Kids and Teens Fun times

Encourage creativity in your children by providing them with the time, resources, encouragement and the space for making art.Set aside interruption-free time for drawing, in a mess-proof zone - so that their creativity can run wild. Make sure you cover all surfaces so that any splashes of paint or scribbles of crayon are ‘caught’ - because nothing squishes creativity more so than a parent saying “Don’t make a mess” at regular intervals.

Choose the right drawing materials too as this is very  important. Many craft materials can be improvised (think of kitchen roll tubes, yogurt pots etc) but when drawing tools and paper are required, opt for a small selection of good quality age-appropriate products, rather than loads of inferior products. Always make sure that you check safety information and follow instructions. Young children should always be surpervised during arts and crafts activities because many necessary materials - such as crayons - pose a choking hazard.

Surroundings:As with writing or working at a computer, good posture and a comfortable position are important for drawing. A child-size table and chair is actually preferable to an easel. If the chair is a little high, provide a phone book as a footrest. An inexpensive plastic chair  set in front of a coffee table works well. A small kitchen storage trolley is perfect for containing supplies, or if space does not allow, a portable fishing tackle box is a great option too. Messy toddlers may need a drop-cloth and supervision to avoid stained walls, as even ‘washable’ pens very often don’t deliver on that promise!

Art Materials:Avoid cheap markers, too-hard pencils and thin paints - these types of materials are discouraging to the child and therefore  a waste of money. Provide many sheets of blank paper to inspire their creativity and occasionally invest in a canvas so that your child can paint something and chances are you’ll want to hang it on your wall!  Provide also coloring books or coloring pages which are bountiful online - coloring pages are not so great for creativity, however they do provide children with the  chance to practice their fine motor skills and sometimes it’s very relaxing and just what they need. They can simply color in without feeling the ‘pressure’ about WHAT to draw.  Little boys typically enjoy coloring pictures of cars and trucks while little girls usually enjoy colouring images of princesses and fairies - sites like like Fairy Coloring Pages you’ll find many fairies to colour

When it comes to drawing and coloring, at each age/stage of your child’s life provide….

Toddlers:

• Child-safe markers and wipe-off boards
• Chalk boards and safe chalk
• Plain paper and coloring pages

Juniors:

• Sketchbook
• Student colored pencils
• Washable Markers
• Oil pastels
• Plain paper and coloring pages

Middle School:

• Sketchbook  or scrapbook
• Graphite Pencils
• Watercolor sketch paper
• Watercolor pencils
• Marker pens, marker paper
• Plain paper and coloring pages

High School

• Sketchbook  or scrapbook
• Quality drawing papers and boards
• Graphite Pencils
• Artists’ quality colored pencils
• Illustration markers, marker paper
• Pastel paper and hard pastels if liked
• Plain paper and canvases to work on

All ages:

• Safe sharpeners, erasers, dusters, stencils and rulers
• A  folder for storing large pieces
• Storage boxes for smaller pieces
• Consider photographing or scanning pieces for a permanent record.

When you shop for kids’ toys, it is important to know which of the toys you are considering are safe to purchase for your children and which ones are dangerous. Some toys on the shelves have been recalled but the stores continue to shelf them. If you have not kept up with the news and the toy recall list, then you might purchase some really cool toys that your kids will love but they might have some toxic, harmful materials. You need to be careful when buying toddlers toys or anything for babies in particular because a small amount of toxic substance present in toys can harm them.

It is disturbing that toxic toys continue to be sold in stores everywhere, despite new laws that aim to protect children from toxic toys. Toy safety is a very important issue that parents are worried about. While most toys on store shelves are actually safe, there continues to be various toys that pose a range of safety hazards to small kids. With that fact in mind, parents and other child-care providers need to remain vigilant in order to avoid toy-related deaths and injuries. With more tests and more scientific discoveries, the scope of unsafe toys has been widened to include toys that were considered to be safe such as those labeled as phthalate-free. Bear in mind that even some products labeled phthalate-free may contain the dangerous chemical.

