Growing kids need to expend their infinite reserves of energy on something. Sitting like a couch potato in front of the TV all day long doesn’t provide them adequate exercise or entertainment. Eventually they end up piling loads of fat and becoming obese. To better the situation, you can bring out that makeshift plastic swimming pool, fill it water, purchase some water guns and balloons and let them a ball! Be sure to include some water toys and tubes to help them remain afloat during their games in the pool. And also keep on hand some medicines and first aid, lest some evil might befall on your kids.

Encouraging you child to do some craftwork would be a nice and simple idea. Kids love to exercise their creative faculties and if it could be focused on doing something constructive-like a dolphin out of paper, their happiness knows no bounds. Craft art books, guides, videos are not available at your local bookstore but you can stumble upon some brilliant tricks off the internet.

Gardening helps nurture your kids love for nature and inculcate in them a respect for all living creature. An exercise of watching a plant grow, something that you probably experienced as your toddler grew up will thrill and fascinate him.

All children love to watch games being played. IF a baseball team is in town, take your kids out to watch the match and indulge in their fun. Actively support teams, and take part in your child’s enjoyment.

Most school going students develop a dislike towards reading books. What you can do is you can sit down with and read out o them a popular short story. If you see they are getting bored, enact out parts of story to make them feel the action come alive. Better still, if you can lay your hands on the film adaptation of the story. That way they will be encouraged to analyze the differences between the story and the film. For starters, you can use Harry Potter or Eragon or the His Dark Materials trilogy. Kids just adore the genre of fantasy.

Get hold of some board games like Monopoly or Scotland Yard where the whole family can take part. A group involvement will up the thrill quotient of the game and that way everyone will feel refreshed and happy. Some games like scrabble might even help you and your kids’ o enrich his vocabulary.

Going out for movies is a superb alternative. Don’t forget to get the pop corn and Pepsi and during intervals, you can even entertain them with your humorous observation of the film.

Sometimes taking your id along to the workplace will inculcate in them a feel of being involved and knowing what daddy or mommy does all day. But before you do that, consult your boss and get to know whether bringing your child to the workplace is allowed.

Overall, there are a million ways to spice up the lives of your children during the summer vacation rather than allow them to become bored.

If you do, chances are good that this replay of your childhood days may end in frustration or you may end up playing with the toy to show your kid how you used to have fun with the toy, which could turn into a lame situation quickly, depending on the toy. You will need either an ultra fantastic toy or a traditional favorite toy to pull this off successfully. Examples of such traditional toys include the ball, doll and miniature replica toys including vehicles and household items. The entertainment ante has been raised in the toys arena since the introduction of electronics.

Especially for children who regularly watch TV, there may be a greater desire for new fashioned toys instead of the traditional toys. Electronic toys, handheld games, video game systems and other interactive toys attract the attention of many children. It is not always the best thing to cater to such wants.

Before deciding on the best toy for any child, it is important to think about different factors. These factors will allow you to zero in on the type of toy that will best suit your child. To make a good choice in a kids toy, you will need to consider the child’s age, interests, skill level and their favorite things including color.

When you have considered the factors that will influence a child’s level of interest in the toy, you are ready to choose a toy that will have the greatest benefit for your child. The toys that are the best for your kids are toys that promote physical activity, are educational or have both qualities. You can then choose a toy that is played with one player, many players or teams.

If you want to add more physical activity to your child’s life through toys, you can do so. This is a healthier alternative to relying on sedentary forms of children’s entertainment. There are card games, board games, video games and activity games that will increase a child’s movement instead of hindering it.

Many kids toys are educational. The most fun educational kids toys are related to science, reading, math, art, music and crafts. These toys offer a hands on way of learning that is fun for different age groups. Educational toys can enhance a child’s hand and eye coordination while engaging the mind.

These types of toys can complement, enrich and expand on concepts being taught in the child’s school curriculum. Despite being educational, these toys can be truly enjoyable and engaging when the toy is appropriate for the child.

