ML Interest Tag: computer

Discovery Takes Flight in This New Animated Series

by Jamie Aderski
Partner Content
In partnership with AppleTV+

We have all been guilty of being too “plugged in” some days, and our kids are no exception. Screens are here to stay, and finding a happy medium between being online and being in the real world is more critical than ever. Teaching our kids how to balance technology and screen time with hands-on play and discovery is key, and we could use all the help we can get.

Life lesson alert: “You can plug in, but only learn by doing.” No, these words of wisdom didn’t come from Oprah, but from a robot on an uber-cool new kid’s show. Based on the beloved book by Dan Yaccarino, Doug Unplugs is a robo-centric story with a twist from the geniuses at Dreamworks and Apple TV+; and we are here for it. Read on for four life lessons preschoolers (and the rest of us) can learn from Doug and his human and robot buddies!

Doug Unplugs the Joys of Learning

Our hero Doug is driven by curiosity and a sense of wonder as he learns the computer screen doesn’t reveal the full picture. Instead of turning his back on technology, he uses it to enhance his real-life experiences. By combining the usefulness of technology with active learning in the real world, he teaches kids that you can learn by doing!

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Doug and his high-energy human best friend Emma are the most dynamic duo around! Emma helps Doug navigate the excitement of new experiences in the human world, and for Doug, everything is new! With her natural exuberance, Emma embodies the joy and heart of learning. Combined with Doug's insatiable curiosity for knowledge, Emma and Doug thrive—everything is more fun when you share it! 

Community Mindedness

Doug is part of a unique robot crew. Rather than staying contained in his small world at Reboot factory, he goes forth into Megacity! While exploring the real world, he never forgets his roots. Doug shares his knowledge gained on his adventures with his buddies at Reboot! His robo-community thrives while relationships with his family and friends grow as they all enjoy the excitement and discovery together! 

Technology With a Purpose

In this show, much like life, tech is essential, but it can't replace a real-life experience! Doug is immersed in tech; heck, he is tech! When he steps away from his automated world of robots to engage with the unpredictable real world, he's in awe of everything around him, big and small—a great reminder that sometimes, it's the little things!

This series encourages kiddos to not just turn to technology when it's time to learn but to use tech to fuel their curiosity, inspiring them to get out and start exploring. Let's face it: sometimes...you just gotta unplug!

 

Watch Doug Unplugs on the Apple TV app. Find the Apple TV app everywhere from Apple devices to smart TVs. Or watch online at tv.apple.com.*

Subscription required for Apple TV+

 

 

—Jamie Aderski

 

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NYBG Giveaway Rules

by Kenzie Kramer
Partner Content

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

HOW TO ENTER: The Giveaway (“Giveaway”) will run from 11/29/2021 at 12:00 a.m. EST to 12/10/2021 at 11:59 p.m. EST and will run on the Tinybeans website. Any entries received after the giveaway has closed will not be included in the giveaway. In order to enter the giveaway, participants are required to do the following:

  • Enter their name
  • Enter their email address

Only online entries will be eligible. No print submissions will be accepted for entry into this giveaway. Any use of automated or programmed methods of effecting entry is prohibited.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Employees or Sponsor, their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to win the prize package.

SPONSOR: This giveaway is sponsored by New York Botanical Garden (“Sponsor”). Sponsor reserves the right to cancel the giveaway at any time and substitute another promotion in its place. The Sponsor is deemed to be the party providing the prize package for this giveaway. The Sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment within 30 days of the winner providing requested mailing information. If winner does not receive prize within 45 days, the winner is to email Tinybeans for follow up (kenzie.kramer@tinybeans.com). The winner forgoes any prizes after 180 days without follow up.

WINNERS SELECTION: Four winners will be selected within 72 hours after the close of the giveaway period from among all eligible entries received during the giveaway.

Winners will be randomly selected.

 

 

Winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected. A list of winners can be requested at any time by contacting kenzie.kramer@tinybeans.com. Tinybeans is not responsible for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind, or inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive winner’s emailed information on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, email being inadvertently flagged as junk or other email form, or at any website or any combination thereof. Every reasonable attempt will be exhausted prior to prize forfeiture and a new winner being selected, including, but not limited to review of all sub-folders and accounts where emails may inadvertently be directed.

PRIZES/APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUE: Prize is valued as follows: FOUR (4) PRIZES: Each prize is TWO (2) adult tickets and TWO (2) child tickets to the NYBG 2021 Holiday Train Show. ARV: $100

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INTERNET: Tinybeans is not responsible for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind, or inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive entry information by Tinybeans on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website or any combination thereof. If for any reason the promotions are not capable of running as planned for any reason Tinybeans reserves the right in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the giveaway and select the winners by random drawing from among all eligible entries received from all methods combined up to the point of the action taken by the Tinybeans.

By submitting a giveaway Entry, giveaway Entrant warrants and represents that: (a) giveaway Entry does not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other legal or moral rights of any person or entity; (b) giveaway Entrant owns all rights to the giveaway Entry, including without limitation, copyrights, and has received prior written permission from a third party if any Submission was photographed or videoed by someone other than the giveaway Entrant him/herself; and (c) giveaway Entrant will indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor, Administrator and related entities, agents and assigns from any claims and damages (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from or relating to the breach or alleged breach of your representations and warranties herein, the giveaway Entry, or giveaway Entrant’s conduct in creating the giveaway Entry, the acceptance or use of any prize or otherwise in connection with this giveaway.

PHOTO SUBMISSIONS/RELEASES: If the photograph or video submission contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the photograph or video, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph or video, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph or video in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation. By participating in the giveaway, participants give Sponsor and Tinybeans the right to share participant’s images, videos and text.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: By entering this giveaway, all entrants agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless Sponsor from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this giveaway or any giveaway-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder. Tinybeans assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to giveaway entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. Sponsor is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants’ or any other persons’ computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to in this giveaway.

RIGHT TO CANCEL OR SUSPEND giveaway: If for any reason the giveaway is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, trojan horses, denial of service attacks, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this giveaway, Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the giveaway.

AMENDMENT: Any and all rules and regulations stated within, may be amended for a specific giveaway to be in compliance with the rules and regulations of a specific Sponsor. Any amendment of rules and regulations will be stated in the giveaway post.

PRIVACY POLICY/DATA COLLECTION: Information provided by you for this giveaway is subject to Sponsor’s privacy policy located at https://tinybeans.com/privacy-policy/ (“Privacy Policy”)

 

 

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Got a Struggling Writer? Find Hope in a New Pack of Markers

By Kristin Van de Water

Photo: Kristin Van de Water

Something clicked for my struggling writer this week, and now all she wants to do is make books.

“All I want to do is write,” my 6-year-old sighed as she Velcroed her sneakers this morning. “I wish I could staple one more book. I really wish I could get started on the next one.”

“Well, hurry up and get ready for school so you can,” I said, amazed that I could suddenly use writing time as a motivator on a busy school morning.

You see, up until a few days ago I had a reluctant writer on my hands. She loved to draw and would happily flaunt her knowledge of basic sight words, but when it came time to sit down and sound out words to spell them phonetically, she would freeze. During remote learning last spring, half an hour of me painfully pulling three sentences out of her and onto the page would leave us both grumpy and drained. And when she did have a story idea, she would forget it half-way through writing down the sentence—probably because the act of building the words took so long.

But something happened in the last few days that boosted her confidence and set her on the road to authorship. Maybe it was a new strategy her teachers taught this week. Maybe it was a summer of reading Dog Man that’s now flowing onto the page. Maybe it’s the rhythm of the hybrid learning model we’re in with time to write both in school and at home. Maybe it was wanting to be like her big sister who just taught her to draw a unicorn with speech bubbles. Maybe it’s that fresh pack of colorful markers and a stapler that finally works.

For whatever reason, the literacy stars are momentarily aligned, and we are rolling with it.

