Monthly Archives: September 2009

Trends the Flu’s Setting this Fall

Posted on by
Reply

In order to get the information, health updates, and alerts that you’re concerned about, check out the social media playground this season’s flu is playing on.  I’ve consolidated 12 Flu Tweeps to follow, Facebook pages to fan, and other websites that offer awesome, easy to understand information about this proclaimed pandemic!

Flu Resources – Includes links to official government health and flu resources, information to share with co-workers

Social Media – Easily track influential outbreaks in your area (and internationally), follow Flu tweets, and get Facebook updates instantly AND directly from the government sponsored resources.

Flu Resource Websites


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s website

H1N1

  • Free printable materials – includes flyers, posters, stickers, and toolkits.

CDC Social Media for H1N1

Flu.gov’s website

  • Interactive Maps – find state resources, news on seasonal and N1H1 flu, state health department RSS feeds and Twitter updates
  • H1N1

WHO’s H1N1 website

  • World Health Organization offers worldwide updates and news feeds including a RSS feed for the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
  • WHO news via Twitter @WhoNews
  • Information for individuals, businesses, FAQs, etc.

Flu Trending across the US, Australia, & New Zealand


Google Flu Trends – Google’s done it again!  Based on aggregated Google search data to estimate the current flu activity for the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico (still experimental phase.)  You can track the United States or by state.

Flu-related and Informative Facebook Pages:


  • Flu.gov – Stream reliable, up-to-date information through Facebook!
  • CDC – just one of many social media tools provided by the CDC.
  • American Lung Association – Fighting to help you breathe better!

12 Official Flu Tweeps to Follow:


  • @FluGov – One-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic flu information.
  • @CDCEmergency – CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response: increasing the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies.
  • @CDCFlu – For flu-related updates from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention).
  • @whonews – World Health Organization’s (WHO) official tweets…get official news about the H1N1 pandemic, as soon as it develops!
  • @WSJHealthBlog – “The Wall Street Journal Health Blog offers news and analysis on health and the business of health.”
  • @riskcomm – bulletins from the WHO and PAHO (Pan American Health Organization).
  • @LungAssociation – “The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.”
  • @pahowho – Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency with over 100 years of experience working to improve health and living standards of the people of the Americas.
  • @RedCross – “Official twitter stream for the American Red Cross. Follow us for disaster and preparedness updates.”
  • @Reuters_FluNews – “Reuters coverage of the emerging swine flu outbreak”
  • @PublicHealth – “The American Public Health Association works to protect Americans from health threats.”
  • @GetReady – “APHA’s Get Ready campaign is helping Americans prepare for all health hazards, including pan flu, infectious diseases, disasters and other health emergencies.”

Youtube:


Stream videos from official government health agencies:

Fall into Flu Season w/ the Facts: Cold vs. Flu vs. H1N1??

Posted on by
4

Do you know what the different symptoms between the common cold and the seasonal flu are?  Do you know the difference between the seasonal flu and H1N1?  Do you know how long the virus can live, outside of a carrier?  How long you’re contagious for?

With the onslaught of flu season and as the word pandemic starts to breathe fear into everyone’s H1N1 concerns, I thought an incredibly helpful post would consolidate important news and resources into a single location, broken up into a series of posts.  I tried to keep it in one article and there’s just TOO much information out there.  I verified facts across the multiple government health websites (including the CDC, Flu.gov) as well as other reputable online medical resources (like the Mayo Clinic and WebMD) so that you could quickly get the facts.

Let this help you share ONLY information (and not the germs) with your friends, coworkers, and family.

Informational Flu Post includes:

  • Cold vs. Flu – How sick am I?!
  • Detailed Flu and Cold information – How long do symptoms last, how long are you contagious for, how long does the virus live on objects…
  • Seasonal Flu vs. H1N1 – Know the symptoms of the common flu, H1N1, and other “popular” strands of the virus!
  • Preventive Actions – How to keep from getting sick and spreading the viruses if you do have it!

Future posts will include:

  • Flu social media resources – Best flu tweeps to follow and other social media resources
  • Infected - What to do if you do have the flu, when to go to the doctors, etc.
  • Vaccinations - Detailed information about the different vaccinations (who’s high risk, etc.), when and where to get it.

