Holiday Activities for Families – Share your ideas with us!
A Ski Holiday In The Alps: The Ultimate Winter Vacation.
Mar 9th
Driving through the south of Germany in December one will no doubt encounter long lines of cars heading for the numerous ski resorts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Most of them have skiing equipment attached to the roof racks. They are in the fortunate situation to be on their way to a ski holiday in the Alps.
The excitement of skiing doesn’t only lie in the physical act of speeding down a mountain slope – that is of course a pure adrenalin rush – it’s also about being in the great outdoors. About the feeling of being part of these majestic mountains surrounding you. About knowing that for these precious moments there will be no urgent phone calls to answer or emails to attend to.
Something that every serious skier should invest in is decent quality alpine skiing equipment. Not only is this a prerequisite if you want to become a good skier, but it could also save your life one day. Bad equipment is simply not a good investment. If you don’t want to spend so much money, then rent good equipment instead of buying bad quality equipment.
Of course a ski holiday is not only about skiing. It’s also about making new friends and spending time with them. If you should go to ski resorts like St Moritz, Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Zermatt you absolutely have no choice but to spend your evenings in many of the numerous little restaurants and pubs in these places chatting to your new friends about the day’s adventures.
Sometimes it will be impossible to ski due to bad weather. Make sure to pack something that can help keep you busy on days like that. Ebook readers are getting very popular nowadays, while old-time favorites like board games and musical instruments remain as popular as ever for providing some quality family time during quiet days.
If you don’t stay in a hotel, but perhaps in one of the cute log cabins you find in most of these resorts, you could while away many an evening with the help of a musical instrument. An epiphone electric guitar is certainly a good option in this regard – it doesn’t weigh too much and it’s not too bulky.
Whatever you do during your skiing holiday, make sure to treasure every moment. There might never come a time again exactly like this, with the same friends, the same beautiful weather, the same snowy mountains in the background.
Winter Festivals Light Up the Holiday Season
Mar 7th
You’ll have no shortage of activities to add to your road trip planner if you plan it around a Winter Festival. While some are scenic drives through a myriad of animated lights, others include many activities for kids and adults alike.
The following Festivals stretch alphabetically from East to West and from November through February. Who knows, you might even find some shopping malls between home and there, making this a shop and play road trip.
CALGARY WINTER FESTIVAL IN CALGARY, ALBERTA: Curing the February blahs – Originally conceived in February 1989 as relief to the year-long hangover Calgarians were suffering after hosting the 1988 Winter Olympic Games, this 11-day festival has grown into one of Calgary’s favorite events. This celebration of everything snowy, frosty and cold, includes ice sculpture contests, human curling championships, music, clowns, winter crafts, snowboarding demonstrations and more. Most events are free and take place in various venues throughout the city. And in spite of the theme of the festival, many are held indoors or in heated tents.
WINTER FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS IN NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA: Making Light of Family Fun – Touted as Canada’s largest light festival, this annual event combines incredible landscape lighting with live concerts, parades, fireworks, and a spectacular New Year’s Eve celebration shown live around the world all with the Falls as a backdrop. The festival kicks off with several weekend Disney shows, making this event a perfect family outing. As well, there’s the Annual Niagara Talent Showcase, Candles in the Park, and a Tribute to Elvis. BONUS: All these events are FREE from November though January.
WINTER FESTIVAL & PARADE OF LIGHTS IN GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO: This annual December parade features floats, music, holiday fun and events, and thousands of sparkling holiday lights.
ELY WINTER FESTIVAL IN ELY, MINNESOTA: This annual festival is held in February and offers ten days of fun-filled activities, including snow sculpturing, dog sled rides, snowmobile rides, exhibits, the Mukluk Ball, a variety of great food, and a craft fair.
CHRISTMAS LIGHT SHOW IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Visit this famous light show which began in 1955 and has since become one of Philadelphia’s most cherished traditions. Originally created for Wanamaker’s, it’s continued to create the beautiful Grand Court displays that had helped make Wanamaker’s famous. A tradition that’s passed on from one generation to the next, visitors usually first come as children and look in awe at water fountains, 1000s of lights, animated figures while listening to a Christmas story with organ music throughout. The show runs continuously from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s and starts on the even hours while the store is open. The best part…it’s free!
