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Hi everyone! I'm Saki and welcome to me blog. Today, I'll show you guys how to make a beautiful, colorful and scented orbees. Making it isn't so hard and still makes a perfect decoration.

Ingredients:
-Orbees
-Liquid handsoap
-Water

1. Put some orbees in a small cup.
2. Add 3~5 pumps of liquid handsoap.
3. Add a few drops of water and mix with a stick
4. Wait 30 min or more

Your done!!! Now add your scented orbees in s fancy glass jar.
If you don't understand, ask me in the comments and for more DIY videos, tell me in the commenting area.🦄 🍭🍿🍕😋🐬🌸

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Hi everyone! I'm Saki and welcome to me blog. Today, I'll show you guys how to make a beautiful, colorful and scented orbees. Making it isn't so hard and still makes a perfect decoration. Ingredients: -Orbees -Liquid handsoap -Water 1. Put some orbees in a small cup. 2.

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It's one week into the school year at UWCSEA East and it feels as if we've been back a month! Sometimes when you sit down to reflect on the speed of this large international school, it really is mind blowing.

As usual, I'm behind deadline on my monthly blog post. This drives me crazy, but in reality, the work that I'm involved in here at the school is so 'ON!' and so 'all the time!' and so embedded in many complex systems...actually getting to the time to write seems like no mean feat. Writing this blog post is so worthwhile. So - I'm late again - but I'm writing! Yes! It seems sensible then, in light of the last massive week in Service, to make this work the subject of my blog post.

Andrea, our Primary School Head of Service, Rick, our High School Head of Service and I hit the ground running this year. We have presented to parent groups, led workshops for the service teacher facilitators in our respective school divisions, been in Grade level assemblies and run grade level workshops. Power point presentations have been crafted and sent. Infographics have been designed and posted. Marketing materials have been launched. Education resources shared, the service learning toolkit unpacked. The culture of service has been carefully communicated. All these activities seem hum drum and so what, but they are deeply transformative and impactful pieces of the programme, and the numbers involved are quite significant...there are almost 3,000 students at our school!

The Service Team have been flat out.

We are fortunate to have developed over the last 7 years at East campus, an amazing team of specialist sustainable development 'officers'. (Yes, the title is odd, but in Singapore these things matter, and so 'officers' they are!) We have Julia, our Service Trips and Safeguarding Officer - she's hit the ground at the same speed as the Service Heads with professional development workshops on Child Safeguarding, beginning the long work of reviewing each of our service learning interactions - abroad, within Singapore and on the College campus - and applying new learning in this area so that our students can take part in experiential learning with partners in safety. She's completed all the Service Trips marketing brochures (we run many), communicated to parents, and aligned all of our service trips with our mission, always watching and checking that our community understands the reason behind these service trips is not voluntourism, or charity work, or neo-colonial do-gooder-ism (I made that word up, I think), or exploitative in any way. No, the reason behind these service trips is to connect to our NGO partners, with whom we've been working in reciprocal learning collaborations over many years, and to educate our own community of students, parents and teachers about appropriate sustainable development, friendship, learning together and from each other, diversity, inclusivity and equality. Throw a large does of empathy education in there too, just for good measure. This is no small job. And here we are on Monday of week two, about to embark on our first service trip of the year, taking a group of Primary, Middle and High school students, a few parents, and 4 teachers off to Cambodia to work with one of our school partnerships. We'll be building a bike stand together, enjoying art workshops, science activities and sustainability projects, as well as a day at Free the Bears for our Cambodian students, where they will learn about their country's biodiversity, the human / nature conflict and how to become environmental stewards within their own communities. Julia is already onto the next one...Gili T for marine conservation and coral restoration, biorock work and waste management issues. Her work never stops!

Joy works in the Global Concerns field of what we do here in Service. She's already helped students set up three 'Service Expo' sessions - and let's go numbers again quickly - where we educated all 900 PS students, 650 MS students and over 1,000 HS students on the opportunities for service engagement this year, gave them a platform to inspire each other, recruit new members, educate on the SDG's and global issues and advocate for their partners. That was just Friday:) How amazing to see the students interacting with the Service Executive Committee, a student group made up of 55 service 'superstars' between Grade 4 and Grade 12, who led the way on Friday, supported by the Service Team. Students wandered from area to area, asked questions, listened to 'elevator pitches', looked at Sustainability Compasses, reviewed products made by the social entrepreneurs in our partner communities, talked to plants, got hands on with environmental stewardship projects and came to a better understanding of their place within the Service programme. They aim to line up their passions, interests and skills with the service projects we run, either on campus in College Service, within Singapore as part of Local Service, or in the region as part of the Global Concerns programme. There was excitement in the air as they reviewed their options, the Primary School walking through the expo with their class teachers, seriously investigating using their 'Changemaker Treasure Hunt' sheets, the Middle School flowing through the expo during lunchtime in clusters, as they do, talking with their friends about what they would sign up to do together, and the High School powering up the steps to the plaza after their HS assembly, on a mission to talk to the groups associated with the SDG's they are passionate about, the countries or issues that they want to explore during Project Week, or themes that line up with their career goals and university courses.

Nisha has worked the phones tirelessly last week (and for many weeks before), reconnecting with our Local Service partners. We aim to keep the same family of partners year on year, to build long term sustainability projects together with our Singaporean friends, yet the reality of the social work sector in Singapore is that staff move on, between VWO's, between districts, between centres. Perhaps this is a reflection of, or rather a combination of salary / value / long hours / working conditions / burn out - and many more challenges these heroes face in their day to day work at their community centres. It is hard work! So we return afresh from our summer break, to call and connect our partners who have worked non stop in these challenging situations all summer, to find they have moved on, changed roles or moved job. We get it. From a logistical perspective, Nisha and the team now have a scarily 'clean slate' upon which to rebuild relationships...a complex ones...and a fast approaching deadline when we publish all our local service projects. We go 'live' for students to sign up at the end of the first week! Busses need to get organised, spaces need to get booked, resources prepared, in order that the service interaction with our local partners is real, useful, deep and transformative for all stakeholders. There isn't much wriggle room there to get those projects set up for learning. Community interaction between a large international school and the host country can be, and should be, a wonderful opportunity to understand each other, exchange cultural information, design and implement action for good, together, that benefits people and the planet. We set the bar high on this, placing huge value on our local service work and community outreach and Nisha keeps us in check, on target, organised and involved.

Jacyl - our newest team member - has spent her first week literally holding on as the information overload raced towards her! Coming to us with a passion for sustainability and environmental stewardship, she is now working as our College Service Officer, with a focus on deepening the learning in our school community based action, connecting to the academic curriculum, and getting our urban student body connected to nature for the wellbeing of all. She's been meeting all our stakeholders, deep dived into systems thinking and the sustainability compass work, walked the campus and been introduced to all the great work being carried out. She's ordered soil and worms. She's google-drive-ed herself round the bend. She's SDG'ed our work space, met with our school cafe team, researched straw and plastic issues, and been out there in front of the students and parents, introducing herself and setting the tone for a massively productive year. One week in and it feels like she's always been here, and those of you who lead teams know that a smooth settling in takes quite a bit of behind the scenes work. Here we are employing the norms or collaboration, having fun, sharing lunch and getting a lot of service work done, week two! That's a result:) Welcome, Jacyl.

So the services are set.

The partners are on board.

The students know what is going on.

Parents are engaged and supporting.

Service trips are filling up, and have started.

Teacher facilitators are connected to projects, upskilled and excited.

Partners are looking forward to our community of change makers taking action, advocating and educating for them and with them.

The computer sign up system is 'live' and we now wait, with slightly baited breath, for the students to click online and make a connection that will help them live our mission this year.

And the Service Team are poised to support, empower, encourage, educate and push these change makers so that their service work matches the needs of their partners, their learning goals, is impactful and rewarding for all parties.

That was week one.

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As I pondered which of this month's prompts to respond to, I kept coming back to the professional learning experience I recently had, and how this experience has crystallized something in my mind that's been there lurking for a while now, unformed, like mist that I can't quite catch. When the sun is shining and your family have a million things on over the weekend, it is sometimes really hard to jump out of bed and head into school for a Saturday and Sunday of learning. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm the poster child for wanting to develop professionally. Front of the class, note taking, always engaged, that's me. You want that time spent learning to be spot on, applicable to what you're doing, 'aha' moments pinging and strategies neatly tucking themselves into your practice. You want to be dying for Monday morning so you can apply this new learning.

And sometimes that doesn't happen. And its no-one's 'fault', just that the content doesn't quite match no matter how far you try and stretch it. That the strategies aren't adaptable to the age range you teach. Or, perhaps you are already doing a lot of what is being discussed, just naturally because your are interested and engaged in the subject matter. And then the sky outside is really blue. The family's SMS messages and pictures from the park are super distracting. You find yourself feeling like that 15 year old you, at the back of a stuffy suburban English school, smelling freshly cut grass and wishing for something to keep your eyes open with. Its crazy how strong that memory is, yet it's been dormant for years. But there you are, fighting your eyelids and trying every so hard to stay engaged.

My mind wandered across the blogging prompts, as I said, and a theme appeared. What's relevant in today's classroom? What do we need to do in schools? How do we plan to engage and inspire? Are teachers responsible for values and teaching empathy? And as I dipped into the subject matter, I thought back to how I felt, struggling to remain present, and how I used to feel in school, and I thought about my students now. The ones I'll be teaching later today. Do they feel like I did? Are they struggling to stay with me? Is their normal life ever present in my classroom, fighting for attention with what we are exploring. Of course, I think my students love my subject! Naturally, I plan and differentiate and design juicy hinge questions and hands on activities....but is this enough? It was interesting to reflect on my own practices and valuable to ask these questions of myself.

So here's what I think. That 'mist' that I spoke of earlier, the nagging feeling that I couldn't quite articulate - it is related to my teaching and to wider issues. I can say now that the feeling I have about it is frustration, and now labelled, I feel compelled to act, to plan, to mediate against this next year. I'm fortunate to work in an amazing school, with brilliant colleagues, fantastic students and world class facilities. We are truly mission based and have a well articulated values based curriculum. The table is set for magic to happen, and it does. My team of three Service Heads, and four support staff, run an intentional and transformative service program. So why the frustration? Surely this is Utopia!

It's this. There is a real urgency to explicitly teach young people the United National Sustainable Development Goals. To be articulate in the Declaration of Human Rights. To understand the notion of Sustainable Development. To ask critical questions about Peace. To self-examine what role they play in global slavery, food security, resource use, pollution, water waste, big company greed...and so many more urgent issues. We do teach these issues, I spend every minute of each teaching day in this field of education. We inspire changemakers and try to give them the tools to be socially responsible global citizens - not just the jargon, but to actually breathe, think, act, live like this. It is frustrating because all the amazing educators working in this realm don't realise how connected we are. Over there - educating for peace. Over here - educating for sustainability. Over there - educating for service. Over here - educating for social entrepreneurship. Over there - educating for a circular economy. Over here - educating for systems thinking. And so on. I'd like to gather all these together, map the system, and work on these pressing issues together. I want a team of people together looking at the pieces and having a holistic approach to this educational thread running through the school. The thing is, with a range of labels, we are missing identifying lots of the pieces.

