Showing posts with label active. Show all posts
Showing posts with label active. Show all posts
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Getting Your Kids Ready to Play in the Snow- Avoiding Frustration
Rather than just referring to getting my own little son ready to play in the snow outside, I could have titled this post: Lessons Learned From Working in Childcare in the Winter. I worked my way through undergad schooling by working in a daycare center and was honored to be promoted to the role of assistant preschool teacher. I loved getting to work with kids in this way, and I feel like it has greatly influenced my parenting style to this day.
Whatever the actual role, my working with preschool and early elementary aged kids meant that about twice a day in the winter we would undergo the momentous task of 
taking around 20 kids to the playground, and first dressing them in 2 boots, 2 mittens, a hat, a coat and snowpants each. Suffice it to say, I have put a lot of mittens on a lot of hands before my own son ever came around. In my years at St. Michael Lutheran, my fellow teachers and I were able to come up with a pretty good system for efficiently getting everyone ready for playing in the snow, which I have now adapted for my own home. I know that a few of these ideas may be self- explanatory, but for those who may be venturing out with their kids in the snow for the first time, the process of getting ready can seem intimidating. It has been used for comedic purposes in countless shows and movies, typically with the child needing to pee the instant that they are fully dressed.
Whatever the actual role, my working with preschool and early elementary aged kids meant that about twice a day in the winter we would undergo the momentous task of
taking around 20 kids to the playground, and first dressing them in 2 boots, 2 mittens, a hat, a coat and snowpants each. Suffice it to say, I have put a lot of mittens on a lot of hands before my own son ever came around. In my years at St. Michael Lutheran, my fellow teachers and I were able to come up with a pretty good system for efficiently getting everyone ready for playing in the snow, which I have now adapted for my own home. I know that a few of these ideas may be self- explanatory, but for those who may be venturing out with their kids in the snow for the first time, the process of getting ready can seem intimidating. It has been used for comedic purposes in countless shows and movies, typically with the child needing to pee the instant that they are fully dressed.- First, and probably the most obvious is to send everyone to the bathroom. While this was going on we would have one person...
- Set all of the kids' clothes out around the room so that mittens and hats do not end up on the wrong hands. (An aside-- if you send your child to daycare PLEASE label everything clearly. It is nearly impossible for your child's teachers to tell one pair of black gloves from 10 others.) This is when I would typically put on my own snow-pants and boots, but nothing else since if I was fully dressed it was harder to move and I would end up sweaty before even entering the playground.
- Put on children's socks, snow-pants, boots and hats. Then I have would have most kids put on their mittens so that they would be inserting mittened hands into coat sleeves. This was a lot easier to do to get the mittens under the sleeve cuffs than putting them on later.
- Put on your coat and head outside.
A few extra tips-- we always leave a towel by the door we are re-entering from to wipe up the floor, and now that I am at home, I throw our snow stuff right into the dryer so that if we need to run to the store or on another trip outside nothing is soggy. I wish that I could have done this because it was so sad to send kids back outside with slightly damp mittens.
We also try to remember a small pack of tissues when we head out since snot and preschoolers in the winter often go hand in hand. Ew. I just realized how grossly true that last sentence was, although unintentionally.
When we return inside I immediately turn on the stove for the required cup of cocoa. Yum!
After being out in the wind and cold, your kids hands and cheeks will probably be in need of warming, but also be in need of some lotion to prevent drying and cracking. Unfortunately, dry skin is something that my family has to deal with even when not outside, so in the next few days I will be sharing a post with some of my favorite tips to keep your skin soft and comfortable even when you are exploring outside in the winter.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Quick Connections with Creation: Kids Caring for a Pet
The evidence in the medical community of the positive results of caring for an animal back up the anecdotal evidence in my own home and from friends.
It is fairly easy to make the connection of caring for a pet to our belief of God caring for us, as well as the concept of our command to be caretakers of the world and all of its creatures found in the first chapter of Genesis, as well as the story of Adam naming all of the creatures of the earth in Genesis 2:19.
A few important things to remember:
 |
| Children learn through caring for a pet. |
This has prompted many conversations about what is good for a rabbit to eat-- Timothy Hay, and what is not-- my son's cereal bar. This, in turn, prompted discussion of how many different animals were created to eat different things, and that we are responsible to make sure that he has these good things that are designed for him to eat.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Some families HAVE to be Outdoors Families: Charitable giving for children in Africa
On this blog we talk about gear, activities and ways to motivate children and families in outdoor exploration. However, I would be remiss if I didn't talk about a different kind of Outdoor Family-- those with no choice and no freedom to escape exposure to the elements.
For our children if the weather outside gets bad, or if there are mosquitoes in the evening we have abundant choices available to us-- to either go inside and totally be free (except for that one annoying bug that follows us inside) or to stay in a screened porch or tent, or to use abundant and cheap bug repellents and candles.
In Africa, there is a different story. Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria, a totally preventable disease. We talk about ways to increase children's enjoyment of their time in the outdoors, but in your purchasing of crafts, backpacks, shoes, tents and many of the other pieces of equipment, I would love to encourage you to take a few minutes and visit UNICEF USA's site and look at their initiative to provide badly needed mosquito nets that children and their mothers can sleep under to repel mosquitoes and other pests.
These tents are inexpensive and can really make a difference for a child or multiple children. According to UNICEF, in some countries, the usage of mosquito nets is as low as 5%. Imagine the difference if every time a person bought a tent for their family to use in their outdoor adventures they bought a tent so that another family could be safe and sound.
To donate a mosquito tent to a child in need, visit UNICEF USA's site at http://www.unicefusa.org/ for the general page of by clicking on the direct link to the donation page to give a tent.
For our children if the weather outside gets bad, or if there are mosquitoes in the evening we have abundant choices available to us-- to either go inside and totally be free (except for that one annoying bug that follows us inside) or to stay in a screened porch or tent, or to use abundant and cheap bug repellents and candles.
These tents are inexpensive and can really make a difference for a child or multiple children. According to UNICEF, in some countries, the usage of mosquito nets is as low as 5%. Imagine the difference if every time a person bought a tent for their family to use in their outdoor adventures they bought a tent so that another family could be safe and sound.
To donate a mosquito tent to a child in need, visit UNICEF USA's site at http://www.unicefusa.org/ for the general page of by clicking on the direct link to the donation page to give a tent.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Our Nature Adventures: Duluth in Winter
I have been writing to you with my thoughts on the importance of outdoor play for children of all ages, but maybe I have left something out. You could read my posts here and wonder if I am spending all of my time online writing about being outside while I sit inside in my comfortable office chair not practicing what I preach.
Yes, it is something that I have to consciously decide when it is 8 degrees like today (it will soon be much colder here in MN) and when I am working to finish a project for a client or for grad school it is pretty hard to take a break and take a walk, but I deeply believe that taking those pauses to get outside and simply breathe will help me to be a better mom, student, worker as well as for the health of my child.
Recently, my family and I got the chance to take part in a wonderful example of how wonderful time spent in the outdoors can be, even in the winter months and after dark. My husband and I for our 5th wedding anniversary decided to take a weekend away up in Duluth, MN which is one of our favorite getaways. Since both of us grew up in SW Michigan, we are used to having the Great Lakes easily accessible, and although it is farther away, Duluth is our most convenient access to one of the Big Lakes.
Because Noah is a pretty important result of our marriage, and because he would love the event that we were heading to, we made it a family anniversary weekend. The beauty of the waves, and the way that the city is perched almost ludicrously on the steep hills heading down to the frigid lake, these are all reasons why we love the city. Another reason is because it is a place that seems to get it. It would be pretty hard not to understand the importance of nature with it impacting such a large amount of your economy.
While we were there we took the opportunity to enjoy one of the quirky events that makes this town so wonderful-- The Bentlyville Tour of Lights. While not strictly an activity geared toward nature (in fact, some animals were probably frightened away by the 157 foot LED laden Christmas Tree) but as one tours the lights it quickly becomes apparent that the event is working hard to make sure that people enjoy their time outdoors in the night air.
There are numerous free snacks, from popcorn to cookies and cocoa, but as one walks to the farthest point of the tour, they are met with warm fires blazing and complimentary marshmallows and sticks to roast your own treat. This detail may seem small, but the act of adding in the extra sensory experiences of the smell of the fire and taste of the lightly browned sugary treat in the midst of the cold and light of the fire and decorations adds something wonderful to the experience. The strategic placement of fires as well as the warming house nearby show a care and thought for the experience of families looking to spend time outside in the winter months that I really love.
Yes, it is something that I have to consciously decide when it is 8 degrees like today (it will soon be much colder here in MN) and when I am working to finish a project for a client or for grad school it is pretty hard to take a break and take a walk, but I deeply believe that taking those pauses to get outside and simply breathe will help me to be a better mom, student, worker as well as for the health of my child.
Recently, my family and I got the chance to take part in a wonderful example of how wonderful time spent in the outdoors can be, even in the winter months and after dark. My husband and I for our 5th wedding anniversary decided to take a weekend away up in Duluth, MN which is one of our favorite getaways. Since both of us grew up in SW Michigan, we are used to having the Great Lakes easily accessible, and although it is farther away, Duluth is our most convenient access to one of the Big Lakes.
Because Noah is a pretty important result of our marriage, and because he would love the event that we were heading to, we made it a family anniversary weekend. The beauty of the waves, and the way that the city is perched almost ludicrously on the steep hills heading down to the frigid lake, these are all reasons why we love the city. Another reason is because it is a place that seems to get it. It would be pretty hard not to understand the importance of nature with it impacting such a large amount of your economy.
While we were there we took the opportunity to enjoy one of the quirky events that makes this town so wonderful-- The Bentlyville Tour of Lights. While not strictly an activity geared toward nature (in fact, some animals were probably frightened away by the 157 foot LED laden Christmas Tree) but as one tours the lights it quickly becomes apparent that the event is working hard to make sure that people enjoy their time outdoors in the night air.
