Pain At The Pump Promotes Fun And Learning: Parents' Choice Foundation Offers an Upside to Summer's High Gas Prices

From coast to coast, “Pain at the Pump” stories dominate daily news reports. With all the media attention focused on rising gasoline prices, Parents’ Choice offers an upside to the gloomy headlines. For less than it costs to fill up the gas (http://www.parents-choice.org) tank in the family car, parents can use our guides to let children explore outer space, go on an adventure in the backyard, create a neighborhood summer Olympics, and travel the world. Summer may be all about fun, but learning something new isn’t far behind.

(Vocus) July 10, 2008 -- From coast to coast, “Pain at the Pump” stories dominate daily news reports. With all the media attention focused on rising gasoline prices, Parents’ Choice offers an upside to the gloomy headlines.

For less than it costs to fill up the gas tank in the family car, parents can let children explore outer space (http://www.parents-choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=32&the_page=consider_this), go on an adventure in the backyard (http://www.parents-choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=224&the_page=consider_this), create a neighborhood summer Olympics (http://www.parents-choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=352&the_page=editorials), and travel (http://www.parents-choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=203&the_page=reading_list) the world. Summer may be all about fun, but learning something new isn’t far behind.

“We shouldn’t disguise the fact that learning is fun; we should embrace it,” said Claire Green, Parents’ Choice Foundation president. “Creating playroom or backyard learning adventures is good for the mind, it’s good for the pocket book, it’s good for the environment -- and it’s fun.”

In response to parents’ requests for ways to extend learning throughout the summer, the Parents’ Choice website has launched For Less Than a Tank of Gas” a guide and suggestions to encourage learning something new -- from bugs to baking, mountains to movies -- all without having to spend a small fortune. Above all, these learning adventures are opportunities for families to have fun together.

While many products claim to be educational, those that are most successful -- and rewarding -- are well designed, offer age-appropriate challenges, are fun and appeal to kids. Exploring space can start by completing the experiments in The Magic School Bus’s The Secrets of Space kit or learning how to send a rocket to Mars using SmartLab’s Remote Control Rocket. Even the most squeamish siblings will like learning about bugs watching the Smithsonian Channel’s Critter Quest (http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=24060&StepNum=1&award=aw). Turn a summer sloth into a backyard Olympian by challenging the neighbors to a game of Gamewright’s Boochie (http://www.parents-choice.org/product.cfm?product_id=24232&StepNum=1&award=aw) or Sack Racing from Alex Toys. Read how one woman started a national conservation movement in Planting Trees in Kenya. Traveling the world can begin with the turn of a page – see how in the latest Parents’ Choice Award winning books (http://www.parents-choice.org/award.cfm?thePage=books&p_code=p_boo).

Established in 1978, Parents’ Choice has served as the nation’s oldest nonprofit guide to quality children’s media and toys. The Parents’ Choice website, devoid of advertising, offers a public service resource for products that extend the learning and multiply the fun.

For a full listing of what kids can learn from rising gas prices, visit http://parentschoice.org

Contact:

Claire Green

Parents' Choice Foundation

claire at parents-choice.org

(410) 308-3858

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