Math And Counting Toys For Fun And Learning

 by: Jessie Smith

Math is one of the confusing subjects. If your kids are having trouble to keep up with numbers or anything that has to do with the subject then it would be better if you get them math and counting toys. This will help them keep up and at the same time develop their skills in solving problems and anything that is has to do with numbers. There are so many toys that you can get for your kids but then again it does not have to be all about fun but sometimes fun and learning can go hand in hand. It is very important that you know the kind of toys that you will get for your kids and better choose the best and not just what is available. Here are some math & counting toys that you can get for your kids:

Abacus: Abacus is a famous counting tool that people way back used in counting. This is the best thing that you can get if your kid is just learning how to count from one to 10, then 10-20 and so on. It is very easy to use; all you have to do is slide the object in the skewer like box while you count. The kid can slide the object and then say aloud the number. You can get any colored abacus there is so that your kids will also enjoy and have fun while counting.

Flash Cards: Flash cards are used in order to develop not just the counting of your kids but at the same time there association with pictures and there sense of hearing. With the help of the flash cards your kids can widen their imagination by counting cows, apples or any other pictures in the card.

Math can sometimes be fun if we only choose the right materials and toys for our kids. Math and counting toys are really educational and you can buy them at any toy stores near you or check out any online stores. Be careful in choosing the toys that you bought for your kids, make sure that it will also give them some knowledge and of course fun.

About The Author Learn more about Math & Counting Toys at http://www.bestuniquetoys.com The author invites you to visit: http://www.bestuniquetoys.com

Homeschooling – Learning Through Recipes

Posted By Peggy Baron

There are so many wonderful packaged Unit Studies available to homeschoolers that you don’t know where to start.  Instead of buying something pre-packaged, how about starting with an idea and let your children’s interests decide where to go with it.  Have you thought about starting a unit study in the kitchen… with a recipe?

You can certainly pick your own recipe to start your unit study, but here is an example of how it can work. The recipe I have in mind is for Beef Stroganoff.  Your kids can decide which way they want to go with this, but here are some suggestions:

1.   Investigate the different stories about the origins of Beef Stroganoff and decide, based on the evidence, which version may be the correct one.

2.  Research the year the dish was invented and explore that time period.  What important events were happening around the world then? Who was the US President and what was the US like at that time? What were the people in Russia wearing in the 19th century? What other foods were popular in Russia back then?  What was the main mode of transportation during that time period? Get in as deep as you want on any of these.

3.  What is a count?  Draw and color a nobility tree showing the rankings of nobility from most important to lowest ranking. Is it still that way in Russia today?

4.  Explore Russia geographically.  Find it on the world map. Make your own map of Russia and include topographical items. Add bodies of water, mountains, cities, industry, and whatever else you want. Make charts of demographics. Create math story problems involving air or boat travel from Russia to the US, or from one city in Russia to another.  Compare the size and circumference of Russia as compared to Europe and the US.

5.  Learn about Count Stroganov and his family history. Create a play about his life.

6.  Make a scrapbook by downloading pictures off the Internet and then adding captions explaining the pictures.

7.  Compare 5 different Beef Stroganoff recipes and notice which ingredients are the same and which are different.  Make a bar chart of the ingredients from all the recipes.

8.  Create a Russian newspaper with news items that might have happened in the 19th century. What kind of ads might they have had then?

9.  Make beef stroganoff!  You can have Russian night and make a whole meal of Russian food. Visit some online Russian museums to understand what their dishes and utensils might have looked like and how they would dress for a meal.

10. Write a fictional story about a girl or boy in Russia.

These are ideas on how to go from just one recipe to a unit study. Other recipes work just as well. Take a look at your recipe for pizza and take a trip to Italy, or explore the Tollhouse chocolate chip cook recipe; there’s a good story there. How can you go wrong with pizza or cookies?

Learning to cook can be educational child's play for your kids, and now they can explore a cooking website that’s all their own.  Cookin’ Kids is the place for easy kid-friendly recipes and much more! http://cookinkids.com Parents can visit too for their free Parent Tips.

