One of our sharp readers noticed the links to the pre-release information for the new American Girl Historical books by Kathleen Ernst are on Amazon. New Historical Character Book 1: An American Girl New Historical Character Book 2 New Historical Character Book 3 New Historical Character Book 4 New Historical Character Book 5 New Historical Character Book 6   Love those Doll…

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  Sports Girls Play

• Recommended Reading – January 27

  Char

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:55 am

  My weeks are sandwiched between weekends filled with the kids’ swim meets, gymnastics meets and team events. The 8 weeks from January 1 – February 28 are undoubtedly the 8 craziest weeks in our schedule. But, its a good crazy – a crazy I wouldn’t trade for anything. So what does a busy, always on the go sports mom read? Below are some of my favorite articles from this week: Youth Basketball – Do you have to be a star to be great?  (StatsDad) I think this article plays to all sports, not just basketball… definitely a good read. It’s always a proud…

• Tips for Keeping Your Athlete Healthy This Winter

  Char

  25 Jan 2012 | 3:29 pm

  Once the winter months hit and cold and flu season are at their peak, how to you keep your athletes healthy and ready to play? The truth is no level of vigilance and preparation will guarantee your child will not get sick two days before the championship game, however, there are things you can be doing and foods your athlete can be eating that will definitely tip the scales of health in their favor! 1. Sleep – ensure that your athlete is getting the proper amount of sleep for their age. The body needs that down time for repairs and re-energizing. 2. Fluids - make sure your athlete gets…

• The End of an Era: When a Child Abandons a Sport

  Char

  17 Jan 2012 | 5:51 am

  This is a guest post by Laura Amann My days of gymnastics are over. So are my long hours at the gym. My nervousness and anxiety. It’s all in the past. No more ponytails woven with ribbons, no more glitter spray, no more bleacher analysis. My daughter has left the sport. For years, Caroline competed on a gymnastics team and she adored everything about it. Four days a week, we drove the ½ hour back and forth to the gym so that she could practice 15 hours a week, year-round. I volunteered, I chatted with the parents, I watched and learned and bit my nails. The parents became my friends, the…

• Swimming with Olympians in the Mutual of Omaha Breakout Swim Clinic

  Char

  9 Jan 2012 | 6:11 am

  Two years ago my daughter participated in the Mutual of Omaha Breakout Swim Clinic with Olympians Matt Grevers and Kate Ziegler. She had a great time and talked about it for months. When we got an email last month saying the clinic was coming to the pool she trains at again, she was thrilled! Today finally arrived and she was so excited to meet Olympic swimmers Ian Crocker and Christine Marshall for another Mutual of Omaha Breakout Swim Clinic. Posing for photo with Olympians Ian Crocker and Christine Marshall The four-hour clinic was comprised of getting to know the athletes and their swim…

• DegreeGirl Don’t Fret the Sweat iHome Player and Gift Set Giveaway

  Char

  27 Dec 2011 | 12:39 pm

  The DegreeGirl  “Don’t Fret The Sweat” campaign recently awarded $20,000 to five winning cheerleading teams of the Degree Girl Varsity Awards on their Facebook page. These cool and confident teams told DFTS how they were able to come together to overcome sweat-inducing moments and then rallied their communities to vote for them on Facebook. In celebration of the winning teams SportsGirlsPlay.com is hosting a giveaway a Degree Girl gift set for you, too! The giveaway package includes: iHome – inspiring teams to get active before, during or after practice, with quick and easy music…

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  FreeStuff4Kids

• Valentine Snakes Printable Coloring Page

  Randa

  22 Jan 2012 | 9:20 pm

  Here's a snakey Valentine's Day coloring page to enjoy! Click here to open and print! Need some Valentine's Day cards? Check out our free printable cards here! Click the title above to take you directly to the full article at FreeStuff4Kids.net, and a big THANK YOU for subscribing!

• Printable Valentine Maze

  Randa

  20 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pm

  What's the way to your heart?  Through your stomach?  See if you can find your way to the center of this heart- click here for a Valentine's Day maze. Click the title above to take you directly to the full article at FreeStuff4Kids.net, and a big THANK YOU for subscribing!

• Fun With Angry Birds!

  Randa

  13 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pm

  Do you and your kids love Angry Birds? There are a ton of fun crafts, recipes and activities to do for those of us who just can't get enough. Check these out: Try these red bird bagel sandwiches -... Click the title above to take you directly to the full article at FreeStuff4Kids.net, and a big THANK YOU for subscribing!

• Homemade Stamping Fun for Kids

  Randa

  11 Jan 2012 | 3:56 pm

  Using traditional rubber stamps or the newer clear stamps is an activity that is enjoyable for adults and children alike. Unfortunately, these stamps can sometimes be expensive. The solution to this... Click the title above to take you directly to the full article at FreeStuff4Kids.net, and a big THANK YOU for subscribing!

• Christmas Card Collage Crafts

  Randa

  5 Dec 2011 | 5:11 pm

  Decorating your home for the Christmas season is probably a task that you look forward to each year. Christmas decorating just seems to have a way of brightening up the overall look of your home, in... Click the title above to take you directly to the full article at FreeStuff4Kids.net, and a big THANK YOU for subscribing!

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  Science teacher

• A science teacher's challenge

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:56 pm

   "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."Thoughts on Rachel's Challenge. Atoms, as most adults know them, do not exist. Never have. Our models are human constructs, useful but little more than organized patterns of neurons firing away, as we try to make sense of the world around us.Yet most reasonable adults in these parts will tell you that they know what an atom is.Quahogs, on the other hand, are as real as these hands upon this keyboard. Beautifully curved mollusks that live with as much purpose as most of us, tucked away in mud flats just a few miles away. Good eating,…

• Breathing biology

  23 Jan 2012 | 7:36 pm

  We got beans growing in our classroom. Three gorgeous rattlesnake pods hanging from a vine, the soft purple puff of a flower between the second and third bean.Most of the stuff that makes up these beans is carbon dioxide, much of it from the breath of all those who share ideas here in our room.Carbon dioxide from yesterday's Pop Tarts,Snapples, and bologna sandwiches.Carbon dioxide that traveled through the hearts of every child in our class. Carbon dioxide expelled as a sigh, broken down by a few brain cells that wouldrather do anything but this school thing.Carbon dioxide that is…

• Food is not energy

  22 Jan 2012 | 8:36 am

  A response to a response to my last post--NASA, food is not energy.Language matters, especially to young children trying to make sense of the world. I remember being utterly confused as a child thinking that Karl and Groucho were the same guy--how dangerous could the Russians be if they were led by a man with a fake mustache who made silly movies?As adults, with reasonable frames of reference, we laugh at obvious holes in our schema. The best comedians make a living at pointing out the oblivious obvious.Children, however, will try to weave the inconsistencies into their worldview that already…

• Open letter to elementary school teachers everywhere

  21 Jan 2012 | 6:38 pm

  Dear Elementary School Teachers and Principals,I know you have an impossible job, and I know you're getting hammered from 73 different angles, and I know the last person you need to hear from is another high school teacher sitting on his throne blaming you for every ill that ever afflicted humans.Your students worship you. Every casual word that slips from your lips influences the variegated connection of neurons that forms a child's view of the world. A child's obvious misconceptions get corrected early and often, and that is great!You've done a wonderful job convincing them spectacularly…

• Proust effect

  21 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm

   If we could teach science by shoving a funnel up a child's nose then pour in "knowledge" as a slurry of data, vocabulary words, and equations, I've no doubt that we would--for the glory of our nation and our economy. That we cannot does not keep Arne from trying to force us to use bigger, shinier funnels.Arne and his crew will see progress measuring the internal diameter of the nostrils of our students, No Choana Left Behind. With enough time, our children will have nostrils at least as wide as the Koreans, perhaps even as large as the Finnish. Our economy will hum as every child has…

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  Ziggity Zoom Parents

• How to Find the Best Apps for Kids

  kpfitch

  18 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am

  I live in a wired home.  I have worked in the online space since late 1998 and ever since I have been hooked.  We are a house with more computers than family members, and smart phones, a laptop and a tablet are now part of the mix. My kids have grown up around technology and gaming systems.  But with all of these devices comes a big responsibility to monitor what gets seen, used, and loaded onto each of these devices. The newest challenge is what apps we will allow on our iphones and the ipad.  No one but me knows my password to download apps and I check them out before…

• Carbon Monoxide at Indoor Skating Rinks a Common Danger

  sharon

  2 Jan 2012 | 11:56 am

  If you, or someone you know, goes Ice Skating, or even if your family goes skating occasionally at an indoor skating rink, you will want to read this information. An investigation by the Today Show says children who skate and play hockey at indoor ice rinks, and those who work in these facilities, are at risk for short and long-term side effects of carbon monoxide exposure.  Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas created by the combustion of carbon-based fuels. The show illustrates the dangers from the fumes of fuel powered ice maintenance…

• New Year's Eve with Your Kids- Fun Family Activities for New Year's Eve

  kpfitch

  30 Dec 2011 | 7:29 am

  New Year's Eve is a great time to spend with family and friends and create a holiday tradition with your kids.  Make New Year's Eve Party Hats and let your kids decorate them with glitter or stickers. Take brightly Colored Paper and let your kids decorate with glue and glitter or shiny stickers. Then staple them to make a hat. You can add strips of tinsel or thin strips of tissue paper to the top of the hat to make it more festive. New Year's Eve Noise Makers to Make for Kids Using just a colored piece of construction paper, roll lengthwise. Insert dried beans into center of the roll.

