Apparently they can. This is the story of Rhy, a 10 years old boy from a small city near Austin, Texas.
Rhy uses a platform called Gamestar Mechanic to design his own videogames. Named one of the 2012 Best Educational Websites by the American Association of School Librarians, Gamestar Mechanic is one of the most popular solutions for the teachers who believe that game design can have a dramatic impact on their students engagement at school, and at home.
[read more]
Did you give/receive an iPad as a Christmas present? Yay! Now, you can download and enjoy Timbuktu, the first iPad magazine for parents and kids, for free! Also, if you are going to use the iPad with your kids, (or if you gave it to your kids) there are a few things you may want to know about kids and iPads.
You already know they love it: apparently, 48% of American kids asked Santa an iPad for Christmas. You saw them fighting to get it, you heard them asking for it first thing when you’re back home. You may have seen them hiding behind the sofa to get some extra iPad time before going to sleep (true story). The question is: is the iPad bad for your kids? No. At least, not necessarily. Follow these simple guidelines, and you’ll make the most out of this expensive tablet!
Of course you already know that there are countless lessons your kids teach you every day, without meaning to. But here is a selection of kids that actually mean to teach lessons: in programming, maths, even medicine. They don’t simply listen to adults and take notes, but share what they know with you: in a simple, and surprisingly effective, way.
1 – Sylvia and her Super-Awesome Makers Show
Sylvia has few tutorials on Youtube, and she’s been working on them for the past couple of years: from copper etching to screen printing to – brace yourself! – arduino projects, Sylvia will coach you step-by-step though all sorts of fun activities.
The 1980s- those were the good ol’ days with MC Hammer pants, slap bracelets, and toys that were, like, totally gnarly! 80s’ kids’ entertainment didn’t come from iPads or Wiis, but these toys still offered hours of endless fun. If you spent your childhood during the 80s, you’ll probably feel a little reminiscent of your childhood when looking at these trinkets.
1 – Cabbage Patch Kids
Recognize these dolls? You should- Cabbage Patch dolls sold out as soon as they were put on shelves and were probably the 80s’ equivalent to the 90s’ Tickle Me Elmo. Back order lists went on for days for these dolls that grew from magical cabbages pollinated by bunnies! [read more]
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! If you’re not watching football today, or if you want to take a break, watch this amazing cartoon and discover the origins of Thanksgiving with Charlie Brown!
PART 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRobYUSZ4do&feature=related
PART 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_844392&feature=iv&src_vid=yRobYUSZ4do&v=yeAtelXK9P4
Happy Universal Children’s Day! We decided to celebrate with something that keeps us connected to childhood: all the things our parents used to tell us when we were kids (that we probably disliked) that we’ll eventually repeat to our own children. Are you already experiencing this cycle? We want to know what your leitmotifs are!
1) Don’t make me repeat myself!
Great photographers show us the world in a different way. They give importance to details we don’t normally notice and uncover new meanings and surprising connections. That’s exactly what kids do as they grow up: they try to give meaning to reality, and since they don’t know many things, they use their imagination and combine information in a very creative way. As we become more knowledgeable, most of us lose this amazing capability. Introducing your kids to photography can be a great way to encourage their creative look at the world, have fun together, and enjoy the amazing opportunity of seeing the world from their point of view.
We put together some tips:
Arianna Giorgia Bonazzi is an Italian writer. She lives in Milan with her husband, Arnaldo. They have two kids. Arianna keeps a hilarious family diary on Timbuktu.
If you *ever*:
- competed to hire the right au-pair girl against other families across the globe;
- felt intimidated by a mom wearing multilayered H&M striped t-shirts and big sunglasses at a playground-date;
- sent your husband to pick someone up at the airport at an arbitrary time, “accidentally overlapping his favorite team’s soccer match;”
- organized (or dreamt of organizing) a smart escape with your partner, leaving your kids with your parents for a week;
you shouldn’t miss Arianna’s diary, today on Timbuktu.
Remember Caine, the kid who created his own game arcade out of cardboard? If you liked his story, here is another story you will probably enjoy.
It’s the one of Mister Imagine’s Toy Store, an incredibly innovative toy store attached to Chicago Children’s Museum. We’ve spoken about amazing toys stores before, but this is just something else.
What’s innovative about Mister Imagine’s Toy Store is that it doesn’t carry any toys. Instead of them, it sells cardboard boxes. Nothing else. No instructions, no decorations, nothing.
Just plain cardboard boxes.
All pictures curtesy of Mister Imagine’s Toy Store [read more]
