Everyone wants to do something for their kids, especially if it is something that will make them healthier and happier. While schoolwork is an important portion of every kid’s life, you should not discount the importance of recreational periods, in which kids spend time with each other following leisurely pursuits. Recreational time is important for kids not only because it helps them to stay healthy and provides a welcome break from school work, but also because children learn a great deal about peer interaction and cooperation when they engage in games, make believe, and other after-school or weekend activities. Playtime can be either structured, with specific activities planned for each recreational period, or it can be more freeform, which involves allowing children the opportunity to discover and organize the activities that they want to do. You might find that kids are sometimes better off being left alone to use their imaginations, because that can be a welcome break from the more structured experience that they have most days in the classroom.

Some recreational areas are quite plain, and can be used for simple games that don’t require a lot of equipment, such as dodge ball or tag. Other spaces can be equipped for any number of games or fun activities. Indoor spaces are useful, especially on days when inclement weather makes it preferable to stay inside. And if your child plays in an outdoor playground, there are a number of different activities that the space can be outfitted for. You may have see-saws, slides, monkey bars, and swings to keep children amused and to allow them to engage in fun physical activities which will help them become stronger and healthier.

Backyard Playground vs. Schoolyard Playground

If your child’s schoolyard, say, is an area that is going to be outfitted with equipment for youngsters to play on, the planner will probably want to look at commercial playground equipment because it’s sturdier than the kinds made for backyards, it will last a lot longer than swing sets and slides made for home use, and it will be safer because it’s stronger. More durable materials are less likely to break and cause an otherwise safe piece of equipment to become a potential danger to children’s safety.

Right Before Getting Started

If you’re planning to equip a playground, you’ll want to take a survey of the children who will be using it before you begin to select the gear that you want to buy. You will want to buy equipment that is appropriate for the age children whom the recreational facility will be serving. Installing something age-specific, such as a playhouse, might be inappropriate if your core users are older children.

Older kids might prefer basketball hoops or a baseball field rather than swings and other amusements more suited to younger children. But whatever kinds of equipment you choose for kids, make sure that everything is safe and sturdy. Your kids’ well-being may depend on it.

Call (877) 777-3700 and let ParknPool help you choose the perfect commercial playground sets for you!

Here are ten steps to follow to make sure that you find the right summer camp:

1. Decide what your expectations are. You likely have some expectations for what you expect your kids to get out of their camp experience. Do you want them to learn outdoor skills? Make friends? Have fun? Consider whether you want to send them to a camp with a certain philosophy or world view—there are a lot of Christian camps in Texas, for instance. If you are a past summer camper yourself, think about the aspects of camp that you enjoyed and what you didn’t like.

2. Talk with your kids about what they want. While your ideas for your kids are certainly important, your kids’ ideas are equally so. Talk with your kids about what they would like to experience at camp. Their ideas may surprise you.

3. Make a list of potential camps. Once you have a good idea about what you both want, go out and scour the web for a list of camps that may meet your requirements. At this point, don’t rule anything out, just make a list of all the possibilities. Keep in mind as you do that there are a lot of different types of summer camps in Texas, from traditional outdoor camps to that teach your kids about science or art. The one that is perfect for your kids may be something you didn’t expect.

4. Compare the activities that each camp offers. Will there be crafts? Horseback riding? Interpretive dance? What steps does the camp take to ensure that all kids are able to participate in activities? Look at what each camp offers carefully.

5. Research other camp features. Activities are not the only thing that can make or break a camp experience, however. You should also look at each camp’s size, location, ratio of counselors to campers, safety features, average age of campers and counselors, and accommodations. At this point, you can start narrowing down your options to the camps that suit you best.

6. Ask for reviews from past campers. If you know someone whose kids have attended the camp recently, that’s great. Ask a lot of questions, and make sure that they tell you about what they liked and didn’t like about the camp. If you don’t know anyone who personally attended the camp, ask for references directly from the camp itself and read online reviews to get a full picture about what your kids can expect.

7. Take a tour of the camp. If possible, arrange to take a tour of the camp before your child attends. The winter months are great for planning trips like this.

8. Look at prices. Price does, of course, matter, but keep in mind that cost is not always an indication of which camp is best. Consider the price in context of what the camp actually offers — activities, number of days, meals, etc.

9. Make a decision with your kids about which camp is best. With all of these considerations in mind, and in consultation with your kids, decide which camp is right for them.

