If you're tired of cheap broken puzzle and game boxes spilling bits and pieces everywhere, try this method for keeping it all together.

Schools have banned tag and other chase games. Playground equipment is safe and non-threatening. Swings are short so they can't swing too high. Climbing a tree is a lost art. Keeping kids safe is important, but are we protecting our children too much? There does seem to be a bit of a backlash against over-protection. First, there was The Dangerous Book for Boys, then Gever Tulley's TEDTalk, and now a new study from Play England, part of the National Children's Bureau in England says that children are missing out on an essential part of childhood -- risk.

The study found that half of all children are not allowed to climb trees and one in six is not allowed to play tag or other chase games. Adrian Voce, director of Play England, says that kids "are not enjoying the opportunities to play outside that most people would have thought of as normal when they were growing up." He also noted that nearly three times as many kids ended up in the hospital after falling out of bed as after falling out of trees.

Now, I know it can be difficult for parents to watch kids get themselves into dangerous situations and the natural reaction, when they get hurt, is to ban the activity that caused the accident, but the truth is kids can run into poles walking through the mall (as my son did the other evening) just as easily as playing "tickle pirate" at the playground.

Sure, you don't want your kids to suffer serious damage, but a few bumps and bruises, if you ask me, builds character. My kids are forever running into things and falling down and they've learned you just get up and get on with it. That seems to me like a good attitude to take.

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The name of this column is "Childhood Unplugged", but that doesn't mean an Amish existence is the only way to get kids to flex their creative muscles! Advances in technology make it possible for even young children to accomplish amazing things with electronics that are much more educational (and fun!) than achieving a high score on Guitar Hero or amassing enormous bank accounts on Rune-Scape.

Back when I was a kid (before the days of Atari 2600 's Tank Pong, mind you) the most advanced technology allowed in grubby little hands was a tape recorder. Working with what we had, my siblings and I created news broadcasts, commercials complete with cheesy rhyming jingles, and found ways to make some amazing sounds effects and not-so-amazing voices to narrate recreations of our favorite fairy tales and children's books. (The Three Little Pigs was one of our best works due to my wise casting of a little brother with the inability to pronounce the letter L , in the role of the big bad wolf. The resultant, "Widdle Pig! Widdle Pig! Wet me come in!" was a definite crowd pleaser.)

Are you raising a creative genius whose creations are taking over your home? Quick! Grab your camera.

Have you hugged your librarian today? Now is a better time than ever to at least go in and say hi (you might want to save the hug for another time). Ohio librarians are reporting that libraries are more popular than ever, due in part to a struggling economy and high gas prices. Not only can you find free reading materials at the library, but you can usually check out videos or use the computers as well.

Libraries have changed a lot since we were kids, and today a visit to the library can be a fun-filled, low-cost outing for the whole family. Our local library has story time, summer reading programs, puppet shows, visiting children's authors, concerts, movie days (complete with popcorn!), crafts, and even a family game night. Teens have their own department now, as well as their own programs, and the children's room is filled with educational toys and puzzles.

So if you're finding your entertainment budget pinched by rising gas or food prices, give your public library a try. Who knows, you might just start a new family tradition. And if you're looking for other ways to get your kids out from in front of the TV or computer, don't forget to visit ParentDish's very own Childhood Unplugged for creative craft, cooking, and party ideas.

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If your kids want to be famous and you're not entirely in favor of their current plan to become so by jumping off the Johnson's garage roof with flannel blanket parachutes, then perhaps this might offer an emergency-room-free alternative. Seven boys in Michigan jumped around in a bounce-house for twenty-four hours straight in order to set a world record and raise money for charity.

The boys took turns bouncing two at a time in order to break the previous record of nineteen hours and twenty-four minutes. Their parents were worried, when they couldn't get them to relax between shifts, that the boys would run out of energy. Those fears, of course, turned out to be completely unfounded. "At the beginning we could not get them to rest," said Jeannie Brott, whose son Mason came up with the idea after seeing the previous record in the Guinness Book of World Records. "They don't run out of energy. It is insane."

It wasn't all just fun and games, however. The boys managed to raise about a thousand dollars which will be donated to Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network. The boys wanted to raise money while setting the record and would like the money to go to a charity that helps children, Brott said. As for the experience itself, well, Mason Brott summed it up well: "It was awesome."

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Did you ever play with paper dolls? Perhaps you did when you were young. Perhaps, even now, you continue to collect them for nostalgia's sake, or to refrain back to your old days when you didn't have kids and were one yourself. Well, in the world of paper dolls comes along a set that is fun and humorous and possibly just a wee bit controversial: The pregnant paper doll.

The pregnant paper doll is intended as a gift for the mother-to-be who has a sense of humor and doesn't mind yet one more reminder that her waist is about to become a thing of the past. There's a doll and requisite set of clothes for each trimester, including what some women call the "fourth" trimester--you know, the one after the baby is born but you still feel and look ginormous? The first trimester offers a few tummy-bearing options and some strategic layering, while the third trimester offers sweatpants, a mu mu, and, oddly, a wedding dress.

Not sure what comment the creators of the paper dolls had in mind when they decided to add that garb to the mix. Are they secretly (or not so much) hinting that pregnant women ought to get married? Maybe I'm just being overly analytical; after all they are just paper dolls. The only other thing I think is worth mentioning is that this is a kitchshy item that, while fun, will most likely just sit on the shelf. No mom-to-be is going to take time out of her busy nesting schedule to cut these out.

