News for Kids

Kids do say the darnedest things.

If my memory serves me correctly . . . who’s kidding who here, who relies on memory these days. According to Google, the Art Linkletter Show which aired from September 1952 -September 1969 may have been one of the first to feature the innocent humor and light-hearted questions and comments that children provide. Do you know of other programs? I’d love to hear from you.

A new twist, on this time-honored entertainment you might enjoy, is the NBC News: Kids Edition hosted by news anchor, Lester Holt on YouTube.

This is a cheerful yet serious examination of issues that parents may have trouble explaining from nightly news broadcasts. Or for that matter the barrage of dreadful news we receive daily over social media, online sessions, and friends and neighbors.

Out of curiosity, what questions have you sidestepped today?

Let’s face it kids do ask the best questions. Pure unadulterated optimists. No admonition or holding back. Just wholesome to the point questions.

Here’s a recent example, “Can the sun kill Coronavirus?”

I don’t know, do you?

Dare I say it, this “fun” news segment is dedicated to helping children and adults cope with the complicated, confusing, and frustrating issues in the news.

Gotta admit I could relate to this one, two youngsters from Texas asked, “We’re getting less exercise than normal, how come we feel more tired?”

Or can you explain this one? “Everyone talks about flattening the curve, what is the curve?”

Want the answers, then tune in - you will be enlightened and leave with a smile. Then share it with a loved one. They could use some enjoyable news too.

I’m convinced this brief “good news” segment is just as calming and educational for adults as it is for its intended audience.

Check it out! Just search Google for - Nightly News: Kids Edition. You’ll be so glad you did.

This is Patrick Ball, thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

The Language of Home: Building a Sanctuary

This episode is for anyone trying to find their footing in a new place—whether it’s a new city, a new job, or a new country. The light in Florence, Italy, has a way of making everything feel like a Renaissance painting—the golden hue on the stone, the steady rhythm of the Arno River, and the feeling that you are walking through a history much larger than yourself. I was there to give a presentation to a class of Gemology students. I was prepared to discuss color grading and refractive indices, but not to be outed as a language tutor . Feeling very much like a guest in a storied land, a hand shot up enthusiastically. "You’re the guy on the podcasts," the young woman said, her eyes bright with recognition. "You’re the one teaching us English." I laughed nervously. If you know my flat Midwestern accent, you know the irony here. I am hardly an Oxford professor. But later, as I wandered the cobblestone streets beneath the shadow of the Duomo, the humor faded into a powe...

Practiced Hands: The 50-Year Warranty

What Doc Burch Taught Me About Staying Active. We talk a lot about "life hacks" these days, but most of them don’t have a very long shelf life. Usually, they’re forgotten by the next app update. But back in 1972, I received a piece of advice that came with a 50-year warranty. It’s the reason I’m still on my bike today, still chasing a golf ball around Carlsbad, and still—mostly—in one piece. The Kick That Changed Everything It started with a literal kick in the pants. A kid at school in Cuba, Illinois, was joking around and caught me just right. By the next morning, my lower back was screaming. My mom didn’t reach for the Tylenol; she reached for her car keys. "Let’s go see Doc Burch," she said. "He’ll fix you right up." Harry E. Burch, D.C., was a fixture in Lewistown. He’d graduated from Palmer College in ’59 and had been our family’s go-to for years. He was a man of practiced hands and steady eyes. After a quick exam and an X-ray, the mood in the room s...

On the Fly–Taking Flight

In this special 500th episode, On the Fly is moving to a new home. Here’s why—and what’s staying the same. For a very long time (since April 2012), On the Fly has lived on Blogger . Blogger has been a reliable host—dependable, quiet, and never complaining when I arrived late with another half-baked idea, a guitar riff, or a story that needed a little air. It faithfully archived my thoughts, my music, and more than a decade of curiosity. But the internet has changed. It’s louder now. Flashier. More insistent. Every thought is nudged to perform. Every sentence wants to be optimized, monetized, or interrupted by something that really wants your attention right this second. I’ve been craving the opposite. So today, On the Fly is moving to Substack . If you’ve been with me for a while, you know my quiet obsession: the A rt of Seeing . I’m interested in the moments we rush past—the Aversion Trap, the discipline hidden inside a guitarist’s daily practice, t...

Chasing 70

In this episode, Chasing 70: A Respectful Negotiation with Gravity They say golf is a game of misses. If that’s true, my first round of the year at Rancho Carlsbad was a masterclass in missing efficiently . After a four-month hiatus—during which my golf clubs quietly evolved into a self-sustaining garage ecosystem—Lori and I returned to our local par-three proving ground. Rancho Carlsbad is a par-54, just 1,983 yards long. That sounds forgiving until it exposes every weakness you’ve been politely ignoring during the off-season. I finished with a 78. In most contexts, 78 is respectable. On a par-54, it means I spent a fair amount of time “getting my steps in.” But here’s the real motivation: I turn 70 this August. As a core principle of my Great Un-Working Lifestyle, I’m putting it in writing: I want to shoot my age by my birthday. The Bald-Headed Man Course Around here, we have a nickname for Rancho Carlsbad. We call it the Bald-Headed Man Course. First, because there are no woods...

On The Fly

Search This Blog