web.finds
MINI MARSHMALLOW OR
POM POM SHOOTER
Laura over at Come Together Kids is a mom of
three who came up with this idea for homemade
shooters made from 9-ounce plastic cups (with the
bottoms cut off) and 12-inch balloons, with about
½-inch cut off the bottom, and the top knotted.
The balloon is stretched over the open end of
the cup. Place your marshmallows or small
pom-poms inside, pull back the balloon knot…
aim, and fire! Lots of harmless fun! Details to
be found here: http://www.cometogetherkids.
com/2011/09/mini-marshmallow-shooters-or-pom-pom.html
DIY BOWLING
Angela over at About A Mom recreated this longtime
favorite! Use empty Pringles potato chip cans wrapped
in scrapbooking paper (try using peel & stick Con-tact
paper to make them more durable). The “pin numbers”
can be applied as simply as using a marker, or get fancier
with cutout shapes and paint. Add a handful of dried
beans to each can to give them some weight (seal the
tops of the cans with clear packaging tape if there’s any
chance of beans escaping with young tots around). Use
a small ball, and your “alley” can be your driveway
or a hallway indoors on a rainy day! https://www.
aboutamom.com/summer-fun-series-diy-bowling-game/
STOVETOP PLAYDOUGH
Erika over at Living Well Mom shares this
recipe for making your own playdough
by combining simple ingredients and
cooking the mixture over medium heat for
a few minutes. She uses 1 cup flour, 1 cup
water, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (in the
supermarket spice section), 1/3 cup salt, 1
tablespoon vegetable oil, and food coloring.
Combine the dry ingredients before mixing
it into the water and oil. Add food coloring
once you have a thickening mixture. Stirring constantly
is important as it heats unti l it forms a dough, which you then knead and let cool. See the
complete tutorial at: https://livingwellmom.com/easy-homemade-playdough-recipe/
ICE VOLCANOES
Lorie, over at Reading Confetti, was a reading
specialist before she became a stay-at-home mom of
two. But she’s been busily creating kid-friendly, fun
craft ideas, and making ice volcanoes is one of them
– a fun project for a hot summer day! Place a golf
ball into a small glass dish lined with plastic wrap.
Fill it with a mixture of baking soda, water and your
desired food color until the ball is covered. Freeze
until solid. From the top, dig out the ball and you
have your volcano. All it needs to erupt is a little
bit of vinegar dropped in the center! Check it out
at: http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/08/ice-
volcanoes.html
What’s New...
IN THE KIDBIZ
HEAVY DIGITAL MEDIA USE
LINKED TO BEHAVIORAL
PROBLEMS IN TEENS
Are children who spend lots of
time using digital devices prone to psy-
chiatric problems? A team of University
of Southern California scientists says
yes in a new study that appeared July
17, 2018 in the Journal of the American
Medical Association.
Teens who are heavy users of
digital devices are twice as likely as
infrequent users to show symptoms
of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disor-
der (ADHD), the study finds. The as-
sociation is persistent as researchers
tracked nearly 2,600 teenagers for two
years.
The study focuses on the mental
health consequences of a new genera-
tion of ubiquitous digital diversions, in-
cluding social media, streaming video,
text messaging, music downloads and
online chatrooms, among others. It dif-
fers from previous research that linked
use of TV or video games to the illness.
“What’s new is that previous
studies on this topic were done many
years ago, when social media, mobile
phones, tablets and mobile apps didn’t
exist,” said Adam Leventhal, professor
of preventive medicine and psychology
and director of the USC Health, Emo-
tion and Addiction Laboratory at the
Keck School of Medicine of USC.
“New, mobile technologies can
provide fast, high-intensity stimula-
tion accessible all day, which has in-
creased digital media exposure far
beyond what’s been studied before,”
he said.
The findings have ramifications
for parents, schools, technology com-
panies and pediatricians concerned
that tech-dependent teens are driven
to distraction—or worse. For example,
a recent survey by nonprofit Common
Sense Media showed teens spend
about one-third of their day—nearly
nine hours—using online media. A
separate survey published last month
by the U.S. Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention shows 43 percent
of high school students used digital
media three or more hours per day.
While the popularity of digital media in
kids is well known, the impacts are not.
August 2018 WNY Family 5