5 Fast and Healthy Foods for After-School Kids

By Heidi Drake

“Mooooom… I’m hungry!” It’s a rare day I don’t hear some version of this when I pick my girls up from school or when they're heading outside to play outdoors—despite eating Breakfast #1 at home, Breakfast #2 at school, lunch, and an afternoon snack, they’re ready for more by the time they get home.

They also have dance classes to get to and only about an hour in between, so I’ve got to think fast and healthy. Can’t have sugar crashes in the middle of tap or hip hop! I asked Elise and Maya for their five faves and they were happy to rattle ‘em off:

•    Celery with Peanut Butter. Buy pre-cut celery or take a little time to trim a bunch and store the slices in your fridge so they’re ready to be topped with peanut butter. A great source of fiber and protein, and kids love the creamy/crunchy combo.
•    Cereal! Pour their favorite breakfast cereal into a bowl and top with some fruit and milk. Quick, easy, and my girls just like having “breakfast” in the afternoon.
•    Cheesy Treats. I keep a big bag of grated cheddar (avoid the processed American-style “cheese”!) handy for fast nachos or quesadillas, and usually offer up a fruit plate for the kids to share for a well-rounded snack.

The Fine Art of Layering for Fall

By Heidi Drake

Fall officially arrives this week (it’s been near freezing at night here in Sunriver)—time to pack up the kids’ flip-flops and shorts and think layers for school and outside play.

Why is layering so important? Uncomfortable kids are cranky kids, and that’s no fun for anyone (especially them). I don’t know about where you live, but today it was 38 degrees when my kids left for school and it’ll be in the 70s by the time they get home. Can’t send ‘em with a complete change of clothes, so we layer. How?

•    Start with a moisture-wicking base layer.  Classroom temperatures vary, and some kids just run hot, so make sure they’re not sticky to boot. Synthetics work best—we love Patagonia’s Polartec Capilene fabric… oh, so comfy!
•    Let ‘em rock their style. Now that the first layer is taken care of, encourage your child’s sense of individual style by letting them wear their favorite cotton tee or fleece hoody over it.
•    Cover up! Jeans, cargo pants, skirts with leggings… your kids’ largest muscles are in their legs, so keep ‘em warm to avoid dragging feet by the end of the day.
•    Keep those tootsies toasty. It’s sock season, so arm your active kiddos with form-fitting performance socks that wick moisture and fight odors. If your kids are anything like my daughter Elise, you’ll save their classmates from horrible foot odor and help their favorite boots last longer.

Active Bodies, Active Brains

Keeping your kids moving during the school year

By Heidi Drake

The 2011-2012 school year is about to begin (or already has for some kids)—have you thought about how to keep your offspring physically active in the face of school lunches, cooling, wetter weather, and less time for outside play due to homework and other commitments?

Yeah, it’s a daunting task for sure. But with child and adolescent obesity rates currently ranging from 16-33 percent in the U.S., we can’t ignore it. But even we at Play Outdoors realize our kids can’t be outside all the time, so we need to find the right activities for them during the school year. And if they learn a bit about teamwork and commitment or spark their minds in some other way as well? Bonus!

•    Team Sports. Got a coordinated kid who likes a little competition (or a lot)? Enrolling  them in soccer, football, track, basketball, baseball, or any other team sport fosters school spirit and teaches teamwork and follow-through. But, don’t force a kid who just doesn’t seem comfortable with the   pressures of being on a team or really struggles with the basics. Take it from someone who was the picked-on kid on the team!
•    Individual Sports. Don’t give up because your child didn’t take to soccer! You just might have a budding golfer, tennis player, or cyclist living under your roof. Expose your kids to several activities or sports without pushing, and see where they naturally gravitate. Martial arts is a great option for many kids.
•    Family Sports. Because of my not-so-great team sport experience as a kid, I became interested in things that didn’t feel like “exercise”—skiing/snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, and the like. Now I’m able to do these things with my girls and husband, so we all get a dose of family bonding to boot.

Global Green + You = Healthy, Happy Kids at School

By Heidi Drake

Every time I drop my girls off at their school in Sunriver, Oregon, I realize how blessed they are to be entering a newly remodeled facility in a picturesque resort setting.

Not all kids are so lucky. That’s why Play Outdoors has been an enthusiastic supporter of Global Green and their Green Schools Initiative, which supports the building, remodeling, and all-around “greening up” of educational facilities across the country. You can get involved, whether your kids attend an older, urban school that needs serious help or they could just stand to kick their school’s eco-consciousness up a notch.

