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Planning a road trip with a 4 year old can be quite a challenge.  Here are some tried and true ways to make a road trip of any distance manageable and even enjoyable.  Oh, and this is without the use of the latest technology such as the I-pad, videos, or any sort of computer games.  Now, I have to be honest and tell you that I'm not an expert.  However, the children that were "tested" in these tips ranged from easy-going to crazy monkey!  All the tips have worked and are always worth a try. 

Tip Numero Uno:  I finally figured out that one of the best tips in traveling with children is to let them get out and get some exercise!  This means that your trip will take twice as long, but it's well worth is.  I suggest starting out your road trip at the park to get all of that crazy energy out.  A bit of fresh air before the trip will do everyone some good.  Spend at least 20 minutes at the park and then hit the road.  Do this again for the next few segments of your trip, until your little banshee is exhausted and it's time for a nap.

Tip Numero Dos:  Pack healthy snacks into little containers or bento boxes.  Kids love finding surprises in their snacks, so add a few extra goodies that they normally don't get, but love! We always pack snacks that are easy to clean up: snick-snax (recipe is on the side of the box of chex mix), pretzels, sandwiches, apples, grapes, cheese, yogurts (if your child is good with a spoon), empanadas, and deviled eggs all make great travel treats.  Try to keep the sugar and salt consumption down as this will wind your kids up or make them want to drink a lot of water-which means more bathroom stops.

Tip Numero Tres:  If you aren't a great singer or story-teller, you better get crackle-acking on this one.  Kids love to sing tunes and tell stories.  Simple songs like "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed" are great to start with.  Or take a song that you know and tweak the words.  For example, instead of row row row your boat...sing: "row row row your car...gently down the _________"  Kids love to make things up and their imagination will run wild! So will yours.

Tip Numoero Quatro:  Don't forget safety tips such as bringing extra handy-wipes, flashlights, clothes (in case of accidents), and a first-aid kit.  You never know what is going to happen and always need to pack for the unexpected.  Pack PLENTY of water and drinks to stay hydrated, and a pillow and blanket to stay cozy.  A simple spray bottle filled with water will beat the heat and kill time, because it's fun.

And last, but not least..HAVE FUN!  Your children will feed off of your energy, so send them some good vibes and give them the good ol' travel bug!  Happy Trails.

Yoga VS. Obesity

Yoga is helping children out when it comes to health and preventing obesity. It seems like the two things that people are talking about in the United States today are yoga and obesity. Actually, it shouldn’t surprise us that even people in other countries are talking about our obesity epidemic. That’s right, when I was living in a rural part of Taiwan, people were talking about how fat Americans are. Well, I’m here to say that yoga is here to stay and pretty soon, that’s what people will be talking about all over the world pretty soon. So, why is yoga the perfect opponent to childhood obesity? Here are 8 healthy reasons why yoga is a winner for obesity prevention:

1. Stress-Management: When children participate in yoga, they not only learn about yoga poses, but they learn various breathing exercises and meditation. These skills can be coping skills when children are hurt, upset, or stressed. As we are learning, stress can be harmful to the body in many ways, and children need outlets besides going to food or the television to de-stress.

2. Healthy Eating Habits: Kids yoga incorporates the discussion of healthy eating habits in yoga. By talking about healthy eating, the children learn about which foods we should eat more of, which foods to avoid and little tips such as foods which can boost energy or help with digestion. Yoga provides a safe place to talk about eating habits.

3. T.V. Alternative: Sometimes children have a tough time finding something to do, and they often times turn to television or other technology. Yoga is a great alternative, especially because it can be done anywhere and at any time. Children learn that yoga feels great and they soon associate yoga with relaxation and fun.

4. Easy on the body: Unlike some sports and activities which are tough on joints and the body, yoga is a safe and effective activity. Yoga is a whole body and mind adventure. The slow movements are easy on joints, while strength and stability increases while doing the low impact poses. Obese children can participate in all of the poses, with a few slight variations when necessary.

