Online Games for Your Kids By Robin Nobles Get your kids involved in some online games on the Internet. At Bonus.com, the SuperSite for Kids, you'll find over 2400 different games and puzzles your kids can play online . . . all in a safe and secure environment. Your kids will enjoy playing alien games, monster games, battlefield, animal games, or numerous board games. Or, they can test their I.Q. a little by playing "Brain Games" such as Bonus Lemonade, where they'll run their very own online business, or 11-Up, a solo card game. Do your kids play sports? At Bonus.com, they can play baseball, golf, pool, adventure games, and tennis, to name a few. Or, they can go skiing, racing, or play extreme sports. The site even offers activities for the whole family, like arts and crafts, cooking, role models, and animal facts. Play a pet word game, visit the poetry zoo, or calculate the cost of owning a pet. You can even see pictures of stupid pet tricks. This site is one that will keep kids of almost all ages occupied for hours and hours, while you take some time to read a good book or watch a movie. Or, just enjoy the peace and quiet! http://www.bonus.com/ Robin Nobles, Director of Training, Academy of Web Specialists, (http://www.academywebspecialists.com) has trained several thousand people in her online search engine marketing courses (http://www.onlinewebtraining.com). She also teaches 2-, 3-, and 5-day hands-on, search engine marketing workshops in locations across the globe with Search Engine Workshops (http://www.searchengineworkshops.com). Copyright 2003 Robin Nobles. All rights reserved.

 

5 Ways To Help Your Kids Do Math 2003 © Murdo Macleod

Uh oh. Your kids arrive home with their school reports and it's poor marks from the math department.  Now what do you do? You may not be a math teacher, but thankfully there are ways you can help your kids improve their grades. Studies have shown that children are much more likely to perform well in a subject that interests them. So here are 5 ways to get your kids excited about math and actually looking forward to the next math class: 1. Inspire them. Some kids don't enjoy math because they just can't see the point of it.  Unlike reading or painting, all those mathematical symbols and numbers don't seem to mean anything. What you need to do is show them how important math is in the real world. Tell them stories about the great engineering feats throughout history.  From building the great pyramids of Egypt, to the Hoover dam, to the latest space missions to Mars, nothing would have been achieved without mathematics, and mathematicians. 2. Get practical. Involve your kids in some real world math away from the classroom.  Find something your child is interested in and relate it to math in some way. For example, do they like baseball?  Terrific.  During a game, ask them how many points the losing team has to score to beat the other one.  And how many games do they need to win before they have enough points to win the league? If they enjoy helping around the home then let them do the "clever stuff".  Ask them to work out the sizes for that wood you're going to cut.  Or get them to measure out the ingredients for the cake you're about to bake. When you're in a store, ask your kids to add up the prices and keep a running total while you shop.  Then ask them how much change you should expect at the checkout. 3. Take life "step-by-step". Success in math - as in life - is largely about breaking large projects down into manageable, bite-sized pieces. Many kids feel overwhelmed when they see a list of math questions, and it's at this point they may decide that math is "boring" or "hard". Show them the magic of taking one question at a time, and breaking it into tiny steps that make it easy. 4. Encourage creativity. Kids may become mentally "stuck" on a topic because they're only looking at it in one way. Perhaps they need to step outside the box and see it from a different angle. Show them the beauty of alternative viewpoints.  Help them to see situations from other people's perspective. Get them into the habit of exploring different ways of solving a problem.  Even something simple like tidying up a room can have several possible "solutions" or ways of approaching it. Crosswords and lateral thinking puzzles are good for this kind of flexible thinking. 5. Be positive. Eliminate negative statements like "math is hard" (even if you thought of yourself as a math dunce at school!). Explain how everyone has a natural ability to do math and that solving math problems isn't so different from solving other kinds of problems in life. Above all, inspire confidence in your kids.  Teach them persistence and how there's always a solution to every problem. ------------------------------------------------------------ We all perform better when we enjoy what we do, and getting kids interested in math is the real key to success.  They may not turn into mathematical geniuses, but they'll thank you in later life when they enter the world of work and start counting their salaries. Now who said your kids couldn't do math? ------------------------------------------------------------ 'Fun With Figures' shows anyone of any ability the easy way to do mental math. Visit the site today and find out what you didn't learn in the math class. Click here ===> http://FunWithFigures.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------

14 Year Old Author Encourages Volunteer Work Copyright © 2004, Silvana Clark http://www.silvanaclark.com With summer approaching, parents look for activities to fill their children's free time.  This summer, take the advice of 14 year old Sondra Clark and encourage children to spend their time helping a worthy cause. With a little adult supervision, children quickly learn the inner satisfaction that comes with helping improve the lives of people, the environment or animals. Sondra, the author of five books, raised over $75,000 after visiting Africa and meeting Aids orphans. "When I saw kids in Africa my age living alone because their parents had died, I knew I had to help them", said Sondra. The following are some simple volunteer activities suggested by Sondra in her book, "You Can Change Your World!" which describes 150 volunteer projects. (Available at major bookstores and Amazon.com) · Bedtime Snack Sacks Children living in homeless shelters seldom get bedtime snacks. Decorate a number of lunch bags with markers, sequins and glitter. Fill each bag with a juice pack and non-perishable treat such as granola bars, packaged crackers or dried fruit. Add a small "Happy Meals" type toy as a surprise. Deliver the snack sacks to a women's shelter. · Dog and Cat Fun Local humane societies look for volunteers to walk their dogs. See if your family can register as dog walkers. You'll get exercise as well as the dogs! Kids can also collect old towels and newspapers to donate to shelters to use for animal care. · Fancy Flowers Does your school have flowers growing around the entrance? Offer to water and weed the flowers this summer. · Outdoor Clean-up Contact the local Parks and Recreation department to see if they need help on trail clean-up. Children can help staff pick up litter and maintain park facilities. · Entertainment Do your children have dramatic or musical talents? Encourage them to practice a skit, song or musical piece with their friends. Offer to present a "talent show" to a local nursing home. · Reading Fun Check with your local library if children can help with the summer reading program. They could read to younger children or make posters about upcoming events. Perhaps your children could dress up as a character from a book being read. When not writing books, Sondra stays active with various volunteer programs. She recently contacted community business people to donate soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toys so she could put together 200 "Goody Bags" for orphans in Africa. "Summer is a time for fun and relaxation," she said. "But it's also a great time for kids to think about others and get involved with volunteer projects." A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Sondra's five books goes to Childcare International, a non-denominational relief agency. More information on Sondra is available on her website,  http://www.sondraclark.com As parents look for ways to have children involved in summer activities, check out local opportunities for volunteer work. Children learn the internal satisfaction that comes from helping make the world a better place. ------------------------------ Although she's only 14, Sondra has published five books and is a spokesperson for two companies. She presents motivational speeches to conferences and schools around the country. With all these accomplishments, her parents wonder why she can't figure out how to hang up her clothes and make her bed. Contact: Silvana Clark  360-734-9506  http://www.silvanaclark.com

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