3 Cool Drinks the Kids Can Make

Plan things which gets the kids moving. If it's hot, plan for something which will keep the kids busy and get them to be creative indoors. Kids like experimenting and they especially like it when food, water and the associated mess are involved. As the temperatures rises, people like to cool off with a cold drink.

Chocolate Smoothie recipe by Soniya Goyal by Soniya Goyal

Forget the fact that summer and lemonade go hand in hand; here are 3 cool drinks kids can make on their own with some adult supervision:

1. Fruity Sodas

Take two cups of frozen cut fruit (single variety or mixed). Make sure these fruits go with each other. An adult needs to run it in the food processor. Top it up with double the water and add honey to taste. Stir the whole thing well. Get the kids to have a nice big jug or container to stir it all in to minimize spills.

2. Sweet Milkshakes

Get the kids to peel and ready the fruit in big chunks. Make sure the kids pick a single fruit or a combo of fruits which complement each other. For milkshakes avoid the citrus fruits. Run it in a processor with some milk. Then dilute as required. Want to add a handful of dried raising? Go on have fun!

3. Mash ups

These are fun to think up. Some fruits and some veggies. Toss in a cucumber and some pieces of honey dew. Run it in a processor to make a coarse puree. Add some water and a dash of some flavor. Sprinkle a pinch of spice powder. Chill it well and enjoy!

Make sure the kids are dressed for messes. The things they are doing should all happen at about their waist level so they can hold things and get a good look at what they are doing. Make sure there are wipes for spills. Give the the juice-makers a separate bowl with some sugar/honey to avoid messes of the main containers. Give them a tub full of ice and some glasses within easy reach. Be available to help with food processors and to separate flying fists(if any).

There's no fun in just giving kids a worksheet from JumpStart or Activity Village to keep them busy on a hot summer day. It's smart parenting to get them to do something interesting and then hang around to help and oversee. At the end, when you get that drink, relish the fact that the kids want to do something which does not involve a device, forget the cleaning and enjoy!

3 Craft Ideas for February

There's no reason these have to be tried in February. We are in February and these crafts are good enough to be tried immediately! So go ahead and have some fun.

By Piet Mondrian - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37642803

Here they are in no particular order:

1. Agamograph

Yakov Agam has given his name to this type of artwork. He has painted large buildings, but the same artwork has been tried out by kids. His 3d style designs are very eye-catching and come under the umbrella of kinetic art. Here's one mom trying this art with her kids as a math art idea.

2. Mondrian Art

The colors red, blue and yellow dominate his art. The abstractness has inspired a programming language called Piet. Here's one brave mother who got her kids to paint a window directly in a Mondrian Art Project.

3. Tape Resist Art

Tape parts of the page and get the kids to go creative with paints on the page. Then peel off the tape and enjoy the artwork. If you wish this can be cut up to do more. Check out this blog for more ideas.

Kids enjoy art and if they are colorful, the kids are hooked!

Dragon and Halloween

Dragons are one of the favorite characters to be carved out on pumpkins. Using light, these can look stunning. People like to display these at home. Most of such activities are better suited for older kids and adults. If you enjoyed Fall Activities for Kids, and the kids want to do such back-lit things, here's a simple one they can try.

Halloween by TRIUMPHSIX

Dav Pilkey has written a series of Dragon books. They are short and fun. Even adults enjoy them. Kids could draw the outline of Dragon from the books, and parents could help them cut it out. Here's a simple way to do this. 

1. Take a plain white paper bag. 

2. Get the kids to draw out Dragon

3. Put a piece of cardboard under it and help the child cut out the shape. 

4. Punch a few holes at the top of the bag to pretty up the bag. 

5. Place a tea light inside.

Darken the room and enjoy Dragon's silhouette this Halloween. You could make 2-3 of these and place them all around the room to have a Halloweeny atmosphere. 

Enjoy your Halloween!

