When you think about visiting the NYPL, you probably think reading books or using the computers but what about seeing and learning about liv...

When you think about visiting the NYPL, you probably think reading books or using the computers but what about seeing and learning about live animals?

The past few weeks we've enjoyed learning about owls, ferrets, and all sorts of other animals with New Canaan Nature Center at our local NYPL branch.


One week we learned about owls! We learned about 2 different types of owls and how they would live the wild, how they'd hunt, how they fly and so much more.


The children asked lots of questions about the owls feathers, eyes and different body parts.


Then the kids had the chance to pull apart owl pellets. My son was not very excited about the idea. LOL


But after getting encouragement from the other kids, he joined them to find bones, fur and other interesting bits that owls eat.


Then a few weeks later New Canaan Nature Center came back to our local NYPL branch to teach the kids (and families) about various Creatures of the Night. These were animals that are nocturnal or mostly active at night.

A few animals we learned about...


We learned about a Gecko and how it stores fat in it's tail. Then we each took a turn touching the tail, which was surprising soft and squishy compared to it's hard and rough upper body.


Next we learned that Chinchillas can jump as high as 7 feet, due to it's hind legs and spring like tail. We also learned about how it cares for it's coat, which we were able to feel. It's super soft!


The ferret was fun to learn about. It has a long and slinky body with rough fur. It's also very friendly but it's encouraged as a pet idea.


The hedgehog was VERY shy but we still learned a lot about they protect themselves from predators, that's they're different from porcupines and they're not blue like sonic the hedge hog. Ha!


To help the hedgehog feel safe, he was put back in his box and the kids could watch to see if he'd peek out. He did a few times and we saw his face!


My son (and the other kids) really enjoyed learning about the animals during both these sessions. It wonderful that the NYPL offers free public programs like this at their various branches.

To learn more about NYPL programs, visit - www.nypl.org/events/public-programs

To see how you can support your NYPL, visit - www.nypl.org/support/donate

As a digital family, we download apps all the time. But I check all apps downloaded to my son's mobile devices to make sure they're ...

As a digital family, we download apps all the time. But I check all apps downloaded to my son's mobile devices to make sure they're safe. While many kids app looks age appropriate and harmless, sadly predators can find ways to infiltrate and exploit them.

As parents it's important to check our child’s devices including their smartphone, computer and tablet on a regular basis to make sure no inappropriate content is being sent to them.

There are also other steps parents need to take to safeguard their children.

One common mistake parents make is allowing their children to create a username that incorporates their name, information about their age and location or interests. These small pieces of data are enough for a predator to start piecing together a profile of a child and give predators tools that can be used to find more information to manipulate kids.

By following these 5 simple guidelines, parents can help make sure online predators are not targeting their children.

1. Stop Kids from Duplicating Usernames – Just like recycling a password is a bad idea kids should not use the same username to log into different online accounts. Having one common username across accounts just makes it easier for criminals to search for and find details about a child’s life.


2. Keep Personal Details Private – If an app or website requires kids to fill out a profile do not let them enter personally identifying details like their full name, birthdate, age or address. If they cannot use a site without supplying these details either supply a false answer to the questions or do not allow your child to use that site/app.


3. Email Addresses and Usernames Do Not Mix – Linking a username with an email address can simplify a predator’s search for personal information. Using trial and error a criminal can add common email providers to a username, run a search and pull up social media accounts and any other sites where an email address was used to create a profile.


4. Create Unique Email Addresses for Each App/Site – Some email providers including Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo allow users to alter their email address into infinite number of disposable addresses.
   
   
   For example if your child’s email address is shauntips@gmail.com and he/she wants to sign up for a new gaming site you can alter his/her email address just for that site by adding an identifier to it such as shauntips+ABCGamingFun@gmail.com.
   
   
   This keeps your child’s actual email address private and can help stop criminals from being able to track online history simply by searching for an email address.


5. Stay Vigilant – Regularly checking what apps your child is using and what websites are being visited is the first line of defense. If anything looks suspicious or if you are unsure what something is, ask your child. If he/she cannot explain to your satisfaction what the app is then delete it and block it.

About SNDR

SNDR™ is a new app that combines all the ways you already communicate into a single platform. You can text, email, share files and use social media all from one app. And, every message is encrypted and completely secure.

For more information about protecting your security and privacy online, visit: www.sndr.com

A few weeks ago we attended The New York Public Library (NYPL) Family Benefit and enjoyed a day of outer space theme activities. Note: ...

A few weeks ago we attended The New York Public Library (NYPL) Family Benefit and enjoyed a day of outer space theme activities.

Note: I was invited as media to this event. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.



We started the fun with a Q&A with astronauts. They asked my son space related questions in exchange for giving him a prize from their helmet.


Then my son received a space tattoo


Next stop was the various craft stations, where my son made out of this world items including a telescope, an alien in a space ship and a comic capsule. There were a few more craft stations but we didn't get a chance to visit them


This could be because my son found the Rocket Fuel food station provided by Abigail Kirsch. LOL.


At each station we enjoyed snacking on various space and alien themed items. Including Alien cupcakes!


While snacking we enjoyed the Moon Rock performance. They really rocked out!


After out meal we moved on to more activities in the Space Station room, which featured educational and interactive activities including robot building, learning about Mars planet surface and making your own space shuttle.


Speaking of space shuttle, the Balloon Blast with Brooklyn Balloon Company made shuttle balloons for kids who wanted them. I thought my son would want one also but he opted for a rocket jet-pack.

I confess I was amazed that the balloon guy could make one.


After getting our balloon, we ended our fun with a magic show. The show was very interactive. Kids were invited to join in and "help" make the fun magic happen. My son had a blast.

While we enjoyed all those activities, the main point of the benefit is to support and fund the NYPL so they can provide free public services including after school programs, teen coding courses, adult tech training, ESOL classes, and job search assistance across the Library system's 92 locations, including 88 neighborhood branches.

To see how you can support your NYPL, visit - www.nypl.org/support/donate