Kidsville News - August 2011

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Dear Kids, August is here, and for many kids, that means it’s time to head back to school. I think learning new things is pretty awesome.

That’s why I like reading so much. Did you know that August is National Children’s Vision & Learning Month? I think it’s the perfect time to learn more about your eyes and how they work!

You might be getting ready for one last vacation before school starts back or just hanging out at home with your family. One of my favorite things to do at home is to build LEGO® creations. This month, I talked to a father and son who are LEGO artists! What a cool job!

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Kidsville News! Be sure to visit online for more fun and games.

Have an awesome August!

Your friend,

Art Gallery Sakai Hoitsu: Buddhist Monk and Artist forms of Japanese art, before reviving the Rimpa school style first Sakai Hoitsu was a Japanese painter, poet and embraced by Ogata Korin. The Rimpa school specialized in highly nobleman. Born into one of the highest-ranking decorative screens and silks covered in gold and silver symbols and families in 18th-century Japan, Sakai is best delicate images from nature, and they sometimes included known for reviving the delicate and decorative calligraphy writing. As a Rimpa artist, Sakai style of lacquer art first made famous became known for his decorative painted by an earlier Japanese artist, Ogata scrolls and large folding screens. Some of his Korin. greatest artistic accomplishments are said to be Sakai Hoitsu was born on August a screen painting titled Summer and Autumn 1, 1761, in the city of Edo, now Grasses and a scroll titled Birds and Flowers of called Tokyo. Originally, his name was Sakai Tadanao, but he later the Four Seasons.

Sakai is thought to have died in 1828 or changed it. Sakai’s father was the lord 1829. In addition to his painting accomplishof Himeji Castle, which made Sakai the son of a nobleman. This gave him ments, he was also a noted haiku poet and spent many years as a high-ranking Buddhist many privileges and luxuries. He was monk with the Nishihongan Temple. able to study things like art, poetry Written by Tamar Burris, a former elemenand philosophy as a child and develtary school teacher who now works as a freelance oped many different artistic talents. writer and curriculum developer for PBS, the After his early childhood, Sakai Discovery Channel and other education-related moved to Kyoto where he studied the Kano style of art. companies. Sources: Artist Biography: Sakai The Kano school is one of the most famous styles of Hoitsu, http://www.vangoghgallery.com/artistbios/ Japanese art. Artists who work in this style usually paint Sakai_Hoitsu.html; Biography of Sakai Hoitsu on screens and silk backgrounds with large nature scenes full Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica. of waterfalls, birds or other animals and the like. After Autumn Flowers and Moon by Sakai com/EBchecked/topic/518619/Sakai-Hoitsu; Sakai working in this style for a time, Sakai moved on to learn Hoitsu Hoitsu on Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Japanese woodblock printing, black ink painting and other Sakai_Hoitsu.

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AR

Spain

UND THE W

In the city of Bunol, La Tomatina, a huge food fight, is held on August 25. Over 35,000 people gather to throw 120 tons of tomatoes at each other! The Tomato Festival starts each year with a contest where competitors race up a greased pole to reach a ham at the top. Then trucks come in with tomatoes and dump them on the village streets! The tradition supposedly began in 1945 when a fight between two young people spilled into the vegetable stand nearby, and they started throwing tomatoes at each other.

United States

August 2 is the anniversary of the official signing of the Declaration of Independence.

That’s right! It wasn’t July 4th — that was the day the Declaration was adopted by Congress and draft copies were signed by John Hancock and Charles Thomson. On August 2, 1776, 50 men took part in signing the Declaration.

Several others signed later that year.

RLD

Africa

August 30 is the 10th Anniversary of the discovery of SuperCroc. SuperCroc is a 40-foot crocodile fossil that was discovered in the Sahara Desert in West Africa. It is believed that SuperCroc lived 110 million years ago and weighed 10 tons.

He was about the size of a bus! The fossil was found by a team of paleontologists led

by Paul Sereno. They found 50 percent of the skeleton — and the entire six-foot long skull! You can learn more about SuperCroc at www.supercroc.org.

Swan

The beautiful swan, with its long neck and webbed feet, glides along the water of a lake.

Although it looks graceful, it can also have a temper. Its large wings can turn into dangerous weapons when it feels threatened.

