Bunchland

What we’re reading today:

1. One Toronto school had banned any ball that isn’t super spongey soft like a Nerf. So, basically any sport ball is out of the question. A good safety measure, or extreme?

2. Do you know BunkiMunki, the social networking site for kids ages 7-13? It’s safe for kids and was created by three Canadian mothers, but it’ll cost you.

3. Are there things you meant to do in your life but didn’t get around to before you had kids? What do you wish you’d done before you’d had kids. (We kinda think most things can be done after you’re a mom or dad, though the writer makes a solid point for that last one.)

4. Will helping students one-at-a-time work to fix entire schools? New York thinks so.

5.There’s going to be a Toy Story short film called Small Fry playing before the Muppets. Here’s a peek:  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Middle children: they have secret powers.

2. Parents who love their video baby monitors.

3. What’s the right age for a first cellphone?

4. Sending your preschooler to school early, because he has cerebral palsy. (And because that’s what they do in New Jersey)

5. The things we do for our kids, amirite?

Photo by Matt Bargar via Flickr

Meet me outside, meet me outside

The wisdom of the day states that kids need at least an hour of physical activity every day. When the weather’s cold, or worse, when the weather keeps shifting from warm and melty to freezing and slippery, it can be hard to find great outdoor activities.

So what do you do when your bouncing-off-the-wall kid has a winter birthday? If you’d like an alternative to renting out an indoor play gym and you’re all skated out, why not stage a Nerf battle?

That’s exactly what our pal Melissa in Ohio did for her son’s birthday.

Using Melissa’s party for inspiration, here’s how to have a great Nerf Battle birthday:  Read more...

• When you send the invitations, make sure you inform the parents that the kids will be running around outside and therefore need to be dressed appropriately. (Something they can run around in, waterproof boots, nothing too fancy, hats and mitts)

What we’re reading today:

U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama told the Today Show that the first kids don’t have Facebook. She doesn’t see why young kids need it.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

You oughta know that Alanis Morissette has posted a baby picture of young Ever Imre Morissette-Treadway. And he’s cute.

Do toy guns = bad parenting? Rick Marin on Salon says that giving his kids Nerf guns “hits the fantasy of bringing justice to an unjust world.“

And while Rick Marin’s kids are fighting imaginary outlaws, the Hipster Mom‘s kid is becoming one. Have you ever had to teach your kids about why we don’t shoplift?

Photo by European Parliament via Flickr