tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61198748997851826062011-08-08T05:58:50.000-07:00Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-48681620802671552562010-11-10T13:22:00.000-08:002010-11-10T13:22:41.109-08:00

Obviously, it is more difficult to get outside in the late fall and winter.  It is cold, dark and wet out there and sometimes I think our bodies tell us it is time to hibernate-just like the bears do.  But with the right clothes, anything is possible.  As an outdoor education teacher, I am outside for up to 4 hours a day, most days.  Do I get cold?  Yes-if I don't prepare for the day. 

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-48748803366945897772010-08-11T17:53:00.000-07:002010-08-11T17:53:24.376-07:00

The Outdoor Preschool-a new nature preschool in Redmond is opening it's woods to kids beginning this September and we almost are full already!  Every Tuesday and Thursday will be an outdoor exploration of a new kind-one where kids can make forts in the woods and investigate their natural world in any weather. If you can't join the preschool-join Tiny Treks on fridays all year long.  We'll be

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-7672094178409758752010-05-17T14:50:00.000-07:002010-05-17T14:50:30.085-07:00

As I research how to begin a drop-off preschool in the weather-prone Northwest-I ponder "what do I want these children to learn at this school?"  As a recent graduate of the University of Washington's teaching program I learned alot about how to excite children and get them motivated.  Yet when I got into the public school classroom I found the automated schedule of school wasn't what I was

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-18022839370013500302010-04-25T10:28:00.000-07:002010-04-25T10:28:02.383-07:00

Here is a list of 10 things to do to help the earth. I think it would be cool if everyone tried to do at least 3 of these things this week. Looking at the list there is only one that is completely unrealistic, however interesting to ponder is #9. Share what you do on our blog. Thanks, Pam TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO INDIVIDUALLY TO HELP SAVE THE EARTH 1. Walk or ride a bike to your

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-50262960708302355592010-04-13T07:41:00.000-07:002010-04-13T07:42:59.255-07:00

I peeled back the bark on the dead, fallen tree as 8 pairs of toddler eyes watched. I explained how we never hurt a tree by pulling its bark when it is alive, but this tree had been struck by lightning and was across our path. Everyone lit up when we found 5 rolly polly's or pill bugs or whatever people call them under the bark. I gently held them in my hands as they immediately rolled into

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-82544360680195807432010-04-06T11:17:00.001-07:002010-04-06T11:17:43.212-07:00

Over spring break this year we planned a road trip to Atlanta with another family. This family is very close friends of ours and we always have a great time together. We are very respectful of the no TV at our house and the much more accessible TV at their house. When I turned to Jenny, the other mom, a week before the trip and said, I would love to write about our road trip from Chicago to

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-76706334349560024742010-03-25T09:36:00.000-07:002010-03-25T09:36:52.206-07:00

I struggle to get my kids to do chores and other household tasks; HOWEVER I have truly conquered how to get my kids to pack for trips. Here is how it works: 1. Type in large letters a packing list. With small children I use pictures. 2. I print out a copy for each child and hand them a suitcase. 3. They collect all their belongings and put them in the suitcase. 4. They get me for a last check

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-60587996402703113512010-03-25T08:59:00.000-07:002010-03-25T08:59:54.086-07:00

My daughter has had a tough task of sending out thank you cards after her bat mitzvah. How many cards you might ask? Probably 50 or more! We began the task with the idea that she would do 10 a day. She started by writing one sentence only ( she is 14 years old) and then didn't bother to address them and get them in the mail. I ended up having to sit next to her, encourage her to write more with

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-2950949020700681812010-03-24T08:34:00.001-07:002010-03-24T08:35:56.256-07:00

Trying to make spring clean up fun for the WHOLE family. Spring is in the air all over the country. In the suburbs of Chicago the piles of snow finally melted and I asked my four kids to give me one hour of their time. O.K. I begged my kids for the hour, with the usual mom lecture that if we all work together it will be so much easier. I handed out tasks. (Please feel free to use my short list) I

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-78102428200246235702010-03-19T16:47:00.001-07:002010-03-19T16:47:38.879-07:00

I am trying desperately to come up with some creative new ways to get my teens to unplug. Last week I tried to implement "Screen Free Sundays". The problem is they have to do homework on Sundays. Typically, hours and hours of homework, and the homework depends on a computer which is a screen. How does one deal with the reality and the mom fantasy? I decided instead to compromise and tweak my idea

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-23383027353752105172010-03-10T14:10:00.000-08:002010-03-11T14:25:27.527-08:00

Digital Nation-A Frontline video about distraction by technology My eighth grader has begun studying in a way that scares me. She has her homework open in MS Word on the computer while she flips back and forth to facebook, all the while listening to music on her Ipod and checking her phone every minute or so. This is what all the kids do now. They want to feel connected to their friends through

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-60592689777953395582010-03-05T06:54:00.000-08:002010-03-05T06:54:03.920-08:00

I have a few close friends who just screened a new documentary that is sweeping Northern California. It is called "The Race to Nowhere". It is a collaboration of some incredible educators, psychologists, authors, parents and teens about the pressure many teens feel in our fast paced culture. Being in Chicago, I have not been able to see this movie yet, but I viewed the website and watched the

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-36891766786612799152010-02-28T03:50:00.000-08:002010-02-28T03:50:54.546-08:00

