When school is out and the weather is hot, the extra time leaves a child with nothing to do and boredom can set in very quickly. Making summer crafts would, keep a child occupied, be fun and be a learning experience as well.One simple craft idea is to take the children out and let them search for objects outdoors, like grasses and seeds. Help them make collages with cardboard paper as the backing. Use glitter or silver or gold spray to decorate...more
At the teen summer camp, SuperCamp, we teach teens the Four-Part Apology, a very effective communication tool with friends, family, fellow students, even teachers.Apologize with These Four Steps and Heal the DamageTake these four steps when you've wronged or hurt someone, or when you've made a mistake significant enough to impact someone else. Here's an example of a response to a friend who is upset that you've cancelled plans with her on a few...more
The thought of sending your child to a wilderness camp is frightening. You would be sending them far away to people that you've only talked to on the phone. When considering if a wilderness camp is right for your teen there are a few things that you should know before making the final decision. Not all wilderness camps are the same. Wilderness camps vary greatly from very rough to more mild. The rougher camps are required to carry all their food in their packs. This food usually consists of beans, lentils, and flour. Once a week their food supply is restocked. The teens are stripped of everything they own and given the bare minimum to survive. They then have to complete tasks that allow them to earn things that make life easier, such as a backpack, sugar, or spices. After eating plain beans and rice a little sugar goes a long way. Other camps are easier. Fresh food is dropped off everyday. This consists of food like sandwiches, eggs, bacon, chicken, etc. These camps apply the belief that by supplying the teen with everything they need physically the adolescent can spend most of their time emotionally developing. As they learn the skills to survive in the wilderness they can then...more
Share fun and giggles with your children. These engaging ideas will captivate and stimulate your child's senses and ignite your child's thirst for learning.1. Fingerpainting with a twist. Try different fingerpaints besides the traditional store bought kind. For example: Chocolate pudding paint. Just buy a can of ready-made pudding from the grocery...more
Let's face it - the older you are - the harder the world of online games is to follow. (I know, because I'm just past my 20s and didn't have a clue until I entered the dark underbelly of gaming and came out the other side.)I didn't dip my toe in the water until my 17-year-old brother challenged me to a game of "Madness Combat 4: Apotheosis" at...more
My son is getting his drivers license, so family expenses are about to increase. He completed his classroom training and passed his permit test. When I went to pick him after the test my son wanted to drive home but I didn't let him. Our state allows driving with a permit if there is an adult having a driving license in the vehicle. However, there was much traffic and as my son had never operated the car before, I didn't let him drive. He was very disappointed but respectfully didn't argue with me.When we were three miles from home and there was no heavy traffic I pulled over and told my son to get behind the wheel. He was really happy, he gave me a hug and we exchanged seats. As my son is taller than me, we first adjusted the seat, then we checked the positioning of the rearview and the side mirrors. Then I advised him to signal and check for traffic. He did that and immediately stepped on the accelerator but we stayed in place. What he had forgotten was to put the transmission into drive. After he did that we started moving but suddenly heard a horn honking. We had forgotten to check if there was any car coming. My son got confused and nervous after this and suggested he should...more
Scoobies are things that children enjoy all over the world, they are a recently new development but have become very popular with young children, especially during school time breaks. Scoobies are great for children to play with and also great...more
Homework has been a perennial headache for kids and teens as well as for their parents. Following are some tips to make homework time more effective and enjoyable for all concerned.1. No TV. As a general rule, kids should not watch TV while doing...more
The Sony PS3 will be the most powerful game console ever released. The impressive parallel processing architecture and powerful GPU allows for arguably the most ambitious releases on a console ever. Certainly, the graphics and performance the system...more
For many of us who don't particularly like the public school system, we think that home schooling may be the perfect answer. You can teach your child the things you want him to know in a one on one environment, and you will be there to ensure he...more
As Australia and the UK have increased their safety standards in recent years, more countries are following their lead and adopting higher standards for play equipment to help reduce playground accident rates.Play equipment manufacturers such are...more
Now there is a soccer ball that will guarantee that you will strike a soccer ball low and on target and that will show you where to kick a soccer ball to swerve it or loft it. The Coaching Ball IS soccer's new training revolution! The Coaching Ball...more