Let’s make strawberry shortcake
Summer is finally here and is time for strawberry shortcake.
Try our recipe for strawberry shortcake.
We promise you won’t be disappointed.
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Let’s go strawberry picking
Sure you can get fresh strawberries all year around, but nothing beats the taste of local strawberries in season. It is a sure sign that summer and sunshine is here to stay.
I hope you go to your local Farmer’s Market and find strawberries grown in your area, but why not go to one of the local farms and check out what fresh really means. We go to a local organic farmer just outside of the city to pick our strawberries and both the kids and adults have a great time.
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Midsummer - Summer Solstice
Don’t sleep away the long days of summer
Celebrated all over the world and Europe (especially in Scandinavia) the summer solstice is a big excuse to get together on the longest day of the year. In Sweden it ‘s even a national holiday. It might be the Swedes who really know how to celebrate Midsummer, with costumes and singing and dancing around the maypole decorated with wildflowers wearing flower wreaths in their hair.
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Rhubarb
How to make rhubarb soup and crepes
Rhubarb is one of my ultimate summer childhood memories. I remember picking them in my parents’ garden. We would peel off the stems and eat them raw with sugar on it. We were taught very young to not eat the leaves because they are toxic.
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Bubbles:
How to make your own soap bubbles solution
What a simple joy soap bubbles can be for children. It is so beautiful and joyful to see children’s fascination with chasing them and seeing them get excited over making something so perfect. (Such a beautiful color and shape.) Soap bubbles and soap films demonstrate mathematic symmetry and natural science and may be one of the world’s best and cheapest toys for children.
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Living on a houseboat:
Fresh air living in Amsterdam
In our outdoor playgroup in Toronto, we explore urban nature. I was lucky to get to know Christie, and her two kids. Even though Christie lives in very urban Amsterdam, she probably lives more in touch with nature than most because she lives on a houseboat in the city. For me this illustrates how close nature can be wherever we are, even in a big urban environment. This is the beauty with fresh air living. Nature is everywhere; you just have to embrace it.
Read; Living on a houseboat
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Let's walk the talk
This post is about something as simple as walking. It is important to encourage walking in kids from an early age, so they make walking a habit for rest of their life. It is a simple choice in fresh air living where you get exercise and an aerobic activity as the byproduct.
If we all started to walk little bit more from A to B our earth would be a better place to live and Mother Earth would thank us with more fresh air and healthier we all would become.
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Sand Play
Nice weather and sun finally! Beach and lazy days…
Did you know that through sand play children develop physical development, social skills, cognitive development, mathematical skills, science concepts and language skills?
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You might not have Obama’s and Michelle plot, but yes you can!
Container gardening, fun crafts to do with kids
It is late spring and summer is on its way, it is time to put your plants and flowers in the ground. You don’t have to have a big backyard be a gardener; it can be on your balcony or in a small backyard in pots and containers.
In our household we have planted seeds in early spring. It was fun to watch them grow and our daughter was thrilled when she saw the first sprouts break the soil. She was fascinated seeing how fast sugar peas and cucumbers grow. We already have transplanted them outside in containers and pots. If you did not seed this year, go to your local garden center and buy some seedlings for your garden.
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A recent study concludes that our children are not getting enough outdoor time:Does this hit home with you and your family?
A recent study concludes that our children are not getting enough outdoor time.
The study, of nearly 1,400 10- to 12-year-olds, found that 37 percent typically spent a half-hour or less being active outside. Few were outdoors for two hours or more on a typical day.
Does this hit home with you and your family? It does with mine.
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"Blame Media"
I’ve started watching a TV show set in the early 60’s. It is about advertising men in NYC, but focuses on parenting in that time as well. Sure, I cringe at the heavily pregnant women smoking and drinking, and the way the kids are left alone in bed sleeping while Mum takes the dog out for a walk.
Then there are the kids jumping around from the back seat of the Cadillac to the front bench while the car is moving (no seat belts let alone car seats). But that was the 50’s/60’s and that’s what our grandparents did in those days.
How did our parents turn out? Were they on the nightly news being kidnapped or hurt? The majority of us will answer “no”. Apart from the effects of the smoking, that we all know will kill you, children were not coddled or protected from the outside world like they are today. Shock horror, they were spanked for acting up; they ate what they were given and ran on the road.
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the great outdoors --- how to help your children discover its magic.
The outdoors is where imagination and discovery collide in the most spectacular fashion.
Mother Nature’s secrets are just begging to be discovered and what’s more, she is a brilliant, patient teacher and your child a willing student.
Everything about outdoors is pure magic.Sadly today, however, a variety of factors conspire against children spending unstructured time outdoors, with the result that they are leading more sedentary lives than ever.
This is such a shame as the senses of our children come into their own when they step outside the front door.
Whether it’s picking and eating a tomato straight off the plant, smelling the pavement after a downpour, feeling the touch of summer’s sun on their back, watching a caterpillar inch its way along a leaf or listening to the wail of a distant siren, each one has its own place in developing an understanding of and lasting love of the outdoors. There is so much for our children to learn by simply observing the world.
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Dandelion secrets
What more can symbolize a childhood and spring than kids picking and playing with dandelions. Even though we adults look at dandelions and think “WEED”, children love them. God bless them!
The uncountable bouquets proudly collected and delivered to mums and grandmothers alone should give the lovely dandelion a little status.
Dandelions also have a lot of qualities you may not know; you can eat young leaves and buds in a salad.
