FUN Archives - Happy Healthy Kids

Real Snow Slushies and Snowcones

January 27, 2020 by Kelley Leave a Comment

I’ve found a cure for cabin fever: real snow slushies and snowcones.

Typically, when the kids get squirrelly, I bundle them up and send them outside for a good, long while. But in blizzard conditions like the ones we’re experiencing outside of Boston today, you need to find some indoor fun, too. And so we brought the snow inside.

My kids have always been enchanted by that book, Carolyn Buehner’s Snowmen at Christmas: specifically, the page in which the snow mothers make snow treats for their snow children. I must admit, the spread that these domestic-goddess snow moms lay out is pretty mouthwatering:

So we decided to make some fruity snow treats in our house. It takes, literally, about 10 minutes, and you’re almost certain to have everything you need on hand (especially fresh snow).

Here’s what you need:

One small, clean bucket

Clean, freshly fallen snow

One game child (to collect the snow)

Your favorite juicy fruits (like lemon, orange, watermelon, strawberries, grapefruit)

A citrus squeezer (in a pinch, your hands and a fine mesh strainer will do)

One cup sugar

One cup water

How to make:

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and cook until the mixture resembles a syrup consistency. Set aside to cool (put in fridge or freezer for a few minutes to speed up the process if desired).

Set out a row of small glasses or containers, and squeeze the fruits into them with a citrus squeezer or through a fine mesh strainer (keep the pulp out if your kids like smooth consistencies, like mine). In individual glasses I squeezed: one whole lemon; one whole orange; handful of strawberries; and some maraschino cherries (with a touch of the juice from the jar), because that’s what I had on hand. Fruit juice would be fine too, but in that case, reduce the amount of sugar you use for the simple syrup by one-third.

When syrup is cooled, top fruit juices with syrup.

Scoop snow into small cups, glasses or, if you really want to get fancy, paper cones. Though you can buy snow cone wrappers like these on Amazon (200 for $14 should get you through parenthood), that would take some advance preparation, and given that I didn’t even have D-sized flashlight batteries this morning in anticipation of a record-breaking blizzard, lord knows I didn’t have wrappers for snow treats. But they are easy to make: layer a sheet of tin foil on top of a piece of construction paper, roll into a cone shape, tape the ends together, and snip off the open top to make an even opening.

Top cones or slushie glasses with a scoop or two of fresh snow and fruit syrup (less for cones, more for slushies). It’s a great, refreshing treat after an indoor dance party or some rigorous outdoor snow playing or fort-building. Even my husband and I had a slushie. Save extra syrup in small containers in the ‘fridge—it will last for weeks (certainly until the next snowfall).

Summer Craft Project that Gives Back: Kindness Rocks

July 13, 2017 by Kelley Leave a Comment

My son, Thomas, loves to collect interesting things he finds on the pathways that we hike on around our neighborhood. We’ve even made him a box where he stashes his treasures, which currently include three acorns, a few shiny pebbles, a styrofoam bird, and a little stuffed skunk.

But now, what we’re really on the lookout for are kindness rocks. Have you heard about this new craze, sweeping towns from Cape Cod, MA to Cape May, NJ this summer? Basically, kids and parents are gathering up smooth rocks, painting them with colorful or inspiration designs, and placing them throughout nature for people to discover.

Yesterday, my youngest son and I got in on the fun, painting some rocks after he was finished with camp for the day. I loved the idea that we could do a craft that had a life and purpose beyond mouldering alongside the art projects that I still haven’t organized from the last day of school.

I leaned toward rainbows, he tended toward spiders and Pollock-esque polka dots, but we both had a really nice time painting, and talking about where we were going to plant our creations and who—neighbor Chloe? mailperson Barb?—might come upon them.

This morning, just after a rainstorm, we decided to plant a rainbow rock at the edge of the pond at the end of our street. My son was a little sad to part with it, but ultimately decided that it’s sometimes even more fun to give than receive. A lesson as valuable in the heat of summer as at holiday time.

