The Risky Kids

Risky Reads: The Helmet & Pads Edition

2013-05-14T19:01:11Z

Probably not the photo you’d expect to see on The Risky Kids, no? Eli won this motocross helmet by taking 2nd place in a Strider bike race this winter. He LOVES it, and would probably sleep in it if I let him. I don’t see how he can walk around in it, much less ride his bike or rollerblades … it’s so heavy and huge on his head! So lest you think we roll our kids gravel or toss them from the roof, please note that even the The Risky Kids pad and protect themselves from time to time.

Here are a few things I’ve found around the web in the last month that I thought you’d enjoy. Take your pads off and stay awhile!

Are American parents doing it backwards? An interesting perspective from the Huffington Post on how parenting styles differ in other cultures, and how our style may hinder our kids. (Thanks to Paul K., a reader who tipped me off to this article.)

Now that you’ve read about how we’re doing it all wrong, chew on this: are we raising a nation of wimps? This article over at Psychology Today thinks the efforts of some parents to shield their kids from bumps and bruises (both the physical and mental kind) may be setting kids up for a propensity to break down.

Are you and your kids more likely to hang out in the back yard or front yard? Here’s the #1 reason you should be hanging out in the front yard instead.

Love camp, but don’t love how fast the cost adds up? Have a kid that isn’t drawn to traditional camps? Take a look at Maker Camp over at Google+. Our tween-in-residence will definitely be taking part!

For more risky inspiration, follow us on Pinterest. And if you ever see anything you think we’d like, please share it with us!

KidVentures: 50 Inspiring Ideas to Kickstart Your Summer Adventures

2013-05-09T19:01:49Z

I wrote this post because not only is the author one of my very favorite people in the world, but I also knew you would love her new ebook … it’s right up The Risky Kid alley! This post does contain affiliate links.

It’s that time of year when my mind turns to thoughts of summer vacation. While the first days of vacation are filled with giddiness and the feeling that we’ll never get tired of the pool, reality eventually sets in. What’s the over-under on the first rumblings of “I’m boooorrred?” My guess is 13.5 days into summer.

I’m always on the hunt for helpful resources to keep us active and entertained, not only in the summer but all through the year. Just in time for summer, my good friend Jen Murray, has come up with a simple, do-able, but extremely helpful and inspiring ebook to get you outside, having fun and making awesome family memories.

Jen is a treasure, inspiring those of us in the trenches of parenting young children through her blog, 4tunate. As a mother of quadruplet six-year-old boys, Jen is more than qualified to help us navigate the world of adventurous play! She speaks from a perspective so many of us can relate to – realizing you’re not necessarily a risky, down-and-dirty kind of parent, but knowing that it’s these kinds of experiences that benefit our children.

Her new ebook, KidVentures: 50 Outdoor Experiences of Wonder, Discovery, & Childhood Memories , is full of ideas, suggestions, diagrams and printable to get you outside and having fun in every season.

Kids too little or not quite ready for a real zip line? Make a zip line for their toys! Have lots of kids in your neighborhood? Help them organize a game of water balloon dodgeball or flashlight tag. There are lots of activities that go hand-in-hand with 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do), including cook over a fire, climb a tree, and skipping rocks.

Jen’s absolutely right: “It doesn’t have to be dangerous, complex, intimidating, or mud-covered to be an excellent kidventure!” We might call ourselves The Risky Kids, but we know that the best adventures come from simply getting outside together. Jen and I share a passion for play, and KidVentures is a wonderful resource for parents who want to fill these fleeting years with lots of playful memories. Whether you’re a seasoned parent and adventurer or you’re just not sure where to start, KidVentures will have the perfect activities for your family.

Order your own copy today for just $4.99!

As crazy as it seems now, we only have a handful of summers to share with our kids. Make the most of them and get adventurous!

Risky Places We Love: Adventureworks

2013-05-07T14:17:32Z

We love to zipline here at The Risky Kids. It doesn’t matter if it is in a cave, outside or somewhere in the rainforest, we highly recommend you get out there and try it.

Here in middle Tennessee we’re lucky to have a place like Adventureworks. They offer a canopy zipline tour with 9 ziplines, as well as an aerial trekking treetop adventure course and a challenge rope course (that’s next on our list). What’s even cooler is that the different courses can be tailored to fit different groups, whether you’re looking for a team-building activity, a family outing, or even a couples adventure.

Thomas and I have zipped at Adventureworks before the Benj got to try out his first zipline.

He had no fear.

Our friends, Emily and John, also got their first zipline adventure.