With some forethought, you can choose a great kids toy that will satisfy your desire for a toy that has real benefits for your child. A kids toy is best enjoyed when it is chosen because it appeals to a child personally in some way. Your kids toy has extra value when it is educational or promotes a physically active lifestyle.

Luxembourg Gardens

Located on Paris’ Left Bank just behind the Luxembourg Palace, this 60-acre green oasis holds a plethora of delights for children. Chief among them are the classic “Punch and Judy” puppet shows held most afternoons in the park. The dialogue is in French, but the plots are timeless and easy for even the smallest child to understand. Also within the park is a traditional, gilded carrousel, complete with painted horses and gold rings. The park’s central pond has small sailboats that can be rented for just two euros and most days will find a score or more of young girls and boys goading their craft along with sticks.

Pompidou Center

Just the look and the shape of this Paris modern art museum are fun for kids. The ductwork and pipes are all exposed on the outside of the structure, painted in bright colors. The escalator, located also on the outside of the building, offers sweeping views of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and other Paris landmarks. The Pompidou Center was very controversial with the conservative Parisians when it opened in 1977. The museum is light and airy, in stark contrast to the classic Louvre. The Pompidou’s 50,000-piece collection focuses on 20th and 21st century art, with a large number of works by Picasso, Miro, and Kandinsky, among others.

Parc Asterix

Located about 20 miles north of Paris, Parc Asterix is the quintessential French theme park. Based on the French comic book character, Asterix the Gaul, the park is known for its many roller coasters and other Gallic-themed rides, such as a bobsled ride, water ride, and haunted mansion. Parc Asterix is smaller than Disneyland Paris and is easily visited in one day. To get to the park, take the RER train to Charles de Gaulle airport. There’s a shuttle from there to the Parc Asterix.

Cite des Sciences et Industries

The biggest science museum in Europe, this modern hands-on center, boasts the latest in futuristic equipment as well as an Omni-Max theater and planetarium. Part of the Parc de la Villette complex on Paris’ east side, the seven-acre museum has a full-scale model of the Mirage French jet fighter, a children’s Science City, and a series of hydroponic greenhouses. Just outside is La Geode, a giant entertainment sphere that shows films on nature, travel, and space.

Paris Zoo

Located in the Bois de Vincennes on the southeastern edge of Paris, the Paris Zoo features a huge variety of animals, housed in natural-like settings without bars or cages. Large moats and natural barriers separate the animals from the visitors. There is a veldt for the African animals, an Alp-like peak for the mountain goats, and air-conditioned pools for the penguins. The park is easy to get to from the city center; it’s at the end of the No. 1 Metro line.

Pint-sized picnic tables are perfect accessories for summer days in the back yard. Kids love to have things at their own size, and a table they can use outdoors gives them a small-scale place to have a rest and take a break. Not only that, if you love to have barbecues, your child will have his or her very own place to eat where trying to see over the table or reaching overhead for his or her plate aren’t issues. You can use children’s picnic tables to offer a coloring area for quiet play by placing the picnic table under a tree in the shade.

Rocking chairs are wonderful pieces of furniture to add to a child’s room or to place in an area reserved for reading. The motion of a rocking chair is soothing to all sizes of people, from tall grown-ups to tiny toddlers, and making a rocking chair rock is an easy thing for little kids to do on their own. Placing a pint-sized bookcase with low shelving near your rocking chair is a good idea. Fill it with interesting books to turn the area into the perfect spot for some quiet learning perfect for imagination.

An art activity desk build from solid wood is the perfect accessory for budding artists. While children do draw without table and chairs, using the floor as a hard surface readily, body positioning isn’t ergonomic or comfortable. Try it. Put a piece of paper on the floor, and then attempt a half-hour period of coloring. Feeling cramped when you go to stand? An art activity desk places everything at a good height for children to paint or color at a comfortable position. Choosing a desk offering seating for children as opposed to one with no chair, is easier on little backs and spines and helps avoid long periods of standing.

