I have two children which even though are similar in age, are completely different when it comes to their areas of interest. My daughter who is in her teens is interested in fashion, guys, and dates. But her primary hobby is talking on the phone; she is doing it all the time. My son is ten years old and all he cares about are toys and things that crawl, smell and make funny noises. Not to mention that his favourite activity is trying to make my...more
Volunteering is excellent but some kids want to generate real cash for tzedakah so they can contribute in a tangible way. Of course it's hard because kids don't have much earning power at age 12 or 13. Ebay has changed that with a new program - "Giving Works" - which allows you to sell items just as you would normally on ebay. But, you can designate some or all of the sale's proceeds to go to a charity you chooseCheck it out at...more
Routines are very important for toddlers. Routines give structure to their day and help to reduce temper tantrums and crankiness that result from irregular sleeping and eating schedules.Daily routines are great for moms too, whether you stay at home or you work outside of the home.The effectiveness of a daily routine isn't so much what time you do something, but that you do something at the same time every day. Setting a time that works for your family allows flexibility for individual family schedules and needs.Getting enough sleep is very important for young children. Many toddlers need up to 12 hours of sleep at night and at least a 2 hour nap every afternoon. The times that your toddlers sleep will be partly dependent on your family's schedule. Our boys are in bed by 7 p.m. every night, but that time wouldn't work as well for parents who don't get home until later in the evening. Just make sure your children have a regular bed time and a regular nap time. Their bodies adjust to these times and they anticipate those times to sleep every day, even if they don't act like they want to go to sleep. Lack of sleep makes them very cranky and irritable.A regular eating schedule is also...more
This is a simple children's Christmas party game. I deal for young children due to the simple rules and it's all round good fun.Preparing the gameDraw a large reindeer to pin on the wall or to stick to a table. Try not to leave indented drawing lines on the paper, we don't want any cheating!Make a red nose and cut it out. Or you could paint a...more
Watch as Santa Claus pops out of the chimney pot. But don't get him stuck because if he catches you he won't bring you any Christmas presents. To make a popup Santa you will need - 2 loo-roll tubes. One needs to be slightly bigger than the other, so that one can easily slide up and down inside the other tube.The larger tube is the chimney pot....more
Chat is all the rage these days, and the best way to keep in touch with friends, and maybe even family, is to use internet messengers like AIM or Yahoo. By using messengers or chat, you don't have to break your phone curfew, but you can still talk to your friends. Other places that are fun to visit are forums, discussion boards, and sites- communities like MySpace. The greatest thing about these sites is the opportunity to personalize your screen name by using avatars. Avatars are those little pictures that pop up by your name when you type or post.As your avatar is your self portrait in a sense, it should reflect who you really are - trendy, stylish, and beautiful. If you are anything like most of the girls in the world today, you probably change your mind about five times a day on what would truly reflect you, but there is a perfect solution for that - use online paper dolls. Use these online paper dolls, such as the ones you find at The Doll Palace (http://www.thedollpalace.com) as avatars, and you will have endless style and image opportunities available. That way, you can change your online image as often as you change your virtual hairstyle. Getting StartedTo begin, you can...more
Smokey Bear the icon was born in the mind of Rudy Wendelin, who was an artist for the U.S. Forest Service. In 1944 the Forest Service authorized his poster of Smokey Bear as the symbol for fire prevention.The real life Smokey Bear was discovered in...more
The nativity and the birth of Jesus Christ are the fundamental part of Christmas. It's the story of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem to be counted for the census. Poor Mary was heavily pregnant and had to ride on a donkey. When they got to...more
A newborn's baptism is a time when loved ones join together to witness a joyous occasion. It's an event that should be marked by a gift, but many don't know what type of present is appropriate to celebrate a baptism. While some choose to give money...more
Dora the Explorer has proven to be a phenomenon of mass proportion among young children. As with most things popular with children, Dora makes a great theme for a birthday party. Of course, planning and throwing a party is no small task, and a Dora...more
Fall is a great time for kids to do fall crafts. Leaf collages are easy to make and can provide hours of fall fun. Kids enjoy looking for the leaves as well as using the leaves to create their creative collages.Here's what you need for this fun fall...more
Have you heard people say that toddlers always prefer the box and the rubbish rather than the present inside? Fun and funky kid's skittles and Christmas pudding bowling ball and all made from rubbish! The ideal Christmas present for younger brothers...more