We want to share out book with young readers everywhere. That is why we have created the Lilly P. Badilly School and Library Program. I will visit local South Florida schools and libraries and do an educational and entertaining presentation about traveling, geography, culture, Costa Rica, fears and reading. For each Lilly Badilly book sold (min of 25) I will give 20% of the sales price back to the school or library. Sign your school or library up today!

Summer is approaching, and you don’t want to wait until the last minute to find a summer camp. Camp can be a lot of fun for your kids, and the best ones are booked  early. Here are some suggestions to get it right:

1.  Ask your friends for recommendations in your area.

2. Check your local newspaper or community magazine, since many have a summer camp insert listing all the options in your area.

3. Ask your child’s teacher if he or she knows of a great camp.

4. Ask your kids what they’d like to do most at camp, and focus your seacrh on their wishes.

5. Narrow your search down to 3 or 4 choices and call and visit each one.

6. Check the camp for cleanliness, safety and for the quality of activities available.

7.  Ask the right questions:

How long has the camp been here?

Who are the owners?

What is the cost?

How many sessions do you have?

Is transportation provided?

How many campers do you have?

What are the age ranges?

How many counselors are there in ratio to the number of campers?

What kind of training do the counselors have?

What does a typical day consist of?

What do you do to ensure the safety of my child?

What about pool safety?

How do you handle medical emergencies?

How do you handle campers with bad behavior?

Has this camp won any awards?

8. Do your homework by asking around if any other parents have sent their kids to the camp, by doing a search on the camp on line and by calling the Better Business Bureau to see if thee are complaints.

9. Let your kids have a say in where they will attend so they can be excited about going.

10. Believe your child if he tells you he feels unsafe there or is unhappy and does not want to go. Theres probably a good reason.

Once you find a camp your children love, they can return again and again.

    Despite the ridiculous price of gas these days, many American families will take car trips this summer. The anticipation of the journey is often more exciting than the long hours in the car – both for parents and kids. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some ideas to keep the little ones entertained for hours.
1)    Pack a small cooler within reach to include water and some healthy snacks, like apples, nuts and whole grain crackers – and maybe a few cookies! Then you won’t have to stop constantly because the kids are hungry. But beware of the child who drinks excessive amounts of water and then requires too many pit stops!
2)    Bring along a pillow and lightweight blanket for napping in the car. This will come in handy especially if you leave very early in the morning. The kids can sleep in the car, and time spent sleeping will not be time being bored.
3)    Consider bringing along your dog, if you have one. There are many hotels that permit pets. And your kids will be entertained while helping to care of the pet.
4)    Take a small cardboard box or a crate and organize a variety of activities in it. Some ideas include coloring books, crayons, pencils, markers, drawing paper, sticker, scissors, activity books, trivia cards, puzzle books, small crafts projects, books to read, hand held electronic games, extra batteries. By using the open box, it will much easier for your child to see what is available, and it will be much more likely that she will put her items put away. Make sure to put a few new items in there to surprise your child. There’s nothing like a fresh box of crayons or a new coloring book!
5)    Ask your children to make a card and write a letter or poem for a family member or friend you may be visiting on the trip.
6)    Go to your local library and get a few kids books on tape/CD. Look for stories that will entertain the entire family, like classics or mysteries – or The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly! It is amazing how quickly time will fly while you are listening to the stories together. Another idea is to download programs on CD from the internet that may interest all family members, such as those on National Public Radio.
7)    Have each family member pick their favorite CDs to bring along, so you can each have a turn choosing what to listen to while driving.
8)    When asked, “Are we there yet?” give your child a map and ask him to help you find your way. That will help him understand just how far away you are from your destination plus provide some entertainment.
9)    Play the alphabet game. Look for words that start with all the letters in the alphabet from A-Z on signs and trucks. Only the letter X can be found in the middle of a word. This game can take up to an hour, depending on what you can find.
10)    Ask each child to make up a game the family can play, no matter how silly it may be.
11)    Make rest stops at even intervals to get out and stretch. Insist that your kids use the bathroom at each stop whether they think they need to go or not! If they don’t, rest assured they’ll ask you to stop a few miles down the road.
12)    After a long day of driving, be sure to find a way to get a little exercise at the hotel in the evening. This can be as simple as a swim in the pool or taking a brisk walk. Nothing is worse for kids’ patience than being all cooped up in the car all day.
13)    If the driving part of your trip will take several days, consider breaking it up by planning some fun stops along the way. That will break it up and give your kids something special to look forward to each day.

