School will be out and summer will be here before we know it, and to many of us, that means plenty of fun in the great outdoors. As a family, we love to hike, camp, and mountain bike. It’s fun, great exercise, and even educational, but as with anything there are a few precautions that families should take to make sure they have a rewarding time on the trail or at the campsite this summer. Here are a few of our tips for fun and safe summer outings:

Make sure everyone stays on the trail.

Running off through the brush may sound like fun, but there are good reasons to stick to the trail. Not only do you risk affecting sensitive plants and wildlife, but you’ll risk having them affect you, too. Ticks lie in wait in the tall grass and bushes waiting for a larger animal to latch onto, and with Lyme disease prevalent across the United States these days, you definitely don’t want to play host to one of these tiny but terrible parasites.

Also found off trail are hazardous plants like poison oak and poison ivy. Contact with the oils from the leaves of these plants causes a rash and severe itching. There’s no real cure—you have to just let it run its course, so get ready for two weeks of itching and being uncomfortable if you happen to touch one of them.

Pack plenty of water.

It sounds like common sense, but it’s surprising how many people head out onto the trail without enough water. Becoming dehydrated is easier than you think, especially in the warm summer weather, so make sure everyone drinks plenty of fluids. Sports drinks are OK, too, but plain old water is healthier and less expensive.

Protect everyone from the sun.

In addition to having plenty of water on hand, make sure to take measures to protect your family from exposure to the sun. While most sunscreens are effective in preventing sunburn, they don’t actually protect you from other effects of sun exposure. For children hats are a must, and even shirts with long sleeves are a good idea to keep the sun off. While baseball caps are common, they’re not all that effective, so try to choose a hat with a brim that protects the ears and back of the neck as well as the face.

Don’t let kids run off ahead.

When you’re on a hike, make sure everyone sticks together. Don’t let kids run off ahead, especially if you live in an area that’s home to mountain lions, other large mammals such as coyotes, and poisonous snakes. Chances are you’ll never see one of these creatures in the wild, but better safe than sorry.

Got your own tips for family safety while hiking and camping? Share them with us by leaving a comment.

Mother’s Day is coming up, so here’s a whimsical, beautiful, and easy-to-create heart brooch made from decorative buttons and painted gold. My son made one of these for me when he was in kindergarten, and I was amazed at how creative and sophisticated it looked. We even entered it in the kids’ jewelry design competition at the county fair where it won first place! Whenever I wear this brooch, I get compliments on it, and I’m sure most moms would love one of these for a Mother’s Day gift.

To make this craft, you’ll need:

• Assorted decorative buttons and charms
• White glue, like Elmer’s
• Heavy card stock, letter size.
• Gold spray paint
• Bar pins
• Kid-safe scissors
• Heart template (download it here)
• Newspaper

Print out the heart template onto a sheet of card stock and carefully cut out the heart with a pair of scissors. Spread a good amount of glue over the heart. You need to put enough glue on the paper so that the buttons stay put.

Now choose some buttons and arrange them however you like onto the heart. When you’re satisfied with your design, set aside and let it dry. Try to keep little fingers away from it until it’s completely dry and all the buttons stay put.

Take your creation outside or into a well-ventilated room, place it on the newspaper and paint it with the gold spray paint, making sure to get paint into all the nooks and crannies around the buttons so everything is covered. Again, let your brooch dry thoroughly before handling.

When the paint is dry, turn your brooch over and glue a bar pin to the back. As before, make sure you use a healthy amount of glue so the pin stays in place. Let it dry once more and you’re done!

Now you have a beautiful piece of jewelry that any mother would be thrilled to receive on Mother’s Day, or on her birthday or Christmas, too, for that matter.

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms and moms-to-be out there!

Last year, we attended a live stage performance of the musical A Year with Frog and Toad. It was a lot of fun to see, but it also got me thinking back to how much I loved author and illustrator Arnold Lobel’s series of books starring the amphibian duo when I was young. After the show, we made it a point to get some of the Frog and Toad books for all of us to enjoy at home (it was awfully convenient that the theater was right around the corner from a great bookstore, too).

