Poolside Playtime with OREO

If eating vegetables were as fun as eating Oreos, parents wouldn't have a problem with picky eaters. The kids put eating Oreos in the same league as playing with toys. Twist it, lick it, dunk it kinda fun.

Add to the fun is the Oreo Strawberry flavor, a Princess flavor if ever there was one. 

Ok, I totally made that up. Seriously though, Berry loves it. She loves the fact that it's pink. And it's strawberry flavored. Your little girls will take a shine to this flavor, if they don't already.

Oreos though, whatever flavor, are such certified hits that when Berry invited some of her friends for merienda and some poolside fun...

We made sure to pack some Oreos in the goody bags we prepared for the kids.

Berry and Xavi even enjoyed putting the goody bags together themselves. Fun for them, less work for me. Win-Win.

Of course, when her friends saw their goodie bags, they were thrilled. A tub of Play-Doh, a Ring Pop and Oreos to bring home, simple things can truly bring so much joy!

How about you? How do you play with Oreo?

For more on how to Play with Oreo, follow @OreoPH on Twitter and Instagram and Like Oreo on Facebook.

The 411 on Ready Steady Go Kids

I thought it best to run you through what Ready Steady Go Kids is all about, so here's the 411 ;)

Xavi jumping through hurdles, with RSGK's Coach Sonny cheering him on

Ready Steady Go Kids (RSGK) is Australia's largest multi-sport and exercise program for kids aged 2.5 to 7 years old, and is now here in Manila.

5 sports are covered per term. This includes: Soccer, Tennis, Hockey, AFL, Cricket, Athletics, Basketball, Rugby, Golf and T-ball. 

For this current term, Term 1 2015 (starts January 24, 2015), it's Football, Basketball, Golf, Cricket and Athletics for the Valle Verde V and Treston locations. For City Club, it's Football, Tennis, Hockey, Rugby and T-ball.

Qualified instructors with early childhood and coaching experience teach each class. They have a Level 1 Coaching Certificate from Australia and to assuage our typical parent concerns - they are trained in First Aid.

Coaches are always ready to teach, assist and support the kids

What do the kids get out of RSGK?

Gross and fine motor skills are developed, as well as hand-eye and foot-eye coordination through RSGK's activities.  This is especially useful if your kids need development in these areas. It's almost like therapy!

Because kids are in a group, they learn the concepts of sportsmanship, as well as learning important life skills like cooperation, playing by the rules, and taking turns.

More than just exposure to other kids, my kids were taught how it is to be part of a team

RSGK is a sportier version of play school. For kids who are about to enter preschool or are in preschool, the program teaches concentration, following directions, even basic concepts of colors, numbers and shapes. Which of course, also helps them get ready for when they are in a real classroom setting.

Because RSGK introduces kids to different sports at such a young age, it helps them cultivate a love for sports and exercise, which they may carry on into their adult years, and shape their attitude towards life in general - which is, cross fingers, that of a champion!

Lastly, RSGK aims for their students to be able to have at least a basic understanding of different sports, which will also help them zoom in into the one or two they are most passionate about.

Fantastic no? Each term of 10 sessions is Php9,995. For a FREE TRIAL, contact Ready Steady Go Kids at the numbers listed below.

Landline +632 631 1497
Smart Mobile +63919 993 6189
Mobile +63917 863 0094

And for those who cannot make it to the first session of TERM 1, 2015, no worries! The RSGK program is designed in such a way that new students can come in at any time within the term, and make up for missed sessions in the following term.

For more on Ready Steady Go Kids, visit their website, follow @rsgkphilippines on Instagram and like Ready Steady Go Kids Philippines on Facebook.

Kiddie Activity: Ready Steady Go Kids

For the past three months, my friends and I put our kids through  Ready Steady Go Kids partly because:

1) We wanted our kids to really sweat it out the old fashioned way - running around playing sports in the "open air", rather than in an air conditioned venue.  And...

2) We wanted to have an excuse to meet up to chika, while the kids got their weekly dose of supervised play.

And what fun it was! My friends and I actually looked forward to each Ready Steady Go Kids session, with a scheduled lunch out after pa. If only for that, sulit na. 

