Family Time
How to Play: Find the Leprechaun's Pot of Gold
Help Willy find his pot o' gold. Credit: jpmpinmontreal, Flickr
How to play: Cut circles out of construction paper and decorate to look like coins -- you will need around five coins per player. Then, select two or three coins to be gold or silver. If you go with silver, just wrap these in aluminum foil to look shiny. You can also use chocolate coins for gold coins. Select an area or room in which to hide the coins for your game. Depending on age, it can be easy or difficult; however, you want to make your gold or silver coins the hardest to find.
The rules: Tell the players the story of Leprechaun Willy who was visiting this morning and shared a tale of woe. He was out the other day with his Pot of Gold when he was distracted by a rainbow. Leprechaun Willy wanted to see the rainbow, so he put his Pot of Gold down to get a better look. While Willy was away, some squirrels came upon his Pot of Gold and thought the coins in his pot were nuts, so they took the coins and hid them. When Willy returned, he was shocked to see someone took all his gold and silver coins. Willy has been searching for his coins all day, but has yet to find them. Ask the kids if they would like to help Willy find his coins, tell them that you remember seeing Willy in the room where you hid the coins, and that Willy mentioned he lost a lot of them -- a few were even gold (or silver). Willy is willing to give a prize to whoever finds the most coins.
How to win: The player who finds the gold or silver coins is the winner.
Related: How to Play: Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Where Is Your Shamrock?
How to Play: St. Patrick's Day Corners
Print St. Patrick's Day-related images to play this game. Credit: SuperFantastic, Flickr
What you need: Music, a room with four corners, a hat or box and two copies of four St. Patrick's Day-themed images, such as an Irish flag, a leprechaun, a gold coin and a four leaf clover.
How to play: Place one St. Patrick's Day image in each of the four corners of the room. Then, let the players know that when the music plays, they can move around. However, once the music stops, they need to proceed to one of the four corners. Once the players have selected a corner, the music operator pulls out an image from a hat and those players standing in that corner are eliminated from the game. Then, start the music back up, mingle and repeat the process.
The rules: The St. Patrick's Day image you pulled from the hat is returned before the music starts again, so this game can have as many rounds as necessary.
How to win: The last player remaining is the winner.
Related: Celebrating St. Patrick's Day
How to Play: Leprechaun, Leprechaun, Where Is Your Shamrock?
Guess who has the shamrock to win. Credit: theogeo, Flickr
How to play: The children sit in a circle, and one child is chosen to be the leprechaun who sits in the middle with his or her eyes closed. One of the children in the circle gets the shamrock and hides it behind his or her back. The children in the circle say, "Leprechaun, Leprechaun, where is your shamrock? Somebody has it in his pocket! Guess who? Maybe you? Maybe a monkey from the zoo? Come on, Leprechaun, find your shamrock!" The leprechaun opens his or her eyes and gets three guesses to discover who has the shamrock. Whoever has the shamrock becomes the next leprechaun.
The rules: An adult should hand out the shamrock to be sure everyone gets a turn.
How to win: Correctly guess who has the shamrock.
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Celebrating St. Patrick's Day
The Chicago River is dyed green each St. Patrick's Day. Credit: Flipped Out, Flickr
What is St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick's Day typically falls during the Christian season of Lent, according to History.com, and on this day Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate the Irish saint's feast day and the anniversary of his death, which occurred in the fifth century. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and legend tells that he banished all the snakes from that country. Lenten traditions prohibiting the consumption of meat were lifted on this day and people would drink, dance and eat a traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
When is St. Patrick's Day?
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the anniversary of the Irish saint's death. It is also his feast day on the Christian religious calendar.
Me Want Cookie
Make baking a game. Credit: Zebra Mix
It may look like a board game, but this trail map is actually a step-by-step guide to whipping up delicious organic cookies!
Available from $6 at zebramix.com.
Forced Fun? More Schools Hiring 'Recess Coaches'
Schools nationwide are overhauling recess programs and hiring coaches to supervise playtime in an effort to address issues with bullying, behavior problems and childhood obesity, The New York Times reports.