• Celebrate this New Year's Eve on a Budget

  kpfitch

  30 Dec 2011 | 7:25 am

  It is that time again to reflect on the year that has passed and to celebrate the coming of a new year.  New Year's Eve is a night of celebrating,  spending time with family or friends, traditions, or making the night a special occasion. For many it is a Night to Go Out and Celebrate, for others it is a night to Stay In with family, for others it is a night to Attend a Party.  No matter how you spend the evening, there are ways to cut your costs and save your money. For those Going Out to a Restaurant, Bar, Club or Hotel Party For those going out to during dinner- go out for…

• New Year Resolutions for Parent and Kids - What are Yours?

  kpfitch

  30 Dec 2011 | 7:21 am

    Once again we’re embarking upon a brand new year—and no matter what stage of parenting you’re at; whether you are a first-time mom, intent on picking up our baby each time she cries, or you’ve got kids in grammar school with whom you spend your weeknights knee deep in long division problems, often times, rather than focus on all the wonderful gifts you’ve given your kids, (in some cases, that would be life!) many of us, myself included, spent endless brain power miring in, “I’m not as good a parent as I should be,” guilt.  …

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  Toddler Activities: What's New at Teaching Tiny Tots!

• Toddler Activities: Valentines Day Conversation Heart Pins or Magnets

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:21 pm

  Toddler Activities: Cute Conversation Heart Pin make cute Valentines Gifts and Party Ideas

• Toddler Science: Learn About the Weather and Thermometers and Make a Daily Recording Page

  21 Jan 2012 | 3:31 pm

  Toddler Science: Learn About Temperature and Make A Thermometer to Hang Outside

• Toddler Science: Make Rock Candy with this Sugar Crystal Experiment

  21 Jan 2012 | 3:20 pm

  Toddler Science: Make Your Own Rock Candy with this Simple Sugar Crystal Experiment

• Ivory Soap Science Experiment for Kids

  19 Jan 2012 | 10:18 am

  Ivory Soap Science Experiment for kids exploring solids and gases.

• Christmas Tree Decoration

  6 Jan 2012 | 11:09 am

  Christmas Tree made with a cone, material and decorations perfect craft for kids.

• 

  Bedtime Stories My Kids Love

• Adventures of Man in the Can - Ch 12 - The Great Exodus - Destruction is Coming

  24 Jan 2012 | 5:09 pm

  Now that the holidays are over the Adventures of the Man in the Can are back!The Man in the Can, Yellow Bird and all the animals in the park rejoice as the elder birds return to their homes in the park. But in their celebration, everyone fails to notice changes that are beginning to happen all around them. MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast GREAT DEALS FOR LISTENERS! CLICK BELOWSave 10% on all your pet's needs at PetMeds.com Up to 20% off on great athletic gear at Eastbay.comSave 15% on your favorite stuff at Footlocker.comSave 20% on your flower order with FTD Fluerop.com Save $10 off…

• Twas the Night Before Christmas by Lobotomy Boy

  20 Dec 2011 | 4:24 pm

  It's Christmas and Lobotomy Boy has a special version of "The Night Before Christmas" for everyone!Enjoy this special Holiday Edition of Bedtime Stories My Kids Love. MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast GREAT DEALS FOR LISTENERS! CLICK BELOWSave 10% on all your pet's needs at PetMeds.com Up to 20% off on great athletic gear at Eastbay.comSave 15% on your favorite stuff at Footlocker.comSave 20% on your flower order with FTD Fluerop.com Save $10 off your next order from PetCareRX.com

• The Gophers Meet Santa

  7 Dec 2011 | 2:26 pm

  Happy and Snappy get their Christmas lists ready and head out to the mall to meet Santa but to their surprise, things are not always as they appear to be.Enjoy this special Holiday Edition of Bedtime Stories My Kids Love. MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast GREAT DEALS FOR LISTENERS! CLICK BELOWSave 10% on all your pet's needs at PetMeds.com Up to 20% off on great athletic gear at Eastbay.comSave 15% on your favorite stuff at Footlocker.comSave 20% on your flower order with FTD Fluerop.com Save $10 off your next order from PetCareRX.com

• Adventures of Man in the Can - Chapter 11 - Conspiracy in the Sewer Epilogue

  17 Nov 2011 | 4:54 pm

  The battle is over, the animals now control above and below the park. But the leaders of the snakes and rats; BYDYS and Greystrike, are nowhere to be found. Is there more mischief coming? Listen to the Conspiracy in the Sewers Epilogue and find out!!Enjoy today's episode of the Adventures of the Man in the Can. MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast GREAT DEALS FOR LISTENERS! CLICK BELOWSave 10% on all your pet's needs at PetMeds.com Up to 20% off on great athletic gear at Eastbay.comSave 15% on your favorite stuff at Footlocker.comSave 20% on your flower order with FTD Fluerop.com Save…

• Adventures of the Man in the Can - Chapter 11 - Conspiracy in the Sewers - Part 3

  3 Nov 2011 | 2:03 pm

  The Man in the Can knows who the conspirators are and also of their evil plans, but, what will the Man and the animals do? Listen now and find out...Enjoy today's episode of the Adventures of the Man in the Can. MP3 File - Click Here to Download Podcast GREAT DEALS FOR LISTENERS! CLICK BELOWSave 10% on all your pet's needs at PetMeds.com Up to 20% off on great athletic gear at Eastbay.comSave 15% on your favorite stuff at Footlocker.comSave 20% on your flower order with FTD Fluerop.com Save $10 off your next order from PetCareRX.com

• 

  cutepotato.com

• Boutique Shopping in Bath

  jenniferhazard

  26 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pm

  Thanks to a friend’s recommendation, MP and CP#2 decided to check out Pitter Patter, Inc. — a children’s specialty shop in Bath. The inviting store window on Front Street. Shop owner Colleen Whitaker made us feel right at home. CP#2 was hot on the toy trail, so Colleen invited him to play with a building set while MP browsed. There’s a lot to love at Pitter Patter, but MP was especially impressed with the Maine made items, like the vintage, silver-plated baby spoons from Tunkables in Freeport. Tunkables baby spoons are engraved with terms of endearment like sweet pea or…

• Valentine’s Giveaway Winner & Sweet Gifts

  jenniferhazard

  21 Jan 2012 | 8:01 am

  Wow! Thanks to all of you who entered our Valentine’s Day giveaway. We’re so glad that everyone is as excited about The Bakers Confections Etsy shop as we are. Now for the drum roll… …. congrats to Ashley! She wins a cake pop kit or cookie pop kit of her choice, plus some super cute decorative straws. Hope she sends us the delicious results! Chances are, if you entered the contest, you have Valentine’s Day on your mind. Look at these handmade gifts MP discovered just this morning from Eastport’s Lindy Weston of Lindy by the Sea. These whimsical, knit hearts…

• Baker’s Delights (plus a Valentine’s Day Giveaway)

  jenniferhazard

  19 Jan 2012 | 12:46 pm

  Every once and awhile, MP comes across a local Etsy shop, and wonders how she never knew about it. The Bakers Confections is one such place. The shop offers everything a parent could want for a party, including colorful cupcake liners, sprinkles, favor bags, and more festive supplies. The Bakers Confections is the brainchild of Scarborough’s Shauna Osteen and Esther Holden. While working at Le Roux Kitchen in Portland, the two ladies bonded over their love of baking, and decided to start a bakers supply shop of their own. MP has been searching for a local source for bakers twine. So cute…

• Sweet & Salty Snow Day Treats

  jenniferhazard

  12 Jan 2012 | 8:24 pm

  True confession: MP has never made Rice Krispie treats. Ever. Marshmallows, butter, and rice cereal never excited her (even with the snap, crackle, pop). However, when MP spotted this recipe for Peanut Butter Pretzel Krispie treats, she suddenly felt inspired. All she need was an excuse. Today’s snow day was it. The addition of creamy peanut butter, dark chocolate & pretzels make an everyday dessert extra special. This is one of the simplest desserts MP and the kids have ever made. CP#2 enjoyed breaking up pretzel sticks in a zip lock bag using his might, and later, a rolling pin. CP#1…

• Super Cute Kids Storage

  jenniferhazard

  3 Jan 2012 | 11:49 am

  Without fail, MP feels a little disorganized after the holidays. There are decorations to put away, bags to unpack, and new toys to find space for around the house. This Christmas, the Cute Potato kids were especially blessed with art supplies. The influx of crafty goods inspired MP to reorganize the team’s arts and crafts cabinet. Enter Nykki Grindle from Seal Harbor, who makes fabric and crocheted organizers that are perfect for markers, paint brushes, beads, stickers, and ribbon. Nykki uses sturdy, outdoor fabric for her eye-catching organizers. MP loves this sweet, crocheted basket for…

• 

  Playground Confidential

• I’m Expecting … Birth Centres, Aren’t You?

  rebecca

  28 Jan 2012 | 12:25 am

  All three of my births were attended by midwives and I cannot say enough about the quality of care I received. So it’s too bad I’ve said very little.* Hey, a gal gets tired and lazy and can’t be blogging all the time when she’s pregnant, okay? Lay off. So let me just say this. Midwives provided me with knowledge and understanding throughout my pregnancies. They gave me information and sought out my explicit consent about every test and procedure. They helped me be in control. Midwives taught me about the stages of labour and about birth and breastfeeding. They were in…

• X-Treme Board Game Disaster

  rebecca

  25 Jan 2012 | 12:59 pm

  Confession: I can’t get my kids to pick up after themselves. It’s worse than that, in fact. They like to take entire toy bins and games with a zillion pieces and just dump them out all over the floor. Leave them alone for a few minutes and you will return to find a room that looks less like some children have been playing and more like a madman has been rifling through all the drawers and shelves, throwing and breaking things willy nilly. We had taken all of the board games they’ve been given as gifts and put them away in a cabinet in the office. They’re really too…

• Which Would You Rather Eat, I Mean, Look Like?