In case you’re unfamiliar with the series, the Caldecott award-winning Frog and Toad books are about two best friends, Frog and Toad, and their adventures together. The tall, green Frog is easygoing and philosophical, while the stocky brown Toad is more introspective, self-conscious and even irritable at times.

Each book in the series—which includes the titles Frog and Toad Are Friends, Frog and Toad Together, Frog and Toad All Year, and Days with Frog and Toad—contains five short stories. Most are funny, some are a little scary, and some are even poignant. The best thing about them is that they really delve into what it means to be a friend and to have a friend, and teach readers some important lessons about life (although not in a heavy-handed sort of way).

Another great thing about the Frog and Toad books is that they’re part of the “I Can Read” series written for beginning readers. My daughter is beginning to tackle more advanced beginner books in kindergarten, and when we get tired of reading the little reader books her teacher sends home with her, we often grab a Frog and Toad book and read a couple stories out of it together.

Find Frog and Toad at your local bookstore or library—you’ll be happy you did. If by any chance a performance of A Year with Frog and Toad appears in your neck of the woods, make an effort to see it. It’s hilarious and has terrific songs, and of course you’ll recognize all your favorite Frog and Toad stories adapted for the stage.

One of our favorite things about spring is the fact that it’s strawberry season. Whether you pick them yourself in the garden or at a farm, or buy them at the farmer’s market or grocery store, fresh, sweet, red strawberries are always a welcome treat.

When fresh strawberries are abundant, a favorite dessert in our family is strawberry shortcake. This simple combination of lightly sweet shortcake, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream is a hit with just about everyone, and is suitable for every occasion, from a fancy spring dinner to a kids’ tea party.

While it’s a simple matter to buy ready-made shortcakes at the supermarket, it really isn’t all that difficult to make them at home, too. You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator already.

These shortcakes are similar to sweet buttermilk drop biscuits, and are quick and easy to put together. They’re simple enough to make that my kindergarten-age daughter always loves to pitch in and help. Of course she loves to eat them when they’re done, too!

You can make the shortcakes and whipped cream in advance (it keeps fine in the refrigerator for a few hours) and let diners assemble their own strawberry shortcake creations at the table and then savor the sweet taste of springtime.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (plus more, if needed)
• Zest of half a lemon (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 1 pint (or more) fresh strawberries, sliced
• Whipped cream (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and rub in butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

2. Stir in buttermilk and lemon zest (or vanilla, if using). If the mixture is too dry, thin it out with a little more buttermilk. Bring mixture together with floured hands until you get a loose ball of dough.

3. Drop shortcakes onto a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Let bake 12–15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Let rest on a wire rack until cool.
4. To assemble, split a shortcake in half lengthwise, then top with a generous amount of sliced strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. Or, you can bring everything to the table and let people assemble their own desserts.

To make whipped cream, pour a half-pint (2 cups) of heavy whipping cream into a chilled mixing bowl. Using the whip attachment on your stand mixer (or a hand-held electric mixer), whip cream on high speed. When cream starts to thicken, add one to three tablespoons white sugar (depending on how sweet you like it) and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue whipping until cream is thick.

Enjoy!

Summer is just around the corner, and if you haven’t yet chosen a summer camp for your children, you’re probably thinking about it. If you’ve looked around at your local camp offerings, you’ve no doubt noticed that there are a lot of choices out there. So how do you find the right camp for you kids? Here are a few tips to help you choose the best camp for your family’s needs.

Consider your child’s needs and interests.

There are most likely camps in your area for every subject and interest. You probably know what your children’s interests are, so choose a camp that caters to them. Cooking, outdoors, filmmaking, art, animal care—they’re all offered out there. My son even attended a Harry Potter camp last summer! A fun, exciting camp that your kids are enthusiastic about can make a world of difference in their summer experience.

Consider the offerings

While choosing a camp that fits your child’s interests and personality is really important, exposing them to new ideas and skills is important, too. Consider choosing a camp that offers programs for things your child is not regularly exposed to in school or at home. Robotics, animation, cooking, video game design, foreign languages, and sailing are some of the great topics that we’ve found offered at local camps.