I was most proud of Mom Bistany. This was her first time to zipline. She was honest – she wasn’t so sure about the idea. She isn’t too fond of heights, but she faced her fear and won. She zipped like a pro! It was cool to hear her thank her son, Monkey John, for helping her to get outside and try something daring.

There were some really cool bridges that we got to walk across.

Believe it or not, ziplining is a great activity for those of you who would like to try something risky but are hesitant to take the leap. By finding a credentialed course, you’re actually trying something that’s safe but feels really risky. It’s exhilarating! It’s especially great as a family activity for parents who are a little more reserved than their adventure-seeking kids. You’ll have a blast, and the kids will think the world of you for trying something out of your comfort zone.

Adventureworks is located in Kingston Springs, just west of Nashville. Visit adventureworks.com or call them at 615-297-2250 to book your adventure today!

The Idle Parent: Does Working Less Mean Happier Families?

2013-05-03T02:33:46Z

This is the thirteenth part in a series of discussions regarding The Idle Parent Manifesto, which can be found in Tom Hodgkinson’s book The Idle Parent: Why Laid-Back Parents Raise Happier and Healthier Kids. Need to get caught up? You can do so here.

We both work as little as possible, particularly when the kids are small.

If I had one complaint about Hodgkinson’s book, it would be that he can come across as pompous and out of touch. Too often he paints situations with a broad brush, admonishing the reader with terms like “everyone should” or “you must.” While he champions the idea that “there are many paths” to parenting, at the same time he sneers at those who won’t, or can’t, throw all conventionality aside and live the idle, wild life. This particular part of the manifesto is just one of those instances.

The idea behind it is that the time when our children are babies, toddlers and preschoolers is a fleeting time when we should be most available to them. In theory, that’s a great idea, and one that many families choose to adhere to – ours included. From the time I became a mother, I’ve alternated between working very part-time (10-15 hours a week), part-time (20-30 hours a week), and not working outside the home at all. It’s been absolutely wonderful, and a choice I would make again. My husband also spent nearly two years working a very flexible schedule from home, allowing him generous chunks of free time during the day to be with the kids.

It’s a great idea, but it doesn’t come without other costs. The cut in income was significant, which meant we had to make tough choices on a daily basis. We went without a lot of things. We stressed about money often, worrying about funny noises in the car, praying that tumble on a bike didn’t mean any nasty gashes or broken bones. Did the kids enjoy their time at home with both mom and dad endlessly around? I think so. But it was not the laid-back, idle, golden days the author glorifies.

He also doesn’t take into account the families for whom, finances aside, this shift would make life less enjoyable. I have many friends who would go batty if they were to all be home together, all the time, every day. They are brilliant at their jobs, and their work feeds a part of their soul that in turn makes them better parents when they come home. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, in my opinion. There are many paths.

There is one facet to this that I would totally agree with. If you define “work” as the busyness of maintaining a home to a magazine-worthy degree, then I beg you to reconsider and “work” less. This is coming from someone who gets jittery when there’s a spoon in the sink that could go in the dishwasher. I know it can be hard. But now that I’m coming around the flip side of the grueling baby and toddler years, I can see how overworking yourself in that sense doesn’t help anyone. The kids don’t care and you’ll be cranky and exhausted trying to keep up. Let your standards go … be idle for whatever chunks of your day you can steal away. Take a nap. Sit outside with a magazine or a book while the kids play. Fiddle away with your iPhone. The work will still be there, but you’ll be less resentful of it if you take care of you first.

So what do you think? Should we all be working less when the kids are small (both inside and outside the home)? Or is this an idea that just isn’t feasible no matter what the situation?

Trade Screens for Sunshine!

2013-04-29T16:34:08Z

We here at the Risky Kids love KaBOOM! Last summer they sponsored a program that encouraged kids to visit a different playground every day. We signed up and not only had a blast but also scored an I-Pod shuffle, a book, ice cream and new shoes. Awesome!

Today marks the beginning of Screen Free Week, and KaBOOM! is once again doing their part to get kids outside. They are encouraging Risky Kids everywhere to trade one hour of technology time for outside play for an entire week.

Bad weather? Not to worry. The worms will still come out and play!

I gathered all my courage and asked my kids if they would like to participate …

Thomas and The Benj said, “YES!” We have agreed to trade one entire hour of technology for outside play. Ben asked if we could spend the time jumping rope, playing with the dogs and shooting the BB gun? Oh, yeah! I will admit that I offered a reward for participating in this event. The Benj said that he would like to go ziplining. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

We started yesterday and the day was a rousing success. The kids had 30 minutes of screen time on Sunday instead of the usual 90 minutes. After church we went over to the neighbor’s house and ended up with 5 kids digging up the weeds. Then we all headed home to move a tree that had fallen across the neighbor’s driveway. I let the kids use a handsaw to saw the big limbs. They fought over who got to use the saw. I rewarded all 5 kids with a trip for ice cream. We tried to do a kayak trip but the flash flood made that impossible, so we played around in the flooded park instead.

I am so excited to get outside and play, and we encourage you to take the Screen Free Pledge. Screen Free Week begins today (Monday, April 29) and goes through Sunday, May 5. Please join us and tell us what you plan to do (or what bribes you had to offer your kids).

50 Dangerous Things: Learn Tightrope Walking

2013-04-26T12:41:35Z

Task: Act like a circus performer and develop your sense of balance

Requires:

Parking Curb
Low wall
A tightrope or a slackline

Possible Hazards:

Frustration
Falls
Sprained Ankle

How it all went down:

I wouldn’t mind joining the circus about now so this task was right up my alley. We actually try to balance on a lot of things – you’ve seen us slackline in the past. But how do you get from plain old walking to balancing your way across a tightrope? Practice! It simply takes time to develop your sense of balance. The best, and safest (Gasp! Did we just say that?) way is to start by trying to balance on everyday objects and working your way up to higher and wobblier things as you improve.

If you want to start really simple, find a place on the sidewalk or pavement with a long, straight crack. Pretend it’s a tightrope and walk across it.

Once you’ve got that down, move on to something a little higher, like parking curbs. The key to balancing is keeping your eyes up. Find a spot on the horizon to focus on. It seems counterintuitive, but think about it. Do we look down at our feet when we’re walking normally? Spreading your arms out helps, too, by spreading out your mass and reducing your angular velocity. Keep practicing until it feels as easy as walking across a crack in the sidewalk. Katie’s gotten so good she can run across the parking curbs.

Once that gets comfortable, move up to something higher. No kid can resist climbing on low walls. Thomas and Benjamin spent a good 30 minutes running up and down this ledge at the library. I timed each run and they tried to beat their times. I admit, if they had fallen, there would have been blood. But it had rained all day and these boys had plenty of energy. They have a pretty good handle on their limits when it comes to balance. Plus, I’m sure they were missing us at Urgent Care, so I let them run.

You don’t have to be able to run across low walls (or leap buildings in a single bound) to attempt the slackline. The beauty of the slackline is that you can adjust the height and the wobbliness yourself. It’s a fun activity for all ages, and draws both kids and adults in like bees at a cookout. Emily is a gymnast and can now go the farthest on the slackline of all the kids.

Perfecting your balance is a great risky activity to try if you want to dip your toes into risky play. Not only are you working on a physical skill, you’re subtly building skills kids will need throughout their lives: feeling confident on unfamiliar footing and learning to face failure (falling) and get right back up to try again. Next time you come across some sort of balance beam, go ahead. It’s fun and the only way to improve your balance is to work on it a little each day.

And if you know where I can find a real tightrope, gimme a call. My circus dream awaits.

Do you find that your kids naturally gravitate to playing on things that challenge their balancing skills? Do you let them? Or is your gut response to ask them to get down before they get hurt? Does this change your mind? You can read about the rest of our experiences with 50 Dangerous Things. Inspired by Gever Tulley’s book 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do).

Let the (Backyard) Games Begin!

2013-04-24T17:45:37Z

Nearly every afternoon the neighborhood kids gather in the cul-de-sac in front of our home and play. There are the usual draws: riding bikes and scooters, shooting hoops, maybe a game of tag. Lately they’ve taken up kickball, and it’s not unusual to see a mom or dad drawn into the game. Who wouldn’t rather put off weeding or mowing the lawn just a little bit longer for the chance to feel the satisfying thwack of a rubber ball against your foot?

The other day I glanced out the window to see an unfamiliar game getting started. The kickball was lined up in the middle of the street, flanked by a line of tennis balls. The serious task of picking teams was underway. The teams lined up to face each other, and when the countdown was over, they made a mad dash for the balls. And so began “War Ball,” a version of Dodge Ball they’d made up on their own.

For generations kids have been improving traditional backyard games and making up their own. But as organized sports and an abundance of technology overtakes their lives, they are spending less time outside … and even less time freely playing with each other.

The good people at CLIF would like to see that change. This year they are hosting the 3rd Annual CLIF Kid Backyard Game of the Year. Kids ages 6-12 are encouraged to enter by submitting their made-up game. You don’t need any fancy equipment or elaborate rules, just your creativity. Kids can enter as individuals and have a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship or a Specialized Bike. Contest finalists will win a trip to San Diego to present their game. New this year is an opportunity for kids to enter as a group. To reward kids for their teamwork, the group winner will receive $15,000 to donate to a nonprofit of their choice, as well as a trip to San Diego.