Some tips about creating and distributing your kindness rocks:

-If you can’t find relatively smooth rocks in your immediate area, hardware and garden supply stores sell smooth gray rocks (often called Mexican Beach pebble, $11 at Amazon for 30 lbs.), which are perfect for the project, at a very low price.

-Acrylic paint like this colorful sampler ($8, Amazon), with small brushes like these ($6, Amazon), work great. Invest in a spray can of clar UV/moisture protecting spray (like Krylon’s Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating aerosol spray, $10 at Amazon), which will protect your designs from the elements.

-Refrain from putting your rocks in national parks, or any other public spaces that have a “leave no trace” policy. Think about well-trod pathways around ponds and woodlands, or even grassy parks or playgrounds, near you.

Cooperative Board Games: A Cure for Summer Squabbles?

May 25, 2017 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Summer is fantastic and all, but there are two problems that always seem to heat up with the weather around our house: boredom and sibling squabbles. School vacation ensures more downtime, together, which is awesome until my three boys decide there’s nothing to do but bother one another. It’s times like these when I often suggest that they play a game—we have tons, from classics like Stratego to sports-themed ones like Foosball. But these competitions don’t always end well.

Recently, a friend introduced me to the world of cooperative games when her son gave my 5-year-old a board game called “Race to the Treasure” for his birthday. In it, players work together to create a path to a treasure before mean ogres do. The excitement was not in the competition, but the thrill of choosing cards and working together toward a common goal, and it was, surprisingly, an instant hit in our house. I’ve since done a little reading about cooperative games, and found out that it’s a growing trend, and not for nothing: Academics have studied these activities and discovered there are some very real benefits, including decreasing kids’ aggressive behaviors both during, and after, play.

Check out some really excellent examples of the genre, below. While many cooperative games exist online, too, I’m sticking to board games here, because I see this as a great opportunity to break from electronics—and as it happens, many of these games have super-rich graphics that are almost as eye-popping as what you’d see on a screen. Consider stocking up in time for summer “break”…at press time, Amazon was running a promotion in which several cooperative games were deeply discounted.

Race to the Treasure
Best for ages 4 and up
By drawing cards with various-shaped pathways and using their spatial relation skills, children must find their way to the treasure before a mean ogre does. Additional cards representing keys and “snacks” for the ogre add some strategy challenges to the game.

Dinosaur Escape
Best for ages 4 and up
The dinos need to get back to Dinosaur Island; can kids work together using their memory and collaborative skills to return them safely?

Outfoxed
Best for ages 5 and up
A pot pie is missing, and children need to gather clues to crack the case. The cool “special evidence” scanner might be kids’ favorite part of the game.

Jenga
Best for ages 6 and up
There’s a debate out there about whether this is a competitive or cooperative game, and the answer is that it can be either. Instead of tagging the person who topples the tower as the loser, spin the game as a challenge to see how high the group can build the tower.

Forbidden Island
Best for ages 8 and up
A Mensa award winner, this pioneer among cooperative games challenges players to work together to capture sacred treasures before the island under them sinks into oblivion. My 8-year-old got this as a birthday gift last year, and the boys love not just playing the game, but also simply checking out the cool illustrations and game pieces.

Mysterium
Best for ages 10 and up
Slightly spooky and definitely exciting, this game has a strong storyline about a crime that’s been committed at an old castle. Players are divided between a ghost and psychic mediums who need to interpret signs to solve the mystery.
Best for ages 10 and up

Freedom: The Underground Railroad
Best for ages 13 and up
Combining history, social consciousness, strategy, and collaboration, this game pretty much has it all. Players assume the role as abolitionists who must evade slave catchers to raise money and shepherd people to safety. The game has variable difficulty settings, but it’s pretty complex nature does make it best for older kids.

Top photo: Forbidden Island game shot by Derek Buff via Flickr.

Why (and How) to Plan a National Park Trip Now

April 18, 2017 by Kelley 1 Comment

My husband and I recently became convinced that when it comes to family tourism, nothing beats a visit to one of America’s great national parks. A park trip combines all the things we’d ideally want children to soak up when sight-seeing: nature, adventure, history, and, perhaps best of all with young kids, space to explore without fear of someone getting left behind on the subway platform. And, oh: Compared to a big, bustling city, or, for godsakes, a theme park, the cost tends to be right, too.

Thunder Hole, Acadia National Park

For our first big park trip, we stayed close to home, and went to the first East Coast national park ever created: Acadia National Park in Maine. None of us had been there before, which was ideal: Part of the magic of a great family trip is experiencing something amazing together for the first time—like Thunder Hole, where the Atlantic surf crashes into a cave-like break in the craggy Maine rocks to create a huge wake and roaring sound.

Our appreciation of the awesomeness of our national park system has only grown since finding out that several times a year, park admittance is free. This weekend (April 20-22, 2017), for instance, admission is free at all 412 national park sites. That includes the biggies—the 59 “main” parks (think Acadia, Grand Canyon, and Redwood National Forest) as well as national military and historic parks (like Gettysburg).There’s no doubt a park near you that you’ve been meaning to explore—or didn’t even know about. For help in finding your next destination, go to this easy “Find Your Park” tool on the NPS site.

For bigger trips, consider planning now for a summer 2017 or spring 2018 visit. The best hotels and campsites around popular parks fill up fast. See charts of most popular destinations as well as most underrated (and, score, under-trafficked) spots, below. Get kids involved and excited about planning with a book: Younger ones will like the new Our Great Big Backyard, the surprisingly entertaining read created to commemorate the NPS anniversary by Laura Bush and daughter Jenna. Older elementary- and middle-schoolers can bookmark their bucket-list faves in National Geographic’s National Parks Guide USA.

10 Most Visited National Parks (with links)

Great Smoky Mountains (North Carolina and Tennessee)

Grand Canyon (Arizona)

Rocky Mountains (Colorado)

Yosemite (California)

Yellowstone (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming)

Zion (Utah)

Olympic (Washington)

Grand Teton (Wyoming)

Acadia (Maine)

Glacier (Montana)

Source: National Geographic

10 Most Underrated National Parks (with links)

Biscayne National Park (Florida)

Congaree (South Carolina)

Isle Royale (Michigan)

Black Canyon (Colorado)

Theodore Roosevelt (North Dakota)

Capitol Reef (Utah)

Great Basin (Nevada)

North Cascades (Washington)

Channel Islands (California)

Wrangell-St. Elias (Alaska)

Source: Travel + Leisure

Best TV for Preschoolers

March 1, 2017 by Kelley Leave a Comment

A couple years back, I wrote a post—one of this site’s most popular, ever—about the best TV shows for teens and ‘tweens. I had dug into the topic because it seemed that all the great children’s television was (and has always been) reserved for little kids. That remains true—almost, dare I say, maddeningly so. With Netflix, Amazon, cable, and other streaming sites constantly rotating similarly splashy looking, “enriching” tot bait, finding a great program for my Pre-K’er is like trying to pick out the best piece of hay from a haystack. I don’t even know where to look first first anymore.

I realize that homing in on “TV shows” makes me sound like a borderline Luddite. Like many of his peers who could tap and swipe before they could speak full sentences, my five-year-old will almost always pass up a TV show in favor of trying to propel Mr. Crab to the top of a perpetually rotating vertical obstacle course on the iPad. But the fact is, while the science on this subject is early and mixed, from my mom perch, I do see benefits to my kids watching “passive” television and movies rather than frenetically “interacting” with apps. Mr. Crab makes my son, well, crabby. But when he watches a good show, especially when curled up next to one of his brothers or parents, his little body seems to relax. Some days, that’s just what the situation calls for.

