October 13, 2009
From an email I received today , here are some good words to get our kids playing ouside:
For many of us, childhood memories are synonymous with outdoor moments like climbing trees, skipping stones, or gardening. But today’s kids spend twice as much time indoors as their parents and grandparents did, missing out on the simple pleasures and lasting mental and physical health benefits of daily outdoor time.
Studies show that children who spend time in nature are healthier, happier, and become better stewards of the environment. National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is launching
Be Out There, a national movement to return to the nation’s children a connection to the natural world around us and the joy and sustenance it brings.
– Want to play “Wild Things Bingo”? Check out our Activity Guide for Kids — adults can play too!
– Get ideas for planning your own Wild Rumpus Day.
– Start your Be Out There adventure by heading outside to watch for animals near you with help from Wildlife Watch.
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Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Be Out There, child, children, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, granddaughter, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, grandson, kids, National Wildlife Federation, nature, nature study, NWF, Places to Go, Wildlife Watch | 
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Posted by mygrandmasue
October 11, 2009
Giant Corn Mazes are getting more and more popular as an October or Halloween family activity. Grandson Austin and the rest of the family went to the pumpkin patch and giant corn maze this weekend. I did some more research and came up with some fun Giant Corn Maze websites. So here they are below!
Visiting Corn Mazes with Kids – Photos as well
Corn Mazes and Pumpkin Patches in the State of Oregon
Portland, OR Family Fun Mazes and Patches
The Corn Maze Pumpkin Junction 10 acre maze – Train Ride & a Maze!
Kackleberry Farm in Louisville, GA
Depner Farms in Caseville, Michigan – Haunted Dino Maze and Maze-O’-Saurus
Cows-n-Corn 9 acre maze, Washington, DC
Kelley Farms in Lexington, KY – giant corn maze & pumpkins
Past Mazes at Pendleton’s Country Market in Lawrence, KS – Pumpkin Patch this weekend
Corn Mazes in the US
Corn Mazes in Canada
Corn Mazes in the UK
1 Comment | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Canada, child, children, England, family, Family Fun, fun, Giant Corn Maze, grandchild, grandchildren, granddaughter, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, grandson, Green Hour, Halloween, Hay Rides, kids, nature, October Activities, Oregon, Places to Go, Pumpkin Patch, United Kingdom, Washington DC | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
October 10, 2009
I love AUTUMN! I love the swirl of color of reds, golds, yellows and greens! I remember raking the leaves into a pile and then jumping into them! It’s a great time to do some family hiking in National Forests or National Parks or reserves or city parks or along the river or …..! The mixes of color are different at every curve in the path.
I found some really fun sites of additional information for you – For my niece Michele here is The Chemistry of Autumn Colors. Google images of fall colors are totally beautiful! The Wikipedia cornucopia of knowledge is bountiful. Here are color cams of colorful foliage. This New England Travel site has several webcams to cyber-watch the New England fall colors. Here is the Mono County, CA fall foliage guide. The Eastern US fall color guide is full of info, too! Any arboretum or park will be gorgeous, but here is a beautiful site from Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Iowa fall colors are described in USA Today. Mount Rushmore is also awesome! The Smokie Mountains are also changing color. In Alaska, Denali National Park is awesome in autumn, according to Margaret Bauman. The Western Michigan Tourist Association offers 26 different scenic driving tours for enjoying the autumn colors. Also a very decent website on autumn color is Total Escape on California off the beaten path.
Here is a science project for kids on Autumn Leaves.
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Alaska, Autumn, Autumn Colors, Autumn Foliage, Autumn Leaves, Autumn Photographs, Autumn Photos, California, chemistry, child, children, Denali National Park, Eastern US, Fall, Fall Colors, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, granddaughter, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, grandson, Green Hour, hiking, kids, Longwood Gardens, Michigan, Mono County, Mount Rushmore, nature, New England, Pennsylvania, Places to Go, Science Project | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
October 8, 2009
I really, really dislike spiders – but I do know that some kids (little & big ones) are fascinated by them. The Los Angeles Natural History Museum has its annual Spider Pavilion going on now through November 8th – what a great (educational) Halloween adventure! Check it out! Here’s the Activities and Programs page.
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Posted by mygrandmasue
October 6, 2009
What a string of kites last Saturday! Jonathan Smith, Staff Writer for the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and Stephen Carr, Staff Photographer, had a great article “Winds of tradition” in Monday’s paper. The front page has a super photo of Grandfather Tony Kwon helping his grandson Clay fly a kite. Here is the link for all the pictures. Here is also The Orange County Register version by Jaimee Lynn Fletcher with photos by Michael Goulding. A blog post by Long Beach Family covers the festival. (This blog covers local family things to do.)
