What’s Involved in Becoming a Camp Counselor?

When it comes to summer jobs, camp counselor is a viable and respectable job for teens. If you think you might be interested in becoming a camp counselor, you may have some questions. While just about anyone can become a counselor, it’s not necessarily for everyone.

Following is some information that should help answer your questions as to what’s involved in becoming a camp counselor.

Are You a “People Person”?
If you are going to be a camp counselor, you’re going to be around people – all day, every day. And some camps last the whole summer, or at least a good part of it. That’s one of the most basic things to consider, but it’s important. If you feel worn out after a whole day with people, then being a camp counselor may not be for you.

First Aid
To be a good counselor, you should know basic first aid and CPR. You can learn this pretty easily; check with your doctor, local hospital, or local Red Cross.

Roughing It
Let’s face it – if you don’t like the outdoors, being a camp counselor might be a real drag. If you love the outdoors, then you may revel in your duties. Camp counselors generally live with the campers in the same accommodations, and you’ll spend a lot of time outdoors leading camp activities. If you have camping experience, all the better.

Enthusiasm
Being a camp counselor takes energy. In some ways, you’ll act as a cheerleader for your campers, encouraging and supporting. It takes energy and a positive attitude to be effective.

Do You Enjoy Kids?
If you are used to being around kids – maybe you enjoy babysitting – then being a camp counselor may be like an extension of that. Babysitting experience is actually a plus when you apply for camp counselor jobs, because it shows that you have experience being responsible for kids.

Planning
Being a camp counselor means you’ll need to plan. Counselors have to plan activities for the campers like games, hiking, swimming, and so forth, and also plan and oversee responsibilities like cleaning and setting up. You have to plan for safety, too – camp counselors need to make sure the campers are safe during all activities. This kind of planning is great experience and looks good on a resume and/or job application. But if you are not sure how to plan and manage time and activities, then being a camp counselor may not work for you (or it could act as good training ground if you want to learn how to plan).

Water Exercise for Seniors

Water exercise has a reputation for providing benefits for all participants. But there are some benefits that may be specific to seniors, sources say. Here are some of the particular benefits that older adults may experience with water exercise.

1. Increased Metabolism
One of the problems that some seniors experience is a loss of energy. They may long for a time when they had the energy to get up and get going, but they just don’t have it now. Part of this sense of sluggishness might be due to a slowing down of the metabolism that may occur as you age. Long-term studies have shown that water exercise (particularly water aerobics) increases seniors’ metabolism, which has the potential to positively affect energy levels.

2. Psychological Benefits
Another affliction that sometimes haunts seniors is depression. Given the mind-body connection that so much research supports, it’s no wonder that improving one’s health boosts mood. But for seniors, sometimes the exercise required to get their mood up is just too strenuous, difficult, or otherwise out of reach. Water exercise, on the other hand, is usually easy to pick up and results tend to be rapid and noticeable. This gives senior participants a much-needed sense of accomplishment and improvement, which in turn helps motivate them to keep exercising. It has the potential to become a positive feedback loop!

3. Independence
As adults age, they may begin to lose some of their independence. Aches and pains may set in, preventing mobility and requiring more and more reliance on others for basic activities. Being out of shape is a contributing factor to loss of independence in seniors, say experts. Therefore, getting in shape and becoming physically fit may improve independence.

4. Social Benefits
Seniors who participate in water exercise tend to exhibit a positive outlook and self-image, and therefore they are more likely to participate in their local community and its attending events. For seniors struggling with the loss of family and friends, this boost into community involvement can have significant social benefits, both mentally and emotionally. And let’s not forget the water aerobics classes themselves – seniors can interact with the others in the class, making it as much a social outlet as a fitness routine.

5. Arthritis
One of the most common and painful ailments among seniors is arthritis. Experts report that seniors who participate in water exercise experience a decrease in joint pain and an increase in mobility. This is likely due to water’s unique structure – it provides buoyancy and support, taking the stress and strain off of joints, and the resistance water offers is far greater than air. This means muscles and tissue work harder than the joints to move the limbs. The increased muscle tone, then, may help support the joints better overall, helping reduce pain.

Water Exercise vs. Water Aerobics – What’s the Difference?

Have you heard of water aerobics but not water exercise? Or maybe the reverse is true. Many people assume that any exercise performed in water is only for elderly people, or for those with physical problems. While water exercise and aerobics are great for those groups, it’s for others, too. New innovations in water exercise and expansions in the types of workouts offered have broadened the appeal of exercise done in water. There is something for all kinds of age groups and fitness levels, whether it’s water exercise or water aerobics.

There is a difference between the two. The fact that aquatic exercise has expanded recently has acted to divide the activities into two main categories.

Here is an explanation of water exercise and water aerobics, and their differences.

