Foods for Kids While Camping

What foods are good for camping or even road tripping with kids? After summertime adopting about a hundred village children- I've had a few trial and error events with food and kids. Here are things I've learned usually work out pretty well.

 

 

Gossner Milk & Cereal: Gossner milk doesn't exactly taste like fresh milk- but it lasts a long time and goes really well with cereal. When served chilled I'm sure kids wouldn't even notice the difference in taste. The ideal children's camping breakfast food in my mind. Plus cereal and milk makes a great snack.

Dried Fruit and Nuts: The fruit is something sweet that won't melt like chocolate. And the nuts are something crunchy and salty that won't crumble like potato chips. They're a bit more healthy and a bit more practical. Personally I love dried fruit and nuts. Some kids aren't a fan. But try things like kiwi and banana chips and most will happily munch them up.

Chef Boyardee: These genius little cans cook great right beside a campfire. A quick easy meal that almost any kid will eat. If you pour it out of the can after cooking it will cool faster- instead of serving it in the can. And the fact it was cooked on a campfire is usually pretty cool to kids.

Pringles: Unlike other potato chips these ones come in a container that keeps them fresh (with the lid) and prevents them from being smashed. They're great for packing in a backpack. And snack-sized packs are good for kids to carry around in case they get hungry half way through that 3 mile hike your honey decided to take.

Kids, Math, and Waterfowl Hunting

I love taking children waterfowl hunting for a variety of reasons. It's an activity that they can be involved in (going to get the birds, spotting them in the air, playing around when there is no activity). And if you love integrating education into outdoor activities, like I do, then I have a few 'math ideas' to do when waterfowl hunting.

Ages 3 to 5

Counting: Have the kids count how many birds they see in the flock, or how many birds fall down. You could also have them count how many flocks fly over.

Ages 6 to 7

Basic Addition: Have children count the total amount of birds of each flock that flies by, and then add them up throughout the day to see how many birds migrated over on that date. You could also have them add each species of bird.

Basic Subtraction: Have your kid count the total birds in the upcoming flock. Then, after a few of them have been shot, total up the fallen ones. Then subtract the fallen ones to figure out how many are left in the flock. Once again, you could break this down into a 'species' thing.

Ages 8 to 12

Basic Multiplication: Have your kids estimate how many birds each flock will have, and then have them estimate how many flocks will fly over. Multiply the birds in each flock by the total flocks to find their estimate for the birds total that they think will fly over. Have each kid take a guess and keep track throughout the day to see who 'wins' (who's estimate was closest).

Basic Division: Have your kids guess how many birds total will fly over. Then have them guess how many flocks will fly over. Divide the bird total by the flock total to find out their guess for how many average birds will be in each flock. Keep track throughout the day to see which kid is closest (to find the 'average' from your numbers look below).

Averages: Count the total amount of birds of each flock that flies over throughout the day.Then figure out the average number of birds in each flock (take the total birds and divide it by how many flocks flew over). You could also do this for each individual species.http://www.yjimagery.com/alaskan-wildlife.html

Alaskan ABC Ideas

I know a lot of kindergarten classes around the state have kids list out or bring in ideas for each letter of the alphabet (as homework). Well I thought it would be fun to list a bunch of 'Alaskan' ABC items to help parents think of something culturally creative for their young uns' to add to the class. Here's my list. It was so hard to find ideas for Q, V, X, and Z! But I did it!