As when I reviewed big-kid TV, I reached out to the fantastic thinkers at Common Sense Media, my go-to site for children’s movie, TVs and game reviews, for recommendations on preschool shows that really raise the bar when it comes to unique themes or lessons. Polly Conway, TV editor for the site, shared five of her current top picks. Two are probably familiar to you; the others might be new discoveries.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Inspired by the gentlest media of our own generation, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, it’s no surprise this program is a critical darling. Kids learn social cues, citizenship lessons, and a smattering of letter and number knowledge along with the curious little tiger cub who stars in the show.
Watch it: PBS Kids

Doc McStuffins
Another exemplar of getting little kids to think about social-emotional concepts, Doc also emphasizes the fun of imaginative play, the importance of caring for others, and as a bonus, good hygiene. The Common Sense Media review of the show lauds how it pokes a few subtle holes into stereotypes, with Doc’s mom away at work most of the day and dad helping out at home.
Watch it: Disney Junior

The Stinky and Dirty Show
One of a growing number of gems produced by Amazon, Stinky and Dirty “is a great new show that helps preschoolers learn teamwork and communication,” says Conway. Based on a series of books by Jim and Kate McMullan, two hard-working, fun-loving friends—a garbage truck and backhoe loader—are constantly faced with challenges they must overcome together. The animation and dialogue are first-rate.
Watch it: Amazon

Word Party
“This is a fun one from Netflix that lets kids be the teachers to a group of even younger learners,” says Conway. This unique premise is inspirational to little kids who might constantly feel like they’re on the receiving end of instruction from remote grown-ups. For toddlers and younger preschoolers, there’s some real skill development to be found here; and they seem to find the baby animals, created by Jim Henson’s production company, mesmerizing to watch.
Watch it: Netflix

Puffin Rock
Also from Netflix, Conway says her personal fave is a “beautifully animated, gentle and sweet show that teaches empathy and a little environmental science.” Puffling Oona, her baby brother, and pals explore notions of friendship, family bonds, and appreciation for nature. A perfect wind-down pick.
Watch it: Netflix

For more preschool show ideas, check out Common Sense Media reviews here and here. What are your family’s top picks for shows for the preschool set? Clue us in to more ideas in the comments here or on our Facebook page.

photo credit: donnierayjones Relaxed Twinning via photopin (license)

Getting Kids Outside this Winter

December 8, 2016 by Kelley 1 Comment

On these cold, dark December days, it’s tempting to crank up the thermostat, “lose track” of kids’ screen time, and daydream of an existence where we could teleport from car to house with zero exposure to the elements. But some recent reading is convincing me that I need to toughen up and get myself—and the kids—outside as much as possible this winter.

For one thing, studies are showing what kindergarten teachers have always known: Fresh air, even and maybe especially during wintertime, boosts attention. It’s something that Finland, which typically gives students 15 minutes of outdoor recess for every 45 minutes of classroom time, year-round, credits for its top rankings in the Program for International Student Assessment survey of reading, math and science scores. What’s more, outdoor activity in the colder months, specifically, may give us an extra health boost. Muscles work harder in slick or snowy conditions, and we burn more calories as our bodies have to work harder to raise our body temperature. Also, people who spend a lot of time outside in the wintertime are less likely to encounter germs that proliferate indoors when it’s cold, which can help protect us against some nasty bugs.

And yet, weather is the thing most likely to keep kids from playing outside, cited even more often than safety concerns, homework, and busy schedules by parents in a 2012 survey by the National Wildlife Federation. So what can we do to successfully nudge ourselves and kids outdoors when artificial light and heat seem so much more inviting?

