The Top Ten Backyard Essentials To Rock The Summer With Kids #ItsMyThing

We are two weeks into Summer Break, and my kids are logging most of their time outdoors! Playing in our backyard until after dark is their "thing" all Summer long.  Spending the days outside with friends and family is what Summer is all about!

During the school year, basketball, dance, storytime, chorus, and band are the things that keep us overly busy. Although Dylan, Lexie, Lily and Liam love their activities, it's so nice to let go of our favorite things for a few months, and enjoy the longer, lazier days of Summer.

Before school even lets out for the Summer, we spend a weekend cleaning up our yard, and getting it ready for hours of play. We make sure the fun outdoor toys are easily accessible, we fill our kitchen with lots of snacks, and we stock the fridge with kid-friendly drinks (THESE are our favorite).

Although just playing outside can be fun and encourage kids to be creative, it definitely helps that we have a backyard full of things to keep our kids busy and active! Saying "I'm bored" is not allowed in our home, because there are at least 20 things in our backyard to pass the time!

It was difficult to narrow down our backyard essentials list to just ten items, but with the help of my kids, we came up with the ten things that they love to have in their backyard. In no particular order, we're going to share our top ten backyard must haves!

The Top Ten Backyard Essentials To Rock The Summer With Kids

SLIP AND SLIDE

When I was a child, we put tarps on a hill, and made our own slip and slides! Now they come in convenient little boxes in all shapes and sizes. Once, we wowed our kids with an extra large tarp as a slip and slide, and although it was fun, it's definitely easier to use the ready-made kind with the hose attachment! (Now that's progress!)

SPRINKLER

In my almost 13 years of parenting, we have gone through a lot of sprinklers. It doesn't matter what kind they are...kids just love running through them!

SMALL POOL

Real pools are, by far, much better, but having an inexpensive pool to use in your backyard can provide hours of fun. I try to take the kids swimming once or twice a week, but it's nice to have a small pool that the kids can sit in on the days when we can't go.

Inflatable pools don't usually last long for us, but they get us through a Summer and then we replace them. The truth is, a tiny plastic baby pool that is 10 years old, gets the most use during the Summer! (It's really fun to use for sensory play, too!)

TRAMPOLINE

Some people love them, some people hate them. My family definitely loves them! We have a small enclosed trampoline, and it gets used almost every single day by all four of my kids. They often run out to jump on it after dinner, and they keep jumping until it gets dark!

SWINGSET

If you have a kid, this is pretty much a must have! We bought ours when Dylan and Lexie were really little and it still gets so much use. After nearly 10 years of almost daily use in our backyard, we're going to have to replace it next year. My kids love to swing and slide all day long!

RIDE ON TOYS

Our hand-me-down Power Wheels Barbie Jeep is one of the most used toys in our backyard. Lexie loves to drive it in laps around our house every afternoon, and Lily and Liam often fight over who gets to be her passenger! It's often a very crowded car!

Coming in at a close second to Power Wheels, is the Cozy Coupe. Lily and Liam each have one and they love to zoom them through the yard! (These also have been known to come inside our house on rainy days!)

SANDBOX

Most kids love to dig in sand, so this is a childhood staple! My only suggestion is to get one with a lid, and make sure it gets covered every night. Then again, wet sand can be a lot of fun!

If sand isn't your kids thing, try a construction pit filled with small stones!

PICNIC BLANKET

This one is very random, but my kids LOVE to have picnics in our backyard. A waterproof picnic blanket is a must! (We keep one in our car, too, for all of our picnics at the park!)

PLAYHOUSE

My little kids love hanging out in their playhouse! Dylan and Lexie have moved on to bigger and better things, such as building forts, but the playhouse is still Lily and Liam's favorite place to hang out. They just love having their own small space that they can escape to!

WATER TABLE

We actually have a water table AND a water and sand table in our backyard. Our original water table, which Dylan got almost 12 years ago, is perfect for sensory play.  Liam, however, loves his sand and water table, and I love the attached umbrella that protects his fair skin from the sun!

Honorable Mentions:

• Push Toys (Bubble Mower)
• Basketball Hoop
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Water Balloons and a water balloon refill pump
• Squirt guns
• Balls (all sizes)
• Hula Hoops
• Jump Rope
• Bowling Set
• Bubbles

Spending all that time in our backyard can make my kids REALLY thirsty. Staying hydrated is key! I keep the fridge stocked with kid-friendly drinks, and they always get so excited when they spot Fruit Shoot inside! 

I've mentioned before just how much I love Fruit Shoot, too. The convenient, on the go bottle with the resealable sports cap is far superior to the pouch drinks that constantly get squeezed out. As a mom, I'm thankful for less messes to clean up, and for a drink that I'm not afraid to let my kids take in the car!

Fruit Shoot is a very popular brand in the U.K. and has been for over a century, but is new to the United States. Since I was first introduced to the brand, it has grown in popularity. Before, it was hard to find, but now, more stores in our area are carrying the product. My kids are so happy! Although they have favorite flavors, they loved trying the new Fruit Punch flavor, and gave it two thumbs up (or 8 if you add all those thumbs)!