Although the swan is a bird, it spends more time in the water than the air. Swans are the largest members of the duck family, related to geese and ducks. They are among the largest of flying birds.

Kingdom: Animalia The swan is found in both the Phylum: Chordata Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In the United States, swans are usually all Class: Aves white with an orange beak. The southern Order: Anseriformes swans are mixed black and white, or can Family: Anatidae be white with a black neck. The Australian Black Swan is completely black.

Genus: Cygnus The largest swan species can be over 60 inches long and weigh up to 33 pounds. Their wingspans can be almost 10 feet. Males are usually bigger than females. Most birds usually don’t have teeth, but swans are an exception to this. They have tiny jagged teeth as part of their beak to help with catching and eating fish. They are omnivorous, but primarily are vegetation eaters. They mostly eat the roots and leaves of aquatic plants.

Male and female swans form pair bonds, or couples, and stay together for many years — sometimes for life. They make a nest on the ground near the water. The male helps with nest construction, unlike other ducks or geese.

The female usually lays four to seven eggs, and it takes about 45 days for the babies to hatch. A baby swan is called a cygnet or a swanling.

Photo taken at Chetola Lake by Joy Crowe.

A swan pair with four cygnets.

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LEGO ARTISTS? One of my favorite things to do over summer break is to make LEGO® creations. It’s great to use my imagination and make new kinds of aircraft and figures. Did you know there are actually LEGO artists? This month, I talked with Dave and John Xandegar, a father and son team of LEGO Artists from the Chicago area. They do exhibits, community Projects, classroom lectures and commission work (creations that are specially ordered by a business or individual) and host “briXwerX Creativity Labs.” Keep reading to find out more about this 10-year-old who shares a fun “job” with his dad!

TRUMAN: What does it take to become a LEGO artist?

DAVE: All it takes is imagination, patience and a LOT of LEGO! Then, you find a place to share your creations with everyone. There are many such places on the Internet.

TRUMAN: How many LEGO pieces do you have?

DAVE: We really would never have time to count them, but we know from the total weight of our creations and materials that Johnny and I have over 300,000 LEGO pieces.

JOHN: That’s a tough one! Our “Phantom II” jet fighter model is more than four feet long, but has maybe 6,000 pieces. Our “Buzz Aldrin” is a little more than three feet tall, but he weighs 40 pounds! That’s close to 10,000 pieces, I’d bet.

Southern Wisconsin. We exhibit our works at various libraries and schools on a year-round basis to spark kid’s interest in reading, science, history and nature. We also host larger exhibits a few times a year, sometimes with guest artists.

JOHN: We do special builds also for science classes, library events, raising money for kid’s charities, stuff like that! We don’t charge ANY money for these things, so we don’t really get paid for most of it.

DAVE: Except when a company hires us to build something for them, but that doesn’t happen too often.

JOHN: Yeah, and we usually use that money to help with the “free” things we do for the kids.

TRUMAN: When, and why, did you first become interested in sharing your LEGO creations with the public?

DAVE: In August 2008, Johnny and I were getting pretty good at building these neat creations, and wondered if there were places on the Internet to share them with others. The creations got a LOT of attention rather quickly, and it was only a few weeks before we were doing public exhibits. Within a few months, we were doing community projects, classroom lectures and other cool LEGO things. We were very surprised at how quickly it all grew!

TRUMAN: What do you do every day?

JOHN: We spend time building, talking about new ideas and getting ready for exhibits and workshops.

DAVE: Then, there’s a lot of planning, with tons of e-mails and phone calls, and a lot of photo work to do as well. With so many different things that we do, it’s never really the same from day to day!

TRUMAN: It still sounds really fun. What’s the hardest part of your job?

JOHN: Transporting and setting up the exhibits and workshops is really hard work!

TRUMAN: What’s the best part of your job?

DAVE & JOHN: Watching the kids smile!

TRUMAN: Do you get paid to do this? What kind of presentations do you do?

DAVE: Our favorite is our “briXwerX Creativity Lab”, a LEGO workshop we host for children in many communities in Northern Illinois and

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TRUMAN: For a lot of kids, LEGO building is their hobby. But if it’s your job, what is your favorite hobby or thing to do when you are not working?

