Healthy Kids

What you need: pine cones, peanut butter, suet, bird seed, string or yarn

Here's how:

1. Gather pine cones.
2. Use spoons to slather peanut butter and suet onto the pine cones.
3. Roll the cones in birdseed.
4. Tie to a tree branch with a piece of string or yarn.
5. Enjoy!

What you need: marker, paper, clipboard, magnifying glass (optional), container (if you want to collect the bugs)



Here's how:

1. Make a simple checklist of bugs you find around your yard (write big and neat so your child can sound out the words).
2. Head outside and tally the number of bugs you find on your list.
3. Count up your discoveries together!

What you need: chalk

Here's how: Write out large letters on your driveway / sidewalk

1. Call out letters & have your child find them
2. Once they have found them all, call out letter sounds to see if they can find the matching letter
3. Call out a letter & ask your child to perform an action that starts with that letter (Hop on "H", Clap on "C")
4. Call out a word & ask your child to spell it out by running to the letters (spell "CAT")

**Advance as appropriate for your child's age / development**

What you need: cup, water

Here's how:

1. Get a cup full of water
2. Have kids sit in a circle
3. Similar to "Duck, Duck, Gray Duck", the "it" child goes around & drips a little water on each child's head
4. The "it" child chooses who they want to chase them by dumping the rest of the water on the "chasers" head

What you need: magazines, scissors, blank paper (2), pen / marker, glue

Here's how:

1. Write a list of items that can be found in magazines (see list of ideas below)
2. Read through the list with your child(ren) so they know what is on the treasure hunt list
3. Give your child(ren) magazines and scissors
4. Have child(ren) search through magazine to look for pictures from the list
5. The first child to find everything on the list is the winner (or, to build teamwork, let everyone work together to complete the list)
6. Let kids glue pictures on a blank paper to display the hard work and fun they had!

Example of Magazine Treasure Hunt list:

• Recipe
• Bird
• Dog
• Cat
• Shoe
• Piece of fruit
• Water
• Phone number with the number "8" in it
• A ring
• Someone who is smiling

Strawberry - Lime - Yogurt Popsicles

Makes 10 popsicles, about 3 oz. each

Ingredients:

• 3 cups strawberries, quartered
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 large lime (2-3 tbsp.)
• 1 1/2 cups yogurt

Here's how:

1. In a Ziploc bag, mash sliced strawberries and sugar until mostly liquid.
2. Transfer to a bowl and stir in lime juice.
3. Add yogurt and mix.
4. Taste to see if too tart or too sweet. If too tart, add in sugar. If too sweet, add yogurt.
5. Pour mixture into popsicle mold.
6. Freeze for about 4 - 5 hours.
7. To remove popsicles, run mold under hot water until they loosen.

Makes about 10 logs

Ingredients:

• 5 celery stalks
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup raisins

Here's how:

1. Cut celery stalks in half.
2. Spread peanut butter on stalk.
3. Place raisins on peanut butter.
4. Enjoy!