5 days of Summer . . . Adventure for boys: the benefits of outdoor play

I'm joining Sarah Robinson of  Sidetracked Sarah and the team of the "5 days of series" to talk about various topics under the heading 5daysof summer . . . The topics range from summer recipes, games, and crafts for the kids to 5 days of summer . . . for Mom (and everything fun in between). Beginning June 17 - 21 we will be blogging about all things summer.  My topic of choice is 5 days of summer . . . adventure for boys. The specific titles are listed below. I do hope you will follow along to be encouraged, inspired and to get ideas for a summer full of adventure! 

*affiliate links are present in this post - read full disclosure here

• Benefits of outdoor adventure  
• Getting out with little ones - where to start
• Exploring in style - outfitted for adventure 
• Boys and camping - printable camp checklist 
• Extreme sports - introducing your kids to  BIG Adventure (safely)

Today:

Time in the great outdoors has been shown to increase creativity, improve social skills, and concentration in both children and adults. Running, jumping, climbing and playing are all exercises that may release soothing endorphins which promote healthier sleep habits and create happier children. 

Kids who have a tendency to be hyper active or who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can benefit greatly from the stress release from outdoor adventures. Outside play is good for body, mind, and soul. 

Getting dirty is good for kids! Although there is a time and a place for cleanliness, studies have shown that children who live in "ultra-clean" environments have a tendency to get sick easier; while kids who have an ongoing relationship with dirt and nature actually develop stronger immune systems. By being exposed to small amounts of natural bacteria in the great outdoors, our children are building up a protective barrier against more serious bacteria in the future. Certainly, common sense should apply. Children need to be bathed and nails scrubbed after making mud pies, but the benefits of letting them get dirty far outweigh the bad.

Kids who are allowed to get dirty regularly while playing outside, are happier and more well-rounded. A simple activity such as catching tad-poles creates a sense of pride and accomplishment in them. They can learn a tremendous amount as they explore the world around them. They become more connected to nature, grounded in who they are. and closer to their Creator as they investigate the natural world.

JM Cremp's Adventure Store for Boys has all sorts of wonderful outdoor gear to get your little men suited up for most any kind of adventure. My boys ADORE the JMCremps store and I have a hard time pulling them away from there at the homeschool conventions.

They have equipment for treasure hunting (metal detectors), zip lines, bows and arrows, army surplus tents, genuine metal helmets and all sorts of goodies that make little boys hearts go "pitter-patter". They have books and games to help you plan adventures and for survival training.

You don't have to spend a fortune to have a big adventure - but it does help to get some gear. I'll be going over  more of the basics and providing you with several printable family camping and outdoor adventure checklists this week; everything you need to plan for an adventurous summer with the boys!

The series: 
This Summer Series is brought to you by 12 lovely bloggers.  You’ll be seeing a wide assortment of topics.  From Camping tips to Summer Salads and Summer Organizing.  You will not want to miss the great posts from this team of bloggers.  And, to top it all off, we’ve got a fun giveaway for $80 in cash that you can enter to win!  The winner will be chosen at the end of the week. That will add to your summer adventure for sure. 
                                                                                                      

5 days of Summer . . . 

Red, White, & Blue - Sarah
Adventure 4 Boys  - Kelli
(Summer) Travel   - Tabitha
Camping Fun - Stephanie
(Summer) Fun - Laurie
(Summer) Learning - Monique
(Summer) Organizing - Sherri
Love for Mom - Christy
Little Style - Julie
(Summer) Salads - Becky
(Summer) Picnics - Jen
(Summer) Reading- Jamie

The giveaway: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 days of summer: Adventure for boys

I'm joining Sarah Robinson of  Sidetracked Sarah and the team of the "5 days of series" to talk about various topics under the heading 5daysof summer . . . The topics range from summer recipes, games, and crafts for the kids to 5 days of summer . . . for Mom (and everything fun in between). Beginning June 17 - 21 we will be blogging about all things summer.  My topic of choice is 5 days of summer . . . adventure for boys. The specific titles are listed below. I do hope you will follow along to be encouraged, inspired and to get ideas for a summer full of adventure! 

