If you combine television, computers and any mobile devices you may have, how much screen time do you have each day? It may not seem like a lot, but a half hour here, a few minutes there, and it really adds up. It’s probably more than you think, and the number would probably depress you. Here’s an even more alarming fact: More people die globally from inactivity than from smoking. Yikes. So I recently stumbled across Project Wild Thing, and it is brilliant. They assert that children today are getting “dangerously tame.” Their mission is to re-connect 1 million kids with nature. Of …
Outdoor Fun
Ding Dong Ditch 2.0
One of my favorite parts of the first ever Escape Adulthood Summit was tapping into the collective knowledge and wisdom of every in attendance. We spent a few hours on Saturday afternoon sharing insights and ideas to help each other with various hot button issues. One of the things that got brought up by a camp director named Jen was the subject of pranking. Pulling pranks and practical jokes is fun in large part because of the rush of excitement that comes from getting away with something and creating a scenario that contains the element of surprise. Unfortunately, it too often makes the …
How to Build Tree Swings, Teepees, and Sweet Watermelon Homesteads
Even though kids are starting to go back to school, summer is still hanging on for a bit longer, and watermelons are still being sold at the supermarket. I love this watermelon homestead, carved up by the Dahls and featured on their site Builtbykids.com. I especially LOVE the mission behind their site: …
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Nearly the Next Best Thing to a Real Lightsaber
I wonder if I'll ever see a real lightsaber in my lifetime. Not like a prop that they used in the Star Wars movies, but the fully functioning, cuts-through-steel-doors, real deal. Do they have the technology to make such a thing? It seems like they should. They'd probably be pretty dangerous and come with all sorts of warning labels and require a license and you'd hear about some idiot on the news who used it while drunk and accidentally killed his dog and cut his car in half. Until then, here's a tutorial to make some homemade ones that are much, much safer. Photo by Audra Caldwell …
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3 Childhood Games Super-Sized for Backyard Fun
Remember that one summer cookout back in the seventies when your inebriated uncle was impaled by one of those steel-tipped Jarts? Talk about a buzzkill. Jarts are safer now, but removing the element of bodily harm seems to have dampened some of the fun as well. Fortunately, here are a few backyard game ideas that will -- safely -- bring back a fresh spirit of fun. …
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How to Make Your Summer Memorable
What's a foolproof way to make your summer memorable? Get a face tattoo. Kidding. When we get to the end of our lives, the things that seem to matter most are the scenes. The adventures we shared with our partners in crime. The inside jokes and games we played and memories we made with the people we love. …
Our World Needs More Whimsy, Part 2
This is a follow up to this post. If you want to add a little bit more whimsy to the world, and you're looking for something fun and crafty to do, then first, gather some rocks. Paint them bright colors. With smiley faces or hearts or four-leaf clovers or anything else you might find in a box of Lucky Charms. Then bring them back outside for others to find. Bam. Instant whimsy. And just like that, the world is a little bit better place to live. Thanks to the awesome Katie for the idea (and photos.) …
Our World Needs More Whimsy
A creative group of folks led by Sean Martindale decided to do something about the various neglected city tree planter boxes that dotted Toronto. More than 30 "planter interventions" were created by a group of 17 Toronto based artists, designers, gardeners and urbanites within a 24-hour period in 2011. …
Area Families Launch “Dirt League” to Battle Summer Busyness
We're often told that the secret to happiness is to take the road less traveled. Oftentimes, it certainly seems like there must be a better way to do things than our current approach. But the problem is that the "beaten" path is so well-paved, well-marked and well-lit, that frankly, it can be hard to imagine that there could even be another way, let alone a better one. One small example is the arena of organized sports. My kids are too young to be involved in things like baseball or soccer, but I hear stories of peers who are looking down the barrel of a summer in which the majority of …
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The Pajama Run: Essential to Your Family’s Mental Health
I've never met anyone who didn't want more memorable experiences with their family. No one ever said, "Nope, we bond so often and laugh so much and do so many fun things together as it is, I don't think we need any more, thank you very much." Actually, it's quite the opposite. …
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