10. Register for the right camp. Many camps have open registrations all year long. Now that you have decided on the perfect camp, don’t lose your spot by waiting too long to register. Go ahead and sign up through the camp’s website or by calling them directly.

If you follow all these steps, you can feel good knowing that you have carefully weighed all the options and that your decision is a good one for when it comes to summer camps.

1. Never Forget
•It’s always important to remember medication.  Headache remedies, motion sickness medications, sleep aids, and prescriptions need to be kept handy, to avoid trying to find stores and pharmacies open late at night.

•Baby wipes can be used for almost anything when traveling.  Cleaning up car spills, faces and hands, and just to cool down, baby wipes are a must when traveling.  They can be used in restrooms to clean the toilet seats and hands after.

•Baggies, trash bags and Ziploc bags can be used for a variety of things while traveling.  Use shopping bags as a makeshift trashcan that can be easily contained and thrown out.  Ziploc bags can be used to store small snacks, or leftovers from a small stop to eat.  Ziploc bags can also be used to store small toys!

2. Timing Can Mean Everything:
 •Making travel plans when kids take naps is definitely a winning strategy.  If traveling by car or plane, leaving an hour or so before a normal nap time is usually all that is needed to wind them down. Specfically for flying, late flights (when children should be sleeping) can make the flight much easier on parents.

•Be sure to have all children go to the bathroom before leaving home and plan stops every couple hours for restroom breaks and to stretch their legs. Otherwise, you’ll have restless kids who need to go NOW!

3. Entertainment is Key

• Choosing the right books and toys to bring along is so important. Always bring your child’s favorite toy for comfort.  Something that they play with for long periods of time at home already is also going to be a safe bet – coloring books, crayons, and paper can always turn into hours of fun and keep children quite busy.  Bring something new for each child, so that when boredom sets in, pulling out something new can be exciting and fun!

4. Bonus Flying Tips

•If you know you’re going to be flying, plan ahead! Try to pick out seat assignments that will help, such as window or aisle seats.  Try to choose seats early enough that you can have your whole family in the same location and sitting by someone they get along with.

•Ask your flight attendant about children’s meals and snacks.  Most have a small toy or something to entertain children.

•Try to choose flights that don’t have to make stops, to avoid the stress of trying to handle children along with flight connections and times.

•Be sure to check airline rules on traveling with car seats.

•Alert your airlines that you are traveling with children, so that you know of any special rules and regulations that may apply, as well as discounts!

Kyle Jennings likes to write about parenting, travel & saving money at www.homeinsurance.org.

Kids today have it much easier than kids of yesterday, but the easy nature of things usually makes them lazier and less interested in the outside world than before.  While at one time the streets of neighborhoods were littered with kids riding their bikes or swimming in their pool, today most kids are locked into their video game console for hours each day.  Luckily, with some ideas, a yard can easily be turned from a boring open area to a place that kids beg to spend time in each day.

Kids usually get bored because of either a lack of variety of things they can do or the things to do simply getting boring much too quickly.  A good way to figure out things that work better is to concentrate on activities and different ideas that the children can either do together or individually.  For example, many games for game systems are single player only and force the children to take turns, but there are also many games that can be played by up to four players at once.  Many outdoor activities are good for one or multiple people, but a pool is hard to allow a child to swim in without any adult supervision.  As a result, the ideas for entertainment must be personalized to the age and interest of the child for them to be long lasting means of entertainment.

Several Benefits To Consider

Children that usually have multiple friends available to play with will benefit the most from outdoor activities.  Making a makeshift football or baseball field is a great idea, since they are active sports that build team skills and offer fun competition.  Building a great tree house can be beneficial for many reasons, and if it is made more complex, it can be a great place to spend time alone as well.  Usually having two tree houses is a good way to set up a competitive environment, but just one is good to hang out in whether friends are over or not.  The important thing is to make sure it is built safely so your kids will not get hurt easily, nor will the neighbor’s children.

A good way to get ideas is to visit local playgrounds for preschools or other public areas designed for kids.  Many of the plastic commercial playground pieces of equipment are designed very well and are very safe compared to yesterday’s structures.  Other equipment can also be scouted out while deciding on what setup would be best, but a swing set would provide much more long lasting entertainment than a simple spin setup or other piece that thrives on simplicity.  The important part is to have a variety while not overdoing it with too many pieces of entertainment together.

