I am sure most parents have heard this many times over the summer months. Of course we love the extra time we have to spend with our kids when school is out but sometimes they can make you want to pull your hair out, right? In the winter, it’s too cold to go outside and play. In the summer, it’s too hot. What’s a mom to do when she wants to encourage that outside play time and sunshine that every healthy kid needs? Actually, you can encourage your kids to get outside and enjoy the summer by making it a fun family event.

The joy of summer fitness activities is that you really don’t need a lot of equipment, planning, or preparation. You can always go for a long walk on the beach, a hike in the woods, or a few laps around the block. You can keep it really simple and it is still loads of fun.

Take a swim and cool off. If you don’t have a pool in your backyard, take a trip to the lake or beach if there’s one nearby. Or drop by a community pool. While it’s not as private as your own home, you can have a lot of fun and still get in some good exercise swimming laps, racing the kids from end to end or side to side.

Other water exercises are great for summer. You can stay cool while getting in some family fitness time. Consider water skiing and build up those leg muscles, water volleyball, or underwater scavenging contests where everyone takes turns swimming to the bottom of the pool to find a “lost” object. When I was young my mom used to sink hula hoops in the pool with a rope and a sleeping bag full of rocks. I would swim through the hoops for hours!

Dust off the bicycles and take a long ride around town, or strap a picnic lunch on the back and head over to the park for an afternoon playing on the swings and merry-go-round. Don’t forget the monkey bars, which are great for building the muscles in your arms and developing strength, or the slide which is just plain fun!

Dig out that hula hoop again and teach the kids to use it. Remember how much fun you had swinging and swaying to keep that thing from hitting the floor? That’s a tremendous way to exercise your whole body! And the kids will love it, too. They’ll not only have a blast laughing at your antics, but of course, they’ll want to prove they can do it better so the whole family will get a great workout. Many adults like to hula hoop on their own too… it is really catching on again and you can even take classes with your kids.

Frisbee is a fun way to spend an afternoon as well. If the kids aren’t home, or aren’t interested, get the dog involved. They love chasing the disc, and many of them are better than humans at catching it.

Like to skate? In-line skating is good exercise for everyone in the family. Skates are relatively inexpensive, you can even find them at yard sales at times, and some communities offer rentals places, so check around. If your town has a bike trail or greenbelt, chances are you can find other skaters enjoying the ride and getting some good exercise in the process. If it really is too hot outside you can take them to your local roller rink.

Whatever you like to do, summer is a great time to be outdoors, playing with the kids, and having fun—all in the name of family fitness! Sure, you’ll sweat, but why pay a gym for that privilege when you can sweat for free in your own backyard or neighborhood?

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Getting your child interested in nature now can foster a life-long love of nature. Perhaps your child will grow up to invent innovative ways to preserve the environment he or she has come to love. Participation is key – the more your child can feel, hear, see, touch and taste nature, the closer he or she will feel to it. Here are some tips for fostering your child’s interest.

1. Start a collection of rocks, feathers, plants (where appropriate), or other freebies from nature. Check out or purchase books about the subject of your collection. Learn to identify the various plants, rocks, and birds. Prepare to preserve and display your collection – maybe a flower press for plants (this can be as simple as an old phone book), and a shadow box for displaying rocks and feathers.

2. Search for wildlife. Using a simple pair of binoculars, you and your child can watch birds, butterflies, deer, and other wildlife. Once again, enhance the experience with books. Consider a scrap book of where your child can paste her pictures or write her impressions and thoughts about viewing wildlife.

3. The insect world holds much intrigue for children. Bugs are fascinating, beautiful, sort of scary, and somewhat gross. They are perfect for kids! A little simple equipment can help. A magnifying glass is a good start. You can also get various kits that include an insect habitat and even a vacuum for capturing your insects.

4. Grow vegetables, herbs, and other garden plants. This can be as simple as sprouting seeds in a jar on a windowsill, or as elaborate as preparing a garden bed just for your child. A good compromise is to have a container garden for your child. He or she might like a journal to document the growth of the plants as well.