  rebecca

  16 Jan 2012 | 4:00 am

  Pre-pregnancy jeans, take 3: Image courtesy flickr.com/photos/23126594@N00/135026216/ Image courtesty flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/3925029206/ Success! Well, my mid-section is still a little more muffiny than, say, a baguette with, er, hips and leaky breasts. (How do those French women stay so slim?) But this time — THIS TIME — I have been able to wear them for several hours and they don’t even hurt. So either my sweet-free New Year’s resolution is yielding results or my jeans finally caved. “Hot damn, woman, you’re not trying to fit that ass in here again,…

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  Madcap Logic Blog

• "The Balancing Act" on Lifetime to Feature Madcap Logic's Unique Educational Arts Program 'Creativity Express' Online

  Elise

  11 Jan 2012 | 4:25 pm

  "Madcap Logic is thrilled to partner with BrandStar Entertainment's TV popular morning show "The Balancing Act" on Lifetime in their effort to address the complex educational needs of today's students." BrandStar Entertainment “Creativity Express Brings Art Into The Classroom Tuesday January 17th, 2012: Lifetime Television 7:00-8 AM EST. & PST., 6:00-7AM CST PRLog (Press Release) – Jan 09, 2012 - (Pompano Beach, FL) Madcap Logic, LLC – creators of Creativity Express, a fun an innovative arts educational program, recently completed filming for…

• Teaching Children to Help Others

  Elise

  22 Dec 2011 | 2:20 pm

  Madcap Logic is proud to join Primrose Schools supporting the Feeding America virtual food drive.      Primrose Day Care Centers<http://www.primroseschools.com/> have teamed up with the charity, Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief chairty in America, to raise food and money for those in need this holiday season. As the virtual food drive will come to an end Decemeber 31st, be sure to visit the Primrose Facebook page<http://www.facebook.com/PrimroseSchools> where you can like the page, which will donate 1 can (or $1) or you can share the page which will donate 2 cans (or…

• Madcap Logic / Creativity Express Online Awarded 2011 EDDIE

  Elise

  25 Sep 2011 | 8:27 am

    Creativity Express selected as Best Upper Elementary Art Education Website            The ComputED Gazette honored Creativity Express as a winner of its 16th Annual Education Software Review Awards. The EDDIE Awards target innovative and content-rich programs and websites that augment the classroom curriculum and improve teacher productivity, providing parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence. Some selection criteria are academic content, potential for broad classroom use, technical merit, subject approach and management system. Winners are…

• The Heady Thrill Of Having Nothing To Do

  Elise

  6 Sep 2011 | 10:43 am

  Is constant stimulation Hurting our creativity and the economy? Scott Adams pays tribute to tedium.       All fans of Scott Adams, Dilbert devotees, parents, and a friend/colleague of anyone continuously hooked to an electronic device will love this attack on our current state of information overload.       Without giving away our ages, most of us can admit that our children are growing up with electronic gadgets we never dreamed possible. However, Adams is clear on the downside of these time fillers – of life without boredom- and their effect on the development of creativity. In…

• Creativity Express Awarded 2011 BESSIE

  Elise

  6 Apr 2011 | 2:16 pm

  Madcap Logic's “Creativity Express” is awarded ComputEd Gazette’s BESSIE award for Best Upper Elementary Art Education Website. The Best Educational Software Awards “target innovative and content-rich programs and websites that provide parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational excellence. Winners are selected from titles submitted by publishers around the world.” For a full list of winners, and more information about the ComputED Gazette and the BESSIE Awards visit: http://computedgazette.com/page3.html For a compete list of the…

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  Chip Chicklets

• Kidz Gear Releases Apple-Specific Headphones for Kids

  Chance Kinney

  27 Jan 2012 | 1:28 pm

  Kidz Gear has released a new set of headphones designed to work specifically with Apple devices, while providing safety measures for young ears. The Kidz Gear Volume Limit Headphones maxes out volume at levels that do not cause damage to the inner ear, so kids don’t unintentionally blast out their eardrums over the course of years. The Apple-specific billing is tied to the inline microphone, which features a push button to switch between music and telephone modes, volume control, and controls for play, pause, moving back and forth between tracks, and listening to entire playlists. The…

• Target and Designer Todd Oldham Reveal New Line of Art Supplies for Kids

  Chance Kinney

  26 Jan 2012 | 2:54 pm

  The line is called Kid Made Modern, and designer Todd Oldham is hoping that it’ll get a whole new generation of kids interested in art – and maybe even get their parents in on the action, too. This May, the art supplies, which include patterned duct tape, multi-colored crayons, jewelry kits featuring beads and felt pieces, and comic book kits (a book with a comic book style template and traceable comic book style fonts) will hit Target stores in an effort to encourage open-ended creativity in kids of all ages. The custom made duct-tape messenger bags in particular look like they…

• HP Mini 1104 Set to Power Students Large and Small

  Chance Kinney

  25 Jan 2012 | 12:07 pm

  Students in the market for an affordable, easily portable laptop might just find exactly what they were looking for when they see they HP Mini 1104. The 10.1” screen makes for a light, easy-to-carry personal computer (at 2.78 lbs.), while spill resistance and a durable build protect it from the clumsiest of teens stuck in their awkward years. The laptop is stocked with a webcam, microphone, and speakers, and is Wi-Fi compatible, so students on the go can turn it into a mini presentation aid with ease. An extra note about that durable construction – an accelerometer detects sudden…

• AT&T’s Texting While Driving Simulator Shows Teens Real Life Consequences

  Chance Kinney

  24 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pm

  As part of AT&T’s ongoing “It Can Wait” program, teens in Washington D.C. last week got to experience firsthand the dangers of texting while driving – without having to suffer the real consequences. The Texting While Driving Simulator was featured during a teen safety fair in the nation’s capital, in an effort to discourage teens from engaging in distracted driving. The simulator takes place in a real car – the teens then put on a pair of simulator goggles to show a virtual road in the same vein as the old driving simulators once used during driver…

• Ring in the Year of the Dragon in 3D With this iPad Storybook

  Chance Kinney

  23 Jan 2012 | 2:04 pm

  Happy new year! Today marks the beginning of the lunar calendar, and for the Chinese zodiac, that means the Year of the Dragon is upon us. To ring in the new year, Mobad Games has released an app version of a kids’ storybook by Oliver Chin. The app is called Year of the Dragon in 3D, and follows a young dragon named Dominic who just wants to join a boat race in the village – much to the dismay of many around him, including his powerful parents. The app is great for young readers, offering word-by-word highlighting, instant playback by tapping on words or phrases, and the ability…

• 

  CoolHunter RSS Feed

• Weekend Playlist 7

  20 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  To listen to previous weekend playlists - click through to our music page

• TA-ZE Premium Olive Oil Store - Toronto, Canada

  18 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Toronto’s latest TA-ZE store, at 120 Adelaide Street West, is only 800 square feet in size, but it is airy and uncluttered. TA-ZE is a chain of retail stores focusing on premium olive oils and related product. Ta-ze means fresh in Turkish, and the company is rooted in the long traditions of olive-oil production. Its product comes from six provinces in the Aegean region of Turkey, from 33 co-operatives that include more than 28,000 olive producers. The purity and clarity of the oil is reflected in the minimalist store concept designed by Toronto-based Burdifilek, led by managing partner…

• Coffee Time, L'Hotel de Vendome, Paris

  17 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Wine tasting is passé and the English have already perfected the High Tea, and nothing surpasses the Japanese tea ceremony. So what’s next? The creative minds at L'Hôtel de Vendôme in Paris set their eyes on “High Coffee.” They don’t call it that, but it certainly looks and feels like it.   Every afternoon, superior gourmet coffee varieties are served according to the expertise of France’s Best Roaster of 2011, Antoine Netien, and Tom Clark, owners of Paris’s high-profile Coutume Café, and importers and roasters of vintage…

• Luzi Bombon - Madrid

  12 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Luzi Bombón in Madrid is the latest restaurant creation of the Barcelona-based Grupo Tragaluz. The group’s beginnings date back to 1987, when mother and son, Rosa Maria Esteva and Tomas Tarruella, opened El Mordisco in Barcelona. Now, 20 restaurants and one hotel -- OMM in Barcelona -- later, their brand is a strong, established player in the Spanish hospitality market. Luzi Bombón on Paseo de la Castellana offers madrileños Mediterranean brasserie food from early lunch in the garden to late-night drinks in the bar with live DJs. The mid-century minimalist interior…

• Dr. Seuss Told By The People of Burning Man 2011

  9 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Based on Dr. Seuss's final book (Oh, The places You'll Go) before his death, this is a story about life's ups and downs, told by the people of Burning Man 2011. Genius idea Teddy Saunders

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  Little Food Junction

• Review- CCD

  12 Jan 2012 | 11:59 pm

  ~Review - Cafe Coffee Day ~A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happinesstasted & time well spent !!Over the last decade the humble cup of home brewedbeverage has undergone a drastic revolution and the coffee culture has beautifully taken over the Indian mass. Cafe Coffee Day is remarkably one of the trailblazers of this stylish cafe trend....A lot can happen over a cup of coffee !!!Owing to

• Happy new year

  31 Dec 2011 | 9:53 pm

  ~ Happy New Year 2012 ~Little Food Junction wishes all its readers a very happy & prosperous new year .When it comes to spreading joy among your loved ones , there is no better way to do it than with flowers. Spread the joy of the new year with these quick n easy fruity floral muffin toppers. Kids would surely love to ring in the new year with a bang n these little sweet treats ...Say it with

• Snowman

  27 Dec 2011 | 5:42 am

  ~ Snowman on a stick~Hello all, hope you had a wonderful christmas .We had so much fun . Our celebrations started with a small family baking - lil one & I tossed the fruits in freshly squeezed orange juice & baked a large aromatic n fruit loaded Christmas cake . The tiny marshmallow snowmen on stick & thepacket of homemade chocolates in the shape ofjingle bell & stars were a great hit at the

• Merry Christmas-3

  19 Dec 2011 | 1:43 am

  Merry Christmas ~ 3A Christmas Tree! A Christmas Tree!With dark green needled memoriesOf childhood dreams and mysteriesWrapped present-like in front of me. (- A Christmas tree by David Keig) I simply love Christmas time . The wonderful baked treats, the colorful crafts ,n the sight of lil ones around the beautifully decorated christmas trees gives me immense pleasure . Lets add fun to the

• christmas Time -2

  7 Dec 2011 | 9:20 am

  ~ Merry Christmas- 2~Christmas is synonymous with fun , celebration &surprises for little ones. This quick n healthy cheesyChristmas pudding themed sandwich will surelyleave them craving for some more holiday delights ...Puddingwich !!!!Whole wheat bread, cheese, cherry tomatoes & basil. Tip - Use a toothpick to cut out the fancy wavy shape, and the ends of a drinking straw for cutting out tiny

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  The Soft Landing Blog

• Must Have Tips for Creating a Healthy, Non-toxic and Green Nursery

  Melissa

  24 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  Over five years, ago I was given the most precious gift and miracle one could ever ask for. This gift was the ability to carry a little miracle inside my body for nine months and give birth to the most beautiful being I had ever laid eyes on, Isabella. She was the inspiration behind Itsabelly [...]

