International Day of Peace

Wordless Wednesday

When and Why to Ditch the Portable DVD Player

My fancy schmancy new-to-me mommyvan has a very interesting secret compartment that comes down from the ceiling with the push of a button.  Inside this very secret compartment is....a place to put a DVD player.  I keep extra sunglasses in it instead.

Don't get me wrong.  We have a portable DVD player.  Also a Leapster, as well as an iPOD loaded with Yo Gabba Gabba episodes.  We have a lot of electronics that can and do keep kids occupied in the car.  I love these electronics!  There have been times when I have believed with every fiber of my being that they are they greatest things ever invented.  But most of the time this stuff lives in the back of my closet in the "Road Trip Bin".  They come out when a trip is designated, by me, as a Road Trip.

My general rule of thumb is that a Road Trip is a trip longer than two hours.  I figure that on a two hour trip we can talk, play some games, sing along to the radio, and then take a nap so the grown ups can talk.  Does it always happen this way?  Not a chance!  Do I sometimes wish my children could be mindlessly entertained with the push of a button?  Absolutely!

As difficult as it may be at times, there are a lot of reasons to ditch the DVD!

• Car rides are a great place for story-telling.  My children love classic stories like Goldilocks and Little Red Riding Hood.  We have listened to these stories together on audio book so many times that we know the stories by heart.  Now we spend time reenacting the stories.  We are each assigned parts and we then act out the story.  At first I was the narrator  as well as most of the characters, but we have gotten so good that the kids play most of the major roles and I stick to bit parts. 
• Re-telling well known and loved stories is great fun, but I know that as a kindergartener, Zoe will also be expected to come up with her own stories.  To help her develop this skill we have started to play "Pass the Story".  I will start a story with a sentence or two, then she continues it by adding her own sentences.  We keep taking turns adding pieces until we have finished.  The stories always take a few unexpected twists and turns and it is really funny to listen to what others come up with.
• Road signs and passing scenery are great tools for a child to practice their emergent literacy and numeracy skills.  
• Play the ABC Game.  For pre-readers show them the letter they should look for and then find it as many times as you can.  For more advanced kids, look for the letters of the alphabet in order form A to Z.  See how far you can get before you reach your destination. 
• Choose a type or color of vehicle to count.
• Play Color I Spy.
• Games such as these not only help your child practice basic skills necessary for school success, they help them to train their brain to recognize things rapidly which may help with future reading fluency.
• We practice our critical thinking skills as well as our natural science knowledge when we play "I'm Thinking of an Animal".  We take turns giving clues about an animal so the others in the car can guess.  Older children can play 20 Questions to practice the same set of skills at a more advanced level.
• Sometimes in the car, I don't interact with the kids.  I turn on NPR and tell them that they are on their own.  In life, kids are not always actively entertained.  Staring out the window of a moving car is a great way to practice amusing oneself calmly and quietly.  As a parent be prepared to weather some whining with this one.  It's important, though, so take some deep breaths, find your zen, and let your children be bored.
• Finally, in the car, a child is truly a captive audience.  When else is our child strapped down and facing forward?  Car rides are a great time for proactive rather than reactive parenting.  Is your child doing something that bothers or worries you?  Create some scenarios that might happen and talk about possible choices that could be made.  I often will create a story and pose a poor solution so that my daughter can tell me the right thing to do.  She can use these practice situations to better know how to handle the real thing.

It's not always easy, but it is oh so important to ditch the DVD most of the time. 

What are some other ways you keep your kids happy, amused and engaged in the car?

North Conway with Kids: 5 Great Hikes

Now that kid one is a big kid and kid two is two and a half with energy to spare, it is time for me to get back into the hiking game and bring the family along for the climb.  The trick is I want to hike, I want my kids to hike, I want my dog to hike, and I want us all to have fun.  I consider Zoe walking the whole way and Sammy walking at least half with minimal whining to be a success.

We are so lucky to live up here in the beautiful Mt. Washington Valley with great hiking in all directions and we have found some great spots.  I thought I would share a few of our favorites!

1. Boulder Loop

Boulder Loop is off the Kancamagus Highway near the entrance to the Covered Bridge Campground.  We love this hike, but I do have to say that we never actually do the whole thing.  Just a short way up the trail are huge, glacial boulders to climb on, under, around and over.  We bring a picnic, hike on up to the big rocks, climb like crazy, find a little rock cave to eat in, then hike back down.  After fun on the trail, we walk over to a tiny little beach under the covered bridge to cool off!

