Digital Fun for Creative Kids

Our friends at Common Sense Media have released their annual summer treasure trove of ideas for digital fun, and this year creativity is king:

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/guide/digital-fun-for-creative-kids

One of the things I love about the Common Sense website is that they carefully assess each app or website with age levels in mind, which makes it easy for parents to evaluate what is best.  In scanning some of the suggestions, I am so comforted to know that the folks at Common Sense agree that all that time my boys have spent on Minecraft and Civilization is actually educational...

The guide offers a number of suggestions for crafting and creating art, storytelling, coding, creating media and building.   Sounds like hours of fun to me (as long as it is mixed in with a good bit of physical fun as well!).  Be sure to leave a comment if you have found a particularly amazing app or website you would like to share...

Common Sense Media's Essential Books for Kids and Teens

We are busily working to compile our 2013 Summer Reading Lists at Holy Trinity School... we promise, they will be done soon!  It's still April (for a few more hours) we have plenty of time...

The following guide landed in my inbox the other day, and it's tough to not be intrigued by a guide that promises: "150+ Chances to Get Kids Hooked on Reading for Life."  The fabulous folks at Common Sense Media sought to create a list that will engage, entertain, and maybe even enlighten young readers.

The guide is divided by age group: ages 2-6, 7-12, and 13-17, so there is something for everyone.

I found this list to be a great collection of timeless favorites... ones my own (now teenage) children have read and loved over the years... and well worth a look.   Enjoy!

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/guide/essentialbooks

Send your kids to Virtual Summer Camp with Common Sense Media

Before we get to the part about the nifty Virtual Summer Camp...

I believe that every parent needs to know about the resources at Common Sense Media.  I wrote about this organization last summer, but in case you are new to the blog, Common Sense helps parents sift through the vast sea of websites, apps, computer games, television shows, movies and books to identify which are appropriate for children at every age group - and why.  I have found that it is a handy resource when one of my own children is begging to buy a game or watch a movie that is not even close to age-appropriate... I'll just pull up the review and tick off the reasons why they'll need to make another choice.  It also helps parents navigate the world of Social Media once their kids hit the 'tween and teen years.  Check out the website on http://www.commonsensemedia.org/   I suggest you subscribe to the weekly parent newsletter.

Common Sense Media has a new learning ratings initiative that will evaluate the learning potential of websites video games, and mobile apps. As part of this new initiative, the creative geniuses of this organization have created a Virtual Summer Camp Guide, as they thought: What better way to orient skills than around camp themes?  I couldn't agree more. This guide has 50+ recommendations with the highest Learning Ratings for kids age 2-17.  The themes include: outdoor exploration, arts and crafts, scavenger hunt, campfire friends, and more.  There are also great tips and activities that you can use to support your kids as they sharpen their skills.

Download the Summer Learning Guide here.

If you find any particularly amazing games, please let me know by commenting below: