Competition to Win a Family Pass to New Play Centre in Sydney
Win one of 5 family passes to a new play centre in Sydney - dress-ups and exploration of the uniquely designed mini-city, children can experience first-hand what it's like to be a doctor, a fire-fighter, a hairdresser, a banker, a restaurateur, a police officer, a TV producer or a postal worker. In the fire station, for example, there's a fire simulator, a fire pole that children can slide down, uniforms to wear and a fire alarm bell to alert the city. Read full article
Violent Toys for Kids - Surely There are Boundaries?
This was one of those segments where I was genuinely shocked - a toy maker selling a toy for a young child to "play" at robbing a bank. MSN reports "The toy features a bank manager, armed shooter, gold bars and a cash machine. In case kids can’t envision how to use the pieces, photos accompanying the set show the robber pointing a gun at the manager and forcing a blonde woman to empty the machine. Way to get those young, creative minds flowing." Read full article
School's Play with No Contact Policy Upsets Students and Parents
A primary school principal in Victoria, Australia has told children to "play with no contact"; the Principal explained that this direction came "directly from a safety perspective". In setting the background to this rule, Principal Ms Beckworth said the school had "a broken collarbone, broken wrist and concussion" . Children were so upset with this ban that Year 6 students are reported to have protested with some kind of 'sit in' on the oval at lunch time. It is reported that the school put a stop to the protest and that the students were called into the school hall to be spoken to about that behaviour. Parents are also reported to be upset by the ban and because the school did not consult the parent community first. Read full article
Caine's Arcade - Imagination, Inspiration, Cardboard and a Boy
Thanks to happychild blogger Carol Duncan for leading us to this wonderful 10 minute video about a nine year old boy, Caine, who built a games arcade out of cardboard boxes. He gets a huge surprise when an adult arranges, via social media, for a lot of eager customers. A fun and inspiring ten minutes for adults and children about play, creativity, vision and social media. Read full article
Why Unstructured Play is Important for Your Child
Unstructured, unsupervised fun could be more beneficial for your child's future than you realise. Parents are feeling they need to provide an array of structured and adult-directed activities to raise smarter children...but it is also backfiring as children are not being given the freedom to develop their own interests and creativity. Read full article
Best Australian Playgrounds - Danks Street and Plum Garland Memorial Park
This is a fantastic outing with the kids on a sunny day. Start out on Victoria Avenue picking up supplies at the IGA or grabbing a coffee from one of the cafes near Danks Street. Then head to the Danks St/Victoria Avenue playground where you can relax or catch up with friends whilst the kids explore the toddler-friendly playspaces and equipment including a birds nest swing ... Read full article
Breaking: Oranges and Textas Save Family Dinnertime
While according to author Janette Winterson’s novel "Oranges are not the only fruit", on one recent crisis-laden evening, oranges were all that stood between my family and a complete meltdown. It was three weeks into my two-month period of experimental single parenting, undertaken while simultaneously packing up a house, getting it ready for sale and preparing to move our family overseas. To put it mildly, the stress levels were high and on that particular afternoon the temperature was rising, fast. Read full article
Thursday 13 January 2011 Latest Parenting and Education News
Thursday 13 January 2011 - Links to Latest Parenting and Education news: Twins in Womb ~ Teaching Arts at School ~ Restore Untidy Play ~ Education Policy ~ No Child Left Behind ~ Men as Child Predators ~ Facebook Help for Missing Children ~ My Schools Website Read full article
Who Wants to Be a Domestic Goddess?
Yes we’ve all been to another mother’s house that has looked like she’s spent the morning actually licking it clean with her own tongue as if a lifestyle magazine photo shoot were happening that very afternoon instead of your visit for tea, biscuits and gossip. That woman will soon be having a breakdown in the middle of a supermarket aisle: you do not want to be her. Read full article
Experiences Matter, Not Things
A wise man I know often reminds me, "Experiences matter, not things." This is, however, a wise man who has never seen the true devastation that is often wrought in our home by The Ninja aged seven, and his brother The Bird, aged 8. Very smart and funny little boys who provide me with no end of entertainment, love, cuddles, kisses, fights and farts. Not necessarily in that order. The house is a mess, constantly, because we believe in Doing Things and Going Places. Read full article