*Hope to post everything by the end of this week!

Cold vs. Flu

In the past week, I have probably looked up the symptoms of a cold and symptoms of the flu several times (every time one of my symptoms changes…)  I consolidated all the symptoms to this simple chart based on information from several top medial resources (Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mayo Clinic, WebMD):

Symptoms

Common Cold

Seasonal Flu

Runny or stuffy nose

Common

Occasionally

Itchy or sore throat

Common

Occasionally

Cough

Mild

Common,

Chest discomfort

Congestion

Common

Sometimes

Sneezing

Sometimes

Sometimes

Watery eyes

Sometimes

Rarely

Fever

Rare, Low-grade

102+ F, Frequently

Fatigue/Tiredness

Mild

Common, 2-3 weeks

Headache

Rare, Mild

Common

Body Aches

Rare, Mild

Common, severe

Diarrhea

No

Sometimes

Vomiting

No

Sometimes

Chills

N

Common

*NOTE: Colds and the seasonal flu are all respiratory illnesses that are caused by DIFFERENT viruses.

In most of the articles I read, another determinate between differentiating between the flu and a cold is the severity of symptoms.  While many symptoms are found in both illnesses, the flu’s extremeness (i.e. extreme exhaustion, high-grade temperature, extreme chest discomfort) is a good indicator that you don’t just have a common cold…

The Mayo Clinic also offers a flu checklist.

Detailed Flu and Cold information:

Researching this article was incredibly helpful for me (and both my parents are nurses!)  I have included other interesting and important to know information about characteristics of both the seasonal flu and common cold:

Common Cold Seasonal Flu
Length of Illness Symptoms for 4-10 days 7 days with fatigue potentially lasting several weeks
Incubation Period (Time before symptoms appear) 1-3 days of coming in contact w/ virus 2-5 days of coming in contact w/ virus
Contagious

(Time to avoid ppl)

 First 3 days you have symptoms 1 day before symptoms show, up to 5 days after
Flu Spreads

(Tips and tricks to catching flu/cold)

 Touching eyes, mouth, nose after making contact (touching contaminated object) with virus (droplets from spit, coughing) Touching eyes, mouth, nose after making contact (touching contaminated object) with virus (droplets from spit, coughing)
Virus Survival

(Length of time virus lives on objects)

 Up to 3-4 hours outside the body on skin or objects… Up to a couple of days, depending on the surface!

Seasonal Flu vs. H1N1

This chart was also the consolidated version of multiple resources from WebMD, the Mayo Clinic, the CDC, and Flu.gov (which is a government site dedicated to flu information.)  Although H1N1 is a household term, the specifics of the symptoms is not always known.  Although you don’t have to have the additional symptoms, the following chart can be used as a helpful indicator.

Check back here for Flu.gov’s updated version of symptoms for both seasonal and H1N1 strains:

Seasonal Flu

H1N1 Flu

Fever

Fever

Coughing and/or sore throat

Coughing and/or sore throat

Runny or stuffy nose

Runny or stuffy nose

Headaches and/or body aches

Headaches and/or body aches

Chills

Chills

Fatigue

Fatigue

Vomiting

Diarrhea

*Although you can have H1N1 without having the additional symptoms, the final 2 are often indicative of the illness.

Preventive Actions (Catching and Spreading Illness)

1 – Wash hands with soap and water, constantly!! The physical friction from rubbing your hands together eliminates additional germs that aren’t killed by hand sanitizer.  (Check back soon for my in-depth post on the effectiveness of different hand sanitizers and why!)

2 – Cover your mouth w/ a tissue when you cough and sneeze…if you don’t have a tissue (and especially if you won’t be able to wash your hands or hand sanitize), cough or sneeze into your sleeve or arm.  (Afterwards, refrain from rubbing said sleeve on your friend’s eyeballs…)

3 – Get plenty of sleep; those who get less than 7 hours have more weakened immune systems!

4 – Help prevent others from getting sick! If you were infected with any kind of flu, the CDC recommends remaining home until you’re fever free (w/o fever reducing medicine like Tylenol or Motrin) for at LEAST 24 hours!

*My next post will go into more details about this!

Great Resources:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [Seasonal Flu] – Information from the CDC about the seasonal flu.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [H1N1 Flu] – Information from the CDC about H1N1.

Flu.gov – One-stop access to U.S. Government H1N1, avian and pandemic flu information.

Mayo Clinic [Common Cold] – Includes overview, definition, detailed information, prevention, treatment, remedies, causes and risks for the common cold.

Mayo Clinic [Seasonal Flu] – Includes overview, definition, detailed information, prevention, treatment, remedies, causes and risks for the seasonal flu.

DoW: Best Deals of the Week

Posted on by
Reply

***Educators – Check out my post on how teaching professionals (current and retired) can save during Borders Educator Appreciation Week (Sept. 29 – Oct. 7)!!

Check out these deals of the week!  Something for everyone – teachers, coaches, kids, food, everything!

Almost 20 coupons this week, in alphabetical order:

Banana Republic: 20% OFF + Free shipping on orders of $75 or more – Coupon code: BRSAVE20

Barnes & Noble: Get $5 gift card and $10 gift card from Barnes & Noble – Reply must be postmarked no later than 10/7/09.

Bath & Body Works: 10% off Entire purchase – Coupon code: 1032

bebe: Take 15% OFF $100 exp. 10/4.

Boston Market: Two FREE Kid’s Meals at w/ family meal purchase.

Build-A-Bear Workshop: $5 off $10 or more purchase – Coupon code: 94425, Exp: 09/28/09.

Champs: Take $5 off $25, $10 off $50, or $15 off $75 – Coupon code: CPCH9SYA, CPCH9SYC, CPCH9SYE respectively. Exp: 10/31/09!

dELiAs: – $10 off $25 – Coupon code: DXJ, Exp: 11/30/09.

Dicks Sporting Goods: Are you a coach coupons $10 off $25-or 20% off any 6 or more identical items, exp. 1/31/2010.

Einstein Bros Bagels: 25% Off exp. 9/29.

Home Depot: – $10 Off a $100 – Coupon code: SAVECJU29, Exp: 09/30/09.

Kate Spade: Sale Up to 75% Off + Extra 25% Off Handbags + Free Shipping – Coupon code: GLAMBAG, Exp: 10/18/09.

KIRKLAND’S: 20% off Single item 9/09-10/14.

Oriental Trading Company: 20% Off Any Item – Coupon code: HE1052223, Exp: 10/15/09.

The Children’s Place: Fall Sale, Take an Additional 25% OFF + Stack with 15% OFF – Coupon code: V4989, Exp: 09/26/09.

The Limited: Take $20 OFF $60 or $30 OFF $100 – Coupon code: 830, Exp: 10/04/09.

Toys R US: Over $370 in Savings w/Coupons at Toys R Us – savings start 5pm – 9pm at your local store and valid on Sept 23rd only.

DoW: Best Deals of the Week

Posted on by
Reply

There are a lot of deals this week.  Over 20 ways to save this week, hurry though, a lot are only for one day, ending at the end of Monday, September 14th.  Hope it helps! :)

American Eagle: Take 15% OFF w/NO Minimum & No Exclusions. Coupon Code: 23856437, Exp: 09/30/09

ANN TAYLOR: Take 25% OFF Your Purchase. Coupon code: STYLE25, Exp: 9/14/09

Baby Gap: Semi-Annual sale, up to 40% off!

Bass Pro Shops: $20 off $100 purchase!

Borders: 30% off the list price of one book

Denny’s: Treat yourself this weekend with a free Fusion Favorite Drink with purchase of any entrée at Denny’s!

Joann: 40% Off Any One Regular-Priced Item

Justice/Limited Too: 40% Off Any Purchase.  Coupon code: 294, Exp: 09/14/09

Kohls: Coupon code: BABY20, Exp: 09/15/09

New York & Co: $25 off $75 or $50 off $150 purchase.  Coupon code: 3601, Exp: 10/05/09 or Coupon code: 3588, Exp: 09/21/09 for $30 off $75 or $60 off $150!

Office Depot: $10 Off $40. Coupon code: 51563582, Exp: 09/14/09

Oriental Trading: 20% OFF Any Purchase.  Coupon code: OTCSP2, Exp: 09/17/09!

