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Play Ball! (translated: Go Outside and Exercise!)

Mar31

1195445636200577762johnny_automatic_playing_ball.svg.medToday is Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds and is a big deal to the city. There is a parade, former players come back to see the game and be involved in festivities, and some parents take their kids out of school to attend the game and be a part of the fun.  Opening day always signals the beginning of Spring to me. We are finally seeing glimpses of that season and I am happy to see the temperatures are going to be in the 60’s after seeing cold temperatures and snow for many, many months.

How about celebrating Spring by going outside and playing some ball? Maybe you don’t have enough children for a baseball team, but all sorts of other games can be played involving balls.

Ball Games to Play

Volleyball This may be difficult to play unless you invite some friends over and you have a volleyball net, but you can play a variation of the game. Draw a line on the sidewalk and see how many times the ball can be hit in the air from one side to the other without it falling to the ground. A point is scored when the opponent cannot return the ball or steps over the line, or the ball goes out-of-bounds.

Catch Just toss a ball back and forth. You only need two people to play this game, which is great if you have an only child.  Have your child count how many times s/he is able to catch it. An added bonus is that you can include math in there too!

Pickle A variation of catch, but is played with three people. One person is in the middle and tries to intercept the ball as it is being tossed back and forth by the other two players. You can keep score by seeing ho many times each person intercepts the ball if you want.

Two Square You can use the sidewalk as a dividing line or you can draw your own square on the driveway. The idea is to stand parallel to the line and drop a large rubber ball on the ground and then hit it to your opponent. If the other person doesn’t hit it on the first bounce, you get a point. The first one to 10 (or what number you decide), wins. Did you know you can even purchase a ball that is perfect for that activity? It is called a playground ball.

Four Square This is a variation of Two Square and you can bounce the ball is any of the other squares. This makes the game a bit livelier, since you have to keep alert. You can do “dropsies” where you get low to the ground and drop the ball in the opponent’s square.  You can also bounce it really high, trying to bounce the ball in the other person’s square and not giving them an opportunity to hit it before it goes out-of-bounds. Your opponent cannot catch the ball, but must hit it with their hand. Make up your own variations and moves with the game. Maybe the players have to hit it with their elbows instead of their hands.

Tennis If you don’t have a tennis court nearby, play driveway tennis.

Relay Races Why not use a baseball or a tennis ball and have the children balance the ball on the top of their shoe? The first player who completes an up and back lap wins. You can also have the players bounce a ball up and back, the winner is the one who crosses the line first.

Dodge Ball This is not one of my favorites because it seems like someone usually gets hurt, but if you monitor how hard the ball can be thrown, the kids love playing. Decide on boundaries before beginning as anyone who steps/runs out of the boundary sit sour until the game is finished. One person is the thrower and the other players attempt to dodge the ball until there is only one player left. The player who is left is the person who gets to throw the ball the next time.

Kickball This is played just like baseball, but you play with a larger ball and kick it instead of hitting the ball. This can be modified if you do not have many people to play.

Get out there and enjoy the weather! You will not only have fun, but the children are having physical education and you can burn off some extra calories too if you join in the fun!

~Lisa

 

Mental Fitness

Mar10

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I like to help “the little grey cells” as much as possible. After all, that is part of being physically fit, right? 🙂 Here is an article from Lumosity  that gives you four ideas to stimulate your brain. I especially like the last idea of going on an adventure! I have italicized the sentences that explain what area of the brain is helped with that particular activity.
New things to try 
  •  Learn a new language

Learning a new language may do much more than make your travels easier. Bilingualism requires the flexibility to switch between languages, and a 2010 study published in Language and Cognition found that bilinguals were also faster at switching between other types of tasks. This study adds to other research suggesting that bilinguals have better executive control, a combination of cognitive processes that help you make decisions, control impulses, and plan thoughtfully.
  •  Pick up an instrument

You don’t need to become a rock star, but spending even a small amount of time practicing music may help keep you sharp. In a study by researchers at the University of St. Andrews, amateur musicians performed better than non-musicians on simple mental tests. The amateurs tended to respond faster while staying just as accurate. Pick up a guitar, flute, or harmonica this year.
  •  Do a good deed for someone else

The more altruistic you are, the healthier you may be. In a 2013 study, teens who volunteered with children for 10 weeks had lower cholesterol and inflammation levels than their peers who didn’t volunteer. It didn’t seem to matter whether the volunteer work was sedentary or active, but the teens who reported greater changes in altruistic behavior after the study ended also experienced the biggest health benefits. So do something for others this year — oddly enough, you might also be helping yourself.
  •  Go on an adventure

Going on an adventure may physically change your brain. In a recent study, mice who boldly went forth and explored their environment grew more new neurons than their less adventurous companions — even though all the mice were genetically identical.

While this study only examined mice, it shows a direct link between individual behavior and neuroplasticity, and may begin to explain how we develop individual personalities. Whether you travel to a country on your bucket list or find a spot in your city that you’ve never explored, take an adventure of your own.

Indoor Activities with Balloons

Jan29

Balloons1-612x300Brrr! It’s cold outside and everyone is getting antsy.  Here are some fun ideas using balloons to help your children expend their energy. You can also incorporate some math and science with that physical education!

Balloon Juggling  Blow up two balloons and practice “tossing” them from hand to the other. First, throw one of them high into the air so that it is floating. As it begins to descend, add toss the other balloon into the air. Hit the one that is descending, causing it to rise. Hit the next balloon as it descends, causing it to rise. Keep the cycle going! Add a third balloon when you have mastered two balloons.

