Summer camp at home: Week 7 -- Racing cars

With Cars 2 out this summer -- and also because my boys just love cars -- we had to have a week about car racing in our summer camp at home. Last time we went to Disney World, we had to visit Ridemakerz in Downtown Disney to check out the kinds of toy cars we could custom make. My preschooler made a ... well, a rescue dump truck. How's that for customization?

Anyway, this week will be about cars and racing. One thing I'd like to do is count the number of toy cars my kids have -- honestly, I have no idea. We will put them in rows of 10 for a real-world, hands-on visualization of numbers and counting. We can sort them by color, too. Other things on tap this week:

- Have a racing playdate. Invite friends to a park to have races. Everyone is a winner for participating!

- Dress up as race car drivers and pretend play/role play.

- Have kids draw pictures of cars they would like to drive. (I know mostly it will look like scribbles; that's OK.)

- Make a racing flag (perfect for the racing playdate!) and maybe even a craft trophy.

- Make a cardboard race car to play in (great for pretend play!).

- We might see Cars 2. Again.

- Read R Is For Race, World’s Fastest Cars, Hot Rod Hamster, If I Built a Car, Little Racing Car and other books from our public library.

I had wanted to take the kids to one of the local speedways (there are two about an hour away, one north and one south), but nothing is going on this week. Probably because it's too darn hot! If there is a speedway near you, a visit might be another fun activity.

Summer camp at home: Week 6 -- Out on the ranch

Summer is halfway over. It's hard to believe that in a month, I'll be lining up things my preschooler needs to go back to school. So we're going to enjoy summer while we have it -- a more fluid schedule and more impromptu fun.

This week, we're going to be cowpokes out on the ranch:

- Visit a local farm. There's a county park a couple cities away where we can see ponies, a pig, goats and even peacocks! We would ride ponies, too, except both of my boys shy away from them.

- Cowboy pretend play. (All you really need is a cowboy hat or a bandana!)

- Pretend a water park is an ol’ watering hole and cool off. As much as we love water parks, I can't believe we haven't been to one since we went to Aquatica in early June.

- We might make hobby horses. Here are instructions for making a hobby horse that don't look too hard.

- Read Charlie the Ranch Dog (by The Pioneer Woman blogger Ree Drummond), The Cow Loves Cookies, Good Night Cowboy, Cowboy Small and other books we come across at the library.

We are also going to go on playdates, play at the park, play with magnetic fridge letters and anything else we find fun to do -- cowboy related or not.

Summer camp at home: Week 5 -- World Traveler

With our patriotic "America, the Beautiful" themed week of summer camp at home a couple weeks behind us, it seemed natural to have a week focused on other countries of the world as well.

It's never to early to teach little ones about the world they live in, and that includes different cultures. Even if my four- and two-year-olds don't get everything we might explore this week, I think they will still learn something -- and they will have fun.

Each day, we'll focus on a different country. That's the goal, anyway -- we had an unusual day yesterday because of a doctor appointment and having family from out of town, so we didn't do any special projects at all. The boys were wiped out! But I plan to make them a little passport-type booklet to have "stamped" when we "travel." I'd also like to make a little suitcase that we can cover in stickers featuring various lands the way they used to. (That's where Google Images comes in and I can print out a little picture on sticker paper, then cut it out and use it like any old sticker.) We'll pretend to travel by airplane, train or ocean liner.

Other ideas for this week:

- Make simple costume props, and/or projects from Michaels craft store Passport to Fun craft projects from around the world.

- Listen to foreign music

- Do any coloring pages we have that feature other countries, or this It's a Small World coloring page.

- Have an “It’s a Small World” party with friends and dress up in traditional clothing from our favorite countries! (Please let me take this moment to acknowledge the extreme annoyance and even hatred some people have for this Disney ride, and the song, despite the fact most little kids love it. I'd also like to suggest that Disney sell toy dolls from this ride, as apparently it once used to. I found one Small World toy the last time my family went to Disney World, and it was a bathtub toy boat. One toy. If Disney can take the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and turn it into a popular four-movie series, just think what a Small World movie would be like for the preschool set. Come on, it would have to be at least as good as The Smurfs!)