Fall Dragon Activities for Kids

Fall signifies that cold weather is around the corner. Autumn which officially starts after the autumn equinox in Sep(23rd this year) is when nature prepares for the severeness of winter. Plants prepare in many ways - by ensuring seeds are dispersed, by saving energy, by making sure other saplings don't compete for resources and also making sure they have resources to start growing a new batch of leaves when the weather is good. People prepare too, especially in farming communities. When the kids are young they are the most enthusiastic. Stop saying 'no' to all that the kids suggest. Use your imagination and try out a few unusual things.

Balance by Reginald Pentinio

Here are some fall activities kids will definitely enjoy:

1. Dress up as a dragon

Get the dragon costumes out. Once dressed, ask the kids to jump through mounds of leaves. Make sure no one's annoyed. If there's grass under the leaves, suggest sliding on the leaves(warn the kids to be careful). Have you seen dogs enjoy leaves? Well, after the initial hesitation, kids will love this wild play. 

2. Make a corn dragon

This is a wonderful craft to strengthen young hands, learn textures from rough to fine and enjoy a healthy snack at the end of it. Gather a couple of ears of corn. Peel the green layer/husk off. You could get the kids to peel it off in single layers or many layers at one shot. Once peeled, use the husk to make funny craft. Play around. Pop of some corn to make designs on the cob. Attach it to the top of a stick and the kids have a fake spear. 

3. Create a Leaf Dragon 

Collect colorful leaves. Draw the outline of a big dragon. Know of dragon games? Use their dragon outlines to draw your own outlines. Stick or arrange the leaves using the indicative outline. Don't want to use paper? Arrange the leaves on the floor in the shape of  a dragon. Use sticks and stones to add features. 

4. Leafy dragons, anybody?!
Collect colorful leaves. Cut them out in the outline of simple dragons. Staple them one behind the other. Use these to decorate your windows, fences or even the trees in your garden.

5. Dragon collage
Collect a variety of natural materials like - chalk powder, dirt, sand, twigs, pebbles, clay, brick pieces or anything else you find. Use all these materials to make a 3d dragon. Build it. Use clay, brick pieces etc. to build the body of the dragon and then decorate it with the rest of the material. Use some fall leaves to make it a winged creature.

6. Pin the Dragon
Draw a nice big dragon. Blindfold the kids. Let them take turns to pin a tail on it. This can get loud and fun.

There are innumerable fall activities. For Halloween, you could use a pumpkin to make a bright orange dragon with autumn leaves pinned on it. The trick is to try out the easy ones. Once kids are comfortable with these, you can move on to more difficult crafts. Enjoy the color and prepare for the cold!

A Dragon Treasure Hunt for some Summer Fun

It's summer and kids love playing outdoors. A treasure hunt is something a bunch of kids would really enjoy even if its a mixed age group. What you need is plenty of imagination and patience. To make it a dragon themed one, get your dragon imagination out. Give your clues the dragon touch. Include dragon toys for collection to make it more exciting.

How to train your dragon 2 by Eva Rinaldi

This can be organized in a reasonably big yard. Keep in mind the youngest and the oldest child playing. Make sure they'll have a way to contribute. Maps are fun, so include a map of the yard and don't forget to mark a couple of unambiguous points to help kids use the map with ease.

Now, you can use ready made treasure hunt clues or make your own. Think of a starting point for the treasure hunt and a point where you hide the treasure. It should be weather proof. It's smart to keep the clue in a box even if it's hidden under some plants. Place them in hiding places which are easy to access.

Make sure the groups participating in the treasure hunt are more or less balanced in age to avoid some teams getting an unfair advantage. Clues must be simple and easy to understand. If clues stump teams, then the whole things comes to an abrupt halt. In case teams need a little help, be around to help them. To make it more fun, kids can paint their faces to be little dragons and then play.

Keep your camera ready to get some candid shots. It's great to look at images of times which have been enjoyed by the kids!

