With March here, spring is just around the corner, bringing longer days, warmer weather and the perfect opportunity to freshen up your home’s exterior. Whether you’re looking to sell your home or simply want to make it more inviting, small improvements can make a big impact. Here are some easy and budget-friendly ways to enhance your home’s curb appeal this spring.

1. Refresh Your Front Door

A freshly painted front door can instantly elevate the look of your home. Choose a color that complements your home’s exterior while adding a welcoming touch. Popular spring colors include cheerful yellows, deep blues and classic reds. Adding a stylish new doormat and a seasonal wreath can also add instant charm.

2. Upgrade Your Landscaping

Winter can leave your yard looking dull, but a little landscaping can bring it back to life. Start by cleaning up any debris, trimming overgrown bushes and adding fresh mulch to garden beds. Planting colorful flowers such as tulips, daffodils or pansies can provide a burst of springtime beauty.

3. Clean and Pressure Wash Surfaces

Over time, dirt and grime can build up on your home’s siding, driveway and walkways. A good pressure washing can remove years of buildup and instantly brighten your home’s exterior. If you don’t own a pressure washer, consider renting one or hiring a professional for a quick and effective cleaning.

4. Update House Numbers and Mailbox

Small details like house numbers and mailboxes can make a big difference in your home’s appearance. Replace old, faded numbers with modern, easy-to-read styles. If your mailbox is worn out, give it a fresh coat of paint or replace it with a new one for an updated look.

5. Add Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting not only enhances your home’s aesthetic but also improves safety. Consider adding solar-powered pathway lights, string lights on the porch or stylish sconces around the entryway. These small additions can create a warm and welcoming ambiance in the evening.

6. Decorate Your Porch

A well-decorated porch can make your home feel more inviting. Add a cozy seating area with outdoor cushions, a small table and some potted plants. Hanging flower baskets or a decorative welcome sign can also bring personality and charm to your space.

7. Repair or Paint Fences and Railings

If your fences, railings or shutters are looking worn, a fresh coat of paint or stain can do wonders. Choose a color that matches your home’s exterior for a cohesive look. Regular maintenance will help keep these elements in great shape for years to come.

8. Keep Your Lawn Green and Healthy

A lush, green lawn is a key component of curb appeal. Start by reseeding any bare patches, mowing regularly and applying fertilizer as needed. Watering early in the morning or late in the evening will help keep your grass healthy and vibrant throughout the season.

9. Install Window Boxes

Window boxes filled with bright, seasonal flowers can add instant charm to your home’s exterior. Choose flowers that thrive in your climate and complement your home’s color scheme. These easy-to-maintain additions bring life and color to your windows and create a welcoming atmosphere.

10. Fix or Replace Exterior Fixtures

Check for any broken or outdated fixtures such as door handles, light fixtures and shutters. Replacing these small details with modern alternatives can give your home a fresh, updated look without a major renovation.

By incorporating these simple yet effective curb appeal ideas, you can make your home look fresh, inviting and ready for spring. Whether you’re selling or staying, these small improvements can make a big difference in how your home is perceived. For more ideas on spring projects for your home reach out today!

The post Spring Home Projects appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

New Year, New Chores

Ah, New Year’s—a time for resolutions, fresh starts, and of course, new chores! Growing up, my mom worked harder than anyone I knew. I always had what I wanted: school activities, sports, parties. I was the definition of a busy, social butterfly, constantly bouncing from dance team to gymnastics to whatever else was on my schedule. But guess what? I wasn’t exempt from chores. In fact, I helped around the house by making dinner, watching my sister, and doing the laundry.

Now, as a parent myself, I realize that our kids will never truly understand the effort we put into making sure they have what they want—until they have kids of their own. It’s funny, they think the world revolves around them (as they should), but in my house, that world revolves around earning what you get. My husband calls it “pulling your weight,” and I’m all about it. Want a new toy, extra screen time, or a few Vbucks? Sure, but first you’ve got to earn it. That usually means pulling weeds. Yes, weeds. Why? Because the outside world clearly has it out for me, and pulling weeds is my personal nightmare. So, if my kids want something extra, the garden gets a makeover.

