It’s time for camping fever!  The weather is great and the kids are out of school. 

If camping is on the agenda, then camping safety is a priority.  Here are some camping safety tips that I have put together.

1. Plan to get to your campsite when it is light.
2. When picking a site, check around for broken glass and other dangerous objects before setting up camp.  Make sure there are not a lot of ant hills or bee hives near.  Look for recent tracks of dangerous animals.
3. If you are camping where there could potentially be bears, never have food in or near the tent or sleeping area.
4. Set your camp up away from game trails and grazing areas of wildlife.  
5. Know the danger zones for the area in which you are camping.  Do not pitch camp in a flooding or flash flood zone.  If it is hot where you are camping, be sure you have shade near.  If you are camping where it tends to be windy, look for a campsite with protection from the wind.
6. Set your tent up away from the fire and look for anything that could possibly fall such as rocks or tree branches.
7. Make sure your children know the buddy system and have your children wear whistles if they are exploring, even if they intend on staying near the camp.  It is easy to wander farther than expected. 
8. Teach your children to stay calm, use their whistle and stay in one place if your children feel like they are lost.  Explain that it will be easier to find them if they stay in one place.
9. Teach your children how to recognize landmarks near your camp and to turn around and look behind them every 100 feet to familiarize themselves with the surroundings.  Set the rules; do not allow them to go out of ear range or sight depending on the age. 
10. Prevent forest fires by being responsible.  If you are allowed to have a camp fire be sure to build your fire in the designated area.  If there is no designated area, then be sure it is in a safe location.  Know the proper techniques to start a fire and to put one out.  Make sure your fire is completely out before retiring each night or leaving the campsite.  Always have water available near the fire.   Having a fire when it is windy is very dangerous.  
11. Watch small children closely if they are near a fire.   Tip:  In addition to always keeping a close and constant watch on our children, we used to set up a perimeter with a rope and our children were not allowed to get any closer to the fire than the rope.   It was a good safety zone to keep them from tripping or falling into the fire.
12. Be prepared for the weather.  There can be sudden shifts in the temperature and the weather can be unpredictable.  Have proper clothing to avoid being too warm or too cold.  Never go to sleep with wet clothing when it is cool outside to avoid hypothermia.
13. Drink plenty of water.  If you don’t carry your own water in, don’t drink water from the stream or river unless you know it is purified.  You can use a purifier or boil water to make it safer to drink.
14. Take plenty of bug repellent.  Tip: A nice breeze can help lessen the number of flying insects.
15. Take sun block, wear hats and sunglasses.
16. Bring a first aid kit and know the plants in the area that may cause rashes, such as poison ivy.  Show your children what plants to avoid.
17. Never approach a wild animal.
18. Prepare for the worst
19. Take plenty of food.
20. Carry out what you bring in.

Enjoy your summer and have a blast on your camping trips!

Closeout Deals for Everyone at CampSaver.com

Best Deals on Sleeping Bags and Camping Gear from TopSleepingBags.com!

Are your kids always asking for a dollar here and a dollar there?  Do they want to earn some money of their own?

Here are 15 ways kids can earn their own money during the summer:

• Walk neighborhood dogs
• Bathe neighborhood dogs
• Sell lemonade or punch
• Sell cookies
• Sell the books they read last year (at a lemonade stand)
• Mow lawns
• Rake leaves
• Pull weeds
• Plant flowers or trees
• Babysit
• Hold a bike wash
• Offer to wash neighborhood automobiles
• Wash windows
• Collect aluminum cans
• Do extra chores at home

If you have any other ideas you would like to contribute for other mothers, please leave a comment.

In the summer when it is hot and your kids are bored, water is always a fun and cooling activity.

What if you could entice your kids to “play in the water” doing activities that actually help you?

Here are 6 activities that you can benefit from and the kids are having fun doing them:

1.   Wash your car

2.   Wash their bike

3.   Wash windows with a squeegee (they love the squeegee)

4.   Water the flowers by hand

5.   Soaking the dry spots on lawn with the hose

6.   Bathe the dog

Here are 4 more fun activities the kids will enjoy:

1.   Running through the sprinkler

2.   Squirting guns or bottles

3.   Water Balloon Toss

4.   Jumping on the trampoline while water sprays on them (as long as they are not high jumpers)

Have a fun and wet summer!

