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22ndCenturyMedia.com camp guide part one
22nd century media | February 20, 2020 | 23
How your family can protect
songbirds around your house and garden
Songbirds are not only
beautiful, they are a vital
component of the ecosystems
they inhabit. If you
have a garden, you may
have observed this in action.
Unfortunately, millions
of wild birds are killed annually
colliding with windows
in the U.S. alone.
But your family can take
action to prevent it from
happening on your own
property. Here’s how:
• Make windows visible
to birds: Special decals
that reflect ultraviolet
sunlight to your home’s
windows, particularly
those windows that are
highly reflective of open
sky, have been proven to
substantially reduce the
likelihood of bird strikes.
Those from WindowAlert
feature patterns that give
the appearance of slightly
frosted translucent glass,
but glow like a stoplight
for birds, and the brand
also makes a high-tech
liquid called WindowAlert
UV Liquid, which can be
applied between decals for
greater protection. More
information can be found
at windowalert.com.
• Be mindful of birdfeeder
placement: Birdfeeders
are a lovely way
to attract beautiful birds
to your yard, while giving
them a place to rest and
refuel. Remember though,
bird strikes tend to occur
near bird feeders, as feeding
birds are easily frightened
and are apt to take
wild, evasive flight. To
avoid this from happening,
be sure to use window decals,
as well as to position
feeders closer than three
feet or farther than 30 feet
from windows. Surprisingly,
the safest placement
is attached to the window
itself. Assess the birdfeeders
in your yard and make
changes as needed.
• Consider other hazards:
Other ways you can
protect birds on your property
include gardening organically,
keeping pet cats
indoors or in an enclosure
and growing native plant
and flower species suited
to pollinating birds.
“With a few small home
updates this season, your
family can save the lives
of wild birds and be better
stewards of the environment,”
said Spencer
Schock, founder of WindowAlert.
Fun ways to develop your children’s interests
The games children play
can inform the way they
see the world. Here are
some fun ways to make
playtime an opportunity
to help young kids explore
new ideas and develop
their interests:
• Art: Dedicate a little
corner of a room to kidfriendly
arts and crafts
projects. Stock the space
with finger paints, watercolors,
play-dough, crayons
and construction paper
to encourage kids to refine
their skills and gain a
deeper appreciation for art.
Have kids draw and paint
from their imagination or
take them on trips to a local
park to capture what
they see.
• Food: Inspire kids’ interest
in the culinary world
with fun toys that let them
be the chef. With the Leap-
Frog Smart Sizzlin’ BBQ
Grill, for example, little
grill masters can pretend
to grill by placing eight
different play food items
on an interactive skewer.
Utensil hooks keep the
tongs and spatula at the
ready to serve steak, fish,
green peppers and more.
The smart grill recognizes
the food’s name and color
and knows if the heat is
too high. Kids can twist
the skewer to count along
with the grill, then turn
the temperature dial from
1 to 10. With sizzling and
cooking sounds, as well as
safety messages, grilling
suggestions, melodies and
phrases, this interactive
grill is a fun way to get
kids interested in cooking
and food.
• Sports: You don’t have
to enroll kids in a formal,
competitive team to spark
an interest in sports. Instead,
get the ball rolling
by going outside to catch,
kick and dribble. Having
an opportunity to practice
sports in a fun, pressurefree
environment will help
kids develop athletic skills
on their own time, while
building their confidence
and opening the door for
a deeper interest in the future.
• Music: It’s never too
early to develop a sense
of rhythm and gain knowledge
of musical genres and
instruments. New toys like
the Learn & Groove Dancing
Panda will inspire kids
to get up and move. The
panda shakes, dances and
spins around to the music
and his guitar lights up
with shapes, letters and
numbers. Kids can play
Freeze Dance and other
games, press the musical
instrument buttons on the
panda’s light-up shoes to
hear a saxophone, trumpet,
drum and guitar, or press
the whammy-bar music
button to select from dozens
of different tunes. The
same line of toys also features
the Learn & Groove
Shakin’ Colors Maracas.
One maraca includes colorful
shaker beads and the
other features a light-up
dome that changes colors
and plays maraca sound
effects. Little ones can
add rattling sounds to the
songs that play, count from
1-10 with every shake,
and press the six light-up
buttons to hear color and
instrument names. Switching
between English and
Spanish mode lets kids explore
all of the content in
both languages.
Young children are absorbing
everything they
see and hear, so be sure to
introduce them to a range
of hobbies through games,
toys and activities.