Posts filed under ‘Trips’
$1 Snack Attack: What will kids choose to eat?
What will kids buy if they only have $1 to spend on a snack?
That was the Bike for Life challenge last week.
The kids could choose from the following as long as they stayed under $1:
- apple or banana – 22-60 cents
- cheese stick – 33 cents
- 1 oz peanuts – 22 cents
- 1 candy bar – 93 cents
- Single serving bag of chips 33 cents
Before they made their choices, we talked about each item and its nutritional value. We also looked at portion size and learned how to read a nutrition label.
Then, we biked to Copps grocery store on Aberg and took a tour of the departments. The store manager gave us a tour and the kids made their choices.
Of the six boys, 1 chose peanuts, two chose an apple and cheese stick, 1 chose the chips, and two chose the candy bar. Of the 7 girls, all bought an apple along with either the nuts or a cheese stick.
For whatever reason, it appears the boys felt freer to buy junk food. The two boys were giddy that I’d let them buy candy. If given money and the choice, some kids will always buy candy.
When I asked John why he chose the chips, he said “I just felt like a chip.” Perhaps he associated chips with a reward, or he craved the salt. Regardless, nutrition had nothing to do with his choice.
The girls all chose a healthy snack: either an apple and nuts, or an apple and cheese stick. One person commented that she didn’t get the candy because she could buy two things for her money instead of one candy bar. Just like John, nutrition had nothing to do with her choice. It’s also possible that the girls wanted to please me or were driven by peer pressure. Since none of the girls said they wanted a candy bar, perhaps it was too risky for a lone candy bar lover to break from the pack. I wonder what would have happened if just one boy would have wanted the candy. Would he have risked speaking up?
Overall, I think it was a good experiment. Most of the kids chose healthy snacks despite less healthy options. Next time, I’ll ask more questions about why they chose what they did. Healthy eating takes a lifetime to learn and this was a small learning step. Two things are certain, 1) kids have lots of reason for choosing what they eat and 2) the will never forget (I hope) the day that their teacher gave them $1 to spend anyway they wanted.
Car Games: Getting outside without going crazy
Sometimes, the worst part of a trip is the van ride. If the kids act up it stresses me out before we even get there. Car games are a great way to occupy kids on long bus or car rides.
Tell me what you think of these games. Some of them are old classics and others are new to me. Have fun with them and add your own. Modify them to suit your own needs.
ANIMAL VEGETABLE OR MINERAL (20 QUESTIONS)
recommended age 8 and above
Someone thinks of an object that falls under the category of animal,
mineral, or vegetable and then tells the other players which group it is in. The players then take turns asking questions that can be answered with a YES or NO. For example, if the object is a marble its made from glass so its mineral, and the questions might go
…’Is it alive?’… ‘No’
‘Can I use it?’… ‘Yes’
‘Is it useful?’…’No’
‘is it small?’…’yes”
‘Can I play with it?’…’Yes’
‘Is it a marble?’ ‘Yes’
After 20 questions everyone has one last go and then its the next persons turn to choose something
Make up a Story
8 and up
Someone starts with a sentence about absolutely anything…ie. PLAYER 1 Charlie was walking along the street when out of the corner of his eye he saw something that made his blood freeze. PLAYER 2 He saw an ice cream van and ran to order a 99. The next person has to follow on with their own sentence that may or may not be what player one had intended. We have had huge fun with this game where one child has been determined to make the story a horror whereas another child has wanted to make it a humour / romance…let the battle commence!
Alphabet Game
Fine for all children who know their alphabet
This is a game of speed and observation. Everyone looks around them and has to find the letters of the alphabet from A-Z in order. Only one person can have any one letter (if there is a P on a signpost only one person can have it) so there is a lot of shouting to stake the claim! Letters can be found on number plates, billboards, road signs, place names etc. although the letter Q is very tricky (bus stops often have QUEUE THIS SIDE for those with eagle eyes!) The winner is the first to Z.
COUNTRIES
recommended age 8 and above
Someone starts by choosing a country ie. France. The next person must
name a country whose name begins with the last letter of the previously named country. In this case the last letter of France is E, so the next person must name a country beginning with E, ie England then Denmark until someone gives up. This game could work with any subject from animals to pop stars!
NAME GAME
recommended age 6 and above
Choose a subject such as girls names and everyone has to give the name of a girl in alphabetical order ie Alyson, Betty, Carol etc. When you get to Z go back to A again. Players drop out as they can’t think of anything and the winner is the last one in.
ALPHABET MEMORY GAME
recommended age 8 and above
The first person starts with the letter A and says ’A’ is for (choose a word beginning with A). Player 2 then says ‘A’ is for (names from first person said) B is for (choose a word beginning with B).
This continues down the alphabet until at Z the player needs to remember all the letters and the things attached to them from A-Z.
The winner is the last person to do it correctly.This is very good for your memory and you can make it more fun by using silly words like T is for mom’s temper.
COLORED CARS
recommended age 2 and above
Each person chooses a color and this is then written on a piece of paper next to your name. Mark 1 point next to your name each time you spot a car of your chosen color. The winner is the first to reach 25.
Colored cars helps small children with their colors and attention levels.
SEQUENCES
Each player chooses a number between ten and 99, then has to spot their number on a license plate. Whoever spots their number on a plate wins the game.
THE BONG GAME
One person has to answer questions about themselves from everyone else for a minute without stopping. But they’re not allowed to answer yes or no. If they do, they’re given the gong - ‘bong!’ - and they’re out.
BING WHO?
The children shout out a first name and the adults have to think of a famous person with that name. If they manage it, the adults get a point, but if they’re stumped, the kids get it.
CAR BASEBALL (Cricket)
recommended age 8 and above
I adapted this game from Cricket to Baseball (it’s from the UK). Give it a try and let me know if it works. Look out for Pubs and Restaurants, and look at what they are called. Take turns to ‘bat’ you score ‘runs’ by the number of “legs” in the title ie. the ‘Red Lobster’ would score 10 runs because lobster’s have 10 legs, and the ’Big Boy’ would score 2 because a big boy has two legs. Your inning is over when a pub/restaurant name has no legs for example ‘Subway’. The winner is whoever scores the most during their innings. This game works best when driving through towns. Click here for detailed instructions on how to play and then modify the rules to make them work.
CONNECTIONS
recommended age 4 and above
One person starts off with a single word eg. dog, the next person has to say the first word they think of related to dog eg. animal, the next person the first word they think of connected to animal eg donkey, and so on until you get completely stuck. You can also play this game by remembering the words that have gone before and if anyone repeats one they are out. This is very good for lateral thinking
CHANGE A LETTER
recommended age 8 and above
The first person starts off with a single word (this game is easiest if you write it down), the next person has to change one letter and make a different word, and so on until no more words can be made. (For example, “James, Games, Gates, Mates, Mites, Mines, Minus”)
SILLY MESSAGES
recommended age 6 and above
Take turns calling out five letters in any order, such as ‘E, H, A, S, and W.’ All players write them down. Then everyone gets a few minutes (or a few miles) to figure out a silly message about an animal using the letters to start words. For example, with the letters above you could write ‘Emus have a silly walk’. After you’ve taken turns reading your messages, another person calls out a new set of letters.
LIST AND LOOK
all ages because you work as a team
Take turns naming animals you think you might see in the next 20 miles (or longer if you are on a motorway). Everyone makes the same list. For example, you might put these on the list: baby in a car, bird of prey, a dragon on a pub sign, some cows, etc. The adult in the car decides if they are either too difficult or easy. The car then work together as a team and cross the animals off as you find them. Sometimes its easier for an adult to cross off the list especially with the under 5′s. The driver doesn’t help because he has to give each of the players a little treat for everything found on the list by the time you’ve covered in the given amount of miles.
WHEELS BASEBALL
recommended age 6 and above
Each player has an 9 innings (or less if you want). During your inning you have to spot vehicles and count the wheels on them adding up as you go along. For example, if a car passes, you get 4 points and if a bike passes, you get 2 points. If a vehicle with 6 or more wheels passes, your innings is over and the next player gets a go. The person with the most points at the end of all the innings wins.
‘I SPY’
recommended age 2 and above
The first player thinks of something they can see and says ‘I spy with my little eye something beginning with…’ The winner is the first to guess correctly then its their turn. For smaller children it can be I spy a cat and the child looks for the cat. I spy some thing red and the child can find a red car.
CAR REGISTRATION NUMBERS
recommended age 6 and above
Make phrases with the car registration numbers e.g. WWW 435D could be Wierd Wooly Wombats.