What really blows my mind, though, is how many of my children’s friends don’t have to do chores at all! I can’t even wrap my head around it. At my house, everyone has a role. The kids wash their own clothes, put them away, alternate doing the dishes, wash the towels, take out the trash, and clean up specific rooms. The older they get, the more responsibility they get (I’m looking forward to the day when they’re old enough to cut the grass—just pray the lawn mower isn’t too much for them!). And my sister? She’s got my three-year-old nephew folding towels, and let me tell you, his pride when he shows me his “new skill” over FaceTime is the cutest thing ever.

So here’s the million-dollar question: Do you have your kids do chores? I was curious about this, so I looked up the national average. You know what I found? While most parents do chores themselves, only 28 percent actually make their kids pitch in. Let that sink in. If you want your kids to thrive in the real world—whether it’s at school, work, or in their relationships—teaching them responsibility and teamwork now is key.

Wishing you and your family a happy, productive New Year! Time to teach those kiddos how to fold towels and pull some weeds!

The post New Year, New Chores appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Brr! The forecast is looking quite chilly and snow days are in the forecast. Why not bundle up those wee ones and get ready to cuddle on the couch? Yes! It is time to get cozy, and the December Things We Love are wonderfully warming for lazy days of hibernation. 

LittleYogaSocks

Designed to keep tiny toesies warm and cozy, these extra warm socks are sure to become a family favorite. A thick cotton, nylon, spandex mix is extra comfy and the non-slip grip bottoms help ensure early walkers, toddlers, and preschoolers safety as they roam the home. Plus, the Arctic Circle theme is just the coolest! $16 on littleyogasocks.com

LouLou Lollipop 

Little ones will feel so snuggly in these ultrasoft jammies, they will want to wear them all day long! The Home Sweet Home pattern sleeper comes in sizes newborn through 24 months This parent-friendly sleeper comes standard with a full two-way zipper and is machine washable. $38.99 on louloulollipop.com

A Cozy Good Night by Linda Ashman 

Cuddle up for a bedtime board book about William, a boy who is about to doze off in his big, warm, cozy bed. A forest full of animal friends knock on his cabin door to escape the cold winter night, making this the perfect read for the time of year when everyone wants to hibernate. $7.16 at Target and on Amazon

Pete’s Hot Cocoa from Jittery Joe’s

Winter wouldn’t be complete without a cup of hot cocoa. And Jittery Joe’s has introduced a fun creation inspired by Pete the Cat. Pete’s Hot Cocoa is a rich and velvety mix that can perfectly partner up with fluffy marshmallows. Parents can also order some Pete’s Groovy Brew coffee, inspired by the famous fictitious feline. $17.99-18.99 at jitteryjoes.com

Pure Daily Care Ultimate Aromatherapy Diffuser 

This complete relaxation bundle features a diffuser with 7 ambient light settings as well as 10 ml essential oils–lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, orange, peppermint, lemongrass, jasmine, nutmeg, clove, and spearmint. Available in matte white or natural wood. $39.95 at puredailycare.com and on Amazon

The post December 24 Things We Love appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Chic & Honey Boutique

Runners Up 

LeiMarie Limited & Shop Charbon 

Favorite Children’s Boutique 

Main Street Toy Co. 

Runner Up 

Ani + Mo

Favorite Consignment Store

Once Upon a Child 

Runners Up 

 Snooty Fox & St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store 

Favorite Grocery Story 

Jungle Jim’s International Market

Runners Up

Aldi & Kroger 

The post Family Favorites 2024: Shopping appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Favorite Childcare

Mayerson JCC 

Runners  Up

Learning Grove, The Gardner School of Cincinnati & The Goddard School of Mason

Favorite Photographer

Alexa Nause, Lilac and Lace Photography

Runners Up 

Agnes Kindberg, Agnes Kindberg Photography & Holly Werden, Holly Werden Photography 

The post Family Favorites 2024: Services appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

World Market specializes in unique global wares, decor, seasonal items, and imported foods that the entire family will find enticing. Each shopping trip to World Market is a cultural experience, delving into traditions, art, and flavors! The second shopping experience now available at Rookwood is the brand new boutique-sized Macy’s storefront. This one-floor shop features finds for the whole family, shoes, handbags, and more. Head to shoprookwood.com to stay in-the-know about Rookwood Commons & Pavilion deals and events.

The post What’s Good at Rookwood? appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Getting your children to help around the house doesn’t have to be a chore in and of itself. Check out these expert tips from Clinical Psychologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Amie Duncan, Ph.D., and success stories from been-there-done-that parents.

Start Young

I always feel like I have little shadows when I clean. My 4- and 2-year-olds love to help out … or at least try. They’re able to do many tasks I assign them, including wiping off door handles (goodbye germs!) or helping me change out the laundry. I have treasured videos of my kids pushing the vacuum around, even though it is taller than them!

Youngsters really can assist with most basic tasks such as dusting, watering plants or feeding the family dog. And toy messes? Keep it lighthearted and fun by setting a timer and challenging your kiddo to clean up in less than five minutes or have a dunk-off where you toss toys in a basket. The most important thing is to make clean-up a natural part of young children’s routines.

The best way to motivate a young child is to verbally praise him! Duncan emphasizes that young children excel when they receive positive feedback. “Little kids don’t need a dollar to do things,” she says. “Give ample praise and let him know he’s your helper!”

Local mom Jordan Black encourages her little guy to have fun while cleaning. “He helps clean up his toys and books that he has played with. We make cleaning up toys fun, like a game. He likes to ‘basketball shoot’ a lot of his toys into their appropriate buckets. We cheer and say ‘Score! You win!’ —  things like that. Making it a game makes cleaning up really fun for him.” Experts and real life experience agree — making chores fun can help cleaning become a natural part of your child’s life!

Make it Part of the Routine

Make an effort to have cleaning up be a part of your child’s daily rituals. For example, if he’s able to (or able to help you), he should make his bed when he wakes in the morning, put pajamas in a hamper when getting dressed for the day, and place his dishes in the sink or dishwasher after meals. Each action of waking up, getting dressed and eating all have a natural clean-up activity that follows. Children can become accustomed to cleaning up if it’s done regularly!

Duncan says it’s a good idea to build chores into each day, to make cleaning a routine activity for children. Children can become intrinsically motivated to complete tasks as they go, she explains. Lesley Raisor-Becker, a local mom to two sons, ages 6 and 3, agrees.  She finds that her kids enjoy the structure of helping to clean up. Raisor-Becker says, “This sounds weird … but I think they like having the responsibility. The chores provide some order and structure to our day and signal transitions to wake/sleep routines.”

Use a Visual

Older children or families with multiple siblings may benefit from a visual reminder like a chore chart to help them recall daily responsibilities and their big chore for the week. “It’s great for younger kids to have visual reinforcement, and build a sense of accomplishment when they finish a task,” says Duncan.

Tina Pratt is the mother of youngsters ages 5 and 2, who finds that visual reinforcement helps her children stay motivated to meet their goals. “We include responsibilities in a goal section on their daily behavior charts. Before bed we review the goals they’re working on … At the bottom of the chart they write what they want to work for. When they complete their chart they can ‘cash’ it in for the prize/motivator of their choice.”

Make Contracts

Mom Shannon Havisham notes that her 11-year-old is self-motivated because she knows there is a positive outcome for keeping her space and things organized. “My daughter is easily motivated. She likes things clean because it makes room for more toys!” It is great for kids to have pride in their rooms and their possessions! It certainly helps motivate a child when there is a reward for him when he stays on task.

However, getting teens in particular to carry out their chores may feel like a daunting task. It may help to include them in the process. Consider a chore contract! A contract takes into consideration the parents desires, the pre-teen’s or teen’s wants and of course, compromise! For example, you may want your child to do his laundry every day. He doesn’t want to do laundry at all. A fair compromise may be for him to do his own laundry once a week. The process of creating a contract will allow him to have a voice, and work on the life skill of negotiating.

