outdoor games Archives - Happy Healthy Kids

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.

Keep Kids Safe from Ticks

June 3, 2017 by Kelley 1 Comment

You may not have appreciated the harsh winter, but there’s one species that did: ticks. According to scientists, the snow that covered much of the country acted like a cozy blanket for the critters, allowing them to survive and propagate in unusually high numbers. And they’re not just hanging out in the deep woods. “We’re finding plenty of infected ticks in built environments, places like city parks, playgrounds, work campuses, college campuses,” a Binghamton University researcher told CBS Boston last month.

What’s especially worrisome is that ticks’ favorite meal appears to be kids. Children between ages 5 to 14 are the most common carriers of Lyme disease, which can cause a wide range of serious medical problems, from joint pain and fatigue (in the early stages) as well as neurological, behavioral, and emotional disturbances (in more advanced cases). An early CDC study of 64 New Jersey grade schoolers with Lyme found that median duration of their illness was 363 days, and the mean number of school days missed because the child was too ill to attend was 103 days. 78% of the parents stated that their children experienced a fall in grade point average during the time of illness.

According to experts, it’s time that parents start thinking of tick prevention the way we do sun protection or hand washing. For those of us who grew up thinking that the little bugs were nothing more than an icky nuisance, taking daily measures against ticks is a hard new habit to start. But Nevena Zubcevik, D.O., an attending physician at Harvard Medical School and the Co-Director of The Dean Center for Tick Borne Illness at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, has generously shared these easy-to-follow guidelines for keeping kids safe from ticks this summer and beyond.

STARTING IN THE SPRING…make your home and yard an unhappy place for ticks.
Pruning excess bushes and making sure you keep the grass short in your yard is a good practice. So is spraying the yard for ticks—there are lawn-care companies who offer organic options to insecticides. If you have a dog, consider applying anti-tick medication monthly, even in winter months. Dogs and other pets frequently bring ticks into the house.

EVERY MORNING…Spray your kids with a research-proven tick repellent.
“Tick prevention, given the wide area of presence, should be a daily practice,” says Dr. Zubcevik. You don’t have to venture out to the woods to get a tick bite. Recent studies show that urban parks, yards and play areas have ticks that carry these diseases. The reason for the widespread presence of ticks is that they live on small rodents like mice, squirrels and rabbits. They are also found on migratory birds, so ticks carrying illnesses generally found in other parts of the country can now be detected most anywhere.
Long pants and socks are especially helpful for defending kids against ticks, which tend to attach to their hosts’ ankles and legs first. But it can be unreasonable to ask kids to wear long clothes on a hot summer’s day. A recent Consumer Report showed that sprays such as Repel with lemon eucalyptus or Sawyer with 20% picaridin have the capability of keeping mosquitoes and ticks away for up to 8 hours – and outperformed compounds with DEET in their testing. “Those compounds are also safer than DEET for repetitive use in children,” says Dr. Zubcevik.

IN THE EVENING…Check your kids’ bodies for ticks, and wash bodies and clothes.
Ticks mostly live on wood or bushes and tall grass. They’ll attach to your leg and can crawl up and enter the waist or hairline area. Since kids are short, they also often brush by a bush and end up with a tick in or around their earlobe, hair or armpit. A prompt shower with a full body tick check after being outdoors on daily basis can help find ticks that just attached and catch them before they have transmitted disease. Making sure you check between toes, in belly button and earlobes as well as the buttocks, groin and hair is key. Hair-drying in the summer can help kill small ticks that would otherwise be missed with a tick check – though time consuming, such practice can help long term prevention.

IF YOU FIND A TICK…Remove it, freeze it, and talk to a doctor.
If you find a tick you can use thin tweezers to catch the tick at the insert site, closest to the skin and gently jiggle the tick until it detaches. If the tick is embedded deep, then a visit to the doctor would be warranted, says Dr. Zubcevik. (Never burn or squeeze a tick. The tick carries most of the bacteria in the stomach and by squeezing it you run a risk of injecting the contents into the person. You should then keep the tick, and freeze it in a ziplock bag and then send it for testing.) The testing is done at UMass, and in five business days they will let you know whether the tick has any serious illnesses.
If the result is positive for a tick-borne illness, talk to your child’s pediatrician about options. There are some opposing views about prophylactic treatment. Some physicians say that because the diseases the ticks carry can be debilitating and in some cases life-threatening, it’s important to treat if there was evidence of a bite; while others disagree and prefer to wait for symptoms of illness. “The problem is that the longer you wait, the higher the chances the bacteria has had time to spread throughout the body, in which case it might be more difficult to treat,” Dr. Zubcevik says. Current studies at John’s Hopkins University show that up to 35% of people develop chronic symptoms despite treatment for Lyme. “We do not know what the exact reasons of these chronic symptoms are,” notes Dr. Zubcevik. “Scientists have postulated that it could be an autoimmune reaction that is triggered by the infection, chronic inflammation, or continued infection by the bacteria.”