OshKosh: 20% off $50 or more Printable Coupon

Paul Mitchell: Get FREE samples on their VERY cool wesbite!

Quiznos: Buy 1 Sub + Drink and Get 1 Free Sub

Rack Room Shoes: Buy 1 Get 1 50% ,$10 off $60 / $15 off $75!  Printable coupon.

Smokey Bones: $10 off $20 purchase at dinner.

Sports Authority – $10 Off $50, $25 Off $100 (Online/In-Store).  Coupon code: TSAFZXD, Exp: 09/13/09 or Coupon code: TSARURL, Exp: 09/13/09 for $25 off $100.

Steve Madden – Must-Have Fall Sale- Up to 40% off & Free Shipping.  Coupon code: SMFREESHIP

The Limited: Save 50% off Suits, 40% on Tops , 40% on Pants/Jeans/Skirts, BOGO for accessories!

Victoria’s Secret: EXTRA 20% off Clearance.  Coupon code: VSCLEAR20, Exp: 09/13/09

White House | Black Market: 20% OFF Entire Order + $20 OFF $125 + $50 OFF $200. Coupon code: 8884 for 20% OFF Entire Order OR Coupon code: 8917, Exp: 10/04/09 for  $25 OFF $125 OR Coupon code: 8916, Exp: 10/04/09 for $50 OFF $200!

DoW: Best Deals of the Week!

Posted on by
Reply

Playing around with the easiest way to read the DoWs…this week, in alphabetical order:

Armani Exchange: 30% OFF Select Outerwear + $25 OFF $100 + FREE Shipping (online) – AXGLAMOUR

Bath & Body Works: 20% Off Your Entire Purchase (In-Store and Online) – 1203

Borders: 30% off the list price of one item –In-Store / Online – BHB9149B

Borders: Borders In-Store Super coupons exp. 9/13

$2 off kids toy or game

$2 off magazine

$2 off sci-fi or romance book

$3 off sports book

$3 off test-prep book

Carter’s: 20% off on purchase of $50, 50% off baby sale, $10 GC with each $25 you spend (In-Stores)

Denny’s: 20% off Breakfast

Express: 15% OFF Your Purchase (in store) exp. 9/22

Godiva Chocolate – $10 off $50 Online Coupon SAVED10, Exp: 09/14/09

Hot Topic: Extra 50% off Clearance

Joann.com – 40% Off 1 Regular Priced Item – Online Coupon – SED256, Exp: 09/13/09

Kohl’s: 4-Day Power Shopping Sale Up to 60% Off + Extra 10% Off NFL Apparel – SAVE10NFL exp. 09/13/09

Michaels: 50% OFF Any One Regular Price Item (In-Store) – exp 9/22/09

Mimi’s Café: $5 off $15 at coupon exp. 9/22

Old Navy: 20% OFF Any Purchase + Free Shipping over $75 (Use Old Navy/ Gap/ Banana Republic Card) – STUFF75, Exp: 09/10/09

Restaurant.com: 90% off – NINETY

Scholastic Store – Clearance up to 75% Off + 15% Off $39 and Free Shipping (Certain Items Excluded) – BTS2009, Exp: 09/14/09

Snapfish: FREE Shipping and 50 FREE Prints (New Accounts Only) – FREELABOR, Exp: 09/13/09

The Limited is offering 20% off your entire purchase “276”, exp. 12/31/09

Wet Seal: $9 deals + $0.99 shipping + Extra 10% off – WSTC0509, Exp: 09/10/09

Yankee Candle: Buy 1 Get 1 Half OFF & Stack with $10 OFF $25 (online) – K9HMPZ

Nine 9/9/09 Events

Posted on by
Reply

What are you doing on the 9th day of the 9th month of the 2009th year at 9am/pm?

Sure a lot of people will get married and babies will be born on September 9th, 2009.  Already appreciating September (the month of my birthday), I am excited to announce other ways people are choosing to celebrate this upcoming Wednesday:

1. One Million Random Acts of Kindness – @yokoono has been tweeting in support of One Million Random Acts of Kindness being executed on 9/9.

