Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas & Happy 2008. May Your Dreams Come True.......May Happy hours and sweetest flowers be strewn along Life's way for you, UnceasinglyAnd may the light of love burn bright As god's own starsWhich shine for you, Unchangingly!

Christmas is a time of joy and getting all the blessings from above. While in school, we had a Confession Box and one of our sisters use to sit behind and encourage the sinner kid to confess her wrong doing. We had strong faith and we were taught moral science as a subject. This helped us in being nicer and believe in the power of the word of god. I happened to visit the Online Bible Radio . Like the preachings of Gita and the shlokes recites makes the surroundings holier, I feel the Bible readings are holier and daily messages to digest with chapter readings. This one year Bible reading Blog makes you read Bible in a year. I feel the Faith Gems by Robert Schuller are the best I ever come across and Daily Bread thats so much easier too.

Here's again Christmas time full of joy and happy memories, we have the late night mass with the holy birth of christ and happy holidays. Merry Christmas to all who pass by Kidsfreesouls and may there be a guiding light to bring peace and joy.

Here's Christmas Pages on Kidsfreesouls. I've added Bible stories a day especially for those who love to read the Bible stories and as I celebrate while getting me lot of gifts and plum cakes too, you surf away to find my earlier Christmas newsletter too. Enjoy!

- ilaxi
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for Parents and Teachers

Silent Night

Did you know, the carol-Hymn "Silent Night, Holy Night" was originally written in German as "Stille Nacht". The carol has been translated in 300 languages in the world and you can find 193 versions of Silent Night in 130 languages over here.

Here's the tune of Silent Night on Kidsfreesouls with lyrics and as the Kids were so happy to jot down the notes in their Scrap books. They even sang while they wrote! Nope, we have Indian children who are singing the hymn but it's a faith so strong and a keen interest to learn and know about the faith of other religions too.

Cross faith culture is always so live in Gujarat and many gujaratis too celebrate Christmas here. The schools are found to be spreading the word of the Lord and children excitedly participate in the wonders of making a crib, decorating a tree and listening to stories of Bible. Especially, the Inn-keeper Mark's goodness and the birth of Christ.

There was a Christmas Choir Festival on Dec.22, 2007 at the Loyola Diamond Jubilee Hall organized by the St. Xavier's Institute of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad. The objectives of the society are to bridge people through song, to develop young talent in good music by conducting talent concert and Children's Choir Festivals. The Choral Ensemble was established by a group of like minded individuals in 2006 led by Fr.Vincent D'souza and the members are from different religious and ethnic backgrounds who have come together to pool the talents.

Anyways, here's the Christmas Pages and the Carol Page with 'Silent Night, Holy Night.' And here's the Culture Page with Krishna, Ram, Ramzan and many more religious info. Enjoy!

- ilaxi
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents and Teachers

Be Happy Attitudes

At Christmas time, here's a message - It's Attitudes that always count. The Magic rules to be Happy-Attitude Makes a Difference!

Find a review of The Be (Happy) Attitudes: 8 Positive Attitudes That Can Transform Your Life (Paperback) by Robert Schuller here on the Beatitudes Page. If you really want to read the 'right stuff' - adopt a 'Go for it' Attitude towards your life and dreams.

Here's the Be Happy - Beatitudes Page on Christmas and Attitudes article. Also find Beatitudes for Children to print and pin up in your Child's room - Enjoy!

- ilaxi
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers

Perfect Dance for You

Christmas is round the corner. So, what's the perfect dance steps for you this christmas?

Well, Dance on the floor this Christmas with special dance steps to suit you - as per your Sun Sign. I recommend 'What's the perfect dance for you'. However, if you think you do not have a dance class nearby, just hop on to one of the catchy numbers and start warming up!

Here's Christmas Pages on Kidsfreesouls. I've added Bible stories a day especially for those who love to read the Bible stories.

Btw, Carol singers herald start of the Christmas season here as YMCA club in town organized a special show. Melodious carols were sung by 22 groups of singers who showed their choir singing talents. Dressed in festive spirits, 300 youngsters representing schools and churches participated in Carol singing.

