Carrot juice or chips? Raw peanut butter anyone? What do you think kids will eat? Turns out they’ll eat all three, but not necessarily in that order. I didn’t think they’d like carrot juice, but they did. They watched intently as the Willy Street Coop juice bar man turned carrots into juice with the flip of […]
Carrot Juice vs Chips: Bike for Life explores the options 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 »
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 »
What could be better than tasting maple sap right from the tree? Not much. What are the chances that John will forget where maple syrup comes from? Not likely. Doing, tasting, touching, seeing, anything that activates the senses, increases the odds that kids – and adults – will retain knowledge. It also doesn’t hurt that
Maple Syrup Magic at MacKenzie: A feast for the senses Read More »
Tomorrow I am taking 45 people to Maple Syrup Fest at MacKenzie Environmental Education Center. Tonight I will be in bed by 8 pm. Promise. Preparing for a trip like this is exciting and tiring. The permission slips are probably the thing I hate most. They are a necessary part of working with kids, but paperwork
Big Trip Tomorrow: Must get Zzzzzzz Read More »
March is maple syrup month. It’s a magical time of year. Sap only runs when night temps fall below freezing and days are in the 40s. Once it gets too warm – usually by mid April – the season is over. This weekend I’m heading up to MacKenzie Environmental Education Center in Poynette with a group
Maple Syrup Time: But will kids eat it? Read More »
