Search Results for: blog outdoor play you remember what play is

Treating Your Pup’s Mosquito Bites

We have a mosquito infestation in our yard. It’s not nearly as bad as it was last year; our dry spring gave the pests less places to breed. Still, once the season’s started I can barely enjoy my yard, even on cool days, because sitting still out on the porch leads to multiple bites in minutes. I’m not the only one susceptible to mosquito bites; my dog gets them too. I think she got a bite sometime last week, because she’s been particularly itchy at one spot on her side. She chews it and scratches it all of the time, … Continue reading →

Playing it Safe During Spring Break

This morning the Today show ran a piece on college co-eds prepping to go crazy on Spring Break in Cancun, Mexico. The report focused on an American student who was brutally attacked while he lounged poolside at his Mexican hotel. Basically, it raised the issue of spring break, foreign travel and safety. Personally, Mexico is not exactly at the top of my family’s spring break destination list. You know, drug cartels and all. Of course, if you are not careful you can get hurt visiting your local children’s museum, though I doubt the injuries would be caused by masked men … Continue reading →

How to Hang Outdoor Lights Safely

Celebrate and illuminate the night with your wonderful Christmas lights, but do it safely. Here are some tips that you can use to help make your annual hanging of the outdoor lights a mark of delight and not a trip to to the emergency room. First things first. Let us start with the electricity and how all of those lights are going to be powered. You want to make sure that the point where you are plugging the lights is in grounded (a ground fault) that also contains a circuit interrupter. This way, if there is too much current, the … Continue reading →

Loving the Kid You Have

Dear preschooler, It’s just about a new year. It’s the time of year when people start to think about resolutions and reflect on the time that has gone by. At this time of year, I particularly remember the Christmas that you were one and a half, when you were getting six teeth at the same time. It was a drool-filled Christmas that involved very little sleep. I think that Santa and I crossed paths around 3 am that Christmas Eve, him heading up the chimney, me heading to the kitchen to get a drink of water, bouncing you into a … Continue reading →

Striking Out on Their Own: Creating a Space for Independent Preschool Play

Do you feel safe letting your children play outdoors? For many parents, the answer is “no.” Many of us grew up playing freely in the country, the suburbs, and even urban areas. Yes, there were dangers, but overall, my parents let me play outside. My mom was a super worrier, yet by the age of eight or nine I was allowed to roam freely within a radius of four or five blocks, riding my bike through the neighborhood, climbing trees, and exploring the fruit trees at the old, burned-out farmhouse a couple of blocks away. I remember biking through the … Continue reading →

The stages of preschool play

We are blessed to live in a townhouse complex where there are many children of different ages. The children all run around in a central area where they can play outdoors together. They play all sorts of imaginary games together. This sort of outdoor pretend play forms a large part of my childhood summer memories. In the last few years, I’ve watched my daughter go from being a “baby” in these games to a participant. In the last nine months, she’s become an active contributor to group imaginary play. It’s intriguing when a preschooler starts to move into group play, … Continue reading →

More Ways to Bond with Your Toddler

You’ve hosted a tea party, played ball and danced like animals, now what? Grab your toddler and get ready for some serious bonding with these fun ideas: BUBBLES AND BALLOONS Take advantage of sunny summer days by heading outdoors with a few bottles of inexpensive bubbles. If money is tight you can make your own by combining dish soap and water. Toddlers love chasing after bubbles, but make sure you give him a turn blowing some too. The activity teaches hand-eye coordination and counting. Balloons are great for indoor play as they move slowly enough to be caught and thrown. … Continue reading →

Get Your Wiggle on at Six Flags

My preschool daughter has never been a huge Wiggles fan. What’s more, she screams like a banchee every time I try to put her on an amusement park ride. And I’m not talking about those baby roller coasters that travel on a flat track, or those crazy toddler swings that spin around with modified reckless abandon. For the past three years my child has unleashed glass shattering, ear splitting, high-pitched shrieks each time I’ve tried to place her on merry-go-round horses (the paralyzed ones that don’t move up and down), baby boats (that barely move in a pool no bigger … Continue reading →

More Free Family Fun in the Great Outdoors

If you get off the couch and out of the house this summer, you’ll find that there are a host of exciting events just waiting for your family to enjoy. Not only will you get the chance to have fun in the sun, but all of the following family-friendly attractions are free: MARYLAND Ocean City is making summer fun for kids and their parents with an array of free activities, from movie nights, concerts and storytelling around a bonfire to shows and demonstrations at the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum. Don’t miss Tuesday night “Beach Olympics” where you can go … Continue reading →

More International Hotels that Treat Your Kids Like Royalty

Most parents agree that if their children are happy they are happy. These days more and more hotels around the world are latching on to that philosophy and upping their game when it comes to creating kid-friendly atmospheres. Dozens of upscale properties are now targeting tots in an effort to win over their affluent parents. Here are several more international hotels making headlines for their superior kid-friendly amenities: CHINA Just in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics the Commune by the Great Wall hotel has just completed its new children’s facility. The brightly colored kid-friendly structure hosts programs specially designed … Continue reading →