ALWAYS BE ON THE LOOKOUT…for signs and symptoms of Lyme.
Red flags are flu like symptoms, joint pains or swollen joints, sudden change in behavior, sudden development of repetitive movements, lethargy, fatigue, and headaches. A classic “bulls-eye” shaped rash around the bite site may be present, but not always, and therefore should not be required for diagnosis of this illness.
One big reason kids are at high risk is that they generally do not communicate symptoms very well. Parents should know that in case their kids develop any symptoms that are new and concerning, they should be vigilant to find out whether or not their child needs treatment. “Currently we have very poor testing for Lyme disease,” says Dr. Zubcevik. “The current test misses 89% of Lyme disease cases in the first 8 weeks of infection.”
Since testing is so inadequate, Dr. Zubcevik warns, results should not be depended on exclusively for diagnosis. Symptoms and risk factors should also be strongly considered. “The treatment is actually quite benign,” she says. “We use antibiotics such as amoxicillin for children under the age of 8 and doxycycline for older kids. Both of these antibiotics have good safety records and are generally well tolerated. With these facts in mind, both parents and physicians should feel comfortable starting a patient on antibiotics if they clinically present as Lyme.”

Bottom line…As long as Lyme remains so tricky to diagnose and treat, taking precautions is key. “Parents should be vigilant with prevention,” says Dr. Zubcevik. “It’s what we have most control over.”

The Tick Toolkit
	Repel with lemon eucalyptus or Sawyer with 20% picaridin have been tested to keep mosquitoes and ticks at bay for up to 8 hours.
	Fine tip tweezers like these by TAMSCO will allow you to remove ticks more easily.
	When sprayed on a child's socks or clothes before heading out in grassy, wooded or overgrown areas, Permethrin helps repel ticks.
	Get kids jazzed for a nightly bath or shower with a fun soap, like Method's Mickey Mouse lemonade body and hair wash.

12 Healthy Gift Ideas

December 13, 2016 by Kelley 1 Comment

When considering our nearest and dearest at the holidays, we’d all like to find a happy medium between passing off a plastic gift card and spending a hair-raising amount of time or money for the sake of “meaning.” Enter what I’ll call a “healthy gift”—an easy little something that helps a loved one feel, look, or do better; and, ideally, keeps on giving throughout the coming year. I tapped some of the doctors and wellness gurus whose advice we’ve shared on this blog to share their favorite healthy gifts to give in 2017. Hope you can find something for a special someone—including, maybe, you.

For your neighbor…
Instead of a cookie platter, dietitian and fitness trainer Dana White, R.D. likes to give homemade flavorings that people can use to make a recipe taste even more delicious. Her two favorites, that are super-easy to make but have a big “wow” factor: Homemade vanilla extract and rosemary-citrus sea salt. She packages the vanilla extract with her pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe, and the gourmet salt with her “ready-in-minutes” baked sweet potato chip recipe.
Get Dana’s vanilla extract recipe here and pumpkin-chocolate chip recipe here. Be sure to order small food-grade bottles in advance. You can get them at craft stores or 12 for $16 at Amazon.
Get Dana’s rosemary-citrus sea salt recipe here and baked sweet potato chip recipe here.

For elementary schoolers…
Balance toys promote all-important core strength, keep children active inside or out, and are unique in that they actually keep kids interest as they grow. Curt Hinson, Ph.D., founder of the Dr. Recess program encouraging more effective and creative physical fitness in schools, has two faves:
Teeter Popper: Kids can sit or stand on the treads, and rocking motion makes for cool suction noises on pavement $35 at Amazon.
Spooner Board: Kids can master tricks on this wide balance board, and get a jump start on the core movements they need to master surfing, skateboarding, or snowboarding. $45 at Fat Brain Toys.

