Sports and Activities

Continuing our tradition of trying to give you as many creative summer activity ideas as possible (y’know, so your kids don’t get bored or drive you crazy), Love and Be Loved’s has a list of 101 things to do this summer. Here are the first ten:

1. Picnic under the shade of a tree
2. Star gaze
3. Fly a kite
4. Set up your own lemonade stand
5. Throw and outdoor party
6. Play in the rain
7. Go to the zoo
8. Surprise someone you love with a special gift
9. Make homemade ice cream
10. Plant a flower, watch it grow

This is seriously a gorgeous post with even more gorgeous photos. Check out the 91 other ideas at Love and Be Loved.

Volunteerism helps your local community, but what positive effects can it have on the volunteer? According to guest blogger Erik Fisher at MomLogic, there are many, apparently, and that’s why your family should volunteer together.

“Giving back to others is teaching the man to fish: It creates a cycle of giving and receiving,” he says. “Frankly, what got us into the mess we’re in now was more taking than giving (plus an excessive sense of entitlement that seemed to be taught from the top down).”

I’m assuming “the mess” he’s referring to is the economy. But I think the chance to do something as a family that teaches everyone to value what they have is a hugely positive experience, even for parents. And hey, it’s a great, free activity to do with your family.

Does your family volunteer regularly?

From MomLogic. Photo by angelmedflight.

This piece is somewhat of a Bay Area-centric story, but don’t stop reading just because you live in Florida. You never know when you might make a trip out west to visit San Francisco, and if you do, there’s a good chance that you will cross the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County.

Just for fun let’s just say you live here or have plans to make it out sometime in the near future. Here’s a cool place to put on your ‘to do’ list.

Directly across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco is the Marin Headlands. The Headlands have a long military history dating back to 1890s, and during World War II the Headlands were occupied by U.S. Forces as a defensive fortress against any hostile ships that may have tried to enter the SF Bay through the Golden Gate. Later, during the Cold War, the large guns protecting the Bay were decommissioned and replaced with antiaircraft missile sites.
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As we reach the mid-way point of summer vacation, some of us may be running out of things to do to keep the kids busy. But never fear, the easiest and best idea is right in front of you (or within walking distance anyway): the local park.

Whether you live in a big city or a quiet suburb, there is a good chance that you have a great park nearby to keep your kids entertained. Visit your local Parks ands Recreation website and print out a list of all the parks in your city and start at the top.

Here’s a list of ten reasons why visiting your local parks is one of the best things you can do this summer.

1. It’s Free

Times are tough and fun is expensive. Visiting your local neighborhood parks is FREE. A little sunblock, a few snacks from the pantry and you’re good to go!
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The growing popularity of the staycation means two things: families are budget conscious and that they don’t need to go to Disneyworld to have a great vacation. But don’t underestimate the organizational hazards of staycations. You may be at home, but taking a few extra steps to make sure everything is organized can make for a stress-free (or as much as possible) vacation. Here are three tips from Mandi at Simple Mom.

1. Keep Your Schedule Flexible
Remember, it’s a vacation, so nobody wants to wake up super early or follow a strict itinerary. Also, when you plan your schedule, leave a lot of time between activities so nobody feels rushed going from place to place.
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Last Friday, Tony gave ten ideas for activities to do with your kids this summer and asked you guys for more suggestions. Here are some of our favorite responses!

Reader Stephanie Parkinson suggests what she calls a “wet day”:

I like to have a supply of wet day activities to hand. This usually includes paints pencils, playdoh and other craft materials. The messier the better as it keeps them entertained longer!

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According to a report by North Carolina University’s National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, cheerleading ranks number one for number of “serious injuries” in sports for girls. 65% of all catastrophic injuries in girls’ high-school athletics occur on cheerleading teams. SIXTY FIVE PERCENT! INSANITY!

The worst injuries include back and neck fractures. Spinal-cord injures are common when practices are held on hardwood floors without mats, and almost all competitions are held without mats. Knowing that, I’m less likely to blame the sport itself and more likely to blame coaches and cheerleading leagues for not better regulating safety standards, of which there are apparently none.

Do you have a daughter on the cheerleading squad? What safety precautions are you taking?

MomLogic. Photo by heraldpost.

We’ve all been to a kid’s soccer game and seen the parents who take it too seriously. They’re like cliches out of bad movies, and yet, they scream and yell inappropriately from the sideline, unaware that they’re making the whole experience less fun for spectators and the athletes. But what factors contribute to these parents taking sports too seriously?

According to Mark Hyman, author of Until It Hurts: America’s Obsession with Youth Sports and How It Harms Our Kids, it’s the dreams of professional athletic glory and college scholarships, as well as parents living vicariously through their kids. These parents push their kids to the point where sports are doing more harm than good.
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Minnesota Twins outfielder Denard Span is now the MLB’s biggest advocate for stadium safety. His mother was hit by a foul ball during a game, so now Span is arguing for safety nets that extend as far as the dugout.

“It’s hard to pay attention to every single pitch,” Span said. “Sometimes you’re coming down from the concession stand and whatever and boom! All of a sudden, that quick, the ball is coming at you. You can’t control that.”

There are 52 documented deaths from foul balls hit into the stands, though this number includes everything from Little League games, MLB games, and everything in between.

What do you think? Is this a necessary safety precaution, or a tradition-ruining proposition being imposed upon America’s favorite sport?

The story at Game On!. Photo by Roger Smith.

How much exercise does it take to stay the same weight? According to a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association, one hour a day — and that’s to maintain weight, not even lose it! Most Americans gain 1.5 lbs. a year between the age of 25 and 55.

“You can still do much for your health with a lower level of exercise,” says Dr. I-Min Lee, the study’s author. “But if you want to exercise for weight control, it’s 60 minutes a day.”

Not all exercise experts agree with the study. Some say that only 35 minutes a day is enough, but with today’s parents being as busy as they are, that’s still a lot of time. The “moderate-intensity” activities included in the study were walking/hiking, jogging, running, bicycling, aerobic exercise/dance, using exercise machines, yoga, tennis, squash, racquetball, and swimming. (Housework and gardening were not included.)

I’m all for encouraging more exercise, but is an hour a day possible in anyone’s schedule?

More from the Los Angeles Times. Photo by Dave Patrick.