The bike parade doesn’t have to be limited to children; adults can and probably should participate as well. Here’s what you’ll want to do to plan and host your own neighborhood bike parade.

1. Gather the neighborhood together to discuss your idea and see how many people are interested in participating. After you know who will be involved, you can determine the parade route through your neighborhood. Don’t make it too long that little children won’t be able to participate, but don’t make it too short that adults and older teens won’t be interested.

2. Announce the event in your area at local businesses. Create colorful flyers with the important information – date, time, and place. You may want to include a tear-off with your telephone number so others in your area can contact you if they need more information.

3. Ask the children to decorate their bicycles, tricycles, wagons, or scooters with streamers. Leaving the type of transportation open will allow more people to join in the fun. The only limitations necessary are that the decorations not be dangerous such as things poking off of a bike that a child might be injured on. Otherwise, the sky is the limit as far as the decorations go.

4. Allow the children, and adults too, to dress up in patriotic clothing or have a face painting area set up at the beginning of the route so those interested can have their faces painted with red, white, and blue flags, stars, and Uncle Sam hats.

5. Plan to arrive early on the day of the parade. Mark off the route and be ready with other adults to help you. Take your time getting everyone arranged so the parade will be safe (adults or teens at the front and back to keep an eye on the children).

6. Choose a teen or adult to lead the parade because they’ll need to carry the music. Remind the participants to stay together rather than running off on their own. This is a parade, not a race, so it’s important that the parade go slowly enough for young children but quick enough for older children not to become too impatient.

7. Ask those viewing the parade to take pictures to remember the day by. You may even want to call the local newspaper to come and cover the parade.

8. At the end of the parade, you can have refreshments or a picnic for everyone to enjoy together.

July 4th is a great day in the United States’ history. You can organize a 4th of July bike parade for your children and others to enjoy. They can show of their bikes and have a great time celebrating the day. If it’s a success, you may want to consider making the bike parade a yearly event.

1. Prioritize what’s important – Before you can have a more balanced life, you’ll want to know what things are important and learn how to prioritize them. Focus on your family before work. Don’t let your boss bully you into working late if you already have a family activity planned.

2. Drop activities that are too much – Check your calendar to see what’s upcoming. To free up time, drop any activities that make your schedule too busy or that aren’t necessary. Try to limit activities to only one for each child.

3. Learn to say “no” – Remember it’s alright to say no if your boss asks you to stay late. If they offer you overtime work, tell them thank you but you have plans you can’t break it. Ask them if you can work overtime on another date.

4. Plan for the future – Take time to get away for a day or weekend to plan, dream, or just relax. Give yourself an opportunity to look forward to what the future can hold when your work and life are more balanced.

5. Reduce clutter – Try to clean your desk off completely before leaving work on Friday. Put all important dates on a centralized calendar and get rid of the papers. Organize your office and home as well as reduce clutter to give you more time to do things you want.

6. Plan time for yourself – Don’t neglect yourself while focusing on work and family. Taking time out for yourself will help you be a better parent, a better partner, and a better employee.

7. Get help when needed – Don’t be afraid to get help when needed. Hire a babysitter or ask grandparents to take the children while you’re working. Do you work from home? Find a virtual assistant or hire someone to do work for you while you attend to family needs.

8. Know your limits – There’s no such person as Superman or Superwoman. You’re not able to do everything without something having to give; most of the time the thing that gives is your health.

9. Plan for balance – Unexpected things may happen, but if you put time for you to enjoy a hobby or spend time goofing off with your children on your calendar and guard that time, you’re more likely to actually make those plans possible.

10. Ask your employer about flex time. Some employers offer flex time where you work overtime without pay so you can take time off at a future date. It can’t hurt to ask your employer about this. The worse they can do is tell you it’s not available.

These ten ways of better work/life balance are a few of the many changes to consider if you’re working too much. You may feel the need to work but there’s no reason it should take over your life. Using one or more of these ideas may help you get your priorities in order and give you more time to spend with your family.

Perhaps your older children are interested in a number of activities. They may want to be involved in baseball, football, soccer, martial arts, gymnastics, softball, basketball, or ice skating. Then there’s band, dance, musical instrument lessons, or voice lessons they’re interested in. Throw in scouting or volunteering and the number of possible ways to be away from home increases even more.

It’s important to make sure kids aren’t involved in too many activities. Children, like adults, only have 24 hours in each day. They have to attend school and sleep at least eight hours a night. This leaves eight hours for eating, doing chores, doing homework, spending time with family, and then extracurricular activities.

You can choose to limit each child to one extracurricular activity per season. If your child is athletic you might allow them to play two sports each school year as long as they don’t coincide with one another. Do you have a music lover? Allow them to play in the band, but you could ask them to wait until summer to take individual lessons.

How do you maintain balance among the different family members? While you may not favor one child over the other, it may seem that way to your children. Try to spend quality time alone with each child at some point during the month. In fact, you may want to plan a special “date” with each child. This will enable them to have undivided time with you or your partner and squelch any complaints about you not spending time with them.

You’ll also want to be sure you to spend quality time with your partner so they don’t feel left out. Planning a weekly or bi-weekly date night is important for maintaining your relationship. Instead of spending your time talking about the children, take the opportunity to dream about your future.

While you’re spending time with others in the family, don’t forget to take care of yourself. You can’t be expected to be able to meet others’ needs if you’re overly stressed or burned out. A trip to a day spa which will pamper you may be just what you need to rejuvenate.

So, you’ve limited the number of activities each person in the family is allowed to participate in. You are also spending time with each child to ensure they feel loved. Now it’s time to keep all of the activities from cutting into the family’s free time, but what can you do to accomplish this? One thing you might consider is actually scheduling activities for the entire family to do together.

Talk about activities that everyone in the family would enjoy. This could be anything from visiting a museum, going fishing, or watching the latest movie. If your children range in age, you may find it difficult to find activities everyone will enjoy. In this case, switch up the types of activities you choose so everyone has at least one or two activities they enjoy.

Keeping your family running smoothly isn’t easy when each person is running in and out of the house to different activities. You know the importance of striking a fair balance between outside activities and family time - using some of these ideas may help create the balance you seek.

New life abounds outside. There are trees budding and flowers blooming everywhere you look. This is the perfect time to start planning a garden to supply your family with fresh vegetables during the summer and fall months.

Begin by starting seeds of any vegetables you want inside and then transplant them into your prepared garden when the threat of frost has passed. Mark off the garden to indicate where you want each type of plant to be planted. Or you can choose to plant your garden using the square foot plan, where you create a grid and plant in those squares. Whichever plan you choose for your garden, now is the time to think about and plan for it.

Take the time to enjoy the outside and have fun at the same time. Let your inner child out as you and your children blow bubbles with home-made bubble solution. Here’s how you make it: Put ¼ cup of corn syrup in a bowl. Add 4 cups of water followed by 1 cup of liquid dish soap. Stir well. You can use a wire coat hanger, pipe cleaners, or jewelry wire to make a bubble wand. Now take time to enjoy making bubbles with your children.