Keep it positive; focus on rewards rather than punishment. Duncan says to ask yourself: “What am I giving him already, that he values, that he can earn?”

Cleaning is Part of Life!

It isn’t fun to feel like the bad guy, dishing out punishment or restricting privileges, but Mom and Dad won’t be around to wash Junior’s laundry for his whole life! Children need to learn that chores are readying them for the real world, where they will one day have to do their own laundry, wash their own dishes and clean up their own messes. So when your child struggles to complete his chores, there have to be predictable repercussions. Taking away technology and restricting time with friends are common punishments, but Duncan urges you to keep things positive. “Stress that he has control over what rewards he earns. You aren’t taking away his reward, he simply isn’t earning it.”

Mom Lindsey Schloss-Stephens works cleaning into her family’s life goals. “Everyone’s daily goals are to do something to help our mind and something to help our family (laundry, dusting, dishwashing).” The rewards are tangible prizes, but also quality time together. “The end of the week prize for the boys is choosing from our prize bucket (prizes are all $1 and under). And if we all complete our weekly goals, we make a point on Sunday to do something fun together as a family.”

Those windows won’t clean themselves, but you CAN motivate your kids to be your little helpers. Just remember to keep it positive, give lots of praise, and consider a chore chart or contract.

3 APPS TO HELP YOUR SPRING CLEANING

Lickety Split: An app for toddlers and younger kids to help them understand time. Start a countdown, and get to cleaning!

Chore Monster: Local mom and preschool teacher Emily Cornett recommends this app that allows your little monsters to keep track of chores.

Kids Trade: Old toys lying around? This app allows your kids to embark on a trading journey with friends and help clean out the toy box!

The post Spring Cleaning with Kids appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Browse through gardening books and magazines at the local library. Think about vegetables or flowers you’d like to grow and learn about their growing habits. Visit a local nursery with your children — the staff will be glad to answer your questions about proper soil, watering and growing habits.

SEEDS OR SMALL PLANTS?

In early spring, seeds can be germinated indoors to ready them for planting. Seed starter kits are inexpensive, but small pots or empty egg cartons work just as well. Fill your containers  with  potting soil, water lightly each day and set in a southern, sunny window. The earlier you start this method, the more “sprout” you’ll have for planting. An easy way to ensure success is by purchasing small basic plants to simply pop into the ground.

MAKE YOUR PLANS

Sit down with graph paper and a pencil to make a sketch of what you’re planting and where.  Measure the space you have to work with and divide it up for the optimal amount of usage and variety. Use gardening books to check for companion plants (some plants will not grow well next to others). If you have the space, divvy up small 3’ by 4’ sections for different family members and let them design their own space. For instance, your 6-year-old can be in charge of green beans in her space; your 10-year-old can man the peppers. Enjoy creating your garden on paper … and then get ready to transfer your imagination to the soil!

LET CHILDREN BEGIN WITH SIMPLE TASKS

Wear comfortable clothes just right for getting dirty.  Everyone should don gardening gloves and have tools ready. Children love digging in the soil, and kid-sized tools are available in hardware stores. Start by digging up your soil, breaking up lumps of clay and removing rocks. Even very young children can be surprisingly helpful when it comes to this part — they love removing stones and can even reserve some for rock painting. Later, without the children, sprinkle a commercial fertilizer on your amended soil and then let the kids water it well.  Let it sit for a day before planting. As you prepare for gardening, remember that children can dig, rake, hoe and use sticks to mark off rows with strings. They also enjoy helping you label rows with the names of different vegetables or flowers.

READY TO GARDEN

Refer to your sketches and show family members how far apart plants need to be spaced. Dig the first example then let the kids have a go at it. When transplanting plants from pot to earth, be especially careful with roots. You will need plenty of patience, so remember that a child’s attention span is shorter than that of an adult. If gardening becomes drudgery, it’s time for a break. If only two plants get in the ground this time, then so be it!

