Is it Safe to Collect Feathers?

By Diane Hernandez | February 21, 2024 | Blog
Don’t touch bird feathers -- we’ve all heard it. In the past, it was said that bird feathers carried disease, viruses and pathogens. However, this isn’t necessarily true. Is it safe to collect feathers? When walking down a trail with your child, it’s likely you’ll stumble upon a dancing feather floating in the wind. Chances are

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Setting Up an Obstacle Course in Your Backyard

By Anibal Rodriguez | October 4, 2022 | Articles , Health
Summer is finally upon us. If you are like most parents, you are faced with the ever-difficult task of keeping your kiddos entertained during their summer break. And we are not just talking about them fending for themselves playing video games on their tablets or phones. We are talking about those good-old-fashion outdoor activities that can help them balance their everyday routine.

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Should Kids Play in the Dirt?

By Marlena Carrillo | March 17, 2022 | Blog
We’ve all heard it (and said it): “Get out of the dirt!” “Get that out of your mouth!” “You’re getting filthy!” But what if playing in the dirt is actually beneficial for kids?  In a global pandemic, kids are spending more time inside than ever. The Child Mind Institute says the average child in America

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FREE Pass for Every Kid Outdoors

By Diane Hernandez | January 25, 2022 | Blog
Dear Diary -- I loved the outdoors when I was small. Didn’t you?  There was something about the smelly dirt beneath me. I wanted to dig my hands into it hunting and finding worms.  I wanted to touch trees. I wanted to bounce from one monkey bar to the next. I wanted to imagine, and

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Mosquitoes: The World’s Deadliest Animal

By Lindsey Johnson | September 10, 2021 | Articles , Health
What do you think is the most dangerous animal in Florida? Would you guess rattlesnakes, sharks, alligators or water moccasins? Believe it or not, the most dangerous animal in Florida is the size of a fingernail! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have deemed the mosquito “the world’s deadliest animal.” How could an insect so small

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Fresh Air Near Gainesville

5 of the Best Places to Get Fresh Air Near Gainesville

By Danielle Pastula | July 8, 2021 | Health , Home Life
Those who have called Gainesville home for more than four years know that The Swamp is home to more than just the university, football team and the entertainment scene along University Avenue. Gainesville and its surrounding towns are home to numerous gems of nature. From springs, to rivers and lakes, to prairies and plains, there’s

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hike

Nurture Meets Nature: Hike It Baby

By Christy Piña | January 26, 2021 | Blog
In this day and age, it can be hard to raise an outdoorsy child. Unlike the children who grew up right before the technology boom, children today tend to steer away from the outdoors in favor of indoor electronic devices. Hike It Baby is dedicated to bringing children back from the electronic age a little

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workout at work

Try These Easy Work Day Workouts

By Hailey Turner | January 8, 2020 | Health
We know how important it is to get plenty of exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that we get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiorespiratory exercise five times a week. However, for some of us that work eight hours a day and have responsibility lists so long that our heads spin, finding

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Fun in the Sun: Constructing your own solar oven

By Giggle Magazine | June 5, 2018 | Articles , Forks & Spoons
By Colleen McTiernan | Photo by Jimmy Ho Photography Instead of dreading the heat this summer, use it to your advantage by engaging in a fun, food-related project with your little ones. With these instructions for an easy-to-make solar oven, you and your kiddos will be using the sun’s heat to make s’mores and other

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