CAR SNOOKER
recommended age 8 and above
I don’t get this game at all. Maybe you will. You will need a paper and pencil for this to keep track of the score, its probably best if one person scores and everyone else plays (to avoid arguments). Starting with the player behind the driver the game starts after the first silver car. The player has to put balls in order until the next silver car which ends his or her go. The winner is the person with the most points after the black has been spotted at the end of the whole sequence (see a black car) after ‘spotting’ all the other colours in order. (pink balls are a car with a caravan, brown balls are a white van)
The order of colors is: red 1 point, followed by any of the colors below (do this 15 times). yellow 2 points, green 3 points, brown 4 points, blue 5 points, pink 6 points, black 7 points. Hold on I haven’t finished yet! if you see two red cars behind each other, when you are doing the first bit of red followed by color, you loose 4 points and your go!
CATEGORIES
recommended age 6 and above
Decide on a category. Starting with the person behind the driver each player has to name something in that category. As each player can’t think of something new they drop out of the game. The winner is the last person left. Categories can include: trees, flowers, animals, colours, etc
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS
recommended for 2 players age 5 and above
Players count to three then make their hands into the shape of a rock (clenched fist) paper (flat hand) or scissors (hands clenched with index and middle finger stretched out into the shape of scissors). Rock smothers scissors but is smothered by paper, Paper smothers rock but is cut by scissors and Scissors cut paper but are smothered by rock. Winner is the best of three
THE SILENT GAME
any age
See who can stay quiet for the longest…the winner (the last person to make a noise) gets a treat. A brilliant game for when things are getting fraut, if you’re lucky they might even fall asleep!!
Rhubarb Game
Any age
You must only answer rhubarb to any question you are asked…ie ‘what do you like taking to bed with you’…answer rhubarb’ but if you laugh your turns over. Time each go and the one who stays in the longest is the winner. This can be played using the word of your choice. My children like playing it with the word poo, giving hours of hilarity, but I’m sure your kids are far more sensible!!
YES! NO! BLACK AND WHITE
any age
A version of the game above but you’re only allowed to say yes, no, black or white
HORSE
3 upwards
Dish out some jelly sweets (or sweets that don’t melt) between the players. If you see a horse you must yell ‘sheep’. The last one to yell it gives one of their sweets to the person on their left…if they yell horse by mistake they give a sweet to the player on their right too. To make it more fun for older children, and adults! if you see a sheep you must yell ‘horse’ a caravan ‘bird’ a bird ‘caravan’ a police car ‘dog’ and a dog ‘police car’
COUNTING GAME
any age
Count a specific animal if in the country people, cats or dogs if you’re in the town that you see on your side of the car. If you pass an animal on your side of the car, you go back to zero, but only if the opposing team calls out “your (cows, sheep, men etc) are buried!”. This game gets interesting when distraction tactics are used to either cause your opponent to miss the thing they are counting on their side of the road or to miss a graveyard on your side of the road. A white horse can count as 10 bonus points and a postbox can cancel out a graveyard like a get out of gaol free card (for this it is probably a good idea to have a piece of paper that the adults can issue out when a post box has been seen and surrendered when used to stop the points being taken off because of a graveyard) The team with the most points wins.
References:
- Travel With Kids on About.com
- Are We There Yet? Favorite Car Games To Keep Families Sane!
The Ferocious 5: The joy of same-sex bike groups
Isaiah, Micah, Buba, Cashel and Gavin look cool on the Goodman Center's new bikes.
Meet the Ferocious 5: Isaiah, Micah, Buba, Cashel and Gavin.
The boys make up my morning Bike for Life group at the Goodman Community Center.
I have a girl group in the afternoon.
While I didn’t plan it this way, I’m seeing the benefits of same-sex groups.
I find it easier to manage behaviors in same-sex groups because the behaviors are similar. In this case, the boys are more competitive. They argue more and listen less. They want to go fast, but then poop out. The girls don’t argue at all and they’re better listeners. They pace themselves and have more stamina. If they’re competitive, they don’t show it, or at least not yet.
Neither is better, but the energies are so very different.
Of course, same-sex groups may not work this smoothly in all cases, but I’m happy with them so far.
Bike for Life meets every Friday for 9 more weeks. Stay tuned for more stories about the Ferocious 5 and the Girl Group.
Bike for Life teaches kids how to love biking so they’ll want to do it forever. In addition, they’ll learn about healthy snacks so that they’ll stay fit.
Biking: Independence on Wheels
Icie and Micah show off our super cool folding bikes outside the Goodman Community Center after our first neighborhood ride.
A bike is an independence machine.
called Bike for Life. Bike for Life teaches kids how to safely ride and navigate city bike paths and roads. It also strives to get kids moving and teach them about healthy nutrition. Obesity is a huge issue today, especially among minority populations. Of course, the serious stuff is disguised in the fun and adventure of biking.