If each member of your family has a bicycle, why not take them out, clean them up, and then go for a bike ride? This family activity is great exercise and will help you get the kinks out of your body after being indoors. You may want to have one adult up front and one following behind the group for safety.

Go for a hike and look for signs of spring. You will probably find crocus, daffodils, and violets along with other native flowers. Don’t be surprised if you also find ladybugs, bees, and wasps. You might even find some small frogs or toads along the way if you’re near water.

Springtime is also a great time to go to the nearest zoo. Many animals have their young during the spring, so you may see some babies while you’re there. Take the time to see if the zoo has a website so you know what the layout of the zoo is, where your family’s favorite animals are housed, and where the restrooms and food pavilions are.

Finally, you can always go fly a kite. Springtime winds are usually perfect for kite flying. You can purchase kites for less than $10, often much less than that. Find an open field, a breezy day, and then let the kites fly. Don’t be surprised if younger children are mesmerized by the kites as they soar through the air.

Be honest, the warmer weather of springtime is beckoning you to go outside and have some fun! Use any of these springtime activities for the whole family, or come up with some ideas of your own. After being indoors all winter long, your whole family will enjoy spending some quality time together outdoors.

Perhaps you and your child have made kites before. If this is the case, you know how. In case you’ve never made a kite, or not since you were a child, these instructions should help you make a kite you and your child can be proud of.

You’ll need the following items to create a 4th of July ceiling kite:

* One 24” wooden dowel
* One 20” wooden dowel
* One piece of fabric – red, white, blue, or patriotic – at least 26” by 26”
* Tape or hot glue gun
* Lightweight kite string
* Craft knife
* Ruler
* Red, white, and blue ribbon

Make a cross out of the two sticks. Tie them together and put a drop of glue on the joint to make it stronger.

Cut a notch at the end of each stick making sure that each notch is deep enough to keep the string in place. Wrap the string around each notch twice, keeping the string tight. This will create the framework of the kite and should create a diamond.

After you’ve gone around each notch, move the string up to the center of the kite and make an “X” around the crossed sticks. Make another “X” with the string to keep it together. Tie it off and glue the string to the sticks.

Cut the fabric so that it’s at least an inch larger than the diamond. Wrap the fabric around the string and then tape or hot glue the ends to the fabric. Be sure the fabric is tight rather than loose.

Poke two small holes in the top and bottom points of the kite. Tie a piece of kite string, about two feet long, and tie a knot in each end. Tie a two foot piece of string on the bottom of the kite. Make bows and tie them in alternating colors about three inches apart on the string to make the tail. Tie the spool of string onto the string going from top to bottom as the flying string.

If your kite was made from a solid fabric, you can decorate the kite with paints, markers, or other fabric. Use patriotic symbols such as stars and stripes, eagles, or rockets. After you’ve taken your kite flying, you can hang it from your child’s ceiling. Using glow-in-the-dark paint or stickers to decorate the kite will help the designs stand out when the lights go out.

America has a problem with as many as one in five kids being overweight. Children need to eat balanced, nutritional meals and healthy snacks, and stay active. In a world as fast paced as ours it is difficult to be there for your kids when you hold down a full time job but the effort needs to be made. A healthy lifestyle for kids is very important and involves making the time needed to prepare healthy meals for your children. If left to their own devices we all know well what a child’s menu would consist of and any child who controls his or her own diet by zapping favorite foods in the microwave is in for trouble.
While it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure a healthy lifestyle for kids, research has shown that there are several external factors that are also responsible for our overweight children. Fast food is the number one culprit with their high calorie content and portion size. More children are being driven to school instead of good old fashioned ‘walking the two blocks to school’ concept. Of course this can also be attributed to child safety concerns. With the advent of the television, video game console and the computer it has become increasingly difficult to pry a child away and get them outdoors to play. Ask your child to stop playing his video game and come outside for a game of one-on-one basketball; the look you will get as good as asks whether you are from outer space!
Camps are an excellent solution for tackling this problem; they are geared to provide nutritious food and a whole lot of interesting activities that keep kids active and on their toes. It is hoped that the right eating habits and healthy lifestyle for kids taught at camp will translate to the home environment as well. Some of the benefits of sending your child to camp regularly can be summed up as:
• Camps are designed to reinforce positive development of children.
• At camp the child learns about foods that are good for them; these choices are presented in a fun environment in the company of other children, making it an overall happier experience to eat the things that are good for you but you may not like.
• Camps have adult staffs who serve as mentors to support healthy behavior in terms of eating and activities.
• There is a range of healthy outdoor activities even for the most die hard television fan and it is always fun to get involved in activities with other children.
• At camp children experience learning made fun through group activities that stimulate and educate; best of all there is a firm emphasis on the value of good nutrition.

One of the many advantages of family volunteering is having your family work on a project together. Not only can you spend time with one another, but you help someone who is less fortunate than yourselves. If you look at it like that, it’s a win-win situation.

Perhaps your family is concerned about the environment. You can probably find environmental projects you can do in your own area. Call the local city park to see if they need help. They may ask you to help pick up litter, plant trees or flowers in flower beds, or place markers to identify the trees along a walking trail.

Another family volunteering activity you can do is to work at a soup kitchen or center for homeless people. They have to feed those staying at the shelter every day so they’d probably be thrilled to have someone come to the center to help cook, serve, or clean up after meals. Many people consider helping during the holidays but there are needs at these shelters and centers all year round.

Is anyone in your family handy with tools? You may want to volunteer as a family to work on a Habitat for Humanity home or some similar project. If you get involved when the project first starts and see it through completion, your family can feel proud of a job well done and see the joy on a deserving family’s face when they are handed the keys to their new home.

What are some other advantages to family volunteering?

* You’re teaching your children about giving to others rather than always asking for something.

* Volunteering allows children to become involved in their community in a tangible way.

* It teaches your family to become stronger, promotes positive values, and teaches them how to work as a team.

* Having your children volunteer while they’re young will probably encourage them to continue volunteering as an adult. They may even pass the volunteering tradition onto their own children.

* Family volunteering can be a lot of fun!

Bring your family together by volunteering. You can strengthen your family, have fun, and benefit others in the process.

Scientifically it has been proven that families who eat meals together are more emotionally connected and more stable. And since everyone has to eat, why not start your fun family night in by cooking a meal together?

Family meals don’t have to be elaborate or tedious to prepare. They can be as simple as cooking hamburgers, having chips, and drinks. Of course, you may want to prepare something that will get everyone involved in the cooking process. Someone can cut up vegetables, someone else be in charge of cooking the dessert, and another person in charge of the main meal. Have everyone pitch in and the work will be completed quicker. You can also use the time to reconnect and talk about what’s happened in each person’s life since your last family fun night.

