In 2019, it can be hard to find constructive role models for your children. More than ever, seemingly, individuals with dubious morals and an odd claim to fame re commanding the attention and admiration of our children. You only need to think of YouTube stars, Insta-famous models, and social media to appreciate the less-than-exceptional nature of role models in the digital age. One old and reliable source of good role models, though, is sport. Here, you’ll find a number of driven, accomplished and presentable individuals to inspire and amaze your children.

Olympians

Your first stop on the role model search tour should be recent and past US Olympians. Michael Phelps might be the most appropriate sportsperson of all to get your children admiring; he’s the most decorated Olympian of all time, with an incredible 23 gold medals to his name. Over in the winter Olympics, Bonnie Blair, the 4-gold winning speed skater, makes a fine role model, too. If you want your children to aspire to be world-beaters and conscientious, respectful, dedicated people, look to Olympians as their potential role models.

Football

You have to be a little bit more careful with football – while there are plenty of inspiring sportspeople inside the world of football, there are plenty of poor role models in the sport, too. Tom Brady, for instance, may be one of the world’s greatest ever players, but he’s widely acknowledged to be a loose cannon in the media and a dubious role model for young children to aspire to emulate. It’s more appropriate to follow the rags-to-riches sportspeople inside the world of football, who fought through adversity to get where they are today.

Baseball

When compared to football, there’s a classiness to baseball that means you’re spoilt for choice as to who your child might take as inspiration. Take them to games to watch your chosen team bat it out, and see if your kid is more interested in the pitchers or the batters. There are some players from the history of the sport that may inspire your kids too. Delve into the history of Tris Speaker and expose your child to other MVPs and Hall of Famers – all of whom were remarkable people alongside their sporting successes.

Tennis

You need not look further than the might of the Williams sisters for your tennis role models. They’re some of the most successful American sporting heroes ever, and they remain at the very pinnacle of the game now after careers spanning over ten years at the top. Strangely, tennis is one sport that’s supported more on an individual basis than a national one – so plenty of Americans support and admire Roger Federer, one of the world’s most charismatic, presentable sporting heroes.

Golf

With Tiger Woodsa popular role model in recent years, who has at times not always been on his best form, it may be time to look for new role models in the world of golf. Dustin Johnson and the cool, rising star that is Brooks Koepka make fine role models for children who enjoy a spot of putting on the greens.      Sports stars have always made brilliant role models, and this list should help you find the best of the best for your children to admire. _o

While winter is throwing a tantrum outside, it is all too easy for us to curl up under a blanket and get sucked into the world of technology; keeping up on social media, binge-watching our favorite show, or beating the next level of a new video game.  However, many studies have shown too much screen time is bad for both our bodies and our minds, especially for children.  So instead of fightingthe winter blues by being pulled into an electronic vortex, grab a warm coat, snuggle up with a scarf, and venture into the great outdoors.

There are many benefits to spending time outsideeach day.Even just a few minutes can elevate your mood, increase energy, and help burn off some of that holiday indulgence.Just because the weather is grayer, colder, and at times down right frightful, doesn’t mean we should completely give up on spending time in nature.

Here are 10 ways you and your family can experience the wonders of winter. Click on the links to learn more about each activity.

1)Snowflake Science – Help your family understand how snowflakes form then head outside to observe the different shapes and sizes a snowflake can be, finish up by trying to catch one on your tongue.Your kids will have so much fun they won’t even realize it’s science!

2) Nature Sleuth – Scavenger hunts are a blast all year round.Bundle up and take a walk down the street, head to a park, or explore your own yard.  Look for icicles, frost, or try to find bright colors hidden among the white.

3) Camp Winter – Recreate the fun of summer camp with snow games, sled races, and snow fort building. Have your kids invite their friends over, the more the merrier!

4) Build a Fort – Building forts is one of the best parts of being a kid. Encourage your family to work as a team, share ideas, and then snuggle into your outdoor fort to enjoy a mug of cocoa. If your winter is filled with more rain than snow, no worries, forts can be built with anything; plastic tarps make excellent roofs but can be used for a nice dry carpet too!

5)Animal Tracks – Visit your local library to find a book on animal tracks.After studying up, see who is living in your neighborhood park.Looking for tracks works great in both snow and mud!

6) Feed the Birds – It can be hard for birds to find food in the winter so help our feathered friends out by making a bird feeder.Your family can spend time together making the feeders and seeing who comes to visit them. Check with your local Audubon Society to see what birds live in your area and what their favorite snacks are.

7) Ice Sculpting – Help your child find their inner artist by creating sculptures out of ice. Have neighbors join in to make a gallery of ice sculptures on your street. If using balloons,remind your family to pick up any pieces on the ground, a hungry bird might think it’s lunch.

8)Scientist Senses–Children of all ages can have fun using their 5 senses to explore nature in the winter. After exploring, have them think about what is the same and what is different in the winter compared to the summer.

9) Winter Stars–Winter is a great time to look at the stars, especially for those with an early bedtime.Wrap up in blankets, bring a thermos of hot cocoa, and check out the constellations.

