Posted: 15 Dec 2010 09:19 PM PST

By Lori Penner

Posted 1 day ago

These kids really know how to party!

Dozens of tots and their parents attended the Altona and Area Family Resource Christmas party at the Altona United Church on Dec. 10.

The annual celebration is the highlight of the year for the families who frequent the centre and participate in the programming that it offers.

Programming coordinator Lisa Gagne says they had a great turnout, with about 93 kids and 56 families attending.

"This is an event our families look forward to all year," she says.

A lot of planning goes into the party, making sure all the activities are fun, family-friendly and educational.

Each of the four Sunday School classrooms in the church featured three different activities, including sorting Christmas ornaments, finding pairs of mittens and playing alphabet bingo.

There were also goodie bags and, of course, Santa Claus paid a visit. Kids could have their picture taken with the jolly man in red. Some were delighted, while others would only come near if mommy or daddy joined them.

Gagne says they couldn't have asked for a better Santa Claus.

"He's so happy to be part of this event, he starts calling us about it in September already," she says.

"He just always does such a great job. To have the patience to sit there and have all these kids come through is really quite amazing."

Gagne says the gift bags included a cup and a mini Robert Munsch book.

"We really promote literacy at the centre, so including a book was important to us."

"We all just had a really great time."

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured site: So, Why is Wikileaks a Good Thing Again?.

Tech-toy gifts for kids of all ages

Posted: 16 Dec 2010 04:31 AM PST

The Parrot AR. Drone can be controlled from your iPhone and streams live video right to your screen.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The Mindflex game's sensors measure the intensity of brain waves to move a foam ball
Fisher Price's iXL 6-in-1 Learning System is equipped with six ways for children to learn
EMAD's electric skateboard has a wireless controller for braking or going forward

(CNN) -- While your 8-year-old might not be coding websites or whizzing through Excel spreadsheets just yet, it's not too soon to get him or her a tech-driven gift this holiday season.

After all, kids today are using technology at younger and younger ages, and some tech toys, such as the iPod Touch, aren't just for adults.

With just nine shopping days left until Christmas, here are some last-minute gift suggestions -- from a tantrum-proof video camera to a flying "quadricopter" you control from your phone -- for that tech-savvy kid (or kid-like adult) in your life.

Mindflex ($64.97--$91.49; Amazon.com, Kmart, Walmart, Meijer.com, Best Buy, Target, Toys "R" Us, Entertainment Earth and other retailers.)

Here's a game that gives your brain a workout -- literally. Mindflex comes equipped with a headset, a game console and four foam balls. Players put on the headset and actually use their brain waves to spin the fan within the game console. The harder you concentrate, the faster the fan spins and the higher the ball levitates.

Mindflex players must use brain signals to manipulate balls.

When you're ready for more advanced challenges, Mindflex also comes with obstacles. Use telekinesis to move the ball through hoops and funnels and improve your skill.

The game also offers a variety of mind exercises that can be played solo or with up to four players.

Parrot AR.Drone ($299.99; Brookstone, Amazon.com, Brookstone.com, Parrotshopping.com.)

This quadricopter, about the size of an extra-large pizza, can fly short distances and hover in place almost motionlessly, indoors or outdoors. It generates its own Wi-Fi network and is controlled remotely from your iPod Touch, iPad or iPhone -- or from a Linux PC and a joystick -- although it will soon be coming to other platforms.

The flying device also has two built-in cameras that stream a live video feed to your mobile device's screen.

After downloading the free AR.Drone app or software, users can launch and steer the quadricopter with the touch of their finger on their screens. An autopilot feature is available for easy takeoffs and landings.

The AR.Drone also links up with other AR.Drones via Wi-Fi, allowing players to create games and wage augmented-reality battles with rival quadricopters.

Monster High iCoffin ($24.99 -- $49.48; Toys "R" Us, Mattel.com, Amazon.com, Target.)

Since the success of Monster High dolls -- a line of Halloween-themed dolls geared toward tween girls -- Mattel has developed this handheld electronic device as a way for Monster High fans to keep up with their friends.

The phone-like device is in the shape of a coffin, and kids can push buttons to play games on its tiny screen. Turn the gizmo sideways and pull out the keypad to text other Monster High friends and play even more games.