Most days I wake up to find my four kids already stuck to their screens playing some computer game or watching cartoons. (Yes, I admit this whole COVID-19 pandemic and remote learning situation has totally relaxed screen time norms around our household.) Yet that was not the case today.

I walked into the living room to find my 8-year-old daughter making a picture book series on the coffee table, complete with a spotlight color for each volume. Because she is an avid writer, this part didn’t floor me, but it did make me smile. It was a nice break from waking up to Peppa Pig or Roblox marathons.

Next, I glanced over to the windowsill and noticed my preschooler gathering a stack of computer paper and attempting to fold it in half.

“I’m making a sticker book,” she proudly announced. “It doesn’t have any words, though.”

“That’s ok,” I said. “You could use stickers to tell a story.”

“I do have ABC stickers!” she realized with glee, running off to continue her project in her “workshop.”

Finally, I peeked around the corner into the kids’ room to see if my 6-year-old had also caught the writing bug. Sure enough, there she was coloring and writing down letters with gusto.

“I’m almost done with my book. But don’t look!” she insisted, covering up the surprise ending with her hands.

“I won’t peek,” I promised as I took her temperature—part of our NYC school’s daily health screening for in-person days. “I love that you’re making your own book. What inspired you?”

“‘Cause Bethany.” Of course. She wants to be like her big sister. “I want to be a good writer, so I’m writing lots of books.”

Chalk it up to sibling competition or just having a positive role model around, I love seeing the trickle-down effect of good habits. Now when my oldest daughter hunkers down to doodle and write, my first grader follows suit with her own creative spelling and sketches, and even my preschooler can’t resist the pull into writing mode—folding paper, placing stickers and forming letters.

They even watch each other cope with mistakes, such as turning a misspelling into part of the drawing, taping on extra paper, or strategically placing a sticker. And the best part of all: celebrating the finished product by sharing stories.

Ready for school a few minutes early, we all gathered around my 6-year-old’s writing table to read her story. We ooo’d and ahhh’d over the whimsical drawings and did our best to decipher her words. We gave advice on how to place speech bubbles from top to bottom and left to right and laughed together at the funny ending.

“I wonder what new writing ideas you’ll think of at school today?” I asked my daughter as I dropped her off with the first graders.

“Maybe I could write about my books!” she exclaimed, jumping onto her spot in line.

Look out world, there’s no stopping her now!

Kristin Van de Water
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Kristin Van de Water is a former journalist and teacher who relies on humor, faith, and her mom crew to get her through the day. Raising four kids in a two-bedroom NYC apartment, Kristin is always on the lookout for life hacks to save time, space, money, and her sanity.

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All I Want Right Now Is a Door with a Lock

By Elizabeth Allison

Photo: Elizabeth Allison

Distance learning resumed two weeks ago, but I realized on day one what I will need to survive it: a door with a lock. Not an easy-twist knob lock. I want a padlock. A hardened steel padlock.

Actually, the door behind which I write during the day has a lock. But it may as well also have a sign that reads, “Come in! Your wish is my command.”

Each day starts with such promise. Early risers, my six-year-old and eight-year-old have plenty of time to eat, bathe and dress. We even have time for a quick walk, after which I arrange a snack basket filled with fruit, crackers and cheese that the boys can grab during breaks. I ensure school supply boxes have every conceivable item needed from now until senior year of high school. Twelve sharpened pencils, eight glue sticks, a calculus calculator. Chilled water bottles sit under desks so as not to fall onto school-issued Chromebooks, devices the boys treat with a delicacy reserved for newborns and Xbox controllers.

All my morning preparation is designed to stave off interruption later because once school starts, then it will be my time. I will have earned it. By then I will have spent two hours pretending to care about zombies, Creepers, and Endermen. I will have consoled Thomas after someone “accidentally” disassembled his Lego tower. I will have pulled a microscopic splinter from Devin’s toe with my good tweezers and a cracked magnifying glass. When the computer chimes at 8:30, it will be my time. Except it never is.

