Thursday, September 17, 2009
MySpace CTIA Presence
Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) Launches Five New Phones
Ringing Up Facebook photos
AOL
Player Requirements
Costs Involved
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Monday, September 14, 2009
Superheroes" Are Based on "Super Animals
As we have seen, the spider is an animal with spectacularly impressive features. It is of course impossible for these properties to have come into being in the spider by chance, or for a living thing such as spider with no powers of reasoning to have planned these features and placed them inside its own body. These superior features of the spider show that God created the spider flawlessly, just as He did all other living things.
Spiderman, currently playing in cinemas all over the world, possesses just a few of a spider's properties. As we hold our breath and watch these features in action in an imaginary character on the screen, we should also consider the spider itself, which possesses so many more, and feel even greater excitement in the face of God's magnificent creative artistry.
It must not be forgotten that Spiderman and all other superheroes are imaginary characters based on the wonderful living things created from nothing by God.
The Miracle of Silk
Spiders make different threads in their bodies for different purposes. These silks, in the same way as they have different qualities from the point of view of strength and elasticity, also exhibit different thicknesses and levels of stickiness. For example, although the dragline, which plays such a large part in the spider's life, does not possess the quality of stickiness, it is nevertheless strong and elastic. It can easily bear weights up to two or three times the weight of the spider. It is thanks to this silk that the spider, carrying the prey it has caught, can move safely up and down.
The Web: A Design Marvel
Water-Walking
Venom-Pumping Fangs
Superior Sensory Capabilities
Functional Legs
Adhesion to Surfaces
Spider Senses
Spider Reflexes
The Spider Web
Spiderman
The film is a sequel to the first, which broke "first three day" box office records when it was first released in the USA two years ago, and this too looks likely to break further records.
The film broke the "first day" box office record in North America with $40.5 million.
A brief summary of the story line is as follows:
Tony Parker uses the advantages given him by his powers to help others and has to fight the dark forces he encounters in doing so. Yet he also has to strike a balance between his roles as Spiderman and as a university student. This time Peter finds himself up against the powerful, many-armed, evil Dr. Octopus, or "Dr. Ock." Peter needs all his superhero powers to stop this eight-armed madman.
With this exciting story line and its stunning special effects, Spiderman-2 is a real visual extravaganza for viewers.
The Spiderman character is based on the classic Marvel Comic cartoon hero. Designed by Marvel director Stan Lee and company character designer Steve Ditko, Spiderman first saw the light of day in 1962, in the final edition of the not too successful cartoon Amazing Fantasy. The character gained such rapid popularity that the name Amazing Fantasy was changed to Amazing Spider-Man, and readers became re-acquainted with him in March 1963.
Let us now have a look at the features that make this superhero the "hero" he is.
Spider-Man 3
A sense of strain envelops the proceedings this time around. One can feel the effort required to suit up one more time, come up with fresh variations on a winning formula and inject urgency into a format that basically needs to be repeated and, due to audience expectations, can't be toyed with or deepened very much.
Big problem with third Spideyis the script, the very same element that elevated the second yarn. Four years back, vet scenarist Alvin Sargent, with a story assist from Michael Chabon, enriched the premise from all angles -- emotion, humor and villainy. This time, the magic has eluded Sargent and the Raimi brothers, director Sam and co-writer Ivan, the result being a story that would have provenmore satisfactory for a late '60s cartoon-hero TV show than for a new-century blockbuster.
At the outset, everything is so hunky-dory that New York City looks like Pleasantville. Thanks to Spider-Man, crime is virtually non-existent, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) is a burgeoning musical theater star, and Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), still studying science at college, is dorkier than ever.
But evil begins to reassert itself on several fronts. As Peter and Mary Jane gaze at the stars from their spider-web hammock overlooking the city, a modest "War of the Worlds"-like meteor crashes nearby and emits a gooey black silk that slithers and slides of its own accord.
