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. Do you worry about how your going to wean your baby and how she’ll react to it? One mom found out that her baby was ready before she was.

2. Is this 6-year-old a little too free range?

3. Your kid’s whining is the most distracting sound on the planet.

4. Be super careful watching your kids around portable pools — throughout the summer, one kid dies every five days. (Portable pools could mean above ground swimming pools, little inflatable pools, whatever.)

5. American president Barack Obama shows his wife how to calm a fussy baby:

Photo by xoclate via Flickr

How to build a safe snow fort using an old patio table

As mentioned, today is a snow fort and frittata kind of a day. So we were stoked to learn about this safe and easy snow fort building technique from super awesome Bunchland dad, Jason Cavener. Just take a table (Jason and his daughter H. used an old patio table) and heap snow on top of it. Presto! You’ve got a cave-in proof snow fort. This technique is also good for those of us who have no particular aptitude for the building of snow forts.

What we’re reading on the blogs today:

Did you know that the adorable Jorge and Alexa Magnetic Zeros video isn’t the only awesome video we came across yesterday? I know right? There’s also this Star Wars PSA — how to introduce your kids to Star Wars. Well, some of it is pretty common sense, “There’s no question that you should star with A New Hope,” but we can see how it might be nice to get other parents’ opinions on how to explain the Force and midichlorians and such.

Do you enjoy Yo Gabba Gabba? (We do, we love Scott Schultz and Yo Gabba Gabba) The fans are mobilizing. They’ve had enough with the unaired episodes and demand new content! If you’re frustrated that you haven’t had a new Gabba fix since May, sign the petition to Nickelodeon!  Read more...

This Halloween, keep your kids safe with these glowing accessories

We hate to get all Mom on you, but before you go gallivanting all over your neighbourhood, treat bag in hand, you should heed that old adage and think safety first. It’s gonna be dark out there, and proper illumination is very important. Besides, adding one or more of these neon accoutrements to your costume can only make it cooler.

5 glow-in-the-dark things to wear this Halloween

Face and body paint