Posts tagged ‘kids activities’
Chipper Exercise: 8 Fun (FREE!) Family Fitness Activities
Looking for some fun family “workouts” that feel more like play? Check out these simple outdoor activities that will get everyone in your family off the couch and help you bond while burning some calories. Getting active outdoors isn’t only good for your body but also you and your child’s social and emotional wellness. As Chipper likes to say, “Healthy Habits Grow Happy Hearts!” Try a few with mom (or with your kids) to celebrate Mother’s Day this week and have some fun while keeping fit!
1. Hula Hooping
Hula hoops became a hot toy in the late 1950s and are still a lot of fun for families. Hula hooping can burn more than 500 calories an hour — not bad for a $10 piece of plastic! Hoops come in a variety of sizes for children and adults, and weighted hoops for more advanced “hoopers” will give you even more of a workout. Try a little more variation than just the normal standing hula hooping with these 3 Great Hula Hoop Exercises for Kids.
2. Jump Roping
Jumping rope burns an estimated 600 calories an hour. Jump ropes are also cheap, starting under $10. Also, because jump ropes are so portable, parents can pack one in their suitcase for workouts while they travel. Who knows — maybe Dad is a future double dutch champion!
3. Skating and Scooting
Have some old Rollerblades or Razor Scooters hanging out in the garage? You probably forgot how fun some quality time on wheels can be! Dust them off and cruise around the neighborhood or a nearby park with your kids. Kicking along on a scooter is sure to get your heart rate up. And in-line skating burns at least 300 calories an hour for adults. Consider doing a scavenger hunt to keep you moving.
4. Boogying Down
Your family loves singing along with the radio in the car. Why not dance along to the music when you’re at home? Having a family dance party lets parents and kids get silly while also getting some good cardio exercise. Hip hop dancing can burn about 400 calories an hour, so turn up the beats indoors or outside!
5. Playing Frisbee
Frisbee has a cult following, with hundreds of colleges now offering “ultimate Frisbee” (a Frisbee game similar to soccer) as a school sport. Your family could be full of Frisbee champs! With plastic discs starting at $5, it’s worth a try. Frisbee golf is another fun disc game.
6. Walking — or Hiking — with the Dog
What has fur, four legs, and is dying to be your exercise pal? That’s right: the family dog. Studies have shown that owning a dog can make you healthier, in part because you’re likely to take more walks. But if your daily walks have become more like a chore, infuse some fun as well as fitness. Go as a family, pick different routes each night, and throw in some jogging.
7. Playground Playtime
Just as kids love rec time during the school day, they’ll enjoy romping around the playground when school is out of session. When is the last time Dad tried his hand at crossing the monkey bars or doing some pull-ups? And when was Mom last on the swings, pumping her legs to get sky-high? Playgrounds offer fun physical activity for everyone — even if you’re just chasing the kids around.
8. Tag, You’re It, and Other Outdoor Games
Tag, kickball, wiffle ball, kickball… you name it! Neighborhood games may be waning in the digital age, but they’re as fun as ever and hopefully due for a comeback. Challenge your family members to some friendly competition, and enjoy the great outdoors like it’s the good ol’ days. Here are some great ideas from Chipper!
Chipper Activities: 10 Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids During Winter
Winter doesn’t have to mean chilly afternoons huddled indoors all day. Instead, bundle up the kids for some fun outdoor winter activities (and exercise!) that will get their hearts pumping!
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean that you and your little ones shouldn’t bundle up for some winter fun! Knowing the right outdoor activities for winter days (and nights!) is the first step to having a healthy, active winter. “I think it’s important to make fitness a part of your child’s life from the youngest of age. The best way for them to learn it is for you to model it. Do a stroller workout and/or take your baby to a mommy and me fitness class. They will see that Mom likes to exercise,” says Lisa Druxman, creator of Stroller Strides.
Dr. Fatima S. Khan, pediatrician with Rush-Copley Medical Center and an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at Rush University Medical College in Chicago says that keeping active all year round is an absolute must for families. “This is very important. The No. 1 reason for the childhood obesity epidemic is due to physical inactivity and spending too much time in front of TV or computer games,” says Dr. Khan. This can get especially common during the winter months when we can use the cold as an excuse to stay indoors.
