Young people from Illinois are spending less and less time outdoors. As a parent, you have a profound impact on the lives of your children. Introducing your child to the outdoors early and often. You may enhance some environmental knowledge they already have. You might even instill a passion for the outdoors that will stay with them throughout their lifetime. A solid plan is the key first step. A little planning goes a long way towards a successful and safe trip. An outdoor field trip is a great adventure for all involved.

Illinois has many state parks, natural areas, conservation areas, recreation areas, and fish and wildlife areas. You’ll find information on camping, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, state park lodges and resorts, interpretive programs and hundreds of great ideas for places to visit and things to do in outdoor Illinois. Its best to visit dnr.state.il.us

Did you know that IlIllinois has adopted may natural elements here a few:
Illinois State Tree – white oak
Illinois State Bird – cardinal
Illinois State Fish – bluegill
Illinois State Animal – white-tailed deer
Illinois State Insect – monarch butterfly

In Illinois here are just a few spots to think about going someday:

1) Truitt Hoff Nature Preserve
DuPage County
To reach it from Roosevelt Road (Route 38), turn north on Kress Road, then east on Downs Drive, then north on Industruial Drive.
Truitt-Hoff Nature Preserve is located in the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Illinois Morainal Natural Division. 120.3 acres in size, the preserve encompasses high-quality mesic prairie, wet-mesic prairie, freshwater marsh, mesic silt loam savanna, and wet prairie natural communities.

2) Ferson’s Creek Nature Preserve
Kane County
Location and Access:
From the jct of Rt. 64 and Rt. 31 in the center of downtown St. Charles, head north on Rt. 31 for 0.75 mile. The preserve is on the east side of Rt. 31 on the banks of the Fox River.
Ferson’s Creek Fen is a wetland ecosystem situated along the west bank of the Fox River. The preserve lies on a glacial outwash terrace and alluvial stream bed. Two natural communities featured here are sedge meadows and wet floodplain forests. Occupying the core of the natural area, sedge meadows are the prevalent community and range from undisturbed, very high quality portions to segments of moderate quality. Scattered in small “cameo-like” areas of the sedge meadows are the characteristic calciophilic species such as fringed gentian, grass-of-parnassus, Kalm’s lobelia, turtlehead and marsh wild timothy. Small bedstraw, great St. John’s wort and northern fringed orchid are found in the sedge meadows. Wild rice is located on the edge of the marshy sedge meadow and the floodplain forest. The preserve provides nesting habitat for prothonotary warblers, blue-gray gnatcatchers, common yellowthroats and swamp sparrows. Excellent bird watching opportunities occur during spring migration. Purple loosestrife, glossy buckthorn and native brushy species are serious problems here. A volunteer stewardship group, active for the past six years, is working closely with the Park District to address the management concerns.

3)Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve
Cook County
Hwys. 12/20 and 45 west of Hickory Hills, take Hwy. 45 south 5.5 mi. to McCarthy Road, turn and go west on McCarthy Road 1.5 mi.
Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve, at 1520 acres, is the largest nature preserve in northeastern Illinois. Dominant geological features include the rolling topography typical of the Valparaiso Moraine of the Morainal Division of northeastern Illinois and an esker. The Visitation Esker is one of the best defined examples of this glacial feature in the state. Most of the site is composed of young upland forests, and disturbed prairie and oak savanna communities. Much of the former prairie and oak savanna communities are now threatened by brushy native and non-native species that have advanced because fire has been suppressed. The Forest Preserve District of Cook County and The Nature Conservancy have embarked upon an ambitious project to restore much of this site to its presettlement condition.

OK, you’re not an outdoorsy folk but you know you children need to get outside. No problem their are many outdoor programs, classes and Illinois Summer Camps available in and around your home.

Thinking of a Summer Camps try SummerCampAdvice.com

Swift Nature Camp is a Coed Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional camp programs with that of a Science Summer Camp to promote a better appreciation for nature.

Shortly, nearly 10 million children be going to Summer Camps. But before they go, health experts are issuing strong new advice to both parents and camp directors, and recommending new precautions to protect campers’ health.

The American Academy of Pediatrics along with the American Camp Association created an official policy statement about camper health and Summer Camp responsibilities. Edward Walton, M.D. is lead author of the paper.

the key to this policy is parents need to thoroughly determine whether a camp is right for their child’. Don’t just assume its great because your childs friends are going. One need to assess if it meets their childs mental, emotional and physical well-being, as well as their interests and skills.

