Playgrounds - A Favorite Field Trip

Up until now, the posts in this series,  Field Tripping through the ABCs, are about planning for field trips, some great places we've gone or planned to go.  Some have been ideas for simple, local day trips (like this one, East of the Delaware River: Day Trips in Southern NJ) or how to plan a less-expensive eating on a major expedition (Hotel Picnic: Eating on Vacation).  This week, I wanted to change things up and look at a not-traditional field trip - the Playground.

We have a play set in our back yard that is well-used.  The little boys will spend the entire afternoon out there sometimes.   Jude recently discovered that his headphones will work if he puts his iPad on the deck or the picnic table.  He's also figured out how to pump his legs to swing and get some serious momentum.  If you can't find him in the house, check the swingset.

I've talked in the past about how much we love visiting playgrounds in the past. They're great for exercise and for therapy purposes.  (Click on the images to read the prior posts.)

While the kids play on our home playground almost daily when the weather allows, something the boys really love is to go to new playgrounds.  Often we bring a picnic lunch, and then just hang out and play, enjoying the novelty of the "different" equipment.

You'd be surprised where you'll find a playground.  In EPCOT during the Flower & Garden Festival, there are several playgrounds set up for the event.  Some are for little kids, some are for bigger ones, but they're all lots of fun.  (I wish they'd keep a few year-round!)

 If there's a playground with a swing like this, I know where Jude will be. He loves the extra sensory input.

Another surprising place -- a shopping center parking lot.  This one is in Delaware near the hospital.  Target AND a playground? Sounds almost perfect!

Playgrounds are also great places to learn motivation.  The child behind Jude said he didn't think Jude could climb up to the middle of the web.  Jude showed him!

I love going back to familiar playgrounds, because it's fun to see how much a kiddo has grown.  It's amazing to see the things that was just too big become almost too easy!

Plus, even the big kids have fun!

We have a whole list of playgrounds we'd like to check out. 

One that is on our agenda for this fall is Smith Playground in Fairmount Park (Philadelphia, PA).  It's 6 acres of fun!

 Sometimes we plan a trip to a playground, and sometimes we just happen across one.  No matter how we find it, playgrounds are one of our favorite field trips!

©2012- 2014 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://adventureswithjude.com

Random 5 - August 16

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Ay.  It's been a week.


1.  Can I ask you to please say a prayer for our family?  This week has been filled with what Anne Shirley would call "Jonah Days."

The Cliff Notes version is Neal injured his back/shoulder last weekend and has been to the ER and doctor and spent the week in bed in a lot of pain.  Celia is sick with some new GI stuff that we're trying to figure out.  We learned the hard way that Jude is still allergic to dairy (not anaphylaxis, thank goodness - just a uncomfortable and messy GI flare for him as well) AND that speech therapy isn't going to be as easy as we thought.  (And a quick prayer of gratitude that Miss Jaime is OK and a good ducker when things fly at her.)  In trying to take care of Celia, I tripped over the doorframe and injured my toe badly - I don't think it's broken, but it's good and bruised and swollen.


2.  In MUCH better news - Jude read an entire Reading Kingdom story this week!!  I'm SOOO proud of him!!!  I'll be posting my full review this weekend, but I am so impressed.  I thought I was in love with ABeCeDarian and how much it helped him.  This one has blown. me. away. I need to get him to do a couple more lessons so I can get a few screenshots so you can see how it works.

3.  I'm making pesto this weekend!  I didn't check on my basil for a few days and WHOA it grew! I almost lost Damien in it when he was checking the tiny strawberry patch next to the basil spot.

My recipe is so simple - stuff the basil in the blender with three cloves of garlic per carafe full of basil.  Puree and add olive oil until pourable.  Add some cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt, and give another whir.  Store extra in fridge.




4.  I just booked my first Lilla Rose party.  My friend Allison (from Mommy Rambles) is my first hostess - I'm so excited!  And she's being super awesome and patient while I figure all of this out!  Celia's also letting me play with her hair.  This is a French braid with the hanging braid rolled up and secured with Celia's favorite clip.

fiv

5.  We found a great playground near the "New Miss Jaime Hospital" (Nemours/Bryn Mawr).   The little boy in yellow was much younger - my guess is barely four.  Jude was eyeing this "Spider Web" with a little nervousness.  With perfect articulation, Yellow Shirt Boy told Jude he could climb higher than anybody.  Jude's response, "I doan fink so, dupid," and scrambled past him. (Bonus points for Jude for not climbing over the kid or stepping on his hands.) What he lacks in skill, he has in determination and survival instinct after living in this house, though I suppose we need to work on "When handed a throwdown..." manners a little.










 Have a great weekend! I hope next week is better than this for all of us!


Sharing at the Pebble Pond



©2012- 2013 Adventures with Jude. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://adventureswithjude.com

S is for Snowy Owl...and other critters at the zoo

Most of us. This time Luke is behind the camera.