Go Boldly Where No Viking Has Gone Before

The new Viking Theme Park in Dubai would surprise the braids off any decent Viking. After the books, came the movies, then the science game and now this theme park. Don't have a dragon that you can fly in real life? Not to worry, just hop onto the ride and get a feeling of flight. It has been a few years in the making, but it's finally ready and you can look at the Viking world from the award winning inverted dark ride designed by Mack Rides.

Jack's Dreams by Juliette Urquiza

Best Things About an Imaginary Viking World(with dragons!)

The flying of course, assuming they have dragons and that they would allow us on their backs! The biggest thrill would be flying them and sharing the view of the world that they have.

Having hard fights. Knocking other Viking off their feet. Chucking weapons and helmets at will and for no reason.

Lifting weapons which are big, clunky and lethal.

Using fish oil to have luxurious hair - all long, oily and smelly.

Being one in a tight knit group of dragon riders and cracking jokes at each other's expense.

Eating big and burping loud enough to be heard across the oceans.

The excitement of pushing the frontiers of where one can fly.

Building homes with retractable roofs.

Surviving in a new world gives us a feeling of surviving the frontier lands with its share of excitement and danger.

The excitement of the Unknown

The reason people like unknown worlds, is the excitement of the unknown. It's where there are no rules to be followed. In fact it's where new rules can be formulated to solve issues. Participants can find their strengths and weaknesses. By learning new things they psychologically feel more competent. Getting out of one's comfort zone maybe hard, but once out it's a great way to give up inhibitions and stride forward.

Conquering frontier lands has been happening for millennia. Starting out might be hard, but once people set out, they explore and establish themselves. There is an immense satisfaction in building something in a new land. The feeling of being the first is wonderful, however lonely it might actually be. Earth has held many hidden corners which has afforded great excitement for explorers.

In popular culture

Conquering new worlds has been a recurring theme in books, movies, video games and TV serials. Bored of Earth and reality, one can travel back into historic lands in a fantastic fashion. When one is bored of traveling back, then one can travel into the new frontier lands - outer space. Star Trek the super popular series ran for many years. Again it showed not just new lands and new life forms, it showed the maturing of people both as a race and individually. Viking World or Outer Space, the excitement of the unknown is just the ecosystem in which we as humans evolve.

Dragon Poetry anybody?

March 21st is World Poetry Day, as declared by the UN. Poetry makes things inclusive. Dragons are revered and feared and rarely included. 

dragon by Jesse Ruffin

I randomly googled dragon poetry and came across this one, which I really liked:

                                                               Serious Omission

     I know that there are dragons,
     St. George's, Jason's, too,
     And many modern dragons
     With scales of green and blue;

     But though I've been there many times
     And carefully looked through,
     I can't find a dragon
     In the cages at the zoo!

By John Farrarr from Project Gutenberg

The next one had a lot to do with our current environmental worries. Water. Here it is:

The Water Dragon

H2O dear me!

The water dragon’s

drunk my tea!

H2O what a laugh!

The water dragon’s

in my bath!

H2O what a joke!

The water dragon’s

got my soap!

H2O what a howl!

The water dragon’s

pinched my towel!

H2O what a mess!

The water dragon’s

wet my vest!

H2O how weird!

The water dragon’s

disappeared!

H2O that’s that!

No more water dragon!

No more rap!

There’s no more water

in the tap …

© Celia Warren from Poetry Box

Poetry can convey much more than what the words say. It's what's between the lines that matters. Poems like the second one can be very relevant to problems around us. It can touch us and eventually change us. By reading and reciting poetry, we emphasize an oral tradition which is mostly forgotten today. There was a time when people memorized very long poems and stories and went around reciting them to people who were interested. Those professions are gone, but the memory remains. Poetry in many ways is a bridge to the past. 

Waiting for HTTYD 3

The much awaited HTTYD 3 is not going to be on theater screens any time soon. Most fans were impatiently waiting for May 2017 for the movie to be released. Now fans need to wait patiently for March 2019 to see the last of the trilogy. NBCComcast bought Dreamworks Animation in Apr 2016 and since then some restructuring and layoffs have happened. A decision to release just two movies per year has been takes, effectively moving ahead the release of HTTYD 3. This might also mean that many people who worked on the first two movies might not be around to work on the third part.