MORE WATERING

I’ve never met a child who didn’t like to play with a garden hose. Watering plants can be a fun activity for all ages. Be sure to teach your children the proper amounts necessary and when the best time of day for watering is. Never water a garden in full sun or risk drying out their leaves; early morning or evening is a good time. Show children how to tell whether a plant needs water or not.

THINGS TO KNOW

The type of garden you choose to grow depends on individual tastes. Some people believe that if kids help grow vegetables they may be more inclined to eat them as well. With vegetables, after everything blooms you can share in the bounty and have a garden feast. But flower gardens are a good choice, too … in time, the entire family can learn to do both!

Help from Local Experts

Useful resources, tips and plenty of ideas to get inspiration for your garden!

Cincinnati Home + Garden Show • CincinnatiHomeAndGardenShow.com

OPENS Saturday! The 55th annual Cincinnati Home + Garden Show returns to the Duke Energy Convention Center, downtown Cincinnati February 24 & 25 and February 29-March 3 with 350+ experts specializing in outdoor living, kitchen and bath and home improvement; tickets are now on sale at CincinnatiHomeAndGardenShow.com for $13, and $15 at the door; free for children 12 and younger Plus, families can enjoy feature gardens from Cincinnati’s top landscapers, DIY flower bouquets, new products, expert advice and more!

Cincinnati Horticultural Society
513-476-4192 • cincinnatihorticulturalsociety.com
A great place for resources, including links to children’s gardening topics.  

Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati
513-221-0981 • civicgardencenter.org
This non-profit horticultural resource is designed to build community through gardening and environmental education, and is a great place for field trips. Hit up the website for upcoming classes and programs.

Gorman Heritage Farm
513-563-6663 • gormanfarm.org
Gorman Heritage Farm is a working and educational farm in Evendale that offers events throughout the year, including family programs.

Loveland Learning Garden; info@lovelandlearninggarden.org • lovelandlearninggarden.org

Has a 20-week school day program in the spring and fall, planned in collaboration with 1st – 4th grade teachers to ensure alignment with subjects students are learning in class. Students spend time in the garden or nature trail where Nature Educators deliver the session and inspire their imaginations; also runs an after-school Outdoor Adventures program, host scout troops and delivers youth-oriented events.

Green Acres Foundation
513-891-4227 • green-acres.org
Green Acres Foundation educates students in a variety of areas, including gardening, where participants can work with plants and explore the science behind the various stages of their life cycles. Summer programs for kids are also available.

Highfield Discovery Garden
513-521-7275 • greatparks.org
This 12-acre children’s garden features seven small areas to explore, including a Discovery Tree, the Frog & Toad Garden, the Butterfly Garden and more, along with special programming for kids that ranges in topics from studying frogs to building a fairy garden. 

Krohn Conservatory
cincinnatiparks.com/krohn
Krohn Conservatory’s Spring Show The Shape of Nature featuring Oscillation by The Urban Conga and their tour producer Creos is happening now through April 21.

Families can discover the patterns that surround us in nature, interact with the giant crystals of Oscillation that come alive through movement and spark community activity and social interaction through play! But, it’s also a great spot to visit any time of year to learn about native and wild plants, and to gather ideas for your own garden.  

The post Growing a Family Garden appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

According to Anthony Mattas, Neurologist Dayton Children’s Hospital, technology has allowed kids, teenagers and adults to stay connected when it hasn’t been possible to be present physically. Mattas also points out that connecting through technology (more than just texting) when we are not able to see each other in person, also helps build, “effective verbal communication which is a crucial skill needed to succeed in the professional world.”

Life and Tech Balance

But where is the balance? Limiting the time kids use tech has been a focus of many organizations including the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Both organizations have shared the detrimental side effects of too much tech and the goal to limit it at home. They have both also shared their recommendations on their website regarding the amount of time kids engage in using tech. Prior to COVID-19, limiting tech may have felt difficult in your home and now living during a pandemic makes limiting tech even harder. 

