Have a GREAT weekend!

Whatever you do, make sure to enjoy it as much as this cute little girl is enjoying her ride on the swing!

Ways to Play #4

Our 4^th post in the series

 “Ways to Play”

Was Meant To Be!

Lets-Explore.net

Amy, the author of this blog, provides a monthly series called “10 Ways to Play.”

Click here to read her 10 Ways to Play in July

Such as a backwards day, building a fort, and trying a new fruit or veggie!

Lets-Explore.net may be the end-all resource for children…the end-all.  I can’t even begin to explain all the awesome information available on this blog.  If instilling play, reading, laughter and joy into your child's life you have to see this site; my words will not do justice to what Amy has created. Her hope behind the website is to help "encourage you to create, discover, build, experiment, and connect with your kiddos.” I already know that this site will be a useful resource to our family for a long time to come.

Ways to Play #3 - Make up for last week!

In our 3^rd post celebrating

“Ways to Play”

We are Excited to Highlight

ParentsConnect.com

Specifically for their 125 Ways to Celebrate Summer on-line forum.

125 ways to celebrate summer is a lot, so you are sure to find some great ideas here!  A few of my favorite ways to play from this site include learning a dance routine, and decorating the neighborhood with sidewalk chalk (even making your own chalk!) and taking summer snapshots! Also check out flashlight tag, learn how to whistle with a blade of grass,  and the water balloon obstacle course. There are so many ideas, I couldn't narrow it down.

ParentsConnect.com is one of many sites hosted by Nickelodeon. But the thing that’s different about this site is that the focus is entirely on parents, from being a support through the job of raising your kids from pregnancy all the way through the teenage years to finding ways to have fun and be successful in other parts of your life. 

Tell us how you like to Play!

Click on the label “Ways to Play” to read all editions of this special feature.

The Kids Corner, 1st Edition

Okayz. This is Madi here. I was voulenteered to do the blogging for every other Monday. Uhmm ... when writing an informal document like this one, I tend to use a lot of slang and enjoy using computer faces. I'll wait to see whether Andrea gets mad at me or not about it. Okay, to the blogging point, I was told this was supposed to be titled: "What Do You Do in the Summer?" which automatically brings my thoughts to the LDS primary song: "What Do You Do in the Summertime?" which lists a ton of recreational activities for people to do. Some of which are:
Fishing
Making Lemonade
Singing
Daydreaming
or Watch/Make Shapes out of Clouds
Some other ideas that I brainstormed are:
Boating
Vacations
Camping
Hiking
Biking
Swimming
or Voulenteering/Service
I'll know if I need to change this post if I get a call with somebody yelling at me over the phone. (I'm just kidding ... I think)

Ways to Play #2

We are Proud to Present

Education.com

In the 2nd Edition of our Special Feature

 “Ways to Play”

Quoting from their About Us page, “From kindergarten readiness through college prep, Education.com gives parents the information they need and the ideas they want to help their kids reach their full potential and make learning fun.” The founders of education.com “share a passion for family and empowering parents with tools to help teach their children.”

This is what makes education.com one of the websites we’ve chosen to highlight in our “Ways to Play” special feature. We are passionate about families too and we believe there is power in play that not only helps children and adults reach their potential but to also bring families closer together.

Education.com has a page dedicated specifically to Outdoor Summer Play. Some ideas they’ve come up with include: holding a lemonade stand, building sandcastles, playing tag of all kinds (like water tag, freeze tag, elbow tag, snake tag) and my personal favorite: crab soccer!!!!

Other features we liked from Education.com include:

• Summer Reading List 
• 30 Ideas for a “Screen-Free” Week
• And the very helpful, user-friendly way to search their site by topic, age or grade-found right on their home page!

Tell us how you like to Play!

Click on the "Ways to Play" label to read all editions of this special feature.

The 1st of Many "Ways to Play"

One of the core principles of the Pheasantbrook Kids Club is“Leading a balanced life by HAVING FUN.” With this in mind, today begins a 10-week series highlighting different websites and activities that encourage "Ways to Play." Come back every Wednesday over the next 10 weeks to find new ways to play. In some case,You’ll even be reminded of old ways to play!

