Acme Library - Kids Make It Better

here is a fun book to do with your kids (or let them do it themselves).

a "write-in, draw-in journal", KIDS MAKE IT BETTER asks it's readers questions and gives them the space to fill in answers. questions like,

"how would you get people to stop fighting?"

"what would you do to help animals who have no place to sleep?"

"what would you do to get more people to share?"

it's a great thinking activity that is "others oriented" and perfect for summer; on a plane, in the car or sitting on the grass under a tree.

Summer

my beautiful and wise cousin, carolyn, sent me this quote which i wanted to share with you all.

"i truly believe it is one of the greatest gifts we teach our children to show them through actions that they can make a positive difference in the lives of others" - sandra magsamen

this summer keep your families busy doing just that.

scroll the (over 100) activities listed on the acmesharing.com website. i know that my boys and i will be; planting an organic garden, having a canned food drive and baking dog biscuits for the rescue shelter - no name just a few.

happy summer.

Call of the Wild

so when the temp gets super high and you have "park"ed yourselves out, chill out inside in front of the computer with your kids and check out NOAH WILD.

"Noah Wild is a movement dedicated to the idea that kids can truly make a difference by saving animals & the places they live."

noah is an animated young boy who loves animals. the site offers info (a hippo's lips are 2 feet wide) and links to other animal-centric sites. it has video, cartoons and merch. the products they sell give money back to animal loving non profits and the buyer (your child) gets to chose the cause.

here is a link: noahwild.com

the lesson: supporting animals is an easy way for kids to feel the power of helping others.

*** added bonus: you get a break from pushing them on the swings and can sit down for this family activity.

Emergency Kit

just in time to save the world comes the (why didn't i think of it) adorable WORLD REPAIR KIT. "unleashing the superhero in every kid, the protectors, the fixers, the champions of good", this box of altruism comes with a guidebook, activity passport and stickers.

it's a fantastic gift item for kids ages 8 and up, and, although my kids have simply looked at theirs in it's beautiful packaging, perhaps your child will rip it open and start their call to action.

buy it here for $24.95

Signed Sealed and Delivered

here is an amazing and totally easy family project that you can do immediately. in fact your kids (age depending) might even be able to do most of this without you.

1. grab an empty shopping bag.

2. clean out your pantry of canned or boxed food you won't eat.

3. leave the (now full) bag next to your mailbox this saturday and your mail carrier will pick it up for you.

the united states postal service is running the STAMP OUT HUNGER program for every community nationwide. they will get this food to the local food bank and help countless people.

here is a link for more details: usps.com

the lesson: talking to kids about others who might not have enough food is an intense topic. know your child and what he/ she is capable of hearing/ understanding and think about how to share this information without scaring them. sometimes it's enough to say, "we have a lot and some families don't".

***added bonus: those oreos will no longer be there to mock you as you stare at them each morning while wearing yoga pants.

Acme Holiday - Earth Day

happy earth day! enjoy this precious video from our friends at tiny revolutionary.

viv and hank plant an organic garden (2 minutes)

Acme Library - Girls Gone Green

perfect earth day reading for young boys AND girls alike. this awesome book has projects FOR KIDS BY KIDS that help the environment.

to buy this book, see ACME LIBRARY on the right.

(this only works of you are on the acme sharing website)

Acme holiday - MLK day 2010

"life's most persistent and urgent question is, "what are you doing for others?" Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

this week marks the 2 year anniversary of the acme sharing company, this is the 112th post for your enjoyment. i think the timing is quite poetic as this weekend is also the kick off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day which has now, thanks to the OBAMAS, become a day of national service.

please use this holiday as an excuse to finally do the acme sharing projects you have been reading about here, but never found the time to execute.

there is a lot of stuff for your family to do at this blog; arts and crafts, field trips and building. i've represented activities for homelessness, global warming, animals and illnesses (to name a few). whatever your cause, whatever your methods, the only value is if you do them.

if you still can't find the time for anything extra (and i get it, believe me) then the suggested reading on the right side of the website is a great place to share a moral message with your child.

happy 2nd birthday to us and happy MLK day to you.

Project COZY

ok, it is COOOOOLD out there. and in other parts of the country it is even colder. here is an easy and helpful activity to do this weekend to help those who need something to snuggle up with and get warm. there are 2 easy ways to do this one:

1.) with you kids, clean out your linen closet and bring all unused blankets to your local homeless shelter.

or

2.) with your kids, go to the fabric store, pick out some fleece, take it home and use the "project linus" guidelines to turn it into a no-sew blanket to be donated to their local chapter (see website www.projectlinus.org for locations)

here is the link for the blanket PDF

project linus, a nationwide nonprofit says, "it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”

the lesson: it is too easy to take for granted something as obvious as a warm blanket. talk to you children about helping when and where we can. can they even imagine what it would be like to not have a blanket? a blanket is not only for getting cozy and good for fort building, but also for keeping us healthy and warm with a good night's sleep.

***added bonus: testing out the above lesson by getting under the covers and snuggling together!

Thanks and Giving

turkey day, such a great excuse to get your family thinking about gratitude, thankfulness and helping others less fortunate (or just others, period).

please encourage your kids to think of the things for which they are thankful. there are so many ways to do this; the kindness chain, the gratitude album, a video journal, drawing pictures and making a book, strips of paper in a hat to be pulled out and read aloud at the table. how about a gratitude tree? there are a lot of ways to do the same thing. all of these activities can be found on the acme sharing website if you just scroll down the archives of past posts.

it's a perfect set up as we enter into the weeks of holiday indulging.

this year let's not let the pies overshadow the point.

Acme Library - Pickle Chiffon Pie

no exaggeration, this book was my most most most favorite possession as a child. the story is about caring for and respecting others, there is no villain and love rules. "jolly" roger bradfield is an incredible illustrator capturing all that was cool about the 70's. this is the perfect fairy tale for boys (there are knights on a noble quest) and girls (a benevolent princess). and oh!, there is PIE!

to buy this book, see ACME LIBRARY on the right.

(this only works if you are on the acme sharing website)

Horror Story

this is unbelievable! "the story of stuff" will really make you think about what you have, where it comes from, how it's made and where it goes. a serious wake up call for the world of recycling, global warming and consumerism. this 20 minute movie will change the way you shop. it will make you think about STUFF and educate you in a way that you probably had an inkling about, but leaves no room for doubt. i hope everyone gets a chance to watch this. see it first by yourself and then watch it with your kids.

see it here: storyofstuff.com

the lesson: does my family really need another _____? how will it effect our lives vs. how will it effect the world?

***added bonus: an easy way to be inspired to get on that budget.

Important Reminders

today the folks at tiny revolutionary, an amazing website for clothing with a cause (www.tinyrevolutionary.com), sent out this email to celebrate INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY. i couldn't resist sharing it with you all.

- SMILE. The act of smiling releases endorphins and serotonin - the good mood chemicals coarsing through us. Smiling triggers these guys to wake up and start dancing which makes us happy. Happy people are peaceful people. And to paraphrase Elle Woods, peaceful people just don't kill people :).

- NAMETAGS MATTER. Everyone who works in customer service wears a name tag and yet, very few people ever bother to call them by their name. Try including the person's name in your exchange next time and see how it changes the interaction. Recognizing that someone is a person, not a job, is a great way to break down those awkward walls we feel between us and promote understanding.

- LISTEN MORE. We think a HUGE issue with all the nastiness spreading across the air waves has to do with wanting to be heard. Perhaps veryone is screaming so loudly because there is a famine of listeners. Spend a day being a listener . . . even if you totally disagree with what someone is saying, listen. Do not argue. Breathe. Know you do not bare the responsiblity for changing them and their opinions. Everyone's life experience delivers them to a set of conclusions about the way the world works. No single conversation will change anyone but you know what will make them better? Feeling as though they are heard. Be the hearer of their truth, even if it makes you want to run for the hills. People always feel more peaceful when they are heard.

- PET SOMETHING FURRY. This one is just for you. The dog, cat, hamster, etc will get a lot out of it too but not as much as you will. Pets and animals remind us to just be still. In stillness there is peace.

- HUG IT OUT. Hugs are a highly underrated form of peace activism but a really effective strategy for connecting with someone quickly. If we could ditch hand shakes altogether and go for the full body contact we would. Imagine how much better those business meetings would be if you started with a hug? To bolster your hug reserves, check out this Video of the Free Hugs Campaign - we dare you not to cry.

You Are What You Eat

as if we don't already have enough on our plate (wink), i thought it would be nice to try revamping our family meals.

ORGANIC FOOD and why it's important:

children are 4 times more susceptible to pesticides and other toxins than adults. many approved chemicals were registered long before research linked them to cancer and other diseases.

when these chemicals are used in farming, they are not only ON the food, but they are in the air and the run off pollutes our water supply (which we will eventually intake as well).

in non organic farming, more energy is used to produce synthetic fertilizers than is used to till and harvest ALL of the farms in the U.S.

organic produce is far superior in nutrients and vitamins.

there are lots of political reasons like the fact that our taxes are paying for hazardous waste to clean up environmental damage caused by non organic farms BUT

one of the best reasons is because it TASTES SO MUCH BETTER!!!

i found this information and a ton more like it at mmmunch.

this amazing "wholesome nutritional" website (from 2 healthy moms) offers recipes, tips for picky eaters, pantry make-overs and cooking classes for parents. sign up on their website for "tasty tidbits". yummy.

Marco Polo

hopefully your summer has had some beach time, or at the very least, pool time. as you and your family enjoy the buoyant joys of swimming and splashing, remember the dolphins.

makers of THE COVE, a new film by ric o'barry (trainer of FLIPPER), ask us to help save the dolphins. each year in a small village in japan, over 20,000 dolphins are slaughtered and their meat is sold as "whale meat". most japanese people don't know of this injustice.

this movie isn't for the kids but the subject of helping to save these amazing mammals is.

easy things we can do to help is:

1.) choose safe seafood.

2.) write to our leaders to help get the word out in japan.

3.) teach our kids to be kind to all living creatures.

here's a link to write to japanese ambassador fujisaki

*** amazing fact, "of all the wild animals on earth, only dolphins have been known to come to a human's rescue. the primary enemy of a dolphin is humankind".

The Garbage Collector

i have the funniest nephew who loves to find "treasures" everywhere. i don't envy my sister-in-law having to clean out his pockets in the laundry room. while out for dinner last week, he collected straws, cocktail stirrers, tourist's maps and corks. he loves to make "art" with his finds and since they aren't really recycled since they have not yet been used, it's a new kind of project (see "ONE MAN'S TRASH" post below for making a recycle sculpture).

when i found TRASH FOR TEACHING it made me think of him immediately. i know he isn't the only kid who loves this, so here is more info: "Trash for Teaching collects clean and safe cast-off materials from manufacturing processes (that would otherwise become trash) and re-purposes them as educational resources. With those materials we provide a comprehensive arts education program in local school districts."

*but you don't have to be a classroom to benefit. you can order your own box of treasures for T4T by going to their website.

here is the link: T4T

click the link under PRODUCTS for JUNKIT and for $40 you will get a large box of treasure/ art supplies.

at least you won't have to worry about the secret stash of paperclips getting into the washing machine.

Out of the Box

making family time for EXTRAS is a constant uphill battle, i often feel like Sisyphus. but when you see the effects of "extras" like giving, it seems incredibly worthwhile; the kids are engaged, they feel useful and they carry with them a new confidence.

this summer, i challenge you to THE BOX PROJECT. this non profit pairs you with a family living in poverty in the USA. each month, based on the recipient family's needs, you and your family send a box, some months it's filled with food, other months medical supplies and another time may be books and toys - each month might be a combination of all of the above.

i love that it's a scheduled amount of time for your family to set aside each month to focus on others in need. there are letters and pictures exchanged and a real bond forms between the two families.

here's a link: www.boxproject.org

the lesson: a family just like ours is less lucky than we are BUT we can help.

***added bonus: a project to keep them off of the video games at least one day a month this summer.

Acme Birthdays - appreciation circles

today my son celebrated his birthday at school. they have an amazing tradition of making each child a BIRTHDAY APPRECIATION CIRCLE. i bet you could guess that it's where the class sits around while each student says something about the birthday boy (or girl) that they appreciate. but aside from it's obvious name, this was better than any play set from toys r us and something i hope every school does. 

a great way to show gratitude and kindness to others of all ages AND doesn't need to just be for birthdays. try it around the dinner table, a girl scout fireside or a school/ summer camp morning meeting. the boost of confidence is quite a gift for that child.

the lesson: thinking about others and some simple ways to help people feel good. then there's karma - in a circle especially, what comes around goes around!

***added bonus: the savings on presents!!!!

At Home Heroes

i can't fight it. SCREEN TIME is everywhere; TV, computer, video games, portable DVD players, iphones, ipods and portable gaming systems like a DS or PSP. jeesh. that's a lot of screens. if you can't beat em, at least you can make it worthwhile. i know (from too much personal experience) that there are some amazing games on the market that can be used as learning tools. so goes it for online gaming.

HABITAT HEROES is a website with social networking for kids and information to educate and inspire them about the environment. sharon lowe, the founder of HH says that treating other living creatures with respect is of the utmost importance to her family, and that children learn better by playing - we can all agree with that. so she has put to practice these ideas to help teach kids about the animal habitats that are being affected by global warming. players choose an animal and make their way through the site.

www.habitatheroes.com

the lesson: their eyes glued to a screen, at least can be productive. children often relate to animals' struggles as they also feel like voiceless beings themselves.

***added bonus: once kids learn games on this child friendly site, a parent might just have time to say... open a magazine?? return a phone call?? ahh, the dreams. how they change.  

BULLSEYE!

it often feels like i can go weeks, even months, without seeing the big picture. living in a myopic world of my family and the "to-do list", i forget about all the help needed in the world. AND to add insult to injury, i know i'm not alone when i fondly reference those regular, almost mindless, trips to target where very full shopping carts (sometimes two) of god only knows what are de riguer.

here we can solve both of those problems: make meaningful purchases at target AND help those who need it.

the TARGET HOUSE is a home like no other. it is affiliated with the st. jude's children's research hospital and accommodates thousands of families NOT on vacation. they have made a wish list of items that you can easily buy on target.com to help these children feel more comfortable during their treatments.

www.target.com/targethouse and scroll to the bottom to find "wish list"

although you still might need to go to target for toilet paper (and 5 dozen more random items), at least now you can cross off help others from your "to-do list" this week.