Remembering Columbus

Columbus Day is a good opportunity to explore some geography which is fun, adventurous, understandable and includes dollops of history. Not too far in our past kids have been taught absurd things in history.

 "Viajes de colon en" by Viajes_de_colon.svg: Phirosiberiaderivative work: Phirosiberia (talk) - Viajes_de_colon.svg. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viajes_de_colon_en.svg#/media/File:Viajes_de_colon_en.svg

The controversy
Just like talking about war with kids is difficult, talking about the deliberate spread of disease is one of the most difficult. How can we explain that Europeans deliberately spread disease among the native populations in the Americas? We abhor the use of bio weapons today, but it was used without remorse to conquer a land and its occupants. After having done all this, it is rather strange to celebrate the finding of the 'New World'. Where was the newness in this well inhabited world?

The Fun Part 
The beauty of history is its multi-facetedness. It shows the advances in sea faring equipment and cartography. The adventures and innovations which came out of these long voyages and the innumerable tales. Kids will always enjoy the fact that Christopher Columbus headed out to find a westward path to the 'Indies'(present day India) and mistook the land he found as Indies. Eventually, this became the West Indies. Working through this story with old maps and drawings from the past ages, can bring alive a bunch of children. Get them to dress up like an old seafarer of that era, and the fun just explodes!

Understanding the damage
As kids grow up, they also understand how a celebration of such days is but the perspective of a few. The Columbus voyage started a huge cycle of exploration and innovation, which laid a strong foundation for growth in many fields. It also laid the foundation for the slave trade across the Atlantic. This was an enormous growth in wealth for a few but created human tragedies and poverty of epic proportions.

Using Technology
Just like we use online games to get kids interested in sports, we should use the available technologies of movies, videos, and apps to develop content which will interest our kids. We must help our kids understand history so as to not repeat it.

4 Great Gifts for Grandparents this Grandparents Day

The kids are real excited. It's Grandparents Day in a few days and this will be the first time they will be staying over at their grandparents' place without us. The two grand generations love spending time together, but the kids have never stayed over. In fact as I said at the beginning, the kids are excited, but much more than them, the grandparents are excited and nervous. Yes, nervous. After having brought us all up, our kids make them nervous!

Kids with Grandparents by Darren Wilkinson

The kids were wondering what to gift them for Grandparents Day. Needless to say, we have been talking a lot about this. I like to categorize the gifts thus:

1. A gift of time

In this age of being busy, time is of enormous importance. As we get busy with our working lives, we sometimes get too busy to keep in regular touch with our parents. But once we have kids, we must make time and get our kids to spend time with their grandparents. The mutual bond of love is strong. This simple gift of time, where grandparents can spend time with their grand kids is priceless. I recall the wonderfully warm times I spent with my grandparents. It's the warm safe place I go to, when I am stressed out. This stay over with the grandparents on their own is a gift of time which both the kids and their grandparents will cherish, but the grandparents will adore.

2. A gift of play

After reading about games from foreign shores, I was talking to the kids about games they had not heard of. In fact I was telling them about games we had played as a child, which are now almost forgotten. They got very excited and spoke to their grandparents about games they played as a kid. This sleepover, they have planned to teach the grandparents how to play online games, while the grandparents teach them games they played while growing up. This gift of play, will not be forgotten easily by the grandparents and I am wondering if the grandparents will turn into gamers!

3. A gift of shared activity

Sometimes it's amazing to see the number of activities my kids enjoy with the grandparents, be it gardening, cooking or painting. Even before going over they have planned activities for everyday. Gran is going to teach them how to make a tie and dye shirt while grandpa has promised teach them how to set up a tire swing. I am now dreading the time when the kids will want to make a tie and dye T-shirt once they are back, though my grandma had taught me and I still have the old t-shirt as a keepsake!

4. A gift of remembering them

This is a gift we can give grandparents throughout the year - a gift of remembering them through out the year, not just on Grandparents Day. They love it when the kids call and chat with them. Sometimes the grandparents call just to ask them about school or a school trip. It is amazing to see the animation on the kids'faces when they chat. I know for sure the grandparents love getting these phone calls - they love being remembered - my parents have vocalized it many time.

These are my gift ideas - what are yours? Do share.

Virtual Pet Games - the reason for their popularity

When you feed this pet, you are merely feeding a bunch of pixels, not a living breathing pet. But the pets adopted on this virtual pet game are very important to their owners. They adopt them, care for them, feed them, buy them toys, play with them, travel with them, get them pet pets - in essence, they nurture their virtual pets. If the pets are not fed, they don't die, they linger on, weak and hungry, pointing to the callousness of the owner.

