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Fun Family Hiking Ideas
What better way to spend quality time with your family and get in touch with nature than a fresh, invigorating walk in the woods, along a river, or at the beach? What’s more, family hikes make for fun learning opportunities for kids and parents alike. So, try some of...
Dig This 10 Big Benefits of Gardening with Kids
Most parents want their children to get outside away from phones, TV, and video games, and gardening is a great way to achieve this goal. However, recent research shows that there are several other benefits to gardening with kids. Here are 10 great reasons to get kids...
I Made a Promise: Earth Day Austin’s Janis Bookout on Parenting for a Sustainable Future
By the time Janis Bookout began working on environmental issues in 2013, she had successful careers as a business consultant, elementary teacher, and professional writer. She had also trained for many years in transformational work. Now, as executive director of Earth...
Treating Bug Bites and Stings
As the weather becomes warmer, the risk of bug bites and stings increases. Although most bug bites are harmless, some can cause serious illness. The number of people who have contracted diseases from infected mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas has tripled in the past 13...
The Benefits of Art Therapy
Many people think that art therapy is coloring in an adult coloring book or taking a craft workshop. While those activities have definite mental health benefits, arts and crafts projects are not the same as art therapy. What is Art Therapy? Art therapy is a...
3 Steps to Building a Heart Healthy Lifestyle
Every 37 seconds someone in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease. Adopting a heart healthy lifestyle can reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other chronic illnesses. A heart healthy lifestyle is not a “diet.” It’s a pattern of eating and...
Help Your Child Set a “60-a-Day” Activity Goal for 2020
Has your child set a physical activity goal for 2020? Many people think that kids just naturally get enough exercise. Unfortunately, this is not true. Only about 8% of children meet exercise recommendations. Not getting enough exercise can negatively impact a child’s...
How Nature Impacts Childhood Development
The statistics on how much time American children spend outside each day is startling. The National Recreation and Park Association states that the average child spends only four to seven minutes engaged in unstructured play outdoors, while spending an average of...
How to Help a Reluctant Reader
Getting some kids to read is like pulling teeth. Actually, for most reluctant readers, pulling teeth would seem like a walk in the park— that’s how resistant they are to reading! While most of us would agree that reading is good for children, we might not know...
Why Educational Summer Camps Matter
It’s February and love is in the air. I would say that a chill is also in the air, but we do live in Austin after all, so no guarantees! Good weather or bad, though, chances are that thoughts of summer and summer camps are not top of mind. You might want to try a...
Encouraging Kids to Try Something New
Childhood presents a wonderful opportunity to explore new activities and to try new things. Failure often doesn’t carry the same weight as it does in adulthood, and the playing field can be more level. By nature, many of those involved are also trying activities for...
Is Your Family Ready for a Pet?
Q. Our children are seven and nine years old. They’ve been asking us for a dog. How can we tell if our kids are ready to take on the responsibility of caring for a dog on their own? A. Your children are at an age when it’s possible for them to help with the...
Can a Child Be His Own Superhero?
Q. My first-grade student, Tony, is a little guy who always has his head hung low. When asked to do something, he says he doesn’t know how to do it, or he can’t. Recently he told me he is “no good.” His mother does not seem as interested or involved as other parents....
6 Ways Parents Can Model Healthy Relationships
By Betty Richardson Q: Sometimes I don’t like my husband much and often don’t agree with him or appreciate him. Will my lack of love for my spouse affect our kids negatively? A This question could have come from a husband, a partner of the same gender, or divorced...
Making Kindness Your Family’s New Year’s Resolution
Q. I am a single mother with two boys ages 10 and 14. It’s time for me to make my New Year’s resolutions. Every year I make resolutions and my boys see me break them. I’d like to be a better role model. What advice can you give me about New Year’s resolutions? Is...
For the Love of Live Oaks
Treaty Oak Estimated between 500-600 years old, the Treaty Oak is one of Austin’s oldest and most famous trees located in Treaty Oak Park. Back in 1989, the Treaty Oak was poisoned by a disgruntled feed store employee and the historic tree nearly perished. But,...
Outdoor Art in 3D
Outdoor Art in 3D As the weather warms up, it’s a great time to get the kiddos and head outdoors. And in Austin, art is in the air (and on the grass and beside the lake and next to the library…). Private and public community visionaries have made Austin a place with a...
Hearts of the City
By Jill Sayre February is the month for love, and Austin is a place that adores photo backdrop murals that feature sweet sentiments. There are too many vibrant, lovely pieces of public paint to cite in one piece, so we chose four that are especially LOVEly. Your kids,...
Juicy January
A juice cleanse is a modern twist on the New Year’s resolution. But what is a cleanse, or detox, and is it right for you? And what will your kids eat while you try a cleanse? According to Juiceitup.com, a cleanse is a period of time where you replace meals with fresh...
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