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If you have plans to visit a Disney theme park in the future, you might want to add a few extra dollars to your wallet. Beginning today, Disney is raising the cost of admission at all domestic theme parks.

How much more you will pay depends on which park you visit. At Walt Disney World in Orlando, the increase is $4 for guests ten years and older and $3 for those aged 3 to 9-years-old. At Disneyland in California, both age groups will see an increase of $3 per one-day ticket.

Those who like a little variety in their amusement will be paying extra as well. The popular park hopper option, which lets you visit different areas of the parks, will see a $5 increase to $50.

That may not seem a lot to an individual ticket holder, but considering the fact that millions of people visit those parks each year, that's a lot of additional money for the Happiest Place on Earth. Money that Disney says will be spent on new brochures and guidebooks for guests.

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It's a hot day in Montana and you've been on your Harley for hours, on your way to the annual Hells Angels gathering, held this year in Missoula. You're thirsty and you're looking for a cold drink to help you cool down. So where do you go? To Jase and Dylan Lewis' Kool-aid stand, of course. It seems Hells Angels like bug juice as much as the next kid.

The seven- and eleven-year-old boys have set up their shop alongside the road just in time for the arrival of the motorcycle club's leather-clad members. Members who, it seems, have a soft spot for both kids and Kool-Aid. A cup of the juice costs only a quarter -- the boys decided against raising prices this year, despite rising costs -- but most of the bikers tip a lot more.

Jase and Dylan have done quite well in the past with their stand, and hope to earn enough this year for some back-to-school clothes and a trip to Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho (not necessarily in that order, I imagine.) It's good to see kids taking initiative and nice to see the Hells Angels show in a positive light.

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Yes, hard to believe but also true. Well, perhaps not that hard to believe after all. I mean, hey, women are in the workforce now--even and especially while pregnant--and being a prostitute is a profession, so it's expected that somewhere down the line you're going to come across a pregnant prostitute, right?

The Kansas City police recently came across several pregnant prostitutes. They recently busted a prostitution operation at a Camden County hotel and arrested four women, three of whom were pregnant. According to police, they were acting on a tip that pregnant women were advertising the prostitution on the Internet.

The three ladies with child were six months, eight months and three months pregnant. Now, it was not clear to me if the gals were trying to sell sex with a pregnant woman or if they were just trying to sell sex and happened to be pregnant. Not that it matters. In Canada another, similar sting went down wherein twelve prostitutes were apprehended, two of whom were pregnant.

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Last summer was our first attempt at a real family vacation (at the time, our girls were four and two). We spent our days exploring remote beaches, floating on rafts, and catching rays... heavenly. Our nights were spent at our campsite, which after four or five nights, started to feel like that place that's the opposite of Heaven. When my husband asked me if I wanted to go back there again this year, I said that I absolutely did, on one condition: Wherever we stayed had to have a kitchen, beds, and running water.

"The kids will be bummed," he said. And I knew he was right. But seven days, at this point in their childhood when they still require so much physical care, is just too long for me to sleep on the ground and cook three meals a day over a fire pit.

Over at Newsweek, Kathy Deveny talks about the difference between family vacations when you're a kid with few responsibilities, and when you're an adult who's in charge of everything. When I was a kid, my parents owned a motor home that we took off in every weekend in the summer months, exploring every corner of our state. I remember riding my bike everywhere, bug bites, s'mores. What I don't remember is my mom spending half her time packing, preparing meals, and washing dishes, though I know she must have. Vacationing is hard work.

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Welcome to the dog days of summer! For many parents, the family vacation is but a distant memory, the kids' swimming lessons over and summer camp is done, yet there are still MANY, MANY days before the blissful sound of that morning bell at school!

How about whiling away an afternoon with the kids in the shade of a tree (or even better, a makeshift shelter created from a clothesline and old sheets or blankets!) creating crafts out of ordinary household items, MacGuyver style? It's inexpensive, easy, and best of all- children of nearly all ages and skill levels can participate.

Has it been weeks since your kids saw their school friends? Help them catch up with a playdate.

Remember jump rope? Some of you, as I did, may have spent hours if not the equivalent of days hopping up and down between two friends and a couple of ropes, trying not to get tangled. Some of the more adventurous (and graceful) spent their time perfecting moves that would rival the coolness of breakdancing.

Now, it looks like jump roping may move from outside of the playground and into the spotlight. The sport, which has been referred to as child's play, a hobby and a past time, is going varsity. At least Double Dutch will, and at least it will in New York. I don't know if you've ever participated in this particular kind of jump rope, but it ain't easy! Double Dutch requires a lot of skill, timing and flexibility, as well as fancy footwork.

The innovative school set to take the plunge is Brooklyn's own Boys and Girls High School. A demonstration was held to determine whether or not there was enough interest. Jumping rope, which has been traditionally seen as a girls' pastime, is being considered as a way to draw girls to the field of athletics, which have generally been dominated by boys. I'm sorry, but this is SO COOL!

Pic by sun dazed.

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Make sure your child is prepared to share memories what he/she did over summer vacation by helping him or her put together a summer vacation album.