A: Alaska, Arctic Fox, Anchorage, Athabascan, Aleut
B: Baluga Whale, Bering Sea, Bourbot, Beaver, Blackfish, Black Bear
C: Caribou, Crane, Canoe, Captain Cook
D: Duck, Denali, Doll Sheep
E: Ermine, Elk, Era Aviation
F: Fox, Fairbanks, Fur Rondy, Fireweed, Forget-Me-Not
G: Goose, Grayling, Grizzly Bear, Glacier
H: Humpback Whale, Hunter, Halibut
I: Innupiaq, Ice Fishing, Iditerod
J: Juneau
K: Kuspuk, King Crab
L: Lynx, Lupin, Lush Fish
M: Moose, Mink, Mountain Goat, Muskox, Muskrat, Marten
N: Northern Lights, Native, North Star
O: Otter
P: Puffin, Pacific Ocean, Pike, Ptarmigan
Q: Quyana
R: Reindeer, Raven
S: Salmon, Swan, Spruce Tree, Seal, Sleddog
T: Tundra, Tlinget, Trout, Trapper
U: Unalakleet, Urchin
V: Vole
W: Wolf, Wolverine, Whitefish, Willow
X: Xantus Murrelet, Xema Sabini
Y: Yup'ik, Yukon River
Z: Zooplankton

What are your Alaskan ABC items? Leave a comment below!

Alaskan Kid's Science Fair Ideas

Blackfish Study: Capture blackfish and keep them in captivity. Study their color variations, size variations, diet, and color. What will they eat (mealworms, mosquito larva, smaller fish, algae, commercial fish food, salmon eggs, etc)? What sizes do they range from? Are there in variations in colors, patterns, and physical appearance? Record all data and show a full study of blackfish biology.

Animal Study: Ask a trapper if you can study all of his catches of one species for one month. Check the gender ratio (how many males vs females). Record color variations, size variations, and any special markings or patterns. Check their stomaches for dietary matter. Compare one locations statistics to another. Is there a difference? What research did you discover? (If you wanna go all out, you could ask Fish and Game for their records in your area from previous years via tagging reports).

Bug Study: Hatch different bug species in your home. You can purchase praying mantis, butterflies, spiders, ants, and even ladybugs online. I know it sounds a bit unethical, but put each species in the cold weather (in a container where they cannot escape) and judge how long that insect can stay alive in Alaska's winter conditions. What animal stayed the longest, the shortest? Did their behavior change? Did any hibernate or hide away? Did any survive- would they be an invasive species?

Decomposure Study: Introduce maggots to a peice of meat and judge how long it takes them to 'decompose' the meat. Do temperature changes effect the decompsure rate? What about light changes or the age/size of the maggots?

Sleddog Quickness: Compare different sleddogs for their quickness (record their time over a certain distance). What breed of dogs are the fastest (malimutes, greyhoud/malimute mix, huskey, etc). What makes them the fastest? Do they have larger ribs, longer torsoes, longer legs, wider chests, etc? Does size matter?

Winter Clothing Warmth: Measure the insulation of different winter fabrics. Goose down, mink fur, wool, polyester, etc and record the differences. Which one is the warmest? Which is the coldest? Do layers matter? Does thickness matter? I'm not sure how to measure heat insulation, but I know a young girl in this village one the Anchorage Science Fair last year with a measurement of different furs. This is a slight variation of that experiment. So I should give credit to Kayci (she was the original one to do this kind of experiment).https://www.etsy.com/listing/67666652/porky-the-porcupine-vintage-collage-and?ref=sr_gallery_19&ga_search_query=science+kit&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=science+kit

Reflective Tape Ideas for School Kids

On Alaska's dark mornings I think it's more important than anywhere else in the US that are kids can be seen when walking to school. I know they handed out reflective tape at many schools in Anchorage recently and I think it's an awesome idea and so proud that the community took that innitiative. So I wanted to give people a few creative ways to use the stuff!

Backpack Straps: I know a lot of parents already do this, but I thought I'd put it on the list anyways. Just line the tape along the straps of a bookpage. It's convenient. Your kids ALWAYS have their backpack going to and from school and it easily reflects because it's always on the outside of clothing.

Parka Zipper Pull: Take two peices of tape and a string, Tape the peices together with the string in between. Attatch the string to a keychain ring, and then attatch the ring to a zipper. It's a cute zipper pull that reflects light!

Bracelets: I make these and sell them on ebay. These work GREAT for teens. Basically just take them and attatch them to a bangle bracelet that they can wear around their sweatshirt sleeve or coat sleeve. I made mine with felt and have attatched a picture of them. They look kind of 'construction-y' but work REALLY well and I love giving them out to kids in the village because they where them and it keeps them safe!

