Browse by Tags

• Tag: No Longer 'It'

  When I first saw this story about a McLean, Va. elementary school that has banned tag at recess, I thought it was absurd. First schools started outlawing dodgeball. Now we're putting a stop to tag. What's next, a moratorium on four-square? A cease-and-desist order for hopscotch? But then I read farther into the article, and I realized I was wrong. It turns out the principal at Kent Gardens Elementary School was right to halt, at least temporarily, the playing of tag. And here's why. Read More... Posted Apr 16 2008, 09:02 AM by Jen Chaney with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: games, playing, recess, Tag, dodge ball

• The Serious Side of Play

  I kept waiting to get my pat on the head this morning while I was reading the New York Times Magazine cover story on taking play seriously. I just knew I'd be congratulated for not overscheduling my children. The author was certain to conclude my kids' preschools were excellent choices -- devoid of any emphasis on academics and early reading and Suzuki violin classes as they were. But no pat. No congratulations. Likewise, no admonishments or wagging fingers that my children aren't being adequately enriched. What I learned from the piece is that there's still so much to learn about play -- why kids (and other animals) do it, what the benefits of play are, whether a lack of play harms, and whether totally undirected play is better than directed play (there's no evidence that it is!).   Read More... Posted Feb 17 2008, 06:01 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: research study, New York Times Magazine, play, child development, playing, NYTimes, importance of play

• Playing is Fun! But You Wouldn’t Understand

  Need to bone up on the finer points of peek-a-boo? Want to take vroom-vrooming Hot Wheels to the next level? Yeah, me neither. Which is why I recently passed up a free seminar with Stevanne Auerbach, aka: Dr. Toy. (Is her Ph.D. in fun?) Auerbach’s book "Smart Play/Smart Toys" and her seminars on how to play with kids aim to boost your child’s PQ, that’s Play Quotient, and teach you to teach them how to play … better. I knew my foolish girls weren’t feeding and burping dolls to their fullest potential! Read More... Posted Oct 02 2007, 03:33 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Toys for 2007, toy cars, playing, experts, benign neglect, play doh

• Cheap, Easy Entertainment for Kids

  I swear, if I hear "Mama, what can I doooo...?" in that whiny I-have-no-idea-how-to-entertain-myself-anymore voice one more time this summer, I'm going to spontaneously combust. And then they'll be sorry! So I'm pretty sure that my coming across this great post on Lifehacker today has saved my kids from the gory sight of a smoking pile of ashes with a charred and melted laptop atop it and the resultant experience of phoning 9-1-1 for the first time.  Here's a sampling: 1. A big cardboard box. We've covered this before, but it's so ingenious it deserves another mention. 2. Rubber-band-and-pencil toy. Need instructions? I did. 3. Origami projects: paper poppers, airplanes. You can make tons of stuff and instructions are easily searchable. 4. Home Depot kid's workshops. Suh-weet! I had no idea these existed. Kids can make birdhouses, airplanes, cars, and other stuff.   Read More... Posted Aug 01 2007, 10:34 AM by Karen Murphy with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: kids, entertainment, playing, summer activities

• Playing With Your Kids May Not Be Good For Them

  Parenting philosophy is a lot like fashion: if you wait long enough, everything comes back into style. Looks like our friend Christie Mellor was on the cutting edge of a trend that might emerge from latest reseach indicating that playing with your kids is not only not the natural order of things, but it might not even be very good for them. Which means it could very well be that my exasperated pleas to "go play. With anything. With my makeup. In my wedding dress. I don't care, just GO AWAY" mean I'm doing exactly what nature intended. One problem with the whole "play with your kids" directive, it seems, is that parents feel guilty if they aren't really into it. And of course, guilty parents are crappy ones, because getting back to biological basics doesn't mean shaking off centuries of accumulated pop-psychology wisdom. And another problem is that kids raised with the modern idea that they need to be played with by their caregivers grow up spoiled and unable to entertain themselves. Which...yes. I'm going to go on a limb here though, and say that balance is probably the key. Posted Jul 24 2007, 03:04 PM by Patti with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: parenting, parenting philosophies, playing, experts

• Fabulous Urban Playgrounds (for Your Kids)

  The urban parent is often willing to pony up serious dosh to insure their kiddie has good fun, even if it involves weird inflatable birthday toys. But sometimes there is no substitute for the free public parks in your own neighborhood.  Cities are investing in creative and fabulous high quality climbing toys for public parks that are a nice peaceful counterpoint to the short-attention-span-video world many of our children inhabit. Here is a round-up of some of the great parks in your area. Washington D.C. Area - If you live in the Washington D.C. area, you should check out Clemyjontri Park in McClean, Virginia  (pictured right).  "Park" seems like a vast understatement in this case. Read More... Posted Jun 25 2007, 02:34 PM by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: children, Playgrounds, play equipment, playing, summer activities

• 10 Spring Break Activities with Your Kids

  Spring Break can be stressful for families, but with a little preparation and creativity, days away from school can be much fun for all.  Some great ideas around the web include Mommy Camp (young kids seem as enamored by the names of things than by the actual activities), Taking a Road Trip (and how to keep them entertained on the way). Hiking Spring skiing or snowboarding (probably better for the tween and teen set) Bowling (my kids are still too young but I cannot WAIT to try this out as a family and put down the gutter guards) Bird Watching (even without the expensive gear, you can identify some basic birdies like Chickadees, Robins, and the like) Swimming (local pools often have open family swims during the day) Fishing (even little toddlers can enjoy fishing, as long as you keep them away from the orange marshmallows) Family Bike Ride (dust off those mountain bikes and take the whole crew out for a whirl). King/Queen for a Day (Give each child a chance to be king or queen for the day.  That kid gets to pick activities that the whole family participates in.) Get out there and have some fun!! Posted Apr 09 2007, 08:02 AM by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children, spring break, playing, fun time with kids, activities with kids