For big kids…
Yale Pediatric Sleep Center director Craig Canapari, M.D. has written on here and on his phenomenal blog about how crucial rest is for kids and grown-ups alike. But due to anxiety, hormonal shifts, or noisy households, many kids have sleep problems that develop or persist beyond their baby years. For them (or sleep-deprived adults), “you can’t beat a Marpac sound conditioner,” says Dr. Canapari. Appropriately tech-y-looking for discerning older children, the domed device emits the soothing, consistent sound of gentle rushing air, with customizable tone and volume control. Marpac Dohm All-Natural White Noise Sound Machine, $45-50 at Amazon.

For ‘tweens and teens…
It may be infuriating, but it’s natural and even healthy for teens to crave some space from parents and younger siblings. For Two Peds in a Pod pediatricians and moms Julie Kardos, M.D. and Julie Kardos, M.D., a well-received gift for this age group are tools that honor their desire for privacy—”within reason.” Along with journals that can lock and remote controls that allow kids to put out their own light before putting themselves to bed, Drs. Kardos and Lai like bedroom doorbells that can attach to the outside of teens’ doors. Girlz Own Bedroom Doorbell, $13, Amazon.

For a sister or best friend…
When life feels like a closed circuit board of family and work, a great gift is something pampering and utterly self-involved. New York City dermatologist and mom of three, Julie Karen, M.D., of CompleteSkinMd, tries and tests hundreds of products, and is head-over-heels right now with one in particular: Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment. “This peptide rich cream is very hydrating, helps diminish undereye dark circles and puffiness, and also has the unique ability to stimulate new healthy elastic tissue,” she says. Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment, $85, CompleteSkinMD.

For your mom…
The growing season doesn’t have to end with the cold weather. Gardening guru Marion Mass suggests giving anyone who appreciates nature (and healthy eating) a “sprouting kit” to grow salad- and smoothie-friendly microgreens on the windowsill. You can buy a complete kit, like the one below), or give a cute, small container and seeds separately. Include a written or e-card with a link to Marion’s how-to on kitchen gardening: http://www.chicksforlife.com/videos-pxhnf. The Simply Good Box by Home Greens, $28, Amazon.

For your significant other…
“My favorite suggestion is to give a gift that does not involve a material possession but that involves growth,” says Ellen Braaten, Ph.D., director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital. Classes in a budding hobby or a personal passion, like cooking, can be a real treat. You can pick a Sur La Table specialty class in a fave topic—cookies to roasts—in many different culinary areas in 22 states. Sur La Table cooking classes, surlatable.com

For anyone…
A totally free and meaningful gift that family members can give one another is a handwritten gift certificate for a gesture or service that only they can provide, says Erica Reischer, Ph.D., a psychologist and parenting coach and author of What Great Parents Do: 75 Simple Strategies for Raising Kids Who Thrive. “One might say, “when presented with this certificate, mom or dad will put down their phone (or get off their computer) and spend time with me,” suggests Dr. Reischer. Other ideas: a 10-minute back massage before bed, a round of a favorite board game, or help with a house project that’s been back-burnered. What’s more: Honor it—and your loved one—with your full attention when it’s cashed in.

Photo credit: Dana White

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.

How to Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike

September 28, 2016 by Kelley 3 Comments

Is it just me, or does parenting a child from ages 4 to 6 seems seem like a disproportionately packed stretch of “teaching?” It’s in this tiny window when we’re told many of our children are “ready” (read: expected) to master the basics of an extraordinary number of life skills. Swimming. Swinging. Skating. Tooth-brushing. Buttoning. Writing. Reading. The list goes on. No wonder kids this age seem tired all the time.

For our Pre-K’er, the skill du jour is riding a bike. He’s clearly outgrowing his 12-inch training-wheeled number, and his penchant for endless loops around our driveway makes me think he might be ready to ditch the training wheels. But I don’t know if I’m ready—at least if this move will precipitate the tears and panic that characterized his older brothers’ graduation from four to two wheels. So I turned to Curt Hinson, Ph.D, a physical education expert and a Happy Healthy Kids adviser, for guidance. Dr. Hinson, who consults school P.E. departments around the country with his Dr. Recess program, has taught hundreds of kids to ride a bike, and usually after just several minutes of instruction. Here are his expert tips.

