Having Fun While Staying Safe

All the necessary preparations have been completed. You happily see you have plenty of water on hand, snacks, more un-perishable food then you think you need, flashlights (you get the picture)…and the storm hits!!! Power goes out and everyone panics at the lack of TV.

STOP PANICKING WE CAN STILL HAVE FUN!

While we don’t want to downplay the significant danger a storm may posses, we also would like to point out that it is still possible to be safe and have fun. Would you like some game ideas? GREAT!

Idea # 1 Hide n’ Seek.

It’s a traditional game for a reason, because it has stood the test of time. Now if we want to amp it up a bit for the storm; turn off all of the lights and play by the lightening or that dim stormy light that is great mood lighting for this game. Don’t be afraid to mix up this game.

#2 Indoor volleyball

Because we don’t want to break the trillion dollar antique vase or other valuables in the home this is a slightly altered version save the house. Everyone gets down on their hands and knees but with their bellies facing up. They then kick the ball between the two sides with their feet-it is a lot harder then you think! Set up the dividing line however you want.

#3 Treasure hunt

Create a list of objects in your house for the child to find. Have them race against the clock to find these items. We would like to encourage you to include silly or unusual items on the list as well.

#4 Ghosts in the Graveyard

Any volunteers to be the ‘watcher’? Great now everyone else is a ‘ghost’. The whole point of this game is to sneak up on the watcher. The ghosts sneak up on the watcher by moving when his/her eyes are closed or they glance the other direction. If the ghost is caught moving they must return to their ‘grave’ or are out.

#5 The James Bond

This was a unique idea we ran across earlier and all ages love it. Grab some string and alternating between two walls (the walls of a hallway are superb for this) string it back and forth, also going up and down. Now pretend those are lasers and you are the dashing secret agent that must get through without touching them.

#6 Build a fort

Anything can be used to build a fort. Chairs and blankets are the best, but your resourcefulness and your child’s will be put to the test! Once you create the fort it is the ideal place to do some reading (we love to see kids read) or even have a mini in-house sleepover.

More: There is always charades, twister, card/bored games, and many other games to play.

With these great games what child would worry about a storm? We don’t want the kids worried, so pull one of these games out and take their minds off the gloomy outdoors.

Stay safe and have fun!

Preparing a healthy and delicious packed

Preparing a healthy and delicious packed lunch for you’re child doesn’t have to be a challenge. Check out this article! http://ow.ly/d1a5s

Boston is such an active city! Just add

Boston is such an active city! Just add Knucklebones’ Sunday parkland games and our rental booths to complete the list. http://ow.ly/cRlk7

Here’s a couple videos to get you think

Here’s a couple videos to get you thinking about movement. What little activities do you do during the day? http://ow.ly/cNEZ5

We, Knucklebone…

We, Knucklebones, are doing everything in our power to succeed in our vision of providing children (infants to age 6) in Greater Boston with an Epicenter of Athletic Services (1 in every 5 children will be overweight or obese before the age of 6). 

Two weeks ago we pitched the idea to Piranha Pond (www.piranhapond.com) and we received a couple bites.  Last week, we submitted our vision to Chase’s “Mission: Small Business” grant application.  Chase and LivingSocial want to help a small business’s success by awarding up to 12 grants of $250,000 to 12 small businesses.

With this funding we could open in multiple locations (Back Bay, Braintree, Brookline, Cambridge, Charlestown, Lexington, Somerville, Quincy, etc.  Our aim is to better support Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign by establishing our vision wherever a population of children exists that can use an exceptionally healthy and socially fulfilling play space/toy store that will also feature evening talks by authors/celebrities/educators/health professions on healthy living.

Want to see Knucklebones’ vision of an Epicenter of Athletic Services succeed?  Then please click https://www.missionsmallbusiness.com to place your vote for “Knucklebones”.  Thank you in advance for your support…for the love of play!

Strider Racing

At KB, we love our Strider running bikes – they’re an awesome stepping stone just before your child is ready for training wheels, and a great way to familiarize them with bicycles – so we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share this great event with you Knuckleheads.

If you happen to find yourself near Rapid City, SD next week, the 8th annual ‘Extreme Indoor Enduro’ will be taking place at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. You can enter your toddlers to race their Strider bikes around an awesome dirt course much like the ones professional motocross racers use (of course, scaled down to Strider size). Of course, if you can’t be there, don’t worry, you can catch this event of SPEED TV, January 21st!

