FrogMom’s 10 Most Popular Posts of 2016

Looking back, 2016 was a collaboration year on FrogMom as I started getting together with other family bloggers to write a Free Unit Studies series and not surprisingly, 9 out of the 10 most popular posts of 2016 come from that series. It’s been an almost weekly commitment to write content on various topics that I probably wouldn’t have tackled otherwise. However, I’m very glad I took part in the project as it’s proven to be a creative writing experiment that’s allowed me to share a different type of expertise for healthy and active family lifestyles.

In reverse order of popularity (#10 was 2016’s big winner), here are the most popular posts of 2016 on FrogMom.

#1 Strawberry Moon Activities for Kids

A Strawberry moon is the full moon of the month of June. It got its name from Algonquin tribes who knew it as a sign to harvest ripening fruit and indeed, June is peak time to gather strawberries. Thanks to the summer solstice and the close end of the school year, the strawberry moon is also a great time of the year for kids to play outside and to enjoy nature late in the day when days are long.

Read the post here.

#2 DIY Rockets for Kids

Outdoor science gets a bang with these 5 DIY rockets for kids to celebrate the Fourth of July. You will love that these rockets can made with materials that you probably already have in your kitchen cupboards and your craft box. As you will see, rocket science really isn’t all that difficult.

Read the post here.

#3 7 Olympic Athletes share Healthy Living Tips for Kids

They are Michael Phelps, Madison Kocian, Brooke Sweat, Katie Ledecky, Christen Press, Ryan Lochte and Laurie Hernandez. These seven Team USA Olympic athletes kill it in the pool, on uneven bars, on the gym floor, on the football field and in the sand. In the run up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, I was honored to be able to reach out to these Olympic athletes about healthy living tips for kids.

Read the post here.

#4 12 Months of Outdoor Fun for Kids in 2016

New year’s resolutions look great in January but for most people, they’ve fallen through the cracks by June. The idea is simple. Do you like nature? Is family health one of your goals? Do you daydream about fun adventures outside? With work, school and home, it’s easy to let the outdoors slip by. If you’re overwhelmed by the daily grind, I can help you stick to your goals all year. Here are 12 months of outdoors fun for kids in 2016. Each month, you find ideas about activities and day trips.

Read the post here.

#5 Healthy Alternatives to Kids’ Junk Food for the Outdoors

We all want the best for our kids and a family day outdoors usually rhymes with good health. Indeed, the Healthy Parks Healthy People movement shows that parks are an outlet for healthy lifestyles and part of global initiatives to combat childhood obesity, rising healthcare costs, and other lifestyle-related challenges. Why then does nutrition often take a back seat in planning a day outdoors? It’s a real paradox. Here, you will find healthy substitutes to a few outdoor favorites.

Read the post here.

#6 Where to Find Bubbles in Nature

Playing with bubbles has got to be one of the greatest kicks of childhood and even adults can’t resist blowing bubbles when they can. The second week of March is National Bubble Week and it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the round form by taking your kids outdoors to find bubbles in nature. Here are a few pointers as to where you can find the bubbly stuff – and most importantly, the cool science and animal behavior behind them bubbles.

Read the post here.

#7 How to Write a Nature Poem like Roald Dahl

To inspire young nature lovers, what better inspiration than a master of the craft? Roald Dahl, the famous British author and poet, used to walk to a wood around his home, in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Beauty, to relax and find inspiration. That’s how “Fantastic Mr Fox” and a few nature poems came about! Taking cue from the master, here are a few ideas to spice up your next family hike and “snitch new dreams to put in your bottles.” For all these activities, I suggest that you go on a family hike and pack paper and pens for everyone.

Read the post here.

#8 How Kids can Create Sketch Maps for the Outdoors

Part art, part geography, a sketch map is a fun way to document a day outdoors with a creative touch.  If you want to turn family outdoor activities into keepsakes, sketch maps are a great way to remember a fun day out on paper. Here are illustrated steps on how to do one with your kids.

Read the post here.

#9 10 Cool Family Tents for Camping

Family tents for camping are usually the same old design–skeleton frame with crossed poles, solid color cover, guy lines, pegs, done. It works perfectly, but how about having fun for once? What if you had a cool family tent that was so exciting that you’d be inspired to go camping more?

Read the post here.

#10 15 Things to Do at the Beach with Kids

A day at the beach with kids is a wonderful way to enjoy the best of what summer has to offer. Splashing about, having a picnic, getting your dose of vitamin D–the beach is always a family favorite. Whether you’re a beach regular or not, it’s great to have a list of things to do at the beach with kids, if only to hit the refresh button on classic activities. As you will see, there’s more than playing with buckets and shovels in this list.

Read the post here.

Happy 2017!