Do you know a child who is a gifted writer or artist? Are you looking for ways to encourage him or her to use those skills?

If so, you might want to check out the Kids Are Authors competition sponsored by Scholastic Book Fairs. It is a yearly contest for all students in Kindergarten to 8th grade (in American and U.S. international schools). Since the goal of the contest is to also teach kids how to work better in groups, the rules stipulate that students must work in teams of three or more kids with an adult project coordinator to write and illustrate their own book. The Kids Are Authors competition encourages kids to use their writing and artistic skills, as well as creativity, teamwork, social skills, and communication skills.

Important Dates:

All entries must be postmarked by March 15, 2012 in order to be eligible for the 2012 Kids Are Authors Competition. The winners will be announced by May 31, 2012.

Contest Prizes:

Grand Prizes — The two grand-prize winning books will be published by Scholastic and sold at Book Fairs all over the United States. There will be one fiction and one nonfiction book chosen. Each winning team will also receive $5,000 in merchandise from the Scholastic Book Fairs School Resource Catalog to be awarded to the public/private school or non-profit organization of their choice and 100 copies of their published book. Each student will also earn a gold medal and a framed award certificate.

Honeorable Mentions — In addition to the big prizes, there will also be 25 honorable mentions selected. Each winning team will earn $500 in merchandise from the Scholastic Book Fairs School Resource Catalog to be awarded to the public/private school or non-profit organization of their choice. Each participating kid in the winning groups will also receive an award certificate.

Guidelines and Rules:

Learn more about Kids Are Authors by visiting the Scholastic website. You can also find the full contest guidelines and offical rules and specifics on how to enter the contest there.

Good luck to all the kids who enter!

Calling all authors and businesses! We want your help. Creative Kids Ideas is interested in connecting with authors and companies interested in sponsoring contests and giveaways for our Creative Kids Ideas readers in 2012. CKI’s readers are awesome and really deserve some cool goodies! Plus, we promise to give you lots of great publicity. (We’re also willing to provide reviews of your books and products.)

Please keep in mind that Creative Kids Ideas features content about kids, children’s crafts, parenting, teaching, and other kid-related topics. Those are also the types of products we are interested in reviewing and giving away.

Anyone interested can reach us at admin@CreativeKidsIdeas.com, use the Contact form on our site, or reply in the comments section below.

Creative Kids Ideas Readers: We’d also appreciate your help in spreading the word! Thanks and a Happy 2012 to all of you.

Photo courtesy of: The Big Bang Theory and Stylin Online

“Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr!”

Fans of the CBS TV comedy, The Big Bang Theory, will recognize the “Soft Kitty” song that an ill Sheldon teaches to Penny and convinces her to sing to make him feel better. This cute and snuggly plush kitty sings the soothing song (in Penny’s voice) when the paw is pressed, and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your child’s face, whether she is sick or not!

Parents who may be concerned about giving their child a collectible item from The Big Bang Theory, which is a show that sometimes contains more “adult content”, can rest assured that there is nothing inappropriate for kids with the song or the plush toy. But you don’t just have to take my word for it. Here’s a short video to give you a better idea:

Photo courtesy of: The Big Bang Theory and Stylin Online

Here are the details you’ll need to know about the Soft Kitty Singing Plush Toy:

• This plush is a trademark The Big Bang Theory product.

• The kitty is 10-inches long.

• The plush toy is gray and pink.

• It requires three 1.5V button-cell batteries (included with the toy).

• It plays “Soft Kitty” when the button on the paw is pressed.

• The kitty is made of polyester fiber and is all new material.

• The plush is not machine washable. Surface cleaning should be done with a damp cloth.

• The toy is recommended for children (and adults) over the age of 3.

• The Soft Kitty plush is now available on Stylin Online for $29.99.