“How?” you ask—it’s up to you!

•    A little goes a long way. If your kids attend a newer school or you don’t have time to dive completely into green school advocacy, there are still ways you can make a difference. My daughter Maya’s Daisy Scout troop raised awareness for reusing and recycling by starting a can drive and using recycled materials for crafts, and her kindergarten class planted a garden on school grounds.

Kick the Kids Outside to Play, Even During the School Year

By Heidi Drake

After several glorious weeks spent swimming, hiking, camping, biking and general outdoor exploring, my girls are both looking forward to school and seeing their friends daily and lamenting the end of one rockin’ summer break. My impending challenge? Making sure the school year doesn’t mean a sedentary lifestyle for my two energetic kids.

If your kids are involved in outdoor sports like soccer, football, or cross-country running, you’ve already got a leg up—bravo! Not all kids are cut out for team sports, though, and it’s important for them to spend fun time outdoors doing non-competitive things too. Things like:

•    Jumping outside. Got room for a trampoline? Get one! There’s nothing more freeing than a good bounce, for kids of all ages. Trampolines make great beds too—grab your favorite insulated sleeping bags and snooze under the stars with the kids after you’ve tuckered ‘em out.
•    Walking outside. From a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood to a riverside search for a geocache… customize a simple stroll and it becomes an adventure. The kiddos won’t even know they’re exercising (works for you, too). Don't forget to take a reusable water bottle no matter how long you're planning to hike.
•    Balancing outside. All you need is a Gibbon Slacklines balancing strap and a couple of trees to create well-balanced kids. Set it up and they’ll gravitate toward it! The Gibbon works your child’s core while encouraging balance—and it’s just plain fun.

Fun & Healthy School Lunch and Snack Ideas for Kids

By Heidi Drake

I was surprised the other day when my lunch offering of a ham sandwich with mayo was met with a teen-worthy eye roll from nine-year-old Elise, accompanied by a sigh and, “Can’t I have something different?” I was bored too, but she usually wouldn’t eat anything else.

I seized the opportunity to try some new lunch and snack fare, which turned out to be a fun new adventure for both my girls and me. Some of our favorites?

•    “Fancy Sandwiches”. This one sounds like a lot of work, but all it took for six-year-old Maya to call them “fancy” was a change in bread. We picked up some fresh rolls and a box of croissants and old favorites became new again. Elise has even added lettuce and tomatoes to her ham and mayo. Bonus: no more wasted crust!
•    Wraps. Pick up an assortment of tortillas and fill ‘em with your favorite sandwich ingredients, vegetables, Mexican fillings… leave it up to the kids! It’s even more fun when they get to build their own.
•    “Stick Food”. Maya made some fruit kabobs for us recently, and since then we’ve made “stick sandwiches” (cut of pieces of bread, meat, and cheese on skewers, dipped in various condiments), veggie skewers, and even a dessert version made up of chunks of chocolate cake and strawberries, dipped in whipped cream. Yum! Break regular wood skewers in half and they’ll fit in your kid’s insulated lunch bag.
•    Bruschetta. Armed with a kids’ cookbook from the library, Elise made bruschetta for an  afternoon snack (with a bit of help from Mom when it came to slicing the bread and using the oven). Kids can cut most fruits and veggies with a butter knife, so let them help!
•    “Mommy’s Lunchables”. My girls were constantly begging for those prepackaged lunches in the sandwich meat section of the grocery store, but I wasn’t a fan of the prices and processed food. One day when we had a limited mish-mash of grocery items available in our kitchen, I tossed together a couple of trays with crackers, cut up ham and turkey, cheese, pickles, fruit, and drinks in their favorite water bottles. Who knew it would be a hit? And it’s easy when you need to clear a few things from the fridge and pantry.

Let your kids help with your shopping list and plan for the week ahead, and they’ll actually eat what you give ‘em. Happy noshing!

Back to School Gear for Intelligent Beings

By Heidi Drake

Less than a month ‘til school starts—are you ready??

It’s okay if you’re not. Play Outdoors is here to save your sanity. From kid-sized backpacks that perform whether the kids are camping or walking to school to the supercool clothes their friends’ll be jealous over, we’ve got the back-to-school gear you need. Just follow our head-to-toe guide…

It’s still sunny when the school year begins, so why not grab a Quiksilver or Roxy ball cap (or two…) for your young athlete? And when the air starts to chill, we have superstylish kids’ knit caps and beanies too.