• Common Levels of Phthalate Plasticizers Leads to Higher Risk of Early Miscarriage

  Alicia

  13 Jan 2012 | 8:11 am

  For the first time, researchers examined exposure to a phthalate commonly used in plastics and miscarriage in humans.  They found that women exposed near the time of conception to a particular phthalate (DEHP), are more likely to miscarry early in the pregnancy compared to women with lower exposures.  It’s interesting to note that exposure to [...]

• New Year’s Prediction – Ownership of Waste

  Alicia

  27 Dec 2011 | 4:47 pm

  Guest Article by Suzanne Bertani Suzanne as been writing about her own journey to become a greener mama via Mommy Footprint and is the owner of Green Planet Parties, an online store that helps change the ending of parties & celebrations. Ever feel like you are slowly connecting the dots and then suddenly watch those [...]

• Top Ten Eco-friendly Toys for Entertaining Kids in the Car

  Laura

  14 Dec 2011 | 3:29 pm

  Jaq Jaq Bird Travel Chalk Mat This travel version of Jaq Jaq Bird’s chalk placemat has been a favorite in our family for years.  Kids of all ages have fun drawing, playing games and writing notes to each other on long car rides. It’s made with PVC-free, waterproof surface and is available in four trendy [...]

• Sophie the Giraffe is Full of Toxic Nitrosamines? Not so Fast…

  Alicia

  9 Dec 2011 | 5:57 pm

  We’ve been asked by many concerned parents recently about an article published in a French newspaper reporting that Sophie was contaminated with carcinogenic nitrosamines.  We contacted Calisson Inc., the U.S. distributor, directly to learn more.  We asked for testing documentation and an explanation of the toxicity claims – both of which they offered immediately.  We [...]

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  TrendyBrandyKids Boutique

• EXTRA 10% OFF ,,ON SALE,, ITEMS

  20 Jan 2012 | 7:18 pm

• NEW DIESEL KIDS, JEAN BOURGET AND IKKS SUMMER 2012 ITEMS

  13 Jan 2012 | 6:52 pm

  NEW DIESEL KIDS JEAN BOURGET AND IKKS SUMMER 2012 ITEMS

• MIM PI SUMMER 2012 COLLECTION COMING SOON

  3 Jan 2012 | 11:33 am

  MIM PI SUMMER 2012 COLLECTION COMING SOON!

• DIESEL KIDS & CATIMINI NEW SPRING-SUMMER 2012 COLLECTION. PART 1

  1 Jan 2012 | 6:39 pm

  DIESEL KIDS & CATIMINI NEW SPRING-SUMMER 2012 COLLECTIONPART 1

• 50% OFF WINTER COLLECTION!!!

  27 Dec 2011 | 1:57 pm

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  MyBrownBaby

• French Elle Thinks Michelle Obama Taught Black Women How To Dress—And Other MyBrownBaby Fresh Links

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  If French Elle fashion writer Nathalie Dolivo is to be believed—and she is not—African-Americans weren’t stylish until the Obama family came into office. ”For the first time, the chic has... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• If Terrell Owens Thinks He’s “In Hell,” Imagine How His Kids Feel

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  I’m no Terrell Owens fan and I have no interest in kicking a brother when he’s down, but the former NFL wide receiver known as T.O. isn’t winning any points after revealing in this month’s GQ cover... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Police Officers in School? A Recipe for Student Failure

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  26 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  By NICK CHILES Educators have known for a long time what kind of environment children need to learn: They need to feel safe and supported. Without these two elements, they will never perform at their... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Birthing While Black: This African American Mom’s Experience Was Anything But VIP

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  25 Jan 2012 | 10:43 am

  There are a ton of things I’ll never forget about the first time I gave birth—showing up with a Donny Hathaway CD in one hand, a beautiful pink and white-striped “going home” dress and a white... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• MyBrownBaby Respect: Maya Angelou

  Denene@MyBrownBaby

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:00 am

  There is, I hope, a thesis in my work: we may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody-two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• 

  The Kid's Fun Review

• Shout Free Gets Out Stains Without Dyes or Fragrance~ W!n a Shout Color Catcher Sample

  Linette

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:00 pm

  I have a problem with most man made fragrances. Many laundry detergents, perfumes, lotions and room deodorizers that contain scents make me sneeze and give me a headache. I like to keep my son away from them too, he seems to get a stuffy nose when he’s been around too much air freshener or perfume. [...]

• New Finding Nemo 3D Trailer

  Linette

  24 Jan 2012 | 9:51 am

  Disney is re releasing a couple of their old favorites in 3D this year. Beauty and The Beast is hitting theaters right now in 3D, and later this fall Finding Nemo 3D will be making its appearance on the big screen. FINDING NEMO returns to theatres for the first time in 3D September 14th, 2012! [...]

• Cozy Up With a Book For a Chance at a 10 Dollar Amazon Gift Card

  Linette

  23 Jan 2012 | 8:33 am

  I remember reading to my son when he was just a little baby. I had to read fast, and turn the page, or he was on to something else or turning the page for me. Now he loves to read, and he can sit and read huge books like the Harry Potter series, or Eragon. [...]

• Dragon Party Ideas For Kids

  Linette

  22 Jan 2012 | 10:30 pm

  I always think about a dragon party when I think about the Chinese New Year, and this year it’s the year of the dragon, so it’s the perfect time for a dragon theme birthday party even if you’re not celebrating the Chinese New Year! I thought I’d put together some of the funnest dragon party [...]

• Superbowl Cupcakes With Cake Pop Football Toppers

  Linette

  20 Jan 2012 | 11:17 pm

  We love football around our house! Or at least my son loves football! He’s counting down the days to the Superbowl, so I thought I’d put together some football cupcakes for him. I’ve been playing around a little with cake pops lately, but I’m not quite ready to share most of my results, yet. I [...]

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  South Shore Mamas

• Playful Paws Playgroups at Franklin Park Zoo

  busymama

  25 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am

  Get out of the house and bring your little one (18 months to 3 years) to the Zoo for some open play and animal exploration at the Playful Paws Playgroups, meeting Wednesdays in February. Related posts:ZooCamp at Franklin Park Zoo {Around Town} National Zookeeper Week at Franklin Park Zoo {Fall Fun} at Franklin Park Zoo

• {Around Town} New Native Voices Exhibit at The Boston Children’s Museum

  busymama

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:51 am

  On Saturday, January 28th, the Boston Children’s Museum will debut a new exhibit, Native Voices: New England Tribal Families. “Don't miss your chance to toboggan down a hill on Indian Island, ME, learn about daily life at the Nuweetooun Tribal School in Rhode Island, and explore a natural cranberry bog on Martha's Vineyard!” Related posts:{Around Town} Frog Appreciation Day at The Boston Common Frog Pond! The Traveling Cranberry Bog! {Around Town} Ocean Spray Fall Harvest Celebration at Patriot Place

• Keep Busy with Open Gym and Play Times

  busymama

  22 Jan 2012 | 10:20 pm

  The snow is finally here! My kiddos were playing outside constantly over the last 2 days, happy as clams to be stomping around the yard in their winter gear for hours and hours. I’m anticipating an end to this love affair with the snow though, and when that comes I’m prepared with a list of “open gym” drop-in play times to take the little ones to run off some energy. Here are some favorites of ours... Related posts:{Around Town} Local Open Skate Times Pay & Play at Backyard Adventures in Braintree Around Town 8/30 – 9/5

• {Around Town} Free Family Arts Safari

  busymama

  20 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am

  The South Shore Conservatory is hosting a {free} Family Arts Safari on Saturday, January 21, from 10am to 12pm. Open to the public, the event welcomes families to spend time together exploring music, theater and movement! Related posts:Around Town 9/6 – 9/12 {Around Town} Stroll for the Goal Family Fun Day at the South Shore YMCA Music Together Class – Free Demo March 3rd

• {Photography} 25 Days Photography Challenge

  busymama

  19 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am

  Now that the holiday season is over, don't let winter make you camera shy - especially if you found a new camera under the Christmas tree a few weeks ago! Winter offers so many opportunities for unique photography, both inside looking out and simply outside enjoying crisp clear winter afternoons. Here are some simple and easy ways you can get into photography. Every day or every week take one of these photos for practice. Related posts:Halloween Photo Tips from Ladybug Photography {Photography} Get Creative with Smart Phone Apps {Photography} What Not to Wear – Dressing for Your Summer…

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  The Trailmix.Net Blog - Kids Outdoor Activities

• View along my 5.4 mile run today. [Flickr]

  Trailmix.Net

  23 Jan 2012 | 9:52 pm

  Trailmix.Net posted a photo:

• Watching the storm roll in.. [Flickr]