1. Water Aerobics or Aquatic Aerobics
Water aerobics are basically like a land aerobics class. Lasting about 30 to 45 minutes, participants do a range of aerobics exercises. The workout is low-impact by nature, because the water provides so much buoyancy that your joints do not get stressed, even with exercises that involve jumping.

Water aerobics are generally considered safe for most levels of fitness, although you want to make sure you choose one that fits your individual level. They are also good for burning calories and overall weight loss; the resistance offered by the water provides an additional challenge and augments calorie burning, sources say.

Cardiovascular health is also said to be enhanced by water aerobics. The heart rate is raised but stress is reduced – studies have shown that exercise in water reduces stress. So the combination of a raised heart rate and reduced stress may be ideal for someone recovering from a heart ailment or who otherwise has a compromised cardiovascular system. (Of course, it’s good for those with “normal” cardiovascular health, too!)

Flexibility is enhanced by water aerobics, say experts. This is probably due to the support water offers – you can move joints in a wider range of motion when water helps hold you up.

2. Water Exercise or Aquatic Exercise
Water exercise is generally more about strength training and target toning. It describes the actual exercises that are aimed at improving muscle tone and strength. Water exercise makes full use of the resistance of water – it’s basically resistance and strengthening exercise. Water exercise, like water aerobics, is low-impact.

Legs are strengthened and toned with exercises like squats, where you bend your knees and hips while holding on to the edge of the pool. Running, walking, and jogging in the water are also components of water exercise.

Upper body strengthening might involve pushing a buoyant ball under the water repeatedly, or using weights to tone arms.

Both water aerobics and water exercise are viable, healthful ways to exercise in water.

Types of Water-Based Exercise – a Guide

You have probably heard of water-based exercise (aka aquatic exercise, water aerobics, etc.). But did you know there are types of exercise developed specifically for the water? Here is a brief guide to introduce and explain some of the types of water-based exercise.

1. Squats
This exercise does not involve the use of weights. It’s a good warm-up or beginning exercise, or it can also work at the end of your routine. Here’s how you do it.

Standing in chest-level water, place your hands on the side of the pool. With your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees until the water comes up to your neck. Then go back up. Repeat this 10 to 40 times, depending on your level.

Squats are good toning exercise in land and water. In water, you may find them easier due to the water’s buoyancy – you don’t have as much concern about keeping your balance.

2. Tip-Toes
You will be in chest-deep water for this exercise, too. This is good for the calf muscles and ankle joints, and may help with arthritis in the joints of the lower body. Here’s how to do it.

As you stand with your hands on the side of the pool, roll up onto the balls of your feet, pause for a moment, then go back down on your heels. That’s all! Repeat 20 to 40 times.

3. Scissors
You’ll need a circular flotation device for this. Place the flotation ring around your middle with your arms up and over it. As you float in the middle of the device, move your feet apart as far as they can go, and then back to the middle. You will feel your muscles in your inner thighs working as you move your feet in, and the muscles in your upper thighs working to move your feet outward. Repeat 20 to 40 times.

4. Floating Kicks
While you still have the flotation device around your middle and your arms free, you can move into floating kicks. Lean backward with your arms resting on the flotation device. Then move your legs out in front of you in a series of small kicks (flutter kicks). Repeat 20 to 40 times.

5. Bicycle the Legs
In the same position you were in for the floating kicks, move your legs in a bicycle motion. Do 20 to 40 sets of bicycling the legs.

6. Push-Pull
Use waterproof dumbbells for this exercise. Hold one dumbbell in each hand. Take one step forward with one leg (for the sake of clarity, let’s say the right leg). Then push the right dumbbell forward while pulling back the dumbbell in your right hand. Then take a step with your left leg, push the dumbbell forward in your left hand, and pull back the one in your right. Repeat for 40 sets.

Types of Water Aerobics – Find the Right One for You

Are you looking at water aerobics as a form of regular exercise? If so, finding the right type for you is a good idea. Here are some of the types of water aerobics.

1. Land Exercises
Doing land exercises in the water gives them a whole new twist. Generally speaking, land exercises done in water have a different effect on the body than they do when done on land. Water provides support and resistance, creating an environment entirely different than air. This means these traditional land exercises may provide more strengthening and benefits. Some of the land exercises you can do in water include the following.

-Jumping Jacks
Do these like you would jumping jacks on land – just make sure no one is nearby who doesn’t want to be splashed!

-Squats
You can do these in the water, too – in chest-high water, bend your knees until the water comes up to your neck. It’s a good idea to hold onto the side of the pool.

-Kickboxing
The moves involved in kickboxing are said to have significant benefits, even over and beyond the benefits of doing them on land. Water helps you keep your balance, too.

-Bicycling
Leaning back against the side of the pool or flotation device, you can move your legs in a bicycle motion for a great aerobic workout.

2. Water-Specific Exercises
Some exercises can only be done in water, and they have particular benefits and uses. Here are some of them.