In today's turbulent world, with global leaders threatening to leave the Paris agreement, with nationalistic language popping up more and more in mainstream media, with polarized views, hate and tension becoming commonplace on social media, with terrorism targeting normal people as they relax with their families, I do feel the urgent need to map our education differently, to explicitly talk the same language to our students, to find time in the academic curriculum for skills such as kindness, tolerance, changemaking, community partnerships, empathy, poverty reduction, conflict resolution skills and so on. The UN called this weekend for the SDG's to become part of all university courses around the world, but I feel this is too late. This is relevant to all students, from 4 years old and up. We as educators have a responsibility to teach for equity, don't we? Isn't that relevant? Exciting? In my school we do target this education, we value it, we make time for it. But even here it feels fragmented. Yet, having just finished the Service standards and benchmarks, a two year long project that has inspired great dialogue amongst the Service teams, I do feel hopeful. I'm sure colleagues will find it easier to relate and see that they too are playing a role in this education, that the teaching goals will speak to them in their classroom and beyond. We don't need to do anything new, we need to see that what we are doing connects to a larger picture, and that together we are making an impact on young people. Are we responsible for teaching empathy? Yes! In tandem - parents and educators. And certainly as a team of teachers, working around a global set of goals for peace, sustainability and global citizenship.

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"Voluntourism almost always involves a group of idealistic and privileged travelers who have vastly different socio-economic statuses vis-à-vis those they serve. They often enter these communities with little or no understanding of the locals' history, culture, and ways of life. All that is understood is the poverty and the presumed neediness of the community, and for the purposes of volunteering, that seems to be enough."

This quote from The Guardian newspaper's article, ' Beware the Voluntourists Doing Good' strikes right to the heart of the service programme at UWCSEA East. It is the reason why service teacher educators at the College start the year off with their service learning groups watching Ernesto Sirolli's "Want to help someone? Then shut up and listen!" It reminds us of the importance of asking the students why they signed up to take a particular service opportunity, what prior knowledge they have of an issue, what experience they have and what skills they bring with them into a service group. Much like in a more traditional academic field, the service educator pre assesses their group, plans learning activities that aim to meet a set of clear learning objectives, and structures this learning journey for the students so that they feel supported and can achieve success in this highly complex field of global citizenship and sustainable development education.

By following a structured inquiry cycle, or using the Five Stages of Service Learning, and by developing an understanding of tools such as the Sustainability Compass, a Systems Thinking approach and exploring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the service group can begin to build a deep understanding of the issue their community faces. They will also find themselves asking questions of themselves, appropriate ones that slow down the urge to 'rush in and save' and instead have students asking, "What have I got to offer, actually?" and "How can I access experts that can help me leverage change here with my partner?"

In fact, the very concept of partner is worth exploring, as often this is overlooked when designing a service interaction, or, at least, it was in the old days of 'doing service' for someone, undertaking 'charity work' and giving one's time, resources or money to 'fix a problem'. The partners that form our service community at our school have been carefully selected because they want to engage in a reciprocal service learning relationship with our students. This takes a lot of time, patience and certainly requires a growth mindset, on the side of the partner as well as the teacher! Facilitating service learning is not a module in traditional teacher training courses, and few classroom teachers come into their role with a background in sustainable development, social work, NGO experience or project management knowledge. Few NGO's and community project leaders have experience in education and working with Third Culture Kids, or know much about the day to day lives of the presumably wealthy and privileged kids referred to in the Guardian's article. So, it would seem an impossible task to truly partner these two vastly different communities with each other and hope to understand each other well enough to work together to make a difference, avoiding charity, but empowering and learning from each other. Yet this is one of the five elements of the learning programme at UWCSEA and one that some would say is truly at the heart of the school's identity.

I was one of two service educators who had the privilege to take a group of students ranging from Grade 4 to Grade 8 to south Cambodia recently. Admittedly the fourth grader was my son - in my role as Chair of Service at the college I take every opportunity to include my children as participants, as I value the transformational nature of service learning highly! So, this group of Middle School students - what knowledge did they have of the culture, context, community and who are they to say they could help these people? Surely the very concept of a 'service trip' is patronising, neocolonial and culturally insensitive? Isn't it better just to send the money? Did they presume that the people they were to meet needed them? Did they go to try and understand poverty and to fix a problem? No. Not at all.

These students went to interact with their partners. They went to learn from them, and alongside them. For some of these students, this was a repeat experience, which speaks volumes for the impact this had upon them and the connection they have with their partners in Kampot, Chumkriel Language School (CLS) and Epic Arts. Indeed, these partners are regular visitors to our campus, the exchange programme working both ways. We took with us 8 ipads, at the request of our CLS, in order to close the digital divide for the students attending CLS and bring innovative approaches to learning English into their classrooms, much like we have in ours. Our Digital Literacy Coaches work hard to ensure appropriate technology gets into the hands of teachers throughout our learning community and this includes our NGO and local service partners. A fleet of iMacs recently were delivered to a local boy's home here in Singapore. Is this digital dumping? Far from it. Our DLC's prepare the tech, collecting it from our college community at its end of cycle, wiping it with the help of the Tech Dept and the students in various support groups, and coaching luddites like myself so that I could spend a sweaty hour in a Cambodian classroom running through the set up procedures with the computer teacher and NGO founder. Twenty five pairs of eyes watched over the brim of their dusty and taped together desktops from another era, their government issued booklets with step by step instructions of how to master Microsoft Word finger worn at their sides. Will these new machines transform their education? Yes, with continued support and professional development. The support work will continue with the Global Concerns group here in Singapore learning together with the nine teachers in Kampot. It was exciting to brainstorm which apps would best suit their learning, strategies to set aside some funds to purchase these apps and plan to run sessions during our next trip. In just a few weeks a team of Project Week students will be there, sitting in that classroom with our partners and working together on those iPads. For sure the first thing the students will say is, "So, what have you learned since you got them?" and "How is it going?" - they won't be flapping their superhero capes and flying in as if the tech has sat idle, waiting for the saviours to come.

Time is well spent making sure the students engaging with partners know why they are motivated to do so. The Investigation Stage has them look inward, to explore why they want to work on a service project and how they can leverage their skills and interests. The Preparation Stage has the student group exploring the SDG's, the socioeconomic, cultural, political, environmental landscape of a place and its people. This theory provides the background knowledge from which to begin building a relationship with people in a different place, leading different lives, and it is upon this that the friendship starts. Our students speak with their communities, plan to interact outside of the service trips where they can, they engage in project planning dialogue to understand the challenges and needs of their partner, their interests, their skills.

And only then would we dare to put them on a plane to go and 'volunteer'.

A comment frequently made on the way back from such an experience usually goes something like this, "I was so nervous about sharing my activity with my partner community, but I needn't have been. In fact, I think they taught me far more than I was able to share with them." The students on this service trip came back understanding the reasons behind the illegal animal trade in Cambodia, the inspiring work being done by young environmental activists there to protect their flora and fauna, and the education required to share this understanding to others. They came back understanding the skewed global trade systems that allow for people to work hour upon hour, in hot water, barefooted, scraping salt in unforgiving heat and exposure for approximately a dollar a day with no security. They understood that to be different, either physically or mentally in rural Cambodia was thought to be unlucky, a result of bad karma, and therefore was to be hidden away from society. Yes, they saw these things and tried to comprehend these challenges. But more importantly they spoke to people overcoming these issues, rising above the poverty and looking to break the cycle for their children, friends and relatives. Spending time mixing with activists, changemakers, upstanders, whatever the jargon - this is valuable and inspiring time for a Middle School child. It allows them to see that they have a small but not insignificant part to play in a bigger system, which is collectively working towards reducing inequalities and empowering people to realise their true potential.

These students also leave an important message behind. "See you next year!" and they mean it. Sustained contact between the college and our communities builds trusting bonds. It allows us to plan forward and be creative with our collaboration, to identify leverage points for change and work towards them together. Our community partners know that we care, that we will be back, that every Thursday at lunch the corridors are lined with groups of students and teachers working to learn about, act for and work with them to make a difference. The plans were made together and everyone feels a part of the work.

So, we didn't paint a mural or teach an English class. We didn't plant veggies or pretend we were doctors. No - we hung out. We talked. We played. We learned together and we did it in appropriate ways, side by side. And we planned for next time...which is always soon!

The purpose isn't volunteering. The purpose is to inspire and educate children - children that understand the power of team work, of communication, of inclusivity and the fact that despite all their differences, they're essentially the same. The purpose is to expand our communities of care. Trudging back through the fields after a walk to her Cambodian friend's house, where her mum chopped mango and sprinkled some of the hard earned salt on it, one student said, "I think my heart expanded a bit more this year, because I met so many more people to fit inside it." That's the purpose and if done well, it is an authentic and life changing part of a child's education, both in Singapore and Cambodia.

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It's one week into the school year at UWCSEA East and it feels as if we've been back a month! Sometimes when you sit down to reflect on the speed of this large international school, it really is mind blowing. As usual, I'm behind deadline on my monthly blog post.

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One of the biggest concerns many parents have (this can be an issue for boys in particular) is how to encourage reading in their kids. No matter how many great novels you throw their way, some kids just don't love it. Enter graphic novels. Graphic novels are not glorified comic books; they are novels using images as well as words to tell a story. Graphic novels have many advantages:

The images give an overview of the story, which encourages the child to read the whole thing. By looking at the images they can get a sense immediately of what is happening, particularly good for kids who are really turned off books.

They are fast paced. For high energy, boisterous kids (like my two boys) slowing down can sometimes be a problem. But graphic novels move quickly, the plots are exciting and there is often a good dose of action along the way. This makes the exciting to read, again circumnavigating the 'I hate reading' problem.

The images reinforce not replace the language. At first it may seem that this is just a glorified picture book but with a really good graphic novel a full understanding is only really reached when the words and illustrations work together. A kid may begin by skimming, but they'll soon be turning back to re-read when to gain a better understanding of what is happening.

The language is high quality. A really good graphic novel has to pair great illustrations with clear dialogue, the language and the images work together to create the story. With so little space for words they are chosen with a great deal of care for maximum impact and can seriously add to your child's vocabulary. They also deal with complex themes that will challenge them beyond their reading level.

They can be read over and over...and over. Graphic novels are often a quick read, but I can't tell you how many times I've seen my son returning to the same book. He seems to read in different ways each time and I'm amazed by how much he picks up in such a short space of time. Like anyone returning to an old favorite, he reads more slowly and absorbs both the language, plot and characters in much more depth. Letting them read something that is familiar and fun (alongside work that is supportive and challenging) will reaffirm that they are a good reader and that books are fun.

If you're looking for a good starting place with graphic novels, or looking to add to your collection, here are a five of our favorite series. As always, check any books to make sure that they are appropriate for your family.

The Amulet Series: When my son began showing an interest in graphic novels at the library, I was really unhappy with the content he was finding on the shelves. Amulet was a great find and made us both very happy. Written by the great Kazu Kibuishi, the story revolves around a brother and sister ....

The Percy Jackson graphic novels: We were already Percy Jackson fans when these graphic novels were released, and they were a great way to keep the series alive for my son. The novels were a bit too much of a reading challenge at that time, he'd adored the stories on audio book and kept wanting to listen over and over; but I wanted him to read. These books were perfect and are very high quality, they render the main plot and characters of the story really well and even serve as an example of how to summarize a story without losing the most important elements

Artemis Fowl: This is another novel series turned graphic novel, we had enjoyed these in audio form but still wanted more! The story revolves around 12 year old millionaire Artemis Fowl, an Irish schoolboy turned arch criminal who discovers a hidden underworld of fairy folk unlike any you've ever met. These stories are truly wonderful with a strong core of humanity running through them as characters have to make tough decisions in a world that often seems pitted against them.