The festival was sponsored by The Japan America Society of Southern California (JASSC) and the Up Up & Away Kite Club. It’s free to the public and attracts around 10,000 visitors a year.
Japanese Kite Master Mikio Toki visited from his home and kite workshop in Chiba, Japan, to share his kites. Mattel sponsored workshops where kids could build their own paper kites. The Japanese Taiko drumming corp Daion Taiko performed a traditional drumming show to excite the crowd.
In spite of the strong wind, it was a lot of fun!
Leave a Comment » | Places to Explore | Tagged: 13th Annual Japan America Kite Festival, beach, child, children, Daion Taiko, family, flying kites, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, granddaughter, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, grandson, Jaimee Lynn Fletcher, Jonathan Smith, kids, Kite Flying, Kite Master Mikio Toki, Michael Goulding, Places to Go, Seal Beach, Stephen Carr, Taiko Drumming, Tony Kwon | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
October 4, 2009
Grandpa Ron and I went to the Orange County Children’s Book Festival today at Orange Coast College campus in Costa Mesa today. It was the sixth annual one. The weather was perfect – okay, a little windy. Lots of families came out to see the activities and authors, illustrators and other child-related booths. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot! I had the best time talking to the Barrio Writers from Santa Ana and their sponsor, Sarah Rafael Garcia – a writer in her own right! I look forward to the Barrio Writers’ first book to be released this winter. They even have a blog! Sounds like they have been having a lot of fun putting it all together! Bought Willa Robinson’s book for my niece who will be teaching soon after talking to Willa for quite a bit. I also got to meet Ashley Wolff, whose book I Call My Grandpa Papa I had pre-ordered on Amazon before it was published. We also met the co-founder of the festival, Pat Burns, in her booth for GrandparentsRock.com.
Next year we’ll look forward to it! This year we just happened to see it written up in the Orange County Register!
Leave a Comment » | Places to Explore | Tagged: Ashley Wolff, Barrio Writers, child, children, Children's Book Festival, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, kids, Orange County, Pat Burns, Places to Go, Sarah Rafael Garcia, Willa Robinson | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
October 2, 2009
Austin has mastered riding his two-wheeler without training wheels! He’s 3 and a half years old. One more time, Austin says, “I Do It, Too!” Here’s his video! Enjoy!
See what else Austin has learned to do in Grandpa, Do It! I Do It, Too!
Leave a Comment » | Routine Activity | Tagged: biking, child, children, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, kids, Places to Go | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
October 1, 2009
The King Tut exhibit is back at the San Francisco de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. Marilyn Newton of the Reno Gazette-Journal wrote a great article about it and has some great photos posted.
Information for visiting King Tut!
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Posted by mygrandmasue
September 29, 2009
The grandparents.com website has a great article here on starting new family traditions. Remember what your favorite things to do were with your grandparents? Create some memories now with your grandchildren!
Share your memories on this page!
1 Comment | People Who Make A Difference, Routine Activity, Special Moments | Tagged: child, Childhood Memories, children, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, granddaughter, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, grandson, kids, Making Memories, Memories | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
September 28, 2009
The San Diego Zoo’s now 8-week-old panda cub is starting to open his eyes. From the zoo website: “Meg Sutherland-Smith, D.V.M. said the cub’s left eye is beginning to open, and he squinted when she used a small flashlight to test his vision. The 4th veterinary exam also revealed that the cub’s right ear is opening, although Dr. Sutherland-Smith says the 5.7-pound (2.73-kilogram) cub is likely not hearing sounds yet, only feeling vibrations.”
baby panda video of his fourth exam at San Diego Zoo. His other visits are available on the same site below the video. Here is the live video cam from the panda enclosure. Fun posts and pictures are on the Panda Blog!
October 1-31 is Free Kids Days at the zoo! During the month of October, children (ages 3–11) enjoy FREE admission to the San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park!
San Diego Zoo
Current Hours (through October 4):
9 a.m.–6 p.m.
Fall Hours (October 5–December 10):
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Book Fair – October 9–12; Huge selection of books and new titles during the Fall Book Fair at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.
All About Enrichment Weekend – October 10 and 11; Keeper talks and fun activities for our animal residents will be held throughout each day.
Wild Animal Park
Current Hours (through November 20):
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Book Fair – October 9–12 Huge selection of books and new titles during the Fall Book Fair at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park.
Pumpkins at the Park – October 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31; November 1 The Park is transformed into a safe, family friendly Halloween adventure!
Leave a Comment » | Nature Activities, Places to Explore | Tagged: Baby Panda, child, children, family, fun, grandchild, grandchildren, grandma, grandpa, grandparent, kids, nature, panda baby, Places to Go, San Diego, San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, zoo | Permalink
Posted by mygrandmasue
MyGrandmaSue 