-Moguls
Moguls are aerobic exercises that involve jumping backward, forward, and side-to-side, all while your feet are together. Think skiing – when a skier goes down a hill, he or she moves the legs side to side and bends at the hips, but the feet stay together on the skis. Moguls are said to be very good for the legs.

-Tuck and Hold
This exercise works the core muscles. You pull your knees up to your chest and try to stay floating as long as you can without getting out of the position.

3. Swimming
In all this discussion about water exercise, it’s easy to overlook the obvious – swimming! If you are not good at swimming long distances, start doing what you can. Slowly increase the distance or number of laps around the pool each time to gradually increase your endurance.

Learning different strokes is also a good way to work different areas of the body in addition to endurance training.

Tips on Getting Started with Water Aerobics

Are you interested in getting started with water aerobics? Join the club! Water aerobics and water exercise are a popular and healthful way to get fit. Water aerobics helps those with mobility problems such as arthritis or muscle strain, and it has been shown to help reduce stress.

Sometimes, though, it’s not easy to know where to begin. It may even seem a little intimidating. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you get started with water aerobics.

1. What Types of Aerobics Are There?
Depending on where you decide to take your classes, you will find various types of water aerobics available. Here is a general overview.

-Shallow routines are performed in the shallow end of the pool. Broadly speaking, exercises done in shallow water are less intense than those done in deeper water. Within the shallow routines, there will be various levels, so make sure you are honest with yourself about your level. Shallow routines usually involve aerobics-like moves and exercises.

-Deep water routines are done at the other end of the pool. For these, you will need some type of equipment to help you stay afloat, from kickboards to buoyancy belts. Buoyancy belts help you stay upright to do various exercises.

-Equipment may be supplied by the class or you may need to bring your own. It’s a good idea to find out ahead of time what’s needed.

2. What do You Do?
As you look into water aerobics, you may be wondering just what a class looks like. Most of the time, a water aerobics class starts with warming up, such as treading water or some light swimming. Others may begin with walking in the water. Then you will usually do some stretching as you cool off.

The actual exercises done in water aerobics vary quite a bit, but generally speaking you will probably do some variation of jumping jacks, marching, kicking, and jogging to work the lower body, and some form of pull-ups, weight lifting, and push-downs (instead of push-ups) to work the upper body. Core muscles are sometimes worked using balance exercises or the tuck-and-float, where you tuck your knees up to your chest and stay afloat as long as possible.

3. Safety
It bears repeating that you should only choose a class that is on par with your fitness level. It’s safer to move up to a more challenging class than it is to risk injury or other problems in a too-advanced class. Other safety tips include the following.

-See your doctor before beginning an aerobics class. He or she can give you a physical and make sure you are a good candidate for this form of exercise.

-Know how to swim – water aerobics is not swimming class, but it is in water and you should know how to handle yourself in a pool before beginning. Besides, many water aerobics classes begin with swimming to warm up.

-Lifeguards should be available during class – make sure one is there.

-Walk carefully around the pool, as the wet surfaces can get very slippery.

Tips for Teens – Finding the Right Summer Job for You

So you need a summer job. For teens to find the right summer job, it can sometimes be challenging to find the right one. It helps to take an honest assessment of your abilities, interests, and strengths. It’s a good idea to start your assessment and other research early; it’s competitive out there!

Here are some tips for finding the right summer job for you.

1. What Are Your Goals?
As you begin your research process, it’s a good idea to define your goals. Why do you want a job? What do you hope to gain from it? Is there any other reason besides just earning money? If possible, try to find a job that augments and supports a greater goal – do you have career aspirations toward art, writing, zoology, engineering, etc.? If so, try to find a summer job that has at least something to do with that career. Working in a library, for instance, might be great for someone interested in a career in publishing, writing, or even history.

If you have a lot of interests, try to narrow them down. Not all interests can be turned into a career; they would best be kept as hobbies perhaps. You might want to garner the help of an adult – even a professional career counselor – to help you sort out which skills and interests are “marketable” and which ones are not.

2. Be Flexible
As you are defining your goals and interests, it is a good idea to be a bit flexible. After all, not every job will have something directly to do with your future. And when you think about it, any job is an enhancement to your resume and future career goals. If you want to be an ornithologist, for instance, but there aren’t any bird-related jobs near you, you could take a job at a local retail store with the understanding that you are gaining experience in time and money management which are crucial skills for any job.

3. Be Willing to Volunteer
Sometimes, teens have to make a choice between earning right now and furthering their long-term goals. There may be a volunteer position available in your field of interest, but all the paying jobs are irrelevant to your career goals. Discuss this with your parents and find out just how important it is to earn money this summer. If you present really thoughtful, logical reasons for taking a volunteer position, your family may support you in that.

4. Resources
In the old days, the classified ads and word of mouth were about the only resource available for teens seeking jobs. Those are still very important resources; but today there’s more. You can get online and join a job board for teens in business or seeking work. You can even set up your own blog or website and promote your skills and career goals.

