The Tech Issue October 2011 (Kids VT)
Teaching Tech: Are We There Yet?; “Cybertraps” and How to Avoid Them; A Dad Explains Why He’s Teaching His Son to Hunt; How to Make Swedish Apple Pie
Pesty Questions
Survive a kid’s “why” phase and you’ll realize children’s curiosity knows no bounds. Kids are born scientists, inventors and explorers. They question everything and experiment everywhere. Granted, it often gets them into trouble, but painful experiences sure are memorable. My son, Oliver, learned a lesson that stung. On a recent playground excursion, a friend dumped…
On Top of Online
Computer expert and author Frederick Lane discusses what every parent should know about digital technology
High-Tech Treasure Hunt
Kids have no problem finding excitement in everyday events, but an activity that also sparks an adult’s sense of adventure is worth its weight in gold. Try geocaching — a high-tech treasure hunt that combines nature and technology in a walking workout. A geocache is essentially a container that has been hidden for the sole…
How involved are you in monitoring your kids’ use of technology?
Wei Kian Chen, IT professor, Champlain College, South Burlington Children: sons Yin Bo, 6, and Yin Yi, 4 Very much involved. There are good information sources out there for children, and they should be able to get to them. For example, my sons’ favorite show is “Wild Kratts.” On the half-hour TV segment, my sons…
No-Fuss Crust: Swedish Apple Pie
Kids love apples in all of their tart and sweet, crisp and juicy glory. Vermont’s apple season delivers these fresh-fruit jewels to children’s fingertips. If they don’t like picking their own, look for the red, green and gold orbs piled high in bushel baskets at roadside stands throughout the state. Serve them sliced and smeared…
Book Review: Kitten’s First Full Moon by Sarah Allerton
Librarian: Sarah Allerton, children’s librarian, St. Albans Free Library Book: Kitten’s First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes Age range: birth to 4 Allerton’s summary: Kitten sees her first full moon and thinks that it’s a saucer of milk in the sky. She tries and tries to get to it, falling down, climbing trees and getting all wet…
The Art Of… Stop-Motion Animation
What could be cooler than bringing your LEGO men to life? Molding out of clay a two-headed beast who tears down a building, perhaps? Or commanding a banana to peel itself? With stop-motion animation, all of this is possible. So what exactly is stop-motion animation? Kids might know it from the 2009 film the Fantastic…
Harvest the Fun
Whether you’ve got an October birthday to celebrate or want to host a fun, Halloween-y activity, pumpkins provide a perfect party theme. Young kids can paint them; older kids will enjoy designing and carving them into characters. The seeds — roasted and salted — double as a healthy snack and an agricultural lesson. Party favors don’t…
What should parents know about gross bodily functions?
Boogers, belches and farts — they’re natural fodder for childhood giggles, but can also provide useful insights into kids’ diet and health. Lewis First, chief of pediatrics at Vermont’s Children’s Hospital at Fletcher Allen, offers a doctor’s take on the topic of the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center’s exhibit “Grossology: The Impolite Science of…
Feedback
Give Up the “Gifted” As a former “highly gifted” child and the father of an early reader just starting kindergarten, I was pleased to read that Vermont does not mandate specialized programs for the gifted [“Little Genius,” September 2011]. Indeed, it sounds like we are doing things right. What we call programs for Gifted Children…
Refrigerator Magnets
All Hallows’ Eve is on the horizon, and little ones are already counting down the days ’til costumes, candy corn and trick or treating. Catch the festive spirit by helping your kids create Halloween-themed refrigerator magnets. Make them spooky or just plain silly; these magnets are simple to pull together and instantly add a little…