Be a Believer: Gaming’s Good for You and Your Kid

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According to Kate Connally of AddictingGames.com, 78% of teen girls and 82% of teen boys play online games. Most probably, your kid is included in that percentage. Every parent with kids ages 6 and up should consider that this generation is a new gaming era. Gaming today is very different from how it was developed decades ago. For a lot of parents, gaming is perceived as a distraction and is not a helpful tool in the education of their children. Not today, online games can actually help kids in different aspects without them realizing it because they’re having too much fun. There are tons of studies today that show how this generation is able to think faster and gaming has helped with this. Here’s a story that you may want to read if you’re still not a believer of the good side of gaming for your kids

“I am a dad and I travel a lot for business. I used to call home and talk to my son on the phone and get grunts or short answers. It was always expensive and the calls just made me feel further away because I would ask how he was and not really get any answers it always sounded like he was texting at the same time or something. When I was between trips one time I saw him playing Command and Conquer and asked to play with him. We figured out that I could play anywhere with an Internet connection and you can chat with head phones through the game or text chat in the bottom of the game about strategy. So, when I travel now we log on to a game together and play a mission and talk and chat during the game. Not only is it a great break for me, but he looks forward to talking to me and we actually chat during the game.”

This is a true example of the positive effect of the new form of gaming. Check out some other ideas

1) This is not the video game talk

Online gaming is different than the talk about video games 5-15 years ago. 5 years ago, gaming was mainly in your TV with your Play Station, Sega or Nintendo. Gaming is now mobile, in the cloud and on the desktop and the type of gamers has changed.

2) Casual Gaming

The majority of kids are casual gamers, meaning that they play games 1-2 times at least per week and often game when

-they want to pass time

-they are bored

-there is nothing good to watch on TV

-they want to talk with friends

They do not necessarily trade tips or take their gaming very seriously. Yet, just because someone is a casual gamer, does not mean they do not necessarily spend a lot of time gaming. Casual gamers can spend 12 hours a day gaming, it just means that they do not compete regularly in the same forums or on levels of a game.

3) Socializing Through Games

Games are social. Of course, there are many games that kids play alone with an electronic competitor. But games are social in a number of ways

-Chat rooms with the games

-Playing a game while your friends watch (often happens on desktops at schools)

-Background to a party. When your kid has friends over, the Wii is always on. They still talk and eat and communicate but someone is always playing in the background.

-Social networks built behind the games. There are many game websites that have whole social networks and profiles built behind their games where users can list their hobbies and favorite games and tips.

3) Socializing Through Games

Games are social. Of course, there are many games that kids play alone with an electronic competitor. But games are social in a number of ways

-Chat rooms with the games

-Playing a game while your friends watch (often happens on desktops at schools)

-Background to a party. When your kid has friends over, the Wii is always on. They still talk and eat and communicate but someone is always playing in the background.

-Social networks built behind the games. There are many game websites that have whole social networks and profiles built behind their games where users can list their hobbies and favorite games and tips.

4) Movies and Games as One

“We are the 16 candles of online games,” says Connally of AddictingGames.com. Gaming sites are trying very hard (and succeeding) to tie together traditional entertainment and games so that they are seamless. Almost every movie out has a component online game and this is a way that young people experience more of the movie, by playing a version of it.

5) Games with Statements

There are many games that make some kind of statement and might even teach a lesson. For example “Barry Bonds Game” is a game where you can give steroids to your baseball playing avatars where they will play well, but if you choose to give them steroids then, after the game you run the risk of having them get really bad press and have to switch teams making your next season bad. There is also Trillion Dollar Bailout, it has little AIG employees running around New York City cartoon buildings. Escape the Oval Office is another popular one featuring a cartoon Bush. There are many attack and kill mode games but also some that are pro-social.

6) Homework Games

There are online games or dashboard games which are very popular on Mac laptops where there are mini-games like tic tac toe and Bedazzle. They are literally one click away when the teacher decides to breathe in between points.

7) Double Time Games

This generation’s middle name should be multi-task. Teens often are gaming while doing something else. Especially casual gamers, they almost never just do gaming. They play games while watching TV, while in class, while at a party, while on the bus, while hanging out with friends.

8) Mobile Games

Mobile games are on cell phones as opposed to dashboard games (on a computer) or games in the cloud (games online). These are so popular. If a teen is bored and they have their cell phone on them (which of course they do), they will have some sort of game on their phone and play it to fill any gap times.

Tips for Parents of Gamers

-Make time limits

-Identify the ‘No Electronic’ zones in your house

-Make no electronic times during your week where they have to find something else to do

-Spend some time gaming yourself, gaming can be really positive and the best way for parents to make relevant rules is to understand the appeal and the types of games they are playing

-Ask them to show you what they are playing

-Make it a bonding thing. Play with them!

About The Author The author recommends Sqwishland.com, a Safe Pets Virtual World for Kids where they can Play Fun Educational Minigames!

iPad Benefits For Children With Special Needs

 

 

 

 

 

My older son, Josh, is mildly Autistic and even though he is verbal his speeach is not at the level it should be for a 12 year old.  I found this great article in this awesome blog and what to share it with you.  As a single mom of an Autistic child, I know the challenges, ignorance and misconceptions you and your child face on a daily basis..   I hope you enjoy!  Here is the link to this blog http://www.letschatautism.com/ and this particular article http://www.letschatautism.com/2010/10/20/ipad-benefits-for-children-with-special-needs/

 

Posted on October 20, 2010 by miche le3

 

We found this awesome article on apple homepage and wanted to share it with you. It talks about ipad benefits for children with special needs and we thought this fit well into our iPad Campaign.
The article is listed below, here is the orginal link to the article by By JENNIFER VALENTINO-DEVRIES
“The rise of mainstream tablet computers is proving to have unforeseen benefits for children with speech and communication problems—and such use has the potential to disrupt a business where specialized devices can cost thousands of dollars.
Before she got an iPad at age two, Caleigh Gray couldn’t respond to yes-or-no questions. Now Caleigh, who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, uses a $190 software application that speaks the words associated with pictures she touches on Apple Inc.’s device.
“We’re not having to fight to prove to people that she is a smart little girl anymore, because it’s there once they see her using the iPad,” said Caleigh’s mother, Holly Gray, who said her daughter can use the tablet to identify colors or ask to go outside.
The software, called Proloquo2Go by a company called AssistiveWare BV, is one of a growing number of apps aimed at people with speech difficulties developed for Apple’s gadgets. Some of the apps offer images that users can press to make the sound of a word; others lead students through stories to teach them basic speech patterns.
Companies are also planning such apps for upcoming tablets that run Google Inc.’s Android software.
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in an interview that he hopes the easy-to-use design of the iPad has helped children with special needs take to the device more quickly, but that its use in therapy wasn’t something Apple engineers could have foreseen.
“We take no credit for this, and that’s not our intention,” Mr. Jobs said, adding that the emails he gets from parents resonate with him. “Our intention is to say something is going on here,” and researchers should “take a look at this.”
Specialized speech devices from companies like DynaVox Inc. and Prentke Romich Co. range from about $2,500 on the low end to $15,000 for a device that uses the eye movements of people who are paralyzed to allow them to select words on a screen. Most are about $7,000, near the amount that Medicare covers for such hardware.
The price of the devices covers the materials required to make them durable; extensive service that is often needed for disabled patients; as well as complicated software, said Ed Donnelly, the chief executive of DynaVox.
He said the iPad might be an alternative for a “very small segment” of people who buy his firm’s devices, but noted DynaVox this month released a new touch-screen product, called the Maestro, that resembles consumer tablets. That device costs $7,820.
“Like any specialist device our problem is we just can’t get economies of scale. We maybe sell thousands a year,” said Russell Cross, the director of clinical applications for Prentke Romich. He said his company’s business hasn’t suffered as a result of mainstream devices.
“It’s not like people have suddenly stopped buying [these] products,” he said. “We’ve always been very aware that the need for [speech] devices is far greater than actual supply.”
The dedicated devices are covered by most government and private insurers, but the iPad—which costs between $499 and $829—and other computers generally aren’t.
Medicare doesn’t cover mainstream tablets, even though they might cost less than dedicated devices, said Andrea Abramovich, a speech pathologist and instructor at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
“There’s a hotbed of problems it would open up” because tablets could be used for nonmedical purposes, she said.
Many of the speech apps have been available on traditional computers and smaller touch-screen devices, but parents and therapists said tablets offer more options for children.
“It’s portable and something he can carry, and yet it’s large enough to be accessible,” said Shannon Rosa, an advocate and writer whose nine-year-old son, Leo, has autism and uses an iPad. “There’s no cursor analogy he has to work through; it’s a direct connection.”
The iPad also helps remove some of the social stigma. Devices that are made specifically to help people speak tend to be “bulky,” said Bill Thompson, a school psychologist in California with the Orange County Department of Education, who has made several apps to help children with speech problems.
“But now you might have a kid who struggles with bridging the social gap have kids come up and want to see what they’re doing. It really has a ‘norming’ quality,” Mr. Thompson said of the iPad.
Speech therapists said there are a few changes they’d like to see to the iPad to make it more friendly for children with disabilities, including the ability to have parents lock the apps so that children can’t delete them, or adjustments to make it less likely that people with motor problems would open apps accidentally.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are planning to study what else could be done to make such tablets better for people who have either autism or speech difficulties.
The devices, for example, could use location data to deliver options for speaking that depend on a particular place—say, a restaurant or a church. Or they could take advantage of technology that can simulate speech based on just a few syllables of a person’s voice, said Matthew Goodwin, the director of clinical research at the MIT Media Lab.”