Legoland Windsor 4-5-2012 by Dave Catchpole 

There has been talk about this being the movie which shows humans and dragons parting ways. In fact the story is supposed to stop where the Cressida Cowell books begin in a world where dragons no longer exist. One wonders what will happen to Toothless and how he'll fly if his tail gets damaged. The director has promised a roller coaster ride, but I do hope movie goers don't have to take entire boxes of tissue along to wipe their sadness away. 

3 Games You Can Buy The Kids This Christmas

It's that time of the year again. Christmas. Shopping. Eating. Merry making. Meeting Family. Photo ops. Reminiscing about times gone by. Playing games. Going on walks. Playing with the kids. This is a time for relaxation.

Flagstaff 2011 by Clintus

Shopping can be difficult, especially for kids. Many kids have played a variety of games and it's hard to surprise them. Here are three games, kids will enjoy:

1. Jumpstart Junior
This is a subscription based game. This age group has always been a big fan of Jumpstart games. Younger children love spending time with Botley and Ivy, the fairy.

2. Lego Dimensions Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Story Pack
This is an extension pack for the Lego Dimensions video game. There is some violence, but it's the garden variety cartoon types. They can play with other characters in the game, but it might require some purchases.
   
3. Mousetrap
This old fashioned game is great for younger kids. The idea of building something through the game is hugely satisfying. Children are enthused to build the colorful trap.

Active Games
Having said all this, it is also important to remind parents that kids need to play something active. When the weather also does not cooperate, it's harder to make the day an active one. The trick is to keep games simple. Games like Twister work very well. If you don't have a mat, it can be drawn on the floor.

Indoor scavenger hunts  could be made active. There could be things under furniture or in overhead cupboards. If the weather is good, you could include parts of the outdoors. This scavenger hunt site is very useful It even has printables. All video games and no play will make our Jacks and Jills dull people.

The trick is not hold back in play. Both parents and kids should be fully involved.

Wrap up
To sum up, Christmas can be a time of eating, having fun and all the rest of it. But try and make it active. If you cant play, go out for a nice walk. make foot steps in the snow and get the kids to follow, play music and  dance until you are drop dead tired. 

All Games and No Play Makes our Jills and Jacks Dull Kids

There was a time when mothers were happy that kids were out of the house. It gave them time to finish their chores in peace. Now we live in times when kids don't leave their homes easily. Yes, many growing kids rarely go out to play.

leaf pile by lecates

Here are three reasons this has happened, according to me:

1. Schools have reduced their recess
2. Kids are getting more involved in gaming
3. Parents are getting overprotective

Importance of Outdoor Play
This cannot be overemphasized. Play is where a child learns naturally. Kids should go out looking for mythical dragons rather than play dragon games at home. Digital games are great fun and very useful in many areas, but nothing is better than playing in nature. Their senses are stimulated. Joy is felt and expressed. The physicality of outdoor play is great for building hunger. Its the best thing for growing children. Small problems that are encountered and solved, become lessons in problem solving. Every sense organ is challenged and playing in dirt builds their immune system.

Importance of Imagination
Dragons are mythical creatures. Yet people go looking for them in real life. Imagination is that wonderful beast which can take us on a wild ride. Playing in nature teaches kids to be imaginative. Clouds have faces, tree branches are rockets to fly on and what can be better than sleeping on one's back and looking up at a sky full of stars?

Importance of Balance
Like most other folks, I love digital games. I do play them. I see no harm in introducing kids to games, but what I believe in is balance. It's important to emphasize this when the kids are young. Soon it should become a habit with kids. Balance helps kids make good choices even as they grow up. There is always a long list of what not to forget while your kids game. Watch movies, but discuss your favorite dragons, out in the yard!

I rest my case. Balance, balance and more balance in the things we do around kids.

Leveraging the Love for playing Dragon Games

Kids are fascinated by dragons (adults are too, but that's not for this post!) and by extension all things dragon. When the How To Train Your Dragon movies were released, the frenzy for HTTYD theme parties grew phenomenally. Although there are many interesting creatures on Earth, kids are fascinated by dragons even though they are not real and they cannot be seen around.

Overnight at the Chabot Science and Space Center by Steve Jurvetson

It has been observed that younger kids enjoy science experiments. But, as they grow, for some reason, many of the same kids get disinterested in science. Sometimes, its the way science is taught or it could be a teacher who does not inspire. Make sure you talk to kids about cool science jobs. Watch fun science shows. To keep their interest alive, here are three things you could try:

1. Dragon games 

This a good site for dragon loving kids. They can learn science in the world of Berk, where players can hatch dragon eggs and train their dragons. Other than the usual quests there are educational quests which focus on science used in everyday Berk life. It could be building a lightning conductor, understanding animal behavior, going into volcanoes, solving problems of noxious gases or a bunch of other things.

2. Science Centers

Introduce your kids to science via these centers designed for kids. These places inspire kids and build a lifelong interest in science. Parents can find a place close to their home and take kids from a young age. Even while on a holiday, its good to find a museum or a science center to take the kids to. People who deal with kids are trained to make the activity fun and appealing. There are even summer science camps which might interest kids. As they are designed for different age groups, parents can pick and choose a suitable one.

3. Science Experiments

When the kids are young, they love experiments. Start them on simple experiments they can try their hands at. The parts which are tricky can be handled by an adult, Make sure the kids are safe. Parents can even buy books which list science experiments for young kids or they can look for a suitable one online. There are videos with where you can watch the experiment and then try it yourself.

Other than this, schools and teachers can inspire kids to enjoy science. Kids enjoy tales about scientists and how they made their breakthrough. This gives a human face to science. Parents can easily find opportunities to point out the science aspect of ordinary things like yeast in bread increasing a loaf's size, rust forming on iron, water turning to ice, the shrinking Sun, the massiveness of some of the stars we see etc. Science is all around us, and it is for us to help our kids see it. 

I want a 'Dragon Go'

People are playing 'Pokemon Go' in a rather addictive way. There are reports of distracted players having accidents in this augmented reality game. What I want is an augmented reality dragon game. Pokemons are imaginary Pocket Monsters, so why can't there be a game to look for dragons?

Wooper in Kato, Hyogo 2(Harima Central Park) by Kasadera

Imagine the fun of looking for hidden dragons in our real world. And finding them! Maybe it would just be on my little screen, but it would be there. Dragons that I had spotted!

When science games can revolve around dragons, why not games to spot dragons? The Pokemon franchise makes tons of money thanks to addicted players. Imaging the money a dragon spotting game would make. Pokemon is familiar to a smaller group of people, but dragons - now they have been fascinating people for centuries. Across borders, cultures and ages.

It would also please me no end to meet other such dragon lovers in the most unexpected of places!

A Timeless Game we Love

Some games are timeless. People of all ages enjoy them and these games can be easily played by people of all ages. Games have to be interesting, must have a fun quotient and should be scaleable as in kids must be able to play while young but then they should be able to get better and play for many more years.

How could I resist? by  Mike Lynch

One of the best games which suits the bill is Scrabble. Young and old enjoy it. It can have players with varying competencies. Though it seems like a simple game, there is sophistication built in and the fun quotient is incredible. 

In many families, for years, family time meant Scrabble time. Many adults play it on their phones too. Word Wars is a movies which shows how Scrabble is a blood sport for some. That is the beauty of this game. It means many different things to different players. 

Father's Day Gifts for a Dragon loving Father

Father's Day is around the corner and it's a good time to start thinking of a nice gift for fathers. What if the father loves dragons? Good for his kids, but what do you gift such a father?

a good day by marco antonio torres

Here are a few ideas:

1. Get him 'Braq' a fully articulated dragon

Designed by Sonia Verdu, it's a dragon printed in 42 separate pieces on a 3d printer. Then the fun is in assembling it with an elastic cord. This makes it a fully articulated toy. Here's the link for more details.

2. Play around with e-lo lights
These are some of the most beautiful lights for designing. Just requires the e-lo wire, inverters and some imagination in shaping the wire to look like a dragon of your choice. With their strobing effect, this dragon will be a surefire hit!

3. Print a collage of images
Everybody loves a personalized gift. Get the kids to ask relatives and collect some images of their father from childhood to adulthood. Create a collage in the shape of a dragon and print it out. Rest assured that this gift is going to plaster a big smile on the dragon mad face of father!

Have a great Father's Day!

How to Train Your Dragon 3 and Earth Day - what's the connection?

It would have been nice to have HTTYD3 release in 2016, but it's not to be until 2018. The third part is going to drop us off where the Cressida Cowell books begin, with Hiccup talking of a time when dragons shared space with humans, which in turn means HTTYD3 will show a parting of Viking and dragon!

The books progressed to movies which in turn spawned a whole virtual Viking World with dragon games. Here fortunately dragons are not extinct. As I was reading about HTTYD3, it occurred to me that Earth too has seen the extinction of a series of creatures, some we know of and others we might not even be aware of. Fossils of dinosaurs help us understand creatures which seem more imaginary than real.

Dragon (Paul Halliday's) by Henry Burrows

Speaking of extinctions

Some of these extinctions are natural, but are humans causing some extinctions with our bad unsustainable choices. Are we as a dominant species disturbing the balance of nature with our oil spills, pollution, garbage floats etc.? Perhaps April 22nd being Earth Day, it is a good time to understand how we fit into this jigsaw of nature, and make choices which contribute to sustainable living. As David Brower the environmentalist said, “We don't inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” 

Simple changes

Simple changes in the lives of ordinary citizens can help keep Earth as our home planet for longer. Reduce use of tissue, carry cloth bags, recycle your dry waste, compost, plant trees and most importantly teach your kids to live sustainable lives. Create less wastage. In our minds we must understand that what we do today will affect us tomorrow. Everything is interlinked. We are tightly coupled with the Earth's ecosystem, and must therefore ensure that our actions do not start an imbalance which might be hard to correct. 

This  Earth Day - activities for kids

Schools organize a variety of activities for their students. Along with this it is important for parents to lead by doing something special for Earth Day. It need be big, but it could be memorable. It is just an observance, but one of the world's biggest and most secular. 

1. Take a Walk

Yes, it's simple. Take a walk. Look around. In a jungle or a concrete jungle, nature has a way of creeping in and surviving. Be it a patch of green or the call of a bird, the happiness and calm we get from nature is incomparable. Our learning from nature is never complete. 

2. Share with one other

Young or old, the state of our planet affects one and all. Talk to one other this Earth Day to help them understand how their actions can make a positive change. Coax them to make a teeny weeny change - perhaps reduce their shower by a few minutes and save water or start carrying a cloth bag for shopping. 

3. Make a recycled item

Even as recently a few decades ago, people recycled extensively. With the use and throw mantra taking root, we have become a populace which uses and throws with little thought. But now there has been a rise in people who are recycling, designing new stuff out of the old and feeling good about their contribution towards reducing waste. 

Teaching Science through Dragon Games

STEM is a popular acronym. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are important foundation stones on which the Industrial Revolution expanded. But, education has to keep pace with changes in society. That is the key to ensuring all round progress.

Berk's Vikings

Image Credit: http://www.schoolofdragons.com/how-to-train-your-dragon/game-guide/berks-vikings

With all the educational software around, it is difficult for parents to pick suitable games for kids. They need to be age appropriate and the content must be rich. When the School of Dragons game was launched I was skeptical about the whole thing. I mean dragons and science - how could that be a working combination? The Viking World was from an ancient time, so what was the point of teaching science in that time?