Tips and Ideas for Celebrating Independence Day

For many people, celebrating Independence Day consists of trekking to the nearest fireworks display, and then going home. That’s okay, but there is so much more you can do to celebrate America’s birthday! Here are some tips and ideas for celebrating Independence Day.

1. The Great American Barbecue
Having a cookout or barbecue is a great way to celebrate Independence Day. Break out the skewers and make beef kabobs, or cook actual pork barbecue and serve it up on buns. Side dishes might include macaroni salad, potato salad, or coleslaw; dessert could be a festive cake (with sparkler candles!) or ice cream. Of course, apple pie is an American classic as well. Serve lemonade to drink. Invite friends, family and neighbors if your grill is big enough!

2. Commemorate the Holiday
Here’s an important tip for Independence Day celebrations – remembering what it’s all about. That’s easy to forget. You could celebrate by reading segments of the Declaration of Independence aloud, and attending or putting on a play or skit depicting some of the events leading up to the first Independence Day.

3. Decorations
As you plan your celebrations, don’t forget decorations. Red, white, and blue streamers are a must – but make sure they are secure if you’re decorating outside. Littering is not patriotic! Red, white, and blue tea lights in clear holders are festive, and balloons in patriotic colors are also celebratory.

Patio lights in patriotic colors are fun, too. If you can only find white lights, you can use blue and red cellophane to cover segments of the lights.

4. Games
Playing all-American games is a fun way to celebrate. Here are some ideas for yard games you can play to celebrate Independence Day.

-Horseshoes (make sure to evoke Paul Revere!)
-American football
-Frisbee
-Baseball

Make up your own patriotic games. Maybe a history trivia game would be in order, or a game of “guess the signer of the Declaration.” Participants could be in character and read something written by a particular founding father (or founding mother!) while guests try to guess who he or she is.

5. The Flag
Independence Day is certainly a good day for flying the flag. Put it out first thing in the morning and let it fly all day. Gather around it for singing, reading, or other appropriate activities. If you don’t have one, make one. You can begin your celebration with a recitation of the Pledge, too, if you like.

6. Take a Day Trip
Why not take a day trip and visit historic sites? That’s a creative way to celebrate the day, even if the sites are not directly related to Independence Day.

Therapeutic Water Exercise for Various Conditions

Water exercise is used as a therapeutic treatment for all sorts of disorders and conditions. There are various reasons for this – water provides support and buoyancy where air does not. For some people with chronic and/or temporary health conditions, exercising in the air may be too painful and/or difficult. Because of this difficulty, those with health conditions may refrain from exercising at all, which may make their physical problems worse.

What health conditions can be helped by aquatic exercise? Here are some of them that, according to research, respond positively to water exercise.

1. Osteoarthritis
If you have osteoarthritis, movement of any sort can be very painful. Depending on where your pain is located and which joints are affected, the impact and motion involved in exercising can be excruciating. Hard floors, even with pads, may make even gentle exercises like Yoga painful. But water exercise reduces the pull of gravity on your body and joints, and you no longer have to bear all of your own weight when standing and/or moving.

The fact that you don’t have to support your own weight or and weight of your limbs helps a great deal with balance and range of motion. For example, if you have osteoarthritis in your hips, moving your leg out, up, and so forth means you have to strain your muscles to hold up your leg. This limits how much motion and movement your joint receives. With aquatic exercise, your leg would be supported by the buoyancy of the water, allowing your hip joint to move in a greater range of motion with less strain.

2. High Blood Pressure and Heart Recovery
Sources say that the heart rate maintained during water exercise is actually a lower rate than during the same amount of time spent doing exercise on land. In other words, half an hour of any exercise gets your heart rate up; it just tends to be a slightly lower number of beats per minute when the exercise is in the water. What does this have to do with high blood pressure? As it turns out, this “gentle” way of raising the heart rate is less stressful for those recovering from heart surgery – the heart gets exercise, but without too much strain too soon.

High blood pressure may benefit from this slower raised heart rate as well. In addition, water exercise has been shown to reduce stress, which can be a significant benefit for those with high blood pressure.

3. Diabetes
Various reports say that water exercise reduces blood glucose and reduces the risk of those complications that sometimes accompany diabetes, such as high blood pressure and poor circulation. Water exercise is purported to be an effective treatment for diabetes as well as a preventative for those not yet diagnosed (or diagnosed with a pre-diabetic condition).

Many diabetics struggle with their weight, and water exercise helps burn calories (especially due to the resistance of the water). More calories burned than calories taken in means weight loss. That’s not all – the support offered by water helps ease the discomfort of moving an overweight body during exercise.

4. Muscle Injury
Without the strain of supporting the body’s weight, muscle injury is said to be more effectively treated. Muscles can be targeted and toned without as much strain on the joint and skeleton. Also, flexibility is enhanced and promoted during water exercise since your range of motion is increased. Sources say that water exercise increases circulation all over, and working the specific muscle that’s been injured can increase the circulation right where it counts.