Toy organizers are great additions to a young child’s playroom or bedroom. Children have short attention spans and move rapidly between toys, leaving many of their castoffs lying scattered about. Helping your child learn to pick up is important, and providing a toy organizer with bins at a toddler’s level is a good way to encourage cleaning up after play. Also, children will love the sorting potential that a toy organizer offers. With multiple bins at hand, they can make cleaning up a game by sorting types of toys into different storage bins. Make the job easier by labeling bins with colored squares or pictures – blue is for blocks, red is for crayons, and so on.

When trying to make choices about which things to buy for your child, think over what will have long-lasting value and playtime potential. Fad toys stamped with cartoon characters may fall from favor quickly, so aim for long-term appeal. Plastic items may be budget conscious, but they aren’t durable or solid. Choosing well-crafted and better quality accessories provides years of appreciation for generations to come.

Truth is, writing well for kids is a unique challenge. The best authors in the genre are masters of economy and action, which can take a lifetime of study and practice to achieve. But there are a few common traps that even the most fledgling author can learn to steer clear of.

Full disclosure: As the co-author of 16 books for kids across all ages and genres, I have made every one of the following mistakes at some point or another. And as a professional editor, I’ve seen dozens of other authors get de-railed by the same pitfalls. Here, then, are the five most common mistakes to avoid when writing for kids:

1. Wrong protagonist – The best books for children feature a chief protagonist – whether human, animal or anthropomorphic object – of the same age or spirit as the intended reader. When your young reader can readily identify with your central character and the issues they face, you stand a much better chance of engaging their interest.

2. Overwriting – The average picture book is 32 pages, including title, dedications and acknowledgments, and features no more than three to five sentences per page – so it’s important to make every word count:

- Don’t write what the illustrations will show. Art and text should complement and inform one another, not merely reflect.

- Start your story immediately – don’t take up time with settings or descriptions. Which grabs your attention better: “Chutney was a small white dog” or “Chutney was lost”?

- Keep things active. Avoid the passive voice, such as “to be” verbs. Instead of “There were a lot of puffy clouds in the sky,” try “Puffy clouds dotted the sky.”

- Avoid excessive use of adjectives and unnecessary detail. Distill your storytelling into as few words as possible, artfully chosen.

- Lay out your manuscript in dummy format, 16 pages folded in half to make 32. Visualize the corresponding illustrations. At what point in the text will the reader turn the page?

- Focus on showing through character action and dialogue rather than telling what is happening. Telling is describing: “Sam’s knee was really hurting from where he had fallen on it at baseball camp that morning.” Showing is revealing: “Sam rubbed his knee and winced.”

3. Verse issues – Young readers appreciate the musicality and fun of verse, but many aspiring authors neglect story structure for the sake of rhyme. If you write in verse, take a critical extra step: craft a prose version as well. Make sure you’ve addressed all the key issues: character, plot structure, pacing, theme etc., before converting back to verse. Verse should be the frosting on the cake, not the cake itself. Also, take care that the verse is first-rate, with true rhymes and consistency of meter. Never try to bend the phrasing or emphasis to accommodate a rhyme.

4. Lack of scope – I once had what I thought was a lovely idea for a picture book, which failed miserably. The reason? Lack of visual interest. The potential for diversity in the illustrations was slim to nil – page after page of two characters in the same setting, just talking. I never forgot that lesson, and I marvel at how many fledgling authors make the same mistake. Again, making a dummy layout is a great tool. Imagine what the accompanying artwork might be, and if you find you have the same scene or setting over and over again, consider how you can open things up to broaden the scope.

5. Teaming up with an illustrator – Many beginning authors assume it is their responsibility to find an illustrator, or think it will enhance their chances of publication to do so. Nothing could be further from the truth. Publishers pride themselves on identifying the right illustrators for projects, so unless you are an author/illustrator, it’s best to submit text only. By all means, include in your cover letter some ideas as to the style of artwork you envision, even drop an illustrator’s name or two as an example, but be prepared to be flexible. If your book is heavily visual, you can include a dummy with written descriptions as to what the illustrations might be like for easy visualization. But leave the final decision to the professional editors and publishers who will be bringing the book to market.