But the greater joy was seeing our kids trying their best at each and every sport they were introduced to. All the more when we saw them doing well, when hitting a hockey puck or a tennis ball seemed so natural for them. Even more so just seeing them having fun, and watching their faces beam with pride when their coaches would enthusiastically compliment them for hitting a ball right smack where it should hit, or for sending a puck flying across the court.

My friends and I were talking about this. What we liked about Ready Steady Go is that we weren't committing to one sport for one whole term. Because what it really is about is introducing the kids to different sports and fun activities, to also help them discover what they enjoyed, and what challenged them the most.

In ten sessions, they got to try kicking around soccer balls.

Playing with hula hoops.

Mucking about with a hockey stick and puck.

Raising a racket over tennis.

And getting a feel of what it's like to play rugby.

All these coupled with fun warm-ups and circle activities where kids can interact with other kids.

Curious? Enrollments are now open for Term 1, 2015. When you enroll before January 24, 2015 you get to save with their Early Bird enrollment promotion. 

Here's the schedule for next term, for each of the three locations where Ready Steady Go Kids hold classes:

You may also book a trial class for your kid/kids before enrolling. Simply call (02) 631-1497 or email info@readysteadygokids.com.ph - so easy!

NEXT UP: The 411 on Ready Steady Go Kids

About Ready Steady Go Kids:

Ready Steady Go Kids is Australia’s leading preschool sport and exercise program. Operating since 2004, they currently run classes for toddlers and kids (aged 2.5 – 7 years) at more than 150 locations in Australia and across Asia. Their physio-designed multi-sport activities teach preschoolers the fundamentals of 10 different sports and develop and enhance gross and fine motor skills in a fun, social, non-competitive and supportive environment. 

Ready Steady Go Kids seeks to promote a healthy lifestyle, develop a lifelong passion for physical activity and sport, decrease childhood obesity, increase confidence and prepare children for participation in school and the broader community.

For more on Ready Steady Go Kids, visit their website, follow @rsgkphilippines on Instagram and like Ready Steady Go Kids Philippines on Facebook.

A Pledge to PLAY: A Disease Awareness Campaign

Late last month, Berry and I, along with the rest of the SoMoms were invited by Janice Villanueva aka Mommy Mundo to Protection, Love, and Activities for Young Kids or P.L.A.Y. - a disease awareness raising campaign at The Fun Ranch in Ortigas.

While I make sure that the kiddos vaccination schedules are followed to the letter, because hello, health is wealth, I thought it was still worth our time to learn more about vaccinations. I mean, I don't really even question our pedia as to why we have to have them done, it always is just a given that it has to be done. I saw my mom meticulously looking at our immunization charts growing up, so taking my cue from her, I make sure I do the same for Berry and Xavi.

So it was with rapt attention that I listened to pediatrician Dra. Carmina delos Reyes' talk about preventable diseases via vaccination.

Thankfully, Berry and her friends Gabbie, Reese and Anika were kept busy with their own activities, because it allowed me to really take in the lecture. And it was OMG. Did you know that each year, roughly a million children die from Pneumococcal Diseases or PDs?  Pneumococcal diseases include invasive ones also known as IPD such as meningitis, sepsis, bacteremia, and pneumonia, and other common diseases such as acute otitis media.

PD is considered as the #1 killer of children less than 5 years of age worldwide, pneumonia in fact kills 37 Filipino kids each day! Meanwhile Acute Otitis Media (AOM), more commonly known as an infection of the middle ear, causes twenty million doctor visits annually. As a mom, I find these statistics horrendous, because these diseases are actually preventable through vaccination. 

I can just imagine the stress of having your kid sick with colds, so imagine the intensity when it's something serious, even life threatening. Now imagine how horrible it would feel if you knew you could have done something to prevent that from happening.

I don't mean to be a downer, but this is serious stuff that us parents shouldn't take for granted. When it comes to our health, it's always better to be proactive than reactive. Here's to a safe and fun summer for everyone!

Protection, Love, and Activities for Young Kids or P.L.A.Y. is a disease awareness raising campaign organized by Mommy Mundo in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, a global leader in preventive healthcare. For more information, visit www.mommymundo.com/vaccinate.