Although manufacturers of toys should act swiftly to recall unsafe products and give parents the information they need so that they will be able to purchase safe toys for their kids, some of them care more about their bottom lines. You might have heard of many toy recalls on TV but there are many more toy recalls that are not published. Therefore, parents may not be aware that they are unsafe to use or buy. The government agency that is supposed to keep toys safe called The Consumer Product Safety Commission have put out alerts and information on toy safety but there are still lots of manufacturers that ignoring warnings and continue to sell toys laden with toxic materials. The Consumer Product Safety Commission cannot do much about existing toys that are already out on the shelves.

If you suspect you have a toxic, toxic and dangerous toy or any product that is unsafe, you should report the incident to the CPSC by calling a toll-free Consumer Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270).

Culture plays a large role in  many things - from what we eat to how we dress - and it even has an effect on the minutae of life - like whether or not drawing will enter into a child’s repertoire of behavior.

For example, studies have shown that  Taiwanese-American and Chinese-American parents tend to plan more drawing time for their children than their  European-American  counterpart parents do. As a result of more time spent drawing, Taiwanese-American and Chinese-American children’s drawings have been deemed more advanced than those of their counterparts.

According to research carried out in 1983, when children are provided with drawing and coloring materials and encouragement they tend to create works that reflect their particular culture - and each culture has its own ’style’. For example, French children tend to spend a good deal of time on drawing, filling the entire page with large, colorful designs,  drawings by Japanese children  meanwhile tend to be more complex, harmonious and complete than drawings by North-American children. Children from the island of Bali on the other hand,  typically use many small marks to draw intricate, colorful designs which fill the page.

While many cultures use and value drawing as art, there are a few cultures that show no evidence of drawing at all.

The children from the island of Ponape (in Micronesia) usually have no prior drawing experience. Yet when researchers carried out a recent study, those Ponape children that were given drawing materials tended to draw by starting in the center of the page making shapes that connected outward like groups of linked bubbles - they also tended not.

Interestingly, when children from cultures that don’t include drawing in their children’s life are first introduced to the tools, they tend to experiment, scribble, or attempt realistic drawings right from the start. There seems to be great variation in first attempts. However, in general, it has been found that children tend to draw from a cultural perspective, imitating the designs reflected in fabrics, architecture or other aspects of the adult culture including symbol systems such as written letters or characters and numerals.

Culture therefore both confines and defines the art of children.

Children from ‘First World’ countries like the USA have many opportunities to draw and color and are encouraged to do so by their parents, teachers and other caregivers. Material is plentiful too with crayons, paper,  coloring books and even online resources in plentiful supply. Little boys tend to enjoy coloring pictures that represent what he sees every day such as cars, trucks and machinery while little girls enjoy coloring images from fairy tales and   princesses and at sites like Princess Coloring Pages you’ll find the best coloring pages

With both encouragement and resources a-plenty, children of ‘First World’ countries are very lucky to have both the means and the support to express themselves creatively through drawing and colouring.

I’m not kidding when I say that I don’t think I know anyone who deep inside wouldn’t want to be able to sing better. Singing is such a natural form of human expression. It’s not much different to asking a person if he’d like to expressing himself better. Few people would say no to that. 

You can really stand out from the crowd by being a good singer because in reality there are not so many good singers around. This means that when you learn to sing you win admiration from fans. I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t enjoy being on the receiving end of a standing ovation after a live performance. Nothing can quite match up to that feeling. Ready to release the singing Diva in you then click here!

Let’s not forget that it’s different strokes for different folks. Some people dream of the high of having 50 000 cheering fans egging them on. Others long for the feeling of being the lead singer touring with a band. These days, more and more folks wonder to themselves how it would be to impress the judges at the next American Idol audition. More common aspirations are to entertain or amaze friends with awesome karaoke skills. Even if you just want to sing for the sheer enjoyment of it, that’s as good a reason as any to start singing lessons now.