5. Do some crafts with those lovely seed pods, flowers, twigs, and other fall-out the woods and fields provide. Learn to make picture frames from branches, wreaths from vines, and animal shapes from seed pods and pinecones. Another fun activity is to build log cabins of various sizes with sticks.

6. Take your child on a picnic. You can use your own yard, a park, or other outdoor area. Prepare outdoor activities to go with your picnic, such as playing catch or throwing a Frisbee. This would also be a good opportunity to start that collection.

7. Find a nature trail or make your own path in the woods to walk on. Try to walk the trail at least once a month to observe the various seasonal changes.

8. Wild foods are an exciting way to collect gifts from nature. Make sure you are well-versed in plant identification, and pick a few easy species to find and eat. Try gathering honeysuckle flowers to make tea, pick wild blackberries, or snip wild onions like chives. Make sure you do not harvest any wild foods near roadsides or on public lands.

9. Feed the birds in your backyard. Get some good books on birds, a pair of binoculars, some birdseed, a feeder, and enjoy observing your feathered friends.

10. Talk to your kids about protecting nature and get them involved with earth friendly activities. Take them shopping for green school supplies and read them books about green living.

Summer’s here and you’ve started making your annual checklist: Sunscreen? Check. Sandals? Check. Beach towels? Got ‘em. But while you’re going over the must-haves for the season, don’t forget the single most important thing your kids will need: something really great to read.

While relaxing on the beach with a good book is one of life’s most delicious pleasures, study after study has shown that reading is one of the most essential things that kids can do when school’s out. A 2002 report from National Summer Learning Association states that children lose approximately two months of learning over the summer, meaning that come September, teachers will spend those first few weeks re-teaching kids what they already learned the year before.

“Motivating children to read throughout the summer is essential to building lifelong readers,” says Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit. “And reading is the doorway to all other learning.” With that in mind, how do you convince your kids to build reading time into their summer plans? Fortunately, RIF has come up with a number of ideas to help you make this summer a season of reading.

· Combine activities with books. Going to a baseball game? Head to the library and check out a biography about your child’s favorite player. Is summer camp on the agenda? See if the camp has a blog you can follow.

· Lead by example. Show kids that you love to read by picking up the newspaper each morning or sharing about something you’ve read, and they’ll understand that reading is important to everyone.

· Relax the rules. Summer is a time when children can read what, when, and how they please. Don’t set any requirements, and don’t force kids to read something they’re not interested in.

· Visit the library. It’s got thousands of books and audiobooks to borrow, computers to use, and magazines to leaf through. Make the library your “go-to” destination for the summer.

· Think outside the book. Recognize that reading can happen in many formats, from eBooks to magazines to online read-along stories. Check out www.rif.org/kids for great read-alongs and other fun games and activities designed to keep kids reading.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to this: read. Read together, read separately, read anywhere, read everywhere. It’s the surest way to make certain that your kids will start the school year off right.

Rebecca Burton is a writer/editor at Reading Is Fundamental and has been working in the children’s literacy field for the past twelve years. She loves to read, travel, and hang out on the back porch with her husband and their two-year-old daughter.

One of the most practical, basic, and delicious things we can cook with our kids is good ole fashioned bread! Not only will it provide and activity for you and the kids to do together, it helps them learn to cook, and you might very well save money on groceries! Think of all that you can make… rolls, loaves of bread, whole wheat bread, bagels, pretzels…

Cookbook author and macrobiotic enthusiast Wendy Esko makes bread without using commercial yeast. She uses natural leavening in the form of a sourdough starter or no leavening at all; she claims that unleavened bread dough will rise on its own if placed in a warm place for 8-12 hours. But when she lets her children help her make bread, she says, it never fails to turn out well. When the children help, “they are so happy and really put a lot of happiness into the bread,” she says. Maybe you should try putting some happiness into your bread, too!

Letting your children help you bake some bread making is sure to be enjoyable and fulfilling for all. Here are some things to look forward to when you bake bread with your children, as well as some ideas on how to make it an even better experience.

Science and Math Lessons

Cooking with your kids can be a fun, hands-on way to teach them about the principles of leavening, the mathematics of measurements, and, depending on the age and interest level of your children, the chemical changes that occur when dough is kneaded and baked.

