When I was a preschool teacher, we wanted to improve our school play yard to be more developmentally appropriate and natural.  The only equipment that was allowed to be purchased and installed had to first be approved by the school’s insurance company and installed by a million dollar bonded contractor. Needless to say, our $30,000 amounted to to very little that was natural, and the commercial play structure was small and disappointing.

The risk of being sued for injuries has caused many schools and playgrounds to remove the element of nature in exchange for plastic and metal structures with eight inches of cushioning below.  Fortunately in Canada, there is a movement afoot to bring back nature and its inherent risks to play.

The National Post reports:

At first, parents fretted about the rocky hillside.

It screamed danger to some who gathered at a town hall about Lord Selkirk School’s new playground plans three and a half years ago. What if the children were running over the hill, didn’t see the rocks and tumbled down, scraping their knees and elbows or worse?

Stormie Duchnycz, principal of the Winnipeg school, and the landscape designer who was working on the plans carefully explained its hidden virtues: The rocky hill would help expose their children to nature, it would be physically challenging and engage the whole of their little bodies. Kids would be aware of their surroundings, but their imaginations would also run wild as they incorporate the rocks into their play.

I love this idea of a “nature-oriented playground featuring rough materials” such as logs and rocks!  It is much cheaper than commercial playground equipment and inspires children to play. Their imagination, even for older children, is not bound by a structure that dictates the kind of play or how it is to be used.  No one is telling a child what to pretend to be when standing on a log, besides it is a pleasant place to hang out and socialize.

No matter what caring adults do, children will get hurt on playgrounds.  Removing apparent risk will not prevent this, and risk is good for child development.  We cannot protect our children from everything.  The National Post continues:

Last week, advocates lobbying for a more natural, challenging schoolyard announced the formation of the International School Grounds Alliance, a global voice to address the “increasingly sedentary and risk-averse generation of children disconnected from nature.” Its members hail from Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States — all countries hoping to trade ideas and become an influential force that will help schools see the learning opportunities that can come from peering under rocks and maybe even skinning a knee during recess…

The international alliance has introduced lots of ideas for how to re-introduce risk, many of the more tangible ones from parks and schoolyards in Berlin, Germany: a rough hewn bridge that introduces kids to natural textures, a tensioned, spider web-like play structure that helps them problem solve and develop a sense of balance, a boulder wall made of natural stone that kids can climb and jump off of.

Logs, stumps, rocks, sand, mud, water, etc.  These are all things that are good for kids!

Image:   The National Post

Canadian Playgrounds and Schools Bring Back Risk of Nature is a post from: Eco Child's Play

Follow the rest of the Hank D and the Bee series at JoeMohrToons.com. For cartoon updates and other green goings-on, follow Joe on Twitter @GreenCartoons.

Hank D and the Bee: Bee Thankful is a post from: Eco Child's Play

I’ve been camping with my kids ever since they were babies.

Even though we live in the mountains surrounded by nature, I love to explore the epic grandeur Mother Nature has to offer and prefer sleeping under the stars to the confinement of a tent.

I’ve never it found it challenging to take children camping, and it has always been a good time.  Having proper gear, included child size backpacks, sleeping bags, etc, is important, as well as proper clothing. Preparing for bugs and sun are also important to successful outdoor adventures.

The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids: How to Plan Memorable Family Adventures and Connect Kids to Nature by Helen Olsson is a great guide for those less familiar with outdoor adventuring.

Whether you’re a first-time camper or a veteran backpacker befuddled by the challenges of carting a brood—and all the requisite gear—into the great outdoors, here you’ll find all the tips and tools you need to plan the perfect nature adventure with your family. Humorous and irreverent, yet always authoritative, this guide to camping with kids, from babies through pre-teens, is filled with checklists, smart tips, recipes, games, activities, and art projects. Helen Olsson, a seasoned camper and mother of three, shares lessons learned over the years of nature outings with her own family. Learn the basics of family camping, from choosing a destination and packing gear to setting up a campsite and keeping little ones safe. Create the perfect camp menu with simple and tasty recipe ideas. Discover foolproof tips and tactics for keeping kids happy and entertained while hiking. Explore nature through clever and creative camp arts and craft projects. This guide is your game plan to unplugging from the digital world and connecting your kids to nature. Whether it’s roasting marshmallows around a crackling campfire or stretching out on a camp mat to gaze at the stars, the memories you’ll be making will last a lifetime.