The rise

One of the earliest digital pet games was Dogz. This was followed by, hold your breath, Catz, Horsez and even a Hamsterz all under the Petz brand. All this happened in the 90s. This was followed by Tamagotchi. These were a huge hit in Japan, but could not sustain their popularity in the US as schools banned them for their need for constant attention.

Jump, People. Stay, Dog. by Gordon

Why were they so popular

Well, they are definitely easier than getting a real pet. Approvals and resources required are fewer, especially if you are a kid! These pets occupy no space and when you need to go away, they need not be physically looked after. Apart from all this, you can nurture them, name them, complain about them among peers, dress them up, play with them, and buy them toys.

A whole world

Interestingly some of these pets occupy a whole virtual world, like Neopets which occupy Neopia. Players on these worlds, have currency they can use to buy their pets food, clothes and toys.

The worry

As these technologically advanced pets become companions to humans, especially kids, the psychological effects of this worry many. People can have programmable affection without really investing time or effort. Interaction with an actual physical creature is always superior to simulated interaction. The worry for many is that people might replace the real with the artificial, because they can invest less of themselves.

The good

Though virtual pets might seem a departure from the reality of the world and some might even call it escapism, it has its pluses. Kids who cannot have pets in the real world, can have one here. People with physical disabilities, can manage these pets far more easily, than the real ones. Short of space, no problem, adopt a virtual pet. In fact many animal lovers feel having a virtual pet, gives people and kids a window into the world of having a real pet. Like a dry run, without the pain of a real animal involved. Compassionate for the a real pet and happiness for the real human.

A few pixels can do a lot of good!

End of Summer Fun

Summer's drawing to a close and kids are starting countdowns. Parents can plan on getting back to schedules they had before the holidays began. As kids take a while to get used to new schedules, it's best to start a few things which will help them sync with school schedules.

Here are the most important you can look at:

1. Sleep schedule

surprised, the kid chameleon tried red by woodlewonderworks

This is the most difficult and important thing. Kids must get back slowly but surely to school week sleep schedules. Their bed time over the summer would have changed, but this needs to go back to what is required. A sleepy child is not suitable for school. For a teacher having a class full of sleepyheads spells big trouble.

2. Eating schedule

Again a difficult one, but if the first one falls into place, gradually hunger cycles will regularize. This is important, for you would not want a child to start her day without breakfast. It also helps to cut down on random snacking during the day. This way the kids get hungry and mealtimes are not difficult.

3. Preparing them for hours away from home

This mostly applies to younger kids, who are not used to staying away from home for long hours. As kids grow older, their friends, teachers and the fun they have at school, keeps them interested and occupied at school. Younger kids, who are in the younger classes, feel the need to get home to their parents/caretakers much sooner. They need the comfort of home.

Well, summer's drawing to a close. make the best of these last few days!

Online Fun other than Games

The kids love playing computer games, but sometimes I actively encourage them to do other things when they are at their computers. Kids can do many creative things using a computer. The summer is when they can explore a billion interesting things that can be found on the Internet. Especially in the hot afternoons.

Kids playing dress-up at a children's fair by Lyn Lomasi 

If you aren't getting any ideas, here are four that I can list:

1. Choose an age appropriate play for the kids. Get the kids and their your friends to play different parts. Help them record the play reading. Make a nice recording of it of it and share it with your families.

2. Ask the kids to go around the house or garden or the block to get some nice images. Then introduce them to a nice collage making software. Ask them to make a summery collage and share it with family and friends.

3. Introduce the kids to homemade toy making. Look for online tutorials for toy making. Try this photo album or this spinning button, for starters. Once all of you are addicted to making toys at home, search for more instructions and get busy.

4. Look at people in their traditional attire. Ask the kids to pick a character they would like to dress up as, with clothes they can find at home. Playing dress up can be great fun!

Have you got any bright ideas? Share it with us!

Virtual Pet Games like Neopets

I must admit, the title of this post is rather misleading. After all, there really isn’t any virtual pet game out there quite like Neopets. The sheer enormity of the site and the nearly limitless options of what you can do when you’re on there is what most users agree make Neopets as popular as it is. I’m yet to find a virtual pet game that can compete with Neopets in size and complexity. However, many old-time users of Neopets have found the website becoming too impersonal and commercialized in the recent past, and are looking for other websites where they can experience some of the original Neopets charm. Embarking on the same quest (Neopets reference intended), here’s what I’ve come up with so far.