Self-described as

“the mother lode of unique outdoor games”

Funattic.com had to be first on our list of

“Ways to Play”

The many ways to play listed on Fun-attic’s website help people develop co-ordination and cooperation as well as teaching team approaches to resolutions-all while having fun. What I like is how they talk about using play as a spontaneous tool for building relationships anytime, anywhere. Even more reasons why this site fits perfectly with our goals to revitalize Pheasntbrook beginning with play.

A great feature on Fun-attic is their Game of the Month page.  July’s game of the month is the Dolphin Relay, a water game perfect for all residents of Pheasantbrook during these hot summer days while cooling off at the pool.  June’s game of the month was Greased Watermelon Polo. And yes, I will be trying both of these games, don’t you worry.

Other features I like from www.Funattic.com

• They offer a free monthly newsletter to help you find more ways to play
• The Great Game List…it quite possibly is the “mother lode”  list of games and activities
• A specific list of games for youth groups, look at Kids Club!!!

Tell us how you like to play?????

Why Start with Play? Part 5

To Help our Property Values

This is the last of a five part piece on why revitalizing Pheasantbrook has begun with play. Click to read the first, second, third and forth pieces.

Let’s be honest, property values are a big topic among homeowners today. If the following statement is true: “Houses that overlook a well maintained lawn stand a better chance of their property value getting higher preference and value as compared to one that has not (1)” then what type of positive impact will updated playgrounds have on our property values?

At www.realtor.com the question was asked ‘How do I increase my home value?’ Among the common answers of fresh paint and appliance updates, they also stated “Of course, amenities appropriate for your area can help (2).”

The playgrounds are a visible indication of our pride and our diligence in maintaining our property. The members of the HOA board and our maintenance crew are working hard every day to maintain our property; the current condition of our playgrounds does not represent their efforts well.  The playgrounds are sending the wrong message to anyone entering our community.

Pheasantbrook is beautiful, award winning, and at the heart of Centerville. As we begin our process of revitalizing our community with play, we will begin to see our property values show greater resistance against current market trends.

References:

(1) http://ezinearticles.com/?Lawn-Care---Increase-the-Value-of-Your-Home-Or-Property&id=4199072

(2) http://www.realtor.com/home-values/homevaluesfaq.aspx?source=web#HowDoIIncreaseMyHomeValue

Gardenwalk Pictures and....and...and...

Pictures of the 2011 Gardenwalk are ready!  

This year's Gardenwalk was another great event.  Did you see how big the poppies were ?  What about the square garden??? Amazing!!  Hopfully you discovered a new kind of flower you've never seen before, for me it was the English Daisy. And after visitng a few of the gardens I've got new ideas for a rock garden at my place combined with some container gardening. And I have to mention how each patio felt like a private sanctuary were I wanted to sit and rest for a time--so inviting and so hard to leave. I couldn't stop taking pictures of all the flowers, they were big, bright and beautiful!

These are only a few of the highlights from our 2011 Gardenwalk.  But my favorite part is and always will be walking through our community and seeing so many of my neighbors out as well, enjoying our beautiful neighborhood. I love taking a minute to chat with all of you, whom I am glad to call my friends.

Thank you to each person who participated in the Gardenwalk, whether as a patio-host or a garden-walker. It takes both to make this event happen.

Looking ahead, next year is our 5th Gardenwalk, to celebrate the occasion we have exciting things planned and are putting things together for it already! Mark your calendars for June 23, 2012!!!

Click here  to see these pictures and more!

and...

Our Lemonade Stand/Bake Sale was also a fantastic success.  The Kids Club put together a great fundraiser, raising almost $140 to go towards our playground project.  We are getting closer and closer to our goal.  It is so encouraging to see everyone come out to support us!

This playground is definitely going to happen.  We keep saying it can only be as great as WE, TOGETHER can make.  As each fundraising event happens, I see that the "WE" part grows bigger and stronger!  Thank you for being a part of WE!

and...

Don't forget to celebrate the 4th of July this weekend with all the folks in Centerville.  We are hosting a booth to raise more money for the playgrounds.  If you like Strawberry Shortcake, Brownie Sundaes, and waffle cones, this is not an event to miss!  Click here for more information about the festivities.

and...

Starting Wednesday, July 6th, we will feature a 10 week series on different ways to play throughout the summer.  As our "Why Start with Play?" series described, play is important to each of us in more ways then one!