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Our
Mission is to provide parents of busy grade schoolers
with one stop full of information about developmental
and educational issues, ideas for diversions when you
need them most, and reviews to guide your reading and
web surfing. Our goal is to help parents become aware
of the vast array of choices, sift through them, and
distill the best of the best to benefit their family.
Kicks for Kids - Catalogs and Magazines for the Young at Heart!
Spring
Writing Fun
By Sandy
Fleming
This would be a
great Spring story, but the author ran
out of ideas after
the first few sentences! Finish this story, please!
We're all interested in seeing what happens next. Once
you are done, you can e-mail your ending to us.
Full Story |
Try
this fun challenge. Ask your child to write directions
to a simple, everyday activity,
such as making a peanut butter sandwich or putting
on a
coat. Now, follow the directions EXACTLY AS WRITTEN!
Do not add or take away
anything. Be prepared for messes and funny situations.
Chances are very good
that your child will begin to see the importance of
clarity and accuracy in
writing!
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Winning
the Seatbelt Wars
By Sandy Fleming
Every child
goes through it at one time or another, and it can be
enough to spoil a fun trip: The Great Seatbelt Fight
is on! Whether your child is a car seat passenger, a
booster seat user, or a seatbelt wearer, sooner or later
you will be faced with a battle to wear the safety restraint. Full article
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Sharpen
your preschooler's auditory discrimination skills with
this fun game. Get an even number
of baby food jars with lids. Place small items,
such as rice, sand, beans, tacks, or whatever into the
jars. Make two of
each kind. Close and cover the jars completely with opaque
tape. Number or
letter the lids and make an answer key for yourself,
telling what each jar
contains. Have the children try to find the matching
jars by listening to
the rattle!
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Marvelous
May
By Sandy Fleming
Welcome
to May! Spring is now firmly in our grasp, and the weather
is finally beginning to become warmer. The end of the
school year is in sight, and with it, vacations and summer
fun. Brighten up your May with these activities and create
your own Marvelous May Moments! Full
Story
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Use
one inch graph paper. Make a colorful pattern with
three or more segments (depending
on age and ability) and have your child try to repeat
your pattern over the paper. Vary the activity by asking
your child to
create his or her own pattern with a specific number
of elements.
Understanding, repeating and creating patterns are
important skills for
early reading.
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It's
Time to Camp
By Sandra Fleming
May often marks
the beginning of the camping season in many families.
Whether you are a tent-camping crew, an RV group, or
a backyard camp family, here are some fun activities
and recipes to liven up any camp-out. Full
Story |
Choose
a Word of the Day that will be new to your child
but useful in writing or conversation
(try a thesaurus for ideas). Challenge your student
to look the word up in the dictionary to discover its
meaning, then be the
first in the family to work it into conversation.
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Thinking
Big!
By Sandra Fleming
Magnifying
glasses can be fascinating. They afford your children
a unique opportunity to peer at details that would otherwise
escape notice and learn about the intricacies of our
world. If possible, you'll want each child to have access
to his or her own magnifying glass or perhaps have enough
to work in pairs. Full
Story
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Ask your child to give you directions
for cooking his/her favorite dish. See how many steps
s/he knows, whether they're in the right order, and
what ingredients can be listed. If you followed the
directions, would you have a culinary delight or a
catastrophe? |
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BPO
section editor, Sandy
Fleming is giving you the best there is for kids ages
4-12.
Want to write for us? Check out our guidelines! |
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