Things to know before playing outside in the winter
Ready to tear your kids away from the games and get them outside for winter activities? Here are a few things to know:
- Before heading outside, make sure that your kids are bundled up to be warm. You should bundle up too. Be sure to wear gloves, coats and warm socks, along with weather-appropriate footwear.
- Be aware of the signs of frostbite in kids. If your child complains of aching pain or numbness, most often to their extremities (hands, feet or ears) or their skin feels hard/waxy with a white color, come inside immediately and follow these instructions.
- Don’t worry, playing outside won’t make them sick. Dr. Khan says that the idea that going outside in the cold will give you a cold is nothing more than an old wives’ tale. “Just going outside doesn’t make people catch colds. Of course, they should be appropriately dressed… and if it’s really cold, like we get in Chicago, staying inside is better,” says Dr. Khan. However, Dr. Khan does say that if someone has been exposed to the cold virus, then being in the cold weather can make the cold come on faster.
- Stay hydrated. Just like any other time of the year, it’s important that you and your kids drink enough. “Don’t forget to bring water, even when the weather is chilly,” says Mindy Pierce, director of programming for Sport & Health Clubs.
Want more? Check out 4 safety tips during winter sports >>
1) Build a snowman
Do you remember rolling the snow into balls to create three parts for a special snowman? It was a lot of fun, but that’s not all. Making a snowman is also awesome exercise. “Moving all that snow around takes a lot of work,” says mom Alethea Smock, whose kids are ages 3 and 5.
2) Bubble time
You might associate blowing bubbles with sundresses, bare feet and green grass. But in the winter time, it takes on a whole new (and fun!) dimension. “My kids’ favorite is blowing bubbles on freezing days and watching them turn into ice bubbles — they look amazing,” says Sam’n Iqbal, a parent educator and mother of three.
3) Shoveling help
It goes without saying that shoveling snow is hard work. It’s also awesome exercise — even for kids. Pick up a kid-sized shovel and have them help out by clearing a path in the snow, or digging to make fun patterns. Afterwards, they can look from second story windows to see their winding snow walks!
4) Geocaching
The mere mention of the word ‘treasure’ is guaranteed to light up kids’ eyes. So, why not take them on a real-life treasure hunt with geocaching? People use global positioning devices and the internet to seek out items hidden by others. “When my guys were 12 and 13 it was fun to do geocaching where you find people’s hidden items via internet clues and GPS. It’s done all over the world [and] it’s fun to hide items too,” says mom of two, Kerri Hopkins. Hopkins said that from her experience, this is best for the age 11 to 13 crowd.
Want to try it? Check out Geocaching.com for help.
5) Look for animal tracks
Whenever it snows, it sets the stage for an ultra-fun family activity: Tracking animals. Grab a camera and your kids and check out the animal tracks in your freshly fallen snow. Take photos too, so you can compare them to photos of animal tracks later.
Mom Rebecca P. Cohen of RebeccaPlants.com, who is the spokesmom for the National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement, says that although she has a book for IDing tracks, the internet is her preferred tool. “Most of the time we just do a quick internet search when we get inside for animal tracks pictures. It’s a fun way to ‘investigate’ the mystery of which animal track you saw and to get used to looking up answers to questions together. Outside time definitely piques kids’ curiosity and they have lots of questions. So looking up questions with your child on the internet is a great way to learn together,” says Cohen.
6) Flashlight tag
Love the game of tag? Flashlight tag is like the fun classic game, except players tag each other with beams of light, instead of hands. “We started playing flash tag just by stepping outside at night with our flashlights in winter and the kids started flashing their flashlights and chasing each other,” says Cohen.
So, how does she keep track in the dark? “I’m pretty specific with them about where they can play and I stay with them for flash tag,” says Cohen.
7) Sledding
Going down the hill is the most fun part, for sure. But the trek back up to go again? That is by far the best for your kid’s body (and yours too!). Pick up a sled, available at most major retailers like Target and Walmart, and head out for some wintery fun the next time it snows.
8) Ice skating
Whether your kids are little or big, ice skating can be a ton of fun. With the winter Olympics just around the corner, kids will love the idea of trying out this major winter sport. Did you know that many ice rinks even have special contraptions to help little kids stay standing while learning to skate? Buy or rent skates for the whole family and give it a whirl (or a triple axel!).