A Taste of Independence: Trusting kids
With the freedom to explore, a child spotted a pair of cranes and took this photo.
I let three 9-year-old boys walk a good distance ahead of the group on a hike at Governor Nelson State Park last week.
This might not sound like a big deal, but it was for them.
They wanted to feel independent. And yet, they kept looking back, just to make sure we were still there. That’s how growing up works. Kids want to stretch their wings, but do so only when they feel that someone will catch them if they fall.
It’s important to give kids opportunities to be independent. They don’t get this otherwise.
Unlike my youth, these kids do not get to roam outdoors.
They go from home to school to after school and then back home again.
They do not get to practice being independent even in the smallest ways, like going to the grocery store or walking to school.
On this trip, I was happy to give them a taste. And look what happened. They “snuck up” on Sandhill Cranes; they spotted a hummingbird; they watched Canada geese with their goslings; they walked on the rocks by the water and spotted a dried up carp.
They were so excited and engaged and I didn’t have to do anything, but be with them. They developed observation skills, gained confidence and expanded their knowledge of the world.
But most important, they learned to trust themselves and I learned to trust them.
Let me know how you give kids a taste of independence.
Maple Syrup Magic at MacKenzie: A feast for the senses
John tastes maple sap right from the spial at Maple Syrup Fest on April 2, 2011.
What could be better than tasting maple sap right from the tree? Not much.
What are the chances that John will forget where maple syrup comes from? Not likely.
Doing, tasting, touching, seeing, anything that activates the senses, increases the odds that kids – and adults – will retain knowledge. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s fun.
Maple Syrup Fest at MacKenzie Environmental Education Center is a feast for the senses. We started with a pancake breakfast and then enjoyed a horse-drawn wagon ride. The horses were shedding so hair blew back on us as we rode along. We tasted sap right from the tree and then saw how it’s boiled down to make the yummy syrup we ate at breakfast.
Cougars once roamed in Wisconsin. They have been extirpated.
The kids climbed the fire tower where they felt a cold breeze and got a good view. Finally, kids saw a lot of wildlife. Mackenzie has a Wisconsin Wildlife exhibit where the kids saw white-tailed deer, fox, otter, cougar, bobcat, eagle, hawks and more. Where else can you see a bobcat and a cougar?
Today will reach 80 degrees marking the end of maple syrup time. It’s a magical time of year to savor the end of winter and to soak up the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the spring.
Diane Schwartz is the Outdoor Education Specialist at the Goodman Community Center in Madison, WI. She takes kids and their families on monthly outings. The next trip is April 16th at the Arboretum. As always, register for this blog now and receive a free 11-page bubble activity guide. Thank you for reading.
Big Trip Tomorrow: Must get Zzzzzzz
Tomorrow I am taking 45 people to Maple Syrup Fest at MacKenzie Environmental Education Center.
Tonight I will be in bed by 8 pm. Promise.
Preparing for a trip like this is exciting and tiring. The permission slips are probably the thing I hate most. They are a necessary part of working with kids, but paperwork is never fun for me. Then I worry about everything going well. What will the weather be like? Will everyone show up? Will the bus be on time? And on and on…. Of course, everything always goes just fine, but that doesn’t mean my brain shuts off. It doesn’t. This is tiring.
That’s why sleep is especially important before a big trip.
Well gotta get ready for bed. Goodnight.
As a teacher, parent or childcare provider, how do you take care of yourself?
When awake, Diane Schwartz is the Outdoor Education Specialist at the Goodman Community Center. She also manages Schumacher Farm County Park in Waunakee. Subscribe to this blog now and receive a free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide.
Maple Syrup Time: But will kids eat it?
Sap drips from a tree. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.
March is maple syrup month.
It’s a magical time of year. Sap only runs when night temps fall below freezing and days are in the 40s. Once it gets too warm – usually by mid April – the season is over.
This weekend I’m heading up to MacKenzie Environmental Education Center in Poynette with a group of 35 kids and parents for their annual Maple Syrup Festival. We’ll eat a mess of pancakes with real maple syrup and take in the maple syrup making exhibits.
The kids will love the real syrup, right?