- Read Country by Country Guide: Our World; A World of Wonders; Travels of the Zephyr and other books from the library about the countries we are going to learn about this week.

We have a busy week ahead in addition to learning about other countries. Playdates, invitations, playing in parks, running errands.... It seems we've just gotten used to it being summer, and after this week it will be half over already. How's summer going for you?

Ranger Rick's Geocache Trails comes to South Florida

Ranger Rick, the National Wildlife Federation's ambassador to kids who want to learn about wildlife and nature, is the host of a new adventure -- geocaching! Ranger Rick Geocache Trails is a fun way to get families outside, learning about the outdoors and exploring the world!

Geocaching has become a popular outdoor activity. Using a GPS device or app, people find caches that others have hidden by using the latitude and longitude coordinates and special clues. Some caches are small (like a pill bottle or film canister), but others are watertight boxes filled with fun treasures that you can collect or swap! It's like being a modern-day treasure hunter. Some caches contain trackable items called travel bugs that people pass along from cache to cache -- some going around the world! When you find a cache, sign your name in the log book inside, then put the cache box back where it was to keep it hidden for the next geocacher. You can also log your visit at the Geocaching site (an account is free). If you really love geocaching, you can even hide your own caches for others to find.

That's what I have done with my sons. We have hidden eight Ranger Rick Geocache Trails caches around the area where we live in South Florida. All of the caches include fun Ranger Rick activities for kids. Some of the caches also contain fun surprises! The parks where the caches are hiding are kid-friendly -- most with playgrounds. And we've tried to make the caches easy to find.

To get started finding a Ranger Rick Geocache Trails cache, start by downloading your special passport. This makes finding the caches more fun, as you can take the stamp inside each cache to mark your passport (and learn about wildlife in the process!). Find all the caches in the trail to fill up your passport with wildlife stamps. It's fun!

There are Ranger Rick Geocache Trails in several states, so if you don't live in South Florida, check for others near you. If you don't find one, maybe you'll want to become a trail host like me so kids in your area will have fun outdoors with their families.

Geocaching is a fun outdoors activity that is now more fun for kids with the Ranger Rick Geocache Trails. You and your kids just might get hooked.

Meet Mr. Steve, Super Why and Hooper from PBS Kids

If your kids watch PBS, they're probably familiar with Mr. Steve, who plays catchy, fun songs with children in between shows. (His songs get stuck in my head for sure!) You and your kids will have a chance to see Mr. Steve at a South Florida library in just a few weeks!

Visit the South Regional / Broward College Library in Pembroke Pines on Thursday, July 21, 10:30 am until noon as part of the Soar with Reading program sponsored by WPBT2/Kidvision, JetBlue, PBS Kids and Broward County Library System. Soar with Reading helps keep children reading throughout the summer. Kids will enjoy a reading by a local author, a performance by Mr. Steve and appearances by PBS Kids characters Hooper and Super Why.

Sounds like a great Thursday morning to me!

Great American Backyard Campout

This coming Saturday, June 25, is the Great American Backyard Campout. Organized by the National Wildlife Federation, the idea of the Campout is to get kids enjoying the outdoors -- where they feel safe and comfortable.

I think it's genius!

(Not to mention, I know plenty of grown-ups who would say yes to camping in their own backyard over a wilderness area. Any month of the year.)

If you ask me, June isn't exactly the right time for tent camping in Florida (The heat! The oppressive humidity! The disease-carrying mosquitoes!), but my family is going to try it this year. Ever since we went camping in the Everglades over New Year's weekend, my preschooler has been asking to go "tenting" again. If we get miserable, we'll just go inside and say we gave it a try.

I think that's what's so appealing about the Great American Backyard Campout: There's little risk and little commitment, but a big chance of fun.

If you want to camp in your yard or a local park that offers camping, check out the Great American Backyard Campout's site for tips, games, recipes and more. You can sign up to say you are planning to camp out and also make an optional donation to the National Wildlife Federation to support its programs for kids.

And then we can swap Campout stories....