Once the meal is complete, take time to set a nice table and eat there rather than in front of the television. You can make clean-up a breeze by using disposable plates and napkins if you like, but you can also make the dinner seem more special by using nice place settings which are normally reserved for holidays.

After you’ve eaten dinner and cleaned up the dishes, continue your family night by playing board games. Have everyone choose one of their favorite games and then decide together which one you’ll play first. Games are meant to be fun and relaxing, so try to avoid becoming too competitive if that’s your personality. Depending upon the game you’ve chosen, you may be able to play more than one game; and don’t forget to play games even the little children of the family can enjoy.

If games aren’t your favorite things, you can also plan a movie night. Find a movie everyone will like, or at least tolerate, and pop some popcorn. Comedies are usually a good choice even though people have different senses of humor. Unless the humor is extremely dry, everyone in the family should at least get a chuckle out of the movie.

Pull out the family albums and take a stroll down memory lane. Remember the way the children were when they were young. Everyone loves to look at pictures of or hear stories about themselves even if they can be slightly embarrassing. Talk about some of the things your children did as babies or toddlers that you found so endearing.

No matter how busy your family may get, it’s vital to take time to reconnect as a family. You can use some of these ideas on how to enjoy a fun family night in or you can come up with some of your own. The important thing is to do something everyone, no matter what their age, will be able to enjoy and look forward to.

The beginning point for the career choice is exposure to the various aspects of life. Therefore as a parent, it is not just about getting your children to excel in child education. You may be surprised later own that after all, they are happier in the extra curricula activities. This could just be there God given way of earning a living, you should be careful not to stifle the sporting talents and instead encourage it.

Sports illustrated for Kids is a good beginning point for those trying to get the talent of their children developed. Therefore as soon as you notice a liking for sports from your child, you may need to encourage the talent by exposing the child to the reading materials and the actual field visits.

Sports illustrated for Kids provides both an opportunity for fun and also for encouraging reading. The child will therefore develop their cognitive skills while at the same time developing their liking for a particular sport. In these magazines, the children aged above 8 years of age the primary target group. These are children who are already identifying themselves with the adult heroes. Therefore the magazines will have illustrations of the players including their profiles.

Remember that at the pre-teenage years, the child is very conscious of their own image. You will therefore realize that he or she wants to find a hero that he or she can emulate. Therefore the choice of the magazine and type of concepts that it promotes will be of utmost importance. The choice of photos in the Sports illustrated for Kids is therefore very important. Before you allow the child to have a go at a magazine, you need to preview and find out the ideologies that it is promoting.

Additional benefits of using the Sports illustrated for Kids is that you will find the suggestion of the types of physical exercise that can promote fitness in your child. This is important if you want to prevent child obesity that is now so common in most developed countries. These are often tips from professional and super rich athletes and therefore the children find it easy to want to identify with the exercises. You may even realize that the children are more willing to undertake the exercises suggested in the magazines than the ones that you or gym instructor would be sharing.

The Sports illustrated for Kids magazines also have exercises for the brain. They may have puzzles or quizzes that help in jogging the brain. Therefore the child would be able to develop analytical skills by regularly using the SI magazines. Be careful not to distract them from regular school work.

In a typical home schooling, your children do not get to socialize with other children. This is of course part of the design, but it brings with it the challenge of not allowing enough of time for the children to participate in the socialization programs such as sports.

Knowing just how important it is to provide the children with opportunity to play, a major concern among parents is just how to involve your kids in sports activities when they are homeschooling. Sports and other socialization among children allow them to develop social skills that will determine their success in career. Even importantly is that they develop cognitive skills.

Below are some tips on how to involve your kids in sports activities when they are homeschooling.

1. Identify the talents of your children: Every child is born with some special abilities. These are called talents. They are innate abilities that can be very specialized. These include things such as singing, playing football, acting. All these would help the child develop the brain, socialize and even have some muscular activities. If done as part of fun, the child is able to enjoy it and develop it into a professional area. This is how any engagement in sporting activities should be viewed. Therefore each parent must find a way of identifying the talent of the child before introducing them to sports.

2. Provide various exposures: This is best done during family time out. Every child should be able to identify particular sports that he or she can engage in by first testing the various types. Therefore as a parent who wants know how to involve your kids in sports activities when they are homeschooling, expose them to various sporting events and see which of them they do love the most.

3. Talk about it: The problem in most families is that parents want the children to do just what they also do love. This should never be the case because no two human beings share characters. As a parent, you should instead involve the children when seeking how to involve your kids in sports activities when they are homeschooling. Talk about it and try to make room for the child to decide which sports that they want to be involved in.

4. Find existing sports clubs for children: You may be having a sports club that is made for your children. This will provide a solution to how to involve your kids in sports activities when they are homeschooling. This also has the advantage of being close to your home and therefore safe and cheaper. It is however important that as apparent you spend time with the children in the play field on a few occasions.

5. Ask the public school if they can join: Most public schools in the neighborhood may allow your children to participate during games time for school going children. You will however need to sign a waiver that the school is not responsible for your children.

Vacationing families carry a lot of sports equipment including baseball bats and volleyballs with nets and other paraphernalia to enjoy a good sports activity in the lush green fields even if it is for a single day.

Kids sports are increasing by the day and newer and newer sports are coming up thanks to the researchers who are knocking their brains over in finding out various ways and means in keeping the kids happy.

Moving from playschool to junior school and then on to the high school levels, sports always seem to have a separate portfolio carefully nurtured and watered to help kids become stronger and more responsible citizens of tomorrow.

Kids sports are many and are growing by the day. There are various clubs and organizations that involve kids in these sports activities and there are good lucrative prizes to be won too. Some of the clubs renowned to be promoters of kids sports also reward the losers so that they can come down once again with the zeal to win.

The more the sports the more the possibility of healthy young citizens for the nation and less of pollution and diseases. Sports improve the blood circulation of the body, keep the muscles of the body flexible and help the body to grow and meet challenges from diseases and illnesses.

Every kid should be encouraged to participate in whatever outdoor activity the kid finds interest in. Sports definitely are one activity but a kid may want to participate in cycling championships and swimming competitions too. Plain and simple, just a walk or a morning jog for a few minutes is enough to do more good to the body than harm and if this can be done regularly on a daily basis over the years, the body is well protected from diseases and other illnesses involving huge sums of money to drive the illness away.

In addition, it is strongly believed that once a body is beset with illnesses, even after a costly curing process, the body becomes permanently weak and there is every possibility of the illness returning once again.

It is in this context that kid sports need to be encouraged at all levels. City life and the shrinking greenery is also having a toll on the fields and wide open spaces, hence the Government should intervene in ensuring that the minimum amount of open space is reserved for kids in their sports activities.

The Federal Government has been too kind in reconsidering the health plans and budgets to ensure that all Americans are covered under various health schemes, but what needs to be done first is to allow kids sports grow on a massive scale to ensure that the citizens of tomorrow are healthy and safe from diseases and illnesses.