  • Follow @BecomePeace2009 on Twitter (and help make #peace a trending topic!)
  • RAK (Random Act of Kindness) – but BBC Radio also help start a growing RAK trend…read the blog to find out more (and print your own flyers or cards)!

2. FTD Good Neighbor Day 2009 – The flower experts are celebrating the 15th annual FTD Good Neighbor Day holiday.

  • Since 1994, FTD has encouraged all neighbors to foster community by offering (through local florists) same-day deliveries of beautiful, FREE bouquets.
  • Customers are encouraged to keep one flower for themselves and offer the rest to their neighbors.
  • Find your local FTD florist here.

3. Monopoly City Streets – Google (heard of them??) launches their Google Maps version of Monopoly!

  • Buy any street in the world!
  • Monopoly City Streets blog here.
  • Play against your friends and finally get into the real estate market like you always wanted to, become a property mogul.

4. Beatles Revolution 9 – the iconic Beatles have a lot going on, 9/9:

  • The Beatles Rockband – Comes out for Xbox 360, PS3, & Wii (check back for coupons – I’ll find them!)  Early review from CNET.
  • Digitally Remastered – after 22 years, the digitally remastered versions of the Beatles studio albums will be released, as confirmed by press release:

Please Please Me
With the Beatles
A Hard Day’s Night
Beatles for Sale
Help!
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles (The White Album)
Abbey Road
Let It Be
Past Masters
Yellow Submarine

5. World Day of Interconnectedness – “a shift from I llness to WE llness”…

  • Starting in New Zealand, take time at 9am, to participate in interconnectedness (or oneness) opportunities (formal to informal acts.)
  • Global Events – see what and when countries across the world are participating in.
  • Email a friend
  • Join the group.

6. @BarackObama – Don’t just follow him on Twitter, listen to him address a joint session of Congress on health care reform in prime time!

  • Obama’s website highlights concisely.
  • Obama Mobile – somewhat unrelated, text “HOPE” to 62262 for updates from Obama’s camp.

7. Independence Day – the Republic of Tajikistan declared independence on this day from the Soviet Union in 1991.

8. Father Laval Day – I’d be remiss to exclude Father Laval Day, the 9/9 national holiday for Mauritius, the island republic off the coast of Africa.

  • Father Laval – Roman Catholic priest and missionary to the local people.
  • Mauritius – famous for being the only home of the Dodo bird!
  • On this day, Mauritians (not Martians…) locals head to his tombs in hopes of benefitting from his post-mortem healing powers.

9. SA’s Bartender Bash w/ YVodka – YVodka who I first read about in @SavorSA’s blog, envisioned a vodka for the ’77-’97, you guessed it!!, Y-generation consisting of young professionals (and +21 college students) who appreciated a top-of-the-line bottle for a bottom-of-the-barrel price.

  • Free Y Vodka to 1st 300 club goers!
  • $2 YVodka all nite!
  • Club Newsletters – Not close to San Antonio?  I imagine this is a BIG after-hours night for a lot of venues…sign up for their email subscriptions NOW to get alerts and coupons for Wendesday (and on your birthday, etc…)
  • Follow @TheYVodka & @ClubRive on Twitter!

Technically it just another day…but make 9/9/09 memorable by taking the time and participating in several, if not all, of the events listed above.  (If you don’t make it to Martian, I’ll understand…)

Twitter 101: Friends and Follows III

Posted on by
Reply

3rd Main Way I find People to Follow:

  1. Brute Force – you’ll know it when you see it…(consider this the “browse” option.)
  2. Pattern Matching – You know who you want to follow, just need to find them…
  3. Backtracking – someone’s following me…should I follow them?

Geekette Alert: Did you know the three I listed are also common computer algorithms? An algorithm is a problem solving method with specific execution instructions. See their wikis here: Brute Force search, Pattern Matching search, and Backtracking
algorithm.)

Backtracking

By definition, backtracking involves problems where you already have potential solutions, now you just have to figure out which one is the right one for you.  Similar to brute force, the first place to browse potential followings is your follower’s list.  In this case you go through your own list to see if there are tweets or profiles that catch your eye.  You can also this is on an individual basis, as you’re alerted to new tweeps following you (by default you receive an email per new follower, in real time.)

