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The World Weighs In On Gift Giving

by Sheron Long on December 2, 2013

Boy chasing after Santa and a gift, illustrating the pressures of the gift-giving season. (Image © Alphaspirit / iStock)

Chasing after the perfect gift
© Alphaspirit / iStock

There’s Wisdom in World Proverbs

The power of a considered gift is stunning. The world has told us that for years:

Gifts break rocks and melt hearts. —Uruguayan

Now that’s a high standard. How am I ever going to melt the hearts of everyone on my list? What happens if gifts exchanged aren’t “equal”? And how can I say “Thanks” and mean it?

I could have talked it over with my dog or asked Emily Post, but instead I decided to consult the whole wide world. Listen in on the conversation.

How Creative Thinking Kicks The Soccket Ball to Success

by Sheron Long on November 7, 2013

Brain-shaped light bulb symbolizing the power of creative thinking to solve problems

When brain power lights up and creative thinking flows, people find the
good ideas that solve perplexing problems.
© iStock

Powered by Play

In 2008, for an engineering project at Harvard, Jessica O. Matthews teamed up with Julia Silverman, to prototype a soccer ball that traps kinetic energy during play and then turns the energy into a light source.

They called it the SOCCKET because a light inserted into the ball uses the stored energy for power. Thirty minutes of play harnesses enough energy to power a LED light for three hours.

Connect Kids and Nature, And What Do You Get?

by Janine Boylan on September 30, 2013

children at play sign, illustrating a better life

© Thinkstock

A Better Life

Test yourself—

  • What percentage of preschoolers go outside daily with a parent?
  • About how many hours do children spend outside on a weekday?
  • Do children spend more or less time outdoors today than children did twenty years ago?

See answers below.*

Yes, the “Caution: Children at Play” signs are still on the streets, but the real caution today is that children are not playing outside. In fact, they are losing touch with nature and are losing out on better lives.

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