 

 

Best Stylish Alaskan-Wear for Tweens/Teens

Keeping your kids- especially tweens and teens, warm and stylish is literally impossible in Alaska. I know the village kids here love a few select things that keep them warm:

Toe Socks: Tween girls (ages 9 to 12) seem to love toe socks out here. I did too when I was their age. Usually these socks are made with thicker better material than other normal socks and they tend to be warmer. Great way to keep their feet warm!

Fluffy Socks: These are another huge hit with tween girls. Look for socks that have a really soft fluffy material. I'm not sure what to call it, but it really is warm! I use them all the time throughout the winter, and I know countless girls here who share the same admiration for them.

Fur Ruffs: This is more of a teen thing. Add a fur ruff to a goose down parka (of their choice). Boys tend to like wolf and almost any girl would go for an arctic fox. Ruffs really do help block winds from hitting the face and prevent frost bite- and they're actually in style right now. Even the 'faux fur' ruffs that come on most department store coats can help block are harsh arctic winds.

Matching Glove/Hat/Scarf Sets: This probably goes more for girls than boys. But I've noticed if you give a teen girl a matching set of outdoor accessories, she's more likely to wear them because they actually accessorize her outfit instead of just keep her warm.

Stalking Caps: This one is a better one for boys. Fortunately stalking caps have never really went out of style, so let him pick out one. It may not be as great as a fur hat, but at least he won't come home with frozen ears from school. This is one accessory that teen boys around here actually will be seen in public wearing.

Fur Boots: I don't mean so much like mukluks, but just faux fur boots that have a 'modern bohemian' appearance. Most teen girls can pick out a color and style of fur boots that they'll love to wear. Another great way to persuade a girl to dress warm!

Before School Check List (Alaskan Style)

I've learned a thing or two about what exactly school supplies means when it comes to Alaska. So I've created a short little list of a few things every Alaskan kid should have for back to school:

Ball-Point Pens: They're less likely to freeze up in the cold weather. As a writer, I take a notebook everywhere I go, and I swear by these pens even in the middle of winter.

Waterproof Book Bag: Snow is bound to get onto a book bag- so look for ones that are made of a plastic 'glossy' material or a heavy-duty outdoors material instead of normal fabric. That way, when the snow melts. The water goes to the floor and not the books inside.

Book Covers: If your kid drops a library book in the snow, that means you could be buying it. A quick way to protect all of your kids books is to buy a book cover (they're only like $3.00 to $4.00). They're affordable and spare the school's budget on buying better books next year.

Boots: Every other school in the US, swears by sneakers. In Alaska every single child should own a pair of boots- and should wear them. If they ride the bus- they still have recess. Spare their feet and give them a shoe that can handle Alaska's weather.


Any other school supplies suggestions for the Alaskan climate and school system? Leave a comment below!

Keeping Kids 'Bright' During Cabin Fever Season

Now that Christmas is over and school is started, it seems like a lot of kids are getting antsy. The lack of sunlight and short days don't make for much excitement outside of school. So what do you do to keep your kids 'bright' even during our dark days?

Here are a few ideas I've come up with:

Play Outside: Best idea I can suggest! Build snowmen, go sledding, go ice skating, play with your outdoor pets, have a snowball fight, take a snowmachine ride- anything!

Keep Your Lights On: We have bright flourecent lights in our house. And we keep them on long after the sun goes down. They stay on until at least 9:00 every night- which helps prevent that lack of vitamen D from Mister Sunshine's short visits.

Use a Night Light: For kids I've heard this helps them in the winter time because it gives them that constant sense of light that the outdoors is missing. I know some children can't sleep with one, but if your kids can it might be a worthwhile investment.

Have a 'Chimes' Alarm Clock: Instead of an alarming buzzing noise, a chimes alarm clock sounds like chimes. And it starts out soft and low and slowly gets louder- so it doesn't wake you up abruptly. It helps keeps kids in a good mood when they're waking up in pitch black darkness for school. As a teenager these totally made my mornings easier!