Bev Sklar
Commit to the Great American Backyard Campout
Maybe your family is already crazy for camping, or maybe the pit toilets and bugs have scared you off. But if you want to give your kids a night to remember, have a family sleepover with nature. The National Wildlife Federation's 2009 Great American Backyard Campout is Saturday, June 27 – pledge to camp today and tap into a myriad of resources to get your family communing with nature just steps from your own spider-free bathroom.
Need help getting started? We've got tips and resources to make family camping fun and easy, whether you're trekking to a national park or just pitching a tent in the back yard.
Need help getting started? We've got tips and resources to make family camping fun and easy, whether you're trekking to a national park or just pitching a tent in the back yard.
Family Camping
You Need the Double Burner
Flipping pancakes, stirring hot chocolate and landing your morning java requires two burners. You're car camping – forget an ultralight backpacking stove, score a Coleman stove. While propane stoves are convenient, liquid fuel burns hotter, and no empty, non-recyclable propane bottles rolling around the garage.
coleman.com
No Cheap Air Mattress Allowed
So many green tent campers think they'll blow-up the air mattress and pop it in the tent for a blissful night under the stars. Often these puppies leak, deflate or don't fit well in the tent, meaning you're visiting the chiropractor on Monday. Get a self-inflatable, durable, compact Therm-a-Rest mattress for tent camping. The Fast & Light Repair Kitfixes a rare leak in the field with ease.
cascadedesigns.com
Seal the Seams
Whether springing for the $500 or the $50 tent, take the time to apply a seam sealer before use, then seal again every so often.
rei.com
Experience Counts
Novice tent camping can be daunting to plan, difficult at camp and you may return home dejected. Experience is key to camping -- you will improve markedly after one or two runs. Don't miss these personal checklists for smooth prep and zero I Forgot Its. Read gear reviews and invest slowly in top gear, storing it together in bins for planning/packing ease.
bpende/Flickr
Don't Forget These
Kids always plop their plate, fork and cup right next to the picnic table bird poop. Pack an old bedsheet for a comfy, familiar tablecloth or bring a cheap plastic one. Pack rope to hang a camp clothesline and rain-rescue tarp. Bring a collapsible water container to set-up a convenient handwashing station with biodegradable Campsuds , of course.
amazon.com
Leave No Trace
Whether pulling into a KOA or venturing deep into the backcountry, teach and faithfully model Leave No Trace principles to maintain nature's 5-star rating. Have your kids scour camp before departure to leave it cleaner than arrival.
http://www.lnt.org/index.php
Breast is Best for College
Eating & Nutrition, In The News
A dose of good grades? Photo: littleREDelf/Flickr
Beyond nutritional perfection, one new sibling study says breast may be best for higher grades and college. After researching 126 children from 59 families to compare infant siblings who were breast-fed versus bottle-fed, results revealed Mommy's milk is associated with substantial increases in high school grade point average and the probability of attending college.
Oh great. I apologize to my first-born son. But before mommy guilt sets in, remember this: The operative word here is associated -- researchers acknowledge this study has not delivered a definitive causal link. Yet it's hard to ignore sibling data. Babies were raised by the same milk-mom, in likely the same home.
I loved breastfeeding, but admit I was better in the mommy dairy barn the second time around. Yet my youngest, who breast-fed nearly twice as long as the oldest, was a veritable breast-latch-monkey capable of feeding from nearly any angle. She also seemed to crave breastfeeding more intensely. But perhaps I simply let her breastfeed longer because I knew she was likely my last.
Does anyone have a personal testimonial on their children's breast versus bottle academic performance? Do share.
Kids Eating Out Healthier
Eating & Nutrition, In The News
Kids are eating healthier -- even in restaurants. Photo: sxc.hu
Here's the skinny on skinnier kid restaurant trends:
- Kid orders of cold-cut sandwich are up 11 percent -- thanks Subway.
- Colas are down 10 percent, chicken nuggets (8 percent), fries (7 percent) and hot dogs (6 percent).
- Follow that good news with this -- soup is up 29 percent, grilled chicken sandwiches (26 percent), yogurt (21 percent), carrots (9 percent) and fruit (6 percent).
Planning a Road Trip? Stay Busy in the Car
Car Games
Do you drive the minivan with the DVD player or without? If you're taking a car trip this summer and constantly telling your kids to "watch the corn grow" or seriously limit road screen time like you do at home, check out these great resources to get those car trip kids engaged and happy. Preparing a bag of tricks ahead of time beats having them stare blankly at SpongeBob for hours.
jmwests/Flickr
Foil Art and Cooties
Moms MiniVan offers a host of fantastic ideas when the road-going gets rough. Foil Art easily kills a hundred miles for any princess or prince. Then fold together and decorate Cootie Catchers for an instant seventh-grade flashback – pick a color, pick a number, he loves me, he loves me not.
Bev Sklar
License Plate Hunt
Print out this license plate map and pass out the crayons. Kids love spotting license plates on the road. If you're missing obscure states, head to Disneyworld and forage the parking lot. You may finally learn those state and capitals, too.
superfem/Flickr
Arts and Crafts
Color Wonder brand markers, coloring books and sheets are a magical road trip invention. Our family loves passing around a Color Wonder blank sheet, taking turns adding our artistic inspiration to the picture. Artistic gender differences are priceless.
Crayola
On-The-Go Games
Moms MiniVan has a printable Battleship game, but if your kids prefer sinking a real plastic ship, try this travel version or pick from tons of offerings at Board Game Central.
unclesgames.com
EPA Investigating Recycled Tires on Playgrounds
Are safety features making the playground dangerous? Image: sxc.hu
Loose tire mulch is annoying enough with its strong scent and uncanny ability to infiltrate sandals and Crocs. More importantly, EPA scientists have called for a wider health study, pointing to gaps in the scientific evidence. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility objects to the EPA's endorsement of recycled tires without broader research, recently releasing a January 2008 EPA/Denver office memo addressed to EPA/Washington that requested a neutral stance on recycled tires for play areas until more is known about potential health risks to children. New York City is even backing away from tire crumbs for any new sports fields.
The EPA expects results from a limited study shortly, but remains undecided on broader testing. Perhaps a call from above will ignite new research -- President Obama's daughters are jumping in this stuff over at the new White House playground. Here's one solution: How about returning to carcinogen-free grass and a little mud on rainy days instead?
