Summertime Learning Fun

Summertime Learning Fun happens when you spend some time together, exploring our world and answering all those questions that come up.  Like what's that Noise?  

If your children are anything like mine, and I'm sure they are, summertime means adventures.  It means spending a lot of time outdoors.  It means looking for things to do and exploring.  It means turning off the TV or computer games and getting back to nature in the great outdoors.  It could mean swimming every day, or going to the park, or camping.  Where ever you go, there is something to learn about!  

What else can you do?

Summertime opens up a whole new world for our children to learn.  While the kids are looking to 

relax and have fun, they are also looking for something that catches their imaginations or their need to know about their world.  To that end, most families will be spending some very special together time while on holidays. No baseball games, soccer practices, dance classes or other interruptions, just good old family time.     

Learning takes on a whole new meaning when summertime rolls around.  No "textbooks" and no real "agenda" means that learning is done on a whatever crosses my path and intrigues me basis. That can even happen at home too!  As I am writing, I can hear the toads singing in my pond. I need to learn more about them, so when my grandchildren come to visit, I can tell them some things that I'm sure they don't know.

Be Prepared!  

As parents who prepare to take our children on hikes and overnight camping trips, we need to be ready to answer questions that are sure to pop up.  Like "What's that noise?"  Even a trip to the zoo can be filled with questions that need answers.  Be prepared to either answer the questions or make note of the questions and when you are home again, look up the answers  together, so that both you and your child will  have learnt something new and you will have done it together.  This is what makes family memories.  We still laugh at some of the things that happened when we went places with our children. Now they are doing the same thing with their children and telling stories about when they were younger.  It's time to pass on family history as well as having time to enjoy nature.

Playing games with the kids can be so much fun too. We would take ours camping and find that the welcome station had many printouts for educational purposes. We would make the most out of these "handouts". One camping trip, they had a print out of all the birds that nested in the area, with hints for the kids. We would go on hikes and try to spot nesting areas and then spotting the birds too. There were print outs of the different trees and their leaves. We made a collection and even did bark rubbings. Have you ever stopped and looked at all the different types of bark on trees? It is fascinating! When the kids found what they were looking for, they would take a picture to go along with their leaves and bark rubbings, carefully noting the type of tree and all the nuances of it's growth. So much to learn, just from a tree! Birds and reptiles, amphibians and mammals of the area were all duly recorded. If we needed to learn more, a note was made in our notebook to look it up when we got back home. The kids loved their nature hikes, because it wasn't just walking through the woods, it was stopping and seeing what made up those woods. The trees, birds, bugs, flowers and everything that was in our path, was food for our "Discovery Book".


Guide to Free Campgrounds: Includes Campgrounds $12 and Under in the United States (Don Wright's Guide to Free Campgrounds)

So What Can you Do to Prepare for a great Outdoor Adventure?

Well first and foremost, check out the link above, to find some low cost campgrounds. It's a great way to pinpoint where your family will spend some quality time together, without breaking the bank.

This guide will help you look for a place that has some great outdoor adventures, be it hiking in the mountains, camping by a lake, or visiting a beach somewhere new. Go with the eye of an adventurer. Take along a "Discovery Book" a journal where you can make notes, tuck in leaves or flowers, keep a daily diary of what you saw, whether it was birds, bugs, beetles or trees. Answer the questions that you know the answers to and make a note to find the answers to those questions that you don't know the answers to. When you are finished your holiday, you will have a great little diary on what everyone saw and learnt about during your time in the great outdoors.



My Travel Journal

Above all, be ready to have some fun, make some memories and enjoy each others company in the great, beautiful and special outdoors.  Happy Summer Everyone!

Pictures courtesy of Pixaby, free stock photos. 

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Reviewing Kris Kristoffersons New Boxed Set

Perfect Gift For The Kristofferson Fan

Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com

I recently treated myself to a little gift. Kris Kristofferson has released a new boxed set of compact discs that coincides with his 80th birthday. If you are a fan of his like I am or you know someone who is, this boxed set is a must have. 

Some people do not appreciate his singing voice and even he has said in the past that he thinks he sounds like a frog but his music transcends his voice, in my opinion. He is, by far, one of the best songwriters to ever walk this earth. I've been a fan of his songs for many decades now and for me it has always been more about the stories he tells in the songs that he writes. Kris makes you "feel" something when you listen to the words that make up the music. You may feel sad, happy or even sometimes a little angry when you listen to him, but always entertained. 

The Complete Monument & Columbia Albums Collection

The boxed set includes 16 compact discs! There are 11 that are the first albums released by Kristofferson and then 5 CDs that are live performances done at various venues back in the day. What I love about this set is that the songs are his early work and those are the songs that I love the most. They bring back so many memories for me. Of course there are the standard favorites of mine but then there were songs that I had kind of forgotten about but was so happy to hear again.

Over the decades, I have gone to many of his concerts and have even talked to him afterwards as he stood outside of his tour bus. Maybe that is another reason that I am such a huge fan of his. He always seems so humble and surprised that anyone wants to listen to his music or to talk to him. As I have listened to the discs in this set, I have remembered hearing him sing different songs live and the different concerts. So, it has been a trip down memory lane and just the pure joy of hearing his music again.