As I look forward to decorate my Christmas Tree and make the crib, I'm sure, there's a cheerful festive spirit at your end too. Here's Christmas Pages. Enjoy!

- ilaxi
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with resources for Parents and Teachers

Parents and Media responsible

Parents are the ultimate teachers of the world to kids is the ultimate Opinion you find in Google News. They are more responsible in providing world information to children and guide them in every aspect from academic to choosing creativity or even getting informed on various topics. The media is also equally responsible as children are watching and reading.

The recent election in my town had a wonderful civic lesson to children who got aware of the Voting rights. The civic lesson do not end to academic and this extended beyond, as the awareness made parents talking to children on development issues and voting rights. The political party leaders waged a word war but awareness made the children asking, 'Whom will you vote - the BJP or the Congress' and to my surprise, all the Swagat Children excitedly spoke on the development of my state. They were not all concerned with the past dark events or the past riots held in the state but instead argued, since last election, we have no riots.

As such, media do make a hype on sensational news, pop, politics or crime and investigative stories. However, it's up to parents and educators to provide the right picture. Get them involved for debates and talk of concerned issues too. Parents need to take out time and so do the educators need to guide the students as they learn the academic lessons.

Well, 17th Dec has been the day for the first flight by the Wright brothers. A day when men first flew! Here is the White House Proclamation 'Wright Brothers Day'. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Ed, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents and teachers
Author of : Guardian of Angels

Jane Austen, an Amazing Romance writer

Pride and Prejudice and we always have Jane Austen's name on our lips but it's a Bollywood treat she gets in 21st century movies with the Bride and Prejudice - a movie performed by Aishwarya Rai and Martin Henderson.



Jane Austen was an amazing romance writer and the characters and feelings reach indepth as we read through the pages. Emma was Jane's fourth and last book she wrote, published a year ago before she died. In 1815, 2000 copies were printed and she earned less than 40 pounds then. Though, it earned more after her death.

The six volume set of Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen is a best pick for the Literature fans. It has all works; Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and persuasion and Minor works. Here's the Oxford University Press site and click to India site too.

You can find Jane Austen's profile here on Kidsfreesouls Literature pages and even find links to her books. Jane Austen was born on December 16.

- ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents and Teachers
Author of : Guardian of Angels

Authors Birth-dates

John Milton and Emily Dickinson are the two poets born in December. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson is one of the best picks in Swagat Library along with others. Emily wrote close to two-thousand poems, only seven were published during her lifetime. After Dickinson’s death her sister, Lavinia, discovered hundreds of poems in her room. Lavinia persuaded an editor and a family friend to publish the verses. “Poems” is the first published collection of her work, consisting of 125 short poems.




Here's the Profile of John Milton whose birthday I missed on 9th December and Emily Dickinson's Profile here and her Birthday falls on 10th December. Isn't this great to celebrate Birthdays of great Literature Characters? Well, check this out as you also find the updated Google news on the Kidsfreesouls-Google news pages. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents and Teachers
Author of Guardian of Angels

Games & Noise

Noise Pollution and are we concerned when we listen to music? Especially, children today get to listen to their ipods and are fond of the High School Musical Guitar. Toys are a craze with the kids as so are the video games that rock kids like the Guitar Hero III - Legends of the Rock for PC with a Jam session to 70 different songs.

Ipods and mp3s have potential for harm to kids. Constant listening to the rock n rhyme do injure the cells in longer run. High decibel sound is always damaging. Children are very sensitive to toys and other devices that emit loud and high pitch sounds or that rely on earphones. Research done by University of California reveals an alarming result with decibels and charts out High School Musical Rockerz Jammin Guitar to top the list with 106 decibels. This is followed by Cheetah Girls in Concert collection Doll, Hannah Montana and even Tickle Me Elmo which topped 100 decibels at full volume.



Well, it's more on parental influence and educating a child as to what is safe for them and what isn't. What needs supervising the child while at play and making them use products which are not potentially harmful. Too much love and too much pampering lead to too much offering - as such, children are apt to follow herd mentality and convince parents to buy the products what is in demand and what their friends play. However, safe monitoring and role playing helps children to select better toys and games.