These games are a very interesting and innovative way of imparting basic cooking knowledge to your kid and various games are present depending upon the age of the specific kid. Kid cooking is indeed a fun-filled and exciting experience not only for your kid but also for you. You would simply be amazed to see your child getting hooked on to the various educative cooking games. From these games the basics of maths, english and logic are also imparted appropriately. They would also know about the fundamentals of nutrition and food. These interactive games teach your kid the different nutritional facts in an easy manner. Memorizing the same facts from a cookbook or any other resource is boring and less interactive.
Kids can be subtly inculcated with the healthy dietary habits early on in their lives at an impressionable age. You can keep your kid engaged for hours while you are busy with some other urgent activities. Various authentic websites are present which provide cooking games for kids to play online. These games have been devised by experts to ensure that your kid gets to learn something valuable and important for the rest of their lives. Your kids get a close to real-life experience from these games and many associated constructive works are also taught along with cooking. Some websites charge a fee while many are available which provide good games for kids to play online free of cost. An initial interest for cooking is developed in the minds of the kids and they easily learn to prepare the basic dishes like sandwiches, burgers, salads, pizzas, omelets, coffee, tea, ice-creams, and many delicious recipes like barbeque chicken too!
Just because the games are meant for kids does not imply that you cannot play them. When you find spare time for yourself and want to pursue something exciting you can also join your kids and help them with their games. You might also learn some new recipes which you might like to try later on. Your kids also develop the sense of proportion and realize the importance of adding the ingredients properly. The various games for kids to play online that are quite popular are ‘Making Chips’, ‘Make Cranberry- Smoothies’, ’Pizza Making’, ‘Cake Decoration’, ‘Grilled Skewer’, ‘Donuts Mania’, ‘Magic Baking’, ‘Ice Cream Parlor’, ‘Making Christmas-Cake’, ‘BBQ Hero’, ’Preparing chicken-burger’, etc. A person can use the keyboard, or the mouse, or both, for playing these games.
One interesting game that is also quite popular is cooking a breakfast. In this game one has to drag the eggbeater with the aid of the mouse. Then an omelet needs to be prepared over the frying pan. Similarly various other simple yet useful recipes can be stirred up. Do not be amazed when one fine morning you find your son by the side of your bed standing with a plate of omelet, noodles and milk-shake after learning from games for kids to play online.

1. 2 whole grain crackers, string cheese and V8 juice (1 can) - Before buying your crackers be sure to read the labels on them. Lot of brands claim to have a good percentage of whole grains but that is not actually true. Ak-Mak and Wasa are two brands which are quite reputed in this regard.

2. Hard-boiled/ stuffed egg-devil – Kids simply love to have this item. If you can churn up this dish properly, kids would just keep on eating. This recipe is also not overloaded with sugars or fats.

3. Tuna Salad along with Lettuce Rolls – You can prepare a big bowl of this preparation with 6/7 packages of tuna. If you are not so fond of tuna, chicken can be used as an alternative. While preparing this dish, use oil instead of water. The preparation would be tasty and mayo required would also be less. You can then add celery, which should be finely chopped. Add a bit of black pepper and mayo. With this you can also add shallot or minced garlic. Now after your salad is ready, roll it within lettuce leaf or serve it as a spreading on whole-wheat crackers. You now have found another delicious dish in your kid friendly cooking guide.

4. Celery sticks with Peanut Butter- Another recipe that is easy to prepare and should be a part of your kid friendly cooking guide. You can also get this in ready-packs with the regular variety of peanut butter. This recipe provides you with lot of fibers and protein and your kids would also feel satiated after having this.

5. Ham filled with cream cheese and half-cup applesauce – Be cautious to take meat which is free of additives (nitrate). Also the apple juice used should be unsweetened to ensure that your kids are consuming healthy food. Your kids would adore this extremely delicious recipe.

6. Vegetables along with Hummus – Hummus is a fantastic snack because of its capability of satiating the dipping desires of kids. You can make your customized preparation at home. You can also procure hummus from stores and different flavors are available. Cedar farms and Tribe are quite renowned in this field. If you want to know what to dip that in, there are many options available. You can easily use pita for the purpose of dipping.

7. Nuts and seeds- There are so many varieties that are available and these do not require any preparation. Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, etc. are all available to constitute a delicious food item in your kid friendly cooking guide.

The excitement in kids activities camping is so great that the children are seen preparing for the event in a big way. As the camping day nears, nothing else seem to go on in their little minds except the way the camping would progress, what all they would be doing out there in the camp, lighting campfires and listening to the noise of the insects and the beetles in the dead dark night. To the children, kids activities camping are one major event in their lives and they really want to make the event as memorable as they possibly could by planning well in advance.

While kids activities camping is conducted by licensed camping outfits who are well aware of the camp surroundings and are acquainted with the flora and fauna of the environment where the camps will be held, a huge amount of responsibility rests on their shoulders too particularly when handling kids in a camp outing. The excitement of the kids wanting to do a lot many things all at the same time need to be held in place to avoid untoward incidents especially as the camping locales are challenging and not familiar to the children. Discipline becomes the key factor in all kids activities camping and this need to be rigorously imposed by the camp organizers and the school to which the children belong. There are separate daytime and night time camping activates which the children may be engaged in.

During the daytime, the children may undertake small study tours inside the locales and the forests where the camps are usually made, to understand the life and behavior of the animals and the people living in the locality. Nighttime activities are more guarded and measured and are limited to very short distances. The regular campfire is a must for any camping activity and kids are encouraged to participate in these campfires by singing and dancing around the fire so long as the fire remains lit. Strict vigil is kept on the kids to ensure that no untoward incident happens during the night from within or outside. There are special security guards and camp keepers who undertake the vigil and remain wide alert throughout the night to prevent any incident from happening.

Kids activities camping help the kids to accept challenges and meet them head on. The uncertainties of the night and the daring camp activities during the day builds the child up in overcoming fear and shed off the element of being afraid at the slightest opportunity. It is recommended that all children must at one time or the other participate in these activities so that their confidence is enhanced and they are able to meet the challenges of life as and when they come. Frequency of these activities helps in overcoming fear, shed off all inhibitions, and builds the kids in to stronger personalities of the future. Various books are available to let parents decide on which camps their children can go to in the localities in which they are staying.

Right from the birth, it must be borne in mind that the baby spends a lot of time in playful activities and gets interested in something where it can shake its limbs in playful gesture, displaying all the happiness that it can show. This is a natural phenomenon and no amount of research can actually prove the need for such playful activities. Not only in babies, every newborn animal after a few days jumps about running and playing amongst other animals. Again, research has not been able to pinpoint this behavior of all animals and human beings as being the outcome of certain factors. But essentially it boils down to the fact that kids sports activities are necessary to let the limbs and the body open up to aid circulation of blood and at the same time help in the growth of muscles in the body.

While animals have their way of growing up, children require all the supervision that is necessary to ensure that there is no injury or wound in the growing up process and therefore supervision of the activities become necessary.