I did hesitate when I saw the price of the set but then I realized that with the 16 discs, it was actually a good deal. Each disc averages out to be just a little over $6 each. Not bad, huh?

I am truly enjoying listening to these songs again and I know that if you are a fan or you know a fan that you or they will, also. 

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Happy 4th of July!

Photo credit:  Cynthia Sylvestermouse

Happy Independence Day!

This is the day we have been preparing for and looking forward to for some time. Many of us are celebrating with friends and family. Some of us carry on traditions from one July 4th to the next. Regardless of how you are spending this day, the Contributors of Review This want to take a moment to wish you and yours a happy and safe 4th of July!

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Celebrate July 4th with Lighted USA Wall or Window Signs

Lighted USA Sign Via Amazon
More Letters & Sign Choices Here

Whether you're Decorating for a Patriotic Party or Choose to Feature Your Pride of Country all Year Round, a Lighted USA Sign Works Perfectly

When we celebrate special occasions, we tend to think of lighting in terms of decorative strings, however there's a way to incorporate art, decor and lighting when you use marquee signs or lighted letters and symbols. Not only do they funk-up a space, they also provide ambient lighting.

In fact, make it a habit to slowly collect all the letters of the alphabet, plus a few a popular letters in duplicate, so you can spell anything you like for all special occasions. 

As an example on July 4th, spell out 'USA', and change it up for other celebrations. Here are just a few popular ways you can interchange letters for other holidays and parties:

• Valentines Day, spell out 'LOVE'
• How about 'EASTER'
• For someone's birthday, spell out their name in lights
• For Halloween, spell out 'BOO' in lights
• Of course, there's 'Merry Christmas'
• Use them for weddings, 'Bride & Groom' or spell out the couple's names
• How about 'The Bride Rocks'
• Or 'BrideZilla"
• or just get funny, and spell out something sarcastic and feature it in your front window!

You get the lighted picture!

With all the letters of the alphabet, you're only limited by your imagination. So go ahead and start with the letters USA; use them to celebrate July 4th, or to honor a returning soldier, then continue to collect the rest of the alphabet. 

What's July 4th without a Patriotic Song

Take a minute to enjoy this fantastic song by Faith Hill, called 'American Heart' - The video is as much fun as the song!

Happy 4th.... <3

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Reviewing July 4th Appetizers - Part III of Our 4th of July Menu

Ah, appetizers, the food teaser for any fun meal gathering. July 4th, in the heat of the summer brings many families and friends together for some great meals. That naturally includes appetizers. So it's time to review some of these. Be sure to check out Parts I and II in our 4th of July Menu reviews as well. Susan Depner brings us some delicious main courses and Sylvestermouse presents favorite red, white and blue desserts.

A Tasty Dip Appetizer

Deb Lindsey for the Washington Post

Although I've not enjoyed hot and spicy food, I did enjoy this take on a south-of-the-border favorite. is a tasty dip appetizer that combines pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and a flavorful variation on tomatoes (tomatillos). It's simple to make and can be prepared ahead of time. That's a big help for busy folks who still want to have a great gathering for July 4th.
Pepita-Tomatillo Dip

The Washington Post newspaper published this recipe with it's variation from Food editor Joe Yonan. Be sure to check out his delightful addition of a touch of honey to make this a great addition for your July 4th celebration.

Refreshing July 4th Appetizer

I was delighted to find one of my favorite chefs, Jacques Pepin, has created a delicious and refreshing appetizer to enjoy for any July 4th celebration. His Watermelon with Feta Cheese and Mint adds a bright spot of color to your table. It doubles nicely as a salad, too. And who doesn't love double duty recipes?

This is a simple to make dish. But, fair warning - make on the day of your celebration for the best presentation. Watermelon tends to lose its crispness when stored for very long. The good news is that it takes very little time to make Watermelon with Feta Cheese and Mint. So enjoy this refreshing appetizer.

And Speaking of Watermelon Appetizers 

Deb Lindsey for the Washington Post

As long as we are enjoying watermelon, we can't forget the delightful gazpacho as a July 4th refreshing appetizer. Worldlyvegetarian blogger Visi Tilak has created a delicious gazpacho from watermelon and tomato. 

This is one simple recipe. (Hmm, I guess you might be noticing a theme in these appetizers - simple, easy.) Literally just run everything through a blender and serve. Tilak adds a topping if you want to do that. Frankly, I was just delighted with how delicious the base recipe was. But, you can make a nicer presentation with her basil, avocado, and red onion topping. And yes, this recipe works nicely to make ahead and store in the fridge.

More July 4th Menus from Review This

Be sure to check out more of Review This July 4th menus. Start with main dishes reviewed by Susan Depner. She offers up some fun, interesting and unique options for your celebration.

Then get all the patriotic dessert ideas you want from Sylvestermouse. She presents some of the most beautiful looking and delicious desserts.

Enjoy your 4th of July celebration and keep it safe.


Posted by: BuckHawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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