  Trailmix.Net

  22 Jan 2012 | 8:51 pm

  Trailmix.Net posted a photo:

• Adventure on Carson Pass: Hiking with Kids at Frog and Winnemucca Lake

  Mike Barlow

  20 Jan 2012 | 3:05 pm

  The Carson Pass area is an alpine wonderland and the Frog Lake Trail is a kid friendly route in. Frog Lake | Carson Pass Part of California’s charm is that anybody with a vehicle and a pair of trail sturdy boots can drive a well maintained highway right up to a trail-head that leads into world class backcountry adventure.  That is exactly what we did last weekend as we explored Frog and Winnemucca Lakes in the Mokelumne Wilderness Area.  What makes the trail to Frog Lake exceptional for families with kids is a fairly gentle elevation gain, clearly marked trail, accessibility,…

• Winnemucca Lake [Flickr]

  Trailmix.Net

  19 Jan 2012 | 10:29 pm

  Trailmix.Net posted a photo:

• [Flickr]

  Trailmix.Net

  19 Jan 2012 | 10:26 pm

  Trailmix.Net posted a photo:

• 

  Adults: I Believe in Me, EQ Blog

• Relief in Belief

  [Your Name Here]

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:27 am

  We can worry, struggle, go into long internal conversations...doubt raising it's head, fear of rejection, fear of feeling insecure, uncertain... whew, it's like, can't we just get it over?!  Where's the relief from my own self-doubt?  There's relief in Belief.  Believe in your strengths, your instincts, your gut and oh yes, your heart!  When we trust that we can do it, that we can carry through that which is holding us back...that we can believe we will find the words to say the right thing, act correctly and be able to hold our own integrity when in a…

• Belief - functional, fun, phenomenal

  [Your Name Here]

  25 Jan 2012 | 1:28 pm

  Belief, it's functional, fun and phenomenal you just might wish to try it!  How many times do you catch yourself wishing you had confidence, trust in yourself and the ability to step out and be who you really wish you could be?  Believe in your ideas, trust them...latch on to them and go for it.  Your ideas are there for a reason - and YES, I'm talking about positive, empowering, brainstorming, powerhouse ideas.  I am not talking about negative or spiteful ones.  I'm talking the kind that make your heart sing with, "I want to do this, I want to help others and this is…

• Get further faster with belief

  [Your Name Here]

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:49 am

  I know it may sound silly, but it's true.  It's easier to get to where you are going and get there faster with belief.  To believe you can do it...it takes less energy.  Sometimes we spend so much time worrying and fretting about the negatives of "What if this happens?"  "What if I can't do it?"  "What if they don't like me?"  "What if ..."  The "What ifs" can pull so much energy from us, that we waste good creative positive energy that might be going to imagining how awesome it's going to be, imagining how well you handle things, imagining how delightful…

• Know and Belief

  [Your Name Here]

  23 Jan 2012 | 1:42 pm

  Know and Belief were walking down the street and Know asked Belief, "Hey, what do you know?" Belief said, "Belief." Know said, "I knew it." Cute and there's a truth to it...many may argue there's a big difference between knowing and  believing... some will say that believing is when you aren't really sure, that you sort of "believe" something may or may not happen, whereas with knowing you are sure it will occur.  Either way it doesn't matter much, what matters is YOUR connotation, your belief and your knowing. I believe in working at my dreams, my day, my…

• Stickability

  [Your Name Here]

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:01 am

  Stickability? Do you have what it takes to hang in there?  Do your children?  What allows us to do that?  First of all belief does.  To believe against all odds, to tackle all obstacles turning them into potential and possibility...to hang in there again and again and again.  To take one more step...pick yourself up one more time. Success comes with how many times you pick yourself up, dust yourself off...how many times you shake it off...how many times you see the horizon...feel the possible and step into the believable from your perspective not others.  OR,…

• 

  Kiboomu

• Mi gatito

  sherry

  27 Jan 2012 | 8:39 pm

  Children’s Song Preview: or Kids Song Lyrics: Mi Micifuz donde estás tú en el tejado si,yo te vi, Mi Micifuz que haces allá la ratita duerme en tu lugar. Mi Micifuz donde estás tú en el tejado si,yo te vi, Mi Micifuz que haces allá la ratita duerme en tu lugar. Subscribers may download the children’s MP3 music file here/subscriber]

• El reloj

  sherry

  27 Jan 2012 | 5:50 pm

  Children’s Song Preview: or Kids Song Lyrics: Tic, tac y toc Esucho cantar el reloj Me grita fuerte Contoda su voz Tic, tac y toc Tic, tac y toc Esucho cantar el reloj Me grita fuerte Contoda su voz Tic, tac y toc

• La gallina

  sherry

  27 Jan 2012 | 2:33 pm

  Children’s Song Preview: or Kids Song Lyrics: Tiqui, tiqui, tiqui, Mi gallina Pon tus huevos Para mi niño. Un huevito todas los dias Para mi niño Tiqui, tiqui, tiqui. Tiqui, tiqui, tiqui, Mi gallina Pon tus huevos Para mi niño. Un huevito todas los dias Para mi niño Tiqui, tiqui, tiqui.

• Valentine’s Day Cookies Recipe

  sherry

  27 Jan 2012 | 8:34 am

  Valentine’s Day Snack Recipe For Kids The Day It Rained Hearts written by Felicia Bonds is a lovely story to read to children on Valentine’s Day, and there are so many wonderful activities to go along with the book, like these Valentin’s Day Heart Cookies recipe for kids. This simple and messy fun Valentine’s Day Heart Cookies Snack craft activity is easy for preschool and kindergarten children to follow and tastes super yummy.  Just perfect for a Valentine’s Day-theme unit. So, what are you waiting for?  Let’s make Valentine’s Day Heart Cookies!

• Connect The Dots Valentine’s Day Game

  sherry

  27 Jan 2012 | 6:31 am

  Valentine’s Day Printable For Kids. The Day It Rained Hearts written by Felicia Bonds is a lovely story to read to children on Valentine’s Day, and there are so many wonderful activities to go along with the book, like this printable Connect The Dots Valentin’s Day game for kids. Dot-to-Dot Activity Pages are a fun way for preschool and kindergarten children to build their counting and small motor skills. Just the perfect activity for a Velentine’s Day-theme unit. So, what are waiting for? Grab your pencils and let’s get started! Just drag the printable…

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  Educational Videos MEET ME AT THE CORNER -

• Ferret Handbook, The (Barron's Pet Handbooks)

  administrator

  19 Jan 2012 | 4:15 pm

  Ferrets are lovable animals, but they're also very active and inquisitive, and require training and supervision if they are to be kept in the home. Here is detailed information on keeping a healthy, happy, and compatible ferret.

• Ferrets For Dummies

  administrator

  19 Jan 2012 | 4:15 pm

  Thinking about getting a ferret? Want to make sure you’re giving the ferret you already have the best possible care? Ferrets For Dummies helps you decide whether a ferret is for you and give your little fellah a healthy, happy home. It’s packed with practical information on feeding, housing, health maintenance, and medical care. This friendly, plain-English guide gives you the authoritative information you need in a cut-to-the-chase, quick-reference format. read more

• Ferrets (Barron's Complete Pet Owner's Manuals)

  administrator

  19 Jan 2012 | 4:15 pm

  Ferrets are playful little animals and make excellent pets for attentive owners. However, they are not recommended as pets for younger children. Here is reliable information on feeding, caging, health care, and more. All titles in Barron's profusely-illustrated Complete Pet Owner's Manuals introduce inexperienced and prospective pet owners to the pleasures and duties of pet care. They also make ideal guides for older children having their first experiences as animal caretakers. read more

• Ferrets (Animal Planet Pet Care Library)

  administrator

  19 Jan 2012 | 4:15 pm

  Ferrets are lively, domestic pets that can provide great entertainment and companionship. Find out how to prepare your household for adopting a ferret, as well as essential care information to ensure he is healthy and contented.

• Veterans Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays)

  administrator

  7 Nov 2011 | 2:01 pm

  Explains the history of Veterans Day and why it is observed, and suggests ways of honoring veterans on this special day, such as flying the flag, attending parades, buying poppies, and visiting hospitals.

• 

  Empowering Girls Blog

• 11 year old Ashlee is set to change the world

  Empowering Girls

  20 Jan 2012 | 10:26 am

  Guest post by our friend Ashlee Nicole Baritugo. Hi, everyone.  My name is Ashlee Nicole Baritugo. Call me Ash. I am 11 years old born on January 9, 2001. I'm homeschooled but I think I'm going back to school after about three years! :) I am from San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines. I am the founder of www.thepowerofgirls.yolasite.com and it's Facebook page 'The Power Of Girls'. I made 'The Power Of Girls' because I was inspired by 7Wonderlicious and Operation Beautiful... I was also inspired by the hardships of my life. The hardest is not having much friends...I only have a 13 year old…

• Walking amongst giants

  Empowering Girls

  28 Dec 2011 | 8:31 am

  This year was without a doubt the best year of my life to date. I may not be able to bottle up all that I have experienced, all that I have learned, all that was accomplished but I want to share with you in the next few blog posts a few key events that are relevant to this wonderful community. I start today with a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life. I am not one that is easily impressed, as you can probably imagine I would not have started this community if I did not have an irreverent side to me that likes to challenge the status quo and cringes at individuals, communities or…

• The impact of “Want to kill your daughters' self worth” aka @hamleystoys campaign

  Empowering Girls

  18 Dec 2011 | 5:36 am

  Back in May this year I traveled to the UK on business and decided to visit the Hamleys toy store, at the time I was so shocked with what I found that I wrote two blogs posts about it. The 7Wonderlicious crew has been sharing these two posts every 6 week with our 60k plus followers on social media across our 1 facebook account and many twitter accounts. Here are the blogs posts: Want to kill your daughters' self worth? stop by at the nearest toy store Part 1 - the girls' floor Part 2 - the boys floor  This blog post is our most popular post and goes viral every time it is shared. Both…

• Children See. Children Do.

