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!

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/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…

Activities and crafts to help you celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your kids

Parents and teachers can find a wide variety of St. Patrick’s Day activities, craft ideas and printables for children online. Here are some of my favorite websites and links to articles with fun ideas and St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids and families to enjoy.

St. Patrick’s Day printables and coloring pages:

• Parents and teachers will find word search puzzles, printable shamrocks, leprechaun puppets, St. Patrick’s Day games, coloring pages and more at Abcteach.com.

• Visit Kaboose.com for a huge selection of fun St. Patrick’s Day crafts, activities, clip art, games, recipes and party ideas for kids of all ages.

• Discover coloring pages, St. Patrick’s Day crafts, games, worksheets and recipes galore at DLTK’s page for St. Patrick’s Day crafts for kids.

• For more great ideas and websites, read Kid’s Crafts: Free Printable Leprechaun Coloring Pages for Saint Patrick’s Day written by Laurie Meekis.

Other St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids and families:

• Add a little history, adventure and Irish folklore to your St. Patrick’s Day celebration with your children this year by setting a leprechaun trap. This is a great activity for home or school. Read this article for full details on how to set a trap with the children.

• Take this fun and educational quiz on St. Patrick’s Day and Irish trivia to test your knowledge of the holiday and heritage surrounding it: Test Your St. Patrick’s Day Knowledge.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you and your family from Creative Kids Ideas!

Have a Happy and Creative Valentine's Day!

Today’s a busy holiday, so this post will be short and sweet – kind of like my two little Valentines are! I simply want to wish you and your family a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Also, if you’re looking for last minute Valentine’s Day ideas to use with your kids, check out these fun ones below:

How to Make a Valentine Mailbox for Your Child’s Valentine’s Day Cards and Gifts – Do you need a way to hold your child’s Valentine’s Day cards and gifts? Don’t worry. It’s still not too late to make one! This fun and functional valentine mailbox is a simple and inexpensive craft project to make with kids at home or at school. It can be customized for each child, so it’s suitable for boys and girls. The best part about this cute kids’ craft is there’s no need to spend money on supplies, because it’s made entirely from construction paper and recycled materials.

Recycled Jeans Valentine Pouch – I saw this cute Valentine’s Day craft for kids the other day and fell in love. It’s made from an old pair of blue jeans and a few other simple items. It’s a win-win idea. You get rid of some of those old holey jeans that are lying around, you and your child have fun making the craft together, and your child gets a stylish and unique way to hold her valentines or decorate her doorknob.

Valentine’s Card Homemade from the Heart – Need some last minute valentines cards? Instead of spending money on store-bought ones, try these quick, easy-to-make ideas for making your own cards. The thought and creativity you put into these will make your Valentine feel even more special!

Still want more? Here are a few other Creative Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Creative Kids Ideas!

Chillin' in the snow

Determined to take full advantage of their snow day off from school, they bundled up and headed outside to play. I sat in my office working for awhile, enjoying the sounds of their laughter and sweet giggles. Soon, I realized I didn’t want to work and listen to them have fun. I wanted to enjoy it with them. As I stood outside and watched my girls build a fort in the mounds of snow and snack on a cold treat of icicles, I was reminded again of how much I learn from them. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the busyness that we forget to simply enjoy the little things life has to offer, or to even notice them for what they are. Yes, snowstorms and snow days may inconvenience us. They may even cause us to miss work and lose money. They also force us to slow down, something most of us parents need to be reminded to do once in awhile.

Looking for new ideas on how to enjoy the snow with your kids this winter? Eight Ideas for Fun in the Snow offers fun games and activities to play in the snow and will help you take advantage of the winter weather and have fun with your kids.

Family Goals for the New Year

First of all, I apologize for slacking on my blogging duties lately. Preparing for the holidays, trying to meet book deadlines, having the kids off from school, and fighting off the dreaded colds and stomach viruses that hit our family in December, all have kept me running like a crazy woman! (Okay, crazier woman.) Anyhow, enough with the excuses. I’m back and ready to kick off 2011 the right way – with family goals for the New Year.

I have a confession. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I don’t even like to think about them. Why? Let’s face it. Come mid-February, too many of those resolutions have already fizzled out and are forgotten – at least mine do. Unfulfilled resolutions don’t lead to real changes.

On the other hand, I am one who constantly seeks ways to improve and the beginning of a new year is an excellent time to initiate those improvements. Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I choose to use the start of the New Year as an opportunity to reevaluate my life, determine areas I can make better, and build new goals to achieve in the upcoming year. Not resolutions but life changes. Usually I focus on personal or career related goals. For 2011, however, I am adjusting my focus to create goals for the benefit of my whole family in the New Year. I encourage you to do the same.

Read on to learn why making family goals for the New Year is beneficial for your family and to find out what mine are…

What goals have you set for your family? I’d love to hear what your plans are and how they’re working!

Talking to Kids About Bullying

There has been an increase in media attention on bullying and kids recently, but the reality is problems with bullying have been around for as long as kids have been and will likely continue as long as people exist. As adults, we must be aware of this serious issue and learn to talk openly and honestly with kids about bullying. To get you started, here are five tips for talking to kids about bullying.