Before following them ask yourself:

  • Is this a real person? It’s very easy for programmers to script a “twitterbot” which goes out and randomly starts following everyone!  A good indicator is the number of people following them versus the number of people they’re following.  If he’s a 500 people and only 2 people are following him, there’s a good chance he’s not worth following.  Check out his profile if the username or first/last name are not intuitive.  (Another reason to take your time picking a name…)
  • Is it ok if this person sees the information I’m tweeting? (If your privacy is set to high, make sure you know who you’re letting follow you…)  Protect yourself, there are iPhone apps that give your exact GPS location…make sure you are comfortable with that information being sent out.

If everything checks out start following them.  If you don’t like their tweets you can always “unfollow” them (by click on the same button you clicked to follow them in the first place.)

Check out my next posts, I’ll go into details about specific Twitter tools I used for efficient delivery, calculating your Twitter grade (see how you’re doing…), and how to write your own Twitter program!

WoW: Subway Games

Posted on by
1

Website of the Week (WoW): www.subwayfreshbuzz.com

Quick Bit: Who know that Subway offered so much? I accidentally came across their website and loved what I found! Not only can you play Scrabble online (I won a couple things instantly!) but there’s plenty of fun for your child as well! I definitely appreciated how much community involvement Subway provides, with their Little League and school support both inclusive and extensive! If you’re a teacher sign up for their Fit Kids (details below) and get your students in the habit of making healthy choices! Opportunities for kids and adults, this site has a lot to offer!

Subway’s and America’s Pastime

  • Subway Triple Play – Your child aching to play and it’s too hot outside? Let them play baseball or softball from the comfort of their own home. Score homeruns, win prizes. Pick a name for your character, even deciding if their playing baseball or softball and if they’re a lefty or righty!
  • Little League Baseball and Softball – Learn about support this league that was recognized recently on ESPN!
  • Baseball Design Across America – Check out baseballs designed by celebrities, purchases go to supporting Little League Baseball and Softball!

Subway Schools

  • Get Fit Kits – Teachers sign up for Random Acts of Fitness for Kids to help encourage kids to embrace being fit and learning healthy habits! Kits include a calendar, reward stickers, a classroom poster, parent/guardian letters (explaining the program), and a teacher’s guide to promoting the program and fitness!
  • Subway School Rewards – Your school will earn a portion of every Subway purchase you make, if you use your Subway card! Search for your child’s school and link your card with it! FAQ here.

Subway’s Kids

  • Subway Kids – a portal to tons of different online games and activities. Watch healthy shows, get the Fit Tip of the Day widget for download, and personalize the screen viewer.
  • Games – Refresh my Memory, Pants Dance Game,
  • Help you Neighborhood – learn how playing hoops can help raise money for the American Heart Association!

Subway’s Fresh Buzz

  • Subways Fresh Buzz – play online games, signup for exciting offers and checkout local Subway events!
  • Family Alaskan Adventure – Tell Subway about your family’s greatest adventure to enter for a chance to win a family vacation to Alaska!
  • $5 Livenation Tickets – Buy a $5 footlong and get a $5 Livenation concert ticket!
  • My Subway Card – pick out one or personalize, add money online, purchases made with card go towards support school! Check out details here.

Subway Scrabble

  • Play Scrabble – Register to play or claim instant winners! For another month and a half, visit the site each day and Subway will GIVE you a free letter for the playing board! Each letter also comes with a free Spin for instant prizes!
  • FREE Letter – Top right corner boasts a onetime button to click…tell people what you’re playing and get a FREE letter!
  • FREE Random Letter of the Day – use “DFMF-BBPB-QZMF” each day to be rewarded with a random letter to play with!

Use the following game codes once:

Letter

Game Code
I

RXZB-XVCB-GGHJ

H

CGJH-WFMC-XLBF

O

PFLD-WMXK-CMVZ
L

FQDT-PMWZ-SBLJ

U

DFMF-BBPB-QZMF

D

QLHK-JGQJ-GMHC

H

QCDM-QLDK-TRNG

I

XLSS-NGJC-JRDJ

O

KXZT-GVLH-XVSB

Random Letter*

DFMF-BBPB-QZMF

*Only game code that can be used more then once!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Subway/15154150615

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SubwayFreshbuzz

E-mail Group:
Sign up for their newsletter to get the buzz!

