April 2009 Archives - 4/0 - The Grass Stain Guru

Monthly Archives: April 2009

Guest Post: Into the Woods?

April 21, 2009

Think it takes a natural born skill level to enjoy the outdoors? Not by a long-shot! I am guest posting today at The Hunters Wife, and doing my best to dispel that rumor.

My post, Into the Woods?, highlights just how little skill you need to enjoy connecting with nature. That said, a good sense of humor might be something you want to put in your knapsack! Big thanks to Jody for the invitation to write for her charming blog.

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

By Bethe | Posted in Blogger's Note, nature | Tagged camping, humor, nature, outdoors, recreation | Comments (0)

7 Activity Ideas for Turnoff Week

April 20, 2009

April 20-26th is Turnoff Week. That’s right…it’s time to cut the cord, folks. Just for a week. Give it a try…

Let the TVs and video systems go dark for the week. Limit computer use to necessary work and school activities whenever possible. Join people across the globe as they take back the enormous blocks of time that our plug-in devices are stealing from us — that we are GIVING THEM all too willingly! Instead, spend time reconnecting with family and friends in meaningful, face-to-face ways.

We’ve discussed screen-time here on several occasions, and it is without a doubt one of the chief barriers to unstructured play and outdoor time in the lives of today’s children. (And we grown-ups, too!) So here are a few ideas to get you started. Of course, you are only limited by your imagination. Make Turnoff Week your own!

An Idea a Day to Keep the Screen Away:

Have a cookout! Still snow on the ground where you live? Have an indoor picnic.
Have game night. Break out the cards and boards games and have some old fashion fun. Or, if the budget allows, pick out a new family game to master.
Go for a nice long walk after dinner. Stop and chat with neighbors you might not have seen all winter while we were all holed-up.
Take a trip to the library and everyone pick out a book. If age appropriate, get a book that you can read together as a family.
Visit a local nature center for a program. They often have evening programs on stargazing, night hikes, and nocturnal wildlife.
Take a day trip! Go hiking, biking, or to visit a nearby museum. Just get out there! (Weekend)
Start a backyard garden or container garden, or spend time in one you already have. (Weekend)

No matter what you do, make a real effort to unplug and reconnect. See if you notice any difference in your mood, or those of your children. Or changes in their behavior or sleep patterns. Don’t worry — the TV isn’t going anywhere. And you all know that thanks to TiVo and web-streaming, you can catch-up on just about everything you will miss. But who knows, you just might find that you don’t MISS a thing!

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: dionhinchcliffe

By Bethe | Posted in Activities, parenting | Tagged family, health, kids, parenting, play, screen time, turnoff week | Comments (37)

Mystery Critter #1

April 18, 2009

Welcome to the newest weekly feature at TGSG – The Mystery Critter! Light and breezy — a little mystery to solve and hopefully pique your curiosity to get outside and see what you can discover in your neck of the woods. I will give you a few clues, but nothing too obvious. What’s the fun in that? !

So, let’s see what kind of nature detectives we have out there! Are you a Nancy Drew or a Hardy Boy, or will you strike out? Let’s PLAY!

CRITTER CLUES:

I can be found in nearby trees and grassland areas;
I am roughly 5 inches tall;
I am a seed eater;
I raise one brood per season;
It’s possible to attract me to your yard (and quite delightful to do so!); and
I am graceful, and appear to move in a different manner than many of my cohorts

So, what am I? Make your guess, and then check here for the answer. Get the kids in your world involved in our little game, or make up one of your own.

Did you get it right? Be honest!