When we look for new and exciting ways of teaching our children, many parents invariable overlook the easiest and proven, most effective learning method of all time: PLAY.

Consider this true life scenario.

Watching the TV news just last week I saw pictures of young boys in war torn Afghanistan, laughing with glee as they kicked a football amongst the ruins of their homes. Their joy in this simplest of activities was evident; their play was natural and not a performance for the camera. After all of the trauma they had experienced they were using a simple activity to get their lives back on track.

This joy in simplicity is evident in our young children too.

How often, like me, have you found your little ones playing with the gift wrapping paper rather then the expensive gift inside? Or after the initial excitement of Christmas or birthday morning, have you seen them clutching an ‘old favourite’ and ignoring the new shiny toys?

All too often we overlook the power of simplicity in learning opportunities for our children and try to replace them with something bright, shiny and new. But new isn’t always better and familiarity brings the feeling of comfort, security and confidence; the perfect springboard for a young child’s learning experience. You don’t need expensive toys and games to give your children the best learning opportunities, and the latest gadgets will often, only serve to impress their friends.

What they do need; and what is far more valuable than anything you can possibly buy - is you, your time and your love. You are their first and most important teacher. They spend far more time at home with you than they spend in nursery or school. You are the one that can make the greatest, lasting, impression on their attitude to learning.

You are the one who can make a real difference to what they achieve in life. Having kids that are bright, inquisitive and eager to learn is not just a result of inherited genes. They will blossom from the fact that you create the time and opportunity for them to learn and offered them love and praise for their efforts.

Yes, your most powerful weapon is the simplest – and one that will cost you nothing at all. So make them a special gift quality time spent with them – guiding them to an understanding and embracing with confidence, the world in which they live.

And to help you make this quality time count, topkidz has brought you the wealth of our experience and knowledge. ‘Topkidz’ activities are not designed to ‘baby sit’ your kids. Learning takes place at a more powerful rate when parents and siblings join in. Some of our activities are there for you to enjoy as a family, while other demand that you just ‘get them going’ and then keep watch.

Our ‘101Tips’ series of ebooks offers you simple, step by step ideas that will literally take you by the hand and lead you along the pathway to success for your child. Don’t miss the opportunity to guarantee their success – you only get one chance to shape their early years, so act now and give them the chance of a brilliant future.

Barbara Fyles has been a teacher for over 30 years and is an expert in the understanding of ?early years? development. At the highly popular http://www.topkidz.co.uk she offers comprehensive information, books and articles on learning related topic, behaviour problems and health related topics.

My father’s play was golf. To avoid being a golf widow, my mother played too. That left me a golf orphan, but I refused to learn the game. Instead, I watch it on television. For me the slow pace and the announcers’ whispering are relaxing. Tiger Woods may have been credited with the spike in golf’s popularity, but there are other factors. Golf doesn’t have free agency, professional golfers are compensated in direct proportion to how well they play and they don’t scratch their private parts on camera.

My escape from the stress of everyday living is movies. Originally I attributed this to being able to lose myself in the lives of the characters on the screen; but if that were the case, I could rent DVD’s. No, it’s the physical act of going to the movies that’s therapeutic. Sitting quietly in a dark room for two hours is like a temporary return to the womb - and I can’t be the only one who feels this way. Movie attendance is up 4.5% in spite of a down economy. For $10 we get a socially acceptable Do Not Disturb sign to put on our life.

For those who complain their life is all work and no play, speed-dating might be the answer. It’s matchmaking by the clock. Singles arrive at a designated area - usually a bar - pay a fee and have 3-8 minutes to talk one-on-one with possible matches. Participants fill out a date form; and if matches are made, contact information is sent to both parties by the organizers. Studies done on speed-dating found most matches are made by 3-second, first impressions. The studies also found taller men and younger women are more desirable. It seems speed-dating doesn’t slow down stereotyping.

Things, however, could be worse. All work and no play describes the life of a species of Madagascan chameleon. This species spends eight months of its one-year life in its egg, those eight months corresponding to the time of year when food is scarcest in the deserts of Madagascar. Its four months of life after hatching are spent fighting and mating. Then, after the eggs are laid, the chameleons die. The females changing color when they reject a male might be the only bright spot in their life, but that bright spot might be enviable. If female humans had that trait, we might not have as many headaches.