Before I have written even a full paragraph, someone tests the strength of the door hinges and bursts in because “Mama, my camera stopped working!” Because “mama, my math folder’s missing!” Because “mama, someone’s using a chainsaw outside, and I can’t hear!” Because “mama, we’re supposed to move around, and I can’t find the frisbee!” Because “mama, there’s a spider in my room!” Every disruption represents calamity.

I stop what I am doing to reboot the computer for the sixth time that week, locate the math folder sitting in plain sight, shut the window, tell my boy to grab a basketball, and pretend to remove what was probably a cricket.

I return to my room, close the door, put in my earbuds, and settle into a rhythm. I cobble together a few sentences before a blast of wind blows into the room and two beaming faces loom over me. “Lunchtime, mama!” Terrific.

After stockpiling an arsenal of bread crust and apple peel, the boys head outside for “recess” while I clean yet more dishes, sweep up and long for the days of 2019 when lunch was consumed somewhere, anywhere, else. At 12:55 Thomas and Devin stumble back in looking like two Etruscan gladiators. Too late to turn the hose on them, I remind the boys that school resumes at 1:00. Then it will be my time. Except for last week, which was “Back to School” early dismissal at 1:05. Really. 1:05. And except for Wednesdays—professional development early dismissal.

No matter. After school the boys have homework. Then it will be my time. Until ten minutes later when Thomas throws the door open. “Done!” That smile. He is convinced I will be proud. “Thomas, there’s no way you did your paragraph, math, and reading.” “I’m gonna read tonight in bed.” Thus ensues a time-chewing debate on when homework should be completed. “She said to do homework after school. She never said right after school!” Apparently semantic dispute is part of Common Core. No sooner have I shooed Thomas out of the room than Devin needs help spelling a word. I ask him to try his best and promise to check it later. He waves me off. “I’ll just ask Alexa.” Before I can say Amazon Echo, my six-year-old is holding a conversation with our smart device, and I wonder if he will ever need me or any human again. When we reach a merciful end to the exegetics of homework (“I just need to color the chart but is that really schoolwork?”) the boys are released to their own creativity.

We are fortunate to live where the climate is mild and yards are big. We are also fortunate to know generous souls who buy our children a variety of games, toys, and books. Imagine my shock, then, when I learn that “there’s nothing to do.” I threaten to gut their toy room and turn it into a workout room, my dream closet, a wine tasting room, whatever will get them out of my room. They slink out.

A few sentences later, I am interrupted by a quiet knock and two sad eyes peering through a small opening. “Devin’s building a train track. He doesn’t want to play catch.” I glance from those doe eyes to my blinking screen icon wondering why we didn’t have that third kid. Before I can answer, he bats his giant eyes. “I don’t suppose you want to throw the ball around with me, mama?”

It hits me, hard. This most extroverted, most gregarious of eight-year-old has lost what matters most to him. He has lost before-school jaunts through the halls with school friends. He has lost recess battles and challenges with classmates. He has lost lunchtime conversation with those his own age, with those who share his interests. He has lost collaborative work that helps him learn from and laugh with his peers. He has lost weekend playdates and parties. He has lost everyone except Devin, his father, and me. But dad is on a call, and his brother is finally entertaining himself. Right now, I am all he has.

I quietly shut my laptop and smile. “Sure thing.” One day he won’t ask me to play. One day he will close his bedroom door, maybe wishing it had a padlock. I stand up, pull the door all the way open, and tell myself I can write tonight when everyone is asleep. Then it will be my time.

I spent many joyful years in education, but I made the difficult choice to leave the classroom to focus on my children and my writing. I recently published a short children’s book, Many Miles to Walk, an extended conceit written for my younger son to explain his birth via surrogate

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How to Make Virtual Calls Better for Little Kids

By Richard Peterson

If you’ve ever eavesdropped on a preschooler’s phone or FaceTime conversation, you probably found it very entertaining, but also a little cringey. After all, young children are still learning the social graces of one-on-one conversations.

Our experts in the Kiddie Academy Education Department have offered the following guidance on how to make virtual communicating a comfortable and worthwhile experience for kids of all ages.