A hard-outside/soft-inside criminal (Thomas Haden Church), who turns out to have been responsible for the murder of Peter's beloved Uncle Ben, escapes from prison and, through a process that defies comprehension but is undeniably eye-catching, turns into a shape-changer named Sandman who can blow through the caverns of Manhattan or become a giant hulk with fearsome pummeling power.
And then there is Harry Osborn (James Franco), who, still blaming Spider-Man for the death of his father, decides to emulate the great green one by engineering a new designer Goblin outfit and flying board and taking to the skies to avenge his old man.
Peter acquires yet another adversary in the person of Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), an aggressive street photographer who vies with Peter to capture the revelatory shot that will reveal Spider-Man for who he really is, a coup that will land the winner a full-time job from editor J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) at the Daily Bugle. The rivalry turns into outright war when Eddie morphs into one more Marvel supervillain, the fanged Venom, whose skills eerily match those of Spidey.
Early going is enlivened by a couple high-wire action sequences, a Goblin attack and especially a vertigo-inducing scene in which an out-of-control construction crane demolishes part of a nearby skyscraper, sending platinum blonde Gwen (Bryce Dallas Howard), a classmate of Peter's, heading toward the pavement, only to be saved at the last second by guess who.
But the dramatic temperature is brought way down by Mary Jane, who's become a real drag. Fired, in a poor scene, from her Broadway play, she pathetically begs for attention, becomes petulant when Spidey plants a public kiss on Gwen after saving her, then seeks solace from Harry.
In all his dealings with her, Peter still acts like the prim, naive high school kid he was when first seen in the series five years ago, as if he hadn't learned anything through all his subsequent trials. Scripting of the many domestic scenes between Peter and women, specifically Mary Jane and Rosemary Harris' Aunt May, is very dull and unimaginative.
Script's one big idea is to have Peter/Spidey explore his "dark side," a gambit of tiresome psychological value but with the obvious side benefits of temporarily suspending his goody two-shoes personality and giving him a new, black costume. All the ploy really amounts to is an interlude in which Peter struts around Gotham with a trendy new haircut ogling women and humiliating Mary Jane with some aggressive nightclub antics.
Given the setup, Spider-Man in the end has to contend with multiple villains in a gigantic action climax that, unfortunately, is too reminiscent of the first film's Roosevelt Island episode thanks to the similar imperilment of Mary Jane. Still, Sandman is a strange and visually interesting baddie endowed by Church with a melancholy undercurrent.
Grace, who could plausibly have played Spider-Man himself, provides a spark with something extra as Spidey's first major adversary his own age.
Technically, pic is fully on a par with the previous entries, which means the visual effects will have fans wide-eyed throughout.
More than one option
(Co) Sony Pictures Entertainment
(Person) Sony Pictures Entertainment
More than one option
(Person) Stan Lee
Voice, Characters as Source Material, Song
(Person) Stan Lee
Actor
More than one option
(Person) Rosemary Harris
Actor
(Person) Rosemary Harris
Hair Assistant
More than one option
(Film) War of the Worlds
(Tv) War of the Worlds
Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen), Bill Pope; editor, Bob Murawski; music, Christopher Young; original music themes, Danny Elfman; production designers, Neil Spisak, J. Michael Riva; art directors, Christopher Burian-Mohr, David F. Klassen, Dawn Swiderski, Suzan Wexler, David Swayze (N.Y.); set designers, J. Andre Chaintreuil, Aric Cheng, Kevin Cross, Andrea Dopaso, Noelle King, Jeff Markwith, Barbara Mesney, Theodore Sharps, Patte Strong-Lord; set decorators, Leslie A. Pope, Susan Bode-Tyson (N.Y.); costume designer, James Acheson; sound (Dolby Digital/SDDS/DTS), Joseph Geisinger; supervising sound editor/sound designer, Paul N.J. Ottosson; supervising sound mixers, Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell; visual effects supervisor, Scott Stokdyk; special visual effects and animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks; special effects supervisor, John R. Frazier; stunt coordinators, Dan Bradley, Scott Rogers; assistant director, Eric Heffron; second unit directors, Bradley, Jeffrey A. Lynch, David Lowery; second unit camera, Jonathan Taylor; casting, Francine Maisler, Kathleen Driscoll-Mohler. Reviewed at the Grove, Los Angeles, April 19, 2007. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 139 MIN.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Epic boss battles
Spider sense
The amazing Spiderman
Spiderman 3 Hands On Preview PS3
GBA, Nintendo DS, PS2, PSP and Wii Port of Spider Man III
PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Port of Spider Man III
PC Port of Spider Man III
Spider-Man 3 - Grand Finale
Spider-Man 3 - Sandman Missions
Spider-Man 3 - New Goblin
Spider-Man 3 - Scorpion
Spider-Man 3 - Mad Bomber Missions
Spider-Man 3 - Robbie's Photo Assignments mission
Spider-Man 3 - DeWolfe
Spider-Man 3 - Lizard/Dr. Connors Missions
Spider-Man 3 - The Dragon Tail mission
Spider-Man 3 - Apocalypse
Spider-Man 3 - The Missions
Spider-Man 3 - The blacksuited Spidey
Spider-Man 3 - The Cast
Spider-Man 3 - The Villains
Spider-Man 3 - Combat
Spider-Man 3 - The Control System and Movement
Spider-Man 3 - The Control System and Movement
Spider-Man 3 - The Game Plot
Spider-Man 3 - Introduction
SUPPORTED PLATFORMS & MEDIA OF SPIDER-MAN 3
DEVELOPMENT OF SPIDER-MAN 3
SPIDER-MAN 3
[edit] Plot
The next morning, Peter wakes to find that his vision is now naturally clear and that he has physically metamorphosed to become more muscular. At school later, he emits web strings from his wrists and has quick-enough reflexes to avoid being injured in a fight with bully Flash Thompson. As Peter infers that the spider's bite has given him spider-like abilities, he escapes school for buildings elsewhere, where he develops his new skills, quickly learning to scale walls, to jump long between building rooftops, and to swing via web.
Meanwhile, scientist and owner of Oscorp Norman Osborn, Harry's father, is attempting to preserve his company's military contract, knowing that losing it will bankrupt his business. He experiments on himself with his company's new, but possibly unstable performance-enhancing chemical vapor. The performance-enhancer increases his speed, strength, and stamina. The vapor having also made him insane, he easily murders his assistant, Mendel Stromm. A few days later, Norman kills several scientists (among them General Slocum) who threaten to drive Norman out of business.
Thumbing through the local classifieds, Peter sees a wrestling-tournament ad offering $3,000 to any participant who survives in the ring for three minutes. Figuring the purse to be enough for a car that will impress Mary Jane, Peter enters the tournament, unbeknownst to his aunt and uncle. Driving him on tournament day, Uncle Ben expresses concern for Peter, advising, "With great power comes great responsibility." Peter lashes out in frustration and leaves.
For the fight, Peter has chosen the name the Human Spider, but the ring announcer doesn't like it, opting to announce him as "Spider-Man," instead. Peter defeats his opponent, Bonesaw McGraw, but the man in charge only gives him $100 in prize money, using the excuse that he won in two minutes despite the ad's explicit claim of "three" minutes. When Peter turns around to go, a thief comes into the office, but Peter, in retaliation for the promoter's deception, does nothing to stop the burglar from escaping with the promoter's gate money. Not long after, Peter finds his uncle on the sidewalk, shot by a carjacker; he holds his uncle's hand as he dies in Peter's arms. Peter tracks down the carjacker, only to find that it's the same thief he earlier allowed to escape. The murderer then threatens to shoot Peter, but he breaks his wrist before he can pull the trigger, then the murderer falls out a window to his death.