The Lunch Lady series: My son read about 5 of these in one mammoth session and continued to re-read them until the library demanded their return! He would laugh uproariously at the antics of the central character as she "serves out justice along with lunch". Fast paced and fun these would tempt even the most reluctant reader, and I admit I adore that the central character is a middle aged woman taking down cyborgs, ninja style.

Moby Dick: While this book isn't part of a series it is part of a concept, there are many wonderful graphic novel adaptations of classic novels out there. We've also loved this adaptation of Black Beauty and I plan to include many more in the future. Like an abridged version, the graphic novel provides the key elements of the story and hopefully negates some of the negativity often associated with reading 'difficult' classic stories. Many well known novels have been adapted and are a great way to give a child access to the key ideas, even when the novel itself is a bit too much. There are also wonderful adaptations of Shakespeare's plays that really support and reinforce learning at any age.

If you are looking for even more inspiration the list on The Mighty Girl website has many fabulous suggestions that we can't wait to try. This list is focused more on female characters, but there is no reason why boys won't enjoy them just as much!

* This post contains affiliate links.

Try Our Workshop!

Join us for an exciting exploration of what it means to live like a writer. Together we will start writers' notebooks and share in lots of inspiring writing prompts.

Start: December 29, 2014

End: January 02, 2015

For more information or to register, click here.

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5 Great Reasons to Read Graphic Novels - Playful Learning

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One of the biggest concerns many parents have (this can be an issue for boys in particular) is how to encourage reading in their kids. No matter how many great novels you throw their way, some kids just don't love it. Enter graphic novels. Graphic novels are not glorified comic books; they are novels using ...

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Skateboards, Surf Skate & Wall art | beyou

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Skateboards, Surf Skate & Wall art | beyou

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Beyou Skateboards is an Australien boutique skateboard company who offers handcrafted unique skateboards, surf skates, longboards and wall art. Visit our page

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Does your child spend hours at their computer or game console playing Minecraft ($20)? Well, that may not be a bad thing. Targeted toward kids between the ages of 9 and 15, this simple building-blocks game is one the few that successfully educates and entertains players. While we don't encourage all-day play, your child may benefit from playing Minecraft for 30 minutes each night. From boosting their grades to improving their social skills, there are several reasons to make a little extra screen time for this popular video game.

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9 Reasons Your Child Should Be Playing Minecraft

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Does your child spend hours at their computer or game console playing Minecraft ($20)? Well, that may not be a bad thing. Targeted toward kids between the ages of 9 and 15, this simple building-blocks game is one the few that successfully educates and entertains players.

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It's October, which is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month. If you haven't already experienced the joy of dog adoption, it's a good time to save a canine life and upgrade your own in the process.

I should know: I've been adopting dogs from shelters since 1994, when I brought home my first Pit Bull, a white vision of beauty named Daisy. Since then, I've adopted dozens of dogs in numerous colors, shapes, and sizes. Some of them I rehomed; many wound up staying with me. Shelter dogs have taught me more lessons about life and love than I can count or recount here. This much I can tell you: There's no nicer, more unpretentious teacher than a shelter dog. Daisy was also a brilliant literary coach, motivating me to achieve every young writer's dream: getting an article in The New Yorker.

Shelter dogs also impart excellent design advice. Thanks to my adopted dogs, I was able to summon the courage to write my first book, Animal House Style: Designing a Home to Share With Your Pets. They also inspired all my other books about pets and design. Shelter dogs are natural-born decorators; they vote with their feet, and they don't charge a fee. Plus, they are wonderful to sleep with, especially when the weather turns cold. Shelter dogs are great in bed. At my place, every night is a four-dog night!

Photo by Jen.

A visit to an animal shelter will get you started on the road to canine redemption. Need incentive? Here are 10 compelling reasons to adopt a shelter dog. What are you waiting for?
1. It's a form of recycling
As the environmentally conscious recycling movement has proven, it's easy (and fun!) being green, and dog adoption is the noblest form of recycling. You don't need to buy.. just adopt from a local shelter!
2. It helps end homelessness
Every year, millions of healthy, sweet, soulful dogs are killed at animal shelters across this country just for lack of cage space; as with people, bad luck can cause good dogs to become homeless through no fault of their own. By adopting a shelter dog, you're doing your part to help end the nationwide crisis of homelessness.

With so many charismatic celebrities walking around with adopted dogs by their side -- Lenny Kravitz among them -- it's clear that adoption isn't just the right thing to do, it's the cool thing to do. To your adopted dog, you're the resident rock star!
4. You can flaunt your pride
You know all those people who are so proud of their honor-student kids? Well, adopted dogs are super-smart, the Mensas of muttdom. So skip the bumper sticker - flaunt stray pride with a cool collar or T-shirt. Even your coffee can proclaim pride for pound pups!
5. It eradicates loneliness
Don't you want somebody to love? Somebody who will actually love you back? For anyone who's ever suffered the pangs of unrequited affection -- and who hasn't? -- rest assured that an adopted dog will return those tender feelings tenfold. No more lonely nights!
6. The love is unconditional
If you've had it up to here with criticism from your nearest and dearest, get used to unconditional adoration. Years of psychotherapy can't beat an adopted dog's uncomplaining, adoring presence. "Dinner's late? Again? I adore you!"
7. You'll be embarrassment-proof
Got performance anxiety about trying out a new hobby or activity? With an adopted dog as your nonjudgmental audience or workout partner, there's nothing to fear. Exercise routines? Gourmet cooking? Knitting? No matter! Your efforts will get an A+ even if they deserve a D!

Adopting a dog proves you're a person of great inner depth who values substance (a mystery dog of unknown parentage) over style (a predictable pedigreed purebred).

But hey, if you're a style hound, there's no more stylin' statement than a shelter dog -- she coordinates beautifully with any outfit or style of decor! And there are plenty of breed specific rescues to choose from.
10. It shows faith in democracy
Are you a political animal? Then reaffirm your faith in the democratic process with an adopted dog. After all, shelter mutts are the people's dog: E Pluribus Unum, one dog out of many. Uncle Sam wants YOU to adopt today!

Will you be adopting a new dog this month?

BEFORE YOU GO

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10 Compelling Reasons To Add A Shelter Dog To Your Life

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It's October, which is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month. If you haven't already experienced the joy of dog adoption, it's a good time to save a canine life and upgrade your own in the process. I should know: I've been adopting dogs from shelters since 1994, when I brought home my first Pit Bull, a white vision of beauty named Daisy.

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It is commonplace to see children playing computer games at anyplace and anytime. Busy parents do admit that they will resort to entertaining their children with computer games. On the other hand, many parents are concerned with the negative aspects of what computer games can bring to their children's learning capability. In addition, there are grave issues whereby children may suffer addiction to online games. Computer time is never deemed sufficient for the children. With studies showing that kids spend more time on the computer than ever before - and that violent games can indeed lead kids to think and act aggressively - parents' worries are understandable.

Nevertheless, positive developments do occur with moderation of computer time. In fact, the children are learning

Check out the learning opportunities for different age groups:

Ages 3 to 5

The children can use computer games to master letters, colors, numbers, shapes, and patterns.
What Kids Learn
1) Prereading skills

Computers are fabulous teachers as they are able to repeat stories aloud without ever losing patience! Many virtual books feature animation and games, which make reading fun.

2) School readiness

Studies have shown that preschoolers with access to a computer are more ready for schools. Once in the classroom, they do better on cognitive tasks such as grouping objects.

3) Creativity

Drawing on a computer has one major advantage over paint and crayons. The erase button lets kids experiment freely.

Ages 6 to 9

The children can think logically and sympathize with others. Games that involve role-playing and missions can help develop their cognitive and social skills.
What Kids Learns
1) Logic

While playing on a game, the kids may be challenged to figuring out how to get a fox over a wall using a rope or a sword, but it takes brainpower. As such the kids are trained to form a hypothesis and test it. And the more kids practice using logic, the better thinkers they become.

2) Sharper memory

It'll be easier for your child to learn and remember the 112 elements of the periodic table if she's already practiced memorizing the complex details in games such as Pokemon!

3) Teamwork and community

A great feature of certain games is that kids can play cooperatively as partners. The constant need to collaborate, does build up teamwork and community spirit.

Ages 10 to 12

The right games will hone their mental and social skills.
What Kids Learn
1) Mastery of reading

Certain games which involve deciphering phrases such as "walls of revealing light," require that kids grasp different shades of meaning in complex language. That helps them conceptualize what words mean in new contexts.

2) Relationship management

Some games have characters created to experience emotions as humans do, so kids can learn to process their feelings through them.

3) History and science

Many programs are based on real facts - so your child can learn about ancient Egypt or baseball while playing, especially if you supplement the games with books on the topic once their interest is piqued.

Credit made to: http://www.redbookmag.com/life/mom-kids/advice/a210/play-video-games-hl/

We do know that moderation is always the key towards a child's gaming time. At Kidscode, we do advocate code to learn. How about getting your kids to be game developers instead of users of games readily available? We are proud to introduce a new addition to our library, KODU! https://www.kidscode.sg/product/exploring-game-design-with-kodu/

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Computer games are not always bad for kids

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It is commonplace to see children playing computer games at anyplace and anytime. Busy parents do admit that they will resort to entertaining their children with computer games. On the other hand, many parents are concerned with the negative aspects of what computer games can bring to their children's learning capability.

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Jackie Marchant

I, Dougal Daley, am dead! Ok I m not actually dead. But if I m not careful I soon will be.

In this first book, football-loving Dougal Daley finds himself at risk from the mysterious creature living in the garden shed. Nobody believes him but as a precaution, he sets upon writing his will - rewarding those who help him and disinheriting those who get on his bad side. Meanwhile, as limbs and windows alike are broken by rogue footballs and unhinged canines, Dougal finds himself in all sorts of trouble. . .and NONE of it is his fault!

What were your initial thoughts on the book?
I read this book in one sitting. It was funny, addictive and emotional too. I really felt for Dougal throughout the story. The whole narrative worked really well and I am one hundred percent sure that any kid who reads this book will also agree. From parents and sisters who don't listen to you and blame you, to friends who get caught in the middle of things, this book is full of real-life situations surrounding a very hilarious thing. I loved the ending of the book too. This whole book is full of personality and I cannot wait to read the next one!

Who was your favourite character and why?
The best character is actually one that I can't really talk about without completely and utterly ruining the story - I know, right? - So instead I will talk about my second favourite character; Dougal. He's a really interesting character to read about. A true klutz who has a great voice too. I am definitely intrigued to see what happens to him in future books!

Would you recommend this book?
Definitely! Especially to any kid aged between 6 to 10 as they'll really enjoy everything that happens. The book is written in a diary format with a few chapters that are notes from other characters all intermingled with amazing illustrations which really helps to make this book readable, addictive and fun - everything that books for children should be! If you or your child is looking for a fun and funny book that is similar to the Wimpy Kid books, make sure you give this book a try!

One Sentence Summary (verdict)
A really fun and kid friendly book that has a brilliant main character and a story that is full of personality and creativity.

Reviewed by Faye

Cerrie Burnell

Total fantasy bliss! Magical birds, dark forests and fairytale cities: there's no better book to get lost in. Harper is on a mission! Rumours tell of the mysterious Ice Raven who lives among the ebony trees, singing a magical song that can melt hardened hearts. Now the Wild Conductor wants to capture this mythical bird and create the greatest orchestra ever known. So Harper and her friends set off to find the bird. Their journey takes them from the mysterious Night Forest to the City of Singing Clocks. But soon Harper realises she faces a dilemma. Should a wild, free creature like the Ice Raven ever be tied down?