The fact is that learning to sing can do so much for you. While I can think of so many super reasons to learn to sing, I can’t think of a single drawback. Singing makes you feel good, it’s also proven to be good for health. Singing will also do so much for your self-confidence. It’s simply a fantastic form of expression and offers you a way to be you.   

So tell me, what’s holding you back? Doubt and fear are the most common reasons for people not achieving the singing success they’re capable of. Most people have hang ups about the sound of their own voice. Unfortunately people don’t realize just how fun and simple learning to sing can be. Do yourself a favor and forget the myth that people are born to sing. This is common misconception that is simply not true.

Another common excuse for not singing is the cost of private singing lessons. While this used to be a valid reason not to learn to sing, it’s not anymore. You see, nowadays there are so many excellent home study singing lessons available that there really is no financial excuse not be able to reach your singing dreams.  

Learning to sing at home is a great option for the following reasons. The most obvious benefit is learning to sing online is just so much more affordable. You can also schedule you singing practice whenever it suits you best. It’s also great that you can repeat the lessons as regularly as you need to until you master each one. Bear in mind that you can upload the audio files to your mp3 player and practice your singing wherever you please. I think that the biggest advantage of home study singing lessons is that you get to learn from the most experienced and highly regarded vocal instructors in the world.  

So there you have it. Plenty of great reasons to learn to sing and no more excuses to hide behind. To get started today, visit Star Singing Lessons.

Sometimes it seems we are more focused on our children’s wardrobes than on our own.Brand names, designer clothing, head-to-toe outfits with the cartoon character of the moment.it never stops.But while our children’s day clothes are our primary concern, are we looking at their sleepwear ?

Children are estimated to spend over a third of their childhood - 40% actually - asleep.  Research also shows that a child’s sleep has a direct impact on both their physical and mental development.We need to stop and think before we accede to our children’s demands for the latest sleepwear trends or dash into a department store for a rushed purchase?

While every parent wishes to do the very best for their families, it would be worthwhile taking the time to make sure they wear the right sleepwear.man-made fibres such as polyester and nylon can cause a reaction in young skins, because they don’t allow the skin to breathe properly.  The rough texture of some fabrics can also cause rashes and itching.

Pure cotton is proven to be the best fabric for sensitive skins.Whatever the season - light in summer and cosy in winter, breathable cotton is always the way to go.And if you’re looking for ways of ensuring your kids get a good night’s rest, then sleepwear from Midsummernight’s Dream made from pure 100% Indian cotton is the best choice.

According to Liz Collins, owner of Perth sleepwear shop and website, MidsummerNight’s Dream, who has spent the last 10 years specialising in the design and manufacture of stunning French-inspired nighties and pyjamas for both kids and adults, the proof of the pudding is in her customers’ feedback.The feedback from all my customers is that they get a good night’s sleep in their pure cotton sleepwear, because the generous proportions and French seams of our pyjamas and nighties makes them extra comfortable.”

She applies the same design and manufacturing philosophy to her children’s range, which includes beautifully hand embroidered winter and summer styles, pyjamas and dresses as well as sleepwear for babies.  “We source the finest quality cotton from India, which is gentle on sensitive skin and hypoallergenic.Pure cotton washes and dries easily and doesn’t lose any of its comfort or softness, which is a huge help with children around,” she said.

With all the modern day advances and consequent increase in allergies, we would do our families a favour by going back to the time-tested way of getting the healthiest start to the day - getting a good night’s sleep wearing pure cotton sleepwear.

Not all skateboards are alike. They differ in quality as well as appearance. For ensuring a exciting and thrilling skateboarding experience, opt for chocolate skateboards. Chocolate skateboards have a sturdy construction and therefore, allow skateboarders to practice different kinds of tricks.