Upon graduating from high school, Peter decides to use his abilities to fight injustice. He dons both a new costume and a new persona: Spider-Man. When he arrives in newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson's office with the only clear images of Spider-Man, he is hired as a freelance photographer.
Norman, upon finding out that Oscorp's board members plan to sell the company, attacks and murders them at the World Unity Fair, but Spider-Man arrives to drive him off before he can do any more harm. Jameson quickly dubs Norman's persona the "Green Goblin". The Goblin later kidnaps Spider-Man to offer him a place at his side, but Spider-Man refuses, knowing that it is the right thing to do. At the Osborns and Parkers' Thanksgiving dinner, Norman figures out, unbeknownst to Peter, Spider-Man's true identity; that night, the Green Goblin attacks Aunt May.
As Aunt May recovers in the hospital, Mary Jane admits to Peter a crush on Spider-Man, her frequent rescuer. She inquires whether Spider-Man ever asks about her; Peter reflects on his own feelings, at which point Harry enters. Feeling betrayed by both his girlfriend and his best friend, Harry tells his father of whom Peter loves the most, unknowingly revealing to the Green Goblin Spider-Man's biggest weakness.
The Goblin takes Mary Jane and a Roosevelt Island Tramway car full of children hostage on the Queensboro Bridge, and Spider-Man arrives, just as Goblin has planned. The Goblin forces him to choose whom to save, dropping both Mary Jane and the tramway car simultaneously, but Spider-Man manages to save them all. The two fight for a bit, but the Goblin overpowers Spider-Man and throws him into the abandoned Smallpox Hospital on Roosevelt Island.
Peter, now heavily injured and his mask being burned to half, is brutally beaten up by the Goblin. The Goblin boasts of how he will later kill Mary Jane, but the tables turn as an enraged Spider-Man dominates him and forces him to unmask. As Norman contritely begs for forgiveness, his alter-ego slyly, via remote control, positions his glider to impale Spider-Man. He tells Peter that he had been a father to him and begs him to be a son to him. However Peter says that Ben Parker was his father. The Goblin yells Godspeed Spider-Man! and his glider rushes towards Peter to impale him. The superhero avoids the attack, leading the glider to impale Norman instead. Norman uses his last breath to state merely, "Peter, don't tell Harry."
Spider-Man brings a now dead Norman to the latter's apartment. Just as he has laid the body down, Harry arrives, stunned and angered, but the darkness prevents Peter's reveal. Harry turns to pull a gun from a drawer, but Spider-Man is already gone by the time he has turned back.
Upon the conclusion of Norman’s funeral, before leaving, Harry vows to Peter that he will kill Spider-Man as vengeance for his own father's death; Peter is all he has left now, he says. Mary Jane confesses her love to Peter and kisses him, but Peter hides his true feelings, feeling that he must protect her from Spider-Man's enemies' attention. Walking away from a now distraught MJ, he recalls Uncle Ben's famous words, "With great power comes great responsibility," and accepts his new life as Spider-Man.
Spider-Man
The film begins with Peter Parker, a high school student, being bitten by a genetically altered spider. After misusing his newly-given abilities, which indirectly causes the death of his Uncle Ben, he becomes the heroic Spider-Man. Peter hopes to win the heart of Mary Jane Watson, the girl he has loved since he was a boy. Meanwhile, he must battle the villainous Green Goblin, the alter ego of the father of his best friend, Harry Osborn.
After being stuck in development hell for nearly 25 years, the film was released on May 3, 2002, by Columbia Pictures, to excellent reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend. With $821.71 million worldwide, it was 2002's third-highest-grossing film and is the 20th-highest-grossing film of all time. Spider-Man was, for its time, the most successful film based on a comic book. The film's success has led to two sequels, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. Spider-Man 3, like Spider-Man, would set a new record for opening-weekend gross.
Cheat a Game
How to Use Game Cheats for PS2 Spiderman 3
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Railroad Tycoon" Description
Mahjong Glossary and Terms
Here are some common terms used when playing the game of mahjong.