A lot of kids sports activities are undertaken at the primary and high school level of the child. The teachers engage the children in running and physical exercises and the participation of each child in these activities is encouraged. Senior school children continue the trend and there are a number of sports events organized by the school under trained experts who guide the children to participate in the sports in the correct way without getting hurt or becoming unusually tired during the course of the games. The Annual Sports Day of the school is a big event where keen competition is displayed by all the participating children in winning the various kids sports activities organized for them. While winning and losing are a part of any sports event, the most important thing is that the child gets all the exercise that the body requires to keep it in good shape and remain fit.

If you are interested in inculcating some of the popular kids sports activities in your children, it is easy. Either get in touch with a local club who organize various sports events and get your children enrolled in the club’s activities, or get in touch with a sportsman or a trainer who would be able to take regular exercise and sports training classes for your children to help them grow up to fine little men and women in the coming years.

Remember that along with sports the necessary inputs in the form of good food and vitamins are absolutely necessary to help the children develop faster and keep common ailments away permanently.

Kids love playing in the open fields and can run endlessly with a ball – in the happiness that this brings to them, they indirectly build themselves up both in body and in mind. A strong body is essential to take on the challenges and pressures of life. The stronger the physique is, the lesser is the chances of illnesses and sicknesses pulling the kid down to bed.

Kids exercise is one important curriculum in most schools and playhouses. Kids are taught to play together various games as well as activities that spread a feeling of togetherness among them and also help them in building up their strength and physique the way it is normally expected. The stronger the body is, the better is the defense mechanism against germs and viruses and better the immunity against all diseases. A healthy kid is always full of happiness and smiles, he or she is always busy with some thing or the other, whereas a sick child spends the greater part of his or her childhood in bed with the occasional visit to the physician for relief and comfort. Kid exercises can be of various kinds and types. There are various freehand exercises and others like cycling, running, jogging, swimming and even rowing and horse riding. Each of these exercises has their own sets of merits and advantages. The extent the exercise is required to be done, the timing for these exercises and the food that must be taken after the exercise is over is regularly researched upon so that there is an all round development in the health and well being of the child. Special trainers and instructors are available to teach some of the most popular kids exercise sets. These professionals are trained and have a huge amount of experience in making marvelous men out of the little kids with their frail little bodies and physique.

There are a number of kids’ exercise that can be done even without a qualified trainer. Nowadays with the video sessions and active music in the background, doing the little exercises becomes more of fun and excitement since the sessions are all structured and streamlined. You can buy a kids exercise training book that will give you step – by – step procedures of how the exercises are done. Some of these books go on to explain the merits of each exercise set and the way the exercise can help in overcoming any physical problems which the kid might have. Another easy method of learning the exercises is to go online. Be ready to learn the exercise that is being shown on the video and you will have a long enjoyable session right in front of the video screen. Generally, there are no charges in learning these online kids exercise courses but there are some sites that require a small membership fee in the beginning

However, mere inputs in the form of food and vitamins are not enough. What is also required is a good amount of physical exercise to help the child’s body remain agile and active. Physical exercises for children help in building more muscles in the body and prevent the deposition of fat in the blood. As the child does more of running and freehand exercises, the body uses up the food inputs that it receives during the day and food is converted into energy. This makes the child grow stronger and bigger.

It must be understood that physical exercises for children need to be conducted under the supervision of a good coach or physical trainer. A qualified physical trainer knows which exercise is just right for the children and he would be able to impart the proper training to the children carefully. Suddenly imposing rigorous physical exercise is just as bad for the child as not exercising at all. The trainer knows how much of running and jogging is to be done before the child gets adequate rest. After every exercising schedule, the child should be given some rest before he or she is put on another set of exercises. Exercising helps in building up the body muscles and muscles are necessary for the growth and improvement of the child. While exercising is necessary for the child, care must also be taken to see that the child has complete wholesome meals with all the ingredients that help in the growth of the child. There should be adequate fiber enriched cereals, lentils, green leafy vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates and lean fat from poultry and fish.

Physical exercises for children are well taken care of in the school itself but even outside the school, the child should be encouraged to get up early in the morning and breathe in the fresh morning air which is rich in oxygen and other vital elements. As a part of the physical exercise routine, jogging should be the first exercise which would help in attuning the body and build up the heart rate. Immediately after jogging, some amount of brisk walking or cycling does the body a lot good as all the parts of the body gets charged up like a car engine firing on all the cylinders. A good amount of weight lifting and freehand exercises helps in building up the muscles and tunes up the systems well. Finally, some amount of rest for the tired body would be essential. Now the child is fully ready to take on the day.

The more the physical exercises for children activities, the more the child grows up to be a well groomed young man and if he can keep up to his daily exercising schedule, risks of getting infected with some major diseases remain minimal and a healthy life is guaranteed so long as the exercising schedule is maintained.

These puzzles take the kid to the next level in informative learning which is a great way to learn new words, and implement them in day to day usage. Kids printable crossword puzzles are different types of crossword puzzles which the kids enjoy to the maximum. One cannot expect kids to play the regular crossword puzzles since they involve the use of complex words and no kid is expected to know these complex words. But the normal kids printable crossword puzzles are basic puzzles containing a lot of kid stuff which they are either familiar with or would be fairly familiar with after they play the game.
Kids printable crossword puzzles are available in a lot of formats suitable for the kids. The most acceptable formats for the kids are the simple ones that have a matrix of horizontally and vertically arranged words that also pick up the letters from other words to form a new word all by themselves. Not only do the kids learn the new word, they also learn the spelling of the word and try to memorize the spelling well. In a great way this improves the vocabulary of the kid and more and more words get added to his or her tiny vocabulary. Soon the child becomes more and more used to the game and has a feeling of making a big win by solving all the game without any help from any resources. The more the puzzles solved, the more the words learnt and this way the kid progresses through the intricacies of the language in a fluent speed. This helps the child in overcoming some of the learning obstacles in the school level as well since now he or she is more armed with a larger vocabulary of words and can tell the spelling of these words with amazing fluency.
In these days when reading is no more considered as a very valuable pastime, crossword puzzles are among the few options left for the child to actually learn some good words that can be put to use on a regular basis. It is hardly ever necessary to buy a book of crossword puzzles and there is rarely a good book that puts together hundreds of puzzles at one place. Most of the kids printable crossword puzzles are available in kid magazines and journals. Some tabloids devoted for the kids also have these puzzles in print on a regular basis. However if you insist on buying your kid some kids printable crossword puzzles where you can arrange the blocks and let your kid fill in the gaps with the correct alphabets, you can just have a look at the online shops available selling kid stuff. These shops generally have these crossword puzzles and also offer good bargains and discounts if you are making several purchases at the same time.