What were your initial thoughts on the book?
This book is one of those lovely, cute and entertaining reads that I absolutely wish that I had as a child. Harper and the Night Forest is the third book in the Harper series but it was by far my favourite one. Cerrie Burnell's imagination knows no bounds and I really loved reading about Harper and her friends on their journey into the Night Forest. It was not what I was expecting and I found that to make the book even more interesting to read. I loved the fairy tale aspect and how it all came together in the end. Along with the wonderful story, came the beautiful illustrations by Laura Ellen Anderson. These really brought the story to life in a magnificent way. A truly perfect match between words and pictures.

Who was your favourite character and why?
While I am sure most people would probably choose Harper, I think that my favourite character is actually Nate. He is such a fascinating character and I think it is wonderful to find someone with a sight impairment in a children's book. Nate can only see shadows and because of it he has a companion wolf who helps to guide him. It means that he can never see the expressions on his friends faces but he can feel when they're happy or sad. He knows who is near by how they walk and he is excellent at leading his friends when it is dark as it is always dark for him. I really, really loved him as a character and would love to read more.

But really one of the best things about these books are that all of the characters are so vibrant and all work together as a team. Including the "villain" of the books. By the end of each adventure he is always shown why his ideas aren't so great after all. I think that Cerrie has down a smashing job of creating realistic and likeable characters in all of the Harper books.

Would you recommend this book?
Definitely. These books are magical, and quite literally full of magic. They're lovely stories. They have heart and emotion and a wondrous childish feel to them. I am certain that both adults and children alike will be blown away by both the adventures that the children go on and also the characters and how they all react. Cerrie has truly created an interesting world for these books to take place in and I just cannot recommend them all highly enough. If you haven't yet read these books, what are you waiting for?

Summarize the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
Harper and the Night Forest is a splendid book that will steal your heart and fill you with hope all at the same time. It is magical, cute and full of adventure and fun too.

Reviewed by Faye

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Middle grade Archives - Big Book Little Book

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Jackie Marchant I, Dougal Daley, am dead! Ok I m not actually dead. But if I m not careful I soon will be. In this first book, football-loving Dougal Daley finds himself at risk from the mysterious creature living in the garden shed.

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It's a Lovely Life with The Reese Family

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This post is sponsored by Merial, a world-leading animal health company providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health and well-being of pets, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure.

I have always considered myself a cat person. I wear that label with pride. As far back as I can remember, I've always been drawn to cats, and I've always had at least two of them at all times. That seemed to be a good number for us. Two cats are perfect for keeping each other company when we are away during the day, and then there is no odd cat out.

We thought we had the perfect number of pets, especially when you count Rufus, our dog...but then one day while we were on vacation in Northern California and I was browsing the Internet, an ad popped up from a cat rescue organization. Normally I would click out of that faster than you can imagine, but there

Because Pete is usually the voice of reason, I totally expected him to say we already had more than enough pets in our home, but instead, he said we needed to call asap and inquire about that kitten.

I was pretty shocked that even he couldn't resist that face, and a few days later we brought home that little kitten and named her Moon.

The thing is, we were not planning to adopt another cat, and our two cats were on the older side and brothers. They had never been around another cat before, and I had no idea how they would take to the idea of another cat in our home, let alone a kitten. We joke that they have gotten grouchy in their old age, and I had visions of them getting upset with a ball of energy running throughout our home at all times of the day. Our older cats love their sleep, and I couldn't imagine them enjoying being woken up by a playful kitten.

Thankfully, I had worked at an animal hospital in college so I had a few tips and tricks up my sleeve to make the transition from a two-cat home to a three-cat home as easy as possible.

Tip 1. Don't insist on having good sharers. There is nothing worse to a cat than having to share his owner. Cats also don't typically enjoy sharing food, water, a litter box and toys. While you can't help having to share yourself, you can help with the rest. Get the new cat his own supplies at first. Keep him in a separate area, but don't stop the old or new cats from using each other's things. Having more than one toy available can help alleviate stress from the belief that there isn't enough to go around.

Tip 2. Always have your vet do a full exam before bringing a new pet into the home, and make sure your existing pets' vaccinations are up to date. While working at animal hospitals when I was younger, I saw firsthand what preventable diseases are out there and how horrible they can be. I even saw a couple cases of rabies. Rabies is a fatal virus that threatens the lives of animals across the country, including cats. More cats are infected with rabies than any other pet in the U.S., and all it takes to contract this disease is exposure to the virus through the saliva of an infected animal through a bite or scratch . The scary truth is that rabies is deadly - there is no cure or treatment for the disease once an animal develops clinical signs.

Vaccination is an important tool to help protect cats against rabies, and PUREVAX® Feline Rabies vaccines are the only rabies vaccines made specifically for cats. They are safe and proven to provide effective protection, including for kittens as young as 12 weeks of age.

Before we brought Moon home, we made sure she had her rabies vaccines and that our older cats had up-to-date vaccines as well.

Tip 3. Give it time. The first introduction we made between the older cats and the kitten didn't go so well. It left the kitten crying and our black and white cat in a hissing fit. I quickly ended that meeting and we tried again the next day with better results. We started with half-hour meetings and slowly increased their time together.

Tip 4. Give the established pets just as much, if not more, attention. I know how cute and fun a new pet is, but this is the time to really give your attention to the older furry friends. They might be feeling jealous of the newcomer, and spending that extra time can really help them stay calm and open to the new pet.

Tip 5. Don't make any other changes in your existing pets' life. Adding a new pet can be stressful enough, so don't change your pets' food or schedules too much. Keep everything else the same and let the new and old pets create their new normal together.

Tip 6. Let food be the peacemaker. If all else fails, put the new pet in one room with everything he needs, and then put the other pets' food and water right outside the door of that room. With this approach, the existing pets will relate the smell of the new pet with something that makes them happy - food! This one really worked for us. Our black and white cat was a holdout and not too sure of the new kitten. This strategy is what finally got him to accept the kitten into our home.

Tip 7. Don't give up. Our one cat really acted like he was never going to accept the new kitten, but then one day I saw them cuddling together on the couch. Finally, there was acceptance and they have all gotten along since!

Are you thinking of adding a new cat to your home?
This post was created in collaboration with the maker of PUREVAX Feline Rabies vaccines. As part of this collaboration I received compensation for my time. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Merial. The opinions are all mine.
1 Birhane MG, Cleaton JM, Monroe BP, et al. Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2015. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2017;250(10):1117-1130.

PUREVAX ® is a registered trademark of Merial.

©2017 Merial, Inc. Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. Merial is now part of Boehringer Ingelheim. [PV17_Social8A] (8/17)

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7 Tips To Introduce A New Cat To Your Home

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This post is sponsored by Merial, a world-leading animal health company providing a comprehensive range of products to enhance the health and well-being of pets, but all opinions are my own. Please see below for additional disclosure. I have always considered myself a cat person. I wear that label with pride.

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By Nizhooni Hurd, ELK 2016 Urban Ranger

This year has been pretty rough for my baby sister, Shandiin, and I. For her, it was 5th grade. She is transitioning from elementary to middle school. Middle school is hard. Life gets more awkward and you learn so much about yourself and the friends you want in life. For once, you are not with your favorite teacher for 7 hours a day; it's heart wrenching. With an additional shifting season, I have recently graduated high school. Need I say more? Let's not talk about how hard this school year has been on our parents and especially our mom. Her babies are growing and leaving the nest. Enough said.

Therefore, camping, we concluded, is a great way for sisters to bond, slow down, and cherish the moments we have before life gets even more hectic.

The Rocky Mountain National Park camping trip was also my baby sister's first ever wilderness camping trip. The night before, I nervously lingered around Walmart looking for any last minute items that she or I might need. In all honesty, we needed nothing; my anxiety just needed some distraction, as I was more nervous than my little sister. I wanted her to have a wonderful, safe and exciting first camping experience.

The next morning was rough. While I had work to do with the other Urban Rangers, Shandiin found herself playing a little bit of basketball with Brad and other Elksters. It was not long until Shandiin sprained her pinky. Great. We hadn't even left yet! I'd like to call that a "pre-camping injury". As the trip progressed and we headed to the park, I was worried her sprained pinky would get in the way of her camping experience. No worries, it did not.

Shandiin and I had the best time. When we were apart from each other, her laughter was never far away. It was so nice to hear her giggling and chattering with the other kids. I ultimately cherished the moments where we were together and secluded from the rest of the group and were able to share simple yet special moments with each other. Rather than bickering at home over what TV show we want to watch, we were able to sit silently with each other by Sprague Lake fixing a fishing pole in awe of the beauty around us. We were able to look up at the full moon and let its light bathe us. Shandiin and I were able to spend time away from our parents and be with each other, but also have time away from each other on our own journey. Shandiin even took her first nap in forever!

This was a great trip to kick off summer. I am extremely grateful that my baby sister came along. As both of our lives are beginning to speed up with new school registration and information, camping with ELK was the perfect time for us to slow down and truly cherish each other, especially in new experiences.

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Once Upon a Time in Rocky Mountain National Park

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By Nizhooni Hurd, ELK 2016 Urban Ranger This year has been pretty rough for my baby sister, Shandiin, and I. For her, it was 5th grade. She is transitioning from elementary to middle school. Middle school is hard. Life gets more awkward and you learn so much about yourself and the friends you want in...

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When he was just 7 years old, Justus Uwayesu, was an orphan living at a garbage dump in Rwanda. He would compete with other orphaned children, and even herds of pigs, for food. Sundays were the worst because the delivery trucks that dumped restaurants' throwaways didn't come that day so there would often be nothing to eat.

He lived with others kids in an abandoned car with smashed windows. He had no family. His father was killed during Rwanda's genocide - one of the worst and most violent events in modern history. In 1994, approximately 800,000 Rwandans were killed in this tiny country in a conflict between Rwanda's two main ethnic groups, the Hutus and the Tutsis. Most experts say that the international community - other countries and the United Nations - should have done a lot more to help lessen this tragedy.

Justus's mother is believed to have died during this time too. Thousands of children no longer had parents.

A few years later, Clare Effiong, who works with a group that helps children, Esther's Aid, showed up at the dump offering to help.

Justus was the only one who accepted it. He hadn't had a bath in over a year. It was a Sunday, so he hadn't eaten. And, most of all, when Ms. Effiong asked why he wanted to get out there, he said, "I want to go to school."

Ms. Effiong took him in, got him cleaned up, and enrolled him in school. He was so hungry to learn that he was at the top of his class by 1st grade. He now speaks five languages. And he has since started a youth movement to help other kids who are in the same situation he was in. You can also see an interview with Justus and Ms. Effiong here.

The happy (and amazing) ending to this story? He started college this Fall on a full scholarship ... at Harvard University! He hopes to study science.

Michael Wines in today's New York Times writes, "He is an example of the potential buried in even humanity's most hopeless haunts, and a sobering reminder of how seldom it is mined." It is a wonderful story ... but also a reminder that so many more children deserve this chance. And that we can all play a role in helping that happen.

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From Garbage Dump In Rwanda to Harvard - Here There Everywhere

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When he was just 7 years old, Justus Uwayesu, was an orphan living at a garbage dump in Rwanda. He would compete with other orphaned children, and even herds of pigs, for food. Sundays were the worst because the delivery trucks that dumped restaurants' throwaways didn't come that day so there would often be nothing to eat.

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Remembering a Visionary: Steve Jobs

October 6, 2011 - As a child or even young adult, it's hard to imagine life without computers, iPods, iTunes, iPhones and iPads. For many of us, they're now just part of daily life.

Steve Jobs, the man who invented and developed these products and the convenience and lifestyle surrounding their use, died yesterday. He was 56 years old. He changed the way we used computers (especially on-the-go), the way we listen to music, and the way we interact with our world through technology. He is credited with changing the world and many of our lives. Mr. Jobs had famously said he wanted to "make a ding in the Universe."

Many people including President Obama have sent their condolences. Time magazine, a prominent national weekly news magazine, stopped its presses to reprint the magazine to feature Mr. Jobs on its cover. Many of us found out about Mr. Jobs' passing on one of his devices.

Mr. Jobs' success early on wasn't a given. He wasn't particularly trained in computers and was a college drop-out. But he did grow up in California, as the adopted son of Paul and Clara Jobs, at the time and place computer technology was emerging in the 1960s and 1970s. And his parents encouraged his early love of electronics. Though computers at the time were mainly used for business and research, were large and clunky, and usually required some expertise to use, Mr. Jobs' dreamed about making computers accessible to everyone.

He set up his first computer making business in his garage in high school with his friend, Steve Wozniak, and made their first Apple computers. Mr. Wozniak was more on the computer side of things, and Mr. Jobs was very much the visionary who saw how computers could change people's lives. While their first attempt at personal computers wasn't as successful as they hoped, they were well on their way with their second try, the Apple II. It was incredibly successful and their company a few years later was worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Later, Apple would become the world's most valuable company. Mr. Jobs' financial worth was an estimated $8.3 billion.

As his company grew, he hired John Sculley, to run Apple. Mr. Jobs famously hired him away from Pepsi by saying, "Do you want to sell sugared water for the rest of your life or do you want a chance to change the world?" Mr. Sculley came to Apple but sadly for Mr. Jobs they disagreed on the direction to take the company and Mr. Jobs left the company he created.

In the meantime, Mr. Jobs purchased a struggling computer animation company named Pixar, whose first release was Toy Story! Pixar has since changed the way enjoy animated movies and has won numerous Academy Awards.

Over a decade after leaving Apple, Mr. Jobs came back to save his company introducing iTunes in conjunction with the iPod, then in 2007 the iPhone. And a few years later, the iPad. While others had also been working on similar competing technologies, many would argue that Mr. Jobs and Apple somehow did it better. He introduced the touch screens, the appealing designs, and their simple use. Mr. Jobs said Apple lived "at the intersection of technology and ... art."

But during this incredible time in his career, Mr. Jobs' health was suffering. He was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer, though reportedly curable, complications from it ultimately claimed his life. During his treatment, Mr. Jobs required a liver transplant and received one from a young person in their mid-20's who had died in a car accident. Though Mr. Jobs was a very private man, he spoke publicly spoke of his gratitude for that person's generosity, without whom some of Mr. Jobs' most recent contributions might not have been possible.

His advice to us: "Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

This is possibly the most famous Apple advertisement and embodies Mr. Jobs' own spirit to "Think Different." It is narrated by him, though aired with a different famous actor's voice at the time. You may want to ask a parent or trusted adult who some of the famous people in it are.

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Remembering a Visionary: Steve Jobs October 6, 2011 - As a child or even young adult, it's hard to imagine life without computers, iPods, iTunes, iPhones and iPads. For many of us, they're now just part of daily life. Steve Jobs, the man who invented and developed these products and the convenience and lifestyle surrounding their use, died yesterday.

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What's On Your Plate?

June 2, 2011 - It's not just parents who tell you it's important to eat your veggies, the government does too! First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled a new design today showing us what healthy eating looks like. On a plate. And it's simple. Finally.

The big takeaway?
Half your meal should be fruits and vegetables.
(For funny fruit and veggie jokes, click here)

Some other important parts of her meal plan:

- drink water instead of sugary drinks

- avoid oversized portions

- make at least 1/2 your grains whole grains (so, brown rice instead of white rice, for example)

- switch to low-fat milk

- compare sodium (salt) on food packages and go with the ones that have less

You can learn more at www.choosemyplate.gov

Many of you have probably heard of the Food Pyramid, if not from your family then probably at school. You've probably even colored it in, I know we have. The original version came out in 1992 and then a newer one (on the right) in 2005. But many adults, nutritionists, and even the current head of the United States Department of Agriculture, Secretary Tom Vilsack, found it very confusing.

People didn't really use it. You had to figure out which color went with which food group and then figure out how many ounces of a certain food was in a serving, and by then pretty much everyone had given up. So many people are happy that Mrs. Obama and the USDA came up with a new one.

And at a time when 1/3 of all kids and 2/3 of adults in the U.S. are considered obese or overweight (and the health problems that come with that), it's good to have this new and easy to understand reminder.

How does your plate look?

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What's On Your Plate? - Here There Everywhere

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What's On Your Plate? June 2, 2011 - It's not just parents who tell you it's important to eat your veggies, the government does too! First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled a new design today showing us what healthy eating looks like. On a plate. And it's simple. Finally. The big takeaway?

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Should Dogs Wear Seat Belts?

July 15, 2011 - Seeing a dog sticking its head out the car window enjoying the sights and smells on a sunny day is super cute, but is it safe?
Increasingly, many are saying it's not.

One concern is that just having a dog free in the car can be distracting to a driver, for example, if your dog barks, or if you are petting it or scolding it. Another reason is that if the driver steps on the brakes, your seat belt may protect you but your dog might not be so lucky.

Experts say that in a car with brakes being applied while driving 35 miles per hour, even a small dog can create a force the equivalent of 2,700 pound baby elephant! Bad for your dog ... and could be bad for you too.

So, what to do?

There are actually many different kinds of dog seat belts on the market depending on the size of your dog and the kind of restraint you want.

There are harness and booster type seats, ones that look more like leashes where your dog can move around a bit and get comfortable. And there are ones for the cargo part of your car.

Is your dog going to like it? Probably not so much, at least at first.

And while law enforcement officials seem to agree that this is a safer way to travel for your pet, it's not a law. In fact, right now only a handful of states even require safety belts for children on school buses! Wearing a seat belt only became a law (in most states) in 1984, not even 30 years ago.

So the decision, for now, is yours. What do you think?

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Should Dogs Wear Seat Belts? - Here There Everywhere

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Should Dogs Wear Seat Belts? July 15, 2011 - Seeing a dog sticking its head out the car window enjoying the sights and smells on a sunny day is super cute, but is it safe? Increasingly, many are saying it's not.

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The Curious Gardener is my personal blog about my garden in tropical Singapore. You'll find stories about my plants, my attempts at gardening as well as the creatures that visit sporadically or daily.

I'm a gardening hobbyist who enjoys pottering around in the garden. I started out the usual way - as a helper to my dad - and eventually got interested in the different ways of propagating plants. People used to give lots of cuttings and thinnings, and once I mastered growing plants from those, I eventually worked my way to growing plants from seeds; and from there, graduated to the how and why of growing things. The journey is fun; the destination somewhere up ahead...

In early 2010, I decided to focus more on growing edible plants. I'd dabbled in them a little over the years, but let's face it - they don't give sufficient instructions on the backs of those packets of seeds, so my attempts weren't huge successes. However, knowing how much pesticide goes into commercially grown crops, and how prices are continually rising, I decided to make another go at it.

My intent was also partially inspired by cooking shows on TV (hello, River Cottage and Jamie Oliver! ), but more so by our older generation's experiences of growing their own crops back when Singapore was more rural. It gives me a sense of connection to them.

Besides that, I like communing with nature, understanding how everything works so harmoniously together rather than running for the pesticide whenever I see something destroying my plants. Everything has a place and role to play, even when they're doing something we don't like - they're just doing what nature intended them to do.

There's a lot of trial and error in gardening, but there are good lessons to be learned. It's a personally rewarding experience to me - relaxing and positive, and it helps me to stay balanced and deal with life's ups and downs. Just watching plants grow and thrive is a terrific counterbalance to crowds, rude people and irresponsible drivers!

In this blog, I also try to include information that I didn't find elsewhere when I started looking up the growing of certain plants - which is why you'll see photos of my plants' progress, e.g. from seed to fruit. Hopefully it will be useful to you. For me, it's part of a wonderful learning journey.

In case you didn't notice, we also have a very humble YouTube channel where we upload the movie snippets taken in the garden. It's mostly about the birds that we see here, especially unusual visitors like migratory birds. I haven't worked myself up to doing vlogs yet, sorry.

Starting in 2017, I'll also be experimenting more with the concepts of permaculture. It's something that caught my interest a few years ago but didn't pursue until now. Why now? Because I finally decided to take the leap when I found a suitable online permaculture design course. In case you haven't already discerned it, I like working with nature, not against it, and this is something that definitely does that. Don't worry, the usual updates will keep coming!

If you want to stay in touch with us at The Curious Gardener, check out how you can get regular updates from us.

If you just surfed in but didn't find exactly what you were looking for, make sure you've searched this site properly before you leave. We like sharing information with like-minded gardeners and hope you have a positive experience when you visit.

And please note that we use British English on this blog, so the spelling of some words may differ from what you may be used to if you use American English.

Let's keep gardening!
The Curious Gardener
January 2017 © 2017 curiousgardener.com All rights reserved.

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The Curious Gardener is my personal blog about my garden in tropical Singapore. You'll find stories about my plants, my attempts at gardening as well as the creatures that visit sporadically or daily. I'm a gardening hobbyist who enjoys pottering around in the garden.

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"I can't do it," Maddie wailed through her tears.

I gasped dramatically. "What did you say?" I asked in mock disbelief. "You are NOT allowed to say those words in this house!"

Maddie stopped crying and stared at me. "What words?" she asked.

" I can't. It's okay to say I feel scared or I'm still learning or I can't do it YET, but we don't say I can't."

The tears started falling again. "I can't do it yet," Maddie wailed.

"Come on, let's go," I said, grabbing her hand. "Get your helmet."

Together we walked towards the pink bike resting on the garage floor now that it had been stripped of its training wheels. We approached the bike, and I knelt down on one knee. "Maddie, you are the bravest kid I know. You can do this."

"Don't let go, Mommy," she sniffled. "Please don't let go."

"I pinky promise I won't let go."

We locked pinkies, and I pulled her in for a hug.

"I feel scared, Mommy," she sobbed.

We locked eyes. Maddie took a deep breath and got on the bike. As promised, I didn't let go.

Yet.

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"I can't do it," Maddie wailed through her tears. I gasped dramatically. "What did you say?" I asked in mock disbelief. "You are NOT allowed to say those words in this house!" Maddie stopped crying and stared at me. "What words?" she asked. "I can't.

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For generations, kids and adults have collected baseball cards, which have been around for almost as long as the sport has. National Baseball Card day is in August-many shops celebrated by handing out free trading cards on the 12th-so we talked to experts and researched just how this collectible has evolved over the years.

"It's a great hobby and a great, fun way to enjoy baseball whenever you want," said John Odell, a National Baseball Hall of Fame curator.

Bob Wilson, who works at Card Traders of Austin, gave some advice to kids starting their own collection: "Protect the cards," he emphasized.

Wilson said that using plastic sleeves or card holders, both of which you can find at almost any store that sells trading cards, are essential to preserving your collection. He also advises not storing your cards under the bed or on top of a shelf where they can collect dust or get damaged easily. The cardboard that the cards are made of is very sensitive to liquids, so cards easily warp and become damaged.

Odell gave additional advice: "I recommend finding friends that you can trade with," he said. Trading can build up your collection and help you get the cards you really want, including the players you look up to the most.

