KID SPECIAL ...............SUMMER FUN

KID SPECIAL SUMMER FUN  Here’s a bunch of cool activity websites to keep your children occupied this vacation season ORIGAMI CLUB As children, almost all of us were taught Origami; to work with our fingers and hands using this wonderful Japanese art of paper folding. And if you loved those craft sessions, you can now kindle that passion in your kids during these holidays. All you need is lots of paper, some lemonade and light snacks for some fun afternoons. The site sorts tutorials based on themes that include animals, fruits and vegetables, sea creatures, flowers, clothes, and even numbers and symbols. And regardless of proficiency, whether beginner or expert, there are projects for everyone.     Click on any section and you are taken to a page that displays images of each of the finished paper-folding designs. Select any one and you and your team of ‘paper folders’ can choose between a diagrammatic instruction set, or a step-bystep animation – a great site that guarantees quality time between you and yours. And hey, let them invite their friends over on the weekends for Origami Olympics!     en.origami-club.com W O N D E ROPOLIS With children following you around the house, you’re constantly subjected to the “but, why?”, or the “whats” and even the “hows”. Indeed, the questions our kids ask are enough to keep us on our toes. Now, with Wonderoplis, you have a resource that will help you nurture their curiosity about the world around them.     In existence since October 2010, Wonderopolis poses an intriguing question every day – How small is an ant’s brain compared to an elephant's brain? How many people on earth? What is the strongest muscle in your body? Why is it easier to lift someone in water than on land? Who invented chewing gum? Why is grass green? What makes us blink? And even stuff like, do dogs really eat homework? The site then explores the subject in written text, by way of an audio recording, a supporting video, and even a discussion through comments.     Currently home to over 1,200 “wonders”, parents can use Wonderopolis to prepare “Fact” cards for their kids so they can also talk to their friends about the amazing things they’ve learnt.     Ah yes, in case you were ‘wondering’, the site is designed so you can find fun facts sorted by age, and also by subject matter.     wonderopolis.org S M A RT KIT Just because it’s the holidays, doesn’t mean that learning has to stop. But it doesn’t have to be boring either. Smart Kit is packed with clever puzzles and games that stimulate thinking, logic and problem solving. More importantly, the site’s administrators ensure that all of its content is age appropriate. That means all its offerings are devoid of violence, harsh language and adult situations.     The games on the site are divided into categories such as quick thinking, logic, physics, hidden object puzzles, math, jigsaws, word and picture games, brain teasers, memory, quizzes and spot the differences. Smart Kit also has an entire section of printable puzzles that don’t require the computer.     www.smart-kit.com M O C O M I This Indian website is split into three sections: Fun, Learn and Mocomag. The Fun section has creative activities like arts and crafts, drawing, games, stories, nature and outdoor activities. For example, you can either learn how to draw objects with the help of an animation, or head to the zone that lets you download and print activities like jigsaw puzzles and photo frames.     Enter the Learn section and your kids can dive into subjects like history, arts, geography, culture and more. Each subject is accompanied with an animation or slideshow, as well as illustrations and examples.     Register on Mocomi and kids get free access to the “Mocomag”, an online magazine, for six months. Each issue covers current topics like the IPL7, festivals, driverless cars, deep-sea fishing and more.     mocomi.com THE KID SHOULD SEE THIS There’s a lot of content on the internet, but not all of it is suitable for kids. On the other hand, there is a large chunk of information – that may not be intended for them – but is still safe, educational and entertaining. TKSST’s creator, Rion Nakaya, scours the internet with her two kids (a six-year-old and a three-year-old) to aggregate the best child-safe videos from across the web.     Here, you will find videos on how things work, how stuff is made, about machines, languages, sports, inventions, nature and even humourous ones like Charlie Chaplin’s dinner roll dance in Gold Rush and two dogs dining at a table. So if you’ve got young ones to keep busy, this is the site they should be visiting.     thekidshouldseethis.com M Y H OW TO DRAW The drawing tutorials on MHTD are simple; and seemingly complex sketches – of animals, Disney characters, mythical creatures, superheroes, people, plants, scenes and even The Simpsons – are broken down into basic strokes and curves that kids can follow.     Now while the site is packed with some fantastic tutorials, it is also full of advertising links. Parents are therefore advised to chaperone their wards when on it.     Or, simply print out a few drawing lessons every week, and hand them to your li’l Michelangelo or Kahlo.     www.my-how-to-draw.com     ashutosh.desai@timesgroup.com     savio.dsouza@timesgroup.com