DAVE: Even though it takes a huge amount of our time, it really IS our hobby! I’m a carpenter by trade, and Johnny’s mom is a teacher’s aide, but we spend so much time on our LEGO events, our creations, and other things (like helping organizations start their own LEGO Programs and helping families with designing special things they’d like to build), it’s more than a hobby, and more than a job!

JOHN: We could call it a “Jobby”!

TRUMAN: What’s it like to work together as father and son?

JOHN: It’s really cool that my Dad loves something that I love too, and he always treats me like a partner. He asks me what I think about this or that and thinks my ideas are better than his sometimes!

DAVE: Wow! It’s great to spend so much constructive time with John and to see all of the effort bring joy to so many children! He keeps it fun for me as well, and I think that shows in our creations!

TRUMAN: Of your many creations, what are your favorites?

JOHN: Groudon (a Pokemon) and Buzz Aldrin.

DAVE: Calvin & Hobbes and our “Klingon Warrior” from Star Trek.

TRUMAN: What advice would you give to kids who are interested in becoming a LEGO artist?

DAVE: Use your imagination when you create; it’s more important than your skills! Also, don’t be afraid that people won’t like your art. You can sometimes learn more from the people that DON’T like it than those who praise you. It will make you better at what you do!

TRUMAN: Thanks for sharing with us what it’s like to be LEGO artists! You make some really cool creations and have a fun job!

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P ARENTOWN’S Wring the Most from Vacation Travel Dollars Perhaps now more than ever, people yearn to get away, leaving their worries behind. But faced with financial uncertainty, many families will not be adding vacation photos to their albums this year. For those who can afford it, though, now is a good time to travel. The hospitality and tourism industries are hurting, so they’re offering deals.

After setting a budget, squeeze the most out of it by shopping around for the best offers. AAA and websites like Travelocity and Orbitz offer vacation packages including airfare, lodging and a rental car for savings of 25 percent or more, says Karen Hoxmeier, founder of MyBargainBuddy.com.

Flying midweek can save hundreds, and many tourist attractions charge less in the middle of the week.

Visiting a destination during its off-season is significantly cheaper. But do research to decide whether you can tolerate off-season conditions. Many shops and restaurants might be closed, or the weather could be nasty.

For each attraction on your agenda, do an online search along with the word “coupon,” and you’re likely to find discounts.

“If a person is comfortable, eBay is a great way to save money,” says Terri Lynn of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a former travel agent who ferrets out savings to make up for the lost perks of her old job. “I just bought coupons for a free rental car day. It cost me $35 and the going rate is over $100,” she says.

Using public transportation instead of renting a car saves money and gives you a more authentic feel for the city. If you do rent a car, avoid doing so at the airport. Instead, reserve a car in advance at a rental-car location a few miles away and take a cab from the airport, Hoxmeier says.

While some thrifty travelers partake heartily of a hotel’s continental breakfast and then get by on inexpensive snacks until dinner time, in a city known for its fine dining, you’re wise to eat out at lunchtime for your big meal of the day, Hoxmeier says. Lunch menus are cheaper, so you can sample phenomenal food for a fraction of the cost.

Look into all-inclusive resorts or cruises. “One price includes your accommodations, meals, snacks and entertainment,” Hoxmeier says.

“You’ll know the entire cost of the trip in advance, and there won’t be any surprises.”

However, family man Robert DeMallie, South Windsor, Conn., says to opt out of resort meal plans. On a Caribbean vacation, he and his family ate breakfast in their room and most other meals in town and around the island. “As a result, we saved hundreds of dollars for a family of four,” he says, “and we sampled a wide variety of foods and met a lot of interesting people.”

By Dawn Klingensmith. Information provided by CTW Features. © CTW Features

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K ID S MART Obtenga Más De Su Dinero En Sus Vacaciones Quizás más ahora que nunca, la gente quiere salir de viaje, dejar sus preocupaciones atrás. Pero se enfrentan con la incertidumbre financiera, este año muchas familias no añadirán fotos de vacaciones a su álbum familiar. Pero para aquellos que pueden hacer este gasto, ahora es un buen tiempo para viajar. Las industrias hoteleras y turísticas están muy afectadas, así que ofrecen muchas promociones. Después de que tengas tu presupuesto, obtén lo más que puedas buscando las mejores ofertas. AAA y sitios en internet como Travelosity y Orbitz ofrecen paquetes de vacaciones que incluyen boleto de avión, hotel y renta de carro con ahorros de 25 por ciento o más, dice Karen Hoxmeier fundador de MyBargainBuddy.com.