How Musical Toys and Outdoor Toys Aid a Child�s Development

There are many toys that are not actually called educational but certainly help to increase a child�s
spatial or motor skills in some way as well as creating an opportunity for their imagination to work overtime.

Outdoor toys such as balls and skipping ropes not only provide the opportunity for healthy exercise, but can be used in any number of imaginative games. In addition, balls help to develop small motor skills and even gross motor skills as the child grows older. They can be kicked, thrown and bounced in any number of ways and even just learning how to pick up and hold a small ball often fascinates a toddler who can only just crawl.

Many outdoor toys such as sand-pits, pools or outdoor tables with sections designed for water play can enhance your child�s play time as well as their motor skills and teach them things about gravity that they do not even realise they are learning.

Musical toys are usually indoor toys and these too can be considered educational in that they aid a child�s development in many ways. First they have to learn what to do to make the toy play music. This could be as simple as pushing or pulling buttons or levers on a musical table designed for toddlers. The reward for learning what to do is the music which is often accompanied by flashing lights or other noises besides musical ones.

But it is not only the fun of learning what to do to hear the noise that is educational, but often what they hear teaches them something too. For instance, they can learn colours and numbers as well as their ABC from such musical toys. Hearing rhymes or simple songs over again also helps them to memorise words.

Musical toys for older children often require children to develop small motor skills to be able to play with them. Some toys such as xylophones can be used by littlies as they happily dong away without needing to know how to play a tune; then they can be used by an older child who is able to read the booklet to learn how to play a recognisable tune.

About The Author Child Specialist is a trained and certified child nutritionist and specialist helping new parents with expert advice on child growth. The author invites you to visit: http://yahoo.com

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/kids_and_teens/article_581.shtml

Math Games for the Active Child

 

Posted By Peggy Baron On February 19, 2009

To put it in a nice way, my son is rather squirmy. He doesn't like to sit still for very long unless he's playing a video game, then it's just amazing.  So instead of constantly telling him to sit down and do his math, we take it outside or up the stairs, literally.  I'd  like to share some of ways we like to do math when sitting still is too much.  Try these games with your child and I think you'll agree that math and exercise can go hand in hand.

Stair Math

Math flash cards are usually pretty boring.  What you can do for your active child is put a card on each step going up your stairs and then along the hall and into another room.  Place these every foot or two. Some kids like to be timed, so get out your stopwatch and yell .   My son will race up the stairs as quickly as he can while shouting out the answers. He makes it to his room and jumps on his bed in triumph.You can do this game several times.

Flash Card Toss

This math game works particularly well at our house because we have an open area at the top of the stairs that looks down on the family room.   Actually, anywhere in your house or outside will do, and it's great for a child who has a lot of pent up energy! Take a flash card and fling it as far as youcan.  Have your child run after it, pick it up, solve it, and race back to you.  You can do this until either the kid runs out of steam or you injure your throwing arm.

