Scooters have stood the test of time, with each generation enjoying scooters in one form or another. A scooter can be great fun…a speedy way to get around. Today, there are even scooters for toddlers!

Kids need to practice scooter safety; accidents are on the rise. Over one third of all scooter accidents occur in children under eight years of age.

With the promise of fun comes the reminder that scooter safety is a very important consideration.

 Scooter safety for young children is best summed up as follows:

• A helmet, knee pads and elbow pads must be worn whenever a child rides a scooter. No matter if it is summer and hot or they are just going a short distance
• Children under eight must be supervised when riding a scooter.
• Scooters need to be ridden on smooth, paved surfaces schoolyards, parks and sidewalks
• Riders must remember that the street is not a safe place to ride.
• If they ride on sidewalks, people walking on the sidewalk have the right of way.

To insure scooter safety, children need to learn how to scoot from an adult, just as they do for bike riding and skateboarding.

For as long as I can remember I have been making and gifting braided fabric wreaths. When my child was in the early years in grade school, he would enjoy helping stuff the fabric tubes and braiding the tubes for the wreaths. Most of all, he enjoyed talking about the role he played in its creation!

For friends who celebrated Christmas there were wreaths made of Christmas scene patterns braided with a solid red or green. Friends who didn’t celebrate Christmas were happy to receive wreaths that were suitable for hanging year round.

You will need to sew up the fabric tubes and the bows for the wreaths on a sewing machine, but children can help with the other parts of the wreath making.

Materials for One Wreath:

3 strips of Fabric (assorted/solid colors) cut 72 inches long by 10 inches wide

1 strip of a solid color/print for the bow cut 60 inches long by 10 inches wide

1 circular wire ring 12 inches in diameter (a large clothing hanger will do – bend to shape* )

Thread to match the color of the fabric

Sewing needles for hand sewing

Use of a sewing machine to make the strips into tubes for stuffing

2 bag of 100% Poly-fil for stuffing -20 ounces

1 long stick about 1 and ½ inches wide to use for pushing the fiber-fil into the tubing

Cutting Directions:

Cut 3 strips of fabric 72“long by 10” wide

Cut one strip of cloth for the bow – 60” long by 10“wide

Sewing Directions:

Wreath

• Turn 3 strips (tubes) to be used for the wreath to the wrong side, pin or baste stitch one ½ inch from the edge. Leave openings every 12 inches to make stuffing easier. Machine stitch to openings (every 12 inches, leaving 4 inches open for stuffing, machine stitch for 12 inches, leave 4’ open…repeat until finished.
• Turn tubes right side out, begin stuffing, use stick to help position stuffing in the tube, stuff each open section then hand stitch closed until you finish each tube.
• Secure 3 tubes with a pin or stitch together at one end. Begin to braid until the 3 tubes have only 4 inches to the end ( use this to join with that part of the wreath that is held together with a pin or stitching)
• Shape into a circle, join beginning and end of wreath together, hand sew.
• Mount on wire ring by sewing wreath tubes to the wire at a few inch intervals

Bow

• Turn bow fabric wrong side out, baste ½ inch from the edge, machine stitch the long side and one short side, turn inside out, press, hand stitch or machine stitch the open end closed.
• Tie bow around the wreath at the point where you joined the top and bottom of the wreath , be sure to include the wire

Note: You can purchase wire rings for your wreaths at a hardware store or online.*

__________________________________________________________

Store News: The “Can Do” Character Towel is perfect for bath time and beach time! Just click on the store logo and check it out. There’s free shipping on all items!

The Store at “Can Do Street opened today with 30% Savings on Value Packs and Free Shipping on orders of $25+. Children are sure to enjoy the “Can Do” Kid products and parents and other shoppers will appreciate that all the products are well-made, easy to care for, and budget friendly.

This holiday season, we are offering our first of many “Can Do “Kids” books. Our first book is a full color, hard cover book which deals with a real fear of children who will be away for Christmas.  The book title says it all…Can Santa Find Me on Christmas?

Our value packs offer products at a 30% savings compared to buying each product individually.

The Christmas Book Value Pack includes:

• Our book, Can Santa Find Me on Christmas?
• A set of “Can Do” Kids Safety Flash Cards that feature a character on one side of the card and a safety message on the other side
• 2 scratch off cards for down loading 2 ping-pong game apps for use on Android smart phones.
• 2 full-color “Can Do” Street tee shirt iron ons.

The Young Chef Value Pack includes:

• A 100% cotton apron and chef hat
• 2 scratch off cards for down loading 2 ping-pong game apps for use on Android smart phones
• 2 Chefs Club tee shirt irons ons.

Don’t forget to check out the “Can Do” Kid Character beach towel that works well as an after bath towel!

Payments are processed through PayPal. You can choose to use your PayPal account or a credit card.

You Can Get to the Store 4 Ways:

• Click on The Store icon in the right hand column of this page
• From the “Can Do Street” home page – click on the awning that reads…The Store
• From the “Can Do Street” home page – click on the cloud that reads…Store
• From the URL address…www.candostreet.com/store

 Happy Values …Happy Shopping…Happy Holidays!

As creator of “Can Do” Street, I am pleased and excited to announce a new addition coming to our site in the next few weeks!

The Store at “Can Do” Street will be open in time for holiday season shopping. The Store will offer quality products your children are sure to enjoy; products that are well-made, easy to care for, and budget friendly with free shipping on orders $25+.

This holiday season, we are offering our first of many “Can Do” Kids ’s books.  Our first book is  “Can Santa Find Me on Christmas? It’s all about how some of the “Can Do” kids are worried that Santa won’t find them if they are away from home on Christmas.

You can purchase value packs that offer products at a considerable savings of 30% compared to buying each product individually. The Christmas Book Value Pack contains our Christmas book, a set of “Can Do” character safety flash cards, two a ping pong game apps scratch off cards and two”Can Do” Street tee shirt iron ons.

Our Young Chefs Value Pack has an apron and chef’s hat, as well as two ping pong app scratch off cards and two Chefs Club tee shirt iron ons.

In addition to the value packs, all items in The Store can be purchased individually.

In 2016 we will be adding to our inventory with 3 new books, which will come out in April, July and October. Other items will include a “Can Do” Kid bubble mitt for the bath and a set of “Can Do” Kids character linens.

We look forward to seeing you at The Store!

Best,

Jean Campbell (Grandma Jean)

Safe Kids USA asks you to follow the tips below to make sure you keep your children safe while they are walking to and from school. Reviewing these tips regularly with your children can play an important role in keeping them safe.

Tips for Walkers

• Developmentally, most kids can’t judge speeds and distances until at least age 10, so younger kids need to cross the street with an adult

• Did you know most walking injuries happen mid-block or someplace other than intersections? Whenever possible, cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks

• Look left, right and left again before crossing the street, and keep looking and listening while crossing

• Walk, don’t run, when crossing the street

• It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths, but if there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible

• Remove headphones when crossing the street

• If you need to use your phone, stop walking

• Distraction among drivers is at an all-time high today, so try to make eye contact with the driver before you step into the road

 For more road safety and walking tips go to www.safekids.org