1. Try Low Calorie Ice Cream

You don’t have to pack on the calories to enjoy your favorite icy delight. Many brands offer low-calorie versions of your favorite flavors. These alternatives aren’t always so healthy, though. They’re often loaded with artificial sweeteners and preservatives. After all, you have to replace the fat and calories with something else, right?

Eat This, Not That ranked Halo Top Vanilla as the best diet option out there. One pint contains 240 calories. You don’t have to challenge yourself to stop when you’re halfway through. Plus, it contains healthy fats, has no fake sweeteners and is low in sugar. Your kids won’t know the difference. Neither will you.

2. Go For Low Sugar Ice Cream

When you cut back on sugar, you may end up consuming fewer calories. Plus, keeping sugar away from your kiddos can prevent them from turning into hyper little monsters.

So Delicious No Sugar Added Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert is sweetened with natural stevia. It contains healthy fats from coconuts. You can feel good about feeding this to your family.

3. Make Your Own

Opt for healthier home made options

When you make your own frozen treats, you can control the ingredients that go into it. A quick internet search will deliver lots of options for homemade recipes.

Here’s one to try:

Ingredients 3 ripe peaches, diced ¼ cup cream or coconut cream ¼ tsp vanilla extract Stevia to taste

Directions

• Freeze the peaches for four hours.
• Blend the peaches with the cream in a high-powered blender.
• Add the stevia if you want more sweetness. You might not need it.

This produces a soft dessert that you can eat right away. Stick it in the freezer for another hour if you want a harder treat.

4. Turn Bananas Into Frozen Deliciousness

Did you know that frozen bananas can be whipped up into a creamy snack or dessert? Slice bananas and freeze them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Transfer them to plastic bags or an airtight container, and store them in the freezer. Whenever you want some frozen goodness, place some bananas in a high-powered blender. Add cocoa or peanut butter for an added punch. Blend them until they become smooth.

5. Try Strawberry Banana Frozen Lemonade

Experiment with natural ingredients

Ditch the dairy altogether. Make a refreshing indulgence without using milk or yogurt. In a blender, combine strawberries and bananas. Mix them until they’re smooth. Add them to your ice cream maker along with some lemonade. After about 30 minutes, you’ll have a combination that tastes like a snow cone. You can also make these into frozen treats using molds.

6. Make Themed Play Clay

Purchase or make dough for your kids to play with. Provide utensils and options for them to pretend that they have their own sweet shop. Make your own ice cream play clay by mixing one can of pre-made frosting with one cup of cornstarch. This recipe is great for toddlers. It’s edible, and it won’t harm your child if he or she makes the mistake of eating it. However, it won’t taste as good as the real thing.

Materials you need to make your own faux sundaes:

• Play clay or dough
• Small bowls
• Cones made of paper or cardstock
• Large scoops and spoons
• Small spoons
• Glitter or confetti for sprinkles
• Beads, pebbles and buttons for chips and cherries
• Straws
• Wooden sticks for making “frozen” dessert bars

7. Print Out Some Coolness

Use paper and scissors to celebrate the month without making your kids crazy or worrying about your weight. Print out images of cones and scoops, and have kids glue them onto paper to make their own creations. You can also make 3-D popsicles and other colorful delicacies. The best part is that these won’t melt in the summer heat.

You don’t have to fill up on fat and calories to celebrate National Ice Cream Month. Get creative. Buy something new from the store. Purchase fresh ingredients to whip up healthier options at home. Use your art supplies to make a cool dessert that won’t melt.

1. Take Advantage of Your State Park’s Programming!

Playing outdoors is great fun

Your local state park is a treasure trove of fun, family-friendly activities. Consider going to a Firefly Walk! June is a particularly active season for fireflies, known for dancing through the night air with their magical twinkling. If your family plans to go firefly-spotting, plan ahead! Some parks, such as the Smokey Mountain National Park, are in such high demand that you must enter a lottery for admission to the perfect viewing ground. If parks strike your fancy, be sure to pick up a “Park Passport” from the park gift shop. Your child will not only be able to keep memories from your trip, but will delight in collecting unique stamps in their passport from all the parks you visit.

