Education/Schools

Coming off weeks of hype leading up to Apple's newly unveiled iPad, some tech-minded parents and pundits believe the new "magical" touchscreen tablet could have appeal for kids in an educational context. Textbooks on-demand, homeschooling apps, word processing, art and learning tools; the form and function is near perfect, and portable. And at $499, it's a real alternative to a notebook or desktop.

It seems rather silly to me that I've yet to sew a few bean bags for my kid. True I'm a sewing junkie who just so happens to own a sizeable collection of fabric. And true I have a very active 3.5 year old daughter who loves to catch, toss and balance all sorts of interesting things and true we own this CD.

When trying to teach toddlers a few pre-kinder skills it's best to have a few tricks in your bag. Young kids tend to learn best and are more motivated to try new things when concepts are presented to them in a fun way. One of the most important goals for us parents is raising our kids to be life-long learners and how better to achieve this than by showing our kids that learning is in fact fun.

Practicing counting skills and number recognition is easy as "1, 2, 3," when your toddler buys into the process of what you're trying to teach her. Getting her to take ownership in her learning is key. Kids love all things Halloween so why not use this as a motivating theme to get the learning started in a fun and pleasurable way for your toddler?

Busy with a major move and last-minute family vacation scheduled right before the new school year we here at Otterhop have slacked big-time in bringing you all the stellar back-to-school goodies circulating around the crafting world. And let me tell you, there's some juicy stuff waiting to be tried.

We're recent transplants to San Francisco (via Los Angeles) and we've been gobbling up the delicious mix of kid-friendly arts, culture and events that the city has to offer. We've experienced quite a bit in just under six weeks.

I'm a fan of tricking kids into learning something...Disguising concepts that might normally be on the dull side (like spelling) in a heaping helping of yummy game-time fun.

It's almost total solar eclipse go time. If your family is fortunate enough to be within range of observing this event be prepared for one crazy show. However, if you're not then you're still in luck. There are some pretty impressive sites dedicated to bringing up-to-date webcasts and information about this natural phenomenon.

When we said we'd be relocating from LA to San Francisco everyone we knew--who has either lived or visited the city--told us it was imperative we visit the Exploratorium. Nestled inside the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina district, it truly is an extraordinary place. Noted American physicist and educator Dr.

New in town and on the move, we've been exploring some of the awesome activities to do in the City by the Bay. First stop on our adventure...The California Academy of Sciences. And judging from the crowds on the Wednesday we went it's a popular choice for many folks both tourists and residents alike.