You know the kids have outgrown last year’s clothes, so get some bang for your bucks with durable and up-to-date shirts, dresses, pants, and more from trusted brands like O’Neill and Billie Girl by Billabong. So hip you’re gonna want “big kid” sizes for yourself!

No matter how good your little sweetheart looks wardrobe-wise, a hungry-kid scowl’s gonna wreck his image. Be in control of what your kids eat for lunch by packing healthy food in an insulated lunch box or bag from PlayOutdoors.com. A double-wall insulated water bottle will help keep your kiddo hydrated too (and save on expensive bottled water and the multitudes of plastic bottles clogging up your recycle bin).

An organized kid’s a lot less stressed (and so are their parents), so make sure your student is equipped with a tough and functional kid’s backpack—yep, we’ve got laptop-friendly styles too.

And, we’ve got to take care of our kids’ feet—they take a lot of abuse going from class to class, to recess, and the bus stop. Growing feet need special care, so we only bring you the best. Look for supportive and multitasking KEENs, tough kids’ hikers from Merrell, fun styles by Simple and Sanuk, and a lot more.

Shop smart and you’ll be good to go! Until next year…

Thumbs Up for Brilliant Marmot and Patagonia Down

By Heidi Drake

When I came home with my adult-sized Patagonia Down Jacket a few months ago, my daughter Elise kept cuddling on the couch with it wrapped around her, sighing, “I want a blanket like this!”

I figured it was time to get her a girl’s
Patagonia Down Sweater of her own, and Christmas was the perfect opportunity. And, knowing that little sister Maya wouldn’t want to be left out, I decided to pick up Marmot’s Brilliant Quilted and Insulated Jacket for her. Similar enough to be “equal” but not too matching (you know how girls can be).

What did they think? They loved them (and I got my Patty G jacket back). Both became the girls’ favorite school jackets, being softer and less bulky than their ski coats (and stylish enough to get verbal approval from their friends—big bonus!). While we wouldn’t recommend them for full-on blizzard conditions, both the Marmot and the Patagonia have kept my girls warm ice skating in Sunriver and impromptu sledding on the hill next to our house.

Kid Clutter Chaos!

Sanity saving tips for organizing your kids’ busy lives

By Heidi Drake

The kids’ school and extracurricular activities are in full swing, and we parents often find ourselves overwhelmed with what seems like a million things to keep track of!  Don’t spend so much time trying to manage the mental and physical clutter that you forget to go outside with your kids—school-year pressures mean outdoor “decompression” time is more important than ever.

Need help staying organized?  We’re happy to assist:

•    Organize your kids’ clothes and shoes. Go through and weed out items that are worn or don’t fit anymore, and make sure they have school and play-ready apparel on hand.  Replacing dressers with canvas cubicle-style organizers makes it easy to separate clothes and make them accessible to little ones.

•    Outfit them with a good backpack. Look for a durable kid’s backpack with ample pockets  and compartments for books, writing utensils, extra clothes, and the like.  Go through it with them when they get home so important teacher notes aren’t missed, and take that time to load it up with whatever they need for the next day.

Smart Girls Rock Play Outdoors Style

By Heidi Drake

She’s beaming ‘cause her BFF covets her new Roxy Girls Rockfest Hoodie, while you’re stoked that she’s actually wearing a jacket to school (and one that will last).

That’s the sitch if you did your school clothes shopping at Play Outdoors.  You didn’t?  It’s not too late!  We’ve still got some killer deals on stylish girls’ clothes like Roxy’s Jivin’ Corduroy Pants (Reg. $42, now only $25.20) to go with her favorite hoodie.  Or teach her clothes to play nicely with others and mix it up with items like the baseball-style long sleeve top from Limeapple (Reg. $40, now only $28.96).

We’ve got accessories she’ll adore too, like girls’ knit hats by Ambler Mountain Works and Spacecraft, and colorful and warm SmartWool socks.  Need some cute and durable shoes too?  We adore Simple’s Satire Girl’s Sneakers (Reg. $42, Now only $35.70)—how can you resist pink laces and giraffe print?

And remember, we’re not just about making sure your kids look their most rockin’ (although we do like that too)—we’ve got child-sized backpacks to cram their stuff into, and even giggle-inducing and educational toys like the Wobble Deck Balance Board ($48.95).  Hone their balance and musical skills while burning off that after-school energy!

Stay tuned for more… our gear buying gurus have been busily making warehouse space for more Ambler Mountain hats, Spyder snow gear, boots by Sorel, science kits from 4M (potato clocks, solar bots, and more)--and that's not all.  School and impending cold weather?  Bring it on!