5. Builds self-confidence: Who doesn’t need a confidence boost every now and then? Yoga does the trick in more ways than one. When children succeed in yoga poses, especially challenging ones, they feel great about themselves. Yoga also helps with posture which also increases self-esteem. People with more self-confidence tend to be happier and take care of themselves better.

6. Reduces high blood pressure: Yoga, along with deep breathing and meditation can help reduce high blood pressure. Blood pressure changes every minute and is related to stress, diet, body temperature, activity, rest, and posture. Inversion poses are said to help relieve or reduce blood pressure. Examples of inversion poses include downward dog, bridge pose, corpse pose (savasana), forward bend, and fish pose.

7. Focus and Coordination: Obesity affects cognitive development. Researchers have discovered that children who are obese have slower cognitive function. Yoga on the other hand, increases focus and coordination.

8. Sleep-Problems: Obesity often causes sleep problems for a variety of reasons. There are many yoga poses and deep breathing exercises that children learn which can have a calming effect on the body and mind, thus helping in going to sleep. We often sleep better when we have had enough exercise in the day, and yoga is a great low-impact exercise.

What does balance have to do with the senses?  A whole lot! And here are a few recipes to get those senses revved up in a playful, exciting way.  We've put together a few recipes that your kids will go ga-ga for.  They are safe, easy, and fun.  They'll not only entertain your child's sense of touch and sight, but they'll open up their minds with a splash of curiosity.  And why again are these related to balance?

"Integration of sensory input

Balance information provided by the peripheral sensory organs—eyes, muscles and joints, and the two sides of the vestibular system—is sent to the brain stem. There, it is sorted out and integrated with learned information contributed by the cerebellum (the coordination center of the brain) and the cerebral cortex (the thinking and memory center). The cerebellum provides information about automatic movements that have been learned through repeated exposure to certain motions. For example, by repeatedly practicing serving a ball, a tennis player learns to optimize balance control during that movement. Contributions from the cerebral cortex include previously learned information; for example, because icy sidewalks are slippery, one is required to use a different pattern of movement in order to safely navigate them. " (https://vestibular.org/understanding-vestibular-disorder/human-balance-system)

Ok, now that you have that down, here are the recipes to help exercise those senses of yours.  Enjoy!

SOFT AS A CLOUD playdough

1 part conditioner: 2 parts cornstarch.  Mix together and add a teensy bit of water if necessary.  That's it! 

Not only is this recipe so easy, but it smells good.

Homemade Playdough

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 Tablespoons cream of tartar

1 T oil

1 cup water

Mix all ingredients together and cook over low heat until desired consistency.  Add food coloring or herbs, such as lavendar to the dough for an added sensory experience.

P.S.  When I lived in Taiwan, I couldn't find cream of tartar.  I made the recipe above and added a bit of vinegar instead.  The dough turned out fine.

BATH PAINTS

cornstarch mixed with a bit of water and watercolor paints until desired consistency makes a great bath paint to paint on the walls while taking a bath. We made this last night and it was a hit! The paint was easy to clean.  Just make sure to remind your child that they are creating a masterpiece, not a mess-terpiece. 

If you have any other recipes you would like to share, please do so! 

"The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge." -Thomas Berger

Who, what, when, where, how, why?  Do you remember those words in school that kept coming up over and over again in our books?  The questions that some kids felt so pressured to answer, when in fact...finding the answer is sometimes less important than just thinking about the questions and possible outcomes? 

I work at a preschool where we focus a lot on the children’s interests. Teachers work together to help children live their dreams through projects which are interest based. To do this, we ask a lot of questions to the children. Whether they have the answers or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s just planting the seeds of thought and provocation. For example, when a group of children are building a tower with blocks, we may ask: “Who lives in the tower?” “What other materials could you use to make the tower taller?” These same sort of questions can be used daily in our lives in order for us to reach our goals and be better at whatever we are doing.

Today, while I was flying back home from Texas to California on a Southwest flight, I grabbed the latest Southwest magazine and started reading an article about Van Phillips, an American inventor of prosthetics. The article conveyed the same message that we believe in at our school-the beauty of questions. Van Phillips was an amputee and though he was alright about losing his lower leg, he was not ok with the satisfaction of the prosthetic that was put into place.  By asking questions and more questions, he was able to invent a prosthetic that would change the world! 