What will baseball cards look like in 10, 20, or even 30 years? It's crazy to think that such a small collectible would've been founded before the 20th century and still be popular today! Whether you're an all-out collector or an average fan, baseball card collecting is a fun passion because you can build up your collection card by card and create memories of trading and collecting your favorite players. The hobbt also allows you to experience baseball in a new way. Let's see how far this pocket-sized memorabilia has come!

1860s: It was during this time that the first cards, which were used as advertisements, were printed, as the U.S was coming out of the Civil War and baseball's popularity was rising.

1886: Goodwin & Co. created the first baseball cards, which came in cigarette boxes.

1909: The American Tobacco Company began creating cards featuring actors, actresses, singers, and athletes. This is the set that featured the most famous and valuable card, the T206 Honus Wagner card. Today it's valued at over $2 million, as there are only 57 known in the world! Along with that set was also a very valuable card, the T206 Eddie Plank card that is almost as valuable today as the T206 Honus Wagner card because not very many were produced.

1920s: Following World War I, baseball card production soared but suddenly dropped toward the end of the decade. Not many were made during the mid-1920s until companies like York Caramel started including them with their products.

1930s: After having been mainly for adults, it was during the 1930s that they became popular with kids when cards were first put into packs of bubblegum. Card characteristics also changed about this time. Brief biographies of players were included on the back of the card as well as personal information such as hometown, birthday, and position.

Another valuable card Odell mentioned was the 1933 Goudey card of Nap Lajoie that was, or rather wasn't, produced. Lajoie, a player and manager in Philadelphia and Cleveland, was admired by many fans. The truth is that that Goudey said they had made Lajoie cards; however, when superfans and collectors tried to complete their 1933 set, no matter how many packs of cards they bought, they couldn't get Lajoie cards! Finally, after many frustrated collectors sent in letters about the card, Goudey printed a few Lajoie cards and sent them to the letter-writers.

1952: The first full 400-card set was designed and released by Sy Berger, a young war veteran and Topps worker who is also known as "the father of the modern baseball card." The set was also the first to include more detailed information like statistics, the team name, and team logo. It also contained the Mickey Mantle rookie card worth approximately $35,000 dollars today.

1990s: Baseball cards stopped coming with gum, and prices rose greatly. Bowman began putting a gloss on their cards, which was adopted by other companies such as Topps and Upper Deck soon after.

Early 2000s: Baseball cards began being graded by larger trading card companies around this time. Grading is the name of the process in which the cards are professionally examined and given a numerical grade based on their condition. Their rating is based on four categories: surface, corners, edges, and centering. Cards in exceptional condition are considered more valuable and will get a grade of 9.0 to 10.0.

2012: Topps created an app called Topps Bunt that allows card collector fans to trade online with other collectors.
Photographs by (from top): Kris Connor/Getty Images; Riley Zayas

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Tips and Trivia About Collecting Baseball Cards

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For generations, kids and adults have collected baseball cards, which have been around for almost as long as the sport has. National Baseball Card day is in August-many shops celebrated by handing out free trading cards on the 12th-so we talked to experts and researched just how this collectible has evolved over the years.

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A child's eye view of her new life in Cumbria

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I am not great with people, I have to admit that I find conversations quite difficult but it's something I'm working on and at the weekend I was given a challenge. As a young person living with Aspergers, social interactions are always going to be difficult but I won't let it hold me back from fulfilling my dreams either. I constantly challenge myself (and mum does too) to do things out of my comfort zone, it's definitely worth it to pursue these challenges. This weekend saw a really big breakthrough for me.

Last year my dad did a really cool nature stand at our Spring Fete, it was really successful so we decided to do it again this year - this time I would help him. We focused on native wildlife and the issues that they face but mostly we just want to show people what's on their doorstep and how to find it. We had some furry friends to help us ;))

We talked about Red Squirrel populations and the problems they face - luckily we have a dominant red population and few greys. We heard lots of stories from people who frequently had visits from Red Squirrels and how much joy they gave them. We handed out lots of Fermanagh Red Squirrel Group leaflets and encouraged people to report their sightings. It was great to hear such enthusiasm!

We also got lots of people looking down the microscope, many kids had never seen or looked down a microscope before so it was great to give them the opportunity. I think it's a really sad that Primary schools don't really teach science, natural history or biodiversity - it would be relatively easy to have a few weeks at the end of term to dedicate to these issues.

Another really cool thing I touched on was our local population of Buzzards - in years gone by the population was very low due to persecution but now it is rising and we want to keep it like that. We told them how Buzzards were highly unlikely to prey on anything bigger than a rabbit and how important they are to our Eco system. Letting people see our Buzzard, feel it's feathers, beak and talons brought them closer to nature I think and decreased their fears. I got pretty animated about the birds once I got started and the kids were really enjoying my dramatics I think (swooping arms and lots of gestures;)). I got lots of questions and was able to answer them in a way that brought clarity and more enthusiasm for these gorgeous birds.

There is another side to this story though, the distasteful looks, the 'don't touch, it's dirty' - mainly from parents! They think it's ok to watch Planet Earth, but not for their kids to freely explore their environment! Clearly there is still work to be done!!! The connection has been lost for many people and it needs to be re-established, I think I played a small part in making that happen. The wide-eyed wonder of some of the kids and the fascination of these parents, made it all worthwhile. I found my feet and my voice and I can't wait to do it again - because clearly we need to do it a lot more!

Thanks to the work of Ulster Wildlife, Fermanagh Red Squirrel Group, Butterfly Conservation NI and all those who help and support me to become the best I can be and thanks to my dad; for all his knowledge, enthusiasm and inspiration.

Thanks for reading
Dara ☺️

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View all posts by Young Fermanagh Naturalist

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Awareness, education and engagement; challenges and successes.

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I am not great with people, I have to admit that I find conversations quite difficult but it's something I'm working on and at the weekend I was given a challenge. As a young person living with Aspergers, social interactions are always going to be difficult but I won't let it hold me back from...

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On our last day in Alaska we woke up to big giant snowflakes. It snowed all night long again. Our last look our room tells how much snow we had.

So the plan was to know take a ferry from Valdez to Whittier....remember the place I called a Zombie Town?

The ferry is part of the Alaska Marine Highway System, which travels back and forth from Valdez and Whittier only two times each week. We were lucky it was leaving Valdez on Sunday morning...We were going to catch it!

Since we were going to ride on the ferry for about 6 hours, we wanted to take food with us. We went to the Safeway. Dad had been there to get things for our hotel room but it was Mom and I's first time. We were SOOOO happy to see how nice it was.

Especially Mom! She loved all of the vegetables and fruit that they had and bought some for the ferry ride.

Dad and I got breakfast too.

And of course, we had to take Mom through her favorite coffee place in Valdez. It is called Sacred Ground Espresso.

People even came to get their coffee in the snow. This is where I would get the caramel apple smoothies I love too.

When packed up and were all ready to leave. I was so happy to see my friend Carol one more time before we left.

We got into the big shuttle van for a ride to the ferry.

There were a lot of people trying to escape Valdez. Dad sat in front of me and Mom.

This is what the Valdez Ferry Terminal looks like in the summer and this is what it looks like in the winter....

There was snow all around the building and on the docks.

It was very nice inside....they even had the internet so I played Minecraft when we waited.

And there were A LOT of librarians getting out of Valdez.

We took our stuff and walked down this long sidewalk to where the boat was on the dock.

We came into the bottom of the boat where the vehicles were. This is a boat that you can drive your vehicle onto and they will take you to where you want to go.

We then got into an elevator because we had a lot of luggage. It took us to the top of the ferry.

The first thing I saw when I got off of the elevator was this awesome sign telling us we were on the an Alaska Scenic Byway.

In Alaska there is a whole bunch of these. We want to come back in the summer and go on all of these scenic byways.

They told us we could go up above, in the movie theatre, in the cafe....Our library friend Robin from Anchorage came down and helped us upstairs so we could hang out with them.

How fun...I would see out so good on the ferry.

Nicole and Robin were trying to figure out their Twitter on their iPhones....just like what Mom has. She helped them of course.

Dad, Mom, and I went outside before the boat left. The water looked so cool because there were frozen circles on top all over.

We saw the life boats and life jackets. Just in case.

Behind the boat there were great big oil tankers. On the same day, March 24th, in 1989 the Exxon Valdez ran into a reef in Prince William Sound. It spilled tons of oil into the same water we were in now.

We could watch where we were on these big screens.

I really loved spreading out and getting comfortable on the ferry. Mom got the big blanket we use on the plane and they made me a nest. I ate some strawberries and watched The Hobbit on Dad's laptop.

We ate lunch in the cafe. They had a lot of things to pick from.

I had hot chocolate to drink. The girl that helped us put lots of whipped cream on the top. It was good.

The tables had all the birds in Alaska on them. I learned about different birds when we ate lunch. I wish we would have seen more birds. I wanted to see a puffin.

When we were going along the captain told us things he saw. I was super excited when he said there were whales on both sides of the ferry. I saw them! But it was hard to get a picture of them. I tried with my iPad and Dad tried too.

I could see Whittier out the windows. It still looked like a Zombie Town. And they had more snow too.

We went to the bottom of the boat and we had to walk out and up the ramp that the cars drove out on too. It was slippery and it was snowing a lot. We got very wet.

We needed a ride now from Whittier to Anchorage so our new librarian friend from Anchorage asked her parents if they could give us a ride too. And they did! They were very nice and had a van. We sat in the back.

We made it to the tunnel in time because remember it is only open for 5 minutes every hour to go back through.

I was getting a little sleepy. And we had a long way left to Van Meter.

When we got to the airport in Anchorage the doors on the van were frozen shut so we had to climb through to the front. It was funny.

There was hardly anyone at the airport.

I was glad because I just wanted to rest.

We went to a restaurant to get something to drink and wait for our plane.

We laughed when Mom got this on her phone. We thought it was snowing a little more than "light snow."

There was a lot of snow and it just kept snowing and snowing.

We saw giant cargo planes from Japan or China. They were so cool to see.

We were sitting there and look who walked in! It was Susan! She had rode on a charter bus out of Valdez. We were very happy to see that she made it to the airport too. She told me that she had to fly to Chicago and then to New Hampshire.

When we got on the plane I couldn't believe how much snow was on the wings. They used this water stuff to get the snow and ice off.

We left Anchorage at 9:45pm and got to Minneapolis at 6:00am. I slept most of the time.

We found the truck. Mom and Dad got coffee. And we drove back to Van Meter.

I was so happy to see our house. We got back there at 11:00am. My wiener dog Charlie was very happy to see me! I couldn't wait to see my sister Brianna too.

And my Mom made it to school and taught all of the elementary kids. I was happy I didn't have library...I would have went.

As you see I had the trip of my life. I love Alaska and all of the friends that we met. I loved playing on the giant snow hills and riding in the small plane. I can't wait to go back in the summer.

Maybe next year we can. I hope.

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On our last day in Alaska we woke up to big giant snowflakes. It snowed all night long again. Our last look our room tells how much snow we had. So the plan was to know take a ferry from Valdez to Whittier....remember the place I called a Zombie Town?

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Last night I Trick or Treated in Philly with my cousins around my uncles house. We love to trick or treat in the city because they have tons of houses close to each other so you get lots of candy. The neighbors are so friendly, they all sit out on their front steps with the bowl of candy. They greet each & every child who comes for the candy.

I also got lucky because my uncle let me use a real knife to carve a pumpkin. My mother never lets me do the actual cutting. I usually draw the face & she cuts.

Not this time! It was all me!!