2. Diana's Bath

Located just off West Side Road on the way to Bartlett, Diana's Bath has been a favorite for as long as I can remember.  It is a very short hike, a bit more than a half mile, ending at a series of waterfalls that you can climb around, swim in, or just plain relax at.  There are a few bridges to cross and lots of logs to balance walk on next to the trail.  Small diversions like this always keep my kids excitement up as they go.  The whole trail is smooth enough to push a stroller on so it is a perfect first hike for the "big kid" to walk.  This trail can get very busy on hot summer days so plan accordingly.

3. The Red Bench

This one is a recent discovery and we loved it!  We packed up our letterboxing kits and headed north to the AMC's Highland Center.  After a relatively easy hike around half of Amonoosuc Lake, you take a hilly spur that ends at...a RED BENCH!  You can find the letterbox, eat a lunch, and talk about what great hikers you are.  My kids felt very proud of themselves after the climb.  Head back down the spur and hike the rest of the way around the lake.  There are some cameras at different places on the trail to record wildflower growth which was a great conversation piece.  The total length of the trail is about 2 miles and the best part is that after a job well done you can all go play at the amazing natural playscape on the grounds of the Highland Center!

4. Saco Lake Trail

Another great trail leaving from just across the street from the Highland Center.  Crossing a series of plank bridges and several rock hop stream crossings kept this trail an adventure.  There was lots of wildlife to see up close too.  The trail passed right by a great beaver dam, we saw ducks at several points on the pond, and best of all, a great blue heron flew right past us.  Even the little one walked the entire way and it was so fun to watch her trepidation as she approached the bridges when we started and her sense of pride as she crossed easily towards the end of the trail.

4. Black Cap Mountain

Finally...a summit recommendation!  Black Cap is a great first summit for your little climbers.  The trailhead begins after driving a good way up Hurricane Mountain Road.  You have already done a lot of the elevation gain in the car befor the hike begins so the kids don't have as far to go to feel the thrill of a summit.  Black Cap has a rocky peak with views in all directions.  You'll love it!

Happy Hiking!



If you liked this North Conway With Kids post, try...

• Rainy Day Fun

Get Your Kiddo Ready for Kindergarten

As summer quickly approaches I am winding down my kindergarten class.  At the same time, I am trying to make sure that my own soon to be kindergartener is ready to begin her journey in the fall.  It got me thinking about all the easy, everyday things that we as parents can do to ensure early school success for our little ones.

Attention

Teaching is broken into small chunks in kindergarten, but it is still very important that your child can pay attention for short (10-15 minute) periods of time.

• Play board games with your child.  Games such as Candy Land require sustained attention.  Encourage your child to stick with the game until it is complete.
• Begin to read longer books with your child.  Continue reading picture books, but try reading a chapter book as well.  Do a chapter or two a night.  Ask your child to make a movie in their head about the book as you read.  Talk about key details from the story to strengthen their understanding.
• Put together a puzzle together.  Talk about strategies such as sorting by like colors or putting the edge pieces together first.

Following Directions

Following multi-step directions is very important as your child begins school.  Throughout the day a kindergartener is expected to follow many sets of directions.

• Play Simon Says.  Have Simon say 2-3 things rather than just one.  Ex: “Simon Says, clap your hands once, touch your toes then sit on the floor.”  Begin with two, then work up to four or even five.
• Give your child multi-step directions.  Ask them to brush their teeth, put on their pajamas, then pick out a story.  Give them specific praise when they do well.  “I love the way you remembered to do all three things.  Way to go!”

Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic Awareness is the ability to hear sounds in words.  In order to help your child be ready to read, play many games using sounds.

• Play “I Spy” using sounds and rhymes.  “I spy an animal that rhymes with ‘now’”.  I spy something with two wheels that starts with /b/.
• Look for books with rhymes, alliteration and other plays on sounds.  Now is a great time to be reading Dr. Seuss beginner books with your child.

Number Concepts

In addition to knowing how to count to 10 and recognize most of those numbers, it is important that your child develop a concept of what numbers mean.  Having an idea of what “more” and “less” mean, being able to see or make basic patterns and working with shapes can help a great deal in math.

• Tell and solve simple number stories with your child.  “If I have 2 apples and I eat 1, how many do I have left?  You can make up stories that are a good challenge for your child.
• Get a set of Standard Unit Blocks and encourage your child to play with them often.  Standard Unit Blocks offer your child opportunity to work with all sorts of math concepts including area, size, number, patterns, fractions, measuring and estimation.

