More Fun Trampoline Games

I recently published a blog describing some fun trampoline games since that time I have discovered a few more games I want to share. Popcorn In this game you will need a lot of balls of every size, preferably round. Put all the balls on the trampoline. Then begin jumping. Every time a ball is bounced off the tramp, whoever caused it to bounce off gets a point. Once all of the balls have been bounced of the tramp the person with the most points wins. Elimination One person is chosen to be the leader and does a simple trick. … Continue reading

Backyard Trampolines May Lead To Cancelled Homeowner Insurance

A trapeze artist named Du Trampoline created the first trampoline in the 19th century by using the safety net as propulsion and landing device according to circus lore. In 1936 George Nissen invented the trampoline as we know it today. During the 70-year history trampolines have been used for training of the U. S. Navy Flight School, astronauts and in several other valuable ways for training. Fitness experts, agree the trampoline can be a valuable part of a fitness program, because of the cardiovascular benefits, low impact, and for building muscle. The first trampoline gymnastics event made its Olympic debut … 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

Summer Fun – Say Yes to a Trampoline

A funny thing happened to me today, I went to a website that featured an elephant on a trampoline. After I got done snorting my coffee up my nose and recovering from the following choke and laugh – that guffaw aside – I was doing research on trampolines. You remember the trampoline, right? The big round thing that you can bounce on like mad and your kids get a big giggle out of and you get even more in the way of laughter when their hair stands straight up from the generated static electricity? I thought you might. A trampoline … Continue reading

Ideas for Summer Fitness

It’s time to start thinking about summer fitness. It’s the perfect time of year to try something new and to really enjoy the outdoors. One of the best ideas for summer fitness is swimming. While having fun, you get in a really great workout. Get in a few laps, play some games in the pool with your kids or join a water aerobics class. There is nothing better than a day of splashing in the sun. But don’t think of swimming or water sports as something relegated to a pool. What about some adventure kayaking or canoeing? If you are … Continue reading

Motivate Yourself to Get Healthy with Fun!

A friend of mine got a Wii Fit as an anniversary present… and her excitement and enthusiasm was absolutely contagious! (Anybody have a Wii Fit they want to let me try?) I’ll be honest — I don’t usually feel excited and enthusiastic about exercising. I know it’s good for me. I know it helps my body stay healthy and flexible and strong. But exercise isn’t something I think of as fun. When healthy choices are chores, you’re less likely to stick with them (whether we’re talking about a diet or an exercise plan). But if you can make your lifestyle … Continue reading

Morgan Hamm (2008 Gymnastics Hopeful)

Welcome to our Focus on the Olympics articles that introduces you to our Olympic athletes and hopefuls that will be competing in Beijing this summer. Morgan and his brother Paul were featured as two of People’s “Most Eligible Bachelors” in 2004. Meet Morgan Hamm Morgan Carl Hamm was born to Sandy, a former All-American diver, and Cecily. Their older sister Betsey competed in gymnastics for Iowa State University. Morgan is 30 minutes older than Paul. The twins grew up on a farm in Waukesha, Wis., and trained on makeshift equipment. Their father, Sandy, built a pommel horse from an old … Continue reading

The Ladder of Cognitive Skills for Special Needs Kids

It’s often useful to keep in mind the kinds of skills we should be helping our special kids master as they grow and develop. The following steps are general guidelines you can use as you direct your child through floor time play at home, special education in the classroom, and social interactions with friends and family. As you read the following list, try to determine which steps your child has mastered and which ones need additional focus. Often times the child has a mixture of abilities and challenges on every rung of the ladder. And remember that in order for … Continue reading

The Idiot Box & Fitness

In the February issue of Pediatrics a magazine, a study was published that may actually surprise you – it certainly surprised me. It states that if your teenager or child is not getting enough exercise – the blame does not lay with the idiot box or television. In fact, the study also revealed that there was no relationship between the amounts of time a teenager spent watching television and their level of physical activity. While this may fly in the face of conventional thinking because we tend to think of the television as leading to couch potatoes and the couch … Continue reading

Connect With Your Kids

As a single parent there is a lot that needs to be done in a day. Depending on you, your situation, and your choices, you need to get up, get your morning routine done, whatever that may be, get your children up, and possibly get them ready for school or day care, get them to school or daycare, go to work whether it be at a company or your own business, clean the house, go to school, homeschool or help with homework, make tasty healthy meals for you and your children, get them to and from extra curricular activities, pay … Continue reading