Interaction and Communication

It’s so important to spend quality time with our children. Today’s fast pace makes its so hard to do sometimes! Baking bread is a chance for everyone to slow down, gather in the kitchen, and talk with each other. Give each child a job to do so he or she can participate in the process, pointing out the importance of everyone’s role in the family. A lot of good lessons, such as teamwork, can be taught in the kitchen.

Health Benefits

If you have trouble getting your kids to eat healthy bread (perhaps they prefer the squeezable white stuff from the store), try making a whole grain loaf with your children. They will be much more likely to eat bread they have helped to make, and that they are proud of.

Make Some Memories

Don’t forget the creation of memories. Warm, positive childhood recollections can provide retreat and solace in the adult years. These kinds of memories are a priceless gift you can give to your children. Take pictures so that your kids can remember their bread making adventures.

Tradition

The baking of bread with the children can become a family tradition. Your children can then pass the tradition on when they start families of their own.

Don’t Limit Yourself

The traditional kneaded loaf is not the only way to go. Get creative with your children and bake big, soft pretzels or flat breads. Make braided loaves, rolls, or pull-apart “monkey bread.” You can make sweet breads, quick breads, cornbread, or sourdough breads. Let your children come up with some ideas, too.

Above all, have fun and enjoy your time together!

We recommend: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in this country, and getting our children up off the couch and outdoors is a great way to combat this issue. Helping them to connect with nature and find joy in the outdoors is not only good for the body but for the mind and, some would say, the soul as well.

As you look for ways to encourage your children to get outside, remember to make it a family affair. One of the keys to getting everyone moving is just that – everyone should get moving! Grown-ups need exercise, too, and doing outdoor activities together can really foster familial relationships. The best way to teach is by example.

Here are some ideas for things you can do to get your indoor kids outside.

1. Designate the Time

Yes, this is hard, but waiting for outside time just to “happen” means that it never will. Even if it is only once a week at  first, set aside at least an hour for outdoor activities. Then work up to daily time outside, and longer weekly times.

2. Hang a Swing

Let your kids help you find an old tire – there are always some around in need of re-using – and attach one end of a rope to the tire and the other end to a stout tree branch.

3. Start a Garden

You don’t need a big yard for this; containers work, too, just so long as it is outdoors. Children are interested in growing things, and are proud of what they grow. Try growing vegetables or herbs to encourage your child to get out and tend his or her garden.

4. Nature Crafts

From pressing leaves to making miniature log cabins from sticks, nature crafts can inspire and motivate. Make picture frames from large sticks, Christmas ornaments from pine cones, baskets or wreaths from vines, or animals from pine cones, nuts, teasels, etc.

5. Collect and Identify

Children do love collections, so why not start a nature-inspired one? Rocks, plants (press to preserve), insects (think fireflies), feathers, seed pods, etc. all make educational collections. Get a field guide to identify what you and your children find.

6. The Weirdness Factor

Some children love to find the weirdest bug or the goofiest looking tree. Go outside and lift up rocks, and you are bound to find some weird critters that will fascinate your children. Bring out a magnifying glass.

7. Have a Cook-out or Picnic

Have the family come outside for a meal. If you can cook outside, have everyone come out with you. Children can help with the cooking or just run around enjoying the outdoors while you cook. Picnics are great ways to get out, too; bring a kite, Frisbee, or other activity with you and you’ll find yourselves spending hours outdoors.

8. Fun for All Seasons

Don’t let the weather stop you. Rainy days can be wonderful days for a walk; put on boots and splash in puddles or make mud pies. In snowy weather, build a snowman or slide down hills. There is something to do outdoors all year ’round.

A Snowball Maker

and the perfect tool for making snow forts… a Snow Block

Snowball fight!

In a day and age of distracting electronic gadgets and social networking online, playing board games with friends and family is a simple and fun way to reconnect with others. Many people today communicate via email, cell phone, or mobile device, and it can be easy to forget or neglect to learn real life communication and social skills. Here are some ways that playing board games can encourage these skills.

-Problem solving is something that board games can help teach. Learning how to deal with dilemmas is an important life skill, and board games like checkers, chess, and others require players to look ahead to solve problems, and consider the consequences of their choices.

