It is understandable how sweat and dirt can meet furrowed brows and head-shaking from parents. Sweat will most likely make your child smell un-bathed (thanks to particular genetic strains) while dirt can stain clothes and invite viruses. While these are legitimate parental concerns, sweat and dirt from the public playground can actually do your child more good than harm, provided that you’re still there to supervise.

1. They build character

The playground teaches a lot of things: from life lessons to handling bullies, the playground gives your child a place to learn more about himself, to the point of wanting to surpass his limitations. Read the rest of this entry »

Work and school are both important. However, work can demand a lot of your time while school can demand an incredible amount of attention from your children. It’s great if you’re the type of family that takes dinner as an opportunity to talk about how everyone’s day went, but dinner won’t be enough to really know what’s going on in your children’s lives.

When you do get some time off from work and the children get a little break from school, grab the chance to catch up. Take this time to let your children know that you can be their friend too. It’s okay to feel a little awkward, but these 2 tips should make it a fun learning experience for you and your children. Read the rest of this entry »

A full week’s work can take its toll on you anytime, without warning. Before you crash and burn, it’s a good idea to take some time off from work—during the weekday.

Although weekends are usually there for you, they come with crowded places that end up making you more stressed out. Using your vacation leaves to take a weekday break is worth it. Taking a break doesn’t have to come with a price. So go away for a bit and return to work fully charged. Here are 3 tips to help you maximize your weekday break. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve probably heard about the Obama’s and their vegetable garden. But have you heard about the White House playground? Like the garden, the playground was designed as a symbol of the Obama’s commitment to sustainability. Just like the garden, the playground also made the news when it was featured on an episode of 60 Minutes.

Everything in the playground was built with green materials. The White House staff worked with the National Recreation and Park Association to come up with the best materials for the playground. The playground equipment was made with 100% cedar and redwood harvested in the US. The wood is “certified” to ensure it complies with all local, state, and federal harvesting regulations.

The playground has four swings, a slide, a fort, a climbing wall and climbing ropes. There’s also a picnic table that has plates etched with the names of all 44 presidents.

Not long after the playground went in, the hard ground was replaced with a safer and environmentally-friendly playground surface. The rubber mulch was made from recycled tires from Rubbercycle. Rubbercycle’s Rubber Mulch and Rubber Curbs was chosen for both safety and for its “green” aspects.

Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, love their new playground. Rubbercycle is honored to keep them and millions of other children safe and using renewable resources to do it.

Aging isn’t a reason to stop maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In fact, this is when you need to become more mindful of how you eat and what you do for exercise. Safety remains a primary consideration—this includes taking into account old injuries and current medications. Get the approval of your doctors and stick to doing what you can. Everything will be fine.

Here are some things you can do without having to spend a lot on personal trainers and bulky exercise machines. Getting a fitness partner, like your spouse, a neighbor, or one of your children is a good idea—you can keep track of each other’s progress and help each other stay motivated. Read the rest of this entry »

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The award books would definitely look boring if the entries all looked and felt the same. The agencies with the most metals are doing something right. Creative directors have their own way of motivating their creative charges. However, all of them agree that to be a productive creative department each member should own a spot away from the box.

Although the creative department’s office would naturally have more surprises as compared to the suits’ offices, being cooped up in a building could sometimes be tantamount to keeping the team in a box. Here are 3 cool tips to up your creative team’s spirits and get those awards rolling in. Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you’re a parent or a teacher, organizing a cleanup drive for the public playground is a fantastic idea. On top of doing the community a great service, you also create an opportunity for the local kids to be empowered and socially aware.

It could be tricky to deal with a lot of kids at the same time, and have them do actual “work.” As long your goal is clear, all you need to do is put some structure to your brilliant plan and make a fun, productive day out of it. To help you get started, below are 3 helpful tips for organizing your playground cleanup day.

1. Start with a small, familiar group of kids

Your idea will be more attractive if the kids can see how joining the cleanup would benefit them. This is why it’s important to start with a small group of kids—either your class or your kid’s friends—who all regularly use the playground. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a big chance that your child won’t learn to be street smart inside the classroom. Although it’s good to have him learn from his own mistakes, there are some things that your child should be cautioned against to avoid irreparable situations.

Even if your child is still young, it’s a good idea to make sure that his reflexes are quick and that he becomes naturally aware of danger and the things that go on around him. Keep in mind not to overdo it, as you don’t want your child to end up living in constant fear and paranoia. This is why we suggest that you make use of the playground as a venue to teach him awareness of himself and awareness of others. Here are 2 things to focus on, so that your child will be able to handle himself better in different situations.

1. Heightened awareness of surroundings

The playground is a familiar environment to your children. It’s nice to hone their sense of awareness through fun games. Below is an example of a game that can involve more children. Read the rest of this entry »

Children are a tough audience to satisfy, especially when you require their attention and discipline for something highly academic like science class. You can become “the cool teacher” without compromising you lessons.

The appreciation for science rests on the application of theories. Children will become more excited when they see the text in their books at work. It would be a good idea to take them out before examinations so that lessons make better impressions on your students. Here are 3 helpful tips for you, should you decide to take your class out.

1. Make an itinerary
The public playground is a good venue for your out-of-class session. There are no entrance fees and you have free reign of your itinerary.

It is important to make an outline of your objectives in that playground session and how you plan to achieve those objectives. You’d want to consider going there in the morning when the sun isn’t so hot yet, so make sure your activities fit within that time frame. Read the rest of this entry »