*affiliate links are present in this post - read full disclosure here

• Benefits of outdoor adventure  
• Getting out with little ones - where to start
• Exploring in style - outfitted for adventure 
• Boys and camping - printable camp checklist 
• Extreme sports - introducing your kids to  BIG Adventure (safely)

Did I mention the giveaway? We have an exciting giveaway for you that will be sure to add to your summer adventures. See you on June 17 - Go to any of the links above to enter!

Summertime Fun - Bucket List - Day 2 - Homemade Play dough

Blog friends participating: 

       Kelli @ Adventurez In ChildRearing

Honey @ Sunflower Schoolhouse

Joy @  My Home In The Smokies

Tonya @ The Traveling Praters

Jeniffer & Melissa @ Sisters ‘N Cloth

Tara @ Feels Like Home Blog

Lisa @ Creativlei

Nancy @ Proverbs 31 Jewels

Jennifer @ Teaching Boys

Day 2 - Kids in the Kitchen - Craft Time - Homemade Play Dough  

Measure out the ingredients - found here 

Mix it and stir it and knead it all up! 

Add color and play play play! Store in air tight container and play some more!

Ideas of things to make with play dough: 

1. Animals - easy shapes like circles, ovals and squares make lots of animals 

2. Play Food- use different colors to make pizza's, fruits, and veggies and play restaurant 

3. Vehicles - cars, trucks, and boats make for hours of fun 

4. Architecture - basic shapes can become Eiffel towers, Empire State Buildings, or your house

5. Letters - what kind of homeschool teacher would I be if I left this out? 

Family Connections - Summer 2012 - Nature Connections

Nature Connections

We spend a lot of time in the great outdoors. We love our wilderness camping and hiking. The boys have their own kayaks. My husband makes his living out on the water as a professional fishing guide. The boys are familiar with world class fishing. We live by the beach, so there is snorkeling and riding waves. We love the outdoors and these exciting activities - but we can get just as excited about a mother and a baby quail slipping into the yard for an afternoon meal. 

My oldest son first realized we had visitors and quickly caught my attention with the excitement in his voice. We quietly moved out onto the porch and tiptoed closer to get a better look - and to try to capture a picture.

We watched from the porch as the mama quail ushered her two babies through the yard. They darted around in the grass - nibbling and ducking while they chirped messages to each other. 

I love that in a family of outdoor adventurers - we still love the little things and take time to appreciate God's creation on every level - not just the big exciting experiences. I love that they are learning to see the beauty in weeds God created as well as the finest rare flowers. They get excited over butterflies and lizards as well as 

 Bald Eagles and sea creatures. They enjoy a family walk around the block as well as a trip down the river. 

Don't get me wrong - we won't be giving up our exciting adventures any time soon. But, in between the big adventures - we'll be enjoying the quiet moments with the birds and the bugs - loving God's creation and getting to know the One who designed it all by studying it closely. 

Coming up this weekend - Join us: 

Happy 1st Day of Summer! Link Up - Summer Fun 2012

Grab the Summer Fun 2012 button below and link up your family fun posts: 

Find out why today marks the heralded Summer Solstice here

Linking with Aurie Good- Our Good Life  Next week's blog hop theme is Summer Reading!
also linking with MOB Society   Fun Summer

Our Homeschool Week - with links to Homeschool Freebies

In my life this week…

   We're in the Top 25 - you can vote once per day if you will I'd greatly appreciate it! Your support means a lot to me - you keep me going! ;) 

In our homeschool this week…

Lots of bugs! We also did some work in the garden 

We are excited to be working on our Bible Bee - What a fabulous program! 

You can still order the material for your family - the bible verse cards, and study guides are 

amazing - we'll be focusing on memorizing scripture all summer!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We took the ferry boat over to Palm Island on Saturday for my goddaughters birthday 

It was wonderful to gather with old friends - seeing our children grow is pretty special! 

My favorite thing this week was…

We always enjoy our time in the kitchen together - join our link up on Tuesdays 

for "Kids in the Kitchen" to share your recipes and encourage others to bring 

the family back to the table together! (no kids required - but we sure like 'em) 

Let's hear it for the boys. . . 

About 6 months ago - Walker - 7 yrs - gave his heart to Jesus - I am thrilled that he is 

so excited about learning scripture and even caught him staying up late reading the Bible 

this week. How could I be upset about that? I'm so NOT! It makes my mama heart so happy
to see him growing in the Lord. There is nothing better than seeing your children come to Jesus! To see them reach out to grow their relationship with His is awesome. 