2. Find Treasure….Go Geocaching!

Any child can tell you that there is a thrill in searching for buried treasure, but who would have thought that it could be educational experience? Geocaching is the perfect fusion of technology and nature. Using a downloadable phone app or GPS-supported device, your task is to navigate your way to a hidden box containing a “treasure” left by the last Geocacher. If you decide to take the treasure you find home, you must leave something of equal value for the next group to discover. And who knows where your hunt may lead you? Cache boxes may be hidden anywhere from a friendly suburb to a mountain summit! When home, you and your little adventurer can log your finds on geocaching.com together.

3. Unplug with a Creative Camping Experience Your Kids Will Love.

Throwing the good ‘ole tent and cooler into the back of the car can be the start to the perfect family weekend. There is a reason that traditions like eating s’mores with sticky fingers are passed on through generations — they’re too good to let go of! There’s plenty of variety in the camping scene that can add color to this classic summer staple. For starters, think about trading out the tent! If your family become guests at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia, for example, you have the option to stay in a cozy furnished yurt. Yurts typically accommodate up to six guests and include access to your own personal fire ring and a shared bath house. Or if riverside is more your fancy, stay in a family-sized “treehouse” over the Edisto river in South Carolina.

4. Teach Your Child Your Favorite Outdoor Pastime.

Nothing beats seeing your child enjoy something that, as a child yourself, used to create dirt under your nails and laughter for days. Were you an avid kayaker in your youth? Rent a two-person kayak and teach your novice paddler under the safety of your gaze. Are you keen to hit a forested trail? Have fun building your own personalized trail mix with your little ones, then strap on your hiking boots together. What could be better way to foster a love of nature in your kids than by introducing them to your favorite way to get out there and play?

5. Start in Your Own Backyard.

Backyard play is awesome

Though this commemorated time comes but once a year, you can feed your child’s love of outside play all year long. Even if you don’t have much space to create a garden, buy a few washtubs or large planters. Tomatoes, cucumber, and squash are great starter plants you and your child can grow, even in confined space. And as a bonus, you can break out the paint and decorate the planter pots together for a sweet memory that will last well after summertime.

There you have it, five ways that you and your children can soak up the sun and build appreciation of Mother Nature this June. May this fuel your inspiration to get out and go! Whether you enjoy PB&J sandwiches on the front lawn or drive hours to explore a new-to-you state park, you won’t regret embracing National Great Outdoors Month with your great kids.

You may be wondering why we celebrate nutrition month and how it can help you get back on track. It’s simple really. Nutrition Month is a time set aside to focus on the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and exercise habits.

This year the National Nutrition Month theme is “Put Your Best Fork Forward.” So instead of feeling like you have to change everything at once, you can start small, with just one fork at a time. Whether your eating habits involve preparing meals at home or making choices while eating out, it’s important to develop a way of eating that is sustainable.

Are you ready to join the movement? Then here are a few effective ways you can start putting your best fork forward.

1. Eat a balanced, varied diet.

   Eating a variety of nutrient dense foods across all of the food groups reduces your risk of many preventable and primarily lifestyle-based chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Work to incorporate a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your daily diet.

2. Choose lighter options while dining out.

   Finding healthy options at restaurants is now easier than it ever has been. Most restaurant chains offer lighter, healthier choices. As you peruse the menu, look for options that are steamed or roasted. Likewise, ask for sauces, dressing, and cheese on the side, and control your own portions by asking for a to-go box and putting half of your meal in the box.

3. Set a good example for children.

If you have children, you know how quickly they pick up on things. That is why it is especially important to model good eating habits for children. This modeling begins in the kitchen. Inviting your child into the kitchen to participate in age-appropriate cooking tasks is a fun way to get young ones involved. Serving balanced meals and making the time to enjoy dinner together is also important to help your family build healthy, mindful eating habits.

