Hancock Health Boomerang Issue 21 December 2022

ISSUE #21 | DECEMBER 2022

GET READY FOR WINTER FUN!

Fun things to do and try when the snow flies!

Top Five East Central Indiana Sledding Spots

Are you looking for the perfect place to go sledding? There are a lot of great sledding hills close to Greenfield … perfect for holiday break family fun! Just bring your sled and sense of adventure!

MAKE YOUR OWN SNOW

We all love snowy days, but what about when it is just plain grey and cold outside without even a chance for those sparkly little snowflakes to fall from the sky? Take matters into your own hands by making your own snow day with this fun science experiment! Make sure to ask your grownup for help and offer to clean up the mess afterwards! You can use this recipe to pack together snowballs, a snowman or even make a scene for your favorite figurines.

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour the baking soda into the container.

2. Add some shaving cream a little at a time, taking time between each addition to knead it into the baking soda.

3. Continue until the mixture is the consistency of snow, light and powdery. You may need more than one can of shaving cream, depending on how much snow you are making.

4. Store in an airtight container.

1-2 CANISTERS WHITE SHAVING CREAM

2 LB BOX BAKING SODA DISH OR CONTAINER

Winter Project:

Did you know that your family history can teach you a lot about where you came from and who you are? Some families have special traditions that take place around certain holidays. Have you ever wondered where these traditions came from? Holiday gatherings with your family are a great time to ask these questions and learn more about each other.

You might be wondering why asking your family questions about themselves and your family history is important. Nowadays, it can be tempting to just want to play video games with cousins or watch funny YouTube videos during family gatherings. But we promise that by becoming a family history buff, you will have a whole bunch of fun. Think of it like a family-fact treasure hunt!

YOUR RELATIVES WERE KIDS ONCE TOO!

Did you know that your grandparents grew up in a time before the internet was even imagined? What was their life like and what did they like to do as kids? They may have also lived through a war. What do you think it was like to be a kid during war times? Did your grandparents think about what they wanted to be when they grew up? Or where they wanted to live? And, honestly, what did they do as a kid that got them into trouble? It was much different in their day when you couldn’t steal your sister’s iPad charger; kids were left unsupervised much more than you are now.

Things can get even more interesting if you ask your grandparents about THEIR parents when they were kids. Your family history not only shows you who you are, but you can learn a whole bunch about the history of our world through the eyes of your older relatives!

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN TO BE THE DETECTIVE

Have you ever wanted to solve a mystery? Or pretend you are a research scientist trying to find out information? What about an archaeologist digging up clues to the past? You can be all three of these things by creating a list of questions (or using ours!) and then figuring out which members of your family you are most interested in talking to.

Remember, your older relatives will absolutely love reliving their childhoods and seeing the look on your face when you find out their most treasured stories!

All About My Family

BY

Were you named after a family member? What does your name mean?

Where were you born? What was your home like as a child?

What was the most important lesson your parents taught you?

Did you ever get in trouble for something when you were a kid?

What was your first job? What did you want to be when you grew up and what inspired that?

What was your favorite place to visit or the coolest place that you have been?

What is the earliest memory that you have? Do you have any photographs of childhood memories?

Can you tell me about the day my parent was born? What about the day I was born?

What is different about growing up today versus when you were a kid?

What is your dream for your children and grandchildren?

YOUR WINTER BUCKET LIST

Sometimes winter can give you some cabin fever, but that doesn’t have to be the case if you have our winter bucket list. In fact, you might just have the best winter ever if you start crossing off some of these fun and simple activities that can make even the coldest months feel enjoyable!

HERE WE GO … 50 FUN ACTIVITIES THAT YOU SHOULD TRY THIS WINTER!

