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February 22, 2012 Posted by : Kay

Geek Has No Signature Look

Category : Clothing Design, Elementary, Health and Beauty, Teens, TV, Movies, and Music, Tweens

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“People who know me know / That I try not to say too much just with my clothes.” –Hank Green

Ask a random stranger to describe a quintessential geek and, after they ask what quintessential means, they may cheerfully describe a scrawny, bespectacled introvert wearing ill-fitting clothes that might look stylish…on their grandparents. However, if the random stranger happens to be a geek, they may already know the definition of quintessential, and they will probably be wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

I think Hank Green sings it best in hhis upbeat ode, T-Shirt and Jeans:

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Kay Holt has a habit of getting science on everything.

 

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February 16, 2012 Posted by : Amy Kraft

Oh, Lego, I Can’t Stay Mad at You!

Category : Elementary, Featured, Toys

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The two corners of the Lego booth, with very different offerings. Photo: Amy Kraft

Toy Fair, New York: I crankily elbowed my way through the crowds to get to my first appointment of the show. I wasn’t cranky because of the crowds. I was cranky thinking about what I was about to see, Lego. Haters gonna hate, and I’ve been hating the new Lego Friends. I expected it to be the cornerstone of what they were about to show me.

I’ve written a bit about this dislike for the new Lego-for-girls, and GeekMom Kay’s recent post summed up my dismay perfectly. I dig new colors for the bricks. I’m all for accessories. But then they gave the minifigs curves and boobs. The building seems completely secondary to the pretend play experience. The playing down of the building aspect is even further emphasized when they’re shelved with dolls and not with Lego as they are at our local Target. And what if boys want to play with them? The marketing makes it very clear that these are for girly girls only. My 6-year-old daughter put it best: “Those don’t really seem like Legos.”

To all the internet commenters and tweeters who dismiss this as an overreaction, I invite you to walk the floor of Toy Fair to get a nice, full picture of the marketing of products to boys and girls. Girls are princesses and boys are violent war machines, with so little variation on those themes. I wanted better from Lego.

Turns out, Lego had better in store for me. The Lego showroom was strategically laid out to see Lego Friends last, and I’m glad for that. The first thing I saw when I walked in was the Duplo Pink Brick Box. On the box was a boy and a girl. Hey kids, you both can like different colors! (I’m so sad I can’t show you a picture of this as it wasn’t final packaging. I hope they keep it as I saw it.) So, Lego and I got off to a good start.

Then I started to notice some details around the showroom. Girls. Lots of them. When I saw Lego Friends I wondered why they didn’t just make pink houses with classic minifigs. Well, turns out they’re making those, too. A fine girly choice for those of us who hate the new minifigs.

Lego Pink Brick Box. Photo: Amy Kraft

O hai, lady paleontologist!

Toys from the Dino line. Photo: Amy Kraft

Days before I was introduced to Lego Friends, I was lamenting on Twitter that we had opened the last of our City Advent Calendar and there was not a single female minifig. My daughter was so disappointed. [ADVENT SPOILER!] This year’s advent calendar has not one, but count ‘em, two girl minifigs. And they’re actually in on the action, not sitting by the sidelines.

Some of the minifigs from this year's city advent calendar. Photo: Amy Kraft

Nothing is going to separate me from my money faster than the new Monster Fighters line. There’s a lady vamp plus someone who resembles a certain vampire slayer. (Wouldn’t that be an awesome licensing deal?)

The living quarters of Vampire Castle. Photo: Amy Kraft

Also, you may have noticed a GeekMom favorite made from Lego at the top of this post. Yes, folks, there is a wonderful Wonder Woman minifig. There’s a whole new Super Hero line, featuring both DC and Marvel heroes. Imagine the mix and match possibilities! Lego said they can’t encourage the mixing of the brands, but we sure can. I’m ready to mix Black Widow into just about every Lego set.

Avengers! Photo: Amy Kraft

I was in such high spirits at this point, not to mention getting a look at the cool Ninjago, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings sets, that by the time we got to Lego Friends I didn’t even hate them anymore. I still think there’s less building represented in these sets, with more emphasis on accessories, but if there are kids out there who want them, so be it. In fact, Lego says that these are doing exceptionally well, with stores expanding their footprint on store shelves.

Heartlake Dog Show, from the Lego Friends line. Photo: Amy Kraft

There is a stubbly manfig in the line, the grillmaster at Olivia’s house. Dad is whipping up some dinner while Mom mows the lawn.

Olivia's House, with mom and dad. Photo: Amy Kraft

I was talking to another blogger who is a fan of the Lego Friends line, saying that she wants her daughter building but hasn’t found any other sets that appeal to her in the way that this line does. I can live with that. I’ll continue to hate the commercial, though.

You wouldn’t know it from their marketing, but Lego has something to appeal to just about every kind of builder.

Amy Kraft is a kids' media producer, writer, and game designer living in NYC with her family. She also writes the blog Media Macaroni.

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February 16, 2012 Posted by : Laura Grace Weldon

Juggling: It’s Not Just About Multi-Tasking

Category : Backyard, Elementary, Family Room, Featured, Games, Outdoor Activities, Teens, Tweens

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There are at least 8 reasons you should start throwing things.

1. Juggling boosts brain development. Research indicates that learning to juggle accelerates the growth of  neural connections related to memory, focus, movement, and vision. The beneficial changes persist even after weeks without practice.

2. Juggling is egalitarian. It doesn’t discriminate by age, size, gender, or athletic ability. A ten-year-old is as likely to be a fantastic juggler as anyone else, something not true of marathon running, boxing, or drag racing.

3. Juggling builds hand-eye coordination in ways that improve reaction time, reflexes, spatial awareness, strategic thinking, and concentration. This helps improve confidence as well as athletic ability. It may, if juggling enthusiasts are to be believed, even promote reading skills.

4. Juggling gets you moving enough to increase your oxygen intake, not so much that you sweat profusely.

5. Juggling can be stimulating as well as calming.  While learning more complicated juggling skills you rely on left-brain processes, carefully focusing and analyzing the steps. When practicing skills you’ve already mastered you rely on right-brained processes, relaxing into a more fluid, intuitive motion. To get the most out of juggling, make time for both.

6.  Juggling puts you in charge, since you can make it as easy or difficult as you choose. Start with three balls and master toss juggling. To amp up the challenge  increase the speed, add more balls, change patterns, or incorporate a bit of bounce juggling. You can also change props, learn trick juggling, try multi-person juggling, add comedic patter, heck, even hold a flaming torch in your mouth if you’re well insured.

7. Juggling teaches a growth mindset. You learn from mistakes, noticing how effort and increasing experience bring you ever greater mastery. As Dr. Dweck explains in the ground-breaking book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, this approach is a vital formula for success in school, sports, business, and personal relationships. Might as well learn it while dropping the ball.

8. Juggling is ridiculously fun.

 

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For more information, check out:

How to Juggle

Wildcat Jugglers

Internet Juggling Database

Juggling for the Complete Klutz

HOW TO JUGGLE & Other Cheap Tricks

Juggling Basics

Laura Grace Weldon is the author of Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything.  She lives on a small farm with her family and blogs optimistically.

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February 16, 2012 Posted by : ChaosMandy

Are Fairy Tales Too Scary?

Category : Babies, Books, Elementary, Featured, Kids' Room, Toddlers, TV, Movies, and Music

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Scary Snow White and Her Dwarves (Image: Mandy Horetski)

I’ve been a big fan of books since I was a child partly because my parents would read to me before bedtime. I started this ritual with my daughter when she was very small. She loves her books and is already wanting to learn how to read on her own even though she is only three. She has books that were mine as a child, as well as newer ones. I don’t really consider any of her books very scary at all. But there is a new study that shows that I might be in a parenting minority.

There was a study done that shows that one in five parents have decided to not read their children classic fairy tales because of the scary factor. Since my daughter is prone to nightmares, I do try and monitor what she watches. This is why I haven’t let her watch movies like Star Wars yet because I think they would be, in her words, “too scary scary”.

But fairy tales aren’t really something I ever saw as really scary. She has seen the Disney versions of many of the classic fairy tales as well as having heard them read to her as a bedtime story. None of these stories have kept my nightmare-prone toddler up at night.

At the end of the article, there is a list of top ten fairy tales that parents no longer read to their kids. I have read one story to my daughter that was on the list, Hansel and Gretel, with no issues. One of her favorite books is a variation of the Gingerbread Boy fairy tale, which is also on the list. So I don’t really think fairy tales are too scary for my three-year-old.

You can read more about this story at The Telegraph’s website. Do you think that fairy tales are too scary for your kids?

"Chaos" Mandy Horetski is an avid Browncoat, blogger, and stay-at-home mom who lives in the mountains of NC with her geeky husband and 3 year old princess. You can find her on Twitter as @ChaosMandy as well as on Google +.

