Announcing the Launch of the Creative Kids Ideas Website

Creative Kids Ideas website has been in the thinking stage for quite some time. Now, I'm happy to announce that it is up and running! The purpose of Creative Kids Ideas is to provide a resource center for parents, teachers and anyone else who interacts with children. The site features Tips for Parents, Resources for Teachers, Creative Games & Crafts, and Book & Product Reviews.

I will also continue to blog about my own thoughts and tips on parenting and dealing with kids. The Creative Parenting Tips blog will remain but all future content will be posted on Creative Kids Ideas - The Blog. If you are currently subscribed to this blog and would like to continue to receive email updates, please visit the new blog and subscribe again. This will be the last post on Creative Parenting Tips.

Do you have suitable content or products you liked to submit for consideration? Please contact Jo Brielyn at jo@jobrielyn.com. I receive a large volume of emails each day, so to ensure a timely response to your email, include Creative Kids Ideas in the subject of the email.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to seeing you at the new location!

Toy Review: Activity Bus from PlanToys

Finding toys that both parents and children are happy with is not always easy to do. I recently teamed up with a toy website called ebeanstalk. Ebeanstalk is dedicated to selecting quality and safe educational toys and learning baby gifts. The first toy I received to review is the Activity Bus from PlanToys, a company that makes eco-friendly wooden toys. Here is the scoop on this toy…

Toy Review: Activity Bus by PlanToys

Product Description
The Activity Bus is made of solid wood - chemical-free rubberwood - and creatively designed to turn into a classroom when opened up. Included with the bus are two action figures, three wooden desks, a teacher's/bus driver's seat, a chalkboard/map, and school books. All of the items can be conveniently stored inside of the bus for storage.

Here are the details:

• The school bus (closed) measures about 8 1/2" long/ 5 1/4" tall/ 4 1/2" wide.

• The action figures are about 2 1/2" tall.

• The recommended age is 3 years and up. There are small parts, so I'd advise parents to adhere to this recommendation.

• The product number for the Activity Bus is 7503.

• The toy is reasonably priced at $25-35.

Education, Learning and Development Value
The Activity Bus is great for individual role playing or for building social interaction with other children. Kids can pretend to be the bus driver taking the students to school or park the bus and open it up for class time. However the kids choose to use the toy, it offers excellent opportunities for sparking their imagination and thinking skills.

Quality & Durability
The adorable bus and all of its accessories are made from a durable rubberwood. The quality of the items is top-rate and environmentally safe. And there's no need to worry about lead paint or other toxins with the product. All of the products provided by PlanToys are made from chemical-free rubberwood and toxin-free glue and dyes.

Fun Factor
I believe this rating is best determined by kids, so I put the Activity Bus to the test with my four-year old. My daughter loves this toy! She has actually begged to play with the bus every day since it was delivered. One who is normally ready to move on to another toy after a few minutes, she has spent countless hours on the floor playing with just this one toy. That proves the fun factor for me.

Would I purchase this toy or other PlanToys products for my children? Yes, without a doubt. This is a toy both kids and parents will love!

The Activity Bus can be found on Amazon.com, Only-Toys.com, Gifted Imaginations, KangarooBoo, and various other online locations.

Fun Ways to Teach Kids About Animals

Photo by: Jo Brielyn

Kids love animals, so why not use them teach? Cute, gross and unique animals all seem to grab children's attention, so it's time to use those critters to our advantage! After all, the whole idea is to get kids excited about learning, right?

Both of my children are huge animal lovers. If animals are involved, they're all ears (and tails!) so I set out find some ways to teach them using the pet theme.

Here are a few great pet theme crafts, activities and lesson plans for kids:

Pet Lesson Using Franklin the Turtle
Whether they have a pet of their own or not, most kids are fascinated by animals. This preschool lesson plan uses Franklin's search for a pet in Franklin Wants a Pet to teach children about different types of animals. It also focuses on some of the different environments in which pets live. Preschoolers will practice animal recognition and matching skills with this lesson.

