Kids How to Make a Multicolored Crayon Ball Save your broken crayons. Remove the paper and place the crayons in the top of a double boiler. Heat them just enough till they are soft and pliable Mold into balls with your hands. You can make small balls, big balls...You decide. Set the crayon balls on an old plate and let cool. Kids love these. Be Sure that an Adult helps you with the crayon ball. Do not attempt this without supervision, or you could end up burning the family's favorite pot, or worse, burning down the kitchen or house., or yourself. Through the annual Volunteen Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, adolescents dedicate their summer vacation to helping children, while learning important lessons. Newswise — They have glue on their fingers and smiles on their faces; crayons spread before them and kids crowded around them. It’s all part of a day’s work for the Volunteens of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Volunteen Program offers a hands-on learning experience as well as opportunities for personal growth and creative fun to a select group of teenagers who give their summer vacations to work closely with patients and their families at St. Jude. Each year, the highly competitive program seeks 30 participants between the ages of 16 and 18 with strong character and high spirits. Each applicant must write an essay as part of the stringent application process. “It’s more than an opportunity to give back your time,” says Kathryn Berry Carter, Volunteer Services director. “It’s a learning experience where teens learn about our mission and one day, hopefully, become more involved as donors, adult volunteers or even employees.” The program is divided into two, five-week sessions, one beginning in May and the other in July. During each session, Volunteens visit the hospital two days a week. To plan activities for both patients and siblings, the teams begin by perusing scrapbooks from previous summers. Each new team, in turn, leaves a scrapbook for future groups. Projects have included arts-and-crafts or game themes. Participants also help with story time for patient families or with the Happy Cart—a game distribution system on wheels for children at St. Jude. In addition to helping patients, Volunteens develop leadership and team-building skills, improve their interpersonal skills, increase their self-awareness and interact with a diverse population of people. As part of the program, Volunteens learn about careers in research, child life, social work and many other areas, by meeting with meet clinicians, scientists and other hospital staff. St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital Founded in 1962 by the late entertainer Danny Thomas,
St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical
communities around the world, publishing more research articles than any
other pediatric cancer research center in the United States. St. Jude
treats more than 5,400 patients each year and is the only pediatric
cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not
covered by insurance. St. Jude is financially supported by thousands of
individual donors, organizations and corporations without which the
hospital’s work would not be possible. In 2010, St. Jude was ranked the
most trusted charity in the nation in a public survey conducted by
Harris Interactive, a highly respected international polling and
research firm. For more information, go to www.stjude.org. Expert
Available: St. Jude Public Relations
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Boost Your Child's Brainpower this Summer(Family Features) - When that last school bell rings, kids celebrate the end of classes and the beginning of a long, lazy summer. But for many kids, the end of the school year also marks the beginning of summer brain drain - and it could do them more harm than you think. According to the National Summer Learning Association, all students experience learning losses when they don't engage in educational activities during the summer months.
So what's a parent or guardian to do to help kids avoid summer brain drain? As part of its ongoing commitment to education and to inspiring parents and caring adults to nurture a child's love of learning, Target is partnering with the renowned Search Institute to offer a summer-long series of tips that help parents keep their kids active and engaged while the weather's warm. Here are a few ways to help you and your child make summer vacation fun and educational: Start the summer off "write" - Kids who write well tend to read well and vice versa, which can be a powerful combination that gives them a big boost in school. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, exercises like writing, which requires reflection, are actually a big deal for little minds. By teaching young children to remember and evaluate their experiences each day, you're developing their decision-making and problem-solving skills. An added bonus? You're helping them (and you!) identify some of the activities they love most. What to Do: Work with your children on various projects such as scrapbooking, writing a neighborhood newsletter, or making a picture book. Get out, get active - We all know that sports and outdoor activities can help your kids stay healthy and fit, but did you also know that they can boost brain power? Children's advocate Richard Louv says that today's kids are suffering from NDD - Nature Deficit Disorder - because they're spending so much time indoors. Outdoor play stimulates kids' creativity. Plus, it's been shown to improve their stress levels, their confidence, and their learning and social skills. What to Do: Take a nature hike, grow a backyard garden or sign your children up for organized sports leagues or camp. Fun in the sun . . . with books - Kids who read throughout the summer perform better in school, no matter where, when or what they read. Studies also show that when kids read for fun (and especially when they read books that match their reading level and interests), they become better readers and are less likely to forget all the good stuff they learned during the school year. Kids who read frequently and have easy access to books also are more competent and resilient in risky situations. What to Do: Start the summer with a trip to your local library; read outside by the light of the moon; or turn bits of nature into one-of-a kind bookmarks. To explore all the fun, educational summer activity ideas, visit Facebook.com/Target and click on the 'Play + Learn' tab ? and be sure to check back each week for new tips. SOURCE:
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