Hundreds of games are available right from the 1st grade till the kid has attained seniority and it has been researched that a kid who is into math games regularly does well in mathematics as a subject. These kids grow up learning mathematics the fun way and the result is for all to see. All kids learn mathematics in a different way but the approach to learn the subject is different in different schools. As a result the kid who adopts a more casual approach to the subject by playing various fun games with other kids happen to get a better understanding of the subject than that kid who has been brought up learning mathematics the typical academic way. Calculations are always looked down upon and the great mathematical formulae that the renowned mathematicians have researched and found out have always had a negative effect on young minds. The way the subject is presented to the kids actually makes all the difference. Right from the tender age when the kids enjoy a game of box me in where, two players participate in joining dots and get the priority of writing their initials in the box made by the player to the age of trigonometry and differential calculus, what is essentially needed is a very calculated approach so that the children do not feel that something is being imposed upon them which they have to learn to clear the grades.

The moment the idea of studying mathematics for clearing grades come into the tiny minds, the concept of mathematics being a fun subject vanishes and from then on mathematics is suddenly looked down upon. Not any more with the huge range of math games for kids that are freely available online and in various fun books in bookshops. If you are looking for various math games for kids that you would want to buy and see your child work and enjoy on these games, you can visit any bookstore and search for these game books. These games are so designed that they can be taken off the book and played on a separate playing board too. Some of the most basic and fundamental games in mathematics are available online as well. You don’t have to really buy these games but if you want to test the games and see the suitability for your child, you are definitely allowed a demo version. In this version, you can play your own games and find out your liking index to the game.

Math games for kids are also available online. Most of the games are free but there are some sites that build their own games and publish them either in a book form or as downloadable software that can be easily played by your child. Most math games are free but there are some that comes at a very reasonable price. Neither there are moving parts nor flashing lights, so it is very easy and safe as far as math games for kids are concerned.

There have been a number of such games available throughout the world and the games are of different varieties to suit all age needs. The most common printable games are either scrabble or crossword puzzles though there is the maze and the dot joining game that also has been widely accepted throughout the world.

Just how much the kids love the printable games is understood by the popularity of these games throughout the world. Most of the printable kids’ games are based on some degree of understanding and knowledge so at the end of each game there is a certain amount of learning that the kid picks up. This motivates him or her to move on to the other games that are sure to keep him or her engrossed throughout the day.

Most of the printable games for kids are cheap and affordable. Since there is no use of any other materials like plastic or metal, these games are safe and not hazardous too. What actually keeps these games as something totally different from the other games is their ability to teach something to the kids at the end of each game. For example the scrabble game teaches the kids new words that they can apply when the occasion is suitable for such an application. Also there are some more printable games for kids that teach them how to hold on to their patience and hit a win at the right time. The maze for example is full of fun as the kid invariably ends up at a wall so he or she has to start all over again.

Printable games for kids are available in normal games stores and book shops as well. These are extremely affordable and promise to be more interesting than earlier games. If you are not sure as to which such game is suitable for you, try downloading a demo version and let your kid play through the game on his or her own. You will be amazed to see the way your kid progresses through the game at the speed of a super thinker. Buying these games online is also very easy.

Look up any search engine with the keyword ‘printable games for kids’ and you will find hosts of websites coming up with various games at various prices. There are bargain offers and discount sales also so there are really a lot available online.

Moreover, you have the choice of selecting your game after letting your kid enjoy the demo version so that your kid will never feel let down with the game that you would like him or her to play rather than you imposing your selection on his or her mind. The only possible drawback of these games is that these games make the child a bit of a book worm type always engrossed in the printed games at any time which may not be good for the health of the child.

You might not be aware of this but kid’s crafts are very important for their personal growth and development. It might reflect on their responsibility when they grow up if you don’t let them to be creative in the early ages. Thus there are great many rewards if you let kids to indulge in arts and crafts.

There are different kinds of kids crafts for past time ideas that you can choose for your little ones. These would really help them to be creative and they would be able to improve their craft skills. If your kid would learn to be creative he would be able to try new things and would go for alternatives in the future. So you should encourage them to do different things and think uniquely and distinctly from others.

It has been researched that kids crafts for past time help them develop the quality of perseverance. As everyone knows this quality is one of the most needed in our lives later on, it actually depends on parents how much perseverance they want to be in their child. So let them participate in arts and crafts if you really want them to have a bright future. By fixing their errors they learn the quality and become skilled in trying out new ways to get the right shape.

When kids spend hours on kids crafts for past time they would be concentrating on one thing for long. This would increase their ability to concentrate and you would get to know when they move to later years in life.
When kids crafts for past time are done in groups and teams they learn how to behave with each other. Thus it also promotes social networking and making relationships which would become evident when they grow up. They would have better social circles and this would help them in their business and jobs as well.

When kids crafts for past time are given to children they learn how to do the task on time. When they finish the task they get a feeling of satisfaction that they have achieved their goals. This helps them to learn that they are supposed to end everything they start.

When children learn to do arts and crafts they follow a plan and go step by step to get the end result. In this way they learn how to plan their goals and then implement those plans to get the desired results. But not many times we are able to go along the plan so with the help of kids crafts for past time they would learn the other options to implement and not to get frustrated in the whole process.
Remember that it is very important for your kids to participate into arts and crafts. The quality and they skills that they develop through arts and crafts would become apparent when they become old enough to look for jobs or start their own business. They would be thanking you whenever they would achieve their goals and be successful in life.

Family rosters can make daily and weekly chores easier. By making a roster, you’re able to write down all the chores that need to be done and who is responsible for each chore. Then you can create a centralized roster for the whole family or give each person their own roster of chores.

Consider having a family meeting to discuss changes being made in regard to chores. Explain that each person, except infants, will be expected to help. You may also want to determine consequences for not doing chores in a timely manner. Some families even go as far as writing up a chores contract that each person is expected to sign, showing they understand their responsibility in helping keep the house running smoothly.

Start by knowing what each family member is able to do. Make a list of chores each person can do and then assign each one to the person best able to do them. Of course, if you have several children close in age, you may want to switch out days so they share duties. Continue to assign chores based on ability until all household chores are assigned and rosters made.

Don’t expect everyone to do their chores perfectly the first day. In fact, you may want to give yourselves a week to get used to the new family rosters. Once everyone learns what they’re supposed to do and actually does them, your house could begin to run smoother than it ever has.

One advantage of having family rosters is the fact that one person won’t be responsible for everything. It wasn’t uncommon in the past for women to “keep the home” while the men cared for everything outside. Times have changed, and traditional roles for caring for the home have changed as well.

Another advantage of family rosters is the work should get done quicker. The old proverb “many hands make light work” is true. If everyone is working to get their chores done each day, there won’t be so much work to do on the weekend. This will free everyone up to do things they enjoy rather than tackling chores at home.

Perhaps your family hasn’t been successful at keeping a family roster. Put past failures behind you and start afresh. When your family realizes the advantages of family rosters, they may be more willing to give it another try. Before long, your family will know what’s expected of them, do those things, and the house and family will thank you.