-Learning to win and lose gracefully can go a long way in encouraging healthy socialization. No one wants a sore loser for a friend! Someone who knows how to win without taunting and lose without griping is more likely to form healthy interpersonal relationships.

-Interactive board games require players to communicate effectively, and with some board games (such as those that involve having to discern a hidden term or word), the more effective communicator is the winner. There are very few times in life when good communication skills are not necessary.

-Family time is so important – the skills you need to learn for the world begin in the home. Board games are a wonderful way for family members to learn from each other and develop those interpersonal skills that will follow them into life. Playing board games with your family can bring family members together in ways that may not have been considered before. Gaining insight into what makes your friends and/or family members “tick” can be invaluable in promoting healthy friendships and family harmony.

-Teamwork is a social skill that is applicable in school, the workplace, and in families. Board games encourage effective teamwork, and players with the best team skills are more likely to be winners.

-You will learn more and gain knowledge with some board games, such as those that test your knowledge of specific facts or concepts. This can be a significant asset for children in school.

-Healthy competition is a motivational concept that is helpful for everyone in the family, from school-age kids to grandparents. Competition encourages you to improve yourself and strive to be better.

Board games are not expensive and are readily available. Try declaring family game night, take the whole family shopping for a board game (or more than one to make sure all ages are covered), and enjoy the time together. Or the next time your friends get together, bring a board game or go out and buy one together. You’ll be glad you did!

Recommended: Ticket To Ride and Wildcraft

The winter months can come to be a dreary and dull time if you’re the type that prefers spending lots of time out in the sunshine with your kids. However, with a little creativity, you can make memories and have a fabulous time during the cold winter months just like in the summer months.

Bundle up and enjoy some outdoor activities with the children in winter, especially if there’s snow. Then head back  inside for some hot cocoa or tea and continued indoor activities.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Get cooking! Grab a child-friendly cookbook and make something delicious together. Baking and decorating can prove to be hours of fun during the day, and you’ll have treats to look forward to after dinner. Some great cookbooks for kids include the Pink Princess Cookbook and the Cookbook for Boys.

2. Craft days keep boredom away. Bring out a box of art supplies (paints, crayons, play dough, colored pencils) and make some art or winter themed crafts. You can also make your own play dough and paint!

3. Try Winter sports. There are so many fun and active things you can do in the winter from ice skating to winter hiking.

4. Read. Reading should actually be a year round activity and winter is no exception. You might try reading stories to your children that take place in the winter. Look for books about the winter solstice, snowmen, snowflakes, snowball fights, etc. Check out this list of kids winter books for ideas. Enjoy a good story together as a family and allow everyone a turn to read or a turn to act out the story.

5. Snow painting is great fun for kids. Simply mix food coloring with water to make some “paint.” You can then let the little ones go wild as they create special works of art in the snow. You can also freeze colored water in molds so that kids can make colored ice castles. Your beach molds from summer work great for this.

6. Build an indoor fort. Every kid loves to build a fort! Get creative with your blankets and pillows and build a cozy home within a home for your children. They will enjoy having a special hideout and will forget it may be too cold to play outside. Give them a flashlight and a sleeping bag and let them sleep in there too.

7. Enjoy some karaoke. You can buy or rent a karaoke machine for some indoor fun for the entire family. Feel free to get wild and crazy and join in on the fun with them. While it’s not for everyone, many will enjoy the chance to sing along to their favorite songs. Even kids who shy about performing will often love karaoke in the safety of their home.

8. Feed the birds. Kids often wonder how animals and birds survive in the winter when the vegetation is gone so they might love to make breakfast cookies for the local wildlife. Make up some dough from biscuit baking mix, cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and use a straw to punch a hole at the top of each cookie. Brush with butter and then sprinkle with birdseed (sesame and sunflower work well). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and let them cool. After they have cooled your kids can thread ribbon or string through the holes and hang the birdie breakfast cookies from the branches of trees.

9. Take a trip to the mall. Remember that you can always go to the mall as a nice treat for the day. While you may not want spend money, it never hurts to look around and get some exercise. Mall walking is a GREAT winter exercise activity. You can even pack a quick snack for them to munch on in the food court.

