Tag Archives: outside

Redefining Rainy Day Fun

Many people think about indoor activities like reading, doing crafts, watching movies, or baking whenever they hear the words “rainy day fun”. Tuesday was a rainy day here, but we just were not having much fun indoors. There are plenty of fun things to do indoors at our house. We have blocks, a workbench with tools, tons of toy vehicles, stuffed animals, inflatable blue dogs that you can sit on and bounce around the living room, art supplies, books, movies, and more. However, even though it has officially been springtime for almost a month, the weather here has been cold … Continue reading →

Get your Daily Dose of Vitamin D

I don’t give my daughter the liquid vitamin supplement that many pediatricians recommend. I’m always in favor of doing less – less vaccines, less medicine, less supplements. To be honest, I don’t think my breast milk needs any supplementing. I take plenty of vitamin D, and I eat a healthy diet. I know that people say vitamin D doesn’t pass through breast milk, but I have hard time believing that alcohol passes through, eating lots of broccoli can make her gassy, but vitamin D won’t get into my milk. Anyways, none of these random thoughts are the main reason I’m … Continue reading →

I’ll Do It Tomorrow

I went outside this morning for the first time this week. You might think that going three days without ever leaving the apartment is crazy, but there have been weeks this winter when we haven’t ventured out. It’s a beautiful, sunny day, and if I wasn’t able to look at the temperature or see the snow, I’d think it was spring. The sky is blue, there’s a breeze rustling through the trees, and I can hear the mellow clanging of our neighbors’ wind chimes. Sure, I could bundle my baby up and take her for a walk in the stroller. … Continue reading →

Get Your Vitamin G

Haven’t heard of vitamin G? This is what experts call time spent outside, in green spaces. Outdoors time can help reduce stress, improve school and work performance, reduce ADD and ADHD symptoms, ease depression, promote healing, and increase life expectancy! A Japanese study of time spent outside found that interaction with the great outdoors can increase your odds of survival by as much as 15% over five years. The bad news: the average American spends way too much time stuck inside according to studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kids are spending 7 more hours per week on … Continue reading →

Trampoline Games

In May Heather Long talked about the fitness benefits of owning a trampoline. But along with fitness benefits a trampoline can provide hours of family fun. We recently got a trampoline and our three kids have enjoyed it immensely. So I thought I’d share some fun games that kids can play on the trampoline. Some of them you might remember from your own childhood. Crack the Egg The child who is the “egg” sits in the middle of the tramp and holds their knees close to their chest with both arms. The other children jump and try to make the … Continue reading →

Backyard Neighborhood Summer Camp For Kids!

Last year, my kids and I got it into our heads that we ought to create summer camp right here in our own back yard. This is a fun, inexpensive way to encourage kids from the neighborhood to pay a visit and stay for awhile and a great way for kids to enjoy a summer camp experience without spending the money, doing the car-pool thing or spending days away from your favorite buddies. Step One: Create a time frame that you will hold camp. This might be every day for a week or one day a week for the whole … Continue reading →

Nature – deficit Disorder Plaguing Our Children

In a world where media use is on the rise causing children to spend time indoors and many children live in places where their backyard consists of a concrete slab author Richard Louv says a new disorder is affecting our children – nature deficit disorder. In his new book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv claims that children are losing their connection with the natural world. Although not an official diagnosis, Richard Louv describes nature deficit disorder as an effect of withdrawing nature from childhood experiences. It increases stress and inattention and causes feelings of not being rooted in … Continue reading →