Skip training wheels. I had a feeling this was a miss on my part, and Dr. Hinson confirmed it. “They actually keep the kid from learning because they balance the bike for the rider,” he says. The key is to get their core engaged from the get-go, to make it easier to shift to a big-kid bike. For 3- and 4-year-olds learning to ride, he recommends a pedal-less bike (a.k.a. “balance bike”). “The rider sits on the seat and propels himself forward with his feet

Cleary Bikes’ Starfish Balance Bike

on the ground. This enables the child to balance the bike on his own and steer it, which are the two keys to learning to ride,” Dr. Hinson says. A really good one recently on the market: the 12-inch Starfish Balance Bike by Cleary Bikes. It’s pricey—starting at $199—but with a leather seat, special sealants to protect the paint, and (almost unheard of in balance bikes) a hand break, it’s one special piece of engineering. Find it at clearybikes.com or here at amazon.com. Another good, more affordable option is Tauki Kids 12-inch Balance Bike, available for $80 at amazon.com.

Bell’s Zipper Helmet

(And don’t forget a helmet, of course: The Bell Zipper has some great designs, and has been recommended in Consumer Reports’ safety ratings.)
Kids between 5 and 7 are a little too big for these little balance bikes. In their case, start with a regular two-wheeler that’s sized appropriately for them. This chart from the International Bicycle Fund is a good starting point to figure out what to buy.

What Size Bike is Right?

Age	Inseam size (from crotch to foot)	Wheel diameter (bike size)
4-6 years	16-20 inches	14 inches
5-8 years	18-22 inches	16 inches
6-9 years	20-24 inches	18 inches
7-10 years	22-25 inches	20 inches

Source: International Bicycle Fund

Lower the seat and have them practice “walking” the bike on grass. Having their feet flat on the ground at first is helpful. Encourage them to walk the bike while sitting on it. “The child should walk his feet on the ground, moving the bike, making turns and circles,” says Dr. Hinson. ” The goal is for him to get the feel of what it takes to steer the bike and balance it. Since their feet are on the ground, it’s fairly easy, and falls are eliminated.”
Do the same thing on the pavement. Once the child seems comfortable making turns and circles on foot while seated on the bike, progress to the driveway or a parking lot (preferably something flat, smooth, and with a lot of room to go off course). Have him try walking while making turns and circles on the pavement, until he’s comfortable.
Raise the seat back up to a proper height to try pedaling. “Many people want to keep the seat low and have the kid pedal with the seat low—they think this is safer because the kid will be able to put his feet on the ground if he begins to fall,” Dr. Hinson says. But once they are past the “walking” stage, this is a no-no: “Having the seat low makes it really difficult to pedal, as your legs are never fully extended, and when beginners sense they are falling they don’t always put their feet on the ground, but rather let go of the handle bars and basically try to jump off the bike—it’s just instinct, they all do it.” Move the seat up so there’s about a 10-degree bend in their knee when the pedal is at the bottom of the pedal stroke—their toes should just barely touch the ground.
Lightly support the rider as they start push off one foot and start pedaling. “People try to hold the seat, but that’s just balancing it for the rider—the same thing as training wheels,” says Dr. Hinson. “I typically will either grab the rider up under both armpits or grab a hold of his shirt in the center of his back and bunch it up in my hand. Then run along side of the rider—that’s the difficult part. It takes effort, stamina, strength and compassion (no yelling allowed!).”
Keep the mood light, too. Some kids will be riding capably in a few minutes, others will take more time. For slower learners—often the kids who are little more risk-averse—be sure to not put on too much pressure, which will just make them more anxious. Take a break and try again later.

Protecting Kids From Mosquitoes

July 19, 2016 by Kelley 1 Comment

Are you, or anyone in your family, a mosquito magnet like me? In a group of people, I am always the first swatting; and the next day, itching like mad. I’ve twice—once, on my Hawaiian honeymoon—had to go on a crash course of oral steroids to treat dozens of oversized welts caused by a single buggy encounter.

Medical literature suggests that some people are genetically predisposed to attracting these mosquitos—something about the amount of heat and carbon dioxide we produce—and that seems to play out in our family, given that my dad, and now my youngest son, seem predisposed to an inordinate amount of itchy, oversized bites this time of year. But it’s now apparent that, even here in the states, these flies are more than pesky, and we all need to take protection more seriously. While findings of bugs carrying the West Nile virus are on the rise, Zika has officially infiltrated the U.S.: as of mid-July CDC reports that more than 1,300 people have carried the virus into the country. As this fascinating chart by the Bill Gates Foundation illustrates, mosquitos are the deadliest creature on the planet, more dangerous than humans, snakes, and 12 other fearsome creatures combined.