KNIGHT PIERCE HIRST takes humorous looks at life.
Take a minute to make yourself smile at
http://knightwatch.typepad.com

A model train display just does not seem complete without the addition of signals. Unfortunately, the cost of such signals can be very prohibitive for the standard model builder. If this is the case for you then why not just build your own? You can pick up the parts as you have a bit of extra money and then when you have them all you can assemble and install them onto your display.

As an example for this article we will use an H0 scale model. At the end you will find a list of necessary supplies to build this particular setup. One warning: if you are just getting into model train building and have very little experience in working with electronic components then this article is not for you unless you want to take the time to learn a bit more about the subject before you get started.

The first thing that you would need to do is to create a base for your signal. A piece of .080″ styrene will work for this size model. Cut your base out and set it aside. Now you will cut your stack base to go on the top of this. As you cut out your pieces you stack them one on top of the other. These pieces should be 4′x6′ in size and should stack until about 6′ in height. The next step is to add a piece of 3′ square styrene with the edges beveled off to the top of this stack. Once you have all pieces cut you will cement them together along with the base itself.

Once thing you might want to do for ease of use is to sand any sharp edges off of the stack and smooth it out before you cement it to the base. When you do add it you need to make sure and center it properly. Now you are ready to cut a door for your signal. Use a piece of .020″ styrene that is 3′ square and cement it to the side of the base that faces away from your track. You can also add little pieces of styrene as hinges and a piece of .015″ brass wire will work perfect as a door latch.

The next step is to drill a hole through your stack. Make sure it is centered in the middle of the 3′ piece of styrene and use a #22 drill. If you go too fast you will melt the styrene so go slow and take your time. Solder your 1/8″ and 5/32″ pieces of brass tubing together. The 1/8″ piece should be just inside the top of the 5/32″ piece when you solder it. Slide the assembly through your stack until only a small bit of the large tubing is showing out the top of the stack base. The bottom needs to be just long enough to penetrate your table display. The top pole should be cut off to 20′ in H0 scale. If you choose you can add a styrene point to the top of the pole.

Next you need to cut a piece of the 7/32″ brass tubing at a 30 to 45 degree angle and leave it about 1/4″ long. The square cut end of the tube needs to be inserted into the center of the #10 washer. While your LED may have to be slightly filed down for a good fit it should then fit into the center of this assembly which makes up your head. Make sure to glue everything together from the back of the signal. Now you must decide where on your mast you want to mount your signal head or heads if you choose to make more than one.

Use a round file to notch the back side of the mast and then glue the head to the mast. Take and bend one of your LED light’s leads so that they touch the mast and solder it into place. Solder a piece of telephone wire to the other lead and run it through the mast via the notch.

At the bottom section of brass tubing underneath your searchlight you need to add another wire that will act as the circuit common for all the heads you have attached. The next part is very important, if you do not connect it correctly it will not work and could be a fire hazard. If you are using 5 volt TTL signal logic you should add a 180 ohm resistor in series with each wire going to an LED. Use a 510 ohm resistor if you are using 12 volt logic. You will need to add the Walthers signal bridge ladder stock on the backside of the signal mast. Also there are many masts that are marked with a letter “A” that you can add via a piece of styrene cut to shape if you so choose.

You can now paint your signal. The head should be black and the rest will be silver. Once you reverse polarity your LEDs will switch between red and green. While your new signal might be a bit larger than scale it should not be noticeably so. Enjoy!

Items needed for this project:180 ohm, 1/4-watt resistors - super glue - styrene glue - Walthers signal ladder stock - .080″ styrene plastic - .020″ styrene plastic - #36 gauge telephone wire - 1/8″ O.D. Brass tubing - 5/32″ O.D. Brass tubing - 7/32″ O.D. Brass tubing - T-1 size bi-color LED (red/green dual lead) - #10 S.A.E. Steel-zinc washers

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model car tricks and tips, model train signals, and model trucks.

How many of us have seen a movie or a television show where someone is wearing a conductor’s hat and running a model train? It has never been easier than the present to become one of those people with the lucky conductor’s hat. Now you can ever build your own model train set. The first thing you will need is to gather together some tools that will prove themselves to be very handy if not downright necessary. Once you gather these tools it will be beneficial for you to store them in a central location away from your others that way when you get ready to work on your train set you will not be missing one you need.