The judges, Stacy Tornio and Ken Keffer, will have tough decisions, I’m sure, but their background makes them a perfect fit. Stacy and Ken have authored a book together: “The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to do in Nature Before You Grow Up.”

Backyard game ideas can be submitted now through June 17, 2013 at www.CLIFBackyardGame.com. We hope to be playing your game soon!

Risky Reads: The Get Outside Edition

2013-04-16T14:38:04Z

Unless you live in Colorado or North Dakota right now, chances are spring has finally sprung for you. And if it hasn’t, I feel your pain. I love snow and all, but I am over it. After what feels like an eternity being cooped up among boxes, it’s so nice to have not only room to play, but nice weather, new friends and new places to explore. Just this week my kids met a few more neighbor kids and the group of them organized a big game of team tag. It made my heart happy to see so many kids (at least 8) running around, laughing and playing.

In that spirit, I found a collection of things around the web that focus on playing outdoors. Most of the time we hope that our kids will simply go out and play. For the other times when either boredom sets in or you feel like spending time outside doesn’t come naturally to you, I hope these ideas will inspire you.

Many of us suburban dwellers find ourselves with backyards that are nothing more than an expanse of grass. Childhood 101 suggests 7 steps to creating an outdoor play space for kids that’s really helpful. I also love the simple playthings Kim from Mothering with Mindfulness came up with to make play in her backyard more enticing.

Both of those posts suggest adding a secret space to your play area. How about this willow den?

If you have a good tree, building a simple treehouse such as this one would totally amp up the coolness of your backyard. Let the kids help build it and you not only have an awesome treehouse, but they’ve learned some important life skills along the way.

Lastly, the always inspiring folks at Modern Parents Messy Kids have come up with 25 ways to play with nature.

For more risky inspiration, you can follow us on Pinterest. In the meantime, we’d love to hear how you’re spending time outside this month!

Risky Skills Every Kid Needs: Open a Bank Account

2013-05-17T18:31:45Z

We here at the Risky Kids have been pondering a new series: Life Skills Every Risky Kid Needs. Some will be highly risky, like jumping a car battery and some will be mundane, like opening a bank account.

And so, we’re off to the bank.

We bank at Regions Bank. The people there are wonderful. I walked in with not one but two kids to open up savings accounts. The first thing we learned at the bank was the fine art of waiting.

Luckily, I brought hangman.

Poor Mr. Lamb had the pleasure of helping us. He was infinitely patient with Thomas and Benjamin. I made them answer all of the questions and fill out all of the paperwork.

For Thomas, it was all about counting up the big bucks.

Mr. Lamb happened to have a gumball machine in his office and my kids both decided at one point to trade in their hard earned money (ooohhh Nana, I love you.) for change to use in the machine. I advised them against this and they proceeded to open the savings accounts.

The very next day checks arrived from Nana and Papa and I suggested a Risky Field Trip to Regions to deposit those checks.

We took the neighbor with us cause we sure know how to have a good time over here at The Risky Kids!

Both boys filled out all the paperwork. We learned a valuable lesson from a complete stranger. I was about to tell Thomas what his account number was when another adult banker reminded me that we never give out our account number. He told the boys that if he had their account number, he could take all their money. They asked him what he would buy and I believe his answer was ice cream. Thank you for kind stranger for the good advice (and good taste).

Kids need to learn about spending and saving. They need to be able to walk into a business and know what to do and how to talk to people. So raid the piggy bank and head to the real bank!

What other Risky Life Skills do your kids need? Shoot us an email or leave a comment below and we’ll add them to our list!

Peep Jousting

2013-04-12T13:43:02Z

Easter has come and gone this year, but not without one of our favorite activities. PEEP JOUSTING!

I loved Peeps as a kid. Who could not resist that ooey-gooey yellow sugar? A 42 year old woman. So what did we do with all the Peeps this year? We put them in the microwave.

My sister introduced me to this several years ago. Of all the things I have learned from my big sis, Peep jousting is the best.

All you really need is a package of Peeps and some toothpicks. Give each kid a Peep and a toothpick and let them set them up in the microwave on some paper towel. I like to use the neighbor’s microwave whenever possible. Turn on the power and watch them get big. The first Peep to impale the other one wins.

Didn’t your father tell you not to stare at the microwave?

Two at a time got boring this year so we added more Peeps. Winning is really all about the toothpick placement.

We got really crazy and had an all out Peep war.

So fire up your microwave and clean out your Easter baskets. And yes, good neighbor, if there had been a Peep explosion, I would have cleaned out your microwave. Or at least call the guy who cleans puke out of my car, maybe he does mircrowaves too.