Here's top ten games I listed earlier and games to choose for kids. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and children
Author of : Guardian of Angels

Started in a Garage!

Making a Cartoon requires a person to be creative - a bit humorous, alert and a keen observer. Necessarily, a Cartoonist need not be an Artist but the feeling comes from within, just an idea and an imagination and one can do the tricks - Ask any kid!

Maybe, this is how we see the Walt Disney Characters so appealing and Walt Disney who was born on 5th December 1901, drew Mickey Mouse, the first cartoon which became ideal for animation. Walt Disney had first started his studio in a Garage - a so alike fact of Google founders who even opened its door at Menlo Park in a Garage!

Here's the profile of Walt Disney on the Cartoon Fun page. Even find the Snow White sheet for coloring from the Grammar Fun worksheet pages. You can also visit the Cartoon Factory and enter into the You can do it page and draw cartoons using numbers, letters and common every day shapes. This is much fun and I've tried a hand on this.

Kids Free Souls, get those pencils and use your whacky brains, stuff the funniest ideas and swing ahead to give the strokes of sheer joy to draw. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel

Ed, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for Kids withs Resources for Parents and Teachers

Author of : Guardian of Angels

Learn and Teach Singing to kids

Are you a parent? Learn to Read, Sing if you've left behind the joys of life! A national parents academy in UK is all set to train teachers, psychologists and social workers to intervene in the lives of families and become the 'parenting workforce'. Children need to develop emotional intelligence and flexibility along with good problem solving and interpersonal skills too.

Kidsfreesouls features Grammar songs and songs for children on its pages. It is found that most of the Indian kids who are studying in English medium schools sing filmy songs and regional language songs. When kids in Swagat wanted to sing, I was quite pleased to allow them to do so. But, to my dismay, they began with the Hindi filmy songs one can't imagine that they knew the words by heart! As such, I taught them simple songs in English in the Swagat class room. They enjoy not only music but also develop an accent for speech. Why parents, even the teachers need to learn the songs for children and the yester year songs which had real meaning to the words. Songs like, Do re me and Sound of music movie songs, songs of My Fair Lady..remember that 'Lots of chocolates..?' and Papa who loves mama or the Lemon tree, etc. I also recommend the Pogo channel featured songs of Hi Fi, the Australian group and these songs are just great singing to be taught to school children. The double the Fun album of Hi Fi is at the best - Btw, the Highschool Musical 2 is the latest hit that is becoming fav amongst children here. Of coz, in Hindi, the presentation is by the famous Shanker-Ehsan-Loy and John. You can listen and watch a track here on You Tube. Also find more on Highschool Musical 2 on the Google Search. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers
Author of: Guardian of Angels

Computer Literacy Month

Computer Literacy Day - 2nd December was proclaimed by British Columbia here and even NIIT set the path of observing Computer Literacy Day in 2001. You can find the pics here of the day's Events at various places in India with NIIT Computer Literacy Day attended by CM Narendra Modi.

What's so surprising is, aren't these days just the days of Observances? The show is over for a year and the profits seen rolling later on with not a mention of World Computer Literacy Day!
Well, Kidsfreesouls Projects every year have December 2 as the World Computer Literacy Day and children/parents are made aware of the use of Computers. Kidsfreesouls readers can peek-a-boo here for the December Project and sure, it's all about technology we need to be aware of and make the kids use computers in a right manner. Explore the sections and you may create your own ideas on how to use kidsfreesouls/any other websites in classrooms. Why, you can watch a You Tube video.

Btw, You Tube is not a safe site when Children are given projects. The best option is to download the video on the computer for presentation in classroom. You can find a help here on how to follow this. Some teachers in Britain last year had children targetting them on You Tube. I think, teachers need to model effective use of technology in the classroom - get aware and 'Teach with the Times' and know 'Is Computing Safe for Kids?' (my two articles in Guardian of Angels). Parents and teachers want their kids to use computers, even feel the pride that their children are using it but they really don't get to know much of it. Children can now be teachers as well when it comes to teaching computers when parents/teachers fail to know much. Here's a wonderful 10 things we need to unlearn. Very true, these technologies will make harder for old voice of Education to survive.