NEWPORT WINTER FESTIVAL IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND: Ten-day festival – The American Bus Association awarded this one of the Top 100 Events in North America so you know this would be a great activity to add to your road trip planner. The Newport Winter Festival offers 10 days of fun, food, music and entertainment for the whole family. The festival features horse-drawn hayrides, sand sculptures, a chili and pizza cook-off, scavenger hunt, an ice sculpting competition, a children’s fair and the Annual Frosty 5K Run. Musical entertainment includes swing, pop and blues bands, as well as the United States Air Force Band, Liberty. Activities are held at various venues throughout the city.
WINTER FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS IN WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA: Lasting from November to January, this event has grown into the nation’s largest holiday light show and it attracts over a million visitors per year. It’s an amazing 6-mile drive including 50 displays and covering more than 300 acres and using over one million lights.
The holiday season is a busy one, filled with many “To Do” lists. We can sometimes fly past some of the wonders this season holds. So grab the mittens, beanies, and your Road Trip Planner and go get yourself some Winter Wonderland Fun.
David Reichman
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/winter-festivals-light-up-the-holiday-season-680302.html
Preserving Memories – A Basic Training About Scrapbooks For The Kids
Mar 7th
Memories express the events that had happened to people in the past. They try to remember them often. Such memories must be preserved so that they are easily recollected. Parents had realized its necessity and they started encouraging their children to involve in scrapbooking at an early stage. They encourage them to make their own scrapbook in to preserve their childhood memories.
Want your memories to be safe and funny to look at? Scrapbooking is one of the effective methods to do so. Anyone can narrate a story with their photo collections. The reason is memories are always intact. These experiences and practices can teach something to children. They can learn on how to be patient, how to be creative, value of resourcefulness and how to persevere, etc…
The Initial Phase:
Your work on scrapbooking can be shared with your kids. It is a pleasant activity. Scrapbooking is restricted to kids when it comes to sharing. They can be shared with your friends and co-workers too. But there are few essentials that you have to imbibe before you start sharing your scrapbook works.
Make sure that your kids develop some liking and interest for arts and crafts. This is very essential in making a kid work on scrapbooks. Kids who have interests in arts and crafts can be easily are the perfect ones to learn the activity. This is because they already possess the talent of creating wonderful works.
But it does not matter if your kid has no interests in arts and crafts. Do not conclude that they can never be trained for scrapbooking. It is now time to expose them to a completely new world of fun and joy.
The next thing that comes into consideration is the workplace. The work place should be spacious for the children to do their work. Scrapbooking needs a lot of papers and other materials. It comes easy when they can find the required things from the scattered materials. This thing is very essential for developing the habit or interest of scrapbooking. The kids can leave their work as it is so that they can continue it the next morning. The work is left undisturbed.
The kids need materials to work on a scrapbook. They should be provided with sufficient amount of materials. To start with the basic, basic materials must be made available to them as they are common. The most basic materials that are required for training kids for scrapbooking are: scrapbook paper- size of 12×12, color pencils, pens, pictures, scrapbooking die-cuts, rubber stamps, cut-outs, tools like punchers, scissors, trimmers, rulers, foam, glue, removers, stickers of various designs, color, tags, templates, totes, organizers, and transparencies, albums or old scrapbooks, alphabets, books or scrapbooking magazines for inspiring ideas, old cards, eyelets for adding beauty, brads, nails, tacks, colored, some specialty papers, and few apparels like as scrapbook kits that can be used as starters.
Some parents cannot afford to buy some scrapbooking materials and supplies that are expensive. But they have a desire to involve their children in scrapbooking. Here are some tips that make scrapbooking a low-cost activity.
1) Collect old pictures and hand them to your kids so that they can make use of it in scrapbooks. Make sure that they are not important.
2) Get some double prints for your kids from the developing center whenever you visit them. Ask your kids to use them on their scrapbooks.
3) Usually, there are some materials left over after the completion of a project. Do not throw them. Instead collect them for so that your kids use them in their next project.
4) Inspect your old usages so that something can be made use of it.
5) Teach our kids the value of time. Teach them on how to make efficient use of the time available by discarding the unnecessary materials, supplies that are of no use.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/scrapbooking-articles/preserving-memories-a-basic-training-about-scrapbooks-for-the-kids-739901.html
Inventive BDSM Christmas Ideas
Mar 7th
BDSM Christmas ideas can be hard to come by for many people. While BDSM is often a part of a persons life, Christmas is not normally a time when you think of kinky behavior. However, that was until now. In all honesty, there are plenty of fun and kinky things that you can do to enhance your BDSM relationship.