- Bamboos - Most common name given for one of the suits. Also referred to as Bones or Sticks
- Bonus Tiles - These allow for bonus points
- Characters - The western name given for one of the suits and is also sometimes referred to as Cracks or Ten Thousands
- Chicken Hand - A hand that doesn't give any points.
- China Jade - A hand that consists of only green tiles.
- Chow - A set of three tiles with the same suit in a sequence or run.
- Circles - The western name given for one of the suits and is also sometimes referred to as Coins, Plates, Disks or Moons
- Concealed - A tile or meld that has been complete from tiles drawn from the wall
- Discard - To reject a card which can then be used by another player
- Exposed - A tile or meld that was completed with a tile that was discarded from another player
- Family Hand - A meld consisting of all three suits, winds and dragons.
- Flower Tile - There are usually four of these in a set and are used to give points
- Going Mahjong - Declaring a hand which is worth eight points or more.
- Going Out - Same as Going Mahjong.
- Head - A pair of tiles that is necessary in order to declare going mahjong.
- Honor Tiles - Tiles consisting of Winds and Colors/Dragons.
- Knitted Tiles - Tiles 1-4-7, 2-5-8 and 3-6-9 in different suits.
- Kong - Four identical tiles.
- Major Tiles - Tiles consisting of Honors and Terminals.
- Minor Tiles - Tiles consisting of 2 through 8 in any suit.
- Meld - A combination or set of tiles
- Moons - Alternative name given for Circles
- Open - Alternative name given for exposed
- Pung - Three identical tiles which is sometimes referred to as Pong.
- Self-drawn - A tile that has been drawn from the wall.
- Set - A combination of tiles either chow, pung or kong.
- Simples - Suit tiles which are not terminals.
- Stepped - Chows separated by one or two numbers.
- Sticks - Alternative name given for bamboo tiles.
- Terminals - Tiles one and nine in any suit.
- Twin Chows - Two chows of the same suit.
- Void Suited Hand - A hand that doesn't contain any tiles of one suit.
- Wall - Tiles that are assembled face down at the beginning of the game which are drawn from during play.
- Winds - Tiles that represent North, East, South and West which are associated with each player.
Playing the game
The player positioned as East is the first to discard a tile by placing it face up in the middle of the table. Each player then has their subsequent turn of discarding a tile and picks up a new one with the option to create a tile combination. i.e. after each discard, any player can declare Pong, Kong or Chow and use the discarded tile as part of a combination.
Play continues in this fashion until someone can declare Mahjong. Whenever a player declares Kong, he/she must present the combination face up and immediately take a new tile from the Kong Box. A Pong that has been declared can be converted into a Kong but only when using a tile taken from the wall.
Tile that have been discarded are considered dead if no one is able to create a combination with them
If all tiles have been drawn, then there is no winner and the game is declared a draw. The tiles are then reshuffled with the same wind positions.
Aim of Mahjong
Dealing the Tiles
Making a Break in the Wall
Setting up the Tiles
Mahjong Seating
Before the game starts, each player must draw randomly from the four wind tiles to determine order. These tiles look like the following:
(From left to right, East, South, West, North)
The East tile is considered the prevailing wind and is the first player to start for the round. He/She also receives double points and is also paid double the normal amount. Order of play continues in an anti-clockwise fashion and then for subsequent rounds, players rotate their position. In some cases, a complete session of mahjong is when after everyone has had a turn of being the prevailing East position, South is then determined to be the prevailing wind. Once everyone has had a turn being the prevailing South wind, West is then determined to be the prevailing wind and so on until finally everyone has had a turn of being the prevailing north wind. However, completing a full session of mahjong is certainly not necessary and most people usually play up to a certain amount of rounds or points anyway.