You’d be amazed at the number of organizations around the country and the world needing volunteers. While volunteering you may be able to help build an orphanage, help at centers for the disabled, or help build a home. With the number of natural disasters happening around the world and the large group of people who have been adversely affected by them, there is no shortage of things a family could do to help.

If you are interested in finding an opportunity for your family to volunteer during your next vacation, you can try to find something on your own. However, for the best volunteer opportunity abroad, you may want to contact an organization which specializes in setting up this type of vacation.

Global Citizens’ Network is one such organization. They welcome families with family members as young as eight and are looking for families which are open to new experiences. This may mean traveling to a foreign country, working long and hard hours, and being flexible. This type of program can cost as much as $2,000. Travel expenses are not included. Check with the organization to ensure they have staff that can accommodate the ages of your children if they are under the age of twelve.

Cross-Cultural Solutions is another organization which families can use to find volunteer opportunities, either in the United States or one of any number of countries. Those volunteering their time may plan a trip at any time during the year and may remain on the volunteer site for up to twelve weeks.

Heritage Conservation Network specializes in setting up volunteering workshops for families at historic sites in the United States and the world. While the goal is to supply volunteer labor for preservation projects, those assisting can also learn a great deal about the local culture. Prices range from $300 to $2000 per week and are dependent upon the location where you’re volunteering.

You can find other family volunteering vacation ideas by searching on the internet. Young children may balk at the idea of going on vacation and working the entire time. After the vacation is over, however, you may hear your children make comments about how much they’ve enjoyed themselves. Don’t be surprised if they even ask you if they can do something similar the next year.

What You Need

* Size 12 or 16 paper bag
* Pencil
* Scissors
* Ruler
* 8 ½ by 11” sheet of construction paper
* Clear tape
* 5 feet of ribbon

Instructions

1. Open the paper bag and lay it on one of the narrow sides. On the top narrow side, cut down the center from the top to approximately 4 inches from the bottom. Then cut from that point to the fold on both sides, creating two flaps.

2. Open the flaps outward and turn the bag over, with the flap side down. Flatten it slightly at the open end.

3. On the uncut narrow side, measure 12 inches from the bottom of the bag and make a mark. Draw an arch starting at that point and going around to the other edge of one side of the bag. Cut on the line, going through both sides of the bag at once.

4. Open the bonnet. Tuck in the corners of the bottom of the bag to give it a more rounded appearance.

5. Fold the piece of construction paper in half lengthwise. Tape the paper inside the top of the bonnet, with the folded edge parallel with the back and about 2 inches from it.

6. Cut a slit in the fold of each side flap of the bonnet, about 4 inches from the front. Place the ribbon over the top of the bonnet, thread it through the slits, and fold the flaps up a bit. Put the bonnet on the child’s head and tie underneath the chin.

Tips

* If you can find them, white paper bags make an especially pretty bonnet. But they also look lovely in brown.

* It doesn’t matter what color of construction paper you use, but light colors are less likely to show through the finished bonnet - especially if the bag you’re using is thin or white. If you don’t have any construction paper, card stock also works well.

* Curling the ends of the ribbon after it’s tied adds a nice touch. To do this, open a pair of scissors, place the flat part of the blade against the underside close to the tied part, and run the blade along the length quickly, going all the way to the end.

It’s not that we don’t enjoy spending time with our kids. It’s just that they get bored. And they get hungry. And they need to stop at every rest area. But if you stop every time they want to stretch their legs or get a candy bar, you could add hours onto your trip. You may find yourself wondering why you didn’t just take a plane.

But road trips with the family don’t have to be an exercise in frustration. If you’re well prepared, they can actually be lots of fun. Here are some ideas to keep boredom and other things that make a road trip less pleasant at bay.

* Bring along plenty of snacks and drinks. But steer clear of chocolate, caffeine and sugar as much as possible, because these things can make already antsy kids even more hyperactive. Instead, pack some juice boxes, fresh fruits and veggies, crackers and other snacks that are healthy yet filling.

* Invest in a couple of travel games that the family can play together, or make up your own. These are great for keeping morale high and providing for quality time on long trips.

* Let each child bring a toy or individual game to play with. Most kids enjoy both group and individual activities at home, and they need both to keep them occupied and contented during a car trip. But be sure to place limits, because if you don’t, they’re likely to bring a whole bag full of stuff.

* If you have an infant, make sure to bring plenty of diapers, wipes, bottles and formula. Calculate how much of each item you will need, and bring about twice as much, just in case. Also, if any of your children take medication, be sure to bring an adequate supply.

* Bring something to put trash in. It’s surprising how many parents forget this. If you fail to do so, you’re just about guaranteed to end up with a car full of trash by the time the trip is over. Depending on the size of your family, you might need a grocery bag or a full-sized garbage bag.

* Be prepared for messes. If you have a mini car vac, it’s a good idea to bring it along. Other things you might need include wet wipes, paper towels, upholstery and carpet stain remover and glass cleaner.

* Ask kids if they need to use the restroom each time you stop at a restaurant or gas station. Otherwise, you might find yourself making lots of unscheduled rest stops.

Parents often consider holiday road trips necessary evils in which they must participate to get where they’re going. But if you plan ahead, the trip can be enjoyable for the whole family.

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Scientifically it has been proven that families who eat meals together are more emotionally connected and more stable. And since everyone has to eat, why not start your fun family night in by cooking a meal together?

Family meals don’t have to be elaborate or tedious to prepare. They can be as simple as cooking hamburgers, having chips, and drinks. Of course, you may want to prepare something that will get everyone involved in the cooking process. Someone can cut up vegetables, someone else be in charge of cooking the dessert, and another person in charge of the main meal. Have everyone pitch in and the work will be completed quicker. You can also use the time to reconnect and talk about what’s happened in each person’s life since your last family fun night.

Once the meal is complete, take time to set a nice table and eat there rather than in front of the television. You can make clean-up a breeze by using disposable plates and napkins if you like, but you can also make the dinner seem more special by using nice place settings which are normally reserved for holidays.

After you’ve eaten dinner and cleaned up the dishes, continue your family night by playing board games. Have everyone choose one of their favorite games and then decide together which one you’ll play first. Games are meant to be fun and relaxing, so try to avoid becoming too competitive if that’s your personality. Depending upon the game you’ve chosen, you may be able to play more than one game; and don’t forget to play games even the little children of the family can enjoy.

If games aren’t your favorite things, you can also plan a movie night. Find a movie everyone will like, or at least tolerate, and pop some popcorn. Comedies are usually a good choice even though people have different senses of humor. Unless the humor is extremely dry, everyone in the family should at least get a chuckle out of the movie.

Pull out the family albums and take a stroll down memory lane. Remember the way the children were when they were young. Everyone loves to look at pictures of or hear stories about themselves even if they can be slightly embarrassing. Talk about some of the things your children did as babies or toddlers that you found so endearing.