Let’s check out some of the simplest stuff that you considered junk but could be surprisingly turned into one of the wackiest garden art you ever thought-

Bathtub-
You must have always wondered what how to get rid of your old bath tub. It’s simple, you can turn it into a wonderful planter and plant all you favorite flowers in it. Also you can turn your sink into a cute little planter by hanging it in your patio.

Bottles-
Try hanging out all your colorful wine bottles from the tree which make a sweet chiming sound in wind.

Broken Dishes-
Don’t worry if you’ve broken your favorite set of china dishes because you can always put them together to convert them into a mosaic stone or table top.

Kids garden crafts-
Gardening can prove to be whole lot of inspiration for your kids as it just adds up to that creative streak in them and make turn them into nature lovers.

Sculptures-
Our modern garden experts are trying out sensational ideas in transforming our gardens into a new living room which is more than just a place to share a cup of tea. It can be turned into your very own outdoor art gallery where you can keep unique sculptures of Buddha, gnomes, flower fairies, angelic cherubs, fountains and a lot more.

Since it the holiday season so how about keeping with the flavor of the season and putting up some a wonderful Santa Claus statue with reindeer or the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus.

Bird feeders-
Planting some exciting bird feeders is another engaging way to turn your garden into a place of attraction. From simple stylish hanging gazebo bird feeders to shimmering swirls of copper bird feeder the choice before you is endless.

The world of garden art could also be explored using some interesting garden themes using your favorite garden accessories. Garden themes can be seasonal or based on the plants or animals one loves. It can also be based on colors, for instance growing plants of alternating shades. Depending on your taste you can also choose a garden that comes alive at a certain time of the day fro instance evening gardens could be created by using highlighting features with strategic lighting, fragrance and tinkling sound of water against the evening sky.

So explore these killer garden art ideas to make your garden one of your favorite places to hang out with your buddies, and wait till it gets on the A-list of hotspots to host that next big bash!

Learning about animal friends
Children who love animals and are interested in wildlife will enjoy many of the programs currently available in Yosemite. There’s a pre-school program called the ‘Wee Wild Ones’ that the park offers that teaches kids about animals through storytelling, games, songs and crafts. This program is designed for children 6 years old and younger. Admission is free.

Becoming a Junior Ranger
If your child is a born explorer, why not sign him up for Yosemite Park’s program called Junior Ranger? This program is designed for children from ages 7 to 13, although younger ones aged 3 to 6 can join the Little Cubs. The program teaches kids about the value and importance of the environment through related activities. The Junior Ranger Walk (a guided tour that lasts an hour) is done in summer.

Exploring
If you’re visiting Yosemite in the summer, bring your kids to Happy Isles. This is the park’s nature center where kids can learn about the native species of animals that live in the area. There are also activities hosted by park rangers. Rangers lead kids through walks and allow them to participate in activities during a campout.

If you’d rather participate actively in helping your kids discover the beauty of Yosemite, take them for short hikes. Yosemite Valley is a good location for this purpose because many of the trails found here are designed for family exploration. Use a guide to refer to the features you’ll encounter during the hike.

Enjoying the view
Yosemite offers an alternative way to allow kids to enjoy the scenery: through a kid-friendly train ride. It’s known as the Sugar Pine Railroad and it goes through the Yosemite forest. You have a choice between the jenny railcar and the steam train.

Discovering history
Yosemite offers an invaluable lesson in history for young children and teens. Bring your kids to the Yosemite Museum to view the exhibits and let them learn about North American Indian culture through the Indian Cultural Exhibit. The Ahwahnee, an Indian village, is right behind the Yosemite museum. It showcases the culture and traditions of the Paiute and Miwok people.

