Bright kids are usually pretty curious about a lot of different things. Ingredient Magazine is just the thing to pique your child's curiosity about food!

Although there is a sample magazine posted on their website, Ingredient Magazine actually comes in the mail! Published six times a year, the magazine is aimed at kids 6 through 12. It is published in St. Paul, MN, and is available at local Twin City food co-ops.

Your curious child will learn cooking techniques, about nutrition, and food history - such as what foods Christopher Columbus found in America. There might be interviews of nationally-known chefs, there are games and puzzles and even food jokes. And, of course, there are recipes, too.

Now that schools are closed and farmers markets are open, it's the perfect time to introduce your child to the culinary arts!

A number of years ago, a teacher friend wanted to sign up at the library for a parent-child book club for herself and her two young sons. There were some book clubs on the schedule, but the problem was that they were for mothers and daughters. Nothing for boys. So she ended up starting a club of her own.  

PBS Parents, which is a great resource generally, also offers some good tips on how to start a book club, whether it be for mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, or any combination of parents and children. The site also posts book club basics, how to foster great discussions, and the many benefits of book clubs.

The American Psychological Association (APA) is producing a new series of public education videos discussing important trends and research in psychology. These videos will be posted about once a month on the APA website, on an APA YouTube channel, and as iTunes downloadable podcasts.

The first release includes an introduction,  an episode on bullying, and an episode on young children's mental health.  The purpose of the series is to educate the general public about the science of psychology and to show how research can be applied to a broad range of issues.

Here is an excellent article by therapist and mother Lori Gottlieb that appeared recently in The Atlantic Magazine online, in which the author discusses why the obsession with our kids' happiness may be dooming them to unhappy adulthoods.

Of course, everyone wants their children to grow up to be productive and happy adults. However, says Gottlieb, "Nowadays, it's not enough to be happy-if you can be even happier. The American Dream and the pursuit of happiness have morphed from a quest for general contentment to the idea that you must be happy at all times and in every way."

An acrostic, according to definition, is a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word. The puzzles are somewhat similar to crosswords. So if you like word puzzles, check out Acrostica.com by Michael H. Dickman. Dickman - or a guest author - posts a new puzzle about once a week. There is also a Puzzle Vault on the site, in which he has archived all his acrostics since September 2008. Beyond that, he also has a resource list of many other acrostics websites.

Do you know what the legal definition for giftedness is in your state? Although there is a federal model, each state has its own unique definition of giftedness. And this definition determines who may be eligible for gifted programs in the schools. Kathe Oliver has given us permission to reprint her article Legally Gifted, which you will find on our website at  http://educationaloptions.com/resources/LegallyGifted.php. This was adapted from her article written for the July 2011 edition of Omen: The Magazine of Oregon Mensa.

The Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented has recently added a new resource page to their website. Starting with the Minnesota Definition of Gifted and Talented, the page also includes a list of Minnesota legislative statutes, definitions in gifted education, school options, and other resources.

Next September, Dr. Ruf and Educational Options will offer our first personality salon. This salon, in a comfortable home setting, will be a way for families to benefit from Dr. Ruf's parenting and family advice through understanding their own personality types.

The salon will take place Tuesday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m., and it will last about 1.5 hours. For more information, please go to our website at http://educationaloptions.com/services/PersonalitySalon.php.