Strollerderby : activities with kids

Homemade Roller Coaster!

Madeline Holler — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:39:00 GMT

We should all have access to one of these -- a homemade roller coaster.

An auto mechanic, with, I'm guessing tons of property insurance, built a roller coaster in his backyard! He used scrap metal and his welding skills and figured the rest out as he went.

Guess what. It works! And no one has suffered injury or death while riding it. Oh, and he let's his grandkid ride on it (every parent's nightmare of a grandfather, every child's dream of a grandpa.)

Watch the video. There's even a 360-degree loop.

Photo and Video: Fooey USA

Baby Exploitation and Election 2008

Madeline Holler — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:28:00 GMT

It's parenting that borders on questionable. It's the kind of thing you do with your kid where you're just asking for trouble. It's shallow, it's risky, it's exploitation of your own flesh and blood. And I love it!

A freelance writer and filmmaker from New Hampshire took his itty-bitty daughter all around the Granite State during the heyday of primary election campaigning. He had one goal in mind: getting baby Dahlia photographed with each of the presidential candidates (except Mike Gravel, who he says freaks him out. Understood.)

The result is a fantastic slideshow, which, just between us parents, is rather telling about those presidential hopefuls whose arms he managed to drop his (sometimes wet) daughter into. Without even passing around the Purell! (In October, November and December? Is he insane?!)

Oh, plus a bonus pic of Dahlia with Chuck Norris, who looks very at ease with the little gal. I'll never watch "Walker, Texas Ranger" with enthusiasm again. (Wait, I have never seen the show.)

Political Nanny gives a full analysis, examining the various baby holding techniques, "Black Power" kidwear and a curious leg-gripping trend among the menfolk.

Photo: Slate.com

Should All Kids Go To Preschool?

Kelly Mills — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 15:38:00 GMT

Newsweek has an interview with David Kirp, author of "The Sandbox Investment: The Preschool Movement and Kids-First Politics" about the benefits of high-quality preschool. Some lawmakers have been advocating for more state-funded programs, but Kirp is concerned that politicians may set up preschools on the cheap that provide less benefit for kids. He believes there's a gap between the research, which "shows that if a child goes to preschool they will have a higher income, are less likely to be involved in crime, more likely to graduate from college and have happier lives" and the kinds of programs available to folks.

So what kind of preschool should you look for? Play-based with a good amount of creative chaos. In other words, steer clear of the preschools that focus on rote memorization or hitting certain literacy targets, as well as the ones where someone plunks eight kids in front of the TV all day. Kirp says that pre-K should help kids with social and emotional development, not just academic readiness for school. Word. No discussion in this article on whether preschool is better in the long term than being home with a parent who provides outside activities with peers.

Boy Limbo Skates Under Cars. For Real.

Kelly Mills — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:31:00 GMT

It just wouldn't be Friday without at least one odd story, so I'm here to oblige. Six-year-old Aniket Chindak can skate under cars. Like, 57 cars in 45 seconds. That's a record. Apparently limbo skating is the "latest craze" for the kids in India--hey, have we banned the phrase "latest craze" yet? Anyhow, Aniket practices for four hours a day and is totally into it, according to his parents. He saw a girl do it on television a few years ago and decided to figure out how to do it. It took him three months to get the technique, but now he can clear spaces eight inches high.

Wanna see how he does it? Photos after the jump.

Yes, yikes. Look for the Wii version of car limbo to hit stores soon.

Weekly Check Up: Exercising With the Kiddies

Kelly Mills — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 12:30:00 GMT

When you are ready to start sweating about something other than which preschool you're gonna send your wee one to, it's time to strategize the regular exercise. Here's a quick guide to working out with the kids. Nothing here is groundbreaking (jogging stroller, wow) but it's a fine list of things you can do while your children clamor for your attention in the background. You know: join a gym with childcare; walk with your baby in the frontpack; run on the track while your kids play with bubbles in the middle; take 'em to the lifeguarded pool and do laps (I am waaaay too paranoid to ever do that.) But as the author says, you probably either have to double-team with a friend or just lower your expectation considerably. And that's no small problem.

So while I think it's great to do these for one or two of your weekly workouts, if your kid is like mine, I red-light the idea of making this your regular practice. Because there's no greater set-up for frustration than trying to accomplish something with your kids in tow. It'll suck the quality out of that time you spend together. My vote is to find ways to do solo workouts. But if that's not possible, or you wanna involve the progeny in your active lifestyle, I'd add two more options to the list. 1) Find a sport or activity for your kid, and squoosh in your workouts there. Put junior in a judo class and take the simultaneous boxing fitness class. Or sign up for soccer and run around the field. That way your kid is entertained, not waiting. 2) Play kid games for your workout. Have you tried tag lately? It's also called sprinting. Just run around for a good 30-40 minutes, punctuated by wrassling and rolling in the grass intervals. See, you even get to look like "fun parent" at the same time.

