Watermelon

Watermelon-Strawberry Lime Cooler

Recipe Information

Total Time: 5 minutes Servings: 2

Cool off with a great pink smoothie combo: watermelon and frozen strawberries make a wonderful slushy drink. A touch of lime and a sprig of mint give it a South of the Border twist.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen strawberries 4 cups cubed watermelon, seeds removed 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Mint sprigs, for garnish

Preparation

In a blender, combine the watermelon and strawberries. Add the lime juice and puree.

Serve immediately with mint sprigs for garnish.

Nutritional Information

222 calories, 1 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 8 mg. sodium, 56 g. carbohydrate, 4 g. fiber, 4 g. protein

Re-Wild

Your By: Ellen Bell

Child

My fondest memories from when I was a child are not playing games on my Switch, playing Fortnight with my friends, or binge-watching TV shows on Netflix. Instead, I remember playing pick-up games of basketball, building forts in the woods, and trying to catch fireflies that lit up the night sky. There are many differences between my childhood and that of a child today—one of the significant differences is the amount of time that is spent outdoors.

As you drive past the multiple playgrounds and neighborhood parks in Pensacola, all too many times, you notice they are unoccupied. Not only are the children missing from this scenario, but also the materials and environments that create challenges, imagination, and creativity that drive a child to want to play outside. The scarcity of well-rounded play environments is affecting children’s health and well- being. As adults, we need to support children’s imaginations, creative minds, and bodies with two simple things: nature and adventure.

The importance of outdoor play not only offers opportunities for freedom, choice, and fewer routines but opportunities to expand a child’s imagination as well. Unfortunately, it has become extremely common to decrease the amount of free play and increase the number of structured play activities. Our inability to cross over this barrier is affecting children in many developmental areas, such as increases in anxiety and depression, as well as difficulties with emotional control and regulation. Medical conditions like diabetes, asthma, and obesity have also increased in younger ages. Children who do not have access to outdoor play will miss out on the many benefits that free play in a natural environment has to offer.

When children can play with freedom, they are more likely to engage in higher levels of social interaction, cognitive skills such as decision-making and reasoning, and empathy. In turn, they are less likely to be inattentive, anxious or depressed, and unhealthy.

Sunshine: Our bodies need sun. As the children play outside, their bodies are soaking up all of the sunshine, and turning it into Vitamin D. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in many body processes from bone development all the way to our immune system, healthy sleep, and our mood. Our bodies work best when they receive a little bit of sunshine every day.

Exercise: Children and young adults should be active for at least one hour a day. Unfortunately, today’s society is less concerned with the value of play and more concerned with academics. Schools are decreasing or doing away with recess time together. One way to encourage not only exercise but creative play as well is to incorporate a bike or a ball into the activity. This is one way to ensure that children are getting the exercise that they need.

Executive Function: If you are not familiar with the term “Executive Function,” this is simply a term describing the skills that help us to plan, prioritize, troubleshoot, and multitask that are crucial for success in day-to-day life.

Six Reasons Children Need to Play Outside:

Taking Risks: All too often, we hear adults saying, “Don’t pick that up,” “Don’t go too far,” or “Be careful.” However, children need to take risks. I know this may make many parents anxious, but if we don’t let them take risks, they won’t know what they can do. By allowing children to take risks, we are teaching them to be successful, as well as teaching them lessons about learning from their failures.

Socialization: Children need to learn how to work together. If children only interact in a structured play setting, such as organized sports, they will not learn everything they need to know. By allowing them to play in a free environment, we are allowing children to learn how to treat people on their own.

Appreciation of Nature: If a child grows up never having walked in the woods, digging in the soil, or seeing animals/insects in their habitat, they may never really know what it is to be wild. Do what your parents told you to do and go outside!

We must create environments that allow children to exercise their right to play free. Include materials that are fun, engaging, and challenging. When children are allowed to play outdoors and make decisions for themselves, it will lift their spirits, make them love playing again, and ultimately make them happier and healthier.