TAKING
by Rebecca Wolf
Extension Home Economist
Family Summer Fun
I don’t know how your schedule
has been. Mine has been hectic!
I’ve found myself mumbling,
“Stop the world. I want to get off!”
When I begin letting my work
and “adult” obligations over
whelm me, I realize 1 should call
time out For me, the thing that
helps me relax when I’ve become
too serious and driven is children.
1 surround myself with children.
I watch them play. And, I join them
in play. Now for harried parents
who think their stress comes from
their children, this time out with
kids may not seem to be a solution.
But when is the last time you relax
ed and laughed and "let your hair
down” with your children?
I’ve been reading some startling
statistics and comments about how
Americans have forgotten how to
relax and live at a healthy life pace.
So, if you want to slow down
and be silly with some kids (or dar
ing adults) in your life, try some
games the next time you are
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TIME
together.
Cooperative Musical Mats is a
take-off on musical chairs. The
difference is that with this game
everyone wins in the end, and
everyone usually ends up laughing
instead of having many people
with hurt feelings. You start the
game by having “mats” (sheets of
paper, old paper bags, or rug
remnants) scattered on the floor or
in the yard. Start the musig. When
tne music stops, each person must
find a mat to stand on. Then restart
the music, and the players move.
Each time remove some mats.
This means that as the spots get
fewer, more people have to share a
mat. Depending on the size of the
group and the size of the mat, make
rules like “everyone must have at
least one foot/one toe on the mat.”
End the game with as many people
as possible on one mat.
Another great game is a paper
cup relay. You can do this having
two teams, or you may do it with
one team racing against the clock.
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In the relay, each person has the
task of moving from one point to
another carrying the paper cup
(empty or filled with a small
amount of water) on a part of his
body. For example, one might car
ry it on his hand, another on her
elbow, a third on her head, a fourth
crab-style on his stomach. Get the
idea? This is a great one fra- com
munity picnics or family reunions.
Remember people of all ages
can play. Involve grandparents,
parents, teens, and young children
in the same game. You may want
to form teams that have someone
older than 60, someone who is
between 13 and 18 years old, and
someone under 10 years of age,
etc. on each of them.
Another quick filler that I’ve
introduced to several parent and
day care provider groups this
month is the sponge toss. It is simi
lar to the spontaneous balloon tos
ses that often occur at birthday par
ties where people just start bounc
ing a balloon around a room. The
goal is to not let it touch the floor.
You and your children can do
this with sponges. (The bigger the
sponges, the better. I like to use
giant car wash sponges. They are
easy to grab.) Begin by tossing one
sponge into a group. As the pace
picks up, add two or three more.
Within two minutes everyone is
laughing, and laughter is one of the
best stress relievers!
For a particularly scorching day,
add excitement by plunging the
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sponges in a bucket of water occa- concentration, strategic planning,
sionally. Insist on under-hand and cooperation skills,
tosses. It’s easy to let the hectic pace of
Not only does this play time life, with work and farm time, to
help you to relax, your children are squeeze out fathily time. But we all
learning. They are improving eye- need to take breaks. Our bodies
hand coordination skills, balance, need the down time. Our kids need
our attention.
Greenwood FFA Anniversary
(Continued from Page B 4)
to develop a class plan along with
the guidance counselor that
enables students to take academics
as well as agriculture. “That’s one
of the advantages to oeing in a
small school!” Students can now
choose from three different track
ing systems agriculture/
academic, agriculture/business,
and agriculture/industrial arts.
As principal of Greenwood
High School, Ed Bums sees the
FFA program as very beneficial.
“Under MeeCee Baker, we’re
looking to 2000, looking at agri
science, it’s hi-tech oriented! Over
the years we’ve accepted the cur
riculum for not being lesser - just
different. A lot of kids go on to
academics the stigma of vo-ag
is gone!
“I’d like to see it continue in its
diversification - very few kids
actually come from farms. I also
want to see the continued growth
with non-traditional female
enrollment The male students are
becoming more accepting.”
Bums attributes the success of
the program to the school board
and Baker’s enthusiasm.
When asked what benefits he
felt FFA had. Bums said that “It’s
given kids a hands-on experience
and sense of belonging. Many of
the goals are similar to education
in general. I see a lot of acceptance
among the kids they accept
each other for what they are!”
Glenn Cauffman was part of the
team that campaigned 10 years
ago to reinstate FFA at Green
wood after it had been dropped in
1964 due to a low point in the
agriculture economy. He was also
the first part-time agriculture and
FFA instructor 10 years ago.
Glenn Cauffman is able to see
the fruits of the seeds he helped
sow several years ago. “It’s heart
warming to see the program deve
lop. I give MeeCee a lot of credit
for helping it grow. She is making
it a respectable program.”
More excitement has come for
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Cauffman in seeing the facilities
expand at Greenwood, offering an
agricultural science diverse
approach for the students.
As a parent, school board mem
ber, educator, and concerned com
munity member, Cauffman feels
very strongly about FFA. “The
training the kids get in FFA is not
duplicated anywhere else in edu
cation. It has a lot of depth
opportunities for diversity. All
kids can feel a part of something
with the opportunity to achieve
they can build their self-esteem.”
As a farmer in the community,
Sid Winner sees the importance of
FFA in the school to be vital for
the future of agriculture. “As
fanning becomes more technical,
the more training kids have, the
more beneficial it is. With the
number of farmers decreasing, an
agricultural science background
can help the food industry.”
In addition to learning more
about agriculture in the classroom,
“kids also learn composure and
leadership.” Part of that compo
sure and leadership is the pride
they have for the industry.
As another vital team member
in reinstituting the FFA chapter 10
years ago and a present board
member, Lloyd Byers has
invested much time and energy to
support the program. When asked
“Why should the board keep fund
ing FFA?” Lloyd said, “The
amount of money we invest in the
kids comes back to the communi
ty. The kids are learning about
agriculture the largest employ
er in Pennsylvania as well as being
good citizens.” Another attribute
of the program is the diversity
offered for the students posi
tive outlets for their energy.
Lloyd reiterated what so many
others had said the school
board supports the program and
the instructor, MeeCee Baker is
positive about every kid. She is
preparing the students for agricul
ture diversity.