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February 13, 2012 Posted by : Ellen Henderson

Mind Blowing Science Kit Makes Simple Chemistry Fun

Category : Education, Elementary, Experiments and Science, Family Room, Kids' Room, Kitchen, Library, Toddlers, Toys

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When my almost-4-year-old announced the other day that he wanted to learn more about science (a side effect, perhaps, of watching Sid the Science Kid), we were only too happy to oblige. We had done some simple science experiments with him in the past — on the scale of freezing a small toy in a block of ice and then melting it to demonstrate states of matter, that sort of thing. But this time we decided to step it up a bit by getting a science kit.

We chose Scientific Explorer’s Mind Blowing Science Kit, which is aimed at ages 4 to 8 and contains all the baking soda, citric acid, polyacrylamide crystals, and test tubes you’ll need, along with easy to follow step-by-step instructions for 12 experiments. Yes, you could gather most of these ingredients and supplies without resorting to the kit, but it’s handy to have them all in one place, and the price for convenience is not too painful. (Between $14 and $20, depending on where you buy.)

Probably most useful to us were the experiment ideas. It was surprising to me (a non-scientist, it perhaps goes without saying) how many different experiments could be conducted with just these basic ingredients. There’s Dancing Powders, which demonstrates a chemical reaction; Acid or Base?, which tests exactly what the name implies; and Magic Ooooze, which creates a non-Newtonian fluid you can play with. Each experiment’s instructions come complete with a simple explanation of the principles behind it, so that kids can not only follow the steps (with help, depending on their age) but also gain some scientific understanding about what they’re doing.

Our favorite experiment so far is Giant Jiggly Crystals, which shows how polyacrylamide crystals absorb water and grow to several times their original size. The only downside to this experiment (and a couple of others in the kit) is that it involves waiting a couple of hours between steps while the crystals take a long “drink,” but we enjoyed checking on our growing crystals throughout the day and continuing to add water to make them get even bigger. They’re also fun to play with, as they are indeed quite jiggly and squishy.

Crystal before...

 

and after. (Photos by Ellen Henderson)

It can get a bit messy, but it’s nothing you can’t wash off your hands and wipe off the kitchen counter. Besides, for kids in this age group, getting messy can be part of the fun. In fact, the hands-on nature of the experiments is the best part, because even if my little guy doesn’t retain all the chemistry lessons, he’ll no doubt take away the impression that science is accessible and fun, and that’s a good start.

Ellen Henderson is a novelist and web strategist. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and son.

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February 13, 2012 Posted by : Kris Bordessa

Eco-Friendly Earth Blocks

Category : Elementary, Family Room, Kids' Room, Teens, Toys, Tweens

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It’s already been established that my kid is a Lego junkie. I love that he’s passionate about turning those blocks into scenes and vehicles and figures straight out of his imagination. But I have to admit, the eco-warrior in me cringes at the sheer amount of plastic he’s accrued.

Imagine my utter joy at discovering Earth Blocks. Made from natural materials including scraps of cedar bark, coffee beans, and green-tea leaves, the blocks come in mottled earth tones that won’t jar they eyeballs like some of the primary colored Lego bricks. According to the Wall Street Journal:

“Earth Blocks are softer around the edges than the classic toy. As a result, they don’t snap together as tightly as [Lego bricks] do, which makes them less than ideal for making lightsabers.”

While the blocks do contain enough polypropylene to bind the natural materials together, the concept is one that should appeal to zero-plastic Waldorf families and parents who like the idea of a more environmentally friendly building block. Sadly, I think it’s too late to get my kiddo to switch to coffee and tea scented bricks, but GeekMoms with younger kids are in a prime position to start a greener collection of locking blocks.

Manufactured by Colors Tokyo, the bricks are not cheap. A set of 50 will set you back $27 at the Guggenheim Store.

Image: Colors Tokyo

Kris Bordessa is the voice behind Attainable Sustainable: Reviving the Lost Art of Self-Sufficiency. She's authored several hands-on books for kids, including Team Challenges: Group Activities to Build Cooperation, Communication, and Creativity. She lives in Hawai‘i with her husband, two teens, 5 million Legos, and 5 ‘ukuleles.

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February 11, 2012 Posted by : Amy Kraft

Plant a Kiss and Other Picture Book Valentines

Category : Babies, Books, Elementary

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HarperCollins

“It goes like this. Little Miss planted a kiss. Planted a kiss? Planted a kiss.”