Last summer, I did a round-up of expert tips for steering clear of ticks; as we roll into mosquito high season, I’m sharing takeaways from the most recent research for keeping kids safe from ‘skeeters.

DEET is safe and works—but make sure you choose the right concentration.
While it may feel fishy to spray your child down with a chemical that can (for real) melt plastic, a recent review by British public health researchers echoed many others to show that DEET products are safe for kids when used as directed, and are perhaps the most time-tested way to successfully repel insects. Studies show that a product should contain at least 10% to work much at all, but effectiveness seems to plateau at 50% concentrations. The higher the concentration, the longer it lasts; but as with most chemicals, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends choosing a product that contains the lowest DEET concentration that will be effective for the amount a time a child will be exposed to buggy conditions. For children over 2 months of age only (chemical use on newborns should be avoided), the AAP and CDC recommend choosing a DEET product between 10% and 30%—the former lasting about 2 hours, and the latter for around 5 hours—and reapplying as the product directs or when you feel the bugs starting bite again. Unfortunately, many sprays marketed to “families” have too-low concentrations of the protective chemical. So be sure to check the fine print on the bottom of the front label: Among the four DEET-based bug spray options at my local supermarket yesterday, three were 7% concentration.

Good DEET spray choice for day trip (for kids over 2 months): Cutter Backwoods Insect Repellent (25%)

Good DEET choice for travel (for kids over 2 months): OFF! Deep Woods Insect Repellent Wipes (25%)

Good (non oily!) DEET spray choice for backyard or playground (for kids over 2 months):

Two lesser known repellents work too, if you can find ’em.
Picaridin is another chemical repellent with a long safety track record, and a 2016 Consumer Reports study found that sprays with 20% concentration of Picaridin were even more widely effective than DEET. The problem is, it’s hard to find products with concentrations this high outside of Europe and the Internet (see below). Another winner: Oil of lemon eucalyptus. Though a more natural choice than DEET and Picaridin, it’s not recommended for use in kids under 3 (it can be a skin irritant).

Good picaridin choice (for kids over 2 months): Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent with Picaridin (20%)

Good Oil of lemon eucalyptus choice (for kids over 3 only): Repel Lemon Eucalyptus (30%)

Skip bands, bracelets, bath oils, and candles.
Those cute little rubber bracelets and pretty citronella lanterns aren’t going to do more than decorate wrists and picnic tables. Consumer Reports found they had little to no effect on shooing away mosquitoes, echoing a 2002 New England Journal of Medicine report that also found that Skin-So-Soft didn’t repel the bugs for longer than about 10 minutes.

Make your home unfriendly to mosquitoes.
While these bugs are wily opponents, there are things you can do to make your property less hospitable to them. Make sure window and door screens are tight fitting and don’t have holes. Eliminate sources of standing rainwater where mosquitoes like to breed (such a empty pots, buckets, and vinyl covers for pool and furniture), and try a product like mosquito dunks if you have a catchment basin (like we do). You can talk to a professional lawn care company about research-proven treatments for your lawn and trees to dissuade mosquitoes, but these tend to be expensive, and, according to the American Mosquito Control Association, widespread pesticide spraying may harm other, beneficial insects.

Be aware of time of day and weather.
Mosquitoes that carry different types of diseases like to emerge at different times of day. In most areas of the U.S., mosquitoes tend to be peskiest in the early evening hours, but if you’re in a place where these bugs tend to cause dengue, yellow fever, or chikungunya, you need to be vigilant about spraying and keeping doors and windows closed during daylight hours, too. Also, be sure to use repellent in humid conditions; think the woods just after a rainstorm. To see what types of mosquitoes are active in your area, check out this map by the CDC. And regardless of time or climate, experts urge us parents to start thinking about bug spray just as we would sunscreen: an essential, daily habit. Unfortunately, scratchy legs aren’t the only things we’re protecting kids against these days.

Photo credit: Quel maringouin! via Photo Pin, cc

Why Active is More Important than Thin

April 1, 2016 by Kelley 1 Comment

From magazine covers to reality TV to body-negative chatter on the Internet, we’re surrounded my messages that it’s good—paramount, perhaps—to look fit. But someone can look physically healthy and not be—even in childhood, as important new research shows.