Chocolate skateboards are available in a wide assortment of colors, designs and patterns. Choc eldridge sugar skulls deck, choc anderson license plate deck, choc anderson bollywood deck, choc brenes semi sweet deck, choc calloway sugar skulls deck, choc roberts pinata deck, and choc m. johnson marco johnsonsky deck are some of the varieties available in chocolate skateboards. These skateboards are not only give the skateboarder a trendy look, but also help him show his talent and creativity. Some of the ticks that a skateboarder can perform on his chocolate skateboard are aerials, flips tricks, freestyle tricks, lip tricks and many others.

In recent years there has been nothing short of an explosion in interest in model trains and railways. Some have said that this is due to baby-boomers who fondly remember their own model trainsets, now buying model train sets for their own children.

There is no denying that this is certainly the case for me. I am one of those baby boomers and I have fond memories of many hours spent with my brother and father building sometimes elaborate model railway systems. I recall that our most extensive and elaborate system took over the whole of our dining room which became known as ‘the railway room’. We managed to keep the track set up in our railway room right up until Christmas when family guests for Christmas dinner meant that my mother insisted that we dismantle the track and return the railway room to its preceding dining room status. I can recall my fathers disappointment at having to dismantly the track that we had spent many hours constructing and modifying.

In fact, reflecting on those days, I think it was doing things with my father that was more important to me than the model railway. My father never really showed any interest in my school work or playing football or and sports for that matter. But when it came to model trains and railways he would suddenly become animated and enthusiastic. The one guaranteed way to get him to put down the newspaper and leave his comfortable armchair was to suggest we have a session on the railway.

Model trains can provide a fun and rewarding hobby for anybody, at any age. Model trains should not be confused with toy trains. They are scale models of the real thing and can provide a valuable educational aid, helping youngsters to become familiar with the history of rail transport, the development of railway technology and how locomotives have developed through the ages.

Way back in the 1850s Marklin, a German manufacturer of dolls-house accessories, introduced the first boxed train-set. The product was intended to appel to boys, broadening their market. They were also responsible for producig accessories for their train sets including trackside buildings. The company are still in business today.

Electric powered trains are reputed to have been introduced by the American company Carlisle and Finch in 1897 but it was the Lionel Corporation who were responsible for developing the product. Their first Electric train, called the Electric Express, was actually not intended for sale. Their original model was intended to be used as a storefront display.

Jump forward to today and you will find many fathers, like myself, who have fond memories of many hours shared with their fathers building and playing with model train sets. We buy systems for our own children but, in truth, its more about us re-visiting our own childhoods and the happy times that we spent with our trains.

Learning toys for toddlers has become perhaps the most enjoyable shopping experiences ever. Let’s face it, the parent who is not keen in their child having good and educational time simultaneously, are rare. The only problem with choosing out of the hordes of learning toys for toddlers is to understand what is available and where to buy. And this text is about discovering a solution to finding learning games.

If you are searching for a learning toy for baby, the enormous volume available is kind of daunting. But don’t be overwhelmed by the fact that you are not giving the ideal learning toy for babies as all toys for babies are finally learning toys, but the baby toys they have will naturally give them specific experiences, whether it be recognizing shapes.

As they get older, educational toys for toddlers get a bit more of a time consuming event but there are lots of companies that cater to the large arena of educational childrens toys and discovering them is not too difficult.

A good area to begin looking for toys for toddlers as well as toys for preschoolers is online and the fact that you are viewing this indicates that you are doing that already. Along with this article we have provided a few suggestions so you can see some of the choices out there to you regarding preschool learning toys and children’s educational toys are concerned. Please take your time perusing the different options and let your instinct and familiarity of your child be the guiding force in finding the learning toys for children that you you think will be best suited.

No need to get overwhelmed by any of your efforts to find the ideal educational toys for kids as it is such a happy occasion and as long as you know that you are looking to help your find a baby develop toy or your toddler learning game, you will not go wrong. After all, most of the joy of parenting is the vicarious pleasure of watching your child experience the learning toys for children that you give.

