Finding fun entertainment for your kids can be somewhat of a chore. With this guide on fun kid websites, we make it easy to give your kids a fun learning experience while keeping them occupied. The internet can provide endless enjoyment and an abundance of information for adults, why not kids?

One favorite web site of many parents and children is Noggin.com. This fun kid website is from the makers of Sesame Street and is great for toddlers and young children. They feature educational games including word spelling and matching. The website has shows kids can watch online. They also have a great music section with videos.

Another fun kid website is pbskids.org. This website is from the makers of popular kid shows such as Barney and Friends and Arthur. It has fun games, stories and a unique coloring section. You can even click on your favorite show and get more information about you favorite characters. The games on this website are educational and discovery oriented, so you can feel good about your child spending time online.

Yahoo! has come up with a fun kid website. It is yahooligans.com. This website features games, facts about animals and a science section. The website also provides kids with information about the latest news and movies. There is an excellent section where kids can ask questions about science, animals and sports and read the answers of other kids questions. This is a great website for older kids.

For more fun kid ideas visit http://www.jmgkids.org for everything from birthday party ideas, kids clothing trends and child product reviews.

For unique gifts for babies and toddlers visit http://www.mybabyrocks.net for the coolest t-shirts, onesies, hats and gifts

¶ 6:59 PM 0 comments

You just turned in your exams, you're on summer vacation and the last thing you want to think about is unlocking your life purpose, whatever that means anyway. You want to be left in peace ALL summer -- away from deadlines, nagging parents and pain-in-the-@$$ professors.

But what if I told you that the key to helping unlock your life purpose entailed little more than lying out on a blanket under the hot summer sun? You pack a little imagination, an open mind and a long-forgotten thing called a pen and some paper. Yeah, that means no laptops, cell phones, PDAs, IM's or BFF's. Game?

All you have to do is spend some quality time with yourself -- time to daydream, assess your goals, and write out your likes and dislikes. Ultimately, you will take one giant leap toward defining and finding your personal definition of a happy, successful and purpose-driven life.

What makes me tick?
"Students need time to ask themselves, 'What are my dreams? What do I want?'" says Robin Ryan, a nationally respected career counselor and author of numerous career-advancing books, including "Soaring On Your Strengths", "60 Seconds & You're Hired" and "What to Do With the Rest of Your Life." Ryan advises that students sit down with a piece of paper and a pen to do this task. "Write out what you like," says Ryan. "Don't type it out on the computer. When we're on the computer our minds edit as we type and we're deflecting things out."

Start by writing out your likes and dislikes and then try to imagine what kind of life would make you most happy. Ask your friends, relatives and teachers, "What do you think I'm good at?"

For many students, career worry tops your list of stressors. College is expensive and many of you are worried about picking the right major and then deciding after that you don't like the career you've chosen. Instead of agonizing over finding the "right" major and the "perfect" career, what if you instead focus on building your passions and transferable skills? That way you will be marketable no matter what career you end up in ten years down the road.

According to Ryan, students should work on developing the following transferable skills that will serve you your entire working life and beyond:

oral presentation & public speaking skills

customer service skills

teamwork skills

time management skills

writing & communication skills

research skills

"Hot job, hot careers, what other people tell you is never going to be as important as what you find interesting and what you enjoy," says Ryan.

If you start off in a career that you don't like, change. Ryan advises to keep your doors open and recognize that the process should be fun. "Putting a lot of pressure on yourself is damaging, like when you say, 'I have to make $50,000 a year as soon as I get out of college because everyone else is,'" says Ryan. Instead, say, "I have to have a good job with a boss who will be a mentor to me and help me learn the ropes."

If you're looking for ways to jumpstart your career search, give the following tips a try:

5 steps to summer sun & career exploration:

Hop online and do some career research. Ryan advises that students find the association for whatever profession you're interested in. "The professional association is most likely to have accurate information," says Ryan.

Get a summer job or an internship. According to Ryan, any summer work experience is good experience, even a McJob. "A summer job teaches you basic skills like showing up on time, teamwork, responsibility and serving others," says Ryan. "It also shows an employer down the line that you have ambition and you have a track record that you will show up for work. Generation Y is really bad at showing up for work and all the employers know it."

Ryan advises that students look around close to home. Ask yourself, "Where is there something that I do like?" "If it's swimming," says Ryan, "maybe work at the swimming pool or at an amusement park. If you like weddings, go work in a restaurant where you're working in the catering area or you're working with the sales person or the florist."

To the guys who say that they can't stand working indoors, Ryan says, "Look to see which people have yard work that needs to be done. Is there a construction site near you that could maybe use a pickup person that you could do some work for? If you like landscaping you could mow lawns and get your own little business going."

A summer job can give you valuable insight into a career and a sneak peak into what the industry is like. "Until we work in an industry, it's all pure fantasy," adds Ryan.

For those of you who want to launch a mini-business online, Ryan says to proceed with caution. "You have to be really careful if you're doing something like that because you probably don't have enough business savvy yet unless one of your family members is helping you who has a business," she says. "Even selling things on Ebay is fine but work with someone who has done it before so you know what you're doing."

Visit your school's career center. Summer is often a great time to visit your campus career center. For one thing, it's easier for commuters to find a parking spot in the summer and it's much easier to get an appointment with a career counselor. My career counselor was practically my life coach through college and the year after I graduated. Six years out of college, I still utilize my college's career center.

If you need help with career exploration, a majority of college career centers offer interactive interest assessment tests. You can use these tests to help you learn more about your personality type and what it means for your studies and your career. Colleges use many forms of interest assessment tests to help students -- look for names like the Strong Interest Inventory, Discover, Focus II, Sigi or others. Some of these tests are available online but they could cost up to $150 to purchase. Save yourself some cash and drop by your career center and talk with a counselor one-on-one.

Read. Check out books like What Color Is Your Parachute? or What To Do With The Rest Of Your Life.

Talk to strangers -- and everyone else you happen across. Ask them about their careers and learn more about their lives. Never stop learning. For students who are shy and are afraid to approach professionals and ask about their careers, Ryan suggests that they ask family members for help. She also suggests that students join a professional organization and network that way.

It's summer -- remember to relax!
Don't worry so much about having THE plan for life. According to the Department of Labor, we average five to seven career changes and eleven job changes throughout our lives. "We are constantly evolving and creating new kinds of jobs," says Ryan. "Jobs that didn't exist before. Being a life long learner will advance your career and keep you marketable your entire life and you won't miss interesting opportunities either."

Enjoy your journey through high school and college and let the possibilities unfold. Now it's summer so stop worrying and go have some fun!

Maria Pascucci is the President of Campus Calm (http://www.campuscalm.com). She helps high school & college students find balance, reduce stress, increase self-confidence and get out of overwhelm. Free reports for students, parents and educators are available with free subscription to Campus Calm Connections. Campus Calm is excited to announce a fall college speaking tour with award-winning author Courtney E. Martin. Topic is: How To Stress Less & Ditch Your Inner Perfectionist. Visit http://www.campuscalm.com/fallcollegetour.html to learn more.

¶ 2:15 AM 0 comments