Summer camp at home: Week 2 -- Camping

My family loves camping, and because Saturday, June 25 is the day of the Great American Backyard Campout, next week seems like the perfect week for a camping theme for our summer camp at home.

My love of camping started early. As a kid, my family camped at a state park and national lakeshore near our house. Later, my husband and I were invited to go camping with friends two months after we were married. We bought a little dome tent (in the picture) for $50 on clearance. He and I had such a good time that we ended up camping in several places throughout Florida. Most recently, we took our boys camping in the Everglades.

If you're following along on my nerdy plan to do summer camp at home with a different theme each week, here are some ideas for you and your kids. It's going to be kind of a light week for me with the activities because I also need to prepare for my little one's second birthday party. So you might come up with more ideas than I've listed.

- Build a blanket-and-chair fort every day for pretend camping in the family room. (I would have loved trying to make a teepee out of cardboard boxes, but I don't think I'll have the time. Someone should try it!)

- Lead an ABC nature walk. As you head down a trail, look for things that start with each letter of the alphabet. Take photos or notes of each item if you like.

- Make crayon rubbings of leaves by placing a sheet of paper on top of a leaf and coloring over it to make the shape of the leaf appear on the page. Older kids can make several rubbings of different leaves and find out which leaf comes from which tree.

- Color pictures of wildlife and talk about their characteristics.

- Make toilet paper tube "binoculars."

- Make rock necklaces out of the best rocks the boys can find. (My toddler is so fascinated by rocks and carries one around with him if he finds one he likes.) These pressed flower pendants are pretty, and I like these sea-bling rings too -- hey, people camp by the beach!

- Make bird seed ornaments.

- Play with our well-used explorer kit. (This one looks fun too.)

- Read camping-themed books every day, like Curious George Goes Camping, When We Go Camping, S Is For Smores or other books we can find at the library.

- Pitch a tent in our backyard for the Great American Backyard Campout!

If you don't have a tent, ask family or friends if they can loan you a tent for the night. Frankly, I'm not sure if my family will be able to sleep outside all night long because it is H-O-T! But I know the kids will have fun trying.

Where we live in southern Florida, it's best to camp December through mid-April or so because of the heat and mosquitoes. So a week of camping activities in the summer will be a fun way to tide my family over until we can camp again for real.

Summer camp at home: Week 1 -- Mr. Popper's Penguins

Today begins the first full week of summer for my preschooler. I've got big plans for our summer together, which lasts 10 weeks. If you are looking for things to do with your children over the summer and ways to keep them entertained, please check out my initial post about having summer camp at home. I will post what we are doing each week in more detail.

This week, the movie Mr. Popper's Penguins comes out. It's based on the book by Richard and Florence Atwater that was first published in 1938. The movie, starring Jim Carrey as Mr. Popper, is a modern take on the book.

My preschooler loves penguins -- actually, he owns 12 plush penguins and several books so he's officially obsessed! -- and we have been reading Mr. Popper's Penguins leading up to the movie. It's been fun.

Reading books is going to be a big part of our summer. In addition to the bedtime reading we already do, I want to read books with my boys about our theme of the week after we have lunch every day. Here are other projects I hope we can do this week:

- Make reverse-stencil penguin T-shirts (to wear to the movie!).

- Visit Jungle Island, the closest place to see penguins.

- Make a penguin mask out of a paper plate.

- Do more penguin crafts and activities based on Mr. Popper's Penguins.

- Go on a couple of playdates.

- Pretend we are penguin researchers in the southern hemisphere.

- Play at a different park every day, or swim in the pool at home.

- Go to the cinema to see Mr. Popper's Penguins!

We'll also do regular playtime activities like drawing with chalk, playing with Play-Doh, working with puzzles, etc. I am also going to work with my preschooler on writing his name every day.

I think this could be the most fun summer yet for my kids!

Summer camp at home: the 10 weeks of summer plan

It's hard to believe there are only a few weeks left of preschool for my oldest boy and that summer break is starting. It doesn't seem like that long ago, it was spring break, and all the ads and buzz about summer camps were pushing themselves into parents' awareness. ("Hey! Wake up! Get your kid into our camp now for the most awesome summer, or you will be stuck with him for three miserable months!")