L.L. Bean Mad Bomber Hat

Pay less attention to jackets, and more to hats. Kids are notorious for balking at and shedding their coats. In reality, children do have an elevated metabolism and energy level that does cause them to feel hotter than us, so they are apt to get overwarm and annoyed if the are overly bundled. But they also lose body heat more rapidly. Get them a winter jacket that they, above all, will want to keep on, and don’t sweat too much the “temperature ranges” that fancy puffer coat companies market. Where to spend your money (and your nagging quota): Hats. “A hat can go a long way toward keeping your child warm,” pediatrician Lee Bears, M.D., recently told the Washington Post. “If you are going to fight over something, that might be the thing to fight over.” As goofy as they look, you can’t beat bomber hats with chin straps for warmth. L.L Bean makes them in boy- and girl-friendly styles, and if parent reviewers in places like northern Maine and Newfoundland are satisfied, you probably will be, too.

Fold and Stow Snow Scooter

Snow Fort Building Set

Nite Ize “Flashlight”

Counter empty-yard syndrome. There’s nothing that makes backyard play less appealing than an empty patch of dead grass or crusty snow. Kids are far more apt to engage in active play when given more toy choices, according to research, so don’t stash all of the toys away with the skateboards and sprinklers when the temperature drops. Certain playthings are meant for cold or snowy conditions. Some kid-tested crowd-pleasers:
Hearthsong’s Fold and Stow Snow Scooter: This nifty scooter “floats” on the snow thanks to a ridged bottom. Ages 4 and up.
Glow-in-the-dark frisbees: Frisbees are great because they’re easier to grab than balls when you have gloves on, and these Nite Ize “Flashlight” LED-illuminated discs come in four super-bright colors that will be easier to see in the darkening pre-dinnertime hours.
Snow Fort Building Set: Much more than some plastic molds, kids can really sculpt a fortress with this kit. Ages 5 and up.

Fix.com’s winter fun ideas

Lead them in some simple games. We love Fix.com’s great (and simple) list of cold- and kid-friendly games, like Snow Spray Paint Art. Find it here.

Keep it short and sweet. Keeping outdoor play intervals short are more appealing as well as safer when the temperatures drop below freezing. To help motivate, set a timer on your watch or phone for 15 minutes, Finland’s typical recess interval—even this short a stint can get the heart pumping and is totally doable, especially if you ensure that kids have a set place to find and deposit their outwear on the way in and out. And a promise of sweet incentives upon their return indoors, like a cup of Silly Cow’s pricey, but truly excellent marshmallow-swirl flavored cocoa, hurts very little.

When Risky Toys are the Rage

January 13, 2016 by Kelley Leave a Comment

About every three years, my orthopedic surgeon husband pulls on-call duty on Christmas Day at the children’s hospital where he works. Well, a few weeks ago, his turn came around again; and while the rest of us munched on cinnamon buns in our PJs and tinkered with new gifts, he was busier than ever, thanks to one small, sleek item that just about every big kid had to have this year: the hoverboard. Of the six fracture consults he did that day, four were for hoverboard injuries. In total, he treated two elbow fractures and one wrist fracture (from falls), and one hand fracture (from getting a finger stuck in a wheel). Two of these incidents—an elbow fracture and the lacerated hand—required surgery.

This probably isn’t the first time you’ve read about the dangers of hoverboards, which have also been reported to catch on fire while charging or in use. So I’ll be brief with the advice I learned from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website. Hoverboarders should: wear a helmet, knee and elbow pads, and wrist guards; avoid riding near traffic; charge and store their boards in an open, dry area away from flammable items; and let the device cool for an hour after riding and before charging. They should also be at least 16, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (California has a state law requiring it).

But all the hoverboard brouhaha has made me think of a larger conundrum about limit setting when it comes to child’s play. Recently, there’s been a backlash on being too vigilant in this regard, and bestselling books (Wendy Mogul’s excellent Blessing of a Skinned Knee) and many lauded articles (see “The Overprotected Kid” in The Atlantic) have argued that our obsession with safety (and more largely, well-being) could be spawning a too-timid generation. And yet, the high-tech toys of today tend to carry more risks—physical and emotional—than the simpler playthings of the 70s and 80s. Vehicles and ride-ons were powered exclusively by our leg muscles, not motors and hydraulics. Video games featured pixelated animals, not amazingly life-like violence. If you want to allow your kids to try out the “hot” new toy and yet want to protect them from winding up in the E.R. (or worse) on Christmas Day, where—and how—do you draw the line?