Our two day workshop in Palo Alto labeled, "Tuning into the Media Tuning into your Family" was a great success. Families with young children were eager to discuss and reflect on how they were using the media in their homes. Everyone in the group was so open to suggestions and ideas. We followed up our evening program the following morning with over 30 families. We set up 15 stations with simple,

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-62830055020048275352010-01-30T06:47:00.000-08:002010-01-31T05:40:54.360-08:00

PARENT EDUCATION SEMINARS We are happy to offer an exciting thought provoking two day workshop on "Helping families create healthy homes" offered through Palo Alto Mothers Club on Feb. 4th and 5th. Families can join us for one or both of the following. The Thursday evening talk from 7:00-8:30PM will focus on "Tuning into the Media and Tuning into our Children". Parents will leave with concrete

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-22381070788661702002010-01-28T20:11:00.000-08:002010-01-28T20:11:17.309-08:00

I know its hard to get the little guys to wear their hat and gloves....but if they don't they can't have fun!  So make sure to bundle them up enough so they can enjoy their outdoor adventures.  A preschooler with freezing hands is an unhappy kid!

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-50464286050765138942010-01-22T12:50:00.000-08:002010-01-22T13:26:46.707-08:00

Here are a few practical tips to think about if you want your families screen time under control. 1. Have a cell phone garage you can decorate with your family and decide when do the phones need to park in the garage. If your kids are young, you can be a great role model and park the phone during dinner and family time. If your kids are cell phone age the phone can park at designated times in

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-65767114801478956862010-01-22T12:22:00.000-08:002010-01-27T13:10:58.222-08:00

We had such fun today counting the rings on felled trees in the woods.  Some were too old to count but we counted till 10 and compared the rings with the tree shakers we had made.  We also looked for circles anywhere we could find them in nature.  There were circles on tree trunks (knots), there were circles on gopher holes and circles in the silo.  Even the snout of Dottie the Pig was a circle!

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-5396076049439117082010-01-21T17:40:00.000-08:002010-01-27T08:30:11.262-08:00

My passion is helping families learn how to manage, moderate and live with the deluge of media in our lives. I could not believe it yesterday when I looked on the front page of the Chicago Tribune and one of the cover stories was, "Children Swimming in Media." http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/ct-met-0120-youth-media-20100119,0,4394294.story The stats were fascinating and extremely

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-7806919653287452202010-01-21T15:22:00.001-08:002010-01-21T22:09:05.453-08:00

I was lucky enough to be lying on the beach in Maui a few weeks ago, watching families arrive with their little ones in ruffled suits.  As I lay there revisiting beach vacations when my kids were little, I watched two moms greeting each other with envy.  Oh, those days of getting kids and families together for extended fun.  The moms were young and attentive of their children.  Then why does the

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-55713882102953294952010-01-19T07:15:00.000-08:002010-01-20T14:34:15.384-08:00

Ann in your thoughts yesterday about children at the gym on their parents cell phone, I wanted to respond with some important facts on this topic. First, I believe the very crucial point Ann is bringing up is something the newest generation of parents may not be thinking about enough. We hear the news about screen time, we see the statistics about childhood obesity, yet we hand over the phone,

Pamela Worthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09411140004181250496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-40996892737066510742010-01-18T17:14:00.000-08:002010-01-20T14:34:15.386-08:00

I walked into my gym yesterday just as the family time was ending.  Many children 6 and under were in the lobby getting ready to go home.  I saw 2 young children sitting with their mom, each one playing games on a phone.  There was also a 5 year old girl sitting at the counter staring intently at a laptop screen-mouse in hand.  I know that these children just had time in a pool with their parents

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-23639698534154613292010-01-15T09:02:00.000-08:002010-01-21T22:18:54.497-08:00

As a teacher, each time I teach a class it is a different experience. Each child and thus, each group has moods, interests and needs that are separate from the class before. In order to be a good teacher I need to vary my teaching methods to those children. As I teach, I watch the group for signs of restlessness, telling me its time to move on to another topic or song. I observe when a child is

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-54081033479117730722010-01-15T08:59:00.000-08:002010-01-21T22:15:51.178-08:00

What to do on a rainy, dark day in the Northwest?  Luckily, hiking under the thick rainforest canopy one can be shielded from all but the heaviest downpours.  So, zip up and put on waterproof boots!  We're headed outside-if only for an hour or so.  Even the smallest of hikers enjoys getting out in the rain.  As long as there is a warm and dry room to end up in!  Kicking and stomping in the

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-76064308909560900082010-01-12T17:38:00.000-08:002010-01-21T22:17:30.037-08:00

A fun way of making the mathmatical concept of measuring accessible for young children. Supplies: String or yarn and a pair of scissors. Directions: 1. Walk around your neighborhood, the local forest or garden in your area and measure the perimeter of the tree trunks at your child's level using yarn. 2. Pick any tree for your first tree and have your child or children bring the string all the

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6119874899785182606.post-45967708560761716532010-01-12T17:19:00.001-08:002010-01-20T14:35:43.640-08:00

Pam and I decided to begin this blog in order to spread the word that you can raise aware and open children, give them lots of opportunities to learn and explore-even during the recession and on a budget! When our own children were young-we lived near each other and were lucky enough to share the skills we were learning about parenting and fun ideas of how to keep our children occupied and

Ann Glaserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07111723347438363452noreply@blogger.com0