50 Low-Tech Things Your Kids Can Do this Summer

Karen Murphy — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:22:00 GMT

I've a confession to make, or maybe this is already obvious: we're a pretty low-tech family. We made a foray in Legos this year, and my 11-year old plays Runescape from time to time, but aside from that the kids at least are more or less off the grid (not me, though, give me my broadband connection and my Macbook and I'm a happy girl). So this list of easy, fun, old-fashioned activities for kids* really appeals to me, but even the most die-hard Dora fan needs to change it up once in awhile, don't you think? Even better, a lot of these ideas are on the British side so they're new to me and maybe you too!

How about a bug hunt? Fashion show? Making papier-mache masks (we already have plans for that one)? Building a house of blankets? Or oooh, a treasure hunt! A good many of these ideas take little or no parental participation, or take some set-up after which you can get to blogging or a nap or just open a bottle of wine, what the hell?

I'm ready to try a good many of these. What about you? Ready to burn through the rest of summer with some great activities?

*Points if you get the "Swallows and Amazons" reference from the article, and extra bonus points if you get it and you're not British.

Cardio For Your Kids

Kelly Mills — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:03:00 GMT

Something about this makes me a little sad: here's an article on how your kids can get cardio exercise. I just hate that we think of it as "cardio" now, it sounds so freaky fitness. Of course the suggestions are real simple: soccer, dance, swimming, physical video games (don't knock 'em till you've tried 'em,) jump rope, tennis, hacky sack...

Wait a minute--hacky sack? Do you really want your kid to grow up to be one of those people in the park who whacks around a teeny rasta-colored bean bag all damn day, recycling old expressions like, "far out" and unable to find gainful employment because they are too busy groovin' on Phish?

Yes, I'm kidding, so back off all you rabid hacky sackers. No need to hate in comments over a little joke. Dude, I went to UC Santa Cruz for a whole year.

Anyhow, I'll add a few more "cardio" tips to the mix. Tag, kickball, hopscotch, martial arts, walking a big, eager dog, and frisbee with bad aim. Or you can try two of my favorites for younger kids. One, say, "Can you walk like a bear? Can you move like a monkey? Can you jump like a frog?" and so on. Two, "Okay, sweetie, how fast can you run to that pole over there?...Whoa, are you back already? Okay, how about the one just past that?" Though we never considered it cardio, we thought of it as, "please dear god, let her get tired enough that she actually falls asleep before ten tonight."

Crafty: Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

Patti — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Have you ever said to yourself "You know, sidewalk chalk is just so inexpensive and easily found at any drug, discount, grocery or dollar store. If only there were a way to complicate things..."?

Yeah, me neither. I don't even remember the last time I actually bought sidewalk chalk, it seems to multiply at our house like mismatched socks and wire hangers. It shows up in Christmas stockings and in birthday party goody bags and by one means or another, we've acquired a giant bucket full of the stuff, despite the fact that my three-year-old has eaten quite a bit of it (she still does this!).

But now that I know I can feed my child sidewalk chalk that wasn't crafted in China by slave laborers, I'm somewhat intrigued. Thrifty Fun has a recipe for the stuff, involving plaster of paris and tempera paint, with the caveat that it's messy to make. Because what's more fun than kids covered in chalk after a vigorous coloring session, than kids covered in chalk ingredients before they've even gotten to the part where they get to color the front walk?

I just don't know. I want to be the kind of mom who makes her own sidewalk chalk, but I don't think I have it in me. I loved this crayon-making project, but that involved old broken crayons that would otherwise have just been left to melt under the bookshelves. This involves making something from scratch that is regularly featured in the Target dollar bins. I think I'm going to have to defer to convenience here.

(via Apartment Therapy: The Nursery)

Stroller Derby Playdate: School's Out!!

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:23:00 GMT

School is out for Summer and the blogosphere is all aflutter with the challenges and joys of kids with free-time.

Karrie, One Weird Mother -- talks about the joys of Mommy finishing up her schooling for the year
Austineze - is off for the summer, but "off" means Mommy and Daddy are going to work harder than ever
Monster Blog - points out that for most modern families, school is out but work is not. Long gone are the days of freedom from schedules and bikerides and beach trips. Sigh.
Firedoglake reminisces about summers past and savors the continued joys of childrearing in summertime.

And how is your summer shaping up??

Pretty Crafts with Kids for the UnMarthas

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:45:00 GMT

Pining for cooler weather or an excuse to stay inside after playing in the pool, but about as Martha Stewart as Paris Hilton? How about some fabulous whimsical handmade globes!! The beautiful globes pictured right are courtesy of blogger Little Elephants, who did these (with a gaggle of kids - imagine!) for her daughter's birthday party. Granted, these are more appropriate for school-age kids, but with sufficient adult supervision (and serious adult-help to glue the lids on) they are possible.

Ingredients include sea glass, plastic sea creatures, glycerin, and lots of glittery sparkly things. Another version of this globe is also featured at Kiddley (the now on hiatus fabulous kid craft site).

[Photo Credit: Little Elephants]

10 Spring Break Activities with Your Kids

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:02:00 GMT

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!!