Teen Lifeguards – What’s Involved

Being a lifeguard can be a rewarding and fun summer job for teens. It also requires a great deal of responsibility – lifeguards do what their name suggests, which is guard lives! As a lifeguard, you may save someone’s life. That’s a big responsibility.

So what’s involved in being a teen lifeguard this summer? Here is some information to help you understand more about this popular summer job.

Be Alert
Lifeguards can not be easily distracted. You have to be alert and aware at all times; when it comes to drowning and injury, a few seconds and minutes can make the difference between life and death. You may go for days, weeks, and months without a single incident, but that does not mean you can let your guard down.

Boredom
Being a lifeguard offers lots of perks and opportunities (more on those later). But it can get boring sitting by the pool or beach side all day. You may not be the type of person who gets bored easily, though, so for you that may not be an issue. But if you are the kind of person who needs music or other diversions in order to keep from being bored, lifeguarding may not be your thing.

Advantages
As a lifeguard, you get to hobnob “behind the scenes” with the pool personnel or beach management. Successfully working as a lifeguard also looks good on your resume, opening the door for other jobs down the road. Another advantage to being a lifeguard is keeping fit. Not all summer jobs offer the opportunity to stay in shape. Also, you can socialize with your friends at the pool when you take breaks, and you will have free (usually) access to the pool or beach.

The Less-Glamorous Side
Like all jobs, being a lifeguard means you may have some not-so-glamorous responsibilities, such as cleaning the pool and the pool bathrooms. As a staff member, you will have various responsibilities in and around the pool or beach. You may also be called on to clean the pool area or beach, add chemicals to the pool water and test it, and to take classes to keep you skills sharp.

Accident Prevention
One of a lifeguard’s main duties is to prevent accidents and risky situations. This means you’ll need a keen eye and sharp observation skills, and a little intuition doesn’t hurt. There’s no room for slacking off when you’re a lifeguard. Also, you’ll need to be unafraid to enforce rules and speak up – you can’t be timid.

To prevent accidents effectively, you also need to be a good swimmer. The more you swim during the year, the better qualified you’ll be.

Are Summer Internships Worth It?

Summer internships – specifically, unpaid internships – offer benefits and drawbacks. Are you a teen who is considering taking on an unpaid internship? Are you the parent of a teen who is thinking about doing an internship? As you consider what is best to do, here are some pros and cons to keep in mind and consider whether or not summer internships are worth it.

1. Pros
Here are some of the positive aspects of an unpaid internship this summer.

-Testing the Waters
As a teen, you may be pretty sure you know what you want to do for a living, or you may not have any idea. Or maybe you are a teen who has lots of interests and you’re having trouble knowing which interest to focus on for a career. An unpaid internship allows you to explore various career options and find out what certain careers look like. You may think you want to be a lawyer, for instance; doing an internship might inspire you even more to go into that field, or it may reveal things about that career that you know won’t work for you.

-Networking
The importance of connections in your chosen field can not be overemphasized. So many jobs are obtained through word of mouth, or because you know someone (who knows someone…). An internship establishes you as a viable participant in your field, and it will put your name into the consciousness of that career. The more people you know in your chosen field (and the better a reputation you have), the more opportunities will present themselves in the future.

-Advice
Learning from others is probably the best way to decide whether a job is right for you. You can learn tips and tricks in your field of interest by working and hobnobbing with people who are successful in that field. People “in the know” can give you excellent advice and success tips.

2. Cons
There are downsides to taking on an unpaid internship. Here are some to consider.

-No Money
It’s obvious, of course, but it’s an important con to put out on the table. The money you may make from your internship is locked up in the future, and may not come to fruition. So you’ll have to do something else to earn money this summer or go without.

Another money-related con – you may have some expenses when you do an internship. Gas and food are minimal expenses; you may also have to pay for lodging.

-Hard Work
Let’s face it – internships involve hard work. This is not necessarily a con, but it’s something potentially negative to consider since you won’t be getting paid for that hard work.

Do You Need Special Equipment for Water Aerobics?

The answer to the above question is yes and no – you don’t really need special equipment for basic water aerobics, but for certain exercises, you do need special equipment. It does not have to be complicated, but adding on certain items can enhance your water aerobic workout. Here are some examples of the equipment you might use in water aerobics, and the particular exercises that require this equipment.

1. Noodles
Noodles are quite versatile. They are hollow tubes of stiff, lightweight foam. They may be ridged on the outside or smooth. They can be cut to various lengths, bent into U-shapes, and used in all sorts of ways.

Noodles are usually used in an exercise called water jogging. In water jogging, your feet don’t hit the bottom of the pool, so you need to be floating in deep water up to your shoulders. Noodles provide the flotation necessary to perform the exercise.