Volar entre semana te puede ahorrar mucho, y muchas atracciones turísticas son más baratas entre semana.

Visitar lugares fuera de temporada puede ser más barato también. Pero investiga para ver si puedes soportar las condiciones climáticas. Ten en cuenta que muchas tiendas y restaurantes pueden estar cerrados durante ese tiempo.

Por cada atracción en tu itinerario, has una búsqueda en el internet junto con la palabra “cupones” y hay probabilidades de que encuentres algún descuento.

“Si la persona se siente cómoda usando eBay, es una buena manera para ahorrar dinero.” Dice Terry Lynn de Fort Lauderdale Florida, una ex agente de viajes quien busca maneras de ahorrar para compensar las gratificaciones pérdida de su antiguó trabajo. Dice “Me compre cupones para una renta de carro gratuita para un día. Me costó $35 y la tarifa cuesta de más de $100.”

Usar el transporte público en lugar de rentar un carro te ahorrara dinero y te da una sensación más auténtica de la cuidad. Si llegas a rentar un carro, evita rentarlo en el aeropuerto. Es recomendable reservar un carro con anticipo en un local que renta carros fuera del aeropuerto, toma un taxi del aeropuerto al sitio de renta, dice Hoxmeier.

Mientras algunos turistas económicos aprovechan su desayuno continental en su hotel y pasan el resto del día con bocadillos baratos hasta la hora de la cena. Pero en una ciudad que es conocida por su fina comida, sería buena idea comer en restaurantes a la hora del almuerzo, dice Hoxmeier. Los menús del almuerzo son más baratos, así que puedes probar comida fenomenal a una fracción del costo.

Checa bien los hoteles exclusivos y cruceros, “Un precio incluye tus comodidades, comida, botana y entretenimiento” dice Hoxmeier, “sabrás el precio total de tu viaje en avanzado y no habrá sorpresas.”

Sin embargo, Robert DeMallie, un hombre de familia de South Windsor, Conn. Dice que optes por no comer en el hotel. En unas vacaciones al Caribe, él y su familia comieron el desayuno en su cuarto de hotel y las demás comidas en la ciudad y en la isla. “Como resultado ahorramos cienes de dólares, y somos una familia de cuatro.” Dijo Robert, “Y probamos una gran variedad de comidas y conocimos gente muy interesante.”

Por Dawn Klingensmith, ©CTW Features

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Summer Fun for “Cool Kind Kids”

By Barbara Gilmour “Welcome back for another fun time learning how to be ‘Cool Kind Kids.’ I’m glad to see Tanner, Nicole, Carmen, Rudy, Stephen, and Truman the dragon. I hope you are all having a fun summer.”

Everyone jumped up and down, yelling, “Yes!” “Summer is the best!”

“Summer should never end!” “No more school!”

“You have many fun choices of things to do in the summer. What are some fun things you like to do?”

Rudy’s hand shot up. “I’m going to day camp. They have swimming,boating, playing fields and lots of other fun stuff.

Tanner shared, “I’m spending time at a cabin on a lake.”

“That sounds like fun.” Nicole added, “My family will be hiking and mountain climbing for our vacation.”

Carmen told everyone, “We went to the beach for a week. It was fun to swim in the ocean and go on the boardwalk at night.”

Truman was jumping up and down, excited to share that he went to the 4th of July celebration. “The fireworks were great. You know we dragons looove FIRE.” The kids all agreed that they love our favorite dragon.

“What are some ‘Cool Kind Kid’ reminders that might help you have more fun as you do these things?”

Stephen asked, “Do you mean having good manners wherever we go?”

“That’s a good one. What else can you think of?”

“I know good manners means sharing, playing fair, and taking turns at home, at camp, on the playground or wherever we go.”

Rudy was waving his hand. “I know one. Obey the rules at a friend’s house or at camp. When swimming, you should always obey the lifeguard. That’s good for safety.”