Well the School of Dragon world is from Viking times, but they do have a fun way to teach science. In fact they try to align the science quests to Next Generation Science Standards curriculum. They bring about a natural need to investigate a science topic. Over time the Viking world has been fleshed out with new worlds and islands, all set in olden times.

The whole School of Dragons games are designed around dragons as pets. The relationship is one of love and respect. Both the TV serial and the games enter the picture after dragons and people are friends. In this hugely successful MMORPG game, players get a dragon, which they play with and train. The fun of exploring with science games is something else. The excitement of getting a dragon and training itself is terrific, but then to go out together on quests is super exciting.

Teaching science is not easy. Through a quest, whenever the 'sciency' stuff is taught, it has to be crisp and short or kids skim over it. Characters have to be funny, or kids don't stay with the game. The quests have to be fun, adventurous and must teach without being preachy. A tall order indeed.

Here are three important characters from the game:

1. Phlegma the Botanist
She keeps an eye on the farm and helps young Vikings understand the living world.

2. Gobber the Belch
Gobber is a dragon slayer who has now turned into a trainer in the School of Dragons. He trains young Vikings in all things dragon.

3. Hiccup
He is the undisputed master in all things dragon in the Viking world. In fact he is the one who persuades his father who is the village chief to live peacefully with the dragons. He sets up the Dragon Training Academy, and is the last word on all things dragons.

Designing games which can hold he attention of young people is not easy. It is all the more difficult when science has to be taught and in a way which will fit the ancient world of Berk.

4 Wonderful Apps for Kids

With Christmas being a great time for gifting, tablets have made it into more homes than ever before. Interestingly it is a multi-generational device with many seniors too taking to it. Kids are the one who have the most fun with tablets. They explore a variety of apps for watching videos, playing games, making music and art, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

App per i piu piccoli: il gioco tempi dell'iPad by paz.ca

As the popularity of apps grows, more studios are coming out with apps, though not all are suitable. Some actually have inappropriate content, while others are just not interesting. If an app can hold a child's interest, it's a great bridge to help the child learn via play. Apart from dragon games for the iPad, here are 4 other interesting ones:

1. Dragon Brush

2. GeoDash

3. Dragon Story

4. Where's My Water?

Before using any app, do make sure it's suitable for your child. You should feel comfortable letting your child play on her own. Play along for a short while to see if she likes it and if it's age appropriate. Read a few reviews before installing the app. Ask among your peers to see if any of the kids are using it or ask your child's friends or the parents. Many of these games might have a short informative trailer. Watch it. Lastly, if your child is clearly disinterested in it, move on, find a more suitable app.

4 Useful Dragon Themed Christmas Gifts

I have never hidden my love for handmade dragon goodies. Christmas is a great time to gift things to the people you love. Some years we have made our own gift bags. We start about a two months in advance, in the good years. Make a list of people to make bags for. Then we list things they might like. Some of it is edible stuff and easy to source. My grandfather is easy to gift to - he wants a dragon fruit and some dry fruits. He enjoys the dry fruits slowly and in a leisurely fashion. Others are not as easy to gift to. More picky. If they are well informed, it's not easy to build in a surprise. Then its best to gift what we know they will definitely like.

Homemade #Christmas Goodies by Arnold Gatilao

This Christmas we have decided to gift dragon themed Christmas gifts to our fellow dragon loving friends. We have also decided to gift useful items. We are trying to do this, to be more environmentally friendly, by creating less waste, after we understood how the garbage we generate has gone up phenomenally since the 1960s.

We are also trying to be conscious of the food we waste. On Thanksgiving Day when the US consumes the maximum food, a large amount is wasted. We are encouraging people we know to waste less food after we read that 40% of the food is wasted. It would go a long way in feeding the hungry and needy this Christmas, while conserving resources.

The way we change is slowly and surely. We are being mindful of what we gift. Here are 4 useful gift ideas:

1. T-shirts

Generally I would not suggest clothing, as we all usually have more than we require. But dragon lovers will always use their dragon clothes. Buy it from a regular seller, or pick a design and get one printed. You could even pick either a half sleeved or full sleeved garment depending on your budget.

2. Game Subscription

For a younger child, a game subscription is a gift they will cherish, Perhaps you could gift a subscription for dragon games.

3. Dragon Books

If the receiver is a younger child, you could pick a book with a dragon in it or buy them an app after finding its suitability at 5 sites to know more about games and apps. You must ensure that the parents are not unhappy with your gift, for this could cause some discomfort.

4. Dragon Food

Most of our dragon loving friends which includes children love dragon shaped food, be it cookies or candy. We have bought a dragon shaped cookie cutter for this year. We are going to make our dragon shaped cookies debut this Christmas.

As of now most things are on track. We need to make some gift bags. The kids are suggesting making them out of newspaper and painting them. Looks like this Christmas is a first for many things!

Dragons in Public Spaces

Dragons lend themselves to art, especially sculptures. They are big, showy and elegant creatures. Many well known and lesser known artists have tried their hand at dragon sculptures. Here are 3 that I have really liked:

1.

"Breceda Sea Serpent" by Taken by the uploader and posted on Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Breceda_Sea_Serpent.jpg#/media/File:Breceda_Sea_Serpent.jpg


2.

"Calderflyingdragon" by The_lorax (talk) (Uploads) - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Calderflyingdragon.jpg#/media/File:Calderflyingdragon.jpg

3.

"Dundee dragon - geograph.org.uk - 777300" by Kenneth Allen. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dundee_dragon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_777300.jpg#/media/File:Dundee_dragon_-_geograph.org.uk_-_777300.jpg

It's not like I have seen them all. One day I would like to. 

Dragons and Other Mythical Creatures

A few weeks ago after one of the lessons we were working on, went off on a tangent, we spent time meeting real dragons. A couple of days ago, after the kids were done playing dragon games, they started wondering about the source of the word ‘dragon’. I love such question and immediately looked it up. The word Dragon has its roots in the ancient Greek work draconta which means ‘to watch’. In most dragon mythology, dragons watch over a treasure, which can be won by vanquishing the dragon. In some Chinese communities, dragons are said to watch over people and so are revered.

As I was reading about mythical dragons, I decided to talk to the kids about other mythical creature. I started with my favorite:

Elves

Elves whistling while they work by Jason Epplink

These have fascinated me ever since I first heard the story of the elves which helped the shoemaker. Who wouldn’t like elves? I wanted one of these pointed ear creatures, to help me with all my homework and chores as a child, and now as a grown up I want one to help me out magically with all my chores. Interestingly some elves are capable of hindering everyday lives of people too. All I can say is – I wouldn’t want to meet one of those!

Pegasus

  

"The-Winged-Horse" by Mary Hamilton Frye - Mabie, Hamilton Wright (Ed.): “Myths Every Child Should Know” (1914). Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The-Winged-Horse.jpg#/media/File:The-Winged-Horse.jpg

This mythical flying horse with wings from Greek mythology would be a great friend to have on days when one is stuck in thick traffic. Pegasus is supposed to be white all over or white with golden wings. There is even a constellation named after him. Pegasus is one of the commonest icons found on ancient Greek pottery and other artwork from later periods of time.

Phoenix

"Phoenix-Fabelwesen" by Bertuch-fabelwesen.JPG: Friedrich Johann Justin Bertuch (1747-1822)derivative work: Tsaag Valren (talk) - Bertuch-fabelwesen.JPG. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phoenix-Fabelwesen.jpg#/media/File:Phoenix-Fabelwesen.jpg

This bird with bright colored plumage is a mythical bird representing death and rebirth. After a long life, it is reduced to ashes and then rises to be a new bird. References to this mythical bird can be found in Egyptian, Persian, Greek and other civilizations and cultures too. 

We stopped at just three. Cultures across the world have many more, but that was for another day and time. In the meantime, let me go check if the elves have done the dishes!