Dried dandelions can be used in tea. Dandelions can be used in soups and omelets. Dandelions roots can even be ground and used as coffee substitute. Roots are even registered as a drug (in Canada), it is also known to treat several illnesses like kidney disease.
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Safe sunscreen
As the weather gets warmer and we shed our winter layers many of us forget that sunscreen is necessary even before the scorching hot days of summer.
One of the most important facts is that UVB rays, which are the ones that most sunscreens provide protection for, are not the only important rays we should be protected from UVA rays penetrate the skin on a deeper level and can react with chemicals already in the skin (even some that are naturally there like B2). Also, UVA damage occurs before sunburn, so you may not even be aware that you are damaging your skin. The best sunscreen is one which has both UVA and UVB protection as well as ingredients that do not break down in the sun and are safe for both children and adults.
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Like a Bike
We have a gadget in our family, it is like having a dog or being famous.
People stop, people wave, people point.
And all this attention is for a bike; it is a Like a Bike.
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Wanna be a farmer
Are you a kitchen gardener or a victory gardener or maybe just like me, want to grow your own food, and gets excited when you’re daughter at four says; “look it is coming spuds up, when is it time to pick them? “
One thing is for sure, it has been trend all over western world: it is hot to grow your own food, even the White House joined the trend recently.
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My Florida
Like many Notherners our family likes to go down south for some extra sun in the winter and Florida is where we go for warmth on the beach and spend time on the water.
The sunshine state is the number one destination for many families north of the Mason Dixon line. Although the major attractions and outlet malls in Orlando draw the lion’s share of family visits, just a few hours away you can experience the real Florida.
The last trip we made we swam with the manatees, kayaked on the fourth largest fresh water spring in the world and enjoyed going to the recently voted “Best Beach in the USA”.
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Outside Adventures on Two Wheels
At four years old I had just progressed from a tricycle to a bicycle with training wheels.
Any chance I’d get, all the kids and I would bike around our neighbourhood.
The boys were first to ride without training wheels. Their father held their seat and started them off at the top of the hill, run beside them for a few metres and let go. I’d watch them ride down the hill until they wiped out at the bottom. I had to close my eyes for the wipe out part but opened them again to see a big smile on their face. I knew that smile was because until their wipe out, they had their first glimpse of freedom.
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Growing up Down Under
Growing up in Deniliquin, country Australia, certainly had it's perks; sunshine and warmth almost all year round, wild kangaroos jumping in our backyard and a river you could play in for 8 months of the year. We swung big ropes into the water, or just spent a lazy day lying on a raft, floating from one beach to the other.
We always walked or biked to school and got an extra two weeks off due to it being 40 + degrees in the summer break! No one watched TV (I think there was a PBS channel), all of our spare time was spent outdoors in the garden, we had a veggie patch, nectarine trees, apricot trees, passion fruit vines, and the smell of gum trees was constantly in the air (so little worry for colds!)
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| Getting out the door
Despite the fact that I lived and breathed the outdoors before becoming a parent, I now tend to think about getting outside with my children far more often than I actually get out with them. I know I'm not alone in this, because when I started an outdoor playgroup in my community, almost a hundred parents showed true interest. But at trip time each week, very few people - if any - showed up. More times than not, it was just me with my two children, scampering along looking at ferns and slugs.
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| In rainy and balmy weather
You can stay inside, but why would you?
It is fun to be outside and feel you are part of the natural elements.
The same thing you do with a water table inside is what you can do in a puddle.
This is also a great way to learn about the rain, what happens when it rains? Children love it too.
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Dress for the weather
Do you wonder how to dress your kids for the seasons for warmth, comfort and an active life? Don’t worry, we have done the research for you. This is how we dress for spring and summer. Read our secrets and how you best can dress for spring and winter.
Read dress code spring
Read dress code summer
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| Free outdoor playgroup in Riverdale, Toronto
A new outdoor playgroup starts up in Withrow Park in Riverdale on March 24th. Every Tuesday in spring, fall and winter this Outdoor playgroup will embrace the elements. “. Bring your children and your ideas and join us!”", said Mari, "see you in the park ".
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| Free outdoor playgroup in Oriole Park, Toronto
Active Kids Club's Oriole Park outdoor playgroup every Wednesday with Kristen as organizer.
This playgroup has been active for three years, in all kinds of weather.
"My hope is that you and your children will join us so they too can enjoy the park in all seasons", says Kristen, "See you at the park"!
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| Free outdoor playgroup in The Beach,Toronto
Every Wednesday in fall,winter and spring her Club will embrace the elements.
"I am looking forward to seasons with a lot of outdoor fun", said Debra, "and to get to know you in The Beach".
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| Free outdoor playgroup in Junction,Toronto
Irina, organizer of Junction Parents in Toronto, is organizing an outdoor Playgroup at Vine Park every other Friday 9:30 am - 11:30 am. Irina is a very active woman who also organizes a stroller fitness walk every Monday, Tuesday and Sunday at 9:00 am in High Park.
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| Outdoor playgroup in Utah
Shawna from Nature For Kids is starting up an outdoor playgroup June 8th in Helper, Utah. Every Monday between 10-12 in the summer they are going to meet in local parks.
“I'm excited to get started”says Shawna “I've spoken with a lot of moms in the area and already have 6 families ready to participate”
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| Outdoor playgroup in Vermont
Drea, a Vermont parent, is organizing an outdoor playgroup one Monday each month between 9.30 am – 11.00 am in various locations in Vermont. Drea Kane is a freelance journalist and outdoor and wilderness educator. We in Active Kids Club envy kids and adult this opportunity to get such a great resource for an outdoor playgroup.
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