“Poogle Side” by Mary-Lynn is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Subeta – A lot of Subeta members are people who have been or still are Neopets users. The consensus is that this is the closest it gets to Neopets. You can adopt a virtual pet choosing from about sixty species, both imaginary and real. The site has plots, quests, mini-games, collectibles, and of course plenty of ways to customize your pet. You can also have a human avatar on Subeta. Site events, regular updates and an active, supportive community make Subeta a popular virtual pet game.  A few of the main differences between Neopets and Subeta revolve around the fact that Neopets is targeted at young kids and Subeta at older users. Therefore the content on Neopets is monitored to keep it appropriate for its younger users. Older users may find the relative freedom on Subeta refreshing. A lot of the plotlines and store items too involve more mature content. Another important difference is the fact that Subeta’s artistic users can sell their artwork on the website for Subeta points or real currency. On the flip side, users may find that the world of Subeta is not as extensive or fleshed out as that of Neopia. The site has fewer mini-games, and they aren’t as flash-y (pun intended) as those on Neopets. Also, some users find it annoying that fighting is an integral part of playing on Subeta, as several plots do not advance if you don’t battle in the Coliseum.

Icepets – Icepets is another virtual pet game that’s doing a good job, but it’s far smaller than Neopets or Subeta. Here users play games, embark on quests, and choose from various fun activities around the site. There are fourteen pet species to choose from here, and one of the main attractions is dressing up the pet and customizing it. Users on Icepets get to change the species of their pets at will, and can save each of their pets’ looks so that they can switch between them whenever they like. As with Subeta, older users appreciate the fact that they can talk freely on the forum without worrying about whether the content is appropriate for younger audiences. The smaller community means that people get heard on the forums, and engage in more personal relationships with each other, which is something that a lot of users appreciate.

Powerpets – Powerpets is a virtual pet game with a difference – it is all about teaching users to be kind and considerate towards animals of all types. The pets on Powerpets are all based on real animals, and you have over sixty species to choose from. Other interesting features include the fact that the map is based on locations in the real world (but places are inhabited by animals) and that the website’s encyclopedia imparts educational information about the pet species available in the game. Like Neopets, the game has plots, quests, mini-games and its very own economy, influenced by the actions of its users. You can also customize your pets by changing their looks. Users get to create human avatars as well. For those who would like to share their creativity with others, Powerpets lets users write stories about their pets and publish them as virtual books for other users to read. The site also holds donations and uses the money raised to fund campaigns geared towards animals.

For some Neopets users, no other website can ever take the place of the virtual pet game that started it all. But for those who are ready to try out other games, they may find a new virtual pet game that is as good or even better (gasp!) than Neopets.

More about Getting Kids to Read

We’ve spoken enough about getting kids to read with the help of reading games, activities, books, plays, etc. Have we ever thought how fun it would be if kids were encouraged to read books which have been successfully adapted into movies and that too good ones? Won’t they be able to relate to the movies and want to revisit the book for a better understanding? Yes, getting kids to read a book first and then watch its big screen adaptation is indeed a great idea. Here are the all-time bestseller children’s books whose movies we love!

100_2771 by abbamouse

The Hobbit

Tolkien’s fantastical world with Bilbo Baggins in it was rendered beautifully on screen. The beloved characters, from the Hobbits and Dwarves to Gandalf and Gilbert, find their due places in the screen adaptation and the audience didn’t have much to complain as The Hobbit has been undoubtedly one of the best book adaptations in recent cinema.

The Hunger Games

Agreed that The Hunger Games is not a book essentially for kids but it’s known to be popular among young adults and older children. The thrilling Hunger Games trilogy was recently adapted for the large screen and it still awaits its third and final sequel Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 in November 20, 2015. The dystopian setup of the movie maybe a far cry for children but the older ones would love to catch a show of their favorite novel on screen and later revisit the book.

Alice in Wonderland

Come Alice and her zany friends from Lewis Carroll’s popular book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland straight into the large screen. Tim Burton’s on-screen adaptation is a vivid take on the eccentric novel with Alice at its center and the Mad Hatter occupying the second most prominent role. Starring Johnny Depp as the hare-brained Mad Hatter, the film is an interesting take on the book though not a word-by-word imitation of the main book.

The Harry Potter Series

Admittedly many had already started expecting movie adaptations of the Harry Potter series as soon as the books started to get published. If your kids loved reading the books, then it’s time you have to encourage the kids to watch the movies. They’ll love the wizardry and magic come alive on screen and Harry embarking on one whirlwind adventure after another with Ron, Neville and Hermione. Look out for the PG rating though that a few Harry Potter series movies are certified with.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series debuted as a comic strip on the web back in 2004 and since then the rest is history! The series now includes five books and has been at the top of the New York Times Best-Seller list for children's books for years now. If your kids have ever wondered what it would feel like to live Greg Heffley's middle-school adventures in real life, then they must watch the screen adaptation of the best-selling series Diary of a Wimpy Kid where the stories come alive. Perfect for reluctant readers, the books and films portray the identifiable struggles of an awkward middle-schooler.