Everyone’s childhood is full of memories, some good, some not so good. What do we remember most about our own childhood? Fun, laughter, the outdoors, achievements, family time, play and freedom are just a few things from my own childhood memories, all basic fun.

There are many times when parenting can be the toughest job in the world, but there are also many absolutely magical times, that make you realise just how lucky you are to be a parent, helping your children create their childhood memories.

It really doesn’t take much to create a wonderful memory for your child. It is not all about theme parks, play stations, the latest technology or expensive days out. Some of the most simple things often make the best of fun and memories. Children don’t need all this fancy stuff, that’s just added extras at times. The best quality memory comes from basic fun.

Last week I truly saw this is progress. I took my children to a paddling pool for the afternoon. After a lovely picnic they headed straight for the pool, literally leaping about with excitement! It was a hot day, so the thought of some cold water was very appealing. The kids jumped in immediately and spent the next hour running up and down the pool, splashing, laughing, chasing each other, giggling, twirling, playing and leaping around. I stood at the edge of the pool just watching and observing my children, the sheer delight and happiness on their faces, the wonderful relationship between the siblings for the whole hour was indescribable! It made me realise just how easy it is to create such wonderful childhood memories for them. This is what they truly love…….just pure basic fun…..water! That was all it took, a bit of water and three siblings! I adored every minute of watching the excitement and happiness in my children and in fact, the only reason they got out, was because I told them their lips had actually turned blue they were so cold! 

I am finding parenting quite a challenge at the moment, but this allowed me to stand back and totally see why I love it! I took some video in the hope that I don’t ever forget this memory myself and when times are tough I can play this back and smile!

 

Last week I read a great post from A family day out who linked up to my Tuesday Let kids be kids linky. She gave some fab suggestions for family days out in the summer holidays. Top of her list was ‘The big nature count‘ in Thatcham, just round the corner from me…..perfect!

The weather for last saturday was looking dodgy with many thunderstorms forecast, but we decided to risk it anyway and I am so glad we did. It didn’t rain and in fact the sun actually made a lovely appearance and we all had a fantastic time.

When we arrived at Thatcham discovery centre we headed straight for the information tent where we got shown some moths close up. I had no idea just how pretty they could be. My favourite was definitely the pink one. I also didn’t realise just how big they could be too. The children were really fascinated by them.

When we could finally prize them away, we wandered up to the top of the lake for a spot of pond dipping. This is something the children have never done before and I was quite excited to show them. The volunteers lent us a tray to put our findings in and three nets. The kids couldn’t wait to get started. They dipped their nets in and excitedly looked to see what they had caught.

We emptied our findings into the tray and had a good look. By the end of our session we had caught a fish, a water boatman, pond skaters, a mayfly larvae, damselfly larvae and many other creatures that I’m sorry, I have forgotten the names of. It was amazing to get up close to nature and for the children to realise just how much life there is in a pond/lake. They loved looking at all the little creatures in their tray.

Eventually we had to persuade the children away to let others have a go, with the promise of an ice cream. I must admit that worked!  We all had a delicious ice cream sat outside in the sunshine looking out over the beautiful lake, watching the ducks, geese and swans.

Inside afterwards, we looked at the butterfly collection and tried on some bug costumes. I think we all had a bit of fun with that, though they didn’t keep the costumes on for long as it was too hot!It was such a wonderful afternoon, learning about nature and life in a pond with our family and all for free! I would highly recommend going to this type of event if you ever get the chance. I remember pond dipping when I was at school, but I am not sure if my kid’s school do this sort of thing, so I am very glad I have had the opportunity to show my children the wonders of a pond myself.

Summer holidays start today! Yay! Let the fun begin! That also means we can properly start our summer bucket list and tick off more of our summer goals.

These last couple of weeks we have managed to tick 4 things off the bucket list:

1. Decorate the children’s den
2. Cycling
3. BBQ with friends
4. Picnic

We decorated the den as I have previously written about, so now the kids have been enjoying playing in there. I then went round there the other day to find them sticking stickers all over it. That’s what the den is for, it’s their space to do whatever they like in/with it (am I mad)? I wouldn’t want them sticking stickers all over the house, so this is a wonderful way of allowing them the freedom to experiment. 

We have also been cycling. The children have been asking to go ever since our wonderful time at Center Parcs, so last weekend we packed up a picnic and cycled to the park. We met friends and Boo took her stabilizers off. She had her 1st bike ride on 2 wheels! She did really well, you can read all about it here.

A couple of weeks ago we had a BBQ with friends. It was a really lovely afternoon in their garden, playing, chatting, eating, catching up. What more could you want?

The 2nd goal I set myself for the summer, was to start running. Well, I have finally been out, yes, only once, but it’s a start. I won’t tell you how I did as I don’t think that matters, it’s just the fact that I got out there and made the effort that counts. I just hope I manage to keep it up now.

Thirdly, finishing the bathroom was on my list. We did nearly finish it a few weeks ago, but today we ordered the flooring. Once that is in I think it will actually feel complete. I have bought new towels and a few accessories for it (teal colour), but I think I still need more as it’s a great expanse of white at the moment. Any suggestions greatly received.

Lastly, on our list of summer goals was to get out and have lots of outdoor family fun. I think we have definitely started this, with  the BBQ, the picnic, the fete. We have also spent a lot of time in the garden too.