That means, Walton says, that camps should provide parents with a complete picture of what their programs involve, whether it’s strenuous sports, rough wilderness camping, horseback riding — or intense music or computer practice. If an activity raises risk for kids with certain medical conditions, for instance scuba diving and asthma, camps should tell parents about those risks ahead of time.

Prevention of homesickness begins long before camp starts. Parents and doctors alike need to be involved.

“If parents discuss camp positively, avoid expressing doubts about a child’s ability to avoid homesickness, involve the child in preparations for camp, and arrange brief trips or sleep-overs away from home, children will be better prepared to go to camp,” says Walton. “Parents should also avoid making pre-arranged plans with their children about picking them up if they get homesick.”

With the new guideline, the AAP also recommends that its members — the pediatricians who treat many of America’s children — get involved with camps in their local area to make sure that health policies and standing orders are up-to-date. They can also act as medical backups to the nurses and paramedic-trained camp health officers on site at camps — instead of the local emergency room or urgent care center, which Walton’s study found was the case 75 percent of the time.

The guideline recommends that parents teach their children how to use rescue inhalers or EpiPens, before the kids go to camp. Parents need talk with camp directors about conditions that might require children to use their devices.

Delay in not having these items handy can have real health consequences for the child.

These guideline are set for traditional summer camps not for those camps with special needs. Yet it is recommend that all camps work with local pediatricians and health professionals to ensure that the best health care is in place for the children.

To learn more about selecting the Right Summer Camp for your child visit a FREE resource Summer Camp Advice at Summer Camp

Swift Nature Camp is a Minnesota Summer Camp for boys and girls ages 6-15. Our focus is to blend traditional outdoors summer camp activities with that of a Science Summer Camp. that promotes an appreciation for nature.

Home birth refers to the delivering of a newborn child which occurs inside the house. This delivery is usually overseen and done by a midwife. Even though it is not popular at the moment, it has continued to gain ground.

Some factors to why pregnant women give birth at home are because of discomfort or fear of hospitals, hospital experiences and avoidance of unnecessary medical interferences. While there are some pregnant women who would rather deliver at home due to their being comfortable and less stressful, as well as the feeling of it being natural. But there are women who would want to try having a home birth, but they want to be sure that it is safe.

There are some things that make home birth good but also some things that will make home birth have some problems. While a woman is deciding on whether to give birth at home, she has to learn about the good things as well as the bad.

A very good advantage in delivering a baby at home is that you can have all the privacy you could ever want. You family, especially your mate, would have a major impact during the delivery. You are guaranteed full access during delivery because there is no routine medical operation involved. A very good benefit in having a delivery at home is that the cost is lessened significantly. You just have to pay for the services of the midwife who will be delivering the baby, as well as the tools needed to accomplish it. But usually, home births are accompanied by professional midwives. Moreover, many women want to give birth at home because they don’t want to be separated from their babies afterwards. It is better if a baby is to celebrate it’s first few moments of life with their mother.

When something goes wrong, there is a tendency you may need to go to a hospital. Some examples of problems you may encounter during birth are difficulty in breathing of the baby, or the placenta is retained in the womb. And there are instances in which the baby has a hard time being delivered, and it may lead to having some medical assistance. And at times during a problem, most especially if the baby is having difficulty in breathing, it may be a bit late to save the baby.

There is actually nothing to worry about giving birth at home. As long as the midwife knows all the goings on in delivering a baby, you could have a normal baby. You and your family can celebrate welcoming a new member of the family.

Get more information regarding your interest of a home birth with our home birth midwives San Diego service. Get all the facts you need to know about a home birth midwife San Diego.

Our nation is falling behind in essential math skills. As we enter the brave new world of international commerce, we need a new approach and a different method in order to teach math to children. In this world of heavy distractions, such as television and video games, we are coming up against some heavy competition for our children’s time. To many kids math is, well, boring, and too much like work. How can we possibly make learning math fun?

The format of a comic book is ideal for a number of reasons. To begin, comics have stood the test of time. Long before there was a 24 hour cartoon network there was the humble comic. Children would be huddled under their blankets late at night, comic book and flashlight in hand. Comics are a very visual learning tool, portable, requiring no attachments or electricity, or strange as it may sound, even an internet connection.

We have come across just the comic…an educational math comic featuring “The Innovative Dr. Knowledge”. Now Dr. Knowledge is not a “Super Hero” in the sense that he is from another planet or has been bitten by an insect or something. He’s a regular guy. His “superior abilities” (if we can call them that) comes from his hard work at studying math and other subjects over the years. With these “powers” he is able to solve some fantastic crimes and problems. We are hoping that as children read and follow his adventures, they will become enchanted by the world of math, and motivated to do their own math homework in the process.