9) Skiing/snowboarding
Have mountain, will ski. Skiing and snowboarding are fun wintertime activities. Find a nearby mountain, rent some gear and try out a lesson or two for the kids (and yourself, if you aren’t experienced). If you like it, one or both could be an awesome winter sport for the family to enjoy.
10) Hiking
Think hiking is just for warm weather? Think again. “Discover local trails. Even around a large metropolitan area, many hidden trails can be found,” says Pierce. Moms agree that winter hiking can be just as fun as warm weather hiking. “We have three daughters, aged 14, 12 and 4. We live in the Denver area, and every weekend our family (including the dog) goes hiking in the mountains, usually in the Boulder-Lyons area, sometimes closer to Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park,” says Sherry Knecht. Knecht’s family hikes all year, except when the weather is just too brutal.
Let’s Go Chipper into the Great Outdoors this Winter!
Chipper Events: I’m Chipper for Hyatt Place® Phoenix/Mesa!
Let’s Go Chipper!™ is an award-winning eco-educational series playfully teaching children good character & a love for the environment. This year we’ve partnered with Hyatt Place® Phoenix/Mesa to bring Chipper into the local Arizona community and into the classroom in order to inspire conscientiousness in kids. Come visit on your next business trip or come stay for a family weekend getaway filled with Chipper fun. Learn more about our upcoming events at our Chipper for Hyatt Place®Phoenix/Mesa website.
The Let’s Go Chipper series featuring books, apps, movies school- and community-based programs that playfully teach children respect, good character, and a love for the environment. Contact Chipper for your classroom kit or to book a story time with one of our Chipper Ambassadors, or let us create a program for you school, church, or community organization!
A little bit about Arizona
Ready to learn about Arizona? Check out these fun facts about the state’s history, people and official state symbols.
History
- Statehood: February 14, 1912. Arizona was the 48th state to join the United States.
- State Flag: Adopted in 1917, the lower half of the flag is a blue field. The upper half is divided into thirteen equal segments, six light yellow and seven red. In the center of the flag is a copper-colored five-point star. The red and the blue are the same shades as the flag of the United States of America, and it measures four feet high and six feet wide.
- State Seal: Arizona’s main enterprises and attractions are represented in the seal, which was adopted in 1911. In the background of the seal is a range of mountains with the sun rising behind the peaks. At the right side of the mountains are a water storage reservoir and a dam, with irrigated fields and orchards. There are cattle grazing on the right, and a quartz mill and a miner with a pick and shovel on the left.
Population and Geography
- Population: 6.5 million (2008 estimate)
- State Capitol: Phoenix
- Largest Cities: Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Glendale and Scottsdale
- Border States: California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah
- State Size: 113,909 square miles, the 6th largest state in the USA
State Symbols
- State Motto: Ditat Deus (“God Enriches”)
- State Nickname: Grand Canyon State
- State Songs: “Arizona March Song” and “Arizona”
- State Flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom
- State Gem: Turquoise
- State Tree: Palo Verde
- State Bird: Cactus Wren
- State Fossil: Petrified Wood
- State Mammal: Ringtail
- State Reptile: Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake
- State Fish: Apache Trout
- State Amphibian: Arizona Tree Frog
- Official Neckwear: Bola Tie
Nature-inspired, play-based learning, enjoy hands-on crafts that will engage children while teaching valuable lessons in science, art, and social skills. Have you made a Helping Hands tree?
Chipper Ambassadors are available for story time activities in the classroom, community, or visit us during a Chipper family getaway providing fun for kids while parents reconnect.
Fun Things to do with the Kids in Arizona
Desert Botanical Garden | Located within Papago Park, this beautiful botanical garden has stunning plants and flowers as well as special exhibits. Children’s program activities, like weekend face-painting, are included in the admission price and are supervised by the head of the garden’s nature preschool program, which runs for three weekly 90-minute sessions in spring and fall. One exhibit you won’t want to miss is the butterfly habitat.
Hall of Flame Firefighting Museum | This is the ultimate playground for every kid who fantasizes about sliding down a firehouse pole. Visitors climb aboard the historical fire engines and try on real firefighters’ hats and gear. In addition to exhibits that bring Arizona’s firefighting history to life, don’t miss the presentations about fire safety. The staff and volunteers who give these talks are so animated that the kids become mesmerized and don’t even realize they’re learning valuable life lessons.
Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum | Young visitors meet the Old West at this re-created pioneer village, where your family can explore life as it was in Arizona a century ago. Stroll past historic buildings that range from a schoolhouse to the blacksmith’s shop to an opera house. Since this was rancher country, there’s plenty of livestock on hand to capture your kids’ attention. Arrive in time for the re-enactment performed daily at 11:30 a.m. and you’ll even have an encounter with the sheriff, his deputies, and the bank robbers they’re pursuing. The show culminates with a shoot-out, after which the actors sign autographs.
Chipper Activities: Outdoor October Scavenger Hunt!
October is officially here! Fall leaves are starting to change colors and the little ones are already planning their Halloween costumes. One great way to celebrate the change in season is to take a walk with your family or friends to look for Autumn leaves of different shapes and sizes. Nature walks are perfect to explore your senses my taking in all the various sounds, smells and colors. These moments in a natural environment are more priceless than you think.
According to one study, the average American boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen! Our kids are out of shape, tuned out and stressed out, because they’re missing something essential to their health and development: connection to the natural world. That’s why Chipper encourages parents and their kids to get outdoors and improve the well-being of their mind, body, and spirit!
“Outdoor Play, Incorporating Animistic and Magical Thinking Is Important Because It: Fosters the healthy, creative and emotional growth of a child; Forms the best foundation for later intellectual growth; Provides a way in which children get to know the world and creates possibilities for different ways of responding to it; Fosters empathy and wonder.”
- Rachel Carson, “A Sense of Wonder”
One way to connect your kids with the natural world and get them exploring outside is a Nature Scavenger Hunt! Now there are many ways to do this and we encourage you to get creative depending on your environment, whether it’s your backyard or thh schoolyard! One fun way to run a nature scavenger hunt is to hand out a recycled egg carton and a list of 12 items to collect. For example, natural items which are: soft, spiky, blue, strong, beautiful, old, fragile, yummy, sharp, smooth, closed, open, wet, dry, from an animal, etc. Since it’s fall, you could have a list of colors and have the children find a leaf for each!
Not only will this outdoor activity make your little ones really take a close look around, they will have a ton of fun and notice things about their natural environment that they never noticed before. A scavenger hunt is a wonderful way to spark their interests outside and encourage them to be more observant. Don’t forget to bring along your camera and enter your best Fall photo in Chipper’s Photo Contest!
What kinds of activities or games do you like to play outside? Let’s Go Chipper into the Great Outdoors this Fall!
Chipper Tips: Let’s Go Chipper into the Great Outdoors!
Click here for 10 Fun Outdoor Games for Kids!
“Now I see the secret of making the best person: it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.” -Unknown
Unfortunately, many schools do not encourage and facilitate connections with the great outdoors. More and more, it is up to parents to teach their little ones about all the mysteries of nature and to get them outside to discover our natural environment for themselves. That’s why Chipper wants to help–parents, teachers, communities. We need to get our future generations inspired by the wonders of our planet so they can continue to appreciate and protect our beautiful home.
Some schools have realized what should be common sense by now: Nature has a HUGE positive effect on kids (and people of all ages). East Bay Regional Parks District, in Oakland, Calif., is applying for a $2.6 million Federal Grant to develop innovative curriculum blending academic lessons with time spent in the outdoors. Not every parent or teacher instinctively brings nature into the house or classroom though, and that’s where Chipper comes in! Here are a few simple ideas to get you and your kids outside and excited by nature:
Click here to learn how to make a nature bracelet on your next walk! All you need is some duct tape–it’s that simple!
Take a Nature Hike! After dinner, on the weekend, or anytime you can take a short walk–Get out there! In your backyard, the local park, or your nearest forest, just being under an open sky amongst the flora and fauna will inspire you and your little ones. On your hike, especially this fall, discover leaves and their many colors, shapes and sizes (maybe even jump in some and collect a few), roll over logs in search of creepy crawlies and discover places to hide just like the animals do. After the hike, head inside to make fall leaf art and check out fun books for fall, such as Chipper’s Helping Hands book + craft! As children work with natural materials such as pine cones or seed pods and arrange them into patterns or mosaic-like pictures, they develop a deeper appreciation for the beauty of the natural world, while strengthening skills in classification and close observation. Before your hike, make a Nature Journal where your kids can write about the saw on their hike and put all their nature treasures the found and collected along the way!