Christmas Shopping Fun
Nothing is more fun than seeing your sexy submissive squirm. In fact, watching them squirm in public is even more satisfying especially in that pseudo-sadistic way. You will have the enjoyment of watching your submissive squirm knowing exactly why they are squirming.
If you are wondering how to make them squirm you could use vibrating panties or a butterfly vibrator. Just have your submissive put the panties on, and you can hold onto the remote. Give them a little buzz or a long buzz whenever you feel like it. While the vibrations are quite powerful they are also very quiet. This will ensure that you can flip the switch to turn the vibrator on during lunch or while picking out a Christmas present for family or a friend.
This form of shopping fun is sure to make any submissive melt with desire. Many couples involved in BDSM often experiment with orgasm control and denial. This occurs when the dominant controls and allows the climax that the submissive has. If you are interested in trying this out or working on your technique there is no better place to try it than in public. Chances are, your submissive is going to do everything they can not to have a climax in the middle of the local Walmart or at the grocery store. So, if you are looking for a way to build their self control then this is it.
Bondage, Blindfolds, and Christmas Cookies
Sensation play is one of the most popular activities in BDSM. For those unaware, sensation play is anything that provides physical sensations for the submissive. This is actually an excellent form of play for people that are not into BDSM, as well because you can change the level of play to suit your needs. While some people might use feathers others might consider sensation play to be about bondage and spankings.
For Christmastime we will stray from the spankings, for now, and focus on the unexpected. A fun holiday themed event could take place with your submissive sitting in a bondage chair. These inflatable chairs are great because they come with readymade restraints and you just need to secure the submissive into place. Add a blindfold and your submissive is your own little captive. Now is the time to bring the sensations into play.
While you could spend some time tickling feathers over their body, touching them in various ways, or letting them feel the whip, we have something else in mind when mentioning sensation play. Tonight why not take advantage of the fact that your submissive is tied up and cannot see. With them blindfolded you can let them experience a Christmas feast.
Essentially, anything could be placed in the submissives mouth so what you feed them would be up to you. Of course, as it is Christmas you could try to stick to the common theme. Start with a sugar cookie, some fudge, or fruitcake. Eventually add in something you think they will not be overly fond of. This allows you to see their reaction and it ensures that they know who is in control and that they do not know what to expect.
As the night progresses and your submissive is able to please you it may be time to offer them something else to show your happiness in their behavior and skill as a submissive. Of course, you could also leave them tied up and wanting more as you go about your holiday.
Shayla Moore
http://www.articlesbase.com/sexuality-articles/inventive-bdsm-christmas-ideas-86650.html
Preschool Halloween crafts – A Fun For Adult & Child Alike
Mar 7th
Halloween is the best time to introduce children under the age of 5 to the world of art and craft making. Preschool Halloween crafts can be made by young children with adult supervision. Preschoolers can be taught valuable lessons about life in general, by involving them in art and craft activities. These experiences will remain with them for a long time and mould their creative talents and artistic skills.
Children below the age of 5 are a precocious lot and they are at a learning stage in their lives. They are just getting to know their surroundings and are eager to learn new things. It is a novelty to them to be able to create craft items themselves. However, the adults need to be very patient and encourage them to create something on their own, be it a drawing, painting or even Halloween crafts. A little guidance on the part of the parents or schoolteachers will go a long way in helping to hone their artistic skills. A search on the Internet for preschool craft ideas will give a number of simple Halloween crafts that can be created by very young children. A few fun Halloween crafts meant for preschoolers are described below to get you started.
After the pumpkin is carved, do not throw away the seeds. They make a great snack if they are roasted with a little salt. You can save some of the seeds so that they can be used for craft decorations. Clean the seeds thoroughly, and let them dry. Take a piece of cardboard or construction paper and cut out a circle. Glue the seeds with the pointed ends facing outwards on to the edge of the circle. Glue a second row on the inner side. Sprinkle some glitter in the center. Punch a hole on the top edge and hang it in the room or upon the wall. Another option would be to paint the seeds and attach a stem to make it into a flower to be put up on the wall.
Edible Halloween crafts are a great hit with preschoolers. Kids usually enjoy eating the craft items they have created themselves. Dirt and worms is one such preschool Halloween craft that a child will enjoy making and eating! You will need a clear plastic cup, chocolate ice cream, some chocolate cookies, a plastic zip-loc bag and some gummy worms. Place the chocolate cookies in the zip loc bag and ask your child to smash them up into little bits. Next, put a small dollop of chocolate ice cream in the plastic cup. Pour the cookie crush over the ice cream and add some gummy worms. Give the kid a spoon to eat their creation and enjoy!