That line will be different for everyone, and often depends on the age and maturity of your child. But here are four common-sense guidelines I’ll be trying to follow in 2016 and beyond, courtesy of the CPSC, the AAP, and Safe Kids Worldwide.

Don’t ignore recommended age and size ranges. On this note, I am hugely guilty. I’ve bought countless two-year-olds Melissa and Doug puzzles meant for ages 3 and up, and haven’t thought much about allowing my 70-pound second grader to bounce around on a pogo stick intended for children 60 pounds or lighter. The fact is, age and size recommendations aren’t determined on corporate whimsy; they are regulated by the CPSC, which is an independent federal agency tasked with protecting the public against injury and death associated with toys and other products. If there are no age requirements listed, do some research online and speak with a trustworthy local toy dealer about recommendations.

Buy from known and trusted retailers. All toys sold to kids ages 12 and under in the U.S. are subject to CPSC regulation—in theory. Kiosks, pop-up shops and some shady websites often sell illegally imported toys that aren’t subject to federal safety standards, and should be avoided.

Read—for real—the instructions. We have become—and our kids were born—a point-and-click generation, and we’ll often try things out before sitting down to read the fine print. But instructions are included in the box—or, hopefully, in an easily accessible online site—for a reason. We should all be taking a few minutes (or more) to sit down with our kids and go over safety and usage instructions for new playthings, and enforce non-negotiable rules (and consequences) about following them. When you catch a child without the requisite helmet, or charging a gadget incorrectly, or mouthing something potentially toxic, that might mean the toy goes away for a time period.

Download a toy recall app. It’s hard enough to check your kid’s school’s online calendar; odds are low that you’ll be surfing toward the CPSC website very often. But if you download the Recalls Pro app on your phone, you can create a watch list of toys you own or are thinking of purchasing.

Photo credit: Urban Wheel via Photo Pin, cc

Great Audiobooks for Kids

November 4, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Audiobooks have been a classroom staple since we were kids—which is maybe why many parents overlook them. But if you haven’t downloaded a library of stories on a family phone or tablet yet, it’s time. The scratchy cassette tapes of our youth have given way to vivid re-tellings, often by celebrities or the authors themselves, that can be downloaded in seconds. Best of all: you don’t have to feel guilty about plugging in. “Audiobooks are valuable media for your children because they don’t pre-digest imagery for them,” explains pediatrician Michael Rich, M.D., in his “Ask the Mediatrician” blog for Boston Children’s Hospital. “That means that as your kids listen to the stories, they’re given the exquisite experience of actively imagining the worlds they’re hearing about. Their brains can paint the characters and actions in ways that resonate most with them.”

Audiobooks can also boost literacy. In a recent multi-center study, researchers found that kids’ participation in a weekly audiobook club significantly improved standardized test scores as well as attitudes towards reading. “The impact of this project was more far-reaching than the researchers ever anticipated,” authors wrote. “While the teachers were initially pleased to have some outside help with their struggling readers, most were satisfied to send in a list of students and leave it at that. The teachers’ responses, however, indicate that by the end of the study they were sold on the use of audiobooks.”

We’re sold, too. Audiobooks have become my number-one favorite family chill-out tool. We play them during car rides (even short ones), quiet time, and sometimes just before bed. Listening together unites us in a way that reading to them doesn’t—perhaps because we’re experiencing the story in the same way. They’re also genius for sick days: Dim the lights, fluff up some pillows, and set up some stories on low volume as kids drift in and out of sleep.