Chinese Mahjong Rules
Mahjong Rules - How to Play Mahjong
Like many traditional board games, there is quite a large variety of mahjong variations which can make things quite difficult and confusing for beginners looking for an official set of rules. The most common set of rules are derived from the tradtional Chinese game which is considered by many to be the simplest yet probably the most skillful variation. There is also a British version of mahjong which is slightly different mainly because only one "Chow" is allowed per hand as well as allowing for more "special hands".
In America, the rules are quite different and involve a larger and complicated set of "special hands" which has been derived from the initial Chinese set and where a player cannot go "Mah Jong" with more than one suit in hand.
As you can see, there are quite a lot of variations so be sure to understand the rules for the type of mahjong form you are playing.Multiplayer Mahjong
Mahjong Solitaire - Mahjong Shanghai
If you are unfamiliar with mahjong solitaire, it is basically a matching game using the tiles from the game of mahjong instead of cards. These types of games are also referred to as Shanghai solitaire or mahjong shanghai.
The objective of the game is to eliminate all pieces from the board by finding all matching tiles. Matching tiles can only be removed from the board if they are considered "free". i.e. a tile is considered "free" if there are no tiles either to the left or right of it.
Origins of Mahjong
The origins of Mahjong is a highly debated topic and to this day, there are many myths and stories of how and when it was actually created.
One myth suggests that the great Chinese philosopher, Confucius, created the game approximately 500 BC. It was said that Confucius developed the game out of his life experiences and travels. For example, the name "mahjong" was derived from Confucius' fondness of birds (maque = sparrow). However, this is most likely a myth as there is no evidence thus far that proves mahjong even existed prior to the Taiping era in the 19th century.
One particular theory suggests that the game was created by Chinese army officers during the Taiping Rebellion to pass the time. Another theory suggests that it was created between 1870 and 1875 by a nobleman living in Shanghai. It has also been believed by some that it was two brothers from Ningpo that created mahjong in 1850, again deriving it from the game of madiao.
Historians believe that Mahjong was derived from a Chinese card game called Madiao during the early Ming Dynasty era. This was played with 40 paper cards, numbered from 1 to 9 in four different suits as well as four extra flower cards. This can be seen to be similar to the numbering of mahjong tiles although mahjong has three suits.
In 1949, the game of mahjong was banned by the government when the country was founded. This was because mahjong is considered a gambling activity and the new communist government considered gambling to be symbols of capitalist corruption. After the Cultural Revolution, the game was revived and is considered to by a favorite pasttime amongst many asian countries.
What is Mahjong?
Mahjong is a popular game that originated in China and is sometimes referred to as mah-jongg. Most chinese players, especialy those of Mandarin speaking backgrounds, also call the game ma jiang.
Mahjong is a game that consists of skill, calculation, strategy and to a certain degree, luck. There are several variations of the game and depending on which one is being played, luck can play a minor or dominant factor in determining the winner. The basic premise of the game is that each player is dealt thirteen or sixteen tiles (depending on the variation being played). Each player has a turn of discarding a tile with the goal to make four or five melds/combinations and one pair. Winning is achieved by drawing a new or discarded tile to complete the hand.
The History of Mahjongg
More Mahjong Games
Mahjong 3D
Looney Tunes Mahjong
Mahjong Dark Dimensions
Master Qwan's Mahjong
Mahjong Games
Water Games
Ball Pool
Through this game the child will experience varies sensation. “Oh it seems like this if swimming in the pool of ball. Different with entry on pond water that make me sink, this pond is soft and not make me sink. Even if I drowned because of a lot of movement,
I can still breathe”. Study on the concept of color and shape also can be obtained here. Children also learn how to determine the direction if the children want to play throwing the ball.
Stepping & Balance Beam
Sand Games
Swing
Glider Board
Free Kids' Games
With children today getting more and more Internet savvy, it's only natural that they look for what they like best - great entertainment in the form of games. But some of these games require kids to register and pay a monthly fee in order to be able to play them. And since most kids don't have allowances that may be enough to pay for such services, they tend to look for free alternatives.