Top 8: Kid Websites

Posted on by
2

As a geeky mommy, my daughter has safely been playing on the computer since she was two.  She has great fine-motor skills, able to open Windows, and typing her name.  (I even taught her select all because she wanted to delete quickly.)

She also spends a lot of time (healthy amounts of time, of course) play on different online games.  She was an excellent critic as I was refining this list…as there were several sites we’re not mentioning for a reason.  These sites were fun, educational, and most important easy for her to use.  She had no problems navigating around the site and finding activities she was interested in doing.  They were challenging and age appropriate.  Some of the sites below are also for kids through middle school.  Take advantage of all the free websites out there for our children.

1. National Geographic for Kids – “A Parents’ Choice Recommended Winner” in 2008, this site has games, videos, interactive activities, printable suggestions and crafts.

  • My Page – personalize your child’s page, easily find favorite activities,
  • Get the full list of activities here.  (It goes on for FOREVER!)

2. PBS KIds - One of my daughter’s favorite sites, these site has tons of resources for parents and resources.  (Almost all these sites have resources for parents too.)

  • Games – games that corresponds with all the kid’s favorites.
  • Music – get up and dance with your child!
  • Coloring – print out the pages and take them with you in the car to entertain them on errands.
  • PBS Go! – watch different clips from shows, shows not shown on TV and also create an account and save scores as your child plays!

3. Nick –The main Nickelodeon site, not only does it link you to the other sites it provides games, videos, events, deals, and tons of other activities!

  • Sign up for the newsletter.
  • Games – all the regular Nickelodeon shows for the slightly older aged crowd.
  • Neopets – Quickly create an account for your child and let them pick a Neopet to play, choosing colors, names, and powers.  An online, reality village for kids.  The pre-WoW game, earn points, buy things for your pet.  Feed and dress your Neopet too.  18 different lands for your child to explore!

Nick Jr. – There are tons of games and activities that can be played WITHOUT playing.  Shows are targeted from young preschool through 6 year olds.  Another Nick site for preschool shows, Noggin offers even more games and activities.

  • Sign up for the newsletter.
  • Videos unseen on TV.

4. Kids.gov – Two different age groups (K-5 and 6-8), the website includes government links and external sites.

  • Sections include: Arts, Careers, Computer and Technology, Fun Stuff, Government, Health/Fitness/Safety, Math, Money, Science, Social Studies, and State websites
  • Check out everything here.

5. Disney – Tons of different activities, printables, games, videos, and clips from preschool through tween shows.  Find out information about visiting Disney, upcoming local events,

  • Text MOBILE to DISNEY (347639) to get new text alerts and other alerts from Disney.
  • My Page – personalize your child’s page so they see the same activities each time.

6. Discovery Kids – Fun and games, videos to watch, upcoming TV shows, and regularly syndicated shows.

  • Ready, Set, Learn – A lot of activities younger kids, games include Magic School Bus and other popular shows.
  • Educational activities, learn about mummies, and other age appropriate, scientific activities!
  • Beyond – Education videos that will take your child all over the world.
  • Games – games for younger and older kids, everything from the mindless to the mindful.  Lots of challenging quizzes.

7. Character Sites – Through the years my daughters tastes in shows has matures from Thomas the Train to Olivia the Pig.  A lot of times shows will have games and printables on the TV website it’s currently playing on…but the author/creator will often have their own website as well.  Don’t just stop at the normal channels, make use of Google and make sure you’ve found all the time consuming activities available.  :-)

8. Scholastic Kids – Offers spotlights on different authors for school aged kids.

  • Videos with clips of special events, meet the authors/celebrities, and information on your favorite series.
  • Their blog includes random book recommendations, unknown facts, and contests.
  • Games include online, puzzle, and downloadable games.
  • You can also send out cute e-cards.
  • Play different writing games.
  • Choose your own adventures fun for you AND your child

I didn’t go into a lot of detail of any of these sites.  I wanted to point out a couple unknown sites and if they were already popular I hoped to point activities that have been well broadcasted yet.

Please help your children explore these sites safely and enjoy the time you’re given back while they’re lost in the other kind of online entertainment.