  Empowering Girls

  8 Nov 2011 | 10:00 am

  Make your influence Positive! Be sure to join us in our Raising Confident Girls online forum to connect with other parents and experts. 7Wonderlicious - Empowering girls all over the world! Happy parenting!

• Enough is Enough! Our children deserve more!

  Empowering Girls

  6 Nov 2011 | 8:26 pm

  by Elin Waldal www.elinstebbinswaldal.com Be sure to join us in our Raising Confident Girls online forum to connect with other parents and experts. 7Wonderlicious - Empowering girls all over the world! Happy parenting!

• 

  Listen & Learn Music

• Friday Fave: Square Credit Card Reader

  Rachel

  27 Jan 2012 | 7:48 am

  There have been many occasions on which I wished I was able to accept credit card payments. Here are just a few: when selling my CDs and songbooks at conferences, peddling demos at gigs, when a parent of a student forgets his or her checkbook and has no cash…the list goes on. So when my friend and fellow studio owner Lisa Casciola told me about the Square Credit Card Reader, I was intrigued. I went to the website, where I found out that I could order the tiny little device for FREE, start an account for FREE, and immediately begin accepting credit card payments. The square accepts all…

• Today at Listen & Learn Plus!

  Rachel

  24 Jan 2012 | 8:30 am

  On Tuesdays, the mp3, instrumental track, and lyrics/chords for the newest songs are available to Listen & Learn Plus members for download. In addition, members are always welcome to request existing Listen & Learn songs and new song topics. When I introduced “Clackin’ On the Ice” to my kiddos, many of them caught on quickly to the concept of tapping their rhythm sticks very loudly at first, and gradually getting softer as the song goes on. Of course, there are a few for whom the idea of playing “softly” is foreign, and that’s okay…we’ll…

• Clackin’ On the Ice

  Rachel

  23 Jan 2012 | 12:27 pm

  Last week’s song featured a picture of a ukulele on a sandy beach…so this is just about as opposite as it gets! But it is January, after all, so I’m getting in those wintery songs while I can. I actually wrote “Clackin’ On the Ice” in just a few minutes while putting together my Church Mice curriculum for this session. I needed a song that would go well with rhythm sticks and provide the opportunity for changing dynamics. When I use this in person with my little mice, we start by singing and playing loudly. Each time we repeat the verse, we get softer and…

• Friday Fave: The ULTIMATE Fake Book

  Rachel

  20 Jan 2012 | 8:56 am

  I love fake books — so much so that I have an entire shelf of them here in my studio. The latest in my collection, pictured above, was a Christmas gift from my brother and sister-in-law. And like most non-musicians, I’m pretty sure they have no idea what a fake book actually is. A fake book contains the bare bones needed to play the songs within it: the melody line, lyrics, and chords. It’s up to the musician to come up with his or her own accompaniment, whether on guitar or piano. Fake books are great because the songs are succinct (usually no page-turning involved) and…

• “It’s Like a Lightning Bolt With a C at the Bottom!”

  Rachel

  19 Jan 2012 | 7:30 am

  Last night at Jake’s lesson, we were talking about quarter rests. As I was trying to describe how to draw one for an exercise in his theory book, Jake said, “I know…it’s like a lightning bolt with a C at the bottom!” I looked at the quarter rest, and realized he was exactly right. How come I didn’t think of that?! All of these years I’ve been teaching, yet never once had a good way to explain how to draw quarter rests. Thank goodness for my students, with their fresh perspectives and boundless creativity. Have you been enlightened by any of your…

• 

  Cupcake Kid Cafe

• San Diego Kids Cooking School – My Cool Kids Cook

  Rachel

  17 Jan 2012 | 11:58 am

  My Cool Kids Cook is a San Diego, CA kids cooking school. What makes them different? They offer kids mobile cooking classes, so they bring the cooking classes to you. On site classes are also available a The Chef’s Kitchen. They offer cooking parties, cooking lessons and even certification classes. Visit My Cool Kids Cook online or contact hem by phone at 760.703.1582. Share this on Facebook Post on Google Buzz Share this on LinkedIn Email this to a friend? Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This! Get Shareaholic

• A Valentine’s Day Sweet Treat – Vintage V-Day Cookie Pops

  Rachel

  16 Jan 2012 | 11:58 am

  image courtesy of Bakerella I found these and fell in love with them. I do not think I could do these on my own – so all the Mommy’s out there will have to help, but I know my friends in my class would love these Valentine’s Day cookies. It looks like you would need what is called frosting sheets and edible ink cartridges that work on some home printers. My mom and I have not tried this, but my mom found this website called TastyFotoArt.com  that seems to have lots of products to do this type of baking. You would have to do a little research to see if you printer is one…

• Valentine’s Day at the Cook’s Warehouse

  Jill

  14 Jan 2012 | 7:17 am

  The Cook’s Warehouse is located in Atlanta and offers up some great cooking classes for kids as well as adults. For the Valentine Day holiday they have a lot of great special events going on that we think our Georgia based readers would love! Cooking Class Calendar 2/4/12, Valentine Treats for Kids Hands On (Ages 3 to 5), http://bit.ly/tT6GGp 2/5/12, Valentine’s Day Cake Pops Hands On, http://bit.ly/wpqzsA 2/5/12, Back Home Baking for Valentine’s Day Hands On, http://bit.ly/zoNCAj 2/6/12, Virginia Willis with Atlanta’s Table Presents: French Kiss, http://bit.ly/yjcKhI…

• Can A Gourmet Marshmallow Replace A Cupcake?

  Jill

  12 Jan 2012 | 12:49 pm

  Image courtesy of 240sweet.com Apparently chef Maria D’Urso believes so! She recently told the New York Times that “marshmallows are the new cupcakes”. Chef D’Urso, who owns a bakery in Chelsea, creates marshmallow varieties such as cinnamon, strawberry basil and chocolate rosemary – clearly kicking this childhood favorite up to adult hood pleasures. Gourmet Marshmallows are expected to take the world by storm in 2012! Imagine batches of handmade marshmallows in flavors like cherry limeaid, pineapple and mango, red bean and sesame or even chicken and beef? Yes,…

• Almost Healthy Snowman Cupckaes!

  Rachel

  6 Dec 2011 | 9:08 am

  Photo by SkinnyTaste.com These adorable cupcakes, from SkinnyTaste.com are low fat, easy to make and as you can imagine – the kids love them! A fun afternoon activity to get ready for the holidays. The face is made up of jellybeans, mini chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows and a few colored sprinkles. Standard Duncan Hines cake mix was used for the cupcake – but contain a healthy twist. The mix was mixed with 6oz.fat free Chobani yogurt, egg whites and water for the low fat option. Take away the oil and butter and you have a healthier option. The icing was made from powdered sugar…

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  Artful Adventures

• Valentine Heart Canvas

  jude

  26 Jan 2012 | 2:57 am

  This canvas was created mainly as an excuse to experiment with acrylic string gel medium. I saw the following video on YouTube, and was inspired to try it out for myself. String gel is basically an... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Cut Paper Valentines

  jude

  19 Jan 2012 | 6:15 am

  Another Valentine inspired craft, this time using cut paper to showcase pieces of children’s artwork. I love cut paper projects, so much so that I have been considering getting a digital paper... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Tissue Paper Valentines

  jude

  12 Jan 2012 | 4:20 am

  Sometimes the old favourites are the best. This project uses a familiar, one might even say classic, technique of children’s artwork, to create something that looks a lot more sophisticated. I... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Arty Pencils

  jude

  4 Jan 2012 | 4:25 pm

  One of the Christmas gifts I made this year, to go alongside a set of Artwork Jotters, were these artwork covered pencils. I was quite pleased with the result, which looked I thought fairly... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• Time for a Change

  jude

  1 Jan 2012 | 12:02 pm

  I hope everyone had a good Christmas – ours was pretty peaceful and relaxing which was rather nice, giving me lots of opportunity to reflect and make plans which I always like to do. I... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

• 

  Kid Crave

• The Weekly Scoop

  Brooke Dowd Sacco

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:13 pm

  Make DIY Peach Prize Ball – The Sweetest Occasion Glitter DIY Jar – A Beautiful Mess Bake Dark Chocolate Cookie Crisps – Oh Joy! Organic Cheese Crackers – Inhabitots   Wear Spring Arrivals For Boys at Red 21 – Cool Mom Picks Share 5 Simple Steps to Remember to Use Your Reusable Bags – Eco [...]

• Boost of Confidence Booster Seat

  Brooke Dowd Sacco

  27 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pm

  It isn’t everyday you get to move on up to actual big people chair status at the family table. Celebrate their milestone with a booster seat that will boost your home’s style as well as their little spirits. The modern piece puts toddlers up to the perfect table height on most grown up chairs and [...]

• Antics Ant Blocks

  Brooke Dowd Sacco

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:35 am

  Fun with bugs, that doesn’t actually involve real bugs? Sign me up for that pay session! These delightful ant blocks will please kids who love creepy critters without creeping you out. Trails of ants connect on all six sides of these sixteen blocks, forming never-ending patterns for kids to explore. Each set contains images of ant [...]

• LEGO Man In Space

  Brooke Dowd Sacco

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:01 am

  There isn’t too much going on here, but your LEGO-loving offspring is sure to appreciate a view of our earth’s atompshere…as well as the fact that a LEGO mini-fig just like the ones they play with made it all the way up there!

• Fire Engine Rocker

  Brooke Dowd Sacco

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:24 am

  It’s never too early to turn them on one of the bravest jobs out there! And really, what kid hasn’t wanted to be a fire fighter at some point in their childhood? The fun Fire Engine Rocker is approved for little folks ages 1-4 and doesn’t include any obnoxious noises or lights…leaving the real emergency [...]