Call (877) 777-3700 and let ParknPool help you choose the perfect ParknPool outdoor playgrounds and ParknPool preschool playgrounds for you!

There are a lot of different factors that go into the development of our children, both in and out of the classroom, but even outside of school, there are plenty of activities to keep your kids active and happy, giving them an alternative to sitting indoors playing video games or watching television. Sometimes getting outside is all a child needs to let off some steam and decompress from all the time spent indoors, and do more physical activities instead of more mentally demanding ones.

There are certain social skills and health benefits for children that can only be acquired by spending time outdoors with kids their own age, and the long term effects will prove to be even more valuable as they grow and develop over time. When kids get as much of an opportunity to play outside as they do to spend time indoors, it gives them a better grasp of how the world works. Only by nurturing both the intellectual and physical development of a child can you ensure that he or she truly reaches his or her maximum potential.

The First Experiences Count

From early childhood development with their first experiences in classrooms and playgrounds for preschools, to adulthood in a more professional setting, the skills learned all along the way are all far too valuable, even if you’ve never given the matter much thought in the past. Everything you learn in your schooling career, as well as beyond it, comes into play later in life, sometimes in more ways than one.

Even outside of school, aside from spending time indoors, it is important that kids get a good amount of recreational time out in the sun, whether it be playing sports or just spending time on a plastic commercial playground in your local park. There are plenty of things to keep kids of all ages busy, from the hottest summer day to the snowiest winter afternoon.

Intellect Is Not Everything

The importance of developing in every aspect of your maturity is focused more often on intellectual properties than otherwise, but that does not mean that the other things are any less important in the overall scheme of things. Even as you get older and you find yourself challenged by new obstacles, there is always something to be achieved by spending some time outside, whether at your local park, on a hiking trail, or even at the beach.

The limits to what your kids can do with some quality time outside are only set by the limits of their imagination and willingness to get out there and decompress from the other things that life has to offer, and recreational time will prove to be full of valuable lessons to take into the future.

Call (877) 777-3700 and let ParknPool playgrounds help you choose the perfect commercial outdoor playground and ParknPool school playgrounds for your organization’s needs!

(NC)—Parents searching for fun activities that will get the kids excited about exercising outdoors might be surprised to hear that learning golf might just be the ticket.

“Golf is a game that conditions young minds and bodies, teaching everything from accuracy to coordination, patience, sportsmanship and playing by the rules,” says Barry Wallis, experiential marketing manager and CPGA professional at Callaway Golf.

To get a solid basic knowledge of the skills and rules of the game, book a lesson with a golf instructor certified by the Canadian Professional Golf Association. CPGA instructors can be found at golf courses, driving ranges, through kids’ golf programs, and at many golf equipment retailers. To reduce the cost of lessons, get a few friends together and ask the instructor about a group lesson for a set rate.

According to Wallis, one of the best ways toget kids into golf is to sign up for a golf program tailored to children.

“One of the great kids’ golf programs available now is Callaway Golf for Kids, which gives children a chance to learn that golf can be an exciting sport to play at any age, and teaches them sporting values they can carry throughout their lives,” says Barry Wallis.

Through school- and community-based recreation modules, Callaway Golf for Kids gives kids the opportunity to learn what the game of golf has to offer on and off the course, including how playing golf can help develop character through understanding the subtleties of the rules and traditions of the game.

“No matter how they get involved in the game, golf is a game that can be enjoyed for life,” says Wallis.

More information about Callaway Golf for Kids can be found online at www.mrknickers.com.

www.newscanada.com

(NC)—April 22 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, reminding us that there are still things we can do to lighten our impact on the planet. Here are some easy ways to cut your home energy use, courtesy of Warrington Ellacott an energy efficiency expert for Whirlpool Canada, the 2009 Energy Star manufacturer of the year.

Keep your heat or air conditioning from escaping by making sure you have a tight seal on your windows and doors. According to Natural Resources Canada, air leakage is a significant contributor to high energy costs during the heating and the cooling seasons. Use caulking and weather-stripping to make sure your house is airtight – saving you energy and money.

Look for the Energy Star symbol on your home appliances. Don’t see one? Think about replacing them with new, energy efficient appliances – according to the Canadian Appliance Manufacturers Association, replacing a fridge from the 1990s with a current model can cut your energy usage by over 50 per cent. In fact, Whirlpool makes a French door refrigerator that uses less energy in a year than a 75-watt light bulb.