When our hero was young, he lost his mother, and had a rather problematic childhood in many respects. While on a trip that his father hoped would encourage and motivate his son, he got shipwrecked on an island. It was on this island that he found his love of math and other subjects. He used this knowledge to solve the various problems that the island threw his way. In many ways, the island showed him practical applications of math.

Years later Bobby found himself back in the “civilized world”. It was here that he pursued his love of math, and eventually acquired a PhD in math at a prestigious university. His math skills helped him to acquire great wealth. He also used these skills and abilities to solve some incredible crimes and fantastic problems. Overall, he’s been making the world a better place to live in.

Our sincere desire is that you will enjoy reading their comic, “The Innovative Dr. Knowledge”. Please join them in helping to promote math education to our nation’s children. They are going to need math skills in order to compete for the jobs of the future. Math comic strips may never be the same again…

Looking to find free math comics, then visit www.Math-Comic-Strips.com for the best in innovative math education.

categories: parenting,teaching math,learning math,math education,children,kids,school,family

Are you having trouble getting pregnant? If so then it is a good thing you are reading this right now. By the time you are done reading this article you will know exactly what you need to do in order to get pregnant faster than you ever thought possible

1-Do not become over obsessed with having a baby

Are you always thinking about getting pregnant and having a baby? Do you turn down plans because you are wanting to make sure you and your husband have every chance to have sex to increase your chances of getting pregnant? If so you need to stop. If you become obsessed with it you will begin to stress and studies have proven that when you stress the chances of you actually having a child go way down. Just have fun with your life!

2-Make sure you exercise often and eat healthy

If you stand any chance of getting pregnant you need to make sure you body is ready. You can do this through exercise and diet. You should be working out at least three days per week and taking the correct amount of vitamins and minerals. All the women should be taking a multivitamin and folic acid to help their reproductive system. For all the men out there, you need to be taking a multivitamin and zinc.

3-Do not believe all the silly myths out there

Have you ever heard that in order to increase the chances of conceiving a baby you and your partner need to be having intercourse in a certain position? If so then you have heard a very popular myth. The truth is that when the sperm enters in, it does not matter what position you guys had sex in. Also, don’t believe the myth that says you need to put your legs up against a wall right after sex, this does absolutely nothing.

Are you having Trouble Getting Pregnant? If you are then you need to check out these tips on how to conceive in a no time. Click Here

categories: health,fitness,parenting,family,uncategorized,other,pregnancy

Are you struggling with getting pregnant? If you are then it is a good thing you are here reading this. By the time you are done reading this article you will know what you need to do in order to conceive a baby.

1-Make sure you know the date of ovulation

Getting pregnant is more than just having sex all the time, it is about learning when the proper time to have sex is. If you figure out the day of ovulation you will know exactly when to have sex. If you already know your day, perfect! If not then don’t worry, you can do a couple of things. You can either go see a doctor and they will be able to tell you or you can go to your local pharmacy and get an ovulation predictor kit. Although this may not be the most accurate way it will give you a good guess.

2-Check the sperm count of the male

Most men don’t like doing this because if their sperm count is low they feel like it is their fault, but there are so many things that can mess up the sperm count so it is important to check. If it is not ok, don’t freak out because you can do many things to make it better. Almost all men can instantly raise their sperm counts by cutting back on the amount of caffeine they drink. Try not to drink more than one cup of coffee per day. He should also be taking a multivitamin and zinc. Avoid wearing tight pants and make sure you don’t let your testicles get to warm.

3-It is important you don’t use the restroom within thirty minutes of having sex

Once you and your partner are finished having sex, you need to make sure you do not do anything but lay on the bed for a good thirty minutes. If you get up to go to the bathroom you are risking losing some of the sperm. Obviously you need as much sperm as possible when trying to conceive a baby.

Are you having some trouble getting pregnant? If you want to learn How To Conceive A Baby quickly and easily then you need to Click Here

So you have made a decision that you are going to send your child to summer camp. But have you been to the camp you have chosen? It can be difficult for most parents to take a camp tour while camp is in session. Yet, if you can find a way to tour a camp, you will learn so much more than the brochures and video tell you. Be sure to phone ahead for an appointment, to ensure that you can visit on a day when you can see that camp’s programs in action.

Keep in mind that summer camp is always in motion! Campers may be out of camp, or it may be visiting day or between sessions. In those cases a camp director may ask you to choose another day. Review the camp’s promotional materials before the visit and have your questions ready.

