Canoeing in Quetico Provincial Park is the ultimate outdoor vacation. While there were no kids on this trip, it’s important for me to write about and share this experience. Who knows, perhaps I’ll take a group there someday. Well, maybe not… read on and you’ll understand why. Quetico canoe trips are beautiful and rigorous. We […]
Quetico Vacation: Bruises, Eagles and Pictographs Read More »
They came; they made bubbles; they left. I just went through 12 gallons of bubble juice at Wisconsin Public Television’s Open House at Vilas Hall in Madison, WI. That’s a lot of bubbles. That’s a lot of kids. That’s a lot of fun. About 1000 kids and parent showed up to make bubbles, see Mr. Steve
Lots of Bubbles at Wisconsin PBS Kids Open House Read More »
I wrote this piece during the last heat wave in July 2011. Now that we’re deep into a serious heat wave of 2012, it’s a good time to re-post. See my comments below for my new take on heat. I didn’t want to, but I cancelled Bike for Life on Friday afternoon (July 1) because
Is it ever too hot? Read More »
Year ago, shooting a gun was a rite of passage for boys and BB guns were common. Today, BB guns and bow and arrow sets are pretty much things of the past, but not at Outdoor Skills Day at MacKenzie Environmental Education Center in Poynette. For one day each summer, kids learn how to shoot
When it’s okay to shoot a gun: Outdoor Skills Day Read More »
What will kids buy if they only have $1 to spend on a snack? That was the Bike for Life challenge last week. The kids could choose from the following as long as they stayed under $1: – apple or banana – 22-60 cents – cheese stick – 33 cents – 1 oz peanuts –
$1 Snack Attack: What will kids choose to eat? Read More »
Sometimes, the worst part of a trip is the van ride. If the kids act up it stresses me out before we even get there. Car games are a great way to occupy kids on long bus or car rides. Tell me what you think of these games. Some of them are old classics and
Car Games: Getting outside without going crazy Read More »
Meet the Ferocious 5: Isaiah, Micah, Buba, Cashel and Gavin. The boys make up my morning Bike for Life group at the Goodman Community Center. I have a girl group in the afternoon. While I didn’t plan it this way, I’m seeing the benefits of same-sex groups. I find it easier to manage behaviors in same-sex
The Ferocious 5: The joy of same-sex bike groups Read More »
A bike is an independence machine. Give a kid a bike and they have the means to see and do things that they couldn’t do before. Of course, biking is also good exercise, it’s good for the environment and it’s just plain fun. I just launched a new biking program at Goodman Community Center called
Biking: Independence on Wheels Read More »
Six kids will get a new bike on Thursday. They’re excited and I’m excited. They’ve worked hard at doing service around the Goodman Community Center. They’ve washed windows, picked up trash and worked with preschoolers. They’ve written book reports too. We’ll walk to the Wheels for Winners garage on Thursday and the kids will pick
Kids get Bikes on Thursday! Read More »
I let three 9-year-old boys walk a good distance ahead of the group on a hike at Governor Nelson State Park last week. This might not sound like a big deal, but it was for them. They wanted to feel independent. And yet, they kept looking back, just to make sure we were still there. That’s
A Taste of Independence: Trusting kids Read More »
