New Year rituals with kids

As another year draws to a close we tend to reflect on the past 12 months and wonder about what the next year will bring. Most cultures around the world celebrate new year with special rituals or traditions. So I thought it's a perfect time to compile a little list of rituals you can do with young and old children:

1) Create a "best of" video / slide show using all the photos and video clips you've made this year (ideal for dads with babies and very young children) or record your kids asking them what they liked about this year and what they hope the next year will bring.

2) Make a time capsule by placing objects that you feel are relevant for the year gone by into a container. Seal the container and hide/burry somewhere (you can do this for or with your kids).

City Advent Calendars

One of my favourite cities in the world "Wellington, NZ" launched their "city christmas calendar" this week. What a fabulous idea ... every day there is a new treat for all citizens with special vouchers for each day. Great fun for the whole family and a shining example for other cities around the world!

If you live in Wellington - be sure to check it out!

Enjoy,

Stef

How to make your own advent calendar for kids

Well it's that time of the year again isn't it - only 4 weeks left till Christmas, which means Advent starts on Sunday. In many countries around the globe Advent signifies the start of the Christmas season (or "Advent" which begins four Sundays before Christmas). On Dec 1st some lucky children can start the count down to Christmas by opening a little "door" on their advent calendar each day to get a treat. Advent calendars are a fun way to help children realise how each day they are getting closer to a big event. It can also be used to help with understanding numbers, counting and to build patience.

Most commercial Advent calendars use two layers of cardboard (on on top of each other) with twenty-four small doors cut in the top layer. Each door conceals a picture or little piece of chocolate and has a number on it that corresponds to the days in December.

Quote of the day - lack of time linked to British riots

"While children would prefer time with their parents to heaps of consumer goods, [their] parents seem to find themselves under tremendous pressure to purchase a surfeit of material goods for their children"

"Parents in the UK almost seemed to be locked into a system of consumption which they knew was pointless but they found hard to resist"

by Dr Agnes Nairn
Author of Unicef report "children caught in materialistic trap"

Photographer dads say it with pictures

Check out Tom Robinson's approach to telling the world that he is about to be a dad - what a great idea!

Enjoy,

Stef

Adam the man

Adam Buckingham is one of only a handful of male early childhood education teachers in New Zealand. It has long been recognised that gender diversity is desirable in the formative years of early learning and development, yet 99% of all early education teachers are women. How did this situation come about?

Childcare work and nurturing is seen as a woman’s role and the reason why men are reluctant to work in this area. However, more and more fathers are single parents and are involved in the day to day care of children. There is no doubt that women are doing an excellent job, but the feminisation of early childhood centres has been a barrier to the involvement of fathers.

Honey we're wrecking the kids

Every parent should watch this ... brilliant stuff about how we (the parents) and our education system is wrecking our kids ...

Enjoy,

Stef

The ghost of Fathers Days past

In our countdown to Fathers Day 2011 let's have a look at the Fathers Days gone by as documented by Google's home page logos. Hardly ground breaking designs or novel ideas here ... but hey let's see what they've got in store for us this Father's Day!

(2000: international symbol for Fathers ... the hat!)

(2001: a bear?!?)

(2002: politically incorrect)

(2003: OK that one works ...)

(2004: how lazy ... same as last year but now with child labour!)

(2005: you have got to be kidding)

(2006: anything is better than another repeat)

(2007: lazy theme again)

(2008: kites in June? Hmmm ...)

(2009: OK now we're talking ... finally some creativity)

(2010: oh come on ... not the ties)

OK Google - bring it for Fathers Day 2011 - inspire us!

Enjoy,

Stef

World Oceans Day 2011

Hey, did you know it's World Oceans Day today? Yup it is and so today is a day to celebrate all the amazing things that the oceans provide to life on earth. Perfect opportunity to amaze your kids with some fun facts about oceans and marine life - here's our list of 20 things you didn't know about oceans:

• Some fish can walk on land.


• Some fish can change from female to male.


• You can tell the age of some fish by counting the rings on their scales.


• Fish can't close their eyes.


• The Arctic Ocean produces up to 50,000 icebergs a year.
  


• Blue whales are the largest animals that have ever lived-they're even bigger than dinosaurs!


• A blue whale's heart weighs up to 2,000 pounds.


• A blue whale's tongue can weigh as much as an elephant.


• The male orca whale's dorsal (back) fin is almost six feet high-the height of a tall man.


• A baby orca is usually born tail-first.
  

Family roadtrip - know the stats

Here are some interesting results from a recent US survey* commissioned by TeleNav, Inc. about male / female perspectives on roadtrips. This is super relevant for all dads (and mums) planning a family roadtrip. Check it out:

Annoying driving habits ...

• When asked what annoys them most when their significant other is driving, the most frequent response from men was that their significant other drives too slowly. The most common response from women was that their partner follows another vehicle too closely.


• When in the driver seat, the largest number of men indicated that the most annoying thing their significant other does is tell them to slow down. The most common response from female drivers regarding their top annoyance is when their partner criticizes the route they take to a destination.

arguments ...