Best Of The Web: August 3-August 9

Contributors:
Melanie Dostis, Kelly Farrell, Gavriella Mahpour

Here’s our
weekly roundup of parenting articles that piqued our interest. Enjoy! —

Whether or
not you’ve planned an end-of-summer
road trip, Babble has you covered for car ride sing-alongs. Here are songs
you’ve listened to for years, that your kids will love. (Babble)

Author
Chris Crutcher reflects
on censorship in schools, after his book, Whale Talk, caused an upheaval in a small Michigan town. And we won’t soon
forget how And Tango Makes Three was
widely banned. Crutcher’s proposed solution? Books should be innocent until
proven guilty! (HuffPost)

More HuffPo…
They want to talk to our readers! The online newspaper is introducing
HuffPost Women and HuffPost Parents this week; stay tuned. (HuffPost)

A
computer for babies? Indeed. Vinci,
a 7-inch touch-pad tablet, has been designed for the zero to four group. Your littlest non-reader
can view videos, games and even storybooks to get the biggest of head starts on
learning. (The Atlantic)

In this
fascinating article, Kim Painter discusses how to handle sending a child
off to college without the anxiety. (USA
Today)

Characters
from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood will
return to PBS next fall with a new animated spinoff featuring old favorites
from the Neighborhood of Make Believe. It will be called Daniel Tiger’s
Neighborhood and it’s the first new show from the Fred Rogers Co. since the
original program aired. (TV Guide)

Worried
about your newborn and the possibility of getting a pesky cold? A new study
reveals that fish oil supplements taken during pregnancy may ward off babies’
colds. (MSNBC)

More
kids are eating out and bringing calorie-packed takeout food home than ever
before, according to University
of North Carolina researchers. And while many people assume that takeout is cost-efficient,
it’s often cheaper to prepare your own meal at home. (USA Today)

Blogger Sarah
Fernandez encourages parents to give more thought to how they speak to their
children. Commonplace
verbal jabs from decades ago are no longer considered acceptable in terms
of parenting. (TLC’s
Parentables)

A heartbreaking essay on Lisa Belkin’s Motherlode blog reveals what it can be like to have a bipolar son. (NYTimes)

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Treehouse Shakers

<div>Treehouse Shakers&rsquo; Branching OUT After-School program is for ages 12-14. This awarded program is for young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, or are seeking to become better allies. Branching OUT centers on discovering and exploring one&rsquo;s story and identity through an intentionally artist-led format. During our community-based program, young people will explore and reflect on their own story to create a larger, more meaningful experience, while gaining self-empowerment and gathering with like-minded peers. Through the guidance of our awarded teaching artists, young people will create narratives that will be turned into podcasts, dances, songs or poetry.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Young people have the opportunity to learn new art forms, work with professional artists, while building a meaningful community.</div>

Polaris Productions Theater Camp

Kids will learn, rehearse, and perform the wonderful Maurice Sendak and Carole King musical, Really Rosie. For 10 weekdays, campers will take part in physical and vocal warm-ups and learn choreography, staging, and vocal parts. They&rsquo;ll develop skills in acting, singing, character development, and more. This camp will ignite your child&rsquo;s imagination and passion for performing, build their self-esteem, and help them form lasting friendships. They&rsquo;ll have fun! At camp&rsquo;s end, the kids will perform Really Rosie for family members and friends. Kids of all levels of experience, ages 8 through 13, are welcome to join.