4. Eat breakfast every day.

Breakfast is one of the most frequently skipped meals by everyone, but it’s also one of the most important. Breakfast helps get your metabolism going and sets the tone for your eating all day long. If you really don’t have time for breakfast, then at least grab a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts to give you a good mix of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats.

5. Drink more water.

Water is another essential to a healthy lifestyle. Your body uses water for nearly ever metabolic process it completes. If you have a hard time drinking enough water, try keeping a water bottle with you all day, using a simple tracking system, or flavoring your water with a few pieces of fresh fruit. Try to drink at least half your weight in ounces of water each day.

6. Adopt the “one more” mentality.

It can be tough to completely overhaul the way you eat all at once. Instead of trying to do it that way, focus on getting in just “one more” healthy food choice each day. If you struggle with veggies the most, work on fitting in one more serving each day. Then once you have that mastered, move on to another healthy habit. Doing a little at a time will make the process much easier and help you stick with it.

If you really want to make your celebration of this month fun, then consider getting involved or organizing some nutrition month activities, such as

• A cooking demonstration or nutrition event
• A presentation at your local park or senior center
• A food donation campaign for your local food pantry or shelter
• A commitment to try one new healthy recipe as a family each week
• A visit to a local farmers market or farm
• A “lunch and learn” on healthy eating
• A scavenger hunt for healthy foods or recipe ingredients

National Nutrition Month is the perfect time to refocus on the healthy habits you started in January or to invite others to join you in your efforts. Use these tips and remember that it’s about starting small and making simple changes every day that you can stick to long term.

Get Tested

Kidney failure is a slow and progressive disease that usually has no noticeable symptoms. Kidney disease awareness is important. Unless your kidneys have been injured in an accident, you may not know you have kidney disease without medical testing. Your doctor can perform a few types of tests to determine kidney function. These are usually blood tests or urine tests.

The blood test for kidney function is called glomular filtration rate or GFR. This measures the amount of creatine in your blood. Creatine is a waste product produced by working muscles. Your kidneys are responsible for filtering this waste from the blood. If the kidneys are not working properly, this acid will build up to unsafe levels in the blood stream.

The urine test for kidney function is called albumin-to-creatine ratio or ACR. The urine is tested for the protein albumin. This protein that should not be found in urine. If the test is positive, it indicates your kidneys are not functioning as well as they should.
There are five stages of disease that lead to kidney failure. There is no way to correct full kidney failure, so it is a life-threatening disease. The best option for a person in the advanced stages is a kidney transplant. Health can be maintained with dialysis, but this does not heal the kidneys.

Diabetes and Sugar

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney failure. When you have diabetes, your body has trouble maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. Your kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood, so when you have high blood sugar your kidneys are under a lot of pressure to balance your system. They eventually become overloaded and begin to fail.

There are many things that may contribute to developing diabetes. Sometimes the disease is genetic, and there isn’t much you can do about that. Most diabetes, however, is brought on by a poor diet. Excess sugar in the diet is one of the leading causes of diabetes. It is important to avoid excess sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that children consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day. This is also a good rule for adults to follow. Diabetes can affect a person of any age. The sooner you take steps to avoid it, the healthier your kidneys will be.

Salt and Blood Pressure

Blood pressure also has a major impact on kidney function. When blood pressure is high, more blood is forced through the sensitive tissues of the kidney faster. Over time, this may damage the kidney tissue that filters the blood. This tissue is very difficult to heal once damaged.

Too much sodium in the diet contributes to high blood pressure. Salt may also pose a danger to the kidneys directly. Sometimes minerals like sodium will harden in the kidneys. The result is a kidney stone. The kidney eventually forces the stone through the kidney tissue. The process is very painful. It may also damage the kidney tissue, which reduces function. The damage caused by passing a kidney stone often does not heal. A scar will form that is never able to filter any blood.
You do not have to eliminate all salt from your diet, but you should keep it to a healthy level. This means not adding salt to most foods and avoiding processed foods already high in salt. You can help balance sodium levels by also getting plenty of potassium from food and drinking plenty of water each day.

