September 2012 – It's All Kid's Play

Magnetic Pennies: Will They Stick?

28SeptemberJeanfun challengesmagnetic pennies, pennies, penny experiments, science experiments for kids

Do you have a jar full of pennies? Ever wondered if they are magnetic? Magnetic pennies? Wait a second… pennies are made of copper which is not magnetic. Why are we talking about magnetic pennies? Because some of them… wait for it… are! Yes, some pennies are magnetic. Which Pennies are Magnetic? Some years

How to Play Shadow Tag

22SeptemberJean2 Commentsgroup games kidsactive kids games, birthday party games, how to play shadow tag, how to play tag, outdoor play ideas, shadow tag, sports warm up games, tag game variations, tag rules

How to Play Shadow Tag The game of tag is a classic childhood favourite game and chances are you’ve played a TON of tag variations. This one is called Shadow Tag. To play Shadow Tag you need two or more players (lots is good!) and enough sun outside to cast a shadow. If you have

Three-Way Thumb War

18SeptemberJeangroup indoor games, who goes firstgames for kids, how to play thumb war, how to play thumb war with more people, three-way thumb war, thumb war game, who goes first

How the Three-Way Thumb War Came to Be Leave it to kids. They want to have a thumb war, but there are three who want to play this two player game. Nobody wants to be left out. What to do? An adult would say: Tough luck. OR:Someone will be left out. OR: You can’t. OR:

Destination Imagination: A Team Leader Interview

15SeptemberJean2 Commentsfree play for kidsabout destination imagination, after school programs that rock, Christine Berman, Destination Imagination, Destination Imagination coach interview, free play benefits

It’s Back to School and Extracurricular Time! The other day I met someone whose role embodies free play, independence fostering, and all sorts of wonderful things we never really take time to think about but are instrumental in developing the skills we value in our future leaders. Her name is Christine Berman and she is

Lenore Skenazy is Not Crazy

12SeptemberJeanfree play for kidsbenefits of free play, benefits of outdoor play, benefits of play in kids, child development, free range kids, free range parenting, Lenore Skenazy, pay me to ignore your kids, Take your kids to the park and leave them there

[divider] You may have heard about Lenore Skenazy’s (Author of Free Range Kids) latest Free Range Parenting Ploy: Pay Me to Ignore Your Kids. And a lot of people are calling her crazy. But before we get into that, let me share exactly what her program will offer as a benefit to your kids. The

Cleaning Pennies: An Experiment for Kids

7SeptemberJean1 Commentooey gooey stuffCleaning copper oxide, cleaning pennies, cleaning pennies with vinegar and salt, cool science, cool science experiments for kids, end of the Canadian penny, hands on learning experiments for kids, science for kids

If you are in Canada you may be crying gently into your cookies and milk over the END of the penny. That’s right, the last minted Canadian penny rolled off the thingamagig months ago. How old do you feel now, right? You are a generation that USED pennies. Dear Lord. Anyway, if your kids are

How Playgrounds Create Healthier Kids

4SeptemberJean2 Commentsplay and child developmentbenefits of outdoor play, child development and play, children and outdoor play, combating childhood obesity, how to combat childhood obesity, playgrounds, playgrounds and child health

How Fit Are Your Kids? With back to school in full swing across the continent some of us may be realizing that our kids are returning not quite as tanned and fit as we thought they might. In fact, the average North American kid seems to have a stronger knowledge of the summer’s most popular