Many kids are accessing their education using tech during remote learning, they might be participating in extracurricular activities through Zoom classes and completing assignments in Canvas. Then when their remote schooling is completed, they may be asking to play Brawl Stars, Fortnite, or another tech-based game or asking to watch television, adding to the amount of time they are accessing screens each day. As the weather begins to cool and kids are less likely to be outside playing, while being physically distant of course, parents now more than ever, are juggling tech for entertainment, tech for learning remotely and how to incorporate socialization. One option is using technology, but how do you balance too much tech and socialization while living through a pandemic?

Creating a Tech Plan

The AAP reports that, “today’s children are spending an average of seven hours a day on entertainment media, including televisions, computers, phones and other electronic devices.” One way the AAP recommends managing technology use in your home and helping kids make appropriate media choices, is to create a Family Media Use Plan for everyone in the house. By creating a plan for every member in the family, parents can model appropriate use of media and show kids that they are also following the same plan. (Access the Family Media Use Plan at healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx.) A Family Media Use Plan can help all family members track their current use of media and the purpose of that use. Is tech being used for learning an appropriate amount of time each day? Are your kids overusing tech for entertainment and underusing for socialization? These are some important questions to keep in mind. 

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recognizes that managing screen time can be challenging for families. They also recommend making a screen-time plan and offered the following guidelines:   

• Until 18 months of age, limit screen use to video chatting along with an adult (for example, with a parent who is out of town).
• Between 18-24-months, screen time should be limited to watching educational programming with a caregiver.
• For age 2-5, limit non-educational screen time to about 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours on the weekend days.
• For ages 6 and older, encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.
• Turn off all screens during family meals and outings.
• Learn about and use parental controls.
• Avoid using screens as pacifiers, babysitters or to stop tantrums.
• Turn off screens and remove them from bedrooms 30-60 minutes before bedtime.

Creating a family screen time plan can help families map out times of day that are tech-free, such as mealtimes, time where tech can be used for entertainment and what options are available during that time. For example, is Fortnite allowed or not allowed in your house? The tech plan can also outline when tech is used for school and if your children can do internet searches for school without you or will you require that they be done when you are present? Helping your kids with internet searches when they first start out helps ensure that they are accessing the internet appropriately. This also allows you time to embed instructions on how they can remain safe while using the internet, such as not clicking on pop ups, not sharing personal information, etc. Your family tech plan should also outline how tech will be used for socializing. It is important to also keep in mind what apps are socially appropriate for your kids’ age. For some age groups, Messenger Kids, for example, is age appropriate, while for older age groups, TikTok is more appropriate. You also need to decide how important your child’s socialization is. For example, you may not be a fan of TikTok, but if your child’s peers are all using it and your child is not, they may begin to feel isolated and left out. Outlining in a family tech plan how TikTok may be used, for example with an adult nearby, may reduce your stress about your child using it while giving them the chance to interact with their peers. 

Tech-Free Social Play Date

Need some non-techy ways for your kids to socialize and have safe play dates? Greater Cincinnati offers plenty of that! 

• Lily Pad Play; 2008 Madison Road, Cincinnati, Oh; lilypadplay.com
  Requires everyone over the age of 2 to wear face masks. Group size is limited to 16 kids.
• Dig N’ Play; 9405 Cincinnati Columbus Road #8, West Chester, Oh; dignplay.com
  You can bring your own crew for two hours of private play time in their 10,000-square-foot facility. Book online or e-mail dignplay1@gmail.com for a weekend spot; $100 for up to 10 children.
• Park Play Date – Take advantage of the sunnier days, and meet at a local park. Check out the new playground at Heroes Park in Fairfield, for example, or bundle up and hit the local trails. 
• Ride Bikes – Meet up with friends and ride bikes along a bike trail or hit the bike park in Lebanon, Oh; lebanonbikepark.org/home

Increase Socialization – Remotely!

