Top Road Races in Massachuetts

Top 5 Road Races in Massachusetts to support children

Looking for a fun way to spend some time with your family and friends while helping to support the local children? Look no further. Here you can find some of the top local road races in support of children and organizations to help children expand their imagination.

#1. Children’s Museum in Easton 16th Annual Father’s Day Road Race
This year marks the 16th annual Fathers Day Road Race at the Children’s Museum in Easton, MA. All the proceeds of the race benefit the Children’s Museum, to enhance exhibits and educational activity areas for local children and their families. This is a day full of exercise and good family fun bringing more than 1,500 people together to take part in this event.
Website: Father's Day Road Race Featuring Team Hoyt


#2. Holliston 5K Road Race to benefit Children's Hospital Boston
A scenic 5K road race followed by a 1M kids' race (10 and under only). T-shirts will be given to the first 200 entrants and there will also be post-race refreshments and awards to top finishers
Website: Children's Hospital - Holliston 5K


#3. Mansfield High School All Sports Boosters 5K
The Mansfield High School All-Sport Booster Club 5k raises money to support Mansfield athletics and provide scholarships for graduating seniors.
Website: Mansfield High School All Sports Boosters 5K


#4. “Brendan's Home Run” 5K Race & Walk
The Ninth Annual running of "Brendan's Home Run" 5K Race & Walk is scheduled for Father's Day 20 June 2010 at the Belmont High School track. This event continues to attract top local athletes. The course used for Brendan's Home Run is certified by the USA Track & Field Road Running Technical Council. This program is dedicated to enhance youth development.
Website: “Brendan's Home Run” 5K Race & Walk


#5. Race for Youth 5K
Racing to help out the Youth in Roxbury and Dorchester through the YMCA of Greater Boston. Join our first annual Run for Youth 5K. Starting at the Dorchester YMCA and ending at the Roxbury YMCA with a barbeque and give aways!
Website: Race for Youth 5K

Gardening for Beginners, By a Beginner - Part 3

I hope you stopped by the Museum yesterday for the Spring Fling, and celebrated the opening of our outdoor learning center...The Wild Place! It was a beautiful day of nature and green fun!

So here it is, the final part of "Gardening for Beginners, By a Beginner." It has been four weeks and all of my plants have sprouted! I tried my luck with four different seeds: pea plants, basil, lime basil, and parsley. I think I might actually have a green thumb, and may have found a new hobby. Either way, I can't wait to make homemade hummus and try some new recipes with my homegrown herbs.

Now as the weather gets nicer, we can finally move our plants outdoors from their spot on the windowsill for some fresh air and sunlight. It is important to slowly get our plants used to a different climate by exposing them to small amounts at a time.


As with any other living thing, plants need room to grow, so the time has also come to transfer them to a bigger container. Same as before, you can buy and design your own pot or rinse and re-use to really get creative.

For a fun project to do with your little gardener, buy or use an old beach pail. Put rocks in the bottom for drainage again, add more soil, and then your plant sprouts. Beach pails or buckets with a handle are convenient and easy to transport for different sunlight exposure.

And since we live in New England, and there is still a chance of frost until about mid May, we won't be able to plant outside right away. But, that doesn't mean our plants can't soak up some sun during the day and go back to their home inside at night until it is warm enough. You may choose to plant them outside in a garden with your kids or try different seeds as it gets warmer.

Take the chance to admire and enjoy what you have created from just a little seedling, you've earned it!


-Jennifer Nash
Public Relations and Development Intern, Childrens Museum Easton

Blue is The New "Green"

75% of our planet is made up of water, and we all need water to survive. During the Museum’s Spring Fling we will be talking about what we can do to at home to “Go Green in Your Backyard.” But did you know that conserving water is also a very important step in working towards a healthier environment for our animal friends and us?

I had the chance to see the trailer for the upcoming Disneynature film: OCEANS, opening in theaters on Earth Day (April 22), and it looks pretty incredible! Disneynature has teamed up with The Nature Conservancy as part of “See OCEANS, Save Oceans” and a portion of each ticket sold during the film’s opening week (April 22-28) will go towards new marine protected areas in the Bahamas!
Here’s the trailer and link to the movie website: http://disney.go.com/disneynature/oceans/?videos

I love the ocean, and this has inspired me to find ways that we all can help. And, April 11-17 is National Environmental Education Week, so it is the perfect time to start. To learn more check out http://www.eeweek.org/

It’s really pretty easy for anyone to make a few changes at home to help conserve water and energy. Here are a few to get you started:

• Take shorter showers.
• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. (This wastes about a gallon a minute!)
• Turn off lights when you leave a room.
• Run washing machines and dishwashers only when they are full.
• Turn the thermostat up two degrees and the summer and down two degrees in the winter.
• And most importantly: Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!
The MarineBio Conservation Society lists these and many more in their 100 Ways to Make a Difference.

Another great website that I found is Kids for Saving Earth. It’s geared towards teaching children all aspects of conservation. Check out the “water” section to learn about marine creatures, and what you can do in your home to help.
http://kidsforsavingearth.org/index.html

For more activities and ideas for kids, visit the Museum’s Kids Page. Create your own recyclable flowers and learn about what you can do in your local community to conserve.

-Jennifer Nash
Public Relations and Development Intern, Children’s Museum in Easton

Gardening for Beginners, By a Beginner - Part 2

It's been about 2 weeks since I planted my herbs and pea plants. If you look closely you can actually see some green! But in the meantime, I have found some simple yummy recipes to make with your homegrown herbs when they are ready. I planted basil (bottom right), parsley (no growth yet), and pea plants (top left). Herbs can be added to bring out flavor in pretty much any meal including: pizza, pasta, salads, sandwiches, and soups. Yum!

It is a good idea to let your kids help out in the kitchen. Cooking with your kids is a way to spend time as you create a meal together. Plus, they will want to try whatever they make, so it's a great way to help them make healthier choices and eat more fresh food.

As a gluten free girl with a sensitivity to wheat, rye, and barley, hummus is one of my personal favorites. It is a delicious Mediterranean dip, that is easy to make and hard to resist! To stay gluten free, make sure you double check labels, and serve with your favorite fresh vegetables.

HOMEMADE HUMMUS

1 15 Oz. Can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Tahini (can be found next to the peanut butter)
1 Garlic Clove
1 Tsp. Salt
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 tea spoon chopped fresh parsley (from your garden)
1 tea spoon chopped fresh basil (from your garden)

1. Place all ingredients, except olive oil and basil, into food processor and puree. Add olive oil and continue to puree until creamy.
2. Garnish with basil and serve.

But, if you really MUST have gluten, (I won't be offended) then here's an easy recipe for homemade pita chips. Just make sure if you're sharing with gluten free friends you have two separate bowls of hummus for veggies and chips :)

PITA CHIPS

3 lg. pita bread rounds
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. fresh basil
2 green onions, chopped
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate each piece of pita bread into 2 round single layers. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine butter, parsley, basil, and green onions. Mix well. Spread mixture evenly over the 6 rounds of bread. Sprinkle cheese over open pita rounds. Cut each into 6 wedges. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 12 minutes or until crisp. Serve warm.

Check out these websites for other recipe ideas to make with your kids:

http://allrecipes.com/

http://www.campbellskitchen.com/Home.aspx

http://www.childrensrecipes.com/

And, come back in two weeks for the third and final part of Gardening for Beginners...where we can try our luck at some outside gardening in the nice weather!

-Jennifer Nash
Public Relations and Development Intern, Children's Museum in Easton