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  Spanish Playground

• Spanish jokes for children

  admin

  27 Jan 2012 | 4:43 pm

  Jokes are a fun way to speak Spanish to children. There are jokes at all language levels, and kids learning Spanish love it when they can understand the word play that makes a simple joke work. You can find specific suggestions for telling jokes to kids with ten easy jokes in this post: First jokes for children learning Spanish. There are also jokes in this post: More jokes for children learning Spanish. In general, you want to support the language in Spanish jokes as much as possible by providing a context. For example, tell joke #1 below and point to a pair of glasses. Tell #3 when you are…

• Spanish Friday – La necesidad de comunicarse

  admin

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:09 am

  I am participating in http://latinaish.com/’s Spanish Friday, so this post is in Spanish. An English translation follows. This week’s Spanish Friday post is written by a guest blogger. Claudia is from Colombia and is the founder of OnlineFreeSpanish. Since 2008 her site has offered a wide variety of free activities for learning Spanish. Thank you, Claudia, for contributing to Spanish Playground! Sorprendida! Así quedé hoy cuando escuché a mi amigo Herman hablar en el almuerzo. Poco comparto con él la mesa, pero hoy se sentó a almorzar conmigo y comenzamos a conversar de su vida.

• Spanish audio in online games teaches animals, letter sounds, pronunciation

  admin

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:54 am

  These two games with Spanish audio teach children pronunciation, animal vocabulary and letter sounds. They are from the site Leo lo que veo (I read what I see). The games were designed for native Spanish speakers, but work well with children learning Spanish. These games can be played by children of any age and any level. Both games are structured as board games. Players roll a dice and move around the board. Each space has a shape that changes to show an animal and the word for that animal. When the player clicks the space there is Spanish audio that says the word. Players then find the…

• Spanish song for children – Caballito blanco

  admin

  24 Jan 2012 | 7:25 pm

  Caballito blanco (Little White Horse) is one of the first songs my children learned in Spanish. We happen to have a white horse, so my kids loved it. Children all over the Spanish-speaking world sing this traditional song. I have also seen Caballito blanco identified as a jump rope rhyme, but my family learned the song and that is how I have used it in teaching Spanish to children. There are several versions of Caballito blanco. The longest version has three distinct parts. The first asks the white horse to take the singer home, the second is about three sheep, and the third part tells Juana…

• Printable Spanish Valentine’s cards and bookmarks

  admin

  23 Jan 2012 | 2:10 pm

  These printable Spanish cards for Valentine’s day are a fun activity for children learning the language. Valentine’s day in Spanish is Día del amor y la amistad (The day of love and friendship), Día de San Valentín or Día de los enamorados. Most Spanish-speaking countries celebrate on Feb. 14th, although in Colombia they celebrate on the third Saturday of September. Many countries also celebrate El día del amigo in June or July. To celebrate Día del amor y la amistad, children can print Spanish-language cards to share with their friends or make their own. Here are a few cards in…

• 

  The KidZui Blog

• What to do with Broken Crayons

  KidZui

  27 Jan 2012 | 4:54 pm

  They might look like a pile of unloved bits, but a new life awaits these misfits, and it only takes a few minutes. I don’t think the sight of broken crayons bothers my kindergartener in the least bit. In fact, I think he’s just as happy to color with a linty stub as he is with a brand new pointy Crayola. He’s an equal-opportunity artist that way. No, this project was more for me, while searching for an answer for what to do with broken crayons. Before I discovered the magic of recycling crayons, whenever I came across a broken piece, I’d toss it in the trash, trying to ignore the…

• What’s in a Name? KidZui Becomes Zui.com

  KidZui

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:02 pm

  We’re excited to announce that KidZui has changed its name to Zui.com following the successful launch and continued growth of our kid-driven community.  We’ve been blown away by how quickly Zui.com has grown, and the Zui Team (formerly the KidZui Team!) has agreed that adopting the site’s name as our own will help our users better relate to us.  The Zui Team also sends its congratulations to our own Ryan Bettencourt, who has been promoted to President of Zui.com! The KidZui browser remains near and dear to our hearts, and we are committed to continuing to offer the…

• KidZui Among Lead411′s Hottest Southern California Companies

  KidZui

  24 Jan 2012 | 5:12 pm

  KidZui is excited to be among the recipients of Lead411‘s “Hottest Southern California Company” awards.  The winners were selected from a pool of over 1800 nominated companies who meet Lead411′s award requirements: Companies must be in the Software, Wireless, Hardware, Internet or Media industries, must be a privately held organization, and must be located within Southern California Must have seen a 100% increase in revenues over the past two years and/or Raised $3M+ in funding in the past two years We couldn’t be more proud to be among this year’s list…

• Six Reasons Why I’m No Longer Afraid of Breastfeeding in Public

  KidZui

  19 Jan 2012 | 3:13 pm

  Before I became a mom, I didn’t really have an opinion on the topic of breastfeeding in public. But after my son was born and we became a nursing duo, I was forced to choose a side. Unfortunately, making this choice was not exactly stress-free. If everyone agrees that breastmilk is best for baby, why is nursing in public still so controversial? You see, I’ve always been the hyper self-conscious type, especially when it comes to my body. As a kid, I never liked wearing shorts, skirts, dresses, tank tops—essentially anything that exposed large areas of skin. So when it came to nursing in…

• Kids Can Get Math Help with PBS Kids Cyberchase

  KidZui

  16 Jan 2012 | 6:15 pm

  PBS recently revamped its PBS Kids Cyberchase website, which now contains all 94 full episodes of Cyberchase, an award-winning, research-based adventure series from PBS (recommended for kids ages 8 to 12), which promotes positivity in math and problem-solving, making it real and fun for kids.  The site also has interactive games, quests, video clips, printables, and hands-on activities, which highly complement and reinforce the math learning from the series.  The series features inquisitive kids (the Cybersquad) who have to use their problem-solving skills in order to outsmart, outwit, and…

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  ThePartyAnimal-Blog

• 7 Fun ways you can use Conversation Hearts this Valentine’s Day

  ThePartyAnimal

  15 Jan 2012 | 9:32 am

  I wanted to share with you 7 Fun ways you can use Conversation Hearts this Valentine’s Day.  There are lots of uses for these sweet little candies besides eating them and here you will find some of my favorites. Valentine’s Day would just not be the same without Conversation Hearts – they are a Valentine Candy Icon. Personally I love to eat them, but not everybody does. That is OK cause you can use them for lots of other things too and I am am excited to show you some that I have found and loved out in the Cyber World. Are you ready? OK lets go….. I wrote this one…

• Cheesecake filled Fillo Shells are a Quick and Easy Party Snack

  ThePartyAnimal

  1 Jan 2012 | 8:36 pm

  If you are looking for a Quick and Easy Party Snack then these Cheesecake filled Fillo Shells will fit the bill. Best part is you can make them in minutes with no baking and they are YUMMY. I am always on the hunt for appetizers/finger foods that I can whip up in minutes for my parties so when I recently sampled these Cheesecake filled Fillo Shells at my local store I was sold. For one I LOVE the Mini Fillo Shells because you can use them in so many ways and second I am a Cheesecake Lover – so this combination worked for me. So I added these to my “To Make List” for my New…

• Have you ever wondered how they make Balloons?

  ThePartyAnimal

  30 Dec 2011 | 6:25 pm

  We all know a party is not a party without Balloons, but have you ever given much thought on how they are made? Sometimes it is very cool to see the process in which the things we love are created.  I was fascinated when I watched how they made balloons so I have to share it with you too. I am a big fan of the show How its Made on the Science Channel and I watch it all the time. I am truly amazed every time I watch how the things I think are so simple really take a lot of time to create.  One of my all time favorites to watch is How they make Crayons – I love that !!! Anyway I was…

• Make some Shrimp Puffs for your next party

  ThePartyAnimal

  29 Dec 2011 | 6:42 pm

  Impress your party guests with these Shrimp Puffs that are Quick and Easy to make and taste so good. You will be amazed to see that the kids will love to eat them as well. This past Christmas we decided to skip making a big meal and to do finger foods instead. So we made a bunch of yummy recipes and this has to be my favorite hands down. I only share the best of the best with all of you !! Now I cannot take full credit for these since these were made by my Sista Peep and she found the recipe on the FoodNetwork.com website. I am tellin’ ya these are sooo delicious and my kids absolutely…

• Free Personalized Chore Charts for the kids at Goalforit

  ThePartyAnimal

  28 Dec 2011 | 1:11 pm

  I am so excited to tell you about Goalforit where you can create FREE Personalized Chore Charts for the kids they will love. If you have been searching for a great Chore Chart then look no further because I have found it !! I have had my share of Chore Charts for my kids over the years and even though they are now 11 & 13 they are never too old to continue to use one. I have always found that they respond much better to having a visual chart where they can mark down their accomplishments whether they are chores or personal goals they want to achieve. The same still goes for me – I…

• 

  Open ended organic fair trade play costumes » blog

• enjoy language – a couple of language learning games for everyday development

  hulda

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:49 am

  One of the most important thing you can do for your child’s early development is preparing it for literacy. Reading and writing your own language and understanding others are important skills for all future learning. The beautiful thing about children, and all humans, is that we are all different. We think, learn and communicate differently. Some children learn how to read very easily while others struggle for years to master this important skill. Being dyslexic does NOT mean that you are unable to learn how to read, it only means that your brain will need a different set of tools to…

• Inspiring schools with excellent teachers! *Adalthing*

  hulda

  30 Nov 2011 | 8:34 am

  We just visited Adalthing (www.adalthing.is) yesterday – a really outstanding school that recognizes open ended play as a vital part of cognitive development. Children attending the school are between 2 and 6 years old. Adalthing inspires learning according to the Reggio Emilia philosophy and seems to follow it conscientiously. I have been there a few times and it doesn’t really matter if you know a lot about Reggio Emilia or not, you will immediately feel the easy going flow of play and respect for the individual child. What impresses me the most about Adalthing is that the…