Now I have written down our progress, I can see we are actually doing quite well. I think that’s why it is good to set some goals and make notes of how you’re doing. It has spurred me on to get out for another run (er/walk)!

July is national picnic month and we were sent a lovely blanket to review from Heat holders, along with some fab looking socks, for us to take on a picnic. I always love a nice picnic so I needed no encouragement to grab this opportunity.

Ever since we went to Center Parcs, my children have been desperate to go on another bike ride, so I thought we’d take a ride to the local park for our picnic. Boo has been asking to try her bike without stabilisers for a while now, so this would be a great opportunity to take them off and let her have a go. I made a lovely picnic, grabbed some spanners, a ball, the blanket, camera and off we went to the park.

As soon as we got there, the stabilisers came off and she took her first ride! She absolutely loved it! She did really well and every time she fell off, she got straight back on again. It was great for daddy to experience this with her, as he missed out on BB’s first ride.

I must admit it was quite an effort on our part in this hot weather running along beside her, holding her up etc, but well worth it for the look on her face, she was so pleased with her efforts and kept shouting out “I did it!”

By the end of the afternoon Boo had nearly mastered it, she just needs a little more practice another day and I’m sure she’ll be off completely independent!

The children met a friend in the park, they played on the slides and swings etc, they kicked the ball about and had lots of fun riding around in the sunshine. It was a lovely afternoon.

Then of course the yummy picnic. We laid the blanket out, which felt amazingly soft and warm. I must admit I can’t wait to be able to snuggle up on the sofa with it in winter! I think it will definitely keep us warm, but that’s why it is 1.4 Tog, so I believe it will live up to its name of heat holders snuggle ups. It would be a wonderful blanket to take camping too.

The children sat together on the blanket having their yummy picnic, which always goes down a treat.

It really was a wonderful afternoon in the sunshine, with friends at our local park, with a delicious picnic, fun and a 1st bike ride.

We were also sent some lovely heat holder socks, but I’m afraid it was just far too hot to wear them to the picnic, but Boo did enjoy trying them on before hand, modelling them for me. The socks do feel fantastically soft  and snug, they will be perfect for the winter, to keep our feet warm and also if we go camping, they’ll be great!

“Disclosure: I was sent the blanket and socks for review, but all opinions are my own”

This is a guest post by Kaitlin Gardner who blogs at Anappleperday.com ……..

Teaching kids to swim and be safe

Kids will be kids, which means they’ll want to be in the water any chance they get in the summer months. And why shouldn’t they? Water is a fun place to be, and a chance to see science in action! Bodies float, gravity disappears and it’s possible to twist and turn like a gymnast, slip through the water like a dolphin, or hurl yourself from a diving board or swim rock in dozens of different ways.

• Why is it Important to Know How to Swim?

• Designing Swimming Pool Safety

• Teach Kids Swimming with Five Fun and Easy Games

But how do we keep our kids safe in the water while just letting them play and have fun? The answer is giving them all the tools they need to succeed in the water, which begins with knowing how to swim. Not only is swimming the way out of a potentially dangerous situation, like falling out of a boat or wading into the deep end without realizing it, it’s a great form of exercise. Perhaps the best thing about teaching our children to swim is that it adds to our level of comfort. While nothing takes the place of supervision for younger children, knowing your children can help themselves if they need to will give us peace of mind while at the same time adding to their level of self-confidence and independence.

Early and Often

Many people believe that getting kids acquainted with being in the water, and consequently, swimming, should ideally happen when they are young. Most babies love being held and swirled through the water, but once a child is toddler age, that doesn’t mean that they must be held constantly. Plenty of options exist that help toddlers explore what their bodies are capable of doing, that serve to introduce them to the basics of water survival: floating, drown proofing techniques and of course, basic swim instruction. Community pools or gyms are great places to find “Mommy and Me” classes, or other group or individual lessons.

Don’t forget that swimming, like other physical activities, is all about building muscle memory. Try to get your youngster into a pool as often as possible in the warm months of the year. One handy strategy for incorporating learning to swim with play time is to piggy-back a play session right after a swim lesson. If kids are dragged to lessons and then dragged home with no time to relax and have fun in the water, the pool becomes a place to dread, instead of an opportunity for freeform play and enjoyment.

The Later Years

We all know that children eventually grow up to be teenagers, who enjoy a little R&R time out of reach of their parents. We can’t follow them around forever, so when the time comes for kids to be old enough to head to the local lake with friends, knowing that your son or daughter is not only capable of saving himself or herself, but could possibly be in a position to help someone else who is struggling in the water, will bring you peace of mind. Combined with common sense and good decision making abilities, knowing how to swim is a great boost to a young adult’s sense of self-esteem and security. The best part? Lifeguarding becomes a summer job opportunity! Local pools often employ high school or college students, as well as offer lifeguarding classes that can take any decent swimmer to the next level when it comes to water safety and lifesaving techniques.

Remember, giving your child the opportunity to learn to swim at an early age will not only help them stay safe, it will open the door to more opportunities to just have fun without stress or anxiety around the water. And it will allow you to more fully enjoy the experience of watching your kids play and enjoy themselves in the water.

Kaitlin Gardner started AnApplePerDay.com to further her passion for a family friendly, green living lifestyle. She is married to her college sweetheart and lives in Pennsylvania. She and her husband enjoy going for long hikes, to get out and enjoy nature. She is working on her first book about ways to live an eco-friendly, healthy, natural life.