Most camps are for older kids, not preschoolers, and cost more than I want to spend. Besides, my oldest is going into his last year of preschool this fall, and he will be gone every day of the week (not just three days a week like now) I feel this summer will be my last chance to have both my kids together for a significant amount of time until ... well, until next summer. So I told myself we'd have "camp" at home and have our own "most awesome summer," thankyouverymuchsummercamppeople.

(And then I stumbled across a super-cheap day camp at a church nearby and signed up my preschooler for two weeks. I'm still going to do camp with my little one and friends, though.)

My guy will have 10 (or maybe nine?) weeks of summer break, I realized when I looked at the calendar. So I started brainstorming, making lists and poking around the Internet, and I developed a 10-week summer camp at home for my boys. Some of our friends are going to join us, too, which I think will make it more fun.

Here's a preview of our 10 weeks of summer, in case you'd like to have some fun with us, too -- virtually. You can use this as a jumping-off point for your own ideas, or just a few weeks here and there, or however you want to use it. I start each week on a Monday and give each week a theme. I will post more details of each week the week before, so you can get organized for the week ahead.

Summer camp at home: 10 weeks of summer

June 13: Antarctica. Use this site for penguin activity ideas. Visit local animal park to see penguins (and other animals). Make a paper plate penguin mask and/or walrus mask. Top off week by taking kids to see Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie on Friday, June 17. We have been reading the Mr. Popper's Penguins book a chapter a day; we'll read the additional penguin books we already have.

June 20: Camping. This will lead up to Great American Backyard Campout on Saturday, June 25, when families will be pitching tents in their backyards or local parks. Make a cardboard teepee. Take an ABC walk, make crayon rubbings of leaves, color pictures of wildlife, make toilet paper tube "binoculars," etc. (Read Curious George Goes Camping; When We Go Camping; S Is For Smores)

June 27: Space. The last space shuttle ever is launching on Tuesday, June 28, in the afternoon. We plan to go to Kennedy Space Center this day (about three hours away). We might not see the launch, but if we don't it will be timely anyway. If you don't live near a space center, you can watch the launch on TV and/or visit a science museum. We can dress up like astronauts, learn about the planets in our solar system, build a solar system model, build a cardboard rocket ship, visit a planetarium, etc. (Read The Best Book of Spaceships; The Space Shuttle; Living On A Space Shuttle; The Complete Book of Our Solar System; First Space Encyclopedia)

July 4: America, the Beautiful. Maps of America and our state -- start learning how to read a map. Make flags. Sing patriotic songs. Do a fireworks craft. Maybe make some day trips around our state to our favorite places. Rent “An American Tail,” “This is America, Charlie Brown” or “All Aboard America.” (Read A Is For America; America: A Patriotic Primer; America Is; The Scrambled States of America; America the Beautiful; Good Night America)

July 11: World Traveler. Each day, we'll focus on a different country and have a passport stamped each day and a little cardboard suitcase that we'll make covered in stickers featuring different locations. We can pretend to take a trip by airplane, train and cruise ship, make simple paper costume props, listen to foreign music, do coloring pages, etc. Maybe have an “It’s a Small World” party. (Read Country by Country Guide: Our World; A World of Wonders; Travels of the Zephyr)

July 18: Out on the Ranch. We'll try to visit a farm. Dress up like cowboys. Pretend a water park is an ol’ watering hole. Go to the local children's art musuem. Make and ride hobby horses. (Read Charlie the Ranch Dog; The Cow Loves Cookies; Good Night Cowboy; Cowboy Small)

July 25: Car Racing. We'll try to visit a local speeday. Have a racing playdate. Dress up as race car drivers. Go see Cars 2. Have kids draw pictures of cars. Make a racing flag. Make a cardboard car. (Read R Is For Race; World’s Fastest Cars; Hot Rod Hamster; Little Racing Car)

August 1: Train Depot. Visit local hobby store that has fun train layouts. Visit local railway museum. Do the Thomas & Friends magazine “really useful engine” checklist through the week (where kids try to accomplish a helpful goal each day). Have a train party at our house. Ride the local commuter train with friends. (Read Shark Vs. Train; The Goodnight Train; honestly, we already have lots of train books)

