Learning Resources to keep them engaged

Looking for ways to keep your kids mentally and physically active during the nationwide Covid-19 school shutdown? Check out some of the resources we are using with our sons HERE.

Kids To Parks Day 2018

This Saturday, join the National Park Trust in getting our kids outside by attending one of over 1,000 free park events in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

By going specifically to the events organized in parks, we can meet new people, cultivate future generations of outdoor enthusiasts and conservationists, and facilitate our family in learning our role as park stewards.

You can find an event at KidstoParks.org. 
There are plenty of resources to help you plan your trip and make it fun HERE.


Share your experiences on social media using #KidstoParks

Social Justice

Social justice. What does it mean for our children? In a world in which injustice can no longer be ignored, how do we teach them to deal with it?

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today, Oak Meadow is offering their Foundations in Social Justice course for Parents & Teachers FREE! What a wonderful resource as we guide our children in today's  world!

Get your copy HERE and use the code JUSTICE4ALL2018.

Family-time ways to start the New Year right

Family- one of the greatest gifts of all. After the fun and frenzy of Christmas, we are going to refocus our energy on family as we move in to the New Year. Here are ideas to help you do the same:

 

Go on a hike & find a geocache

Just a few days ago we took the boys to a great park outside of Philadelphia where my husband and I used to hike long before kids. Geocaching will lead you to great out-of-the-way places that you never knew existed. Sign up at www.geocaching.com or download the app.

 

 

 

Play a new game

 Last week, thanks to my sis, we discovered the game Labyrinth.  It was so much fun requiring thought and planning. Here we have my 9 year old trying to outwit my 81 year old mom and my sis. Good luck, kid. :)

 

 

Start a nightly story time

We are fortunate that both of our sons are good readers, but I find they still enjoy being read to. It is calming and gives us something to talk about that is both entertaining and often filled with life lessons and deeper meaning. We are just about to finish the Seven-Year-Old-Wonder-Book and move on to the Bobsey Twins.

 

 

Visit a National or State Park

Grab a Junior Ranger booklet at the visitor center of any national park and start working on collecting badges for the kids. Some parks even have programs for adults. Click here to learn more about the Junior ranger program and download the booklets - you can even earn some without leaving your home.

 

However you choose to celebrate 2018 may it be full of fun, love and adventure!





Happy Holidays!

Are you all ready for a wonderful holiday? Maybe you're already in the throes of it. In any case, enjoy and we will have some good things coming in the New Year.

Celebrate!

Today is National Park Service birthday. They are all free so get out there and have a great time!

Here Comes the Solar Eclipse!

Are you planning on learning about and watching the solar eclipse with your young naturalist on August  21st? Our family is really excited and we have some ideas to make it memorable for yours as well.

A great way to start is getting your kids informed and thinking using the Eclipse Junior Ranger booklet that you can download from this site. If you are near a national park in the line of the eclipse, turn it in for an awesome one-of-a-kind badge or mail in your booklet to get a badge

U.S. Department of Interior

National Park Service

Junior Ranger Coordinator

1849 C Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20240

 If you have a cub or Boy Scout in your family, he can earn a special patch through his troop as well.

Visit the NASA 2017 Eclipse website for a countdown, safety information, and list of events. (It is important to  make sure you have safe glasses. They can be purchased here.) Or make your own viewer from a shoe box:

 At timeanddate.com  there is a list of cities in the U.S. to search when the eclipse will be  best viewed in your area as well as a live stream of the event.

Each of you can take the time to write & draw in your nature journal and ask yourselves these questions:

*  Did you notice animals acting different before, during, and after the eclipse? Did the birds still sing during the eclipse

*Did it feel cooler during the eclipse?

*  Did the change in light make the landscape look different?