Sounds crazy, but some years ago, I treated some kids to real maple syrup and they didn’t like it. This blew my mind. How could the kids prefer the artificial hyper-sweet syrup to the lighter, earthy sweetness of the real deal? Easy. Kids are just used to the fake stuff. It’s sweeter and gooier. I grew up on Aunt Jemima and truth is most families can’t afford to buy real maple syrup anyway. Perhaps Nature Deficit Disorder applies to food too…call it Nature Palette Disorder.
I will find out on Saturday what a new batch of kids think.
What real foods do your kids reject in favor of the processed variety. Think Velveeta and Oscar Meyer wieners.
Diane Schwartz is busy getting ready for this trip and enjoying the perfect Maple Syrup making weather. Subscribe to this blog now and receive a free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide.
Cave of the Mounds: A great escape from protesting or anything else
O
nce again, a major protest at the State Capitol coincided with one of my outings. I have to say that I was happy to be heading away from town. Protesting is noble, but it distracts me from what I love. For me, the best thing to do is to continue my work with kids and parents despite the chaos swirling around me.
It’s times like this when we need nature more than ever. We need to get away from the media and remember what’s really important. We need to be reminded of how beautiful our state is and it’s many natural wonders. We need to go to places right in our own backyards, like Cave of the Mounds, and experience one of those wonders.
Just 30 minutes from Madison, Cave of the Mounds remains a classic day trip. If you haven’t been there, it’s time to pack up the kids and go.
Cave "bacon" forms when calcite-rich water follows the contour of the cave ceiling forming drapery-like curtains. Note also the tiny stalactites.
The cave tour lasts about 1 hour and took us past beautiful cave formations: stalactites – or stalagnotites as Joan called them - hang from the ceiling; stalagmites – or stalagnomites – grow from the ground up. There’s cave “bacon” that looks… well… like bacon and classic formations like Polly the Parrot.
There’s no better place to get a sense of geologic time and the power of water. Water drips from the ceiling adding ever so slowly to the ‘mites and ‘tites.
Polly the Parrot formed when two stalactites dropped on top of a stalagmite, fusing them together into a parrotlike shape.
The cave promotes wonder and we all need that, especially when the world gets turned upside down.
I had just one small complaint. Just before leaving to eat our lunch, a staff member asked me to let her know if while eating we spilled anything on the chairs. I thought this was odd. Did she think we going to leave a mess? I don’t know. Other than that, our tour guides were informative and courteous, and of course, the cave never disappoints.
What are your favorite natural escapes within 30 minutes from home?
Diane Schwartz is busy getting ready for summer at the Goodman Community Center. Five new folding bikes will arrive soon and she can’t wait to start teaching kids how to safely ride around town. As always, subscribe to this blog now to receive a free 11-page bubble activity guide. Thank you for reading.
Wisconsin Protest Meets Outdoor Adventure
Last week I canceled Ski club. Organizers also canceled most of Winterfest.
Not for extreme cold or lack of snow, but because of the protest at the Capitol.
It’s been a surreal week.
On Wednesday, Superintendent Nerad closed Madison schools because so many teachers called in sick.
On Thursday, many other principals closed schools due to teacher sick-outs. I canceled ski club because we had no kids to take.
On Friday, schools remained closed and people continued to swarm the Capitol in growing numbers. Organizers canceled Winterfest which was to take place around the Capitol on Saturday and Sunday. A few events moved to the Memorial Union.
Since I had planned to take kids to Winterfest, we went to the Union instead. To avoid traffic headaches, we rode the bus. This was quite the adventure for the kids. Little did we know that we’d be crammed on a bus with dozens of protesters heading downtown.
The kids loved it. They got to see how peaceful protesters behave and they got to see all the people around the Capitol. They enjoyed reading the signs.
“Beam Scotty Back,” was a favorite though they didn’t get the Star Trek connection.
When we got to the Union, the kids watched sky divers land on the ice, snowboarders compete and snowsculptors sculpt. We ate our PB&J outside. And of course, they ran around on the ice and acted silly. The big fun was collecting snow eggs from the ice, as they called them.
It wasn’t the same as Winterfest, but they didn’t care. Perhaps they got something even better. They got to ride a city bus and see a historic political event. Teachable moments don’t get much better and the best part is that I didn’t have to say very much. They just soaked it up.
Have you ever been a trip where the unexpected happened? Did you take your kids to the protests? Do let me know.
Diane Schwartz takes kids cross country skiing at Blackhawk Ski Club every week until March 4. You can also find her getting ready for spring at Schumacher Farm Park in Waunakee. Become an email subscriber today and receive a free 11 page Bubble Activity Guide for free.