Do you want to try Fruit Shoot, too? Use THIS STORE LOCATOR to find a retailer near you!

Summer Break JUST began for us and we are thoroughly enjoying it. I know just how quickly time passes, so we are soaking up every single minute of it! If you need us, we'll be hanging out and having fun in our backyard!

What are your favorite things to do in the Summer?

It's My Thing: Tips to Handle the Busyness of Kids Activities

With four kids in eight different activities, life is extremely busy! It may sound like my kids are doing too much, but in reality, it's ME who is overbooked. 

I am a firm believer that every child should focus on their passion, but not overextend themselves. Education and just being a kid is every bit as important as focusing on an activity that they love. Although we encourage our children to get involved, we have an important rule: one school activity plus one sport/extracurricular activity per child at a time! Anything more is just too much.

I feel like many parents these days push their children to do EVERYTHING in the hopes that they will become a star. Their kids have activities, lessons, practices and games every single day of the week. They are pushed to excel at everything they do. 

That lifestyle can be detrimental in so many ways. Education gets pushed aside, and childhood quickly loses its innocence and fun. Kids are not allowed to just be kids anymore. Instead, they have to work hard every day so they can be the best. But kids are NOT going to excel at anything if they are pushed to do everything!  It's vital that kids have time to just be kids and nothing more, or else they will burn out very quickly. 

We are NOT those parents and we seem to be in the minority. We always encourage our children to try the activities that interest them. If it's not a good fit, they must complete the activity then move on to something else. Through trial and error, our three older kids were able to find what they love. They don't have something scheduled every single day of the week, so there is enough time for homework, play and a social life.  Because they get time to relax and have fun, they each have an activity or two that they are passionate about and excel at!

Each of my children have their own "thing." My family spends a lot of time on the court, at the dance studio and onstage. 

Dylan, Lexie, Lily and Liam proudly shared their "thing" and showed how Fruit Shoot is perfect for every adventure!

Dylan traded in years of playing baseball for time spent on the court. We were bummed when he decided he was done playing baseball, but we quickly found out that we were a basketball-loving family!

When Dylan isn't on the court, he can be found onstage playing trumpet in band, playing violin in orchestra and singing with the entire sixth grade chorus (mandatory). I can't guarantee he will stick with it much longer, but we loved watching his concerts, and we're proud that he tried! He's also a big fan of skateboarding, riding his hoverboard and playing football. Basketball, however, is definitely his "thing!"

Lexie chose hip hop as her activity this year, and she loves it! She has no urge to dance competitively. She just enjoys it as a recreation, and it will definitely help when she follows in her parent's footsteps, and takes the plunge into musical theater!

Lexie is our musical child. She loves to sing so she joined the extracurricular 4th grade choir this year, and can't wait to continue next year. She also plans to start playing flute in band next year, just like I did. I am really looking forward to all the concerts and musicals ahead of us!

Lily is our performer! I always say that if any of our children are destined to be a star, it's her. She has a BIG personality and loves to make people laugh! She just started dance this year and she's hooked. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, but I have a feeling competitive dance might be in her future.

When she isn't dancing, Lily's other favorite activity is going to Storytime each week. Reading and crafts are two of her favorite things! She also insists that she's going to become a cheerleader, sing on stage, and become a YouTuber. None of those things surprise me one bit!

Liam is our light and our joy! He's still young, so I'm not quite sure which activities he will choose as his favorites. Based on the fact that he never stops moving and is incredibly adventurous, I would vote for parkour! All I know is that Down syndrome doesn't slow him down one bit!

As for now, he definitely knows how to work the camera, and he rocks his brand rep gig!

The collective activities from four children adds a lot to my schedule! This on the go lifestyle takes quite a bit of juggling, but it's just a short phase in our lives. The trick is to always be prepared! Here are my favorite tips for keeping up with the busyness of kids activities while supporting their passions:

Pack a bag.

We have a designated on-the-go bag that we keep stashed with the essentials. Some of our necessities include extra snacks, a first aid kit, tissues, wipes, a charger, a book for mom, travel toys and activities, extra pullups, hand sanitizer, lotion, chapstick, and notebook and pen, gum and mints.

Stay hydrated.

Staying hydrated is KEY. We keep the fridge in our garage stocked with on the go drinks so we can grab one on the way out the door. Fruit Shoot is my kids' favorite!

Fruit Shoot is a very popular juice drink for kids in the U.K. for so many good reasons! Fruit Shoot is perfect for an on-the go lifestyle with its convenient, mess free, resealable bottle. It's made with real fruit juice, and doesn't contain artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup. They offer varieties made with real sugar as well as varieties made with no sugar added. My kids have tried every flavor and love them all. Fruit Punch is their newest flavor and is also a hit!

Prior to trying Fruit Shoot, juice pouches were my go to. But they were so messy and not so good for drinking in the car. They were constantly tipping over and spilling. Fruit Shoot's resealable cap and durable bottle make this brand superior to the pouch!