So begins the new picture book, Plant a Kiss, by one of my favorite writers and all-around artistic thinkers, Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Planting a kiss is basically what it sounds like. A little girl digs a hole, kisses it, fills it in, and waters it. Kiss planted. Then after some watering… and waiting… and doubting – sprouting! What grows from the planted kiss is a wave of sparkles that grows bigger on each page, plenty for the little girl to share. So much can grow from one planted kiss!

Amy Krouse Rosenthal, known for books like Duck! Rabbit! and Little Pea, has more fun with words than just about anyone else, it seems. Add to that the adorable illustrations by Peter Reynolds, and you’ve got a perfect, sparkly Valentine to share.

Here are some other Valentine delights for your young ones:

Accord Publishing

Where Does Love Come From? atttempts to answer just that with rich illustrations by Milena Kirkova. Does love bloom in a garden? Or swim in the sea? Die cut hearts on each page give the lush illustrations amazing texture and depth as you explore the possibilities of where love comes from. (You’ll never guess where!)

 

 

Harcourt Children's Books

My daughter’s name is Olive AND we love J. Otto Seibold in our house, so it stands to reason that Olive, My Love is a household favorite. One day Olive, the dog you may remember from Olive, the Other Reindeer, was baking dog biscuits when THUMP a giant heart appeared on her doorstep. It belonged to Dexter, the dog with wings that sings, and Olive goes on a journey to return the lost heart, making new friends along the way.

 

 

HarperCollins

Splat the Cat suffers Valentine anxiety in Love, Splat. You see, Splat likes Kitten more than fish sticks and ice cream, and he has to get up the nerve to give her a Valentine. But whenever Kitten sees Splat, she pulls his ears and pokes his belly, ties his tail and calls him smelly. What’s he supposed to make of that? Plus, he has to compete with another cat, Spike, for Kitten’s attention. Rob Scotton’s story and fluffy illustrations puts this book into cute overload territory.

 

Chronicle Books

My son and I have fun with Nina Laden’s book, Who Loves You, Baby? There’s a oval cutout on the sheep’s face on the cover, so I’ll pop my face in and ask ”Who love you baby?” then scream “MOMMY DOES!” He’ll stick his face in, too, which is too cute to bear. Each page inside features a different animal and animal nickname like, “You are my funny bunny”. The oval cut-out for each animal now reveals the mirror in the back of the book, where the final text is “You are my wonderful child.” I don’t think anyone really talks like that, but it’s still adorable.

What are your favorite books to read with your little Valentines?

Note: I received review copies of Plant a Kiss and Where Does Love Come From? The rest have been on our shelves so long I don’t remember where they came from. 

Amy Kraft is a kids' media producer, writer, and game designer living in NYC with her family. She also writes the blog Media Macaroni.

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February 11, 2012 Posted by : ChaosMandy

Scholastic DVD Valentine’s Collection

Category : Books, Elementary, Library, Toddlers, TV, Movies, and Music

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Image: www.newkideo.com

My toddler loves watching shows on TV but she also has a love of books. She loves to ‘read’ her books out loud to me and I read to her everyday. Because of this, we are big fans of the Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVDs. This is because they have taken  favorite children’s books and animated them. There are now two new DVDs in this series that are great for this month.

The Valentine’s Collection is a great DVD filled with stories about the holiday of love. These stories focus more on friendship, which I think is a great take on this holiday for toddlers and preschool kids. The featured book is One Zillion Valentines by Frank Modell is a sweet story of how two boys make Valentines for everyone in their neighborhood.

The other DVD collection is Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears… And More African Folktalkes. This DVD set is for February since it is Black History Month. These stories are great to introduce kids to another culture, at anytime of the year.

My daughter enjoyed both of these DVD sets, but she liked The Valentine’s Collection a little better. This is because she is only three years old and some of the stories are geared towards kids who are little older than she is. But I can see her enjoying these DVD collections for years to come. I would recommend either of these for kids who love books and great stories.

"Chaos" Mandy Horetski is an avid Browncoat, blogger, and stay-at-home mom who lives in the mountains of NC with her geeky husband and 3 year old princess. You can find her on Twitter as @ChaosMandy as well as on Google +.

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February 10, 2012 Posted by : Kay

With Lego Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?

Category : Education, Elementary, Sex and Relationships, Teens, The Web, Toddlers, Toys, Tweens

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I’m no ‘girly-girl,’ and I never was. Even when I was young enough to be indoctrinated into the cult of gender segregation, I blew off the idea that girls and boys were too different to play well together and I have never regretted scoffing at that nonsense.

Sure, I had Barbies, but I played with them like any other action figures. My paper dolls were all astronauts, and the shoebox they lived in was as myriad and TARDIS-like on the inside as the imagination inside any child’s head. I was faster and tougher than any boy on the playground, and if that sometimes made me unpopular with peers of all genders, well… Who needs friends when you’ve got Legos?

However, since the newest line of girly-girl Legos was released, the question I’ve been asking is, “With Lego Friends like these, who needs enemies?” Don’t get me wrong, as an artist, I approve any time Lego expands their palette. Even when new colors come straight out of a Martha Stewart catalog. Too, as a lifetime Lego fan, I feel that life is just better with more bricks in it. But those ‘Ladyfigs’ have got to go.

What were they thinking?! Lego could have saved a lot of time, money, and headache. All they really needed to successfully target the female market was to advertise their product to boys and girls at the same time. The way that Legos were originally marketed. And if minifigs must be gendered (who needs gender when everyone has corners?), Lego could help us help their bottom line by designing minifigs that defy gender stereotypes. I’m as sick of super-macho mini-men as I am of those obnoxious floor-length, non-articulating block-skirts Lego gives their little women instead of legs.

I’m not the first to say any of this – I’m not even the first Geek Mom to bring it up – and my rant may not be the most eloquent. For that, I direct you to Feminist Frequency, where Anita Sarkeesian provides a clear and complete picture of the gendering of Lego and offers some solutions to Lego’s… bricky issues.

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Kay Holt has a habit of getting science on everything.

 

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February 08, 2012 Posted by : Amy Kraft

Skylanders Has Giant News

Category : Elementary, Games, Toys, Tweens

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It’s getting to be that Toy Fair time of year, with everyone rolling out their new toy releases. Today Activision held an event to talk about their latest Skylanders news: introducing Skylanders Giants.

Tree Rex, one of the new Skylanders Giants. Screenshot: Activision

I love Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure and so does my six-year-old, so Skylanders Giants is big news indeed in our house. I got to see the giant Tree Rex in action today. On the portal he casts a big shadow over the smaller Skylanders, illuminated with glowing eyes that draw power from the portal. Seriously cool. On screen the giant behaves as a giant would – shaking the ground as he walks, smashing objects for treasure just by brushing past them, and leaving giant footprints wherever he goes. Drop a giant onto the portal and just the impact of his landing on the Skylands will knock out an enemy or two. If you come across a chain, there’s no need to find means of travel from one part of the Skylands to another, the giant can just pull the chain in a feat of strength, bringing the Skylands to him.

Check out the glowy bits on Tree Rex, plus his enormous size compared to the others. Photo: Amy Kraft

There’s a plan for eight giants plus eight new regular-sized Skylanders. You’ll be able to bring your current Skylanders into the new game, but sadly, the giants aren’t backwards compatible to the existing game. I’m told there will be starter packs with and without the portal for existing players.

I’m excited for Activision to keep this going. The new figures and lands are a delight, and with the data stored in the toys themselves, the options are limitless. Activision recently sent me the Empire of Ice Adventure Pack, which not only comes with a new Skylander (the yeti-like Slam Bam), but I didn’t realize these adventure packs had brand new levels stored in the toys as well. The Empire of Ice is good fun, made even more interesting with the little add-on toys like Anvil Rain. Anvil Rain! As in, it rains anvils! What’s not to love?

My gamer girl with her new Cynder figurine. Photo: Amy Kraft

Though Activision recently launched a series of games under the umbrella Games for Girls, Skylanders is not among those games despite its girl-gamer appeal. I really wish Activision would release more girl characters. My daughter loves being Stealth Elf, and she was beside herself at the shiny limited-edition Cynder I came home with today. But there’s only a couple more girls that we don’t have, and upwards of 30 boy characters. More girl characters aren’t just good for girls interested in the game, they’re good for boys to see how awesome and powerful girls can be - interchangeable with their awesome boy characters. Please, Activision, please. (Be warned: I do believe gendered toys will be a recurring theme in my upcoming Toy Fair posts. I’m looking at you, Lego.)

The Empire of Ice Adventure Pack is available now, and the giants will be stomping onto our consoles in the fall.

Amy Kraft is a kids' media producer, writer, and game designer living in NYC with her family. She also writes the blog Media Macaroni.

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