If I followed this book, I would feel overplanned. There are great ideas, but I also like to allow my children time to be and let their own imaginations take over in the wilderness.  Last year, my daughter made a series of boats out of sticks and leaves.  It was an all day activity trying out different configurations and then letting them float away on the lake.  It was entirely her idea.  Had it been mine, it probably would have lasted 15 minutes.  She did say that she would like to take watercolor paint with her next time.

I do like the advice in this book, as it does follow proper wilderness etiquette like packing out your used toilet paper.

This book is an incredible resource for families just beginning their outdoor adventuring.  A trip camping is way cheaper, healthier, and memorable than a trip to Disneyland.  I remember more details from my childhood camping trips than those to amusement parks.

All families should go camping!

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review would be positive or negative.

The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids: How to Plan Memorable Family Adventures and Connect Kids to Nature is a post from: Eco Child's Play

I was excited to receive Adventures of Little Herbert in Mushroom Land by Natasha Guruleva, as mushroom hunting is one of our family’s favorite past times.

Mushrooms hold a special lore in children’s literature. Think of the amanita in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It is a catalyst to Wonderland.

Many fairy tales include mushrooms, especially those from Russia where author Natasha Guruleva grew up.

Adventures of Little Herbert in Mushroom Land  is part of the Mushroomland series.  There is also a video of this photo-illustrated fairy tale.

Just like with Alice, a mushroom (this time a Boletus) is responsible for the change from reality to fantasy.

Little Herbert is a shy and retiring boy who dreams of fitting in with his classmates by learning how to play baseball. On receiving the peculiar advice to try and strike the ball while it’s in the circle of the moon, turning it into a lucky charm, Herbert heads out to the sports field late at night to see if he can make this strange prophecy come true. Nothing seems to happen and Herbert becomes frustrated, accidentally striking a mushroom growing in the grass. Suddenly he faints and, as he does so, is magically transported to another world: Mushroomland. Herbert wakes to find he has been saved by a talking mushroom boy called Bolly. Bolly is excited to meet Herbert and suggests that he dress up in a mushroom disguise so that he can quietly fit in to life in Forest Town. Herbert is introduced to Bolly’s sister Tolly, his best-friends Chanterelle and Saffry and even to Bolly’s Grandpa, who just happens to be mayor of the town. Life in Mushroomland is absolute bliss for little Herbert; everyone loves him and looks after him. He even learns how to play baseball with the mushrooms’ help. He and Bolly become the very best of friends. After a while though, Herbert starts to feel homesick. But just as he is about to ask for the mushrooms’ help in getting home, Mushroomland is attacked by a gigantic Slug and a mean army of worms. It will be up to Herbert to find out why the attack was launched, to help protect his new family and friends, and to save Mushroomland.

Be prepared…there is a lot of text with this children’s book that is awkward at times.

There is no information on the book itself as to the source of the paper.  All books should be made from recycled content, in my opinion.

I’d think I’d rather go on our family mushroom hunting adventures and look at the field guide…All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms is fairy tale enough for my kids!  Although, the images will probably inspire my children to build more fairy houses out of sticks, leaves, stones, etc.  This is a favorite outside activity!

Disclosure: I was sent free samples of these products to review. No prior assurances were given as to whether the review would be positive or negative.

Children’s Literature: Adventures of Little Herbert in Mushroom Land is a post from: Eco Child's Play

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Hank D and the Bee: The Newt on my Boot Asked me not to Pollute is a post from: Eco Child's Play

1. Vicki’s Vegan Kitchen: Eating With Sanity, Compassion & Taste

For the record, we are not a vegan family, and only the females are vegetarian in our family.  They boys eat organic meat.  I have been a vegan, but my pregnant body demanded more, so dairy reentered my diet ten years ago.  Even though we are not strict vegans, we incorporate many vegan recipes and meals into our daily life.

