This week on the web...

This is pretty cool- real food cut into identical cubes- there are close up shots on the original page. 

I liked this post about Childism (and Adultism too). I'm happy to say I am Childist too.

A healthy Ice-blended coffee (Frap!!) I definitely want to try this sometime soon.

Some thought provoking and funny cartoons about Smart Phones.

I may have shared this page again but it's worth reminding about because Ditch the Carbs Kids lunch and snack resources are awesome!

Teacher Tom's sharing of the concepts of living life horizontally vs. vertically was very interesting- we've been pretty horizontal around here lately... definitely need more vertical in our lives. 

Glennon is at the storyline blog with some great questions for strengthening and deepening relationships.

Huff Posts article on the impact of technology on children was interesting if somewhat extreme in the context of our family: "Technology's impact on the 21st century family is fracturing its very foundation, and causing a disintegration of core values that long ago were the fabric that held families together." It did make me consider the difference between the 'Bigs' and the 'Littles' their upbringings were significantly different and therefore it makes in interesting to think on their similarities and differences and if technology could have played some part in that.

So what is the impact of technology on the developing child? Children's developing sensory, motor, and attachment systems have biologically not evolved to accommodate this sedentary, yet frenzied and chaotic nature of today's technology. The impact of rapidly advancing technology on the developing child has seen an increase of physical, psychological and behavior disorders that the health and education systems are just beginning to detect, much less understand.

Let the kids learn through play was nothing new to me and once again left me questioning the wisdom in sending Tama to school next year.

Rebecca A. Marcon, a psychology professor at the University of North Florida, studied 343 children who had attended a preschool class that was “academically oriented,” one that encouraged “child initiated” learning, or one in between. She looked at the students’ performance several years later, in third and fourth grade, and found that by the end of the fourth grade those who had received more didactic instruction earned significantly lower grades than those who had been allowed more opportunities to learn through play. Children’s progress “may have been slowed by overly academic preschool experiences that introduced formalized learning experiences too early for most children’s developmental status,” Dr. Marcon wrote.

1000 Hours Outside is a pretty cool website for families.

I found a new Etsy shop this week Studio Armadillo is a bit out of my price range but I think these things are all very pretty and cool.....

 ♥