Parenting suggested tikatok.com, where kids can write, illustrate, and publish real books. There is no monetary obligation for joining; costs are only incurred when you order a book your child has written.  Hardcovers start at $18, paperbacks at $15, emailed books are $3.  The site differentiates between stories for all ages, 8 and up, and 10 and up.  For the 8+ age range there are Story Sparks including — but not limited to — “Aliens, Robots, and Space,” Dinosaurs, “Heroes and Villains,” and “Ghosts and Monsters.”

The site looks really interesting, and I think that many aspiring authors would really enjoy playing around on it.  I couldn’t help but notice, though, that something about the site made it appear aimed more towards girls than boys.

With that in mind, Makebeliefscomix is more likely to appeal to the testosterone set. The comic book format is a lot of fun and included are both writer prompts and story ideas.  The final product is less polished than ones from tiktok, but lack of polish is undoubtedly an important charm for comic books in general.  The comics are printable and email-able, so kids can easily share them with each other.  Overall I think both sites have their up-sides, but I’d be much more likely to recommend makebeliefscomix to a tween guy.

Who knows, maybe the next Stan Lee is hanging around your house, just looking for a creative outlet!

Boyslife.org — This is the website for the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America.  (Read what I wrote about the Pinewood Derby website back in January here.)

• My Just-Bridged-From-Tiger-to-Wolf Scout is really into jokes, so the ones on this site are a hit.

• He hasn’t extensively played the games, but they appeared cute and age-appropriate (read: not violent).  I’m pretty bad at them, so the average 10-12 year old boy will most likely find them easy and fun.

• I thought that the chance to look through pictures of what other scouts have done is neat.  It’s a great way to build excitement about scouting — as well as about the variety of activities in which Scouts participate — but I’d suggest parents closely monitor the site before allowing their child to post anything.  Basic precautions on posting identifying information (or any information at all) should be thoroughly discussed first!

• I also really liked the Outdoors and Gear section once I scrolled down past the Gear Guy Buying Guide.  (Great, just what we need: more things to buy!)  But under Outdoors the page on How to Skip Rocks caught my eye…seems like a fun read for anyone!  I think that most kids would find advice on how to fish at night, build an igloo, or build a firefly lantern really interesting.

• Under Hobbies and Projects there was a dizzying array of projects kids could undertake.  Since we do an annual road trip every summer, I checked out Fun Games to Play in the Car.  Nothing spectacular or new, but kids are much likely to try something they “discover” for themselves than if mom or dad suggest the exact same activity during 8-12 hours in the car!  Other projects seemed even more interesting.  Can my Scout really learn how to build a Composter Tumbler or a Solar Hot Dog Cooker?  Well, not without a parent present, but it’s definitely intriguing.

• I’m curious to hear if anyone has experience with the Contests page.  Please let me know!

Stay tuned for the next couple of blog posts with more sites for boys (and girls!) this age.

But by the time the schools had been closed four and then five days, we were casting about for some new activities.

So, we made giraffes.  Seriously, we made giraffes!  And then we emailed them to a Norwegian guy named Ola and got to see them online.

Backstory:  in 2009, a Norwegian man named Ola Helland bet his friend Jorgen that he could get people to email him 1,000,000 pictures of giraffes by January 1, 2011.  The giraffes have to be hand-made.  No computers, no snapping pictures at the zoo.  However, outside of those parameters anything goes.  The bet was for a case of beer, but neither of my kids even asked about that.  They just loved the idea of making giraffes.

And we did!  We drew giraffes, we built giraffes from LEGOs, we arranged string in the shape of giraffes, we manipulated random household items to look like giraffes and, yes, we even attempted to sculpt a snow-giraffe.  Except for the last one, they all turned out pretty well.  Then we took pictures of our creations and uploaded them to www.onemilliongiraffes.com.  Within 24 hours I received an email saying that our giraffes were available for viewing on the website, and updating us as to how many giraffes were still needed.

It was a great way to pass the time, and the kids and I really got into it.  I knew it was successful when — during Spring Break 2 months later — the kids suggested, “Let’s make giraffes!”  And so the fun continued!

NOTE: As I write this, the website currently boasts 839,661 giraffes.  Just 160,339 more.  What are you waiting for?

Most of us know and love that song, and know the next line: “This is what we call The Muppet Show!”

The Washington Post Celebritology 2.0 blog did a great post today on The Muppet Show and some of their favorite bits.  Here’s a link to the post, and I’m also re-posting their 6 favorite characters/skits.  (Some of these also showed up on my other Muppets blog post from a year and a half ago.)  Great additions to your child’s YouTube playlist, and a fun stroll down memory lane for the grown-ups as well!

The Swedish Chef — Meatballs:

Beaker -- Ode to Joy: (My kids LOVE this one!)

