It’s the end of the month and I have tons of little articles sitting on my desk. None of them themselves makes a full blog, but might be considered a blob.

Wells Fargo has a website specifically to teach kids (mostly teens) about money management. The website has games the kids can play, and when they answer questions about money management, they earn virtual money that they can spend, save or invest. Future activities will have the kids get jobs, get a credit card, and apply for a loan. Finally a way to teach kids in a way that doesn’t cost us any money, and in a way they love, being on the internet.

Do you want to get your kids more active and boost their brain power? Actually, they can do that by playing video games. A dance video game called Dance Dance Revolution gets kids moving, but as a side benefit helps raise math and reading scores. By being able to follow the pattern in the game along with the movement, it helps to train the brain to respond faster to patterns.

A suggestion in Family Fun magazine combines food, learning and bonding. To help a new child in your home understand who family members are, take cookies like Nilla Wafers or oatmeal cookies and decorate them to look like family members. (see photo) You can lay them out in family tree fashion if you like, or just discuss who everyone is and how they fit in the family.

Here’s a fun way to keep kids occupied, get them out into fresh air for a little while, and promote creativity. Take an empty egg carton, and paint each of the twelve sections a different color. Have your child go outside and find something that corresponds to each of the colors you have painted.

Do you want to cook healthier food for your family? Do you have a picky eater? Do you need help planning menus and getting a grocery list together? There is a website that can help you do all of that. Meal Makeover Moms is a website put together by dietitians, but with family friends meals and hints, and even a “best of the bunch” list for all the convenience foods you already use like frozen pizza and boxed macaroni and cheese.

And last, but not least, is National Eat Dinner Together week. The week of September 16 through 22, 2007 is designed to get families eating together at the dinner table. There is even a website to help you with meal ideas, games for kids to get them involved in making dinner, and even a list of 30 meals that can be prepared in under 30 minutes. As the article points out “Roseanne got everyone together at suppertime, and so can you.”

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Photo credit – Family Fun magazine