Consider the distance

Most camps these days seem to be day camps, which means someone will have to drop your kids off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. Unless your camp is lucky enough to offer a transportation option, that someone will most likely be you. Make sure that the camp is a manageable distance away so you don’t have to rush in the morning or head off early for pick-up in the afternoon. On the other hand, a camp located on the way to a parent’s workplace can be a plus (think carpool lane).

Consider your schedule

If both parents work, try to find a day camp that offers flexible and extended hours to accommodate your busy schedules. Many camp programs offer reasonably priced before- and after-care programs that make drop-off and pick-up easier for working parents. Make sure you or a caregiver can get to the camp in time to pick up your children in the afternoon or evening.

Attend a local camp fair if you can

If there’s a camp fair in your area, try to attend it. It’s great way to see what’s out there. What’s more, you can meet camp staff and directors and see what they’re like first-hand. You’ll also probably walk out with a bag of camp goodies, too. We attended one recently and discovered a variety of unique camps in our area that we didn’t know existed!

A few weeks ago, we started the seeds for our annual summer vegetable garden. Over the past few years, this has been a summer tradition with our family, even if all we grew were some herbs and tomatoes in pots on the deck. It’s rewarding, fun, and economical, and, best of all, your kids are more likely to eat the vegetables that they grew themselves!

We start off the season early in the spring with a trip to the local heirloom seed store, where we each get to choose our favorite vegetables to grow. Heirlooms are a lot of fun, because the varieties are so varied and often unusual, and most of them taste fantastic.

Tomatoes are often some of the easiest vegetables to grow, and we usually plant a mix of big beefsteak style tomatoes and cherries. This year, we’re growing two varieties of Italian tomatoes and a cherry tomato called “Riesentraube”. We grew the Riesentraube tomatoes last summer and they produced bucketfuls of fruit, so we decided this was our cherry tomato of choice this year, too. We’ve also got some red and yellow sweet peppers, which of course you can harvest early if you want green ones.

The children love green beans, so we’ll be planting plenty of those when the weather warms. And of course, what is a summer vegetable garden without zucchini? We have two varieties of that prolific favorite, too. My daughter’s been begging us to grow pumpkins, so we bought some seeds for classic Connecticut field pumpkins, as well.

We’ve already started our tomato and pepper seeds indoors. Last year we used egg cartons. They worked OK, but our seedlings took a long time to grow, and apparently the egg carton cups aren’t deep enough to allow for proper root development. This time we picked up a reusable and recyclable plastic seed-starting container from the seed store. It has 72 cups, so we have room for plenty of seedlings, and the whole thing fits into a drip tray to keep things neat and clean.

Depending on where you live, you might still have time to start some seeds indoors. Otherwise, head over to your local garden store, which most likely already has a wide selection of vegetable seedlings that you can pick out, bring home, and transplant into your garden.

There’s nothing quite like watching your five-year-old chow down on a big bowl of sautéed summer squash that, only minutes before, she picked right off the vine. Starting a garden is worth it if only to improve your family’s eating habits. If you’re lucky, you won’t have to buy produce all summer long, and you might even have plenty of extra vegetables to trade or give as gifts to your friends and neighbors.

This spring, why not consider coloring your Easter eggs with natural dyes? With some common household vegetables and spices, you can create your own natural egg dyes that are non-toxic and free from chemical colorings.

We tried several of the commonly used natural dyes. Some definitely work better than others. They all take a lot longer to take effect than standard food coloring based dyes, so kids will have to exercise some patience. The colors are also more subdued, but they really have a beauty all their own. You also have to be careful handling the eggs, as the natural dyes are more easily scraped or rubbed off the shells, especially if they haven’t fully dried.

We created dyes that gave us the three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. Combining these three colors allows us to create any other color of the color wheel.