The most important tool in every modelers arsenal is a good hobby knife. It is best if you have a decent selection of different shaped blades as well. This knife alone will get you through more projects than you are yet to realize. It is definitely worth its weight.

The next tool you will need is a good set of wire cutters. Do not think your hobby knife can do it all. It can be dangerous to attempt to cut wire without the aid of wire cutters.

A hacksaw will come in very handy if you need to cut little wood or metal pieces. You should make sure that the item you are cutting is held tightly in place by the next tool on your list.

A vice is needed for clamping parts into place so that you can solder with a soldering iron. It also keeps you free to cut, sand, or file on them without having to worry about hurting yourself. This tool alone should help you prevent many potential injuries.

Speaking of a soldering iron that is the next tool on your wish list especially if you plan on using much electronics in your train set. While you might sometimes be able to get away without soldering some of your connections this will not always be possible. Any time you need to join wires to metal or wires to wires this will come in very handy.

Another tool that is handy for joining parts together is a glue gun. This will be especially handy when you get ready to layout your display elements like your people, trees, and animals.

A hammer with a small head on it can also be an excellent fastener for some of the harder to join wooden items.

For parts that will be screwed together as well as many that will need to be poked, prodded, or pried into position a small selection of screwdrivers will do the trick. They are also handy for working on your model trains interior workings.

For the many push pins you will be using over the lifetime of this hobby a pair of needle nose pliers is good to have as well.

For building base boards and many different general tasks you need to have a drill on hand. Whether cordless or corded a drill will prove its worth rather quickly.

Other than these basic tools the rest can be gotten rather easily. Don’t forget to get your consumable items to go with your tools including solder, tacks, nails, glue, etc. Once again, by having all these tools ahead of time you will save a good deal of time and money in the long term of your model train building hobby.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model car tricks and tips, model train tool lists, and model trucks.

Wooden models have been around for a very long time. Wooden cars are no exception. Whenever a father sat down with a stick of wood and whittled out a car and added wheel for his children little did he know that he was taking part in an already old tradition. Whittling your own wooden car is not a difficult process to learn but it can take a lifetime to master.

If you would like to learn to whittle your own wooden model cars you first need to decide what style you would like it to emulate. While you could possibly copy most any model car out there it is best for beginners to start with something easy. Let yourself build your skill a bit before you actually try to do something best left to advanced whittlers.

The supplies you will need are rather simple. You will need a decent whittling knife. Any knife dealer worth their salt can point you in the right direction as far as which one would be right for you. You also need to pick up a whet rock. This rock is a block that is used for keeping your knife sharp. It should come with instructions on the correct way to use it. If you are unsure then ask someone. It is better to be safe than sorry.

The next thing you will need is some sanding paper. It is handy to get pieces of several different grit so that you can do either heavy duty material removal or light work just depending on which one you need at that moment. You might also want to get a sanding block to go with your sandpaper. It helps you to hold your sandpaper to the shape of the model so that you get the best sanding job possible.

If you decide that you want to screw down your parts then you will need some tiny screws, brass ones if possible. They will give your wooden model a very classic look. If you would rather glue it together then you should use a wood grade craft glue. Carpenter’s glue is perfect for this sort of project and can be bought in small enough quantities that it will not ruin between projects.

For drilling out small holes you might want to consider getting a small pick that can get into tight spaces easily. This will allow you to do some fine detail work such as in the grille or on the dash. It will also help you to scratch out details such as the shape of the door if you choose not to cut it out separate from the body.

If you are going to apply a finish to your model when it is done you will also need to get a small can of the finish in the color that you are looking for. Also have some old rags handy to apply it and a tack cloth to clean it with before you apply the finish. The tack cloth removes all dust and debris without leaving behind any lint.

Now all you have to do is to draw out your intended model on paper. Keep the details simple for your first few projects so that you can easily whittle out the shapes. Choose your wood carefully as well. Pick one that is easy to carve yet provides just enough resistance that it is not soft enough to dent when you press on it with a bit of force. You are now ready to try carving your own model car. If you want to learn some advanced carving techniques you can pick up a book at your local library or search the Internet for tips and tricks. Happy whittling!