Playworks, a California-based nonprofit organization that was awarded an $18 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has placed coaches in 170 schools in low-income areas of nine cities, including Boston, Washington and Los Angeles, The Times reports. Schools pay Playworks $23,500 a year to run a recess program.
In January, Brandi Parker was hired by Playworks to be a recess coach at Broadway Elementary School in Newark, N.J. Since then, disciplinary referrals at recess have dropped by three-quarters, and injuries have been reduced.
"Before, I was seeing nosebleeds, busted lips, and students being a danger to themselves and others," Broadway principal Alejandro Echevarria tells The Times. "Now, Coach Brandi does miracles with 20 cones and three handballs."
Links We Love: TV Moms, St. Patty's Ideas, Organizing Tips
LilSugar: There are six prime-time series that are too good to miss. Check out why these shows and their maternal characters are a must-see! Six Television Shows With Incredible Mom Characters.
CafeMom: Looking for some ideas for St. Patrick's Day crafts and treats for your toddler? How about treating your little leprechaun to a tasty emerald pot of gold?
Hybrid Mom: Staying organized can be a challenge. Here are some interesting organizational tips from 15 different Moms. Perhaps it's as simple as going paper-free or a new app for your phone: 15 Secrets Mom's Use to get Organized.
Reviews: What's New This Week
Here is a look at what's new this week in family entertainment as adapted from reviews and ratings by Common Sense Media. Click on the links to read the reviews in full.
In Theaters Now: Remember Me
"Twilight" hunk Robert Pattinson stars in "Remember Me," a coming-of-age drama featuring two young adults with major issues. The film is dark and serious and features more violence, strong language and sexual content than you might expect in a movie presumably aimed at teens. Rated PG-13, Iffy for Kids 14-15
DVD: Planet 51
An animated film set in an alien version of 1950s America, "Planet 51" is a children's movie that tries hard to entertain parents, as well. While the suggestive humor and cultural references likely will go over their heads, kids will still find something to laugh about as alien kids try to send a wayward Earthling back where he belongs. Rated PG, OK for Kids 7+
TV: Pink Panther and Pals
Conflict and cartoon violence are the hallmarks of "Pink Panther and Pals," an animated series on Cartoon Network. This modern Pink Panther is a teenager, but he's just as silent and sneaky as ever as he battles his arch-nemesis, Big Nose. Despite the modern makeover, the show is as silly and fun as the 1960s original. Rated TV-Y7, OK for Kids 5+
Calling All Cars! It's the Case of the Hot Hamster
Seriously, who steals a hamster? Credit: knittingskwerlgurl, Flickr
Check the pawn shops. Has anyone tried to fence a hot hamster?
Preschoolers at Staten Island's Eden II School for Children with Autism showed up for class Monday and found Star, their pet hamster, was gone. Cage and all.
Brace yourself. It gets worse. Skippy the Sock Puppet is missing, too. A half dozen rubber duckies are also unaccounted for.
Police tell the New York Daily News the thieves apparently broke in through a back window.
"Whoever did it was really pathetic," the school's executive director, Joanne Gerenser, tells the Daily News. "One of the students said to me 'I miss the sock puppet.' "
The paper reports thieves also made off with $5,000 in electronics, including three laptops, two Nintendo Wii systems, a Microsoft Xbox and all its games, as well as a camera.
Opinion: Gun Dealers Shouldn't Take Aim at Little Leaguers
Two boys in Venezuela hold their toy guns at a baseball game. How would that fly in New Jersey? Credit: Pedro Rey/AFP/Getty Images
Hey kids, when you're stealing first base or making that game-winning homer, think about the nice people at Chesterfield who made it all possible.
That's right, Chesterfield -- the same smooth, great-tasting cigarette that put Grandpa in the iron lung -- could be on the back of your team jersey. Think of it as their way of getting you to smoke.
Or how about the Captain Morgan Rum Company sponsoring your team? Just drink responsibly, boys and girls.
It's not like the local pot grower is sponsoring the team. Alcohol and tobacco are both legal industries. So is firearms. The three of them go together like, well, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
What is wrong with a perfectly legitimate business sponsoring a local baseball team? Matt Carmel, a licensed gun dealer in New Jersey, demanded that answer when his application to sponsor a youth baseball team was rejected.