No matter how busy your family may get, it’s vital to take time to reconnect as a family. You can use some of these ideas on how to enjoy a fun family night in or you can come up with some of your own. The important thing is to do something everyone, no matter what their age, will be able to enjoy and look forward to.

Experience the visual wonderment of the creation and exhibition of snow art especially for children activities. The Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships return to Breckenridge for the 20th year from January 26-31, 2010.

Thirteen teams from around the globe have been invited to compete from seven countries including Canada (two teams), China, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia and the USA. The United States teams invited include Alaska, Colorado (Breckenridge and Loveland), Idaho, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Snow Sculpting is attended annually by more than 30,000 people of all ages from across the USA and the world.
Each year, four-person teams are assigned 12-foot-tall, 20-ton blocks of machine-made Colorado snow. These teams work within a five-day period to create their sculptures. From these blocks of snow, the teams often craft enormous pieces of whimsy, although some deliver powerful political or social commentary.
The finished pieces are achieved after a total of 65 intense hours of work without the use of power tools, internal support structures or colorants - just the ingenuity of the sculptors and a medium that lends itself, if only temporarily, to the persuasion of hand tools.
When the sculptures are finished on Saturday, January 30, a panel of well-known artists and patrons of the arts serve as judges. Awards are presented to the first, second and third place sculptures on Sunday, January 31. Awards are also given for People’s Choice, Kids’ Choice and Artists’ Choice. There are no cash prizes; the artists instead revel in the reward of hard work, forged friendships, freedom of artistic expression and the satisfaction of long hours of preparation that lead to the event.
No one would have guessed 20 years ago that the first International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge would have grown into the renowned world-class event it is today, and that the founders of the event would still be passionately sculpting for Team Breckenridge 20 years later.

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SOURCE Breckenridge Resort Chamber

Canyon Capital Realty Advisors (CCRA) helped kick off this year’s holiday season for children activities at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica. On Wednesday, December 9, more than 125 children gathered at the Boys & Girls Club for a pizza and cupcake party, where CCRA employees distributed pairs of TOM’s tennis shoes to all party guests. At the end of the evening, CCRA Managing Partner Bobby Turner also presented a check totaling $30,505, which represented the generous donations of CCRA employees, business associates and friends.
The non-profit Boys & Girls Club, founded in Santa Monica more than 60 years ago, strives to enable all young people, especially those with the greatest needs, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. Programs in Santa Monica are offered at two branch locations, and at Santa Monica High, John Adams and Lincoln Middle Schools, and McKinley and Roosevelt Elementary Schools.
The shoes and donation were given in support of the Family Assistance Program at the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club. Each year, the program provides the most deserving families with food, clothing and presents. For many families, being a recipient of the Family Assistance Fund is the only time they will receive new clothes or toys throughout the year.
“Our annual holiday visit to the Santa Monica Boys and Girls club has become a wonderful tradition for Canyon, and we are thrilled to support an organization that works so hard to improve the lives of young people,” said Turner. “This year in particular, resources are strained for families across Los Angeles and the needs of the community are greater than ever. We are thrilled to bring a bit of cheer into the lives of these children and make their holidays a little brighter.”
“For two years running, Canyon has helped create a fun and energetic event that is a highlight of the holiday season at the Boys & Girls Club,” said Aaron Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club. “These economic times have put tremendous pressure on many families whose children are involved in the club. Now, more than in years past, the tennis shoes and Canyon’s generous donation will make a meaningful difference in the lives of these children.”
About the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica
Founded in 1944, Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica currently serves approximately 7,000 youth through memberships and community outreach. They come from all over Los Angeles County, largely from Santa Monica, Venice, West Los Angeles and Inglewood. Members pay a $10 annual fee for access to all Club amenities and programs that span across education, leadership, recreation and more.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica operates with the objective of serving children from all backgrounds, regardless of economic circumstances - ensuring that youth ages 7 to 18 have a safe and nurturing environment to develop socially, succeed in school, stay physically active and prepare for positive futures.

SOURCE Canyon Capital Realty Advisors LLC

Patented Gamercize interaction is non-intrusive by allowing normal game play while working out on a range of fitness machines, pausing the player from the game if they stop. The minimal interaction allows players to have their mind in the game while their body is in the workout. Gamercize works with every sedentary game, ensuring it never gets boring. In tests Gamercize equipment has been proven six times more engaging than exercise alternatives and four times more energetic than Wii.

“I can attest first hand to the positive impact that this product has on children, teens and adults after seeing so many of our locations having huge success with it. Recently our Exergame Fitness advisory board member Dr. Stephen Yang of SUNY Cortland demonstrated the full potential of Gamercize. Stephen had an entire gym class consisting of future P.E. teachers that were playing Gamercize tournaments using the NBA Basketball Xbox game. It was great to see the social aspect of the product and hear the praise from students,” adds Tommy Seilheimer, CEO of Exergame Fitness USA.
The GZ Personal Trainer software included in this offer is accessed via the internet or 3G mobile phone. The membership software provides a link to real fitness professionals who help motivate while tracking your calorie burn and progress against key health indicators towards your goals.

From January 1st the full Gamercize range of active gaming products, including the GZ Power Stepper, GZ Endurance Cycle, GZ Family Fit 3 in 1 recumbent cycle and rower and the GZ PC-Sport under desk stepper, will carry a 10% mail-in rebate plus 3 months GZ Personal Trainer membership in exchange for unwanted Wii Fit discs.

SOURCE Gamercize

Traditions can be inherited, created as new or even made as a combination of both. Evette Rios, Lifestyle Expert, Designer and Stylist, offers the following tips for mixing the old and new to make your holidays even more memorable:

Infuse your family history into the Christmas Tree: View the tree as a blank canvas and go through old family photos and keepsakes to find decorations. A favorite family photo can be made into an ornament. Even your baby rattle or first pair of shoes can find a home on the Christmas tree.

Bring out vintage favorites to create new memories: For example, model trains are a classic element around a Christmas Tree. Holidays evoke nostalgic feelings so pull out your family’s Lionel Trains and bring multiple generations of families together to set it up around the tree. Help the younger members of your family pick out a new car to add to the set or even decorate their own. Lionel Trains have been shaping family memories for over 100 years and adding a car to the train each Christmas can strengthen a wonderful family tradition this holiday season.

Make the gift wrapping meaningful with new gift wrapping traditions: The act of opening presents can create as many memories as the present itself. While wrapping presents can be as difficult as finding the perfect present, a little creativity can make gift wrapping a fun and meaningful experience:
Adorn your gifts with little packs of seeds. Giving someone you love something new to grow in the New Year is a green and a symbolic gift.

Make gift tags out of the large Christmas lights - just use the bulb and write on it with a permanent marker and use wire to attach it to the gift. You can use the colorful, but burned out ones, instead of tossing them in the trash.

Get the kids involved in wrapping! Have your kids draw on scrap paper to make their own wrapping paper. Friends and family will love seeing your kids’ masterpieces.

Source Carsten’s Publications