water

Sand & Water Activities for Kids

Looking for fun ways for your kids to play with sand and water? I've got you covered.  I recently wrote a post about all of the fun ways to help keep your kids cool with water play, and now Spoonful.com by Disney shows us fun ideas for playing with sand as well!  In the article below, Spoonful featured my Sand and Shell Keepsakes in their collection, and other unique ideas such as: Framed Sand Footprints, DIY Moon Sand, and Sand Greeting Cards.

Click on the image below to see the full articles.

 

Older kids may also like these Water Balloon Games.

Do you have any other fun ideas for playing with sand or water?  Leave a comment below.

5 Reasons Why Drinking Water Is So Important #MomsWisdom

Perfection is, broadly, a state of completeness

and flawlessness. - Wikipedia

Flawlessness? No matter how hard I try, that's not going to happen.  I've locked myself out of the house twice in the past week.  While strawberry picking with my kids, I was accidentally shocked by an electric fence {true story}.  I'm constantly battling laundry, and I'm spending one more summer at a weight that I really don't want to be at. So, I'm taking a page out of my mother's book.  My mom has taught me never to give up, to take care of myself and RELAX!  

Those words of wisdom are going to get me through these long summer days.  No matter how busy we all are, everyone can take 5 minutes to relax and re-focus. Staying hydrated truly does keep me on track.  When I was a little girl, my friend's mom used to call me "Thirsty Heather," and ever since those days, water has been my favorite drink. 

Here are 5 reasons why staying hydrated is so important:

1) When you're dehydrated, it can impair cognitive performance and mood. Every cell, tissue, and organ in the body needs water, and the brain is no exception.  I'm juggling so many daily tasks, it's hard to keep up, but water helps me think straight. (source / source)

2) Water helps to keep me looking good. Did you know that 60% of an adult body is water? "Dehydration makes your skin look more dry and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration." says Atlanta dermatologist Kenneth Ellner, MD. (source)

3) Water can help you de-stress. "Being sure to sip water throughout a stressful day can soothe stress-induced symptoms as diverse as headaches, tense muscles, fuzzy thinking, a pounding heart, and low energy. That's because stress taxes all your basic body systems - and when you're dehydrated, the effects are magnified," says Paula Spencer Scott. (source)

4) Drinking water can help control calorie intake - According to Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD "Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full."  (source)

5) Water helps to regulate body temperature -  Last summer, I remember many days hovering near 100 degrees.  Nobody is happy when they're hot and cranky.  Keeping myself and my kids hydrated keep our bodies cool and makes us a lot less agitated in the summer heat. (source)

Do you want to drink more water this summer? Last year, over 100,000 fans joined the Nestlé® Pure Life® Hydration Movement by pledging to swap one sugary beverage a day with water for a year to cut 50,000 calories from their diet.  Wouldn't it be cool if we could double that number this year?

Hop on over to the Nestlé® Pure Life® Facebook wall and take a simple online pledge to drink more water.  You can also enter to win prizes and share your own words of wisdom passed down to you on the Nestlé® Pure Life® Facebook wall and see what others have to say.

 

Thanks to Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water for sponsoring today's post.

10 Preschool Summer Water Activities

 

It can be hard to keep a preschooler busy during the summer.  It's the age where nap-time seems to disappear, but they still want A LOT of attention.  With warmer months ahead, it can be fun to incorporate water activities into your summer routine.  Water play for preschoolers gives kids a chance to get wet, use their senses and play. What could be better for a 3-5 year old?

I've done some research and found 10 Fun and Easy Water Activities for preschoolers.  Here they are:

1. Water Wall from Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

2. Soap Boat from I Heart Naptime

3. Over 15 Ideas for Water Balloon Games for Kids

4. Water Blob Tutorial from Clumsy Crafter

5. DIY Spash Balls from Mom Endeavors

6. Homemade Slip & Slide from Inner Child Fun

7. Sponge Brigade from Spoonful

8. Front Yard River from Camo and Bows

9. Water Limbo from Go Go Squeez

10. Kiddie Car Wash from Mom Endeavors

Over the summer, I'll be sharing more wet n' wild ways for kids to have fun and stay cool, so be sure to come back!  If you have any creative ideas for preschool or big kid water play, leave a comment below or send me an email.  I may feature your idea in an upcoming blog post! 

Now, onto this week's Kid's Co-op!