A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Jan 30, 2012, 11:34 am
One way to keep up with your child’s appetite for learning is to change your playbook once in a while. Trot out an activity that’s fresh and simple… and unexpected. Here’s a bundle of fresh, one minute activities that are quick and easy to set up, but are also capable of engaging your child... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Dec 14, 2011, 10:34 am
Games with string are an old-time favorite for kids. Most classic games consist of making designs using your fingers and a loop of string. But there’s lots of other fun things you can do, like make a fishing pole with a magnet, make a kid’s crane, measure things, etc. Here are some string ga... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Oct 23, 2011, 10:38 am
I recently observed a telling event involving two children engaging in fine motor skills activities. To be candid, I wasn’t even thinking of fine motor movements. I was testing a prototype for a catapult design. “…The beauty of fun playtime activities
is that kids are
making connections a... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Oct 14, 2011, 12:21 pm
The best part about making catapults: if you keep doing it you get really good at it. You start one day by asking how to make a simple catapult for kids, and before you know it, you’ve got your own collection. The following method is fun and easy, and it only takes a few minutes to make.
Mate... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Sep 26, 2011, 12:10 pm
Spaghetti Box Kids needs photos for the 2011 Halloween Sideshow. Send photos unedited and uncropped to avecchioni (at) spaghettiboxkids.com
You can submit multiple photos, as long as the costume is different in each one. (In other words, you can have the same child across different years with di... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Sep 13, 2011, 10:18 am
If your art routine is beginning to dull, here’s a fun project to put the zest back into things. You could easily say this activity, which makes use of open composition, zooms well past the very boundary of open composition. If that’s the case, then in the spirit of say, Magritte or Marcel Duc... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Aug 26, 2011, 5:48 pm
The best toys are simple in nature. They are also capable of generating lots of activity. That’s what makes catapults for kids such great toys. The designs are plain physics in action, and there’s an abundance of games and activities. Most games you can play with one person, or add players t... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Aug 19, 2011, 12:41 pm
Artist Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) is best known for developing the artistic style known as Neo-Plasticism. This well recognized style utilizes simple horizontal and verticle lines on a flat surface. The lines overlap to form squares and rectangles—some of these are left white, and some are filled... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Aug 10, 2011, 5:51 pm
There’s nothing like fresh playtime activities to stimulate learning. But as parents we don’t always have time to read detailed instructions or rules. Sometimes it’s nice to just see an easy list of things to do. Think of these one minute activities for kids like Tom Sawyer emptying his poc... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Jul 21, 2011, 4:37 pm
You’ve heard the saying– there’s more than one way to milk a cow. Likewise, there’s more than one way to make a catapult for kids. The most important thing, of course, is that it launches things effectively. It should also be easy to make, remain sturdy, and require nothing more than eve... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Jun 29, 2011, 2:33 pm
It happens to all of us sometime or other. We’re about to throw away an empty egg carton, and we say to ourselves: I know I can use this for some project, I’m just not sure what. You’re in luck, especially if you’ve ever considered how to build a catapult for kids. The empty egg carton se... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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May 12, 2011, 3:58 pm
Let’s face it, sometimes as parents we’re stuck for something new and fun to do— something that doesn’t require intense concentration or elaborate set up. In that case, there’s nothing like old fashioned word games for kids. The games are educational in nature, yet easy to carry out. B... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Apr 21, 2011, 10:38 am
It’s that time again. Another catapult design for kids you can make in minutes. Whether you’re new to catapult designs, or an old pro, you’ll appreciate the simplicity of this model. Best of all, it has superior launching authority. To get started, you need a few things from around the house... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Mar 20, 2011, 4:07 pm
…your child’s efforts to improve the results are an important part of the activity…
Let’s face it, being a parent is plenty of work. You’re on duty as a counselor, cook, coach, maid, nurse, chauffeur and educator. One strategy to cope with the stress of parenthood is to incorporate rel... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Feb 1, 2011, 3:23 pm
Related Article: Five AMAZING Catapult Designs For Kids
If you’ve ever wondered how to make a catapult out of household items, here’s an easy design you can make in minutes. Like most home-made catapults: it’s fun to make, fun to launch stuff, and fun to tinker with the parts. This parti... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Dec 14, 2010, 7:41 pm
I work with an organization- Higher Ground International- that helps children who have come to the U.S. from the war torn countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone. We’ve written a grant to help us provide more extensive academic and cultural services for these extraordinary kids. Please help our or... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Nov 1, 2010, 12:48 am
Here’s an easy to make catapult you can put together in minutes. The design uses the “bear clamp base” technique to harness tension. Once you grasp this technique, you can easily apply it to your own unique catapult designs. To get started, you need a few items from around the house.
Materi... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Nov 1, 2010, 12:35 am
If you’ve been on the search for easy catapults for kids, here’s one that’s fun to make, fun to play with, and looks cool in science class. How does it achieve its hurling authority? -By harnessing tension to an arc, which acts as a fulcrum for the launch arm. Don’t worry, the design is s... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Nov 1, 2010, 12:01 am
Here’s an easy to make catapult that lives up to its name. The superior arm tension and sturdy construction are what give this hurling machine its extraordinary power. Best of all, it only requires a few household items.
Materials:
-four newspapers
-bag of assorted rubber bands
-masking ta... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Oct 11, 2010, 5:08 pm
I recently observed a telling event involving two children engaging in fine motor skills activities. To be candid, I wasn’t even thinking of fine motor movements. I was testing a prototype for a catapult design. “…The beauty of fun playtime activities
is that kids are
making connections a... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
-
May 26, 2010, 3:05 pm
As a parent, one of the dangers of winging it all the time is that you become a full time stress manager. Your child’s needs and wants are never ending, and everyday can feel like an emotional battlefield. That makes it very difficult to create a solid learning environment with great play activi... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Apr 22, 2010, 12:54 pm
One of the advantages of playing math games with dice is that so little is required to engage your child’s full focus and attention. There’s nothing to plug in. No batteries are required. No whiz-bang effects are going to super charge your child’s emotions.
These games require a grasp of... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Mar 19, 2010, 10:46 am
Memorizing times tables is one thing. Strengthening conceptual math skills is another. One way to strengthen your child’s conceptual math skills is to explore Mayan numbers together. Exploring the Mayan numeric system will heighten your child’s understanding of symbol, place value and base, a... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Feb 16, 2010, 12:48 pm
There’s something about rolling things down a ramp that kids just love. Here are some simple games that require little more than a roll of masking tape and a ramp. The games are filled with strategy and will hold your child’s full focus and attention from beginning to end. Best of all, there... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Jan 16, 2010, 11:40 am
(Part five in a series on marble games for kids. . .)
Marble games are an excellent way to strengthen your child’s ability to focus on a single activity. The games are filled with strategy, easy to play and lots of fun. One of the great benefits of marble games—if you play them regularly–i... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Dec 26, 2009, 2:08 pm
When I was in college, to make some extra money I took a job at a daycare center as an assistant teacher. I didn’t know a whole lot about kids, but it was plain to see that the general state of the children was aimlessness.
When the first recess came, I decided to apply the concept behind the ... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Nov 28, 2009, 1:58 pm
I recently read a short story by William Saroyan, The Fifty Yard Dash (first published in 1937), that reminds me of how over-rated the idea of confidence is. The main character, twelve year old Aram, sees the chance to prove his greatness when his school announces that a track meet will be held, on... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Nov 10, 2009, 11:30 am
One of the simplest ways to improve math skills is to play games with dice. Kids love to roll dice because of the association with fun board games. That makes it all too easy to associate mathematics with fun activities. Best of all, the games can be tailored to kids of all ages and skill levels.... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Oct 28, 2009, 11:21 am
Have you ever played word association with your child? Most kids will eagerly participate because it’s new and interesting and they receive lots of attention during play. Parents like the activity because it’s stress free and it offers a unique viewpoint that cannot be obtained in any ... Comment - Like
A Vecchioni posted an article on
Spaghetti Box Kids
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Oct 14, 2009, 5:52 pm
There’s something satisfying about scribbling back and forth. It’s completely uninhibited expression. Beyond this gesture, one of the first formal structures that kids draw is a circle or loop. Drawing circles opens up the world of representational art. It allows kids to draw bodies ... Comment - Like
B.A. in Literature and Philosophy from Michigan State University in 1990.
Article Subject Matter: Parenting/ Childhood Development
Interests: Family, Biking, Theater, and the occasional Ski Trip to Wisconsin
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