August 8: Treasure Sailors (aka pirates that don’t pillage). X marks the spot, and we need to find the treasure. I'll plan a treasure hunt from place to place where the kids will find new treasure maps at each stop. That will lead us to the beach, where they will discover cute little cardboard treasure chests with coins or other treasure. Do a message in a bottle. Visit a marina and take a ride on a real boat. Make a cardboard ship. Dress up like a pirate/sailor/treasure hunter. (Read Shiver Me Letters; Do Pirates Take Baths?; The Great Pirate Activity Book; Pirate’s Activity Book; On A Pirate Ship; Pirates Don’t Change Diapers; Minton Goes Sailing; Hugo the Lifesaving Sailor)

August 15: Wildlife Rescuers. Some schools start this week. We can learn about our favorite wildlife. Visit our local wildlife rehabilitation place, which has a visitor center. Watch wildlife DVDs. (Read Rescue! Bindi Wildlife Adventures; The Animal Rescue Club; Baby Owl’s Rescue; Dolphins on the Sand; How To Heal A Broken Wing; Diego books)

In addition to the themed activities, I plan on working with my preschooler on his handwriting and other preschool skills. You can get skills workbooks at bookstores and even dollar stores.

Also, at the beginning of the summer, the kids will make a paper bag album. Each week, I'll let them pick their favorite photo of what we did, and they can paste the print into their albums. Then by the end of the summer, they will have a book they made about what they did all summer.

This is going to be a fun summer, and those 10 weeks are going to fly by!

South Florida kids become restaurant critics in TV show Check, Please!

For parents and grandparents brave enough to take children out to eat, one of the most important factors is finding a restaurant that serves something the kids like.

Three kids "dish" on South Florida restaurants in the show Check, Please! which starts its sixth season on May 16 at 7:30 p.m. on WPBT2. The young foodies, local first- and second-graders, join host Michelle Bernstein to talk about what they liked and disliked about their dining experiences in various restaurants. It's the first time the show includes children.

However, the May 16 episode of Check, Please! isn't about just macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets. Celebrity chef Bernstein and the kids discuss sushi, tofu, filet mignon, Thai food and more.

Future shows will include grown-up guest reviewers, with restaurants ranging from Jupiter in northern Palm Beach County to Kendall in Miami-Dade County. If you're in South Florida, you can apply to be a guest reviewer at the Check, Please! site.

From WPBT2, here are the episode descriptions:

SHOW # 601- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 16

*Our Special Kids Episode!*
See what South Floridians have to say about Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant in Dania Beach; Thai Cafe in Miami Lakes; and Café Abbracci in Coral Gables.

Guest reviewers: Demi-Nicole Bernadotte, Second-grader; Jude Rivera, Second-grader; Frankie Sanchez, First-grader

SHOW # 602- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 23

See what South Floridians have to say about Big Bear Brewing Co. in Coral Springs;
Café Sharaku in Ft. Lauderdale; and Tin Muffin Cafe in Boca Raton.

Guest Reviewers: Jessica Stein, Art Teacher; Yoshi Kirsch, Car Exporter; Jerry Friedman, Chiropractor

SHOW # 603- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 30

See what South Floridians have to say about Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & Latam Grill in Coconut Grove; Secreto Restaurant in Kendall; and Buena Vista Bistro in Miami.

Guest reviewers: Manuela Menendez, Psychologist; Angel Medina, Banker; Scot Marken, Nonprofit CEO

SHOW # 604- Broadcast Date: Monday, June 6

See what South Floridians have to say about Capt. Charlie’s Reef Grill in Juno Beach, CW’s BBQ in Hobe Sound; and Havana Restaurant in West Palm Beach.

Guest reviewers: Esse Asker, Manufacturer Representative; Tom Priester, Realtor; Maurissa Jones, Lawyer

SHOW # 605- Broadcast Date: Monday, June 13

See what South Floridians have to say about Moca Café & Lounge in North Miami; Bash Wine Cafe in Sunrise; and Sugar Reef Grill in Hollywood.