In conjunction with the Kids Summer Planner, I have put together a list free things to do in the summer with your kids.  You can fill your summer with fun activities without breaking the bank.

Here are the free things to do with your kids in the summer:

Local library activities

Free park concerts

City events, check the local city website for their calendar of events

Visit a pet store

Some local museums and zoos have a free day

Tour your local city buildings (fire, police, and capitol)

Tour a local college campus

Help your kids start a collection of rocks, seashells, uniquely shaped twigs or sticks, or leaves and flowers that can be pressed

Go rock hounding

Go on a hike

Go on a bike ride

Go fishing

Go to the lake or beach to swim

Have a picnic

Camp in your back yard

Stargaze (look for constellations and satellites)

Start a book club for neighborhood friends to meet weekly

Exchange movies with neighbors and have movies nights or matinees

Allow late nighters with friends

Please let me know if there are any free fun activities that I have left off this list so I can share them with other readers. 

Thanks for visiting emomsblog!

Are you ready for summer?  Have you made any plans to keep your children productive and occupied for the summer?

School is almost out and I want to share what I have created.  This is a summer planner that works on a system of earning tickets.  It helps you structure the summer through chores and rewards.  Use this system to schedule reading, learning activities, and chores.  Then offer the incentives and rewards your children can work toward and look forward to.

I have created a blank calendar specifically for your chore chart.  Your children can look at the calendar to see what incentives they are working toward and on what date you will be able to provide the incentive they have earned.  Placing an exact date on the calendar for the incentive is your option.  You choose the chores, the incentives and how many tickets they must earn to receive that incentive.  Here is an example of a chart that is filled in.   Sample Summer Planner

You can print up the blank templates and fill them out by hand or if you prefer you can fill then out on the computer.  I am providing everything in PDF and Word format, including the tickets so you can make changes to the standard version if you prefer.

At the end of each day have your children total the tickets they have earned and you hand them out.  Then they may redeem the tickets for the incentives you have chosen.

Ideas for incentives:

• Amusement park
• Kids Choice
• Swimming
• Zoo
• Park
• Bike Ride
• Picnic
• Sporting event
• Play date
• Sleep over
• Candy bar or treat
• New swim suit or other item

Ideas for activities to earn tickets:

• Learning activities
• Read 30 minutes
• Write an essay on a subject (use the computer for research)
            Camping – Camping safety
            Swimming – Swimming safety
            The purpose for helmets
            Saving money
            Fishing – How to fish
• Complete an extra credit assignment
            www.kidzone.ws   Pre-K through 5^th grade, printable worksheets
            www.superteacherworksheets.com   1st-4^th grade, printable worksheets
            www.softschools.com Pre-K through Middle School, online learning  
            www.mathworksheetsworld.com  K-12th grade, create your own worksheets with the worksheet maker – free!

Healthy activities

• 1 hour of energetic activity
• Spend less than 1 hour on computer playing games (extra credit and research time doesn’t count)
• Spend less than 1 hour watching tv
• Eat fruits and vegetables
• Try a new food
• Behavioral activities
• Play nicely with siblings all week
• Good behavior all week
• Be helpful when asked without complaining
• Chores
• Make bed
• Vacuum
• Clean room
• Dishes
• Laundry
• Set table    
• Help with dinner
• Take out the trash
• Feed and water animals
• Water the plants
• Yard work
• Family vacations/camping trips are no points but maybe $ for tickets to spend on the retreat.

tickets Word format          tickets pdf format

June 2010 Calendar (word format)  June 2010 Calendar (pdf format)

 July 2010 Calendar (word format)  July 2010 Calendar (pdf format)

 August 2010 Calendar (word format)  August 2010 Calendar (pdf format)

I am really excited about this program and there was great success in 2009 for those that used the system.  I am implementing it again for my children this summer.  Please email me at shanna@emomsblog.com or place a comment below if you can help me improve the program.  I would love some suggestions and feedback.