Is It Worth Trying to Teach Your Child Virtual Etiquette?

As with any one-on-one interactions your child may encounter, you want them to be polite, responsive, well-mannered, and cordial. But the reality is some of these expectations can be developmentally inappropriate, especially with younger ones. In the early years (2 years old through preschool), your child’s receptive and expressive language skills aren’t fully developed. They don’t comprehend certain questions asked of them and will have difficulty responding appropriately. Or they may not respond at all.

However, the persistence of the coronavirus suggests that virtual interactions will continue to be the new normal and the future, so it’s important to teach children at an early age how to navigate and behave in a virtual world.

Tips for One-On-One Virtual Calls with Kids

It’s a big deal when children can see and talk to friends and relatives one-on-one via the screen. Here are a few bits of advice on how to turn the calls into a good experience for everyone:

1. Calls should be short. Recommended maximum times are two minutes for 2-year-olds; three-four minutes for 3-4-year-olds; five minutes for 5-year-olds, and so on. The interaction will be short and that’s OK, too. It may take more time to set it up the call than the call lasts.

2. Many young children become shy—reserved and uncomfortable—seeing themselves and others on a computer screen, while others will become excited and chat away. That’s OK. Don’t force the interactions and instead be gentle and supportive.

3. Sometimes the adult may be the one holding the child back from being comfortable enough to interact with their friends. Find alternative ways for them to interact with friends—send letters, call on the phone, do a drive-by and talk from your car, etc.

4. Don’t worry about your child not looking directly into the camera. Children have difficulty making eye contact in person. Looking into a small hole on a computer and being attentive enough to do so for the duration of a call may not be developmentally appropriate.

5. Avoid using the same space for one-on-one chats as you use for virtual learning. Try to separate the two so that your child is aware that one area is for learning and the other area can be for talking to friends.

6. Encourage your child to share toys, books, or anything that interests them with their friends. If possible, set up the computer so that the children may play together virtually and talk to one another as they play. It’s comforting to know that a friend is with you, even though it’s virtual.

This post originally appeared on Kiddie Academy Family Essentials Blog.

Richard Peterson has over 20 years of experience in early childhood education where he has been involved with the direct and indirect instruction of students. As the Chief Academic Officer, Peterson provides daily support to the Kiddie Academy education department in the areas of curriculum, assessment, training and more.

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These 4 NEW Fisher Price Sets Are a Sign of the Times

by Amber Guetebier

Pretend play is the staple of any childhood (case in point: the classic Fisher Price phone we all had…back before Smartphones). But Fisher Price has kept up with the times and their new sets prove it. New this fall, put these sets on your wishlist!

Fisher Price My Home Office Set

Fisher Price

A true sign of the times, this WFH set just might buy you a few uninterrupted Zoom calls. This 8 piece set comes with a pretend laptop, 4 fabric “apps” to attach to the computer screen, a wood smartphoneand a to-go cup for kids to “sip” their favorite beverage. Ages 3 and up. 

$24.99. 

Buy it here. 

 

Fisher Price Cutest Chef Gift Set

Fisher Price

Encourage kids to play kitchen with this 4-piece set that includes a crinkle recipe card, play tongs with a meatball spinner, a chewy oven mitt teether, and a wearable chef’s apron bib that transitions nicely right to mealtime. Ages 3 mos. and up. 

$14.99. 

Buy it here. 

Fisher Price Baby Biceps Gift Set

Fisher Price

We've all tried the whole "working out at home" thing but you might be able to get away with it a little easier when baby has his or her own set. The gym-themed gift set comes with a soft, wearable headband, a kettle bell rattle, a toy dumbell and a jingling "protein shake." Ages 3 mos. and up. 

$14.99

Shop it here. 

Fisher Price Tiny Tourist Gift Set

Fisher Price

Since you can't explore Paris with bébé this year, play tourist in the living room with this adorbs play set for tiny travelers at heart. The 4-piece set includes a pretend camera to rattle and click, a crinkly bottle of sunscreen, a chewy passport teether, and a wearable bib to complete their tourist look. Ages 3 months and up.

