Briefs: Playhouse gives kids a special place indoors
Easy Playhouse aims to entertain young children who are out of school for the summer. The playhouse is a blank canvas that kids can turn into a fort to play make-believe games, like cops and robbers; or, kids can turn the playhouse into a fairy princess house. Easy Playhouse, which costs $39.99, comes in two pieces and can be assembled in less than five minutes, and easily broken down to store under a bed. It is made out of recyclable cardboard. Details: www.easyplayhouse.com .
Orajel goes natural for babies
The makers of Baby Orajel, an oral anesthetic for mouth and tooth pain, have created a new product with natural, chemical-free pain relief. Baby Orajel naturals contains clove oil, instead of benzocaine. Baby Orajel naturals also has no alcohol or dyes in its. It sells for $5.99 for a 0.33-ounce tube. Details: www.babyorajelnaturals.com .
Video contest wants safe teen drivers
Bridgestone Americas is rewarding good teen drivers with college scholarships and the opportunity to win prizes, as a way to recognize the 100 Deadly Days of Summer -- the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which is the most dangerous time for teen drivers.
Teens can enter the Safety Scholars video contest, for which they can create 25- or 55-second videos encouraging their peers to make better, smarter driving decisions. The top 10 videos will be posted online for public voting, and the video-maker with the most votes will win a $10,000 scholarship; the second and third-place winners each get $5,000 scholarships. All winners receive a set of Bridgestone tires, and their video might be distributed across the country as a public service announcement. Details: www.teensdrivesmart.com .
Learn what to say in sticky situations
The May-June issue of American Girl Magazine features a story on finding the right words when tweens and teens feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. Readers will learn tips to know what to say and do in all kinds of sticky situations.
Whenever a situation comes up that makes girls freeze up, the magazine suggests these tips:
Take a deep breath. Shake off tension by moving arms or legs. Say "Just a minute," or "I'm thinking" or "Hold on" to start the response and give an extra moment to compose yourself. The step to unfreezing is figuring out the right words to use. Not making a big deal about situations will lead to others follow suit.
Words are powerful. Once said, they can't be taken back easily. Speaking up isn't always easy, and saying no can be hard. Practice saying no in a kind way.
More clever comebacks can be found in American Girl's "A Smart Girls' Guide to -- Knowing what To Say."
'Polar Express' author tells a falls tale
"Queen of the Falls," text and illustrations by Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton Mifflin, $18.99, 40 pages) is geared for the 6- to 9-year-old set.
In his first effort at nonfiction, Chris Van Allsburg, the acclaimed author-illustrator of such modern classics as "The Polar Express" and "Jumanji," retells the true story of Annie Adson Taylor, a widowed, unemployed charm-school teacher who at the age of 62 in 1901 decided to ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel, and not only live to tell about the harrowing adventure, but make a small fortune for the celebrity she was sure to earn. And therein lies a tale, one that is ripe for a writer with the imaginative powers of the two-time Caldecott Medalist, and a perfect vehicle for his particular form of artistic vision. Annie survived, of course, and her extraordinary experience is recounted here, a telling example, he writes in an author's note, of the stories that can unfold "when imagination, determination and foolhardiness combine to set humans off in pursuit of their goals."