Unplug electronics when they’re not in use. Even when electronics are switched off, they can still draw a small amount of power called a phantom load.

Keep your eyes open for machines that work for you while keeping the environment in mind. High efficiency washers – like the Whirlpool Duet – give great water and energy savings. Plus, the Duet dryer features a cycle called Eco Normal that reduces the energy used by up to 40 per cent.

Turn lights off when you leave. Save energy (and money) by making sure you turn lights off when you leave a room. Go the extra step by switching your bulbs to compact fluorescents – they use less energy and last 10 times longer resulting in less waste.

“Even small changes can make a big difference,” says Ellacott.  “Taking simple steps like these can have a major effect on your resource use, your utility bill, and the planet as a whole.”  

www.newscanada.com

1. Recycle Materials for Art : Items like egg cartons, cereal boxes and old newspapers (for paper Mache) are great to keep for your craft projects at home or school. And ask your parents to buy earth-friendly craft glues and paints, too.

2. Start a Green Project: Come up with a fun green idea such as starting a garden or recycling program at school, planting trees or cleaning up your local park, and get your friends, teachers and family involved. If you are between the ages of 6–13 years old, submit your idea to the Sunlight Green Clean Kids: Green Grants Program by writing a short essay on your unique idea to make the environment a better place. Sunlight is offering up to $1,500 to get your project started. More information can be found online at www.sunlightgreencleankids.ca.

3. Organize a Swap: Recycle your old toys and clothes—while getting a bunch of cool new stuff—by organizing a swap at your home, school or community centre where everyone can trade their used items. Set simple rules for the swap such as how many toys each person should bring and how to deal with more than one person choosing the same item.

4. Bike to School: Ask your parents if you can bike or walk to school (as long as it’s safe) a few days a week instead of taking the bus or having them drive you.

5. Teach Your Parents to Recycle: Teach your parents how important it is to recycle by learning about the types of materials that can be put in the recycle box. Label small cans and tubs to collect glass, cardboard, paper and tin items, and ensure the right material goes in the right box. Also look for products that can be recycled on your weekly grocery shop with mom and dad.

www.newscanada.com

As an author, literacy is obviously important to Munsch, which is why he has been the Honorary Chair of Family Literacy Day for the last seven years. Family Literacy Day is an annual initiative created by ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Honda Canada in 1999 to promote the importance of reading and learning together as a family.

“I love being a part of Family Literacy Day because it allows me to meet lots of interesting people and help to create a love of reading,” says Munsch.

Anyone can celebrate Family Literacy Day on January 27 by practicing literacy activities such as writing, singing, reading and telling stories. In honour of Family Literacy Day, Robert Munsch shares some of his expert storytelling tips:

1. Be yourself, develop your own style.

2. First read the story, and then write it down. Then tape yourself telling the story.

3. Start telling the story using your own words.

4. Tell stories on the bus, during bath time or while cooking.

5. Make your voice loud and clear.

6. Include simple songs or chants to bring the story to life.

7. Use repetition of a word or a phrase.

8. Move around to act out the story.

9. Have your child pick a favourite toy or use one of your old stuffed animals to be a character in the story.

10. Relax and have fun.

Family literacy tips, activity ideas and event information, can all be found online at www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca.

www.newscanada.com

Video editing is EXPENSIVE. I probably spent at least 3 hours doing it. Probably closer to 4. Cutting, splicing, transitions, sound effects, adjusting volumes of voices that were too close to or too far from the camera, adding music tracks.

I just watched the final version on my TV. It worked flawlessly, and despite the price and size of the Flip, I was very pleased with the quality.

I have to admit one small flaw. I had to reach for the kleenex! They were, however, tears of joy. The joy of seeing my grand daughter having an awesome party, and of me being there and being able to capture most of it on “film”.

Can’t wait to visit them in the next week or two, making some popcorn, and watching our movie.

If you do not have a video camcorder, or the one in your regular digital camera is not very good, consider getting a Flip. The size is right, and the quality is good. See more comments about the Flip Camcorder by clicking on its name 7 words back. Here in Canada it was only $158 + taxes, and it can store 1 hour of video. Plenty for a birthday party. Then learn to use the basic video editing programs that come for free with newer Windows PC or Mac computers. It takes a lot of time, but the results are so much fun to watch.