Summer Fun Activities -- Nautical Knots

School's out for summer (well, almost -- we still have a few days before the troops come home). This summer, I'm sharing a few activities I'll be using to keep my children entertained. Since we have a home so close to the Chesapeake, I thought a few skip-jack skills could be useful to learn.

This week's project: NAUTICAL KNOTS.

I've purchased a nautical shadow box showcasing the most common knots. I did some research to find the best knot tying lessons on the web.
Animated Knots was the most helpful site I found on the subject. Just click on each knot on the site for Video Instructions. The photos make it easy for any skill level to follow. Check it out before and wow your children with your knot-tying skill, or invite them to peruse the site with you.

So, head out to the garage or the craft store to pick up some rope, link onto Animated Knots, and before you know it, you and your child be tying knots like a Chesapeake Bay waterman.

And please, come back to IdeaMom to share your stories here, and find more Summer Fun Activities.

"Best Beach Find Contest" -- Fun on the Beach with Kids

We're off to the beach today for a shell search. Chesapeake Beach is a shell-lovers paradise, as is our other favorite beach in Florida at Summer Dream in WindMark Beach.
Once we collect our treasures along the shore, we shall designate a "Beach's Best Find contest" -- not just for the most beautiful shell, or most perfect (least broken), mind you. I like the categories our children dream up the best.
Past winners include:
Best Shell for Painting. . . Most Holes. . . Smoothest . . . Roughest. . . Most Ridges. . . Most Colors on One Shell. . . Most Recently Lived-In. . . Funniest Looking. . . Most Artistic . . . Smelliest Shell (Check this post for tips to remove that stink.) . . . From the Scariest Creature -- the winner of this category was a 2 inch long shark's tooth.
Today, we hope to create new ways to win.
And while we are visiting the beach, we'll have to build in the sand. I love this "farewell to winter" Sandman. We can appreciate a sight like this in Maryland -- where winter-time beach combing requires a good bit of bundling to avoid the biting winter breeze. Now that Spring is in the air, we can shed a few layers and possibly some shoes, to savor some good old fashioned sand-play the way (I believe) nature intended!

How to Remove a Smell from a Shell

After a beach search left my sons raving about winning the "Stinkiest Shell" category in the Family "Best Beach Find Contest," we searched for a solution that would convince their mom to allow them to keep their Smelly discovery.

I found this tip (which I'm paraphrasing here) in a little guidebook from our library, Shellcraft Secrets by Greg and Shelley Stahly.

Removing a Smell from a Shell
1. Make sure there is no animal living in the shell. If you cannot tell whether or not an animal is still inside, it is best to leave it at the beach. Once the shell is home, however, and you are unsure if it is still inhabited, place the shell in water for a few days, being sure to replace the water each day.
2. Place the shell into a bucket of water with 2 Tbs baking soda for one hour.
3. Rinse with water and let dry.

Other techniques to try: Boiling the shell for 15 minutes. Freezing the shell overnight in your freezer. Or hanging the shell outside for several days -- the smell will eventually go away.

Junior Ranger Rules! National Park Program for Kids

“I, [child's name], am proud to be a National Park Service Junior Ranger. I promise to appreciate, respect, and protect all national parks. I also promise to continue learning about the landscape, plants, animals and history of these special places. I will share what I learn with my friends and family.”

Several years ago, while searching for ways to keep our sons actively engaged during our family vacations, we learned about the Junior Ranger program offered at National Parks across the country. These programs invite children to become a part of the National Park family through the completion of educational activities during park visits. Once a Junior Ranger has completed his activities and discussed what he (or she) has learned with a Park Ranger, he earns a Junior Ranger badge. My children have earned several of these badges -- after our years of moving and traveling during our military life.

An excerpt from my son's scrapbook shares how enriching the Junior Ranger experience was for our family:

"The summer of 2004 was one you will always remember! During our visits to Mesa Verde, Arches, and Grand Canyon National Parks, you became a Junior Ranger. You were completely in your element as you explored nature, completed assignments, and soaked up as much knowledge as you could about the Parks we visited. You took your job very seriously! I was so impressed with how you took responsibility for the environment, learned from the experience, and loved every minute of it. You should be very proud of yourself! We certainly are!"

Tools for the Trail: Or What Ranger Andrew carried each day.

1. Bottled Water - Lots of It!

2. Sunglasses

3. Magnifier

4. Nature Guide

5. Sunscreen

6. Trash Bag

7. Pen and Notebook

8. Good Walking Shoes

9. Can Do Attitude

Some Ranger Rules -- things to remember for the trip:

Stay on Trail! The cryptobiotic soil is alive! If you walk on it, it dies. It takes 50-250 years to grow back!

Keep the trails clean.

Help your brother along the way.

Visit the National Park Service website to learn more about Junior Ranger programs.

Earth Day Crafts for Kids

Springtime is a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors with children. This is one of my favorite books for inspiring fun in nature and creativity. . .Ecology Crafts for Kids by Bobbe Needham. A great reference for Earth Day fun!

Encourage your children to recycle and care for the environment with this book. It contains 50 ideas using items from nature (stones, sticks, plants, etc.) and recycled materials (cans, paper bags, newspapers, etc.) A few of their eco-friendly ideas include: license plate bird feeder, handprint giftwrap, a wooden house for bats, birch bark canoe, potato print shirts, mosaic flowerpots, sketch and press nature journals, paper bag books, cut and paste bottles and jars, corn husk sunflowers, papier mache pinata and hats, Eco party ideas, bottle gardens, natural cosmetics, and more.

Craft ideas range from easy to more challenging and are appropriate for a variety of age ranges, though elementary and middle school aged students would enjoy them the most. The book is filled with several photographs for each activity making it a hit with visual learners!

In addition to great craft ideas, the book highlights several environmental organizations -- many started by kids -- that are making a difference. This book just might inspire your child to get involved!

Click Here for More Earth Day Fun: Touch the Earth Game.

Kids Art Activity -- PleinAir Painting for Kids

Inspired by our upcoming trip to the Plein Air PaintOut in WindMark Beach, I searched the web for a few ideas to bring the artsy celebration to our home here in Maryland. My children would love this! All that is needed for this kind of fun would be large canvases (old sheets and towels would work great too), paintbrushes, and colorful paints. Add children, nice weather and old t-shirts -- and this is one Plein Air Paintout our family would truly love!!

Photos: Courtesy of Cookiemag.com

I love this idea too. . . My kids love to get their feet dirty. And what a great way to make gift wrap. But be sure to have some towels and a garden hose nearby!!

Yep, I think these photos "capture the nuance of life in an outdoor setting". Plein Air Painters would be proud of such a fun art production for kids.

I'm getting our paintbrushes ready for the first sunny weekend when we can invite our neighborhood over for this colorful artistic display of FUN!

Our Sea Turtle Friends

My daughter and I just enjoyed these wonderful books about Sea Turtles . . . followed by a lively conversation of how these wonderful animals are protected near our new Florida home.

The Sea Turtle Nesting Season begins May 1st and runs through October 31st in Gulf County, Florida. WindMark Beach is the ONLY community in the state of Florida to earn a "Wildlife-Friendly" certification because of its efforts to preserve these and other wonderful creatures sharing their coast. WindMark uses specialized lighting to keep lights off the beach and the adjacent wildlife community within the Village.Hatching sea turtles move toward the brightest light on the beach at night, because they instinctively believe it is the moon shining over the water. At WindMark Beach, the developers ensured the Village lighting is not even visible from the beach.

Bill Lynn, a wildlife biologist employed by WindMark and St. Joe Company, says that, "Protecting the environment is important to our company. Not only that, our customers want to be environmentally friendly."
While most coastal counties have lighting ordinances, it is still an issue on some beaches. Some highly imperiled turtle species, such as giant leatherback turtles and loggerheads, nest on these same beaches.When the hatchlings dig to the surface, normally at night, and see street lights, they head toward them and away from the water, which often means they die.

In 2003 biologists determined over 79,300 hatchling sea turtles on Florida coasts either died or had to be picked up and returned to the water after heading inland. Lights displayed on beaches also disrupt the nesting habits of several species of shorebirds, making them more vulnerable to predation.

Dean Gallagher was the FWC biologist who worked with St. Joe and their
wildlife-friendly certification for WindMark Beach. He now works with the
University of Hawaii. He has high praise for the way everyone connected with the
project embraced the idea of making it a wildlife-friendly development.

"Instead of using 40-foot poles for street lighting, they used low, 12-foot
poles with full-cutoff fixtures. They were so well-done you can't see the
lighting from the beach," Gallagher said. ~Port St. Joe Star,
May 9, 2007

This summer, families who visit Summer Dream will be able to observe loggerhead turtles in their natural habitat. You may even choose to join the Gulf Coast Conservation Association's efforts to preserve this endangered species, by signing up to perform "Turtle Patrol" during your stay. To learn more about the sea turtles in Gulf County, or to volunteer during your WindMark Beach vacation, visit the GCA Turtles website.