Abdominal exercises may also make use of the noodle. Pushing the noodle down under the water by bending forward works the abs.

2. Buoyancy Belt
A buoyancy belt is worn around the waist and helps you stay upright in the water. If used correctly, the buoyancy belt holds you upright in the water so that your hands and legs are free, and your feet need not touch the bottom of the pool.

Water jogging can also be done with a buoyancy belt, as can jumping jacks, weight lifting, and any exercise that requires you to be upright.

3. Dumbbells and Weights
For upper body workouts, dumbbells and weights can enhance the experience. Dumbbells are held in the hands; weights are strapped to the wrists. Because of the decrease in weight in the water, some people like to strap weights to their ankles as well.

Exercises like push-and-pull, biceps and triceps curls, and other toning exercises can be done with weights in the hands or on the wrists. Water jogging, kicking, scissor-kicks, and other lower-body exercises can be made more challenging and effective with ankle weights.

4. Kickboards
Kickboards are great for lower leg workouts. You can kick your way around the pool, or remain stationary while kicking. You can vary your kicks to work different muscle groups – frog kicks, flutter kicks, etc.

5. Gloves
For added resistance in the water, water aerobics gloves have webbed fingers. They have an additional benefit, too – they prevent the wrinkling and “prune hands” from a long time in the water!

Safety Tips for Enjoying Fireworks this Independence Day

Enjoying the fireworks is one of the most fun things about Independence Day. They are spectacular for all ages, but they are especially enchanting for kids. No matter where you decide to attend the fireworks in your community, safety is still a consideration, as is everyone’s comfort level. Here are some safety tips for enjoying fireworks this Independence Day.

1. Is Everyone Ready?
Not everyone is ready to watch fireworks at the same age. Remember, fireworks are not only watched – they’re heard as well. And babies, small children, and pet dogs may get very upset at the loud noise. Upset kids and pets are not conducive to a fun outing for anyone! So make sure your kids are old enough to enjoy the whole show, noise included.

2. Avoiding Damage to Your Ears
Even if you’re ready to handle the loud noise of fireworks, inexpensive, soft earplugs are a good idea. Just because you or your kids can “take” the noise without a problem doesn’t mean your ears won’t experience damage. Earplugs can be put in just as the show begins and taken out as soon as it’s over.

3. Be Prepared
If you are walking or driving to an outdoor area to view the fireworks, it’s not a bad idea to take along some things that will make your outing more comfortable and enjoyable. Here are some suggestions.

-A light wrap in case the night is cool and to keep bugs off
-Insect repellent
-Drinks
-Portable chairs
-Snacks
-Some entertainment like books or portable games to pass the time before the fireworks start
-Blanket or towels to sit on in addition to or instead of chairs

Also, it’s a good idea to scope out the nearest bathroom facility beforehand. If there isn’t one, make sure everyone goes before you leave. (Nearby restaurants are a good option, too.)

4. Sparklers at Home
As long as it’s legal (sparklers usually are), you can set them off at your own house. (Make sure you are considerate of the neighbors!) To make this as safe and fun as possible, have a bucket full of water handy as you begin. You can toss used matches and the sparklers themselves into the bucket, and you have a quantity of water available if you need to grab it. Only set the sparklers off in a concrete or asphalt area, such as a clear driveway or low-traffic neighborhood road. Don’t set them off in a grassy yard or near brush.

Observing a few safety precautions helps make Independence Day fireworks a fun and enjoyable event.

Pros and Cons of Summer Jobs for Teens

Should your teen (or you, if you are a teen!) get a summer job? There are thoughts to be considered on both sides. Here are some considerations for you to think about.

1. Pros
First, let’s look at the benefits of summer jobs for teens.

-Money
Let’s face it; the major reason for getting a summer job is, for many teens, earning money. There are lots of reasons why teens need money – some are paying for college, others are saving up for a special item, still others want to start a savings account or just have spending money for a fun social life. Regardless of the reason(s), earning your own money is definitely a pro of getting a summer job.

-Confidence and Independence
Having a job gives many teens a sense of confidence – you’re in the adult world when you’re working, and it’s understandable that you would feel accomplished and confident after holding a job. You have shown that you can do it and hold your own. And earning your own money and being away from home every day (or several days a week) also fosters a sense of independence.

-Your Future
Holding a job can help teens figure out where they want to go in their careers. You may find something you really dislike about the field you thought you wanted to go into, or you might be surprised at the kind of work you end up enjoying. Holding a summer job helps teens figure out where their strengths and weaknesses are.

2. Cons
There are some down sides to having a summer job. Here are some of them to think about.

-Suffering Social Life
Research shows that teens who work have a job tend to have trouble keeping up with extracurricular activities and activities with their friends. Even though you’re earning money that may allow you to go out, it can be hard to find time for friends when you have the responsibilities of a job.