GET SPORTY

1. Go sledding with your family or friends

2. Learn to ice skate

3. Try out snow tubing

4. Layer up and work your muscles with cross country skiing

5. Take a winter hike in your favorite woods

6. Try indoor golf or another sport new to you

7. Go bowling

8. Watch a hockey game

DO SOME GOOD

9. Shovel your neighbor’s driveway

10. Donate old clothes or toys

11. Help your parents cook dinner one night

12. Write postcards to kids in the hospital

13. String popcorn or create pinecone bird feeders to help the animals when food is scarce

FUN WITH THE FAMILY

17. Look at old baby pictures

18. Watch cheesy Christmas, holiday or winter movies

19. Bake cookies and decorate them for people you love

20. Create a hot chocolate bar

21. Have a living room picnic

22. Go see a movie together

23. Play a game together during dinner

24. Have a bonfire

25. Make a blanket and pillow fort in your living room

MAKE SOME ART

26. Use snow to create candles

27. Try tape resist snowflake paintings

28. Make these cute mix-andmatch rock snowman with stones found in your yard or on a hike

29. Create a milk jug igloo and some cute little animals to live inside

30. Check out one of these cute air dry clay projects

33 Create a terrarium to go in a window and bring some greenery into your house

34 Make lanterns to light with an LED candle on the dark nights

35. Start a scrapbook

GET OUT INTO THE SNOW

36. Design a snowman house out of snow and ice

37. Make frozen bubbles

38. Try some snow paint

39. Create colorful ice cube sculptures in your backyard

40. Create an outdoor ice rink

41. See how many snow angels you can make in 30 seconds

42. Have a good old fashioned snowball fight

43. Build snow sculptures of animal

44. Make an obstacle course out of snow

JUST BECAUSE IT IS FUN

Note

for

14. Go caroling

Parents:

15. Send letters to soldiers overseas

16. Volunteer at a soup kitchen

Encourage your child to follow the Eatwell Plate guidelines from childhood so they can learn what a healthy diet looks like from an early age. Eating well will help your children stay active and strong–both mentally and physically!

31. Make these easy icicles to hang up in your window or use as ornaments next year

32. Learn how to knit or crochet by following a tutorial on YouTube or getting a book from the library

45. Have a bubble bath

46. Bake and decorate a cake for no reason (except to eat it!)

47. Put on a play

48. Decorate a gingerbread house

49. Have a dance party

50. Visit a museum

SNOW CONES & SMOOTHIES SNOW CONES & SMOOTHIES

SNOWY Snow Cones with Homemade Syrups

We all know it’s fun to romp around in the snow, but have you ever thought about eating it for dessert? (Not the yellow snow of course.) Those snow cones you drool over during summertime are just a few steps away with this fun recipe. All you gotta do is use an ice cream scoop to select the perfect white, fluffy snow from your own backyard and then ask a parent to help you whip up this syrup recipe…

INGREDIENTS

1 Packet Kool Aid

1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Water Squeeze bottles or containers Real snow

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Ask a parent to bring the water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow to boil for three minutes.

2. Remove from heat and stir in Kool Aid until completely dissolved.

3. Let cool and poor into squeeze bottles or other container. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

4. Scoop desired amount of snow into dish or paper snow cone wrapper.

5. Squeeze desired amount of syrup onto your snow cone and CHOW DOWN Watch out for brain freezes and squeals of delight!

Stay on the Healthy Track with this Smoothie

You know all those things you need to do to keep from getting sick – Washing your hands, getting plenty of sleep and eating healthy, right?

Here’s a great addition to the healthy food list that is great tasting, too! "This perfect winter smoothie has orange juice, berries, and mango in it, which have a good dose of Vitamin C as well as other antioxidants which are important for a healthy immune system!" says Steven Tsaparikos, RDN, LD, CHC, dietitian and certified health coach at the Hancock Wellness Center of New Palestine

MANGO BERRY SMOOTHIE

This Mango Berry Smoothie combines the delicious flavors of juicy mango and sweet berries in one refreshing drink. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack!

Ingredients

1/2 Frozen Banana, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 Cup Frozen Mango

1/2 Cup Frozen

Mixed Berries

1/2 Cup Vanilla Greek

Yogurt

1/2 Cup Orange Juice

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth … and enjoy!

Mango Berry Smoothie

C B L I Z Z A R D L S O B H

N I L F R O S T Y W E R S O

R M I T T E N S S S O D T L

E A S N O W M A N T H I M I

H I B E R N A T I O N D N D

T T O B B O G A N O W W S A

T G B R R L G T L B I L R Y

S N H O S L E E T O N D B N

E I O O S A I C E L T I A S

E D C C D B E A G L E C I O

R D N N A W C T A D R I R G

T E A D I O T O R W N C T W

H L E T L N T M A T O L N N

N S S D H S N L E T S E M T

HOLIDAY | ICE | WINTER | BOOTS | SNOWBALL | SLEET

TOBBAGAN | MITTENS | ICICLE | SNOWMAN | COAT

HIBERNATION | FROSTY | SLEDDING | BLIZZARD

Become the healthiest generation ever!

When you know more about your health and how to take care of it, you can be more, do more and have more fun — starting now!