Preschool Halloween crafts are fun for adults and children alike. They help parents to get to know their kids’ creative talents and have great fun bonding together. For more ideas on preschool Halloween crafts, you can surf the net; moreover let your creative imagination take over to create something truly enjoyable for your child.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/preschool-halloween-crafts-a-fun-for-adult-child-alike-740279.html
Vacation With Kids – All-Inclusive Resort ClubMed
Mar 7th
Being a mom is a never ending job. There’s always homework to go over, dishes in the sink, laundry to fold, dinner to cook, shopping for shoes (again!), PTA meetings, bills to pay… Wouldn’t you just love to go on a vacation where you don’t have to worry about where to go for dinner and what activities to organize for the kids each day? and what about having a little private time without the kids?
If this is what you’re looking for, “All-Inclusive” resort is your answer.
Club Med (short for Club Méditerranée) is operated by a French corporation and offers all-inclusive vacation resorts in many parts of the world, usually in highly exotic locations. There are over 80 Club Med resorts around the world, with each resort offering an extensive list of services and activities in one single package.
These “All inclusive” packages include lodging, meals, soft drinks, use of facilities, a wide variety of sports activities, games, and shows. Alcoholic drinks are bought with bids which are purchased separately, although some locations now include alcohol and snacks in their package.
Many resorts feature outdoor buffet dining, daytime sports and activities, and evening shows performed by the Club Med staff which are called “GOs” (short for “Gracious Organizers”), and usually invite the participation of the guests, which are called “GMs” (short for “Gracious Members”), while the resort is known as a “village”. A unique feature of Club Med is the socializing of the GOs with the GMs, all playing, dining, drinking and dancing together day and night.
There are many villages that provide facilities for children of different ages, which are supervised by trained staff. Children are divided into age group clubs – “Baby”, “Petit”, “Mini”, and “Junior’s”.
Mini Club Med (4-10 years):
Mini Club Med is for kids ages 4 – 10 years old, and activities are included in the package for no additional cost:
Kids activities that include arts and crafts, soccer, sailing, in-line skating, games, “mini scientist” and other fun activities;
Clubhouse surrounded by an outdoor “funscape” area with toys, dollhouses, trains and slides;
Some resorts offer special activities (also included in the package) such as Mini Tennis, Flying trapeze, tennis, soccer, sailing, in-line skating, games, arts & crafts, mini scientist, and even Circus school where kids can learn juggling, walking the tightrope, jumping on the trampoline, swinging on the trapeze and clowning around in the circus workshops.
Juniors’ Club Med (11 to 17 years olds)
“Club Med Passworld” – an exclusive new zone just for kids and teens 11 to 17 years old, where they can enjoy many different activities, all included in the package price:
Performing Arts : Hip-hop, theater, shows, singing, musical instruments, sound mixing, magic, musicals, African dance;
Acting and Film: video, theatre, direction, editing;
Creative Activities: Jewelry, makeup, craft work, fashion, Brazilian bracelets, graffiti art;
Sports – flying trapeze, roller blading, climbing, bungy bounce, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing, beach volley, beach soccer;
Adventure and Discovery: Excursions, hiking, picnics;
Evening activities – “movie night” on the beach, “disco night”, “beach party”, “disco-roller”;
Baby Club Med (4-23 months) Care is provided 9:00am to 5:30pm for babies 4 – 23 months old, for an additional charge. The children are divided into two groups: not yet walking and walking up to 23 months.
Petit Club Med (2-3 years) Care is provided for toddlers (2 – 3 years old), for an additional charge.
For more details and photo gallery please visit the Kids Vacations section of our web site: http://www.cool-kids-places.com/kids-vacations-clubmed.html.
Dee Adams
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/vacation-with-kids-allinclusive-resort-clubmed-707777.html
Smart Travel for the Budget Weary Family
Mar 7th
All over the news, plaguing the newspaper headlines and dampening our fondness for SUVs, it is no surprise that Americans are increasingly weary of the escalating gas prices. With summer vacations in the minds of most Americans in need of a break, families all over the country are reluctant to plan those all-important family vacations. After all, why shed the bucks on your gas-guzzler when you can stay at home, fill up the plastic kiddie pool, and have yourself an old-fashioned barbeque?