In a study led by Mount Sinai Hospital researchers in New York City and funded by the U.S. Department of Health, 1.5 million teens were given physical fitness assessments, and then tracked as adults—up to age 62. Turns out that young people with poor aerobic fitness and low muscle strength had triple the risk of diabetes later in life, regardless of their body mass index (BMI). Kids who were active, but heavier, were still protected against diabetes—likely due, researchers say, to the way that physical activity helps regulate the hormone insulin. Insulin sensitivity is the main factor in the development of diabetes. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes—a number that’s rising at an “alarming” pace, according to CDC officials.

These findings bring home two important messages that are crucial to pass on to our kids. One, that “thin”—no matter how good it looks poolside or on the cover of US Weekly—can still be unhealthy. And, two: that being active might be the most important thing you can do for your health.

We’ve shared lots of ideas for keeping kids moving on this site, including teaching them silly, old-school neighborhood games, giving them access to great outdoor toys, and playing fun games en famile, from the driveway to the beach. For older kids, organized sports are obviously a terrific way to combine physical activity with a social outlet. But as we’ve noted before, kids who aren’t into the team thing can get the same physical and emotional benefits by participating in lower-stakes recreational games and less mainstream physical activities, like yoga or a running club.

The key: Teaching kids from very early on that physical activity is not only fun but helps you feel good—and most important, modeling that message ourselves. If you’re inclined to stick the scale in a back closet—and perhaps pull out the jump rope or hand weights you stashed in there sometime during the Bush administration—we’d be supportive of that too.

Photo credit: “Hooray for Summer!” via Photo Pin, cc

Neighborhood Games Kids Should Know

July 26, 2015 by Kelley 1 Comment

As kids age, telling them to “go play”—the refrain of summer—gets trickier. Lately, I’ve been longing for the days when my older boys happily played with a jumble of toys or on our swing set for hours on playdates. Now, when my 9- and 7-year-old sons have friends over to our house, they play some sports, sometimes skirmish with Nerf or water guns, and ask, disappointingly often, to use the computer or iPad. We’ve resisted buying an Xbox—for better or worse, depending on how you look at it.

On summer days in my childhood, neighborhood kids would play together for hours, no digital or sports gear needed. We played games—various forms of tag, Red Rover, Kick the Can, and when the fireflies emerged, Manhunt or Ghost in the Graveyard. So when my older sons had two equally active, adventurous friends over this afternoon, I got two sticks, tied bandanas to them, and suggested Capture the Flag. They played for nearly two hours, swapping alliances for various rounds—and I haven’t heard such delighted shrieks—or seen such sweaty faces—from a group of kids in a long time.

It occurred to me that my kids don’t know how to play most of the neighborhood games that dominated my childhood. So, as we close out a camp-packed July and enter a less structured August, I’m making a cheat sheet of games for my children and their friends (you can select and print the 8 x 10 sheet below). Feel free to adapt the finer points; you may have used different rules and names than we suburban Philly kids did in the 80s. And if, on a summer’s evening, you want to jump into a round of Manhunt, expect to score some major points with the kids.

5 Common Summer Ailments in Kids

July 16, 2015 by Kelley Leave a Comment

Most of us associate sick days with wintertime. That’s when storefronts and commercials are dominated by cough syrup and Kleenex; not now, when sunscreen and beach balls take center stage. So when our kids spike a fever or complain of a sore throat on vacation, it may take us a bit longer to catch on—and, frankly, accept—that they’re under the weather.

As much of a drag as summer ailments are, it’s important they’re on every parents’ radar. Some health problems that go along with warm weather are as, if not more, serious to kids’ health than the coughs, colds, and flu that circulate during the school year. To get the scoop on what pediatricians are seeing in the office right now, I talked to my friend Laura Scharf, M.D., a pediatrician at Quincy (Ma.) Pediatric Associates who also serves as a physician at Camp Becket in the Berkshires, as well as HHK’s advisors Naline Lai, M.D. and Julie Kardos, M.D. of Two Peds in a Pod. Here, they weigh in on how to recognize and treat some of kids’ most common summer ailments. (In each case, be sure to consult with your child’s own healthcare provider for individualized treatment.)