Plan on spending a minimum of three and half hours at the summer camp. This will give you time to have lunch, take a tour, observe, ask questions and chat. Take the time you need to watch activities at length: this will give you a chance to see how the counselors juggle the constant demands of campers. Make sure all safety precautions are being taken. Look out over the water. Are the campers wearing lifejackets?

While walking around camp do check the facilities and the settings, but take careful note of how the administration and the staff interact with the campers. Try to take your child with you, and watch how the tour guide relates with and includes your kid during the tour. This reveals a lot about the camp’s attitude and relationship with children.

Don’t be overly concerned if the camp director cannot guide your tour, but if that is the case you should ask for time to meet the directors before you leave. Be sure you feel as if you can trust the directors with your child for the length of a camp session. Here are a few questions to keep in mind about a camp director: is he or she a hands-on administrator, comfortable spending time with campers and staff, or is the majority of time spent in the office with paper work? Where is the director’s on-camp residence? Does the director know the names of the of the kids he or she encounters?

If the counselors aren’t kind, caring, sensitive, imaginative, and skilled, then the facilities and activities don’t matter. Counselors are directly responsible for making sure your child has a safe and fun summer. Pay careful attention to how the counselors you see interact with campers. During activities, counselors should be supervising and continually attentive to the campers, rather than chatting amongst themselves. Praise should be specific and given to all children in activities, not just the superstars. Make sure that the specialty counselors are not just skilled themselves, but also great teachers who can translate their enthusiasm and skills to children.

If you feel parental concern about sending your child to a summer camp this year, be sure to take the time and visit that camp. It will help you feel more comfortable about your wise choice for sending your child to a summer of great fun.

For additional information visit Summer Camp Advisor, a FREE Summer Camp website filled with information to help parent select the best summer camp for their child

Swift Nature Camp, a non-competitive, traditional overnightCoed Summer Camp. Boys and Girls Ages 6-15 enjoy nature, animals and science along with traditional camping activities. Swift specializes in programs for the first time camper as well as adventures for teens. Jeff and Lonnie Lorenz have been the owners since 1996.

categories: summer camp. sleepaway camps, kids summer camps, summer youth camps, education, family, recreation, parenting, travel, outdoors, kids

Deciding on which pair of childrens pajamas is not always an easy task. A lot of parents that are looking for a great sleepwear set for their children, or other children that they may be close to, adults usually find out and are very surprised on the vast selection that is available since they were kids.

With children’s pajamas, they’ll come in a lot of different styles, designs, colors, and materials. Of course, the number one priority with children’s pajamas is that they be comfortable pajamas, too. However, the new designs available make children’s pajamas quite popular, and they’re also comfortable for children as well. In addition, they usually have great styles and new designs.

Most of the time, children these days have more than one set of pajamas to wear. This is mostly because as the climate changes, children’s pajamas, too, must be able to handle the particular season in question. This ensures that your child is wearing comfortable pajamas no matter what the season is.

A bonus of having several different types of pajamas you will find that children have a great time of expressing themselves with different types of sleeping clothes. In this article you will discover a few tips on how you can choose the best set of childrens pajamas.

If you want comfortable pajamas for colder weather for your child, you’ll be pleased to know that you have a lot of options available to you. You can choose pajamas that have hoods, or those that come with slippers as well, so that your little one can keep his or her feet warm, too.

As an added bonus to this, you will find that there are many options for you to choose from when it comes to the fleece of the pajamas that you want to purchase.

If it is a warmer winter, you may want to apply just a simple thin layer of fleece. On the other hand another pair of pajamas that are great for when its extra cold, harsh winters, you may find it more appropriate to have pajamas that will be made with double fleece. In addition to this, you will find other pajamas of different types for kids that are made by using thick durable cotton.

If you hail from the southern states such as Florida, in the winter months, you may find this type of material would be best suited for the sleepwear of your children.

If the weather is warmer, choices for comfortable pajamas are plentiful, too. For example, cotton pajamas are very comfortable and come in many lightweight fabrics; silk pajamas are very relaxing and can keep your child cool, too.

Because you have so many choices in children’s pajamas, you will find that there is something to fit your child’s personality, no matter what it is or what his or her interests are. You have lots of options to choose from, too, including various colors and patterns, or with various movie characters or cartoon characters.

Once you know what you’d like and you know a thing or two about comfortable pajamas and how to find the right children’s pajamas for your little one, you will find purchasing them to be very simple to do, too.

All of us at www. PajamasPajamas.com want to Supply you with all your information and resources on Children’s Pajamas, family pajamas, Kids Pajamas and a variety of other styles and types that you can browse through. Our goal is to Supply you find the perfect sleepwear that will suit all your needs.