$14.99. Find it here. 

 

Happy shopping!

—Amber Guetebier

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Here’s How to Make Your Own Photo Magna-Tiles

by Karly Wood

If your kids already love Magna-Tiles, you’re going to want to head over to Create On to get the newest version. The online retailer is now offering the option to make your own personalized magnetic building tiles!

To create myMagna-Tiles, visit CreateOn.com and make your selection from nine tile combinations that include small and large sizes. Prices ranges from $40 to $50 and up to 32 images!

Creating myMagna-Tiles can be done from a tablet or computer, and each tile is made with two photos, front and back. They are made with SuperColor technology for a vibrant tile that will last.

Perfect as a photo gift, desk or shelf decor or as an addition to your existing collection, myMagna-Tiles are compatible with all previous versions and make a great STEM toy.

––Karly Wood

 

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Connecting Kids through Video Games

By Mike Johnson

One of the most important things for me during this quarantine has been to find a way to keep my kids connected to their friends and extended family. Before the stay-at-home order, we only used FaceTime and Skype to keep in touch with their grandparents. The kids never FaceTimed with their friends, because why would they? They saw each other all the time.

Early on during this quarantine, we would encourage our kids to FaceTime their friends from school. It didn’t go like we imagined. It involved a lot of awkward staring, leading us to prompt them. “Ask them what they’ve been doing during the quarantine.” “Ask them how they like doing school online.” Sometimes we would schedule Zoom calls with multiple friends, and it was an interesting phenomenon—the more kids, the more blank stares and awkward silences. 

I wondered if there was a way they could play something together that everyone would enjoy. That led me to find Jackbox Games, a series of games that can be played remotely online. I remembered the game You Don’t Know Jack by the same creators in the 90s, so I decided to check them out.

I’m a bit technologically challenged, but I figured out that you could buy these games and play them on Steam, a gaming platform for Macs and PCs. We tested them out with our own family, and once we got the gist, we started playing with people outside of our household. It’s pretty easy—we host a Zoom call and share our screen, and our guests can watch on their computer and play along using their devices as controllers for the games.

The games are simple to learn and very funny. You can buy them as standalone games or party packs, which have five games each. We started by purchasing the party pack based on the game descriptions. I never meant to buy more than one party pack, but we ended up buying all of them. Not every game they have is for kids, but most have a “Family Friendly” option in the settings that will filter out anything that might be inappropriate. Every game we’ve played with this setting has been perfectly suitable for kids, although most games involve reading, so if you’re playing with younger kids, they might have to team up with a parent.

We now have game nights with other families, and both of our kids host a “playdate” at least once a week and play with their friends. The kids usually play on their own for 90 minutes or so—a great break for us parents (we actually started paying for Zoom so we wouldn’t be limited to 40 minutes). And it’s been a great way to keep in touch with people. Our kids are playing regularly with cousins who live far away, and that’s one of the silver linings of this quarantine. Before this happened, they would only see each other once or twice a year and never communicate aside from that. It’s really brought our extended family together. And we like to invite my mom so she can enjoy watching her grandchildren play.

Right now the kids are enjoying a “dating” game called Monster Seeking Monster in which monsters try to find love with one another. Not our favorite, but the kids are crazy for it. They played it with their friends twice in a row yesterday, and I’ve never heard them laugh so loud. 

We used to try and play a lot of games in our house, mostly traditional board games, and despite our best efforts, they often end in wounded pride or sometimes even tears. Don’t get me started on the Cheaters Edition of Monopoly, a game my kids beg to play despite the fact that they inevitably end up yelling and fighting by the end of it (if we ever do get to the end). These games are more about pure entertainment, and the kids seem to get that. There are never any hard feelings or resentment about who wins. It’s really a win-win for all of us because we always end up laughing together. And that’s a welcome thing during these times.

I'm the father of two amazing kids. They surprise me every day and have changed my life in ways I never would have imagined. One of the many projects we have together is a YouTube channel called Mostly Funny Videos, which has been a fun project for the whole family.

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