This past weekend, we had two days of the most gorgeous January weather.  60 degrees, sunny...the kind of weather that makes you say, "We HAVE to do something outside, the weather is too beautiful to waste."  Just last week, I had blogged about how much I missed being able to go to a playground because the weather had been so crummy, and I knew it was going to turn bitterly cold for the rest of this week (the temperatures have struggled to get out of the teens).  It just seemed absolutely urgent that we do something fun outdoors.  So we went to the zoo!

About an hour from us is the Cape May Park and Zoo.  Jude, Damien and I went there last spring, and had a wonderful time in the park -- we enjoyed the playground so much that we never made it into the zoo.  We decided to go there.  First we went in the zoo, and then spent an hour on the playgrounds before heading home.

I was really surprised at all the animals that were out - although the day was warm, it was still January.  The bird area was just behind the entrance gate. The first animal we saw was this proud Snowy Owl.

We also saw peacocks and peahens...

and two bald eagles.

Next up were some larger animals...

The first big guy was a bison.  According to Neal, if you have enough ground for him to live on, the US Government will give you a bison -- for free!  I'm not exactly sold on a bison in my back yard (we have a total of 19 acres), but it's a neat idea.  No, he couldn't bring this guy home, either.

We also saw some camelids, including this adorable alpaca.

And then a giant lion.  Despite two fences between him and the lion, Jude was scared.

There were lots of waterfowl as well.  Hundreds of ducks and several swans swam in multiple little ponds.  Matthew remarked that he did not think they were really part of the zoo...they were just there for the free food.

Which is entirely possible, considering the zoo keeper had to keep chasing the ducks and swans away from the capybara's dinner.

We walked through the "African Savannah" and saw a big giraffe--Jude's favorite.  He "read" to me all about the mama and baby giraffes on the sign by the exhibit.

We wandered to the Reptile and Amphibian House.  Jude was antsy to go in.  First were some small tree frogs, and some turtles...and then some bigger snakes and finally an alligator.  He wasn't interested in seeing what was on the other side of the building...I think after watching the animals get bigger and bigger, he was afraid of what he'd find!  Neal took him outside while Damien and I looked at the turtles. 

One of the last animals we saw was this tiger.  It's all perspective...when you're a tiger, you need a whole tree for a toothpick.

After the animals, it was time for the playground.  It was a more of a metaphorical zoo.  But everyone had fun!

 

Next time, I will remember that this is a "Picnic Park."  When we went last spring, I had packed a picnic lunch for us, and we ate after the playground.  Jude reminded me of this, and was mad that I had "forgotten" to bring food.  Next time we go, I will make sure to pack a snack bag!




S is also for Sharing.  Linking up with Marcy at Ben & Me.

The Schoolhouse Review Crew is also studying nature in winter.  Come see what is in everyone's "backyards."

Looking for a great, inexpensive, homeschool-friendly field trip? Check out Adventure Fridays and see where others are going!

Feet first.

Wordless Wednesday friends:

Missing our Wooden Playground (Think Back Thursday)

It's cold. And wet.  It's been raining every day for I'm not sure how long.  (I think close to a week, but I've lost track.  The sun peeked out this morning, but we're supposed to get rain and/or snow tonight.)  We all have cabin fever.

What do I miss most? The playground.  We found a really nice one last spring -- Damien's therapist tipped us off.  It's become one of our favorites for when we have a long break between appointments.  We can run up to a close-by grocery store, pick up a few things for the house plus some snackies, and duck over to the park.  We have a picnic in the gazebo, and then play on the wooden castle playground.

I'm looking forward to spring.  I'm anxious to see how Jude does with the beams.

 He's a couple inches taller now.  So I'm betting this one is a little easier.

Last summer, he couldn't walk across a balance beam easily.  He couldn't balance and bring his feet one in front of the other.  Every time we walk into the hospital, he walks along the planter beds, and by now he has managed to sort of master the heel-to-toe stepping, as well as being able to step up without help.  The cement that edges the beds is graded for the tops to be level, while the grade of the pathway drops down.   This means the beds closest to the door are only about 4" high while the furthest ones are almost 12" off the ground. The high ones are hard and take a lot of effort, but he can now climb up onto them independently.

There have been a few trips to duPont where Damien has been on two feet instead of in the stroller. Of course, he has wanted to try walking along the planters. He needs help climbing up, but he is getting good at heel-toe stepping.   Last summer, he wouldn't even climb up on the beams, so I wonder if they will have found something new to fight over.





The best challenge at this park is all the steps.  There are very few slides, so once you are up, from most of the playset, the only way down is back down the steps.  It's a great core workout, so it's great physical therapy for him -- something we have struggled with over winter.  We have steps in our house, but it's not exactly the same.  Or as fun.

Hurry up, spring!!!

We miss you!

This week's theme is "Wood." Take a walk down memory lane at...