How Do I Get Pregnant? This is perhaps one question on your mind if you have been trying to get pregnant for some time and nothing seems to be happening.

Did you know that several factors contribute to how you get pregnant and even if you did “everything right” your chances of getting in any one month is about 25% to 30%?

So to answer that all important question, “How Do I get Pregnant?” below are 3 action steps to getting pregnant and by using them you will greatly increase the odds of you getting pregnant in any one month.

1. Know Your Fertile Days Of The Month.

For the next couple of months keep a record of your menstrual cycle. The aim is to get to a point where you can pin point with great accuracy the day you are likely to ovulate in a month.

The day you ovulate is when you ovary releases an egg and that egg has to be fertilised within the next 24 hours.

There are several methods you can use to know the precise day in which you likely to ovulate:

1. the Cervical Mucus Method (CM),

2. The Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

3. The Use of ovulation kits.

2. If you sincerely want to answer the question “How Do I get Pregnant” then you have to avoid Any Form Of Lubrication.

Are you aware that virtually all store bought lubricants, including the human saliva kill sperm? So lubricants like Vaseline, vegetable oils, petroleum jelly and glycerine are a no no for now.

Alternatively you can use raw egg whites as a lubricant. They are not only cheap but they also support those “little swimmers” on their journey!

3. Go Easy on the Vitamin C, research has shown that too much vitamin c decreases your cervical fluid.

Taking some vitamin C (in small doses) is actually a good idea, because it helps to improve the quality and quantity of your cervical fluid.

Your cervical fluid is crucial for helping to get your partner’s sperm to your cervix and on to your uterus, where it will eventually meet up with your egg for fertilisation to take place.

Too much vitamin C on the other hand, have the opposite effect on your fertility. It can cause your cervical fluid to dry up and without it to transport your partner’s sperm to where it is needed you can kiss getting pregnant goodbye.

You should never take doses larger than 1,000mg while trying to conceive even in the cold winter months

In answer to your burning question, How do I get pregnant, we have looked at 3 things you can do right away that will help you get pregnant fast but it is virtually impossible to discuss everything you need to know in one single article.

To discover even more strategies and ways that will provide the best possible answer to your question How Do I get Pregnant, then visit www.waystogetpregnantfast.com for all the information and details you would ever need to conceive that dream child.

categories: pregnancy,motherhood,parenting,babies,home,family,women’s issues,health

Have you been trying for awhile to have a little boy to be a baby brother in your family? You might be ready to give up thinking about how to have a baby boy and don’t want to be disappointed even though you love your daughters. But don’t give up just yet, even if you think your chances are zero to none.

Did you know that women do not determine the sex of the baby? Rather, the sperm that comes out of the male contains both set of chromosomes that determine the baby’s gender . However, increasing the likelihood of conceiving a baby boy is very well possible when you learn how to have a baby boy.

Male sperm is known for moving faster than the female sperm but is by and large weaker. Not only that female sperm can live much longer than the male sperm. Given these factors, it’s interesting to note that there are still more boys born than there are girls. In about 100 births, boys outnumber girls 51 to 49.

If you have intercourse during the time that the woman is ovulating, then the male sperm (the fast ones) will more than likely get to the egg first. If you have intercourse a couple of days before intercourse, then the male sperm will more than likely die off by the time ovulation happens. This will leave the female (the slower moving one) there to fertilize the egg.

How to have a baby boy can be made easier when you know in advance when you will ovulate. Once you can identify the time frame for ovulation and release of the egg from the ovary, you can have sex within 48 hours and thereby increase your chances of having a boy. There are special kits available which help detect the LH surge or indicator that you are about to ovulate.

How to have a baby boy can be made a bit easier if the father makes a few lifestyle changes. By quitting smoking and alcohol use, a male can significantly improve sperm count. Y sperm don’t fare well under hostile conditions such as high body heat, tight clothes or strenuous activity. Eliminating or reducing these factors can help your body produce stronger, healthier sperm and increase your chances of the Y sperm being the one to fertilize an egg and produce that bouncing baby boy you want so much.

When it comes to how to have a baby boy, it is possible to be proactive and work the odds in your favor. While you can’t be assured that you’ll have a boy, at least you don’t have to sit there “hoping” it is a male. Even small changes such as eating a diet that your doctor recommends to tweak body pH levels can assist you in conceiving a boy.

Some families hope to insecurity in relationships , it sounds like some sort of medical experiment but there are plenty of families who promise that it is possible to choose either you have a boy or girl. http://relationship-answers.com

categories: pregnancy,baby,baby boy,baby girl,parenting,family,health