10. Go to a museum. Museums are great places to visit in the winter. Inquire at the museum about special activities for smaller patrons. Many museums have ongoing programs just for the kids like family nights. Buy a season pass and you can go all winter long for a very reasonable one time price.

Remember that the possibilities for fun and adventure are endless, even in the winter! There’s no reason to stay cooped up and perhaps depressed that it isn’t spring yet. You can still keep the kids active and have a great time.

A great activity or hobby for youngsters is to learn the age old art of magic. It can keep kids entertained for hours as they learn the tricks of the trade. Then it can keep them entertained for hours more as they amaze their friends with their new act. And of course your young magicians can put on a show for the whole family too.

This cool set includes classic magic tricks such as “Disappearing Ball,” “Vanishing Coin,” “Secret Silks,” “Money Maker,” “Cylinder Squeeze” and many more. It comes with velvet bag, magic wand, wood magic box and a few other items. Includes instructions and illustration for all tricks.

Where to Buy: Land of Nod

6 Ideas for Outdoor Family Fun in the Winter

Winter temperatures bring the kids inside for play more often. The temperatures are cold, the wind can be fierce and television and video gaming systems just take on a new level of appeal. It may take some creative thinking and some extra planning but families can enjoy outdoor activities all year long… even in the frozen winters. Before you head out, just make sure everyone is appropriately dressed with coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and appropriate footwear. Packing a bag with extras socks, shoes, and gloves can also be very handy if the clothing you are wearing gets wet. If you can stay relatively warm and comfortable while outside then having fun will be no problem at all.

Winter Hiking – Taking a hike through a state park or local wilderness area can be just as enjoyable during the winter season. Snow and ice may make the trek a bit harder but stick to the trails and enjoy the scenery. Look for birds and signs of other wildlife in the area and take in the picturesque views that are normally blocked by lush vegetation and trees. You can also take a thermos of hot coffee or cocoa and a blanket so you can sit and rest up before you make the return trip. Talk to your kid about the changes that the season brings and see how many animal species you can identify by looking for tracks in the snow.

Sledding – This is an obvious choice right? A good toboggan or sled can be a child’s best friend in winter. Whenever you get a decent amount of powder on the ground take the kids to a local hill and all of you can enjoy a day of sledding. You get great exercise trekking uphill in the snow, pulling a sled, and you make memories that will last a lifetime. Parents who don’t want to sled can bring a camera to capture the moment and make a scrapbook later.

Ice Skating – Going to a local rink can be a great weekly activity for youngsters. You can call your local parks and recreation department to see what ponds they recommend for ice skating. Skate in groups in you go to a local pond and it is always a good idea to use a portable cordless drill to drill holes in the ice in several places to make sure the ice is at least 4-6 inches thick. A cell phone, a rope, and an axe are good things to bring along just in case.

You can also go to a local rink of course but prices can be high. Roller skating rinks have been known to offer coupons and special discounts to lure winter patrons in so that is an option too. You can also make your own ice rink in your backyard.

Winter Camping – Yes, camping in winter can be a muddy, freezing experience but it can also be great fun. During the day you can hike, sled, ski, snowboard, ice fish, or snowshoe. At night you can sleep next to a campfire and look at the stars. Planning one or two overnight trips per month can be a great way for families to get out and enjoy nature… even in the winter. If you don’t feel comfortable camping in the in the winter you can always camp in your backyard and use a chiminea for the campfire.

Shovel Together – One of the hardest parts of winter can be the constant shoveling of snow off of the driveway and sidewalks but it has to be done. Make it a family affair and the job gets done faster and becomes more enjoyable. Make sure you have snow shovels for everyone… even pint sized ones for any small children.

Helping Others is Fun – Giving of your time and energy to help other people can be the most rewarding thing a family does during the winter. Do you have any elderly neighbors who need help shoveling their drives or walkways? Well, after you shovel your own as a family, take trip to shovel the neighbors as well. Do you see the woman next door struggling to dig her car out of the snow? Round up the gang and go help. Show your children how it makes our heart swell with happiness to help other people.

For more ideas check out the Kids Winter Handbook.