Let's PLAY ... Let’s Go GEOCACHING!

Created in 2000, geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunt - perfect for kids of all ages. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates, trying to find a tiny “treasure” (such as fishing lures, small candles, colorful Band-Aids, miniature compasses, etc.) hidden there by another geocacher. While basic info is free online (www.geocaching.com), a premium geocaching membership with maps, ratings, statistics, support, and custom searches is only $30 per year.

PLAN

• Purchase a GPS device: The only essential piece of hide-and-seek equipment for geocaching is something that can track GPS coordinates; an inexpensive one is just fine.
• Download a phone App: Probably the cheapest way to geocache, Groundspeak Geocaching App uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell towers to connect you to Geocaching.com.
  
• Sign up on Geocaching.com: The basic free membership allows you to access geocache locations and share your experiences. Upgraded memberships provide more.

PLAY

Geocaching is perfect for families - it’s a hi-tech, ongoing scavenger hunt that you can do geocaching anywhere! Here are 10 tips to make it fun for everyone.

1. Get kids involved: Put them in charge of GPS, caches, and even lunch!
2. Take one, leave one: Always leave something of equal or greater value.
3. Leave a signature cache: Make your mark with an object that impresses.
4. Use creative containers: Cover a waterproof box in camo tape, moss, or bark.
5. Add in adventure: Choose cache locations that involve a hike or swim.
6. Create friendly competition: Have teams race to find caches first.
7. Double the challenge: Put a cache inside a maze in a cornfield or park.
8. Make it a hike: Choose to seek a cache in a park that you want to explore.
9. Bring a camera: Post your successes on a family blog or Facebook page.
10. Hide-and-seek safely: Bring water, sunscreen, hats, and healthy snacks.

ENJOY

Make technology active! Technology often gets a bad rap for creating couch potatoes. Reverse the trend and have fun using technology to get the activity your body needs.

Let's Move to PLAY with Your Child Week

When I heard that August 8 thru 14 was Exercise with Your Child Week, I thought ... what a difference a word could make! Very few adults love to exercise, since it sounds hot, sweaty, and expensive (especially if it involves a gym or equipment).

Change the verb to play ... and it's a whole different ball game, literally!! In fact, child experts all agree on at least one thing: Play is vitally important for children. Free play (as opposed to structured sports or video games) is an important way for kids to learn and develop. Here’s how to help your kids enjoy the real benefits of child’s play - any week of the year:

1. Turn off the television.

Too much television leads to sedentary bodies and minds. The solution is quite simple: Just turn it off. You can turn off your TV on specified days of the week (no TV on Tuesday or Thursday) or during specific time periods (no TV from 3 to 7 PM). Once TVs - as well as DVD players, video games, and computers - are OFF, kids can get up, get active, and get creative.

2. Go outside with your children.

The options for what to do when you turn off the TV are endless, especially when you open the door and head outside. Give children some time every day for unstructured play and interaction with a daily dose of nature. It will improve their physical health and enhance their emotional well-being at the same time. Learn more at GreenHour.org.

3. Save money with reused “stuff.”

Although many families spend tons of money on fancy toys, young children are often just as happy with reused household items. Before you recycle or throw things away, ask yourself: How could a child play with this? Paper towel tubes become bowling pins; cereal boxes and margarine tubs become blocks; and old (clean) socks become puppets.

4. Let imaginations run wild.

Imagination is one of the most amazing gifts of childhood. To cultivate the creativity and innovation that lead to school and work success later in life, kids need time to practice their imaginations. Adults can encourage imagination with simple what-if questions (What if lions squeaked and mice roared?), pretend play with simple props, and family storytelling times.

5. Teach skills during playtime.

Playtime doesn’t have to be all dragons, fairy princesses, and super heroes. Playtime is a wonderful time for young children to learn basic social skills, such as taking turns and following directions. Indoor and outdoor obstacle courses are great for large motor skills, while scavenger hunts are perfect for language skills as children follow (or develop) clues.

I want to give credit for the great play photo to the University of Washington's Let's Play: A Guide to Toys for Children with Special Needs ... since clear ALL children NEED to play safely indoors and outdoors.