Fisher Price Kid-Tough Video Camera ($60; Mattel.com, Toys "R" Us, Amazon.com, Walmart, Target.)

Even rowdy kids may have trouble breaking this Fisher Price video camera.

This durable, battery-powered video camera is perfect for the budding filmmaker and claims to be tantrum-proof.

The camera has an SD card slot, allowing footage to be watched on a computer or television. It records up to 15 minutes of video.

With its kid-friendly buttons, instant-replay feature and compact size -- small enough for tiny hands -- the Kid-Tough video camera is a good combination of high-tech performance and low-tech simplicity.

Paper Jamz Guitar ($19.99 to $29.95; Best Buy, Big Lots, Kmart, Macys, Brookstone, Fingerhut, Amazon.com, Cracker Barrel, Target, Walmart.)

Let your kids unleash their inner rock star with this toy guitar, which won't burn a hole in your checking account. A touch-sensitive cardboard replica of a real guitar, it has no strings but still allows users to play real notes and chords.

Users choose the play mode, then strum the image of the fret board on the guitar to rock out to built-in classic rock songs such as "Born to Be Wild" and "Sweet Home Alabama." Kids can even accessorize with the Paper Jamz Amp and Paper Jamz Drums to create a band.

iXL 6-in-1 Learning System ($80; Mattel.com, Fisherprice.com, Amazon.com, Target, Walmart, Toys "R" Us.)

A tablet for preschoolers? Not quite, but it's pretty darn close. This handheld device is a high-tech way to help children age 3 to 7 learn while keeping them entertained.

The iXL opens like a book and comes equipped with six ways for children to learn: a digital reader, game player, notepad, art studio, MP3 player and a photo viewer, all accessed via a touch screen.

The device requires a PC or Mac, internet connection, CD drive and USB port to load software and manage content.

EMAD's Pavement Pounder electric skateboard ($299.99; Emadskate.com, Amazon.com, Toys "R" Us, Kaboodle.com, Fao.com.)

This electric-powered skateboard reaches a top speed of 8 mph.

This electric skateboard combines technology with extreme sports to bring skateboarding to a new level.

The Pavement Pounder, a basic model in the growing electronic skateboard field, reaches a top speed of 8 mph and a riding time of 30 to 45 minutes on one charge.

A wireless controller is provided so skaters can have more control at their fingertips for safe braking or other maneuvers. The board also has a neutral mode for riding without electricity -- or after the battery dies.

LEGO MP3 player ($39.99 - $59.99; Digiblue.com, Amazon.com, Toys "R" Us, Barnes & Noble, Toystoreinc.com.)

This isn't your usual stack of LEGO bricks. These bricks, which come in two styles, also double as an MP3 player for an interesting way to listen to your favorite artists.

Digital Blue and LEGO have partnered to create an MP3 Player for LEGO lovers. The MP3 players come with ear buds, USB cable, eight hours of play time and 2GB of internal memory (enough space to hold up to 1,000 songs).

True to its name, the LEGO MP3 player is even stackable with other LEGO MP3 players, in case you collect more than one.

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters ($8.00 - $19.98; Walmart, Toys "R" Us, Amazon.com, eToys, Target.)

Each Zhu Zhu Pets hamster has its own personality.

Zhu Zhu Pets are battery-operated plush hamster toys that squeak and interact just like the real thing. Each Zhu Zhu Pet has its own personality or nine additional characters you can choose from.

The hamsters have two play modes: nurturing and adventure mode. In the nurturing mode, the critters coo and purr, but in adventure mode, they interact with their environment and respond to different stimuli.

Various accessories, from clothes to furnishings to speedboats, are available to customize your hamster's habitat.

Not Just the Newest Toys Hold Risks for Kids

Posted: 17 Dec 2010 06:02 AM PST

FRIDAY, Dec. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Toys today are often cutting-edge wonders, loaded with gadgets and gizmos. But as toys become more sophisticated, they often pose new dangers for children that safety experts urge parents and gift-givers to consider.

Tiny magnets, powerful batteries and laser lights are among the features on modern toys that can be just as dangerous as small parts and sharp edges have always been.

"Toys are for fun, joy and learning," said Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety for the Consumer Federation of America. "They should be a source of all those things and less a source of potential and actual hazard. Parents need to be vigilant."

