Kids Vids Newsletter

KidsVids has recently partnered with Rocket 88 Studios to research and produce a new documentary film called Cyber Stranger.

Cyber Stranger will explore the fast growing and vastly popular “virtual” societies of the Internet where computer savvy young adults and children socialize, chat, play and make friends. It is also a world where people exist behind the anonymity of a computer screen, allowing them to be “virtually” anyone they want.

The hard facts speak for themselves:
•Twenty percent of parents do not monitor their children’s use of the Internet at all.
•Only 52 percent of parents moderately supervise their children’s Internet use.
•An estimated 62 percent of teens report that their parents know little or nothing about their Web activities.
•Seventy-one percent of all parents stop monitoring their child’s use of the Internet after the child turns 14, not knowing that 72 percent of all Internet-related missing children are 15 years of age or older.

This film will be of interest to everyone who is a part of the cyber community, as it will draw them toward safer practices about the information harvested, and given out on the Internet. Every parent who has a child surfing the internet will especially need to see this film as it will not only open their eyes to potential dangers of the internet, but also offer practices and habits for them and their children to safely navigate the web.

We look forward to producing this very important film and will keep you posted on its progress.

Ordering made easy to accommodate your school’s purchasing procedures.

KidsVids now accepts your school’s purchase order on our website or by facsimile. Once we receive a copy of your approved purchase order the videos will be sent out within 2 business days.

Simply visit www.kidsvids.net, go to the “Order Videos” page, select “To use a purchase order….” at the top of the page. It is quick and simple. You can also directly fax a copy of the approved purchase order.

Remember that KidsVids programs are designed to last and can used over and over, so the value to your school is well worth the investment.

Fax number: 310-876-3751

On Feb 2, 2007, on Gobbler's Knob, Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil the legendary grounhog did not see his shadow, which means an early spring is on the way. And excited children all over are ready to trade in their winter clothes and hit the playgrounds whether at school or their local park. But are we ready to throw upen the floodgates just yet?

Each year more than 200,000 preschool and elementary school children receive emergency medical care for injuries that occur on play ground equipment. Nearly 70 percent of all playground injuries are caused by falls to the ground.

Here are 10 important tips for parents, teachers and community groups to help ensure proper playground safety.

1. Make sure surfaces around playground equipment have at least 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand, pea gravel, or are covered by mats made of safety-tested or rubber-like materials.

2. Check that protective surfaces extend at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, be sure surfacing extends, in back and front, twice the height of the suspending bar.

3. Make sure play structures more than 30 inches high are spaced at least 9 feet apart.

4. Check for dangerous hardware, like open "S" hooks or protruding bolt ends.

5. Make sure spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs, measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.

6. Check for sharp points or edges on equipment.

7. Look for tripping hazards, like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, and rocks.

8. Make sure elevated surfaces, like platforms and ramps, have guardrails to prevent falls.

9. Check playgrounds regularly to see that equipment and surfaces are in good condition.

10. Carefully supervise children on playgrounds to make sure they're safe.

All of our children deserve a safe place to play.

Remember if your child's playground is unsafe, report problems to the owner/operator. There are no national mandatory standards for playground equipment, but Texas, California, New Jersey, Michigan and North Carolina have laws that require playgrounds to follow standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials. Some states require playgrounds to follow standards set in the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) Handbook for Public Playground Safety.