Family Talk
Barbara Ames—Family & Consumer Science Agent
www.wildcatdistrict.ksu.edu
facebook.com/wildcat.extension.district
OCTOBER 2015
Treat or Trick Thank You Cards!
Costumes! Wigs! Face paint!
It’s almost Halloween, and for
many American kids, that means
“trick or treat” in neighborhood
shopping areas or on their own
block. Besides asking for treats,
how about having kids deliver a
“treat,” at least in the form of a
Halloween card?
tracings of hands or feet decorated to
become Halloween characters. These
can be scanned and reproduced four
per page with a desktop printer, and
then the kids can write “Thank You
and Happy Halloween” on the reverse with their names. Kids can
hand out cards when they receive
treats.
Adapted from http://
www.parentingpress.com/
A seasonal greeting and thank you
could be combined with a selfportrait your children draw of
themselves in their Halloween
costume (actual or planned). Or,
Help Young Athletes Make Healthful Food Choices
Does your
child play a
sport?
Healthful
foods will
help your
child be
ready to
learn and
to stay active.
There is no doubt about it, though, keeping
youngsters properly fed in the face of hectic
schedules, team snacks and concession-stand
menus can be a challenge!
Young athletes do better when adults are in
charge of the food before, during and after
the game, and set limits. Serve water, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein foods
and dairy products for meals and snacks. Help
your young one understand that, as an athlete,
you have to take care of your body in order to
be able to play your best. Set healthful food
choice guidelines, such as eating a salad instead of French fries, having no more than one
sweet food or fried food each day, and drinking
milk or water instead of soda or sports drinks,
which contain added sugars and acids that are harsh
on the teeth.
With practices and games occurring several hours
after lunch, young athletes need an afternoon snack
to prevent them from running out of energy, to restore energy for the next day, and to avoid having
them eat too fast and too much at supper. So that
they can eat within the first hour following a game
or practice, pack a cooler with ice, water, and foods
containing carbs and protein. Low-fat chocolate
milk and a banana offer the right balance of
carbs and protein and can be a quick and easy
choice. Mini-sandwiches made with bread, peanut
butter or a slice of lean meat, and vegetables provide another healthful option to nourish active bodies. Paying attention to healthful choices for snacks
and meals can help your young athlete establish a
lifelong positive relationship with food.
Source: Adapted from M Braun at
www.uwhealthkids.org/news-and-events/helping-youngathletes-make-healthy-food-choices/36896
Healthier Fall Treats
Halloween is typically a
time when kids overload on
a variety of sweets. These
fun ideas offer healthier options for parties or for
snacking that kids can even
help make.
Use chocolate chips
for eyes & mouth to
create "ghosts".
For pumpkins, peel
small oranges and add
pieces of celery to the
centers for the stems.
Peel bananas and cut in half.
Since the bananas have a
tendency to brown dip them
very briefly in Fruit Fresh, 7
-up or Sprite. It will prevent
browning, but without the sourness of lemon juice.
Source:
https://www.facebook.com/Budget101com
Beyond Halloween Candy
The holiday Halloween is tightly associated with candy treats. But what alternatives could you hand out
to goblins this year? For food, small packages of crackers or pretzels, apple slices, raisins, or granola
bars would be a healthier choice. Non-food items include fun stickers, pencils, plastic jewelry, or temporary tattoos.
As always, safety first when out and about. Take flashlights and wear reflective costumes
to spot those ghostly creatures in the night!
Source: You Asked It!, K-State Research and Extension
Family Fun Ideas — Fly A Kite!
Got wind? Then you’ve got fun! The
weather is changing in most of the country
this month, and what better way to enjoy
those cool breezes than with a kite? Make
your own (see how-to’s in a library book or
on websites such as PBS’s Make A Kite) or
find a bargain at the five-and-dime, and
then go up a hill, down to the beach—or
wherever else there’s a gust.
Even simpler: tie the handles of a
plastic shopping bag to kite string and
run. The bag won’t go high, but it’ll
be easy for the very young to control.
(As with any plastic bag, adult supervision is a must.)
Adapted from
http://www.parentingpress.com/
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