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By Lynn Walker
Hello CMR Families and Friends,
Our thoughts and hearts are with each of you in this trying time, and we support all efforts to be strong in our families and communities. We commend our health care and public service workers who are giving so much to others. We know many of you are with your children and scrambling to manage the home front.
TOGETHER
Although the world situation and your lives probably seem to be at a low, some parents have discovered upsides. Extra time together with family is allowing for some special bonding. Some families are reading books and magazines together or in parallel. Some are having fun together by playing old-fashioned board games. Others listen to the chortling of the springtime birds as they walk their dog together.
Remember—we can get through anything if we stick together!
GOOD RESOURCES
Check out the Love and Logic Newsletter about the value of using this time to teach important life skills
To help children navigate and understand the news, Time is sharing free grade-appropriate digital versions of their online magazine Time for Kids.
Recommended by teachers, Brain Pop offers free access to kid-friendly learning activities for those affected by school closures. The fun variety of materials on many subjects includes animations and games to capture your student’s attention. Their movie for kids about the coronavirus separates fact from fear to promote understanding and safety.
Connecting with nature is perhaps even more important than ever for our mental and physical well-being. Being outside in nature is proven to help us feel good and strengthen us in coping with stress. Outdoor exercise and fresh air bolster our immune systems. The Children & Nature Network offers a new resource FindingNature.org for staying close to nature both outside and inside.
Dr. Tim Elmore and his team at Growing Leaders have created Home Chats as a resource to help families engage in meaningful discussions during the COVID-19 outbreak. For practical advice for adults, scroll down for Tim’s Vlog videos, too.
You may wish to try a neighborhood “stuffie” scavenger hunt!
For help with keeping balance for your children and for you, The Child Mind Institute offers a variety of resources to help deal with stress and anxiety.
And if possible, laugh. It’s good for your overall health!
GOOD NEWS: SHOUT OUT TO CMR CAMPERS!
When Countryside Montessori School closed along with other schools in Boulder, the retirement party for favorite teacher Erwin had to be postponed. Long-time CMR camper Zeke put together a website to gather video memories and tributes for Erwin. Way to go, Zeke!
If you have a story about a camper doing creative things, please tell us about it so we can share the good news!
BEST OF BOULDER
Even though voting for Best of Boulder now may seem like a low priority, we would still like to carry on the tradition of being voted #1! Voting ends at midnight tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31.
To vote, visit the link below and register for the quiz. You don’t have to vote in every category to submit your ballot! You can just skip to question #90 (Best Summer Camp in the Entertainment & Culture section) and choose Colorado Mountain Ranch. We’d sure appreciate it if you took a couple of minutes to vote for us!
SING
It’s a sing-a-long! Send us your requests for our next singing time together!