The scary part about Halloween this year is that some of the parents (dads) dressed up. I don't mind that they dress up, it's just that they looked like they were wearing the real SWAT uniforms & they carried realistic rifles with lasers & some machine gun looking ones. Some kids were very startled by the site of them, I was scared at first myself. Its sad when costumes today make you think the worst could happen because of all the bad things we see happening in our world today, you dont know if this is the real thing or not.

Kids today are always on high alert, I know I am.

We didn't let those costumes ruin our time, we had a fantastic time together with family & doing our traditional trick or treating.

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Last night I Trick or Treated in Philly with my cousins around my uncles house. We love to trick or treat in the city because they have tons of houses close to each other so you get lots of candy. The neighbors are so friendly, they all sit out on their front steps with the bowl of candy.

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What Do Logos and Labels Say About You?

A seed of a thought was planted in my mind a while ago when I read To Die For by Lucy Siegle (click the link for my review). One part of wearing ethical and sustainable clothes, is sending out a message about what you stand for, and Lucy touches on this in her book. But mixing this idea with logos makes it all the more important to pay attention to. Why? Let's discuss...

I might seem a little drastic to jump to the idea of thinking of our subconscious but with the idea of sustainability slowly trickling down to the everyday shopper (even if it's through the rather controversial and possibly green-washed campaigns by the likes of H&M), what messages people are fed, even when they're not purposefully thinking about it, all play a role in what happens next.

The idea in Lucy's book that really stood out to me, was the idea of wearing faux-fur. Any kind of vegan material is suspicious to me (can we really say plastic alternatives to leathers are sustainable? I think not) but there are obviously many reasons why people avoid buying real fur.

The question was - by wearing any kind of fur, fake or vintage, aren't we still showing the world that we appreciate and see fur as something wearable? That got the ball rolling for me, and it's brought me back around to logos and labels, as the title of this post suggests.

If we're wearing a visible logo, how does this affect how people view our ethical views? Again, admittedly that sounds drastic to think about but as somebody who owns a pair of Nike trainers, yet stands by going against sweatshops, what does that say about me, when someone looks at my feet?

You might be thinking - does anybody really pay that much attention? Probably not. In fact, people are more likely to pay more attention to what you're wearing on Instagram to what you're wearing in real life (the same question still applies though), so perhaps the idea is more of a moral one.

Is it right to wear a Prada logo even when the shirt was bought second-hand? That's my most recent query, after picking one up from a charity shop. Luxury doesn't automatically mean ethical, after all, and nobody in passing will necessarily know I re-used an item which would have otherwise had been wasted.

Taking the question about faux-fur and adapting it a little; by wearing a label attached to an unethical brand, new or vintage, aren't we still showing the world that we in some way appreciate and see fast-fashion as something to be worn and supported?

Visibility to me, is what I think is important. Bold, glaring logos which are immediately recognisable will say something to people in passing (or on social media), no matter how subconscious the connection is.

This doesn't mean to say I think we should all be throwing out anything we own which is branded (never throw out clothes just because what you own isn't ethical - keep them for longer), but it is to say I think we should shop more consciously with what message we're putting out there in mind, especially when the message is easy to recognise and judge. Yeah, I'm saying - avoid that Gucci style Topshop-logo splashed t-shirt that's apparently currently on sale (or you know, Topshop in general.)

"What about non-visible logos?" I hear you cry - well, as I just said, do not fear if your wardrobe is packed with them already (and by that I mean, Primark or other fast-fashion labels, like I myself still own), as it's better to prolong their life in your wardrobe than rid of them completely. Also, as I've been asked this in the past and also rather recently, yes, it's okay to shop second-hand even if what you're buying was originally made or sourced unethically. Your money isn't going directly into the hands of the industry, so you're safe to shop fast-fashion in the second-hand world.
Have you ever thought about what logos you're wearing say about you? Let me know in the comments!
SPEAKING OF LOGOS...

...you'll soon be able to wear mine on the back of your t-shirt! And yes, it will be ethical. I've finally announced my upcoming collection with Lost Shapes which will be available to buy on September 7th, 2017. YAY!
Do you feel inspired? If so, perhaps you might be interested in nominating Tolly Dolly Posh for an Observer Ethical Award. If you believe my commitment to ethical fashion is award-winning, click this link and leave my name, link and a few words in the Young Green Leaders category.
Lots of Love... Tolly Dolly Posh xx

About the Author

I'm Tolmeia (aka. Tolly Dolly Posh), a 17-year-old on a mission to make the fashion industry more ethical and sustainable whilst also inspiring people to embrace their true selves.

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Ethical Fashion Advice - Should We Wear Fast-Fashion Logos?

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What Do Logos and Labels Say About You? A seed of a thought was planted in my mind a while ago when I read To Die For by Lucy Siegle (click the link for my review). One part of wearing ethical and sustainable clothes, is sending out a message about what you stand for, and Lucy touches on this in her book.

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I've had a lot of T-Rex action this week. I was planning to write this post anyway, but while I was away on holiday there was this tyrannosaurus skeleton nearby (above), and my brother Sam bought a model of a T-Rex skeleton as well - and I saw Jurassic World at the cinema today !

Tyrannosaurus is the biggy - one of the largest land predators ever known, one of the most studied (because lots of specimens have been found), and the best known dinosaur. Bone evidence is often the only way to understand how they lived - but this week's blog post is about something I've always found a bit weird about them.

Tyrannosaurus lived around 68-66 million years ago, at the late Cretaceous Period. They were therapods - and were apex predators, which means that they were at the top of the food chain. They weighed around seven tons, could grow up to 40 ft long and 13 ft high. at the hips. Here's the model from the Natural History Museum when I visited two years ago.

I say "at the hip" because until about 1970 it was believed that T-rex stood pretty much upright with the tail on the ground, and so would have been much taller. Here's a drawing from 1905 which shows what people believed then:

Archeologists Paleontologists in 1905 weren't stupid, and that wasn't a bad guess at all. That's because it's pretty hard to imagine an animal so huge designed like a see-saw, balanced on one set of legs. Think of a large male African elephant. Now imagine it balanced on two legs. Weird, isn't it ?

Weird stance ?

Up until last week, while I understood that Tyrannosaurus walked that way, I thought it looked a bit ridiculous. I thought about it while on holiday, which was next to a park. I mean, could you imagine an animal that had a huge body, long neck, with one set of legs in the middle ? Then a peacock walked past.

But the peacock has working wings, not silly little arms, and it can't run very fast. I mean, can you imagine an animal that had a huge body, long neck, three toes on each foot, and with one set of legs in the middle which had silly little arms which didn't do anything, yet could still run extremely fast ?

Then about twenty yards away from the peacock was this.

Oh yes. An emu. Which can outrun a leopard.

But a peacock's head is tiny compared to its body, and a emu's is tiny and fragile as well. Tyrannosaurus's is huge. What's happening there ?

The skull

Here's the problem. How did Tyrannosaurus end up with a huge heavy body which is balanced in the middle, but with a massive weight - a skull that was up to 5ft long - at one end ?

You would think that if the legs are in the middle of the body, and there is a heavy skull at one end, that it would struggle to walk. Well, its long tail balances it out, with its 40 caudal vertebrae.Well, the Tyrannosaurus has very strong neck vertebrae. It also has but the skull also has holes in it to reduce weight, as well as doubling as muscle attachments.

The skull is also V-shaped, with a narrow snout, but much broader at the neck, to merge with the strong neck and have space for the massive jaw muscles - it had an incredibly strong bite - as well as giving Tyrannosaurus's eyes clear vision forward for hunting.

And having such a massive, heavy skull also helps explain why the arms evolved to be so short: if it killed with the jaws, it had less need for arms when hunting prey

The legs and feet

The Tyrannosaurus' legs are huge ! They bear all seven tons of the Tyrannosaurus, so they have loads of muscle attachment. The feet have three sharp toes each, just like modern birds. They are really spread out to help to support the weight.

How did Tyrannosaurus run ? Was it slow or fast ? Scientists use a lot of clever guesswork, but even they don't know. Most think it could run at 25mph - but some think it could go at almost twice that.

One of the things scientists look at is whether the tibia (shin bone) is longer than the femur (thigh bone). In deer - which are fast runners - the tibia is longer.

All of these pictures ( except from the top two ) are from the Tyrannosaurus skeleton at the National Museum of Scotland which you can read about here.

Here is a time lapse of the Tyrannosaurus skeleton being assembled at the National Museum of Scotland :

Tyrannosaurus is one of the best known and best understood dinosaurs - but even so, there is still a lot that scientists are trying to learn about it. One of the problems is that for modern animals, you can look at other animals which are very similar - but no human has ever seen a dinosaur move, walk or hunt, so scientists make smart guesses based on the bone evidence. I still have a lot to learn about Tyrannosaurus, but it's good to know the scientists who are making the discoveries are helped by looking at the bones of modern animals in order to learn what is similar and what is different.

Enjoy this post ? Share it !

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I've had a lot of T-Rex action this week. I was planning to write this post anyway, but while I was away on holiday there was this tyrannosaurus skeleton nearby (above), and my brother Sam bought a model of a T-Rex skeleton as well - and I saw Jurassic World at the cinema today !

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Hey there it's me Mr Turtle and recently I got to see an Oculus Rift. If you do not know what an Oculus Rift is then look on this Wikipedia page to find out about it.

It is a virtual reality gaming headset. It is a box-like machine that you put on your face. There are two screens where your eyes are and you plug it into your laptop or computer. If you are playing a video game, instead of using your mouse to look around, you move your head.

Me and my dad went to see one of his friends who owns an Oculus Rift and we got to play with it. We played a number of different games. The first game we got to play was a space game where you are a rocket ship and you use your head to move, so if you look up then the rocket would go up. You press the space bar to shoot the other rockets out of space.

We also played a horror game, a roller-coaster that never ended and a house game where you run about the house. Some games I felt a bit sick in but apart from that it was really cool and I give it 5 Turtles out of 5.

Turtle Out!

Tags: gaming, oculus rift

Hi everybody

Today I want to talk about Stampy.

For those of you who don't know who Stampy is, Stampy is a Youtuber who makes Minecraft videos for a living and uploads them to Youtube. He is known as Stampylongnose and currently has over two million subscribers!
This is his channel.
Here is his introduction video which will tell you all about him:

I really like Stampy and every video he uploads to Youtube I get really excited because I can't wait to see what he gets up to.

I think Stampy is really funny and happy. His Minecraft character is a cat and he loves cake and building. I think he is a great You tuber because he is very original and always thinks of new ideas to do or play in Minecraft. This is his 100th video:

He has lots of friends that he records with including IballisticSquid, L for leeee, ChooChooGaming,Ank55,AmyLee33 and
Daisy.

He is very great for kids as he plays no inappropriate games and he uses no bad language. So if you are a kid who likes Minecraft, YOU'LL LOVE STAMPY!!!

Tags: Minecraft

Hello guys and welcome to a recipe on how to make ULTIMATE POPCORN me and my mum made this one day
for fun it is truly ULTIMATE

You shall need
A bowl
Popcorn kernels
A little bit of cooking oil
Mini marshmallows
Mini eggs (we put them in because its easter soon you can put in any sweets)
Golden syrup-a big spoon full
Butter about 30g
A pinch of salt

How to make (recipe)
First you heat up the oil in a big pot
Put enough popcorn kernels in to cover the base
Jiggle the pot to coat the kernels in oil, then put the lid on the pot and wait for
Popping noises. The popcorn is done when the popping noise stops.
To make salted caramel, heat together the butter, syrup and salt.
Put the popcorn into a big bowl.
Pour the caramel over the top.
Add the mini marshmallows and sweets (mini eggs).