Shoot 10 Baskets

There are many variations to this game and you can adjust it to fit your child. You can play with an actual basketball hoop or wadded up pieces of paper shooting at the trash can.

1.  Have your child shoot 10 baskets and keep track of how many they make. Do this in series of 10s, as many times as you want.  Next, show the scores to your child and have them figure out his average per 10 baskets he/she has made.

2.  This game requires quick thinking.  Ask your child to shoot 10 baskets and then ask him/her to tell you the ratio of missed baskets to baskets shot, or the ratio of made baskets to missed baskets.  You can do this with any number of shooting attempts and have them answer quickly before they shoot again.

3.   Another way to play is to ask them to shoot 10 baskets and figure out the fraction of made shots to total shots.  Next, have them reduce their fraction, and then turn their fraction into a percentage. They should do this in their head, or if they need to write it down, you can supply sidewalk chalk orpencil and paper for some quick figuring.

Interactive Story Problems

A little imagination on your part, plus a stopwatch, makes this one fun!  You make up the story problem and your children act it out.   Here are some examples:

If [your child's name runs] from the mailbox to the back fence in [however long it takes him in seconds], and [another child's name] runs the same path in [however long it takes her in seconds], how many minutes were spent running this route by both of them altogether?

If [name] threw the ball [measure in inches] and [Mom] threw the ball 9 inches less than that, how far did your amazing Mom throw?

You are going to time your child skipping, running, hopping, running backwards, race walking, and running on all fours.  But first, let him or her rank the order in which they think they will do these, from fastest to slowest and estimate their times.  Then time them and compare with their estimate.
After that, you can make up all sorts of story problems:

How much faster did you skip than hop?

How many minutes total did it take you to do all of them?

Which is faster running and running backwards vs. race walking and hopping?

These games are just a start in practicing math with your active child,  sure you can think of quite a few more once you get started.  One thing is for sure, after playing these math games, they're ready to sit down and do some passive reading!

Learning to cook can also be educational child's play for your kids, and now they can explore a cooking website that’s all their own Cookin’ Kids is the place for easy kid-friendly recipes and much more! cookinkids.com ^[1] Parents can visit too for their free Parent Tips.

Finding Educational Kids Web Games

by: Van Theodorou

With all of the trouble and situations that kids can find on the internet nowadays, some parents are finding themselves quite hesitant in letting their children play online games. Older kids can suddenly find themselves the target of an online predator or playing a game that their parents definitely would not approve of them participating in.

For younger children, there are kids online games that are rather educational and safe. Most of those games are safe enough for parents to walk away from their children for a few moments and know that they are playing safely online.

I have a five-year old girl who is very good when it comes to kids online games. When it comes to playing games on the internet, we are very particular the same as what we let her watch on television. Some of our favorite children’s TV stations however have good websites with kids’ online games that allow them to play with their favorite characters.

Not only are those sites filled with fun and creative kids online games, but they can be more educational than watching them on the television. Quite honestly, my daughter can navigate through their websites a lot better than I can! She’s learning about how to use computers as well as whatever else the games are teaching.

I have found that by letting my daughter play kids online games, she actually comprehends more than the characters are teaching or showing on the television. But of course you don’t want to use the internet as a babysitter for your kids, not all the time.

On the computer, she has to count for herself – not just count along with the voices coming through the TV speakers. There are lots of other tasks that she has to accomplish for herself. While she hasn’t gotten into the Webkinz kids online games like many other children have, I know that if she does express an interest, that is a very safe and educational site as well.

A lot of time and energy has been spent putting together online games that children can find and play safely. It certainly will be a lot more difficult for a predator to target children when playing specific kids online games. I always make sure that I check on my daughter every few moments just to make sure that all is well, she’s still having fun and to make sure that she’s not breaking my computer!

It is relatively easy to find kids online games that are educational. You can simply search a few sites on Google or any other search engines. But be cautious on letting your kids sit in front of the computer for a long period of time because they might end up being a computer genius than you are!


Article by Van T, you can learn more about him at his profile.

About The Author Article written by Van Theodorou, for a free analysis, telecom audit and a free consultation go his site for free T1 line quotes and T1 service