-Not Ready
If you’re not ready to enter the workforce, forcing yourself to get a job anyway might result in a negative view of work. You really don’t want to approach life hating work! It can make your future more challenging if you have to overcome that. So make sure you’re mature enough to have a job, or choose a job that fits your level of maturity. For some, that may mean doing web design from home or walking neighbors’ dogs.

-Stress
Yes, jobs can be stressful. For some teens, summer provides much-needed “down time” after the stress of school. Jumping right into a job may not give you a chance to decompress and re-focus.

Party Games! Enjoy Independence Day with Fun and Games

When it comes to Independence Day parties, you may not be thinking about games. But games are what make any party fun, and there are some great ones for Independence Day! From traditional to creative to funny, here are some ideas for enjoying Independence Day with fun and games. Don’t forget to give out prizes!

1. Balloon Toss
For a hot July day or evening, balloon toss is just the thing to cool everyone off. Use red, white, and blue balloons. Fill them with water and tie them off. Put the balloons in plastic laundry bins or something similar. Divide guests up into teams of two. Each team chooses one balloon. Each group of two starts out close together, tossing the balloon back and forth. After each successful toss, the pair takes a step backward. The winner is the group who moves the farthest apart without breaking the balloon.

2. Pass the Coin
For this game, you’ll need dance music. Everyone gets in a circle, and everyone is handed a penny. One person gets a button. Then, start the music. Everyone passes the coins back and forth, exchanging them with one another. Someone will end up with the button. Stop the music, and the person with the button goes to the middle of the circle. Start the music and coin/button exchange again, while the person in the middle has to dance to the music. This is fun with kids and adults.

3. Horseshoes
Maybe you can remember Paul Revere as you do this game. If you can find red, white, and blue horseshoes, all the better (but they’re not necessary). Horseshoes work well for all ages; kids can stand closer to the peg.

4. Independence Day Bingo
Buy or design your own July 4th bingo game. Use red, white, and blue buttons or beads (or anything else in appropriate colors!) for the markers. Bingo boards can have Independence Day themes in the squares, such as the American flag, fireworks, the Declaration of Independence, etc.

5. Hay/Straw Bale Maze
With a bunch of straw bales, you can construct a really fun maze. Make a simple one for kids – only 1 or 2 bales high, for instance – and a more challenging one for adults. American flags can be used to mark key intersections, or guests have to find all the flags in the maze before they can come out.

6. Hopscotch Meets Texting
Draw a telephone keypad on pavement with chalk. Then, using a bouncy ball, have guests spell things by bouncing the ball on the corresponding “key” while calling out the letter. What should the guests spell? For kids, they could just spell words and it could be a fun spelling bee. For adults, maybe answers to trivia questions could be spelled out. It’s a creative game that you can design to fit your party.

Internet-Based Jobs for Teens

The face of summer jobs for teens is changing. For parents, summer jobs meant babysitting and lawn-mowing, or maybe walking dogs or working at a burger joint. Those are certainly still viable jobs for teens, but now there is another opportunity for teens to earn money this summer: internet-based jobs.

Using the internet to earn money can take various forms. You might post on a job board to find work “in real life,” or you might write articles online for clients and employers who exist only in cyberspace.

Here are some of the internet-based jobs for teens, and various ways to approach this modern opportunity.

1. Online Job Boards
There are job boards online specifically for teens. Even those that aren’t geared directly toward teens may have a section for this age group, or it may just be a general board. Some of these job boards charge a small fee, sometimes monthly, and you’ll need a PayPal account or credit card to sign up.

2. Writing Articles
Writing has a whole new realm these days. Years ago, the only way to make a living writing articles was to write for a print medium, such as magazines and newspapers (you can still do this too, of course). Now, however, there is a need for information like never before. When you search online, for instance, you look for information on a subject. Someone had to type that information out for you to be reading it! Why shouldn’t it be you?

For summer work, it’s probably best to go for temporary types of writing. Short, web content style articles are a good option. You can simply search “content sites hiring writers” (or something similar) online, and see who’s hiring. You may also look into writing blog posts for blog owners who don’t have the time or ability to write their own posts. The pay is not always high, but usually the articles are quick to write. If you can write 5 to 10 articles or posts a day, it can make some decent money.

3. Web Design
Many teens can help other online business owners by setting up their websites and designing them. You could charge an hourly rate or flat fee for your services, and also offer packages (website set up and logo design, for instance). Some clients may only want your services for a particular part of their website, such as adding a banner or header. Others might want the whole thing done from start to finish. Either way, this is a potentially lucrative area in the realm of internet-based jobs.

Things to Be Aware of (Scams)
Unfortunately, the internet has opened up new opportunities for scams, too. Here are some tips to help you avoid falling for scams and identity thieves.

-Beware of promises of “easy money.” For instance, no legitimate company is going to pay you $250 to write a paragraph reviewing a product with no strings attached.

-Initial outlays of cash are sometimes legit and sometimes not. Sometimes, the person who owns the website asking you to pay a fee is an online worker, too; other times they are scammers. A good way to check is to type in the name of the website or company into your browser along with the word “scam” or “reviews.” Then you’ll see what others have experienced with this site or company.

Independence Day on the Water – Celebrate Responsibly and Have Fun

One of the more popular ways to celebrate Independence Day is on the water. It’s fun to go out on a boat or pontoon and enjoy the fireworks with their shimmering reflections on the water. To get the most out of your night on the water, though, it’s important to observe some safety precautions. Here are some tips on how to celebrate responsibly and have fun.

1. Drinking and Boating Don’t Mix
According to sources, almost 30% of boating fatalities are the direct result of alcohol use. It goes without saying that the driver of the boat should not be drinking; but intoxicated passengers can certainly get themselves in trouble (or worse), too. In fact, in some areas, Coast Guard law enforcement is on patrol, and they can and do hone in on intoxicated boaters and impose fines and penalties on the federal and state levels. So play it safe – bring colas or non-alcoholic bubbly drinks on board.

2. Respect the Safety Zone
Expect to see a safety zone established on the water, usually enforced by law enforcement officials or the local fire department. Be sure to respect this zone; it exists for a reason. If you’re too close the fireworks, burns and fires may result.

3. Lifejackets
Children under the age of 12 should wear lifejackets or PFDs (personal flotation device), even if they know how to swim. Anyone who can’t swim should wear a PFD regardless of age.

4. Lighting
It’s important that other boats be able to see your boat, and this can prove difficult on a dark waterway. If you don’t have running lights on your boat, use inexpensive glow sticks such as you might use for camping.

5. Watch the Weather
Depending on your location, summer weather can turn stormy on short notice. Watching the sky in the dark is difficult (and sometimes impossible), so bring along a battery-operated weather radio (with fresh batteries) to keep tabs on what’s happening in the sky. These days, most people just tune in to the weather online using their mobile device; but unpredictable factors such as batteries running down and lack of internet access mean it’s a good idea to have a backup plan!

If the weather seems “iffy,” or if there is lightning, it’s not a good idea to go out on the water.

6. Be Courteous
Waterways can get crowded on Independence Day. Be considerate and courteous to the other boaters on the water, such as making sure you pass with at least 4 feet between you and the other craft. Be sure not to put any boaters at risk.

Independence Day Cookout Menu and Recipe Ideas

One of the most popular ways to celebrate Independence Day is with a cookout. If you’re planning a cookout or barbecue, you might be looking for some menu ideas and recipes. Read on – following is a list of suggestions for classic main courses, drinks, desserts, and so forth for your cookout.

1. Grilled Chicken Breasts
Cooking chicken on the barbecue or grill is a healthy version of the traditional fried chicken often served at Independence Day picnics and cookouts.

Recipe for 4:

-4 chicken breasts

Marinade:
-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
-1 tablespoon kosher salt
-2 teaspoons black pepper
-1/4 cup minced onion
-1/4 teaspoon each thyme, paprika and sage

The morning of the cookout, mix all marinade ingredients in a zip top plastic bag or glass dish with cover. Add chicken breasts and marinate for 6 to 8 hours, turning every couple of hours. Grill the chicken until the juices run clear, or the chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

2. Potato Salad
What Independence Day menu would be complete without tangy potato salad?

Recipe for 5:

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or liquid from sweet pickles
-1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
-1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1/4 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper
-1/2 cup minced onion, preferably a sweet variety
-1/2 cup chopped sweet pickles
-2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
-1/3 cup mayonnaise

Directions:
Peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place them in a saucepan and add cold water to cover and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain and cool. Mix together all other ingredients and, when cool, add the potato pieces and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

3. Watermelon
Another Independence Day tradition, watermelon can be sliced and served as-is, or carved into a basket shape and filled with other chopped fruits. Here’s how to carve one.

Ingredients:
-1 large, oblong watermelon (not the little round ones)
-chopped fresh fruit of your choice

Method:
Lay the watermelon on its side. Locate the approximate center. Using a flexible, sharp knife, make a downward cut halfway down the watermelon, 2 inches to the right of the center and another one 2 inches to the left of the center. Then come in from the sides or ends of the melon and make a horizontal cut inward until you meet the vertical cut. Do the same on the other side. You should be able to remove a large wedge of watermelon from each side of the center. Next, cut the melon flesh out of the arched top – the basket’s handle – and use a melon baller to hollow out the inside.

4. Dessert – Ice Cream
It’s another Independence Day classic! You can churn your own if you have a hand churn – that’s fun at a cookout. Or, just dish up vanilla ice cream and top with strawberries and blueberries – red, white, and blue! You can also layer this patriotic combination in parfait glasses.

5. Drinks
Lemonade is traditional on Independence Day. You can also serve lemon punch or lemon slushies. Cola is also an American treat.