25 Tips for School - YogaKids

8/2/2019 25 Tips for School - YogaKids

1/6

SEPTEMBER 2010

FAMILYFUN

78

2Dont forget a thing

Theres a lot to remember at the start of the

school year, from new phone numbers and

e-mails to school supply lists and special dates.

Our mini reminder book makes it easy to keep

track of it all. Assembled using craft foam, paper,

Velcro, and elastic cord, it clips to a zipper pull so

that its always on hand for jotting things down.

For instructions,jumpto page 139.

Written by Charlotte Meryman | Photographs by Andrew Greto | Styling by Ann Lewis | Food Styling by Lynn Zimmerman

Get a head start on making friends

To ease her daughter Allisons transition into first grade last year, Amy Lane Grant arranged a

series oflate-summer school playground gatherings. She invited just a few of Allisons

friends and their parents for the first playdate, then for the next one, she included a few more.

We did this for three weeks, says the Selkirk, New York, mom, with the last session being

quite large as word of our get-togethers spread. Not only did it allow my daughter to spend time

with kids who would be at her new school, but many of the parents were able to meet as well.1

Tips for a Better School Year

Help kids keep track of time

Whether youre trying to speed your kids up (to get

them out the door, say) or slow them down (as they

practice an instrument), these two clever devices

could come in handy. The straightforward Time

Timer (timetimer.com, $35) features a 60-minute

clock face with a shrinking red wedge that shows

little ones the minutes ebbing away. Recommended

by readers, Time Tracker Visual Timer & Clock

(learningresources.com, $40) works like a tabletop

stoplight, changing from green to yellow to red (with

sound if you wish) as the allotted time runs out. It

requires some setup, but then its a cinch to use.

Our family-tested list of totally doable ideas for getting off to a smart start

3


2/6

Nothing is quite as thrilling or challenging as the beginning of the school year.

While your kids are excited about new friends, new teachers, and new discoveries,

youre caught up in the tasks of keeping organized, calming jitters, and staying on

schedule. To help you and your family focus on the fun stuff and steer clear of the

stresses, weve assembled a collection of back-to-school tips from the experts: our

readers and staff. Try a few of these morning strategies, homework helpers, lunch

solutions, and easy organizing ideas, and you just might move to the head of the class.


3/6

4

Craft a cant-miss reminder

After delivering her second-graders forgotten

lunch to school a few too many times, Alisson

Clark came up with a trick for reminding Owen,

now 10, to get it from the fridge. She wrote

Lunchon one side of a wood clothespin and

clipped it to his backpack. This simple solution

worked so well that the Gainesville, Florida,

mom penned additional clips for other often-

overlooked items. Make a changeable

reminder clip like the one shown above by

gluing a pad of mini sticky notes to a clothespin.

Then you can tear off sheets and switch the

dont forget message from day to day.

5thru

9

Get out of bed with a stretch

To help her little sleepyheads get in gear,

Marsha Wenig, founder of YogaKids Interna-

tional, had them do a few simple stretches.The

combination of breathing and movement

wakes up the whole body, she says, and offers

inspiration for the day ahead. Below and on the

following pages are some morning moves your

kids can try.

BUTTERFLY WITH ANTENNAE Sit up straight. Bend your

knees and bring the soles of your feet together. Bend your elbows out

to the side and make butterfly antennae with your pointer fingers.

Wiggle your antennae and flap your arms and legs like wings until

youre ready to take flight from bed.

10Bake a make-ahead breakfastDont have time for a sit-down meal in the morning?Bake and freeze a batch of our scrumptiousmake-ahead muffins. Besides banana and chocolate

chips, our recipe uses whole wheat flour and has a

larger yield than many (18 muffins). When the morning

routine has slowed to a crawl, kids can quickly micro-

wave a muffin to go. For the recipe,jump to page 139.

11Spiff up sandwiches

Make your next

PB&J a cut above the

rest by usingPuzzle

Bites Crustless

Sandwich Cutter

(Mom Invented, $4),

a slicer that trims

away crusts and

turns your childs

sandwich into an

edible puzzle.

ps for a Better School Year25

SEPTEMBER 2010

FAMILYFUN

80


4/6

SEPTEMBER 2010

FAMILYFUN

82

SHAKE LIKE JELLY This

ones simple: just wiggle and

jiggle your whole body from

head to toe.

REACH FOR THE SUN Stand up tall.

Breathe in as you reach up high with one of

your hands and grab a piece of sunshine. Pull

it down to your belly as you exhale and say,

hah. Repeat several times, alternating hands.

Pack breakfast for lunch

When Ann Smith of Monroeton,

Pennsylvania, runs out of time or

ideas, she throws together a quick bagged breakfast for

her son Davids lunch. The package is simple: a plastic

spoon, a lidded storage bowl filled with healthy cereal,

and a banana or resealable sandwich bag filled with

berries or dried fruit. My son buys milk to pour over his

meal, and voil! Hes got a three-food-group lunch,

says Ann. David claims to be the envy of the lunch table.

Dip into something different

Switch your childs usual sandwich for one of

these delicious lunch dips.

13and14

Apricot Yogurt Dip

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup apricot jam or fruit

spread, 6 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt, and 1 tea-

spoon Dijon mustard until well blended. Pack the dip

with cubes of turkey, ham, chicken, or cheese on mini

skewers (see tip 17). Makes 3/4 cup.

Very Veggie Dip

In a food processor, pulse 8 ounces of softened

cream cheese until smooth. Add 3/4 teaspoon each

garlic powder and onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt,

and 1 tablespoon fresh dill (optional), and pulse

again until blended. Slice the greens of two

scallions and peel and coarsely grate a smallcarrot. Add the vegetables and 1/4 cup nonfat

plain yogurt to the processor and pulse the

mixture until smooth. Pack the dip with your

childs favorite raw vegetables. Makes 11/2 cups.

12

morning yoga



5/6

SEPTEMBER 2010

FAMILYFUN

84

Give paperwork aplace to hang out

The Tungetts of Rochester, Illinois,

stay organized thanks to a set of

four clipboards one per family

member hanging from screws on

their kitchen wall. Order forms, field

trip information, invitations, recipes,

and other papers for Matt, age

10, Amelia, 5, mom

Michele, and dad

Mike are added as soon

as theyre received. I

cant tell you what a dif-

ference it has made, saysMichele. No more forgot-

ten forms and when she

needs something, she knows

exactly where to look.

Shape up brown-bag fare

Stamping cheese or deli slices into shapes is a whimsical

way to dress up a dull lunch, one that might even coax yourchild into eating more of her meal. We like mini alphabet

fondant cutters (Wilton, $16 for a set) for sending short,

sweet messagesatop salads, pastas, or soups. You may need a

toothpick to pry some pieces from the cutters, but the result

is worth the effort.

15

Serve lunch on a stick

Eating fruit, cheese, or deli meat on a

stick is far more fun than eating it out of a

plain old plastic bag. These mini bam-

boo skewers (pickonus.com, $10 for

100-200) are topped with everythingfrom diamonds to dolphins.

16

17

Start the day with a masterpiece

If youre like us, your enthusiasm for your kids art

is matched only by your bewilderment at what to do

with all their creations. Heres a simple solution:tape kids artwork to the back of cereal boxes.

Family members can admire it while they munch on

breakfast, and when a box is empty, you can recycle

the gallery, artwork and all, without guilt.

18

STORK Stand with your feet together. Lift and bend your right leg so that the foot is beside

your left knee. Bend your left arm at the elbow, palm facing down. Balance your body and mind

for five seconds as you make a wish for the day. Repeat on the other side.

Find dozens more ideas for starting the school year on the right foot at FamilyFun.com.

morning yoga



6/6

22thru25

Anna Burch and son Lucas, age 6, created a

simple homework box a plastic scrap-

booking bin filled with frequently used

items. Having the box tucked away on the

counter or in a corner keeps everything

handy, says Anna. Lucass box holds pencils,

paper, tape, and all the other things he needs

to complete his work.

Put art on digitaldisplay

Danielle Wagner has a high-

tech solution to the decidedly

low-tech problem of kids art

clutter. It came to her at the

end of son Martins first year

in preschool. I had a pile of

projects that I wanted to

preserve, but didnt want to

just throw them in a box,

recalls the Toms River, New

Jersey, mom. I started

taking photos of them and

realized we could enjoy

them a lot longer if I put

them in a digital frame.

She chose one that lets herupload pictures directly from

her computer. Now a treas-

ure trove of 5-year-old

Martins masterpieces are

on continuous display in the

living room. The frame is

also perfect for showing off

3-D works.

20Find a new haven for homework time

Who says homework has to be done at a desk? Spark fresh enthusiasm

in your kids for the task by having them study in a new spot. First,

on a set of index cards or identical pieces of card stock, have them draw

pictures of places around the house where theyd like to study. Maybe its

in a backyard tent, in a dry bathtub with pillows, or under the dining room

table; the locale can be quirky or conventional. Then, when the home-

work doldrums strike, invite them to pick a card any card.

19

Stock a homework box

21

VOLCANO Stand tall with your feet together and fingertips touch-

ing in front of your chest. Jump your feet and arms apart, then bring

your palms together. Breathe in and watch your hands as you raise

them over your head, then breathe out as you explode your arms out-

ward and lower them to your sides. Continue erupting, raising your

arms on an inhale and lowering them on an exhale, several times.

Try these art display classicsStill have more art than you can archive? Dont forget:

i Tape creations inside kitchen cabinets or in basement stairwells

i Turn them into greeting cards or wrapping paper

i Save seasonal works and use them as holiday decorations

i Donate them to a local nursing home or senior center

morning yoga


Documents

25 Tips for School - YogaKids