Archive for the ‘Outdoor Kids Activities’ Category

Family Ties and Outdoor Recreation

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

It seems that it is getting harder and harder for families to find time to spend together. Between work and school and church activities that each member of the family commits to, it can seem tough to just “be a family.” Once you lose communication, you can lose touch with each other very quickly. Make time for your family again and at least once a month try to schedule a family getaway that includes outdoor recreation such as swimming, hiking, hunting and fishing.

At least once a month, more often if you can get everyone’s schedule aligned, plan on taking an outing that will include every member of the family. Even the family dog can tag along! Make some hard fast rules for taking a family trip together. Ensure that video games, portable DVD players, CD players, iPods, laptops and other electronic equipment are left at home. Books, magazines and reading material is fine for the drive. Ditch everyone’s cell phones at home except for your own and your spouse’s. That way, in case of an emergency, you’ll still be able to communicate. Make a solemn promise to yourself, no business calls and no text messages while you’re on family time. Try to include outdoor recreation fun that everyone can enjoy such as boating, skiing, hunting and fishing.

Another outdoor recreation activity you can enjoy with your family is hunting. It teaches cooperation among the group as well as the importance of following safety basics. Many fathers and sons bond through hunting trips and given the chance, many girls find they enjoy the challenge of tracking and bagging a whitetail deer on their own as well. Pass on knowledge for safe hunting practices, such as how to track whitetail deer or mule deer, that you’ve picked up over the years. Teach your own children and they will likely pass on your knowledge to their children when the time is right to take them hunting.

Using outdoor recreation is a wonderful way to get your spouse away from the television, yourself away from the pressures of work and get your kids out of the habit of playing video games or surfing the web. You can maintain family connections and make them strong with regular family gatherings that get everyone together to enjoy the great outdoors.

Winter Activities For Kids

Sunday, August 29th, 2010

Winter is the time of year for the coldest temperatures and the most amount of time that your children have off during the school year due to holidays and bad weather. There are several activities that you can share with your kids to pass the long, cold winter days.
Outdoor winter activities are an option for some wintertime fun. An old-fashioned snowball fight or just building a snowman can be fun for the entire family. Young children especially enjoy flopping on their backs and making snow angels. Sledding and ice skating can also be a way for your children to get some much needed exercise during long periods inside. A walk in the woods can allow your young explorers to see animal tracks in the snow that they would normally not see.While outside activities can be great fun, you should only allow your children to venture outside if the temperature is reasonable and do not allow the children to stay outside too long. Make sure that they are dressed in layers and that they are wearing a hat and a pair of gloves.
For inside activities, there are numerous craft projects that you can do. For smaller children, you can make a scene of a woods or a farm and allow them to color small pictures of animals to paste on it. This helps the children to use their imagination and can lead to hours of fun.You can also allow your child to cut designs out of folded pieces of paper. Young children are always amazed when the paper becomes a snowflake.
Another indoors activity that you could share with your small child is an exploration of their toy box. They may find toys that they have forgotten that they had. Take the time to play with their favorites, making up stories and letting them add their own details. This activity will exercise their minds as well as your own.
Board games are also a good way to spend quality time with your children. With the popularity of video games, families have gotten away from playing Candyland or Chutes and Ladders. It may be time for your family to rediscover the enjoyment that these games can provide as well as the chance for you and your children to communicate.
Cooking and baking can be a fun family activity, especially if you have younger children. You should plan this activity when you have plenty of time to enjoy it. Little ones love to mix things, be it mud in the back yard or milk in the dog’s food dish. Give them free reign. Put the ingredients in the mixing bowl and let them go. They will have the time of their lives. The smile on their faces will be well worth the mess that you may have afterwards.
Reading is another activity that you can share with your young children. Studies have proven that children whose parents read to them regularly become better readers themselves. So take the time and read a book to your child. It will pay off in the long run.
Although some animals hibernate during the winter that does not mean that we have to. Enjoy quality time with your children whether it’s inside or out. You will be glad that you did.

Kids Puzzles in Schools

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

Children need to get off to the right start in life and that starts with a great education. While parents are obviously going to be the ones to establish the critical foundation, early teachers and daycare providers can do their part as well by offering lots of kids puzzles for educational and entertainment purposes to their young charges. Here are a few of the best reasons to consider using kids puzzles in your own facility.
Parents Love Them
One thing true of parents today is they are not enamored by the idea of their children sitting in front of a television set all day, even if they are viewing family-friendly or even educational programs. Most schools and daycare facilities should limit the amount of media viewing kids experience and should instead focus on other types of activities.
When parents visit and ask what their children are going to be doing, being able to whip out a sizable collection of kids puzzles and explaining their benefits can make a huge impact on potential customers. Parents love the idea of their children being intellectually challenged during the day so this method will be sure to win them over.
Great Entertainment Alternative
If you’re looking for something to keep the kids occupied, then kids puzzles are definitely a good choice. Because the children are going to be so involved in the building or the matching or the lacing, they aren’t going to get into trouble. They’ll be happily entertaining themselves for quite awhile. In fact, your biggest challenge may be getting the kids to stop playing with the kids puzzles when it’s time to change activities during the day.
Plus, many kids activities can be done outdoors, too. That means on a bright, sunny day the entire group can be at the park, on the playground, or in the backyard enjoying the weather and the kids puzzles.
Educational & Developmental Benefits
From an education perspective, kids puzzles are also a great idea. They are certainly not just going to provide entertainment or pleasure to the children. Instead, the kids can enjoy learning and developing key skills they are going to need throughout their lives. These activities aren’t going to feel like homework or studying but they can be just as effective in helping children practice and solidify their cognitive abilities and fine motor skills.
Affordable Options
Another good reason to invest in kids puzzles is that they are much more affordable than other entertainment or activity options you could choose. For example, the average playground equipment set costs around $400. You can purchase more than a dozen of some types of kids puzzles for that price. Plus, children can use them year round, rain or shine, day or night. They are definitely a far more versatile option.
And don’t forget that kids puzzles can be great tools of socialization. Putting a shy child with another child to work on a puzzle can help the former open up and feel more comfortable.