10) Winter Artist – If your yard looks dreary during the winter, let your kids spruce it up with some garden art. Have them collect items likes rocks, leaves, and sticks then create their own mosaics and sculptures. Have each child then share what they created with the whole family. Bundle up, and head outside with your family to see what nature has to offer when there is a chill in the air. Your children will burn off some pent-up energy and get in touch with their inner scientist while the whole familyenjoys walking in a winter wonderland!

We’ve all faced this scene on one occasion or another. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the birds are singing in the tree tops — but our kids are slumped on the couch with their cellphones, playing Candy Crush.

Fear not. Here’s a selection of timeless alternate games for both fair weather and foul, guaranteed to bring a smile to their faces — and perhaps even a flush to their cheeks.

Games can bring people together, provide excitement and intrigue and pass the time. What are you waiting for?

Outdoor games

They may drag their heels, but once outside they’ll quickly feel the benefits. Here’s a selection of old favorites that will bring a rosy glow to your kids’ faces, help them work off excess energy and fill them with happy endorphins.

1. Hide-and-Seek

Hide-and-seek is the mother of all games. One person starts counting, with their back to the other players. Fifty? One hundred? The choice is yours, but the players must hide before the counting is over. When the counter reaches the magic number it’s time to go seek. Where has everyone hidden? When all players are found, the game ends. The first player to be found now takes a turn to count and it goes around again.

Pro-tip: count your children before and after playing …

2. Kick the Can

Here’s a classic variant on Hide-and-Seek. In this version of the game, it still counts and the other players hide — but this time, when each player is found they are sent to jail. This is where the can comes in. The can is placed near to the jail. If a player who has not been caught can only reach the can and kick it before being seen they can free all the other players.

Pro-tip: choose an empty can to avoid explosions …

3. Sardines

This fish-related fun game is an inverted version of Hide-and-Seek. To get this started, just one player hides while all the others count. When they reach the magic number, they fan out in search of the missing player. When each person finds the hiding place, they join the hidden player, each in turn squeezing in, like sardines in a can. The game ends when the last child finds all the sardines or when there’s no one left to look.

Pro-tip: the game lasts longer with more than two players …

4. What Time is it, Mr. Fox?

This one is all about listening, counting and running. No, your kids are absolutely not allowed to check their cellphone for the time. They must ask Mr. Fox.

“Mr. Fox” stands at one end of the space with his (or her) back to the others. They call out: “What time is it, Mr. Fox?” Without turning around, Mr. Fox calls back a time: “It’s six o’clock!” and the kids move six steps towards Mr. Fox. “It’s four o’clock!” They move forward four steps. So far, so good.

Here’s the catch. At any time, Mr. Fox may answer “Midnight!” When he does, he must turn and try to catch any of the kids near to him before they can run back to safety. If Mr. Fox succeeds in catching someone, that player now becomes a fox and joins with him. The game continues until all the players have been converted into foxes.

It’s all in the timing, however: if the kids reach Mr. Fox before he calls Midnight, they win and poor old Fox is out.

Pro-tip: add a frisson of danger by swapping out Mr. Fox with Mr. Wolf, who calls out “Dinner time!” …

Indoor games

It may be raining or snowing outside but that does not mean resorting to screens. Here are a few classic indoor games to keep your clan amused.

1. Pin the tail on the donkey

An ageless game for groups or parties. You’re going to need a picture of a donkey right from the get go. Only, don’t finish that picture. Leave the tail off. Now each kid takes a turn to pin a tail on that donkey. What’s the catch? They are all blindfolded. The child wins who gets their tail closest to the donkey’s tail end. You can also offer a special prize to the child who pins the farthest away.

Pro-tip: Don’t actually pin — use scotch tape or sticky tack. Kids, blindfolds and sharp points don’t play well together …

2. Mancala

Mancala Games have been played for centuries. If you’re looking for a classic game that is a little more cerebral then look no further. A game for two players, Mancala is a game of strategy. Stones are picked up distributed one by one around a wooden board. Your child will strengthen math and problem-solving skills.

Pro-tip: Why not replace the stones with healthy raisins to add a little temptation?

3. Cheat!

The most despicable card game and guaranteed to keep a horde of kids giggling for hours. Here’s how it’s played.

All the cards in a deck are dealt between the players. Now each player examines their hand and takes it in turns to lay down cards in sequence. For example, if the first player has one ace, he or she lays it face down and declares “one ace”. If the player has three aces, they can lay all three down and declare them. The next player must add cards of the same number or move up to seven. And so it goes around.

What happens if a player does not have any cards of the right number? Well then, they must cheat. They can lay any cards down and make a declaration, whether or not it is true. The other players must decide whether to “call it” or let it slide. If a player’s move is found to be a cheat, that player has to pick up all the cards. The winner is the first to lose all their cards. Pro tip: try not cheating, just to mix it up.

Kids need to play sports whenever possible; not only is it good for their health, but sports can teach them all kinds of important life lessons such as the joy or winning, how to be a good loser, and how to play in a team. Regarding health, so much of what we do – as adults and children – is sedentary (we sit in the car or on a bus or train, we sit at a desk at work or school, we sit and watch TV or play video games…) that any kind of exercise is massively important to keep us fit and to keep our weight at a healthy level. If you’re not sure which sports you should encourage your kids to try, here are some ideas.
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