Kids

Tis the night when mini ghosts, vampires, and Harry Potters, as well as princesses and pumpkins wander the streets – Halloween is finally upon us. If you’ve been too busy to nab a costume or if costumes malfunction at the last minute, check out the beijingkids easy costume guide from our October issue. This year, you’re likely to see your fair share of Batmans and Jokers as well as a coven of witches – the most popular costume to date. But beware – some schools in the US think you might offend real witches (members of the Wiccan religion).

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Last Saturday, on October 25th, over one hundred little pirates invaded Ritan Park – the brisk day started off with a lunch at Schindler Tankstelle of hotdogs and hamburgers, followed by face painting, temporary tattoos and costumes before the little pirates set off on their mission: to visit eight stations throughout the park, play each game, and collect ‘gold’ at each station. Adorned in pirate hats, sailor jackets, boots, eye patches and bandannas the plastic sword-wielding crew were wildly successful at games like balancing, pinning eye patches, and presenting their treasure to the Pirate Captain (aka Managing Editor Michelle Tsai) who directed them to pirate booty: toys, stuffed animals, goodie bags and more.

Check out our gallery to see photos of the fierce young pirates.

Although I never understood the mania around Harry Potter’s movies, I was a devoted reader of the young magician’s adventures until the fourth book. A friend once gave me a surprising explanation about why Harry Potter is so incredibly successful: when children start reading the first book, they are generally around the same age as Harry and can identify with him. He grows older as the reader does, sharing the same problems; although he lives in a more fantastic world with magic and excitement, he still deals with typical problems sometimes. 

Before coming across the Harry Potter books, I had a Lords of the Rings phase that I still remember vividly, but my travels to middle earth were limited compared to the thoughts I gave Hogwarts. And although the fantasy genre has fans of all ages, it seems that children are especially attracted to fantasy worlds and mythical creatures.

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There is no greater bliss on earth than that enjoyed by kids on their summer holidays. The time before school starts again seems endless; the mischief available to revel in is irresistible; and all the time, there’s a spare afternoon to escape the beating sun (or rain!) and watch a magical movie.

Now, I’m not talking about the summer blockbusters that Hollywood likes to shove down our throats year after year. (Does anyone really care about the millionth installment of Spiderman?) I’m talking about the movies that seem to capture the excitement of these golden days in the sun. Maybe you have your own favorites, but here is a personal selection of three films that make me feel young, and give you the urge to eat a popsicle or icecream in front of the TV for a couple of hours.

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In the U.S., I spent my summer vacations being pretty lazy; I spent June through August going to the pool, catching up with friends, sleeping late, or traveling with my family. For some reason, I imagined children and adolescents all over the world spending these months the exact same way, but I’ve now realized two things: not all countries have the same months for summer vacation and other kids out of school attended summer camp (6 million kids in America each year), try to make extra cash at a summer jobs or study at summer school (yikes).

While in the U.S., most schools allow a summer vacation of about three months, the summer holidays in England usually begin near the end of July and last until the first week of September for approximately 6 weeks of unadulterated bliss. 

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After two hot, sweaty months in Beijing, I am returning home to  Canada. Parting with Beijing, however, will be more bitter than it will be sweet. This city is a constant adventure. Saying goodbye to it has never been easy.

When I moved away five years ago, I had just finished 10th grade at the International School of Beijing. I sobbed against the airplane window as the plane left the tarmac and hated my parents for taking me away from the city I had lived in the longest, the place I loved the best. Adjusting to Canada – its public schools, its blistering winters, and its spaces that seemed to be devoid of any kind of history or culture – was far harder than settling in to China to had been. Nonetheless, I eventually gave up resenting my parents, and Canada became home. 

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Calling all junior Olympians! Show your stuff this Friday at AmCham’s annual Kid Olympics at the International School of Beijing–complete with hula-hooping, dunking, contests and games for prizes. Enjoy the barbecue, cool off with cold drinks, and catch the firework show in the evening.

What: Kid Olympics

When: Friday, July 4, 3pm to 9pm

Where: International School of Beijing

Why: It’s fun!

As if pregnant women weren’t inundated by health advice already, a new study in The Journal of Physiology suggests that a poor diet in the womb might have long lasting health effects on the child. 

The experiment found that rats whose mothers were fed fatty, processed foods during pregnancy had high levels of fat in the bloodstream even after adolescence, and despite switching to healthier grub. (Not that breaking the habit is easy; the same team showed previously that you might crave the snacks you had in the womb.)

Translation: If mom gobbles Doritos and swigs cokes throughout pregnancy, baby—or teenager—might have a greater chance of developing Type II diabetes. No big shocker there.

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The tbjkids June/July issue presented a guide to traveling around China, but for those of us spending most of our time in Beijing this summer, check out the summer program at the Beijing Concert Hall, Gateway to Music.  

From July to August, Gateway To Music, is a series of various concerts to introduce kids and families to the world of classical music and stimulate intellects during the lazy days of summer.  

Gateway to Music will feature performances by first-class musicians, including violinists Peter Winograd and Sheng Zhongguo, violist Daniel Avshalomov, cellist Wolfram Koessel, and pianist Seta Yuko. 

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 After only having watched half an hour of Amir Bar-Lev’s  documentary My Child Could Paint That, I turned the TV off in disgust. The film depicts 4-year old painter Marla Olmstead’s rise to celebrity status. While she grins at the camera, refuses to be interviewed or sloppily spreads globs of paint around a canvas larger than her “pint-sized Pollock” body, the darker truth surrounding her artistic ‘genius’ is revealed.

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