Super Bowl Sunday: Including the Kids with Snacks and Stories

Posted on January 30, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Super Bowl Sunday is three days away. What does Super Bowl Sunday mean to you? Are you having a Super Bowl Sunday party at your home? Does your family cluster around the TV, watching all of the action?

If you have young children, you can include them in the festivities. Read this wonderful picture book. Invite them into the kitchen to help prepare some yummy and healthful Super Bowl Sunday snacks.

Dino-Football

Written by Lisa Wheeler

Illustrated by Barry Gott

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (August 2012)

Ages: 3 and up

Themes:

Football, good sportsmanship

Synopsis:

From School Library Journal: “It’s Mega Bowl Sunday in the Lava Dome, and a crowd of excited dinosaurs are watching the Greenblade Snackers play against the Redscales. The rhyming running commentary contains the terminology and all the play-by-play excitement of a televised game. “Kentro gets the takeaway!/This Snacker rookie saved the day.” After the “Dino Halftime Show,” the score is close, but the last play allows small, young Mussaurus to score the winning touchdown. Gott’s illustrations of the tackles are more humorous than brutal, and he draws examples of good sportsmanship on and off the field. A detailed scoreboard and color-coded naming system in the text (the dinos’ names are in green or red depending on their team) make this game easy to follow”

Why do I like this book:

It’s important for parents to share their passions with their children. If you love football, invite your children to watch for awhile. But please don’t expect them to be able to sit through the entire game. Watching Super Bowl Sunday on TV might make more sense to a kid if he or she had heard this story. The book highlights good sportsmanship…a crucial life skill that extends to every area of our lives. Reading this story might also serve as a launching pad for outdoor family activity. Grab that pigskin and head outside with your kids for a football toss.

There are several other Super Bowl Sunday-related picture books out there:

From England, where football is soccer: http://www.ivillage.co.uk/top-10-football-books-kids/81455

http://www.squidoo.com/picture-books-about-football

Related Activities:

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY SNACKS

Why not serve an assortment of fresh veggies with a homemade dip or hummus?

Fresh-cut fruits are sweet and nutritious!

A selection of flat breads or crackers teamed up with chunks of cheese make tasty and healthful munchies.

Each of these takes only minutes to prepare…and are so easy, even a child can do it…inviting a child to help in the kitchen is important:

Builds self-confidence and self-worth…helps a child feel useful
Develops an understanding of good nutrition…start when they are young
Encourages ‘picky’ eaters to try new things…kids will often eat what they have helped prepare

Here are a couple of links to posts I’ve done that have perfect foods for Super Bowl Sunday:

Yummy Vegetarian Chili: https://viviankirkfield.wordpress.com/2012/12/27/new-years-resolution-1-face-your-fears/

Delicious Cock-a-Leekie Soup: https://viviankirkfield.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/sunday-post-recipe-for-self-esteem/

Some lovely healthful Super Bowl snacks here: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20338949,00.html

On the other side of the world, the conference directors for the 2013 Asian Festival of Children’s Content are putting the finishing touches to their website: http://afcc.com.sg/

Stop by and find out how their National Book Council is working to increase international awareness of quality Asian Content for children around the world and has partnered this year with the National Library Board of Singapore. The event will include authors, illustrators, educators, publishers, literary agents, producers, parents, librarians and anyone who cares about content for kids.

For great content for kids that will give you 100’s of picture book summaries, easy matching crafts and healthful child-friendly cooking activities, purchase a copy on Amazon (or my website) of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. A PERFECT gift for any parent or teacher of children ages 2-8…as well as for daycare providers and grandparents. No batteries required…powered by a child’s imagination! Buy your copy today!

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday reviews…come and join Susanna Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others.

Brett Favre to join NFL Network for Super Bowl (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
A Side By Side Comparison Of Your Super Bowl And Puppy Bowl Starting Lineups (fastcocreate.com)
5 Top Trends for 2013 Super Bowl Commercials (business.time.com)
Super Bowl Sunday! (nfl.com)

Short and Sweet: Creative Writing Fun

Posted on January 14, 2013 by viviankirkfield

Do you want to stretch your creative writing ability?

Here’s another fun challenge, this one offered by children’s author Susanna Leonard Hill.

Short and Sweets is a great way to get your mind thinking outside the box!

This week’s prompt, called “Saying It Without Saying It”, invites you to describe a childhood event or common childhood occurrence…such as a Birthday Party or a Camping Trip. The trick is not to use certain words that are often associated with that particular event or feeling.

If you’d like to take part, click on this link: http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2013/01/monday-short-and-sweet-saying-it.html

Here is my entry:

We hold hands…the long windowless hallway seems to go on forever.

“You’re squeezing my fingers!” I try to loosen my grip. “Sorry.”

A cloud covers the faint sliver of the moon as we enter our room and feel our way to the beds. My sister dives into hers…blankets rustle as she covers her head.

At the edge of my bed, I hesitate. “Can I sleep with you?”

“Do you have to?” comes the muffled reply.

“Please!!!”

A sudden rush of air tells me she has flung back the covers. “Alright…but stay on the edge and don’t move around!”

Arms outstretched, I shuffle over to her bed and crawl in silently…warm…safe…waiting for morning to come.

Can you guess what I am describing? Hop over to Susanna’s Short and Sweet post…I’m sure you will know which of the 15 choices I picked.

I hope 2013 has started well for you…I feel like I am digging my way out of a mountain of emails and unread blogs after having been virtually (no pun intended) computer-less for almost two weeks. Visiting with my kids was a fantastic way to start the year…I’ll share some photos in another post.

