Sandy Naidu asked:


As parents, we all enjoy seeing our kids’ creativity. Sometimes, kids feel a little shy about expressing their creativity, or they don’t know where to start. Don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to encourage creativity in your children. As they get used to stretching their wings, they’ll also take pride in their accomplishments and creations.

1. Freedom

Allow your child the freedom to express herself. When she feels secure and supported, she will be more likely to be comfortable being herself. Give her materials to play with and allow her to express herself without criticism.

2. Respect

Offer your child respect in whatever they want to try. Help build his confidence in himself. This will make him feel comfortable taking risks and being original. Listen and respect his imagination. If he expresses doubt or seems afraid to try something new, encourage him to tackle an idea from different directions.

3. Appreciate their creativity

Encourage your child to be curious and have a sense of wonder in all around her. Acknowledging and appreciating her attempts at creativity will help her to have the courage to exercise her creativity again and again.

4. Enjoy the creativity!

Have fun with your child! Laugh, play, and create alongside him. Find humor in the world around you. Be silly… it is fun and stimulates creativity. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.

5. Enjoy success

Open opportunities for your children to try out new interests, experiences and new things. Maybe they’ll want to learn new skills. If they have new ideas, encourage them! When they learn it feels good to be successful, they will continue to be so. When they learn creativity is fun, they will seek out more opportunities to be creative.

6. Model creativity

As a parent, you are a primary role model for your child. Let her see you be creative. It doesn’t matter if you dabble in art, in knitting or in the kitchen creating new recipes. She will see you trying new things and venture to try a few things of her own.

7. Detach yourself from the outcome

Don’t pin everything on how his projects turn out. His creativity is his own. Be proud of your own creativity, and let him take pride in his. Encourage him to be proud of his work.

8. Focus on achievement, not grades

It is proper to encourage your child to do her best. It is great if she accomplishes her goals. Learning according to the book and getting high grades are not the ultimate goal in life. Imagination is an important part of life and creativity. By allowing her to follow her interests and achieve her goals, her creativity will blossom and help her achieve more in life.

9. Don’t worry so much about rules

Enclosing your child within too many roles is stifling and spells death to creativity. Instead, model your values and allow your children to fit their behavior to the values of the family. Creativity will be more likely to flourish when there is some freedom involved.

10. See your child as unique

Have the confidence in your child to be creative. Don’t expect him to always follow the crowd. If he expresses himself in an original way, support that. Your child will feel your confidence in him and act accordingly.



Bikes, Skates, Rides on

Will Kalif asked:


Terrariums are a great project for kids because they encompass a lot of different things yet are not too hard of a project to make. This article gives you great ideas for terrarium making for kids of all ages and includes learning materials, container selection, plant selection, care, and more.

There are two basic types of terrariums and you can tailor the type you make to the age and skill level of the child. The first type of terrarium is an open dish type. This is simply an arrangement of plants in an open container. It can be a dish, bowl or just about any type of container that will hold at least a quart of soil.  This type is the easiest to make and the easiest to care for.

The second type of terrarium is the closed style.  It is completely enclosed in a jar, glass, or container. This type is much more attractive and fascinating but it is also more challenging to make and to maintain. This type of terrarium is also very well suited for explaining how an eco system works because it is a closed eco system.

The Perfect Compromise for a Container

A perfect compromise of closed and open terrarium is one that is made inside a large cookie jar. This is the type of glass cookie jar that has a large metal cover with a knob on it.  The cover is usually offset at an angle to the side. They usually hold about a gallon to a gallon and a half of liquid.

This container is perfect because the very large mouth makes it easy to put plants and other materials into it. And the easily removable metal lid makes it easy for a child to reach in and prune or water the plants.  And if the terrarium has been over watered the child can just leave the cover off for a couple of days. This will evaporate a lot of the excess water.

 If you do not have one of these glass cookie jars here are some guidelines for choosing an alternate container.  Choose a large container that is glass or plastic (preferably clear plastic if the project is for younger children) and insure it has a very large mouth opening so little hands can reach easily into it. Then finally, choose something with an easily removable lid. This will allow you to cover it for a closed system but also to remove it if it is over watered.

Plant Selection

You have a lot of options when it comes to selecting plants. If you want plants that will be very hardy and very durable you should consider using succulents or cacti.  They generally have a very high tolerance for sunlight and do not need a lot of watering.  (You can let the soil dry out before watering it again). They also generally require very little pruning or maintenance.  So they are a good choice for younger children – just avoid any cactus with dangerous or harmful spikes and thorns.

For older children you can use almost any small type of plant that can be bought in a home improvement store or nursery. Select plants that are labeled as hardy, and grow to less than six inches in height.  Keep all the information tags that come with them so you always have a reference for sunlight and watering.

