I wrote awhile back about an "Aha" moment I had around computer use and kids. I realized that much of the criticism and concern parents have about computer use is due to a lack of awareness about what a computer CAN do. When I first started using a computer in elementary school, software was limited. So, I wrote my own. The stuff I wrote was simple and would hardly impress anyone today, but it helped me develop a number of skills including problem solving and logic. More importantly, I had the positive experience of having a unique idea and seeing it come to fruition.

Today we have operating systems that shield us from the inner workings of our computers. Everything has a graphical interface (friendly buttons, graphics, etc.) so we don't need to think about what's going on behind the scenes. For many, computer use has become a passive activity where we're fed information and experiences without adding anything of our own. Even "educational" software leads you through a pre-determined path of learning. Of course most parents would rather have their young child building with blocks that staring blankly at a computer screen!

The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way. If you're a parent who wants your child to experience creating things, to explore his or her own creative ideas and to learn to make hypothesis and see them through, the computer is the perfect tool. You just need the right software and some patience.

I've started putting together a list of resources for kids (and teens!) who want to learn how to program. It's actually not that difficult to get started, especially for kids. They have a natural curiosity to know how things work and why. With these tools, kids can create video games, interactive artwork, digital story books, virtual worlds and more. They don't have to be "techies" or want to be software engineers. They just have to like exploring and trying new things.

I'm going to provide forum space for folks using tools such as those mentioned in the programming resource guide. Hopefully, we'll get ideas from kids and adults who use the software, or software like it. I'll try to post some project ideas now and again as well.

Please let me know what you think!

Clinton vs. Obama. Dr. J vs Dr. Pepper. Smartphone vs. laptop. You have an opinion and you want to share. Where do you go? BuzzDash!

Visit BuzzDash to vote on things you're passionate about, such as how many sheets of toilet paper to use. Then, register and create your own buzzbite (poll). You can submit your buzzbite for possible inclusion on the BuzzDash site or get the code to place it on your blog, MySpace page or other social networking site. The polls look snazzy. They can be customized with different colors and designs to help match the mood of your site.

The fun doesn't end there. Create a BuzzGroup and see how your opinions compare to those of your friends and family. Using BuzzCuts, break out votes by demographics such as gender, age, location and race. The results are hardly scientific, but who cares? It's fun anyway.

Other than poll creation, my favorite part of the site is the BuzzDash game. Choose your favorite categories to get started. BuzzDash then shows you 15 polls. For each poll, you choose what you think is the most popular answer. You get a point for each one you get right. I thought it was fun to try to guess what other people would be thinking.

Parents should note that the BuzzDash website isn't necessarily designed for children. Although the polls are edited for inappropriate content, I saw at least a few that were too mature for younger kids.

Ideas for using BuzzDash on your personal family webpage or blog...

• Naming your new pet
• Settling arguments between siblings
• Choosing a family vacation
• Favorite American Idol

Of course, you can always swing by the Family Computing forum, sign on and create a poll over there! Either way, let us know what you want to know.

Welcome to our first edition of the All About Parenting blog carnival. I hope you have as much fun reading their posts as I did.  I think the parenting journey is so much more fun when you can share it with others.

The weather is warming up in my part of the world and I couldn't be happier to get out of the house. My kids are equally thrilled to run around the back yard, play on the swing set and just be free. I have been kicking around the idea of starting a small garden. I was thinking that my kids are a bit young to appreciate it this year, but Brenda Emmet's post at Her Gardening Blog has given me some ideas for getting them involved.

This is also the time of year when a lot of our normal activities are on hiatus. When I read Joanne Ruscella's post at SAHM I Am, I started thinking that it might be a good time to start putting together a summer plan. My kids are too young for most clubs, but if yours are a bit older, you'll want to check out what Heidi Coghlan (About.com Guide to Kids Clubs) has to say about clubs and their role in play. Perhaps it's time to get them more involved!

As nice as it is to have a set schedule of activities to keep your kids engaged, there is such a thing as over planning. Ann Logdson, the About.com Guide to Learning Disabilities reminds us of the benefits of play. And Paul Nowak of Homeschool Dads Blog points out that play is part of the learning process as he reminds homeschooling families to schedule free play into their day. Free play isn't just important for homeschoolers, as Annette Yen at Parenting Zoo reminds us. She suggests that all parents schedule time for play.

If you're a busy parent, you might be wondering how you're going to squeeze play time into your own day. Jennifer Wolf, the About.com Guide to Single Parents, says that playing with your kids can actually open up free time. Terri Mauro (About.com Guide to Parenting Special Needs) has some tips for working in play experiences even on the busiest days.

Sometimes it may feel like you're going through the motions of play when you're busy or tired. On those days, take some inspiration from Kadi Prescott at Super Nanny Rules. She explains how to "Unleash Your Inner Child".

Let's face it, babies are easy to entertain. You can give them a cardboard box and they'll be amused for hours. Don't have a cardboard box? Visit Eliza Ferree at Babylune to read about the fun her son had with his playpen.

As kids get older, they tend to want slightly more engaging activities. By the time you've got a tween on your hands, it might be your last shot to get them to spend "play time" with you. Terry Candee at GoGo Glue Gun Fun has put together a great craft project to take on with your daughters (and crafty sons, of course). Go on, you know you want to Dress a Bunny!

When you're struggling for ideas, take a step back and look for a simple solution. Kids don't need expensive toys to stay enagaged. Susan Gunelius at playlibrary shares a great story about her triplets and a $2.99 bowling game.  Susan's not the only one with multiples at home. Pamela Fierro, the About.com Guide to Twins and Multiples writes about the special play benefits multiples share with each other.

It's too bad that parenting isn't all about finding great ways for your kids to play. It comes with a lot struggles, guilt and difficult decisions. Carol Bainbridge, the About.com Guide to Gifted Children encourages parents to find the balance between pushing your children to excel and giving them the space to explore on their own.

Still on the subject of guilt, there is the issue of how much TV is too much. Carey Bryson, About.com Guide to Kids' Movies & TV says we shouldn't feel too bad about a little bit of TV time. She explains how it can actually lead to a renewed interest in free play.  

Lois Whittaker at Goodies for Mom touched a chord with me in her post about nature vs. nurture in terms of gender-based play. Who knew that my son (with barely a vehicle to his name as an infant) would become obsessive with all things transportation?

Along with the cars and trucks came some surprising (to me) aggressive behavior. But, hey, he's just two and we're working on using our words. I do hope he'll outgrow it over time. We've got a few years before I need to be concerned about the content of the Blog Fabulous post by Tracee Sioux. She gets controversial as she tackles the issue of banning tag and potentially aggressive games on the playground. Make sure to head over and weigh in on this one! (Double kudos to her for mentioning Randy Pausch's new book!)

There is a certain irony in the idea that we are banning active playground games such as tag in the midst of a struggle to engage kids in physical activity. Denise Witmer (About.com Guide to Parenting of Adolescents) reminds readers that active play keeps teens at a normal weight. So it seems that all the years we spend instilling the love of play can pay off in more ways than one.

If you enjoyed this edition of the carnival, please join us in May for a discussion on Road Trips.

Disney has recently announced that they will be closing their Virtual Magic Kingdom at 10pm PST on May 21, 2008. This will come as a shock to their members who have been building a virtual community on the site for the past few years. As virtual communities become mainstream, this is something we're going to start seeing more and more. If you invest several years of your life building up a virtual home and making friends, what happens when that virtual world goes away?

Disney has a number of virtual worlds under development including one with a faery theme and one based on the movie, Cars. They claim that VMK was merely a promotion in conjunction with the 50th birthday of Disneyland and that it was never intended to be permanent. The lack of subscription fees in VMK most likely had something to do with the demise as well. It's too bad because VMK had a broad appeal (just as DisneyLand and DisneyWorld do). It seems that faeries and animated cars aren't as likely to draw in as diverse a crowd.

Brandon De Hoyos, the About.com Guide to Instant Messaging, asked his readers about their favorite IM programs. The voting has ended and Brandon has a list of the best of the best. Go ahead and take a peek at the IM Best Awards for 2008.

Boy Planting Tree Luedke and Sparrow/Getty Images

One of the newest members of the virtual world community, Dizzywood, has wasted no time in joining the environmental crusade. Aimed at tweens, Dizzywood is a quirky virtual world  comprised of various lands, each with their own theme. In partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, Dizzywood is inviting it's young members to visit "Wildwood Glen" to plant a virtual tree. For each tree planted, Dizzywood and the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a real tree in your name. 

In order to plant a tree, Dizzywood members must go to Wildwood Glen and visit the Sprite. You'll play a word guessing game similar to hangman (hope you know the names of trees!) to win seeds and mulch. You can then plant your seeds and tend to them. It's a bit tedious, but if you have some friends online to help, it goes a bit faster. Once your tree has sprouted, you'll be awarded with a proclamation and another virtual surprise. It's kind of a fun way to help kids become more aware of pollution, deforestation and the benefits of planting new trees.

Visit Dizzywood.

I have already made it clear that I fully appreciate getting something free. If you appreciate it too, you're in for a treat... It's time for the quarterly Bloggy Giveaways Carnival. On a regular basis (presumably it's quarterly), Bloggy Giveaways (a blog now hosted at Don't Try This at Home) hosts a giant blog carnival. Every blog that participates is hosting a giveaway on their website. How fun is that?

There are more than 600 blogs signed up to give away all sorts of things from books to gift cards to jewelry. Some of the blogs are having multiple giveaways! Typically all you do is leave a comment on their blog, but some will ask you to visit a website or answer a question. Since many of the bloggers are parents, many of the prizes are perfect for families (diapers anyone?)

Tips:

• There are a lot of blogs participating, so don't plan on entering all of the contests. Pace yourself
• You'll find entering much easier if you have a Blogger account, Google login or OpenID. If you don't have any of those, a Google login is probably the easiest (you can sign up for Gmail and use that to collect your winnings!)
• Make sure you follow the rules in the contest post. It would be a shame if you didn't get your prize because you forgot one little detail.

If you have a blog of your own, you can join in and host your own giveaway, too.

Visit Bloggy Giveaways for more info on winning prizes and joining the carnival. I can't guarantee you'll win something, but with well over 600 prizes, your odds are pretty good. The contests end between April 25-27, so make sure you enter your favorites before Friday.

I finally signed on board with Twitter after much heel-dragging and it turns out that I'm a bit enamored with the whole thing. If you're not familiar with Twitter, or if your kids use it and you have no idea what they're talking about, here's the scoop:

Twitter is one of the many social networking tools out there. It allows you to write short messages about where you are, what you're doing, or what you're thinking about. When I say short, I mean SHORT. You have 140 characters to say what you want to say, although you can link to a blog post or article if you want to share a bit more. Other people sign up to "follow" your messages and you can sign up to follow theirs. You can use twitter with an instant messaging program, your cell phone, or just on the web.

With all of the information there is on the web, I wasn't sure I wanted any more, especially if in involved the day-to-day minutiae of other people. But, as it turns out, I enjoy knowing quirky little things other people are up to and I'm finding a lot of useful information as well. I've already discovered some great new websites and a conference that I'm interested in attending. So, there you go.

You can follow me on Twitter here.

** In case you have missed my cultural reference, "twitterpated" is from the Disney movie, Bambi. One of the characters refers to the time in spring when all of the animals become enamored with each other. If you're in that giddy place, you're twitterpated!

What does $25 mean to you? A dinner out with friends? A half a tank of gas? Most likely, it's something small that you take for granted. And even if you really appreciate the value, it's probably not going to be the turning point in your life.

Now imagine that your $25 could be the turning point for someone else. It could be the difference between bankruptcy and a thriving business. It could mean a positive future for an entire family. That's where Kiva.org comes in. Kiva users can select a small business in a developing country to support through a short-term microloan. Loans from individuals, starting at $25, are combined to meet the requests of the business owners. Once the loans are repaid in their entirety, you can either loan the money to someone else, or withdraw it from your Kiva account.

Since Kiva allows you to loan such a small amount, and since you can choose the business you'd like to support, this is a nice way for families or groups to take on a charitable activity together. It's also an opportunity to learn about other cultures, finances and economic stability.

Before loaning your money, please read the details at Kiva.org. Although the repayment rate is at 99.7% (according to their website), there is still a chance that you could lose your money.

Related Links:

• Visit Kiva.org
• Learn more about Kiva's Microloans from the About.com Guide to Banking/Loans
• See Previous Parenting Site Choices
• Share Your Favorite Websites for Parents

Are you a blogger? If so, we’d like to invite you to enter the All About Parenting Blog Carnival, hosted by the Parenting Guides at About.com. The theme of our first Carnival is “Kids and Play.” If your submission is selected, we’ll publish a link to it on this blog.

Here’s what to do:

• Write a great blog post with the theme of “Kids and Play.” The deadline for submission is April 21, 2008.
• Link to the Carnival Invitation post somewhere in your submission.
• Submit the title of your blog post, the permalink (if you have one), and your name and email address to familyinternet.guide@about.com.

Please read the full guidelines before submitting. You can also visit “What is a Blog Carnival?” to learn a bit more.

Edited to add: You can view the topics for future carnivals at the main All About Parenting Blog Carnival page.