Let Your Child Lead! Playing with your kids outside will create priceless connections between you as well as between you both and nature! According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play time is crucial to a child’s development and contributes to their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-being.[1]Just take them outside and let them lead you to an activity or discovery. Provide opportunities for spontaneous imaginative play, such as building a fort, running through sprinklers, building a snowman or just some old fashion building blocks or dress up!
“Play is the child’s work. The world is his laboratory, and he its scientist. Play is the research by which he explores himself and his relationship to the world.” – M. Paul Friedberg
I tried to teach my child with words.
They passed him by, so oft unheard.
Despairingly I turned aside.
“How shall I teach this child?” I cried.
Into my hands he put the key.
“Come,” he said, “and play with me.”
-Unknown
Chance to Dance! Play some of you and your kids favorite music in the back yard and start moving those feet! Music and movement experiences are vital to children’s healthy development. Well-equipped outdoor Music and Movement Areas provide an ideal place for children to learn about sound, pitch, rhythm and tonality on their own; manipulate a variety of nature-based musical instruments; and express musical concepts by moving their bodies to music.
Label plants in your kids garden and let them decorate the space to make it their own!
Gardening Fun! Involving children in gardening at an early age gives them the opportunity to develop a sense of wonder about the world and be amazed every day with each new discovery. Plant a little section in your yard or at school (or even a small one inside the house with a few basic plants) that your child can plan, plant and up-keep! No matter their age, include them while gardening or watering plants.
Here’s one truly inspirational video from a young 13 year-old-girl that uses film to learn about and teach others about environmental issues: Nature Kids Clip: Miranda Andersen
Let’s Get Chipper for nature and get outdoors today! Please share your outdoor activities and discoveries with us!
Chipper Recycle Crafts: 3 Things You Can Do With Buttons
It’s amazing what you can do with various objects accessible around the house. For example, who doesn’t have a ton of buttons lying around? Every time you buy a new jacket, the extra buttons go into the sewing kit! Here are a few great ideas you can try out at home with the kids or just for fun!
They are quite simple and a great way to recycle old buttons! Crafts aren’t only enjoyable and rewarding, they can be educational and mentally beneficial. Crafts are especially unique and sentimental when made from stuff around the house. Next time you or your little one’s are bored and stuck inside, explore your house or apartment and have a craft material treasure hunt! You’ll be amazed by the craft ideas you come up with and make!
1. Mark a page!
Bookworms of all stripes will love these bright place markers!They make sweet stocking stuffers — and they’re fun and easy for kids to create. Simply cut lengths of ribbon (12 to 14 inches long, to fit a standard-size hardcover book), then attach buttons to the ends using tacky glue or a glue gun.
Shown here are just a few of the decorating options: sandwiching the ribbon’s ends between two buttons; stacking smaller atop larger buttons; and grouping several small buttons in a pattern. Get creative!
Make a customized book mark for as a great gift to friends or family that love to read. These would also be a great seller at the local craft fair. Remember, with crafts, the sky’s the limit!
2. Flip i!
This Button Skee-Ball game is fun for all ages and a great party game
! To make the target, use 2-inch-wide poster board rings (OR just use strips of plain old card board and construction paper or markers to color) 28″, 21″, 17″, and 8 inches long, secured at the seams with double-sided tape. Attach printed point values 
(or simply write them on) and assemble the rings as shown, securing them with more double-sided tape. Cut out a felt launchpad or just use some thick old cloth. Players take turns using a large button (white in picture) to flip 10 small buttons toward the target. The player with the highest total score wins!
3. Jazz up a window!
A button mosaic becomes a cheery sun catcher when it’s sandwiched between layers of clear Con-Tact paper. To make one, cut out a square of Con-Tact paper, remove its backing, and lay it sticky-side up. (If you like, slide a drawing beneath the square as a guide.) Place buttons on the square to create a shape, leaving at least a 1-inch border on all sides. When you’re done, cover the mosaic with a second Con-Tact paper square. Smooth the edges with a cotton swab and cut out the mosaic, leaving an -inch border on all sides. Stick your creation to a window with glue dots or tape!
What can YOU do with your old buttons? Please tell Chipper so he can share! Happy Craft-Making 
Chipper Recycle Crafts: From Old CD to Rainbow Fish!
