Snow!

Snow! Time for safe walks, hikes with the proper equipment, and snow painting in your backyard (squirt bottle, food coloring and water). Build a snow fortress for you or the fairies or just write your name across the blank canvas.

Lessons in Gimp

Lessons in: Gimp (US/Girl Scouts); Scoubidou (France/Europe); and Boondoggling (Boy Scouts, name credited to Robert H. Link, Eagle Scout). If you are teaching kids, start with the basics like Butterfly; Box/Square/Straight; and Chinese Staircase (can also be done with embroidery floss). Once they have those down, you can add Circle/Round (box with a twist) and Cobra/Macrame (square knot around center strands). Add a key ring or smaller split ring for zipper pulls and key chains or make bracelets and necklace pendants. Some kids like the Zipper stitch, which is weaving, to make bracelets quickly. Note to self: Find new links

Camping with Kids

Things that make outdoor life easier with camping kids:

• Extra gloves, socks, and hats to share for warm hands and hearts
• Peppermints (with peppermint oil) for upset tummies and upset grownups
• Light sticks for kids who need a light on or to identify adult tents
• A camera for a scavenger hunt (not required but it's fun)
• Leather work gloves for the fire (adults only)
• A vinyl tablecloth for food prep area
• Folding chairs for while you're waiting for them to fall asleep
• Sing a lullaby, quiet doesn't always work (most any song sung softly will do)
• Latex-free band-aids fix everything
• Put names on everything, use nail polish to mark mess kits.
• Don't forget your food thermometer and can opener
• Drink water throughout the day
• Give each other a break
• Lantern for while you're waiting for them to fall asleep
• Bedtime story (nature related are best)
• Have everyone in your group wear the same color shirt or bandanna
• Bring shopping and brown paper bags for: trash cans, for compost or recycling to send home, for wet dishcloths and dishtowels, for unexpected treasure.

Car, Home and Trail Tips

Interesting website with tips for your car, home and on the trail http://www.survivalcommonsense.com/

Charcloth

How to Make Your Own Charcloth (tinder) http://www.survivalcommonsense.com/2010/01/13/how-to-make-charclothfeed/ and other survival tips for car, home and on the trail.

Just a few of my favorite things

sunshine
flowers
cool breeze
birds singing
a blue sky