This summer with my clan is really flying by.  We are having a blast staying local and just trying to spend as much time in nature, with friends, and staying cool. I’m actually looking forward to some lazy days to try some awesome crafts I’ve seen in an old OWL book. I also came across these great activities from a Canadian Living article with their top 30 summer activities ideas. The following really appealed to me and I’m adding them to my to-do list when things hit a lull at home. To check out all 30 ideas, visit the article: 30 fun things to do with your kids this summer. Here are my favorite picks - activities I want to try and others I’ve done with my kids that have been a success!

Activities To-Do:

♥  With an insect book in hand, discover the creatures living in your garden, and learn about their benefits together.
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Want to recycle your tubby toys containing phthalates?  Unless they’ve been stamped on the packaging as ‘phthalate free’, I would recommend staying clear of having your kids bath with them and mouth them.  Refer to my previous article ‘Protect Your Family From Phthalates In Your Home’. Here is a great activity from National Geographic Kids that promotes early science type learning for a young child and keeps a phthalate filled rubber ducky from sitting in the land-fill.  Try creating a Motion Ocean!

Source: National Geographic Kids

What does this project accomplish? 

Teaching kids about density with liquids. Water is denser than oil and the two materials never mix. So when the water moves, it pushes the oil around, making shapes like waves.

Materials:

♦  Clear jar with lid
♦  Water
♦  Blue food coloring
♦  Glitter
♦  Baby oil
♦  Plastic floating toys

1. Fill the jar halfway with water.
2. Add drops of food coloring until you like the color you see. Shake in a little glitter.
3. Pour in baby oil until the jar is three-quarters full.
4. Place a floating toy on top of the oil, then screw on the lid tightly.
5. Shake the jar gently to set your ocean in motion.

I discovered a few interesting facts involving endangered animals that I wanted to share.  I’ve had endangered animals on my mind since the boys and I visited our zoo last weekend.  We never miss an opportunity to discuss animal issues, especially when we say hi to the tigers that Francesco believed he’s rescued from extinction from his birthday party donations.  The boys mentioned at the zoo that perhaps it would be nice to save a different animal species at his birthday party next year.  The impact and dialogue that resulted from Francesco requesting donations in lieu of gifts, just continues to build.  Every hawk/eagle that circles the sky, one of my boys always comments that we’ll have to save them next.  I love that they are thinking of helping animals above the fun of receiving presents. I’m still receiving positive comments and feedback from parents about this idea.

The highlight of our zoo visit is the miniature train you can ride that tours the entire zoo.  The part that I enjoy the most is the train conductor who gives interesting and adorable animal facts over their loud speaker while driving the train.  They are such cute bits of information for the kids - here are a few:

♦  All zebras have the same number of stripes…they are just organized in a different pattern on each zebra.

◊  If you shaved all the fur off a tiger, the stripe pattern would still be visible on their skin.

♦  Flamingos are not naturally pink.  The alpha and beta-carotene in their diet makes them this color…without it they would be gray.

◊  A giraffe’s heart weighs 25 lbs.  Also, a  giraffe only sleeps for 1/2 hour per day (24 hour period).  If a giraffe naps for 1 minute…that is considered a deep sleep.  (Yikes!!)

♦  And lastly, what started me on this topic - the Siberian Tigers at our zoo, will likely be extinct in the wild by the year 2010.  Right now they are considered extremely endangered.

Francesco has always loved those tigers at the Vancouver Zoo and it makes us so sad to think about how endangered their species is.  It got me thinking that a ’softer’ way to introduce a younger child to the plight of endangered animals is to engage them in a really fun activity.  Take them to Build-A-Bear!  This may sound like a contradiction to most Eco activities, but we are talking about a great way to provide information and education without the child even realizing it.  Build-A-Bear makes it easy by featuring World Wildlife Fun Friends.  For every animal purchased in their WWF Collection, Build-A-Bear will donate $1 to the World Wildlife Fund.  What a great idea! 

hmmmm ..can you imagine if Webkinz did the same thing?  With how many Webkinz creatures they sell…the dollar amount would be incredible!  I’m just thinking out loud, but I might need to send off an email.  <smile>

At Angelo’s year end wrap-up party for preschool, the children and parents were surprised with an incredible forest walk.  We are lucky enough to have some forest left nearby our little school.  It wasn’t your ’standard’ forest walk to find bugs or climb stumps…it was an eye spy adventure.  The teachers had pulled objects out of the classroom and placed them in obvious (and not-so-obvious) spots along the forest trail.  There was a doll baby perched in a tree, colored markers scattered along the forest floor, pretend food from the play kitchen, larger objects for kids that weren’t searching very hard <smile>, etc.  There were squeals of delight as they recognized what didn’t belong in the forest and where and what the object was used for at the preschool.  

Isn’t that a great idea for a fun Eco summer activity or birthday party event?  There was zero cost and the children LOVED it!  My girls were also on the walk and enjoyed it, so the age range for this could span easily from 2-10 years old.  My children would think it’s hilarious to find everyday items from our house on a nature walk in our nearby creek.  Place object in tree stumps, hang things from trees, and give them some easy to find treasures too. 
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Time outside will ‘keep the doctor away’, and there is growing concern for the relationship our children have with nature.  Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder refers to this nature-child disconnect as “nature deficit disorder.” 
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