Posts Tagged ‘Children’

Bicycle Touring with Children

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Do you spend your days dreaming of taking off with your children to explore the world? You\’ll ride camels around the Egyptian pyramids and gaze in wonder at the graceful domes of the Taj Majal – with your children by your side. You\’ll take buses from town to town, fly from country to country, and explore back streets by donkey cart. But travel on bicycles? With children?

My husband and I have cycled over 21,000 miles through 12 different countries with our 12 year old twin boys and have discovered that traveling on bicycles with children is the best way to travel.

Most families opt for buses or planes to travel the world, but they miss a lot that way. The motor allows you to easily reach the next city, so you tend to skip the small villages. However, it\’s the small villages that have retained the character of the country. In today\’s world, cities have become increasingly generic, but villages have not. Travel on bike allows you to spend time in the villages, thereby getting to know the countries you pass through more intimately.

Motorized vehicles encase you in steel and glass and isolate you from Mother Nature. Traveling on bicycle without the protective layer of your vehicle around you, you\’ll be more in touch with nature. You\’ll feel the wind in your hair and rain on your cheeks. You\’ll grind up hills using muscle power only, so will truly understand what those hills are. You\’ll feel the effect of altitude on temperature as you climb into the mountains.

Perhaps the most important reason to travel on bike is the life lessons you\’ll learn from the bike. Your child will learn to persevere through hardship after feeling the thrill of victory when cresting a pass. She\’ll learn the value of teamwork and understand that there are times when only by working together can you reach your goal. And she\’ll understand the idea of breaking a big task into small, manageable chunks.

It is true that kids can learn all these lessons in other ways, but traveling on the bike is more fun!

Nancy Sathre-Vogel has been bicycling with children since her kids were big enough to reach the pedals. She is now cycling from Alaska to Argentina with her sons as they attempt to break the world youngest to cycle the Pan American Highway. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

How To Take an Orlando Vacation on a Budget

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

There are many housing options that you may choose from and DRG Property Services has condo\’s, townhouses and regular homes to stay at very affordable rates. When you go on vacation can make a big difference also in what you will pay. For example, if you go after Labor Day, rates typically come down and is less expensive than the traditional summer months. The weather is nice into October and you avoid the large crowds.

To save on food rent a place that has a kitchen and bring or buy your own food. Most of DRG\’s properties have kitchens and by doing this reduces money spent in expensive restaurants. This could really add up quickly depending on the size of your family.

Rental car companies typically run out of economy cars and will offer an upgrade to a mid-size car. If they don\’t, be sure to ask. Make your reservation on line for the best rates and save even more money.

You can research who has the best air fare rates into Orlando by booking flights on-line and preferably 2 weeks in advance. Really cheap air fare usually has restrictions so be sure to read any of the small print. It may be a good idea to call on an experienced travel agent who may help if need be.

The home you rented in Orlando was beautiful the first day you walked in. On the day you leave it should look as close to that as possible. Rental companies will charge a fee if the property is left in a mess. Be sure to take out all your trash, clean the kitchen and keep the furniture where it was. General cleaning is expected but not excessive cleaning. Remember to immediately report anything you see wrong or broken in the home to the rental agent.

Bob Ranallo went to Orlando for the first time 30 years ago. Bob is writing article on tourist attractions for PickOfOrlando.com and PickOfCleveland.com. Bob has found great deals at Orlando Vacation Home. You can save money on Disney World Vacation Homes by renting from a private company like DRG.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

Toy Boxes

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Any parent will understand how difficult it is to keep a child\’s toys in some sort of order, when children decide to play with a different toy, putting the old one away rarely enters their minds, and so mess soon piles up. It is so easy for them to be all over the place and this can look really untidy. A simple and effective way to store toys and keep them tidy when not being played with is to put them in boxes. So if you are looking for a way to arrange your child\’s toys, check out the range of toy boxes on offer.

Probably the most well known type of toy box is the wooden chest style. This is very traditional and perfect for anyone whose home is in the same style. These are tough and look really charming in any room.

Boxes that can stack on top of each other are great if you have limited space in a child\’s room. These can be virtually any color at all so they can be co-ordinated to match the room. In addition to this they are very hard wearing.

Children who are into certain cartoon characters love to have boxes with them on. These boxes are especially good if the child\’s room is decorated in the same theme. In fact most children like to have these types of boxes as they are fun and great to look at.

Boxes with integrated seating – these are a good option if you have limited space in a room. As a child can sit on the top of the box they are multi-purpose. Not only that but children find this type of box a lot of fun.

