Once parents felt children needed a little fear to grow up well. In the 1930s the call to insulate children from fear was embraced by educators who felt homework and exams could lead to nervous breakdowns in children. This is an interesting history of the changing attitudes toward childhood fear. Read more
Americans came together in support of parks and natural areas by voting to approve $2.8 billion in support of parks and land conservation this mid-term election. Read more
A recent study found that professional and collegiate athletes played multiple sports as kids. Specializing in one sport early may not be the best path to success for children and may actually harm their health. Read more
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), Safe Kids Worldwide, and The Toy Association are joining together to promote toy safety and smart purchasing practices for parents, grandparents, and loved ones this holiday season. Read more
Playful failure: exposing kids to failure early, and often, gets them into the right mindset to be future changemakers, comfortable with not accepting the state of things as final, of trying something, failing, then trying again. Read more
The history of the very first jungle gym and its evolution from sky-high rusted pipes to soft, risk-averse playgrounds is discussed in this excellent article. Read more
The Outward Bound program consistently has students responding that they are making gains in compassion for others, communication and refocusing skills, positive mindset, and perseverance and grit. Philadelphia schools are onboard. Read more
Creativity is an estimated $44 billion industry, and activities like drawing, coloring, and crafting have become 21st-century tranquilizers for over-stressed adults. Lego now offers a product designed to de-stress adults and get their creative juices flowing. Read more
Every city should have a toy library. Their origins date back to the 1920s, but they are beginning to have a comeback. Do you know how they work? Read more