For many parents, playing computer games may seem to be a waste of time for their children. But with the right supervision and the right games to play, computer games may not only be fun, but educational as well. If parents search the net thoroughly, they may find that educational computer games for kids as young as three to four years old are already available.
There are even online games that are already available for children. Games where the colors of different blocks are matched with each other are highly suited for kids of age three and up. These games not only stimulate their eyes but also their brains. The best suited games for kids five and up are games that involve numbers and shapes.
Finding games on the Internet that may appeal to children is easy. By typing in the names of popular kiddy icons, your search results will prove to be enjoyable games that allow your kids to play their favorite fantasy characters.
There is a wide array of computer games online that may appeal to the tastes of both you and your kids. From popular classical games, to today's favorite arcade games, you have the choice as to which your kid can play.
The bottom line is that, as parents, you have are responsibility for what your kids are playing. Instead of depriving them of such experiences, be supportive, and participate in what they do. By doing so, you not only monitor your kid, you're also spending quality time with them.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Choose a Traditional Doll
Traditional lacing Shapes
Classic Wooden Puzzles and Fishing Games
Puzzles are classic and fun for other family members as well. Be sure to choose a puzzle that is suitable for your child's skill level, or he will feel frustrated. Wooden puzzles come in so many different themes that there is sure to be one that your child will enjoy. Puzzles are excellent tools for building concentration and shape recognition.
Magnetic fishing games are a twist on the traditional puzzle. In these games, the child works with a wooden rod to place a magnet on the metal circle that sits in the middle of the puzzle piece. The two parts connect, and the child catches the puzzle piece, removes it, and replaces it later. Magnetic fishing puzzles add another dimension of eye-hand coordination to the traditional puzzle.
Traditional Toys for Children
Driveway Safety
Always place traffic cones or some other highly visible obstacle at the end of your driveway when children are playing there, and warn anybody who might back a car out of your garage. Children playing on their hands and knees may be hard for drivers to see.
Informal children's games are part of a folk tradition that goes back centuries. The games have lasted because children enjoy them, generation after generation. They deserve to live on because they contribute to healthy growth and development.
Hopscotch (Potsie)
Hit the Penny
Draw two lines six to eight feet apart (or use the lines on a sidewalk), and place a penny halfway between them. Players take turns throwing a ball at the penny, trying to hit it. Hitting the penny counts for one point; flipping it over counts for three. Play to 21 points.
Skully
Marbles
Draw a circle about five feet across (or smaller, for younger players.) In the center of the circle, arrange thirteen marbles in an "X." The first player puts his knuckles down on the ground anywhere along the circle, and flicks his "shooter" marble at the marbles inside the circle. The object is to strike one or more hard enough to send them out of the circle. If he succeeds, he goes again.
If his shooter stayed inside the circle, he "knuckles down" again from wherever it stopped. When the first player fails to hit any marbles out of the circle, the second player goes, shooting for the remaining marbles – but if the first player's shooter was left in the circle, and the second can hit it out, she gets all the marbles he previously won.
Driveway Games for Kids
City kids don't always have a park or a playground nearby, and so, over many generations, they developed games that could be played on a hard surface, in a small space. The games emphasize fine motor skills and coordination but, more importantly, they provide practice in negotiation, dispute resolution, and other important social skills. There is no referee or computer program to decide whether a foot or a bottle cap is "in bounds" or "on the line." Children must work out these problems on their own, and doing so leaves them better prepared for life in the world of adults.
Parents like these games because they are played outdoors, not in a dark room lit by a computer screen – and the biggest investment is a box of chalk. For children, the games are challenging and entertaining. Here are a few ways to add some city fun to your suburban driveway.
Making Old-Fashioned Games Cool Again
Suggest Capture the Flag as a follow-up to a league soccer or baseball game – it's a game where nobody has to sit on the bench. Play Ringalevio at an outdoor birthday party, where there will be plenty of kids to join in the fun. Try showing your kids this video of college boys playing Johnny on the Pony. If college kids do it, it must be cool!