Drinking Too Much

Your kidneys are responsible for getting toxic substances out of your blood stream. Alcohol is highly toxic to the body, so your kidneys work extra hard to get rid of it. When you drink too much, you put strain on your kidneys and may damage them.

Alcohol also dehydrates you. Your kidneys’ other job is to maintain the right balance of water in your body. Consuming alcohol can make this job much more difficult. Over time, this may result in lost kidney function.
It is important to know how much is too much. Three drinks or less per day is considered safe for your body and is unlikely to cause serious problems.

Your diet has a lot to do with your kidney health. By maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding alcohol and smoking and choosing healthy foods most of the time, you can keep both your kidneys functioning for your entire life. Many of the conditions that lead to kidney disease are preventable.

Noah’s Ark Child Care Center incorporates healthy food into their education with a full food program and a cooking curriculum. Their highly-trained staff cooks with the children to help the young ones learn about the science and math behind cooking.

Noah’s Ark Child Care Center has been serving meals to children at the center since 1972. Food safety is a priority; the entire daycare is a peanut-free zone and has Washoe County Health Department’s Certification for Food Service.

The center’s meals program provides relief to busy parents. Breakfast is served between 7:00 and 8:00 A.M. to children who have not eaten and a mid-morning and afternoon snack sustains busy children throughout the day. Thanks to a consistent menu, parents know what their children are eating on a daily basis and can balance this with family meals. Families with dietary restrictions can provide food substitutes if needed.

The balanced meals help children develop healthy eating habits as they grow up. Instead of sugary snacks, children have fresh fruit and are introduced to new vegetables like jicama, cucumber and seasonal vegetables. “We strive to make Noah’s Ark a second home where children can grow and learn,” explains Director, Colleen Petrini. “Meal time is a fantastic opportunity to help children socialize and expose them to new types of foods they may not experience on a daily basis.”

Cooking is a fundamental component of the child care center’s curriculum. Food preparation helps children learn about science while getting messy and having fun. Lessons may include making playdough, cutting snowflakes out of tortillas, or watching marshmallows melt in hot cocoa. Holiday and cultural celebrations also have a focus on food as the children learn about ingredients, taste and history of cultural food choices.

About Noah’s Ark Child Center

Noah’s Ark is a non-profit out-reach mission of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. Our childcare program has been in operation since 1972. Noah’s Ark began in a small space with only 15 children and over the years has grown to encompass 115 children and an expanded faculty. In 1987 the “educational wing” of the church was built by St. Paul’s with the Ark to accommodate youth programs of the church and the growing child care population. St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, hand in hand with Noah’s Ark Child Center, reaffirms daily their commitment to the needs of the community, childcare and childcare excellence. We welcome you to our Noah’s Ark family.

Contact

Colleen Petrini, Director

Noah’s Ark Child Center

1660 Grandview Ave., Reno, NV 8950

Email: info@noahsarkreno.com

Phone: 775-747-3775

Winter is coming, and that means that the holidays are on their way. It’s the perfect time to feel the holiday spirit and try to help your fellow man. There are a lot of different ways to do that, so it’s easy to find something that can make a difference for a small part of the world that anyone can handle.

Donate Blood

 The Red Cross always needs blood donations, but the need increases during times when people are more likely to be injured. People travel a lot around the holidays, which means there are more accidents and thus more injuries, so blood banks can run into trouble during the holidays. Blood also spoils quickly, so you can be sure that your donation is needed, especially if you have a rare blood type. Donating blood is quick, easy, and free, so it’s a great option for people who are interested in giving back to others without going to too much trouble.