Vicki’s Vegan Kitchen: Eating With Sanity, Compassion & Taste is full of delicious recipes and instructions. These nutritionally balanced meals sometimes try to imitate meat dishes, like “Vegan ‘Chopped Liver’”, whereas others simply stand alone in taste and uniqueness, like “Cucumber-Wakame Salad”.

Veteran cookbook author Chelf (Cooking with the Right Side of the Brain) expands the vegan culinary universe in this collection of 375 meat-, egg- and dairy-free dishes for those with dietary restrictions. Yes, there are smoothies, Tabouli, and Hummus, but Chelf helps readers expand their diets with vegan versions of pizza, lasagna, and even Cheez Whiz in this accessible and imaginative guide. Chelf’s creative concoctions enable vegans to enjoy French Toast, béchamel sauce, pie, and a mock beef stew that finds its umami in seitan, tahini, and liquid aminos. A guide to vegan-friendly sources for key ingredients, and foods to avoid or seek out ensures larders will be stocked with healthy staples. Helpful step-by-step instructions for baking bread and making noodles, and tips on sprucing up soups and smoothies inspire confidence and enable cooks to expand their culinary repertoire. Though special ingredients are often required for many of her dishes, Chelf does an admirable job of keeping things as simple as possible. This is a terrific guide for vegans tired of settling for a salad.

There are plenty of recipes in this cookbook that would be a wonderful addition to any meal.  Whether your family is 100% vegan or you have a vegan guest, everyone will love these dishes.

Here is a recipe from  Vicki’s Vegan Kitchen: Eating With Sanity, Compassion & Taste I have yet to try, but sounds yummy!

Vegan Cinnamon-Raisin Muffins

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flaxseeds
• 1 1/3 cup rice bran
• 1 cup barely flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup raisins
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat ove to 350 degrees F.  Generously oil and flour a standard 12-cup muffin tin and lightly sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the flaxseeds.
2. Place the rice bran, barely flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and raisins in a large bowl, and mix well.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the flaxseeds to a blender along with the water and vinegar.  Blend until smooth.  Add to the flour mixture and stir quickly until just mixed.
4. Spoon equal amounts of batter into the prepared muffin cups.  (I use a 1/4-cup measuring cup with a handle to ladle the batter.)
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
6. Remove the muffins from the tin an serve.

2.
I still remember as a child looking for a lost dog or cat.  We would drive around with the window down yelling our dog’s name.  We would shake dog food bags and yell, “Treats!”  I was so full of anxiety and worry.

Now that I live in the mountains, my dogs sometimes go running.  Usually they go to the river, but sometime they visit a neighbor.  Sometimes they are gone for hours.  With Tagg-The Pet Tracker, I can now find them and not worry when they will come home.

Bear hunters use GPS expensive collars to track their dogs when they have treed a bear. The concept for Tagg is similar, only it is for our beloved pets.

Tagg is an advanced GPS tracking device purpose-built for pets, that will notify pet parents through text and/or email alerts if a pet leaves his safe zone—and allows their current location to be tracked so the pet can be brought home. The lightweight Tagg tracker attaches to a cat or dog’s existing collar, is designed to be worn at all times, and can operate for up to 30 days before recharging. A Tagg master kit is $99.95 which includes one month of free service; after the first month, service is $7.95/month.

If you can afford the monthly service, and your pet disappears frequently, I think this is a great product!  It certainly would give me piece of mind, especially since one of my dogs has been found many miles from home when he wandered.  I like that this GPS collar is more humane than a shock collar.  As long as your pet doesn’t lose the collar, I think it is worth it.

Tagg even has an iPhone app!

