Last Call for Ask, Listen, Learn Team Captain Contest Entries!

Calling all Ask, Listen, Learn Team members! Our Ask, Listen, Learn Team Captain contest is ending this Saturday, July 31st at 11:59 pm EST.  All entries must be received by then.  Tell us why you should be named the Ask, Listen, Learn Team Captain for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of SI KIDS magazine!

Once you are signed up as a team member, log into your profile and fill out the contest info.  Find the details about signing up on the contest page and view the official contest rules for more information.

Good luck to all!

Make A Splash!

One of the most exciting things that many kids (and parents!) look forward to in the summertime is swimming. Whether it be in a pool, river, lake, pond, ocean - you name it - swimming is a great summer activity.

But not every kid shares that excitement of swimming.  Make A Splash, a national program created by the USA Swimming Foundation, found that nearly six out of 10 African-American and Hispanic/Latino children are unable to swim, much higher than their Caucasian counterparts.

By educating parents and using the nation's best learn-to-swim resources, Make A Splash aims to teach every child in America how to swim.

What a great way to teach kids about a fun and healthy activity while also aiming to decrease the number of drownings in children.  Check out this article from today's Washington Post about the program.

July 4th Activities and Games

Happy 4th of July to all of the Ask, Listen, Learn team members and their families! Independence Day is a great family holiday that kids love being involved in. Need some ideas for things to do this weekend? We've got you covered.

Many towns have fun July 4th festivals and parades. If your town doesn't, it's likely that a town nearby probably does. Check your local papers and news or ask neighbors for locations.

Watching fireworks, whether on the TV or outdoors, is one of the most classic activities families enjoy on the 4th. But why not make the whole day festive? You don't have to wait until dark to start the festivities.

Get the kids excited by baking fun red, white, and blue dishes. If you're planning to watch the fireworks outside, pack your dishes and get outside early for a family picnic! Whether it's a backyard picnic or a picnic at the park to watch the fireworks, kids of all ages will enjoy the fun, festive dishes.

While you're outdoors, plan some fun activities. There are lots of fun games that can be easily packed into the car. Why not try some bocce ball? Throw a frisbee, baseball, or football, play a game of tag, or even toss some horse shoes! Better yet, play a festive flag tag relay.

Kids will enjoy the holiday more if they understand the meaning of it. Instead of cracking the books open to teach them, why not make a scavenger hunt full of fun Independence Day facts? Kids will love finding the facts and learning along the way.

Face painting is fun as well and you don't have to be an artist to make it fun. Stars and stripes are easy to draw and very festive! Keep baby wipes handy just in case.

Sparklers can be a lot of fun for kids too, but make sure you take the proper precautions. Before you light them, make sure that kids understand the potential danger and keep water at hand.

Why not turn the fun day into night too? Camp out and watch the stars, make your own constellations, tell stories, and roast smores. If there isn't a camp ground nearby, camp in your backyard!

From all of us here on the Ask, Listen, Learn team, we wish you a very happy, active, and safe July 4th weekend!

Fitness for Kids Who Don't Like Sports

Team sports aren't for everyone. Some kids dislike the stretchy pant-material used in baseball little league. Still others may be a little bit clumsy or have trouble with rule-based games.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to stay active that don't require playing a sport. If you're leading a large group of younger kids, try simple, non-competitive games. These will help kids active while fostering a positive, nurturing environment that will help kids who are less self-assured to get active and stay active. Check out this list of fun non-competitive games.

There are also plenty of more solitary sports kids can get involved in. Sports such as swimming and skating offer kids a chance to do something just for them!

Physical fitness offers kids an important outlet for dealing with stress, and helps them stay focused and alert in the classroom. Disliking sports should not be a deterrent to staying active!

Apolo and Yuki Ohno celebrate Father's Day with a special message

Just in time for Father’s Day, eight-time Winter Games medalist and Dancing with the Stars champ Apolo Anton Ohno and his father, Yuki Ohno, were interviewed by radio and TV shows all over the country to talk about the importance of a supportive parent as well as of an active and healthy lifestyle.

As a young teen, Apolo struggled with some of the same peer pressures and unhealthy choices faced by kids today. Due to a strong relationship with his father he was equipped to make healthy decisions and stay on the right track.

The shows will begin airing this weekend so keep an eye and ear out for them as you celebrate Father’s Day. Also, be sure to check out pictures from the event on our Ask, Listen, Learn blog.

Apolo has partnered with The Century Council and its Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix program to promote its message for kids to “Say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking.” Ask, Listen, Learn's website, www.asklistenlearn.com, encourages kids to pledge to make healthy choices. The website features "SuperStars" like Ohno who send positive messages to kids.

The website also provides parents with information on talking to their kids. Yuki and Apolo’s relationship is a great example of how parents have the power to teach their kids to make smart decisions. The research shows that 65% of kids identify their parents as the leading influence in their decision not to drink alcohol. Healthy choices begin in childhood and continue through the teen years so talk to your kids now and talk to them often! They are listening.

United Reads!

One of the reasons why we love working with DC United is their connection to the community. Fans come to RFK Stadium from all over Washington DC to cheer on United, and DC United travels all over Washington DC to promote literacy and healthy lifestyles for children.

On Tuesday we accompanied DC United players Adam Cristman and Kurt Morsink to Tubman Elementary School in Northwest DC. They came to speak to the students about how they achieved their goals through staying active, and how reading has enriched their lives. United Reads challenges kids to read and be active every day, and to record their success. Winning students are awarded a bag full of DC United swag by DC United players themselves, while everyonen else gets two free books! Congratulations to all the winners!