Clik here to view.
It starts and ends with the kids: Lessons from Dust or Magic
This week, Claire Green, Sandbox Summit co-founder and president of Parents' Choice Foundation, shares the magic of kids media conference Dust or Magic. Among the takeaways? Child development...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why research matters. Sometimes.
Weve all heard of The Mozart Effect. Millions of dollars of mostly baby products have been spawned by the research. Did you know that it was a study whereby college students who listened to Mozart...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
In just a few days, all the holiday shopping, spending, sharing, and waiting will be over. Even though we're all in the business of making fun, times like these can stretch our limits. So here are a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
5 ways to be smarter in 2014
It's time to get back in shape. After two weeks of doing not much more than tracking Santa on my computer, I feel like a slug. But no New Year's resolutions at the gym for me. My goal is to pump my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I’m still learning: A Q&A with Annie Murphy Paul
The number of responses to my last blog on ways to get smarter this year makes me think that a lot of people are looking for a quick fix in 2014. To get the latest scoop on intelligence, I interviewed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
But wait, there’s more! Additional insights from Annie Murphy Paul
Annie Murphy Paul, author, journalist and blogger at the Brilliant Blog, had so much to say about how, when, and where we learn, that my interview with her spanned two posts. Here, Part 2: Getting even...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Are we taking ourselves too seriously?
We're all in the business of making media for kids. We want to entertain them, as well as develop products that stimulate creative and critical thinking, and reinforce 21st century skills. I recently...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Indies: The real winners this year
Though most of us probably tuned in to the Oscars last Sunday, a much smaller number was privy to the non-televised TOTYs - the toy industry's own coveted awards - on February 15. Like the movies,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cupcake Digital president Susan Miller discusses growth spurt
Last week, Cupcake Digital, the mobile app developer known for such award-winning properties as Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Animal Planet, and Fraggle Rock, announced its acquisition of iStoryTime developer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ten takeaways from Sandbox Summit 2014
This year's Sandbox Summit@MIT, Innovation by Design: Inspirations for Playful Learning, just ended. But the buzz is still going. For those of you who missed this annual idea forum, Laura Johnson gave...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Games that teach: It’s not just about scaffolding
One of the workshops at the recent Sandbox Summit@ MIT parsed the process of creating a good game for teaching. I sat down with Barbara Chamberlin, from the Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State, to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Follow the (domain) dots: Jeff Sass guides us through the new internet names
No matter what business you're in, you need a website. If you're like me, and most of our Kidscreen world, your website probably ends in dot com, dot org or dot edu. Jeff Sass, chief marketing officer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Playing for real in a virtual world
Mother's Day. Father's Day. Memorial Day weekend. All of these opportunities for family get-togethers make me think about kids playing together, rather than in parallel universes. And it's interesting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Talking tech, with a first-generation accent
Over Memorial Day weekend, I spent three blissfully lazy days with a group of my closest friends at the beach. It gave me the opportunity to observe how, how often, why, and how well we Boomers play...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Can we really keep our kids safe?
Everyday, we hear about another child horror: from kidnapping to elevator stabbing, to wandering out of school to being left alone with matches. No matter how hard we try, life happens, and we can't...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do what makes you happy
In this season of commencement addresses, happiness is trending. All over the country, esteemed speakers from diverse fields are telling graduates to "do what makes them happy." Happiness is also what...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thinking Christmas in July? Kristin Riddick takes an uber-view of the holidays
After a glorious weekend of parades, barbeques, fireworks and picnics, I got back to the real business of summer by connecting with Kristin Riddick, author of the Kat McGee middle school book series,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Let the stories begin…
If anyone needs proof of the power of a good story to sell products, look no further than Mattel's new direct-to-consumer line of Thomas the Tank Engine wooden railway sets. Read More
View ArticleClik here to view.
The night is young…
It's time to refresh our inner child. Remember the magic of staying up late because it was still dark even though the clocks said it was bedtime, having no pressing homework, and seeing the sky as a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stories that Matter
We can all mouth the words "content is king," but one of the best practitioners of this is FableVision, an innovative media development company that's behind such successes as Lure of the Labyrinth. In...
View Article