Recent Articles
2011 Education Gift Guide
Learning toys and books don’t have to be boring. The best educational toys painlessly shape topics such as math, geography and language into bright, fascinating games and books that kids can’t put down. We asked local independent toy and book stores about their favorite educational toys for the comi
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Sibling Rivalry: Keeping the Peace During Playdates
Playdates were anything but playful for Piper Leslie’s two older children, 10-year-old Kaylee and 9-year-old Kyle. “When we first started playdates, Kaylee was usually the one to have friends over,” says the Olympia mom. “Kyle has Asperger’s syndrome and has a harder time making friends, and I never
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Encouraging Girls in Math and Science: The Struggle Against Gender Stereotypes
While working at a science museum, I once observed a mother, toting a daughter past exhibits on dinosaurs, oceans and machines, approach an employee. “Where is the stuff for girls?” she asked. It’s a question that would ruffle the feathers of any female archaeologist, marine biologist or engineer.
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25 Homemade Halloween Costumes for Kids Featured on Etsy
For A Super Halloween Got a little one that goes gaga for super heroes? (We know the feeling!) The Discovery Denim Etsy shop offers up heroic capes and accessories for both boys and girls that are interested in taking a bite out of crime this Halloween. (And we actually like these cool capes so
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Child Stars: Reaching for the Sky with Both Feet on the Ground
Has your kid caught the acting bug? Does she show star potential? Or are you the only one who thinks she lights up the room? Seattle has a wealth of professional theaters and training programs geared specifically for kids and designed to nurture budding talent. We even have a few child stars of ou
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Learning Disabilities: How to Advocate for Your Child
Andy, a bright middle schooler, loved math, but when it came to tests, his scores would end up in the low B/high C range, his calculations cramped, barely legible and taking up every inch of space on the paper. He understood the concepts, but Andy just couldn’t align the numbers neatly enough on the
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Raising Good Decision Makers: Helping Kids Learn to Make Decisions
Toy stores always made me crazy — the noise, the (primary!) colors, the sheer pandemonium. Then there were my children. My daughter always knew just what to buy with her spending money. One day a game, another time a puzzle, and on occasion, a fluffy stuffed animal. My son? Thoughtful, analytical,
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Homeschooling and Technology: The Allure for Modern Families
If Seattle dad Mike Beery knows his way around pixels and PhotoShop, it’s no surprise; he’s a seasoned graphic designer. More surprising is the fact that he manages his business alongside a bustling classroom—granted, the class convenes at his family’s Beacon Hill kitchen table, and the students are
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