Connect the Alphabet Puppy Dots
Print out this fun, connect-the-dots picture for kids to practice arranging the letters of the alphabet in order. This PDF, along with many other cute animal theme ideas, can be found at KinderPlans.com.

Lesson Plan About Caring for Pets
Help kids learn about caring for their pets with this fun lesson based on Mercer Mayer's book, Just Me and My Puppy. The lesson also includes a short song and game to get children actively involved.

3-D Pet Craft
This project teaches kids how to make their own 3-D pets, like the featured at the top of this article. The 3-D pet craft is made from a recycled toilet paper roll and scrap materials. This crafts project is great for home or school.

Pet Games and Activities
Check out these games, printable coloring pages and activities for teaching kids through the use of animals, at ChildFun.com.

You can also find a list of excellent pet themed books, activities, games, and learning resources in the Pre-K Pets Theme Unit at Prekinders.com.

Do you have any fun pet themed lessons, activities or crafts? Feel free to share your ideas with Creative Parenting Tips in the comments section.

I'm Now the Albany Family Examiner

Yesterday, I made the switch from the NY Family & Parenting Examiner to become the new Albany Family Examiner. I will still be covering much of the same material as before, but with a more local twist for readers in the Capital Region. My goal is to provide more information for Albany area families on activities, issues and other relevant topics.

If you're on Facebook, please come visit and join my new Facebook group there: Albany Family Examiner Group.

If you live in the Capital Region, are a family-oriented organization in the Albany area, or know of an upcoming event/activity, please feel free to contact me at jo@jobrielyn.com or leave a comment on this blog. I'd be happy to cover it!

TWIN TRINITY MEDIA ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF ELEMENTS OF THE SOUL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Twin Trinity Media / Accentuate Services
michy@twintrinitymedia.com


TWIN TRINITY MEDIA ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF ELEMENTS OF THE SOUL


TEXAS, USA - July 3, 2009 Twin Trinity Media, part of the Accentuate FAMILY of Author Services, announces the Accentuate Writers Anthology Elements of the Soul has gone to print and will be released late this summer. The collection of short stories and poems is a compilation of the winners of the Accentuate Writers Short Story Anthology and Poetry Contest that took place in 2008. Writers braved tough competition to vie for a place in the anthology, a royalty contract, cash and merchandise prizes.


The stories and poems in Elements of the Soul were written on four themes: Fire & Ice, Winds of Change, April Showers and Summer Heat. Contestants' submissions were judged on use of theme, adherence to submission guidelines and quality of the story and writing. In addition to the contest winners' stories, two authors were included in the anthology as Editor's Picks and received royalty contracts.


The Accentuate Writers Short Story Anthology and Poetry Contest, now in its second year, gives writers an opportunity to obtain critiques, a chance to win cash and merchandise prizes, and a publishing contract. Anyone is eligible to enter the contests for a small fee, but only the best work rises to the top and is included in the Accentuate Writers Anthology.


"The Accentuate Short Story Contest was the first writing contest I ever entered,” says winner Jo Brielyn. “Until then, I knew I was a writer but always doubted my worth. After becoming a semi-finalist with my first entry, I gained helpful writing pointers and the confidence to submit again. The second time around, I placed third in the contest. Now, I'm realizing my dream of becoming published in a book. The Accentuate Writers Forum and its contests are helping me to reach outside my comfort zone and expand myself as a writer."


Authors for Elements of the Soul include: Steven Thor Gunnin, Jennifer Walker, Rissa Watkins, Lindsay Maddox, George Kramer, Lucinda Gunnin, Jo Brielyn, M. Lori Motley, Susan Sosbe and Laurie Darroch-Meekis. The anthology also features talented poetry winners whose prose will fill the pages between stories with wonderful imagery and substance. Michelle L Devon, author of In a Perfect World and The Path: A Series on Redemption and Sensual Awakening, who is a contributing author to other anthologies herself, edited the book and contributed to the foreword.


