8 Things to Do With Bored Kids. Outdoor Games Created by Kids to Get Them Playing Outdoors. © CLIF Kid Earlier this month, CLIF Kid, makers of organic snacks for active kids, held the second annual Backyard Game of the Year Playoffs in San Francisco, California. The competition challenges kids to invent original, fun games that can be played outdoors by any kid. © CLIF Kid Richard Louv, Dana King, Jonny Moseley. Six finalists from across the country had the outdoor games they created judged by celebrity guests that included Olympic Gold Medalist Jonny Moseley, news anchor Dana King, and best-selling author Richard Louv. With the Olympics underway--and plenty of summer left--now might be a good opportunity to get your kids to play imaginative outdoor games created by kids for kids. Game rules for the six finalists– “Dance Tag,” “Footloose Derby,” “North Pole South Pole,” “Tortoise & the Hare Ball,” “Sidewalk Chalk Adventure” and “Zombie Hunt” – can be downloaded at ClifKidBackyardGame.com for all kids to play outside or in their backyards.
Teaching toddlers about organizing. Parents often ask me what chores and responsibilities are applicable for toddlers. They want to start teaching their children about putting away their things, but they also don’t want to bestow unreasonable demands upon two, three, and four year olds. Young children are eager to be independent, and helping your child learn skills that foster this independence as well as acquire valuable organizing concepts are a great place to start the teaching process. The following are a handful of suggestions for responsibilities that are appropriate for toddlers and some recommendations for teaching these skills: Hanging up her coat.
Put a couple 3M removable utility hooks on the back of the coat closet door at a low enough height that your daughter can reach the hook but high enough so her coat won’t drag on the ground. At age two and three, most of these chores will need some level of supervision. Treasure Hunt // What Treasures Can You Find? // A Nature Treasure Hunt for Kids of All Ages // The Nature Conservancy. 5 Things I Didn't Know I Needed to Look for When Buying Kids Sunscreen...Until Now.
Photo Credit: Peter Cade/Getty Images The season is upon us to begin dousing our children (and ourselves) in sunscreen multiple times a day to do what is best for them and protect them from the sun. And you may think that other than their SPF protections, all sunscreens are created pretty equally, but that's not the case. A few months ago Julie introduced us to the Web Site Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) database on the safety of cosmetics and sunscreens.
Well, they just released their report for 2012 on sunscreen safety, and let's just say that it is alarming, even when it comes to so-called "natural" products. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Perhaps what was most startling about the findings was that so many companies that I consider trustworthy and have in my own medicine cabinet made the EWG "Hall of Shame" list.
Using a Midwife: A Personal Choice. By Mrs. SPF As many of our family and friends know we have chosen to have a midwife guide us through this pregnancy and to be there for the delivery of our baby. It still surprises me just how many people are taken aback by this, who can’t quite understand why anyone would choose not to see a doctor. I guess I always assumed that in this day and age people would be more open to the idea … still some work to be done on that front I guess. Financially: We pay a lot of taxes here in Canada and these taxes are applied to medical services provided by both doctors and midwives but we feel we certainly are getting our money’s worth from the service we have received from our midwife. Outside of our monthly visits, any time I feel something is not right I can page my midwife and within five minutes she will call me back and assess the situation. Greener: Births that are attended by midwives rather than physicians are less likely to require medical intervention.
Top 100 Children's Books of All-Time. Developing a love of the written word can begin while your child is an infant. Babies who are read to are much more likely to read earlier, understand concepts better, and be faster learners than babies who do not have the chance to experience books. It is never too early or too late to begin reading to and with your children.
Choosing a variety of well written, colorful, and entertaining stories from some of the best children’s books ever will help develop a love of reading and a love of learning in your child. Sharing that time together and cuddling up with a story to share will also help build a bond between you and your child like nothing else can. Looking for chapter books? 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 60 61 to 70 71 to 80 81 to 90 91 to 100 Famous Children’s Books That Almost Made the List *NEW* 30 Best Children’s Books of 2012. Outdoor Bacteria Can Make You Smarter, and Happier. Getting some outdoor time is not only good for the soul, it's probably good for the mind.
Research from The Sage Colleges in Troy, New York, suggests that exposure to a natural soil bacterium called Mycobacterium vaccae can increase learning behavior. Another reason to enjoy, and protect, the great outdoors. And a potential reason to eat a little dirt here and there.The bacteria studied is already believed to have antidepressant qualities. Which is probably another reason why sunshine and a cool breeze can lift your spirits. This Mycobacterium vaccae is likely ingested or breathed in by people when they spend time in nature, according to Dorothy Matthews, who conducted the research with Susan Jenks.
If you see a mouse or two the next time you're outside, tell them thanks for the information. For this study, mice had to navigate a maze. Think about it: A real mouse has taught us to spend less time with a computer mouse. The picture above is of my daughter, getting smarter by the minute. 5 Creative Ways to Connect Our Kids (And Yourself) to Nature. © Getty Images This is a guest post from Richard Louv, author of The Nature Principle: Reconnecting to Life in a Virtual World and Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. A recent study found that preschool children aren't getting enough time outdoors. Almost 50 percent of 3-to 5-year-olds studied weren't taken outside everyday.
There are many factors that contribute to these sad findings, but parents and educators can, and should, find ways to incorporate play time in a child's life. Below are five simple steps to help connect your family to nature and community. 1. If we want our children or grandchildren to experience nature, we’ll need to be more proactive than parents of past generations.
Encourage them to build forts, dig a hole, or plant a garden. 2. To reduce parental fear, Michele Whitaker, a guest blogger for The Grass Stain Guru, suggests that we become hummingbird parents: encouraging young children to play outside, but watch from a distance. The Lord's Prayer.