Of these three natural dyes, we found yellow and blue to be most successful. Yellow dye is made from the spice turmeric (often used in Indian cuisine), and blue from the leaves of purple cabbage. We made red dye from beets, but it was somewhat less effective. You’ll find numerous recipes for making these dyes on the web, but the ones here are the ones we found worked the best.

For each mixture below, combine the ingredients, bring to a boil, and then simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Strain into a bowl (not necessary with the yellow dye) and let cool, then you’re ready to dye your hard-boiled eggs.

To make yellow dye, combine two tablespoons of ground turmeric, ¼ cup of white vinegar, two cups of water, and a tablespoon of salt in a small saucepan. Let your eggs sit in the dye for 15–30 minutes, and they’ll turn a brilliant earthy gold.

For blue dye, coarsely chop half a small head of purple cabbage. Combine cabbage, ¼ cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 4 cups of water in a large pot. You’ll need to keep your eggs in this dye for a minimum of 30 minutes. Leave them in for several hours or even overnight for a deeper color. Eggs dyed in this mixture are a lovely robin’s-egg blue.

For red, grate two or three fresh beets and combine in a saucepan with ¼ cup vinegar, 3 cups water, and 1 tablespoon salt. This dye will make eggs turn pink to deep red, depending on dying time—30 minutes to a few hours to overnight. Unfortunately, the beet-dyed eggs only maintained their brilliant color for about a day, turning a dull red-brown after a while.

We also found that over-dying turmeric yellow eggs in the purple cabbage dye resulted in beautiful spring green eggs. When you’re all done, you can rub the eggs with a little vegetable oil, which helps brighten the color and give them some shine.

If you’re up for it, this project is definitely worth a try, and naturally dyed eggs are worthy additions to your Easter basket this year.

While we all know you’re supposed to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, sometimes it’s hard to do, especially for busy families who may not eat all the vegetables and fruits they should at mealtimes. In our house, one way we often get our five servings is with fruit shakes or smoothies. Everyone in the family loves them—from kids to grownups—and they’re quick to make with a few staples that you keep on hand. We drink these fruit shakes for breakfast when we’re in a hurry, for after-school snacks, and even for dessert.

Since we drink these fruit shakes so often, I make sure to always have a variety of frozen fruit in the freezer. Blueberries, strawberries, mango, pineapple, mixed berries—they’re all delicious when blended up in a fruit shake. Another benefit of the frozen fruit is that they help make your fruit shake extra thick and cold without having to add ice and dilute the mixture.

We’ll supplement our frozen fruit supply with fresh fruit like bananas (I almost always add bananas to thicken the shake and add sweetness) and whatever’s in season. Right now it’s the beginning of spring, which is strawberry season, so I try to use organic strawberries whenever I can. Other ingredients I also usually add include orange juice and low-fat yogurt.

To make a fruit shake, simply fill your blender jar with a combination of frozen and fresh fruit, then top it up with yogurt and orange juice, and blend until smooth. Serve in tall glasses with straws, or fill up your travel mug and sip on it as you commute to work.

I usually use about half fruit to half liquid (usually orange juice and yogurt). Of course you can vary the proportions, depending on how thick you like the finished product.

While fruit is the usual focus of my fruit shakes, I sometimes put other healthy ingredients in them as well. Chopped walnuts add a nutty flavor, thick texture, and important omega-3s, and wheat germ adds vitamin E, minerals, and fiber.

Some fruit shake flavor combinations that we particularly like include:

• Tropical Twist: Frozen pineapple, mango chunks or pulp, fresh banana, orange juice, and vanilla yogurt
• Spring Strawberry: Fresh strawberries, strawberry yogurt, banana, and orange juice
• Very Blueberry: Frozen blueberries, vanilla yogurt, banana, and orange juice

Cake pops, those little balls of cake on a stick, are everywhere these days, and for good reason—they’re moist, delicious, cute, and fun to eat, and they’re easy and fun to make, too. Why not roll up a batch for your next party, play date, or special occasion?

When it comes down to it, cake pops are just balls of cake, mixed with frosting to keep them moist and hold everything together. You can make them with leftover cake or bake a cake specifically to make into cake pops.