Janice:

Sam the Eagle:

Link Hogthrob (from Swinetrek):

Lew Zealand (the fish-throwing guy, here with Leslie Uggams):

In fact, you might have even seen the Colbert Report’s take on a Rube Goldberg machine the night OK Go appeared on the show!

But have you thought about adding one or more OK Go videos to your child’s YouTube playlist?  Kids are as intrigued by this band as adults, and — even though I can’t really classify this as educational — they’ll definitely get a kick out of it!  In fact, “mesmerized” is the word one friend used to describe the songs’ effect on her children.

This Too Shall Pass is great, but so is Here it Goes Again.  They’ll like it both for the catchy music and the fun visuals!  Let us know if there are other music videos that your child(ren) enjoy!

The idea is for adults and kids alike to cut down on not just television but screen-time in general.  You know the drill: spend more family time, go to the library, take a walk, throw a ball, play pick-up b-ball, do a puzzle, read a book, talk to one another, etc.

Naturally, hard-core hockey fans will be disappointed to realize that Digital Detox Week comes during the NHL playoffs (Go Avs!  Go Caps!).  Similarly, most of us won’t be able to tell our bosses that we can’t get any work done because we’re keeping our computers, smart phones, and blackberries turned off.

So, I see this week as less of a “do or die” threat and more of an opportunity.  When it’s possible to partake in a non-electronic activity — with the kids, with a loved one, by yourself — do it!  When you don’t think it’s possible to entirely eliminate all use of electronics, try to use your computer to get your work done while cutting back the Facebook habit.  (Yes, I’m talking to myself here!)

Interestingly, it’s often easiest for kids to forsake the television, the computer, the Wii, and the DS.  So let’s follow their lead and just have fun!

You can start by putting the LEGO website on your little enthusiast’s KidDesktop.  Of course, this is a huge site with lots of pieces to explore.  So, here are a couple of activities that my boys particularly enjoy:

• The City Police Chase game, where your goal is to bump into the villains’ getaway vehicles.  I have it on good authority that the helicopter is the hardest!

• They also like LEGO City Coast Guard, where you literally get to pluck errant swimmers out of the water and pull them up into your Coast Guard helicopter.  Naturally, you have to avoid obstructions such as birds and sharks, and stay aware that your helicopter can only carry so many people at once.

• There are dozens of other games, sorted into creative, exclusive, preschool, and puzzle categories.  Let me know your favorites!

• They also enjoy “shopping” for new LEGO toys.  The site helps them find age-appropriate sets, and when they find something they like, they put it on their wish list.  (They can also sort by theme, category, etc…those clever LEGO folks make it easy for the little people.)  When a gift-giving opportunity comes around, I can check out their wish list for something I know they want.  A warning, though: you (or your kids) can shop directly from the site.  So make sure you don’t leave your payment information in when the kids are playing.  Unless, of course, you WANT an untold number of LEGOs charged to your card and delivered to your door…

Last thing.  My kids really got a kick out of this YouTube video.  It’s in the “Oh no, Mr. Bill” tradition.  Very amusing for both kids and their parents to watch the poor LEGO man attempt to fly.

I should start by saying that my Tiger Cub really enjoyed building his actual Pinewood Derby car!*

But leading up to his first race he also enjoyed surfing the Pinewood Derby site for ideas, pictures, etc.  Building a virtual car was a particularly favorite activity.  The graphics on the site are pretty cute, with each new phase of the “build” taking place behind dramatically closed garage doors.

Kids can also virtually build a space derby or a sailboat for a Rain Gutter Regatta.  And, no, this site isn’t just for boys, and it isn’t just for Cub Scouts.  Any child (and many a parent) will enjoy playing around here.

*Just a quick second of bragging rights: our Tiger Cub’s car won 2nd place among all the Tiger dens in his pack!  I don’t think his success had anything to do with surfing the Pinewood Derby website.  But spending time on the site and familiarizing himself with the cars, the race, etc, DID seem to help him enjoy the actual derby a bit more!

Here is a cute one from the Great Western Lego Train Show:  (Soundtrack courtesy of The Dandy Warhols, and it doesn’t even make me nuts when they watch it 3 times in a row!)

Here’s another example, this time with music from Futurefunk.  Not quite as good as the first one, but pint-sized train or LEGO enthusiasts will like it.

More LEGO to come next week…

First, let me say it is an amazing exhibit, and if you live in or will be visiting the DC area before January 4 you should definitely check it out!

Second, it gave me a great idea for some new YouTube videos for my kids!  Since they loved watching the trains at the exhibit, I found these clips from previous years:

Also, older kids (early elementary on up) will enjoy this “behind the scenes” Voice of America video about how the magic comes to life.

Choo, choo!