Our curated list of kid-related news for May 6, 2016.
- By
- Parker Barry
- 1. Sunday’s on its way: DIY Kids’ Mother’s Day Gifts. Mother’s Day is almost here. If you’re still looking for ideas, here’s some inspiration (and fun kid videos): 27 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas Kids Can Make (includes an adorable video about what kids would like to give their moms), some Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Every Love Language, 39 Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gifts She’ll Really Love and a Most Adorable Father-Daughter DIY Mother’s Day Project (with toddler video commentary). (Sources: Care.com, Verily, Today and Time)
- 2. Girls drop sports because of body changes. Many girls drop out of sports and skip gym classes when they begin to enter puberty. This may be because of a lack of information about how to cope with their changing bodies related to sports, according to a recent study in The Journal of Adolescent Health. An article about the study posted on the New York Times’ Well Blog suggested that sports programs and schools currently do a better job at informing boys about issues related to sports, body changes and gear (such as using protective cups, compression shorts and athletic supporters), while “comparable lists for young women rarely include a mandatory or even recommended sports bra.” In one survey, girls said they’d like a female teacher to talk to them about how to deal with sports and body changes — such as getting properly fitting sports bras — around age 11. (Breast and body changes are driving teen girls` out of sports)
- 3. Ballerina Barbie gets Misty’s muscles. Misty Copeland — the first African-American woman principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre — revealed her new Barbie likeness this week. Surrounded by a group of kid ballerinas-in-training, Copeland made the reveal on ABC’s Good Morning America, then answered questions from her awestruck protégés. The Misty Copeland Barbie doll looks dressed and physically ready for Copeland’s real-life breakout role in the ballet Firebird: “She has muscles and calves and thighs and a bust,” Copeland said. (Ballerina Misty Copeland to ‘Inspire the Next Generation’ With Her Own Barbie Doll)
4. Teen prompts American Girl to make diabetes kit. The company’s “diabetes care kit” has been a welcome addition to the American Girl dolls’ accessory line, according to an article Wednesday on The New York Times’ Well blog. Anja Busse, 13, who has Type 1 diabetes, had “wanted a kit like this for her doll since she learned she had diabetes just over two years ago,” according to the blog post. So Busse started an online petition (signed by 7,000 people) and convinced American Girl to make the product, which has many of the items that kids with diabetes use. The kit has reportedly been difficult to keep in stock because it’s selling so well. (American Girl Has a Hit With Diabetes Doll Kit)
- 5. Robotics fans swamp St. Louis for championship. More than 20,000 students — including 900 teams from 43 countries — converged on St. Louis for the FIRST Robotics Championship this past weekend. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” Inventor Dean Kamen founded the competition to encourage kids to get interested in robotics. Teams included kids age 6 to 18. (FIRST Robotics Championship invades downtown St. Louis)