Coxsackie (Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease)
Common in kids, Coxsackie often spreads around pools, sprinkler parks, public bathrooms, and other “wet” places. Part of the large family of enteroviruses that live in our gut, different Coxsackie strains cause different symptoms, but hallmarks are a high fever and small, sometimes painful blisters around the mouth, hands, feet, and sometimes buttocks. “A new strain we’re seeing can also cause a more extensive rash, often on the lower legs,” says Dr. Scharf. Kids can also get runny noses and pinkeye.
How to treat: Ibuprofen or acetaminophen (administered as directed on the label) can control fever and pain. Soft, cool foods and drinks like yogurt and milkshakes can help soothe blisters in the mouth and throat. Symptoms usually go away in 3-7 days.

Summer Colds
Believe it or not, we’re seeing a lot of colds in the office, says Dr. Lai. Often caused by different enterovirus strains than the ones that cause Coxsackie, these colds may bring on a fever and cough. They circulate where a lot of kids congregate, like camps and daycare. “So it’s not surprising we saw a spike after the July 4th holiday,” Dr. Lai says.
Prevent and treat: Viral colds can’t be eradicated with an antibiotic. Rest and lots of fluids is the best prescription. Your child should feel better within a week; if not, see a doc.

Lyme Disease
Prevalent in the northeast, Pacific northwest, and midwest, particularly in woodsy areas (but not always), Lyme disease is the most common illness spread by infected ticks. (Other tick-borne illnesses include babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. For a complete rundown, with geographic trends, check out the CDC’s page, here.) Kids who end up testing positive for Lyme come to the doctor’s office with a nagging fever, aches and pains, and sometimes a bulls-eye-shaped rash. Read more about diagnosing and treating Lyme in this previous HHK post I did with Lyme expert Nevena Zubcevik, D.O.).
Prevent and treat: Apply sprays with 20% picaridin or 30% DEET on your child before he or she goes outside for long periods, especially around wooded or grassy areas. See a doctor right away if he or she has a strange, circular rash or unexplained, recurring fevers or achiness (without other symptoms). Lyme can be diagnosed through blood tests (though false negatives are common, so be sure to follow up if symptoms persist), and treated successfully with antibiotics, especially if caught early.

Rashes
“Summer is rash season,” says Dr. Scharf. Some skin flare-ups are associated with illnesses, such as Coxsackie or Lyme, above. But our peds are also seeing a lot of bumps and welts due to photosensitivity (a reaction to excessive sunlight), contact dermatitis (sensitivity to a material or a product, often a new sunscreen), heat rash (when sweat gets trapped under clogged pores), poison ivy, and bug bites.
Prevent and treat: Limit sun exposure, especially if you have a sun-sensitive kid, and do a patch test to make sure a new sunscreen or product agrees with your child before sending him or her out for the day (sensitive kids often do best with mineral-based sunscreens with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.) Teach your kids to avoid overgrown wooded areas and keep to paths to avoid poisinous plants. Dressing your child in loose, lightweight clothes can help ward off heat rash. If rashes develop, consult your pediatrician or dermatologist; treatments range from calamine lotion to topical steroids in more extreme cases, to temper welts and stave off itching. It’s important to keep sores clean with soap and water, and to teach kids try to avoid scratching too much, especially with unclean hands. “We see a lot of infected bug bites from this, “says Dr. Lai.

Stomach Bugs
Foodborne illnesses peak in summer months. Bacteria on food grows fastest in warm, moist conditions, and people are often cooking and eating far away from refrigerators and trusted heat sources that can regulate storage and cooking temperatures (think of picnics and beach barbecues). Illnesses usually strike within minutes or hours of eating a contaminated food, and can be mild or severe, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes fever. Kids can also pick up bugs from swimming in—and often swallowing—contaminated water. Between 1978 and 2010, norovirus was the second-leading cause of illness outbreaks associated with untreated recreational water, such as lakes, according to the CDC.
Prevent and treat: Clean hands frequently when preparing food, and be sure to keep food that’s susceptible to bacteria (like raw meats) packaged tightly and separated from other edibles. Keep raw produce and meats cold with frequently changed ice packs if outdoors, and cook foods to recommended temperatures (145 for beef steaks, 160 for ground meats, and 165 for pork). The USDA recommends bringing a meat thermometer to picnics and cookouts. If a queasy stomach strikes, keep a child hydrated with plenty of non-acidic, non-dairy fluids. When kids are swimming, especially in untreated lakes or ponds, make sure they avoid swallowing water, and wash up afterwards.You can also replenish them gradually with small sips of oral rehydration solutions made with electrolytes.

Photo credit: Dave Jacquin via Flickr, cc license 2.0

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.