• How imaginative play can unlock genius

  hulda

  24 Nov 2011 | 5:24 pm

  I just witnessed one of the most amazing moments of my life! I have known for some time (through reading countless articles and books) that allowing children to experience all stages of imaginative play will enhance their ability to visualize numbers and calculate later in life. Studies show that children who leave the nursery environment early (before 5) to participate in formal education show less ability in advanced math later on because they often lack the ability to visualize numbers. That is why imaginative play can never be underestimated as entertainment and should be acknowledged…

• Colours

  jacob

  25 Jun 2011 | 5:03 pm

  In previous blogs, we have described how our products can inspire to creative play.In this one however, we have decided it would be a nice little change to discuss something slightly different – namely our use of colours. Colorful objects have always proven liable to catch a child’s eye and natural curiosity to explore. It is also acknowledged that colours can evoke intellectual associations and different emotional stimulations and generally are important for our comfort and wellbeing throughout the day. Beside from this, we also believe that colours are a vital aspect in the…

• Product Development

  thorunn

  21 May 2011 | 2:20 pm

  Hola! For the past few weeks we have been working hard on developing new products to add to the FIKRA line. We think that these new products will add even more to FIKRA’s possibilities and multi-functionality, especially when THEO and POPPY meet for the first time. THEO from the FIKRA product line This is THEO. He will arrive in the fall of 2011. His favorite activites are going to the theater and role playing. This is his prototype, but he will be available with several accessories, such as grass, fire, and ocean. THEO will be made from organic fair trade cotton. The spots that look…

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  Muffin Tin Mom

• Strawberries As Big As A Hand!

  muffintinmom

  28 Jan 2012 | 12:20 am

  Strawberries as big as a hand! While not organic they are so tasty! 

• Muffin Tin Monday - Valentines Lunch

  Michelle, Muffin Tin Mom

  23 Jan 2012 | 12:58 am

  Welcome to Muffin Tin Monday the Muffin Tin Meal Blog Link Up. Share your muffin tin meal blog post below! For more info on Muffin Tin Meals, see the FAQ page.   I am in a post-kid-birthday-party coma,  but we still managed a little muffin tin lunch with a Valentine's twist.  In this heart valentines themed muffin tin lunch (from the top left): Heart mini sandwiches, red grapes, heart shaped melon, red strawberries, heart stamped Babybel cheese wheel, chocolate dipped cupcake with heart sprinkles. The larger Stainless Steel Rice Mold cutter I used for the mini…

• Slow Cooker Recipe Pot Roast in Beer

  Michelle, Muffin Tin Mom

  20 Jan 2012 | 9:42 am

  Ingredients: (1) 2-3 lb. Sirloin Tip Pot Roast (1) 12 oz bottle of Hefeweizen beer (I chose an imported Bavarian ale from Trader Joe's) (1) package onion soup mix  (or can substitute with minced fresh garlic, salt and pepper, and minced fresh onion) Salt and Pepper "to taste" 1/4-1/2 cup all-purpose  flour Directions: Heat a shallow pan with oil on high. Get it piping hot. Mix together the package of soup mix and 1 bottle of beer (Set aside) Sprinkle a dash of pepper on the cut of meat and cover in flour Sear each side of the roast in the pre-heated pan for 2 minutes or less. Remove…

• Happy Birthday MTG

  Michelle, Muffin Tin Mom

  19 Jan 2012 | 1:25 pm

  Happy Birthday Muffin Tin Girl.  I am so blessed to have you as a daughter. You are creative and fun. You are kind and caring. You are such a good sister. You are beautiful... and I love to see you smile. I love you, Mom

• Raspberry Chipotle and Brie Cheese Baked in Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

  Michelle, Muffin Tin Mom

  18 Jan 2012 | 2:15 am

  I have vivid memories of crescent rolls growing up. If we didn't have them with every meal, we wanted to have them with every meal. So, when dreaming up a new recipe, I was inspired by my moms crescent chicken bundle recipe, a friend who brought raspberry chipotle sauce to a girl's night out, and my love affair with brie cheese. It's a match made in baked heaven. Ingredients 2 cans Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls 8oz raspberry chipotle sauce (found in the condiment aisle of your local grocer or you can make your own) 1/2 pound brie cheese Directions Unwrap 1…

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  My Child New Zealand Blog

• Rachael’s Perfect Play dough Recipe!

  Amy

  21 Jan 2012 | 9:54 pm

  Perfect play dough mix Finding the perfect play dough recipe can be a challenge! Play dough can become too sticky, oily, dry or too salty. Rachael Harris a wonderful preschool teacher has kindly shared with me to share with you her very own secret play dough recipe! I can vouch for Rachael’s play dough, it is light, soft and fun to use. So if you are having trouble finding a winning play dough recipe give this one a go: 6c Flour 1 1/2c Salt 3 heaped dessert spoons cream of tartar 6c Boiling water 3 Tablespoons oil Add colour and knead! Rachael says that the trick is in the kneading while…

• Happy New Year Everyone!

  Amy

  11 Jan 2012 | 9:59 pm

    New Year means New Year’s resolutions…right? If you haven’t thought of yours yet we have ten for you to think about. Tell your kids you love them more! You can never ever tell your kids you love them enough. Slow down! We tend to rush everything we do! Simple things such as eating breakfast in the morning are rushed. Wake up 20 minuets earlier each day so you can enjoy breaky together before preschool or school. There are so many missed learning opportunities when we rush our children. Role model! Our little ones are sponges, they watch everything we do! If you want little…

• Countdown to Christmas!

  tash p

  10 Dec 2011 | 11:23 pm

  Wow this year is going fast, it is only a couple of weeks till Christmas! I am really excited about this Christmas as last year my daughter was only a few months old so slept most of the day, so I feel like this is our first year of being able to share the Christmas experience with her and all that goes with it! I love crafts and being creative, but sadly I don’t have heaps of time to make things- but this year I made it a priority to make my own advent calendar so we could count down to Christmas as a family. I had a look around and search on the internet and although I found many…

• Child Poverty In New Zealand

  kate

  22 Nov 2011 | 2:46 am

  In light of TV 3′s Documentary Inside Child Poverty screened tonight: I always thought that child poverty in NZ was a bit of farce but over the last few years I have come to realise, as with most things in life, it is not as black and white as it first appears. I have had to step out of my easy middle class sheltered life and take a closer look at what is happening in NZ. For example, recent statistics put the number of children living below the poverty line (as defined for NZ) at a whooping 22%! And this is having a huge impact on members of our society as being born in a low…

• Common questions about Language Development in children

  tash p

  25 Oct 2011 | 2:28 am

  I spend my week doing two “jobs”. The first “job” is being a Mum to my 1 year old daughter and the other is being a part time Speech-Language Therapist, working with children. Both of these jobs I love. I love being able to watch my daughter and the children I work with develop their communication, it is so rewarding! When I meet people and let them know I am a Speech-Language Therapist, they often have questions about their child or a child they know and whether their speech or language is developing ‘normally’- and I often ask myself these questions as a parent as well!

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  Inspire My Kids

• Claudette Colvin – A Brave Advocate for Racial Equality

  Maggie Hofstaedter

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:51 am

  Most people are familiar with the inspiring story of Rosa Parks, the African-American lady who refused to give up her bus seat in 1955 during the civil rights movement. But did you know that there was actually another who performed the same peaceful protest months earlier? This other person was Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old African-American girl. She, too, refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger and was arrested for doing so.  She then took part in a legal case that helped put a stop to public bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama. Her brave actions, along with those of…

• Our Children’s Trust Climate-Change Lawsuit – Fighting for a Better Tomorrow

  Maggie Hofstaedter

  26 Jan 2012 | 8:48 am

  It is often said that the world is not what it used to be. In some ways, this is great news! Things like advances in medicine, new technologies and inventions, and greater equality for all have made life today better than ever before. But in one significant way, the world is changing for the worse. This is due to climate change – a continual shift in the earth’s atmosphere that will ultimately be harmful. Although part of the shift is a natural occurrence, another part of it is ”man-made” – due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil. And there is…

• Ideas for Using inspiremykids.com in Your Class

  InspireMyKids

  21 Jan 2012 | 6:57 am

  Inspiremykids.com is being used by educators, across the United States and around the world to provide a positive, interactive and unique way to support and integrate teaching requirements in Character Education and ELA. For example, Special Ed teacher extraordinaire, Johnna Sarcone, as part of her Character Education curriculum, provides her students with the opportunity to review the site each week for new stories based on the character ed theme of the week.  Students are directed to select one story and then, in support of her ELA curriculum, deliver a written and oral presentation to the…

• Anne Frank – The Ultimate Spirit of Courage and Hope

  Maggie Hofstaedter

  19 Jan 2012 | 2:12 pm

  In many ways, Anne Frank was a typical teenager – she went to movies and for ice cream with friends, she got good grades except in math, and she liked boys. And in one other very significant way, she was a typical teenage girl……..she kept a diary. However, the diary Anne kept was anything but typical. You see, Anne kept a diary of her experiences as she and her Jewish family hid from the Nazis during World War II. Although Anne’s diary paints a dramatic picture of what it was like to live in fear of the Nazis in the 1940s, there is something else about it that…

• Think You Don’t Need Math? Think Again…..It’s All Around You!

  Maggie Hofstaedter

  19 Jan 2012 | 2:10 pm

  Do you ever get bored sitting in math class, wondering why you even need to learn the stuff in the first place? Well, this feeling is not too unusual. But the truth is, learning and using math is something that plays an amazingly important role in your life! From the moment you wake, all through your day, math is a significant part of virtually every aspect of your world…….. Here are just some of the things in daily life that utilize math: the food you eat the clothes you wear TVs, computers, and phones sports money calendars and clocks transportation government weather…