3 in 30 - reaching goals just 3 at a time …

1. Loose 10 lbs- I'm off to a decent start - my clothes are just a touch looser - enough to encourage me


2. In the Word-  Proverbs 31 study- is going well - I didn't post scriptures on the fb page this week because I was quite literally "under the weather" - raining here all week and that hurts my bones. (yucky)

3. Blog pages- have not updated them yet - but today is the last day of my 5 days of Exploring series

*a little progress on each goal - I did get a bit of organizing done too ;) 
If you need help setting goals and encouragement to reach them - join our 3 in 30 group! 

Letter of the week "P" …

"P" is for Palm Tree with no pfilter :) 

Helpful homeschooling tips, Freebies or advice to share…

 Take a moment to check out my final day of the series - there are 3 freebies there for you - at least one new one you've not seen before - up for grabs!

Linking with - Holy Spirit Led Homeschool , The Imagination Tree , Creative Family Fun , Read.Explore.Learn. and these: 

                    


    

Our Homeschool Week - A Freebie For Your Homeschool

In my life this week…

 We grated up leftover soap bits and hotel soap and
cooked it in a pot of water to make homemade hand soap! I didn't use one myself, but here's a recipe. 
I think it was my friend Amy from Raising Arrows who originally gave me the idea!

In our homeschool this week…

 We are totally enjoying this dvd and the study guide companion! We watched a portion of the dvd - then paused the video and went through the study guide questions - the boys did a fantastic job of recalling the information. Keep your eyes and ears open for a giveaway from me some time here on Adventurez this month!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

The dentist! I had three cranky boys at a miserable dentist appointment - yes - I'm whining.

My favorite thing this week was…

Leaving the dentist office!

Let's hear it for the boys. . . 

 Mommy didn't feel so well this week - I'm flat out exhausted - It may be the storms passing through our area - my sleep patterns are messed up right now -

 but enough about me. This boy (the one in the picture who is making butter) and here: 

 grinding up some wheat - This boy totally stepped

up to the plate to help out with the little guys. He fixed cereal in the mornings. He made hot dogs and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and even brought me a snack. He helped keep an eye on the boys - and even got them to straighten up the house for me. He also bought me special flowers for Mother's Day with his own money! 

 I cannot completely ignore the other two when it comes time for bragging - they also tried to help out as much as possible. They brought me drinks, helped in the kitchen, and helped to clean the house. They sat at their school table and made cards for me, Nana, and Grammy. It's gonna be a good Mother's Day - isn't every day? 

I’m cooking…

   Fudgy Cake Pops make EVERYTHING better!

I’m grateful for…

         Seriously, encouraging homeschool friends who pray for me and lift me up! Thank you -This is just a handful of my girls from the Apologia Live Conference in Atlanta - I'm thrilled and uplifted by you on a regular basis - Seriously!

3 in 30 - reaching goals just 3 at a time …

As you can see from the lovely cake pops above - I haven't exactly stuck to my low sugar 

diet. But I haven't completely thrown the baby out with the bath water either! 

I've been writing a good bit - and got my monthly Newsletter set up! Yay! 

see details below

I've been so exhausted in the mornings that I haven't been waking up and doing quiet

time first thing. I have been reading verses regularly and the Shepherding a Child's

 Heart study is going well. 

Letter of the week "L" …

 "L" is for Love my Little boys! 

                                And this picture was taken at a Lovely Lighthouse

Helpful homeschooling tips, Freebies or advice to share…

     

*Although we don't really do "lunchboxes" I loved this free kindle book - cause we do - do lunch! 

Stuff We're Into. . . . 

                                    

$6.74                                              Free                                                Free 

Things I’m working on…

The Homeschool How-To Conference was a huge success thanks to you! I spoke on the topic of 

"Exploring God's Creation" to encourage families to use God's Word as a foundation of their 

homeschool and the great outdoors as a way of getting to know their Creator. 

A 'thank you' 4 your support 'n a 'happy mother's day' . . .

   

Receive a Free "Exploring God's Creation - Bible Verses" download by signing up for the new 

"Adventurez In ChildRearing" monthly Newsletter here.