A friend and I recently wrote and published a book called Creative IQ:  Giving Young Learners the Creative Edge in a Competitive World.  This book provides parents, teachers and care-givers with a multitude of educational and fun activities of which children can partake and that they can solve through creative methods.  Through the development of their exploration, critical thinking and problem solving abilities, the young learners gain confidence to pursue even more challenging issues.  In my experience, children are always more receptive to learning when it is done in a fun environment.

The book is divided into 10 chapters and they include (among others) Chocolotta, You Colour My World, Math-It All Adds Up, Surfing For Fun At The Beach and Creating a Winter Wonderland.  Each chapter contains ten or so activities, some with challenges.  Each activity is aligned to one of the “Building Blocks for Creativity� that identifies the skills being developed.

One of my favourites is Chocolate.  People tend to assume that any activity featuring chocolate is a “junk-food� activity.  This is not always the case.  First of all, did you know that chocolate (in moderation) can be quite healthy?  Second, pairing with chocolate (which is part of one of the activities in our book) is a great way to teach children to try foods they might otherwise not let you bring within five inches of their mouth.  Finally, chocolate can be used to enhance so many summer recipes, one of which I have included below.

Chocolate can be good for you!

There are many benefits to eating chocolate, in moderation.  It is high in antioxidants, it can lower blood pressure and has shown to reduce LDL cholesterol by as much as 10 percent.  Chocolate contains serotonin, a natural anti-depressant.  Chocolate also stimulates endorphin production, which creates feelings of happiness and pleasure.  It has the reputation of being one of the best cancer-fighting foods along with blueberries, garlic, and tea.  Chocolate is high in magnesium which is a mineral that helps in the regulation of digestive, neurological and cardiovascular systems. Essentially, the results of years of studies show that a moderate consumption of chocolate (mostly dark, bitter sweet or semi-sweet) can improve our over-all health.

Let’s play Chocolate Detective!  (advance preparation is required)

In this activity, children use their senses as they play chocolate detective and try to guess what is inside ten different chocolate surprises (prepared by you).  Sight, touch, smell, and taste are all required.  This activity also offers a great way to get kids to taste test foods they would be reluctant to otherwise try.

You will need:

·         8-10 small food items to cover with chocolate such as pretzels, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, dried apricots, carrots, pepper slices, grape tomatoes, olives, marshmallows, cookies, dried mango slices and cubed cheese.  Feel free to substitute any of the above with foods you wish to test.

·         8 ounces/250 grams of semi-sweet chocolate chips

·         Canola or sunflower oil

·         Parchment paper

 

Steps:

1.       Cover a baking tray with parchment paper.

2.       Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a double boiler on the stove (Note: Watch carefully as chocolate can burn quickly).

3.       Add a tablespoon of oil to the chocolate to thin it out for dipping.

4.       Carefully dip each item into the melted chocolate and place it on the parchment paper.

5.       Once all of the food items have been covered in chocolate, place the baking tray in the refrigerator so that the chocolate will harden.

6.       After the chocolate has hardened, place the items on parchment paper or plates, putting a number beside each item.

7.       On a piece of paper, have the detectives write the number of the item and their guess after tasting it.  After trying all of the items, see which guesses are correct.

Note:  As a time saver, you may wish to visit your local grocery or bulk store to see if you can find pre-prepared chocolate covered items.

Chocolate Dipped!

You will need:

·         4 whole bananas, peeled and cut in half

·         1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

·         1 Tbsp. canola or sunflower oil

·         Sprinkles or chopped peanuts, optional

Steps:

1.       Peel bananas and place on a plate in the freezer.

2.       Place the chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp of oil in a glass bowl.

3.       Microwave for 60 seconds and then stir.

4.       Microwave for an additional 30-60 seconds until the chocolate is melted.

5.       Remove the bananas from the freezer and dip into the melted chocolate.

6.       At this point, you can then dip into the sprinkles or peanuts.

7.       Place the dipped banana halves on the plate and into the freezer until the chocolate is hardened.

8.       They can be stored in a re-sealable container in the freezer for up to a month.

Frozen bananas dipped in chocolate…Yummmm!!  We are in the heart of the summer and these refreshing treats are a great way to have your fruit and chocolate too!

 

 

 

(c) Shelley Sefton 2012  

I have a news website to share with you that is dedicated to helping children understand current events. You can either direct kids to it, or refer to it yourself to help explain current events in terms kids will understand.

Browse teachkidsnews.com to learn more.

March brings with it the promise of spring and March 2^nd is Dr. Seuss’s birthday - the guy who had plenty of SPRING in his step!  Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 - September 24, 1991) was a U.S. writer and cartoonist, better known under name Dr. Seuss.  Below you will find two fun and colourful activities.  In the first, you can create a piece of art, and in the second you will also create a piece of art with the added bonus that it will be EDIBLE!!

Coloured rice collage (non-edible piece of art)

Colouring rice is a unique way to be creative using a medium that kids don’t often get to play with.  The following activity has two options.

The first step, in honour of Dr.Seuss’s birthday, is to create a picture of the famous hat worn by Dr. Seuss’s beloved character, the Cat in the Hat.  Red and white rice are used to fill in the stripes.

Another option is to create a picture that personifies the season of spring.  The picture can include one or more of the following items characteristic of spring:  Flowers, birds, trees, the sun, bees and / or butterflies too!

Below you will find the instructions for “colouring� rice.  If you are doing the Dr. Seuss’s hat picture, you will only need red and white rice.  If you are creating a spring scene, it is recommended to provide a variety of colours of rice.

Instructions for dyeing rice:

You will need:

·         Any white rice (uncooked)

·         Rubbing alcohol

·         Liquid food colouring

·         Mason jars or resealable plastic bags

What to do:

1.       In a jar, add 1 cup of rice, 2 tsp of rubbing alcohol and 2 tsp of food colouring.

2.       Close the lid on the jar tightly and shake. Watch as the colour of the rice changes.

3.       Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and pour the rice onto the pan.

4.       Spread out the rice and allow it to dry. It usually takes 12-24 hrs.

5.       When it is dry, store each colour in its own mason jar and with the lid closed tightly.

NOTE: The above instructions are for one batch of coloured rice.  Repeat the above instructions for every new colour.

Dr. Seuss collage (option #1):

You will need:

·         White cardboard (any size will do)

·         A pencil

·         White school glue

·         An old paint brush

·         Red and white rice  (amount depends on how big your hat is – 2 cups of each colour  is usually sufficient)

What to do:

1.       In pencil, draw the outline of Dr. Seuss’s hat ( If you need help, you can always search for images of the Cat in the Hat on the internet)

2.       Don’t forget to draw in the lines with the pencil too!

3.       Spread glue all over the inside of the hat using the paintbrush.

4.       Using a teaspoon, slowly pour the rice to fill the inside of the drawing.  Start with one colour or rice and then move onto the next colour until the whole hat is filled.  A teaspoon is helpful, especially if your drawing has small details that can be hard to fill.

5.       Place your collage on a flat surface and allow 4-6 hours to dry. When it is dry, shake off the excess rice over a garbage can.

Springtime collage (option #2):

You will need:

·         White cardboard (any size will do)

·         A pencil

·         White school glue

·         An old paintbrush

·         A variety of coloured rice (amount depends on how big your hat is – 2 cups of each colour  is usually sufficient)

What to do:

1.       In pencil, draw a picture that best represents what spring means to you

2.       Spread glue all over the inside of the drawing, using the paintbrush.

3.       Using a teaspoon, fill the inside of the drawing with different the coloured rice, until there is no more white space showing.  A teaspoon is helpful, especially if your drawing has small details that can be hard to fill.

4.       Place your collage on a flat surface and allow 4-6 hours to dry. When it is dry, shake off the excess rice over a garbage can.

NOTE:  You can mix your food colorings to create specialty colors if you are feeling adventurous.

Puzzling cookie (as promised, this one is edible)

This is a super creative activity, which requires the use of your baking, planning and decorating skills.  And let’s not forget…eating skills!!4 stars based on 5 reviews Ths a T

Bottom of Form

You will need:

·         Ready-to-bake sugar cookie dough

·         A rectangular baking pan (10� x 14�)

·         A piece of wax paper on which you can work so you can keep your counters clean

·         Non-stick cooking spray

·         A rolling pin

·         A knife or pizza cutter

·         Cake decorating icing tubes ( in a variety of colours)

Instructions:

1.       Preheat oven to the temperature indicated on the cookie dough wrapper, spray the baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and press cookie dough into it.

2.       On a piece of wax paper, roll out the dough to a 1/4 “thickness and then fit it into the pan.

3.       Using a knife, cut the dough into about 12-15 puzzle shaped pieces. Bake according to the time specified on the wrapper.

4.       When it is done, carefully remove from the oven. Using the same knife, go over the puzzle pieces previously cut.

5.       Allow the cookie to cool.  Add your own colourful touch by using the decorating icing tubes to create your own spring picture.  This can include flowers, bees and other pictures that represent spring.

6.       When you are done and after the icing has set, remove the cookie pieces from the baking pan, and separate all of the pieces.  Now try to build your “puzzle picture� with the cookie pieces!

 

NOTE: Ready-to-bake cookie dough is usually found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.

It is only fitting to conclude with one of my personal favourite Dr. Seuss poems.

Congratulations!

Today is your day.
You’re off to great places!

You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

Shelley Sefton is a chef, recipe developer & creator of “Yummy in my Tummy� - classes for kids that  offers them the opportunity to  experience exciting adventures in the kitchen – combining education, art,  food and most important of all FUN! Contact: (905) 597-0672 or sdsefton@rogers.com.  

(c) Shelley Sefton 2012

The grass is always greener? Perhaps, but I think it’s time to do away with your grassy lawn and replace it with food! Although a trend is never a enough reason alone to do something, the urban farming bandwagon is definitely one to hop on…right now. That’s right, having your own vegetable garden has always been smart, but now, it’s also trendy. Let’s hear it for eco-progress!

So, besides peer pressure and popularity, here are 9 reasons that you should get planning your urban farm, or simple herb garden…today:

1. How could you possibly get fresher and more local, than food grown in your own front or backyard, your windowsills, fire escapes, patios, in pots, or even eavestroughs? 

2. Save money on food  - and during the height of the harvest skip a few shopping trips – who doesn’t want to do all of that?

3. Get healthier! Not only will you be eating the freshest and most local produce packed full of amazing nutrients, but I bet you eat a lot more of them all if they are within arms reach. Plus, gardening reduces stress, makes you excited to be outside and can burn as many calories in 45 minutes as you can in 30 minutes of aerobics.

4. Growing your own vegetables and fruit means that you know exactly where your food comes from. You know what they say, know thy farmer, know they food!

5. Choose from so many more varieties of each veggie or fruit - and you can grow the things you like the best, and the things that cost a lot at the market. (very important: make sure when you are choosing seeds that they are NOT ones from this list)

6. Teach your children well. When you teach your kids where their food comes from (NOT the supermarket, but from the earth) and how much time it takes (tons of fun to watch), they will appreciate all they eat much more.

7. Have fun together! It’s a great activity to bring friends and family together, and connect with neighbours too. Who wouldn’t love juicy tomatoes right off the vine as a gift?

8. Preserve. It may sound like even more work, but freezing and/or canning your harvest means you’ll be enjoying the seeds you sow through the entire year. I’m still enjoying my garlic from last summer – I planted it October 2010, harvested it in Summer 2011 and I’m still enjoying it in 2012!

9. Nothing is more satisfying than growing your own food. It might even make you smile like this http://pinterest.com/pin/184366178465445610/

Happy spring and sprouting!

Recommended Resources – hire them, follow them on twitter, read their website!

www.youngurbanfarmers.com

http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/

Lisa Borden , owner of marketing firm, Borden Communications , offers a holistic approach to consciously marketing responsible brands and services. She encourages everyone to be their own expert by offering new perspectives, and helping them find the clarity to uncover simple solutions to daily challenges. She claims that she is not a coach, a consultant, or a concierge, but rather a strategic blend of all of these roles - working to increase efficiencies, revenue, health and happiness. As a consultant to small businesses, corporations, non-profit organizations, school groups and individuals as well as a dynamic campaign and brand ambassador and motivational speaker, her message is always clear. Every action and every dollar matters and has an impact - so we’d better take each step wisely. Together. Follow Lisa on twitter @LisaBorden.

(c) Lisa Borden 2012

There’s a new program being introduced into an Alberta elementary school where kids as young as seven years old will be able to choose a “major� or specialized stream of learning, based on their very well developed areas of interest.  Unless they have a category called “Watching the Transformer Movie for the 1002nd Time� stream, I’m thinking my own Grade 2 child wouldn’t particularly qualify for this program.

In fact, the four areas of discipline they are identifying are the arts, scientific inquiry, sports, and humanitarian/environment.  I’m all for advancing the way that kids learn and letting them excel at what they’re really good at, but at this young age I’m just wondering what specific traits a child might display in order to have them placed in one of these four streams.  Here are my suggestions for the evaluators in what to look for in a “gifted� child in each area:

1)      The Arts: Has a natural ability to spatter ketchup in such a manner so as to not only hit every stainable surface within a 25 foot range, but also the creative thought process involved in ensuring that the trajectory will include a sibling, elderly relative and a small dog.  Additionally may display the ability to write their own name in permanent ink on a variety of textures and surfaces, including painted walls, toy cars, leather couches, and the aforementioned small dog.

2)      Scientific Inquiry: Must ask “Why?� and “What’s the point of that?� a minimum of 117 times an hour.  A true inquiring mind inquires only, and takes no interested in any attempted answer by the askee.  For added suitability, candidate may also show an uncanny ability to determine the only method in existence to get his sizable head stuck in stair railings, open a milk bag in a clever and scientifically impossible manner, and cut their own hair while running with the scissors they are using to do so.

3)      Sports: No matter what the placement of the soccer ball, football or plastic bottle full of water, has the ability to drop kick it right into Daddy’s groin, every single time.  Another handy trait they might have is the ability to race across a tiled kitchen surface, and to only lose balance at the precise moment that Mom has walked into the room carrying her glass of merlot, resplendent against the bright white hue of her new “good� blouse.

4)      Humanitarian/environment: On the humanitarian side, upon occasion can walk past a sibling without uttering the word “freak� or punching, poking, kicking, jabbing or inflicting other general unpleasantness on them.  Is interested in saving the world and the environment we live in, by wearing the same articles of clothing for at least three days, as well as not littering the earth with treasures found within their own noses, and by choosing conspicuous consumption for that particular by-product.

The problem with trying to exploit your child’s “natural� abilities in helping them to choose a suitable career path is that no sooner do you put an end to one “strength� (You really hurt Daddy that time honey), then they develop another to take its place (How exactly did you get that Lego man in your ear in the first place?)

Kathy Buckworth’s latest book, “Shut Up and Eat: Tales of Chicken, Children and Chardonnay� is available at bookstores everywhere. Visit www.kathybuckworth.com or follow Kathy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kathybuckworth

 ©Kathy Buckworth 2010

We are always excited to introduce you to online resources for kids!

Here’s a website designed for children up to ten, recommended by our friend Shelley: www.UpToTen.com.

Why do we like it? Kids have fun while learning, and it’s free.

Browse, play, enjoy!

Note: As always, we recommend that parents review the website first to ensure that it is appropriate for your own family.

Do your kids take forever to do simple homework? Keep putting off studying for tests, or working on long-term projects? Is getting them to clean their rooms is a huge struggle? If this sounds familiar, you may have a procrastinator in your midst. Before you chalk this behaviour up to laziness, you may want to consider some of the rarely talked about reasons why people procrastinate … AND get easy strategies to help break the cycle.

Why Do We Do It?

There are many reasons why kids (and adults) procrastinate. These can include:

Feeling overwhelmed by the task. Some kids freeze when faced with a task that seems overwhelming or too complex. In this case, the secret is showing them how to “chunk it”—how to break a task down into smaller parts and then choose only one on which to focus. Recently I interviewed Rita Emmett, author of the book The Procrastinating Child, who offered this short poem to share with your kids:

When you have so much to do,
You think you can’t get through it;
Break it into little chunks,
Then pick one out and do it.

Being afraid of making mistakes. Your kids need to hear over and over that making mistakes is OK, and is a natural part of learning. Self-monitoring your reaction when mistakes occur is also key, as your disappointment can unknowingly seem to contradict this message.

Lacking good organizational or time management skills. Kids need to be explicitly taught all the tricks we likely take for granted. Be sure to show them how to make lists, post reminders, use an agenda, organize their papers, etc.

Feeling unmotivated. Doing things we don’t like is part of life, but knowing how to get through them is not always clear. Ways to help your child feel motivated could include helping them get started, looking for a way to turn the activity into a game or contest (e.g. seeing how much they can do in 15 minutes, beating personal bests, etc.)

Knowing someone else will do it. Sometimes it’s just seems easier to do a task ourselves, or to step in and rescue our child when jobs or assignments are taking forever. However, what message does that send? Some children quickly learn that if they wait long enough, someone else will do the job for them. When appropriate, facing the logical consequences for inaction teaches life lessons, AND can motivate future change.

Wanting control or attention. Although not as common, some kids may put off doing tasks simply as a way of getting you to react and/or give them attention—even if it is negative.

Breaking the Habit

Regardless of the reason, procrastination is ultimately just a habit. Given the negative effects prolonged procrastination can have on children’s self-esteem (e.g. “I’m no good”, “I can’t ever do things as well as everyone else”), it is important that we help our kids understand the reasons why they do it, and support them as they break the habit as soon as possible.

As an award-winning educator and Parenting & Youth Coach, Rob Stringer BA, BEd, CPC has spent almost two decades helping kids, teens, and adults meet with success, and live lives they LOVE!. Although based outside of Toronto Ontario, Rob’s coaching practice is global, with clients across Canada, the United States, Australia, and Asia.  In addition to Parenting with Intention, he most recently launched, Youth Coach Canada – a non-profit organization dedicated to making affordable professional life coaching services available to youth aged 11-21. To receive Rob’s free newsletters or for information on speaking engagements, programs, and upcoming workshops for parents and youth, visit www.YouthCoachCanada.com  or call 905.515.9822.

©Rob Stringer 2009

We have an exciting website to introduce to you that encourages early reading amongst kids in a fun way - Starfall.com.

Starfall.com is free to use, and has been applied by both teachers and parents to help children from pre-kindergarden to grade 2 build their reading and writing skills.

Best of all, www.Starfall.com is an educational tool that both you and your child(ren) can appreciate, providing an interesting alternative to purely entertainment-based sites.

Thanks to our friend Susan for the original tip. Please feel free to share your favourite learning websites for children as well.