Set up childcare.

Sometimes it's so much easier to find a babysitter for siblings during classes and practices. Taking along three extra kids can be really tough. If my husband isn't home from work, we ask one of our parents to step in. My parents bring over dinner every Thursday, then stay until my husband gets home from work while I take Lily to dance. It's the busiest night of the week at the dance studio, so it's much easier on all of us!

Have activity bags.

Have a designated bag for each activity, and always have it packed and ready to go! Dylan has a basketball bag, each girl has a dance bag, Dylan has band and orchestra bags, Lexie has a choir bag and Lily has a library bag for Storytime.

Have everything ready to go the night before.

The night before the activity, gather up everything that's needed. Place the items in the activity bag and place necessary clothing on top. It will really limit the stress of trying to make it out the door on time without forgetting anything!

Stock up on easy snacks.

Fill a kitchen drawer with packaged snacks that are perfect for on the go! Always keep the drawer fully stocked and load up before running out the door.

Give them your attention.

Although watching every single moment of every practice or class is impossible, it's important to let them catch you watching from time to time. It makes them feel important and special! Their faces always light up and they work just a bit harder when I put down my phone or laptop and just watch what they love to do!

Make it a family thing.

The importance of family is our main focus. My entire family attends the majority of games, recitals and concerts. It's so important to show each of our children how much our entire family cares about them!  

We love watching our kids do what they enjoy most! Supporting their passions is so important. Our kids are happy, thriving and doing what they love!

I would love to hear your thoughts on kids activities! How much is too much? How do you juggle the on the go lifestyle? What is your kid's "thing?"

Want to find out why Fruit Shoot is superior to the pouch? Use the store locator HERE! 

Our Winter Family Adventure with Fruit Shoot and Pizza Hut + 10 Questions To Ask Your Kids Today

This time of year is so blah. The holidays are over, the weather is cold, and many families are cooped up indoors with nothing to do. It's easy to understand why so many people dislike the winter months. This is definitely true for my family!

We spend so much time together during the holidays, and in January, it comes to an abrupt end. Everyone is busy with their own activities, and we are rarely together. When we are in the same place at the same time, it's usually because the weather has us trapped indoors.

Sometimes my entire family just needs to escape for a little adventure and reconnect! 

It's easy to fall into the hibernation trap, but it's so important to get out of the house before the winter blues strike! Since our time together is limited, we usually opt to go out to eat. A simple change of scenery can easily improve our mood, and an hour spent reconnecting is often exactly what we need!

My family of six usually heads to our local Pizza Hut. It's family friendly, we all love their pizza, and they have quick service, which is a must for our busy lifestyle. An added bonus is that they serve my kids' favorite drink: Fruit Shoot! 

My kids fell in love with Fruit Shoot the moment they first tasted it! This No High Fructose Corn Syrup/No Artificial Flavors juice drink comes in popular flavors such as Berry Burst, Apple and Strawberry & Raspberry. It is available in both no added sugar and made with real sugar varieties. My kids love the flavors and I love the fact that they are a much healthier option at 100 calories or less per bottle. Fruit Shoot can be hard to find, so my kids are always so excited when they find out we are heading to Pizza Hut!

What makes delicious food and treasured family time even better? The ability to give back while we eat! Until April 30th, 2017,  five cents of every bottle of Fruit Shoot purchased will be donated to the First Book literacy program. Not only do we love to give back, but we also believe in the importance of reading, so my family happily supports this great cause.

We usually purchase additional Fruit Shoot drinks on the way out the door. The sports cap makes it a great choice for kids of all ages, and thanks to the lid, it's the perfect on-the-go option!

When my family goes out to eat together, it's always an adventure! With four kids, there's literally never a dull moment. Even if it's loud and chaotic, we treasure those moments. Taking the time to reconnect during the busyness of everyday life is incredibly important for my family. Sometimes the simple act of going out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants can bring us together and make us forget all about those winter blues!

 

My husband and I believe in making family a priority and we are working hard to pass on those values to our children. We believe in the importance of making each of them feel special and loved every single day, so we make it a point to ask our children the same 10 questions each day.  

1. What made you feel happy today?
2. What made you feel sad today?
3. What made you laugh today?
4. What could you have done better today?
5. Who did you play with today?
6. Who did you sit with at lunch today?
7. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
8. What are you dreading tomorrow?
9.  What was one important lesson you learned today?
10. What was the best moment of the day?

As many parents know, most kids aren't very open about their day, especially if they go to school. The details are often few and far between. Asking these questions each night gives valuable insight into your child's thoughts and feelings and a glimpse into the aspect of their life that you don't get to see!

My family loves to go on adventures together, even if it's just the simple act of going out to eat! Go on your own adventure and support the First Book literacy project by purchasing a Fruit Shoot product at your local Pizza Hut!

Find more information about Fruit Shoot HERE and HERE.
Learn more about the First Book literacy project HERE.

Thank you to Fruit Shoot for sponsoring today's post and inspiring us to step out of winter hibernation to go on a family adventure!