Great kids Halloween costumes are a bit subjective - it depends whose point of view you're looking at them from. As a parent, a great costume is one that's safe and appropriate for the childrens age.From a kid's point of view, practicality isn't really that important - they're more interested in the latest TV or movie character, the latest fad or a current celebrity.Finding a happy medium is the best way to go, but whatever you do be sure to get...more
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 http://pages.ebay.com/givingworks/index.html?ssPageName=MOPS5:HC%20H01The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. The Torah portion "Vayelech" discusses every Jew's obligation to write a Torah. Here's your chance to contribute to have a Torah repaired and donated to a synagogue or yeshiva. www.sefer-torah.com Get Matched With a Volunteer Job You'll Love - VolunteerMatch lets you search in your community for volunteer opportunities that match your interests. Search in 26 categories including: animals, arts, computers, health, homeless, hunger, justice, and media. "Virtual" opportunities give you a chance to help even faraway groups. www.volunteermatch.org Start Your Own Social Action Group - DoSomething helps teens organize their own social action groups at school....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...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. Cover this tube in paper or paint to look like a chimney pot.The smaller tube is Father Christmas. Stick on paper or paint this tube to look like Santa Claus. Give him a long white beard and a bright red coat.Stick on a strip of red paper around the top of the tube so that the paper over hangs the tube. Scrunch the top edge of the paper to form Santa's hat. Stick a cotton wool ball on the top to finish it off. The glue helps to keep the scrunched up edge nicely in place.Cut out two thin strips of card. Stick them on the side of Santa to make his arms. The turn over you make to stick on the arms acts as a hinge later. Santa's arms will pop out of the chimney as Santa appears. When Santa is complete and the glue or paint is dry, cover Santa in sticky clear book protector or clear selotape. This reduces friction as Santa slips up and down inside...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...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