9 Outstanding Apps to Teach Creative Writing (educatorstechnology.com)
Susanna Leonard Hill: Welcome To Summer Short And Sweets!!! (onewaytowonder.wordpress.com)
Writing changed – perhaps even saved – my life (danasitar.com)
Creative writer fulfills acting dream (fijitimes.com)
Creating Your Own Settings in Creative Writing (tomlaing.wordpress.com)

Connecticut School Tragedy…Helping Young Children Cope With Trauma

Posted on December 15, 2012 by viviankirkfield

1993…The Year of the Graduations (Junior High, High School and College)

We raised our three children in a small Connecticut town less than thirty minutes from yesterday’s tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. When I heard about it, my first thought was to call my kids (who are now 30-somethings with families of their own) and gather them close.

For twenty-five years we lived happily and…for the most part…peacefully. Our children went from elementary schools to middle schools to high schools and finally to college. We held onto their bike handles as they learned to ride a two-wheeler and we held onto our hearts as they learned to drive a car. They kept us up at night when they were babies…and we stayed up late when they got older, waiting for them to come home from a date or event. We shared their joys and sorrows…helped them with their homework and tried to guide them along the difficult path of growing up.

They didn’t always agree with our rules…and we didn’t always agree with their behavior. But I would do it all over again in the blink of an eye.

There are twenty sets of parents in Sandy Hook tonight who have been robbed of this. There are twenty sets of parents in Sandy Hook tonight who will never help their children ride two-wheelers, or watch them perform in school plays or walk them down the aisle when they get married.

My heart goes out to everyone involved…the residents of Sandy Hook/Newtown, the school staff, the family and friends of the shooter and those directly impacted…parents, friends and families of the children and adults who were murdered.

I know that every parent who heard about this is praying for the families. If you have young children, you may be wondering how to handle this situation. Those directly impacted will be receiving professional counseling…but what should you do if your family was not part of this horrific event?

If your children have heard about the tragedy, encourage them to talk about it.
Be honest with them…but age-appropriately…if your children see you are upset, tell them you are sad about what happened because these are real people, not video game or movie characters.
Reassure them that this was a bad thing that happened, but that you will keep them safe and that there will always be someone to take care of them.
Tell them you are happy that they are fine and that you love them.
Young children may not verbalize what they are feeling, so watch your child’s behavior.
If you see a sudden change in your child’s behavior, consult your pediatrician.
With all the news on the media, even children who have not been directly involved may experience trauma and need counseling.
Speak calmly about the situation and try to carry on with planned events and regular routines.

The holiday season should continue…because keeping to routines is one of the best ways to reassure children that all is well. So I will continue with my post as planned.

There is a holiday writing contest over at Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog.

dashing through the snow

The Contest: Write a children’s holiday story beginning with any version of “Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh.” You may use that actual opening, or you may change it to any similar version “[Verb of your choice]ing through the [any substance you choose] in a [conveyance of any kind].” For example, “Dashing through the sand in a two-wheeled donkey cart” or “Sloshing through the swamp in a green and white canoe” or “Flying through the air in a striped hot air balloon…” You get the idea, I’m sure 🙂 But “Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh” is completely acceptable too – whatever works for you 🙂 Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 350 words (because I have to read them all in the week before Christmas! :))

I love Susanna’s contests…they encourage me to think ‘outside the box’ when it comes to writing children’s stories.

Because I’ve been so busy, I had left the writing of the story until the last-minute. With the tragedy in the news, I was tempted to write a somber tribute…but decided instead to submit something light and silly…something that might bring a smile to the faces of the children who were in the school, but survived. Based on the nursery rhymes that all children know and love, I give you, “Mother Goose, Apple Juice, Chocolate Mousse and More!”

Mother Goose, Apple Juice, Chocolate Mousse and More

by Vivian Kirkfield (228 words)

Hiking through the snow

In brand-new Christmas boots.

Tripping as we go

On gnarly old tree roots.

Humpty-Dumpty rolls,

Then Jack and Jill fall down.

Muffet drops her bowls

As we pass through the town.

Mother Goose

Apple juice

Chocolate mousse and more

We’re on our way to The House Jack Built

For a holiday galore!

We can’t find the sheep

Bo Peep has lost them all.

Wee Willie wants to sleep

He leans against the wall.

We’ll have lots to eat

Jack Horner brought his pie

Hot Cross Buns are sweet

And Jack Sprat made stir-fry.

Mother Goose

Apple juice

Chocolate mousse and more

We’re on our way to The House Jack Built

For a holiday galore!

Everyone is dressed

In special party clothes

Peter Piper’s vest

Has pickle juice and bows.

Mother Hubbard’s kids

Each wears a new chemise.

Bobby Shaftoe skids

On silver buckled knees

Mother Goose

Apple juice

Chocolate mousse and more

We’re on our way to The House Jack Built

For a holiday galore!

Here we are at last

Sweet music fills the air

Horn gives out a blast

Boy Blue blows with great flair.

Mary and her lambs

Hip-hop the whole night long.

Lucy Locket jams

With King Cole’s fiddlers’ song.

Mother Goose

Apple juice

Chocolate mousse and more

We’re on our way to The House Jack Built

For a holiday galore!

I hope you all enjoy this silly little children’s holiday rhyming story. In the next few days, many others will be linking up on Susanna’s contest page. Go and check them out…you won’t be disappointed!

And please come back on Sunday…I have a wonderful guest poster, author and amazing personality speaker, Sheila Glazov…you definitely won’t want to miss it!!!