Rightly said by a leading Educationist Mr. Rajabhai Pathak in a press report (TOI) today on 'Schools gaining PCs but losing Playgrounds.' The Educational scenario is completely transformed and on the back seat goes, reading and sports! Director of Sattva Vikas School and Udgam School, Rajabhai is now an Advisor to the NCERT for Computer Education in Schools. Check the print newspaper to read of search Google above to find the article on TOI. Enjoy!

-ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers
Author of: Guardian of Angels

Stop Aids

World Aids Day was on December 1 Make a Difference, Shine a Light on HIV/Aids. Stop the Virus. Kidsfreesouls lighted the 14185th Light to Fight two year ago. Last year, it was 246669th light of Kidsfreesouls.com out of the candles lighted on this website which is Bristol-Myers Squibb Initiative in co-operation with the National Aids Fund. This Year, the Kidsfreesouls Light is 6837th light to support the initiative.

It's never too late! You can also Light & Support to Add your Light to the Fight. You can read or share your stories on HIV here, tell a friend or sign up for a newsletter too.

More than 11,000 children are affected by HIV Aids and children represent a significant number of cases. In India, Gujarat is rising to a higher position with highest number of HIV Aids cases and a major risk is for children who are innocent and fall a prey to this disease recently though the exact numbers are not known. HIV Aids is not curable although there are various treatments. A Doctor's advice is the best option.

Btw, NACO and NFHS (National Aids Control Organisation and National Family Health Survey) has revealed the HIV/AIDS cases in India has considerably lowered at around 2.47 m, almost half the estimated 5.3 m. However, youth indulge in serious risk to catch the infection. It is alarming to know as per the Report of ActionAid and VSO, UK, nearly 40 pc of those contacting the HIV virus in India are women. Over a 21,000 children are affected this year compared to the previous number above.

Well, join the campaign if you wish or at least, be aware, beware! Aids can Kill and spread the message to 'Think, Stop, Be Aware, Beware of Aids.

Web Resources Government of India www.goidirectory.nic.in/ National AIDS Control Organisation www.nacoonline.org/ CDC Global AIDS Program in India The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all. www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/gap/countries/india.htm

- ilaxi patel
Ed, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with Resources for Parents and Teachers

Profile of Louisa May Alcott & Fav classics

Here's my Childhood Fav Classics with the added upcoming pages of Books & Just Books Here with an Introductory Index. Though, the Book sections for Parents-Teachers and Kids are not yet designed, I am sure you will find a world of Information over here on books.

Anyways, have you read The Little Women? Louisa May Alcott was born on 29th November 1832 and her Little Women was the most well-known American Novels which tell the story of the life of Jo March and her three sisters — Meg, Beth, and Amy. Here's the Profile and a part of 'Little Women' on Kidsfreesouls Literature Pages. Enjoy!



And here's to vote for Rick Paul at the Indie Islands e-Magazine!

- ilaxi Patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for Kids with resources for Parents and Teachers

Father's care may harm kid's & cookie-man sets bad example!

November month has come to an end with a great Thanksgiving parade at the Macy's on 28th Nov. in NY city. You can find a good deal of info on the Balloon characters here on the wiki.

Well, recently a survey says, 'Father's care may harm kid's intelligence'. Scientists at Bradford University in Britain looked at the early childcare experiences of over 6000 children born in the early 1990s who lived at least their early lives in a household with parents. They check on the evidence to suggest that boys who spent at least 15 hours a week in their fathers care as toddlers perform worse on academic assessments when they start going to school. Some fathers who take care of children are not as intelligent as mothers and this difference is almost likely to be found after the child passes his first birthday!

Do you agree? Let me know What you Think!

And here's a new video added my You Tube Vlog below. Seems the Sesame Street has ever been so popular but now, the Sesame street shows are just for the elders and not suitable for kids! The Cookie Monster has become a problem coz he encourages obesity and Alistair Cookie, used to smoke a pipe before dinner and this pose for modelling 'bad behavior'.

Btw, William Blake who was born in London lived most of his life with powerful Imagination. And as his birthday was on 28th November, here's the Profile re-designed in the Literature pages. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel

Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com

Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents and Teachers

Author of : Guardian of Angels