Go Eagles! What are you crazy! Not those Eagles, but the REAL eagles of Wisconsin. Last Saturday, I took 40 kids and parents on a chartered bus to Eagle Days in Sauk City. It was a good day. When nature puts on a show, there is nothing better. We saw at least 30 eagles. Most […]
An Eagle Fan in Wisconsin: Not a joke Read More »
What is fun? Cross Country Skiing What kills fun? Driving a 15-passenger-van full of kids, three of which are fighting in the back. Last week Thursday was the first day of ski lessons and everything was going great: the trip to Blackhawk Ski Club went well; the kids loved skiing; and the weather was perfect.
Bad Van Behavior Kills Ski Fun Read More »
Sledding is fun, but it only takes one accident to ruin everything. A few simple tips can keep your event safe. 1) Teach kids how to roll out of their sled: Jumping off of a moving sled isn’t intuitive, nor is dragging your feet. These skills need to be taught. Things happen so fast on
How Not to Crash: Safe Sledding Technique for Kids Read More »
Last Thursday, was the last of our eight week ski lessons at Blackhawk Ski Club. It was a beautiful sunny day in the 30s. Perfect. Molly, the instructor had the kids go through a series of games. They skied through hula hoops, played red light green light, and picked up candy on the trail while
Cross Country Skiing with Kids: Final Reflection Read More »
I love to XC ski. I love feeling warm while I’m outside in the winter; I love being outside in beautiful, snowy places; and I love how I feel afterward. For me, it’s a spiritual activity that gives me so much. I learned how to XC ski as an adult and started by skiing on
Giving Back: Cross Country Ski Lessons Read More »
Give kids something unusual to play with and watch what happens. On Friday, I filled up a bunch of spray bottles with colored water, grabbed some bubble wands and bubble juice and went outside with 6 kids. They immediately got creative. Each kid picked a different color and started squirting the snow different colors. Then
Blue, Red and Green Snow: Colorful Outdoor Play Read More »
Small successes with kids need to be celebrated. Yesterday, while picking up kids at Emerson Elementary School (home of the Emerson Eagles no less) for our after school program, the principal, Karen Kepler, pointed out the eagle button she was wearing. “Do you know who gave me this?” she asked. “John?” I asked. Yes, it
Eagle Watching Success Story Read More »
What do you get when you take kindergarten and first graders sledding on a very icy hill? Comic relief and crazy fun. The comic relief came from the kids trying to climb up the icy hill. They’d get so far and then fall down. We all laughed. I actually think the kids liked the
Crazy Fun Ice Sledding Read More »
It’s always inspiring to see bald eagles in their natural habitat. It’s especially inspiring to give kids that experience. Each winter, we have a great opportunity to see bald eagles just 40 minutes from Madison in Sauk City. The birds migrate from the north, where lakes are frozen, to feed in the open waters just
Eagle Watching in Sauk City: January 16, 2010 Read More »
It’s important to get outside even on cold days. Teaching kids how to dress for cold weather is a great skill to have. Too many people stay inside all winter. Meanwhile, there’s a world of ice and snow ready to explore. Today, Four hearty kids and three adults went on a walk in the frozen
Winter Tracks on a Cold Day Read More »