**I received no payment for this review, but did receive a free Soft Kitty Plush toy in exchange for an honest review on Creative Kids Ideas.**

1. Crafty fall projects: Check out this article by Linda Ann Nickerson. It’s packed with creative and functional fall crafts projects you can make with kids with fun ideas like corn husk dolls,harvest treasure box, leaf etchings, pine cone wreath, and autumn wrapping paper.

2. Practical fall activities with life applications  for kids: Fall is an ideal time to teach kids more about nature and the environment, and to incorporate natural elements associated with the season into your lessons. Andrea Coventry offers some great tips in Montesorri practical life activities for fall.

3. Make tasty harvest foods with kids: Who can forget about the yummy foods harvesttime foods, like apples and pumpkins? Certainly not kids (or Creative Kids Ideas!). Preparing and cooking food with children is an excellent way to give them hands-on lessons about nutrition, measurements and math, kitchen safety, and more. It’s also a great opportunity to have fun getting messy in the kitchen together! Below are a couple suggestions for healthy and tasty recipes kids can help make:

• Here are tips for making three easy apple recipes for kids brought to us by Kay Whittenhauer.

• Try Debbie Henthorn’s recipe for making homemade pumpkin puree.

4. Fall leaves activities for small kids: Toddlers and young children learn best when they’re allowed to use their senses freely to discover. Autumn is the perfect time to take them outdoors and let them experience nature and learn about the seasons by using their senses. Read Fall Toddler Activities with Autumn Leaves to find a variety of creative ways to help them learn.

5. Paper bag scarecrow craft and party treat bag: If you and your family are planning a harvest celebration or Halloween party this year, this adorable paper bag scarecrow is one craft project you won’t want to miss. Not only is it fun to make, the scarecrow craft also serves a purpose by doubling as a treat bag for party guests at your harvest or Halloween celebration. Kids will enjoy making this project and, even more, they’ll love seeing their artwork displayed and shared with others at the party.

6. Pumpkin art projects for kids: Pumpkins are plentiful this time of year. Ever wonder what you can do with them all? Tania Cowling gives some excellent kids’ project ideas for using them in Pumpkin Art Projects for Kids of All Ages. She also includes great pumpkin themed activities and crafts that don’t involve real pumpkins, like making pumpkin mosaic, milk jug pumpkins, and coffee filter pumpkins.

7. Party games with a fall or harvest theme: Planning a harvest party or fall festival this season? Events like this are a great way to gather with your community, friends, and family to celebrate the autumn season. The kids’ party games you choose are an important element for a successful harvest party or fall festival. Once Upon a Time offers a great list of fun and easy to organize game ideas for a fall festival or harvest party.

How ever you choose to celebrate, take time to enjoy the autumn season and many natural lessons and inspirations it provides with your kids. Happy Autumn!

Games are great way to teach kids (Photo credit: sxc.hu/juliaf)

I’m a firm believer that learning should be fun, especially when the learners are kids. The use of games, activities, and other hands-on methods get children and teens involved in the learning process instead of just being observers. Not only do I use these types of methods with my own kids, ages 5 (she’ll be 6 next week!) and 10, I’ve also used them repeatedly with kids as a youth worker, tutor, mentor, and teacher.

Imagination and flexibility are key to using visuals, games, and activities to teach children and teens. There aren’t any two kids out there who are exactly the same or learn in exactly the same way. No two children will gain exactly the same lessons from a learning activity.  Games will work the same with different groups of kids. So, that means, adults have to also be in tune with their creative side, stay on their toes, and be ready to change with the needs of the child or group of kids.

To get you started, here is a short list of some of my favorite games that teach kids:

• Interactive Games to Teach Kids Social Skills – Development of social skills is important to the growth of children. Social skills help them make friends, communicate and relate with other kids and adults, make decisions, solve problems, and learn to act appropriately. One way parents, teachers and youth workers can help kids learn and develop social skills is by using interactive games. Kids learn best when allowed to apply and practice what they’re taught in a playful, non-threatening environment. Incorporating games into lessons is an excellent way to do that. Try these interactive games for kids.