As shown there is a huge range of toys boxes that you can choose from. So go for the style that will be the most practical and that will fit in with your home. Take your time when choosing and you will get a toy box that is perfect.

Looking for toy boxes? A toy box can keep toys and add to the look of your kid\’s room. Get all sorts of storage solutions to keep your house organized!

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

Camp It\’s a Big Deal

Friday, February 26th, 2010

With over 6,000 Kids Summer Camps in the United States, finding the RIGHT camp can be a hard task. So start doing your research.

Start searching for a camp at least a year before you enroll. This gives you the chance to actualy visit the camps that you are considering while they are in session. This way you can view the camp facilities, but also the campers. Thus, giving you a chance to get a feel for the program and its personality. Few plan this far inadvance, so don\’t lose hope. You should start by late fall or early winter. Some summer camps fill up quickly and may be full by spring.

Even if you think that you have already decided, it is always a good choice to take a look at other programs before making a commitment, so that you can compare different programs.

Some ways to find camps include: Word of Mouth, Churches or Synagogues, Library, Newspapers & Magazines, Local Camp Fairs and Private Camp Adviser\’s. However the most popular theses days is the web. By going to your search engine and typing the summer camp plus the state a huge array of camp listings will show up. You can also get info from camp directories, which have many camps listed and a short overview of each camp. However, one of the best is American Camp Association

It is important to have a goal in mind a check list of what your looking for in a summer camp experience. With that in hand start your search and use a check list to help narrow down your search. Once you have narrowed your search to four or five possibilities, call or e-mail the camp to ask for information. In addition to printed materials, most private camps also have a promotional video. Understand that these videos are promotional tools, but they will give you a visual image of the camp and the children.

Most families can not make a journey to camp while they are in session. But if you can, you will learn the most through direct observation and conversations. Call ahead for an appointment to make sure that you can visit on a day where you can see the program in action. The director may ask you to choose another day if your first choice falls when many campers would be off camp, or during visiting day or between sessions. If you can, review the camp\’s promotional materials before the visit.

This article was only a beginning for those looking for a wonderful camp experience. See our website at Searching for Summer Camps to learn so much more.

Swift Nature Camp is a , a non-competitive, traditional Coed Summer Camps for Boys and Girls (6-15 years). At this Summer Camp with Science, Children enjoy animals and nature as well as traditional camping adventures. This Illinois Summer Camp specializes in programs for the First Time Camper as well as Teen Campers.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

A Fish Story, A Lesson From Life

Friday, February 26th, 2010

A Black Bear, Loon & Walleye: A Fable from the Northwoods a story by Sara Button holds a special place in our hearts. As Directors of Swift Nature Camp an Overnight Summer Camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin,our campers can see this story unfolding right in front of their eyes. It is so special we keep a copy in our camp library for all to read.

Black Bear, Loon & Walleye tells the story of three friends–one furry, one feathered, one sporting fish scales–and each wishes for the gifts of another. Black Bear longs for shiny scales to look flashy and impress his friends; Loon wants to sport and enviable fur coat; and Walleye wants to fly. But when their wishes mysteriously come true, each realizes a disadvantage: Bear\’s scales can\’t keep him warm, Loon can\’t fly with fur weighing her down, and Walleye has bad eyesight and is no good at flying even with feathers.

Black Bear, Loon and Walleye take a wild adventure that teaches them lessons that are timeless universal truths. The friends learned a valuable lesson that day, to appreciate each others gifts, but most of all to value their own. Trying new things is important, because you might find something that you really enjoy. But if it doesn\’t work out, you still get to know yourself better. So each characters learned that they each have special gifts and that they need to always appreciate the other\’s gifts, while valuing their own.

This is a story for all generations and a reminder of the importance of trying new things, understanding our own true nature, and having faith that we are all perfectly designed to fulfill our own unique purposes in life. Know yourself well! Value your gifts!

At Summer Camp the opportunity arises daily to promote each child\’s personal development by providing fun, friendship and leadership in a supportive and noncompetitive environment away from home. Camp provides children an opportunity to act on their own, be self-reliant and try things for themselves. Camp provides few long lasting consequences, so children know that if it doesn\’t work out they can start over much like the stars of our book.

At night as our camp counselors are reading the campers hear the traditional call of the northwoods, the loon in the background. It truly makes it a special evening. If coming to the Northwoods is not as easy for you use the enclosed CD that has loon sounds along with a guitar background.

If you are looking for a summer camp for your child try Summer Camp Advice a free reference for parents looking for the perfect Summer Camp.

Swift Nature Camp is a Minnesota Summer Camps for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional Overnight Summer Camp activities with an appreciation for nature, animals and the environment.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace