School supplies in eight states are tax-free this weekend thanks to sales tax holidays. Hurry though, because the savings expire at the end of the day, unless you live in Washington D.C., where the savings last through August 10. The full list, inside…
kids
Banzai Wild Waves Water Park Box Picture Vs Reality
By 8.2.08
Hey kids, want to spend the summer with five of your friends in your very own backyard pool? Then stay the hell away from Banzai’s Wild Waves Water Park! David Ng juxtaposed Banzai’s box art with a picture of his disappointed kids standing next to the fully assembled “water park.” He wasn’t the only one deceived, according to the reviews on Amazon…
Screw Basket-Weaving, I'm Going To Personal Finance Summer Camp
By 7.25.08
Here’s four summer camps where kids will learn something really useful: how to manage their money. What a cool idea. I wish I had gone to one in my youth.
This Coloring Book Helps Children And Grownups Understand HDTV
By 6.19.08
Reader Andy sent us this great coloring book he made that helps explain high definition television to children, parents, and luddites.
CVS Doesn't Like Kids
By 6.18.08
Lisa sent us a short angry email about her local CVS, and how it treats local teens. Her local store separates customers into two lines, and the line containing the 18 and under crowd is only allowed into the store two at a time. The store employees say it’s to keep down shoplifting. Lisa thinks it’s blatant ageism, and she’s avoiding the store from now on. Teens can be annoying, but did CVS cross the line in punishing all for the bad actions of a few? Read her letter and leave your comments, inside.
Should 8-Year Olds Wear Contacts?
By 6.11.08
The WSJ Health blog reports that Johnson & Johnson’s Vistakon division thinks the best way to increase sales is to decrease the age, from 15 to 8, as the time kids should start wearing contacts. A J&J sponsored study says it’s safe, and that kids can better enjoy sports and have improved self-esteem, but an ophthalmologist expressed concern that somewhere in between the frog-catching and BB guns (you’ll poke your eye out!) there’s a real risk of infection. What do you think?
By 6.2.08
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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s Hospital Boston held on to the top spots for general pediatrics in the 2008 America’s Best Children’s Hospitals ranking. [U.S. News & World Report]
Dunkin' Donuts Won't Give You A Cup Of Iced Coffee Because You Look Under 18
By 5.15.08
Coffee lovers, rejoice! Dunkin’ Donuts is giving away free 16 oz. cups of iced coffee today—unless you look under 18 and don’t have identification. Tipster Carolyn watched with disbelief as workers at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 1433 2nd Avenue on New York’s Upper East Side refused to serve two high school seniors who didn’t have identification.
Toys "R" Us Carries Lower Back Tattoo Stickers Perfect For Your Trampy Kid
By 3.27.08
Got a trampy little kid that isn’t quite ready to get inked? No problem. Toys “R” Us has lower-back tattoo stickers for little miss thing.
KidsStuff.com Silently Charges $18 Subscription Fee To Grandparent Who Shopped There Two Years Ago
By 3.24.08
C writes in with another lesson on why you should check your statements frequently:Two years ago I purchased items for my grandchildren at KidsStuff.com. This month (March 2008) I found an $18.00 charge from them on my American Express card.
They Ruined Kool-Aid Man
By 3.17.08
Look at what they did to Kool-Aid man. He started out as a giant jug of sugar water, busting through walls and letting you drink out of him, a seemingly never-ending supply of flavorful fun. Flash forward to today and his liquid stomach is stapled. How the hell are we supposed to have an all-afternoon sugar high off that teacup? And look what they did to his clothes. Instead of fruity nudity, fig leaves. And look how they foreshortened him to emphasize the fruit and berries in his hands. So now he’s tiny and modest and healthy. Yay, how awesome. How far we have fallen from Eden. After the jump, a cartoon rendering of Dane Cook’s Kool-Aid standup bit, which captures the essence of the original Kool-Aid man commercials in its own special way.
Inoculate Kids Against Advertising
By 3.8.08
Lisa made her kids impervious to advertising by asking pointed questions that forced them to think about the source and truthfulness of ads. She knew action was needed when when her kids, who weren’t old enough to read, stopped in front of the bleach while shopping to ask the advertiser’s dream question: “Mom, aren’t we going to buy some Clorox?” Hit the jump to see how she responded.
Paying With Pennies Lands Middle Schoolers In Detention
By 3.2.08
29 Readington Middle School students earned two days detention after paying for their lunch with pennies. School administrators took the penny treatment a sign of disrespect towards cafeteria workers, who eventually collected 5,800 pennies.
“At first it started out as a joke, then everyone else started saying we’re protesting against like how short our lunch is,” student Alyssa Concannon said.
FYE: No Kids Under 18 Allowed Until After 4 P.M.
By 2.23.08
The bus-eating abominable snowmen that commandeered I-95 early yesterday morning flummoxed our plans to return to New York on the Chinatown bus. As we wandered through Union Station assuring our mother that we would take Amtrak, we came across this magnificent sign in the music store FYE telling kids under 18—presumably a key demographic—to keep away until 4 p.m. As our friend took a picture, a surly FYE employee sternly warned that we were breaking the law.
Pokemon Valentine's Day Lollipops Should Not Contain Razor Blades
By 2.17.08
A 10-year-old elementary school student found a razor blade in the Pokemon lollipop he was about to hand to his sister. Dollar General, which sold the lollipop for $1, immediately recalled the remaining Pokemon Valentine Cards and Pops from its 8,300 stores, but they are concerned that “most of this candy has already been purchased.”
Forever 21: No, You Can't Bring Your Kid Into The Dressing Room
By 2.16.08
Forever 21 won’t let more than one person into a dressing room, a policy that extends to Aldys and her eight-year-old son. We remember being young, climbing things and looking to run away with strangers, so we were surprised that Forever 21 ordered Aldys to leave her child unattended while she tried on clothes. When she refused and brought her son into the dressing room, a manager called security and told Aldys she had thirty seconds to scram. She calls it as “the most embarrassing and humiliating moment of my life.”
Report Card On Personal Finance Education Nationwide
By 1.30.08
Less than a week ago, Tennessee voted to require a personal finance class of all graduating high school students, starting with this year’s seventh graders. Unfortunately, less than 20% of states have similar requirements. We’ve made a fancy-schmancy graphic to show which states are teaching tomorrow’s citizens how to manage money, and which states are likely to be great places to set up payday loan shops. Inside, see the chart nice and big.
Build-A-Bear Teaches Your Kids To Disclose Personal Information?
By 1.22.08
Over at ZDnet an interesting point has been raised: Why does Build-A-Bear workshop need to know so much information about your children? Just to help return a lost bear? Should kids be encouraged to give out so much information?
