Hills Manfred Mantis Playsets

Keep The Mind Alive

Just because the kids are on summer vacation doesn’t and shouldn’t mean that they should stop learning.  But how can you convince them that learning ACTUALLY IS fun?  It’s easy—persuade them with a Manfred Mantis playset.

What’s in it for the parents?  Enjoy a relaxing, sunny afternoon with your kids while they play on a Manfred Mantis playset.  It’s easy to tan, sip on a lemonade, or read that novel that you never had to opportunity to finish.

In addition to Manfred Mantis, here are some other fun and productive ways to keep your kids occupied during the long summer months.

• Creative art projects.  This is a great way to keep your kids occupied while simultaneously spurring their imagination.  Who knows, you may have a budding artist on your hands!

• Educational Outings. Although kids don’t usually associate the words “educational” and “fun” together, there are several places geared towards children that are fun for both adults and children.  A great example is the California Science Center, located in the heart of L.A.  The science center provides children and adults with a hands-on, visual, and interactive experience with science.



• Exercise. Keeping your kids healthy is just as important as encouraging the importance of education.  There are many kid-friendly ways to exercise—swimming, rollerblading, and bike riding are just a few.

Fast Eating, Slow Academic Performance

According to a recent LA Times Article, obesity can contribute to a student’s poor academic performance.

A study conducted in Philadelphia found that overweight learners were half a grade point lower than kids considered to have a normal weight.  Another study published by the Obesity journal stated that obese children scored lower in reading comprehension on standardized tests, almost 10% lower than normal-weight children.  According to the journal they are also more likely to be absent from school and are less likely to join their school’s athletic teams.

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-capsule28-2008jul28,0,5123422.story

5 Ways To Be A Fit Kid

Do you want your kids to be more fit but aren't sure how?

Below are 5 ways to help your kids be fit, courtesy of Kidshealth.org:

1.    Eat a VARIETY of foods (including fruits and vegetables).  Don’t be afraid to try new things.  It’s okay and healthy to switch things up!
2.    Drink a lot of water and milk.
3.    Listen to your body.  Notice how your body feels when you eat.  When you feel comfortably full that is generally a good time to stop eating.
4.    Limit screen time.  Don’t spend too much time watching TV, playing video games, or using the computer.  The more time you spend doing these things, the less time you will spend staying active.  Try and limit your screen time to 2 hours a day.
5.    Be Active.  In other words, play on a Manfred Mantis Playset!

Find out more ways to be a fit kid at http://kidshealth.org

Forbes List: Most Obese Cities in America

Forbes Magazine has recently compiled a list of America's most obese cities, using 2006 data from the Centers for disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Facto Surveillance System. Researchers collected data about participants height and weight and calculated their BMI (Body Mass Index).  Individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese. About 32% of the United States is considered obese. Memphis, Tennessee topped the list of obese cities.

Data was collected only for the country's 50 most populated cities. Smaller towns and outlying areas were not included. There ware a noticeable correlation between low poverty rates and obesity. Cities with a large percentage of people living below the poverty line also had a high percentage of obesity.

Some cities are looking for ways to promote healthier lifestyles by encouraging citizens to  exercise and make dietary changes.

Following are the top 10 most obese cities in America, as per Forbes Magazine.

Memphis, Tennessee: 34% obese. Causes of the high rate of obesity include high rats of poverty, Southern hospitality and Southern cooking featuring fried foods.

Birmingham, Alabama: 31.3% obese. A local non-profit organization called Jones Valley Urban Farm promotes healthy eating habits with community gardening plots.

San Antonio Texas: 31.3% obese. Calorie rich Tex-Mex cuisine is a factor in the high obesity rate. City officials are exploring solutions, with. The National League of Cities will provide San Antonio, along with five other cities, with experts versed in healthy eating and active living.
Riverside/San Bernardino, California: 30.8% obese. Riverside is located about an hour east of Los Angeles, an area dependent upon car transportation. The percentage of people neglecting exercise is at 30%.