You can pay to own titles at iTunes or Amazon’s Audible.com (first story is free), or borrow from the local library (most now offer instant streaming through Overdrive.com). Here are some terrific selections to start with.

Preschoolers

Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones by Judy Schachner. You think you have fun attempting “kitty boy’s” loco language? Author Judy Schachner is hilarious in this installment of Skippyjon’s adventures—in this case, pretending that dog bones (filched from canine nemesis Darwin) are dinosaur fossils. My kids giggle out loud.

Frog and Toad Audio Collection by Arnold Lobel. A rare example of little-kid fiction in which illustrations are fairly superfluous, the Frog and Toad series brings together a string of short (5-10 minute) tales which are cute and simple with wry wit that older children and grown-ups can get into too.

Grades K-2

Nate the Great Collected Stories Vol. 1 by Marjorie Sharmat. John Lavelle is perfectly deadpan as kid-sleuth Nate, who takes his cases (of missing cookie recipes and the like) seriously. His interpretation of dotty Rosamond is especially funny.

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond. Something about Stephen Fry’s crisp accent and Paddington’s wanderings about London makes for great, cozy listening. Kids will laugh and feel empathy at the sweet bear’s misadventures.

Grades 3-6

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. The movies are entertaining, but the original series by Cressida Cowell is the real deal, and a vocab-boosting triumph of kids’ fiction. British narrator David Tennant is at his cheeky best as he relates how hapless Hiccup tries to live up to his lofty Viking heritage.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Wasn’t Anne Hathaway born to play Dorothy? She is spot-on in this voice and others in this treat of an audiobook, which may capture today’s kids’ interest more than the print version.

Treasure Island by R.L. Stevenson. The amazing Alfred Molina skips back and forth between gentlemen and salty pirates effortlessly. Wait until you hear his Long John Silver. My 9-year-old was hooked from the start.

Photo credit: “Pondering” via Photo Pin, cc

5 Strategies for a Healthy Halloween

October 28, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Lest you assume from this post title that I’m going as Debbie Downer this Halloween, rest assured, I’m all for sweets and excitement on Saturday night. Some of my most cherished childhood memories involve running through the dark, gown or tail trailing perilously through the leaves, collecting enough Reese’s Peanut Butter cups to last me through Easter. But years of writing health columns and scouring E.R. data for various publications have taught me that the spookiest night of the year can pose some pretty real health challenges that can’t be fixed by just some extra tooth-brushing. Here, five quick tips to keep in mind as the sun goes down on Halloween 2016.

Teach kids to stick to lawns and sidewalks, not streets, when trick-or-treating. The scary truth: Halloween is ranked as the No. 1 day of the year for child-pedestrian accidents and fatalities. The majority of these fatalities occur during the peak trick-or-treating hours: 5 pm and 9 pm, with the deadliest hour of all being from 6 pm to 7 pm. The stimulus and crowds make it hard for drivers—think excited teenagers, or parents rushing home from work to join their kids—to navigate. So push these simple rules: Stick to lawns or sidewalks on one side of the street while trick-or-treating. Cross carefully, and only when necessary. Children under 12 should stick closely to parents, and older kids should travel with a large group of children.

Make sure trick-or-treaters know your cell phone number, or have it written on their hand or on a visible place on their costumes. My youngest son’s favorite book right now is Angelina’s Halloween, but for me, it’s terrifying: In it, little Polly mouse gets lost in the trick-or-treat shuffle, only to be found by her big sister on a doorstep hours later. Eek. Fact is, even experienced caregivers can lose sight of their ghosts and goblins. Make sure your child wears reflective tape or a glow stick necklace (grab 25 for just $10 on Amazon) in a color you’ve noted and identified, and teach or label them with your cell phone number before you set out for the night. If your older child is heading out with friends, pack a cell phone in their treat bag, and keep track of his or her whereabouts with a handy family-member locator app.