Elements of the Soul is currently available at a special pre-order price of $13.00, which includes shipping and handling, taxes and a specially made bookmark. Orders can be placed at THIS LINK.


Accentuate Services has been in business for over fourteen years and is dedicated to providing services to authors, from publishing consulting to editing and writing coaching. Other ventures that are part of the Accentuate FAMILY of Author Services include Unsent Letters, Recipes & Recovery, Erotic Anthologies, and the Accentuate Writers Forum, with other projects in the works. Visit the website at www.AccentuateServices.com.


###


Twin Trinity Media / Accentuate Services
c/o: Michelle L Devon
1305 E. 36th Street
Odessa, TX 79762
Toll-Free: 866.641.8130
Michy@twintrinitymedia.com
http://www.accentuateservices.com

Preparing for a New Baby

Preparing for a new baby can be somewhat overwhelming to expectant parents. Simply walk into the local baby store and you'll be inundated with baby paraphernalia, some of which you may never need to use.

The urge to have everything ready and in place for your baby grows stronger when your pregnancy due date draws near. It's wise to understand there is a lot more to preparing for a new baby than just buying baby things. Much more important are the steps you, the parent, can take to prepare for your child ahead of time. Those actions will help ease the stress, anxiety and transition of adding a baby to your family.

To help, I've compiled three checklists with baby preparation tips for the home, family and hospital. You can read the complete article here - Baby Checklist: Preparing for a New Baby

Photo by: sxc.hu/jelaga

Does Your Child Spend Too Much Screen Time On TV, Video Games and the Internet?

Undeniably, the average person today spends countless hours watching television, surfing the Internet, playing video games, listening to iPods...screen time. While these activities provide excellent sources of entertainment, as well as education, there is such a thing as too much screen time.

How much is too much screen time?

Well, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children under the age of two have NO screen time and that kids over two watch no more than one to two hours of television each day. Of course, that only accounts for TV, not the other huge sources of kids' screen time such as video games and computers.

I am by no means saying that all TVs, computers, video games and other electronic devices are evil and should be banned from homes and schools. What I am saying is overuse of these items or using them to replace 'real' relationships and events is unhealthy for children, parents and families.

Time spent watching television, playing video games and searching the Internet takes away from important activities like homework, reading, creative play, household chore, exercise, quality family time, and actual conversations.

My family is not excluded from this. Actually, we're are a perfect example of this.

I recently came across an organization called Center for Screen-Time Awareness and an upcoming event it promotes known as Turnoff Week. The more data and information I read about screen time reduction and its effects on families, the more I began to examine my own children's habits, as well as my own.

In the past week, we've begun to dramatically reduce the amount of time spent on watching TV and playing on video games and the computer (myself included because I'm guilty of too much recreational computer time). That's not to say we're perfect...hardly. We are, however, spending more time completing necessary chores, playing together, taking long walks and simply building stronger bonds with one another. In fact, after the first few days, my kids weren't even asking for their beloved cartoons. Instead, they were begging to play outside together where they created a world much more imaginative than anything they would've seen on television anyway!

The point is, each parent and family needs to determine the amount of screen time they feel is appropriate and healthy for their household. Even a small reduction in 'vegging out' time is an improvement. You may even find once you begin, the screen time reduction process may take a natural nosedive as your family discovers and rediscovers activities much more enjoyable and fulfilling in which to participate.

I plan to involve my family in a permanent screen time reduction, starting with joining in the Turnoff Week events. Will you join me in participating in Turnoff Week? We'll work together to improve our lives, families, communities, states and our country. Also, I'd love to hear your views and suggestions about screen time reduction. Please feel free to leave me comments and share what you're doing to improve your family.

Please take a moment to answer the poll question at the top of the blog. The screen time referred to in the poll is strictly RECREATIONAL SCREEN TIME. You may answer more than one selection if your choice is different for some family members. Please answer truthfully and without guilt. The only way for us to work to improve ourselves and our families is to honestly address the areas in which we need improvement. I know monitoring our screen time this past week has been an eye opener for me!

Photo: sxc.hu/mzacha