Although the prospect of lighting up the coals on the ole’ grill brings back fond memories of summers past, Americans are overlooking the heart of the situation. Family vacations are at the core of what brings families together, what takes mom and dad out of the office, and what creates lasting memories that your children look back on for the rest of their lives. Forgoing the summer vacation and surrendering to gas prices is not the answer. Knowing how to plan a smart summer vacation IS the answer. Here are a few tips for preserving the oh-so precious budget before and during your family vacation:
- Choose your destination wisely- Chose a summer hot spot within an easy drive from your home. When considering the destination, make sure you choose an area with concentrated attractions for the whole family. The goal here is to drive to the hotel (within a day), park the family vehicle in the hotel garage, and never drive it until you are ready to leave. {East Coast families interested in a beach getaway should consider destinations such as Virginia Beach, VA or Ocean City, MD}
- Research alternate transportation- Many popular vacation destinations offer seasonal transportation just for tourists. Look into public transportation as well as special shuttles from attraction to attraction. Some hotels even offer free shuttles from the hotel to popular area attractions.
- Shop the Internet- The Internet, with it’s wide array of travel-oriented websites, is the best place to start your research. Avoid the major travel websites that will only provide brief summaries of your favorite destinations. Instead, check out the local, “mom and pop” websites that often provide detailed information and expert advice. When keying in your search term, avoid generic terms like “Ocean City” or “Virginia Beach”. Instead, try: “Ocean City transportation” or “Virginia Beach Vacation Packages”
- Take it easy- The best vacations are ones that are not jam-packed with activities all day every day. Plan a day or two of activities to area attractions and play everything else “by ear.” A day lounging at the hotel pool, or sunbathing on the beach is relaxing, and better yet, FREE! Bring a volleyball or football for the kids while you are getting that much needed R&R.
Melanie Joyner
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/smart-travel-for-the-budget-weary-family-84696.html
Making Halloween Crafts – 3 Simple Fun Ideas For Kids
Mar 7th
Children love the sense of creativity. When a guest appreciates something in the house and the child says, “I made it,” one can easily read that sense of pride and happiness in their eyes. Crafts are an easy means to pave way to your child’s creativity, innovative skills and thoughts. This Halloween, chalk out sometime guide your children through easy crafts and help them decorate their own room or the house.
It would be real fun working with your child and would also add to your festive mood. Here are some easy Halloween crafts that you can try with your children.
1. Pick out fun foam from the neighboring craft or department stores. Next buy a pack of sheets is varied shades like white, green, black and orange. Now, cut out oval & circular shapes in varied colors or paper.
On the World Wide Web that is the internet; look out for colorful Halloween images. Try searching bats, witches, black cats and skeletons. Take out prints of these images through a printer. You might need to reduce the size of the images so as to fit on to the base you have made. In case you are a good artist and can draw well, try drawing some images on your own! Now cut these images from contrasting shades of fun foam. Glue these on the shapes you had cut out. Now, punch a hole on the top and draw a string through this hole. Alas, hang the fun ornaments where ever you feel like!
2. You can also adapt ideas from some difficult crafts. Try hanging scary ghosts on your trees.
For this pick out an ordinary plastic bag from the near by grocery store. Now cut off its handles. In place of the head, place Styrofoam ball at the top. Secure it using a rubber band. Now, shred the bag’s bottom into strips. Above the head, poke a hole so as to insert a string to hang. Draw a scary face on the ball!
You can also make your ghost sing in the wind. Just attach some bells at the bottom of strips. This would b real fun!
3. Purchase some dark colored candles. Black would be a great option. Give your child interesting trinkets like candy corns, sequins, fun foam shapes, etc., just any vague things you get your hands on. Tell your child to glue those trinkets on the candles. Place them where ever you like in the house for some fun Halloween decoration!
Try these and apply your creativity to device more of such easy and interesting stuff for your kids!
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/holidays-articles/making-halloween-crafts-3-simple-fun-ideas-for-kids-740238.html
Enjoy Coin Collecting For Kids
Mar 7th
If you have kids who are into coin collecting, you can help them realize the full potential of their interest by teaching them more about the matter and explaining to them the implications, as well as the many wonders, of coin collecting both as an art and a possible money-making hobby. Coin collecting for kids should be fun and exciting – a learning experience that your kid could enjoy in many ways.
Like adults that are new at coin collecting, kids should be taught some of the basic FAQs and their corresponding answers. This way, they’ll have at least a relatively solid idea about what coin collecting is all about. A kid who embarks on coin collecting without spending any time or effort to study the hobby and the market is just like any other lazy and ignorant coin collector who is sure to end up wasting precious money on problem, counterfeit, or overly graded coins. Of course, you’d want to spare your kid from that kind of heartbreak, so pile up the questions and explain on the answers well.
