Social Rugrats

June is National Camping Month–so head outdoors and go camping! Get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life (work, chores, television, cell phones, internet) and embrace the outdoors. There is so much to see and do….watch the sun set, star gaze, identify different sounds, toast marshmallows, roast hot dogs, tell stories or listen to music around the campfire, prepare a feast, and simply enjoy each other’s company.

Happy Father’s Day! To celebrate the special daddy in your children’s lives, make a video for him! Get out your video camera or smart phone and interview your kids by asking questions about their father. Their answers will be captured on video and will be a gift that will always be treasured. Make it a yearly tradition to show how much we love our Daddies!

Here are some interview question ideas:

What makes your daddy so special?
What is your favorite thing about daddy?
What’s the silliest thing your daddy has ever done?
What things does your daddy do to make you feel special?
What is your favorite thing to do with daddy?
What does your daddy do to earn money?
What are some things your daddy is really good at?
What special message would you like to give to your daddy?

Fly a Kite! This is an excellent outdoor activity for kids where they can run like the wind. If you don’t already have a kite, you can get a simple, inexpensive kite that is easy to operate. Pick a windy day in a large open space. You’ll be sure to have wind loads of fun! You may even meet some other kite flying friends :) Make it a day outdoors and pack a picnic lunch!

Tomorrow, June 8 is National Get Outdoors Day! Let’s get outdoors and spend time as a family. There’s so much to enjoy about the outdoors–swimming, hiking, paddling, bicycling, camping, picnic and more. Tell us your outdoor family fun ideas–we’re always up for trying something new!

Hunt for Bugs! My son is currently obsessed with collecting roly poly’s and creating new homes for them. We call it the roly poly relocation program. So get out your bug collection tools (magnifying glass, tweezers, bug habitat, butterfly net, pencil and pad) and see what kind of bugs you can identify and collect! Boys and girls love this… and, it also provides a wonderful opportunity to discuss what bugs are safe/unsafe!

This week’s activity is dedicated to a very special little boy, Silas Nathanael Edenfield. Silas lost his battle to cancer last Saturday and will be laid to rest today at 2pm EST. During his battle with cancer, Silas touched and even changed so many people’s lives. Considering all that was happening to him, he was always thinking of the other children battling cancer. On April 16 he asked his mom to “Tell everyone to paint their fingernails gold for everyone that has childhood cancer”. The next day, his mom told him just how many people were painting their nails gold for him and he said “NO not for me! They have to paint their nails gold for the other kids with childhood cancer, because I’m not going to have cancer soon when I get my new body!”

We have been so inspired by Silas and would like to honor him today. So this weekend, let’s paint our fingernails gold (yes men too!), sporting our gold attire, and make some fun gifts for local children’s hospitals. This will honor Silas and brighten the day of another child fighting this terrible disease.

Theme ideas: Silas loved gold and sea turtles.

Some craft ideas: cards, drawings, paper mache, collages

Gift ideas: toys, games, dvds, art supplies, art kits, craft projects, puzzles, hats, dress up costumes, fun socks with sticky stuff on the bottom, etc.

Also, for those unable to attend his service, a live streaming audio feed of the funeral service is available at 2pm EST at:
http://www.southeastgeorgiatoday.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10836&Itemid=117

To read more about this amazing little boy visit his Facebook page Praying for Silas

Free Admission to SeaWorld®, Busch Gardens® Parks and Sesame Place®

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment™ is honoring the men and women of the U.S. armed services through its Waves of Honor™ military salute program. The program provides free admission to the SeaWorld® and Busch Gardens® Parks, and Sesame Place® for members of U.S. armed forces and as many as three direct dependents through 2013.

Created in 2001, the program has awarded more than 6.7 million theme park tickets to service members and their families.  Learn more at www.wavesofhonor.com

Pictured: Army Specialist Eric Espinosa and his daughter Alexis attend a special military tribute at SeaWorld® Orlando’s Shamu® Stadium in August 2012. Espinosa surprised Alexis at the park after serving a year in Afghanistan.

A Lesson in Giving! I was thinking about the devastation and loss for all those affected in Moore, Oklahoma. I thought about how hard it would be to be left with absolutely nothing. Then I started thinking about the children. How do you explain such a thing to a child? What pajamas do they wear to bed? What clothes do they put on when they wake up? What bed and under what roof do they sleep? What meals do they eat? What toys do they play with? I would like to think that if I was in this position that people would rally around my family in our time of need. I explained to my 3 year old son what happened in Moore, Oklahoma and that there are lots of children left with no clothes and no toys. I asked him to pick out some toys to send to those in need. At first he offered up all of his sister’s toys (how generous, ha!), but once he warmed up to the idea his giving heart opened wide. I was amazed by what he was willing to give. Why not help the people of Moore while teaching your kids a lesson in giving. They will feel proud and so will you! Here is an extensive list of places and churches accepting donations:

http://www.babble.com/kid/relief-for-moore-oklahoma/

Grow a Vegetable Garden!

How many people do you know these days that actually know how to plant a garden? Let’s bring gardening back! Gardening is very interactive and kids can learn the basics about gardening and caring for something. Your kids will be delighted when they can harvest, cook and eat the very foods they grow. (Very good for kids that won’t eat veges…they’ll usually eat their own!) Not to mention, kids love getting their hands dirty! Speaking of dirt, they’ll especially love learning about the earthworms, snails and many other slimy, crawly creatures they uncover. Oh, and don’t forget to plant the FUN SUMMER STUFF –watermelon and strawberries!

Create a Family Tree! Teach your kids about your family history by helping them create a family tree. What did/does your grandfather do for a living? What is your great grandmother’s family name? What traditions are in your family history? Are you related to a war hero, public official or historical figure? There are so many questions to ask and so much to learn from our own family history–parent’s, you might learn something too!