Despite the inevitable scrapes and bruises, outdoor games are much healthier than sitting in front of a screen, killing alien invaders or watching sitcom reruns. When your kids begin to organize and play these games by themselves, they will develop their autonomy, self-confidence, and social skills. All you have to do is get them started – and allow them the freedom they need to carry on.
Johnny on the Pony (Buck-Buck)
Capture the Flag
Ringalevio
Choose up sides. Choose one team to be the runners, and one team to be the chasers. The chasers all touch an improvised "base," and count to 100 by fives while the runners scatter. A chaser catches a runner by grabbing hold long enough to say "ringelevio one two three." When runners are caught, they must go to the base, which now has become the "jail."
The chasers keep chasing until they catch all the runners – but if a runner can reach the jail without being caught, all the prisoners are freed. When all the runners are caught, the teams switch roles.
Active Outdoor Games for Kids
Back in the 1950s, the worst punishment most children could imagine was having to stay indoors after supper on a warm summer evening. Those twilight hours were time for the games that made summer the best time of year. The games were active, energetic, and exhausting. When little heads hit their pillows at eight-thirty or nine o'clock, sleep came quickly, and dreams were sweet.
Isn't it time for neighborhood kids to get together again, outdoors? The more kids involved, the more fun it will be for all. Here are a few traditional games to help the fun get started.
Stalking the Drum
This is a traditional Native American game, that requires a large outdoor space. Stalking games increase the players’ sense of awareness. The players are blindfolded and lead off in different directions. Then the runner in the game starts to beat a drum every so often. The other players must follow the sound of the drum. As the players get closer to the drum, the drum beats become less frequent and softer. The drummer should not move around too much. As each participant makes it to the drum, they remove their blindfold and step out of the way of the others.
There are many more traditional outdoor games. Check out the library for books that can lead to hours of outdoor fun.
Red Light, Green Light
Hide and Seek
This favorite children’s game probably originated in hunting societies as children were learning to stalk prey. Hide and Seek is usually played with one seeker who counts to 20 while the other children hide. One variation is Chain Hide and Seek. When the first child is found, he takes the seekers hand and goes with him to find the others. Each child joins the chain as he is found.
Another variation is Sardines, in which one person hides while the rest count. When a seeker finds the hider, she joins him at his hiding place. The game continues until all seekers are crammed into one hiding place like sardines in a can. The first seeker to find the hiding spot is the hider in the next game.
Tag games
Of course everyone knows how to play tag. In its simplest form, one person is “It” an the others chase “It” with the winner becoming “It” next round. Tag is one of the best games for pure physical exercise. A variation of tag that adds a touch of humor and challenge to the game is “Stickly Apple.” When a player is tagged, he puts his hand on the spot where he was touched and keeps it there while he chases the other players.
On a sunny day, children can play shadow tag, in which the chaser needs only to step on the shadow of a runner.
Traditional Outdoor Kids Games
There are scores of games that have been passed from generation to generation. Chances are today’s children don’t know these games and it’s up to you to parents to teach them, and keep these traditional games alive.
Traditional games offer many benefits which include exercise and improving physical coordination. Some games help children develop their memory and perceptual skills. And of course, one of the most important benefits is that the games are just plain fun.
Charitable Club Penguin Game
free children games
Children can play games, explore the virtual penguin playground, chat with friends, print coloring pages, and read comics for no charge or membership requirement. Other activities such as “priority access, exclusive parties, and other opportunities” require a membership. Providing some activities for paid members enables Club Penguin to be third party advertising free.
Two chat activities are available. The “Ultimate Safe Chat” has parameters including a “predefined” menu for greeting cards, and messages. The “Standard Safe Chat” allows kids to send their own messages to other penguins, but filtered within certain words and phrases, and with safeguards against phone numbers and revealing personal information.