Bright Ideas

All children deserve a childhood. But when faced with external circumstances like illness, war, natural disaster, or extreme poverty, some children risk missing out on the simple joys of running, laughing, discovering, and creating.

As our CEO and Founder Darell Hammond recently pointed out in the World Economic Forum blog: “For a child whose life has been turned upside down, play is absolutely essential for maintaining a sense of stability amid turmoil and helping to work through emotional trauma. This is because play is simple, familiar and joyful – all the things that adversity is not.”  

The right to play is universal. Here are three innovative initiatives that are bringing play to children most in need:

In Deir Ezzor, Syria, citizens have set up an underground school and play area to help children cope with the stark realities of war. Before the school opened, 12-year-old Sultan Mussa told the Al Arabiya News, “I spent the whole day closed up at home because my parents were afraid of the bombing and wouldn’t let me go out.” Says principal Beda al-Hassan, “This isn't the sort of life children should have.”

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As you enjoy your holidays, we hope these playing snowmen inspire you to get outside. Granted, snowmen may be a bit less phased by the cold than us warm-blooded humans, but with the right attire and mindset, you too can race down slides, practice handstands, chuck snowballs, climb trees, hang from tree branches, and play sports.

Wishing you very happy holidays and a wonderful New Year -- from all of us at KaBOOM!.

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If you've been following this blog for a while, you might say we're a bit obsessed with cardboard boxes. Well, our love affair continues. If you're thinking about dashing to the store to buy some uninspired costume-in-a-bag this Halloween, think again!

First, check out these 11 DIY cardboard box costumes. Not only are they cheap, creative, and environmentally friendly, but your kids can get in on the fun.

Have you made a costume from a cardboard box? We'd love to share it -- please post a photo to our Facebook page. 

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Over the decades, as our vehicles have changed and evolved, one still looks more or less the same: the yellow school bus.

What has changed, though, are the other modes of transportation that children are using to get to school. While 71 percent of adults walked or rode their bicycles to school as children, a mere 17 percent of their own children currently do so. Fifty-three percent are driven by a parent.

That makes us sad. A car interior is a relatively sterile and isolated environment, affording few opportunities for movement, interaction, and play. A school bus, by contrast, is far more communal, while walking and biking get kids' hearts pumping, stimulating their brains in the process.

That's why we're so excited to see these human-powered school buses, which offer the best of both worlds:

Like our classic yellow bus, this Dutch bicycle school bus has one adult 'driver,' but unlike our buses, it's powered mostly by children. With a top speed of about 10 miles per hour, it also features an electric motor for those particularly tough hills.

OK, so it's not yellow, but this bicycle built for seven allows passengers to sit in a circle as they pedal and steers like a car. In Germany, these bikes are being used as human-powered school buses, and a school district in Oregon uses them to fight childhood obesity.

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