Slapping On The Sunscreen Still Necessary

Most adults will remember the slip, slop, slap campaign that came out some years ago in the ever increasing fight to keep ourselves safe from sun damage. In fact, the campaign is now considered one of the most successful in changing people’s attitudes to cancer and other skin problems.

The Cancer Council added another phrase onto the original format. Seek and slide was added to encourage people to seek shade whenever they could - and slide, to slide on wrap around sunglasses to protect the eyes from damage too.

For kids, the message is even more important because it has been found that even one severe burn on tender young skin could cause problems in the future. Getting boys in particular to keep slapping on the sunscreen may be an uphill task, but considering the consequences, who cares?

For the little ones, there are things that we can do at home. Make them keep hats on, slap on high factor sun screen and get waterproof creams if they are likely to be in the water. In fact, if you start this practice early, it will become a natural habit. It’s boys who are new to the idea of sun screen who usually object to it.

Boys hate sticky things on their skin (unless it’s swamp mud or dinosaur blood) so find a sunscreen that is smooth. You can even find colourful zincs and sunscreens now which can be applied like ‘war paint’.

Just remember that boys are wriggling bundles of energy and that their sunscreen (and hats) will come off frequently. Keep the slip, slop, slap happening and encourage them to explore in the shade.

Dollcake on Special

If you are new to About A Boy you might be surprised to know that we stock some lovely products for girls. Well, we can’t let the boys have all the fun. We know how left out their sisters would feel!

If you have a little girl you need to check out our specials. We have those gorgeous Dollcake outfits on special. Dollcake clothing and accessories are frilly, feminine, a little retro and totally lovely.

Just look at this skirt. Dollcake’s Dollface Skirt is one of my favourite items. It’s so very pretty with its rainbow pastels and tiered layers. This full skirt has an adjustable waist which will last your child for years. It also features a gorgeous satin sash with pastel coloured tulle. It is on special because we only have limited sizes left.

Dollcake's Dollface Cardy is a beautiful pink knit with cotton lining so it doesn't irritate soft skin. It truly is just a divine little cardy - I wish it came in my size! There are pink lace ruffles on the bodice and sleeves and a little pinwheel feature completes this top.

There are other items from the Dollface range in our specials area so have a good look through them all. They really are a very special range.

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.