We want to hear from you! Tell us what you do to entertain your kids in the car.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be Lilly P Badilly, a small insect with a backpack on her back, sneaking aboard a plane and traveling to Costa Rica? We know that Lilly thought it was scary. But would you?  What would you do if you were in her situation? How would you face your fears?

Check itout. The Glade family was interviewed by the Miami Herald for a  local news story. http://www.miamiherald.com/472/story/482424.html

    Creativity is the root of all original ideas. It is responsible for our greatest inventions. It’s the reason for solutions. And it is the foundation of a young child’s emotional, spiritual and intellectual development. Often, those with the most vivid imaginations not only become the best artists, designers, actors and writers, but they also find great success in the business world.
We’ve all heard time and again that everyone is creative, whether he or she knows it or not. But what makes one child more creative than another? Well, other than the obvious answer relating to genetics, it is the child’s environment. Freedom to think independently and opportunity for self-expression are critical elements of a creative environment.
Here are some ideas to spark the imaginations of your children:
1. Play The Story Game – Either you or your child start to tell a story. Only tell a little bit of the story. For example, “A boy named Jack and his sister, Julia, rode their bikes to the grocery store to buy some candy..” The other person will add on to it. “But just Jack and Julia were about to go inside the store, they saw something amazing in the parking lot…” The goal is to try to add as many twists and turns and surprises to the plot as possible. “A woman dressed in circus clothes was riding on an elephant in the parking lot!…” What results is always a lot of imaginative thinking and even more laughter. Each storyteller, whether the child or the adult, is always surprised at what wacky ideas the other storyteller comes up with. That in turn generates new ideas for both involved. And this game can be played with the entire family, to really make it interesting. Often there are many rounds until the story gets so ridiculous that one person finally ends it.
2. Play The Picture Game – In line with The Story Game, one person starts with part of a drawing on a page, usually a simple shape lie a rectangle. The other person adds on to the picture to start shaping something recognizable. This is a great game to play in the car, passing the paper back and forth. You can play until the entire page is filled with drawings of a scene. The fun of it all is looking at what the other person created from your lines and shapes and figuring out what you can do to change into something else.
3. Take a Walk in Your Neighborhood – Walking through alleys and parks can help you get started on a fun and imaginative project. Look all around you. Notice all you can about the birds, insects and plants. Start collecting items you find on the ground to bring home. Depending on the place and time of year, you might find interesting leaves, sticks, acorns, pine cones, pieces of paper, rocks and so on. Bring them home and make a craft. If it is autumn, you can press the leaves in a book between paper towels. You may want to use other items to make a wreath for your front door or to give a friend as a gift.
4. Encourage Writing – Young children love story paper that you can buy from an educational supply store. You know the kind of paper – with space for a picture on the top and lines to write on the bottom. Challenge your child to write a story for you. Display it proudly on the fridge.
5. Lay on a blanket in late afternoon with your children in your backyard (when it’s warm enough!) and look up at the clouds. See what shapes the clouds form. Look for clouds that look like animals, faces, flowers and other objects. Can you see the same shapes as your kids? Can they see yours?

You’ll find that when you do these activities with your children, you will get your creative juices flowing as well. And best of all, you’ll be spending quality time with the most important people in your life – your kids.
What’s your favorite way to be creative with your child?