East Bay kids are invited to be Kid Reporters

We are excited to announce the second year of our Kid Reporter program, sponsored by Mr. Mopps’ Toys and Books in Berkeley.

From now until August 15, we’ll be accepting submissions from the kids of the (510). What restaurant do they always request? Which playground do they pick? What’s their go-to Saturday fun place? And most importantly, why? We’ll publish at one Kid Report piece each week from the first week of July through the end of August.

What to write about

Topics can be places in the East Bay, birthday party venues, day trip ideas, or things in San Francisco that you think are “worth the drive” for East Bay kids. The only requirement is that it has to be somewhere other people can go, ie not “My friend’s treehouse.”

Your child should write at least 10 sentences and send a photo or two or three to go with their story. See Chloe’s post about the Marin County Fair as an example.

What to include in submissions

Reporters should cover these details:

What is the experience you are recommending? (What is it called and how would you describe it?) What makes it special?
Where is it?
Who would like it?
Why do you recommend this place or event? If people of different ages may like different aspects of the experience, explain. For example, “I like the hot chocolate because they serve it in a really cool mug. My mom always picks this cafe because it’s easy to park.” Or “The rope swing is fun for kids over six, but even toddlers have fun here because there is a ball pit.”
How can we be prepared? Do we need to buy tickets, wear a helmet, bring a towel? What else is important to know before we go? (Is it only open on Mondays? Do you have to be 48 inches tall? Is it expensive, so it’s for a special occasion? Are there age limits?)

Please check the location’s website, if there is one, so you can include the address, price, and hours.

Make sure to share both facts and opinions! We look forward to reading your writing.

How to submit your writing

Adults, please use your best judgement on how much assistance to provide your Kid Reporter.

Use Google Docs to share your child’s writing with [email protected]. Please include your mailing address. We will not publish your child’s full name because we suggest they begin creating their Internet footprint when they are older. Writers will be credited with first name and last initial. It is up to you to choose photos that include your child’s image or not.

If we are flooded with submissions, Heather and I will choose which ones to post on 510families based on collecting a diversity of voices and (510) destinations.

Is this a real job?

We are not employing children, but we will send each published contributor a gift certificate to Mr. Mopps Toys and Book store to thank them for their work.

And we also want to thank Mr. Mopps Toys and Book store in Berkeley for supporting {510} Families Kid Reporters this summer!