Best Of The Web: February 8-14

Contributors: Sharon
Beesley, Meghan Gearino, Elizabeth Raymond

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

GO GIANTS! Check out how Park
Slope celebrated another NY Super Bowl win! (Park Slope Patch)

The French aren’t just more fashionable than we are, they
are also better
parents in some ways! Find out what you can learn from them–and how you
can make parenting more of a pleasure. (The Wall Street Journal)

As if Harry
Potter needs any more problems on his plate. Doctors have now diagnosed his
constant head pains as nummular headaches. (MSNBC)

Was travel and adventure on your list of New Years resolutions?
Check out these
10 Incredible New Adventures for 2012–including kid-friendly trips! (USA Today)

Oh, kids these days! Studies have shown that high schoolers
are actually participating
in less risky behavior.
Surprised? (NY Times)

The
halftime show angers parents…yet again. The Parents Television Council is
lashing out at NBC, the NFL and M.I.A. on Sunday’s very blatant flip slip. (TMZ)

Claire McCarthy, M.D., weighs the pros
and cons of getting her 11-year-old daughter a cell phone. (The Huffington Post)

Candy-free fun may not be your kids’ idea of a sweet time,
but we promise they won’t miss the sugar if they have this adorable DIY Valentine
Fortune Teller. (Design Mom)

Gwyneth Paltrow admits to being a very hands-on parent—even
bathing with her kids! Is that weird? (Harper’s Bazaar)

Would you let a Facebook poll choose
your baby name for you? An Illinois
couple did just that when they had decided on a boy’s name…but had a girl. (Babble)

BAMkids

BAMkids presents adventurous art and ideas for young audiences, igniting the imaginations of creative kids ages 3&mdash;11 with a fun and engaging lineup of workshops, movie matinees, and live performances from around the world.

Instituto Cervantes

Children and teenagers learn to understand and express themselves in Spanish, while improving their communication skills through a dynamic immersion program taught by NATIVE TEACHERS that combines CLASSES, ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS and FUN ACTIVITIES! All of our high-qualified teachers are native Spanish speakers who adapt the structure of the class to the needs and levels of each group while conducting the classes entirely in Spanish. We offer both Spanish Summer Camps and Regular Courses for children along the year to foster language learning and multicultural understanding.

Monster Mini Golf

Upon entering Monster Mini Golf, all perceptions of traditional mini golf will be spirited away by the indoor, 18-hole, monster-theme, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course! The locations in <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/deerpark/">Deer Park</a>, and <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/gardencity/">Garden City, NY</a> invite guests to experience a host of family-oriented fun activities. Whether visiting for the first time or the one hundredth, mini golfers feel the excitement and adventure of playing mini golf amidst spooktacular monsters and custom, glow-in-the-dark, hand-painted artwork. While testing their skill on the fairways, lively music flows over the course from the unique &ldquo;WEIRD Radio&rdquo; station&rdquo; and an interactive DJ entertains golfers with contests, awarding cool prizes for the wackiest reasons. While the course is challenging enough for adults, it is also quite playable for children. Monster Mini Golf is open year-round and frightfully fun for the entire family. In addition to miniature golf and thrilling arcade and redemption games, the locations offer additional attractions. <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/deerpark/">Monster Mini Golf in Deer Park, NY</a> offers a Laser Maze and a Virtual Reality experience. The Garden City location offers a Laser Maze, Bowling, and a Virtual Reality Experience. Two very posh, private party rooms are also available and are perfect for any event. Monster Mini Golf looks forward to making it a monstrous success. Monster Mini Golf is indoors, ensuring that the event will always take place, regardless of the weather. It is a climate-controlled, affordable source of family entertainment. For more details please visit <a href="http://monsterminigolf.com">monsterminigolf.com</a> or find them on Facebook.