Let's see if I can explain this to him. Most of us, I imagine, think that certain things -- say alcohol, tobacco and firearms -- should not be advertised to or promoted among children.
Not that I have anything against arming kids. Some youngsters have parents who are military veterans, experienced hunters or otherwise practiced in the use of firearms. Growing up in Alaska, I owned a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle when I was 11. Still, I was always under the watchful eye of my father, a former Marine Corps marksman.
But even in Alaska, Smith & Wesson didn't sponsor our hockey team ( though things may have changed now that Sarah Palin has been governor).
It's one thing to have your parent or other responsible adult teach you how to use a deadly weapon. It's quite another to promote firearms across the board for all kids, whether their mother is Donna Reed or their father is Al Capone.
Your Uncle Horace may give you your first little sip of brandy when you're 8. But that's a lot different from having Budweiser sponsor your chess league.
It's the same reason you don't see ads for chewing tobacco in Boy's Life.
You see what I'm trying to say, Mr. Carmel?
No, of course not.
No doubt you still see this as another symptom of our liberal, namby-pamby gun-hating society. Sigh. Where would political causes be without their persecution complexes?
You argue that a local convenience store gets to sponsor a team, and it sells alcohol and tobacco, so why not your business? You really can't see the difference between a store that sells those things as part of a much wider inventory, and your business, Constitution Arms?
"I want to advocate for the Second Amendment," Carmel says. "I think it's extremely important. It's important to show my kids that you stand up for what you believe. You don't take it lying down."
Bully for you. In that same spirit of freedom, say that Michael Moore and Janeane Garofalo or the local ACLU chapter want to sponsor a team -- would you be as zealous defending their First Amendment as you are at defending the Second?
There are plenty of lessons children learn through sports. Adult activities should not be one of them.
SuperStar Barbie Doll Twitter Giveaway
The 2010 SuperStar Barbie, left, and a reproduction of the 1977 original SuperStar Barbie.
In honor of Barbie's 51st birthday, Mattel is giving away a glam Barbie.
Entries must come through Twitter by retweeting the following:
Win SuperStar Barbie #BarbiesBday RT this & follow @ParentDish & @BarbieStyle to win Enter by 11:59 p ET on March 8 rules http://ow.ly/1f3yf
All entries must be tweeted before 11:59 pm ET on March 8.
One winner will be selected in a random drawing
The winner will receive each of the following dolls:
Barbie My Favorite Time Capsule 1977 SuperStar Doll
In celebration of Barbie doll's 50th anniversary, Mattel reproduced the vintage 1977 SuperStar Barbie doll. The package includes a reproduction Barbie doll in a pink halter dress from the era with a boa and matching shoes; an extra reproduction dress, shoes and boa in black; and a collector's booklet. For ages 3 and up. (retail value $29.99)
Barbie 2010 SuperStar Doll
The ever-popular SuperStar Barbie from 1977 is reinterpreted for 2010 in an iconic pink dress and boa plus groovy ring and necklace. Doll cannot stand alone. For ages 3 and up. (retail value $7.49)
Open to residents of the 50 United States who are 18 years and old.
Click here for complete official rules. Winner will be notified through Twitter using Direct Message. When requested, please provide name and address and email address so that we can send you the prize. Note, this information will only be used in conjunction with this giveaway.
Snacking Shocker: Kids Prefer Cheetos to Carrots
When a snack attack strikes, are kids opting for junk food? Credit: Paul J. Richards, AFP/Getty Images
When it comes to snack time, more kids are reaching for salty chips, candy and junk food than ever before, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study released this week.
Snacks now account for 27 percent of children's calorie intake, according to Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition at UNC's Gillings School of Global Public Health.
The increase in unhealthy snacks has occurred while childhood obesity is on the rise.
10 Most Surprising Artists To Appear on Children's Albums
Thanks to talented artists like They Might Be Giants, Lisa Loeb and Jack Johnson, it's no longer uncool for mainstream musicians to record children's songs. Still, every now and again you see a name on a kids' CD and do a double-take ("Really? Them?"). Sometimes these crossover experiments work out to surprisingly fantastic results. Other times, not so much. Here are 10 of the most surprising artists to pay a visit to Wiggles territory.
