Stuff for Kids: Storyline Online July 9, 2009

Do you love the idea of your kiddo getting a story every once in a while…but just don’t have time to sit down and read one yourself?  Maybe your a bit sick or just want them to watch something better than regular TV?  The Screen Actor’s Guild  Foundation is here to help you out!!

They have a website where famous people lend their voices to famous stories.  Storyline Online is a great way for kids both in the womb (I play the stories to the bun in the oven)  or in their room get a great story that both of you can share.  The stories have great pictures with some animation and sometimes the actors do funny voices. It can also be a great tool for teachers, because the stories are subtitled in English, allows you to play it in full screen and you can easily pause and play it for classroom discussion!!    No matter how you use it, Storyline is bound to put the fun (and relaxation) back into story time.

*If anyone else knows of any sites that support literacy, please feel free to share them!!

Stuff for Kids: Origami Folding (cats, flowers and other stuff) July 9, 2009

Looking for something fun and easy to do with the kiddos?  Korea is a great place to find origami paper cheaply and easily…but what do you do once you get it?  These videos show you step by step how to fold your way into fun by making animals and other things.  (Found on About.com with written transcripts of the directions).

Origami Cat, Dinosaur , Crane , Shrimp , Flower, Bat, Owl, Goldfish

Playdates: Daejeon Playgroup July 7, 2009

For those of you who live a little bit south of Seoul (Chenon, Sintanjin, Peyongtaek etc) Daejeon is really just a 20~30 minute drive into some of the country’s most beautiful nature and exciting opportunities to learn about Science.  It is also home to a very active playgroup which meets 3 times a week (giving you lots of chances to find what fits YOUR schedule).  If you are interested in learning more about the group (dates, times and locations) please contact Maryana at 010.544.6754 or via email at maryanabhak@yahoo.com and she’ll get you all taken care of!

Enjoy!!

Things to Do: Cooking with Kids July 7, 2009

Kids bored at home this summer? Are you fresh out of ideas on what do with them…meanwhile you’re still stuck with the cooking and the cleaning? Well, why not involve them and spend time with them in the kitchen.

The Quaker company has started a cooking group for kids and moms (but I think ANYONE can use the information) through yahoo.com.  Their MomPowerGroup has posted some great videos about books and activities for getting kids active in the kitchen.

Though it’s focus is in N. America (making some of the ingredients difficult to come by I’m sure…unless you can get near a base) I’ll bet there’s a few ideas that can be adopted for the Korean markets.  Besides possibly making a bigger mess having kiddos in the kitchen, what have you got to loose?  The recipes look fun and delicious, makes me wish my kitchen was more than basically a sink haha!  Hope this helps out with the summer cabin fever!

Would love to hear back if anyone uses the site and can make recommendations!!

Have Fun!!

Events: Seoul International Baby Fair July 6, 2009

Once again COEX (one of the largest malls in Seoul) will host the Seoul
International Fair for Maternity and Child Care from August 20~23rd. This fair
is one the PREMIER spots to get new information products and services in S.
Korea!!

This year one the most exciting additions to the fair will be the promotion of
the MOBY wrap through an expat dealer in Seoul. The Moby (which is gaining
popularity all over N. America) is now breaking ground in S. Korea. Using Moby
is a great way to carry your infant while maintaining heartbeat to ear or even
skin to skin contact with them! For toddlers (up to 35lbs or 16kg) , it’s a
great way to keep them safe while letting them interact with others. You can
visit the site http://www.mobywrap.co.kr/ or contact Sarah Cha at
KoreanMeow@gmail.com for more information.

Whether you’re prone to using a wrap, stroller or a carrier…if your kid takes
prefers his or her meals in the bottle or straight from the “tap”, parents and
families of all ages and stages are bound to find something of interest at the
event. For more details please visit:
http://worldexpo.all-biz.info/Event/lang/en/id/66614/country/193/.

Meetings: K~CAFE’s first Meetup July 25th! July 6, 2009

Well we haven’t been up and running for very long but we are hoping that by hitting the ground running, we will generate some new positive energy and branch out to new members in various communities.  We have been advertising and getting the word out, while testing some new sites and ways to get in touch with people.  One of the ways we are doing this is through “Meetup.Com”.  While we’ve used evites before, that’s only good if you already KNOW the people.

Buy using something different we hope to broaden our horizons and meet some new people.  To support that we are planning our first meet up for July 25th in Seoul.  If you’d like more info just following the link to our interactive calendar!!

Looking forward to meeting everyone!!

the K CAFE

Kid Stuff: Starfall online Phonics and Reading program July 1, 2009

For many parents, education plays an important role in your child’s life. This site helps to teach phonics and reading in a fun, animated and easy to navigate way that kids will love. Whether you are using it to teach your own children or to teach students, STARFALL provides online activities, movies, worksheets and more to help children learn their ABC’s and progress into reading.
Check it out, STARFALL

From the site:
“Teachers around the world use Starfall.com and Starfall high-quality educational products as an inexpensive way to make the classroom more fun and inspire a love of reading and writing. Parents use Starfall to prepare their children for school, and to support them once they are there. Starfall is an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children.

Primarily designed for first grade, Starfall is also useful for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and second grade. Starfall is perfect for home schooling.”

Playgroup: Sungbukdong June 29, 2009

*Please note this group is no longer active, however anyone wanting to start a new one has some great info on a good location in Seoul to do so!

There is a group of about 12 kids in the Sungbukarea – ranging from 8months – 5 years. They meet every Friday from about 15:30(3:30pm) onwards (some people come later – only after they’ve picked up kids from school) – and random people attend each week as their schedules allows.

The regular meeting place in Winter is a kid’s cafe called Premong, just about 5 minutes from Hansung University station by car, or walking distance from the Shinsung (sp?) Women’s University station (the one just after Hangsung on line 4.)
It’s a nice shop on the 3rd floor of an apartment building, with parking. It has got tables for people to chat and socialize while the kids get to play. Great for caregivers, parents and kiddos alike.

Things to do: Eric Carle Show until 7/12 May 25, 2009

YIPPIE It's the Hungry Catapillar

Did you guys know about this? I’m so excited! Eric Carle is in town until the 12th of July!!

It’s being put on by a Canadian group (Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia). I’m an east coaster, so that’s pretty exciting for me.

It says your children have to be 24 months and older. My kiddo  is pretty tall for his age so I’m going to try and get him in!

Kid Stuff: Children’s Grand Park March 21, 2009

http://www.igougo.com/journal-j66615-Seoul-A_Step_Back_in_Time_in_Seoul_South_Korea.html#ReviewID:1335499

Children’s Grand Park is somewhat central, has cherry blossom trees in April, and wouldn’t be too busy on a week day. What does everyone think?

Ahhh, it says in that article something about “large expanses of grass fields”… I suppose with a bunch of blankets we could have a little sit down and chat. Sounds nice to me.