The best way to donate blood is to schedule a visit to a local blood drive. Most blood drives will advertise for several days before the event, so it’s relatively easy to find one. The Red Cross can also help you to find the nearest blood drive if there aren’t any local advertisements. If there aren’t any blood drives to attend, consider organizing one of your own. It takes more work, but blood can save lives, so it’s certainly worth the effort.

Volunteering as a Tutor

Education is one of the keys to building a better life, but sometimes getting an education is easier said than done. Volunteering your time as a tutor can give the gift of knowledge to someone in need, and that gift can pay dividends for years to come. There are several ways to do this, so most people can find some way to help.

Literacy is one of the most important skills because it enables people to learn other things, but some people have trouble with it. Children need to practice reading if they’re going to get good at it, but they don’t always get that chance at home. Providing it is a great way to give back to the community. Simply handing out simple books and giving children the chance to read to you as you fix their mistakes can be a big help. Reading to them is also useful, and almost any adult can do it.

Older students often need help with specific subjects. Helping them requires more specialized knowledge, but you can still do it if you understand the subject. Adults with specialized skills, like woodworking, can also take the chance to pass those on. They aren’t always taught in school, but they’re still useful.

The best way to get involved through tutoring is to contact a local school and ask if they need help with any of their clubs or programs. Libraries are also a good choice, especially for people who want to help with literacy issues. Even if they don’t need volunteers themselves, they can usually point you towards a program that does.

Cook a Feast

Most holidays involve big meals with big groups of people. If you’re filled with the holiday spirit and want to give back in a way that fits the season, you can’t go wrong by contributing to a meal for the community.

These community meals help to solve several different problems at the same time. At a basic level, they can help to fight hunger in the community. They can also spread some holiday joy to people who aren’t able to afford the traditional meal on their own. One meal may not seem like much, but it can make a big difference to people who are on the verge of poverty.

Community feasts also offer a hidden benefit. It isn’t much fun to be alone for the holidays, but it happens to a surprising number of people. These events give those individuals a chance to come together with other people for the holidays that would otherwise be denied to them. That’s a powerful gesture, and it can make the holidays much brighter.

Remember the Essentials

In the end, the holidays are a time to give back to the community. Even a small effort can make a big difference, so there’s no reason not to do something to help others. As long as you remember the golden rule when you volunteer, it’s hard to go wrong.

image credits: http://kut.org/term/thanksgiving, https://dougmatlock.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/i-hate-giving-blood-but/, http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/haveamagnificentday/2011/12/holiday-spirit-the-spirit-of-giving.html

Academic research and studies into healthy child development has continued to record the positive impact that preschool programs have on the development of children. The developmental benefits are not just academic. Preschool programs have been shown to impact nearly every area of a child’s life, learning and development, even many years into the future. And the benefits are seen across the socioeconomic spectrum.

The benefits of preschool education programs for children from low income families are especially remarkable, leading to the creation of a number of state and federal programs designed to increase the enrollment of low income children in preschool.

So you might be wondering about some of the details. Keep reading for an introduction to some of the benefits of preschool programs on child development.

Preschool prepares your child for social learning.

Academic Benefits of Preschool Programs

The academic benefits of preschool programs have been well studied and documented. According to a report on the effectiveness of New Mexico’s Pre-K initiative released by the National Institute for Early Education Research, four year old participants showed increases in math, early language and literacy skills.

Another study of Oklahoma’s preschool initiative reported that the study results “provide solid support for the benefits that such a program can have on the test scores of young children of differing ethnic and racial groups and from differing socioeconomic backgrounds.” The authors of the study go on to say that “the program appears to have its largest effects on the Letter– Word Identification subtest, which assesses pre-reading abilities; followed by the Spelling subtest, and finally the Applied Problems subtest.” Because of these statistically solid results, the authors conclude that “our research supports the proposition that a universal pre-K program financed by state government and implemented by the public schools can improve pre-reading, prewriting, and pre-numeracy skills for a diverse cross-section of young children”

Click the link for more information on the benefits of preschool.