This is what it looks like:

And this is what it looks like 5 minutes later:

I hope you enjoy the popcorn.

Turtle Out!

The new LEGO movie is coming out soon and they have created a game where you can make your own LEGO figure and add whatever hair or clothes or accessories you want.

It's a really fun game to play and I have put it here so you can play it too:
http://sigfigcreator.thelegomovie.com/uk/
I am going to see the LEGO movie when it comes out.

(sorry it was a short post)

Turtle out!

Tags: lego movie game

Happy New Year! I have just started school again after the Christmas holidays.

Just before Christmas I had a big parcel which arrived in the post. I got to review KOR Geomag.

We were sent KOR Geomag Tazoo Paco (the green one on the left) and Proteon Blatta (the blue one on the right).

Tazoo and Proteon are two different ranges - Tazoo is a bit younger and more animal-based and Proteon is a bit more like a battle figure.

I used to have Geomag and it was basically a lot of magnetic metal balls and sticks and they would stick together and you could create stuff with it.

But this new Geomag thing called KOR Geomag is very different to the original Geomag but it is still magnetic and still fun. There is a big magnetic ball in the middle, and other pieces clip around this. You can move them around and make all sorts of shapes, animals and figures.

Here is a video showing how they came to earth

Here is me making an oval out of the Proteon set:

Tazoo and Proteon are both suitable from age 5. I showed them to my friends who thought they were really cool.

Moving it around is a bit like moving a Rubik's cube. You can twist it in all directions.

Because the pieces are not connected, it falls apart quite a lot which can make you sad. It can get quite frustrating. But all the shapes you can create are cool. It's quite stiff to turn and sometimes gets stuck but if you keep on turning it then it will eventually turn. I like that the Blatta makes an oval shape.

I like the idea of this toy because it's different to other toys and very original and the cool little battles you can have with them. It would make a great birthday present. I like putting the extra little bits together and seeing what I can create.

KOR Geomag are not in many toy shops yet so I was very pleased to be one of the first people to try them out. They will be in more shops soon and the sets cost from £25. You can also get these toys from Amazon.

Turtle out! 🙂

Hello - Mr Turtle here.

I have been sent The Hobbit, but it is a new illustrated version with really nice pictures that are very well done.

I previously reviewed the BBC Audio book of The Hobbit and I have been listening to that so I know the story. I was very pleased to get my own copy of The Hobbit to read.

I really like this book because there are a lot of illustrations so if you get confused about what's happening, or if you've forgotten what's happened before, you can see what's going on.

Most pages have a colour picture on them. Some of the words are a bit strange but it is not too hard to read.

The book is a big hardback, nearly A4 size. It smells very nice! It would make a nice Christmas present for Hobbit fans.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein, illustrated by Jemima Catlin is out now and costs £20

Hi - I have had a very busy time since the last post. And that's what this post is about.

Firstly I went to a place called Bowles. I went to Bowles for 1 week for a school trip. It's a place where you do activities all the time and you get really really tired. Like when we first got there we had lunch and then the moment after that we were already doing raft building. These are just some of the activities that we did:

Skiing

Canoeing

Rock climbing

Orienteering

Swimming

Going through rocks

Night walk

The Leap of Faith (jumping off a very high wobbly platform)

Treasure hunt

I also went to Ireland for 5 days. It was really fun at Ireland because we went to see the Titanic exhibition and went to museums. In the Ulster Museum they had thousands of sugar cubes that you could make buildings out of. They also had around it massive structures, like temples and Quidditch pitches (at least that's what it looked like) to give you ideas. I built a mini temple ruin.

At Halloween I went out Trick or Treating with my friend Dr Rainbows. I dressed up as a vampire with a bin bag cape.

Finally, for one of my homeworks at school I had to build an Anderson Bomb Shelter, but I built mine in Minecraft. It took me a while to make it but I have now finished.

Tags: adventures, Halloween, Ireland, school trip

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Hey there it's me Mr Turtle and recently I got to see an Oculus Rift. If you do not know what an Oculus Rift is then look on this Wikipedia page to find out about it. It is a virtual reality gaming headset. It is a box-like machine that you put on your face.

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I've just returned from a 15-day road trip in our campervan and it was totally awesome.

From the start of the journey, when we had a great view of a sparrow hawk, to red kites on the way home, I've had an amazing wildlife adventure.

Meeting my hero

Just before going on holiday I spotted a tweet from Chris Packham, saying he would be at RSPB Arne on the Sunday for Hen Harrier Day - what a stroke of luck, we were camping 2 miles away and intended to go anyway.

We arrived early for bacon butties at their new café; I was checking out the butterflies in the garden when I spotted the one and only, Chris Packham #MyHero. Despite meeting loads of celebrities at places like RHS Chelsea I was so nervous to speak to him. I aspire to be like him, as he's so clever and intelligent about wildlife. My Dad said, "look, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, go and talk to him", so I went up to talk to him about my nightjar experience the night before and he laughed when I said I was called 'Green Fingered George'. Later, he mentioned me in the speech he gave - saying how he had met a young person earlier who had spotted his first nightjars. What a high, for the start of the holiday!

Hen Harrier Day

Now to the serious bit.....why was Chris Packham at RSPB Arne?? Well, it was all about #HenHarrierDay. If you don't know what hen harriers are.....they are majestic and glorious birds, gliding through the air effortlessly. Male hen harriers have a grey and black pattern, whilst the female is brown and I think they are one of the most handsome birds of prey in the British Isles. Unfortunately, they could be gone in the next 5 years as their moorland habitat is within grouse hunting grounds. They are ground nesting birds, which make them vulnerable to danger, such as hunters. Hen harriers are persecuted, as hunters see them as threats as they can eat grouse. Even though it's illegal to kill hen harriers, it still happens 'cos it's difficult to catch people. Hen harrier day is important as it spreads awareness of hen harriers and the dangers they face. It makes you angry, because people kill them and makes you sad because the population is so low, yet guilty, that it's humans who are doing this.

The big boss of the RSPB, Chris Corrigan, the police and the Birders Against Wildlife Crime were there too to talk about the threats Hen Harriers face.

Birds

Now let me tell you about that nightjar....My Dad and I were returning from our night bike ride, when Dad stopped as he'd head this sound. I thought it was a pylon, but it wasn't, it was the classic 'churring' sound of a nightjar. I got very excited when my Dad said it could possibly be a nightjar, as he'd just read about them in the Autumn edition of the RSPB magazine, Nature's Home. After about 2 minutes I saw one fly past, with its sharp pointed wings similar to a hobby. They are quite difficult to spot as they have a grey brown pattern on their back and only come out at night to feed on moths and night insects (similar feeding behaviours to a bat really). Nightjars nest on the grounds of heathland. One way to attract a nightjar - apparently - is to wave a white handerchief, it might not work, but it will make your companion laugh! As we were about to set off back, it was joined by another and there were 2 nightjars flying above our heads #EPIC

What a night 'cos I also saw loads of sika deer and 6+ green woodpeckers!

On the second evening bike ride, whilst looking for nightjars we came across another nightime hunter; the impressive, ghostly white, barn owl. At first, me and my Dad were looking in opposite directions, Dad into shrubs and me to the open healthland. Earlier on I had rode on to the heathland and was looking about, then I saw this massive white 'wolf-like' shape running across the heathland. All manner of things were running through my mind, what is an albino fox for example? I went running to my Dad, before realising it was a husky dog!

Anyway, I saw this white shape, at first I thought it was the white-wolf again, but it was smaller, so I thought it was a white rabbit, but I noticed it had wings, then I knew it was a barn owl. I shouted "barn owl, barn owl" to my Dad. It rose into the air to show its incredible angel like wings and large head and glided silently away into the dark.

On our 3rd evening bike ride we went to the same nightjar spot and bats were flying around us. One flew past about 3″ from my face and I could feel the 'wind of the wingbeat', which was where the title of this blog come from 'cos when I described it to my Mum, she thought it sounded 'rather poetic'!

Other birds we saw

The famous spoonbills at RSPB Arne, on the Wareham River there were lots of waders and reed warblers and over the course of the 15 days (including at the New Forest) there were great views of kestrels, buzzards, green and great spotted woodpeckers, chiffchaffs, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch, stonechat, siskin, nuthatch, redstart, spotted flycatcher, treecreeper, little egret, heron, black tailed godwit, shellduck and a great crested grebe.

Sandwich tern - we were doing a bit of 'unsuccessful' fishing on the jetty in Swanage, when we saw a tern fishing and diving. It was doing a bit better than us, actually scrub that, a lot better than us! We watched it for a while and later looked in our bird book and confirmed it was a sandwich tern with its long, sharp white wings and a black beak with a yellow tip and a black cap (until the end of summer).

Insect list

There's a great pond at RSPB Arne, which attracts raft spiders; they use water to catch their prey and they even dive to hunt water boatmen and beetles #Cool

Wasp spiders are a really beautiful species, with their bright orange and yellow colours; they create a white zig zag strip like pattern on their web

We saw a robberfly too, which hops and flies from one place to another and jumps on insects. It carries the prey away like a robber with a sack of money, then lays its eggs inside so that when they hatch, they eat away at the fly #Gruesome

Big shout out to the RSPB Arne garden which has really come on a lot since last year, when they first created it, attracting loads of butterflies, bees and insects. The bug hotels are fab and they have ponds made from buckets, it could even be a home for frogs and I need to tell you about the café, it does great bacon butties!

Mammals

Part of my holiday was spent camping with the crazy horses of the New Forest, where daft donkeys eat your magazines and cows that sound like Tom Jones #YEAH. There were plenty of rabbits, squirrels, voles, mice, a fox and, roe/fallow deer too.

Butterfly/dragonflies and damsel flies list

Here's the list of beautiful butterflies - red admiral, speckled wood, common blue, small tortoiseshell, meadow brown, large white, wall brown, comma, clouded yellow, brimstone, fritillary

I spent ages trying to get a good photo of a dragon/damselfly - they are well fast! Here's what I spotted - Blue tailed damselfly, southern hawker, emperor dragonfly, keeled skimmer, ruddy darter
Thanks to the help of all the experts who were at the pond and helped us to identify the different species of insects
Fish

We went crabbing in Swanage, yet all I seemed to bring in was gobies/blemmies (fish that live quite close to shore and generally live on the bottom of rocks) and one beautiful wrasse

On the beach, I was swimming around in the sea, when I stood on the bottom, I felt a sharp pain in my foot. I got out and went to my Dad and showed him my foot and there were 3 puncture wounds. I struggled back to the chair and my foot was hurting like mad. It got worse and I knew I hadn't cut my foot on stone or glass, so I went to the first aid hut at RNLI and they checked it out and said I was unlucky to have been stung by a weaver fish. They put my foot in hot water for a while and it eventually felt better

I watch a lot of nature programmes and I remember Steve Backshall saying that a lot of people ask him where are the lions, elephants and giraffes in this country? Well, like him I will simply say, that you don't need to go to the savannah or the rainforest, here in the UK the air is full of amazing birds, the seas are rich with wonderful wildlife and the land is teaming with insects, reptiles and mammals - it's not called Great Britain for nothing!

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The wind of the wingbeat, my wildlife summer blog #WildAboutWildlife

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I've just returned from a 15-day road trip in our campervan and it was totally awesome. From the start of the journey, when we had a great view of a sparrow hawk, to red kites on the way home, I've had an amazing wildlife adventure.