The third alternative to plants (and the one I like the best) is to go for a hike and dig some up.  This adds a wonderful dimension of discovery to the terrarium.  Select small plants in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and choose them all from the same area. If they are all growing in a relatively small area you increase the chances that they will thrive in the little eco system you create in a jar or bottle. 

Final Thoughts about Plant selection

I recommend you purchase or find an odd number of plants. An odd number of plants generally makes for a more pleasing arrangement than an even number.  It has a more artistic look to it.  I also recommend you choose plants in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors; if the plants are different heights and colors the terrarium will be much more interesting to look at.  Finally, if you are purchasing plants, be sure they all have the same basic requirements as far as watering and sunlight is concerned. Being all in the same container they will all have the same amount of light and water so if they all have the same requirements you can treat the arrangement as one entity and not have to try to treat each plant differently.

Making the Terrarium

Here is the process for making the actual terrarium. You can vary from this process and I will point this out.



Put a layer of pebbles in the bottom of the container. Make it about one inch thick. This will allow for good drainage.



Put a layer of activated charcoal right on top of the pebbles approximately one half inch thick. This will filter the water. (This step is totally optional)



Put a layer of Sphagnum moss on top of the charcoal. Sphagnum moss is a dried and wiry material and what this does is act like a barrier so the soil does not slip down into the rocks at the bottom. (This is optional but recommended if you want a cleaner and sharper looking terrarium)



Put a layer of soil on the top of all of this.  The layer should be at least two or three inches thick but you can vary this according to the size of your container.



Poke small holes into the soil and transplant your plants into the container.



Place some miniature colored stones or figurines in the container for an interesting look.



Water it a moderate amount and cover it. Now just monitor it over the next few days. If it needs more water then add. If it is too wet then keep the cover off so it can evaporate.



 

 

A Thought about the Plant arrangement

Before you actually transplant the plants into your terrarium you should arrange them on a table. Move all the pots near each other then move them around to find an arrangement that is pleasing to the eye. Once you find an arrangement you like you then just transfer that to the container.

Learning Lesson for kids: Terrariums as an ecosystem

A terrarium is a miniature ecosystem which is a complex system of relationships between organisms and resources of different types. The predominant organisms in your terrarium ecosystem are plants and the micro-organisms in the soil. The major resources are water, sunlight, and soil.  These all work together to form a miniature little system that can sustain itself for long periods of time. If you have a good balance of plants, soil, nutrients, and water in your terrarium you will be able to seal it up and watch it grow and thrive for very long periods of time – sometimes even years.

The ecosystem inside your container is very similar to that in the real world. There is water accumulated in the soil and in the pebbles and sunlight will cause this water to evaporate and form droplets along the sides and top of the container. These drops will grow larger and then fall back into the soil. This is a circular process that will continue as long as there is water and sunlight and this rhythm will bring a constant supply of moisture and nutrients to your plants.  And if you have put activated charcoal in your terrarium it acts as a filter. As the water passes through the charcoal all the impurities are trapped so the water is more pure for the next cycle.  In the real world the same thing happens when it rains. Water is evaporated up to the clouds then released back down in the form of rain. It is a continuous cycle just like inside your container.  

Caring for your terrarium

A terrarium needs to be watched carefully for the first week. This is to insure it is getting the right amount of light and water. If you purchased your plants you should look at the tags that came with them and follow the watering and lighting instructions. If you found your plants outdoors you should try to simulate the environment they were found in.  Were they in an open field with lots of sunlight? If so then give them lots of sunlight.  Were they in a forested area with only moderate light? Then keep them in a window that only gets moderate amounts of light.  Finally, if you found the plants yourself, were they in rich and moist soil or dry soil? Simulate this when watering.

Watering

For the first week you should watch your plants very carefully.  Are water droplets forming on the glass? If so, this is great! But if the soil seems soggy then you might have over watered so you should take the cover off for a couple of days and let it dry out a bit. If the soil is dry and very few droplets are forming you should add a little bit of water. But if you are using cactus and other desert plants it will be ok to let the soil get a bit dry.  After about a week with the plants looking pretty good you can be confident that the cover can stay on it for long periods of time. And if sunlight only comes into the terrarium from one particular side (like in a window) you should rotate the terrarium every couple of days to ensure the plants don’t all grow at an angle pointing toward the window. Rotating the terrarium will force the plants to grow straight up.

Pruning and Trimming

Over the course of time the plants in the container will grow and you can reach in there and trim them gently with a small pair of safety scissors. This will keep it attractive looking and will keep the balance of the ecosystem.