Bringing out the artist in your child
Yosemite is so stunning in its utter beauty and majesty that it could never fail to awaken the inner artist in your child. For kids who have been dabbling in the arts or those who wish to explore their creativity, a visit to Yosemite can be the one perfect opportunity to allow them to do this. When visiting Yosemite, bring a camera or some art supplies. Then let your child’s imagination run free.

Pick your wall. The great part about painting a mural is that you can totally customize it to the space in your child’s room. You can paint murals wall to wall, paint a single wall, paint the ceiling or just a wall section. It’s completely up to you and your hearts desire!

Choose your characters. Grab your kids and their favorite story books. Look through and find your child’s most loved characters. Your kids will love this. Decide which ones you are going to place in your mural. Don’t worry. No art skills are needed. You are not going to be free handing these drawings. Just pick the favorites. It’s O.K. to mix and match characters form different books.

Create your background. Take a hint from Disney and Winnie the Pooh. Keep your background colors light and soft. This will allow your characters to really stand out. Unless you are artistically inclined, don’t make this complicated. Take your sea sponge and dab on a very light soft blue color for the sky. Sponge all the way down to your designated horizon line. Use white to add fluffy clouds. Use a light soft color for the grass or ground. Use slightly different shades of green to sponge on some hills.

Add your foreground. This part is optional and can be as simple or detailed as you wish. Use stencils to add anything from flowers, butterflies & picket fences to sea shells, fish & seagulls. Use your sea sponge to dab on tree tops and foreground bushes. Use lighter green for bushes and trees far away and slightly darker shades for the ones close up.

Place your characters. Use a projector to project your characters directly onto the wall. Remember that characters made smaller will appear farther away. Lightly trace the characters. Try using chalk or a charcoal pencil when tracing. Mistakes wipe off easily! No projector? No sweat! Enlarge your characters on a photo copy machine. Trace them with a charcoal pencil. Place them on the wall charcoal side down. Firmly rub the tracing with a #2 pencil. The charcoal outline will transfer to the wall. Keep in mind that your character will be facing the opposite direction, so plan accordingly.

Paint your characters. This is no more difficult than using crayons in a coloring book. Grab your water cleanup craft paint and start painting. Stay in the lines. Use inexpensive sponge brushes for large and medium areas. Use detail brushes for the small stuff. Want to really make it pop? After it dries, outline it with a darker color. Refer to your story books for inspiration.

Your kids will be so excited; they’ll hardly be able to wait to show their new mural off to their friends. You might find yourself doing a little bragging too! Create a room that you and your child will never forget. Have fun. Be playful. Do it together.

There are a few types of craft shows that require drastically different financial investments. Here is a breakdown of a few of them.

Outdoor vs. Indoor: Indoor retail shows are generally smaller than outdoor shows, but have several very real advantages for start ups. Most importantly, you don’t have to invest in a canopy or tent for weather protection, a savings of several hundred dollars. Tables are more often provided, and weather is never an issue. However, there is a definite size limit to indoor shows, so while these can be a good place to start, at a certain point you will likely find that you just aren’t getting the sales you need.

Juried vs. non-Juried: Non-Juried shows can be a good option for beginning artists, but be aware that they are often awash in imported goods. This can go either way – it brings down the quality of the show, and their goods are often cheap, but if you have a really spectacular homemade product, customers may be even more excited because of the difference. Juried shows often require more elaborate display setups, and of course, there is always the risk of not getting in!

Time of year: Most of the year, you want to be in a show where the audience’s expectations roughly match your product line. Even the most fabulous pieces won’t sell if the customers aren’t looking to spend that kind of money. That said, the holidays can be a good time to be a big fish in a small pond. People are far more likely to spend larger amounts of money on impulse buys for presents than they are any other time, and so attending smaller shows or importer-heavy areas can actually be a good investment.

Craft shows run by local churches, community centers, or schools: These tend to be the cheapest options for new businesses, although the quality of goods and traffic are often correspondingly lower. Booth fees vary from under a hundred dollars to two or three hundred, very rarely. Be sure to get information about previous years’ attendance and talk to other vendors, if you can. These shows often let in imported goods as well as handmade, which, as discussed above, brings its own set of issues.

Town, city, or county-wide shows: Do your homework! Find out about previous years’ attendance and average sales. These shows are likely to be significantly larger, more likely to be outdoors, and often have

huge foot traffic. That said, the booth fees can be correspondingly much larger – up to a thousand dollars for the best of the best. At a certain point it’s more than worth it, but don’t jump into the deep end until you’re sure you can recoup your costs.

Booth displays: Make sure your display reflects the style and attitude of your work. If you do whimsical, funky pieces, don’t stick them on a plain back and white display! Generally, keep the busts and display pieces themselves in the black, white, and gray range, unless your work’s color is strong enough to really pop against something else. Pearls and plain, shiny metals look great on black, anything with stones will likely do better on white. Make sure you have a range of heights and sizes in your display pieces, to keep visual interest. I generally recommend using your display pieces, a table covering reflecting your style, and ONE other strong visual element. If you work is very organic, consider natural materials like rocks and twigs. If your work is geometric, consider brightly colored blocks and balls as risers and decoration. If you use seaglass, scatter shells and unset pieces of glass around. Use something that ties in clearly with your work and complements it, without taking away attention. Also consider a distraction for children who accompany their parents to shows. Some people have baskets with interesting tumbled stones for kids to play with, or candy at their table, or cheap magnetic jewelry. Make sure you don’t put out choking hazards where you can’t see them, or anything valuable. Also make sure to ask parents if it’s alright before handing things to their kids!

Some cheap sources of display busts and other pieces include Nilecorp and Fetpack, both online. Try ebay or Michaels for decorative elements, they often have random lots of interesting items. For cheap and used canopies for outdoor shows, try Ebay, but remember that you get what you pay for. Good luck and happy showing!

Rebecca Ross Russell

R Cubed Jewelry

http://www.rcubedjewelry.com

The Prosper Chamber of Commerce has announced its 3rd Annual Arts and Music Festival to be held on Saturday October 3 from 10 AM to 7 PM at the Prosper Town Center at Preston Rd and Broadway.  This family event drew over 3000 people last year and is expected to exceed that number this year.

Bill Remington, Prosper Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman and owner of Remington Realty Group stated “The Town of Prosper like other areas of Collin County is undergoing large population growth and we are poised to see some dramatic changes in our community over the next several years.  The Chamber believes this is an excellent time to showcase our town with the art, music and entertainment that we have here and in the surrounding communities.”

This Festival is becoming the signature event in Prosper and the Chamber of Commerce believes that while it is a family event it also demonstrates the business community spirit and therefore becomes attractive for new businesses to relocate here. Prosper is a family town and it is a vibrant one too.

The artists and crafters participating in the Festival are not only extremely talented but unique.  From origin original paintings, woodworking and stained glass to handcrafted jewelry, there will be something of interest to all event-goers.

While parents are visiting the booths, the children will be entertained by the special Kids Corner.  Linda Guthrie, Committee Chair of the Kids Corner says that we want the children who visit the Festival to have fun and find their inner artist.  Pony rides, a barrel train, pumpkin painting, and a petting zoo will be provided.  There will be an interactive crafts area.

The Scottish Rite Hospital will host a children’s health and safety booth with a face painter and special crafts.  Members of several local groups will volunteer to make this Festival take place.

The entertainment portion of the Festival will be provided by a wide array of local talented musicians and dancers.  Festival-goers can relax under a large tent, listen to the music and sample the cuisine from several vendors as well as the restaurants located within the Town Center itself.  From barbeque, Mexican food to funnel cakes, there will be something to tempt everyone.

For additional information on the Prosper Arts and Music Festival visit www.prosperartsandmusicfestival.com or www.prosperchamberonline.com