Pizza Wheels

Hi everyone,

Here’s a wheely great snack idea for kids and parents to do together: pizza roll-ups. Spread a whole-wheat tortilla with two tablespoons (30 mL) tomato sauce. Sprinkle with a handful of grated mozzarella cheese. Then add pizza toppings you like, such as sliced red peppers, cooked mushrooms or ham. Microwave or heat in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Roll up and slice into five or six “wheels.” Enjoy!

Katherine, Chirp Editor

Photo: Royalty-free/Dreamstime

Would You Rather?

Hi everyone,

Sometimes when my kids are looking for something fun to do, we play a game called Would You Rather? I ask them a bunch of questions, something like these ones:

• Would you rather eat a mountain of carrots or a tree of broccoli?
• Would you rather have a pet from outer space or the deepest part of the ocean?
• Would you rather live in a treehouse or a castle?

What would you rather do? Let me know! And if you send me your own Would You Rather questions (chirpblog@owlkids.com), I’ll post them here at the blog. Have fun!

Katherine, Chirp Editor

Illustrations: Royalty-free/Dreamstime, iStockphoto

Happy Halloween!

Hi everyone,

Are you excited about Halloween? I am, too! I love looking at our neighbours’ creepy decorations and checking out all the amazing costumes as I take my kids from one home to the next. But we’ll remember to play it safe as we go. Here are our trick-or-treating safety tips:

1. Make sure your costume isn’t too long so you don’t trip.
2. Wear face paint instead of a mask to see better.
3. Wear reflective tape or carry a flashlight so you’re easy to see in the dark.
4. Only cross the street with a grown-up.
5. Keep your costume away from lit candles or pumpkins.
6. Don’t enter a neighbour’s house unless a parent says it’s okay.
7. Ask an adult to check your candy for holes or missing wrappers.

After we come home, we’re going to have a special Halloween-style story time before we settle in for a night of sugar-coated dreams. We’re going to check out a book called Creepy Carrots written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown. It’s about a rabbit who’s crazy about carrots — until they start following him home! (Or do they?) Find out when you read this funny book.

And don’t forget to send a picture of you in your Halloween costume to chirpblog@owlkids.com. I’ll post some here at Chirp Family Fun. Have a spook-tacular Halloween, everyone!

Katherine, Chirp Editor

(Illustration: iStockphoto)

Snow White Contest Winner

Hi everyone,

Congrats to Chirp reader Jazzy! She wins a Cobble Hill Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Family Puzzle for sending a picture of her favourite fairy-tale character. Check out her amazing drawing of the witch from Hansel and Gretel:

Jazzy, 6

Great drawing, Jazzy! Good luck in the next contest, everyone!

Katherine, Chirp Editor

Pangolin Power

Hi everyone,

The November 2012 issue of Chirp is all about wheels. You can find out why wheels are round, make your own police car, or meet the pangolin, a scaly creature that rolls into a ball to protect itself. Did you know the pangolin’s scales feel a lot like our fingernails? Find out more in this cool video of a pangolin in action:

Read more about the pangolin in November Chirp. Enjoy!

Katherine, Chirp Editor