Lifestyle Friday, March 18, 2016
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HEALTH
Avoiding sickness at school rests in your kids’ hands Tribune News Service
Do you every wonder why it seems like kids get sick at school so often? In the early school years, your child’s immune system is put to the test. Young children in large groups tend to easily spread organisms that cause illness. “Many childhood illnesses are caused by viruses,” says Mayo Clinic Health System family physician Dr. Tracy Warsing. “All it takes is a single child to bring a virus to school for the spread to begin.” What’s the best way to keep your child healthy in school? Frequent hand-washing is the simplest and most effective way to stay healthy. Remind your child to wash his or her hands before eating and after going to the bathroom, blowing his or her nose, or playing outside. Kids should soap up for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice. Warsing suggests these other tips for keeping kids healthy in school: • Give your child alcohol-based hand sanitizer to keep in his or her desk or backpack. Kids should use hand sanitizer before eating snacks or lunch and after using shared objects, such as a computer, pencil sharpener or water fountain. • Give your child a package of tissues to keep in his or her desk or backpack. Encourage your child to sneeze into a tissue. If a tissue is not available, he or she should cough or sneeze into the crook of his or her elbow. • Remind children to keep their hands away from their eyes and out of their mouths; hands are often covered in germs. • Remind children to not share water bottles, food or other personal items. Use this simple rule: If you put the item in your mouth, keep it to yourself. “Last but not least, it’s also important for your child to eat a healthy diet, get plenty of sleep and stay current on his or her vaccinations in order to help fend off illness causing organisms,” Warsing said.
DAY TRIP | MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
It’s a snap
A Lego bricklayer has put together some fantastic plastic for an exhibit in Chicago BY ANDREA MILLS amills@saukvalley.com 815-625-3600, ext. 5575
CHICAGO – Whether it’s step by step or brick by brick, there’s fun to be had at the Museum of Science and Industry. Its latest temporary exhibit, which opened March 10, is “Brick by Brick,” in which more than a dozen Lego versions of real-life landmarks, buildings and other famous sites highlight the painstaking work of a Lego laborer. Among them are the Golden Gate Bridge, Ping An Finance Center in China, Hoover Dam, the American Eagle roller coaster, St. Louis Gateway Arch, the International Space Station, and the Palace of Fine Arts, now known as the Museum of Science and Industry – and while the real deals have certainly claimed their fame, their imitations are impressive, too. The Lego Great Pyramid of Giza is about 12 feet long and took 50 hours to design and 45 hours to click its 24,000 bricks into place. Look closely, as the corners contain rare pieces that are no longer made. At 6 feet long, the Lego Roman Colosseum is made of 22,500 bricks and took 120 hours to design and 75 to put together. The Lego version of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, took “only” 16,500 bricks, a designing time of 45 hours and 60 hours of building time. All of these structures were created by Adam Reed Tucker, a Lego certified professional. “As I design and build, I gain a greater appreciation for the structure I am working on, and try to capture the essence of the building in its sculptural form,” he said in a news release. “My hope is that people looking at my work will also appreciate and learn about each architectural wonder and the creativity and imagination that’s possible with the Lego brick.” Visitors, be they adults or kids, can get their hands on some bricks and follow in Tucker’s footsteps. Several “challenges” are designed to bring out key principles of engineering, architecture, construction and, of course, fun. People can construct a Lego creation in a build area, or discover how to use engineering and machines to lift people. Guests can watch time-
If you go ...
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Adam Reed Tucker builds a Lego model of the Burj Khalifa. The original structure – the tallest building in the world – is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. lapse footage on how the both the real structures and their Lego counterparts came into existence, and can walk on an I-beam or test to see if structures can stand up to heavy winds or earthquakes. No, they don’t have to go through those actual disasters. The earthquakes are at a tremor table and the winds are in a tunnel. Things won’t be same-old, same-old here. Some Lego creations have an eye on the future, with designs to deal with changes in climate, increased population, and the availability of less water. Visitors who roll up their sleeves to play and create in this exhibit keep things different, too. They won’t be expected to spend 45 hours on their projects. They can just relax and build their own wonder of the world.
What: “Brick By Brick” When: Opened March 10 and runs through February 2017. Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. except Thanksgiving and Christmas Where: Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago Cost: Museum admission and exhibit cost available in Explorer packages: Explorer 1 costs $27, or $18 for ages 3 to 11, which includes admission to “Brick By Brick.” Other packages available Parking: $22, underground garage, northwest corner of the museum at East 57th Street and South Cornell Avenue Information: msichicago.org or 773-684-1414
This Lego model of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt took 50 hours of designing and 45 hours to build.
PARENTING
Doctor recommends letting Mother Nature babysit your kids for a while Tribune News Service
Kids should be spending less time staring at screens and more time getting grubby in the dirt. So says Dr. Maya ShetreatKlein, author of “The Dirt Cure: Growing Healthy Kids With Food Straight From Soil.” In the book, she writes about
the importance of exposing children to microbes in nature, whether it’s eating fresh food from healthy soil in the garden or playing outside. “It’s beneficial on so many levels,” she said. For example, children who spend 3 hours daily outdoors in natural light are more likely
to have perfect vision. More time in nature also correlates to better test performance. In Japan, they enjoy what’s called forest bathing, which is “essentially immersing yourself in the beauty of the forest.” “It boosts mood, people feel happier, it enhances focus,” she said. “They sleep better.”
So the next time you’re outside, take a deep breath – we can inhale microbes too. “It’s not like you have to do it one way,” she said. “That’s kind of the beauty of it.” Shetreat-Klein became increasingly concerned about this topic because children were getting more screen time
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and fewer school minutes for physical education. But, of course, getting outside doesn’t just apply to kids. She herself tries to get outside at least an hour each day. “All of the things that we’re talking about benefit adults tremendously as well,” she said.