• Communication-Building Activity for Parents and Children – Developing good communication skills at an early age helps kids build healthyrelationships with other children and adults, and feel more confident in themselves. Unfortunately, communication between parents and children is often strained, unclear and, sadly, sometimes almost nonexistent. If you find your relationship with your child falling into this trap, try this quick communication building activity for parents and kids to help you redirect your attention on each other.

• Five Fun Icebreaker Games for Tweens and Teens – Icebreakers are games and activities that encourage people of all ages to get acquainted, relax, and become part of the group. I’ve worked as a youth leader for over 15 years and use icebreakers to ease new members into the group, encourage preteens and teens to get to know each other better, and get them loose and excited about the upcoming event. Icebreaker games work well for youth group meetings, kids’ parties, and informal classroom settings. Here are five of my favorite icebreaker games for tweens and teens.

• Team Building Games for Preteens and Teenagers - We live in a society that stresses an “it’s all about me” mentality. Kids are exposed to that, too, so it’s no wonder they often struggle to work together. This is evident whenever a group of kids are gathered in a classroom, party or other youth event. I often use games and icebreakers to help the teenagers and tweens in my youth programs develop their social skills and communicate better. Try these team building games for groups.

How to celebrate diversity with young kids (Photo credit: sxc.hu/spekulator)

Limited primarily to their family, neighborhood and school a young child’s view of the world is relatively small. Explaining that the world is a much larger place than that can be difficult. Preschool children can learn to expand their worldview by discovering that the world is made up of many neighborhoods full of diversity and culture.

Explaining the concept of “diversity” to your young child might feel like a complex lesson. However, preschool children can use their imagination and learning to discover a whole knew world that is much larger than they thought. Through music, sports and even wildlife around the world you can make up lessons and games that will be fun for your child while they learn about diversity. You will help spark your child’s understanding of the vast size and rich texture of our global community.

“We live in a diverse world. By teaching children to appreciate other cultures from an early age, you will help them develop compassion and seek out shared values,” said Dr. Mary Zurn, vice president of education for Primrose Schools. Living with diversity is not a choice; it’s a fact. By teaching our children about diversity at a younger age we will be preparing them for preschool and life beyond. Accepting others for who they are comes from appreciating and respecting the culture and lifestyle they come from.

These few tips from Dr. Zurn can help you begin to explore the diversity of others with your child:

Read a Book. Although it may seem to simple, reading to a child is one of the best ways to introduce them to different types of families, children and people from all over the world. Culture can come to life through different stories, characters and themes. Try to find books that will be easy for your child to relate to. Pictures are a great starting point for discussions about diversity. Some suggestions for books are:
•    It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr
•    Children from Australia to Zimbabwe: A Photographic Journey Around the World by Maya Ajmera and Anna Rhesa Versola
•    The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf

Share Your Family History. Understanding others begins with an understanding of oneself. It also builds a child’s awareness of their family history and their own culture. Use old photos and any memorabilia you may have from your childhood. Family air looms are also a great addition when telling stories about past family members. Children love hearing stories, so the more visual you make it the easier it will be for them to understand and remember. They will probably ask for more stories and for stories to be told over and over!

Listen to Music. Share your family’s cultural heritage through music. Play music from your family’s country of origin, your region of the United States, or favorite songs you sang as a child. Then play music from other cultures or parts of the country. Ask your child to identify the similarities and differences.

Think Outside the Box. There are many opportunities out there for you and your child to experience different cultures, it just depends on if you recognize them and celebrate them. Simple things like going to an ethnic restaurant, visiting museums and going to festivals are all fun ways to explore different cultures. Be sure talk about your experience though, your child may not understand or recognize the cultural differences if you don’t have a discussion about it. Becoming friends with families that are different from your own will increase your family’s appreciation of cultural differences.