Detroit, Michigan: 30.4% obese. Detroit is an urban area where healthy , fresh foods are less available. 33% of the residents live below the poverty line. Michigan was recently ran the ninth heaviest state in the nation by Trust for America's Health, a research group. Michigan promotes healthy living through "Step Up Michigan," a healthy living initiative.

Jacksonville, Florida: 29.8% obese. Jacksonville has a humid climate, which may drive residents indoors. A public health initiative initiative called Healthy Jacksonville promotes a community wide fitness and health challenge for residents.

Nashville, Tennessee:  28.8% obese.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: 27.5% obese. Oklahoma City has passed a bond measure to build gyms at 47 inner city schools and increasing the number of bide paths.

Kansas City, Missouri: 26.9% obese.

San Diego, California: 26.7% obese. San Diego has a high percentage of Hispanics, which have a higher rate of obesity than non-Hispanic whites. Poor neighborhoods have limited access for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Are Parents Over Scheduling Their Children?

The pressure of getting children accepted into top private schools, onto elite sports teams, and giving them a leg up among their peers has become a widespread phenomenon and shows no sign of slowing down. And according to research conducted by top American universities, parents are stressing their kids out!

With all of these scheduled activities, what has happened to the wonder of good old fashioned playtime? 'Unstructured' playtime is paramount in giving children the opportunity to use their imaginations, learn and make decisions for themselves. With too many activities being set up, children lose the opportunity to develop their own creativity, interact with other children and the enjoyment of simply being a kid. Children should be able to enjoy the excitement of their youth through the wonder of play.

One great way to encourage playtime is with backyard playground sets such as the Manfred Mantis personalized playground module. Kids will enjoy hours of uninhibited play time that allows them to express themselves freely and creatively, bound only by as far as their imaginations will take them. Not to mention giving them great exercise.

-Tracey

More Reasons Why Your Children Should Be Outside Playing on Manfred Mantis And Not Indoor Watching TV…

We've all heard about the importance of kids spending more time outside and less time playing video games and watching tv. In case you aren't convinced, below are MORE reasons why your children should be outside playing and not indoors watching TV...

•    According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children watch 3 hours of television a day and spend a total of 5 ½ hours on all combined media daily, engaging in more sedentary activities and playing outdoors less. 

•    The United States Department Of Agriculture released exercise guidelines that state all children ages two years and older should get a minimum of 1 hour of moderate to vigorous exercise daily. Ideally toddlers should receive ½ hour of exercise a day, pre-schoolers should receive 2 hours and school-aged children 1 hour.

•    According to the Institute of Medicine, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for pre-school aged children aged 2 - 5 years and has more than tripled for children ages 6 – 11. Presently, 9 million children over age 6 are considered obese.

•    The Surgeon General reports that approximately 15% of American children are overweight, a significant increase from only 40 years ago when approximately 4% of American children ages 6 – 11 years were overweight. In the same report, the Surgeon General warns that overweight children are more likely to become overweight and obese adults and that is important to take action now.

Stay Fit. Play Hard. Buy Your Kids A Manfred Mantis Playset.

- Tracey

Manfred Mantis Is The New Kid On The Block

Manfred Mantis is moving in to a backyard near you! Children as young as 18 months up to age 9 can enjoy hours of healthy play time with these customizable playground sets.

In honor of Manfred Mantis' journey to America, we compiled a list of reasons why your children should be outside playing on Manfred Mantis and not indoors watching tv:

• Manfred Mantis products are created not only to provide a world of exploration and entertainment, each piece is specifically designed to promote healthy child development and help enhance social, gross and fine motor skills.
• Your kid's Manfred Mantis grows alongside them with customizable parts and additions so your child will never grow bored of playtime
• The United States Department of Agriculture released excercise guidelines that state all children two years and older should get a minimum of 1 hour of moderate to vigorous excercise daily - Manfred Mantis helps children achieve this while they have fun and learn

You can check out Manfred Mantis on the all new website www.manfredmantis.com to see which playset and accessories is best for your child.

Manfred Mantis blog coming soon

We can't wait to start telling you all about our new Manfred Mantis play sets. Watch this space over the next few days for our new website and product details.

The Manfred Mantis team