A terrarium is a wonderful project for kids to make and it is a living system that will bring a child much enjoyment both in the making of one and the long term caring for one. It is a great opportunity for children to learn about plants and eco systems and it’s a great project because it doesn’t take too much effort or care to maintain. It is a closed system that will thrive with very little care.

 



Doll Houses

Drozinc asked:


Online gaming for kids, and tweens have long been thought of as a "danger zone" with many loop holes and vulnerabilities where your child’s information could become fresh for the taking, but a lot has changed in the virtual world of kids games and it’s time you take notice to the great opportunities that exist online today.

With the addition of the United States Federal Trade Commission’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act "COPPA", and the Privo Privacy Assurance Program, children’s online gaming has taken major leaps and bounds towards children safety online. Kids online games are safer than every before and offer unique tools to help educate, interact, and grown in both the virtual and real life worlds we live in.

Two popular games today offer great education experiences as well as being rated amongst the safest online games for kids today. Those games are Dizzywood and Elf Island. Both are relatively new to the online gaming world, but as of recently, are experiencing an increasing number of users and popularity.

Dizzywood is an online adventure where you can play free games, meet new friends, enjoy unique missions, and discover new and exciting locations within Dizzywood. You have the ability to gather coins, which you can use to purchase new clothing, upgrade features or simple collect and share. Dizzywood is for children ages 8-12 and allows your child to express their creativity by creating their own adventures, cooperating with other players, and having fun while they learn.

Elf Island is fast becoming a leader in the "Gaming For Good" category where children can weave real world, nonprofit projects into their virtual Elf Island World. They do so, by entertaining game play, social interaction and story telling which empowers children to bring the Gaming For Good, to the real world. For example, planting trees in Elf Island, causes real living trees to be planted on earth. Building a home in Elf Island, causes real homes to be built in the real world. Kids become inspired by the results and want to continue doing Good Quest. These Good Quests are updated every few weeks and introduce new and exciting challenges that will continue to help our real life environment.

For more information on Dizzywood, and to learn secrets, codes, and detailed walkthroughs of the virtual world, visit Dizzywood Land.

To discover more about Elf Island and stay up-to-date on new adventures, vist ElfIslandworld.com



Kids Party Supplies

Edda Shea asked:


Are you tired of sticking your kids’ latest art and craft projects on the fridge? Are you looking for more interesting ways to showcase their talent? You’ve come to the right place! Below we have a list of creative ways to display art and craft for kids. Let your kids know how proud you are of their artwork by making their artwork ever present in your home, not just on the fridge!

Cover a serving tray with their artwork. It’s functional and whimsical. Your guests will admire your kids’ creativity as they nosh on your goodies. Turn their artwork into coasters. Simply paste their artwork onto coasters and apply a clear sealant to protect the surface. Make a shadow box. This is a good way to present some three dimensional artwork and craft for kids. Laminate the artwork and turn them into placements. This is simple and makes cleaning the placements a breeze. Use the artwork to wrap their school books. Use clear transparent to protect the artwork. Make a collage with their artwork. This makes a big impact when there’s a common theme in their artwork. Use them as clocks. Just get a kit and follow the instructions. Turn them into fabric. You’ll have to scan the artwork first using a scanner and print them onto fabric using your inkjet printer at home. Turn them into stickers. Just scan their artwork and print it out on sticky paper. Use the artwork in your calling cards. Moo.com prints beautiful calling cards for a fee.

Click on this link for more art and craft ideas for kids

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Fashion Dolls

Eyal Alal asked:


Designing an Online Games Website for kids requires some considerations in order to make the website friendly to kids.

Below are some points that can help website designers:

 

1. Don’t make it too educational – Remember it’s a Game not Homework.

2. Keep the Layout and the games locations in the page with minimum changes as possible.

3. KISS -Keep it simple .., Try to make the layout simple to navigate for the kids without the help of their parents.

4. Don’t pop-up Advertisement windows, The Kid will lose focus of your site, and the parents won’t like it either, instead use ads as part of your page.

5. Try to use screen shots of the game, instead of just links.

6. Don’t request payment for online games unless your game is popular as Club Penguin or Disney.

7. Make sure the ads that are placed in your site are for kids and not contain photos or text that are inappropriate for kids.

8. Try to make the site colorful and fun; it’s not a business site.

9. For online games – create simple and fun games, not too complicated (at least for kids at ages 3 – 7).

10. Let the kid earn points or virtual coins as part of the game.

 Kids are considered an easy Consumers but they also have short breath so if your website is designed wrong they will leave it in no time.

For more details you can contact me through the email in my website.

You can view there some sites which are considered as good websites for kids, user friendly for kids and for parents.

 



Noise Maker