While it isn’t local, don’t think for a second that it didn’t start cranking the gears in the KB teammates heads! Who says you won’t be seeing something like this at our Epicenter in Cambridge sometime soon? You never know!

KB New Years Resolutions

Hey Knuckleheads!

So, you’ve renewed your gym membership and thrown out all of that junk food in the house – maybe even polished off the last of the holiday cookies – all for that favorite New Years resloution: live healthier, exercise more.

But exercising can be a real pain if you aren’t enjoying yourself. So try exercising the KB way this year. Do what you love! If you don’t like running – don’t run! Try biking or rollerblading or hiking (or even hopping a mile on a Rody, that’s sure to give your quads a workout).

Maybe even get involved in a team sport. Check at that gym you just joined, maybe you’ll find your talent in basketball, or water polo. See what activities you can find around town – take an aerobics class at the Rec. center, or try your hand at Yoga (its ok, contortionist experience: not (always) required)

Whatever it is, make sure you’re having fun. You won’t get 100% out of your workout if you’re not committed, and how can you commit to something that you dread! So start exploring and find out what makes you excited to get up and play.

LIve healthier, exercise more, and enjoy ever second of it. That’s the KB new years resolution!

Strange Sport of the Week: CTFL

Now that the holidays are fast approaching, we are waist deep in our living rooms with bows, rolls of invisible tape (and you can never seem to find it), wrapping paper scraps, and we’re faced with the age old question: what on earth do I do with all of these bare cardboard tubes from my wrapping paper? So, maybe you haven’t always asked yourself that question, but we have an answer for you, nonetheless.

KB’s strange sport of the week: Holiday Edition – Cardboard Tube Fighting (sanctioned by the Cardboard Tube Fighting League or CTFL)

The CTFL was started in Seattle, Washington, but it now holds tournaments in Sydney, Australia, San Francisco, and London.

Here’s how it works:

1) Don’t break your tube. In a duel, the last person with an unbroken tube is the winner. In the event that both participants break their tubes at the same time, both duelists are considered losers. A tube is considered broken when it is held horizontal and the tip drops to an angle greater than 45 degrees or it is completely detached from the rest of the tube.
2) Attacking until the other combatant is knocked out, or dead. No stabbing. No weapons.
3) No stabbing. Lunges involving tubes are not allowed under any circumstances. Participants who exhibit this behavior will be ejected from the event.
4) Do not attack the opponent’s face. Hitting the face is heavily frowned upon and can force ejection from the event.
5) Once a tube is broken, fighting must cease.
6) Only official CTFL tubes are allowed. These tubes are provided at the events. (We’re still trying to figure out what makes them ‘official’, too)
7) No blocking of opponent’s tube other than with your own tubes
8 ) Tubes must always be held near the end. Participants may switch ends as they see fit. Holding tubes in the middle is illegal.
9) Shields are banned from tournaments

The League’s number one philosophy is” Don’t take yourself too seriously (trust us, we won’t).

KB’s #1 Favorite Game

Anything with a Rody!

Come check out our GRAND OPENING today in Davis Square and see what fun games you can play with a Rody!

#4 KB FavoriteGame: Stealing Sticks

How much fun can you have with 12 sticks you find on the ground? A lot more than you originally would have after you read this post!

Stealing sticks was originally a game thought up by Native Americans. They would hide sticks in trees, and all over the woods, and this game could go on for days. Fortunately for you, KB has a shorter version.

Setting Up the Game: This is a game for a larger group of kids, 8 and up about. Split them into two even teams. Tell the teams to each find 6 sticks, bigger than twigs, but make sure they’re not bringing back tree branches, either! Designate the boundaries, with a mid-field line. The bigger the field, the more difficult. This game is great to play at a park that has varied terrain. Tell each team to lay their 6 sticks in a strategic position on their side of the field

Playing the Game: This game is a lot like capture the flag. There’s a jail, and guards. The guards (pick 2 to start out, but determine how many you need based on the size of the field and the number of players) will keep watch over their sticks, and try to tag anyone that tries to steal them. If tagged, the player must return the stick to the appropriate side and then go to the designated jail area. That player can old be freed if a member of their team tags them. The game will continue on until one side has all twelve sticks. So, even if the “red” team has 8 sticks and the “blue” team has 4, the “blue” team can still come back, unlike capture the flag, where the game ends when one team gets the opponents one and only flag.

Additions to the game: If you want, you can add “safe zones”, designated by a hula hoop or cones (or a tree) on the playing field if too many kids are being tagged before they can reach their side.

Now, don’t you see how fun 12 sticks can be!