KidsCast

KidsCast Essay Contest Winner from St. Louis

Amy Winder — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:38:21 -0500

Jeffrey Wang just completed the 5th grade at Spoede Elementary School. He is one of two grand prize essay contest winners. He wrote about why he wouldn't want to live in a society in which everyone is drunk. Listen to him read his essay.

Download/Listen mp3

Joey Laub will be starting the 7th grade this year in Humansville. He wrote about why using drugs is dangerous and a bad decision.

Video Contest Winners are from Elsberry

Amy Winder — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:27:03 -0500

For the second year in a row, Scott Cleveland's 5th grade class from Elsberry Middle School, has won a brand new computer. Check out their winning video here.

Teacher Appreciation

Amy Winder — Mon, 03 May 2010 10:04:49 -0500

It's teacher appreciation week. What does that mean? It means it's a great time to let the teachers in your life know how much you appreciate what they do for you. There are plenty of ways to show them you care. Here's a list of things you can do:

Write your teacher a nice note.
Bring your teacher a treat.
Make something for your teacher, like a drawing, painting or craft.
Get permission from your principal to decorate your teacher's desk or door.
Plant a tree or flowers in your teacher's honor.

A Spring Activity

Amy Winder — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:33:46 -0500

We talk a lot about exercising your body on KidsCast, but keeping your mind sharp is important too. Writing poetry is a great way to exercise your mind. Read the following poem and find more like it here.

Spring
by: Celia Thaxter

The alder by the river
Shakes out her powdery curls;
The willow buds in silver
For little boys and girls.

The little birds fly over
And oh, how sweet they sing!
To tell the happy children
That once again 'tis spring.

The gay green grass comes creeping
So soft beneath their feet;
The frogs begin to ripple
A music clear and sweet.

And buttercups are coming,
And scarlet columbine,
And in the sunny meadows
The dandelions shine.

And just as many daisies
As their soft hands can hold
The little ones may gather,
All fair in white and gold.

Here blows the warm red clover,
There peeps the violet blue;
O happy little children!
God made them all for you.

Kids for World Health

Amy Winder — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 09:10:13 -0500

April 7th, 2010 is World Health Day. It's an effort to educate the world about the health needs of various groups from around the globe. During health day, cities and communities are asked to put on health activities.

An offshoot of the World Health Organization is the group, Kids for World Health. It was started by kids who want to spread the motto that life is important for all people, rich and poor. Check out their website.

Easter Fun

Amy Winder — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:41:18 -0500

Easter is a great holiday for getting that much needed exercise. After all, hiding and hunting eggs takes mental and physical skills. Here is a list of other fun activities you can participate in to celebrate the Easter holiday:

Egg throw - Separate into teams of partners and try to toss unboiled eggs to each other without breaking them. It can be a fun mess.
Spoon race - Each participant holds an egg on a spoon in their mouth and races the others to a designated finish line.
Shell crack - Each person gets a hard boiled egg. You tap your egg against an opponent's egg until one of them cracks. Then you turn your eggs around and try to crack the other side. Winners of each round play each other until a single winner is left with an uncracked egg shell.

Snack Right for Better Health

Amy Winder — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:15:25 -0500

Unhealthy snacks are often the ones that taste the best. They've got a lot of sugar and starch and little nutrition. Some of the snacks targeted at kids are so bad for you, you'd probably be better off eating nothing at all. There are plenty of nutritious, healthy snacks out there that not only taste good but will give you energy and help you stay healthy. We want to hear about the healthy snacks you eat. Write in to our essay contest and tell us about the foods you're eating that are healthy and the activities you're participating in that are healthy.

Download/Listen to 5min mp3

Say No to Smoking

Amy Winder — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:19:34 -0500

Despite all the warnings from health experts, smoking is still a problem in our society. The good news is that less young people are lighting up and becoming smokers. KidsCast wants to know why you would rather be in that group? Write in to our essay contest and tell us why smoking is so bad for you, why you should never start smoking and why you should quit if you ddo. Plus listen to this week's show.

Download/Listen to 5min mp3

Most Kids Don't Drink

Amy Winder — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:03:31 -0600

The popularity of alcohol advertising on TV, in commercials and on teen dramas, may make it seem like kids drink all the time. The fact is, most kids don't drink. KidsCast wants to know your thoughts on why kids don't drink and what you think might influence kids who do drink to quit. It's just one of our essay contest topics. Check it out and listen to this week's show.

Download/Listen to 5min mp3

Safety in School

Amy Winder — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:05:26 -0600

School is a place where you should be able to feel safe and secure. But sometimes you may hear something that feels threatening to you or someone you know at school. The best thing to do in such a situation is to get grown ups involved. Listen to this week's show for tips on doing your part to make sure your school stays safe.

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