• Zoom; zoom.us – Use your webcam to meet or chat
• Evite; evite.com – You can now add video chat to any invitation for a fun social distancing celebration
• Messenger Kids; messengerkids.com – A free video calling and messaging app for smartphones and tablets. Parents manage the contact list, and kids control the fun. Kids can keep in contact with close friends and family while using fun-filled features like filters and stickers.
• Flipgrid; info.flipgrid.com – Recommended by Caitlin Huxel, innovation specialist at Lakota Local Schools, Flipgrid is a simple, free and accessible video discussion experience for preK to PhD educators, learners and families.
• Gizmo Watch from Verizon – Not ready for your child to have a phone yet? The Gizmo Watch has two-way voice calling and messaging, so your techy kiddo can stay connected with up to 10 trusted contacts of your choice. 

“It’s our responsibility as parents to keep a handle on how our kids use technology to help them develop healthy habits as they grow into adulthood,” says Mattas. 

He continues to share many tools available to help with this:

• Microsoft Family Safety (Windows & XBox); account.microsoft.com/family/about
• Apple Parental Controls (iPad, iPod, iPhone, Mac); support.apple.com/en-us/HT201304
• Apple Screen Time Limits (iPad, iPod, iPhone, Mac); support.apple.com/en-us/HT208982
• Disney Circle (Internet Filtering); meetcircle.com
• Playstation Parental Controls; playstation.com/en-us/explore/ps4/parental-controls
• Amazon Freetime (Kindle); amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=15282065011

Ensure media works for your family and their best interest instead of against it. 

“Media should work for you and work within your family values and parenting style. When media is used thoughtfully and appropriately, media can enhance daily life. But when used inappropriately or without thought, media can displace many important activities such as face-to-face interaction, family-time, outdoor-play, exercise unplugged downtime and sleep.” – AAP

The post The NEW Balance for Tech Time appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.

Recently, I noticed his drawings climb to a whole new level. His traditional, yet precise detailed drawings, shifted to meticulous game designs. Next thing I knew, he was asking how he could make his video games come to life. I wanted to help him pursue his dreams, but I had no clue where to begin. When I heard Classroom Antics had a Game Builder’s Camp, I could barely hold in my excitement. And as you can imagine, I didn’t have to ask Will twice!

Classroom Antics Virtual Game Builders Camp is for ages 7 – 9, and teaches kids to build their very own 3D video games in live, interactive Zoom sessions! I loved being able to “take my kid to camp” at home – our current comfort zone. Will has been successfully doing third grade virtual learning, so I knew this would be right up his alley. 

This two-hour, weeklong camp began with the coding basics, and Will learned all about how to use Kodu, a software used to design games, instead of just playing!

Immediately, his STEAM skills were exercised, and the teacher didn’t hesitate to let the kids jump right in and put their creativity to the test. By the end of the week, Will gained understanding of programming and game design, plus he learned to design his own video games with exciting challenges, innovative gameplay and fun characters. 

I asked Will what he learned and loved most about camp (not to mention, this was his first experience with camp!)

“I learned how to code! Coding was the coolest thing I learned and telling the characters what to do was my favorite part,” he said, “I felt nervous the first day because I was new to it. Day two and day three, I felt like it was pretty cool.” 

I was impressed on how the teacher sent out daily e-mails to the parents telling them all that the kids learned that day. It was detailed and helped me to understand more about what Will was learning (I am not a gamer so a little guidance on the logistics was very helpful!)

Will couldn’t wait to sit down and show me his new Kodu software and the skills he mastered (he gets to keep this software, so now he uses it all the time!). His dad knows all about gaming, and when he saw how quickly Will designed a game and navigated his way around, I saw his eyes grow big. He was impressed! 

Classroom Antics offers virtual and on-site STEAM & STEM camps classes for ages 6 – 18 years old. Plus, they have small class sizes and the professional educators really know how to engage one-on-one with the students. Camps range from architects camp, to coding, robotics and more!

The post Mom Report: Coding with Classroom Antics appeared first on Cincinnati Family Magazine.