Concept Development

Expose your child to a wide range of experiences this summer.  Museums, shows, nature, and books are all places to build an understanding of our world.  This area is filled with free and almost free opportunities to learn!

• If you haven’t already…check out…
• Your local Children's Museum
• Story Walks and Guided Nature trails
• Small museums maintained by your Historical Society
• Outdoor Concerts
• Summer Reading Programs at the library
• State Parks
• Zoos and Botanical Centers
• Discuss the experience.  Try to remember details, or sequence the events.  Use pictures from the event and create a memory book.  Let your child help write the captions.

Fine Motor Skills
In Kindergarten, your child will do a lot of writing and drawing.  Good fine motor skills help your child do school tasks without getting tired or frustrated.

• Provide many creative materials at your house.  Crayons, pencils, markers, dry erase boards and chalkboards are all great.
• Set up a collage station.  Get a nice pair of child scissors, a glue stick and some old magazine.  Let your child cut and glue to their heart’s delight.
• Provide playdough.
• Make bread and pizza dough with your child.  Kneading is a great fine motor strengthening activity.

Choose Screen Time Wisely

Limit the time that your child spends in front of a screen.  When they are watching TV or playing with your smartphone, use the time wisely.

• Many PBS programs are specifically designed with pre-school learning in mind.  Sesame Street was originally designed to help children prepare for school.  Other PBS programs specifically teach reading, math and science concepts.
• Angry Birds may be fun…but there are thousands of apps out there that will help your child learn Kindergarten material AND are a lot of fun!  Look for apps that teach sight words, letters, basic math skills, memory, logical thinking, and puzzle solving.
• Please put away the screens during times and places that can enrich you child’s concept development, attention span and patience.  Let your child be a part of grocery shopping, teach them how to amuse themselves appropriately and quietly in a waiting room, play car games on road trips.

Read, Read, Read
Reading aloud to your child EVERY DAY is one of the most important things you can do to ensure school success.

What other ideas do you have?

Wordless Wednesday

Ultimate Atkins Birthday Cake

Meatcake.  It sounds dirty...but I promise it is not.

Birthdays are a big deal here at the Mountain View Mama household.  Anyone out there who knows us has heard of "Clay-fest", which of course has now expanded to include "K-fest", "Zoe-fest" and "Monster(I mean Sam)-fest".  Birthdays are a little bit like Hanukkah, with 5 days of celebration.  Little presents, parties, special activities and cake are spread out throughout the fest and it makes birthdays really special and really fun.

My husband is the originator of the fest, so you can imagine my predicament when he told me, "No cake this year.  I'm serious."

He started doing the Atkins diet right before Christmas and it works really well for him.  He didn't want to screw it up.  "Make me a bacon cake", he suggested.

A bacon cake.  No carbs.  No sugar.  My family does not make things easy.

As I wandered through the meat department of the local supermarket...inspiration struck.  A meatcake!

The Ingredients:

• Preformed Burger Patties (I got Angus beef, 90% lean)
• Bacon
• Bleu Cheese
• Frozen Cauliflower
• Butter
• Sour Cream
• Frozen Broccoli
• Cracked Black Pepper

We didn't use any sauce with it, but we thought it would be good with some A1 or au ju.

To start off, fry the bacon on a cast iron skillet.


Then pan fry 2 burger patties in the bacon grease.

While the meat is cooking, steam the cauliflower.  When the cauliflower is soft(ish), drain the water, add 2 tbsp butter, 'bout 1/4 c of sour cream and a hunk of blue cheese.  Mash it up with a potato masher then add cracked black pepper to taste.  Keep warm on low heat while everything else finishes cooking.

When the burgers are just about done, melt some blue cheese on top of one patty and top with bacon.

Cook the broccoli in the microwave as everything else finishes up.

To make the meatcake, spread a bed of the mashed cauliflower in the certer of a dinner plate.  Top with the stacked burger patty.  Frost with more mashed cauliflower.  Surround with broccoli.  Top with a candle and serve!

It may not be a traditional birthday cake, but the meatcake was really, really good!  I made a smaller one for myself with only one patty and it was tasty too! 

If your husband is on Atkins...or is just a regular old meat loving man...try out the Ultimate Atkins Meatcake.  He'll be a happy guy!

App of the Month: Presidents vs. Aliens

Presidential fever is rampant here in New Hampshire this week, with the primary only a few days away.  As I sit here in my living room heckling the debaters I thought I would spend my time a bit more productively and let you all know about a very presidential app that you can get.

