Free Media Finds That Are Priceless Year-Round

Dec. 16, 2009 Got gifts? Not sure when we jumped from “Black Friday/Cyber Monday” to bold-type headlines of “last minute gifts!”---but I’m still holding my own on the ‘haven’t stepped in a mall’ … [Read more...]

Fun in the Forest Earns Dizzywood Online A NAPPA Gold Award!

Sept. 23, 2009 Ah, the first day of fall... An apt time to think about leaves, forests, colorful worlds and transitions into autumn when kids spend more time indoors and parents start hand-wringing … [Read more...]

Playnormous Health-Edu Games Offer FREE Monster iMacs!

Sept. 1, 2009 How do you improve K-12 student’s health knowledge, inspire creative writing, support eco-values of refurbished technology, and use whimsical hand-painted art of animated monsters to … [Read more...]

Keeping Kids Safe From Predators (er, Marketers) Part One

July 13, 2009 Since researcher Sara M. Grimes opened up the conversation on data mining and privacy practices for us, I’d like to keep the focus on this important topic for a sec, because I DO believe … [Read more...]

Nature Rocks: Reconnecting Families With Nature

June 5, 2009 It's World Environment Day...where you can Twitter for Trees, and 'green your routine' and engage in all kinds of green media pursuits and still miss the meaning of getting kids … [Read more...]

SmartyCard’s Summer Challenge With Scholastic: Heads Up for Fall!

May 28, 2009 I was just about to post an in-depth review and analysis of the merits and watch-worthy aspects of the new SmartyCard.com "learn and earn" kids' program for 3rd-6th graders,  when I … [Read more...]

Project Green Prom Update: Summer Rayne & Teens Turning Green

May 14, 2009 I feel like I dropped the ‘carbon offset’ ball with my trek to WildCare on Mother’s Day... I stopped by to see the Project Green Prom boutique and see how their ‘how to green your … [Read more...]

In Bed With Branding: Virtual Worlds Pair With Children’s Hospitals

May 3, 2009 What's with all the children's hospitals partnering and news-making so much as of late? This spring, “Operation Teen Book Drop” gave bed bound kids across the country over 8000 titles … [Read more...]

Shaping Youth At Ypulse 2009: Send In Your Priorities

May 1, 2009 Much like the scene in the new Disneynature Earth documentary where the lions and the elephants are drinking from the same watering hole, Shaping Youth has been invited to share space … [Read more...]

Caring With Heart Earth Day, Everyday

April 20, 2009 As we enter into Earth Day (week? month? year?) we can either cynically report on the bandwagon marketing of the green scene with freebies, Earth Day cards (Gathering Home has a nice … [Read more...]

Congratulations to the 2009 Digital Media and Learning Winners!

April 15, 2009 No, it was not me. Remember this post about kids coping skills and resiliency? Same song, second verse. The MacArthur Foundation and HASTAC folks will announce 2009 winners tomorrow … [Read more...]

A Virtual World to Be Wild About: Elf Island Tweens Help WildAid

Feb. 18, 2009 As reticent as I am to bring MORE media into kids’ lives, when I’d rather they be outside in non-electronic natural environs, I’m firmly convinced that it’s all about balance, content, … [Read more...]

Beyond Tech Toys: Pico=A Playful Invention Company (Part Four)

Feb. 6, 2009 Today I had the pleasure of speaking with global fellowship recipients in Stanford's Innovation Journalism Program (here's VentureBeat's audio of Director David Nordfors explaining the … [Read more...]

Kids@Play: Elf Island Unlocks the Secret to Parent Approval

I was AWOL at CES as my IBM went MIA. Translated? You're SOL (simply outta luck) if you're seeking a fresh thread on the big Consumer Electronics Show toys and tactics targeting kids at the Kids at … [Read more...]

Using Matching Funds Marketing Tactics: A Win-Win For Kids

Ok mathletes and marketing mavens...when does $125=$250? The economy’s in the tank, and I want every penny leveraged to the max, so it makes sense that I’d wait until the 'best year-end … [Read more...]

Treat Suneet By Voting for Dream Village TODAY At IdeaBlob!

Crowdsourcing has become quite the ‘thang’ with ideas percolating all over the globe on how to create healthier worldviews for kids online, offline, and bridging both worlds in between! … [Read more...]

Kids Online UnConference: Everyone Has An Agenda, Including YOU!

November 13, 2008: Be there for the Kids Online: Balancing Fun and Safety Unconference! A few years back when I heard the geek/chic term “UnConference” I immediately thought it must be … [Read more...]

Media Simulations Where Kids Cast Their Vote: Silly or Sage?

I vote sage. But you probably figured that. Sunday's Kids Pick the President Nickelodeon News special fell off my radar...even with Linda Ellerbee’s encouragement to get in the practice of … [Read more...]

150 Kids’ Virtual Worlds: 95 Live, 68 in R&D; How Many Are Worthy?

Seems everyone is in L.A. for the Virtual Worlds Expo except me right now, with e-mails and schmooze plans flinging back and forth like a gamer leader board. No, gang, I can’t make it to … [Read more...]

Kids’ Online Ethics Part 3: Community Solidarity; Marketing Cheats

At the recent Ypulse Nat'l Mashup, I chatted with teen virtual goods wünderkind Asuka Martin also interviewed here by Benett Carter about Teen Second Life. I'm fascinated by her composure in handling … [Read more...]