To make these, you’ll need:

• One cake (from a 9 x 13” rectangular cake pan—we used chocolate, but your favorite flavor will do)
• 8 ounces (½ pound) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon milk (or more)
• Lollipop or small popsicle sticks (available at craft stores)
• 2 12-ounce bags white, dark, or milk chocolate chips
• Sprinkles, colored sugar, and other decorations

This recipe ends up making between 18 and 24 cake pops, depending on the size.

Let cake cool if it’s freshly baked, then break it up into a large mixing bowl and call the kids. Let them crumble the cake into fine crumbs.

Meanwhile, make a batch of cream cheese frosting by whipping together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and milk (add more milk if the frosting is too thick). You can use ready-made frosting, instead, if you like.

Mix the frosting into the crumbled cake with a wooden spoon and then mix with your fingers until all the frosting is incorporated. At this point, you can refrigerate the cake pop mixture for an hour or so until it firms up. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper and set aside.

With your hands, roll the cake mixture into small balls about an inch-and-a-half in diameter; place the balls on the waxed paper and keep making cake balls until you’ve used up all the mixture.

Place a lollipop stick in each ball, then put them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes so they harden a bit.

While the cake pops are in the freezer, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. You’ll probably need about two 12-ounce bags of chocolate chips for a batch of cake pops.

Making the cake balls is pretty simple, but this next part involves a little technique—and of course a hot burner—so it should be done by a grownup. Dip each pop into the melted chocolate and coat thoroughly. It may take a couple tries to get it down where you’re not putting too much on, but your kids will probably help you eat any of the test pops that don’t turn out.

While the chocolate is still soft, roll cake pops in sprinkles or colored sugar to decorate. You can also decorate them with colored icing after they cool. Place cake pops back on the waxed paper and let chocolate cool and harden at room temperature. You can tie ribbons around the sticks for a festive appearance.

These cake pops are rich, moist, and the perfect treat for a special occasion. Enjoy!

On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone tries to wear a bit o’ the green. Last year, we discovered that my daughter didn’t own a single piece of green clothing, so we opened up the crafts bin and created two St. Patrick’s Day crafts that are easy, fun, and above all, green.

The first project we made was St. Patrick’s Day beaded friendship bracelets. These are simple to make and inexpensive, and make the perfect gifts to hand out to your friends on March 17. To make them, you’ll need an assortment of plastic beads, preferably in two shades of green, and green pipe cleaners. You can find these supplies at almost any craft store.

To assemble, string the beads along a strand of pipe cleaner, alternating dark and light green beads. This is a really good tactile activity for little ones.

The length of the pipe cleaner and number of beads necessary will depend on the diameter of the child’s wrist. Leave about an inch of pipe cleaner showing at each end, then twist them together to complete the bracelet. A grownup should snip the ends of the twisted pipe cleaner with a pair of scissors.

My daughter was so proud of her bracelet that she wore it to bed that night and for days afterward. You can also vary this project for other holidays and special occasions. Try red, white, and blue beads for the Fourth of July, for instance, red and pink beads on Valentine’s Day, or orange and black on Halloween.

Another easy St. Patrick’s Day project we made were shamrock necklaces. To make them, you’ll need heavy construction paper (in green, of course), kid-safe scissors, one of the leftover green pipe cleaners from the bracelet project, a hole punch, clear tape or glue, and crayons, markers, paint, or glitter to decorate your necklace.

First, cut out pieces of green construction paper into 1-by-4 inch strips. You’ll need about 20 for each necklace, which you should be able to get out of one letter-sized sheet of construction paper.

Make a paper chain by taping or gluing each strip into a circle.  Now take another piece of construction paper and cut out a large shamrock (get the template here, on which I’ve included several different sizes of shamrock).

Decorate the shamrock with markers, crayons, glitter, or paints. When it’s dry, punch a hole in the top and attach it to the paper chain with a green pipe cleaner.

When you’ve finished with both of your projects, you can proudly display your green at home or at school. Have fun creating these fun projects with your kids.