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model funny cars, model trains, and model trucks.

Part of what makes building model cars fun is the ability to correctly portray the car that the model represents. One of the tools that helps you to do so is the placement of decals on the car. Decals add that special touch without requiring you to have to hand paint everything. It cuts down on the time it takes to finish as well as the amount of skill involved in model building. The one thing it can take is a steady hand and maybe a bit of patience.

There are different sources for decals that you can choose from. Whether you use the ones that came with your model car, make your own, or have a professional decal manufacturer do it decals can be gotten from many places. If you are new modeler then you may want to get used to applying the ones that came in your model building kit. Once you have built a bit of experience then you can experiment with creating your own water slide decals.

Creating your own decals can be fun and interesting. Before you begin however you must make sure that you have the correct paper. You need to start with ready made sheets of clear decal film. This will give you the best turnout for your money. Many suppliers are available online that carry it and even say that their paper is ink jet ready. If you have a design in mind and can put it on computer it can be transferred direct to this film. If this doesn’t work for you then read on!

Once you are ready to start you can either create different masks for each of the colors you wish to use or you can silkscreen it. To create individual masks all you have to do is to mask the film for each of the color separations that you will be making. Always make sure that you apply the lightest colors first and work out to the darkest. This can be a very cheap method and is really pretty easy. It can take up a lot of time though if you have to make several of them. Always make sure that you take the time to think out each mask before you set it up.

If you are going to silkscreen it can be just a bit more involved. Basically you will create a different screen that allows the paint to go down on the model according to which screen you are using. Each color has its own separation and the screen catches the excess paint. It can produce a high quality decal and it is not too hard if you need to produce more than one but if it is misaligned it can mess up the decal and cause you to have to start all over. The set up can be just a bit difficult as well.

If making your own decals seems like too much of a chore then you can always print it off of a computer or draw it out by hand and take it to a local print shop. Most of these can copy the picture on a color copier and then transfer it to a decal sheet for you. While the quality may drop because of their printer or ink not being up to standard this does tend to be the most cost and time efficient way for modelers to get the decals that they want.

Producing your own decals can allow you to add a bit of flair to your model car. It is like adding your artistic signature and tells people “I was here.”

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for model car decal info, model trains, and model trucks.

You enjoy building and displaying your model cars but why not add a little something extra that can set them apart from others? One way to make sure that your car stands out from the rest is to add hydraulics to it. Haven’t heard of hydraulics for a model car? Needless to say they are a little used add-on that can the big difference between a cool model and an awesome one.

If you want to try your hand at installing them on your model car it is rather easy to do. The first thing you need to do is to figure out what kind of car you want to adapt into a lowrider. With many different lowrider models available you can add hydraulics to most any one you wish. Get creative and add them to one that most people would never imagine having them. With some work and a bit of extra imagination it is possible to adapt a standard model into a lowrider as well

The next thing you need to do is to get hold of a lowrider kit that contains the hydraulic systems that you will install on your model. These kits are made for models that do not come with the necessary parts to create a lowrider. It may take a little adapting to your particular model but this should not be anything major. Make sure that you do not finish out the model too far before you install the hydraulics or it can make it difficult to do so. The best way to do this is to read both sets of instructions and see how much is involved in the hydraulics kit so you know best when to start working the system in. Usually this is before the body and frame are mounted together.

Next you will want to make sure that you have mounted the hydraulics to both the tires and frame properly. Whether you choose to glue them in place or use screws they must stay securely in place. Now you are ready for a test run. Connect your wires to their respective spots and give it a go. Try out each setting on the controller and make sure that you have wired it properly. You also need to see how much the chassis can take so that you know when to back off after it is fully assembled so that you don’t destroy your model.

If you need add a bit of weight to your model car to make it more stable you can either add fishing weights or coins to the chassis. This should add all the weight you need. Now, you are ready to assemble the chassis and body. Make sure that you secure it properly and give it ample time for the cement to set up if it is glued. You are all set for the final touches on your new lowrider! Remember, the real thing normally has an extremely high gloss look so try to use only glossy paints. This will help it look like it has just been waxed and is ready for cruising.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model cars, model trains, and model trucks. You will find excellent hobbying and trading resources here for resin molded model cars, model trains, and model trucks.