Balloon Rockets This activity is fun for all ages. The longer the room, the further the rocket will go.

You will need:

Balloons (elongated ones work best, but round ones work too)

1 Straw

Masking tape

1 clothes pin (the type with a spring)

Fishing line

2 Chairs (Ones which you can attach fishing line)

Tape measure, pencil, paper, graph paper

First, place each chair on opposite sides of the room.

Tie one end of the fishing line to one chair, making sure it is taut, otherwise the balloon rocket will “stall out”.

Next, thread the straw through the fishing line and then tie the fishing line to the other chair. This will be your rocket line.

Inflate the balloon, pinching the end closed with the spring clothes pin.

Use two pieces of tape to secure the balloon to the straw on the fishing line. Be sure the clothes pin end is pointing towards the end of the track and the nose of the balloon is pointed toward the chair across the room.

Move the straw with your rocket toward your beginning line.

Remove the close pin and let the rocket fly!

Okay, you know you can’t pass up the teachable moment so grab the tape measure and see how far the rocket flew.  Record the results and do it at least two more times. 🙂 How about graphing the results? balloon rocket data sheet   You can also compute the average distance, how long it took for the balloon to fly, and which one flew the farthest.

Balloon Volleyball

Items Needed;

1  balloon ( I like the 12″ balloons for this activity, but a 9″ balloon will work too.)

Masking tape

Directions:

First, lay the masking tape across the carpet, creating a boundary line. Next, create volleyball teams. Nest, inflate and tie the balloon.  Then, have your  teams stand on each side of the line. The object is to hit it over to the other side. The team who can keep the balloon from hitting the floor and not stepping over the line when it is on their side gets a point. The first team to reach 10 points wins.

Mini Marshmallow Popper This looks like a lot of fun and only requires for each popper a paper cup, a pair of scissors, a balloon, a rubber band, and some mini marshmallows. Be sure to make extras for friends to come over and play too!

Indoor Activities for PE

Jan13

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For us who live in the colder climates, winter can tend to get long and children tend to get antsy since they can’t get outside and burn off excess energy. How about some different types of bowling? It is a whole lot cheaper than going to the bowling alley and you don’t have to wear those [ugly] bowling shoes!

Indoor Bowling You can create your own bowling pins by using 10 empty  2 liter plastic bottles. Set the empty bottles up in a V shape where the first row has one pin, the second row has 2 pins, the third row has 3 pins, and the back row has 4 pins. You can set the pins on a mat if you’d like to minimize the pins flying everywhere. Use a tennis ball with each player, having two attempts for each of their turns to knock down all ten pins. Children should be 15 feet away, but you can shorten the distance if you do not have the space or you have younger players. Each player gets 5 turns. The one who knocks down the most pins after 5 rounds is the winner.

Table Bowling Use paper cups and arrange with the drinking side up. (The table should be at least 4 feet long.) Have children stand facing the bowling pin configuration. Use a tennis ball to roll and either knock the down “pins” or completely knock them off the table. The first one to reach 50 points wins.

Wii Bowling Tournament We had a bowling tournament a few weeks ago and it turned out to be a lot of fun. I found a bowling tournament template on the internet that was set up for double elimination. Each person had to lose two games to be “out”. I went to the thrift store and found a ceramic gold star so the winner got to sign his name with permanent marker on the star. We even had iTunes gift cards for winner and runner-up. That kept everyone excited about winning! Our oldest son was the champion and he strutted around the room showing off his name to everyone as the 2013 Bowling King. We are looking forward to playing next year.

Hope you and your children have a ton of fun!
~Lisa

Smoothies

Jan6

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During the week I am up at 5:00 and out the door by 7:00. I have a lot to get accomplished before I leave and if it weren’t for my husband and fixing me a smoothie every day, I wouldn’t get breakfast. Our routine for the past 4 years is to drink a Mango Smoothie each morning. I will occasionally have something else, but this is quick, easy, and good for you. The other thing is that my husband will make it for me and I love that I don’t have to think about fixing breakfast. It has everything you need to get your day off to a great start and tastes yummy, even for a picky eater like me! You will notice that it has avocado, but believe me, you can’t taste it and it is extremely good for you. 🙂 Just make sure the avocado is ripe as it will taste a bit “green” if you use one that isn’t ripe. My in-laws live out-of-state and always comment before coming to visit that they are looking  forward to having a smoothie for breakfast. Here in Ohio the winter is the best time to try the recipe since mangoes and avocados are in season in many tropical climates where they are grown and the price of the fruit is lower than other times of the year.

I think it is important for us to take care of bodies so we can have the energy to the best we can for our families. I will stick a few recipes in from time to time as I am currently researching superfood smoothies to use occasionally as a meal replacement.I gotta keep those extra pounds at bay!

Mango Surprise Smoothie (from Flat Belly Diet Cookbook)

1 serving 268 calories

1/4 cup mango cubes

1/4 cup mashed ripe avocado

1/2 cup mango juice (You can use apple or pineapple juice instead)

1/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt (We have gone to kefir as a healthier alternative.)

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (We use bottled lime juice when limes are expensive.)

1 tbsp. sweetener (honey, blue agave nectar, stevia, coconut palm sugar)

10 ice cubes

Combine the mango, avocado, mango juice, yogurt, lime juice, sweetener, and ice cubes in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy!