Social Rugrats

May is National Bike Month! Get the bikes out and have a family bike ride. If your kids don’t know how to ride a bike, take this time to teach them how! If your kids are too young, attach a seat and take them for a ride. It’s fun for the whole family. Here’s a great site to learn more about bike events, how to teach your kids to ride a bike and much more. http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/

Make a Mother’s Quilt! Have your children pick out some of their very favorite items they no longer use, but hold special memories (i.e. blankies, clothes, stuffed animals, keepsakes, etc). Take from each of those pieces and combine them to sew together on a quilt. Make a different one for each child and you can wrap yourself in your children’s special memories forever. Happy Mother’s Day!

Take Horseback Riding Lessons! Sure, riding a horse can be fun, but do you know all that riding a horse can do for your child? Riding is a physical activity that improves strength, flexibility, endurance, balance and coordination. Riding teaches your child how to work with a partner. They learn to care for another being which teaches them empathy, compassion, patience and responsibility. They learn chores such as grooming, cleaning stalls, and meeting the needs of the horse such as feeding and watering the horse. And lastly, riding teaches your child confidence, courage, hard work and determination. Giddyup!

Tomorrow is International Firefighter’s Day! In honor of this day, choose the color red and make something amazing for the fireman at your local station. Your child can draw a red fire truck, a red fire hat, a red fire extinguisher–anything red and fire related. Your child can make red cupcakes, red rice krispie treats, red caramel apples–anything red and yummy. Your fireman will appreciate the gesture of thanks and you can teach your kids how to honor the work that fireman do!

Make an outdoor salad! I know, sounds weird, but kids love it. Give your kiddo a plastic bowl and some plastic scissors and then cruise around the yard in search of your salad ingredients. Use your imagination…you can use weeds, cut wild onions, leaves, acorns, dirt, grass, flowers and more! Toss all of your items in your bowl to make your play salad. Don’t stop there, you can also do desserts (mud pies, brownies, cookies).

Build an Outdoor Fort! Let your kids get creative and create an outdoor space that is all their own. Give them some cardboard boxes, tape, markers, paint, etc. and let them have at it! They can create cut-out windows, garden boxes or whatever their little hearts desire.

Have a toy spring cleaning! Are all of your kids outdoor toys dusty and dirty from sitting in storage all winter long? Let your kids clean them up–they will love playing in the water and then playing with clean toys! It’s really kind of funny how it’s almost like Christmas all over again to them! Get some sponges, dish soap (or something that makes lots of bubbles, colorful foaming soap is ideal) and a water hose and let them get busy.

Ice Cream Social! Set up ice cream, toppings, cones, fun bowls and spoons on a table in your back yard and invite the neighborhood kids over for an ice cream social! Have a contest and let the kids vote on who makes the most creative flavor and topping combination! I scream, you scream, we all scream, for ICE CREAM!

Good Old Fashioned Outdoor Fun! Head out to your own backyard and just hang out with your kids while they swing on their swing set, play on their play fort, jump on their trampoline, run in the sprinkler, swim in their pool, or ride on their scooter/bike. It will be nice to spend the afternoon (or 2 or 3) at home as a family! Often, the most simple of things create the longest lasting memories for your little ones…think back on your childhood memories!

Spray Park Play! Got spring fever? The weather is starting to warm up so now is a great time to head to your local spray park! Kids absolutely love water and it is a great way for them to burn off some energy while splashing around. Pack some snacks , drinks and lunch and make a day of it!