With the 21st century mp3 player revolution, most of us have plenty of old CD’s lying around the house, either outdated or scratched and eroded. Keep these toxic disc’s out of our landfills by recycling them. They are perfect for making crafts! One idea is to stick your old J-Lo CD in the microwave for about 5 seconds. There will be some crackling but it’s quite safe. DO NOT put it in longer than a few second though! When you take it out, the silver film will have spider webbed out. Get some string and hang them up in a window for a gorgeous stain glass-like ornament! You can even use paint of markers to color them. Or, make this cute and easy fish craft from a used CD! If your kids like the Rainbow Fish book, they’ll love this simple craft!
Materials needed:
1 CD
Construction Paper
Craft glue or hot glue
Sequins
Instructions:
Cut the fin shapes out of construction paper. Glue the fins to the back of the CD (except for the front fin) so you wouldn’t see the cut edge. Cut the eyes out of construction paper, or you could use a purchased googly eye instead. Place dots of craft glue around the CD and place sequins onto the glue. Now you have your very own Rainbow Fish! Read them this classic story or check out this video of it before or after making this craft to teach them all about sharing and caring for one another. Chipper’s Helping Hands book is another great resource for teaching your little one’s about helping out where they can and sharing with their family and peers. Get Chipper and creative with some crafts today!
Chipper Recycle Crafts: Custom Mini Magnets
Recycled crafts not only make great gift for friends and family. Making and buying recycle crafts benefit our environment and reduce waste! Recycle crafts also help promote traditional crafts that are fading as people opt for cheap mass produced items. By buying or making handcrafted gifts, you can help keep those skills alive! All crafts, not just those that are made from recycled material, also encourages originality and creativity. Whether you are starting with the materials and find a suitable product to create from them, or you start with the product and have to figure out what recycled items can be used to create it, it requires ingenuity. This can only benefit art and crafts in general!
Instead of tossing out bottle caps, which are not recycled and go strait to a land fill or the ocean, create cute magnets with your kids! All you need are some caps, some magazines and a pair or scissors, magnet tape (very easy to find and inexpensive), and glue!
Cut out cute images or letters to spell your little one’s name or initials to fit inside the bottle caps then glue in. Then attach a small piece of magnetic tape to the back and stick to the fridge or other metal surfaces. These custom mini magnets are great for hanging your young artists’ drawings and paintings. They can be used for spelling out messages (or spelling practice!) and also make a great gift! There’s no better gift than one made with your own to hands for someone you love. Get Chipper today and get crafty!
Chipper Tips/Crafts: Let Your Child Lead
When was the last time you let your child lead? Giving them the initiative when planning activities or coming up with ideas helps children develop their independence and creative skills! Today, we had the kids come up with crafts of their own and let them lose on the craft box. Not only did they have a blast cutting and gluing to their little hearts desires, they worked together to improve and perfect their ideas.
All you need is some paper, glue, markers or crayons, scissors, and some recycled materials! Have your child come up with their very own craft idea and then make an instructions list. It will be a great way to spend the day while also increasing their creative juice and improving their writing skills. We let our girls use recycled paper towel rolls, Popsicle sticks, and some fun colored pipe cleaners and this is what they came up with:
HOW TO MAKE A PEACOCK TREE:
First clip pipe cleaner to popsicle stick with tape and glue on some googly eyes. Then cut out feathers/leaves from paper. Twist some different colored pipe cleaners together and attach to popsicle stick. Tape some green paper around your paper towel roll as well. Then you have your Peacock tree!
HOW TO MAKE A COCONUT “LOCONUT” TREE:
First, cut out some leaves or branches (about 10-18) from green paper and circles from cardboard or a brown paper bag for your coconuts. Then glue them onto your paper towel roll. Now you have your Coconut Loconut tree!
What cute, Chipper ideas they came up with all by themselves! Please share some crafts your kids come up with us!
Chipper Tips: Running Summer Errands with the Kids
Parent’s these days are always on the go and are used to taking their little one’s along for the ride. Whether it’s a trip to the grocery store, picking up the dry cleaning, going to soccer practice, or running to the bank, parents can take advantage of these moments to interact and connect with their kids while keeping them stimulated in creative ways! Children need to get out and about, especially during their summer break, and avoid the summer slump by exercising their mind and body. Here are a few ways to have fun with your kids while running errands this summer:
Talk while you drive. Instead of driving quietly you can teach your toddlers many fun concepts while in the car. Just make sure to keep you main focus on the road! Here are a few ideas to keep your child occupied and interacting with you when the errands threaten to bore you both:
- Stop and go. As the car comes to a stop playfully say the word “stop” while briefly catching your child’s eye in the rear-view mirror. When you begin to go again, give out a cheerful “go”.