Her call for vigilance is backed by the numbers. Toy-related injuries sent more than 235,000 kids to U.S. emergency rooms for treatment in 2008, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Another 19 children died as the result of a mishap involving a toy.

Choking hazards have long been a leading cause of death in children, prompting the creation of warning labels detailing small parts and recommending minimum ages for certain toys.

But in recent years, riding toys have proven to be the most dangerous type of toy on the market, according to the consumer agency. They were associated with the most deaths in 2008: Two children on tricycles were hit by a motor vehicle, and two others drowned after riding their tricycle into a pool. Other types of non-motorized riding toys accounted for another five deaths.

Riding toys also were associated with the most injuries. In fact, non-motorized scooters were involved in a quarter of all toy-related injuries treated at a hospital.

The injury statistics serve as a reminder that choosing the right toy is just a start and that there's still the need for parents to be ever vigilant when their children are at play, said Dr. Pete Kehoe, an Illinois optometrist and spokesman for Prevent Blindness America.

"It's that one time you turn your head that you're going to have a problem," Kehoe said.

Parents also should be mindful of new dangers presented by modern toys. For example, many toys contain small but powerful magnets, and "magnets have proven to be incredibly dangerous," Weintraub said.

The hazard comes when a child swallows more than one magnet. The magnets can stick together through the walls of the child's digestive tract, potentially causing internal tears or blockages. "It can rip through a child's intestines," she said."

Small batteries contained in toys present another danger to children. If swallowed, the batteries can lodge in the esophagus and cause a potentially fatal burn as the battery's current eats through the body's internal tissues. Medical experts whose research on battery hazards appeared in the June Pediatrics found that a swallowed battery has to be removed from the child's esophagus within two hours to prevent serious injury or death.

"Consumers Union performed a presentation where they put a piece of ham on a battery and it burned through," Weintraub said.

Laser pointers and toys with laser attachments also present a risk. A 15-year-old Swiss boy playing with a laser pointer accidentally beamed the laser into his eyes, permanently damaging his vision, according to a letter published Sept. 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Even video games have their problems. Too much play can create eyestrain, Kehoe said.

"If you do anything too much, it's not good for you," he said. "Children should not spend more than 20 to 30 minutes playing a video game without taking a visual break."

Parents who want to make sure toys remain fun and treasured possessions rather than potentially dangerous devices should follow a few key suggestions, according to Weintraub, Kehoe and Prevent Blindness America:

Follow the age recommendations listed on toy packaging. The recommendations now are available on toys advertised over the Internet as well, Weintraub said.
Consider how a child plays with and interacts with toys. For example, if the youngster still places objects in his or her mouth, be keenly aware of potential choking hazards on any toys.
Make sure that battery-powered toys keep the batteries in compartments that cannot be easily opened by children.
Don't buy any magnetic toys for children who are still placing objects in their mouth.
Examine all toys for loose parts and sharp points or edges.
When buying a riding toy, also provide all the proper protective equipment and make sure it is worn. Supervise the child's play on riding toys at all times.
Don't buy costume jewelry for a child. "Metal children's jewelry has been such an ongoing problem in terms of high levels of lead and cadmium that we recommend that people not purchase it and children not play with it," Weintraub said.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more on buying safe toys.

What the Law Says About Toys

Toys made in the United States or imported to the country must meet standards established in 1995 with the Child Safety Protection Act.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the law specifies, for example, that:

A ball must have a diameter of more than 1.75 inches if it is intended for use by children younger than 3 years.
All balls that are 1.75 inches in diameter or less must carry a warning that they are a choking hazard and not for children younger than 3 years.
The same cautionary warning about a choking hazard must be on any toy or game intended for kids 3 to 8 years old that contains a small ball.
Toys and games that contain small parts also must include this warning if they are intended for children 3 to 6 years old.
Latex balloons, and toys or games that contain a latex balloon, must carry a warning that children younger than 8 can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons and that adult supervision is required.

Kids Games

Friday, December 17, 2010

“Kids gather for games, goodies and gifts” plus 2 more

“Kids gather for games, goodies and gifts” plus 2 more

By Lori Penner

Posted 1 day ago

0 comments:

Post a Comment

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed

Popular Posts