Five Tips for Talking to Kids About Bullying

Giveaway - Win Your Own Zubels character! Photo courtesy of: Zubels

Creative Kids Ideas is always on the hunt for great products for kids, so when I was contacted by Zubels, I was more than happy to pass the information along to my readers. Even better, one lucky reader will win an adorable hand knit character from Zubels!

So here’s the lowdown. What are Zubels?

Zubels are  fun, affordable hand knit characters, made with 100% organic cotton yarn and eco-friendly dyes. Zubels, brought to consumers by Renzo Company Inc., offers quality made dolls, hand puppets, rattles, and baby teethers in a variety of styles, sizes, and characters.  They provide kids with safe, creative characters such as “Cow-leen”, the cow who love to eat mac n’ cheese, Ricky “Rotten” Banana, the rockstar monkey who loves to rock-a-bye, and “Arr-Nee,” the treasure-hunting pirate.

Caty with "Twirly Cute" Bella, "Mr. Claus" Santa, and the football rattle all from Zubels

Zubels provided Creative Kids Ideas with a few sample products to review. We received “Twirly Cute” Bella, “Mr. Claus” Santa, and a football rattle. Both of the dolls in the picture to the left are the 7″ ones. (By the way, they are the perfect size for stocking stuffers this Christmas!) So, my five-year old and I decided to put them to the test. We tugged (Because, let’s face it. There will be tugging and pulling on dolls when more than one kid is involved!), we hand-washed, and we played. And this is what we found:

What we didn’t like:

• Nothing! We loved them. In fact, I had to pry them away from her just to get a closer look! Santa has slept with her every night since he arrived in the mail.

What we liked:

• The quality and durability of these hand knit characters are excellent! We pulled and tugged on these dolls and the stitching never even budged. If they can hold up to my five-year old (who’s still learning about gentleness with her toys — and sometimes with her sister!), Zubels products have my endorsement for durability.
• The bright colors and attention to detail make every character unique and get your child’s attention. I also love that the doll held up great to a handwashing test! None of the colors bled, the yarn looks the same as before it was washed, and it’s still soft.


"Cow-leen" the Cow. Photo courtesy of: Zubels

• They are eco-friendly and safe for kids of all ages. The dyes Zubels uses are low impact and don’t contain harmful chemicals. They also don’t add small pieces or plastic materials, so the products are suitable for ages birth and up.
• They are affordable. Zubels offers quality toys at very reasonable prices. The majority of the products range from about $7-17. And you’re getting a very nice item that’s well worth the price!
• They encourage creativity in kids. Zubels provides children with cute characters and leaves the rest up to their imaginations. They’re a nice, quiet toy for kids to snuggle or pretend with, without all the distracting bells and whistles.

Now for the fun part! You can win a Zubels character of your own!

Zubels has agreed to send one lucky reader an adorable Zubels character (12″ or smaller). Take a look at the Zubels online catalog and choose your top three favorites. If, for any reason, none of those choices are available, a suitable replacement will be sent. Zubels will do their best to provide the winner with one of their three favorites.

Here’s how to enter:

Post a comment on this post including your name and email address. For each one of the items listed below that you do, I will add another entry with your name into the drawing. Be sure to also let me know all the things you do in your comment!

1. Become a fan of Creative Kids Ideas on Facebook. Are you already a fan? Well, thanks a bunch! Let me know that in your comment too.
2. Share Creative Kids Ideas with your friends using the “Suggest to Friends” option on the left side of the CKI Facebook page.
3. Share the link to this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook.
4. Become a Google friend of Creative Kids Ideas.
5. Add Creative Kids Ideas to the blog roll on your own blog. Post a link in your comment!

The contest begins as of now, October 15th, and will end at 11:59 PM on Saturday, October 23rd.

Ready. Set. Go!

Disclaimer: Creative Kids Ideas was provided free samples for review from Zubels. I received no payment for this review and was under no obligation to write a positive review in exchange for the items. This review was solely on my own experience and opinion of the products.

What does your child dream of being when he or she grows up?

Kids love to dream about jobs they want to do when they grow up. They dress up and pretend they’re going to work to do a job. They may imagine themselves as doctors, teachers, firefighters, restaurateurs, scientists, parents… The imaginations of children are limitless, so the list goes on and on. Still, their dreams are affected by the adults around them and by the experiences to which they’re exposed.

What does your child dream about being and how can you help?

Parents’ job roles and attitudes often play into the decisions kids make about what constitutes as a ‘cool job.’ One of the best ways parents, teachers and other influential adults can encourage kids to explore new job possibilities is to open up their world to a diverse variety of occupations. How? Try these ideas for starters:

• Take them to work with you for the day and make them a part of what you do.
• Play pretend with them and let them decide what they want to be.
• Attend museums, festivals and other events which teach about various jobs and how they impact others.
• Talk to your kids about their dreams. (This seems like a given, but it’s sadly overlooked in many families.)

Learn how to make your own mailbox

Do you have a child who loves to play post office? This creative post office/mail themed lesson plan shows how to make a mailbox from a recycled shoebox, create fun postcards, and play a letter carrier game. These activities will help spark your child’s or student’s imagination while teaching letter recognition skills.

Now it’s your turn. Creative Kids Ideas wants to hear from you. What’s your favorite creative way to help kids dream about the future?