Outdoor Birthday Party

As I mentioned before, we celebrated my son’s 4th birthday a few days back. Since it’s June and the nights are warm and inviting we decided to set up the festivities outdoors. We created a makeshift outdoor movie theatre with multiple blankets, sheets, garden lights and a chalkboard naming the featured presentation!

Sidewalk chalk is always a great outdoor entertainer. Thanks Grandma! The kids had a blast playing duck, duck, goose on the grass and the evening wouldn’t have been complete without a Candy land cake! Yummo…

Do you have any fun outdoor birthday party ideas to share? Leave a comment!

Corn Flake Cookies

I thought every once in a while here at Nature For Kids I’d share some hiking snack recipes with you. To kick it off we have corn flake cookies! I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Jinger. My kids love them! These are perfect portions and very packable for a great hike!

Corn Flake Cookies:

Melt in large pot:

• 1Cup Peanut Butter
• 1/2 Cub Corn Syrup
• 1/4 bag mini-marshmallows
• 1/2 Cup sugar

When sugar is dissolved add 3 cups corn flakes. Stir it up until the flakes are covered well with all that gooey yumminess and then spoon out heaping tablespoon fulls onto wax paper. Let cool and then place them in a container or plastic bag.

Do you have any kids’ treats to share that would compliment their outdoor fun?

Skeeter Camelbak

For our son’s birthday we got him a hydration pack, the Skeeter Camelbak. He loves it because he thinks it’s a jetpack like Jango Fett wears on Star Wars…and I guess because he can get a drink whenever he wants.

The Skeeter Camelbak product description says it fits kids 5 and up but Corbin just turned 4 and it adjusts small enough to fit him just fine. It also has a lifetime warranty on the reservoir. And it has wicking mesh to keep his back dry and comfy. It also has reflective strips on it for when it’s dark out.

We got this for him mostly because we want him to get used to carrying something on our outings. It’s also nice because he can drink whenever he wants and we don’t have to stop, take off our pack, unzip it and hand him his water bottle. I think it will help him stay better hydrated in the future.

At first I was frustrated that the Skeeter CamelBak didn’t have a sternum strap because I didn’t want it slipping off of his shoulders. But after going on a short hike this morning I realized it fits him just fine. No slipping, it’s fairly secure. Overall I like the new CamelBak, but don’t take my word for it…take his.

Me: “Corbin, do you like your new CamelBak?”

Corbin: “Yes, cause I love it. And I maybe can uh…uh….drink out of the hose. And I look like a hiking person.”

Me: “Is it heavy?”

Corbin: “No”

Me: “Does it make you tired”

Corbin: “No, when I’m sweating I get a drink out of the hose”

 And there you have it from a freshly turned 4-year-old! I think Corbin’s older brother, Cru, will be getting a CamelBak for Christmas. I’m thinking I’ll get the larger capacity CamelBak for him however, the Mini-MULE, which has a waist and sternum strap. The Kelty Starfish is also a great option as a hydration pack for kids.

Hydration For Kids

One crucial aspect of hiking and enjoying time outside during the summer is staying hydrated. As a parent it’s important that we stay conscious of our children and the amount of liquids they are consuming. WebMD describes how kids are different than us adults when it comes to hydration, “Parents… should know that active children do not adjust to hot temperatures as well as adults. Their body surface, as a proportion of their overall weight, is much greater than an adult’s. So they produce more heat during physical activity and they sweat less than adults. This reduces their ability to get rid of body heat.”

One of my children will drink anything on the planet if it has some kind of color additive in it. But when it comes to clean and clear water he won’t swallow unless I’m hovering over him like a hawk. He has gotten better with time though and I think that has to do with the way we’ve learned to present it to him. We let him pick out his own water bottle from the store and then had him decorate it with stickers. That little bit of independence seemed to make him more excited to drink from his very own water bottle. Now when we go on hikes or to his baseball games he’s more willing to stop frequently and take a couple swallows.

We went and explored Goblin Valley in South East Utah this last summer. It is an amazing place that makes you feel as if you’re on another planet, with mushroom shaped sandstone scattering the landscape.

We were visiting in August! If you don’t already know it’s unbelievably hot there during this time of year. We decided to go during the cooler part of the day but it was still roasting. This was our setup…

It’s a good rule of thumb to take 16 floz. of water for each hour you plan to be outside in the heat. And that’s just per person. So as a family of five we had to organize ourselves a bit. We took our Kelty Kids pack that we carry our youngest child in. There is a built-in hydration reservoir on the pack which holds 70 floz. On this particular day we filled that reservoir and then we took another daypack, our favorite Lowe Alpine, which held two 32 oz. Nalgene water bottles, a Powerade, a first aid kit and snacks. So that was enough for us to stay out for about two hours. Also, waiting for us back at the car, we had two gallons of water. We try to always keep two gallons available in case of emergencies.

Watch for these signs of dehydration - dry mouth, tongue and lips, no tears when crying, sunken eyes and grayish skin, decreased urination, feeling lightheaded or dizzy, headache, fatigue, muscle cramps.

Other helpful hints

• Plan activities during the cooler part of the day.
• Have your children wear clothing made of a good wicking fabric that keeps them cool and doesn’t trap the heat.
• Kids can get the liquids they need from other things like popsicles, juice and fruit. Have them available for quick access.

Do you have any tips concerning hydration for kids?

Conserving, Protecting Water

To kids water is a sure thing. It will always be there when you’re thirsty and it’s always fun to play in. Unfortunately that’s not always the case. Overused and polluted waterways are as much of a problem as any other these days.

Today we plan on going fishing at our local Gigliotti Pond . I thought it might be a good opportunity to talk to my kids about conserving and protecting water.

I found this great two-page activity sheet to help kids realize the importance of conserving and protecting water. It was created by the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

No matter what state you’re from, I encourage you to print it off and take some time today to go through it with your kids.

Here are some quick tips on how to protect and conserve water:

• Don’t liter (broken glass and plastic items are harmful to fish and unpleasant to see)
• Dispose of harmful chemicals the right way
• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth
• Take short showers (baths use more water)
• Put drinking water in the fridge (waiting for it to get cold from the sink wastes water)
• Water your lawn during the cool part of the day (water will evaporate more during the hot part of the day)
• Repair leaky toilets and faucets 

 Do you have any other ideas on how to conserve or protect water?

Check out the EcoMom post on Nature For Kids for more information on how to have less of an impact on the Mother Nature!

Container Gardening

Now that the spring rush is over, your nearest nursery has more than likely reduced the prices of their flowers and other plants. If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to let your kids get their hands dirty and make a container garden. It’s an easy way to introduce your child to the fun and rewarding process of gardening and Nature For Kids.

At The Nursery: Choose flowers or vegetables that are already established and ready to be transplanted into your container. Seeds are a little too late to get started now. Try to choose plants that are just preparing to bud out. That way you’ll have the blooming to still look forward too. But we can’t be too picky…it is the middle of June. 

Preparing The Container: Find a container with holes in the bottom or sides to allow drainage. This can be anything from a pot bought at a store or an old rusty wheelbarrow found behind the barn. Terra cotta pots are inexpensive and a clean slate for your budding artist. Get out the paints and let your child create a one of a kind container.

Now that you’ve found the container you’ll be using, place a layer of large rocks or gravel, filling the container about 1/4 full. This will be sure to allow proper drainage and save on potting soil. Next dump the potting soil into the container to fill it about 3/4 of the way. This will leave enough room for our plants. Stir up and mix the soil allowing it to soften and aerate a bit. Prepare two-inch holes where you want your plants to be placed.

Transplanting The Plants: Carefully grab the plants (more than likely they’ll be individually set in plastic cubicles). With your fingers squish the plastic base with your fingers. This will loosen up the plant and allow you to pull it out of the plastic easily. After your plant is out gently loosen the roots of the plant without knocking off too much dirt.  Place the plant in the hole you dug earlier. Press the dirt firmly around the plant. The dirt should be level with the base of the stem. Place in a sunny spot. To give your plants a boost, feed them a little Miracle Grow or aged chicken manure.

It’s amazing the ownership and responsibility kids will take on after going through this process of picking, planting, and watering. It’s something for them to be very proud of and see quick results for their efforts.

Email us a picture of your container garden at shawna@natureforkids.net!

Kid Powered Toys

Kids can accumulate toys really fast. After parents, grandparents and friends give birthday, Christmas and Easter gifts it’s hard to remember what came from who. And if your toys are like ours, they’re all running on semi-dead batteries, making that talking baby doll sound a bit like Barry White.

Well I came across these great toys called Sprig, by way of Treehuggingfamily.com. They’re not battery powered toys but kid powered, imagine that! The company describes their products like this, “kids power the fun which fuels their imagination! It’s where batteries stay out of landfills and kids get off the couch. …Active kids, happy parents, healthy planet.”

The line of toys include the Discover Rig, Rally Racer, Baja Scout and several little characters with headlamps that light up when put inside a vehicle.

Here are the main features of the toys:

• Push and pump action makes the lights and sounds work
• Made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastics
• Battery free (no more Barry White)
• Exapndable (mix different characters with different vehicles for new adventures)

I could totally see my boys outside in our gravel/dirt pit creating adventures for hours. I tried to get my hands on these early for my son’s birthday but no can do. They don’t come out until the Fall of this year. I’m so excited to see what else Sprig will come up with that encourages Nature For Kids.

Top Tens

Today I thought I’d share some “Top Tens” with you that correlate with the purpose of Nature For Kids.
Drum roll please….

Gorp presents ten camping commandments to build excitement about the outdoors in kids. 

Dog Behavior Online  provides 10 ways to exercise a dog

And last but not least…

turnoffyourtv.com gives the top 10 frequently asked questions  concerning why you should turn off your TV.

Let Nature For Kids  know if you learned anything that will stick with you!

Healthy Swim Habits

One of my favorite movies, “The Sandlot”, portrays the perfect summer activities for kids; playing baseball in a vacant lot, campouts in a killer tree house and swimming at the local pool. I’m sure this is every child’s expectation this summer. Unfortunately the pool portion, or any of it for that matter, won’t happen unless we all adopt healthy swim habits.

There’s a nasty little bug that will try to ruin a large portion of your summer, it’s called Cryptosporidium (Crip-toe-spore-id-ium). Basically, It is trying to hitch a ride from someone who has diarrhea into your local swimming pool. And then when you least expect it, it swims into your open mouth and down to your intestines to camp out for a couple weeks. Meanwhile you’re stuck inside by the toilet, looking out the window at that tree house.

Last summer Cryptosporidium made a lot of people sick. So many that health officials wouldn’t allow children ages 5 and under to swim in pools. Some public pools had to even shutdown for the remainder of the summer because people kept getting sick.

Here’s some ways that Crypto can spread:

• A person who has diarrhea doesn’t shower before getting into the pool.
• Someone changes a child’s soiled diaper close to the pool. 
• A person with crypto doesn’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom.
• A baby with diarrhea let’s loose while in the pool. Swim diapers can only hold so much!

Okay hold onto your seats, this is pretty gross but I have to share it so you get the whole idea. I found this in our local paper. “On average people have about .14 grams of poop on their bottoms which can contaminate water. People who have diarrhea have millions of germs.” Oh I feel bad for the poor guy that had to do that study.

So after all this being said and you’re still up for going to the public pool, here’s a few healthy swim habits to adopt from Nature For Kids:

• Take a shower with warm soapy water before getting in the pool, that includes your kids.
• If you have diarrhea, don’t go to the pool! And be sure you’re completely better before going back again.
• Wash your hands after using the bathroom or changing a diaper.
• Don’t swallow the water or even let it in your mouth.
• Take your child to the bathroom regularly and check their swim diapers often.
• Change baby diapers in the restroom, not poolside.

Well, the sky is clear and it’s warming up fast so I think we’ll head to our public pool to practice our crypto defense. Have a great day! 

Nalgene Water Bottles

When children play outside, usually the first necessity considered to bring along is a water bottle. With all of the talk about polycarbonate and other different types of plastics it leaves many parents wondering whether their child’s water bottle is safe. 

Our three kids each have a Nalgene water bottle made of polycarbonate, which has a key element of a chemical called bisphenol-A (BPA). It is said that BPA mimics the femal hormone estrogen and has been shown to cause defective cell division during development. Nalgene presents a wealth of information including the results of several studies done on this subject on their site. It’s really worth checking out if you have any questions.

Nalgene and many other manufacturers have decided to discontinue their polycarbonate bottles.  At first I thought it was because they believed them to be harmful. But as I read into it further they are simply doing it because consumer demand is weakening for that product.

Nalgene says they have reviewed the studies and tests done by several agencies, administrations and councils and they claim to have proven BPA to be safe. These studies can be found on the site I linked to above as well. To keep in step with what consumers are seeking Nalgene has decided to transition from polycarbonate to Eastman Tritan™ copolyester, a BPA free alternative.

Overall the studies say that the amount of BPA leaching into the liquid inside a polycarbonate bottle is so minimal that there is no risk involved. As a parent it’s comforting to hear that statement ”no risk involved”, but the idea of even a minimal amount going into your child’s body is somewhat unsettling. 

So it seems our choices when coming to polycarbonate water bottles are either over cautious parent or trusting consumer. Which one are you?
Find BPA-Free Water Bottles at REI