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Summer Readings: Fifty Dangerous Things (you Should Let Your Children Do)

sara — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 10:31:52 +0000

Here’s a hint for a great summer reading which also turns out to be a fantastic list of summer fun things to do: the book Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do), a book that any geek parent should have at home
Lots of games and activities!
Read a review of the book here, then you can buy it here

Try Science, a website for little scientists

sara — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:00:07 +0000

Here’s a piece of advice for those of you who have little scientists in the house
Try Science gathers dozens of great, fun experiments that can be done on and offline. The website also has lots of resources for parents and teachers, as well as cool scientific games.
Worth a look.

Vote your favorite App for Healthy Kids

sara — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:06:33 +0000

Remember what we told you about the Apps for Healthy Kids, the competition for designing apps, games and other tools that help children make healthier lifestyle choices announced by Michelle Obama?
The competition is now closed and you can browse and test all of the applications submitted (some to download, some to be played online and some to carry on your smartphones) on the Apps for Healthy Kids website. Get ready to vote your favorite app from July 14th to August 14th!
via Christy’s Family Computing Blog

Darth Vader USB Hub

sara — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:59:17 +0000

Geeker and geeker! Here is the 4-port Star Wars Darth Vader USB Hub ($66) which will be just perfect as an adjunct to your Star Wars Mac. You can also listen to the Dark Lord breathe !
via playgrounder

ThredUP, swap your kids’ gently-worn clothes online

sara — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:05:45 +0000

Your kids love to shopping, but our family budget won’t cooperate?
Here’s a website that you might find useful: ThredUp, a place where you can conveniently swap your kids’ gently-worn clothes with kids’clothes from all over the country.
And you can have your kids participate in the picking-up decision…

Build your own robotic bug with Ollo Bug Robotic Kit

sara — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:14:27 +0000

If any of your kids is a wannabe entomologist, here’s the perfect gift that will avoid you storing scorpios or spiders in your refrigerator
The Ollo Bug Robotic Kit, available for $ 100, allows your kids build their own creepy, crawly little bug.
You can create 4 different types of robotic bugs and a wide range of custom robots!

via playgrounder

What to do with your old games, consoles & co.

sara — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:29:54 +0000

Here’s a good piece of advice from Christy Matte at her Family Computing blog: she suggests you donate your old gaming systems to the Get-Well Gamers Foundation. They refurbish them when necessary, then distribute them to their network of more than 80 children’s hospitals. Read more at the Get Well Gamers website, where you can find a list of acepted games, systems, controllers and much more.

First Five iPad Games from Joystiq

sara — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:53:21 +0000

Were you wondering what are the best Apps and games for iPad? Check out this list at Joystiq of your first Five fav iPad games!

Three Minute Picture Show: movies made by kids

sara — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:35:02 +0000

There’s an interesting event/contest coming up in early August from the Three-Minute Picture Show. This year, they are holding a special event for movies made by kids. You just have to make your movie through July, then (after you’ve registered to the website) submit it. You will have the chance of showing it at the final event being held in either San Francisco or Portland on a big screen and in front of a live audience! Read more at the Three Minute Picture Show website.

via Geek Dad
Image Credit: Three MInute Picture Show via Geek Dad

Kids Solutions to BP Oil Spill

sara — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:32:02 +0000

Kids all over U.S. are the most concerned about the ecological disaster (and that’s quite obvious, since it’s going to affect their future more than ours)
Videos proposing solutions to the oil spill are all over the Net these days.
Above you can watch one of the cutest

Windows Live Messenger now available for iPhone

sara — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:21:15 +0000

Just another reason why it could be difficult to keep your kids off your iPhone
Microsoft debuts its Windows Live Messenger, available as a free download in the iTunes App Store since yesterday. There are also a number of additional features (e.g. connections to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Hotmail accounts). Read more at Technologizer

Norton Online Family Report Webpage is out

sara — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:45:55 +0000

Symantec has published the results of the survey they conducted of 2800 children and 7000 adults in 14 countries. The subjects covered are CyberBullying, Adult Content, Social Networking and other related areas. The report provide interesting insights on what kids do online and parents’ perception. You can read and download the whole report at The Norton Online Family Report Webpage (a few safety tips included). Do you know exactly what your kids are doing online?
Image Credit: Geek Dad

Microsoft presents its Kinect at the E3

sara — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:48:19 +0000

At the E3 this weekend Microsoft announced the launch of Kinect, the development project formerly known as Project Natal, for this fall. There’s also an array already of new designed Kinect games, among which EA Sports Active 2 , Kinectimals, Dance Central…
Ready to put your hands on the new device? Read more here

via Family Computing

Do TV and PC dull children’s brain and should they be banned until nine?

sara — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:42:03 +0000

Bad news from Great Britain for all the geeky parents!
According to Dr Aric Sigman, a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, exposure to computer screens in schools and nurseries is threatening the development of young children. The Doc is demanding a ban on screen technology until children they reach nine. The alleged reason is that children need to experience real world before undertaking virtual adventures in order to develop spatial awareness and other important skills.

Doc Sigman has also criticised a Government “nappy curriculum” requiring nurseries and childminders to teach children to turn on and operate televisions and computers before the age of two.

We at kidzmodo do not quite agree with this stand as we do think that ICT can and should be an important part of any child’s curriculum, preparing him/her for a well-skilled future.
Let us hear your voice about it…what do you think?

via Daily Mail