Perhaps one of the first things your kid will ask you regarding his newfound hobby – coin collecting for kids – is where to start. These days, you can find several coin clubs that have kids as members. You can have your kid join one coin club where he can learn about coin collecting and where to get material for his own coin collection. The great thing about it is, your kid is sure to make new friends who will share his interest and with whom he can develop his hobby.
The first coins your kid can have for his coin collection are those in circulation. This will make getting started easier; however, you should remind him to avoid spending his coins. The next coins he can collect may come from a variety of sources, including coin shops, coin shows, flea markets, bazaars, craft fairs, mail order, and from sites on the Internet. If your kid’s coin collection is growing steadily and impressively, you could take him to auctions – the most elite source of collectible coins even to this day.
Major specialty auction firms put the rarest and most expensive coins up for grabs. You can even find some auctions being conducted online, making attendance easier and more convenient. Before placing your bid, you should make sure that the auction you’re joining is credible and that you check first the record of the seller. Bids can be pretty steep in auctions, so don’t join them if you don’t have the budget, your kid’s coin collection is not yet that noteworthy, or your kid has not yet shown his commitment to the hobby. Furthermore, once your kid shows genuine interest in the hobby, you can encourage him to trade or buy coins from other coin collectors. From the start, coin collecting for kids can be an adventure you and your kid can go through together.
Naturally, in coin collecting for kids, the proper handling of coins should be taught.
Gareth Bray
Great Outdoors Gift Ideas for Kids
Mar 7th
There’s an epidemic sweeping the world in today’s technologically enhanced world. And it is affecting our children at an alarming rate.
Kids just do not get outdoors anymore. The Nature Conservancy and other organizations have produced studies that show that all of us, and especially children, are drastically reducing the amount of time spent with outside activities in favor of television, movies, Net surfing and video games.
A Kaiser Family Foundation study said that children spend 6.5 hours of quality time daily with electronic equipment. Another study put children aged 6 to 11 in front of the TV or a computer screen 30 hours a week on average.
While some time with electronic gadgets isn’t so bad, consider this: if children do not make a connection with nature at an early age, they may never do so. And that is a frightening fact that can have major implications for our environment as the younger set grows into adulthood.
There is no denying that a Wii, Playstation or cool cell phone will certainly be drooled over gifts this Christmas, but it might be a good idea to balance those desires with gifts designed to get children introduced to the outdoors. Here are a few ideas to jump start that thinking:
Something with wheels. A new bike, rollerblades, scooter, skateboard, wheeled shoes. The outdoors doesn’t have to be the deep woods or a quiet pasture. Cruising down the sidewalk or up the road is a good start.
Binoculars. A good set is not very expensive and opens up a new world outside.
Telescope. Also fairly inexpensive for a starter set and one look at the surface of the Moon, the rings of Saturn or Jupiter’s moons may just be enough to get them interested for a long time to come.
Fishing rod and some tackle. Fishing gear comes in all different sizes, even kid-sized. Throw in some tackle, lures and a box to hold it all and you could introduce those children to a lifelong passion.
Kites. Name your price range and you are likely to find a kite to match. Remember how much fun it was to catch a breeze running and feel the tug of the wind on your string? What child could resist?
Night vision goggles. Believe it or not, they are available for under fifty bucks at some large department stores and they let kids see up to fifty feet in total darkness. How awesome is that?
A sled. It won’t take much snow to make a sled go. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and there are few kids on the planet who wouldn’t jump at the chance to fly down a hill on a sled.
Inexpensive digital camera. Some of the lower megapixel models have gotten very affordable as higher end models saturate the market. It’s an electronic device, but one that can be used outside to capture all kinds of bugs, birds, or maybe you sledding down a hill. All right, so they will have to upload the pictures to MySpace or Facebook later on, but at least they spent time outside taking the shots.
A canteen. Hiking, biking or just walking to a friend’s house can work up a thirst and it’s good to stay hydrated.
Backpack. Great for stuffing a take along lunch, snacks and gear for a long hike outdoors.
Net and a bug jar. For the younger ones, but a great way for kids to find out about bugs and stuff.
So put down the remote, turn off the computer, step away from the couch and get outdoors. Explore. Breathe. Relax. And feel good about introducing children to nature and to their own backyards.
Robert J. Korpella
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/great-outdoors-gift-ideas-for-kids-690300.html