Keep sensitive kids shielded from too-scary imagery. While scary movies, haunted houses and the like may seem in the spirit of the season, be cognizant of how they might trigger your child’s fears. NYU researchers have that little kids who watch violent movies, including Halloween horror films, television shows or video games, may be more likely to develop anxiety, sleep disorders, and aggressive and self-endangering behaviors.

Monitor your child eating his or her candy. Of course, you’ll want to confiscate a few of your own faves as a price for your chaperoning efforts, but there are other reasons for hanging out while your child sorts through his plunder. Thankfully, razor blades and poisonous chemicals planted in candy are an overblown threat to kids, but allergens aren’t. Even if your child hasn’t been diagnosed with an allergy, he or she can develop one at anytime—especially young childhood—and many candy bars contain the most common and dangerous allergen: nuts. If there are any signs of rash, oral or throat itchiness, trouble breathing, or a bellyache that can’t be explained by a few too many Hershey’s miniatures, contact a healthcare provider immediately (or 911 for respiratory distress), and administer a dose of Benadryl while you monitor the situation. (If your child has a diagnosed food allergy, look for houses with teal-colored pumpkins—parents there have pledged to dole out only non-food treats.) Also, make sure children under 3 don’t get into treats like Gobstoppers, gumballs, or stiff taffy, all of which are choking hazards.

Make a dinner and bedtime plan. This year’s Halloween presents a perfect storm of routine-wrecking possibilities. Not only is the holiday on a Saturday night, theoretically giving kids more freedom to stay out late, the next morning we turn the clocks back, giving everyone (save for the millions of us with small children who wake up with the sun) an extra hour of sleep. But as tempting as it is to allow children to trick-or-treat well past their bedtime—the childhood equivalent of a late-night bender—experts advise against it. In his child sleep blog, Dr. Craig Canapari recommends allowing kids to stay up just a half-hour later than their usual bedtime in the three nights before DST ends (that includes Halloween), and then switching back to the “regular” schedule on November 1. As for dinner: set aside a time for kids to have a real, filling meal so they don’t load up later on candy: There is a real uptick in hospital visits for abdominal pain and diarrhea related to candy consumed on Halloween.

Be safe and enjoy!

Create a Fairy Garden (or Wizard Garden)

April 24, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

With three boys, I never had much hope for getting my kids interested in dollhouses. But recently, in our favorite local garden center, we came across something better: fairy gardens.

Apparently, these miniature gardens are developing a cult following. While it may seem a bit twee as a grown-up hobby, it’s a terrific activity to do with kids. Like dollhouses, you can create a pretend world, but this is a much more magical, mystical, living world, with growing plants and water and other natural items amid little figurines.

If you have a child who’s firmly against anything to do with sprites in gauzy, pastel dresses, know you need not make “fairy garden”; you can, as we did, make a wizard, elf, or gnome garden, with magical men and spooky little plants, like cactuses and interesting vine-like ground cover.

Fairy or Wizard Garden How-To

1. Find a tray, pot, or a base that is at least four inches deep. If you want to make a larger fairy garden, consider a galvanized tub or even a wheelbarrow.

2. Fill with several inches inches of good potting soil and, if desired, some moss.

3. Decorate your garden with 2-3 small plants per square foot. Make sure the plants have similar sunlight and water needs. Miniature succulents and ground cover plants work well.

4. Use or purchase miniature figurines at a garden store or online. Our local garden center, Volante Farms, sells products made by Georgetown Home and Garden (including the cool wizard, below left). Plow and Hearth, Enchanted Garden, and The Fairy Garden Store also have a great selection. Pet stores also sell little cottages and colorful rocks in their fish section.

5. Use found rocks, chipped pottery, or tiles to make pathways or other designs throughout your garden.

6. Let your child place the tray in his or her windowsill, the kitchen, or in a protected area outside, and set a spray bottle or little watering can nearby as a reminder to keep the soil moist. Make a watering schedule he or she can stick to.