Good facial skin care is a basic health requirement. All of us want that beautiful, youthful glow for our skin. No matter how much we pretend that we love our laugh lines, what we really love is the memories that made them, and in reality we would trade the laugh lines in for smooth, firm skin in about half a second given the opportunity. Taking good care of your facial skin is vital to retaining a youthful look for as long as possible.

However, in our hurry to purchase the latest facial skin care fad, we often neglect the simple things that we can do to keep our skin looking firm, young and healthy far more effective than the latest celebrity beauty trend.

* Consider skin care vitamins. Aging skin has more trouble fighting off environmental factors like free radicals than youthful skin does. Daily vitamins geared toward skin care help skin remain strong against environmental attacks.

* Add some nuts to your day – literally. Walnuts can trick your skin into believing it is younger than it really is. Once you reach your late twenties, you may need some help from healthy walnuts to keep antioxidants high.

* Do not forget to moisturize. Teenage habits die hard, and you still may be limiting moisturizing in order to prevent breakouts. A lightly scented moisturizer will provide your skin – and you – with a refreshing boost throughout the day. Monitor results so that you can switch lotions if you experience breakouts.

Using these facial skin care secrets along with your regular beauty regimen will enhance the effectiveness of your skin care routine. Treating the skin from outside and inside with these facial skin care tips will help make your skin healthier than ever before.

This article was originally published on http://www.BeautyCtr.com and has been republished here due to repeated requests from our readers.  Thank you for your feedback!  Check out BeautyCtr.com regularly for more updates about health and beauty products.

All rise - as the latest member of Disney’s Royal Family is introduced…

Princess Tiana is the star of the upcoming 2009 Disney film The Princess and the Frog. The film has a limited release date in the USA (in NY and LA only) as the 25th November  and will be released in US theaters on December 11th. This film will mark the return of Disney to traditional, hand-drawn animation and will bring to eagerly awaiting fans the 9th Disney Princess. The latest member of Disney’s Royal Family is the gorgeous Princess Tiana, the first Disney Princess to come along in 11 years - with the last Disney Princess being 1998’s Mulan.

The Princess and the frog storyline centers on young Tiana, a girl living in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age and a prince named Naveen who has been transformed into a frog by the evil voodoo magician Dr. Facilier. The story will feature a trumpet playing alligator, a love sick Cajun firefly and a host of other charming characters at every turn.

A preview was given at the recent US Toy Fair, of the Disney merchandise that will accompany the release of the movie.With bright, regal colors like purple, green, gold and blue, the toys and merchandise will evoke life in New Orleans and the bayou, where the film is set. The collection includes dolls, playsets, role-play items and costumes as well as colorful accessories.

The Princess and the Frog Tiana doll (that will retail for $25) from Mattel, will probably be the most popular toy from the line. Just as in the story, beautiful Princess Tiana wears her sparkly blue ball gown and comes with her frog Prince Naveen. The gown will light up (fiber optics) and the doll and the little green frog will interact! In addition to the signature Tiana doll, Prince Naveen and Princess Tiana will be available in wedding attire.

Websites centered around Princess Tiana and the movie have already begun to appear. Of note are those sites that applaud Disney’s choice to feature a black princess (Disney’s first) and other sites that offer coloring pages, printables and paper crafts that feature Disney’s latest Princess.

Little girls  of all ages will enjoy the many, free, printable coloring images of  Princess Tiana (plus party invitations, various paper crafts and party room decorations)  available  at  sites like Princess Tiana Coloring Pages where you’ll find many princess coloring book

The message in this eagerly awaited movie is unique - what Tiana learns in the film - and  Disney characters always learn something by movie’s end — is that balance is important in life. Jazz Age woman that she is, Tiana needs both love and a career to find happiness.

Her dream is not just to marry a prince!