5 Easy Ways to Plan Greener Camping Trips

Camping trips are a great way to enjoy inexpensive family fun. Fortunately, the USA is packed with campgrounds from border-to-border. Wherever your camping destination, these five tips can help you plan ahead to take good care of our beautiful environment:

1. Plan to leave no trace.

The goal of eco-friendly camping and backpacking is to leave the outdoor world as you find it. That way, the next family can enjoy their outdoor experience as much as yours did. Plan to take home everything that you bring with you: Pack it in, pack it out. If the previous campers left some trash lying around, be really considerate and pack their stuff out as well.

2. Plan to reduce.

Packing less stuff in will reduce the amount of trash you have to pack out. As you plan your trip, look closely at food and other supplies for ways to cut back on waste (and save money too!). Plan meals carefully and only bring what your family will actually eat. Switch from Styrofoam, plastic, and other disposable supplies to reusable containers, plates, and cups.

3. Plan to reuse.

A little creative planning can make every camp item do double or even triple duty. Before the trip, freeze water in plastic milk jugs. These free blocks of ice will keep your food fresh in the cooler - and then provide clean water for drinking or washing at your camp site. When you’re back home, a little soap and water will get them ready for the next outdoor adventure.

4. Plan to recycle.

Some campgrounds offer ways to recycle cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, and other items. If your campsite recycles, that’s great. If not, make recycling easy by setting up small boxes, bins, or bags (maybe the ones the products were purchased in) to take stuff home with you. Encourage everyone to pick up recyclables they find from other careless campers or hikers.

5. Plan to sweat the small stuff.

Small amounts of our garbage can pile up quickly to become eyesores for us, as well as life-and-death matters for wildlife. Be a green role model for children by picking up the smallest pieces of trash, such as gum wrappers and pieces of fishing line. Make certain that there is always a place to put trash and recyclables - in the car, in the boat, and in the campsite.

Camping Food Smarts

While food safety is important any time of year, proper food handling is essential for summer meals, especially when away from your home kitchen. Since any food-related illness can spoil a camping trip or family vacation, it is worth being extra careful with food in the summer. Fortunately, you can help keep food safe with four simple steps.

What we know

• Food-related illness is under-reported and misunderstood: One in six Americans get sick from a food-related illness every year. Many of them blame it on the flu or other “bug."

• Looking, smelling, and tasting are not accurate ways to check if food is safe to eat:Food can look, smell, and taste fine - and be full of bacteria that make you very sick.

• Food safety involves four key steps: Any perishable food can be a place for disease-causing bacteria to grow. Visit www.homefoodsafety.org to learn more about the problem and, more importantly, the solutions!

What you can do

1: CLEAN - Wash hands often.

• When water is available, use biodegradable soap. Rub hands together for at least 20 seconds, scrubbing all parts thoroughly. Rinse with water and dry with paper towels.

• If water is not readily available, carry plenty of hand sanitizer and disposable wipes for cleaning hands carefully and often (before/after eating, touching animals, etc.).

2: SEPARATE - Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat foods separate.

• Cross contamination can occur in coolers, especially when juices from raw meat or poultry drip onto other foods. Double-wrap all meat products in sealable plastic bags.

• When preparing meat/poultry/fish for grilling, use separate dishes and utensils. Wash carefully before using the same items for cooked meats or other foods.

3: COOK - Cook to proper temperatures.

• Always use a digital or dial food thermometer in your camp kitchen. Ensure all that ground meat is safe to eat by cooking patties to an internal temperature of 160 °F.

• Cook all other beef/veal/pork/lamb/wild game to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F. Cook all poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

4: CHILL - Refrigerate all perishables promptly to 40 °F or below.

• Take plenty of cold power (ice blocks, water frozen in plastic milk jugs, or gel packs) to keep cold foods COLD. In camp, keep the cooler in shade or covered with a tarp.

• Put ALL perishable and cooked foods into a cooler after 2 hours. For more tips, visit www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/food_safety_while_hiking_camping_&_boating/index.asp#9.

"For helping spread the word about the importance of home food safety, I was entered into a drawing for a $15 Starbucks gift card and an iPad through Summertime Food Smarts, a contest run by the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods' Home Food Safety program. Home Food Safety is dedicated to raising consumer awareness about the seriousness of foodborne illness and providing solutions for easily and safely handling foods. Learn more at www.homefoodsafety.org"