(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.

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(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.”  

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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.

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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.

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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.

1. Exercise reduces the risk of obesity. If your child takes part in a regular exercise program, her chances of becoming obese are dramatically reduced. An active child means a healthier child.

2. Exercise lessens the risk of diseases. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two conditions made less likely by exercise. If you have a family history of such diseases, you should help your child to develop good exercise habits.

3. Exercise strengthens your child’s body. As your child exercises on a frequent basis, his muscles and bones will become stronger.

4. Exercise creates feelings of well-being. Have you noticed your child struggling with peer pressure or becoming uncomfortable with her body? Encourage an exercise routine. Exercising helps ease tension and can help boost your child’s self-confidence.

If you are looking for some ideas for exercising, consider using the following to encourage a family time:

WALKING – Walking is the simplest, and one of the best forms of exercise for anyone. Walking is a easy way to encourage a conversation as well.

SPORTS – If your child is interested in sports, you have an easy job. Just offer to take them out every weekend and play. Whether basketball or tennis, or any of a dozen other one-on-one type sports. Even just catch.

SWIMMING – Just about every kid loves to swim. If you don’t have a personal swimming pool, invest in a monthly membership to a local gym.

BIKE RIDING – Next to walking, riding bicycles is another easy way to get fun exercise.

HIKING – If your family loves the outdoors, get everyone a pair of hiking shoes and a backpack and get moving. Plan special expeditions once a month, over and above your regular exercise. Kids love hiking because they get to explore and discover nature close up.

(you may find some additional useful information at the backpacking for beginners website.)

Out came a soft spongy ball, and we would play a form of bowling. With the number of containers I had saved we would have a wall that was so big that one throw of the ball would not knock them all over. That is when we would come up with some system of keeping track of who knocked over the most, without actually counting them.

One other valuable lesson that my granddaughter learned is that creating a perfectly straight wall of containers fell over more easily then when you created a wall that had a slight curve to it. What is very interesting is that a beaver dam that we once discovered was built the same way, with a slight curve. It has always amazed me that a critter we consider to have very little brainpower knew enough to build a curved dam. Quite the engineers, aren’t they?

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As the long, lazy days of August arrive, keep it fresh with these fun ideas from Lever 2000 (www.homebasics.ca) . They’re guaranteed to help you relive the joys of your childhood, while savouring the moments that will fuel your kids’ nostalgia when they’re older.

Heed the call of the ice cream truck.

Go for ice cream cones on the hottest day of the year. So what if it melts down your arm – that’s what sprinklers are for.

Have a summer snowball fight.

If you have an indoor ice arena in your town, there should always be a big pile of snow at the side of the building. Take a couple of coolers, fill them up and have a snowball fight in a heat wave.

Host an outdoor movie night.

Rent a projector and a few of your favourite classic summer movies. Hang a sheet up as a screen and make lots of popcorn because word will quickly spread through your neighbourhood that it’s movie time.

Pack an old-fashioned picnic.

Keep it simple: sandwiches, bottled drinks, cookies and fruit – and don’t forget the blanket.

Make a summer scrapbook.

Include everything in it – even the little stuff – to help keep the memories of summer alive through the winter.

Swim in real water.

Nothing beats dipping your toes into the cold waters of a lake or the ocean, then bracing yourself for the shock of a full-body dip.

Carve a watermelon.

Enjoy the sweet taste of summer. Have a seed-spitting contest.

Take in an afternoon baseball game.

Or soccer or football. Eat hot dogs, cotton candy and drink pop while cheering on the home team.

Have a bonfire.

Sing campfire songs, tell scary stories, and make some ooey gooey s’mores.

Pick your own fruit and vegetables.

Visit a farm and get in touch with where food really comes from.

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Grandparenting offers many of the joys and benefits of parenting, without many of the hassles, constraints, and day-to-day responsibilities. Don’t you find that your grandchildren are one of God’s greatest gifts? But there’s more to having grandchildren–that is, being a grandparent–than simply keeping track of them, which is hard enough.

TEACH

Take the opportunity to teach them healthy habits. The best time to start these lessons is when your grandchildren are young, before bad habits have a chance to form. One habit that I taught Jasmine is to always return things to their rightful place. If we don’t, I explained, then we might lose the item. Although she does not always practice this habit, she knows it in theory.

One day I was unable to find something I needed. Jasmine asked me what I was doing. When I explained, she stated, “Did you put it back Grandpa?”

Ouch!

TALK

Talk to your grandchildren about things, every day things. It is amazing the types of comments I get from Jasmine when I ask her questions. She can come up with some very interesting insight.

TELL

Tell your grandchildren stories. Not just from books. Jasmine even asked me one day to tell her stories about her mom. Now that was an interesting topic! As a grandparent you have a wealth of stories in you. Make them interesting and your grandchildren will ask for more.

BEFORE YOU GO

One last random comment. Keep a camera close at hand. You never know when your grandchild might do something interesting, and getting a photo helps that moment last a lifetime.

By using a wicker basket shaped like a horn, it is quite easy to do a basic cornucopia. Most craft stores carry them, usually in early fall, if not year round. Once you’ve selected a lovely basket, you can either fill it with artificial or real fruit and vegetables. If you chose to use real produce, it’s probably best to wait to fill the basket the day of your dinner so it doesn’t spoil before dinner. Some fall leaves scattered around the cornucipia are a nice finishing touch.

By involving your children in the construction process, you will have an opportunity to discuss the meaning and reason for both the holiday of Thanksgiving, and the items that make up the cornucopia.

You could also get them to make paper versions. There are many patterns online for adorable paper cornucopias. One example is at this site. Another one is here. Have the children glue the horn to a green piece of paper and arrange the fruit anyway they want, gluing them in place. They could even be covered in plastic and used as placemats, in addition to a centerpiece. Younger children might need help cutting the more complicated shapes. Remember to supervise children as is appropriate during the cutting and gluing stages of any craft.

Salt dough clay could be used to create a one of a kind cornucopia. With a little patience, forming the horn isn’t very difficult. Start with a flattened piece of clay (use a rolling pin to flatten) and trace a circle using a plate. Cut out a wedge, so it can be curled around to make the horn. You can use a funnel to help hold the clay’s shape while it dries. Some types of clay can be dried in the oven. Once dry, paint the cornucopia tan. Then make the various fruits and vegetables that you want to fill the cornucopia, following the same drying procedure for the clay you are using. If you want the pieces to last longer, spray them with a clear sealant once the paint has dried completely.

A horn could also be made from paper mache’ by using a wire frame shaped like the horn. Some fruits and vegetables could be made over various size balloons. Again fresh or artificial produce could be used to fill the cornucopia as well.

With a little creativity, it does not take long to make a lovely cornucopia centerpiece for your table. Look around your house and you may find all you need already there. Saving some money is always something to be thankful for.