So, why ask questions?  For one, when we ask questions, we learn more about people and the world around us. What kind of questions should we be asking?  By golly, ask open-ended questions!  For example, we could ask someone:

• What else can we do with this ________________?
• What do you think would happen if______________?
• Is there another way to _____________?
• Why is this happening?
• Tell me about __________? 
• Who could help us with this or who could this help/benefit?

Questions encourage teamwork and cooperation.  Questions join forces and promote more curiosity and questions.  By asking questions we learn about how our children feel and what they think. 

What is your mission today?  Ask 2 people 2 good questions.  Try asking both children and adults questions and see what they say.  Remember, some of the world's craziest and greatest inventions began with a beautiful question.

"Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." -Voltaire

It's raining outside and you are stuck inside with one or more children....What do you do?  Well, pull out your balance board and try one of these activities!  Sometimes all you need to do is get something started, and the kids will invent further ways to extend the activity.  Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling.

1.  Fashion Show-If you have costumes, great! If not, just grab a bunch of scarves, hats, and shoes and let the show begin.  Use the balance board as the runway.  See if the kids can do a spin while they're on the balance board runway.  You could even pull out the camera and have a photo shoot.  You can either be the narrator of the fashion show or have one of the children be the narrator. 

2. Build a fort-The balance board can be used as a door to a fort.  Or perhaps a wall separating the main fort from a secret hide-away room.  If you have yoga mats, they can be used as roofing or the floor of the fort.  Be creative.

3. Shadow puppets-Set up the balance board with a sheet over it.  Then, get a flashlight or lamp and face it toward the sheet covered balance board.  See if the kids can create different animals or objects using their hands and feet. 

4. Earthquake Building- Use blocks, Legos, or boxes and cans to build a structure on the balance board.  Then, rock the balance board like an earthquake would rock the earth.  See which structure lasts the longest on the balance board and survives the earthquake.  Then, build again!

5. Drawing or Painting board-The balance board can be used as a great easel for paper to draw or paint a picture.  It can also be a desk.  Prop it up against the wall and use tape to hang the paper.  Or create a desk by laying the board down between two chairs.  Plop a pillow down for a cozy chair and create a masterpiece.

6. Ramp for Balls-The balance board makes a great ramp for balls to roll down.  If you don't have any balls, cans can work instead.  Angle the ramp at different heights and use a measuring tape to see how far the balls roll depending on the angle.  Or, which ball rolls the farthest?  Use painters blue tape to mark off where the balls end up.  Toy cars or trucks can also be used.

7. Dance Party-Play some upbeat music and have a dance party.  Each person can take turns on the balance board to show off their best dance moves.  If you have any disco balls, lava lamps, flashlights, or Christmas lights-bring them out for added excitement.

8. Yoga-For a calm way to get some of that energy out, try yoga on the balance board.  Not only will it make you feel great and work out those muscles, but it's fun.  Try different poses to tell a little story.  For example: "One day there was a lion who got tied up in a net (lion pose).  An elephant came by and tried to help him, but couldn't help (elephant pose).  Then, an eagle came by and tried to help (eagle pose)"....keep adding animals to the story who try to help the lion.  Finally, a mouse comes by and is able to chew through the netting and release the lion.

9. Obstacle Course-Create a mini obstacle course in the house. Kids can crawl over chairs, under tables, frog jump over pillows,  and hop on one foot.   The balance board is great for sliding on (either on your belly or back).  Use a timer to add to the thrill.

10. Miniature bowling-Set up the balance board as the bowling lane.  Get a small ball such as a marble or ping pong ball to be the bowling ball.  At the end of the lane, have some "bowling pins."  Little figurines or even stacked up pennies will work as bowling pins.  Let the games begin!

There are so many things to do with a balance board on rainy days or any day.  It seems so easy to just sit and watch a movie or play video games, but we want our children to think creatively.  Perhaps after setting up an activity or two, they'll come up with something even more creative.  Kids tend to do that. They constantly blow our minds with their imagination.  Let's not let them lose that gift.