3. The Stick Book: Loads of Things You Can Make or Do with a Stick

A little over a year ago, Jonathon Liu wrote on Wired about The 5 Best Toys of All Time:

1. Stick
2. Box
3. String
4. Cardboard Tube
5. Dirt

Jo Schofield and Fiona Danks have written about Wired’s number one toy in The Stick Book: Loads of Things You Can Make or Do with a Stick  

The stick is a universal toy. Totally natural, all-purpose, free, it offers limitless opportunities for outdoor play and adventure and it provides a starting point for an active imagination and the raw material for transformation into – almost anything! As New York’s Strong National Museum of Play pointd [sic] out when they selected a stick for inclusion in their National Toy Hall of Fame, ‘It can be a Wild West horse, a medieval knight’s sword, a boat on a stream, or a slingshot with a rubber band . . .’ In this book Fiona Danks and Jo Schofield offer masses of suggestions for things to do with a stick, in the way of adventures and bushcraft, creative and imaginative play, games, woodcraft and conservation, music and more.

This book features 70 stick projects. Each one is beautifully photographed and explained.  My favorite project ideas are:

• Make a Star Wand
• Wild Weaving
• Make a Sun Clock
• Make a Fairy House or Gnome Castle
• Make a Necklace

Would I buy this book?  Yes.  You might think, “Why would I need a book to tell me how to play with sticks?”  This book gives you so many ideas and inspiration from the photographs. I think it is worth it!

4. Snap Infusion SuperCandy

Kids (and some adults) like candy, so why not make it “super”? No high fructose corn syrup and low calories mean you don’t have to worry about your children eating this “supercandy”.  Plus, Snap Infusion is packed with vitamins; however, it appears to not be vegetarian.

We are SNAP Infusion^®, the creators of SUPERCANDY^®,
a quick and delicious snack made from stuff you can feel good about devouring. SNAP is packed with B vitamins to boost your energy, antioxidants to keep your immune system strong, and electrolytes so you don’t get dehydrated and end up a dried-out shell of your former self.

We were sent the following flavors of Snap Infusion to try:

• GUM – Citrus Flavored Gum
• MEL – Chocolate Covered Caramel
• BEAN- Multi-Berry

Snap Infusion is made in the USA.

My vegetarian daughter noticed this “supercandy” contains gelatin.  When I first became a vegetarian at age 16, I learned that gelatin was made from horse hooves.   This may not be entirely accurate, as other random bone and cartilage parts are used from more than just horses.  PETA explains:

It’s probably no coincidence that gelatin rhymes with skeleton—because that’s exactly what it is—animal bones (along with animal skin, hooves, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage all boiled together into a goo that’s added to all kinds of candy and baked goods).

Would I buy this product?  No.  Unfortunately, this “supercandy” is not vegetarian or organic.

5. Munchkin Mighty Grip Spill-Proof Cups

I admit, when I used toddler cups with my kids, I did use plastic at times. Granted that was over five years ago and there weren’t many glass options.  I did rely heavily on the Klean Kanteen sippy cup.

I do understand the fear of glass breaking as toddler bang their cups on the counter or drop them, and I did prefer cups with handles for gripping, like the Munchkin Mighty Grip Trainer Cup with my own children.

Make the transition from bottle to sippy cup a smooth one with our new BPA-free Click Lock cups and these tips from our friends.

We have been sent four different BPA-free plastic cups by Munchkin.

1. Munchkin Mighty Grip Trainer Cup
2. Munchkin Mighty Grip Spill-Proof Cup
3. Click Lock™ Insulated Big Kid™ Cup
4. Munchkin Click Lock Flip Straw Cup

These products do feature silicone spouts, are dishwasher safe (although I wouldn’t recommend it), and are made in China.

Would I buy these products? Probably not. If I had it to do all over again, I would avoid all plastics, BPA-free or not. I just don’t trust them, and more alternatives exist today. I would stick with the Klean Kanteen sippy cup and/or Lifefactory glass bottle sippy cup.

I don’t really care about spill proof, as I think that is how children learn about liquids, gravity, and volume is by actually spilling drinks.  In fact, I always took the valves out of my children’s sippy cups, even the Klean Kanteen, so they would learn to drink without a lot of sucking and the natural consequences of turning a cup upside down.