The more you express your interest in learning about cultural differences the more interested your child will be. Dr. Zurn said, “Encourage a celebration of cultures near and far, including your own, to help your child grow to be an accepting, compassionate adult, who values the differences in others.”

Submitted by Dan Gilbert on behalf of Primrose Schools. For over 25 years, they have helped individuals achieve higher levels of success by providing them with an AdvancED® accredited, early child care services and education.  Through an accelerated Balanced Learning® curriculum, Primrose Schools students are exposed to a widely diverse range of subject matter giving them a much greater opportunity to develop mentally, physically and socially. Dan has written a number of articles on topics varying from bilingual learning to teaching the importance of volunteering.

Photo Copyright: sxc.hu/SteveFE

Discipline takes on new meaning when kids reach their tween years. It becomes less about controlling behavior and more about guiding development. Although I’ve taught youth for over 15 years, it wasn’t until my daughter became a preteen that I fully realized that truth. Timeouts and stern looks were no longer enough. Although she followed the rules, it was time for her to grow in self control and make wiser choices. To effectively guide her, my discipline needed to foster maturity and build her character.

So, here’s what I did. Try these 10 discipline tips to foster maturity in your tween…

Photo copyright: sxc.hu/imru2b12

Kids are constantly being nagged by their parents, teachers, and other adults to watch their attitudes. Please don’t get me wrong. Children and teens should learn the importance of portraying positive outlooks and behaviors. But, if we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes the attitude adjustments need to come from us parents.

While eating dinner with my family at a local restaurant last week, we had the pleasure to meet an employee named Tammie who had the most amazing attitude I’d seen in a long time. I mean, this woman loved her job and her enthusiasm was contagious. She could have simply went through the motions with a frown on her face or grumbled about how many times she’d cleaned up after whiny, messy families that day, and no one would have blamed her. Instead, every customer she came into contact with left with smile – including my daughter who had entered the restaurant cranky! The encounter got me thinking about how important attitude is when dealing with people — regardless of their age. That, of course, made me evaluate what kind of attitudes I portray to my kids and about my role as a parent. It was time for a parenting attitude check!

Read more…

Tips for talking to your daughter about her period, Photo credit: sxc.hu/doriana_s

OK, so I know some topics are just not fun to approach with your kids. The fact is most of the biggies like sex, puberty, menstruation, dating, drugs and alcohol consumption may not be. But who said everything about parenting would be easy? Certainly not me! Regardless of your comfort level (and hers), she’s growing up and those topics still need to be covered. If you, as the parent, aren’t talking to your kids and teens about them, then who is… and what are they saying?

I’m a youth worker and have been involved with preteens and teens for over fifteen years and have counseled them on everything from clothing and personal hygiene to puberty and teenage pregnancy. A great number of questions and concerns that come up with preteen and teen girls involve their periods and puberty. There have also been several times when young girls have come crying to me because their first period started, and they knew so little about what was happening that they thought something was seriously wrong with them. Yes, in a day and age when sex is so prevalent in the media, there are still preteen and teen girls who don’t learn the details about menstruation until it happens to them. Sadly, although every girl experiences these physical changes, many are confused and unprepared simply because no one talks to them about what to expect. So how do you approach the uncomfortable topic of her first period with your daughter and help her to be prepared? Read on to find out…

Date night... not just for adults anymore. Make it a family affair!

Relationships that matter are worth the effort they require. That doesn’t only apply to grown-up relationships, but also to the ones with our kids. When we became parents, my husband and I learned it was important to make time for each other in order to keep our marriage fresh and stay connected to each other. Time alone is often spent at home after the kids go to bed, but the preparations happen while they’re still awake. Our girls latched on to the excitement surrounding date night and soon starting asking to be a part of it. That inspired a family tradition that includes one night a week set aside for mommy and daddy time and another one for special family time. That’s how family date night started in our home. Read five creative ways…