COZY UP WITH SPECIAL “PARENT’S GUIDE TO WINTER” AT SCHOLASTIC.COM
New York, NY (January 21, 2003) --
Although winter weather can be frightful, children playing
in the snow can be delightful. To help keep families busy with
winter fun indoors and outdoors this season, Scholastic.com
has created a special “Parent’s Guide to Winter” at www.scholastic.com/familymatters/parentguides/winter,
where families can find projects and crafts, winter safety tips,
super snack suggestions. Parents can also find an overview of
the season’s “coolest sports” and “fireside” reading lists for
all ages.
"Winter is the perfect time for families to reconnect,”
says Sylvia Barsotti, Editorial Director of the Family Site
at Scholastic.com and mother of three. "The ‘Parent's Guide
to Winter’ at Scholasic.com was created to provide parents with
ideas and information on everything from cold-weather safety
to the best books of the season so families can make the most
of their time together."
Following are highlights from Scholastic’s “Parent’s
Guide to Winter”- for more cozy tips and information, log-on
to www.scholastic.com/familymatters/parentguides/winter.
What Parents Should Know About Cold Weather:
In order to make winter a fun, safe season, parents can follow
a few simple guidelines before allowing children to play outside
in the snow:
- Bundle-Up- The most important thing to do
is make sure children are properly dressed. Bundle kids in warm
layers and make sure they wear hats, scarves, mittens that keep
their heads, necks and hands covered. The body gets cold faster
in wet clothing (or in water) so it’s important to keep little
hands and feet dry. If children are making a snowman or enjoying
snow play, parents should make sure to check their clothes and
gloves periodically and change wet items before sending them
back out.
- Limit Outdoor Play- Parents need to set reasonable
limits on how long children are permitted to play outside when
it’s cold. A few hours spent outside is fine, but if it’s very
windy, wet, or cold out, the chances of overexposure and consequent
conditions like frostbite increase. Kids need to be brought
inside every 30 to 60 minutes to warm up with hot drinks like
apple cider or hot chocolate.
- Warm Up- Any circulation-restricting or wet
clothing should be removed right away. Parents should have children
wiggle their fingers and toes to increase circulation. To quickly
warm up hands and feet, place them in very warm water (just
over 100 degrees) until the area flushes and turns pink. For
other parts of the body, use a warm towel or blankets to cover
children – and let them cozy up with warm drinks.
- Give EXTRA Care for Babies- Babies don’t
have a well-developed ability to regulate their own temperature
and often haven’t learned to shiver. Parents need to keep outside
time to a minimum when the temperature dips below freezing –
if babies need to go outside they should be bundled and kept
warm by body heat.
What Parents Should Know About the Season’s “Coolest
Sports”:
Hit the slopes and rink with confidence – Scholastic.com’s guide
to winter sports provides information on age ranges, types of
children who would enjoy each sport, what kids learn, fundamentals
of the game, choosing equipment, dressing smart, playing safe,
and fun facts on the following sports:
- Hockey- A great sport for active kids who
can ice-skate and are drawn to contact-oriented sports, and
yes -- lots of girls play ice hockey.
- Ice-Skating- Get up and skate! Ice-skating
is an activity the whole family can enjoy together.
- Skiing & Snowboarding- Sliding sports
– downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross country skiing – make
a great family pastime. While these sports can be costly, families
can look into the abundant packages available, particularly
late in the season.
What Parents Should Know About Warming Up With Smart
Snacks:
Snacks are important for active and growing kids. Since children
have relatively small stomachs, they might not be able to eat
enough calories at one sitting to last five hours until the next
meal, so about 20% of their daily calories are consumed as snacks.
Some smart snacking guidelines for parents to follow include:
- Strive for Five- Government and health agencies
encourage all Americans (of every age) to eat five to nine servings
of fruits and vegetables each day. To reach this goal parents
should keep a variety of fruits on hand and combine vegetables
with a food or flavor their child likes: celery and peanut butter
or low fat cheese melted on broccoli.
- Break Out the Baking Pan- Making cookies,
muffins and other sweets from scratch is worth the extra effort.
The amount of sugar and sweetener can be controlled – and lowered
by almost 25% without sacrificing the taste. Also, applesauce
can be substituted for oil or low-fat yogurt for sour cream.
- Prep for After School Snacktime- When a hungry
child comes home, parents need to have “fast food” ready such
as: whole-grain cereal, sweet potato chips and unbuttered popcorn.
- Make Calcium Fun- Help kids build healthy
bones by feeding them string cheese, yogurt (add some colored
sprinkles) and chocolate milk.
- Be a Healthy Snack Role Model- Children are
more likely to eat fruits and vegetables, drink milk and limit
sweets if they see their parents doing the same.
Contacts:
Adrienne Citrin
212.343.6653
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