Stuart Brown, founder and director of the National Institute for Play in Carmel, Calif., tells the story of what happened between a hungry, 1,200-pound polar bear and a husky tied up at a camp near Hudson Bay, late one October day. The bear approached the group of dogs with his eyes fixed in a predatory stare. Amazingly, one of the huskies greets him in a "play bow," wagging her tail. Dr. Brown, a … [Read more...] about The power of play: Cyberbullying solution?
kids
Friends and ‘friends’: Advice for tweens
I'm a long-time fan of author Annie Fox, who teaches life literacy to tweens and teens through her writing and "Hey Terra!" advice site. So it was great to see she has a new book out: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind, the second in her new "Middle School Confidential" series. The book offers "insider information on making friends, resolving disputes, and dealing with common hazards of the middle … [Read more...] about Friends and ‘friends’: Advice for tweens
Webkinz for little kids
Now there's a Webkinz virtual world for preschoolers, the New York Times reports in its "Kid Tech" blog. The price of admission to Webkinz, Jr. "is a plush animal about a third larger than a traditional Beanie Baby, with a proportionally higher price of about $18." The games are good, as good as pricier sites for this age group, and parents have a good deal of control over their children's … [Read more...] about Webkinz for little kids
Undercover Mom in Poptropica, Part 2: The Apple Jacks of kids’ virtual worlds
By Sharon Duke EstroffLast week I detailed the good things I discovered in this popular kids' virtual world for 5-to-10-year-olds. This week...What I wasn't crazy about Video Game Overtones. Gallant educational effort aside, my suspicions were correct. Kids aren’t flocking to Poptropica.com by the tens of millions out of a quest for learning, they’re flocking there for the highly addictive video … [Read more...] about Undercover Mom in Poptropica, Part 2: The Apple Jacks of kids’ virtual worlds
Undercover Mom in Poptropica, Part 1: Virtual World with educational elements
By Sharon Duke EstroffI chose Poptropica.com as the site of my latest undercover mom investigation because of its first-place ranking in the 5-to-10-year-old bracket. With 20 million unique accounts and counting, it is indeed a heavy hitter in the burgeoning children’s virtual world market.But I was also intrigued by the Poptropica's educational spin. The site's parent company is Family Education … [Read more...] about Undercover Mom in Poptropica, Part 1: Virtual World with educational elements