My 6 year old loves playing card games and prefers cards over toys or any other stationary activity at the moment. Thanks to Debbie from The Village Toy Shop, we’ve recently discovered THE BEST card game ever and my entire family is more than slightly addicted. If you have a child with an interest in numbers, memory, and logic…this game is a perfect choice. The brand is Gamewright and they have great card, board, dice and party games. Rat A Tat Cat won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award and I can see why. The age on the front of the box says it’s from ages 6 and up. My 4 year old can play, so has a good range for different ages, although 5 – 7 years old is probably the perfect age to introduce the game. Okay..here’s how you play.
There are 54 rat and cat cards, mixed with a few ‘peek’, ‘swap’ and ‘take two’ cards which add a fun twist. The goal of the game is to have your cards add up to the lowest number. You are dealt 4 cards and only initially can you peek at the two end cards, then you draw from the discard or draw pile and have to use your memory to replace cards with lower numbers. The high cards are the rats and the low cards are the cats. Obviously 0 and 1 cards are the best to get and when you’re confident you have the lowest number of cards, you tap the table and crow “Rat A Tat Cat”! The other player goes one last time then you flip your cards over and determine who has the lowest number after you add up the 4 cards. Francesco is so good at this game now – he’s tough to beat! I’m a big fan of the card game Uno, but Rat A Tat Cat is hands down the best card game I’ve played with my boys. Locally they can be found at The Village Toy Shop or online via Amazon.
Yesterday’s Mommy Footprint article included tips for freezing different types of berries and veggies. As a ‘part II’ to the topic of berry freezing, I wanted to concentrate just on blueberries. This berry is so incredible with the antioxidant levels and is available now to be picked at so many farms. Some of the health benefits of blueberries are anti-aging, lowering cholesterol, strengthening immune resistance to the flu, and reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. So what better way to improve the health of your children than visiting a no spray or organic, local berry farm and pick enough berries to freeze for the whole year! Here are some tips from a chef named ‘Chef Dez’ published in our local paper:
♥ It’s best to freeze blueberries individually, so you can retrieve them in a handful, rather than defrosting a mass of them. To accomplish this, lay them all out on baking sheets, freeze them completely, then transfer to sealable freezer bags.
♥ Wash them prior to freezing, but make sure they are completely dry before transferring them from the baking sheets. Wet berries will freeze to each other and the sides of the bag.
♥ Keep frozen blueberries for up to a year for best results.
Most families have experienced the amazing taste of local produce, meat, berries, etc. via our Farmer’s Markets this month. Why not try and preserve this treat by picking blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries before kids return to school? Kids love this activity and it’s very green and will save you money if you freeze your berries. A friend did some research and wanted to share with Mommy Footprint readers tips about picking and preserving food from the farm. Thank you Tracy! What an amazing opportunity to feed your family with local food all year long!
Berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries):
- For absolute freshness pick in the morning before the sun warms the berries and process in the afternoon. If you can’t get to them the same day, keep them in a cool dark place for no more than 2-3 days. For strawberries, keep the tops on since it will preserve freshness. (more…)
It’s time to start thinking about back-to-school and when possible, I’d like to add some green supplies to my list. The Laptop Lunchbox is first up….what a great product! Here are some ideas to assist your back-to-schooler!
Green Lunch Boxes and Water Bottles:
The Laptop Lunchbox- This is the greenest lunchbox you’ll find and it’s practical. If you have a child that eats sandwiches and enjoys an assortment of snack items, this would be a great back-to-school investment! You can eliminate plastic bags, plastic wrap, and plastic containers by sending lunch in one of these American style bento box. They also come with real flatware and a cloth napkin can be put inside it too. Help yourself pack healthy and environmentally friendly meals for your children.
Klean Kanteen Bottles. Either the 12oz or 18oz bottles work great for school age kids. The 12oz size can fit into even the smallest of lunch boxes. These stainless steel bottles are available everywhere and are my favorite water bottle because there is no plastic liner, no plastic replacement straws, and they can go into the dishwasher!
For those extra pieces of fruit or snacks for after-school activities, send along a cotton lunch sack from Ecobags. This company has wonderful products (including the Ecobag for produce) and have greatly assisted our world with helping to eliminate plastic bags by replacing them with these washable, certified organic bags.
Looking at all my picks for lunchbox and water bottles, I believe these products can be fundraised in your school by Green Hands. This company has assisted schools to become more green in their fundraising efforts and to eliminate excess plastic waste at the same time!
Online Canadian School Supplies:
Grassroots Ecojot Notebook / Journal made from 100% Post-Consumer Recycled meaning no trees were used. They go one step further by printing their ink with vegetable-based ink. Look at these awesome designs!
Grassroots biodegradable corn pen. Except for the ink refill, this green pen is made from a revolutionary new material derived from cornstarch. It is similar in look and feel to ordinary plastic with one important exception: it is completely biodegradable!
Online US School Supplies:
Green Apple Recycled #2 Pencils: These pencils are made from cedar wood scraps from the pencil manufacturing process. They are also not coated with laquer. Check out the adorable packaging.
Red Apple School Supplies also sells back-to-school packs, complete with most all the supplies your child will need. Check out this pack from Red Apple School Supplies.
Large US and Canadian chains have vowed to keep green supplies available to customers: Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot. Looking at the Staples website, I noticed a section marked EcoEasy Products. Within this section you can complete your list with binders, calculators, ink, and paper.
With two bears shot and killed in my neighborhood last week, I’m reminded of the fragile balance of living so close to nature. Did you know that bears have an amazing sense of smell? They can smell garbage from great distances and once they learn that garbage means food, they’ll keep returning to eat. Because human odour is on the garbage they learn to associate people with food. Like the case of the woman that got mauled (while gardening) in my city last week, bears may become aggressive, expecting food when they see or smell people. Here are some tips for discouraging bears at your home.
Garbage should stay inside until pick-up. Occasionally wash bins and empty cans and jars that are waiting to be picked up in the recycling box.
Did you know that bears are attracted to petroleum products such as paint, kerosene, and turpentine? Put these products away.
Backyard composts should be sprinkled with lime to decrease the odor. Actually, if your compost stinks, you’re doing something wrong. You can turn your compost with leaves, lime and soil to further reduce odours. Unrinsed eggshells, fish, meat, fat, oils, or cooked foods should not be composted in summer or fall.
Pick fruit daily from fruit trees on your property. Don’t allow a large amount of dropped fruit to accumulate on the ground.
Keep your BBQ equipment debris and grease free after use.
Feed pets indoors and between April and November remove bird feeders.
Don’t store food in outdoor freezers or coolers.