Socialization Benefits of Preschool Education

It should be noted that preschool is first and foremost a bridge between unstructured and structured learning. From

Preschool Programs teach your child about learning with others!

birth to preschool age, your child has been learning a ton about the world and developing verbal and large and fine motor skills. These skills are generally acquired naturally during the course of normal family socialization.

But just because they appear to be easy developments doesn’t meant that they are. In fact, the first years of life are some of the most rigorous and rapid periods of intellectual and emotional growth human beings ever undergo. By the time they are ready to start preschool, children are already well adapted learners.

The role of preschool is to guide learning in a more structured way and to ensure that age appropriate social skills are developed and reinforced.In preschool, children are exposed to learning that is both hands on and gropu oriented, allowing them to develop a sense of a social self. This development in preschool gives them a head start on the type of learning they will be doing in kindergarten.

Preschool Programs at Noah’s Ark Child Center

The preschool programs at Noah’s Ark Child Center are designed to give your child a boost before entering kindergarten. The professional and caring preschool faculty at Noah’s Ark is dedicated to making learning a fun and engaging experience for your child. At Noah’s Ark Child Center, your child will learn about the world, themselves and others in a safe, healthy and nurturing environment. Come visit us or contact us online today!

One of the best indicators of a quality childcare provider is a good student teacher ratio. The student teacher ratio is simply the number of teachers or childcare professionals on hand at any given time in a childcare, preschool or daycare setting in relation to the number of kids. For example, a preschool class of 20 children and 2 teachers has a student teacher ratio of 10:1. One teacher for every 10 kids. A class of 18 and 2 teachers has a ratio of 9:1 and so on.

A good student teacher ratio needs a well qualified team of teachers!

There are many factors that go into determining what a good student teacher ratio is, including the age of the children and the type of program – educational or simple childcare. And what is considered good in one scenario may be considered inadequate in others. But generally the lower student teacher ratio the better the quality and safety.

What is a Good Student Teacher Ratio?

The most ideal circumstance, and one that many parents dream about, is if your child were paired up with a single adult childcare provider who could provide individual attention and support to your child and no one else for the entirety of their school days. Unfortunately there are not enough teachers and child care providers to create a 1 to 1 ratio between every student and teacher in the country.

Instead, child care providers try to maintain a student teacher ratio that is within the acceptable range. The acceptable range of class size to number of teachers is the subject of much study and debate. But the general consensus is that a student teacher ratio of 10:1 is more than sufficient for preschoolers and older.

What are the Benefits of a low Student Teacher Ratio?

The lower (better) a student teacher ratio becomes, the more expensive the childcare usually becomes. But the quality also increases dramatically.

According to research conducted by The National Bureau of Economic Research, small class size and low student teacher ratios were one of the most vital elements in early childhood education settings to future academic achievement.

It’s not surprising why. A lower student teacher ratio allows for more personalized learning and care. A teacher who has to juggle too many kids is just not going to be able to make sure that all of them are performing at a decent level.

Children learn best in a setting with a low student teacher ratio.

Another factor of teacher student ratio is safety. A teacher who has too keep his or her eyes on 25 preschoolers – just imagine that for a moment – by themselves may become distracted and not be able to make sure that the kids are not getting themselves into unsafe situations. While most childcare facilities are safe places to be for all children, making sure that there enough adult eyes and supervision per child is a childcare safety essential.

Student Teacher Ratio at Noah’s Ark Childcare.

In support of all your childcare safety and education needs, Noah’s Ark Childcare Center maintains a minimum student teacher ratio of 1:10 with all of our programs and age groups. We strive to be there for your child whether they are playing, learning, dancing or socializing. Noah’s Ark Childcare staff have extensive experience and undergo 24 in service training classes per year, ensuring that we are up to date on all the latest research and news in early childcare education. Contact us today for more information on our childcare, preschool and daycare programs. We look forward to hearing from you!