There are numerous free snacks, from popcorn to cookies and cocoa, but as one walks to the farthest point of the tour, they are met with warm fires blazing and complimentary marshmallows and sticks to roast your own treat. This detail may seem small, but the act of adding in the extra sensory experiences of the smell of the fire and taste of the lightly browned sugary treat in the midst of the cold and light of the fire and decorations adds something wonderful to the experience. The strategic placement of fires as well as the warming house nearby show a care and thought for the experience of families looking to spend time outside in the winter months that I really love.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Cyber Monday for the Outdoor Family
Did you head back to work this week and take advantage of your break (shhh- we won't tell) to hunt online for a few fun outdoor items for the little kids, grown kids or grand-kids in your life? Cyber Monday is the growing tradition of using time during the work day to look for items from your Christmas and holiday lists.
However, for those of us who are looking for outdoors items the idea of finding items quickly is an intimidating task. Maybe you know that your daughter needs new hiking shoes
, but are reluctant to give this item as a present because you are worried that it will be met with an eye roll, there are many quality options that will no doubt elicit a much more enthusiastic response. I thought that I would share with you a few of the things that we are excited to get our son this year. At 3 1/2 I feel like he is finally at an age where so many of these things will make sense to him conceptually, and where his muscle development will allow these to be used.
One item that has been high on our wish list for this year is some kids snowshoes
for my son. My husband and I got some a few winters before Noah came along, and we feel like he is finally old enough to have a pair of his own. We're planning on also getting him a pair of gaiters
to go with them, which will also hopefully ease the bane of my winter Mommie-life of every pair of pants soaking up the muddy winter slush up to mid-calf every day. I am so excited to take him out on the trails and watch him stumble around with us. We have also tried to pull him in a sled behind us, but this has met with mixed results as he wants to get out of it all of the time.
Another item that we can't wait to play with both inside and as we explore outside is a good pair of walkie talkies
. I adored these things when I was growing up (my dad was a firefighter so once in a while we got to use the really high quality ones and listen in to police chatter as well). And yes, I know that soon enough he will be using cell phones, but there is something so fun about playing a game of "Come Find Me" in the woods with a radio to describe where you are hiding. I'm not sure if these are exactly what we will be buying, but I have already pinpointed that we want ones that are strong, waterproof and that can be recharged easily. There are already too many used AAs in my house that I need to take to be recycled.
For some reason my son is obsessed with learning to tell time (while pooping in the potty today was an entirely different story) and wants a watch
of his own. And, he insists that it be green. He also wants a yellow belt, and I think that the combination will be quite a dapper sight. :) I, meanwhile have been looking for a green watch that is water resistant, which has ended up a surprisingly difficult task. I was so happy to find a couple
that look like they will hold up to the wear and tear of a little boy.
He is a funny little guy, my son. He asked us recently for a snow plow for the front of his tricycle due to his fascination with trains with snowplows on the front of them, and after the recent first real snow falling. It is also funny that we are realizing that this could be the first stretch of time that he remembers into his adult years and we are doing our best to make this foundation one of health and fun and love.
However, for those of us who are looking for outdoors items the idea of finding items quickly is an intimidating task. Maybe you know that your daughter needs new hiking shoes
, but are reluctant to give this item as a present because you are worried that it will be met with an eye roll, there are many quality options that will no doubt elicit a much more enthusiastic response. I thought that I would share with you a few of the things that we are excited to get our son this year. At 3 1/2 I feel like he is finally at an age where so many of these things will make sense to him conceptually, and where his muscle development will allow these to be used. One item that has been high on our wish list for this year is some kids snowshoes
for my son. My husband and I got some a few winters before Noah came along, and we feel like he is finally old enough to have a pair of his own. We're planning on also getting him a pair of gaiters to go with them, which will also hopefully ease the bane of my winter Mommie-life of every pair of pants soaking up the muddy winter slush up to mid-calf every day. I am so excited to take him out on the trails and watch him stumble around with us. We have also tried to pull him in a sled behind us, but this has met with mixed results as he wants to get out of it all of the time. Another item that we can't wait to play with both inside and as we explore outside is a good pair of walkie talkies
. I adored these things when I was growing up (my dad was a firefighter so once in a while we got to use the really high quality ones and listen in to police chatter as well). And yes, I know that soon enough he will be using cell phones, but there is something so fun about playing a game of "Come Find Me" in the woods with a radio to describe where you are hiding. I'm not sure if these are exactly what we will be buying, but I have already pinpointed that we want ones that are strong, waterproof and that can be recharged easily. There are already too many used AAs in my house that I need to take to be recycled.For some reason my son is obsessed with learning to tell time (while pooping in the potty today was an entirely different story) and wants a watch of his own. And, he insists that it be green. He also wants a yellow belt, and I think that the combination will be quite a dapper sight. :) I, meanwhile have been looking for a green watch that is water resistant, which has ended up a surprisingly difficult task. I was so happy to find a couple that look like they will hold up to the wear and tear of a little boy. He is a funny little guy, my son. He asked us recently for a snow plow for the front of his tricycle due to his fascination with trains with snowplows on the front of them, and after the recent first real snow falling. It is also funny that we are realizing that this could be the first stretch of time that he remembers into his adult years and we are doing our best to make this foundation one of health and fun and love.
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