» Outdoors

February 5th, 2010

Danger! Danger!

New book encourages kids to enjoy the lost art of building

Gever Tulley knows how to make learning fun.

Five years ago, he founded Tinkering School, a camp where kids are encouraged to build all types of wild contraptions. Think, make, tinker reads the motto. Now, along with fellow Tinkerer and wife Julie Spiegler, he’s assembled Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do), a collection of projects and activities for junior thrillseekers.

Conceived as a collection of “‘dangerous’ things that are interesting, eye-opening, enlightening or just plain fun,” the book was rejected by at least 16 publishers, likely due to potential lawsuits. Why all the worry? With chapter titles like “Lick a 9-volt Battery,” “Break Glass,” “Make a Bomb in a Bag,” and even “Play With Fire,” it’s bound to make a few parents nervous.

Each of the 50 activities include a “how-to” guide, appropriate warnings, and some scientific factoids. There’s also a “Field Notes” section, where kids can write down their observations, and ideas on how to improve the project.

Despite all the controversy about the book, what’s overlooked is that it provides a great opportunity for families to spend quality time exploring the world together. And to blow stuff up.

February 2nd, 2010

The Perfect Playhouse

Tiny backyard bungalow has plenty of room for adventure

Kids love to create their own little world whenever they can. Leave any child alone with a sheet and two chairs for five minutes, and they’ll build their own Fortress of Solitude, far far away from the Land of Boring Grown-Ups. Read more

January 29th, 2010

A Chat With America’s Worst Mom

Vilified by the media, NYC mom has inspired a parenting movement

Two years ago in New York City, Lenore Skenazy handed her 9-year old son a subway pass, twenty bucks, and said good-bye, leaving him to take the subway back home. Is this the heartbreaking story of a child’s abduction? Nope. Her son was fine—in fact he loved it. But when Skenazy wrote about the experience, angry parents wanted to see her locked up for child abuse, and she was dubbed “America’s Worst Mom” by the media.

Cut to 2010, and Skenazy has become the “Generalissimo” of the Free-Range Kids movement, which she calls “a common sense approach to parenting in these overprotective times.” We recently spoke with the always funny and outspoken Skenazy.

Read more

January 14th, 2010

The Breakfast Club Blasts Off!

Fun food idea makes it easy to have pancakes anytime

“Dad! Make us pancakes!!!!”

If your morning has ever started with a tiny person demanding pancakes, then you’ve probably gone through this debate in your head: Hmm, pancakes would be good, but aren’t the eggs a little old? Plus, the kids’ll just gobble them all up in five minutes while I spend the next 20 minutes doing dishes. “Nope, sorry, not today. Let’s have cereal!” you say to your disappointed audience.

Read more

November 18th, 2009

Tree Houses of the Rich and Famous

Spectacular structures turn your backyard into a playground

Do you like to talk about all the home projects you’re going to finish someday? It’s probably a really impressive list — surely, your kids will just love that dream tree house. Instead, there’s Read more

October 15th, 2009

Rockets in Your Pockets

Seemingly simple toy provides serious sky-high fun

Based on a very simple premise, Stomp Rockets are among the very few toys that are a hit with just about everyone. Any 3-year old can figure it out: put your rocket (actually a soft foam tube) on the air hose, stomp on the pad, and Read more