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"To us, the Web is a sort of shared external memory. We do not have to remember unnecessary details: dates, sums, formulas, clauses, street names, detailed definitions. It is enough for us to have an abstract, the essence that is needed to process the information and relate it to others. Should we need the details, we can look them up within seconds. Similarly, we do not have to be experts in everything, because we know where to find people who specialise in what we ourselves do not know, and whom we can trust. People who will share their expertise with us not for profit, but because of our shared belief that information exists in motion, that it wants to be free, that we all benefit from the exchange of information. Every day: studying, working, solving everyday issues, pursuing interests. We know how to compete and we like to do it, but our competition, our desire to be different, is built on knowledge, on the ability to interpret and process information, and not on monopolising it."

oh yay

"CS Unplugged is a collection of free learning activities that teach Computer Science through engaging games and puzzles that use cards, string, crayons and lots of running around.<br />
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The activities introduce students to underlying concepts such as binary numbers, algorithms and data compression, separated from the distractions and technical details we usually see with computers.<br />
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CS Unplugged is suitable for people of all ages, from elementary school to seniors, and from many countries and backgrounds. Unplugged has been used around the world for over fifteen years, in classrooms, science centers, homes, and even for holiday events in a park!"

RT @mrjWells 18 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was 18 @marcandangel

"Seventh graders describe scientists before and after a visit to Fermilab. "

origami "hang glider" that you can push on a wave of air. totally, totally, awesome.

"AnnMarie Thomas gave a short talk at TED this year on Why Making Matters. She blogged the following, based on the speech she gave: I truly believe that the one of the best ways to have an impact on the world is to give as many kids and young adults as possible the tools they need to change the world. In a quest to do this, I've read a lot of biographies of engineers and inventors whom I respected and began to see an obvious trend. • Paul MacCready, one of my heroes, designer of human powered aircraft and champion for more sustainable modes of transformation, grew up building model airplanes on his family's ping pong table to the extent that at the age of 14 he set the world record for flight duration of an autogyro." … and much more

findings of three years of research on kids' informal learning with digital media.

""We sometimes say that adults are better at paying attention than children," writes Gopnik. "But really we mean just the opposite. Adults are better at not paying attention. They're better at screening out everything else and restricting their consciousness to a single focus." […] While this less focused form of attention makes it more difficult to stay on task - preschoolers are easily distracted - it also comes with certain advantages. In many circumstances, the lantern mode of attention can actually lead to improvements in memory, especially when it comes to recalling information that seemed incidental at the time."

Includes "The Case against Competition," and "What Does It Mean to Be Well-Educated?"

"We've hunted down the most creative toys, books, games, backpacks and more to keep your kids occupied, and keep you sane, whenever you're on the road. Even if it is only to soccer practice."

"where this thing really scored is in an element I've not noticed in a lot of the talk about play - fairness. And kids are utterly, utterly obsessed with fairness. It's the most important element in any game. And human rule-enforcement is automatically deemed unfair. There is no referee, umpire or god-like grandparent that can escape being seen as unfair at some point, for some decision. But the commanding voice of Cosmic Catch escapes all that. The relentless, ineluctable judgement of the RFID machine brooks no argument, is prey to no human frailties and biases and is immediately seen as fair. Or actually Fair. Or even FAIR."

"the recycling, reuse and reppropriation of common household goods, trash and miscellany into functional and/or amusing items is something Cool Tools readers know well. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of tinkerers, whether you have children or not, it's near impossible to visit Arvind Gupta's Toys From Trash without wanting to attempt at least one of his many projects."

"aim is to provide simple, fun, competitive games that help children learn and gain confidence with Maths, English and other key skills and knowledge"

"One of the things I like about small children is watching them learn, experiment, and figure out the world. With older babies, and younger toddlers, they sometimes look like someone playing a text adventure: >TAKE LION You take the stuffed lion. >DROP LION Dropped. >TAKE LION You take the stuffed lion. >DROP LION Dropped. >TAKE LION You take the stuffed lion. >TAKE EGG You take the plush egg. >I You have: A stuffed lion A plush egg >PUSH LION Nothing happens. >PULL LION Nothing happens. >PUSH LION Nothing happens. >USE LION WITH EGG You can't use those two items together. >USE EGG WITH LION You can't use those two items together. >USE LION WITH EGG You can't use those two items together. >DROP LION Dropped. >EAT EGG You can't eat that! >EAT LION You don't have the lion. >GET LION You take the stuffed lion. >EAT LION You can't eat that!" via: yoz

Next time your little ones have splinters in their hands or feet, try this: Let them soak well in the bathtub, then use a pumice stone (like you would for rough heels or elbows) to rub over the splinters in a circular motion before they dry off. They can even do it themselves. It seems to work for those playgound / deckrail splinters pretty well.

flash game (with teacher materials) to role play a PC volunteer solving challenges like: Water Contamination, Sanitation and Disease, Microfinance, Barren Fields, Malaria, Soil Runoff, Educating Village Girls, Agroforestry

Self-regulation is a critical skill for kids. Unfortunately, most kids today spend a lot of time doing three things: watching television, playing video games and taking lessons. None of these activities promote self-regulation.

"If you're a parent, I would be much less concerned about things like online predators or violence, then I would be about the conflation between consumption and consumerism and citizenship (in virtual worlds). Because our kids are being taught that to be

post a link to a notice of its information practices on the home page of its Web site or online service and at each area where it collects personal information from children.

Make your own non-toxic toy with custom colors and fragrances.

#6 plastic, permanent ink, 350 degrees for 3-4 mins.

the largest collection of illustrated antique books on line... we think.

Experiment with our automatic calculator -- adapted from the book Shattering the Two-Income Myth by Andy Dappen -- to see how much the second income in your family really amounts to.

a new programming language that lets you create your own interactive stories, games, music, and art.

How different languages say animal sounds. Also has clips of some animals themselves.

Parents are going to ludicrous lengths to take the bumps out of life for their children. However, parental hyperconcern has the net effect of making kids more fragile; that may be why they're breaking down in record numbers.

If you want your children to grow up to actively care about the environment, give them plenty of time to play in the "wild" before they're 11 years old, suggests a new Cornell University study.

Download princesspea.mp3

Seventh graders describe scientists before and after a visit to Fermilab.

a program that continuously records sound from your PC's microphone and continuously plays that sound back after a delay. It is a fun, educational game for children as young as 6 months old