Cool Stuff: Heights

I can't stand heights. I can sometimes convince myself to go up high or go up ladders but I have this weird thing where afterwards I think about how I could have fallen off and get panicky.

I talked about not letting your own fears get in the way of your childrens progress here.

Anyways, check out this video below. It made my heart race but looks like the coolest job in the world regardless.




A lot better than this job at least:



Have fun!

Cool Stuff: Ideas on Zen Habits

Zen Habits is a blog I discovered a long time ago. I try not to visit there too often as I know I'll get stuck in a wormhole of content. There is so much good stuff in there. Also, it makes me feel frustrated with where my life is at and how amazing this guy's life seems. Comparison is the thief of joy and all that.

Anyhow, I stumbled across this article the other day and it's a 15 year old asking him for advice on what to do with her life. There are some interesting suggestions there - but I looked at them as interesting ideas I could share with my children. It's the middle of the holidays and they need something to do, just to get them through those boring hours between lunch time and dad coming home (haha). I voxer'ed a message to them to say "Do something that scares you" - or some such.

With a bit of imagination and forethought, I can think you could use this article to come up with some cool ideas and nurture some values that set up your children for a future where entrepreneurship is the norm.

What do you reckon?

Cool Stuff: Fencing & Sword Fighting

Sword fighting seems to be a bit of a theme in our house at the moment. Lord of The Rings movies are on repeat and the epic battle scenes are being replayed on the trampoline, to the couch, to the lounge floor.

Check out these cool videos on realistic sword fighting and, my favourite, fencing:



Have fun!

Cool Stuff: What Is ANZAC Day?

For those readers outside of New Zealand or Australia, ANZAC day is like our veterans day. It's a day for us to reflect on the sacrifice made by so many so that we could have the freedom we enjoy today.

As my Grandfather fought in World War II, my boys are fairly aware of the importance of ANZAC day and why we celebrate it. However, the video below shows Kiwi kids explaining in their own words why we observe ANZAC day.

Enjoy your day off today.

Cool Stuff: Cartoon Themes!

Check this one out for some serious blasts from the past! My kids loved this video if not for recognising some of their favourite cartoon theme songs then for how much fun it looks like the musicians are having.

The animations give you clues but it's still fun seeing how many you can guess without looking.

Have fun!

Cool Stuff: Make 'em Laugh!

I try really hard not to just steal all the best videos from The Kids Should See This but I can make an exception for this one.

This right here is my middle boy's favourite video online at the moment. A great scene from Singing In The Rain. Check it out below:

Have fun!

Cool Stuff: Sharing Your Hobbies In Motion

A while back I posted the idea Sharing Your Hobbies. One of my hobbies is collecting vinyl or records. Another unofficial hobby is watching things on YouTube, especially documentaries about record collectors.

While watching an episode of the Crate Diggers series on record collectors, I spotted a great moment with legendary DJ Eclipse and his young son. The first scene really shows how much joy children can get out of your hobbies. Check it out below.

Have fun!

Cool Stuff: Why Is Money Money?

One of my favourite games when I was young was a New Zealand board game called Poleconomy. One of the best things about this game was the fact that it had $1,000,000 bills. As a kid, I always wondered why I couldn't just take those notes to the local Toy World and buy whatever I wanted.

The YouTube video below explains why the money we use holds value and why we can't buy things with a banana. Pretty cool.

Have fun!

Cool Stuff: Snails Eating Lettuce

One night when I was young, my Mother was putting me to bed. She asked me to be quiet for a minute and then make a list of all the noises I could hear. We ended up with thirteen sounds that we could hear.

I always think of that when someone talks about silence or a room being quiet.

In this YouTube video, insects are put into a totally silent room and then recorded with microphones to hear things you would never imagine are possible. What do to centipede footsteps sound like? Find out below

Have fun!

Cool Stuff: Getting Kids Cooking

As I mentioned previously, I'm no gourmet chef. But I still can see the benefits of getting in the kitchen with my children. My very kind and bodacious cousin sent this great video my way which I am sharing with you.

Jamie Oliver's Getting Kids Into Kitchens series. A very cool take on five plus a day.

Do you have any child-friendly recipes? What are they?

Have fun!