Presidents vs. Aliens!

Reading skills are necessary for this one, so it's not for the little guys.  The big kids will love it, and the grown-ups will too.  Learn Presidential facts, nicknames, parties and more.  Collect Presidential flashcards and learn about them all.

You might still have no clue who to vote for, but you'll be an expert on those who have already been there.

Presidents vs. Aliens.  Have fun!

Wordless Wednesday

LEGO=leg godt "play well"

On January 1 of 2012, LEGO is releasing a new line targeted specifically towards girls and it has started a social media frenzy.  Princess Free Zone and PBG (Powered by Girl), two amazing Facebook pages have urged their followers to take a stand against the gender biased marketing of LEGO by re-posting a vintage LEGO advert on the LEGO fan page and urging them to "Bring back beautiful."

I did, and think it would be a great idea if all of you did too.  But not because LEGO is wrong.

Eight years ago LEGO was close to bankruptcy (Harvard Business Review).  According to Bloomberg Businessweek the company turned itself around by creating a product line and marketing strategy that catered specifically to boys.  Alien Conquest, Ninjago, Hero Factory, and Star Wars are the products lines that jump out when you visit the official LEGO website.  The company became one that targeted 50% of kids and the strategy was a winner.  Their revenue increased 105% in six years.  I am certainly not an economist, but that seems pretty impressive.  LEGO might be a great toy, great for every child.  But it is also a billion dollar company that is out there to make money.

LEGO Group Chief Executive Officer Jørgen Vig Knudstorp says, “We want to reach the other 50 percent of the world’s children.”  To do so, they have created "LEGO Friends" a line targeted towards girls ages 5 and up.

My four year old had a playdate a few months back with one of her best friends.  A best friend who happens to be a boy.  They have known each other since before they were born.  They were working with LEGOs, a DUPLO set that included a fire truck and rescue vehicle.  My lovely girl created a barn for a family of farm animals, her self talk sounding a bit like, "Here is a bed for the mommy cow and her baby calf, and here comes big sister horse and friend sheep for a visit."  When the lovely farm animal barn home caught fire (remember this is a Fire House set that is being played with ) the rescuers came to help, put out the fire then had hot cocoa with the cows.  Her fabulous friend, with wonderful parents that get him a wide variety of cross gendered toys, was playing right next to her.  His LEGO creations kept smashing together and when the rescuer came to help the ambulance would also explode in a ball of flame.  Luckily the rescuers were able to climb bookshelves and dive bomb the disaster site with parachute fire hoses.  All was well.  I don't believe any cocoa was served.

Two very different scenarios in my living room of parallel play.

Both these kids have pretty progressive parents.  We shun cheap toys, we shop at independent toy shops, buy gender neutral Melissa and Doug toys.  My husband wrestles with my kiddos, they've been skiing since they could walk.  Bruises are a sign of a good time and mathematical skills are valued.  Her friend has a baby doll that he loves and a toy kitchen that he cooks in daily.  We are not parents that actively encourage gender stereotypical play.  Yet it happens.

And it is not a bad thing.

LEGOs create spatial awareness, provide patterning practice and fine motor skill development opportunities. Children work on sorting skills when they look for just the right piece and play with LEGOs allows for three dimensional creativity.   Play with LEGOs can improve mathematical skills as well as engineering and architectural abilities. (education.com)  I know this and my house will always be filled with LEGOs.  The plain brick ones with enough doors, windows, characters and vehicles to create the framework of a story.  But I am not every parent.  Each week nearly one-third of the American population visits a Walmart.  One-third.  EVERY WEEK! (wikipedia)  I am willing to bet that some of those visitors shop for toys.  I don't know about your Walmart, but mine has two kinds of aisles.  The boy aisle and the girl aisle.  Is this right?  No way!  Is it reality?  Yup!  So thank you LEGO for putting something in the "girl" aisle of the department stores of America that promotes what the early brain needs to succeed in higher level math. Girls are more than Tutus and Tiaras.  Unfortunately many American consumers have forgotten this.

The shame lies not in the corporations.  Making money is their job.  The shame is on the parents of America for forgetting that open ended play is enough.  Blocks, multi-colored LEGOS, animals, people, tracks, trains, living spaces, dolls, real life play.  That is what kids need.  A princess or two for a girl who loves to play family...not a terrible thing.  Trucks for a boy who likes to smash things together...great. 

It's all about balance.  Parents, it's your job to create it, not the company's job to provide it.

Bring back beautiful.  For your kids.