Guest reviewers: Rose-Philippe Coriolan, Radio Station Operations Manager; Bob Feinberg, Medical Sales Manager; Richard Miller, Fundraising Consultant

Sponsors for Season 6 include Badia Spices, Whole Foods Market, Creekstone Farms, Southern Wine & Spirits, Johnson & Wales University, and Care Plus.

B Kind 2 Earth Day celebration

The good news: Earth Day (Friday, April 22) isn't one of those "fluffy" holidays that requires you to send a card to someone or go out and buy special food or decorations. The bad news: Well, there isn't any!

There are lots of ways to celebrate Earth Day, and you can be as simple and easy or as involved and productive as you like. The point is to do at least one thing -- one thing! -- for the earth and get others to do the same. If you can do that, then head to the B Kind 2 Earth Day Facebook Fan Page and "like" it to show that you are in for doing an earth-friendly deed and spreading the word. Then, click here to register your location.

You can probably come up with a list of things for your family to do without thinking too hard: recycling, using a washable cloth instead of a paper towel, buying something pre-owned instead of new, planting a tree, using "green" household cleaners, switching out light bulbs to the newer less-polluting ones or donating to an ecological good cause.

I would like to lead some mom friends and their little ones on a nature walk and pick up any litter we see along the way -- something that young children can do and get into. Now I just gotta invite my friends . . . .

The B Kind 2 Earth Day cause is a joint effort by the National Wildlife Federation, Nickelodeon and The Motherhood. Naturally, I think this is all awesome because I am a NWF Be Out There Founding Mother, I won the Nickelodeon 2009 Parents Picks Award for Best Local Blog (Miami) and I've met Emily McKhann and Cooper Munroe from The Motherhood (at the Blogalicious conference in Miami last fall).

What are you going to do on Earth Day?

Kids, cookies, books and fun at South Florida malls on March 19

There are some fun happenings at malls in South Florida on Saturday, March 19. Mark your calendar!

First, Take the kids to Macy’s Home Store at Aventura Mall on Saturday, March 19 for a fun-filled and tasty event featuring delicious treats by Chef Sophie Tallon of Yummy Cakes and More Bakery. Chef Tallon will teach kids how to bake and decorate spring-themed cookies! Kids can also enjoy face painting and balloon artistry, plus music and games from Radio Disney. Moms and dads can also enjoy some refreshments from Nespresso.

Then, enter for a chance to win special gifts from Yummy Cakes and More Bakery, Cookin’ Kidz and Joyce’s Something Special, Inc. gift basket company. The first 50 customers to make a purchase of $50 or more in housewares or tabletops will receive a Macy’s lunchbox full of sweet treats and a pass to visit Zoo Miami! Be at Macy's at 1 pm for an afternoon of fun.

In Broward, check out the Simon Kidgits Club Book Blast, also starting at 1 pm. This free event features readings by authors Lisa McCourt (I Love You, Stinky Face), Pablo Cartaya (Tina Cocolina: Queen of the Cupcakes) and Dani Lynn (The Fairytale Project).

Shoppers are encouraged to donate a new or gently used book to Guest Services now through the date of the event. The donated books will support the goals of "Just Read, Florida!" and will be distributed through the Florida Education Foundation to Maplewood Elementary School in Coral Springs and Women in Distress.

Radio Disney will be at the Book Blast with additional games, prizes and giveaways!

Music for Munchkins

The flyer above tells South Florida families what they need to know to enjoy some amazing free symphony orchestra concerts that are geared toward kids! But I wanted to add that I took my boys last year (when the Junebug was just an infant), and we all really loved it. The concert hall is totally noisy and busy with children -- and that's OK! I wish the concerts were year-round.

South Florida summer camps

The heat index is now well into the 90s, so you know summer has arrived in South Florida. And summer for parents means considering summer camp. If you're looking for a summer camp for your children, check out the ultimate summer camp guide at SouthFlorida.com. You can do a detailed search and even watch videos on choosing a camp. Then this summer, the Morning Show will be broadcasting live at summer camps! Check out the show Wednesdays from 5-9 a.m. on Channel 39/Comcast 11.