Truman looked as though he wanted to share something, “I’m going on some day trips with a group of friends, and we know that we have to stay with our group. No one wants to get lost.”

“Many of the things ‘Cool Kind Kids’ do when they are out having fun are for safety.”

Truman added, “I like to watch out for little kids and help them be safe.” “Yea for Truman!”

“My friend is traveling to a foreign country with her family this summer,” shared Carmen. “We learned about their customs and beliefs on Google. Some things are not the same as in our country. My mom said that showing interest shows respect for others and their country.”

“Have any of your heard the word, ‘staycation?’”

Tanner replied, “No. What is that?”

Stephen raised his hand and said, “I know what that is. My family is having a staycation this summer. We are going to spend each day doing something fun with our family. My parents have some cool things planned.”

“That sounds like a great idea. Try doing without the TV, games, phones, and other things we ‘have to’ have, and really connect with your family.”

“Cool Kind Kids” are all different and like to do different things. But everyone wants to have fun. Remember The Golden Rule, be safe and be happy.

Barbara Gilmour, Tanner’s grandmom, is the creator and developer of the Tanner’s Manners: Be a “Cool Kind Kid” Social Skills, Character Values and Anti-Bullying educational materials and the award-winning “Cool Kind Kid” Audio CD. She also writes the Children’s Manners Blog, offering tips for teaching your children manners. http://childrenmanners.blogspot.com. © Cool Kind Kid.

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P ARENTOWN’S K ID S HAPE Sharpen Up Good Health Habits As the kids head back to school this fall, pencils aren’t the only things that families can take time to sharpen. While parents work to establish new routines for the school year, they can also help the younger members of the household sharpen up good health habits to last a lifetime.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, students’ academic achievement and their health are directly correlated. As you head into this school year, use these tips to teach new healthy habits that can become a way of life for the whole family.

Germ-Free Hands. One of the most significant – and simple – health habits to teach is washing hands. Kidshealth. org, a website filled with familyfriendly health tips, calls hand washing the first line of defense to keep germs at bay.

To help youngsters learn the habit, enforce rules for the entire family. Insist on washing hands before every meal, after using the bathroom, after handling pets, after cleaning chores, after playing outside, and, of course, after blowing noses, sneezing and coughing. Several brands have created kid-friendly soap dispensers that are both fun and functional to inspire little ones to participate.

Food as Fuel. Mornings may be hectic, but avoid the temptation to take shortcuts on breakfast. Kids need fuel to power through the day. Making breakfast part of the daily routine is also important for weight management. A nutritious morning meal helps fire up the metabolism, and it helps prevent over-eating to compensate for a hungry tummy later in the day.

The experts at kidshealth.org recommend selecting foods that contain whole grains, fiber and protein with little added sugar in order to improve kids’ attention span, concentration and memory.

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Sound Slumber. Although naptimes gradually diminish as children grow older, adequate sleep is still critically important. Too little sleep translates into irritability and other behavior problems, as well as difficulty paying attention in school. While the specific needs of each child will vary to some degree, school-age children and preteens should get between 10 and 12 hours of sleep each night.

Implementing a consistent bedtime, especially on school nights, can help ensure your child’s sleep needs are consistently met. Be sure to build in time for children to unwind before bed to help keep that nightly target on track with less stress for all involved.

Balanced Immune System.

Believe it or not, 70 percent of your immune system is in your digestive tract. The immune cells in the digestive tract share their space with a community of over 500 species of naturally-occurring bacteria. Keeping these bacteria in balance is what’s important to boosting digestive and immune health. Taking a daily probiotic helps boost your immune system by keeping these bacteria in balance.

Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria that help balance the digestive system. Yogurt is a common source of probiotics, but many varieties contain a significant amount of sugar that may be off-putting, especially if you are aiming for a daily dose. However, there are products available, which offer a lower calorie alternative for a daily dose of probiotics while also appealing to picky eaters and lactose intolerant youngsters.

Treat this back to school season as an opportunity to reinforce healthy habits and set the stage for a successful year in the classroom, on the playground and at home.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images. Article source: Family Features and Sustenex. To learn more, visit www.sustenex.com.

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