1. Lou Reed ("What a Wonderful World," on Night Time
by Dan Zanes, 2002) - Part of what made Dan Zanes a megastar in the world of kids' music has been his ability to snag high profile guest stars. But Lou Reed is arguably his biggest "get." Few folks more underground than the frontman of the Velvet Underground. Here, he sort of half-sings, half-talks his way through a cover of the old Louis Armstrong hit, sounding strangely off rhythm at times. It's far from the best track on the album, but I'd hazard a guess that Reed didn't stick around for more than one take.
by Dan Zanes, 2002) - Part of what made Dan Zanes a megastar in the world of kids' music has been his ability to snag high profile guest stars. But Lou Reed is arguably his biggest "get." Few folks more underground than the frontman of the Velvet Underground. Here, he sort of half-sings, half-talks his way through a cover of the old Louis Armstrong hit, sounding strangely off rhythm at times. It's far from the best track on the album, but I'd hazard a guess that Reed didn't stick around for more than one take.Links We Love
CafeMom: There are some jobs where you simply cannot bring your child to work. Here's a list of some other work scenarios where it's probably better if kids are kept off the scene. 10 Jobs Where You Shouldn't Bring Your Kids To Work
Urlesque: We all know kids can do the funniest things and this one is particularly hysterical. Bet he'll regret this when he grows up. We pity the parents for the revenge he's bound to take. Hey, Kid – Get Your Head Out Of The Toilet!
MommyTracked: This story looks at a new documentary, Race to Nowhere, which explores the academic pressures of today's high-school kids. Cheating On Homework To Get Ahead In Life
Momversation: Budget cuts and changes in our lives can sometimes make us feel those green eyes of envy lurking around every corner. We may try to keep them at bay, but every once in a while they sneak back... How do you deal with those Green Eyes?
Reviews: What's New This Week
Here is a look at what's new this week in family entertainment as adapted from reviews and ratings by Common Sense Media. Click on the links to read the reviews in full.
In Theaters Now: Alice in Wonderland
An intense 3-D adventure, "Alice in Wonderland" picks up Lewis Carroll's classic tale some 13 years later. Though the language is mild and there's very little sexual content, there's plenty of fantasy violence, scary looking creatures and some potentially disturbing imagery involving severed body parts. Rated PG, OK for Kids 10+
DVD: Where the Wild Things Are
While director Spike Jonze did a beautiful job bringing Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" to life on the big screen, the live-action film is probably too wild for the book's youngest fans. At times dark and scary, the film explores complex emotions with a subtlety that will be lost on the little ones. However, older kids will likely delight in the rumpus brought to life. Rated PG, OK for Kids 9+
TV: Parenthood
Although NBC's new series "Parenthood" explores family relationships and the trials and tribulations of raising children, it is not intended to be family fare. Based on the 1989 film of the same name, the focus of the show is on the adults of a large extended family as they deal with marriage, sex, and the ups and downs of parenting. Rated TV-PG, Iffy for Kids 13-17
In Theaters Now: Alice in Wonderland
An intense 3-D adventure, "Alice in Wonderland" picks up Lewis Carroll's classic tale some 13 years later. Though the language is mild and there's very little sexual content, there's plenty of fantasy violence, scary looking creatures and some potentially disturbing imagery involving severed body parts. Rated PG, OK for Kids 10+
DVD: Where the Wild Things Are
While director Spike Jonze did a beautiful job bringing Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" to life on the big screen, the live-action film is probably too wild for the book's youngest fans. At times dark and scary, the film explores complex emotions with a subtlety that will be lost on the little ones. However, older kids will likely delight in the rumpus brought to life. Rated PG, OK for Kids 9+
TV: Parenthood
Although NBC's new series "Parenthood" explores family relationships and the trials and tribulations of raising children, it is not intended to be family fare. Based on the 1989 film of the same name, the focus of the show is on the adults of a large extended family as they deal with marriage, sex, and the ups and downs of parenting. Rated TV-PG, Iffy for Kids 13-17
