Archive for September, 2010

I love The Labyrinth, but I watch this specific scene on youtube at least once a week. I hope it puts you in a good mood! There is a simple game I used to make my friends play (ok I still do). I think kids might like it too. It goes like this:

Adult: You remind me of the babe.
Child: What babe?
Adult: The babe with the power.
Child: What Power?
Adult: The Power of Voodoo.
Child: Who do?
Adult: You do.
Child: Do what?
Adult: You remind me of the babe!!!

My fingers have been glued to a keyboard or mouse longer than I can remember. In my school days, it was frankly unusual to use programs like Kid Pix and Paint to complete school projects, or to use digital dictionaries and the nascent Internet for research, but I enjoyed utilizing the technology of the time. We’ve sure come a long way from dot matrix printers! I think I had it good though; kids now are expected to film videos, create presentations and otherwise use technology in their work.

As the technology has evolved, while more resources for kids are available, I think it is a little more difficult to find truly “kid-safe” resources. Here are some neat and trustworthy locations for news & information for kids.

Yahoo! Kids Homework Help
The “Study” area of Yahoo! Kids, easy to find at http://kids.yahoo.com/learn, is the best of sites we look ed at presented just for kids. The interactive animal section covers dozens of species of ambphibians, birds and more, plus has games to help learn the differences between animals. Kids that are stumped on a concept can also Ask Earl for an answer; Earl’s provided 1,586 answers (and counting). Of course, the popular search engine resource has handy search options as well, like the World Factbook and Reference area. Ads are also an absolute minimum; at this time, a single kid-friendly advertisement. (You can of course back up to the main Yahoo! Kids area with more about movies, music, sports and more.)

Time for Kids
I think of all the sites I took a look at Time for Kids is the most kid-friendly. There is a news archive with stories written with kids in mind. Topics range from current events to pop culture. The Homework Helper has a searchable index of research-ready websites recommended by kids, as well as tips for writing and a look “Around the World.” This site too has an acceptable set of ads; right now two directed to SIKids.com.

Weekly Reader
It was a trip down memory lane to look at the website for Weekly Reader, the familiar, informative publication we read in school each week as kids. Their colorful, ad-free site (save for a couple static ads to their own content) is split with resources for elementary and secondary-age children. While this site may be more directed at teachers, its information is presented well for kids’ eyes, too. (It is also an ideal place for parents who homeschool to visit.)

Scholastic – The Stacks for Kids
A very new, very fresh, and very modern resource for older kids is The Stacks for Kids by Scholastic. It is currently in beta mode but has destinations for adolescents like message boards, games, and of course, details about new books and authors to check out.

National Geographic Kids
Kids will find fun and crazy facts, wild videos, activities and much more at the National Geographic Kids site. This innovative website won a and was a Parents Choice Award winner in 1998 and a Webby Award in the Youth category. Check out the Photos area for intriguing photographs of scenery, animals and so on, or read kid-centered stories on a variety of topics. A couple ads on the site were for games and such but were not inappropriate.

Other kid-friendly destinations on the web include the Exploratorium’s “Explore” area (a must-see collection of online exhibits), Nourish Interactive, PBS Kids, the NASA Kids’ Club, and KidsKnowIt.com. For information about keeping kids safe online visit Microsoft’s collection of articles.

Please share any other websites you or your kids frequent that you would like to recommend to other families! See more from our blog celebrating the journey back to school.

A daunting aspect of any new hobby is how all the parts and supplies will be organized. This definitely holds true for crafting endeavors! It is very worthwhile to have an organization plan for all of your craft supplies, and thankfully, it is easy to do with inexpensive items or things you may have on hand.

A very efficient way to organize is with clear containers, and the smaller the better. (My favorite is a set of 5 shoebox-sized ones that often go on sale for $1 or less a piece.) This way, you can be very specific about the container’s contents, like wide ribbon or scraps of cardstock. It’s also a great way to store your projects in progress or supplies you temporarily need in one spot, like for the holidays. Use plain labels and colorful markers to label what is inside, and then it’s easy to change if you decide to switch out what you’re storing.

I also like to reuse containers and boxes rather than buying new. Standard shoeboxes are perfect for like items such as yarn, ribbon and felt. Oatmeal containers hold pipe cleaners and writing implements, and are primed for decorating. (A craft project in itself!) Random items like drinking glasses and Ziploc bags can also make for easy and handy organizing.

See easy, stylish, and Ultimate Craft Organization Solutions through Better Homes & Gardens. Favorites shown below (left to right) include Kids Art Supply Shelves, cork Pin-Up Boards, and an unbelievably creative Craft Supply Suitcase.

Look around for other crafty ideas on our blog!

Go Play. That’s sure a quick way to say what we hope kids do thanks to our toys!

For the past few weeks, it has been an honor for us to be part of Shout’s Go Play Sweepstakes! Each week, one lucky person has won a $200 gift card to Growing Tree Toys. The sweepstakes culminates with a very playful grand prize – a Super Sunshine Castle Playset from Rainbow Play Systems! One lucky family is going to be geared up for years of fun play with a playset like that.

Want to enter? Well, why wouldn’t you? And don’t worry, there’s still time! Visit Shout on Facebook to enter. The entry period for the third gift card ends tomorrow (Sept. 7) and the fourth and final week to enter follows. Be sure to enter by Tuesday, Sept. 14!

Go Play! Also visit our Facebook page for an easy $10 off your next order with us. Hurry, the deal will be available for a limited time!

From now till a week into January, hundreds of thousands of college football fans will be in the stands or glued to their television screens every Saturday (and some Thursdays, and Sundays, and so on.) College sports are so unique – cities and towns that may not have a pro sports club have hometown teams to love.

Our Nittany Lions open the season tomorrow against the Penguins of Youngstown State, and while tailgating and parties mean a lot of adult-centered fun, tons of kids and families enjoy the festivities, like the family-centric Blue-White scrimmage game in the spring.

Of course, not just football starts up right now at colleges around the nation, but dozens of other fall sports! Best of all, tickets are generally inexpensive or admission is free for many college sporting events. It’s such a great way for kids to see sports in action and appreciate what is available locally!

So, whether your team’s stadium holds 1,000 or 100,000, it’s time to cheer!

Cute photo accessed from longislandtribe.com.