Boys Are ‘Crafty’ Creatures At Christmas

There is possibly nothing better than showing kids how to create things from very little. Indeed, it is the art of making Christmas gifts, especially for boys, that will often follow them into adult life where they will use skills learned from way back when to make things in their very own homes, etc.

It can be tough deciding on what boys will actually like, but anything that involves making a mess is a sure fire winner! Most boys like anything slimy and messy so be ready to clean up afterwards. However, if it encourages their creative juices, does it really matter?

One such project, which is not messy at all, is the Paper Bag Reindeer. This is easy to make and doesn’t take much hunting around for ‘ingredients’. There is a guide at About.com that will show you how to make your reindeer.

All you need is a brown paper bag, some soft coloured cardboard like project paper and decorative elements like little bells and pompoms.

Don’t make your boys stick to the same style of decoration. Let them experiment so try to have a mix of craft items available for them to work with. They will have fun with this one.

Lastly, available from the same site, is a Candy Cane Mouse Holder. This clever little trick allows boys to learn the craft of sewing while they are making a gift for someone. The mouse looks quite cute when finished and the candy canes actually form the tail of the mouse. You will need a hot glue gun for this one, so you’ll have to help them out.

There is no need for your kids to be bored at Christmas time - whether in the lead up or even the aftermath. Get them involved in making decorations and fun Christmas-related crafts and you’ll all have fun.

Exercise - Boys And Girls Do It Differently

We are all probably aware that men and women are very different when it comes to losing weight. Women struggle through the week and have a miserly one kilo weight drop. Men seem to slide through the week and they drop four kilos or more! But how does it work for children?

According to research reported in the NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey report, primary schools girls tend to be less active than the boys. 52% of boys do the right levels of physical activity, as compared with 41% of girls. This also may account then for there being more obese girls than boys at present.

To counteract this, sports teachers are recommending that the sexes should be segregated if only for these exercise sessions. They suggest adding diversity to the range of exercise and sports activities on offer.

It makes sense. If you think about it, much of the sport is very physical and involves strength as well as speed. Think about games like football or softball. Often boys tend to excel at these while girls lag behind.

Girls love skipping and activities that need coordination rather than strength. A cool way to get kids up and moving is to give them something to do that is fun. Trying out zumba lessons will get any girl on her feet. The report suggests adding zumba along with yoga or pilates as forms of exercise to interest girls.

Yes, most boys will run a mile at the thought of ‘dance’ exercise but what’s the problem with that? A run will do them good, too!

Fussy Eaters Need Some Encouragement

The problem with some kids is that they become very fussy about what they will eat. Some will narrow down to a selection of about four different foods and this is bound to drive mums crazy. We know that kids need to eat from all the food groups, but how can you get them to do this when all they want to eat is chips and snacks?

Well, there is a solution here and that is to make their lunch enticing and exciting. How to do this? Get some cool cutters to make their lunchtime snack fun and delicious at the same time.

Lunch Punch cutters can be found at About A Boy and we have several different sets to choose from. One set has transportation themed cutters: an airplane in a cloud, a train with a caboose, a car and a truck with cargo. Another includes the critter cutters that have all shapes and sizes of animals from fish to elephants. Or perhaps try the jigsaw puzzle one to make that all important lunch into a game as well as food.

Imagine then getting your kid to help with preparing their lunch snack every day and letting them choose which shapes they want to take to school. They will get so carried away by showing others what they have that they will forget that it is filled with nutritious and tasty food that is (...wait for it) good for them! What a sneaky parent you are!!

New Look Website

Have you noticed that our website has had a makeover?

We are very pleased with the new look but more importantly, the new site is much easier for us to work with behind the scenes.

We can show you our new products so you can see them properly and get information about them straight away. We have a new review section so you can leave your comments about our products. You can use this section to find out what other people think of a product before you commit to buying it. A little research can sometimes go a long way when it comes to online purchases.

If you are placing an order with us you will need to register again and enter your details, seeing this is a whole new system. The good news however is that the whole process will only take you a couple of minutes to do.

This system lets us stay on top of orders and monitor our processing and mailing times. It lets us give you a much higher quality of customer service.

If you haven’t seen it yet, pop in to About a Boy and have a look around. We’d love to hear what you think of the new site.

Simple Science Experiments You Can Do at Home

Science is not always something you need to learn in school and science experiments don’t always have to be done in a lab. With these simple science experiments you can do at home, you can impress your friends, parents, and learn something new, too.

The Rock Candy

You need a long piece of string, pencil, paper clip, 1 cup of water, 2 cups of sugar, and a glass jar.

Start by tying the string around the middle of the pencil and tie the paper clip at the other end of the string. Position the pencil over the opening of the jar so that the string hangs down in the jar, making sure it doesn't touch the bottom. Put aside.

In a pan boil the water and pour 1/4 of the sugar into the water until it dissolves. Keep adding all the sugar making sure every bit dissolves. Pour the hot sugar solution in the jar and submerge the paper clip and string in it. Allow it to cool, and in about a week you'll have rock candy to eat.

Soda and Mentos Geyser

Kids will definitely love this one and it's so easy to do. All you need is big space where you can make a mess, a 2-litre bottle of soda, and a packet of Mentos.

First thing you need to do is open the soda carefully and then unroll the Mentos candy. Drop all the candy in the soda bottle and step back a few paces - quickly. Watch the geyser blow up and measure the height. The current record is 21 feet.

Of course, there are all the simple things you can do like sprouting carrot tops or putting white daisies into coloured water and watching the petals change colour. Remember, just because you’ve done them before doesn’t make them any less exciting to your children.

Make science fun and play with it at home.

What Do Boys Want In Fashion

If it itches, they won’t wear it. If the tag rubs and scratches, they won’t wear it either. Boys love fashion, but only if it feels as good as it looks! None of this suffering for the sake of looking good that girls do.

Clothes for boys have to be functional, practical and comfortable first and foremost, while at the same time being cool and showing their individual taste.

Shoes are not just about how they look. Boys choose shoes with ankle support and cushioning as well as style so they can be safe and less likely to injure themselves whilst they hang and skate with their mates.

Boys are not afraid to accessorise, with wrist bands and neck wear becoming more popular, as long as it doesn’t get in the way or make too much noise. It has to feel good as well as look good. Boys who love fashion also love a good hat, which is a fantastic thing. Fedoras are not just for old men anymore, and caps with big peaks are popular too.

Boys know they need to be sun safe if they want to hang outside. Sunburn is definitely not a fashion statement.

You won’t see a boy going cold or struggling in shoes that hurt for the sake of fashion. Nope. Boys have got this looking cool whilst feeling comfortable thing all sussed out, and girls could sure learn a thing or two from them!

Marble Runs

It’s raining outside and the kids (and you) are going crazy.

Got some marbles? Why not make something before you lose yours altogether?

Grab some painter’s masking tape - the kind that won’t damage the walls, empty toilet or paper towel rolls or some tubing, some cardboard or heavy paper, some imagination, a sprinkle of nostalgia and make a marble run.

Choose a blank piece of wall or even the back of a door to begin. Start at the bottom with a marble catcher. This can be any shape you like, as long as it is big enough to catch the glass cannonballs as they hurtle down the dark channel. Make sure it is not too big as it won’t attach to the wall.

Work your way up from the bottom using tape to attach the tubing of plastic or cardboard, attaching it to the wall in any shape you like, with twists and turns and funnels and tunnels. Be sure to test each section as you go so you can make any adjustments along the way. Roll up pieces of heavy duty paper or cardboard into cones for even more action and variety.

You are limited only by your imagination and your wall space. Girls and boys of all ages will love this activity rain, hail or shine, and I suspect you might enjoy it too. Don’t leave the tape up too long or you might damage the paint, and anyway, you’ll want to make a faster and more exciting version next time you need an indoor activity. Even if the kids are not home to help.....

Playing Skittles

Wooden toys such as skittles hark back to good old fashioned childhood fun. They are a firm family favourite perfect for both adults and children of any age. Skittles are great for coordination and promote physical activity whether playing outdoors or inside the house on a rainy spring day. They also teach important life lesson skills such as turn taking and learning to lose with grace.

The concept of skittles is extremely simple – to try and knock over as many skittles as possible with the wooden balls. You can set them up like a traditional bowling game or you can vary it and have them set in a straight line either horizontally or vertically.

The thing I love most about skittles is their ability to be taken anywhere. They are perfect for a day at the park or the beach and can be easily packed up for a quick trip to grandma’s house. They can also be brought out a child’s birthday and can be played in teams rather than individually to increase the entertainment value.

Our Pirate Skittles Set is reminiscent of the painted bollards often seen at seaside resorts. They are vibrant and colourful featuring swash buckling attire and retail for $55. The set also includes five pirates, one sailing ship and three balls with skull and crossbone images, all packed neatly in a wooden storage system. It is beautifully hand painted and would make a perfect Christmas or birthday gift for the little boy in your life.

The Right Backpack For Your Child

From the time your child first enters childcare or preschool, a backpack to hold their belongings for the day becomes an essential item.

Most preschools and public schools are pretty flexible when it comes to what type of bag your child carries, but some schools are now introducing a school backpack that is of appropriate size and offers adequate support for your child’s back.

Most children are carrying too much around in their backpacks, and up to seventy percent of school age children complain of back pain from carrying their school bags. In the long term carrying any significant weight without proper balance and support is likely to cause chronic back problems and the risks of muscle strain, curvature of the spine and rounding of the shoulders are very real concerns.

In order to prevent injury and damage to your child’s spine, it is important to ensure that you have a backpack for them that will reduce the strain of load bearing and by making sure that they don’t carry too much.

Professional physiotherapy and chiropractic associations will often endorse school backpacks that they find meet the support requirements for a healthy spine.

Ideally the shoulder straps on your child’s bag should sit half way between the side of your child’s neck and the edge of their shoulder. Adjust the shoulder straps so that the base of the bag sits at the top of their hips, and adjust the waist strap so that it holds the bag in position. If a backpack is too big or too small your child’s spine will not be properly supported.

Young children should not be carrying more than ten percent of their body weight in their backpacks and if your child’s required daily items are too big or too heavy for them to carry from home to classroom and back again you will need to consult with their teacher and the school about appropriate load limits, especially for young children.

Think about other ways that you can reduce the weight of their load by using lightweight plastic lunchboxes instead of heavier metal boxes or smaller water bottles if they are able to refill them at school. Pack the heaviest items closest to your child’s back to help them retain their centre of gravity, otherwise they can feel they are being pulled backwards and will overcompensate, causing unnecessary strain on their back.

Explain to your child the importance of wearing their backpack properly, as wearing it only on one shoulder or carrying it in one hand will cause strain and possible damage to their growing spine. Most importantly, if your child does complain of back pain, consult your family doctor, physiotherapist or chiropractor.

Nutrition And The Development Of Boys

We recently came across an interesting article published last year in the Scientific American “Man-Made: A Baby Boy's Development May Predict a Young Man's Success”. Based on a study started in 1983 it suggests there is a definite link between nutrition of boys in early childhood and the masculinity of young men.

The study followed 770 Filipino men and their growth levels (such as height, weight, muscle mass, strength, testosterone levels and even sexual history) starting with the boys’ first two years of life, then again when they were 8, 11, 14 and then when they reached their early 20s.

In a nutshell, how fast a baby boy grows in the first six months of his life can predict the extent of his masculine characteristics as a young man. Those boys who grew the fastest were mostly breastfed and from wealthier families, therefore with more access to good quality, nutritious food.

And the reason the first 6 months are the most crucial? Well you may not know this, but during this stage in a little boy’s life his testosterone levels are roughly the same as adult levels.

"Men who as babies gained weight rapidly during the period of this testosterone surge matured earlier, were taller, had more muscle, were stronger and had higher testosterone levels,” said Christopher Kuzawa, who led the study.

So that saying “feed the man meat” probably needs to be changed to “feed the baby boy meat” (just make it organic and fat free!)

The Sneaky Eye Backpack

If you think fashion is just limited to the adult world, then you'd be wrong. Kids today know what's cool and what's not. And just like the rest of us fashion-conscious peeps, children also like to be the hippest kid in class sporting the latest gear.

Sometimes it can be frustrating to find the right school bag for our kids. As parents, we need to find something that uniquely expresses our child's style and individuality, as well as something that's durable and efficient. The practical parent in us looks for something inexpensive, but sturdy enough to stand the abuse that our children will put the bags through.

For such a need, Minti offers us the Sneaky Eye Backpack. This bag is perfect for your little boy or girl because it is available in 3 colours - black, lime, and orange. It also features two compartments, so your kids can separate their big and small stuff and find them easily. The sneaky eye print makes it a stylish accessory to carry around in school, at the beach, and even during sleepovers.

This ultra cool and durable bag is the perfect bag for our kids. With its bright colour and unique design, no one will mistake it for theirs or someone else's. It is available for a very affordable price of $49 at www.aboutaboy.com.au.

The Boon Flair Highchair

For mothers with growing toddlers, mealtimes can sometimes become a daunting endeavour. With all the preparation that needs to be done – because we all know little kids are picky eaters – and the mess that needs to be cleaned up, finding a way to make our work easier and quicker is something we all want.

Enter Boon Flair’s Cherry Seat and Coconut Pad Highchair. This highchair is made from durable materials that are easy and safe to clean. The stool itself has no cracks and crevices so there are no hard-to-reach areas where crumbs could get stuck for eternity. The removable seat pad is waterproof so you can wipe it clean in just minutes.

Included with the chair are two removable trays, which are dishwasher safe and can easily fit in the dishwasher. What makes this a must-have item for parents out there is the pneumatic lift feature which adjusts the height of the chair according to their needs. This means being able to use the chair for a long time.

Not only that, it keeps your little ones secure and in place with a five-point harness and safety post, as well as a single-step braking system. Meanwhile, six urethane casters under the foot of the chair protect your floors and make it glides smoothly for easy positioning.

Mealtime will never be the same again!

Managing Sisters

Growing up with a sister can be difficult at times however, more often than not, brothers tend to have an unspoken need to look after their sister no matter what, regardless of their age or age difference. And we just love this fact!

When it comes to their relationship with their sister, for many men blood really is thicker than water.

While brothers may not necessarily go out of their way to defend their sister’s honour or fight their battles, they will not make it easy for negative influences to feel welcome in their family and rightly so! Boys are raised generally as protectors of the family and as boyfriends come and go – the brother is always there for support – even if it is not voiced or acknowledged. Sisters may even feel the need to have their brothers meet their soon to be boyfriend or partner in order to make sure that he meets her brother’s approval.

Of course much of this close bond is created as the siblings are growing up and has everything to do with the family lifestyle and the time the siblings spent together as children. Fostering a close and supportive relationship between brothers and sister, pointing out that they are first and foremost friends, will carry on well into their adulthood.

If you speak to siblings of any age they will be only too quick to point out what they dislike about their brother or sister. As kids, it isn't the done thing to look as though you really like your siblings.

SO, don't worry if your boys squabble with their sisters. They will be there to support them even when you're not. Remember that for them, it's ok to pick on their sister but nobody else is allowed to do it!

Let Boys be Boys

Boys, what can we do with them?

They are noisy, boisterous, rowdy, busy and can't sit still for long. They are curious, inquisitive and just have to touch, feel and explore their surroundings.

How inconvenient.

You know, sometimes I wonder if adults have forgotten the wonderful wildness that boys bring with them. There has been such an increase in the number of boys diagnosed with ADD and ADHD that it seems like an epidemic. Is it possible that we've forgotten what being a boy is like?

Not all boys want to sit in front of a computer game. They are bursting with physical energy that has to be used up before it explodes out of them in a way that doesn't fit 'indoors.' Then they find themselves in trouble.

Then boys get to school and find themselves cooped up in a classroom for hours...

Boys learn differently from girls. Girls seem to absorb learning just by listening but boys love to experiment and experience. They learn from doing instead of listening. They learn from acting out their wild fantasies and burning up the energy that can block their concentration.

That's where I have a problem with the restrictions being put on the way boys play and the toys they are allowed to play with. Well, specifically toys like guns.

While a gun wouldnt' be my first choice of toy for my son, I don't think that playing cowboys and indians or cops and robbers is going to turn him into an aggressive teenager or adult. It's only a toy and that's how kids use them. It's a prop for their imaginations. It's a tool for burning their energies. It's not real.

I think we need to let boys be boys. Let them do what comes naturally to them instead of interfering and making their childhood into something safe and sanitised with no opportunity to experiment. I wonder if the teen boys of today would be so angry if they had been allowed to act out their games when they were small? I wonder if they'd choose knives and guns now if they'd been allowed to play with the toy versions as children? I wonder if controlling their innate boy behaviours as kids has made them miss out on something they should have learnt years ago?

I think we need to let boys be boys. It's our job to give them a safe environment in which to learn. It's not our job to stop them playing the way nature intended them to.

Indoor Play

It's that strange change of season time where the weather can swing from sunny to wet in the blink of an eye. How do you keep kids entertained when they have to stay indoors? We all know boys can plonk themselves in front of the TV or a computer and be turned into zombies for hours on end. But there are some really simply and easy indoor play activities that will let kids explore new ideas and engage in creative play all while having fun.

• Caves: help the boys construct a “cave” in a large space such as your living room using sheets, chairs and pegs – or even using the dining room table. They can hide out there and bring in “supplies” to “explore” the cave or play games like dragon slayers.
• Make paper airplanes. Here is a link to an excellent website that has numerous paper airplane designs complete with how-to videos and instructions.
• Marbles! Boys love marbles but most don’t know how to actually play a game. You can have a look here for some instructions and together discover a whole new world of marbles.
• String maze: Tie a prize to the end of a ball of string, and then unwind the ball around the room – over objects, under and across things. On the other end tie a pencil or stick and give it to the boys to wind the string back up. When they are at the end they will find their prize.

Along with craft activities, puzzles and games and making yummy things to eat in the kitchen you will soon find that there is not enough time in the day for all these great indoor activities for your boy!

Meals Made More Fun with the Dinosaur-shaped Sandwich Cutter

Sometimes it's hard to get kids to eat food that looks healthy. They just don't like the taste, they hate vegetables or maybe they just don’t like the texture.

Often, too, children get so engrossed with playtime they just don't want waste time eating. With so much natural energy, they can go on playing without eating but as parents. We know that it isn’t good for them.

With the Dinosaur-shaped sandwich cutter from About a Boy you can entice you child to eat at the right time and even to eat the right food. This fun sandwich cutter features a stainless steel body with a molded plastic top for easy grip that even your little kitchen helpers can safely hold.

Though it is made much like your regular cookie cutter, these special sandwich cutters are deeper and much stronger than your cookie cutter variety. It can easily cut through 2 slices of bread with filling, which saves you time and allows you to have an even, clean cut.

The dinosaur-shaped cutter also comes with its very own plastic storage box which can double as your child's lunchbox in school or at the playground. In addition, when you buy this special shaped sandwich cutter, About a Boy will donate $1 to the RSPCA.

When kids don’t like food change their focus by adding some fun to what they are eating. Their imaginations will do the rest.

Should Boys play with girls toys?

Should boys play with dolls, and kitchens and play dress ups with their Mummy’s clothes?

NO!

Nor should women work as a Police Detective, in the Fire Brigade or Armed Forces. They should be a nurse, secretary, nanny, or child care worker. And when women marry and have children, they shall be forever beholden to their family to meet all of their wants and needs, and live happily ever after.

Silly isn’t it?

What is so wrong with allowing a child, boy or girl, to relax and explore the world without concern about whether a toy or a game is gender appropriate?

Kids learn by observation and imitation, and the desire to copy the same sex parent is strong, but not all consuming.

Play is one of the major vehicles young children use to discover the world, and what better way to do it than by experimenting, and having a bag full of fun doing it! Kids don’t know if it is wrong to play with a doll or a truck, they just know what they like, until someone tells them it is ‘wrong’. A boy can learn so many positive things by playing with a doll, such as gentleness, protectiveness, aspects of care giving and responsibility for a “little” person. These things don’t make him less of a ‘boy’ or more likely to be attracted to the same sex as he gets older, they make him a potentially good member of an adult society.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a lawn to mow, as the dinner bubbles away in the slow cooker.

Clothes Built for Boys

Ah boys! One wise person described them as “Noise covered in dirt”.

Which pretty much sums up the species. They’re active, rowdy, messy and boisterous!

They NEED clothes that accommodate these amazing attributes.

Depending on the age of your boy – although don’t be fooled into thinking “but he’s so little, what could he possibly get up to!” – will determine exactly what sort of clothes you need for your little bundle of chaos.

As a guide, boys do stuff like:

• Run

• Climb

• Jump

• Play in dirt, mud, sand, leaves, tan bark, piles of “stuff”

• Crawl around floors, asphalt, footpaths, grass

• Ride things on wheels really fast!

They do these things in two speeds: Top gear or Asleep

A combination of durable, yet not stressing you out about them getting ruined, is important when choosing clothes.

Clothes with double layering at the knees (and elbows in some cases) and made of a durable material, like denim, are idea.

Long sleeved t-shirts help to give a small amount of protection to arms, but too long and they become an impediment to activity. They also become extremely dirty, stretched and ruined at the ends of the arms, so keep them to wrist length at the most.

Loose fitting tracksuit pants are fantastic for active play, especially running, climbing and jumping activities. They allow freedom of movement when climbing playgrounds, chasing and kicking balls or jumping off all manner of things.

Be cautious of pants that are too long or too loose, as they can become a tripping hazard or get caught on tree branches and bike handles.

Due to long bouts of crawling around on floors, shoes with a reinforced toe area are essential! Supportive, yet flexible shoes are also helpful for protecting ankles and feet when landing, but also allow for easy climbing.

Mostly, go for durable … if not easily washable!

Have a look at the choices we have in store. We know what boys like and we know what mothers of boys need.