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Don't let winter keep your kids indoors
 As the days grow colder, kids are prone to spend more time inside rather than bundle up and get outdoors. That's why it's even more important to ensure that your kids get plenty of fresh air, sunshine and exercise. "In most parts of the country, there are relatively few days when it's cold enough to present a danger to properly dressed children, and the benefits of getting outdoors are enormous. A playground presents numerous opportunities for fun, socialization and exercise that are difficult -- if not impossible -- to duplicate even in a well-equipped gymnasium," said Tim Ahern, owner/CEO of BCI Burke. Sitting still for extended periods may be a great skill for classrooms, but kids also need to run, jump, climb, swing and slide. And as a bonus, the sunlight is an excellent source of Vitamin D, which can help promote healthier bones.
Here are some suggestions for helping encourage outside activity:
- If you're responsible for children in a school or day care center, consider sending a letter home reminding parents of the importance of outdoor play. While you're at it, remind them to dress children properly so that they'll be comfortable on the school playground during physical education and recess. Encourage them to remember hats and gloves or mittens.
- Keep your play area (at home or school) clean and well maintained so that it continues to be an inviting environment throughout the year. Inspect your playground regularly for problems that may need to be corrected.
- Organize some outdoor games that are well-suited to cooler weather. Kids love a game of touch or flag football, especially during the season when they're rooting for their favorite high school, college or pro teams.
- Keep them moving. Kids who are active get more exercise and stay warmer.
Don't let holiday feasts turn into lifelong habits
By Tim Ahern Owner/CEO
 We all have to watch our waistlines during the holidays, but it's important to remember that we need to keep an eye on how many calories our kids take in as well. That can be hard to do, because it's tough to say no to a child who's begging for a second 500-calorie piece of pecan pie. After all, it's a holiday, right? Right. So let's face it. All of us -- adults and kids alike -- are going to take in some extra calories, and we'll survive it. But with childhood obesity approaching epidemic levels, it's a good idea to make sure a special day doesn't turn into bad habits.
Here are things we can do to minimize the damage:
- Start the day with healthier choices. You probably won't get away with serving celery sticks all morning. But a nice, hot fruit compote can be a real treat while everybody's opening presents or watching parades. At 150 calories or so per serving, it beats a big piece of coffee cake, and it'll stay with them longer.
- Track the snacks. Nearly everybody enjoys some crunchies and dip, but it's easy to rack up a ton of calories that way. (And no, it's not true that food doesn't count if you eat it standing up!) If you read labels, you'll probably find that some types of crackers and chips are much lower in fat and calories than others, and you won't get many complaints if you serve hummus instead of a high-fat cheese dip. Don't leave the goodies out all day. Decide when you're going to have them and remove the temptation before everybody gorges.
- Set a good example. If you're over-indulging, you're not only hurting yourself, but you're setting a poor example for your children.
- Keep the main meal manageable. Serve your traditional foods, but look for ways to substitute calories without cutting out the fun. Go ahead and cook the turkey with the skin on, but remove it before you start slicing.
- Clean up right after the meal. If you leave a buffet of cakes, cookies and pies out all afternoon, your kids won't be able to resist. (Chances are, you won't either!)
- Load everyone up for an afternoon trip to the park or playground. Play some touch football or basketball, or maybe take a walk. Not only will everyone burn off some calories, but the time you spend there is time the family won't be sitting around eating. If you have access to a park that has a Burke Intensity fitness play complex, which promotes fitness in kids, that's even better.
- Spread the love. When the day ends, be generous about sending the leftovers home with your guests. Plan ahead by having some disposable containers handy to make this easy.
- Try to keep it to one day. If you enjoy baking, it's tempting to keep the oven going for the whole holiday week. Do your best to resist.
Most importantly, emphasize the nature of the holiday. Teach your kids the meaning of the day in your tradition or faith. The more your kids see the holiday as a special occasion, the less likely they will be to think it's OK to eat like that every day.
Get the playground you need, without all the paperwork!
For schools, park boards and other government agencies that must conform to strict rules for competitive bidding, a playground purchase can become a tedious process. But BCI Burke has cut through the red tape by partnering with Choice Facility Partners, a purchasing cooperative that already has done the hard work. We're proud to be CFP's exclusive provider for playground and recreation-related equipment, supplies and services. The cooperative was formed by the Facilities Division of Harris County (Texas) Department of Education (an independent school district established under the laws of the State of Texas). The school district opened the process so that other agencies could take advantage of its work in establishing contracts that already meet competitive bid requirements.
For agencies, the CFP partnership offers several benefits:
- Meets the necessary legal and competitive bidding requirements.
- Qualifies for the "Made in America" label.
- Meets the requirements for the ISO 14001:2004 certification, reflecting a systematic program for achieving aggressive goals for recycling, use of recycled materials, use of renewable energy and environmentally sound manufacturing processes.
- No fees.
- Unlike other co-ops, this is a government agency.
How it works
Qualifying agencies may purchase under the arrangement by signing an interstate participating agreement or inter-local agreement. This provides access to CFP's legally and competitively bid facilities contracts under Intergovernmental Code 791. CFP will provide each member with a list of its legally and competitively bid facilities, including playgrounds available under BCI Burke's contract (#09/021CG-01). So visit www.bciburke.com/cfp for a free brochure, and get started on your new playground purchase without all the paperwork today.
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