- Learning colors. The best way to teach red and green is using the stoplights. “Red means stop” and “Green means go” are perfect teaching tools. Ask your child to tell you to go when the light turns green and to say “Whhhoooaaaa!” when it turns yellow.
- Left and right. As you make turns, ask your child to raise her corresponding right or left hand. Teach her the difference, then ask her to tell you which way you turn every time. Teaching older kids how to make the arm signals is a great way to make signaling automatic, whether on a bike or when they become drivers themselves.
- Sing-a-long. Car rides are the perfect time to sing some favorite songs with your child. BINGO, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Old MacDonald are always fun, not to mention Chipper’s favorite sing-along-songs for in the car on this CD.
Grocery store trips can be a great learning opportunity for your child!
Shopping cart fun. Dragging a grumpy toddler through the store is never fun for anyone. Here are some great ideas that will make your shopping trips enjoyable for both of you:
- Pick some fruit. A great distraction for your child is to enjoy a banana or other non-messy fruit as you shop. Make the produce section your first stop and let your child have the fun of reaching from the cart and picking out her own fruit. This is also a perfect time to teach colors – “Pick a yellow banana, not a green one.” Teach older kids how to pick the best fruits and vegetables through smell, sight, and sound. This will make their own shopping trips more successful when they have to shop for themselves.
- Avoid the junk isles. If you stroll down the cookies isle, expect your child to not take no for an answer when he begins begging. Avoid these isles, or save them for the very last so you can make a quick exit from the store. Look for healthy alternatives that may seem sweet to avoid tantrums, such as chocolate granola bites by Naked or dried fruit snacks.
- Label games. Point out baby’s favorite and familiar foods as you move along, even those you aren’t buying that day. If your child is old enough, start teaching them to look at the size (ounces, pounds, etc.) of different brands and compare them to the prices to be thrifty and even to look at the nutrition facts to avoid certain products and ingredients. It’s never to early to train you child to be a smart, healthy shopper!
- Counting games. Count out loud together as you put items into the cart. “One apple, two apples . . .” and so on. If you use a list to shop (which makes things MUCH easier), have your child cross off each item and then count how many things remain on the list. If you’re going on a big shopping trip, this can occupy them for a while!
- Unloading. If your child is losing patience towards the end, and you’re losing your cool, engage your child in placing the groceries onto the checkout stand. Hand each item to your child, say its name out loud, and have your child place it onto the conveyor belt. This is sure to buy you a few more minutes of happy time. If your child is a little to precocious for that, have them unload most of the cart and organize things by food groups. This will teach them to be organized and also simplify putting your groceries away.
Let them lead the way once in a while!
Strolling together. Running errands will often find you pushing a cranky toddler before you or dragging a moody child behind you. Here are some ways you can make stroller time or walking time more fun for both of you:
- Music. Attach a musical toy to the front of the stroller. Sing along with your child as you walk along. Or check out one of these extremely handy i-pod to-go holders! They are great for any trip and can be connected to anything with the carabiner clip.
- Let your child drive. Attach a steering wheel toy to the front of the stroller. Follow your child’s lead as they “turn” left or right. If your kids aren’t in a stroller anymore, let them lead the path to where you are going for a while so they feel like they have some power and aren’t being forced all over.
- Cruise control. Let your child control the speed. Have him tell you “faster, slower, stop”, etc. Allow older kids to set the pace for a bit or play the traffic game where they can run ahead when you say “green light,” slow down when you say “yellow light,” and stop at “red light.”
- Drive through lunch. Be sure to stop and grab a healthy snack. Fruit smoothies are perfect during the warm summer days and also a great incentive to behave. Having a little snack pack in the car for emergencies, will pretzels or trail mix, is a great way to avoid crankiness caused by hunger.
Running errands doesn’t have to be a nuisance for you and the kids. Enjoy this time you have together and take advantage of their free summer to really connect. There are so many fun things to do, all you need is a little creativity! What may seem like a tedious task to you can look like a fabulous adventure to your little explorer. Hook into that little-kid frame of mind, and you’ll be on your way to a successful jaunt for everyone. Just stay Chipper and get out there!
